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WO2000013124A1 - Dispositif et procede permettant de rechercher un tarif peu eleve dans un reseau informatique - Google Patents

Dispositif et procede permettant de rechercher un tarif peu eleve dans un reseau informatique Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2000013124A1
WO2000013124A1 PCT/US1999/019837 US9919837W WO0013124A1 WO 2000013124 A1 WO2000013124 A1 WO 2000013124A1 US 9919837 W US9919837 W US 9919837W WO 0013124 A1 WO0013124 A1 WO 0013124A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
item
request data
price
search request
search
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US1999/019837
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
John Bamforth
Fuad Ayyash
Yasuharu Tsuji
John Lewis
Original Assignee
Sabre Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Sabre Inc. filed Critical Sabre Inc.
Priority to AU56987/99A priority Critical patent/AU5698799A/en
Publication of WO2000013124A1 publication Critical patent/WO2000013124A1/fr

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
    • G06Q10/02—Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to the field of computerized reservation systems such as airline reservation systems used by airline ticket agents and travel agents. More particularly, the invention relates to a system and method for performing a low fare search in a computer-based network.
  • a computerized reservation system provides a communications network for travel agents and other users to book airline reservations. Travel-related businesses and other companies may interface their computer systems with a CRS in order to make information concerning their services available via the CRS. For example, a hotel company may interface its reservation system with a CRS so that when a person books an airline reservation, he or she may also make a hotel reservation through the same network.
  • the major computerized reservation systems currently in use throughout the world share a common heritage. They also have common business assumptions that were true nearly two decades ago. Examples of such reservation systems are known or referred to under the following trade names and service marks: SABRE; AMADEUS; WORLDSPAN; SYSTEM ONE; APOLLO; GEMINI; GALILEO; and AXESS.
  • a customer chooses an itinerary, based on their desired travel dates and times, and books the itinerary through the CRS.
  • a pricing system then computes a price for this itinerary.
  • Pricing systems typically allow a user to vary their selection based on the class of service, thus enabling a user to select the cheapest fare for a fixed itinerary. This was ideal prior to airline deregulation and still works well for certain business travelers.
  • the conventional systems suffer from a number of limitations and drawbacks that are related to a number of factors. These factors include the increase in the number of options available to travelers, the daily changes in flight fares, and the various restrictions that may apply to certain fares. For example, thousands of separate fare changes are made and published every day for flights in the United
  • An apparatus consistent with the present invention performs low price searching.
  • the apparatus receives search request data identifying a particular item.
  • Availability information reflecting availability of a set of items in an inventory is then obtained, each item in the set corresponding to the particular item.
  • a determination is then made as to whether price information associated with each item in the set substantially satisfies the target price. After which, a selection of an item from the set is confirmed based on the determination.
  • FIG. 1 is a diagram of an exemplary computer network environment in which the features and aspects of the present invention may be implemented;
  • FIG. 2 is a diagram of an exemplary computer network in which the broker of the present invention may be implemented;
  • FIG. 3 is an exemplary flow chart consistent with the low fare search method of the present invention;
  • FIG. 4 is an exemplary flow chart of a process for selecting the type of low fare search, in accordance with an aspect of the invention
  • FIG. 6 is an exemplary flow chart consistent with the booker processing of the present invention.
  • the search technique of the present invention provides for efficient searches for low fares in a computer network.
  • Search request data is sent from a client system to a broker. If the search request data includes a target price, then the broker performs a booking operation. The booking operation books a reservation for a customer if search response data received by the broker from a host system is not greater than the target price. This target price is supplied by the customer. If the search request data does not include a target price, then the broker performs a shopper operation. The shopper operation returns an output message with low fare information to the client system without booking a reservation.
  • FIG. 1 is a diagram of a network environment 100 including one or more CRS's.
  • CRS's are networks permitting access to, for example, travel-related information for making reservations or obtaining such information.
  • CRS's may use and provide other types of information, depending upon the computer systems interfaced with a particular CRS or the information accessible by the CRS.
  • CRS's are commonly referred to as computer reservation systems or central reservation systems. In European countries, for example, CRS's are often referred to as global distribution systems.
  • the term "computerized reservation system” and the abbreviation "CRS" are intended to encompass computerized reservation systems, computer reservation systems, central reservation systems, and global distribution systems. Examples of CRS's include those known by the following trade names and service marks: SABRE; AMADEUS; WORLDSPAN; SYSTEM ONE; APOLLO; GEMINI; GALILEO; and AXESS.
