Event management system with grouping feature

• US 20100145741A1
• Filed: 09/22/2009
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 212 LLC
• Original Assignee: 212 LLC
• Inventors: Smith, Ari Beau Staton, Carey, John Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,600,785 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 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/14 Travel agencies

Abstract

A system for organizing ground transportation of airline passengers arriving for an event is disclosed. The event management system includes a memory, a computer display; a data entry component that receives passenger data including names of passengers and flight information and stores the passenger data in an application specific format; and a group scheduling component that allows a user to set parameters including VIP status, time windows, vehicle types, and number of passengers allocated for vehicle type, and provides passenger groupings based on flight information and on user-set parameters. Also disclosed is a computerized method for organizing ground transportation of airline passengers arriving for an event.

Claims

1. A computerized method for organizing ground transportation of airline passengers attending an event, comprising:

(a) allowing for the setting of parameters including time windows, available vehicle types, and number of passengers allocated for vehicle type;

(b) assigning passengers arriving or departing in a specified time window to a time group;

(c) assigning passengers within the time group to one or more terminal groups based upon expected arrival or departure airport terminal for each passenger;

(d) counting a number of terminal groups;

(e) setting a terminal group counter to one;

(f) incrementing and storing the terminal group counter in a memory;

(g) if the terminal group counter exceeds the number of terminal groups go to step (j);

(h) defining one of the one or more terminal groups whose passengers are unassigned to a vehicle type as a temporary group;

(i) determining, using a computer, if any one of the available vehicle types will accommodate all passengers in the temporary group,

if so, (u) choosing an available vehicle type that will accommodate all passengers in the temporary group and has least number of passengers allocated for vehicle type, (v) assigning the passengers in the temporary group to the chosen vehicle type, and (w) returning to step (f),

if not, (x) assigning as many passengers from the temporary group to the available vehicle type that accommodates highest number of passengers based upon the number of passengers allocated for vehicle type, (y) redefine the temporary group as those passengers that remain unassigned to a vehicle type, (z) repeat step (i);

(j) repeat steps (b) through (i) for time windows with passengers; and

(k) displaying passenger assignment on a computer display.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step (x) comprises:

creating a flight group by assigning passengers, in the temporary group, on the same flight to a flight group;

assigning as many passengers in the flight group as possible to an available vehicle type.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the setting of parameters including a VIP status parameter, and wherein vehicles are first assigned to VIP passengers according to steps (b) to (k), and then assigned to non-VIP passengers according to steps (b) to (k).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) includes:

providing a user interface that allows a user to set parameters.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the user interface allows the user to set a quantitative parameter using a sliding bar.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein comprising the step of:

(l) calculating a cost associated with the passenger assignment and display the cost.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(m) storing the passenger assignment.

8. A computerized method for organizing ground transportation of airline passengers attending an event comprising:

(a) allowing for the setting of parameters including time windows, available vehicle types, and number of passengers allocated for vehicle type;

(b) assigning passengers to flight groups wherein all passengers on a certain flight are in a flight group;

(c) repeating steps below using a computer until all passengers are assigned;

(d) defining a temporary group as a flight group;

(e) for the temporary group, determining if number of passengers in the temporary group exceeds highest number of passengers allocated for any vehicle type, if so go to step (h);

(f) for the temporary group, determining if there are any flight groups using a terminal that is a same terminal as the temporary group and having a flight that is within the time window, if there are no such flight groups go to step (h);

(g) redefining the temporary group by combining the temporary group with a flight group that is at the same terminal and has closest flight time or closest median flight time to the temporary group, and go to step (e);

(h) determining, using a computer, if any one of the available vehicle types will accommodate all passengers in the temporary group,

if so, (u) choosing an available vehicle type that will accommodate all passengers in the temporary group and has lowest of the number of passengers allocated for vehicle type, (v) assigning the passengers in the temporary group to the chosen vehicle type, and (w) returning to step (c),

if not, (x) assigning as many passengers from the temporary group to the available vehicle type that accommodates highest number of passengers based upon the number of passengers allocated for vehicle type, (y) redefine the temporary group as those passengers that remain unassigned to a vehicle type, (z) repeat step (e); and

(k) displaying results of passenger assignments on a computer display.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of allowing for the setting of parameters further comprises a VIP status parameter, and wherein VIP passengers are assigned to vehicles first according to steps (b) to (k), and then non-VIP passengers are assigned to vehicles according to steps (b) to (k).

10. The method of claim 8, wherein step (a) includes:

providing a user interface that allows a user to set parameters.

11. A system for organizing ground transportation of airline passengers arriving for an event, comprising:

a memory;

a computer display;

a data entry component that receives passenger data including names of passengers and flight information and stores the passenger data in an application specific format; and

a group scheduling component that allows a user to set parameters including VIP status, time windows, vehicle types, and number of passengers allocated for vehicle type, and provides passenger groupings based on flight information and on user-set parameters,

wherein if a parameter is not set by a user, the group scheduling component provides a default setting and,

wherein the group scheduling component divides passengers into a VIP group and a non-VIP group based on VIP status of passengers and processes the VIP group first.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a what-if-analyzer component that provides passenger groupings and cost associated with each grouping based on parameter settings.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the what-if-analyzer component automatically tests more than one parameter setting and provides different options to a user.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a database containing vehicle rate information and airport terminal maps.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein in the group scheduling component provides passenger groupings by assigning passengers arriving or departing in a specified time window to a time group.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein in the group scheduling component provides passenger groupings by assigning passengers to flight groups wherein all passengers on a certain flight are in a flight group.

17. The system of claim 11, further comprising a shuttle component that groups passengers based on a shuttle service that runs on a fixed time schedule.

18. A computer program product for organizing ground transportation of airline passengers attending an event, comprising:

a computer readable medium and computer readable code embodied on the computer readable medium for organizing ground transportation of airline passengers attending an event, the computer readable code comprising;

computer readable program code devices configured to enable a data entry process that receives passenger data including names of passengers and flight information and stores the passenger data in an application specific format;

computer readable program code devices configured to enable a group scheduling process that allows a user to set parameters including VIP status, time windows, vehicle types, and number of passengers allocated for vehicle type, and provides passenger groupings based on flight information and user-set parameters.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the computer readable code further comprising:

computer readable program code devices configured to enable a what-if-analysis process that provides passenger groupings and cost associated with each grouping based on parameter settings.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the computer readable code further comprising:

computer readable program code devices configured to enable a grouping process based on a shuttle service that runs on a fixed time schedule.