Software Architecture and Database for Integrated Travel Itinerary and Related Reservation System Components

• US 20070260495A1
• Filed: 10/23/2006
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: American International Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: American International Group Incorporated
• Inventors: Meltzer, Bart, Mace, Scott, Donovan, Joseph, Gallavan, Sean
• Application Number:
  US11/552,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20070260495A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to software and database architectures and features that are adapted to VRMs and computer savvy users who would otherwise go to VRMs. In particular, it relates to an updateable itinerary data structure, method and database system. It further relates to server-side tracking of click-throughs by users presented with advertising, with options for tracking advertising impact beyond making a reservation to fulfillment. It also relates to a search engine optimized technology that integrates dynamic inventory into pages that appear to search indexing bots as static pages, thereby increasing indexing exposure. It provides a tool and method to convert HTML web pages with frames or IFrames into ASP web pages with code behind pages supporting added features.

Claims

1. A travel reservation database and system, including:

a dynamic web page generation server coupled to a network, including logic and resources adapted to respond to a user request by generating web pages that present descriptions of a unit or a travel service without loading the unit or travel-related service descriptions into frame or IFrame web page structures;

a hub server coupled by the dynamic web page generation server to the user, the hub server including logic and resources to retrieve unit and travel-related service descriptions and to persist a reservation item for the unit or the travel-related service in an updatable itinerary data structure, responsive to user requests;

a unit availability database, including at least unit descriptions and availability, coupled to the hub server;

a VRM unit maintenance server that provides a plurality of different VRM operators access to the unit availability database, including logic and resources to populate the unit availability database with the unit descriptions of units operated by the VRM operators;

one or more reservation connector components that couple the hub server to a plurality of distinct data sources that list travel-related services and accept reservations for the listed travel-related services;

an updatable itinerary database, coupled to the hub server, in which the hub server persists confirmations of reservation items for the units and travel-related services, using the updatable itinerary data structure; and

an updatable itinerary access server, coupled between the network and the updatable itinerary database, including logic and resources to

generate a user interface page including a formatted version of items in a particular updatable itinerary data structure, with at least one control for adding an item to the particular updatable itinerary data structure; and

invoke the hub server in a session separate from when reservation items originally were persisted in the particular updatable itinerary data structure, responsive to a message indicating user selection of the control for adding the item, the hub server adding additional reservation items to the particular updatable itinerary data structure.

2. The database and system of claim 1, wherein the logic and resources of the updatable itinerary access server is further adapted to:

generate the user interface page including, for at least one confirmed reservation item, a control for changing the confirmed reservation item in the updatable itinerary data structure; and

invoke the hub server in a session separate from when reservation items originally were persisted in the particular updatable itinerary data structure, responsive to a message indicating user selection of the control for changing the confirmed reservation item, the hub server relaying to the user terms for changing the item, relaying to a vendor for the confirmed reservation item an acceptance of the terms for changing the item and persisting a confirmation of a changed reservation item in the updatable itinerary data structure.

3. The database and system of claim 1, further including:

a first interface to the hub server adapted to be used by a professional agent who initially instructs the hub server to add reservation items to the updatable itinerary data structure;

an e-mail delivery component that sends the user interface page to a traveler for whom the professional agent added the reservation items; and

security settings that allow the traveler to invoke the hub server and add additional reservation items to the particular updatable itinerary data structure, such that the additional reservation items that are viewable online to the traveler but not by the professional agent.

4. The database and system of claim 1, further including:

a dynamic package pricing component of the hub server adapted to be used by a professional agent who initially instructs the hub server to add reservation items to the updatable itinerary data structure, including logic and resources that

provide line item prices and commission calculations for the unit and the travel-related services;

accept at least an overall discounted price selected by the professional agent; and

persist the overall discounted price with the updatable itinerary data structure.

5. A method of persisting and updating an updatable itinerary data structure that records online negotiations between a consumer and multiple distinct travel-related vendors, including:

identifying a travel-related subject matter of interest;

identifying purchase categories within the travel-related subject matter;

for at least two particular purchase categories, identifying one or more relevant vendors;

in a first network session, intermediating negotiation online between a user or user'"'"'s agent (collectively referred to as the user) and at least first and second vendors in different purchase categories, the first and second vendors being distinct, including for a vendor

sending the user the vendor'"'"'s offerings, including availability and pricing;

receiving the user'"'"'s selection of a particular offering;

channeling messages between the vendor and the user;

persisting, as an item in memory of an intermediator'"'"'s server, confirmation of the intermediated negotiation, the item forming part of an updatable itinerary data structure;

in a second network session with the user, accessing the updatable itinerary data structure and sending the user a formatted version of items in the updatable itinerary data structure with at least one control for adding an item;

responsive to a message indicating selection of the control for adding the item, repeating the sending, receiving, channeling and persisting actions, thereby adding to the updatable itinerary data structure, as additional items, confirmations of additional intermediated online negotiations with one or more additional vendors.

