Method and apparatus for customer direct on-line reservation of rental vehicles including deep-linking

• US 20050119921A1
• Filed: 06/13/2003
• Published: 06/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2002
• 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: Belanger, Hugues, Fitzgerald, Neil, Tucker, Paul, Boruff, Kelli, Everson, Jeffrey Lee
• Granted Patent: US 8,234,134 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 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions

Abstract

A method of processing a reservation transaction between a customer and reservation-booking entity via a computer network inter-connecting a customer computer with an automated reservation transaction processor, the reservation transaction requiring submission of at least three different types of reservation data from the customer for successful completion thereof, each reservation data type having one of a plurality of different values, wherein each reservation data type value is dependent upon other reservation data type values, the method including presenting an initial page for data value entry for a plurality of reservation data types, accepting for partial data entry data values for less than all of said reservation data types, and determining, on the basis of the interdependence of the different data values for the different reservation data types, a list of acceptable data values for any un-entered reservation data types. Also, the processor provides the customer with a less than full page summary section on many of the reservation booking pages, the summary section including a list of submitted data values for the reservation transaction and an edit link associated with each listed data value that is selectable to initiate a revision of its associated data value. Further, the present invention supports promotional deep-linking, promotion reservation with notification upon customer violation of the promotion rules, corporate account deep-linking, URL-based deep-linking, travel agent commission tracking, and various other features.

Claims

1-60. -60. (canceled)

61. A method of providing deep-link access for repeat users to a portion of a common network-accessible reservation booking server site, the reservation booking server site configured to interact with a user via a plurality of user-interactive pages to generate a reservation transaction, the method comprising:

providing a repeat user with a URL, the URL being a deep-link to said portion of the common network-accessible reservation booking server site so that said repeat user need only address the URL with a single click to gain deep-link access to said portion of the common network-accessible reservation booking server site.

62. The method of claim 61 wherein the reservation transaction is a rental vehicle transaction.

63. The method of claim 61 further comprising:

receiving an access request from the repeat user, the access request resulting from the user selecting the provided URL from a computer, the computer being in communication with the reservation booking server site via a computer network;

determining an account associated with the provided URL;

retrieving at least one parameter associated with the determined account;

deep-linking the repeat user into the reservation booking server site in accordance with the at least one retrieved parameter.

64. The method of claim 63 further comprising booking a reservation for the user in accordance with the at least one retrieved parameter and data provided by the user.

65. The method of claim 61 further comprising displaying a logo associated with the repeat user on at least one page presented to the repeat user after deep-linking.

66. The method of claim 61 wherein the repeat user is a travel agent or a travel agency.

67. The method of claim 61 wherein the repeat user is an employee of a business partner of the reservation booking server site.

68. The method of claim 61 wherein the reservation booking server site in an Internet website.

69. A method of processing a reservation transaction between a travel agent and reservation-making entity via a reservation booking server site accessed over a computer network that connects a travel agent computer with the server site host, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of identifiers in a database, each identifier being associated with at least one travel agent;

determining at least one of said stored identifiers as being associated with a travel agent who books a reservation via the server site; and

associating the booked reservation with the determined identifier.

70. The method of claim 69 wherein the reservation transaction is a rental vehicle transaction.

71. The method of claim 69 further comprising:

determining a commission for the travel agent, the commission being based at least in part on the booked reservation associated with the determined identifier;

storing the determined commission in a database for subsequent retrieval and processing.

72. A method of processing a rental vehicle reservation transaction between a customer computer and rental vehicle reservation-making entity via a rental vehicle reservation booking website accessed over the internet, the method comprising:

displaying a page on the customer computer that presents a link for finding a branch location for the rental vehicle reservation transaction, the page having at least a portion of a first list comprising a plurality of rental vehicle branch locations available for selection, wherein at least one of the listed rental vehicle branch locations is an airport branch location, the page further having a link that is selectable by a customer to restrict the list to only each airport rental vehicle branch location present on the list;

receiving input from the customer indicative of customer selection of the airport rental vehicle branch location restriction link; and

displaying another page on the customer computer, the another page having a new list present thereon, the new list including only each airport rental vehicle branch location that was present in the first list.

73. The method of claim 72 wherein the another page includes a link thereon that is selectable by the user to return the user to the page with the first list.

