System and method for conducting transactions involving generically identified items

• US 6,990,457 B1
• Filed: 06/06/2000
• Issued: 01/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Expedia Inc. (Expedia Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hotels.com (Expedia Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Litman, David S., Diener, Robert B., Fiacable, Anthony J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dixon, Thomas A
• Application Number:
  US09/589,037
• Time in Patent Office: 2,058 Days
• Field of Search: 705/5, 705/6, 705/26, 705/37, 705/28, 705/100, 705/101, 705/104
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

A transaction system includes an item master database that stores generic information and specific information associated with one or more items and an inventory database that stores availability and price data associated with the items. The transaction system also includes a transaction engine that receives an item availability request including one or more parameters. The transaction engine accesses the item master database and the inventory database to obtain information associated with the request and determines one or more items that meet the parameters of the request. The transaction system also communicates a list of the items meeting the parameters. The list includes at least one generic item listing. Furthermore, the transaction system receives a request for an item associated with a generic item listing and completes a transaction associated with the item.

Claims

1. A transaction system, comprising:

an item master database operable to store generic information and specific information associated with one or more items;

an inventory database operable to store availability and price data associated with the items; and

a transaction engine operable to;

receive an item availability request, the request including one or more parameters;

access the item master database and the inventory database to obtain information associated with the request;

determine one or more items that meet the parameters of the request in response to obtaining the information from the item master database and the inventory database;

communicate a list of the items meeting the parameters, the list including at least one generic item listing;

receive a request for an item associated with a generic item listing; and

complete a transaction associated with the item.

2. The transaction system of claim 1, wherein the transaction engine is further operable to:

receive a request for a description of an item associated with a generic item listing; and

communicate a generic description of the item, wherein the generic description does not directly identify the item.

3. The transaction system of claim 1, wherein the transaction engine is further operable to communicate a specific description of the item for which a transaction has been completed, the specific description identifying the item.

4. The transaction system of claim 1, wherein the generic information stored in the item master database comprises a generic name of an item and a generic description of an item.

5. The transaction system of claim 1, wherein the specific information stored in the item master database comprises a specific name of an item and a specific description of an item.

6. The transaction system of claim 1, wherein the price data stored in the inventory database comprises a discounted price associated with a generic item listing.

7. The transaction system of claim 1, wherein the generic item listing comprises a generic item name and a price of an item associated with the generic item listing.

8. The transaction system of claim 1, wherein:

the transaction engine is coupled to the Internet; and

the transaction engine is further operable to;

receive the item availability request from a computer coupled to the Internet; and

communicate the list of items to the computer in the form of one or more Web pages.

9. The transaction system of claim 1, wherein:

the transaction engine is coupled to a call center, the call center coupled to a telephone network and operable to receive calls from telephone users; and

the transaction engine is further operable to;

receive the item availability request from an operator at the call center, the operator receiving the item availability request from the telephone user over the telephone network; and

communicate the list of items to the operator for communication to the telephone user.

10. A computer implemented method for conducting transactions involving generically identified items, comprising:

receiving an item availability request, the request including one or more parameters;

obtaining information associated with the request from one or more databases, the databases including generic information and specific information associated with one or more items, availability data associated with the items, and a price of each item;

determining using the computer one or more items that meet the parameters of the request in response to obtaining the information from the databases;

communicating a list of the items meeting the parameters, the list including at least one generic item listing;

receiving a request for an item associated with a generic item listing; and

completing a transaction according to the request.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a request for a description of an item associated with a generic item listing; and

communicating a generic description of the item, wherein the generic description does not directly identify the item.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising communicating a specific description of the item after a transaction for the item has been completed, the specific description identifying the item.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the generic information included in the one or more databases comprises a generic name of an item and a generic description of an item.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the specific information included in the one or more databases comprises a specific name of an item and a specific description of an item.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the price of one or more items included in the one or more databases comprises a discounted price associated with a generic item listing.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the generic item listing comprises a generic item name and a price of an item associated with the generic item listing.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein:

receiving the item availability request comprises receiving the request from a computer coupled to the Internet; and

communicating the list of items comprises communicating the list to the computer in the form of one or more Web pages.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein:

receiving the item availability request comprises receiving the request from an operator at a call center, the call center coupled to a telephone network and the operator operable to receive the item availability request from a telephone user over the telephone network; and

communicating the list of items comprises communicating the list to the operator for communication to the telephone user.