  • Network environment 100 illustrates an architecture for customers or service providers to link together through computerized reservation systems, such as CRS 112 or 126.
  • customer machines 101 and 102 may represent machines located at a particular business or other entity for providing travel-related and other services for that business or entity.
  • Customer machines 101 and 102 are typically interfaced through a frame relay 103 and a router 104 to a server machine 105.
  • Router 104 provides for routing of a protocol over frame relay 103 for long distance communication.
  • Server machine 105 provides necessary interaction between the ultimate customer machines and a CRS, for example, CRS 126.
  • Server machine 105 is typically interfaced through a universal data router (UDR) 106 to a network 110.
  • UDR 106 may include several servers, as explained below, for performing data conversion for server 105 to communicate with a CRS, for example, CRS 126.
  • Network 110 may represent a telephony network such as the Societe Internationale Telecommunications Aeronautiques (SIT A) network.
  • SIT A the Societe Internationale Telecommunications Aeronautiques
  • Network 110 interfaces UDR 106 with a front end processor 111, which provides an interface to a CRS 112.
  • a CRS usually includes a front end processor, which are known mainframe components, providing functionality for interfacing the CRS with a network.
  • Customer machines 101 and 102 may also be interfaced with other CRS's through UDR 106.
  • CRS 112 may also be connected to a client system 117 through a broker 116. These units are explained in more detail in conjunction with FIG. 2.
  • LAN local area network
  • Travel agent machines 114 and 115 may also be linked into CRS 112 or 126.
  • network 110 may interface token ring LAN 113 through an international telephone or computer network (not shown).
  • Other companies or service providers may also provide information available via CRS 112. Such information may be provided, for example, by interfacing service provider machines or other computer systems 124 and 125 through UDR 120 to front end processor 111.
  • UDR 120 which may include several servers, provides data conversion to interface the service provider machines 124 and 125 in accordance with the protocol used by CRS 112. Alternatively, service provide machines 124 and 125 may interface with UDR 106 and/or CRS 126.
  • the broker 202 is capable of sending requests to the Host 201 in multiple sessions that can be substantially simultaneous. Sending multiple requests in substantially simultaneous sessions is known in the art. As further described below, broker 202 can be implemented with the low fare search function and other features and aspects of the present invention.
  • Client system 203 is also connected to a database 205 for shipping products and a membership system 204.
  • Users 208, 209, 210 can access client system 203 through session management tool 206 or through the Internet 207.
  • Session management tool 206 is a known tool that manages the access of multiple users to a central system via time-sharing. Users 208, 209, 210 can be customers, travel agents, and the like.
  • the broker 202 initializes various tables and variables that will be needed, receives the request data, parses and verifies the data, and checks for errors (step 310). If the broker 202 determines that the received data is not valid (step 315), then an appropriate error message is sent to the client system (step 320).
  • An example of request data that is considered invalid occurs when a customer enters an invalid number of passengers or an invalid class of service. After being notified that the request data is invalid (step 315), the customer must re-enter the data (step 320), so that the corrected request data can be sent to the broker 202.
  • DATABAHNTM is an application in which there is a translation from search request data in an input data format (i.e., SDS) to a format that is understood by a CRS. Translation from the CRS format to an output data format (i.e., SDS) also occurs.
  • the broker 202 After creating and initializing multiple sessions with the host 201, and opening a connection to the host, the broker 202 sends the low fare search requests to the host 201 (step 335). Generally, one session is associated with one request. So, if there are three requests, then there would be three sessions.
  • the host 201 processes the requests and returns the relevant search data (step 340).
  • the broker 202 verifies the search data (step 345), extracts the relevant lowest fare search data and stores lowest fare search data in a table for processing (step 350).
  • the customer may have the option of designating either an information only request or a tentative booking request.
  • a customer makes the choice by either specifying a target price or not specifying a target price. If a target price is set, then a tentative booking request is made. If a target price has not been set, then an information only request has been made. If an information only request has been chosen by the customer (step 410), then the broker 202 starts to perform a shopping operation (step 415).
  • the shopping operation might be preferable to a customer who is not certain of their travel plans or does not wish to make reservations, but merely wants to see the going rates and/or to estimate travel expenses.
  • FIG. 5 is an exemplary flowchart depicting the various processes and operations of the shopper operation of the present invention.
  • the broker 202 examines the low fare search request data (step 505).
  • broker 202 may receive the following data so that it can properly generate a response: departure date; departure time; return date; return time; departure city; return city; direct/non-stop indicator; number of passengers; class of service; carrier code client; carrier code customer; passenger type.
