Automated travel pricing system

• US 6,839,679 B1
• Filed: 03/18/1996
• Issued: 01/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Electronic Data Systems Corporation (Perspecta, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lynch, Michael F., Turner, Jonathan A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Myhre, James W.
• Application Number:
  US08/618,005
• Time in Patent Office: 3,214 Days
• Field of Search: 709/9, 709/6, 705/5, 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

Abstract

An automated pricing system (10) is provided. The system (10) obtains inventory information, specifying the rates and/or availability of a plurality of travel arrangements, from one or more computer reservation systems (24). The inventory information is stored in a database (14) along with one or more portfolios of information (relating to a travel agency and each business entity customer of the travel agency) that can be used to discount the listed rates of the travel arrangements. In response to a specific travel itinerary from a customer, the system (10) automatically retrieves the inventory and/or discount information from the database (14) and determines the lowest-priced, available travel arrangements conforming to the itinerary. Consequently, a travel agent using the system (10) does not have to spend time manually determining the lowest-priced travel arrangements.

Claims

1. An automated pricing system for use in a travel agency, comprising:

a database operable to store computer reservation system inventory information and travel agency profile information; and

a processor operable to;

retrieve from a plurality of computer reservation systems inventory information comprising an identification of available travel arrangements;

store said inventory information in said database;

in response to receipt of travel request information specifying a travel itinerary, access said database to retrieve computer reservation system inventory information and travel agency profile information; and

determine from among the inventory information retrieved from said database using the travel agency profile information, the lowest cost available travel arrangements that conform to said specified travel itinerary.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor is further operable to access said computer reservation system at a predetermined interval.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said database is further operable to store business entity profile information.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said processor is further operable to access said database to retrieve business entity profile information in response to receipt of a travel itinerary.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor is operable to process case-based reasoning to determine the lowest cost available travel arrangements that conform to the specified itinerary.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor is further operable to automatically make a reservation for said determined lowest cost available travel arrangements.

7. An automated pricing system for use in a travel agency, comprising:

a database operable to store computer reservation system inventory information and travel agency profile information; and

a processing network connected to the database and operable to;

access a plurality of computer reservation systems and retrieve computer reservation system inventory information comprising an identification of available travel arrangements;

store said retrieved computer reservation system inventory information in said database;

receive travel request information specifying a travel itinerary;

access said database to retrieve computer reservation system inventory information and travel agency profile information in response to said received travel request information; and

determine from among the inventory information retrieved from said database using the travel agency profile information, the lowest cost available travel arrangements that conform to said specified travel itinerary.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said processor is further operable to use case-based reasoning to determine the lowest cost available travel arrangements that conform to the specified itinerary.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein said processor is further operable to access said computer reservation systems at a predetermined interval.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said database is further operable to store business entity profile information.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said processor is further operable to retrieve business entity profile information in response to said received travel request information.

12. A method for automatically pricing travel arrangements for use in a travel agency, comprising the steps of:

accessing a plurality of computer reservation systems and retrieving computer reservation system inventory information comprising an identification of available travel arrangements;

generating travel agency profile information;

storing said retrieved computer reservation system inventory information and said generated travel agency profile information in a database;

receiving travel request information specifying a travel itinerary;

retrieving said computer reservation system inventory information and said travel agency profile information in response to said received travel request information; and

determining from among the inventory information retrieved from said database using the travel agency profile information, the lowest cost available travel arrangements that conform to said specified travel itinerary.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said accessing step further comprises the steps of accessing the computer reservation system at a predetermined interval.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said determining step further comprises the step of identifying travel arrangements that conform to said specified travel itinerary.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said determining step further comprises the step of applying at least one of a plurality of pricing routines to price said identified travel arrangements.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said determining step further comprises the step of using case-based reasoning to select said at least one of a plurality of pricing routines.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of generating business entity profile information.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of retrieving said business entity profile information in response to said received travel request information.