19. A hotel reservation system, comprising:

a hotel master database operable to store generic information and specific information associated with one or more hotels;

an inventory database operable to store a number of rooms available at the hotels on one or more dates and a price of each room; and

a reservation engine operable to;

receive a hotel availability request, the request including one or more parameters;

access the hotel master database and the inventory database to obtain information associated with the request;

determine one or more hotels that meet the parameters of the request in response to obtaining the information from the hotel master database and the inventory database;

communicate a list of the hotels meeting the parameters, the list including at least one generic hotel listing;

receive a reservation request for a hotel associated with a generic hotel listing; and

create a reservation according to the reservation request.

20. The hotel reservation system of claim 19, wherein the reservation engine is further operable to:

receive a request for a description of a hotel associated with a generic hotel listing; and

communicate a generic description of the hotel, wherein the generic description does not directly identify the hotel.

21. The hotel reservation system of claim 19, wherein the reservation engine is further operable to communicate a specific description of the hotel at which a reservation has been created, the specific description identifying the hotel.

22. The hotel reservation system of claim 19, wherein the generic information stored in the hotel master database comprises a generic name of a hotel and a generic description of a hotel.

23. The hotel reservation system of claim 19, wherein the specific information stored in the hotel master database comprises a specific name of a hotel and a specific description of a hotel.

24. The hotel reservation system of claim 19, wherein the price of one or more rooms stored in the inventory database comprises a discounted price associated with a generic hotel listing.

25. The hotel reservation system of claim 19, wherein the parameters included in the hotel availability request comprise a date or dates for which a room is requested.

26. The hotel reservation system of claim 19, wherein the generic hotel listing comprises a generic hotel name and a price of a hotel room at a hotel associated with the generic hotel listing.

27. The hotel reservation system of claim 26, wherein the generic hotel listing further comprises an approximate location of the hotel associated with the generic hotel listing.

28. The hotel reservation system of claim 19, wherein:

the reservation engine is coupled to the Internet; and

the reservation engine is further operable to;

receive the hotel availability request from a computer coupled to the Internet; and

communicate the list of hotels to the computer in the form of one or more Web pages.

29. The hotel reservation system of claim 19, wherein:

the reservation engine is coupled to a call center, the call center coupled to a telephone network and operable to receive calls from telephone users; and

the reservation engine is further operable to;

receive the hotel availability request from an operator at the call center, the operator receiving the hotel availability request from the telephone user over the telephone network; and

communicate the list of hotels to the operator for communication to the telephone user.

30. A computer implemented method for making hotel reservations, comprising:

receiving a hotel availability request, the request including one or more parameters;

obtaining information associated with the request from one or more databases, the databases including generic information and specific information associated with one or more hotels, a number of rooms available at the hotels on one or more dates, and a price of each room;

determining using the computer one or more hotels that meet the parameters of the request in response to obtaining the information from the databases;

communicating a list of the hotels meeting the parameters, the list including at least one generic hotel listing;

receiving a reservation request for a hotel associated with a generic hotel listing; and

creating a reservation according to the reservation request.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

receiving a request for a description of a hotel associated with a generic hotel listing; and

communicating a generic description of the hotel, wherein the generic description does not directly identify the hotel.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising communicating a specific description of the hotel at which a reservation has been created, the specific description identifying the hotel.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the generic information included in the one or more databases comprises a generic name of a hotel and a generic description of a hotel.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein the specific information included in the one or more databases comprises a specific name of a hotel and a specific description of a hotel.

35. The method of claim 30, wherein the price of one or more rooms included in the one or more databases comprises a discounted price associated with a generic hotel listing.

36. The method of claim 30, wherein the parameters included in the hotel availability request comprise a date or dates for which a room is requested.

37. The method of claim 30, wherein the generic hotel listing comprises a generic hotel name and a price of a hotel room at a hotel associated with the generic hotel listing.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the generic hotel listing further comprises an approximate location of the hotel associated with the generic hotel listing.

39. The method of claim 30, wherein:

receiving the hotel availability request comprises receiving the request from a computer coupled to the Internet; and

communicating the list of hotels comprises communicating the list to the computer in the form of one or more Web pages.

40. The method of claim 30, wherein:

receiving the hotel availability request comprises receiving the request from an operator at a call center, the call center coupled to a telephone network and the operator operable to receive the hotel availability request from a telephone user over the telephone network; and

communicating the list of hotels comprises communicating the list to the operator for communication to the telephone user.