Adaptive matching program and system for corporate meeting planners and hospitality providers

• US 7,644,032 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2007
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HJJ Incorporated
• Original Assignee: HJJ Incorporated
• Inventors: Etkin, James M.
• Primary Examiner(s): CAMPEN, KELLY SCAGGS
• Application Number:
  US11/625,490
• Publication Number:
  US 20080052217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: 705/37, 705/38, 705/8, 705/26, 705/1, 705/14, 705/5, 705/9, 705/36.R, 705/27, 705/35, 235/494, 708/112
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

The adaptive computerized bidding method matches hospitality facility (HF) data and meeting requirement data, permits the posting of offers and responsive bidding by both HF vendors and meeting planners (MPs), analysis of the initial search results by an MP supervisor (an adaptive input), analysis of the vendor search results by a vendor promoter (adaptive output) and facilitates the exchange of data by the posting MP and the selected HF vendors. MP requirement or request for quote RFQ data (at least MP contact data, facilities requirements, date range and price) is matched to HF hotel data (at least vendor contact data, location, room quantity, date range, and meeting room data), and after adaptive and output analysis and supplemental communications to supervisors, and the system sends MP RFQ data to matching vendors after processing by the adaptive filters. Vendors respond to the MP RFQ.

Claims

1. An adaptive computerized bidding, matching and information exchange method accessible on a telecommunications network for matching hospitality facility data, representing vendors furnishing hotel facilities, meeting room facilities or other hospitality facilities, said hospitality facility data including at least vendor contact data, location data, room quantity data, date available range data, and meeting room data, said hospitality facility data matched with meeting requirement data, representing respective necessities of a plurality of meeting planners for a corresponding plurality of meetings or events, said meeting requirement data including at least meeting planner contact data, facilities requirement data, date range data and price data, said hospitality facility data and said meeting requirement data organized in a data structure accessible via a plurality of client computers coupled to said telecommunications network, said data structure stored in a server also accessible and coupled to said telecommunications network, the bidding, matching and information exchange method comprising:

gathering, in said data structure on said server, said meeting requirement data as an inquiry from an inquiring meeting planner via one or more client computers;

searching said data structure on said server for hospitality facility data matching the meeting requirement data inquiry and obtaining search results;

matching the meeting requirement data and the hospitality facility data by said server;

conducting an analysis by said server of one of said meeting requirement data inquiry or said search results based upon a class of meeting planners which includes said inquiring meeting planner;

based upon said analysis, one of

altering said search through said data structure on said server,

altering said search results from said data structure on said server, or

from said server via said telecommunications network, generating a communication to a planning supervisor based upon said search or said search results; and

exchanging meeting requirement data and contact data based upon said search results between said inquiring meeting planner and selected vendors associated with hospitality facility data encompassed in said search results via respective client computers over said telecommunications network from said server.

2. An adaptive computerized bidding, matching and information exchange method accessible on a telecommunications network for matching hospitality facility data, representing vendors furnishing hotel facilities, meeting room facilities or other hospitality facilities, said hospitality facility data including at least vendor contact data, location data, room quantity data, date available range data, and meeting room data, said hospitality facility data matched with meeting requirement data, representing respective necessities of a plurality of meeting planners for a corresponding plurality of meetings or events, said meeting requirement data including at least meeting planner contact data, facilities requirement data, date range data and price data, said hospitality facility data and said meeting requirement data organized in a data structure accessible via a plurality of client computers coupled to said telecommunications network, said data structure stored in a server also accessible and coupled to said telecommunications network, the bidding, matching and information exchange method comprising:

gathering, in said data structure on said server, said meeting requirement data as an inquiry from an inquiring meeting planner via one or more client computers;

searching said data structure on said server for hospitality facility data matching the meeting requirement data inquiry, matching the meeting requirement data and the hospitality facility data by said server, and obtaining search results;

conducting an analysis by said server of one of said meeting requirement data inquiry or said search results based upon a class of meeting planners which includes said inquiring meeting planner;

based upon said analysis, one of altering said search through said data structure on said server or altering said search results from said data structure on said server;

from said server via said telecommunications network, generating a communication to a planning supervisor based upon said search or said search results; and

exchanging meeting requirement data and contact data based upon said search results between said inquiring meeting planner and selected vendors associated with hospitality facility data encompassed in said search results via respective client computers over said telecommunications network from said server.

3. An adaptive computerized bidding, matching and information exchange method accessible on a telecommunications network for matching hospitality facility data, representing vendors furnishing hotel facilities, meeting room facilities or other hospitality facilities, said hospitality facility data including at least vendor contact data, location data, room quantity data, date available range data, and meeting room data, said hospitality facility data matched with meeting requirement data, representing respective necessities of a plurality of meeting planners for a corresponding plurality of meetings or events, said meeting requirement data including at least meeting planner contact data, facilities requirement data, date range data and price data, said hospitality facility data and said meeting requirement data organized in a data structure accessible via a plurality of client computers coupled to said telecommunications network, said data structure stored in a server also accessible and coupled to said telecommunications network, the bidding, matching and information exchange method comprising:

gathering, in said data structure on said server, said meeting requirement data as an inquiry from an inquiring meeting planner via one or more client computers;

searching said data structure on said server for hospitality facility data matching the meeting requirement data inquiry, matching the meeting requirement data and the hospitality facility data by said server, and obtaining search results;

conducting an analysis by said server of one of said meeting requirement data inquiry or said search results with predetermined parameters set for a class of meeting planners which includes said inquiring meeting planner;

based upon said analysis, one of altering said search through said data structure on said server or altering said search results from said data structure on said server;

changing said predetermined parameters in said analysis based upon instructions from a planning supervisor received via said telecommunications network; and

,

exchanging meeting requirement data and contact data based upon said search results between said inquiring meeting planner and selected vendors associated with hospitality facility data encompassed in said search results via respective client computers over said telecommunications network from said server.

4. An adaptive information exchange method as claimed in claim 3 wherein said analysis is a filter which limits, modifies or expands said search based upon said class of meeting planners including said inquiring meeting planner.

5. An adaptive information exchange method as claimed in claim 3 wherein said search and said analysis are iterative processes.

6. An adaptive information exchange method as claimed in claim 3 including generating a communication to said planning supervisor based upon said search or said search results.

7. An adaptive information exchange method as claimed in claim 6 wherein said communication to said planning supervisor occurs after said search and said changing said predetermined parameters occurs after said communication.

8. An adaptive information exchange method as claimed in claim 3 including sending said search results to vendors listed thereon without identifying said meeting planner contact data;

gathering bids from interested listed vendors; and

generating a report of said bids for said planning supervisor.

9. An adaptive information exchange method as claimed in claim 3 wherein said analysis includes determining one characteristic from the group of characteristics including total hospitality cost for a predetermined time period;

average price per room per said search results, location, room quantity, and meeting room data.

10. An adaptive computerized bidding, matching and information exchange method accessible on a telecommunications network for matching hospitality facility data, representing vendors furnishing hotel facilities, meeting room facilities or other hospitality facilities, said hospitality facility data including at least vendor contact data, location data, room quantity data, date available range data, and meeting room data, said hospitality facility data matched with meeting requirement data, representing respective necessities of a plurality of meeting planners for a corresponding plurality of meetings or events, said meeting requirement data including at least meeting planner contact data, facilities requirement data, date range data and price data, said hospitality facility data and said meeting requirement data organized in a data structure accessible via a plurality of client computers coupled to said telecommunications network, said data structure stored in a server also accessible and coupled to said telecommunications network, the bidding, matching and information exchange method comprising:

gathering, in said data structure on said server, said meeting requirement data as an inquiry from an inquiring meeting planner via one or more client computers;

searching said data structure on said server for hospitality facility data matching the meeting requirement data inquiry, matching the meeting requirement data and the hospitality facility data by said server, and obtaining search results;

conducting an analysis by said server of one of said meeting requirement data inquiry or said search results based upon a predetermined characteristic and generating a communication to a vendor promoter based thereon;

changing said search results upon instructions from said vendor promoter obtained via said telecommunications network; and

exchanging meeting requirement data and contact data based upon said search results between said inquiring meeting planner and selected vendors associated with hospitality facility data encompassed in said search results via respective client computers over said telecommunications network from said server.

11. An adaptive information exchange method as claimed in claim 10 wherein said predetermined characteristic for said analysis includes determining whether said meeting requirement data exceeds thresholds for location, room quantity or meeting room data.

12. An adaptive information exchange method as claimed in claim 10 wherein said search and said analysis are iterative processes.

13. An adaptive information exchange method as claimed in claim 10 wherein generating said communication to said vendor promoter is based upon pre-set hospitality facility data in said search results.

14. An adaptive information exchange method as claimed in claim 10 including sending said search results to vendors listed thereon without identifying said meeting planner contact data;

gathering bids from interested listed vendors; and

generating a report of said bids for said vendor promoter.

15. A computerized adaptive client-based input method, operative in conjunction with a computerized bidding, matching and information exchange method, accessible on a telecommunications network for matching hospitality facility data, representing vendors furnishing hotel facilities, meeting room facilities or other hospitality facilities, said hospitality facility data including at least vendor contact data, location data, room quantity data, date available range data, and meeting room data, said hospitality facility data matched with meeting requirement data, representing respective necessities of a plurality of meeting planners for a corresponding plurality of meetings or events, said meeting requirement data including at least meeting planner contact data, facilities requirement data, date range data and price data, said hospitality facility data and said meeting requirement data organized in a data structure accessible via a plurality of client computers coupled to said telecommunications network, said data structure stored in a server also accessible and coupled to said telecommunications network, the adaptive client-based input method comprising:

gathering, in said data structure on said server, said meeting requirement data as an inquiry from an inquiring meeting planner;

transmitting instructions from at least one client computer to said server for searching said data structure in said server for hospitality facility data matching the meeting requirement data inquiry, matching the meeting requirement data and the hospitality facility data by said server;

obtaining search results from said data structure in said server;

conducting an analysis on said server of one of said meeting requirement data inquiry or said search results with predetermined parameters set for a class of meeting planners which includes said inquiring meeting planner;

based upon said analysis, one of altering said search with corresponding search instructions for said data structure by said server or altering said search results from said data structure on said server;

changing said predetermined parameters used said analysis based upon instructions from a planning supervisor via said telecommunications network; and

,

exchanging meeting requirement data and contact data with said data structure based upon said search results and selected vendors associated with hospitality facility data encompassed in said search results via respective client computers over said telecommunications network from said server.

16. An adaptive client-based input method as claimed in claim 15 wherein said analysis is a filter which limits, modifies or expands either said instructions for searching or the obtained search results based upon said class of meeting planners including said inquiring meeting planner.

17. An adaptive client-based input method as claimed in claim 15 wherein said analysis, transmitting instructions for searching, and altering said search with corresponding search instructions are iterative processes.

18. An adaptive client-based input method as claimed in claim 15 including generating a communication to said planning supervisor based upon gathering said meeting requirement data, transmitting instructions for searching, or the obtained search results.

19. An adaptive client-based input method as claimed in claim 18 wherein said communication to said planning supervisor occurs after obtaining said search results and said changing said predetermined parameters occurs after said communication.

20. An adaptive client-based input method as claimed in claim 15 including obtaining a report of said bidding data from said data structure for said planning supervisor.

21. An adaptive client-based input method as claimed in claim 15 wherein said analysis includes determining one characteristic from the group of characteristics including total hospitality cost for a predetermined time period;

average price per room per the obtained search

results, location, room quantity, and meeting room data.

22. A computerized adaptive client-based output method, operative in conjunction with a bidding, matching and information exchange method, accessible on a telecommunications network for matching hospitality facility data, representing vendors furnishing hotel facilities, meeting room facilities or other hospitality facilities, said hospitality facility data including at least vendor contact data, location data, room quantity data, date available range data, and meeting room data, said hospitality facility data matched with meeting requirement data, representing respective necessities of a plurality of meeting planners for a corresponding plurality of meetings or events, said meeting requirement data including at least meeting planner contact data, facilities requirement data, date range data and price data, said hospitality facility data and said meeting requirement data organized in a data structure accessible via a plurality of client computers coupled to said telecommunications network, said data structure stored in a server also accessible and coupled to said telecommunications network, the adaptive client-based output method comprising:

obtaining search results on at least one client computer via said telecommunications network from said data structure in said server for hospitality facility data matching a meeting requirement data inquiry;

matching the meeting requirement data and the hospitality facility data by said server;

conducting an analysis of the obtained search results by said server based upon a predetermined characteristic and generating a communication to a vendor promoter based thereon;

transmitting instructions via said telecommunications network to change said search results upon a response from said vendor promoter on a respective client computer; and

exchanging meeting requirement data and contact data with said data structure via said telecommunications network based upon said search results.

23. An adaptive client-based output method as claimed in claim 22 wherein said predetermined characteristic for said analysis includes determining whether said obtained search results exceeds thresholds for location, room quantity or meeting room data.

24. An adaptive client-based output method as claimed in claim 22 wherein conducting an analysis and transmitting instructions to change are iterative processes.

25. An adaptive client-based output method as claimed in claim 22 wherein generating said communication to said vendor promoter is based upon pre-set hospitality facility data in the obtained search results.

26. An adaptive client-based output method as claimed in claim 22 including generating a report of said bidding data from said data structure for said vendor promoter.

27. An adaptive computerized bidding and matching system accessible on a telecommunications network for matching hospitality facility data, representing vendors furnishing hotel facilities, meeting room facilities or other hospitality facilities, said hospitality facility data including at least vendor contact data, location data, room quantity data, date available range data, and meeting room data, said hospitality facility data matched with meeting requirement data, representing respective necessities of a plurality of meeting planners for a corresponding plurality of meetings or events, said meeting requirement data including at least meeting planner contact data, facilities requirement data, date range data and price data, said hospitality facility data and said meeting requirement data organized in a data structure accessible via said telecommunications network, the adaptive computerized bidding and matching system comprising:

an input device accepting said meeting requirement data as an inquiry from an inquiring meeting planner;

means for searching said data structure for hospitality facility data matching the meeting requirement data inquiry and obtaining search results;

an analyzer determining whether said meeting requirement data inquiry or said search results correlate to predetermined parameters set for a class of meeting planners which includes said inquiring meeting planner;

means, coupled to said analyzer, for altering said search results based upon the correlation to said predetermined parameters;

adaptive means for changing said predetermined parameters in said analyzer based either the obtained search results, or the altered search results, a pre-set characteristic of said meeting requirement data inquiry or a further characteristic of said correlation to said predetermined parameters or a communication from a planning supervisor; and

,

a match and bid program utilizing said search results with an information exchanger handling communications between said inquiring meeting planner and selected vendors associated with hospitality facility data encompassed in said search results.

28. An adaptive computerized bidding and matching system as claimed in claim 27 wherein said adaptive means, coupled to said analyzer, defines an adaptive filter for said meeting requirement data inquiry and said means for searching said data structure.

29. An adaptive computerized bidding and matching system as claimed in claim 28 wherein said adaptive filter accepts a feedback communication from a planning supervisor.

30. An adaptive computerized bidding and matching system as claimed in claim 27 wherein said adaptive filter limits, modifies or expands said search results.

31. An adaptive computerized bidding and matching system as claimed in claim 27 including a communications module notifying said planning supervisor based upon said search or said search results.

32. An adaptive computerized bidding and matching system as claimed in claim 27 wherein said match and bid program includes means for sending said search results to vendors listed thereon without identifying said meeting planner contact data;

means for gathering bids from interested listed vendors; and

a report generator showing said bids for said planning supervisor.

33. An adaptive computerized bidding and matching system as claimed in claim 27 wherein said predetermined parameters include at least one parameter from the group of parameters including total hospitality cost for a predetermined time period;

average price per room per said search results, location, room quantity, and meeting room data.

34. An adaptive computerized bidding and matching system as claimed in claim 27 wherein said analyzer includes a summation module for said inquiring meeting planner.

35. An adaptive computerized bidding and matching system as claimed in claim 27 wherein said summation module captures bid data from said data structure for said inquiring meeting planner.

