Method and apparatus of controlling reservation for goods and the like

• US 6,041,305 A
• Filed: 04/24/1997
• Issued: 03/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Neuron Corporation (AI Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Daishin Frame Company Limited
• Inventors: Sakurai, Yasuo
• Primary Examiner(s): KEMPER, MELANIE A
• Application Number:
  US08/840,068
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/5, 705/6, 379/84, 379/93.17
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling the reservation for goods and the like is provided includes the performance and apparatus for effecting performance of a sequence of steps. Steps including setting and registering individual identification means for each individual applicable to individual data of an unspecified number of the general public, reserving tangible and/or intangible various goods controlled by an information data control unit for an individual whose individual identification means have been set and registered through communication devices, and setting a reservation code to the reservation data for each of various goods reserved and notifying the individual are performed. Reservations modification may be effected by the steps of receiving various urgent information data such as the change or cancellation of the reservation data to which the reservation code has been set from at least either the individual side or the information data control unit side, changing or canceling the contents of the reservation data, and sending through the communication device the contents of the reservation data to notify the individual.

Claims

1. A method of managing reservations of various items of commerce, the various items of commerce including at least one of goods and services, in which the reservations are placed by individuals from a reserving party side for acceptance from a providing party side by at least one provider of said various items of commerce, the method comprising the steps of:

setting and registering individual identification means pertinent to individual data of an unspecified number of individuals of the general public;

receiving reservation data for particular ones of the various items of commerce communicated by a particular one of said individuals for whom the individual identification means have already been set and registered;

setting a reservation code to the reservation data representative of each of the particular ones of the various items of commerce reserved and notifying said particular one of said individuals that said reservation code has been set;

receiving modifying information data input from one of said reserving party side and said performing party side indicating a desired revision of the reservation data to which the reservation code has been set, the desired revision including one of change and cancellation,

sending a notification indicating receipt of the modifying information data from one of the reserving party side and the performing party side prior to performing the desired revision of the reservation data, said notification being sent to a remaining one of the reserving party side and the performing party side affected by said desired revision;

performing the desired revision of reservation data after confirmation of said modifying information data, and on condition of receipt of modifying information acknowledgement data inputted from said remaining one of the reserving party side and the performing party side; and

sending revised reservation data to notify said remaining one of said reserving party side and said performing party side to enable mutual performance by said reserving party side and said performing party side of the items of commerce represented by the revised reservation data.

2. A method of managing reservations according to claim 1, wherein:

information data control units are distributed to specified places so that various information data corresponding to the particular ones of said various items of commerce can be controlled thereby; and

each of the information data control units is centralizedly controlled, one of in real time and for a specified date, by an information data overall control unit capable of performing at least one function of reading and storing the various information data of each of said information data control units.

3. A method of managing reservations according to claim 2, wherein:

all reservations for the particular ones of said various items of commerce are sent through communication means from each said particular one of said individuals and are inputted into ones of the information data overall control units; and

thereafter;

where the information data on the particular ones of said various items of commerce applicable to reservation of same have been stored in said information data overall control unit, a reservation code for each of the particular ones of said various items of commerce is set to notify each said particular one of said individuals, and at the same time, the reservation code and the reservation data are sent to the information data control unit controlling applicable ones of the various ones of said items of commerce to store them; and

where the information data on the various ones of said items of commerce applicable to reservation of same have not been stored in the information data overall control unit, the information data control unit controlling applicable ones of the various ones of said items of commerce is notified of the effect, and the reservation code is set to the reservation data on the various ones of said items of commerce by the information data control unit to send the reservation code to the information data overall control unit, thereby notifying each said particular one of said individuals of the reservation code for reserved ones of the particular ones of said various items of commerce from said information data overall control unit.

4. A method of managing reservations according to claim 2, wherein:

all reservation codes received from each of said individuals and previously set for each of are inputted into the information data overall control unit; and

thereafter;

where the information data on the particular ones of said various items of commerce applicable to the reservation codes have been stored in said information data overall control unit, the reservation is performed by the information data overall control unit, and thereafter said reservation codes are sent to a specified information data control unit controlling ones of said various items of commerce to store them; and

where the information data on the particular ones of said various items of commerce applicable to the reservation codes have not been stored in the information data overall control unit, the information data control unit controlling the particular ones of said items of commerce applicable to the reservation codes is notified of the effect and performs reservation, and thereafter the information data on the particular ones of said items of commerce applicable to the reservation codes are sent from said information data control unit to the information data overall control unit.

