Electronic ticketing and reservation system and method

• US 5,724,520 A
• Filed: 11/21/1994
• Issued: 03/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Electronic Ticket and Reservation Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Anthony V. Pugliese
• Inventors: Goheen, Joel R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, Gail O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): STEVENS, GEORGE
• Application Number:
  US08/342,658
• Time in Patent Office: 1,198 Days
• Field of Search: 364/401, 364/402, 364/407, 235/275, 235/380, 235/381, 235/382
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0457 the tickets being sent electronically
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00

Abstract

A method and system of issuing an electronic authorization and validation for pre-scheduled activities such as airline reservations to eliminate paper tickets. The passenger makes the reservation and allows a reservation operation center to charge the passengers credit card company. A reservation number is issued in the computer. The passenger utilizes a plastic I.D. card that accesses computer for validation purposes. An automatic teller machine, at the airport, allows the passenger to receive specific flight information, departure gate information and the like by the insertion of the I.D. card. A mobile airline communications system at the departure gate includes a cellular telephone network connected to a lap top computer and a magnetic card reader that provides validation of the reservation and payment to an airline employee at the departure which allows the passenger to board the aircraft. The system may be utilized for hotel reservations, car rentals and other types of pre-scheduled, pre-payable activities that require authorization and validation at each scheduled activity.

Claims

1. A method for validating a prescheduled activity that requires prepayment of monies, in order to eliminate paper tickets, said method comprising the steps of:

making a prescheduled reservation for a particular individual and a particular activity;

accessing pre-payment for the activity from the individual;

storing reservation and prepayment data in a central data bank;

issuing a plastic identification card to the individual, the card having stored thereon only an identification number corresponding to the individual;

using the identification card at predetermined locations to verify the reservation and prepayment data stored in the central data bank for the pre-scheduled activity, the identification card being used for automatic validation at the predetermined locations to permit the individual to participate in the activity without requiring a paper ticket; and

deleting the reservation and pre-payment data of the individual from the central data bank after the individual completes the activity;

whereby the same identification card is used over and over again for additional prescheduled activities without the need for either issuing a new identification card or ticket or for updating the identification card prior to each prescheduled activity because the identification card and the number stored thereon continue to identify a particular individual after the individual'"'"'s reservation and pre-payment data for a particular activity is deleted from the central data bank.

2. An electronic airline reservation and payment method comprising the steps of:

operating a flight reservation center for making particular flight reservations for passengers by utilizing a telephone call-in system;

providing access to passenger credit card company account information for transferring funds when a particular flight reservation is made;

storing passenger reservation and prepayment data in a central data bank;

providing an identification card having only a passenger identification number stored thereon for accessing the passenger reservation and pre-payment information stored in the central data bank;

establishing mobile locations for using the identification card to access the passenger reservation and pre-payment information from the central data bank, including the step of providing cellular communication and computer storage at the mobile locations for verifying the passenger reservation and pre-payment information prior to boarding the aircraft, thereby eliminating the need for paper airline tickets; and

using the same identification card over and over again for additional trips without the need for either issuing a new identification card or ticket or for updating the identification card prior to each trip because the identification card and the number stored thereon continue to identify a particular passenger after the passenger'"'"'s reservation and pre-payment data for a particular trip is deleted from the central data bank.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of:

providing an automatic teller machine at the airplane terminal which is accessible by using the identification card, the teller machine providing current flight information, departure gate information and baggage check-in information for a particular individual.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of:

terminating the passenger reservation and payment information in the central data bank after the individual has boarded the aircraft.

5. An electronic communications system for providing reservations and payment using an identification card for boarding and authorization on a common carrier, said system comprising:

a central computer for storing passenger reservation and payment information;

an identification card for accessing the passenger reservation and payment information from said central computer, said card comprising a magnetic strip for storing only a passenger identification number;

mobile information sites for receiving the passenger reservation and payment information from said central computer, said mobile information sites each comprising a portable computer and a cellular telephone for mobile communications with said central computer to verify the passenger reservation and payment information on site at a common carrier boarding facility, said portable computer comprising an identification card reader for reading the magnetic strip on the identification card to identify the passenger identification number, said mobile information sites further for deleting the passenger reservation and payment information from the central computer after the passenger boards the common carrier; and

an automatic teller at the common carrier boarding facility for providing passenger specific directions and common carrier transport information, said automatic teller comprising a card reader, a printer and a display terminal;

wherein the same identification card is used over and over again for additional trips without the need for either issuing a new card or ticket or for updating the card prior to each trip because the identification card and the number stored thereon continue to identify a particular passenger after the passenger'"'"'s reservation and payment information for a particular trip is deleted from the central computer.