Booking system and method

• US 9,324,083 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2010
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dean Thomas Mcevoy
• Original Assignee: Dean Thomas Mcevoy
• Inventors: McEvoy, Dean
• Primary Examiner(s): JOSEPH, TONYA S
• Application Number:
  US12/776,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20100235201A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,178 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 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 method enabling owners of websites to monetize their local listings by implementing online bookings, reservations or orders using an interactive voice recognition (IVR) system. A user of a web-based interface requests a booking or order by entering parameters, for example, name of the restaurant, number of people, date and time. The software of the present invention calls the restaurants telephone using the IVR and confirms or rejects (refuses) the booking. The invention allows for the payment of commissions for originating or facilitation of bookings or orders or the registration of participating restaurants. The booking service is paid by the restaurant for successful bookings. Credit is made for cancelled or no-show bookings. The invention includes a loyalty points system that rewards frequent users of the booking service.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a user of a web-site to make a reservation request, for the benefit of the user;

wherein the web-site is stored on a computer usable non-transient storage medium by a web-server;

wherein the method is performed by a processor apparatus, the processor apparatus is coupled to the web-server, and the processor apparatus is coupled to a database having a plurality of data records each indicative of a respective one of a plurality of registered venues;

the method comprising the steps of;

(a) accessing the web-site from the web-server, the web site including a first web page, the first web page comprises a first reference data indicative of a reservation telephone number of a first venue, the first web page further incorporates a code module;

(b) receiving the first web page;

(c) executing the code module incorporated within the web page comprising the first reference data, the code module identifying the first reference data indicative of a reservation telephone number of the first venue;

(d) upon identifying the first reference data indicative of a reservation telephone number comprised within the web-page, the code module incorporated within the web page querying the database using the first reference data indicative of a reservation telephone number for confirming if the first venue is one of the plurality of registered venues having a respective first data record;

(e) if the first venue is one of the plurality of registered venues, the code module incorporated within the web page obtaining the first data record indicative of the first venue, the first data record including data indicative of a first web-link for accessing a remote booking server to make a reservation request with the first venue using an interactive voice response facility;

(f) if the first venue is one of the plurality of registered venues and the first data record is obtained, the code module incorporated within the web page modifying the web-page content of the first reference data by operatively associating the first reference data indicative of a reservation telephone number with a hyperlink of the first web-link for enabling a reservation request to be made with the first venue using an interactive voice response facility;

(g) if the first venue is one of the plurality of registered venues and the first data record is obtained, upon modification of the web page, when the hyperlink of the first web-link is selected by the user, prompting the user for reservation data indicative of a reservation request at the first venue, the reservation data including a user specified time and a user specified date;

(h) if the first venue is one of the plurality of registered venues and the first data record is obtained, upon modification of the web page and receipt of the reservation date, transmitting the reservation data to the remote booking server that is coupled to interactive voice response facility; and

wherein the booking server is adapted to retrieve contact information of the first venue, create a voice message from the reservation data and contact information, the voice message indicative of the reservation request, enabling transmission of the voice message via the interactive voice response facility for communicating the voice message to an operator at the venue, receiving from the operator acceptance or rejection of the request, and informing the user of the operator acceptance or rejection.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the remote booking server is adapted to perform the steps of:

(a) combining the reservation data with venue information from a booking database;

(b) creating a voice message from reservation data and venue information, the voice message indicative of the reservation request including preferences;

(c) transmitting the voice message by calling the business using an interactive voice response facility coupled to the booking server;

(d) communicating the voice message to a human operator using the interactive voice response facility;

(e) receiving from the human operator, via the interactive voice response facility, confirmation or refusal of the reservation request;

(f) informing the user of the confirmation or refusal of the reservation request;

(g) storing, to the booking database, information regarding completed bookings attributable to the venue; and

(h) collecting a payment from the business.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein modifying the web-page is performed dynamically through execution of the code module incorporated within the web page by any one selected from the set comprising:

a web-server when publishing the web-page, in response to the user requesting the web-page; and

a web-browser when rendering the web-page, in response to the user requesting the web-page.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein modifying the web page content operatively associates the first reference data with a hyperlink to the first web-link, the first reference data being a static text string indicative of the reservation telephone number of the first venue, and first web-link being either a URL or a web application.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the reservation data comprises a name of the venue, a date and time of requested reservation, a name of the user and contact details of the user.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the reservation data pertains to an order and the reservation data comprises details of an item ordered.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the database comprises register records each indicative of a registered user.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the reservation data further comprises personal information of the user for checking against register records for confirming registration of the user.