5. A method of managing reservations of various items of commerce, the various items of commerce including at least one of goods and services, in which the reservations are placed by individuals from a reserving party side for acceptance from a providing party side by at least one provider of said various items of commerce, the method comprising the steps of:

setting and registering individual identification means pertinent to individual data of an unspecified number of particular individuals of the general public;

sending a previously set reservation code corresponding to particular ones of said various items of commerce, and reserving the particular ones of said various items of commerce from the particular individuals whose individual identifying means have been set and registered;

receiving modifying information data input from one of said reserving party side and said performing party side indicating a desired revision of the reservation data of various reserved ones of said various items of commerce, the desired revision including one of change and cancellation;

sending a notification indicating receipt of the modifying information data from one of the reserving party side and the performing party side prior to performing the desired revision of the reservation data, said notification being sent to a remaining one of the reserving party side and the performing party side affected by said desired revision;

performing the desired revision of reservation data after confirmation of said modifying information data, and on condition of receipt of modifying information acknowledgement data inputted from said remaining one of the reserving party side and the performing party side; and

sending revised reservation data to notify said remaining one of said reserving party side and said performing party side to enable mutual performance by said reserving party side and said performing party side of the items of commerce represented by the revised reservation data.

6. A method of managing reservations according to claim 5, wherein:

information data control units are distributed to specified places so that various information data corresponding to the particular ones of said various items of commerce can be controlled thereby; and

each of the information data control units is centralizedly controlled, one of in real time and for a specified date, by an information data overall control unit capable of performing at least one function of reading and storing the various information data of each of said information data control units.

7. A method of managing reservations according to claim 6, wherein:

all reservations for various goods and the like sent through said communication means from each individual are inputted into the information data overall control unit; and

thereafter;

where the information data on the particular ones of said various items of commerce applicable to reservation have been stored in said information data overall control unit, a reservation code for each of the particular ones of said various items of commerce reserved is set to notify the particular one of said individuals and at the same time, the reservation code and the reservation data are sent to the information data control unit controlling applicable ones of the particular ones of said various items of commerce to store them; and

where the information data on the particular ones of said various items of commerce applicable to reservation have not been stored in the information data overall control unit, the information data control unit controlling applicable ones of the particular ones of said various items of commerce is notified of the effect, and the reservation code is set to the reservation data on the particular ones of said various items of commerce by the information data control unit to send the reservation code to the information data overall control unit, thereby notifying the particular one of said individuals of the reservation code for reserved ones of said various items of commerce from said information data overall control unit.

8. A method of managing reservations according to claim 6, wherein:

all reservation codes sent through said communication means from each individual and previously set for each of the particular ones of said various items of commerce are inputted into the information data overall control unit; and

thereafter;

where the information data on the particular ones of said various items of commerce applicable to the reservation codes have been stored in said information data overall control unit, the reservation is performed by the information data overall control unit, and thereafter said reservation codes are sent to a specified information data control unit controlling the particular ones of said various items of commerce to store them; and

where the information data on the particular ones of said items of commerce to the reservation codes have not been stored in the information data overall control unit, the information data control unit controlling the particular ones of said various items of commerce applicable to the reservation codes is notified of the effect and performs the reservation, and thereafter the information data on ones of the particular ones of said various items of commerce applicable to the reservation codes are sent from said information data control unit to the information data overall control unit.

