System for awarding credits to persons who book travel-related reservations

• US 5,483,444 A
• Filed: 02/07/1995
• Issued: 01/09/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Radisson Hotels International Incorporated (Choice Hotels International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Radisson Hotels International Incorporated (Choice Hotels International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Storey, Thomas W., Medina, Steven J., Heintzeman, Scott B., Monson, Barbara, Malark, Gregory A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weinhardt, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US08/385,381
• Time in Patent Office: 336 Days
• Field of Search: 364/401, 364/402, 364/407, 364/408, 235/379, 235/380
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements

Abstract

A computerized system provides incentives for travel agents and similar persons to book particular travel-related reservations. The system achieves this by awarding cumulative credits to travel agents based upon bookings of travel-related reservations. The system receives a booking format which identifies a travel-related reservation. The system further receives a code which identifies a travel agent or other person who entered the travel-related reservation. Upon receiving the travel-related reservation, the system assigns cumulative credits to the travel agent identified by the code based upon the travel-related reservation. Travel agents can thus build up credits over time based upon their bookings of travel-related reservations and use those credits to receive a particular award or prize.

Claims

1. A computerized system for cumulatively assigning credits to persons who book travel-related reservations for use in receiving prizes or awards, comprising:

a) receive means for receiving information, comprising;

i) means for receiving a booking which includes a plurality of fields, one or more of the fields including information identifying a travel-related reservation; and

ii) means for-receiving a code identifying a person who booked the travel-related reservation, the receive means including detecting means for detecting events related to the travel-related reservation to control conversion of credits;

b) means for specifying an identification of the person corresponding to the code;

c) assignment means for cumulatively assigning credits to the person identified by the code based upon the travel-related reservation; and

d) verification means for classifying the credits as pending credits, which are not redeemable for a prize or award, and for subsequently converting the pending credits to redeemable credits, which are redeemable for a prize or award, if the system verifies through the receive means that the pending credits are eligible for conversion to the redeemable credits based on said detecting means detecting the events based on said detecting means detecting the events.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the verification means further comprises means for classifying the credits as the pending credits until a predetermined event occurs, as detected by the receive means, and for converting the pending credits to the redeemable credits after the occurrence of the event.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the verification means further comprises means for classifying the credits as the pending credits for a predetermined amount of time, as detected by the receive means, after the assignment of the credits and for converting the pending credits to the redeemable credits after the predetermined amount of time.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the verification means further comprises:

a) first verification means for classifying the credits as the pending credits until a predetermined event occurs as detected by the receive means; and

b) second verification means for maintaining the credits as the pending credits for a predetermined amount of time, as detected by the receive means, after the occurrence of the event and for converting the pending credits to the redeemable credits after the predetermined amount of time.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the means for receiving a code comprises means for receiving the code from one of the fields of the booking.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the means for receiving a code comprises means for receiving the code from a field of the booking reserved for a special instruction.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the means for receiving a code comprises means for receiving a log-in identifier related to the person and for receiving the code from the log-in identifier.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising report means for reporting a total number of the credits assigned to the person.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the report means comprises means for reporting on-line the total number of the credits assigned to the person.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the report means comprises means for reporting in a hard copy format the total number of the credits assigned to the person.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the report means comprises means for reporting a cumulative total of the pending credits assigned to the person.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the report means comprises means for reporting a cumulative total of the redeemable credits assigned to the person.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the assignment means comprises means for assigning the credits to the person based upon a monetary value of the travel-related reservation.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the assignment means comprises means for displaying on-line an identification of whether the person has previously received credits.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the assignment means comprises means for assigning bonus credits, comprising additional credits, to the person based upon a predetermined activity in conjunction with the travel-related reservation.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the means for receiving a code comprises means for receiving a character string identifying the person.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the means for specifying an identification of the person comprises means for linking the code to an identifier for an agency which engages the person.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the assignment means comprises means for receiving through the receive means an adjustment or cancellation of the travel-related reservation and for modifying the redeemable credits in response to the adjustment or cancellation of the travel-related reservation.

19. A computerized system for cumulatively assigning credits to persons who book travel-related reservations for use in receiving prizes or awards, comprising:

a) receive means for receiving information, comprising;

i) means for receiving a booking which includes a plurality of fields, one or more of the fields including information identifying a travel-related reservation; and

ii) means for receiving a code identifying a person who booked the travel-related reservation;

b) means for specifying an identification of the person corresponding to the code;

c) assignment means for cumulatively assigning credits to the person identified by the code based upon the travel-related reservation; and

d) means for classifying the assigned credits based on predefined criteria, comprising;

i) means for classifying particular credits within the assigned credits as pending credits, which are not redeemable for a prize or award;

ii) means for classifying particular credits within the assigned credits as redeemable credits, which are redeemable for a prize or award; and

iii) means for changing classifications of particular credits within the assigned credits based on predetermined criteria alloted to the travel related reservation based on predetermined criteria related to the travel-related reservation.

20. The system of claim 19 the means for receiving a code comprises means for receiving the code from one of the fields of the booking.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the means for receiving a code comprises means for receiving the code from a field of the booking reserved for a special instruction.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein the means for receiving a code comprises means for receiving a log-in identifier related to the person and for receiving the code from the log-in identifier.

23. The system of claim 19, further comprising report means for reporting a total number of the credits assigned to the person.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the report means comprises means for reporting on-line the total number of the credits assigned to the person.

25. The system of claim 23 wherein the report means comprises means for reporting in a hard copy format the total number of the credits assigned to the person.

26. The system of claim 23 wherein the report means comprises means for reporting a total number of the pending credits assigned to the person.

27. The system of claim 23 wherein the report means comprises means for reporting a total number of the redeemable credits assigned to the person.

28. The system of claim 19 wherein the assignment means comprises means for assigning the credits to the person based upon a monetary value of the travel-related reservation.

29. The system of claim 19 wherein the assignment means comprises means for displaying on-line an identification of whether the person has previously received credits.

30. The system of claim 19 wherein the assignment means comprises means for assigning bonus credits, comprising additional credits, to the person based upon a predetermined activity in conjunction with the travel-related reservation.

31. The system of claim 19 wherein the means for receiving a code comprises means for receiving a character string identifying the person.

32. The system of claim 19 wherein the means for specifying an identification of the person comprises means for linking the code to an identifier for an agency which engages the person.

33. The system of claim 19 wherein the assignment means comprises means for receiving through the receive means an adjustment or cancellation of the travel-related reservation and for modifying the redeemable credits in response to the adjustment or cancellation of the travel-related reservation.

34. A computerized system for cumulatively assigning credits to persons who book travel-related reservations for use in receiving prizes or awards, comprising:

a) receive means for receiving information, comprising;

i) means for receiving a booking which includes a plurality of fields, one or more of the fields including information identifying a travel-related reservation; and

ii) means for receiving a code identifying a person who booked the travel-related reservation;

b) means for specifying an identification of the person corresponding to the code;

c) status means for determining if the person has elected to receive the credits;

d) assignment means for cumulatively assigning the credits to the person identified by the code based upon the travel-related reservation, if the person has elected to receive the credits; and

e) means for determining, and for reporting on-line an indication of, the credits which could have been assigned to the person, if the person did not elect to receive the credits.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein the status means comprises means for indicating that the person has not elected to receive the credits, if the receive means does not receive the code.

36. The system of claim 34 wherein the means for receiving a code comprises means for receiving the code from one of the fields of the booking.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein the means for receiving a code comprises means for receiving the code from a field of the booking reserved for a special instruction.

38. The system of claim 36 wherein the means for receiving a code comprises means for receiving a log-in identifier related to the person and for receiving the code from the log-in identifier.

39. The system of claim 34, further comprising report means for reporting a total number of the credits assigned to the person.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein the report means comprises means for reporting on-line the total number of the credits assigned to the person.

41. The system of claim 39 wherein the report means comprises means for reporting in a hard copy format the total number of the credits assigned to the person.

42. The system of claim 34 wherein the assignment means comprises means for assigning the credits to the person based upon a monetary value of the travel-related reservation.

43. The system of claim 34 wherein the assignment means comprises means for displaying on-line an identification of whether the person has previously received credits.

44. The system of claim 34 wherein the assignment means comprises means for assigning bonus credits, comprising additional credits, to the person based upon a predetermined activity in conjunction with the travel-related reservation.

45. The system of claim 34 wherein the means for receiving a code comprises means for receiving a character string identifying the person.

46. The system of claim 34 wherein the means for specifying an identification of the person comprises means for linking the code to an identifier for an agency which engages the person.

47. The system of claim 34 wherein the means for comprises means for receiving through the receive means an adjustment or cancellation of the travel-related reservation and for modifying the credits in response to the adjustment or cancellation of the travel-related reservation.