6. The method of claim 5, further including persisting in the updatable itinerary a vacation rental reservation, meaning a rental of a vacation home, beach house or condominium, as a result of one of the intermediated online negotiations.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the intermediator is licensed as a travel agent and aggregates billing of multiple items to the user in a single charge.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein a first intermediated negotiation, meaning before other items are added to the updatable itinerary, is for a vacation rental reservation, meaning a rental of a vacation home, beach house or condominium.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein adding to the updatable itinerary further includes presenting the user additional purchase category offerings that are geographically proximate to a location of the vacation rental reservation.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein presenting geographically proximate additional purchase category offerings further includes identifying at least one airport that is geographically proximate to the location of the vacation rental reservation and presenting at least one airport-related purchase category in the context of the identified airport.

11. The method of claim 8, further including in the updatable itinerary for one or more travelers'"'"' age information and further including presenting the user activity offerings that are appropriate to the travelers'"'"' age information.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein a represented user has a user'"'"'s agent conducts the online negotiations and the updatable itinerary is made available to both the represented user and the user'"'"'s agent.

13. The method of claim 12, further including collecting from the user'"'"'s agent additional helpful information and persisting it in the updatable itinerary to be viewed by the represented user.

14. The method of claim 12, further including supporting the user'"'"'s agent in arrangement of activities that are not bookable online, including

presenting online for the user'"'"'s agent activity options consistent with dates for the vacation rental reservation;

and

accepting entries from the user'"'"'s agent to persist items in the updatable itinerary for activities manually arranged by the user'"'"'s agent.

15. The method of claim 12, further including:

presenting the user'"'"'s agent online in real time with

a plurality of vendor offerings in different purchase categories,

an option to select among the plurality of vendor offerings and combine them into a travel package,

offering price information for at least selected vendor offerings,

commissions payable to the user'"'"'s agent at the offering prices, and

an option to price the travel package at a cost that changes the commissions payable to the user'"'"'s agent; and

persisting the travel package selected by the user'"'"'s agent on the intermediator'"'"'s server as part of the updatable itinerary, the travel package including a combination of the vendor offerings, an overall price for the travel package, line item prices for the vendor offerings in the travel package and a schedule of commissions payable to the user'"'"'s agent.

16. The method of claim 15, further including;

collecting from the user'"'"'s agent upgrade options with pricing information;

persisting the upgrade options as part of the updatable itinerary;

wherein reopening negotiations further includes allowing the represented user to accept the upgrade options.

17. The method of claim 12, further including:

automatically tracking reopening of negotiations for the items on the updatable itinerary through fulfillment; and

electronically reporting the fulfillment without cancellation to the particular and additional vendors for payment of commissions.

18. The method of claim 12, further including posting to a backend vacation rental management system the vacation rental reservation, thereby triggering scheduling of services to ready the vacation rental for arrival of the represented user.

19. The method of claim 8, further including offering the user travel protection based on insurable items among the items on the updatable itinerary.

20. The method of claim 19, further including automatically limiting the offering of the travel protection based on protection allowed by a jurisdiction in which the vacation rental is located.

21. The method of claim 19, further including automatically limiting the offering of the travel protection based on protection allowed by a jurisdiction in which a contract is formed as a result of the negotiation for the vacation rental.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the user'"'"'s agent conducts the online negotiations on behalf of a represented user and the updatable itinerary is maintained available to both the represented user and the user'"'"'s agent.

23. The method of claim 22, further including the represented user adding to the updatable itinerary further items that are maintained as available to the represented user for reference and renegotiation, but not available to the user'"'"'s agent.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the travel protection is presented to the user on an opt-out basis.

26. The method of claim 5, adapted to track advertising, further including:

receiving electronically at a web site a referral of the user in response to advertising;

determining from the electronically received referral an advertising stimulus leading to the user referral;

wherein identifying the travel-related subject matter of interest, the purchase categories and the relevant vendors is based on the user referral;

persisting in the updateable itinerary data structure an identification of the advertising stimulus; and

after a date for fulfillment of the items on the itinerary passes, electronically reporting fulfillment without cancellation to the vendors with the identification of the advertising stimulus.

