Proxy-Based Reservation Scheduling System

• US 20100145739A1
• Filed: 12/04/2008
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Skiba, David Joseph, Erhart, George William, Mohler, David S., Matula, Valentine C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,965,820 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 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/28 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading, distribution or shipping

Abstract

A system is disclosed that features a transport vehicle that carries responsive objects in which the objects are equipped to provide state information about their states when queried. The transport vehicle is outfitted with a proxy that represents the responsive objects. The proxy is configured such that it is better able than the responsive objects to receive state query signals from a querying device. The vehicle is also outfitted with I) sensors that detect the responsive objects and ii) sensors that detect state information of the vehicle, in which both sets of sensors provide information to the proxy. The object sensors are able to detect the state of each responsive object or query the object about its state in the same way as the querying device would query those objects in the prior art. The proxy then responds to the query on behalf of the responsive objects.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a vehicle;

a first responsive object capable of responding to a first inquiry about the state of the first responsive object, wherein the first inquiry is formatted in accordance with a first protocol;

a first responsive object sensor for sensing when the first responsive object is within the vehicle;

a second sensor for sensing a first state of the vehicle;

a proxy for responding to the first inquiry about the state of the first responsive object with the state of the vehicle when the first responsive object is within the vehicle; and

a scheduler for making a reservation based on a response from the proxy.

2. The system of claim 1 comprising:

a second responsive object for responding to a second inquiry about the state of the second responsive object, wherein the inquiry is formatted in accordance with a second protocol;

wherein the proxy is also for responding to the second inquiry about the state of the second responsive object with the first state of the vehicle when the second responsive object is within the vehicle; and

wherein the first protocol is different than the second protocol.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a third sensor for detecting a second state of the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the first state of the vehicle is location.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the first state of the vehicle is temperature.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the second sensor for sensing the state of the vehicle is a connection to a database for storing information about the state of the vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the first responsive object is associated with a cargo unit.

9. The system of claim 1 comprising:

a preference database storing reservation preferences associated with the first responsive object; and

wherein the scheduler is for making a reservation based on both the response from the proxy and information obtained from the preference database.

7. The system of claim wherein the first responsive object is a wireless terminal associated with a passenger.