System and method for awarding credits to persons who book travel-related reservations

• US 6,631,355 B1
• Filed: 07/14/1997
• Issued: 10/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Radisson Hotels International Incorporated (Choice Hotels International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Radisson Hotels International Incorporated (Choice Hotels International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Storey, Thomas W., Medina, Steven J., Heintzeman, Scott B., Monson, Barbara, Malark, Gregory A.
• Primary Examiner(s): PWU, JEFFREY C
• Application Number:
  US08/892,563
• Time in Patent Office: 2,276 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/14, 705/7, 705/5, 705/10, 235/379, 235/380
• US Class Current: 705/14.36
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements

Abstract

A computerized system provides incentives for travel agents and similar persons to book particular travel-related reservations. The system achieves this by awarding cumulative credits to travel agents based upon bookings of travel-related reservations. The system receives a booking format which identifies a travel-related reservation. The system further receives a code which identifies a travel agent or other person who entered the travel-related reservation. Upon receiving the travel-related reservation, the system assigns cumulative credits to the travel agent identified by the code based upon the travel-related reservation. Travel agents can thus build up credits over time based upon their bookings of travel-related reservations and use those credits to receive a particular award or prize.

Claims

1. A computerized method for cumulatively assigning credits to persons who book travel-related reservations for use in receiving prizes or awards, comprising the steps executed by a computer of:

a) receiving a booking which includes information identifying a travel-related reservation, and an identification of a person who booked the travel-related reservation, and detecting events related to the travel-related reservation to control conversion of credits;

b) cumulatively assigning credits to the person who booked the travel-related reservation based upon the travel-related reservation; and

c) classifying the credits as pending credits, which are not redeemable for a prize or award, and subsequently converting the pending credits to redeemable credits, which are redeemable for a prize or award, if the method verifies through the receiving step that the pending credits are eligible for conversion to the redeemable credits based on the detecting step detecting the events.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the classifying step further comprises the step executed by the computer of classifying the credits as the pending credits until a predetermined event occurs, as detected by the receiving step, and converting the pending credits to the redeemable credits after the occurrence of the event.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the classifying step further comprises the step executed by the computer of classifying the credits as the pending credits for a predetermined amount of time, as detected by the receiving step, after the assignment of the credits and converting the pending credits to the redeemable credits after the predetermined amount of time.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the classifying step further comprises the steps executed by the computer of:

a) classifying the credits as the pending credits until a predetermined event occurs as detected by the receiving step; and

b) maintaining the credits as the pending credits for a predetermined amount of time, as detected by the receiving step, after the occurrence of the event and converting the pending credits to the redeemable credits after the predetermined amount of time.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving step comprises the step of receiving the booking and the identification of the person from a computerized reservation system.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving step comprises the step of receiving the booking the identification of the person from a modem connection.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving step comprises the step of receiving as the identification of the person a log-in identifier related to the person.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step executed by the computer of reporting a total number of the credits assigned to the person.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the reporting step comprises the step of reporting on-line the total number of the credits assigned to the person.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the reporting step comprises the step of reporting in a hard copy format the total number of the credits assigned to the person.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the reporting step comprises the step of reporting a cumulative total of the pending credits assigned to the person.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the reporting step comprises the step of reporting a cumulative total of the redeemable credits assigned to the person.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the assigning step comprises the step of assigning the credits to the person based upon a monetary value of the travel-related reservation.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the assigning step comprises the step of displaying on-line an identification of whether the person has previously received credits.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the assigning step comprises the step of assigning bonus credits, comprising additional credits, to the person based upon a predetermined activity in conjunction with the travel-related reservation.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the assigning step comprises the step of receiving through the receiving step an adjustment or cancellation of the travel-related reservation and modifying the redeemable credits in response to the adjustment or cancellation of the travel-related reservation.

17. A computerized method for cumulatively assigning credits to persons who book travel-related reservations for use in receiving prizes or awards, comprising the steps executed by a computer of:

a) receiving an booking which includes information identifying a travel-related reservation, and an identification of a person who booked the travel-related reservation;

b) cumulatively assigning credits to the person who booked the travel-related reservation based upon the travel-related reservation; and

c) classifying the assigned credits based on predefined criteria, comprising the steps executed by the computer of;

i) classifying particular credits within the assigned credits as pending credits, which are not redeemable for a prize or award;

ii) classifying particular credits within the assigned credits as redeemable credits, which are redeemable for a prize or award; and

iii) changing classifications of particular credits within the assigned credits based on predetermined criteria related to the travel-related reservation.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the receiving step comprises the step of receiving the booking and the identification of the person from a computerized reservation system.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the receiving step comprises the step of receiving the booking the identification of the person from a modem connection.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the receiving step comprises the step of receiving as the identification of the person a log-in identifier related to the person.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step executed by the computer of reporting a total number of the credits assigned to the person.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the reporting step comprises the step of reporting on-line the total number of the credits assigned to the person.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the reporting step comprises the step of reporting in a hard copy format the total number of the credits assigned to the person.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the reporting step comprises the step of reporting a total number of the pending credits assigned to the person.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein the reporting step comprises the step of reporting a total number of the redeemable credits assigned to the person.

26. The method of claim 17 wherein the assigning step comprises the step of assigning the credits to the person based upon a monetary value of the travel-related reservation.

27. The method of claim 17 wherein the assigning step comprises the step of displaying on-line an identification of whether the person has previously received credits.

28. The method of claim 17 wherein the assigning step comprises the step of assigning bonus credits, comprising additional credits, to the person based upon a predetermined activity in conjunction with the travel-related reservation.

29. The method of claim 17 wherein the assigning step comprises the step of receiving through the receiving step an adjustment or cancellation of the travel-related reservation and modifying the redeemable credits in response to the adjustment or cancellation of the travel-related reservation.

30. A computerized method for cumulatively assigning credits to persons who book travel-related reservations for use in receiving prizes or awards, comprising the steps executed by a computer of:

a) receiving an booking which includes information identifying a travel-related reservation, and an identification of a person who booked the travel-related reservation;

b) determining if the person has elected to receive the credits;

c) cumulatively assigning the credits to the person who booked the travel-related reservation based upon the travel-related reservation, if the person has elected to receive the credits; and

d) determining, and reporting on-line an indication of, the credits which could have been assigned to the person, if the person did not elect to receive the credits.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the receiving step comprises the step of receiving the booking and the identification of the person from a computerized reservation system.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the receiving step comprises the step of receiving the booking the identification of the person from a modem connection.

33. The method of claim 30 wherein the receiving step comprises the step of receiving as the identification of the person a log-in identifier related to the person.

34. The method of claim 30, further comprising the step executed by the computer of reporting a total number of the credits assigned to the person.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the reporting step comprises the step of reporting on-line the total number of the credits assigned to the person.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein the reporting step comprises the step of reporting in a hard copy format the total number of the credits assigned to the person.

37. The method of claim 30 wherein the assigning step comprises the step of assigning the credits to the person based upon a monetary value of the travel-related reservation.

38. The method of claim 30 wherein the assigning step comprises the step of displaying on-line an identification of whether the person has previously received credits.

39. The method of claim 30 wherein the assigning step comprises the step of assigning bonus credits, comprising additional credits, to the person based upon a predetermined activity in conjunction with the travel-related reservation.

40. The method of claim 30 wherein the assigning step comprises the step of receiving through the receiving step an adjustment or cancellation of the travel-related reservation and modifying the credits in response to the adjustment or cancellation of the travel-related reservation.

41. A computerized method for cumulatively assigning credits to persons who book travel-related reservations for use in receiving prizes or awards, comprising the steps executed by a computer of:

a) receiving an booking which includes information identifying a travel-related reservation, and an identification of a person who booked the travel-related reservation;

b) cumulatively assigning credits to the person who booked the travel-related reservation based upon the travel-related reservation, comprising the steps of;

i) calculating, based on predefined criteria related to the travel-related reservation, incremental credits to be assigned for the travel-related reservation; and

ii) initially maintaining the incremental credits as pending credits, which are not redeemable for a prize or award; and

c) automatically providing, in response to the booking, an indication of the incremental credits.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising the steps executed by the computer of:

a) receiving an indication that the pending credits are to be converted to redeemable credits, which are redeemable for a prize or award; and

b) changing the pending credits to redeemable credits.

43. The method of claim 41, further comprising the step executed by the computer of changing the pending credits after a predetermined amount of time to redeemable credits, which are redeemable for a prize or award.