25. A method of persisting and updating an updatable itinerary data structure that records online negotiations and renegotiations between a consumer and multiple independent travel-related vendors, including:

identifying a travel-related subject matter of interest;

identifying purchase categories within the travel-related subject matter;

for at least two particular purchase categories, identifying one or more relevant vendors;

in a first network session, intermediating negotiations online between a user or user'"'"'s agent (collectively referred to as the user) and at least first and second vendors in different purchase categories, the first and second vendors being distinct, including for a vendor

sending the user the vendor'"'"'s offerings, including availability and pricing;

receiving the user'"'"'s selection of a particular offering;

channeling messages between the vendor and the user;

persisting, as an item in memory of an intermediator'"'"'s server, confirmation of the intermediated negotiation, the item forming part of an updatable itinerary data structure;

in a second network session with the user, accessing the updatable itinerary data structure and sending the user a formatted version of items in the updatable itinerary data structure with at least one control for renegotiating an item;

responsive to a message indicating selection of the control for renegotiating the item, reopening negotiation between the user and at least one vendor; and

intermediating renegotiation online by repeating the sending, receiving, channeling and persisting actions, thereby changing the renegotiated item and adding a confirmation of the renegotiation to the updatable itinerary data structure.

27. A method of tracking effective response to travel advertising through fulfillment, including:

receiving electronically at a web site a referral of a user in response to advertising;

determining from the electronically received referral an advertising stimulus leading to the user referral;

initiating an intermediated online negotiation between the user and a particular vendor selected in response to the advertising, including

sending the selected vendor'"'"'s offerings, including availability and pricing;

receiving a selection of a particular offering;

channeling messages between the selected vendor and the user;

persisting as an item in memory of an intermediator'"'"'s server confirmation of the intermediated negotiations, the item forming part of an updatable itinerary, and an identification of the advertising stimulus;

adding to the updatable itinerary as additional items results of additional intermediated online negotiations with one or more additional vendors in additional purchase categories;

making availability via a network of the updatable itinerary to the user; and

after a date for fulfillment of the items on the updatable itinerary passes, electronically reporting fulfillment without cancellation to the vendors with the identification of the advertising stimulus.

28. The method of claim 27, further including distinguishing among sale of advertised items, substitute items, and complementary items in the electronic reporting.

29. The method of claim 27, further including periodically reporting value of the items on the itinerary with the identification of the advertising stimulus, prior to dates for fulfillment.

30. A dynamic webpage generation server, including:

at least one webpage including at least one content conveyer object contained in memory accessible to the dynamic webpage generation server, wherein parameters of the content conveyer object specify a content server and parameters to pass the content server;

a browser emulation component coupled to the webpage generation server that includes logic and resources adapted to

request an HTML page from the content server specified in the content conveyer object; and

receive the HTML page from the content server;

a dynamic merge component operatively coupled to the browser emulation component and the dynamic webpage generation server that includes logic and resources adapted to

strip away wrapper tags from the HTML page, leaving an HTML text; and

insert the HTML text in place of the content conveyer object in webpage, thereby producing a dynamically updated webpage; and

a publishing component operatively coupled to the browser dynamic merge component and the dynamic webpage generation server including logic and resources that, responsive to a request message, retrieve the at least one webpage, invoke the browser emulation component, invoke the dynamic merge component, and publish a dynamically updated webpage.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the request for the first web page is received from an indexing process and the dynamically updated first web page presents the requested data as part of the first web page without demarcations that would result in the indexing process excluding the requested data from indexing.

33. The method of claim 32, further including:

repeating the encoding process for a plurality of web pages in the web site at the first URL; and

in two top levels of the web site at the first URL, including a plurality of web pages that dynamically update the content of the web pages from the second URL, and that present individual catalog listings in multiple data cross sections, thereby increasing a count of links in the first two levels of the web site and a count of exposures for indexing of the individual catalog listings.

31. A method of integrating into a web site at a first URL catalog content hosted at a second URL, including:

encoding a first web page of the first web site to invoke server side code responsive to a request for the first web page, the server side code adapted to dynamically update content of the first web page;

upon receiving a request for the first web page, dynamically updating content of the first web page, including

invoking the server side code;

emulating a browser making a request to a catalog content server hosted at the second URL and requesting data to be returned as an HTML page;

receiving the HTML page from the second URL and removing wrapper tags, leaving the requested data in HTML format;

dynamically updating the content of the first web page by inserting the requested data in HTML format into the first web page; and

returning the dynamically updated first web page responsive to the request.