Obtaining and utilizing commercial information

• US 6,360,205 B1
• Filed: 03/05/1999
• Issued: 03/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Travelport Incorporated (Travelport Worldwide Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Trip.com, Inc. (Galileo International LLC)
• Inventors: Heithoff, Russel W., Iyengar, Maya L., Toffa, Antoine K., Reid, Aaron J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US09/263,310
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 705/5, 705/80, 705/79, 705/6
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

In accordance with the present invention, a method for providing reservation information related to airline flights, lodging, transportation and the like using a communications network is disclosed. In one embodiment, access to a server machine is divided into sessions. During a first session a user machine makes a first request for reservation information from the server machine. This first request includes input data from a first customer which relates to the desired reservation information. For example, the first customer may input travel times in the hopes of booking a flight which corresponds to those times. The server machine requests the reservation information from a number of target sites based upon the input data. Included in the number of target sites is a first and second target sites. The server machine obtains reservation information which includes first and second reservation information respectively from the first and second target sites.

Claims

1. A method involving reservation information, comprising:

receiving a first request during a first session by a control system from a user machine of a first customer for reservation information, said request including customer input data of the first customer related to said reservation information, said user machine being located remotely from said control system and communicating with said control system using a communications network;

requesting by said control system said reservation information using said customer input data from a plurality of reservation information sites including a first reservation information site and a second reservation information site which are located remotely from each of said user machine and said control system, said first and second reservation information sites being associated with first and second account databases and first and second network interfaces, respectively, each of said first and second reservation information sites being configured to communicate with said user machine of the first customer without intervention from said control system wherein, when said user machine is connected to at least said first reservation information site using said network interface thereof, said user machine is configured to be able to provide at least account information of the first customer to said first reservation information site;

obtaining said reservation information including obtaining first reservation information from said first reservation information site by said control system and obtaining second reservation information from said second reservation information site by said control system, said first reservation information originating from a first provider thereof and said second reservation information originating from a second provider thereof, said first reservation information site providing only said first reservation information and said second reservation information site providing only said second reservation information;

processing said reservation information including said first reservation information and said second reservation information using processing software to provide processed reservation information;

presenting said processed reservation information utilizing said user machine; and

performing a booking function related to said processed reservation information based on input received from said user machine and using at least one of said first and second reservation information sites,

wherein, when said performing step uses said first reservation information site, said performing step includes;

(i) checking whether first account information related to identification of the first customer is stored using said first account database, said stored first account information being based on at least a previous communication with said first reservation information site and (ii) at least when said checking step determines that said first account information is not stored, providing first account information related to identification of the first customer to said first reservation information site by said control system and in which said first account information includes at least some account information received by said control system from said user machine and said first account information is stored using said first account database;

wherein, when said performing step uses said second reservation information site, said performing step includes;

(i) checking whether second account information related to identification of the first customer is stored using said second account database, said stored second account information being based on at least a previous communication with said second reservation information site and (ii) at least when said checking step determines that said second account information is not stored, providing second account information related to identification of the first customer to said second reservation information site and in which said second account information includes at least some account information received by said control system from said user machine and said second account information is stored using said second account database.

2. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said requesting step includes inputting said customer input data to said first reservation information site based on a first format and inputting said customer input data to said second reservation information site based on a second format that is different from said first format.

3. A method, as claimed in claim 2, further including:

modifying said first format depending upon a change made at said first reservation information site.

4. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said first reservation information is obtained in real time from said first reservation information site and in which said first reservation information is updated under control of said first provider.

5. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said presenting step includes displaying on said user machine said processed reservation information that is different from each of said first reservation information and said second reservation information.

6. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said customer input data includes at least an airline flight time period, a city destination, and a flight date.

7. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said processed reservation information includes at least an airline ticket price, a flight identification, and a flight date and time.

8. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said performing step includes booking an airline flight for the first customer.

9. A method, as claimed in claim 8, further including:

storing first customer information associated with the first customer after said booking step.

