Business to business computer system for communicating and processing rental car reservations using web services

• US 20050091087A1
• Filed: 06/10/2004
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Crawford Group Incorporated (Jack Taylor Family Voting Trust U A D 4 14 99)
• Original Assignee: The Crawford Group Incorporated (Jack Taylor Family Voting Trust U A D 4 14 99)
• Inventors: Epperly, Carl E., Thomae, Gary K., Smith, David Gary, Klopfenstein, Anita K., Dittmar, Russell E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,600,783 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions

Abstract

An Internet-enabled automatic rental vehicle transaction system, the system comprising a web service connector in communication with a rental vehicle software program, the web service connector being configured to (1) receive, via a network, a document from a computer system of an authorized purchaser of rental vehicle services on behalf of another, the document comprising a web service rental vehicle reservation request, (2) process the received document in accordance with a web service specification document to create one or more data objects having a format supported by the rental vehicle software program, and (3) communicate the one or more data objects to the rental vehicle software program, and wherein the rental vehicle software program is configured to automatically process the one or more data objects for fulfillment of the reservation request.

Claims

1. An Internet-enabled automatic rental vehicle transaction system, the system comprising a web service connector in communication with a rental vehicle software program, the web service connector being configured to (1) receive, via a network, a document from a computer system of an authorized purchaser of rental vehicle services on behalf of another, the document comprising a web service rental vehicle reservation request, (2) process the received document in accordance with a web service specification document to create one or more data objects having a format supported by the rental vehicle software program, and (3) communicate the one or more data objects to the rental vehicle software program, and wherein the rental vehicle software program is configured to automatically process the one or more data objects for fulfillment of the reservation request.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the reservation request corresponds to a reservation request for a rental vehicle at any of a plurality of specific geographically remote rental vehicle locations at which vehicles for rent are situated.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of rental vehicle locations are all operated by a single rental vehicle service provider.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the authorized purchaser comprises an insurance company purchasing a rental vehicle services on behalf of an insured or a claimant.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the received document comprises a variable length variable format document.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the received document comprises an XML document.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the received document comprises an XML document enclosed within a Simple Object Access Protocol wrapper.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the web service reservation request comprises a request to create a reservation.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the web service reservation request comprises a request to modify a reservation.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the web service reservation request comprises a request to extend a reservation.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein the web service reservation request comprises a request to cancel a reservation.

12. The system of claim 7 wherein the web service reservation request comprises a request to obtain a price rate for a reservation.

13. The system of claim 7 wherein the web service reservation request comprises a request to find a rental vehicle location at which a reservation for the insured or claimant is to be fulfilled.

14. The system of claim 7 wherein the web service reservation request comprises a request to retrieve stored data for an existing reservation.

15. The system of claim 7 wherein the web service reservation request comprises a request to terminate an existing reservation.

16. The system of claim 7 wherein the web service reservation request comprises a request to return any error messages for a reservation.

17. The system of claim 7 wherein the web service specification document comprises a Web Services Description Language (WSDL) document.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the WSDL document comprises a web service schema.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the web service connector is further configured to translate the received XML document to a common internal format using a translation guide.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein a plurality of authorized purchasers each use a different XML format for the XML documents sent to the rental car service provider computer system, wherein the web service connector is further configured to maintain a translation guide associated with each of such authorized purchasers, said translation guides defining how to map the authorized purchaser'"'"'s XML documents to the common internal format.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the web service connector is further configured to transform, using the WSDL document, the translated XML document into the one or more data objects communicated to the rental vehicle software program.

22. The system of claim 7 wherein the web service connector and the rental vehicle software program are under control of the single rental vehicle service provider.

23. The system of claim 7 wherein the web service connector is under control of the authorized purchaser.

24. The system of claim 7 wherein the web service connector is under control of a third party.

25. The system of claim 7 wherein the web service connector is in communication with a plurality of said rental vehicle software programs, each rental vehicle software program being under control of a different party.

26. The system of claim 7 wherein the rental vehicle software program is further configured to communicate billing information to the authorized purchaser for further processing thereby.

27. The system of claim 7 wherein the rental vehicle software program is further configured to communicate messages between the authorized purchaser and any third parties having access to the software program.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the third parties comprise repair shops.

29. The system of claim 7 further comprising a web connector that interfaces the rental vehicle software program with a computer system of a non-web services-enabled authorized purchaser of rental vehicle services on behalf of another.

30. The system of claim 7 wherein the rental vehicle software program is further configured to communicate an authorization request for an extension of a reservation to the authorized purchaser computer system for authorization by a user of the authorized purchaser computer system.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the extension authorization request is placed by a repair shop with the rental car service provider.

32. The system of claim 30 wherein the extension authorization request is placed by the insured or claimant with the rental car service provider.

33. The system of claim 7 wherein the rental vehicle software program is configured to generate an action item list for display to a user of the authorized purchaser computer system, the action item list identifying a plurality of reservations needing further action by the authorized purchaser.

