System and method for advertising and negotiating services for commercial and general aviation

• US 8,554,624 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2003
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kumhyr, David Bruce, Andrews, James Neal
• Primary Examiner(s): Bekerman, Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/351,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20040148179A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,911 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.55, 705/14.62, 705/80
• US Class Current: 705/14.55
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

A system and method for advertising and negotiating services for commercial and general aviation are provided. A pilot of an aircraft may enter into a computing device specific information about a desired service the pilot wishes to have available upon arrival at an airport. This information is transmitted to an airport bartering system that barters with fixed based operator (FBO) computing systems at the airport for the desired services. The airport bartering system ranks the latest quotes from the FBOs based on criteria identified by the pilot in the original request. Advertisements for the top ranked FBOs are generated and transmitted to the aircraft computer system. The advertisements are displayed for viewing by the pilot. The pilot selects an advertisement, which generates an order for the desired service. The order is transmitted to the airport bartering system, which forwards the order to the FBO computer system associated with the selected advertisement.

Claims

1. A method, in a data processing system, for bartering for a service from a fixed base operator associated with an airport, the method comprising:

connecting a hand-held computing device, aboard an aircraft that is airborne and en-route to the airport, to a plurality of computing systems of a plurality of fixed base operators associated with the airport;

entering a transportation request, by a pilot of the aircraft, at a graphical user interface displayed on the hand-held computing device, wherein the transportation request is entered by selecting a type of vehicle, a pickup date and time, a drop off date and time, a gate of the airport for a pick up location, the gate or another gate of the airport for a drop off location, and a negotiation preference, using a plurality of pre-configured drop down menus and a touch screen functionality of the graphical user interface;

identifying, by a processor unit of the hand held computing device, one or more fixed base operators, of the plurality of fixed base operators associated with the airport, that provide a plurality of services responsive to transportation requests;

transmitting, by the processor unit, a request for a quote on providing the plurality of services to each computing system of the one or more fixed base operators; and

automatically negotiating, by the processor unit, with each computing system of the one or more fixed base operators based on one or more negotiation criteria until the processor unit determines a better deal on the plurality of services will not be obtained.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more negotiation criteria are identified in the transportation request.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to a determination by the processor unit that the better deal on the plurality of services is not obtainable, ranking quotes from the one or more fixed base operators based on the one or more negotiation criteria; and

transmitting one or more advertisements for a subset of the one or more fixed base operators based on the ranking of quotes.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more advertisements include information obtained from the quotes from the one or more fixed base operators.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving an order for service from the computer associated with the aircraft transportation request based on a selection of an advertisement from the one or more advertisements; and

transmitting the order to a fixed base operator identified in the order.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the one or more fixed base operators includes performing a lookup of the plurality of fixed base operators in a fixed base operator directory based on a type of requested service.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more negotiation criteria include at least one of a lowest cost, a best delivery time, a preferred fixed base operator, and a type of transportation.

8. A method, in a data processing system, for bartering for a service from a fixed base operator associated with an airport, the method comprising:

connecting a hand-held computing device, aboard an aircraft that is airborne and en-route to the airport, to a plurality of computing systems of a plurality of fixed base operators associated with the airport;

displaying a graphical user interface on the hand-held computing device;

receiving, at the graphical user interface, a transportation request, entered by a selection of a type of vehicle, a pick up date and time, a drop off date and time, a gate of the airport for a pickup location, the gate or another gate of the airport for a drop off location, and a negotiation preference, using a plurality of pre-configured drop down menus and a touch screen functionality of the graphical user interface;

identifying, by a processor of the hand held computing device, one or more fixed base operators, of the plurality of fixed base operators associated with the airport, that provide a plurality of services responsive to a transportation request;

transmitting a request for a quote on providing the plurality of services to each computing system of the one or more fixed base operators, wherein the request for the quote includes one or more negotiation criteria; and

receiving, from each computing system of one or more quotes on providing the plurality of services, wherein the one or more quotes received are ranked based on the one or more negotiation criteria.

