WO2001024043A2 - Network-based service for selling dynamic inventory and offering lowest price with no guessing - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a service provided by a network or by telephone, receiving an inventory request from a client, consulting an inventory database, and determining the lowest price corresponding to an inventory conforming to the request. client. Once the lowest price has been determined, they are offered to the customer, although some details relating to the inventory to be acquired are partly unknown to them. If the customer decides to acquire the inventory at the lowest price offered, the purchase is concluded and he is then provided with all the details concerning said inventory. If the customer does not wish to buy the inventory partially described at the lowest price formulated, we can make him a more specific offer. If the multiple results correspond to the customer's request at the same lowest price, they can be presented to him so that he can make his choice.

Description

NETWORK-BASED SERVICE FOR SELLING DYNAMIC INVENTORY AND OFFERING LOWEST PRICE WITH NO GUESSING

Background of the Invention Field of the Invention: The present invention relates to an Internet-based service or telephony-based service having dynamic inventory for consumer purchase.

Brief Description of Prior Developments:

There has recently been a tremendous growth in the number of computers connected to the Internet. A client computer connected to the Internet can download digital information from server computers. Client application software typically accepts commands from a user and obtains data and services by sending requests to server applications running on the server computers. A number of protocols are used to exchange commands and data between computers connected to the Internet. The protocols include the File Transfer Protocol (FTP), the Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP), the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), and the Gopher document protocol. The HTTP protocol is used to access data on the World Wide Web, often referred to as "the Web." The Web is an information service on the Internet providing documents and links between documents. It is made up of numerous Web sites located around the world that maintain and distribute electronic documents. A Web site may use one or more Web server computers that store and distribute documents in a number of formats, including the Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML). An HTML document contains text and metadata (commands providing formatting information), as well as embedded links that reference other data or documents. The referenced documents may represent text, graphics, or video. A Web browser is a client application or, preferably, an integrated operating system utility that communicates with server computers via FTP, HTTP and Gopher protocols. Web browsers receive electronic documents from the network and present them to a user.

An intranet is a local area network containing Web servers and client computers operating in a manner similar to the World Wide Web described above. Typically, all of the computers on an intranet are contained within a company or organization.

The present invention relates to network-based, and most preferably Internet- based, services, such as a travel service offering airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, etc., to customers over the Internet. With such a service, a consumer, using a computer connected to the travel service via the Internet, can purchase items from a dynamically changing inventory including airline tickets, rental car services and hotel rooms. Typically, a travel service cooperates with a centralized global distribution system (GDS). A GDS is a system/service that communicates with travel agents for the purpose of providing up to date fare, schedule and availability information in response to a query. This information is provided to the GDS by the suppliers, typically through third parties; however, a travel service can also cooperate with other databases, such as a local database reflecting specific relationships between suppliers and the travel service, such as discount contracts or incentive programs. Accordingly, an Internet-based service can have access to many sources of supplier inventory and prices.

The business environment of a travel service is such that there are numerous ways of providing the same or a similar end product to the consumer at a variety of prices. Due to supplier driven preferences, it can be cost effective to price similar inventory differently. For example, in the case of airline reservations, the number of ways that a consumer can travel from point A to point B is great when the number of airline carriers, different travel paths, hub locations and other particulars are considered. For this reason, the price of a particular generic segment from point A to point B may vary considerably across time, airline carriers, and the like. Further compounding price variations are price sensitivities, which can reflect, e.g., an increase in demand for tickets reserved proximate to departure time. Additionally, incentive and discount programs negotiated with individual airlines can further affect the price offered by a travel service. Also, certain classes of inventory may have associated high or low demands, or high or low volume sales.

In addition, there are numerous consumer driven preferences which can affect pricing as well. Some consumers will value individual characteristics of a given item of inventory differently. For example, in the case of airline tickets, a consumer may not value when the flight takes place whereas another consumer may value a particular carrier over all others. These preferences can be factored into an offered price when the consumer specifies the preference. For these reasons and others, there are numerous factors that can affect the end price of the same or similar end product.

