Synchronizing reservation database

• US 20010049613A1
• Filed: 02/07/2001
• Published: 12/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Reservationsource, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Reservationsource, Inc.
• Inventors: Gramann, Henry T. III, Moore, Jason H., Gusmeri, Stephanie L.
• Application Number:
  US09/778,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20010049613A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events

Abstract

A reservation system synchronization process that synchronizes scheduling, customer, and configuration information and reduces conflicts for calendar-driven consumer service businesses. The process keeps business calendar information on both a local computer system, residing at the local business facility, and a webserver attached to the Internet, each of which is self-sustaining in the event of a computer system or network connection failure. A polling process synchronizes the reservation information entered into the databases on each computer system. The reservation system synchronization process automatically resolves conflicts and avoids information loss.

Claims

1. A method for scheduling reservations comprising:

storing a site-based reservation on a primary database;

storing a web-based reservation on a secondary database; and

periodically and automatically synchronizing the primary database with the secondary database.

2. The method of

claim 1

, periodically and automatically synchronizing the primary database with the secondary database further comprising:

identifying secondary updates made to the secondary database;

performing the secondary updates on the primary database;

identifying primary updates made to the primary database;

performing the primary updates on the secondary database; and

performing the primary updates on the primary database.

3. The method of

claim 2

, storing a web-based reservation on a secondary database further comprising:

accessing a table on the secondary database; and

indicating the access in a queue table.

4. The method of

claim 3

, identifying secondary updates made to the secondary database further comprising:

retrieving the queue table on the secondary database; and

identifying an unprocessed entry in the queue table.

5. The method of

claim 4

, identifying an unprocessed entry in the queue table further comprising:

identifying a structured query language command; and

finding a mark associated with the structured query language command, wherein the mark denotes that the command is unprocessed.

6. The method of

claim 5

, performing the secondary updates on the primary database further comprising:

executing the structured query language command on the primary database.

7. The method of

claim 2

, performing the primary updates on the primary database further comprising keeping a cache of the operations performed when performing the primary updates on the secondary database.

8. A reservation system comprising:

a system database for storing site-based reservations; and

a synchronization program which, upon execution;

identifies web-based reservations made to a server database;

adds the web-based reservations to the system database;

adds the site-based reservations to the server database; and

adds the site-based reservations to the system database.

9. The reservation system of

claim 8

, wherein the synchronization program is executed periodically at a predetermined time interval.

10. The reservation system of

claim 9

, wherein the predetermined time interval is approximately fifteen seconds.

11. The reservation system of

claim 9

, further comprising a web server including:

the server database; and

an interface for receiving the web-based reservations.

12. The reservation system of

claim 11

, wherein the interface comprises a web page.

13. The reservation system of

claim 9

, wherein the processor-based system further comprises a program for receiving the site-based reservations.

14. The reservation system of

claim 8

, wherein the system database further comprises:

a scheduling table for storing scheduling information;

a customer table for storing customer information; and

a queue table for storing update information.

15. The reservation system of

claim 14

, wherein the system database further comprises a configuration table for storing configuration information.

16. The reservation system of

claim 15

, further comprising a reservation system application which retrieves scheduling information from and publishes scheduling information to the scheduling table.

17. The reservation system of

claim 16

, wherein the reservation system application further retrieves customer information from and publishes customer information to the customer table.

18. The reservation system of

claim 16

, wherein the reservation system application further program retrieves configuration information from and publishes configuration information to the configuration table.

19. The reservation system of

claim 14

, wherein the update information comprises updates made to the schedule table and the customer table.

20. The reservation system of

claim 11

, wherein the server database further comprises:

a scheduling table for storing scheduling information;

a customer table for storing customer information;

a configuration table for storing configuration information; and

a queue table for storing update information.

21. The reservation system of

claim 20

, wherein the interface retrieves configuration information from the configuration table.

22. The reservation system of

claim 20

, wherein the interface retrieves customer information from and publishes customer information to the customer table.

23. The reservation system of

claim 20

, wherein the interface retrieves scheduling information from and publishes scheduling information to the scheduling table.

24. An article comprising a medium storing instructions for enabling a processor-based system to:

store a site-based reservation on a primary database;

store a web-based reservation on a secondary database; and

periodically and automatically synchronize the primary database with the secondary database.

25. The article of

claim 24

, further storing instructions for enabling a processor-based system to:

identify secondary updates made to the secondary database;

perform the secondary updates on the primary database;

identify primary updates made to the primary database;

perform primary updates on the secondary database; and

perform primary updates on the primary database.