Ticket tracking, reminding, and redeeming system and method
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating automated redemption of an unused electronic ticket, comprising the steps of:
- setting, via a computer system, an aging period;
identifying, via a computer system, a scheduled date of an issued ticket;
adding, via a computer system, the aging period to the scheduled date and, if the scheduled date plus the aging period is earlier than a current date, determining, via a computer system, whether all or a portion of the issued ticket is unused; and
if all or a portion of the issued ticket has not been used,comparing, via a computer system, information in an invoice table and a central reservation system database to determine at least one of a use of the issued ticket and a change to the issued ticket, the comparing forming comparison data;
calculating, via a computer system, a residual value of the ticket based on a contract term associated with the ticket and any changes to the issued ticket or partial use of the issued ticket as indicated by the comparison data;
determining, via a computer system, an offer to redeem the issued ticket based on the residual value and a contract term associated with the ticket, the offer not including a refund; and
presenting, via a computer system, the offer to redeem the issued ticket.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An automated method and system for facilitating timely use and/or redemption of the unused portion of an electronic ticket are provided. In accordance with the method, an aging period is set and is added to the scheduled departure date of the issued ticket, and a reminder period is set and subtracted from the scheduled date of a ticket. If the scheduled departure date plus the aging date is earlier than the current date, a determination is made as to whether the ticket has been used. If the scheduled date minus the reminder period is earlier than the current date, then a message is communicated to the traveler reminding him to use or redeem the ticket. A residual value of the ticket is calculated and communicated to a client to facilitate redemption of the unused ticket and issuance of appropriate redemption credit.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating automated redemption of an unused electronic ticket, comprising the steps of:
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setting, via a computer system, an aging period; identifying, via a computer system, a scheduled date of an issued ticket; adding, via a computer system, the aging period to the scheduled date and, if the scheduled date plus the aging period is earlier than a current date, determining, via a computer system, whether all or a portion of the issued ticket is unused; and if all or a portion of the issued ticket has not been used, comparing, via a computer system, information in an invoice table and a central reservation system database to determine at least one of a use of the issued ticket and a change to the issued ticket, the comparing forming comparison data; calculating, via a computer system, a residual value of the ticket based on a contract term associated with the ticket and any changes to the issued ticket or partial use of the issued ticket as indicated by the comparison data; determining, via a computer system, an offer to redeem the issued ticket based on the residual value and a contract term associated with the ticket, the offer not including a refund; and presenting, via a computer system, the offer to redeem the issued ticket. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system for redeeming an unused electronic ticket, comprising:
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a first database containing information on activities scheduled and ticketed; a second database containing information on tickets issued for the activities; a third database containing information on selected ones of the tickets for activities having a schedule date more than a predetermined period of time prior to a current date; means for determining from the information in said second database whether all or a portion of each of the selected ones of the tickets are unused; means for comparing information in an invoice table and a central reservation system database to determine at least one of a use of each of the selected ones of the tickets and a change to each of the selected ones of the tickets, the comparing forming comparison data; means for calculating a residual value of each of the selected ones of the tickets based on a contract term associated with each of the selected ones of the tickets, and any changes to each of the selected ones of the tickets or partial use of each of the selected ones of the tickets, respectively, as indicated by the comparison data; means for determining offers to redeem each of the selected ones of the tickets based on the residual value of each of the selected ones of the tickets and a contract term associated with each of the selected ones of the tickets, respectively, the offers not including a refund; and means for redeeming the offers.
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10. A computer-implemented method for facilitating timely use of an electronic ticket, comprising the steps of:
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setting, via a computer system, a reminder period; identifying, via a computer system, a scheduled date of an issued ticket; and subtracting, via computer a system, a reminder period from the scheduled date and, if the scheduled date minus the reminder period is earlier than a current date, determining, via a computer system, whether all or a portion of the issued ticket is unused; and if all or a portion of the issued ticket has not been used, comparing, via a computer system, information in an invoice table and a central reservation system database to determine at least one of a use of the issued ticket and a change to the issued ticket, the comparing forming comparison data; calculating, via a computer system, a residual value of the issued ticket based on a contract term associated with the issued ticket and any changes to the issued ticket or partial use of the issued ticket as indicated by the comparison data; determining, via a computer system, an offer to redeem the issued ticket based on the residual value and a contract term associated with the issued ticket, the offer not including a refund; and presenting, via a computer system, the offer to redeem the issued ticket.
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11. A computer-implemented system for facilitating automated redemption of an unused electronic ticket, comprising:
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means for setting, via a computer, an aging period; means for identifying, via a computer, a scheduled date of an issued ticket; means for adding, via a computer, the aging period to the scheduled date and, if the scheduled date plus the aging period is earlier than a current date, determining whether all or a portion of the issued ticket is unused; and if all or a portion of the issued ticket has not been used, means for comparing information in an invoice table and a central reservation system database to determine at least one of a use of the issued ticket and a change to the issued ticket, the comparing forming comparison data; means for calculating a residual value of the issued ticket based on a contract term associated with the issued ticket and any changes to the issued ticket or partial use of the issued ticket as indicated by the comparison data; means for determining an offer to redeem the issued ticket based on the residual value and a contract term associated with the issued ticket, the offer not including a refund; and means for presenting the offer to redeem the issued ticket.
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12. A computer-implemented system for facilitating timely use of an electronic ticket, comprising:
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means for setting, via a computer, a reminder period; means for identifying, via a computer, a scheduled date of an issued ticket; and means for subtracting, via computer a system, a reminder period from the scheduled date and, if the scheduled date minus the reminder period is earlier than a current date, determining whether all or a portion of the issued ticket is unused; and if all or a portion of the issued ticket has not been used, means for comparing information in an invoice table and a central reservation system database to determine at least one of a use of the issued ticket and a change to the issued ticket, the comparing forming comparison data; means for calculating a residual value of the issued ticket based on a contract term associated with the issued ticket and any changes to the issued ticket or partial use of the issued ticket as indicated by the comparison data; means for determining an offer to redeem the issued ticket based on the residual value and a contract term associated with the issued ticket, the offer not including a refund; and means for presenting the offer to redeem the issued ticket.
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Specification