With this background, from a supplier's standpoint, the ability to discount inventory for one consumer and not others has many advantages, such as increased flexibility and increased profit. When both consumer driven and supplier driven preferences are taken into account, the result is that the same or similar end products can be priced differently. Thus, for a given dynamic inventory, it would be advantageous to find a way for suppliers to discount without nullifying the possibility of selling higher or regularly priced inventory to other consumers.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention relates to a network-based, including Internet-based or telephony-based, service capable of receiving a request for inventory from a consumer, searching an inventory database and determining the lowest price that can be offered for inventory meeting the consumer's request. Once the lowest price is determined, the lowest price is offered to the consumer, although certain details concerning the inventory to be purchased are not disclosed to the consumer. Once the consumer decides to purchase the inventory at the offered lowest price, the purchase is complete and the consumer is provided all of the details regarding the purchased inventory. If a consumer does not wish to purchase the partially described inventory at the formulated lowest price, another offer, which can be more specific, can be made to the consumer. If multiple results match the consumer's inquiry at the same lowest price, the multiple results can be displayed to the consumer and the consumer can choose from among the multiple results. The invention thus meets the above-stated need for a mechanism to permit suppliers to discount inventory for one consumer and not others, such that the same or similar end items of inventory can be priced differently. This goal is achieved while still offering the consumer the best available price found in the database search. Other features of the present invention are described below.

Detailed Description of the Drawings

The Internet-based service is further described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a block diagram representing a general purpose computer system in which aspects of the present invention may be incorporated.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram representing an exemplary network environment in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 3A is a block diagram of an Internet-based service in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 3B is a block diagram of a telephony-based service in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a block diagram of an Internet-based travel service in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 5 is a flow chart of a first embodiment of a method for providing travel services in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 6A is a flow chart of a second embodiment of a method for providing travel services in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 6B is a flow chart of a variation of the second embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a flow chart of a third embodiment of a method for providing travel services in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a block diagram of a process for updating a dynamic inventory database in accordance with the present invention.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments

Overview

As discussed above, the present invention was developed to provide an improved, computer-based system for selling dynamic inventory in a way that gives consumers what they want while preserving suppliers' ability to offer the same or similar items to other customers at different prices or with different terms and conditions. For example, the present invention permits airlines to sell lower-priced tickets for seats that would likely be unsold at the standard price. The need for such a system is apparent. Indeed, success in today's increasingly competitive world of e-commerce and Internet portal sites, for example, is often proportional to how efficiently and quickly implemented the most current and useful services are provided to consumers. Moreover, to attract loyal users of a Web site, for example, it is necessary to provide high-quality services, fast response times, and an overall rich and satisfying user experience. A presently preferred implementation of the present invention provides a network-based solution capable of offering a lowest possible price for a consumer specified item contained in a universe of known dynamic inventory. Although not every detail concerning the item offered at the lowest price are presented to the consumer at the time of acceptance, consumer guesswork is removed from the purchase process since the absolute lowest price (as found in the database) that can be offered is displayed to the consumer.

The present invention addresses the shortcomings of the prior art in several ways. For example, some previous Internet-based sales processes require a consumer to guess at the lowest price of an item of inventory. If, however, the absolute lowest price that can be offered for that item of inventory is lower than the consumer's guess, then the consumer becomes disadvantaged. The margin, i.e. the excess of the consumer's guess over the seller's lowest price that can be offered, becomes profit to the seller. An average consumer has neither the time nor the proper access to know-how to become as knowledgeable as a seller concerning the condition of the market. Even the most informed consumers can not be charged with knowledge of current market conditions in a dynamic market. Accordingly, in these kinds of sales processes, the consumer is at a great disadvantage. The present invention addresses this problem by presenting the lowest price that can be offered for a specified item of inventory obviating the need for the consumer to guess at the lowest price. The present invention will now be explained in greater detail with reference to presently preferred embodiments thereof. First, a description of exemplary computer and network environments is provided, and then a detailed description of the inventive "lowest price, no guessing" aspect of the invention is provided. Computer Environment