74. A method of processing a rental vehicle reservation transaction between a customer computer and rental vehicle reservation-making entity via a rental vehicle reservation booking server accessed over a computer network that connects the customer computer with the server, the method comprising:

exchanging reservation data between the customer computer and the rental vehicle reservation booking server via XML messages formatted according to the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP); and

booking a reservation in accordance with the exchanged reservation data.

75. A method of processing a reservation transaction between a customer and reservation-booking entity via a computer network connecting a customer computer with an automated reservation transaction processor, the reservation transaction requiring submission of at least three different types of reservation data from the customer for successful completion thereof, each reservation data type having one of a plurality of different values, wherein each reservation data type value is dependent upon other reservation data type values, the method comprising:

(a) displaying a page on the customer computer, the page including (1) a request that the customer submit values for at least two of the different data types, and (2) for each requested data value, a data submitter through which the customer can submit a data value to the automated reservation transaction processor;

(b) receiving data configured as XML web service requests and responses at the automated reservation transaction processor from the customer computer that corresponds to a submission of a data value for at least one of the data types;

(c) determining from the received data at least one data type, if any, that remains unsubmitted;

(d) if any unsubmitted data type is determined to remain, determining, on the basis of the interdependence of the different data values for the different reservation data types, a list of remaining acceptable values for the at least one unsubmitted reservation data type;

(e) displaying another page on the customer computer, the another page including (1) said at least one determined list of acceptable data submission values, and (2) for each said determined list, a data submitter for submitting at least one of said acceptable values to the automated reservation transaction processor; and

(f) repeating steps (b) through (e) as necessary until all required data types are successfully submitted to the automated reservation transaction processor, thereby completing the reservation.

76. The method of claim 75 wherein the communicating step comprises:

receiving a get rate web service request from the customer computer as an XML message;

processing the received get rate web service request to determine vehicle availability and an appropriate pricing rate therefor; and

communicating a get rate web service response to the customer computer as an XML message.

77. The method of claim 75 wherein the communicating step comprises:

receiving a create reservation web service request from the customer computer as an XML message;

processing the received create reservation web service request to determine whether a successful reservation transaction can be created therefor and create such a reservation if possible; and

communicating a create reservation web service response to the customer computer as an XML message.

78. The method of claim 75 wherein the communicating step comprises:

receiving a get reservation web service request from the customer computer as an XML message;

processing the received get reservation web service request to retrieve an appropriate stored reservation transaction; and

communicating a get reservation web service response to the customer computer as an XML message.

79. The method of claim 75 wherein the communicating step comprises:

receiving a modify reservation web service request from the customer computer as an XML message;

processing the received modify reservation web service request to determine whether a stored reservation transaction can be successfully modified in accordance therewith and modify the stored reservation transaction if possible; and

communicating a modify reservation web service response to the customer computer as an XML message.

80. The method of claim 75 wherein the communicating step comprises:

receiving a cancel reservation web service request from the customer computer as an XML message;

processing the received cancel reservation web service request to cancel an appropriate stored reservation transaction; and

communicating a cancel reservation web service response to the customer computer as an XML message.

81. A method of controlling a reservation account for a repeat customer of a reservation booking server site, the method comprising:

providing a user interface through which a user can define one or more parameters for a reservation account that is associated with a repeat customer;

receiving a parameter definition from the user through the user interface; and

storing the received parameter definition with the reservation account for subsequent retrieval and processing when the repeat customer accesses the server site.

82. The method of claim 81 wherein the reservation booking server site is a rental vehicle reservation booking server site.

83. The method of claim 82 wherein the server site includes a plurality of customer-interactive pages through which the customer submits reservation data to book a reservation transaction, and wherein the providing step comprises:

providing a graphical user interface (GUI) through which the user can define at least one parameter that controls the appearance of the customer-interactive pages presented to the customer.

84. The method of claim 82 wherein the server site includes a plurality of customer-interactive pages through which the customer submits reservation data to book a reservation transaction, and wherein the providing step comprises:

providing a graphical user interface (GUI) through which the user can define at least one parameter that controls what reservation options are available to the customer.

85. The method of claim 81 wherein the reservation account is a corporate account.

86. The method of claim 81 wherein the reservation account is a customer account.

87. A method of processing a rental vehicle reservation transaction between a customer computer and rental vehicle reservation-making entity via a rental vehicle reservation booking server accessed over a computer network that connects the customer computer with the server, the method comprising:

storing an account that is associated with a customer, the account having at least one parameter associated therewith that relates to a piece of rental vehicle reservation data for a rental vehicle reservation transaction;

recognizing a customer with whom a stored account is associated when that customer accesses the server to book a rental vehicle reservation;

retrieving the stored account that is associated with the recognized customer; and

deep-lining the recognized customer to a page in the server such that at least a portion of the customer'"'"'s rental vehicle reservation is pre-set in accordance with at least one parameter of the retrieved account.

