Booking method and system

• US 20030101071A1
• Filed: 08/21/2002
• Published: 05/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smartcom Labs OY
• Original Assignee: Bookit Oy Ajanvarauspalvelu
• Inventors: Salonen, Jukka
• Granted Patent: US 7,406,429 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3221 Access to banking information through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3255 using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/14 Travel agencies
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/207 with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/37 E-mail addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 : Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 : Hardware identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 : Subscriber identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 : Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 : for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 : Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and system for booking reservations in a booking system and synchronizing bookings among several booking systems. The system comprises at least one booking system; at least one service provider; a mediator service; a client, and at least one client terminal device that can be a mobile device and that includes a dialogue. The client uses the dialogue to enter information into the system and the mediator receives inquiries and answers from the at least one booking system, the at least one service provider, and the at least one client. The mediator transfers and adapts information between them. The method and system are particularly suited for use with mobile phone users by Small Message Service messages.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one service provider booking system;

at least one service provider;

a client;

a terminal device;

a mediator; and

telecommunication connections that are used to connect the parts of the systems to one another;

wherein the terminal device includes at least one dialogue that the client uses to enter information into the system and wherein the mediator receives inquiries and answers from the at least one booking system, the at least one service provider, and the at least one client, and wherein the mediator transfers and adapts information between them.

2. A system as defined in claim 1 characterized in that the dialogue is dynamic and based on client'"'"'s profile information.

3. A system as defined in claim 1 characterized in that the dialogue is dynamic and based on client'"'"'s usage history information.

4. A system as defined in claim 1 characterized in that the dialogue is dynamic and based on client'"'"'s location.

5. A system as defined in claim 1 characterized in that the dialogue is dynamic and based on what the service provider has to offer.

6. A system as defined in claim 1 characterized in that the dialogue is dynamic and based on client'"'"'s profile information.

7. A system as defined in any one of the claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 characterized in that the mediator uses a set of identifications and the mediator has a matrix that includes a row or a column for each identification and a respectively a column or a row for each client and in each shell defined by a row and a column the information about an inquiry and client'"'"'s possible answers is stored.

8. A method for making bookings in a booking system comprising:

at least one service provider booking system;

at least one service provider;

a mediator;

a client;

a terminal device;

a dialogue within the terminal device;

telecommunication connections that are used to connect the booking systems, the service providers, the mediator, and the terminal device to one another;

characterized in that the system comprises the steps of;

the client entering inquiry into the dialogue;

the dialogue possibly adapting the inquiry;

the dialogue sending the inquiry to the mediator;

the mediator possibly adapting the inquiry;

the mediator sending the inquiry to at least one booking system;

the booking systems making necessary queries in their databases and making tentative reservations;

the booking systems replying to the inquiry;

the mediator receiving replies from the booking systems and possibly adapting and combining them;

the mediator sending the reply to the dialogue;

the dialogue possibly adapting the reply;

the dialogue outputting the reply to the client;

the client entering a selection or some other kind of reply into the dialogue;

the dialogue possibly adapting the reply;

the dialogue sending the reply to the mediator;

the mediator possibly adapting the reply;

the mediator sending the reply to at least one booking system;

the booking systems making necessary queries in their databases and confirming or canceling corresponding tentative reservations;

the booking systems sending confirmations to the mediator.

10. A method as defined in either of the claims 8 or 9 characterized in that the system further comprises the steps of:

the mediator possibly adapting and combining the confirmations;

the mediator sending a confirmation to the dialogue;

the dialogue possibly adapting the confirmation;

the dialogue outputting the confirmation to the client.

9. A method for making bookings in a booking system comprising:

at least one booking system;

at least one service provider;

a mediator;

a client;

a terminal device;

a dialogue within the terminal device;

telecommunication connections that are used to connect the booking systems, the service providers, the mediator, and the terminal device to one another;

characterized in that the system comprises the steps of;

the mediator sending an inquiry to the dialogue;

the dialogue possibly adapting the inquiry;

the dialogue outputting the inquiry to the client;

the client entering a reply into the dialogue;

the dialogue possibly adapting the reply and reform it to an inquiry;

the dialogue sending the inquiry to the mediator;

the mediator possibly adapting the inquiry;

the mediator sending the inquiry to at least one booking system;

the booking systems making necessary queries in their databases and making tentative reservations;

the booking systems replying to the inquiry;

the mediator receiving replies from the booking systems and possibly adapting and combining them;

the mediator sending the reply to the dialogue;

the dialogue possibly adapting the reply;

the dialogue outputting the reply to the client;

the client entering a selection or some other kind of reply into the dialogue;

the dialogue possibly adapting the reply;

the dialogue sending the reply to the mediator;

the mediator possibly adapting the reply;

the mediator sending the reply to at least one booking system;

the booking systems making necessary queries in their databases and confirming or canceling corresponding tentative reservations;

the booking systems sending confirmations to the mediator.