Purchaser value optimization system

• US 8,762,160 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2005
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amadeus S.A.S. (Amadeus Global Travel Distribution S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Amadeus S.A.S. (Amadeus Global Travel Distribution S.A.)
• Inventors: Lulla, Gautam
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleischer, Mark A
• Application Number:
  US11/086,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20060218024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,380 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1.1, 705/14.23, 705/14.27, 705/14.28, 705/14.31, 705/14.32, 705/14.36, 705/80, 725/60
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• 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

Abstract

A purchasing system includes a master server linking to a product and service inventory database. A query and response coordination database is hosted on the master server and includes a customer profiles database, a loyalty program rules database, and a purchase rules dataset. The coordination database receives a purchase request query, extracts purchase data elements from the received purchase request query, uses purchase rules from the rules dataset, applying the extracted purchase data elements to form a purchase query, applies the purchase query to the inventory database to determine available product and service inventory that satisfy the purchase request query, available product and service inventory that satisfy the purchase request query being identified as purchase options, receives purchase options from the inventory database, determines a total rewards benefit and creates a file for sending via the network to the purchaser'"'"'s computer to display the query response.

Claims

1. A system for use with a plurality of travel provider computers connected to a computer network, each travel provider computer hosting a travel inventory database configured to store travel inventory available as alternative travel purchase options for a travel provider, the system comprising:

a traveler computer connected to the computer network, the traveler computer comprising an input configured to originate a travel request query and a display configured to display a query response comprising one or more of the alternative travel purchase options;

a travel server connected to the computer network and, via the computer network, linking the travel provider computers to the traveler computer; and

a coordination database hosted on the travel server, the coordination database comprising a loyalty program rules database and a rules dataset,

wherein the travel server comprises;

i) a first unit configured to receive the travel request query input by a traveler at the traveler computer and to extract travel data elements from the travel request query;

ii) a second unit configured to use rules from the rules dataset to form a travel query from the travel data elements and to send the travel query to the travel provider computers to query the travel inventory database of each of the travel provider computers;

iii) a third unit configured to receive a plurality of the alternative travel purchase options from the travel inventory database of each of the travel provider computers generated responsive to the travel query, the plurality of the alternative travel purchase options representing available travel inventory satisfying the travel request query;

iv) a fourth unit configured to apply loyalty program rules from the loyalty program rules database for each travel provider to determine a total rewards miles accruing to the traveler for each of the plurality of the alternative travel purchase options; and

v) a fifth unit configured to create a file for display on the display of the traveler computer, the file including a consolidated query response comprised of the plurality of the alternative travel purchase options from the travel providers, the total rewards miles that accrue upon purchase of each alternative travel purchase option, and a purchase cost for each alternative travel purchase option.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the travel inventory databases is hosted on the travel server.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first unit is further configured to receive information concerning the traveler from a customer profiles database and the fourth unit is further configured to determine the total rewards miles accruing to the user for each alternative travel purchase option based at least in part on the traveler information.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the traveler information comprises loyalty program membership for each travel provider.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the loyalty program membership information comprises membership level information.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first unit is further configured to receive traveler information input by the traveler at the traveler computer as part of the travel request query, and the fourth unit is further configured to determine the total rewards miles accruing to the user for each alternative travel purchase option based at least in part on the traveler information.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the traveler information comprises loyalty program membership information for each travel provider.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the fourth unit is further configured to receive a travel promotion that increases the total rewards miles accruing to the user for at least one of the alternative travel purchase options.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the file is suitable for printing as a hard copy report.

10. A system for use with travel inventory databases of a plurality of travel provider computers connected to a computer network, each travel inventory database configured to store travel inventory available as alternative travel purchase options for a travel provider, the system comprising:

a travel server connected to the computer network and, via the computer network, linking the travel inventory databases of the travel provider computers to a plurality of traveler computers; and

a coordination database hosted on the travel server, the coordination database comprising a loyalty program rules database and a rules dataset,

wherein the travel server comprises;

i) a first unit configured to receive a travel request query from input by a traveler at one of the traveler computers and to extract travel data elements from the travel request query;

ii) a second unit configured to apply rules from the rules dataset to form a travel query from the data elements and to send the travel query to the travel provider computers to query the travel inventory database of each travel provider computer;

iii) a third unit configured to receive a plurality of alternative travel purchase options from the travel inventory database of each travel provider computer generated responsive to the travel query, the plurality of the alternative travel purchase options representing available travel inventory satisfying the travel request query;

iv) a fourth unit configured to apply loyalty program rules from the loyalty program rules database for each travel service provider to determine a total rewards benefit accruing to the traveler for each of the plurality of alternative travel purchase options; and

v) a fifth unit configured to create a file for display on the traveler computer, the file including a consolidated query response comprised of the plurality of alternative travel purchase options from the travel providers, the total rewards miles that accrue upon purchase of each alternative travel purchase option, and a purchase cost for each alternative travel purchase option.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first unit is further configured to receive information concerning the traveler from a customer profiles database and the fourth unit is further configured to determine the total rewards miles accruing to the user for each alternative travel purchase option based at least in part on the user information.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the first unit is further configured to use traveler information input by the traveler at the traveler computer as part of the travel request query, and the fourth module is further configured to determine the total rewards miles accruing to the traveler for each alternative travel purchase option based at least in part on the traveler information.

13. A method for use with a plurality of travel provider computers connected to a computer network, each travel provider computer hosting a travel inventory database, each travel inventory database configured to store travel inventory available as alternative travel options for a travel provider, the method comprising:

receiving at a coordination database programmed on a travel server connected to the computer network, a travel request query from one of a plurality of traveler computers connected to the computer network, each traveler computer comprising an input device for receiving the travel request query and a display for displaying a query response, the coordination database comprising a loyalty program rules database and a rules dataset;

extracting travel data elements from the travel request query;

applying the extracted data elements to form a travel query;

sending the travel query to the travel provider computers to query the travel inventory database of each travel provider computer;

receiving a plurality of alternative travel purchase options from each travel inventory database of each travel provider computer generated responsive to the travel query, the plurality of alternative travel purchase options representing available travel inventory satisfying the travel request query;

applying loyalty program rules from the loyalty program rules database for each travel provider to determine a total rewards miles accruing to the user for each of the plurality of alternative travel purchase options; and

creating a file for display on the display of the traveler computer, the file including a consolidated query response comprised of the plurality of alternative travel purchase options from the travel providers, the total rewards miles that accrue upon purchase of each alternative travel purchase option, and a purchase cost for each alternative travel purchase option.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the travel inventory databases is hosted on the travel server.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving information concerning the traveler from a customer profiles database and determining the total rewards miles accruing to the user for each alternative travel purchase option based at least in part on the traveler information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the traveler information comprises loyalty program membership for each travel provider.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the loyalty program membership information comprises membership level information.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving traveler information input by the traveler at the traveler computer as part of the travel request query and determining the total rewards miles accruing to the user for each alternative travel purchase option based at least in part on the traveler information.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the traveler information comprises loyalty program membership information for each travel provider.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a travel promotion that increases the total rewards miles accruing to the user for at least one of the alternative travel purchase options.