34. An Internet-enabled automatic rental vehicle transaction system for managing a plurality of rental vehicle transactions for third party use placed by high volume customers, the rental vehicle transaction system comprising a rental vehicle software program configured to automatically process vehicle rental transaction requests received over the internet from any one of a plurality of said customers, said transaction requests being formatted in a pre-determined web services format, and a web service connector connected in network between the internet and said rental vehicle transaction program for translating said transaction requests from web services format into a format processable by said rental vehicle software program.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein at least some of said customers generate their requests in a different web services format and wherein said web service connector is configured to translate a request in any customer format into said format processable by said rental vehicle software program.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein said request comprises one of a plurality of different request types.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein said web service connector is configured to translate outgoing messages in processable format from the rental vehicle software program into the web service format associated with the intended customer addressee.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein said request comprises a variable length variable format request.

39. The system of claim 38 wherein said variable length variable format request comprises an XML request.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein one of said plurality of different request types is a request to create a reservation.

41. The system of claim 39 wherein one of said plurality of different request types is a request to modify a reservation.

42. The system of claim 39 wherein one of said plurality of different request types is a request to extend a reservation.

43. The system of claim 39 wherein one of said plurality of different request types is a request to cancel a reservation.

44. The system of claim 39 wherein one of said plurality of different request types is a request to obtain a price rate for a reservation.

45. The system of claim 39 wherein one of said plurality of different request types is a request to find a rental vehicle location at which a reservation for the insured or claimant is to be fulfilled.

46. The system of claim 39 wherein one of said plurality of different request types is a request to retrieve stored data for an existing reservation.

47. The system of claim 39 wherein one of said plurality of different request types is a request to terminate an existing reservation.

48. The system of claim 39 wherein one of said plurality of different request types is a request to return any error messages for a reservation.

49. The system of claim 39 wherein said web services connector is further configured to perform said translation using a web service specification document.

50. A method of providing communications between a computer system of an authorized purchaser of rental vehicle services on behalf of another with a remote automated rental vehicle transaction system to support the processing of a plurality of web service reservation requests from the authorized purchaser computer system to the automated rental vehicle transaction system, the rental vehicle transaction system comprising a software program resident thereon that is accessible by the authorized purchaser computer system to enable a user of the authorized purchaser computer system to automatically create and process reservations with a rental vehicle service provider, the method comprising:

restricting web service access by the authorized purchaser computer system to the automated rental vehicle transaction system to only web service reservation requests that are formatted in accordance with a web service specification document that defines how data within any of a plurality of web service reservation requests must be formatted; and

for web service reservation requests that are formatted in accordance with the web service specification document, automatically processing the web service reservation request for fulfillment thereof at any of a plurality of geographically remote business locations at which vehicles for rent are situated.

51. The method of claim 50 wherein the authorized purchaser comprises an insurance company purchasing rental vehicle services on behalf of an insured or a claimant.

52. The method of claim 51 further comprising communicating the web service specification document to the authorized purchaser.

53. The method of claim 51 further comprising publishing the web service specification document on-line in a manner accessible to the authorized purchaser.

54. The method of claim 51 wherein the plurality of web service reservation requests comprise a request to create a reservation-and a request to modify a reservation.

55. The method of claim 54 wherein the plurality of web service reservation requests further comprise a request to obtain a price rate for a reservation.

56. The method of claim 55 wherein the plurality of web service reservation requests further comprise a request to find a rental vehicle location at which a reservation for the insured or claimant is to be fulfilled.

57. The method of claim 56 wherein the plurality of web service reservation requests further comprise a request to cancel a reservation.

58. The method of claim 57 wherein the plurality of web service reservation requests further comprise a request to retrieve stored data for an existing reservation.

59. The method of claim 58 wherein the plurality of web service reservation requests further comprise a request to obtain a time extension on a reservation.

60. The system of claim 59 wherein the plurality of web service reservation requests further comprise a request to terminate an existing reservation.

61. The system of claim 60 wherein the plurality of web service reservation requests further comprise a request to return any error messages for a reservation.

62. The method of claim 54 wherein the web service reservation requests are communicated from the authorized purchaser computer system to the automated rental vehicle transaction system in the form of an XML document.

63. The method of claim 62 wherein the web service reservation requests are communicated from the authorized purchaser computer system to the automated rental vehicle transaction system in the form of an XML document enclosed in a Simple Object Access Protocol wrapper.

64. The method of claim 62 wherein the automatic processing step comprises translating data contained with the XML document to a common internal XML format using a translation guide.

65. The method of claim 64 wherein the automatic processing step further comprises transforming the translated XML document into one or more data objects of a data type supported by the automated rental vehicle transaction system software program.

66. The method of claim 65 wherein the transforming step comprises transforming the translated XML document into one or more data objects of a data type supported by the automated rental vehicle transaction system software program using the web service specification document.

67. The method of claim 66 wherein the web service specification document is a Web Services Description Language (WSDL) document.

68. A method for facilitating communications between an Internet-enabled automatic rental vehicle transaction system including a rental vehicle software program and a plurality of high volume customers, said communications comprising a plurality of rental vehicle transactions for third party use placed by said high volume customers, the method comprising:

processing vehicle rental transaction requests received over the internet from any one of a plurality of customers, said transaction requests being formatted in a pre-determined web services format, and

translating said transaction requests from web services format into a format processable by the rental vehicle software program.