10. A method, as claimed in claim 8, further including:

retrieving customer information related to the first customer and using said customer information of the first customer in conducting another requesting step.

11. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said reservation information includes airline reservation information and said method further includes maintaining an historical database for number of customers in which said historical database stores customer information related to previously booked airline reservations.

12. A method, as claimed in claim 1, further including:

logging at least one error upon its occurrence and indicating successful completion of said first session upon its occurrence.

13. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said obtaining step includes collecting said reservation information by said control system at a time before said receiving step.

14. A method, as claimed in claim 1, further including the step of:

entering the first request into said user machine by an agent of the first customer.

15. A method, as claimed in claim 14, further including:

after said performing step, charging a service fee to the first customer which is paid to the agent.

16. A system for providing processed reservation information to a user machine of a first customer, comprising:

a plurality of reservation information sites including a first reservation information site of a first provider and a second reservation information site of a second provider, said first reservation information site comprising a first target machine and said second reservation information site comprising a second target machine, said first reservation information site providing only first reservation information and said first reservation information originating from the first provider, said second reservation information site providing only second reservation information and said second reservation information originating from the second provider, at least said first and second reservation information sites being associated with first and second account databases and first and second network interfaces, respectively; and

a control apparatus located remote from said first and second reservation information sites and the user machine, each of said first and second target machines being configured to communicate with the user machine of the first customer independently of said control apparatus wherein, when the user machine is connected to at least said first reservation information site using said first network interface, the user machine is configured to be able to provide account information, said control apparatus including;

a memory subsystem for storing account information; and

a processing subsystem in communication with said memory subsystem that receives a first request during a first session related to reservation information including said first reservation information and said second reservation information, said first request including customer input data from the user machine, said processing subsystem for use in formatting said customer input data for input to said first target machine according to a first format, said processing subsystem also used in sending said customer input data based on said first format to said first target machine and obtaining said first reservation information, said processing subsystem for use in formatting said customer input data for input to said second target machine according to a second format, said processing subsystem also used in sending said customer input data based on said second format to said second target machine and obtaining said second reservation information, said processing subsystem processing said first reservation information and said second reservation information to produce processed reservation information, said processing subsystem involved with performing a booking function related to said processed reservation information, said booking function performed using at least one of said first and second reservation information sites;

wherein, when said booking function uses said first reservation information site, said control apparatus provides first account information related to identification of the first customer to said first reservation information site and in which said first account information includes at least some account information received by said control apparatus from the user machine and said first account information is stored using said first account database;

wherein, when said second reservation information site is used, said control apparatus provides second account information related to identification of the first customer to said second reservation information site and in which, when said control apparatus provides said second account information, said second account information includes at least some account information received by said control apparatus from said user machine and said second account information is stored using said second account database.

17. A system, as claimed in claim 16, wherein:

said memory subsystem includes memory that stores historical information related to a plurality of the following;

lowest airline fare found between two city pairs for a given airline carrier;

most commonly requested city pairs;

lowest overall fare found between two city pairs;

average number of requests submitted by the first customer during said first session;

identity of the airline carrier most often booked for a particular city pair; and

identity of an airline carrier that is selected most often overall in booking airline flights.

18. A system, as claimed in claim 16, wherein:

said memory subsystem includes memory that stores logging information related to at least one error that occurs, an indication of a successful completion of a request by the first customer, an indication of a successful account creation and an indication of a successful account modification.

19. A system, as claimed in claim 16, wherein:

said first account information is stored in said memory subsystem and related to the first customer'"'"'s preferences based on previously booked reservations.

20. A system, as claimed in claim 16, wherein:

said processing subsystem includes processing software that checks whether said first account information is previously stored in said memory subsystem.

21. A system, as claimed in claim 16, wherein:

said processing subsystem includes processing software that retrieves said first account information from said memory subsystem and uses said first account information from said memory subsystems in obtaining said customer input data.

