GLOBAL CONCIERGE

• US 20100268570A1
• Filed: 10/21/2009
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rodriguez, Michael, Stiff, Nicola
• Granted Patent: US 8,731,984 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A method for receiving, processing and managing service requests from a user is disclosed. The method includes receiving the service request from a user at a concierge service, generating an itinerary from the service request, sending the itinerary to a server in a consumer relation management system and automatically coordinating the service items of the service request among one or more concierge services. A method for automatically notifying a credit or debit card issuer about the future travel plan of a user is also disclosed. The method includes using the generated itinerary to automatically populate a security profile, and transfer the data from the security profile to an issuer, where the issuer uses these data to authorize future transactions in different locations that would normally be declined.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an initial service request comprising a plurality of service items at a computer apparatus;

determining, using the computer apparatus, which of a set of a plurality of concierges can service the service items; and

outputting, using the computer apparatus, a plurality of service requests to the set of plurality of concierges, wherein the plurality of services requests are provided in a coordinated manner.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein outputting the plurality of service requests to the plurality of concierges includes sending a request message to at least one of the set of the plurality concierges using the computer apparatus.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the initial service request is received from a first concierge in a user'"'"'s country.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the initial service request is received from a user who originates the initial service request.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the concierges in the set of the concierges in the plurality of concierges are in different countries.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

running a plurality of software modules on the computer apparatus having access to the service items, wherein the plurality of software modules track the progress of fulfilling each service item, provide information regarding the status of service items to a user and provide promotional offers to the user based on the service items.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

running a plurality of software modules on the computer apparatus having access to the service items, wherein the plurality of software modules are used to track the progress of fulfilling each service item, provide information regarding the status of service items to a user and provide promotional offers to the user based on the service items.

8. The method of claim 9 wherein outputting the plurality of service requests to the plurality of concierges includes sending a request message to at least one of the set of concierges using the computer apparatus.

9. A computer readable medium comprising code, executable by the computer apparatus, for performing the method of claim 1.

10. A computer apparatus comprising the computer-readable medium of claim 7 and the processor coupled to the computer-readable medium.

16. A computer apparatus comprising the computer-readable medium of claim 1 and a processor coupled to the computer-readable medium.

11. A method comprising:

receiving data associated with an itinerary for a trip at a computer apparatus, wherein the itinerary indicates that a user will travel to different locations at predetermined times; and

allowing transactions to be authorized at the different locations and at the predetermined times using the computer apparatus.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the transactions would ordinarily not be initially authorized in the absence of the itinerary.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the different locations are different countries.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the different locations do not include the user'"'"'s home country, wherein transactions are blocked in the user'"'"'s home country when the user is traveling.

15. A computer-readable medium program code embodied therein, said computer-readable program code adapted to be executed to implement the method of claim 11.

17. A computer apparatus configured to:

receive an initial service request comprising a plurality of service items at a computer apparatus;

determine which of a set of a plurality of concierges can service the service items; and

output a plurality of service requests to the set of plurality of concierges, wherein the plurality of services requests are provided in a coordinated manner.

18. A computer apparatus configured to:

receive data associated with an itinerary for a trip at a computer apparatus, wherein the itinerary indicates that a user will travel to different locations at predetermined times; and

allow transactions to be authorized at the different locations and at the predetermined times using the computer apparatus.