69. The method of claim 68 wherein at least some of said customers generate their requests in a different web services format, the method further comprising translating a request in any customer format into said format processable by said rental vehicle software program.

70. The method of claim 69 wherein said request comprises one of a plurality of different request types.

71. The method of claim 70 wherein said translating step comprises translating outgoing messages in processable format from the rental vehicle software program into the web service format associated with the intended customer addressee.

72. The method of claim 71 wherein said request comprises a variable length variable format request.

73. The method of claim 72 wherein said variable length variable format request comprises an XML request.

74. The method of claim 73 wherein at least one of said plurality of different request types is selected from the group consisting of a request to create a reservation, a request to modify a reservation, a request to extend a reservation, a request to cancel a reservation, a request to obtain a price rate for a reservation, a request to find a rental vehicle location at which a reservation for the insured or claimant is to be fulfilled, a request to retrieve stored data for an existing reservation, a request to terminate an existing reservation, and a request to return any error messages for a reservation.

75. The method of claim 73 wherein at least one of said plurality of different request types is selected from the group consisting of a request to modify a reservation, a request to extend a reservation, a request to cancel a reservation, a request to obtain a price rate for a reservation, a request to find a rental vehicle location at which a reservation for the insured or claimant is to be fulfilled, a request to retrieve stored data for an existing reservation, a request to terminate an existing reservation, and a request to return any error messages for a reservation.

76. The method of claim 73 wherein at least one of said plurality of different request types is selected from the group consisting of a request to extend a reservation, a request to obtain a price rate for a reservation, a request to find a rental vehicle location at which a reservation for the insured or claimant is to be fulfilled, a request to retrieve stored data for an existing reservation, a request to terminate an existing reservation, and a request to return any error messages for a reservation.

77. The method of claim 74 wherein at least two of said plurality of different request types are selected from the group consisting of a request to create a reservation, a request to modify a reservation, a request to extend a reservation, a request to cancel a reservation, a request to obtain a price rate for a reservation, a request to find a rental vehicle location at which a reservation for the insured or claimant is to be fulfilled, a request to retrieve stored data for an existing reservation, a request to terminate an existing reservation, and a request to return any error messages for a reservation.

78. The method of claim 74 wherein at least four of said plurality of different request types are selected from the group consisting of a request to create a reservation, a request to modify a reservation, a request to extend a reservation, a request to cancel a reservation, a request to obtain a price rate for a reservation, a request to find a rental vehicle location at which a reservation for the insured or claimant is to be fulfilled, a request to retrieve stored data for an existing reservation, a request to terminate an existing reservation, and a request to return any error messages for a reservation.

79. The method of claim 74 further comprising using a web service specification document for said translation.

80. A computer program product executable by a computer processor, the computer program product for interfacing a business organization computer system with an automated rental vehicle transaction system, the business organization being an organization desirous of purchasing, on behalf of another, rental vehicle services from a rental vehicle service provider, the automated rental vehicle transaction system being configured to receive and automatically process reservation requests for fulfillment at any of a plurality of geographically remote locations at which a rental vehicle service provider makes vehicles available for rent, the computer program product comprising:

software code for receiving a reservation request having a variable format and variable length; and

software code for transforming the variable length variable format data corresponding to the request to a data format required by the automated rental vehicle transaction system in accordance with a specification document that defines a proper arrangement of data in a valid request; and

software code for communicating the transformed data to the automated rental vehicle transaction system for processing thereby.

81. The computer program product of claim 80 wherein the business organization is an insurance company desirous of purchasing rental vehicle services on behalf of an insured or a claimant.

82. The computer program product of claim 81 wherein the variable format variable length data comprises an XML document.

83. The computer program product of claim 82 wherein the reservation requests supported by the software code and the automated rental vehicle transaction system comprise a request to create a reservation and a request to modify a reservation.

84. The computer program product of claim 83 wherein the reservation requests supported by the software code and the automated rental vehicle transaction system further comprise a request to obtain a time extension on a reservation.

85. The computer program product of claim 84 wherein the reservation requests supported by the software code and the automated rental vehicle transaction system further comprise a request to find a rental vehicle location at which a reservation for the insured or claimant is to be fulfilled.

86. The computer program product of claim 85 wherein the reservation requests supported by the software code and the automated rental vehicle transaction system further comprise a request to obtain a price rate for a reservation.

87. The computer program product of claim 86 wherein the reservation requests supported by the software code and the automated rental vehicle transaction system further comprise a request to retrieve stored data for an existing reservation.

88. The computer program product of claim 87 wherein the reservation requests supported by the software code and the automated rental vehicle transaction system further comprise a request to cancel a reservation.

89. The computer program product of claim 88 wherein the reservation requests supported by the software code and the automated rental vehicle transaction system further comprise a request to terminate an existing reservation.

90. The computer program product of claim 89 wherein the reservation requests supported by the software code and the automated rental vehicle transaction system further comprise a request to return any error messages for a reservation.