9. The method according to claim 2, wherein the database stores payment and billing information relating to each venue.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the user is rewarded according to a customer loyalty scheme.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein reservation request includes any one or more of the following:

a meeting request, booking request and an order request.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method enables the user to make restaurant bookings.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein a commission is paid by an operator of the booking server to an operator of the web-site.

14. The method of claim 2, wherein the database has one or more data records each indicative of a venue including any one or more venues:

registered in respect of the web-site, whereby the registration has been communicated to the booking server by an operator of the web site;

registered in respect of the booking server;

identified as a unregistered venue.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

if the first venue is not one of the plurality of registered venues, the first data record is not obtained and the code module does not modify the web-page content of the first reference data.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the reservation telephone number remains published on the web page.

15. A processor apparatus for making a reservation;

the apparatus comprising;

a processor device having a user access interface;

the user access interface receives a first web-page from a web-server;

wherein the web-server stores a web-site on a computer usable non-transient storage medium;

the web site includes the first web page, the first web page comprises a first reference data indicative of a reservation telephone number of a first venue, the first web page further incorporates a code module;

wherein the apparatus is coupled to a database having a plurality of data records each indicative of a respective one of a plurality of registered venues;

wherein the interface comprising a control module that executes the code module incorporated within the web page comprising the first reference data such that the apparatus;

identifies, within the web-page, the first reference data indicative of a reservation telephone number of a first venue;

upon identification of the first reference data indicative of a reservation telephone number comprised within the web-page, queries the database using the first reference data indicative of a reservation telephone number for confirming if the first venue is one of the plurality of registered venues having a respective first data record;

if the first venue is one of the plurality of registered venues, obtains the first data record indicative of the first venue, the first data record including data indicative of a first web-link for accessing a remote booking server to make a reservation request with the first venue using an interactive voice response facility;

if the first venue is one of the plurality of registered venues and the first data record is obtained, modifies the web-page content of the first reference data indicative of a reservation telephone number by operatively associating the first reference data with a hyperlink of the first web-link for enabling a reservation request with the first venue using an interactive voice response facility; and

if the first venue is one of the plurality of registered venues and the first data record is obtained, upon modification of the web page, when the hyperlink of the first web-link is selected by the user, prompts the user for reservation data indicative of a reservation request for the first venue, the reservation data including a user specified time and a user specified date; and

if the first venue is one of the plurality of registered venues and the first data record is obtained, upon modification of the web page and receipt of the reservation date, transmits the reservation data to a remote booking server that is coupled to interactive voice response facility.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein upon publishing the web-page in response to the user requesting the web-page, the web-page is updated dynamically by a web-server to incorporate the first web-link.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein in response to the user requesting the web-page, the web-page is dynamically rendered by a web-browser to incorporate the first web-link.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the web-page is dynamically parsed and amended by a code module operatively associated with the web-page, thereby to incorporate the first web-link.

19. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the user is enabled to make restaurant bookings.

23. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein:

if the first venue is not one of the plurality of registered venues, the first data record is not obtained, and the web-page content of the first reference data is not modified.

20. A system for enabling a user of a web-site to make a reservation request, for the benefit of the user, the system comprising:

a database having a plurality of data records each indicative of a respective one of a plurality of registered venues;

a plurality of web-sites stored on a computer usable non-transient storage medium;

a web-site having a first web-page that includes one or more reference data indicative of a reservation telephone number of a venue;

the first web-page further incorporating a code module;

a web-server publishes the first web-page having a first reference data that is indicative of a reservation telephone number of a first venue, the first venue being one of the plurality of registered venues and having a corresponding first data record in the database, the database being accessible for obtaining the first data record, the first data record including data indicative of a first web-link for accessing a remote booking server to make a reservation request with the first venue using an interactive voice response facility;

wherein the web-page content of the first reference data, indicative of a reservation telephone number of the first venue being one of the plurality of registered venues, is dynamically modified by the system through execution of the code module incorporated within the web page, such that upon identification of the first reference data indicative of a reservation telephone number, the content of the first reference data indicative of a reservation telephone number is operatively associated with a hyperlink of the first web-link for making a reservation request with the first venue using an interactive voice response facility;

a booking module for the user to provide reservation data indicative of a reservation request for the first venue being one of the plurality registered venues;

a booking server adapted to receive the reservation data from the booking module, to retrieve contact information for the first venue being one of the plurality registered venues, create a voice message from the reservation data and contact information, the voice message being indicative of the reservation request, and enabling transmission of the voice message via the interactive voice response facility for communicating the voice message to an operator at the first venue, receiving from the operator confirmation of acceptance or rejection of the request, and informing the user of the operator acceptance or rejection.