  • departure date, departure city, and return city are data that may be minimally required for processing of the request to be properly completed. The other data may be optional.
  • the broker 202 can also build a search request to find the lowest available fare using the client's preferred carriers (step 520). For example, the client that is providing the client system 203 might have a pre-arranged deal with several airlines. The client would probably prefer the customer to use the airline with which business is usually done. This request is also sent to the host 201, where it is processed (step 520).
  • the broker then builds a search request to find the lowest published fare and sends the request to the host 201 (step 525).
  • the lowest published fare is determined by the broker 202 by first identifying the lowest fare in the data received from the host 201 that is validated against the service available. For example, if a low fare is displayed, but the header information indicates that the carrier has no service in the market, the fare would be eliminated. The elimination of fares decreases the amount of time spent trying to find the lowest fare.
  • the lowest fare is identified and determined for the travel dates and city pairs specified in the request data.
  • the 202 processes the data in accordance with the features of FIG. 3 and then sends an output message back to the client 203 (step 530).
  • the message may include the lowest available fare that was found when using no carrier designation, the lowest available fare that was found when using the client's preferred carriers, and the lowest published fare that was found.
  • the corresponding rules for each fare are sent. Rules are carrier defined conditions that go along with a particular fare. For example, a fare might only be valid if made two weeks in advance of the departure date.
  • the message sent to the client 203 from the broker 202 is generally known as a message definition record (MDR) and is preferably sent using the SDS format, which is further explained below.
  • MDR message definition record
  • step 510 processing is different.
  • the broker 202 builds a search request to find the lowest available fare without identifying a preferred carrier and sends this request to the host 201 (step 535). Then, the broker 202 builds a search request to find the lowest available fare using the client's preferred carriers and sends that request to host 201 also (step 530).
  • the broker 202 After receiving all of the requested search data from the host 201, the broker 202 processes the data in accordance with the features of FIG. 3, and then sends an output message back to the client 203 (step 560).
  • the message may include the lowest available fare that was found when using the customer's preferred carriers, the lowest of the fares from the comparison between the fare with no carrier and the fares of the client's carriers, and the lowest published fare that was found. Along with each of the fares, the corresponding rules for each fare are sent.
  • the message sent to the client 203 from the broker 202 is sent using the SDS format. It should be understood that although FIG.
  • FIG. 5 shows the various search requests being processed in a sequential manner, at least some of these requests can be processed and sent to the Host 201 substantially simultaneously utilizing multiple sessions.
  • FIG. 6 is an exemplary flowchart of the various processes and operations for performing the booking operation, in accordance with the present invention. After it has been determined that there is a tentative booking request, the broker 202 examines the low fare search request data (step 605).
  • the broker 202 builds a passenger name record (PNR) and sends it to the client 203. Building a passenger name record is an indication that a tentative booking has occurred.
  • the broker builds a search request to find the lowest published fare and sends the request to the host 201 (step 640). After receiving all of the requested search data from the host 201, the broker 202 processes the data in accordance with the features of FIG. 3, and then sends an output message back to the client 203
  • the message may include the lowest available fare that was found when using no carrier designation, the lowest available fare that was found when using the client's preferred carriers, and the lowest published fare that was found.
  • the corresponding rules for each fare may be sent. It should be understood that although FIG. 6 shows the various search requests being processed in a sequential manner, at least some of these requests can be processed and sent to the Host 201 substantially simultaneously utilizing multiple sessions.
  • processing proceeds in a different manner.
  • the broker 202 builds a search request to find the lowest available fare using the customer's preferred carriers and sends the request to the host 201 (step 650). After, the broker 202 has received the search data from the host 201, the lowest available fare is compared to the target price
  • the processing of the broker 202 described above is not limited to the specific methods disclosed above.
  • the broker 202 can identify the lowest applicable fare based on the specified travel dates and city pairs, and send this information back to the client system.
  • the lowest applicable fare is generally the lowest fare that meets the customer's needs that is not necessarily bookable (i.e., available) at the time. This information is useful to the customer because a lowest applicable fare could be lower than a lowest available fare. If that is the case, then a customer might want to wait until the lower fare became available before actually making travel arrangements.