Figure 1 and the following discussion are intended to provide a brief general description of a suitable computing environment in which the invention may be implemented. Although not required, the invention will be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, being executed by a computer, such as a client workstation or a server. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures and the like that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Moreover, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention may be practiced with other computer system configurations, including hand-held devices, multi-processor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers and the like. The invention may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices.

As shown in Figure 1 , an exemplary general purpose computing system includes a conventional personal computer 20 or the like, including a processing unit 21, a system memory 22, and a system bus 23 that couples various system components including the system memory to the processing unit 21. The system bus 23 may be any of several types of bus structures including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. The system memory includes read-only memory (ROM) 24 and random access memory (RAM) 25. A basic input/output system 26 (BIOS), containing the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within the personal computer 20, such as during start-up, is stored in ROM 24. The personal computer 20 may further include a hard disk drive 27 for reading from and writing to a hard disk (not shown), a magnetic disk drive 28 for reading from or writing to a removable magnetic disk 29, and an optical disk drive 30 for reading from or writing to a removable optical disk 31 such as a CD-ROM or other optical media. The hard disk drive 27, magnetic disk drive 28, and optical disk drive 30 are connected to the system bus 23 by a hard disk drive interface 32, a magnetic disk drive interface 33, and an optical drive interface 34, respectively. The drives and their associated computer-readable media provide non-volatile storage of computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules and other data for the personal computer 20. Although the exemplary environment described herein employs a hard disk, a removable magnetic disk 29, and a removable optical disk 31, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other types of computer readable media which can store data that is accessible by a computer, such as magnetic cassettes, flash memory cards, digital video disks, Bernoulli cartridges, random access memories (RAMs), read-only memories (ROMs) and the like may also be used in the exemplary operating environment. A number of program modules may be stored on the hard disk, magnetic disk 29, optical disk 31, ROM 24 or RAM 25, including an operating system 35, one or more application programs 36, other program modules 37 and program data 38. A user may enter commands and information into the personal computer 20 through input devices such as a keyboard 40 and pointing device 42. Other input devices (not shown) may include a microphone, joystick, game pad, satellite disk, scanner, or the like. These and other input devices are often connected to the processing unit 21 through a serial port interface 46 that is coupled to the system bus, but may be connected by other interfaces, such as a parallel port, game port, or universal serial bus (USB). A monitor 47 or other type of display device is also connected to the system bus 23 via an interface, such as a video adapter 48. In addition to the monitor 47, personal computers typically include other peripheral output devices (not shown), such as speakers and printers.

The personal computer 20 may operate in a networked environment using logical connections to one or more remote computers, such as a remote computer 49. The remote computer 49 may be another personal computer, a server, a router, a network PC, a peer device or other common network node, and typically includes many or all of the elements described above relative to the personal computer 20, although only a memory storage device 50 has been illustrated in Figure 1. The logical connections depicted in Figure 1 include a local area network (LAN) 51 and a wide area network (WAN) 52. Such networking environments are commonplace in offices, enterprise-wide computer networks, intranets, and the Internet.

When used in a LAN networking environment, the personal computer 20 is connected to the LAN 51 through a network interface or adapter 53. When used in a WAN networking environment, the personal computer 20 typically includes a modem 54 or other means for establishing communications over the wide area network 52, such as the Internet. The modem 54, which may be internal or external, is connected to the system bus 23 via the serial port interface 46. In a networked environment, program modules depicted relative to the personal computer 20, or portions thereof, may be stored in the remote memory storage device. It will be appreciated that the network connections shown are exemplary and other means of establishing a communications link between the computers may be used. Network Environment

As noted, the computer described above can be deployed as part of a computer network. In general, the above description applies to both server computers and client computers deployed in a network environment. Figure 2 illustrates one such exemplary network environment in which the present invention may be employed. As shown in Figure 2, a number of servers 10a, 10b, etc., are interconnected via a communications network 160 (which may be a LAN, WAN, intranet or the Internet) with a number of client computers 20a, 20b, 20c, etc. In a network environment in which the communications network 160 is the Internet, for example, the servers 10 can be Web servers with which the clients 20 communicate via any of a number of known protocols such as hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP). Each client computer 20 can be equipped with a browser 180 to gain access to the servers 10. As shown, server 10a includes or is coupled to a dynamic inventory database 12.

As shown, the database 12 includes database fields 12a, which contain information about items of stored inventory. The database fields 12a can be structured in the database in a variety of ways. The fields 12a could be structured using linked lists, multi-dimensional data arrays, hash tables, or the like. This is generally a design choice based on ease of implementation, amount of free memory, the characteristics of the data to be stored, whether the database is likely to be written to frequently or instead is likely to be mostly read from, and the like. A generic field 12a is depicted on the left side. As shown, a field generally has sub-fields that contain various types of information associated with the field, such as an ID or header sub-field, type of item sub-field, sub- fields containing characteristics, and so on. Some general examples of fields 12a are also shown in the middle and on the right side. A general example of an airline ticket field is shown in the middle. This field 12a has a header "Meml234" which, for example, can communicate the location of the field and sub-fields to the server 10a. The sub-fields contain various characteristics concerning the airline tickets inventory such as destination, departure time, price, restrictions, and the like. A general example of a rental car field is shown on the right side. This field 12a contains a header "Mem2345" which, for example, can communicate the location of the field and sub-fields to the server 10a. The sub-fields contain various characteristics concerning the rental car inventory such as car class, model, make, price, restrictions, and the like. These database fields 12a are shown for illustrative purposes only, and as mentioned before, the particular implementation of data storage in a database can vary widely. Thus, the present invention can be utilized in a computer network environment having client computers for accessing and interacting with the network and a server computer for interacting with client computers and communicating with a database with stored inventory fields. However, the inventory purchase process of the present invention can be implemented with a variety of network-based architectures, and thus should not be limited to the examples shown. The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to preferred embodiments. Lowest Price, No Guessing

The present invention relates to a network-based, such as Internet-based or telephony-based, service for offering a lowest price to a consumer for a specified item of inventory. In a preferred setting, the present invention pertains to an Internet-based travel service, having access to a searchable database containing dynamic inventory, which can perform a search of the inventory and determine the lowest price that can be offered to cover an inquiry made by a consumer.

With reference to Figure 3 A, suppliers 200, 210, 220, 230 and 240 provide information regarding fares, schedules and availability to databases 100, 110, 120 and 130 for storage. Some of databases 100, 110, 120 and 130 can be local to the Internet server for fast, efficient and flexible access, whereas some of databases 100, 110, 120 and 130 can be centralized databases external to the server requiring additional query. In either event, the pool of inventory known at a particular time can be placed into a single dynamic inventory database 500 that is local to the server. In this manner, a searchable database 500 is provided with up to date fare, scheduling and availability information.

Thus, when a consumer makes a request to the Internet-based service 300, having connected to the Internet-based service from a computer with a browser 20d via Internet 160a, a search is performed in the dynamic inventory database 500 for inventory that meets the consumer's search request. From among the available inventory that matches a consumer's search criteria, a lowest price formulation 400 is made. This is a determination as to the lowest price that can be offered to the consumer. This price is then offered to the consumer, although some details concerning the inventory being offered are not made known to the consumer. If the consumer purchases the inventory, the consumer then receives the unknown details concerning the inventory. If the consumer does not wish to purchase the inventory, no sale is made and the consumer can make another request.

