Method and device implementing a seamless user/service reservation network

• US 7,016,857 B1
• Filed: 03/19/1999
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: EZLinks Golf LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Network And Database Systems
• Inventors: Smeester, Michael W., McInally, David S., Lloyd, Scott A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomson, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANYA, CHARLES E
• Application Number:
  US09/272,922
• Time in Patent Office: 2,559 Days
• Field of Search: 705 5- 9, 707 1- 10, 709200-253, 719/311
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events

Abstract

A method device implementing a seamless user/service reservation network. A network is establishing having a user input module, an interface module and a vendor service module. The user input module accommodates different classes of potential users including golf reseller, an Internet based user and a dedicated function user. Regardless of the type of user input is targeted for, all user inputs accept the same input format and send all transactions via a bundled communication. The interface module comprises multiple servers designed to communicate with the user input module and the vendor service module and decode and process all bundled requests. Utilizing multi-thread processing, all transactions from either module are concurrently processed. The vendor service module incorporates multiple vendor systems running different software platforms. Each vendor software platform is linked with a dedicated network server that can accordingly translate all standard communications to the specific protocol of the individual software vendor. By incorporating multiple user inputs that are processed concurrently by multiple vendors running different software platforms the seamless golf reservation network establishes a standardized golf tee time reservation system unique to this industry.

Claims

1. Golf tee-time reservation apparatus for implementing seamless real time access concurrently to a plurality of disparate individual golf course reservation systems situated at different locations, at least some of which use different protocols, said apparatus comprising:

a plurality of user input modules distributed throughout a wide geographic area including at sites remote from one another, each user input module having an interface capable of sending one or more tee-time requests concurrently to said plurality of disparate individual gold course reservation system; and

an interface module having a data link with each of said plurality of user input modules for concurrently receiving one or more tee-time requests to said plurality of disparate individual golf course reservation systems as real time transactions, said interface module having a data link connection with each of said plurality of disparate individual golf course reservation systems and being arranged to interface with each different protocol of said plurality of disparate individual golf course reservation systems to effect acceptance of one or more tee-time requests at the plurality of disparate individual golf course reservation systems to which said one or more tee-time requests are directed, and said interface module being arranged to concurrently process one or more tee-time requests sent from a single user input module to said plurality of disparate individual golf course reservation systems.

2. The golf tee-time reservation apparatus of claim 1, wherein each said user input module comprises a networked based interface.

3. The golf tee-time reservation apparatus of claim 2, wherein said networked based interface is the Internet.

4. The golf tee-time reservation apparatus of claim 1, wherein said user input module is a terminal that receives said plurality of tee-time requests.

5. The golf tee-time reservation apparatus of claim 4, wherein said terminal comprises a graphical user interface.

6. The golf tee-time reservation apparatus of claim 4, wherein said terminal displays information to a user.

7. The golf tee-time reservation apparatus of claim 1, wherein said interface module comprises one or more computer servers.

8. The golf tee-time reservation apparatus of claim 7, wherein said one or more computer servers is a database server.

9. The golf tee-time reservation apparatus of claim 8, wherein said database server provides information upon request.

10. The golf tee-time reservation apparatus of claim 7, wherein said one or more computer servers is a system service application server.

11. The golf tee-time reservation apparatus of claim 10, wherein said system service application server comprises administrative tools for regulating system resources.

12. The golf tee-time reservation apparatus of claim 10, wherein said system service application server provides administrative reports.

13. The golf tee-time reservation apparatus of claim 7, wherein said one or more computer servers is a network server.

14. The golf tee-time reservation apparatus of claim 7, wherein said one or more computer servers is a customer server.

15. The golf tee-time reservation apparatus of claim 14, wherein said customer server administers said plurality of tee-time requests by sending said plurality of tee-time requests to said one or more computer servers.

16. The golf tee-time reservation apparatus of claim 15, wherein said customer server comprises protocol translation software.