System and method for managing flight information

• US 20050216281A1
• Filed: 03/23/2004
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: UBM Aviation Worldwide Ltd. (Informa PLC)
• Original Assignee: UBM Aviation Worldwide Ltd. (Informa PLC)
• Inventors: Prior, Francis John
• Application Number:
  US10/806,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20050216281A1
• 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 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication

Abstract

A flight information system including a collection system and a distribution system. The collection system includes a collector for receiving flight information messages in a plurality of formats, and translator for converting flight information messages in the plurality of formats received by the data collector into flight information in a common format. The distribution system is for selectively sending converted flight information to a customer as a mobile message.

Claims

1. A flight information system comprising:

a collection system including;

a collector for receiving flight information messages in a plurality of formats, and

a translator for converting flight information messages in the plurality of formats received by the data collector into flight information in a common format; and

a distribution system for selectively sending converted flight information to a customer as a mobile message.

2. The flight information system of claim 1, wherein the mobile message is an SMS message.

3. The flight information system of claim 1, wherein the distribution system selectively sends converted flight information to a customer via a wireless mobile device accessible by the customer.

4. The flight information system of claim 1, wherein the distribution system includes a file generator for generating a notification file containing a portion of the flight information as specified in a customer profile, the distribution system being configured to send the file generated by the file generator to the customer.

5. A distribution system for distributing flight information to a plurality of customers, the distribution system comprising:

a plurality of customer profiles, each customer profile storing a list of flight information requested by one of the plurality of customers;

a file generator for generating a notification file of flight information for each of the plurality of customers based upon the customer profile corresponding to each of the plurality of customers; and

a data distributor for selectively sending the notification files generated to the plurality of customers as mobile messages.

6. The distribution system of claim 5, wherein the mobile messages are SMS messages.

7. The distribution system of claim 5, wherein the data distributor sends the mobile messages to a plurality of wireless mobile devices accessible by the respective plurality of customers.

8. The distribution system of claim 5, wherein the data distributor includes a delivery system for converting notification files into mobile messages.

9. The distribution system of claim 5, wherein the data distributor includes a delivery system for routing the mobile messages to a wireless service provider having access to the customer.

10. A method of distributing flight information to a plurality of customers, the method comprising:

providing a customer profile for each of the plurality of customers;

identifying a change to flight information stored in a storage system;

generating a notification file for each of the plurality of customers based upon the change to the flight information and the customer profiles; and

selectively sending the notification files generated to the plurality of customers as mobile messages.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the mobile messages are SMS messages.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein selectively sending the notification files includes selectively sending the notification files to an electronic device accessible by the respective customers.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the electronic device is a wireless mobile device.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein selectively sending the notification files to the plurality of customers includes converting notification files to mobile messages.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein selectively sending the notification files to the plurality of customers includes routing the mobile messages to a wireless service provider having access to the customer.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein selectively sending the notification files to the plurality of customers includes selectively sending the notification files to a delivery system and forwarding the notification files to the plurality of customers from the delivery system.

17. A business method for providing flight information to a customer, the method comprising:

defining a customer profile including a financial model and a list of flight information requested by the customer under the financial model;

receiving flight information in a plurality of formats from a plurality of suppliers;

translating the flight information received in a plurality of formats to a common format;

distributing translated flight information to the customer based upon the customer profile as a mobile message;

tracking flight information distributed; and

billing the customer based upon the financial model and the flight information tracked.

18. The business method of claim 17, wherein the mobile message is an SMS message.

19. The business method of claim 17, wherein distributing translated flight information to the customer includes sending the mobile message to a wireless mobile device accessible by the customer.

20. The business method of claim 17, wherein distributing translated flight information to the customer includes forwarding translated flight information to a delivery system and distributing translated flight information to the customer from the delivery system.

21. The business method of claim 20, wherein the delivery system is an airlines.

22. The business method of claim 20, wherein the delivery system is a travel related business.

23. The business method of claim 17, wherein distributing translated flight information to the customer includes routing the mobile message through a wireless service provider with access to the customer.