TICKET TRACKING AND REFUNDING SYSTEM AND METHOD
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating the automated refund of an unused ticket, the method comprising the steps of:
- setting an aging period, wherein the aging period establishes a criteria for determining how old a ticket must be before it is assumed that the ticket will not be used;
identifying, via the first party computer system using data from a third party central reservation system, the scheduled departure date of an issued ticket for a selected purchaser;
adding, via the first party computer system, the aging period to the scheduled departure date and when the scheduled date plus the aging period is earlier than the current date, determining from data within the third party central reservation system, via the first party computer system that interfaces with the third party central reservation system, whether at least one segment of the ticket has not been used, wherein the segment is one leg of a multi-leg trip;
when at least one segment of the ticket has not been used, calculating, via the first party computer system and data from the third party central reservation system, the residual value of the ticket, wherein the calculating includes analyzing the residual value of each segment using segment information;
issuing, via the first party computer system, a refund from a third party carrier, wherein the ticket previously provided access to travel on the carrier; and
notifying the purchaser of the ticket.
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Abstract
An automated method and system for refunding the unused portion of an electronic ticket are provided. In accordance with the method, an aging period is set and is added to the scheduled departure date of the issued ticket. If the scheduled departure date plus the aging date is earlier than the current date, a determination is made as to whether the ticket has been used. If the ticket has not been used, the residual value of the ticket is calculated and a refund is issued.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating the automated refund of an unused ticket, the method comprising the steps of:
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setting an aging period, wherein the aging period establishes a criteria for determining how old a ticket must be before it is assumed that the ticket will not be used;
identifying, via the first party computer system using data from a third party central reservation system, the scheduled departure date of an issued ticket for a selected purchaser;
adding, via the first party computer system, the aging period to the scheduled departure date and when the scheduled date plus the aging period is earlier than the current date, determining from data within the third party central reservation system, via the first party computer system that interfaces with the third party central reservation system, whether at least one segment of the ticket has not been used, wherein the segment is one leg of a multi-leg trip;
when at least one segment of the ticket has not been used, calculating, via the first party computer system and data from the third party central reservation system, the residual value of the ticket, wherein the calculating includes analyzing the residual value of each segment using segment information;
issuing, via the first party computer system, a refund from a third party carrier, wherein the ticket previously provided access to travel on the carrier; and
notifying the purchaser of the ticket. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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7. A computer-implemented method for facilitating the automated refund of unused tickets comprising the steps of:
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establishing, via a first party computer system using data from a third party central reservation system, a ticket database containing a scheduled departure date for each ticket issued for a selected purchaser, wherein the ticket previously provided access to travel on a third party carrier;
setting, via the first party computer system, an aging period for the ticket issued to the selected purchaser, wherein the aging period establishes a criteria for determining how old a ticket must be before it is assumed that the ticket will not be used;
selecting, via the first party computer system, all of the tickets in the ticket database for which the scheduled departure date plus the aging period is earlier than the current date;
for each of the selected tickets, determining, via the first party computer system interfacing with the third party central reservation system and using data from the third party central reservation system database, whether at least one segment of any of the selected tickets has not been used, wherein the segment is one leg of a multi-leg trip;
determining, via the first party computer system and data from the third party central reservation system, the value of any unused segment by analyzing segment information; and
issuing, via the first party computer system, a refund from the third party carrier of the value to the selected purchaser. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A computer-implemented method for facilitating the automated refund of unused tickets comprising the steps of:
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establishing, via a first party computer system, a database containing scheduled departure dates for tickets issued for a selected purchaser, wherein the ticket previously provided access to travel on the carrier;
setting, via the first party computer system, an aging period for the tickets, wherein the aging period establishes a criteria for determining how old a ticket must be before it is assumed that the ticket will not be used;
selecting, via the first party computer system, tickets for which the current date exceeds the scheduled departure date by more than the aging period;
determining from data within a third party central reservation system, via the first party computer system that interfaces with the third party central reservation system, whether at least one segment of the ticket has been used, wherein the segment is one leg of a multi-leg trip;
when a segment of a selected ticket is unused, determining, via the first party computer system, what fare was assessed for the unused segment of the selected ticket;
determining, via the first party computer system, whether the selected and unused ticket was refundable;
determining, via the first party computer system and data from the third party central reservation system and based on segment information, a refund due for the unused segment of the selected and refundable ticket, wherein the refund is equal to the fare assessed for the unused segment of the selected and refundable ticket minus any charges due; and
issuing, via the first party computer system, a refund from the third party carrier to the selected purchaser. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A system for the automated refunding of tickets comprising:
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a first database containing information on activities scheduled and ticketed;
a second database containing information on tickets issued for the activities;
an invoice table containing information on selected ones of the tickets for activities having a schedule date more than a predetermined period of time prior to the current date, wherein the period establishes a criteria for determining how old a ticket must be before it is assumed that the ticket will not be used;
a first device configured to determine from the information in the second database and from data within a third party central reservation system whether at least one segment of the selected ones of the tickets are unused, wherein the segment is one leg of a multi-leg trip;
a third database containing information on the extent to which the selected ones of the tickets are refundable;
a second device configured to determine using data from the third party central reservation system the refund value of the selected ones of the tickets based on segment information; and
a third device configured to issue a refund via a third party carrier, wherein the ticket previously provided access to travel on the carrier, for the at least one segment of selected the tickets determined to be unused. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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32. A computer-implemented method for facilitating the automated refund of an unused ticket comprising the steps of:
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setting an aging period, via a first party computer system, wherein the aging period establishes a criteria for determining how old a ticket must be before it is assumed that the ticket will not be used, wherein the ticket previously provided access to travel on a third party carrier;
identifying, via the first party computer system, the scheduled departure date of an issued ticket for selected purchasers;
adding, via the first party computer system, the aging period to the scheduled departure date and when the scheduled date plus the aging period is earlier than the current date, determining, via the first party computer system, whether at least one segment of the ticket has not been used, wherein the segment is one leg of a multi-leg trip;
when at least one segment of the ticket has not been used, calculating, via the first party computer system, the residual value of the ticket by analyzing the residual value of each segment using segment information; and
,issuing, via the first party computer system, a refund from the third party carrier. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification