Computerized system and method for storage, processing and transfer of inventory and other data among a central processor/database and a number of remote locations
First Claim
1. In a hotel reservation system having a first set of application programs and a second set of application programs, a system for distributed hotel reservation database access and management, comprising:
- (a) a central host computer having first data storage means for storing hotel data including room availability and customer account and material usage information for a plurality of hotels, and first processing means for interacting with the first set of application programs and for processing said hotel data;
(b) a plurality of local computers located remotely from said host computer, each having second data storage means for storing at least a portion of said hotel data, input means for an operator to enter input data into said local computer, second processing means for interacting with the second set of application programs and for processing said input data, and output means for displaying output data from said local computer to said operator;
(c) network means for linking said host computer and said plurality of local computers into a network, said host computer and said plurality of local computers having substantially symmetrical interfaces and operative to store similar data; and
(d) gateway means associated with each computer in said network for linking the first set of application programs and the second set of application programs for enabling communication among cooperating tasks in the first set of application programs and the second set of application programs and for providing time- or data-initiated transaction processing services, wherein said means enables intercommunication and interprocessing among data management functions, as established by the first set of application programs and the second set of application programs, operating on at least two of said computers;
and wherein said gateway means operates to enable peer-to-peer communications between said at least two of said computers, whereby any one of said at least two of said computers is enabled to operate as server computer and any other one of said at least two of said computers is enabled to operate as a client computer, and further wherein interactive communications between said server computer and said client computer is enabled so that data and processing may be shared among said server and said client computers, said gateway means thereby operating to coordinate processing tasks among said functionally related applications in the first set of application programs and the second set of application programs and the flow of data between computers in said network.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for a novel and highly advanced data handling network which is ideally disposed for the management of inventory data among a number of dispersed locations, such as a hotel chain. A central computer-processor/data-base is interconnected with a plurality of remote locations, via a novel gateway interface and communications network, which remote locations may comprise either local processors and associated local data bases or terminal devices connected with the system via third-party systems or public networks. Embodied as a hotel reservation and data management network, the system supports not only the storage and exchange of basic room-inventory/reservation data between and among the central and remote locations, but also such advanced data management features as a single depleting inventory for both the central and remote databases, rate plan restricted access, and display of room layout data at an operator'"'"'s terminal.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. In a hotel reservation system having a first set of application programs and a second set of application programs, a system for distributed hotel reservation database access and management, comprising:
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(a) a central host computer having first data storage means for storing hotel data including room availability and customer account and material usage information for a plurality of hotels, and first processing means for interacting with the first set of application programs and for processing said hotel data; (b) a plurality of local computers located remotely from said host computer, each having second data storage means for storing at least a portion of said hotel data, input means for an operator to enter input data into said local computer, second processing means for interacting with the second set of application programs and for processing said input data, and output means for displaying output data from said local computer to said operator; (c) network means for linking said host computer and said plurality of local computers into a network, said host computer and said plurality of local computers having substantially symmetrical interfaces and operative to store similar data; and (d) gateway means associated with each computer in said network for linking the first set of application programs and the second set of application programs for enabling communication among cooperating tasks in the first set of application programs and the second set of application programs and for providing time- or data-initiated transaction processing services, wherein said means enables intercommunication and interprocessing among data management functions, as established by the first set of application programs and the second set of application programs, operating on at least two of said computers; and wherein said gateway means operates to enable peer-to-peer communications between said at least two of said computers, whereby any one of said at least two of said computers is enabled to operate as server computer and any other one of said at least two of said computers is enabled to operate as a client computer, and further wherein interactive communications between said server computer and said client computer is enabled so that data and processing may be shared among said server and said client computers, said gateway means thereby operating to coordinate processing tasks among said functionally related applications in the first set of application programs and the second set of application programs and the flow of data between computers in said network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. In a hotel reservation system having a set of host application programs accessing and maintaining a host database at a host location and a set of remote application programs accessing and maintaining a remote database at a remote location, a system for distributed hotel reservation database access and management, comprising:
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a host computer system, at the host location, comprising; host processing means for executing the set of host application programs; host data storage means for storing the host database, wherein said means is responsive to said host processing means; and
,host gateway means for communicating, wherein said means is responsive to said processing means; a plurality of remote computer systems at remote locations comprising; remote processing means for executing the set of remote application programs; remote storage means for storing the remote database, wherein said means is responsive to said remote processing means; and
,remote gateway means for communicating, wherein said means is responsive to said processing means; network means for linking said host gateway means of said host computer system to said remote gateway means of said plurality of remote computer systems; wherein said host gateway means operates in conjunction with said remote gateway means to enable the set of remote application programs to access the host database and to enable the set of host application programs to access the remote database. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. In a hotel reservation system having a set of host application programs at a host location and a set of remote application programs at a remote location, a system for distributed hotel reservation database access and management, comprising:
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a host computer system at the host location comprising; host processing means for executing the set of host application programs; a host database; host data storage means for storing said host database, wherein said means is responsive to said host processing means; and
,host gateway means for communicating, wherein said means is responsive to said processing means; a plurality of remote computer systems at remote locations comprising; remote processing means for executing the set of remote application programs; a remote database; remote storage means for storing said remote database, wherein said means is responsive to said remote processing means; and
,remote gateway means for communicating, wherein said means is responsive to said processing means; network means for linking said host gateway means of said host computer system to said remote gateway means of said plurality of remote computer systems; wherein said host gateway means operates in conjunction with said remote gateway means to enable the set of remote application programs to access said host database and to enable the set of host application programs to access said remote database. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification