Interactive demand management
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- determining, by an automated programmed computer system for accepting a bid for a travel service, that a first itinerary of a first consumer and a second itinerary of a second consumer match within a predefined threshold defined within first consumer rules, first organization rules, second consumer rules, and second organization rules;
grouping, by said computer system, said first itinerary and said second itinerary to create a subset of consumer itineraries with reservations that are booked but not ticketed;
providing by said computer system, said subset of consumer itineraries to a vendor offering said travel service;
accepting, by said computer system, said bid from said vendor to provide said travel service to said first consumer and said second consumer based on an ability of said vendor to provide said travel service within said predefined threshold defined within said first consumer rules, said first organization rules, said second consumer rules, and said second organization rules;
wherein said first consumer rules relate to at least one of;
first consumer departure time, first consumer arrival time, first consumer airport pair, first consumer class, and first consumer seating;
wherein said first organization rules relate to at least one of;
first organization departure time, first organization arrival time, first organization airport pair, first organization class, and first organization seating;
wherein said second consumer rules relate to at least one of;
second consumer departure time, second consumer arrival time, second consumer airport pair, second consumer class, and second consumer seating;
wherein said second organization rules relate to at least one of;
second organization departure time, second organization arrival time, second organization airport pair, second organization class, and second organization seating;
verifying, by said computer system, that said bid is in accordance with said predefined threshold defined within said first consumer rules, said first organization rules, said second consumer rules, and said second organization rules;
confirming, by said computer system, that said bid is an optimum bid; and
modifying, by said computer system, a second subset of said subset of consumer itineraries to include said travel arrangements with a second different vendor according to said bid, wherein said second subset of consumer itineraries does not include said second different vendor.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method is disclosed which allows the aggregation of the demands of various buyers, providing an incentive for suppliers to bid to supply those demands in an auction. The system and method operates by scanning a database which contains a listing of goods or services sought by various people or entities. Thereafter, similar goods or services are grouped together and presented to various vendors. The vendors are given the opportunity to bid on the group of similar goods or services. Such a bid may vary from the originally purchased goods or services as long as the bid is within a predetermined range. The vendor which presents the optimum bid within a predetermined period of time is selected as the provider of the goods or services and proceeds to supply the goods or services at the bid upon amount.
37 Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A method comprising:
-
determining, by an automated programmed computer system for accepting a bid for a travel service, that a first itinerary of a first consumer and a second itinerary of a second consumer match within a predefined threshold defined within first consumer rules, first organization rules, second consumer rules, and second organization rules; grouping, by said computer system, said first itinerary and said second itinerary to create a subset of consumer itineraries with reservations that are booked but not ticketed; providing by said computer system, said subset of consumer itineraries to a vendor offering said travel service; accepting, by said computer system, said bid from said vendor to provide said travel service to said first consumer and said second consumer based on an ability of said vendor to provide said travel service within said predefined threshold defined within said first consumer rules, said first organization rules, said second consumer rules, and said second organization rules; wherein said first consumer rules relate to at least one of;
first consumer departure time, first consumer arrival time, first consumer airport pair, first consumer class, and first consumer seating;wherein said first organization rules relate to at least one of;
first organization departure time, first organization arrival time, first organization airport pair, first organization class, and first organization seating;wherein said second consumer rules relate to at least one of;
second consumer departure time, second consumer arrival time, second consumer airport pair, second consumer class, and second consumer seating;wherein said second organization rules relate to at least one of;
second organization departure time, second organization arrival time, second organization airport pair, second organization class, and second organization seating;verifying, by said computer system, that said bid is in accordance with said predefined threshold defined within said first consumer rules, said first organization rules, said second consumer rules, and said second organization rules; confirming, by said computer system, that said bid is an optimum bid; and modifying, by said computer system, a second subset of said subset of consumer itineraries to include said travel arrangements with a second different vendor according to said bid, wherein said second subset of consumer itineraries does not include said second different vendor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, when executed by an automated programmed computer system for accepting a bid for a travel service, said plurality of instructions cause said computer system to perform operations comprising:
-
determining, by said computer system, that a first itinerary of a first consumer and a second itinerary of a second consumer match within a predefined threshold defined within first consumer rules, first organization rules, second consumer rules, and second organization rules; grouping, by said computer system, said first itinerary and said second itinerary to create a subset of consumer itineraries with reservations that are booked but not ticketed; providing, by said computer system, said subset of consumer itineraries to a vendor offering said travel service; accepting, by said computer system, said bid from said vendor to provide said travel service to said first consumer and said second consumer based on an ability of said vendor to provide said travel service within said predefined threshold defined within said first consumer rules, said first organization rules, said second consumer rules, and said second organization rules; wherein said first consumer rules relate to at least one of;
first consumer departure time, first consumer arrival time, first consumer airport pair, first consumer class, and first consumer seating;wherein said first organization rules relate to at least one of;
first organization departure time, first organization arrival time, first organization airport pair, first organization class, and first organization seating;wherein said second consumer rules relate to at least one of;
second consumer departure time, second consumer arrival time, second consumer airport pair, second consumer class, and second consumer seating;wherein said second organization rules relate to at least one of;
second organization departure time, second organization arrival time, second organization airport pair, second organization class, and second organization seating;verifying, by said computer system, that said bid is in accordance with said predefined threshold defined within said first consumer rules, said first organization rules, said second consumer rules, and said second organization rules; confirming, by said computer system, that said bid is an optimum bid; and modifying, by said computer system, a second subset of said subset of consumer itineraries to include said travel arrangements with a second different vendor according to said bid, wherein said second subset of consumer itineraries does not include said second different vendor.
-
-
19. A method comprising:
-
submitting, by an automated programmed computer system for providing a bid for a travel service, said bid to provide said travel service to a first consumer and a second consumer based on a subset of consumer itineraries and an ability to provide said travel service within a predefined threshold defined within first consumer rules, first organization rules, second consumer rules, and second organization rules; wherein a first itinerary of said first consumer and a second itinerary of said second consumer match within a predefined threshold defined within said first consumer rules, said first organization rules, said second consumer rules, and said second organization rules; wherein said first itinerary and said second itinerary are grouped to create said subset of consumer itineraries with reservations that are booked but not ticketed; wherein said first consumer rules relate to at least one of;
first consumer departure time, first consumer arrival time, first consumer airport pair, first consumer class, and first consumer seating;wherein said first organization rules relate to at least one of;
first organization departure time, first organization arrival time, first organization airport pair, first organization class, and first organization seating;wherein said second consumer rules relate to at least one of;
second consumer departure time, second consumer arrival time, second consumer airport pair, second consumer class, and second consumer seating;wherein said second organization rules relate to at least one of;
second organization departure time, second organization arrival time, second organization airport pair, second organization class, and second organization seating;receiving, by said computer system, verification that said bid is in accordance with said predefined threshold defined within said first consumer rules, said first organization rules, said second consumer rules, and said second organization rules; confirming, by said computer system, that said bid is an optimum bid; and modifying, by said computer system, a second subset of said subset of consumer itineraries to include said travel arrangements with a second different vendor according to said bid, wherein said second subset of consumer itineraries does not include said second different vendor.
-
Specification