9. An apparatus for managing reservations of various items of commerce, the items of commerce including at least one of goods and services, in which the reservations are placed by individuals from a reserving party side for acceptance from a providing party side by at least one provider of said various items of commerce, comprising:

an information data control unit group distributed to specified places so that various information data are to be individually controlled, including reservation status and number of possible reservations for each of the various items of commerce on the basis of identification codes set for each of particular ones of said various items of commerce, said information data control unit group being comprised of one of identical type and different type information data control units;

an information data overall control unit capable of at least one function of reading and storing the information data of said each information data control unit in one of real time and for each specified date and time;

an individual data registration unit for setting and registering individual identification means pertinent to each individual data of an unspecified number of individuals of the general public;

an address registration unit capable of registering communication means for an urgent contact including a telephone number for each individual set and registered;

a reservation data allocation unit for allocating reservation data representative of reservation contents of the particular ones of said various items of commerce through the individual identification means and using individual identification codes confirmed as a principal to a specified information data control unit controlling applicable ones of the particular ones of said various items of commerce;

reservation code setting units for setting a reservation code to the reservation data including a number of reservations and a delivery date and time of ones of the various items of commerce sent to the information data control units;

a reservation code sending unit for sending said reservation code to the reserving party side;

a reservation data control unit which receives modifying information data input from one of said reserving party side and said performing party side indicating a desired revision of reservation data to which a reservation code has been set from at least one of the reserving party side and the performing party side, the desired revision including one of change and cancellation, and can revise the contents of the reservation data to which a reservation code has been set;

a reservation data changed contents sending unit for actuating said address registration unit when some change occurs in the contents of reservation data, and sending the contents of revised reservation data through specified communication means to respective ones of said particular ones of said individuals;

reservation data changed contents notification units for notifying said respective ones of said particular individuals of the reservation data sent through said reservation data changed contents sending unit; and

a reservation unit on the reserving party side for outputting both the identification codes set for each of the particular ones of said items of commerce, and the individual identification means when the particular ones of said various items of commerce are reserved;

said information data overall control unit controlling the change or cancel of the contents of reservation data in such a manner that at least one of the reservation unit and the information data control unit is notified through notification means of the fact that modifying information data have been inputted, before the contents of reservation data are revised through the reservation data control unit, and that the revision of the contents of reservation data is performed after confirmation of the modifying information data and on condition of receipt of the modifying information acknowledgement data inputted from at least one of the reservation unit and the information data control unit.

10. An apparatus for managing reservations according to claim 9, wherein said reservation unit is provided with individual data output means for sending individual data to the individual data registration unit.

11. An apparatus for managing reservations according to claim 9, wherein said reservation unit and said reservation data changed contents notification unit are integrally provided.

18. An apparatus for managing reservations according to claim 9, wherein said reservation unit is provided with an information display and input unit having no keyboard.

19. An apparatus for managing reservations according to claim 9, wherein said individual data registration unit, said address registration unit, said reservation data allocation unit, said reservation code sending unit, said reservation data control unit and said reservation data changed contents sending unit are provided on the information data overall control unit.

20. An apparatus for managing reservations according to claim 9, wherein said individual identification means are at least one of passwords sent together with individual data to be sequentially inputted through various communication means connected to the information data overall control unit and individual identification codes set sequentially on the providing party side for individual data.

21. An apparatus for managing reservations according to claim 9, wherein said individual identification means are signals encoded by identifying of at least part of individual human body information sent together with individual data sequentially inputted through various communication means connected to the information data overall control unit.

22. An apparatus for managing reservations according to claim 9, wherein said various communication means are telephone lines using at least one of wire communication and wireless communication.

12. An apparatus for managing reservations of various items of commerce, the items of commerce including at least one of goods and services, in which the reservations are placed by individuals from a reserving part side for acceptance from a providing party side by at least one provider of said various items of commerce, comprising:

an information data control unit group distributed to specified places so that various information data are to be individually controlled, including reservation status and number of possible reservations for each of the various items of commerce on the basis of identification codes set for each of particular ones of said various items of commerce, said information data control unit group being comprised of one of identical type and different type information data control units,

an information data overall control unit capable of at least one function of reading and storing the information data of said each information data control unit in one of real time and for each specified date and time,

an individual data registration unit for setting and registering individual identification means pertinent to each individual data of an unspecified number of individuals of the general public;

an address registration unit capable of registering communication means for an urgent contact including a telephone number for each individual set and registered;

a reservation data allocation unit for allocating reservation data representative of reservation contents of the particular ones of said various items of commerce through the individual identification means and using individual identification codes confirmed as a principal to a specified information data control unit controlling applicable ones of the particular ones of said various items of commerce;

reservation code setting units for setting a reservation code to the reservation data including a number of reservations and a delivery date and time of ones of the various items of commerce sent to the information data control units;

a reservation code sending unit for sending said reservation code to the reserving party side;

a reservation data control unit which receives modifying information data input from one of said reserving party side and said performing party side indicating a desired revision of reservation data to which a reservation code has been set from at least one of the reserving party side and the performing party side, the desired revision including one of change and cancellation, and can revise the contents of the reservation data to which a reservation code has been set;

a reservation data changed contents sending unit for actuating said address registration unit when some change occurs in the contents of reservation data, and sending the contents of revised reservation data through specified communication means to respective ones of said particular ones of said individuals;

reservation data changed contents notification units for notifying said respective ones of said particular individuals of the reservation data sent through said reservation data changed contents sending unit;

said reserving party side being provided with reservation units capable of outputting an identification code set for each of said various items of commerce and of individual identification means when the particular ones of said various items of commerce are reserved; and

at least one of said reservation unit and said reservation data changed contents notification unit is configured so as to be portable.

13. An apparatus for managing reservations of various items of commerce, the items of commerce including at least one of goods and services, in which the reservations are placed by individuals from a reserving party side for acceptance from a providing party side by at least one provider of said various items of commerce, comprising:

an information data control unit group distributed to specified places so that various information data are to be individually controlled, including reservation status and number of possible reservations for each of the various items of commerce on the basis of identification codes set for each of particular ones of said various items of commerce, said information data control unit group being comprised of one of identical type and different type information data control units;

an information data overall control unit capable of at least one function of reading and storing the information data of said each information data control unit in one of real time and for each specified date and time;

an individual data registration unit for setting and registering individual identification means pertinent to each individual data of an unspecified number of individuals of the general public;

an address registration unit capable of registering communication means for an urgent contact including a telephone number for each individual set and registered;

a reservation data allocation unit for allocating reservation data representative of reservation contents of the particular ones of said various items of commerce through the individual identification means and using individual identification codes confirmed as a principal to a specified information data control unit controlling applicable ones of the particular ones of said various items of commerce;

reservation code setting units for setting a reservation code to the reservation data including a number of reservations and a delivery date and time of ones of the various items of commerce sent to the information data control units;

a reservation code sending unit for sending said reservation code to the reserving party side;

a reservation data control unit which receives modifying information data input from one of said reserving party side and said performing party side indicating a desired revision of reservation data to which a reservation code has been set from at least one of the reserving party side and the performing party side, the desired revision including one of change and cancellation, and can revise the contents of the reservation data to which a reservation code has been set;

a reservation data changed contents sending unit for actuating said address registration unit when some change occurs in the contents of reservation data, and sending the contents of revised reservation data through specified communication means to respective ones of said particular ones of said individuals;

reservation data changed contents notification units for notifying said respective ones of said particular individuals of the reservation data sent through said reservation data changed contents sending unit;

said reserving party side being provided with reservation units capable of outputting an identification code set for each of said various items of commerce and of individual identification means when the particular ones of said various items of commerce are reserved; and

said reservation unit being provided on a navigation unit including means for detecting the position of a mobile body and means for disclosing the position of the mobile body detected through said position detection means.

14. An apparatus for managing reservations according to claim 13, wherein said reservation unit is configured so as to be removably provided on the navigation unit.

15. An apparatus for managing reservations according to claim 13, further comprising an information take-in unit capable of taking in the information on specified ones of said various items of commerce from a storage medium having stored the information on the particular ones of said various items of commerce to which the reservation codes are set provided on at least one of said reservation unit and or said navigation unit.

16. An apparatus for managing reservations according to claim 13, further comprising an information data rewrite unit capable of rewriting the information within the storage medium provided on at least one of said reservation unit and said navigation unit.

17. An apparatus for managing reservations according to claim 16, wherein said information data rewrite unit is configured so as to be able to rewrite the information within the storage medium through a specified rewrite signal sent from the information data overall control unit.