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System and method for allocating a conditional purchase offer for a travel related services reservation to one of a plurality of entities in a buyer driven electronic commerce system

  • US 6,993,503 B1
  • Filed: 04/28/2000
  • Issued: 01/31/2006
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2000
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A method of using a computer system to allocate a conditional purchase offer for a hotel reservation to one of a plurality of entities in a buyer-driven system, comprising:

  • receiving on said computer the conditional purchase offer for a hotel reservation in a specified relevant market area;

    identifying via said computer at least one of the plurality of entities capable of satisfying the conditional purchase offer;

    wherein the identifying step comprises;

    searching a database to identify hotel properties within the relevant market area that can satisfy the conditional purchase offer; and

    for each identified hotel property, identifying the entity associated with the identified hotel property; and

    determining each identified entity'"'"'s market share percentage in the relevant market area;

    determining a percentage of first-look opportunities previously provided to each of the identified entities in the relevant market area;

    determining a relevant market share gap for each of the identified entities by subtracting the percentage of first-look opportunities previously provided to the entity in the relevant market area from that entity'"'"'s market share percentage in the relevant market area; and

    allocating the first-look opportunity to accept the conditional purchase offer to the identified entity having the largest negative relevant market share gap.

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