22. A system, as claimed in claim 16, wherein:

said processing subsystem includes processing software that updates said first account information related to a profile of the first customer.

23. A system, as claimed in claim 16, wherein:

said processing subsystem includes processing software that caches at least some of said first customer information obtained during said first session in said memory subsystem.

24. A system, as claimed in claim 16, wherein:

said customer input data is entered into the user machine by an agent of the first customer.

25. A system, as claimed in claim 16, wherein:

said processing subsystem uses said first account information to collect a service fee for an agent of the first customer.

26. A system that includes a plurality of user machines of a plurality of customers including at least first and second user machines of first and second customers, respectively, and a communications network, comprising:

a plurality of target sites including at least first and second target sites that can communicate with each of said user machines using said communications network, said first and second target sites being associated with first and second account databases, respectively, said first target site providing only first output information and said first output information originating from a first provider, said second target site providing only second output information and said second output information originating from a second provider; and

a server machine that receives a number of input information items from said first user machine, each of said plurality of target sites being configured to communicate with each of said plurality of user machines without intervention of said server machine, said server machine comprising;

a memory for storing a control module that can be downloaded to each of said user machines, wherein, when said control module is downloaded to each of said user machines, said control module facilitates communications between each of said user machines and each of said target sites; and

processing hardware in operative communication with said memory and said processing hardware including at least a first processor, wherein said number of input information items are utilized by said control module to output said first and second output information from said first and second target sites, respectively, at least one of said processing hardware and said first user machine processing said first and second output information and providing determined information based on said first and second output information;

wherein a first choice is made using said determined information, said first choice involving at least one of said first and second target sites and, when said first target site is involved, said control module is used to provide first account information related to identification of the first customer to said first target site and in which said first account information includes at least some account information received by said control module using the first user machine and said first account information is stored using said first account database and, when said second target site is involved, said control module is used to provide second account information related to identification of the first customer to said second target site, said second account information includes at least some account information received by said control module using the first user machine and said second account information is stored using said second account database.

27. A system, as claimed in claim 26, wherein:

said server machine accesses said first target site to obtain updated information from said first target site, said server machine using said updated information to provide control information, said control module and said control information are provided to said first user machine at different times.

28. A system, as claimed in claim 26, wherein:

said first target site has a first input format and said second target site has a second input format, wherein one of said processing hardware and said first user machine formats said number of input information items to said first input format and to said second input format in order to obtain said first and second output information from said first and second targets, respectively.

29. A system as claimed in claim 26, wherein:

at least one of said processing hardware and said first user machine determines that said first output information from said first target site is to be provided to said first user machine after a comparison with said second output information from said second target site.

30. A system, as claimed in claim 26, wherein:

said first user machine pre-processes said first and second output information from each of said first and second target sites, respectively and communicates said pre-processed first and second output information to said server machine and in which said processing hardware further processes said pre-processed first and second output information from each of said first and second target sites, respectively.

31. A system, as claimed in claim 26, wherein:

at least one of said processing hardware and said first user machine checks for a predetermined delay related to obtaining said first output information from said first target site and, when said predetermined delay is exceeded, said first user machine discontinues seeking said first output information from said first target site.

32. A system, as claimed in claim 26, wherein:

said first output information includes information related to at least one of the following;

airline flight reservations, vehicle reservations, lodging reservations, product leasing, product purchasing and service purchasing.

33. A system, as claimed in claim 26, wherein:

said control module is implemented with at least one of the following;

a web browser plug-in and an applet.

34. A system, as claimed in claim 26, wherein:

each one of said plurality of target sites provides only output information originating from a respective one provider thereof.

35. A system, as claimed in claim 26, wherein:

each of said plurality of target sites includes a web site including a first web site being associated with the first provider and a second web site being associated with the second provider.

36. A system, as claimed in claim 35, wherein:

said control information is used by said server machine to navigate said web sites.

37. A system, as claimed in claim 36, wherein:

said control information is used in reserving an airline flight.