Booking method and system

• US 7,406,429 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2002
• Issued: 07/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smartcom Labs OY
• Original Assignee: Bookit Oy Ajanvarauspalvelu
• Inventors: Salonen, Jukka
• Primary Examiner(s): Borissov, Igor
• Assistant Examiner(s): Saliard, Shannon S
• Application Number:
  US10/227,194
• Publication Number:
  US 20030101071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,169 Days
• Field of Search: 705/5, 705/6, 709/204, 709/206, 380/270
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3221 Access to banking information through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3255 using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/14 Travel agencies
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/207 with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/37 E-mail addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 : Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 : Hardware identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 : Subscriber identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 : Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 : for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 : Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and system for booking reservations in a booking system and synchronizing bookings among several booking systems. The system comprises at least one booking system; at least one service provider; a mediator service; a client, and at least one client terminal device that can be a mobile device and that includes a dialogue. The client uses the dialogue to enter information into the system and the mediator receives inquiries and answers from the at least one booking system, the at least one service provider, and the at least one client. The mediator transfers and adapts information between them. The method and system are particularly suited for use with mobile phone users by Small Message Service messages.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising a recording medium, having encoded thereon a computer readable program executable by a computer, for performing the functions of a mediator that controls communications between a service provider and a client terminal device for use by a client having a client identifier address, the communications between the service provider and the client terminal device being based upon technology in which a reply to an inquiry does not automatically include an explicit reference to the inquiry, the mediator including:

a) a multiplicity of different addresses associated with the service provider at which the mediator is configured to receive communications from the client terminal device regarding the service provider; and

b) logic and resources configured to perform the acts of;

preparing at least two inquiry messages pertaining to the service provider, associating a particular reply address to each of the at least two inquiry messages, the particular reply address being selected from the multiplicity of different addresses,

sending the least two inquiry messages to the client terminal device, said each of the at least two inquiry messages including a plurality of choices that are selectable by the client,

receiving from the client terminal device a reply to at least one of the at least two inquiry messages at the particular reply address associated with said received reply, the received reply including the client identifier address and a selected choice,

storing information pertaining to the received reply in a three dimensional matrix, the three dimensional matrix including a first axis indexed by client identifier address, a second axis indexed by reply address, and a third axis indexed for storing ordinal position of selections, and

determining which choice of the plurality of choices has been selected by the client in the received reply using the client identifier address, the particular reply address at which the received reply is received and the ordinal position of the selection made by the client, wherein

the determined particular reply address at which the received reply is received identifies the specific message of the at least two inquiry messages that the client has replied to.

2. The mediator of claim 1, wherein each of the at least two inquiry messages is a short messaging service message.

3. The mediator of claim 1, wherein the client identifier address includes an identifier chosen from the group consisting of a client'"'"'s A-subscriber'"'"'s number, Calling Line Identity, e-mail address and IP address.

4. The mediator of claim 1, wherein the inquiry is a service request that identifies the client terminal device.

5. The mediator of claim 1, wherein, when a reply is received to each of the at least two inquiry messages at the particular reply address associated with each reply, the logic and resources are configured to determine which choice has been selected in said each reply even when said each reply is received in an order different from the order that each of the at least two inquiry messages sent to the client terminal device.

6. The mediator of claim 5, wherein the logic and resources are further configured for performing the acts of tracking those addresses of the multiplicity of different addresses that are currently available and assigning each particular reply address at random from those addresses that are currently available.

7. The mediator of claim 5, wherein

the plurality of choices that are selectable by the client comprise an ordered list of choices with each choice having an ordinal position in the ordered list of choices, and

each of the at least two inquiry messages are questions answerable by making a selection of one item from the ordered list of choices.

8. The mediator of claim 7, wherein the logic and resources are further configured for performing the act of storing the selection of the client along the third axis.

9. A method of a mediator controlling communication between a client and a service provider, the client having a client identifier address and using a client terminal device to communicate with the mediator, the communications between the client and the service provider being based upon technology in which a reply to an inquiry does not automatically include an explicit reference to the inquiry, the mediator performing acts including:

a) preparing at least two inquiry messages in pertaining to the service provider;

b) associating a particular reply address to each of the at least two inquiry messages, said particular reply address being selected from a multiplicity of different addresses available associated with the service provider at which the mediator is configured to receive communications from the client terminal device regarding the service provider;

c) sending the at least two inquiry messages to the client terminal device, said each of the at least two inquiry messages including a plurality of choices that are selectable by the client;

