Multiple currency travel reservation information management system and method

• US 5,644,721 A
• Filed: 08/30/1995
• Issued: 07/01/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Amadeus North America Incorporated (Amadeus Global Travel Distribution S.A.)
• Original Assignee: System One Information Management LLC (United Airlines Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chung, Kieran Sebastian, Gohil, Bhagirath Nirmalsinh, Bernos, Jose, Megofna, Phillip Mark Perez
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, Gail O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shingala, Gita
• Application Number:
  US08/521,354
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 364/407, 364/401, 364/408, 395/650
• US Class Current: 705/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation

Abstract

Methods and system for effecting the consolidation of travel reservation information including bookings and ticketing using different currencies is disclosed. Specifically, a method is disclosed in which travel reservation information is generated in a computer reservation system (CRS), the prices of which are represented in a predetermined global currency, and subsequently stored in a global data storage medium, such as a database. The information generated from the CRS can be pre-ticketed or ticketed. The information can be generated from more that one CRS. The system that is disclosed includes a global data storage medium, in which pricing information regarding travel reservations generated in at least one CRS is represent in a global currency and is stored. Each CRS is accessed by at least one locally operated computer system to generate the travel reservation information.

Claims

1. A method of consolidating at least two travel reservation information records with at least two different currencies generated from a locally operated computer system, comprising the steps of

selecting a global currency in which to represent prices associated with each travel segment,

entering a first locally operated computer system,

acquiring, in the first locally operated computer system, a first computer travel reservation information record with price of at least one travel segment represented in a first currency from a computer reservation system (CRS),

representing the price of each segment in the global currency,

storing information from the computer travel reservation information record and the price of each segment in the global currency in a global data storage medium,

entering a second locally operated computer system,

acquiring, in the second locally operated computer system, a second computer travel reservation information record with price of at least one travel segment represented in a second currency from the computer reservation system (CRS),

representing the price of each segment in the second computer travel reservation information record in the global currency, and

storing information from the second computer travel reservation information record and the price of each segment from the second record in the global currency in the global data storage medium.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer travel reservation information record contains pre-ticketed information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer travel reservation information record contains ticketed information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first locally operated computer system is in a first country with the first currency being the currency of the first country and the second locally operated computer system is in a second country with second currency being the currency of the second country.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the global data storage medium is a database.

6. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising the steps of

accessing the global data storage medium, and

generating at least one report utilizing travel segment and converted price information stored in the global data storage medium.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the information is displayed on an operational center computer.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the report is printed from an operational center computer.

9. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising the steps of

storing the price of the segments in the original currency in the global storage medium.

10. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising the step of

downloading the information stored in the global storage medium to a corporate internal computer system.

11. A method of consolidating at least two travel reservation information records with at least two different currencies generated from locally operated computer systems, comprising the steps of

selecting a global currency in which to represent prices associated with each travel segment,

entering a first locally operated computer system,

acquiring, in the first locally operated computer system, a first computer travel reservation information record with price of at least one travel segment represented in a first currency from a first computer reservation system (CRS),

representing the price of each segment in the global currency,

storing information from the computer travel reservation information record and the price of each segment in the global currency in the global data storage medium,

entering a second locally operated computer system,

acquiring, in the second locally operated computer system, a second computer travel reservation information record with price of at least one travel segment represented in a second currency from a second computer reservation system (CRS),

representing the price of each segment in the second computer travel reservation information record in the global currency, and

storing information from the second computer travel reservation information record and the second price of each segment from the second record in the global currency in the global data storage medium.

12. A method of consolidating at least two travel reservation information records with at least two currencies generated from a locally operated computer system, comprising the steps of

selecting a global currency in which to represent price associated with each travel segment, entering a locally operated computer system,

acquiring, in the locally operated computer system, a first computer travel reservation information record with price of at least one travel segment represented in a first currency from a first computer reservation system (CRS),

representing the price of each segment in the global currency,

storing information from the computer travel reservation information record and the price of each segment in the global currency in a global data storage medium,

acquiring, in the locally operated computer system, a second computer travel reservation information record with price of at least one travel segment represented in a second currency from the computer reservation system (CRS),

representing the price of each segment in the global currency, and

storing information from the second computer travel reservation information record and the second price of each segment from the second record in the global currency in the global data storage medium.

13. The method of claim 12, additionally comprising the steps of

acquiring, in the locally operated computer system, a third computer travel reservation information record with price of at least one travel segment represented in a currency from a second computer reservation system (CRS),

representing the price of each segment in the global currency, and

storing information from the third computer travel reservation information record and the price of each segment from the third record in the global currency in the global data storage medium.

14. A system for centralizing and standardizing in a predetermined global currency travel reservation information having at least two different currencies generated from locally operated computer systems for subsequent analysis, comprising

a first locally operated computer system,

a second locally operated computer system,

a global data storage medium,

at least one computerized reservation system (CRS) accessible by the first and second locally operated computer systems that has the capability of (a) generating at least one travel segment and price associated with each segment, (b) booking reservations for a selected segments, (c) generating travel reservation information in response to a request from the first or second locally operated computer systems, and (d) detecting the booking of a reservation with the price of each booked segment,

means for representing the price of each booked segment in the predetermined global currency, whereby each price that is not in the global currency is converted to the global currency,

means for transferring segment reservation information, and the global currency representation of the price of each booked segments to the global data storage medium, and

means for storing the transferred segment reservation information, and the price of each booked segment in the global currency in the global data storage medium.