9. A computer program product having computer usable program code stored in a non-transitory computer recordable medium for bartering for a service from a service provider associated with an airport, the computer usable program code when executed by a processor performs the following steps:

connecting a hand-held computing device, aboard an aircraft that is airborne and en-route to the airport, to a plurality of computing systems of a plurality of fixed base operators associated with the airport;

displaying a graphical user interface on the hand-held computing device;

receiving, at the graphical user interface, a transportation request, entered by a selection of a type of vehicle, a pick up date and time, a drop off date and time, a gate of the airport for a pickup location, the gate or another gate of the airport for a drop off location, and a negotiation preference, using a plurality of pre-configured drop down menus and a touch screen functionality of the graphical user interface;

identifying, by a processor of the hand held computing device, one or more fixed base operators, of the plurality of fixed base operators associated with the airport, that provide a plurality of services responsive to a transportation request;

transmitting a request for a quote on providing the plurality of services to each computing system of the one or more fixed base operators, wherein the request for the quote includes one or more negotiation criteria; and

receiving, from each computing system, one or more quotes on providing the plurality of services, wherein the one or more quotes received are ranked based on the one or more negotiation criteria.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the negotiation criteria are identified in the transportation request.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer usable program code further executes the steps of:

responsive to a determination that the better deal on the transportation request is not obtainable, ranking a plurality of quotes from the one or more fixed base operators based on one or more criteria; and

transmitting one or more advertisements for a subset of the one or more fixed base operators based on the ranking of the plurality of quotes.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the one or more advertisements include information obtained from the plurality of quotes.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer usable program code further executes the steps of:

receiving an order for service from the hand held computing device based on a selection of an advertisement from the one or more advertisements; and

transmitting the order to a fixed base operator identified in the order.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer usable program code for executing the step of identifying the one or more fixed base operators includes computer usable program code for performing a lookup of the plurality of fixed base operators in a service provider directory based on a type of requested service.

15. An apparatus for bartering for a service from a fixed base operator associated with an airport, the apparatus comprising:

a hand held computing device having a processor; and

a storage device connected to the hand held device, wherein instructions are stored on the storage device, the instructions configured to perform, by the processor, actions comprising;

connecting the hand-held computing device, aboard an aircraft that is airborne and en-route to the airport, to a plurality of computing systems of a plurality of fixed base operators associated with the airport;

displaying a service request and negotiation graphical user interface on the hand-held computing device, the service request and negotiation graphical user interface having a plurality of pre-configured drop down menus and a touch screen functionality;

receiving a plurality of entries at the graphical user interface for a transportation request, wherein the transportation request is entered by a plurality of inputs using the touch screen functionality, the plurality of inputs comprising a type of vehicle, a pick up date and time, a drop off date and time, a gate of the airport for a pickup location, a gate of the airport for a drop off location, and a negotiation preference;

identifying one or more fixed base operators associated with the airport that provide the type of requested service transmitting a request for a quote on for fulfilling the transportation request into each computing system of the one or more fixed base operators associated with the airport that provide the transportation request; and

instructing the negotiation engine to automatically negotiate with each computing system of the one or more fixed base operators based on one or more negotiation criteria until the controller determines a better deal on the transportation request is not obtainable.

16. A method, in a data processing system, for bartering for a service from a fixed base operator associated with an airport, the method comprising:

connecting a hand-held computing device aboard an aircraft, that is airborne and en-route to the airport, to a plurality of computing systems of a plurality of fixed base operators associated with the airport;

entering a transportation request, by a pilot of the aircraft, at a service request and negotiation graphical user interface displayed on the hand-held computing device, wherein the transportation request is entered by selecting a type of vehicle, a pick up date and time, a drop off date and time, a gate of the airport for a pickup location, a gate of the airport for a drop off location, and a negotiation preference using a plurality of pre-configured drop down menus and a touch screen functionality in the graphical user interface;

identifying, by a processor unit of the hand held computing device, one or more fixed base operators associated with the airport that provide the type of requested service, wherein identifying the one or more fixed base operators includes performing a lookup of fixed base operators in a fixed base operator directory based on the type of the requested service;

transmitting, by the processor unit, a request for a quote on to each computing system of the one or more fixed base operators;

automatically negotiating, by the processor unit, with each computing system of the one or more fixed base operators based on one or more negotiation criteria until the processor unit determines a better deal on the transportation request will not be obtained, wherein the one or more negotiation criteria are identified in the transportation request, and wherein the one or more negotiation criteria include at least one of lowest cost, best delivery time, preferred service provider, and type of transportation;

responsive to a determination by the processor unit that the better deal on the transportation request is not obtainable, ranking quotes from the one or more fixed base operators based on the one or more negotiation criteria;

transmitting one or more advertisements for a subset of the one or more fixed base operators based on the ranking of quotes from the one or more fixed base operators, wherein the one or more advertisements include information obtained from the quotes from the one or more fixed base operators;

receiving an order from the hand held computing device based on a selection of an advertisement from the one or more advertisements; and

transmitting the order to a fixed base operator identified in the order.