d) receiving a reply to at least one of the at least two inquiry messages at the particular reply address associated with said reply from the client terminal device the reply including the client identifier address and a selected choice;

e) storing information pertaining to the reply in a three dimensional matrix the three dimensional matrix including a first axis indexed by client identifier address, a second axis indexed by reply address, and a third axis indexed for storing ordinal position of selections; and

f) determining which choice of the plurality of choices has been selected by the client in the received reply using the client identifier address, the particular reply address at which the received reply is received and the ordinal position of the selection made by the client, wherein

the determined particular reply address at which the received reply is received identifies the specific message of the at least two inquiry messages that the client has replied to.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein each of the at least two inquiry messages is a short messaging service message.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the inquiry is a service request from the client terminal device.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the client identifier address includes an identifier chosen from the group consisting of a client'"'"'s A-subscriber'"'"'s number, Calling Line Identity, e-mail address and IP address.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein

the plurality of choices that are selectable by the client comprise an ordered list of choices with each choice having an ordinal position in the ordered list of choices, and

the act of preparing each of the two inquiry messages further includes preparing, each of the two inquiry messages in a form answerable by making a selection from the ordered list of choices.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein, when a reply is received to each of the at least two inquiry messages at the particular reply address associated with each reply, determining which choice has been selected in said each reply even when said each reply is received in an order different from the order that each of the at least two inquiry messages is sent to the client terminal device.

15. The method of claim 13, further including the act of storing the selection along the third axis.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the client terminal device is a mobile telephonic device and the at least one message includes a short messaging service message.

17. A network server 20 comprising a recording medium, having encoded thereon a computer readable program executable by a computer, for performing the functions of a mediator that controls communications between a service provider and a client terminal device for use by a client having a client identifier address, the communications between the service provider and the client terminal device being based upon technology in which a reply to an inquiry does not automatically include an explicit reference to the inquiry, the mediator including:

a) preparing at least two inquiry messages in pertaining to the service provider;

b) associating a particular reply address to each of the at least two inquiry messages, said particular reply address being selected from a multiplicity of different addresses available associated with the service provider at which the mediator is configured to receive communications from the client terminal device regarding the service provider;

c) sending the at least two inquiry messages to the client terminal device, said each of the at least two inquiry messages including a plurality of choices that are selectable by the client;

d) receiving a reply to at least one of the at least two inquiry messages at the particular reply address associated with said reply from the client terminal device, the reply including the client identifier address and a selected choice;

e) storing information pertaining to the reply in a three dimensional matrix, the three dimensional matrix including a first axis indexed by client identifier address, a second axis indexed by reply address, and a third axis indexed for storing ordinal position of selections; and

f) determining which choice of the plurality of choices has been selected by the client in the received reply using the client identifier address, the particular reply address at which the received reply is received and the ordinal position of the selection made by the client, wherein

the determined particular reply address at which the received reply is received identifies the specific message of the at least two inquiry messages that the client has replied to.

18. A network server comprising a recording medium, having encoded thereon a computer readable program executable by a computer, for performing the functions of a mediator that controls communications between a service provider and a client terminal device for use by a client having a client identifier address, the communications between the service provider and the client terminal device being based upon technology in which a reply to an inquiry does not automatically include an explicit reference to the inquiry, the mediator including:

a) preparing at least two inquiry messages in pertaining to the service provider;

b) associating a particular reply address to each of the at least two inquiry messages, said particular reply address being selected from a multiplicity of different addresses available associated with the service provider at which the mediator is configured to receive communications from the client terminal device regarding the service provider;

c) sending the at least two inquiry messages to the client terminal device, said each of the at least two inquiry messages including a plurality of choices that are selectable by the client;

d) receiving a reply to at least one of the at least two inquiry messages at the particular reply address associated with said reply from the client terminal device, the reply including the client identifier address and a selected choice;

e) storing information pertaining to the reply in a three dimensional matrix, the three dimensional matrix including a first axis indexed by client identifier address, a second axis indexed by reply address, and a third axis indexed for storing ordinal position of selections; and

f) determining which choice of the plurality of choices has been selected by the client in the received reply using the client identifier address, the particular reply address at which the received reply is received and the ordinal position of the selection made by the client, wherein

the determined particular reply address at which the received reply is received identifies the specific message of the at least two inquiry messages that the client has replied to, wherein

the plurality of choices that are selectable by the client comprise an ordered list of choices with each choice having an ordinal position in the ordered list of choices, and

the act of preparing each of the at least two inquiry messages further includes preparing each of the at least two inquiry messages in a form answerable by making a selection from the ordered list of choices.