15. The system in accordance with claim 14, wherein the first and second locally operated computer systems are connected to the CRS through communication means.

16. The system in accordance with claim 15, wherein the communication means includes a communication modem and phone lines.

17. The system in accordance with claim 15, wherein the global storage medium includes a database.

18. The system in accordance with claim 14, wherein the first and second locally operated computer systems access different CRSs.

19. A system for centralizing and standardizing in a predetermined global currency travel reservation information generated in at least two different currencies from a locally operated computer system for subsequent analysis, comprising

a locally operated computer system in a country,

a global data storage medium,

at least one computerized reservation system (CRS) accessible by the locally operated computer system that is capable of (a) generating travel segments and prices associated with each segment, (b) booking reservations for a selected segments, (c) generating travel reservation information in response to a request from the locally operated computer system, and (d) detecting the booking of a reservation with the price of each booked segment,

means for representing the price of each segment in the predetermined global currency, whereby each price that is not in the global currency is converted to the global currency,

means for transferring segment reservation information, the global currency representation of the price of each booked segments to the global storage medium for downloading into the database, and

means for storing the transferred segment reservation information, and the converted price of each booked segment in the global data storage medium.

20. A system for centralizing and standardizing in a predetermined currency ticketed travel reservation information generated from locally operated computer systems in at least two countries for subsequent analysis, comprising

a first locally operated computer system in a first country,

a second locally operated computer system in a second country,

a global data storage medium,

at least one computerized reservation system (CRS) accessible by the first and second locally operated computer systems that has the capability of (a) generating at least one travel segment and prices associated with each segment, (b) booking reservations for a selected segments, (c) generating travel reservation information in response to a request from the first or second locally operated computer systems, and (d) detecting the ticketing of a reservation with the price of each ticketed segment,

means for representing the price of each segment in the predetermined currency, whereby each price that is not in the global currency is converted to the global currency,

means for transferring segment reservation information, the global currency representation of the price of each ticketed segment to the global data storage medium, and

means for storing the transferred segment reservation information, and the price of each ticketed segment in the global currency in the global data storage medium.

21. A system for centralizing and standardizing in a predetermined global currency travel reservation information generated in at least two different currencies from a locally operated computer system for subsequent analysis, comprising

a locally operated computer system in a country,

a global data storage medium,

at least one computerized reservation system (CRS) accessible by the locally operated computer system that is capable of (a) generating travel segments and prices associated with each segment, (b) booking reservations for a selected segments, (c) generating travel reservation information in response to a request from the locally operated computer system, and (d) detecting ticketing of a reservation with the price of each booked segment,

means for representing the price of the segment in the predetermined global currency, whereby each price that is not in the global currency is converted to the global currency,

means for transferring segment reservation information, the global currency representation of the price of each ticketed segment to the global storage medium, and

means for storing the transferred segment reservation information, and the price of each ticketed segment in the global currency in the global data storage medium.

22. The system in accordance with claim 21, wherein the global storage medium includes a database.

23. A method of consolidating travel reservation information generated from locally operated computer systems in at least two countries, comprising the steps of

selecting a global currency in which to represent price associated with each travel segment,

entering a first locally operated computer system in a first country having a first country currency,

accessing a computer reservation system (CRS) from the first locally operated computer system,

generating, in the CRS, at least one travel segment for a traveler,

selecting at least one travel segment with price of the selected segment, for booking,

booking a reservation at the price in the CRS for each selected travel itinerary,

representing the price of the segment in the global currency,

storing information regarding the booked travel segment and the price in the global currency in the global data base,

entering a second locally operated computer system in a second country have a second country currency,

accessing the CRS from the second locally operated computer system, and generating, in the CRS, at least one travel segment for a traveler,

selecting at least one second travel segment with price of the second travel segment, for booking using the second locally operated computer system,

booking a reservation at the price in the CRS for the second travel segment,

representing the price of the second travel segment in the global currency,

storing information regarding the second booked travel segment and the price in the global currency in the global data base.

24. A method of reporting travel reservation information generated from at least one locally operated computer system and at least one computer reservation system (CRS) and stored in a global data storage medium, comprising the steps of

selecting a company reporting format with a reporting language and global currency,

storing company reporting format in the global data storage medium with the reporting language and the global currency,

entering a locally operated computer system,

accessing a computer reservation system (CRS) from the locally operated computer system,

generating, in the CRS, at least one travel segment,

selecting at least one travel segment with price of the selected segment for booking,

booking a reservation at the price in the CRS for each selected travel segment,

representing the price of the segment in the global currency,

storing information regarding the booked travel segment and the price in the global currency in the global data storage medium,

accessing the company reporting format and the stored booked travel segment and price in the global currency information in the global data storage medium, and

reporting the booked travel segment and price information in the company reporting format.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the company reporting format additionally comprises

a reporting address format and a reporting date format.