Booking method and system

• US 20040128158A1
• Filed: 12/11/2003
• Published: 07/01/2004
• 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 9,313,161 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 method of a mediator carrying on a communication with a client terminal having a client identifier address, including:

a) initializing a communication with the client terminal, including associating a particular reply address to which a reply to a message needs to be directed, including selecting the particular reply address from a multiplicity of addresses at which the mediator receives replies;

b) sending at least one message to the client terminal that includes the particular reply address;

c) receiving a reply to the at least one message from the client terminal at the particular reply address, the reply including the client identifier address;

d) storing the reply in a matrix, the matrix including a first axis indexed by client identifier address and a second axis indexed by reply address; and

e) evaluating the reply using the client identifier address and the reply address at which the reply is received.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the reply further includes analyzing the semantics of the reply.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein initializing a communication is responsive to a set up request that identifies the client terminal and a particular service provider.

4. The method of claim 1, further including tracking which of the multiplicity of addresses are currently available for use, and initializing a communication further includes selecting the particular reply address from those addresses which are currently available for use.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein sending a message to the client terminal includes sending an SMS message which capable of being responded to with a single character reply.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one message includes a plurality of messages, the communication includes a plurality of message and reply exchanges, and initiating a communication includes associating different reply addresses with each different message.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein initializing a communication further includes selecting the particular reply address at random from those addresses which are currently available for use.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the matrix further includes a third axis indexed by the single character reply.

9. The method of claim 6, whereby evaluating the reply can proceed even when the different replies are received in a different order than the exchanges are initiated.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the mediator is simultaneously communicating with a plurality of other client terminals each having a different client identifier address.

11. A mediator that controls communications with a client terminal having a client identifier address, the mediator including:

a) a multiplicity of addresses at which the mediator is capable of receiving communications from the client terminal;

b) logic and resources adapted to

i) initialize a communication with the client, including associating a particular reply address to which a reply to a message needs to be directed, the particular reply address being selected from the multiplicity of addresses,

ii) send at least one message to the client terminal that includes the particular reply address,

iii) receive a reply from the client terminal to the at least one message at the particular address, the reply including the client identifier address,

iv) store the reply in a matrix, the matrix including a first axis indexed by client identifier address and a second axis indexed by reply address, and

v) evaluate the reply using the client identifier address and the reply address at which the reply is received.

12. The mediator of claim 11, wherein the logic and resources to evaluate the reply further analyzes the semantics of the reply.

13. The mediator of claim 11, wherein the logic and resources to initialize a communication includes logic and resources to associate a different particular reply address to each message when the at least one message includes a plurality of messages and the communication includes a plurality of message reply pairs.

14. The mediator of claim 13, whereby the logic and resources are adapted to process replies to messages even when the different replies are received out of order from the different messages.

15. The mediator of claim 13, wherein the logic and resources further includes logic and resources to track which of the multiplicity of addresses are currently available for use, and logic and resources to initialize a communication further includes logic and resources to select the particular reply address from those addresses which are currently available for use.

16. The mediator of claim 11, wherein the logic and resources to initialize the communication is adapted to be responsive to a set up request that identifies the client terminal and the particular service provider.

17. The mediator of claim 15, wherein the logic and resources to select the particular reply address from the multiplicity of addresses chooses the selection at random.

18. The mediator of claim 11, wherein the client identifier address is chosen from the group consisting of a client'"'"'s A-subscriber'"'"'s number, Calling Line Identity, e-mail address and IP address.

19. A method of a mediator authenticating a client, the client using a mobile telephonic device capable of sending and receiving SMS messages and having a client identifier address, the mediator performing acts including:

a) assigning a unique reply address to an SMS message from a multiplicity of available reply addresses;

b) sending the SMS message to the client at the client identifier address; and

c) authenticating the client if a reply to the SMS message is received at the unique reply address.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the unique reply address is assigned at random from among the multiplicity of available reply addresses.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the method further includes storing the reply in a matrix including a first axis indexed by client calling line identifier number and a second axis indexed by reply address.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the mediator includes a network server programmed to perform the method.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the client'"'"'s identifier address includes an identifier chosen from the group consisting of a client'"'"'s A-subscriber'"'"'s number, Calling Line Identity, e-mail address and IP address.

24. A method of a client using a client terminal device having a client identifier address communicating with a service provider through a mediator, including the acts of:

a) sending an inquiry pertaining to the service provider to the mediator using the client terminal device;

b) receiving at least one message responsive to the inquiry from the mediator, the at least one message having an associated reply address;

c) composing a reply to the at least one message; and

d) sending the reply to the associated reply address.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the inquiry and reply are SMS messages.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the at least one message is in a form that is capable of being responded to with a single character response, and wherein the act of composing includes choosing the single character response.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein the at least one message is in a form that is capable of being responded to with a number and wherein the act of composing includes choosing the number.