Automated Check-in for Reserved Service
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An automated passenger check-in method, comprising:
- storing a travel reservation for a passenger in memory associated with a computer, the travel reservation including at least one leg with a departure time, wherein check-in by the passenger for the at least one leg is restricted at least until a check-in time prior to the departure time;
storing check-in information for the passenger in the memory, the check-in information including an automatic check-in indication for the at least one leg;
monitoring with the computer for the check-in time;
automatically checking-in the passenger for the at least one leg with the computer using the stored check-in information in response to the monitored check-in time; and
generating a boarding pass for the at least one leg with the computer.
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Abstract
Automated check-in systems for air travel and similar services are described herein. A customer indicates a preference for automatic check-in at some point prior to when check-in is permitted. At the first time that check-in is permitted, the automatic check-in data for customers indicating a preference for automatic check-in is processed. The automatic check-in may be prioritized according to various rules.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. An automated passenger check-in method, comprising:
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storing a travel reservation for a passenger in memory associated with a computer, the travel reservation including at least one leg with a departure time, wherein check-in by the passenger for the at least one leg is restricted at least until a check-in time prior to the departure time; storing check-in information for the passenger in the memory, the check-in information including an automatic check-in indication for the at least one leg; monitoring with the computer for the check-in time; automatically checking-in the passenger for the at least one leg with the computer using the stored check-in information in response to the monitored check-in time; and generating a boarding pass for the at least one leg with the computer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An automated service method, comprising:
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obtaining with a computer first reservations for first users, the first reservations including a service having a service time and having limited availability, the service not being selectable when the first reservations are obtained; obtaining with the computer second reservations for second users, the second reservations including the service, the service not being selectable when the second reservations are obtained; obtaining with the computer automatic indications for the first users and not for the second user, the automatic indications indicating automatic selection of the service for the first users; storing the first and second reservations and the automatic indications in memory associated with the computer; monitoring with the computer for a time prior to the service time when the service becomes selectable; automatically sorting the first reservations with the computer in response to the monitored time, the automatic sorting being based on at least one priority rule; and confirming the first reservations with the computer based on the automatic sorting; handling the second reservations separately with the computer as long as the limited availability of the service permits; and confirming with the computer the second reservations that meet the limited availability.
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19. An automated passenger flight check-in method, comprising:
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storing a flight reservation for a passenger in memory associated with a computer, the flight reservation having a first leg with a first departure and having a second leg with a second departure; obtaining check-in information for the passenger with the computer prior to the first departure; obtaining an automatic check-in indication with the computer prior to the first departure; storing the check-in information and the automatic check-in indication in the memory; checking-in the passenger for the first leg with the computer at a first time before the first departure using the stored check-in information; generating a first boarding pass for the first leg with the computer; automatically checking-in the passenger for the second leg with the computer at a second time, the automatic check-in being based on the automatic check-in indication and using the stored check-in information, the second time being prior to the second departure for the second leg; and generating a second boarding pass for the second leg with the computer.
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20. A computer system for facilitating automatic check-in of passengers, the computer system comprising:
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memory having at least one database storing travel reservations and check-in information for passengers, each of the travel reservations including at least one leg with a departure time, the check-in information for each of the passengers including an automatic check-in indication for the at least one leg; and one or more computers operatively coupled to the memory and operative to; monitor for points-in-time prior to the departure times when check-in for the at least one leg is available, automatically check-in the passengers at the monitored point-in-times based on the stored check-in information and the automatic check-in indications, and generate boarding passes for the at least one legs based on the automatic check-ins. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification