SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SELECTING AND RESERVING AIRLINE SEATS

• US 20090240536A1
• Filed: 06/05/2009
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CEATS Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CEATS Incorporated
• Inventors: Halavais, Richard Arthur, Chung, Tony Cheng-Tong
• Granted Patent: US 7,660,728 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 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method for selecting and reserving airline seats. The system or method receives first data representing payment information over the network from a general purpose computer. The system or method also transmits second data to an application running on the general purpose computer, the second data including information descriptive of available individual seats on one or more airplanes, the second data processed by the application to generate a graphical user interface on the general purpose computer that comprises an interactive seating map representing individual seats on the one or more airplanes, the second data processed by the application to generate an additional display of information about one or more of the individual seats in response to a user interaction with the graphical user interface, the interaction being triggered when placing a mouse over a portion of the graphical user interface. In addition, the system or method receives from the general purpose computer third data representing one or more seats selected by one or more mouse clicks.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for interactively selecting one or more tickets to seats on an airplane by an end user over a network, the method comprising:

receiving over the network from a general purpose computer first data representing payment information;

transmitting second data to an application running on the general purpose computer, the second data including information descriptive of available individual seats on one or more airplanes, the second data processed by the application to generate a graphical user interface on the general purpose computer that comprises an interactive seating map representing individual seats on the one or more airplanes, the second data processed by the application to generate an additional display of information about one or more of the individual seats in response to a user interaction with the graphical user interface, the interaction being triggered when placing a mouse over a portion of the graphical user interface; and

receiving from the general purpose computer third data representing one or more seats selected by one or more mouse clicks.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the second data to the application running on the general purpose computer comprises transmitting web page data for generating the interactive seating map.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein transmitting the web page data for generating the interactive seating map comprises transmitting embedded scripting language code for generating the interactive seating map.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second data is processed by the application to display a location of the one or more of the individual seats in response to the user interaction.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second data is processed by the application to display a seat number in response to the user interaction.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second data is processed by the application to display a seat number in response to the user placing a mouse over a portion of the interactive seating map corresponding to an individual seat.

2. The method of claim I further comprising:

transmitting fourth data to the application running on the general purpose computer, the fourth data including information that can be printed as an admission document or voucher by the end user.

8. A system for interactively selecting one or more tickets to seats on an airplane by a plurality of end users over a network, the system comprising:

a data storage storing a plurality of entries denoting a plurality of available individual seats on an airplane; and

a server, configured to;

query the data storage for information descriptive of available individual seats on one or more airplanes;

receive over the network from a general purpose computer first data representing payment information;

transmit second data to an application running on the general purpose computer, the second data including the information descriptive of available individual seats on one or more airplanes, the second data processed by the application to generate a graphical user interface on the general purpose computer that comprises an interactive seating map representing individual seats on the one or more airplanes, the second data processed by the application to generate an additional display of information about one or more of the individual seats in response to a user interaction with the graphical user interface, the interaction being triggered when placing a mouse over a portion of the graphical user interface; and

receive from the general purpose computer third data representing one or more seats selected by one or more mouse clicks.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the server is further configured to transmit fourth data to the application running on the general purpose computer, the fourth data including information that can be printed as an admission document or voucher by the end user.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the transmitting the second data to the application running on the general purpose computer comprises transmitting web page data for generating the interactive seating map.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the transmitting the web page data for generating the interactive seating map is configured to transmit embedded scripting language code for generating the interactive seating map.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the second data is processed by the application to display information about a location of the seat in response to the user interaction.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the second data is processed by the application to display a seat number in response to the user interaction.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the second data is processed by the application to display a seat number in response to the user placing a mouse over a portion of the interactive seating map corresponding to an individual seat.

15. A computer-implemented method running on a general purpose computer for interactively selecting one or more tickets to seats on an airplane by an end user over a network, the method comprising:

receiving payment information;

receiving, via an application running on the general purpose computer from a server coupled to the general purpose computer over the network, data including information descriptive of available individual seats on one or more airplanes, the data processed by the application to generate a graphical user interface on the general purpose computer that comprises an interactive seating map representing individual seats on the one or more airplanes, the data processed by the application to generate an additional display of information about one or more of the individual seats in response to a user interaction with the graphical user interface, the interaction being triggered when placing a mouse over a portion of the graphical user interface; and

receiving from the end user a selection of one or more seats selected by one or more mouse clicks.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving information that can be printed as an admission document or voucher by the end user.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving, via an application running on the general purpose computer from a server coupled to the general purpose computer via network, comprises receiving web page data for generating the interactive seating map.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein receiving, via an application running on the general purpose computer from a server coupled to the general purpose computer via network, comprises receiving embedded scripting language code for generating the interactive seating map.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the additional display of information comprises information about a location of the seat in response to the user interaction.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the additional display of information comprises a seat number in response to the user interaction.