RATE AUDIT SYSTEM

• US 20110082758A1
• Filed: 10/07/2009
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lanyon Incorporated (Cvent Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lanyon Incorporated (Cvent Incorporated)
• Inventors: Rucker, Shawn, Wiser, Dan, Coburn, Ty
• Granted Patent: US 8,145,539 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a system, method, and computer program product for auditing rates based on server access of databases. In one embodiment, an expected rate is received, and a rate request is sent to a server, wherein the rate request promotes an entry of the rate request to access a database. A rate response is received from the server, wherein the rate response corresponds to the rate request and includes a specified rate. A sale request is sent to the server, wherein the sale request corresponds to the rate request and promotes an entry of the sale request to access the database. A sale response is received from the server, wherein the sale response corresponds to the sale request and includes a sale rate. A message is output based on the expected rate, the specified rate, and/or the sale rate.

Claims

1. A system for data audits, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory; and

an audit component stored in the memory, wherein said audit component is executed by said processor to;

a) Send a data request to a server, wherein said data request promotes an entry of said data request to access a database;

b) Receive a data response from said server, wherein said data response corresponds to said data request and comprises specified data;

c) Send a sale request to said server, wherein said sale request corresponds to said data request and promotes an entry of said sale request to access said database;

d) Receive a sale response from said server, wherein said sale response corresponds to said sale request and comprises sale data; and

e) Output a message based on at least one of said specified data and said sale data.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said database comprises a plurality of databases.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said data request and said sale request comprises code that emulates a manual entry of a web service request when executed by said server.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said code comprises extensible markup language (XML) code.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said data request and said sale request comprises an identifier associated with a system user, and wherein at least one of said data response and said sale response is based on said identifier.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said identifier enables at least one of said data response and said sale response to comprise information associated with at least one of products, services, travel packages, hotel reservations, rental car reservations, airline reservations, train reservations, bus reservations, and cruise reservations.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said data request and said sale request comprise access information associated with a system user, and wherein said server responds to at least one of said data request and said sale request based on said access information.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said access information enables said server to respond to at least one of said data request and said sale request with information associated with at least one of products, services, travel packages, hotel reservations, rental car reservations, airline reservations, train reservations, bus reservations, and cruise reservations.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said data request and said sale request comprise a request associated with a plurality of dates.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said plurality of dates are associated with a plurality of months.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said data response and said sale response comprise a description of at least one of a product, a service, a travel package, a hotel reservation, a rental car reservation, an airline reservation, a train reservation, a bus reservation, and a cruise reservation.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said server comprises a global distribution system associated with at least one of products, services, travel services, hospitality services, shipping services, trucking services, parcel delivery services, healthcare providers, and energy providers.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein said database comprises at least one of a database accessed directly by said server and a remote database accessed indirectly by said server.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein said database is associated with a computer reservation system that is associated with at least one of travel packages, hotel reservations, rental car reservations, airline reservations, train reservations, bus reservations, and cruise reservations.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein said sale response comprises a confirmation identifier, and wherein said message comprises said confirmation identifier.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein sending said sale request to said server promotes creation of a suspended-state sale.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said audit component is further executed by said processor to send a release request to said server, wherein said release request promotes release of said suspended-state sale.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein sending said sale request to said server promotes creation of a sale and wherein said audit component is further executed by said processor to send a release request to said server, wherein said release request promotes release of said sale.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein said audit component is further executed by said processor to enable a system user to schedule said audit component to execute on a scheduled basis.

20. A method for rate audits, the method comprising:

a) Receiving expected data;

b) Sending a data request to a server, wherein said data request promotes an entry of said data request to access a database;

c) Receiving a data response from said server, wherein said data response corresponds to said data request and comprises specified data; and

d) Outputting a message based on at least one of said expected data and said specified data.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein receiving said expected data comprises prompting a user for said expected data.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein receiving said expected data comprises:

a) Providing a user with a data form; and

b) Parsing said expected data from said data form.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising storing said expected data in at least one of an expected data database and said database.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein said data form comprises a request for proposal form.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein said expected data comprises a geographic area.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said geographic area is based on a specified distance and a geographic location, wherein at least one of said specified distance and said geographic location is selectable by a user.

27. A computer program product for rate audits, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium storing computer executable program code that, when executed by a processor, causes said computer executable program code to perform a method comprising;

a) Receiving an expected rate;

b) Sending a rate request to a server, wherein said rate request promotes an entry of said rate request to access a database;

c) Receiving a rate response from said server, wherein said rate response corresponds to said rate request and comprises a specified rate;

d) Sending a sale request to said server, wherein said sale request corresponds to said rate request and promotes an entry of said sale request to access said database;

e) Receiving a sale response from said server, wherein said sale response corresponds to said sale request and comprises a sale rate; and

f) Outputting a message based on at least one of said expected rate, said specified rate, and said sale rate.

28. The computer program product of claim 27 wherein outputting said message comprises outputting a result based on at least one of comparing said expected rate to said specified rate, comparing said specified rate to said sale rate, and comparing said expected rate to said sale rate.

29. The computer program product of claim 27 wherein said database comprises a remote database, and wherein outputting said message comprises outputting said message to at least one of a user associated with a potential sale and a user associated said remote database.

30. The computer program product of claim 28 wherein said method further comprises storing at least one of said rate response and said sale response as historical data in a database.

31. The computer program product of claim 27 wherein said message indicates at least one of an absence of a confirmation identifier and a time delay beyond a threshold value in receiving said sale response from said server.

32. The computer program product of claim 27 wherein said method further comprises:

a) Sending at least one of said rate request and said sale request to a plurality of servers that comprise said server; and

b) Receiving at least one of said rate response and said sale response from said plurality of servers.

33. The computer program product of claim 32 wherein outputting said message comprises outputting a report based on receiving at least one of said rate response and said sale response from a combination of said plurality of servers.

34. The computer program product of claim 33 wherein said method further comprises enabling a user to customize said report.

35. The computer program product of claim 33 wherein said method further comprises storing said report as historical data in a database for comparison to subsequent reports.

36. The computer program product of claim 33 wherein said method further comprises comparing said report with historical data in a database.

37. The computer program product of claim 27 wherein said method further comprises enabling a user to customize said message.