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Abstract

L'invention concerne un procédé et un dispositif permettant de rechercher des prix peu élevés dans un réseau informatique. Un processeur reçoit des données relatives à une demande de recherche identifiant un article particulier. On obtient ensuite des informations sur la disponibilité d'une série d'articles dans un inventaire, chaque article de la série correspondant à l'article particulier susmentionné. Sur la base de l'information recueillie, on détermine si les données de la demande de recherche comportent un prix cible correspondant à la préférence de prix indiquée par l'utilisateur en association avec l'article. Ensuite, on détermine si l'information de prix associée à chaque article de la série correspond sensiblement au prix cible. Enfin, la sélection d'un article dans la série est confirmée d'après la détermination établie.
PCT/US1999/019837 1998-08-31 1999-08-30 Dispositif et procede permettant de rechercher un tarif peu eleve dans un reseau informatique WO2000013124A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU56987/99A AU5698799A (en) 1998-08-31 1999-08-30 Apparatus and method for low fare searching in a computer network

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US9782998P 1998-08-31 1998-08-31
US60/097,829 1998-08-31

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2000013124A1 true WO2000013124A1 (fr) 2000-03-09

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Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2002080071A3 (fr) * 2001-04-02 2003-04-03 Expedia Inc Systeme et procede optimises destines a trouver les meilleurs tarifs
US7668744B2 (en) 2003-07-31 2010-02-23 The Boeing Company Method and system for conducting fleet operations
EP2472454A3 (fr) * 2001-08-17 2012-11-07 Expedia, Inc. Système et procédé de gestion des stocks
FR3071340A1 (fr) * 2017-09-18 2019-03-22 Amadeus Sas Procede et dispositif de traitement de requete, de mise a jour et de fourniture de donnees extraites d'une memoire cache

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US5331546A (en) * 1988-01-06 1994-07-19 Rosenbluth International, Inc. Trip planner optimizing travel itinerary selection conforming to individualized travel policies
US5732398A (en) * 1995-11-09 1998-03-24 Keyosk Corp. Self-service system for selling travel-related services or products
WO1998035311A1 (fr) * 1997-02-06 1998-08-13 Delorme Publishing Company, Inc. Systeme d'information et de planification pour les reservations de voyage (trips)

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* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5331546A (en) * 1988-01-06 1994-07-19 Rosenbluth International, Inc. Trip planner optimizing travel itinerary selection conforming to individualized travel policies
US5732398A (en) * 1995-11-09 1998-03-24 Keyosk Corp. Self-service system for selling travel-related services or products
WO1998035311A1 (fr) * 1997-02-06 1998-08-13 Delorme Publishing Company, Inc. Systeme d'information et de planification pour les reservations de voyage (trips)

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Title
MADDOX K: "Traveling on the Web", INFORMATIONWEEK, 20 JAN. 1997, CMP PUBLICATIONS, USA, no. 614, pages 63 - 64, 68, XP002124430, ISSN: 8750-6874 *
NDUMU D T ET AL: "TOWARDS DESKTOP PERSONAL TRAVEL AGENTS", BT TECHNOLOGY JOURNAL,GB,BT LABORATORIES, vol. 16, no. 3, pages 69-78, XP000781600, ISSN: 1358-3948 *

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2002080071A3 (fr) * 2001-04-02 2003-04-03 Expedia Inc Systeme et procede optimises destines a trouver les meilleurs tarifs
AU2002250493B2 (en) * 2001-04-02 2008-07-17 Expedia, Inc. Optimized system and method for finding best fares
US10346402B2 (en) 2001-04-02 2019-07-09 Expedia, Inc. Optimized system and method for finding best fares
US10387418B2 (en) 2001-04-02 2019-08-20 Expedia, Inc. Sparse tree data structure for selective retrieval of database records
EP2472454A3 (fr) * 2001-08-17 2012-11-07 Expedia, Inc. Système et procédé de gestion des stocks
US7668744B2 (en) 2003-07-31 2010-02-23 The Boeing Company Method and system for conducting fleet operations
FR3071340A1 (fr) * 2017-09-18 2019-03-22 Amadeus Sas Procede et dispositif de traitement de requete, de mise a jour et de fourniture de donnees extraites d'une memoire cache

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