88. The method of claim 87 wherein the recognizing step comprises reading a cookie that is stored on the customer computer.

89. The method of claim 87 wherein the at least one parameter is a rental vehicle branch location, and wherein the deep-linking step comprises deep-linking the recognized customer to page in the server such that the rental vehicle branch location present in the retrieved account is pre-set as location data for the rental vehicle reservation transaction.

90. The method of claim 87 wherein the at least one parameter is a rental vehicle type, and wherein the deep-linking step comprises deep-linking the recognized customer to page in the server such that the rental vehicle type present in the retrieved account is pre-set as type of vehicle for the rental vehicle reservation transaction.

91. A method of controlling a promotional offer of a reservation booking server site, the method comprising:

providing a user interface through which a user can define one or more parameters for a promotional offer stored in a database;

receiving a parameter definition from the user through the user interface; and

storing the received parameter definition with the promotional offer for subsequent retrieval and processing when a customer seeks to take advantage of the promotional offer.

92. The method of claim 91 wherein the reservation booking server site is a rental vehicle reservation booking server site.

93. The method of claim 92 wherein the server site includes a plurality of customer-interactive pages through which the customer submits reservation data to book a reservation transaction in accordance with the promotional offer, and wherein the providing step comprises:

providing a graphical user interface (GUI) through which the user can define at least one parameter that controls the appearance of the customer-interactive pages presented to the customer when the customer seeks to take advantage of the promotional offer.

94. The method of claim 92 wherein the server site includes a plurality of customer-interactive pages through which the customer submits reservation data to book a reservation transaction in accordance with the promotional offer, and wherein the providing step comprises:

providing a graphical user interface (GUI) through which the user can define at least one parameter that controls what reservation options are available to the customer when the customer seeks to take advantage of the promotional offer.

95. A method of processing a rental vehicle reservation transaction between a customer computer and a rental vehicle reservation-making entity via a rental vehicle reservation booking server accessed over a computer network that connects the customer computer with the server, the method comprising:

receiving reservation data from a customer;

booking a reservation transaction in accordance with the received reservation data; and

displaying a page on the customer computer after the reservation transaction has been booked that includes a link that is selectable by the customer to create a new reservation transaction, wherein the new reservation transaction is pre-loaded with the received reservation data.

96. The method of claim 95 further comprising:

receiving input from the customer indicative of user-selection of the link; and

displaying another page on the customer computer from which the customer can modify at least one type of the received reservation data for the new reservation transaction.

97. The method of claim 96 wherein the another page displaying step comprises displaying the another page such that the another page allows the customer to modify each type of the received reservation data for the new reservation transaction.

98. The method of claim 96 wherein the page with the link is a confirmation page for the booked reservation transaction.

99. The method of claim 96 further comprising:

receiving modification data from the customer; and

booking the new reservation transaction in response to a combination of the received reservation data and the received modification data.

100. A method of facilitating a user'"'"'s ability to book a rental vehicle reservation with a reservation booking website, the reservation booking website being in communication with a user computer via a network, the method comprising:

storing a customer account that is associated with a customer, the customer account comprising an identification of a preferred branch location for a rental vehicle reservation booked for the customer associated with that account.

101. The method of claim 100 further comprising:

receiving the preferred branch location identification as input from the user through a user-interactive page displayed on the user computer.

102. The method of claim 100 further comprising:

determining the preferred branch location identification automatically in response to other rental vehicle reservations booked for the customer associated with that account.

103. The method of claim 100 wherein the storing step comprises storing identifications for a plurality of preferred branch locations in the customer account.

104. The method of claim 103 further comprising:

accessing a stored customer account in response to input from the user through the user computer; and

providing a page for display on the user computer, the page including a menu that lists at least one of the stored preferred branch locations from the accessed customer account for selection by the user for a rental vehicle reservation.

105. The method of claim 100 further comprising:

accessing a stored customer account in response to input from the user through the user computer; and

automatically selecting for the rental vehicle reservation the preferred branch location stored in the accessed customer account.