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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

  • US 5,581,461 A
  • Filed: 08/31/1994
  • Issued: 12/03/1996
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/08/1993
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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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:

  • (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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