SUBMITTING A REQUEST TO RESERVE A SERVICE

• US 20080215446A1
• Filed: 03/02/2007
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Original Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Inventors: Lutnick, Howard W., Alderucci, Dean P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,825,529 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/15
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

Methods and corresponding system are provided herewith that, in at least one embodiment, include the act or acts of: selecting a restaurant from a plurality of restaurants; and transmitting a request to reserve a service that is provided by the restaurant. The request to reserve is for a particular time and a particular date and the service comprises at least one of: (i) preparing a consumable good that is consumed at the restaurant'"'"'s location; (ii) preparing a consumable good that is received at the restaurant'"'"'s location; or (iii) preparing a consumable good that is delivered to a location external to the restaurant'"'"'s location. The methods and system also include receiving an indicia that the request to reserve the service has been accepted or denied.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

selecting a restaurant from a plurality of restaurants;

transmitting a request to reserve a service that is provided by the restaurant, in which the request to reserve is for a particular time and a particular date and the service comprises at least one of;

(i) preparing a consumable good that is consumed at the restaurant'"'"'s location;

(ii) preparing a consumable good that is received at the restaurant'"'"'s location;

or

(iii) preparing a consumable good that is delivered to a location external to the restaurant'"'"'s location;

receiving an indicia that the request to reserve the service has been accepted or denied.

2. The method of claim 1, in which selecting the restaurant comprises reviewing information associated with the restaurant.

3. The method of claim 2, in which the information comprises a schedule indicating the restaurant'"'"'s ability to provide at least one service for a plurality of periods of time.

4. The method of claim 2, in which the information comprises:

a description of a consumable good that is offered by the restaurant; and

a price associated with the consumable good.

5. The method of claim 1, in which the information comprises an evaluation of the restaurant, in which the evaluation comprises at least one opinion of a previous customer.

6. The method of claim 1 comprises:

receiving an indicia that the request to reserve the service has been accepted;

transmitting a request for at least one consumable good, in which the at least one consumable good is offered by the restaurant;

transmitting a quantity of the at least one consumable good; and

receiving a price of the at least one consumable good, in which the price comprises an amount paid in exchange for the consumable good requested.

7. The method of claim 1 comprises:

receiving an indicia that the request to reserve the service has been denied.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprises:

transmitting a modified request, in which the modified request modifies at least one of;

the service requested, the particular time requested or the date requested.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprises:

receiving an indicia that the particular time requested is available for bidding, in which the bidding is available during a period of time.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

transmitting a bid for the particular time, in which the bid is associated with an amount;

receiving an indicia that the request to reserve has been accepted, in which the amount associated with the bid is greater than an amount associated with at least one other bid.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprises:

transmitting a bid for the particular time, in which the bid is associated with an amount;

receiving an indicia that the request to reserve has been denied, in which an amount associated at least one other bid is greater than the amount associated with the bid.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

transmitting a premium fee with the request to reserve, in which the premium fee prevents bidding for the particular time;

13. A storage medium containing machine instructions readable by a computer system that includes a data store to configure the computer system to perform the method of claim 1.

14. The computer system of claim 13 configured to perform the method of claim 2.

15. The computer system of claim 14 configured to perform the method of claim 3.

16. The computer system of claim 14 configured to perform the method of claim 4.

17. The computer system of claim 13 configured to perform the method of claim 5.

18. The computer system of claim 13 configured to perform the method of claim 6.

19. The computer system of claim 13 configured to perform the method of claim 7.

20. The computer system of claim 19 configured to perform the method of claim 8.

21. The computer system of claim 19 configured to perform the method of claim 9.

22. The computer system of claim 21 configured to perform the method of claim 10.

23. The computer system of claim 21 configured to perform the method of claim 11.

24. The computer system of claim 13 configured to perform the method of claim 12.

25. An apparatus comprising:

a storage device;

a processor connected to the storage device;

the storage device storing a program for controlling the processor; and

the processor operative with the program to;

selecting a restaurant from a plurality of restaurants;

transmitting a request to reserve a service that is provided by the restaurant, in which the request to reserve is for a particular time and a particular date and the service comprises at least one of;

(i) preparing a consumable good that is consumed at the restaurant'"'"'s location;

(ii) preparing a consumable good that is received at the restaurant'"'"'s location;

or

(iii) preparing a consumable good that is delivered to a location external to the restaurant'"'"'s location;

receiving an indicia that the request to reserve the service has been accepted or denied.