User interface for displaying travel information

• US 7,885,839 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2009
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CEATS Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CEATS Incorporated
• Inventors: Halavais, Richard Arthur, Chung, Tony Cheng-Tong
• Primary Examiner(s): CAMPBELL, SHANNON S
• Application Number:
  US12/479,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20090276252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 705/5, 705/1.1
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

This invention relates to an electronic means by which people can select the exact seat or seats they want for any type of event or reserve an appointment for any activity. More specifically, a customer or a ticket re-seller or a venue operator can go, for example, to the internet and select the event or activity for which he wants a ticket or tickets or reserve a time and reserve and order the exact seat or seats or the time of his choosing directly online. The seat or seats or reserved time he selects is then removed from the inventory for that activity or event and made not available for any other buyer and such is so indicated by a graphical representation or other such indicator on the online map or picture representing availability of seating or time for that event.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a computer program which embodies a method for interactively providing air travel seating information to an end user over a network, the method comprising:

transmitting data to an application running on a general purpose computer, the data including information descriptive of available individual seats on one or more airplanes, the data capable of causing the application to generate an interactive seating display on the general purpose computer representing individual seats on the one or more airplanes, the data capable of causing the application to generate an additional display of information about one or more of the individual seats in response to the end user placing a mouse indicator over a portion of the interactive seating display.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the method of further comprises:

transmitting second data to the application running on the general purpose computer, the second data including information that can be printed as an admission document or voucher by the end user.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the data to the application running on the general purpose computer comprises transmitting web page data for generating the interactive seating display.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the transmitting the web page data for generating the interactive seating display comprises transmitting embedded scripting language code for generating the interactive seating display.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the data is capable of causing the application to display a location of the one or more of the individual seats in response to the end user placing a mouse indicator over a portion of the interactive seating display.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the data is capable of causing the application to display a seat number in response to the end user placing a mouse indicator over a portion of the interactive seating display.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the data is capable of causing the application to display a seat number in response to the user placing a mouse indicator over a portion of the interactive seating display corresponding to an individual seat.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting second data to the application running on the general purpose computer, the second data including information that is configured to be used as an admission document or voucher by the end user.

9. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a computer program which embodies a method performed by a general purpose computer for providing information regarding air travel seating to an end user over a network, the method comprising

receiving, via an application running on the general purpose computer from a server coupled to the general purpose computer over the network, data including information descriptive of available individual seats on one or more airplanes, the data processed by the application to generate an interactive seating display on the general purpose computer representing individual seats on the one or more airplanes, the data processed by the application to generate an additional display of information about one or more of the individual seats in response to a mouse indicator being positioned over a portion of the interactive seating display.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving from the server information that can be printed as an admission document or voucher by the end user.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the receiving, via an application running on the general purpose computer from a server coupled to the general purpose computer via network, comprises receiving web page data for generating the interactive seating display.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the receiving, via an application running on the general purpose computer from a server coupled to the general purpose computer via network, comprises receiving embedded scripting language code for generating the interactive seating display.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the additional display of information comprises information about a location of the seat in response to the mouse indicator being positioned over a portion of the interactive seating display.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the additional display of information comprises a seat number in response to the mouse indicator being positioned over a portion of the interactive seating display.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving from the server information that is configured to be used as an admission document or voucher by the end user.

16. A computer-implemented method for interactively providing air travel seating information to an end user over a network, the method comprising:

transmitting data to an application running on a general purpose computer, the data including information descriptive of available individual seats on one or more airplanes, the data capable of causing the application to generate a graphical user interface on the general purpose computer that comprises an interactive seating display representing individual seats on the one or more airplanes, the data capable of causing the application to generate an additional display of information about one or more of the individual seats in response to the end user placing a mouse indicator over a portion of the graphical user interface.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

transmitting second data to the application, the second data including information that can be printed as an admission document or voucher by the end user.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein transmitting the data to the application running on the general purpose computer comprises transmitting web page data for generating the interactive seating display.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein transmitting the web page data for generating the interactive seating display comprises transmitting embedded scripting language code for generating the interactive seating display.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the data is capable of causing the application to display a location of the one or more of the individual seats in response to the end user placing a mouse indicator over a portion of the graphical user interface.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the data is capable of causing the application to display a seat number in response to the end user placing a mouse indicator over a portion of the graphical user interface.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the data is capable of causing the application to display a seat number in response to the user placing a mouse indicator over a portion of the interactive seating display corresponding to an individual seat.

23. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

transmitting second data to the application, the second data including information that is configured to be used as an admission document or voucher by the end user.

24. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a computer program which embodies a method for interactively selecting one or more seats at a venue by an end user over a network, the method comprising:

transmitting first data to a web browser running on a home or office personal computing device, the first data including information descriptive of available individual seats at the venue, the first data configured to cause the web browser to generate a web page on the personal computing device that comprises an interactive seating display representing individual seats at the venue;

receiving from the personal computing device second data representing one or more seats selected by a touch screen input to a location on the interactive seating display; and

receiving over the network from the personal computing device third data representing payment information for the one or more seats selected by the touch screen input.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting fourth data to the application, the fourth data including information that is configured to be used as an admission document or voucher by the end user.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the fourth data includes information that is configured to be printed as an admission document or voucher.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of transmitting the web page data for generating the interactive seating display comprises transmitting embedded scripting language code for generating the interactive seating display.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the venue is an airplane.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the first data is transmitted to a home or office or remotely located computer.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the personal computing device is stationary.

31. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a computer program which embodies a method running on a personal computing device for interactively selecting one or more tickets to seats at a venue by an end user over a network, the method comprising:

receiving, via a web application running on the personal computing device from a server coupled to the personal computing device over the network, data including information descriptive of available individual seats at the venue, the data processed by the web application to generate a graphical user interface on the personal computing device that comprises an interactive seating display representing individual seats at the venue, the personal computing device comprising a home or office device;

receiving, by the application running on the personal computing device, a selection from the end user of one or more seats selected by a touch screen input to a location on the interactive seating display; and

receiving payment information for the one or more seats selected by the touch screen input.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving information that can be used as an admission document or voucher by the end user.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the personal computing device is stationary.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the step of receiving, via a web application running on the personal computing device from a server coupled to the personal computing device over the network, comprises receiving embedded scripting language code.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the venue is an airplane.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the first data is transmitted to a home or office or remotely located computer.

37. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a computer program which embodies a method performed at a server, the method comprising:

receiving, from a general purpose computer, a query for information in a database regarding a status of one or more seats in a venue;

determining information indicating an availability of the one or more seats in the venue;

transmitting, to the general purpose computer, a response to the query that includes information, the information capable of causing the general purpose computer to generate an interactive seating display representing the one or more seats in the venue, the information capable of causing the general purpose computer to generate an additional display of information about one or more of the seats in response to an end user placing a mouse indicator over a portion of the interactive seating display;

receiving, from the general purpose computer, information indicating selections with a mouse by the end user;

creating a record in the database, for the end user, based on the information indicating selections by the end user.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the database comprises entries denoting availability of a plurality of venues.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the venue is a theater.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the venue is a stadium.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the venue is an airplane.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein a second end user can make at least one of the selections made by the end user.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting, to the general purpose computer, a request for confirmation of the selections by the end user; and

receiving, from the general purpose computer, the confirmation of the selections by the end user.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 43, wherein the method further comprises locking the record in the database after receiving the confirmation of the selections by the end user, whereby a second user cannot make any selections made by the end user.

45. The computer-readable medium of claim 44, wherein the method further comprises transmitting a portion of the information to a second general purpose computer to be displayed, the portion including updated information indicating the selections made by the end user are unavailable.