36. A computer readable medium for an adaptive client-based input method, operative in conjunction with a computerized bidding, matching and information exchange method, accessible on a telecommunications network for matching hospitality facility data, representing vendors furnishing hotel facilities, meeting room facilities or other hospitality facilities, said hospitality facility data including at least vendor contact data, location data, room quantity data, date available range data, and meeting room data, said hospitality facility data matched with meeting requirement data, representing respective necessities of a plurality of meeting planners for a corresponding plurality of meetings or events, said meeting requirement data including at least meeting planner contact data, facilities requirement data, date range data and price data, said hospitality facility data and said meeting requirement data organized in a data structure accessible via said telecommunications network, the computer readable medium for an adaptive client-based input comprising:

gathering said meeting requirement data as an inquiry from an inquiring meeting planner;

transmitting instructions for searching said data structure for hospitality facility data matching the meeting requirement data inquiry;

obtaining search results from said data structure;

conducting an analysis of one of said meeting requirement data inquiry or said search results with predetermined parameters set for a class of meeting planners which includes said inquiring meeting planner;

based upon said analysis, one of altering said search with corresponding search instructions for said data structure or altering said search results;

changing said predetermined parameters used said analysis based upon instructions from a planning supervisor; and

,

exchanging information and bidding data with said data structure based upon said search results and selected vendors associated with hospitality facility data encompassed in said search results.

37. A computer readable medium for an adaptive client-based input method as claimed in claim 36 wherein said analysis is a filter which limits, modifies or expands either said instructions for searching or the obtained search results based upon said class of meeting planners including said inquiring meeting planner.

38. A computer readable medium for an adaptive client-based input method as claimed in claim 36 wherein said analysis, transmitting instructions for searching, and altering said search with corresponding search instructions are iterative processes.

39. A computer readable medium for an adaptive client-based input method as claimed in claim 36 including generating a communication to said planning supervisor based upon gathering said meeting requirement data, transmitting instructions for searching, or the obtained search results.

40. A computer readable medium for an adaptive client-based input method as claimed in claim 39 wherein said communication to said planning supervisor occurs after obtaining said search results and said changing said predetermined parameters occurs after said communication.

41. A computer readable medium for an adaptive client-based input method as claimed in claim 36 including obtaining a report of said bidding data from said data structure for said planning supervisor.

42. A computer readable medium for an adaptive client-based input method as claimed in claim 36 wherein said analysis includes determining one characteristic from the group of characteristics including total hospitality cost for a predetermined time period;

average price per room per the obtained search results, location, room quantity, and meeting room data.

43. A computer readable medium for an adaptive client-based output method, operative in conjunction with a bidding, matching and information exchange method, accessible on a telecommunications network for matching hospitality facility data, representing vendors furnishing hotel facilities, meeting room facilities or other hospitality facilities, said hospitality facility data including at least vendor contact data, location data, room quantity data, date available range data, and meeting room data, said hospitality facility data matched with meeting requirement data, representing respective necessities of a plurality of meeting planners for a corresponding plurality of meetings or events, said meeting requirement data including at least meeting planner contact data, facilities requirement data, date range data and price data, said hospitality facility data and said meeting requirement data organized in a data structure accessible via said telecommunications network, the computer readable medium for an adaptive client-based output method comprising:

obtaining search results from said data structure for hospitality facility data matching a meeting requirement data inquiry;

conducting an analysis of the obtained search results based upon a predetermined characteristic and generating a communication to a vendor promoter based thereon;

transmitting instructions to change said search results upon a response from said vendor promoter; and

exchanging information and bidding data with said data structure based upon said search results.

44. A computer readable medium for an adaptive client-based output method as claimed in claim 43 wherein said predetermined characteristic for said analysis includes determining whether said obtained search results exceeds thresholds for location, room quantity or meeting room data.

45. A computer readable medium for an adaptive client-based output method as claimed in claim 43 wherein conducting an analysis and transmitting instructions to change are iterative processes.

46. A computer readable medium for an adaptive client-based output method as claimed in claim 43 wherein generating said communication to said vendor promoter is based upon pre-set hospitality facility data in the obtained search results.

47. A computer readable medium for an adaptive client-based output method as claimed in claim 43 including generating a report of said bidding data from said data structure for said vendor promoter.