The above service need not be limited to an Internet-based service. It could also be effected with a phone service, a facsimile service or any system with the ability to make offers, perform searches of a database and receive acceptances in real-time (i.e., interactively). With reference to Figure 3B, a telephony-based service in accordance with the present invention involves suppliers 200, 210, 220, 230 and 240 that provide information regarding fares, schedules and availability to databases 100, 110, 120 and 130 for storage. Some of databases 100, 110, 120 and 130 can be local to the telephone server for fast, efficient and flexible access, whereas some of databases 100, 110, 120 and 130 can be centralized databases external to the phone server requiring additional query. In either event, the pool of inventory known at a particular time is placed into a single dynamic inventory database 500 that is local to the telephone service. In this manner, a searchable database is provided with up to date fare, scheduling and availability information.

Thus, when a consumer makes a request to the telephony-based service 310, having connected to the telephony-based service from a telephone 19, a search is performed in the dynamic inventory database 500 for inventory that meets the consumer's search request. Telephone service 310 can be operated automatically through an automated service for receiving requests, making offers, and receiving acceptances, or could be operated manually by an employee. From among the available inventory that matches a consumer's search criteria, a lowest price formulation 400 is made. This is a determination as to the lowest price that can be offered to the consumer. This price is then offered to the consumer, although some details concerning the inventory being offered are not made known to the consumer. If the consumer purchases the inventory, the consumer then receives the unknown details concerning the inventory. If the consumer does not wish to purchase the inventory, no sale is made and the consumer can make another request.

With reference to Figure 4, the operation of the present invention is described with respect to an Internet-based travel service. Suppliers such as rail services 250, hotels 260, airlines 270, rental car services 280 and ferries 290 provide information regarding fares, schedules and availability to local inventory database 140 and global distribution system (GDS) 150. The local inventory database 140 contains information provided directly to the Internet-based travel service and has the advantage of being located at the Internet server 170 for fast, efficient and flexible access to inventory. A travel service can also cooperate with a centralized global distribution system (GDS) 150. GDS 150 is a system/service that communicates with travel agents for the purpose of providing up to date fare, schedule and availability information in response to a query. This information is provided to the GDS by the suppliers, typically through third parties, but is external to the Internet-based travel service. Accordingly, to access a GDS, a query external to the Internet-based travel service must be performed. The collective pool of inventory contained in the local inventory database 140 and retrieved from GDS 150 is stored in dynamic inventory database 500. In this manner, a searchable database is provided with up to date fare, scheduling and availability information. Internet-based travel service 320 comprises a website or other means for displaying to the consumer request criteria, price offers, and purchased inventory details. Internet-based travel service 320 further comprises means for gathering information concerning method of payment, delivery details, and the like. When a consumer makes a request to the Internet-based travel service 320, having connected to the Internet-based travel service from a computer with a browser 20d via Internet 160a, a search is performed in the dynamic inventory database 500 for inventory that meets the consumer's search request. When a consumer enters a query regarding inventory, at least one specific relating to that inventory, such as the supplier or times of travel, is left out. From among the available inventory that matches a consumer's search criteria, a lowest price formulation 400 is made. This is a determination as to the lowest price that can be offered to the consumer given the consumer's criteria.

There are numerous factors that can be taken into account when making this formulation of lowest price. Some factors to be considered are the time of request, the amount of available inventory, the cost of delivering particular inventory, alternate compensation from suppliers for choosing their inventory, market conditions, sales goals, the likelihood of securing repeat customers, and the like. As illustrated in Figure 4, these factors can be inputs to be evaluated when computing the lowest price that can be offered. This price is then offered to the consumer, although some details concerning the inventory being offered are not made known to the consumer. Since supplier incentives or other factors can alter the formulation result, the lowest price formulated is merely a calculation as to the lowest price to be offered to the consumer, and may not be, strictly speaking, the lowest price contained in the dynamic inventory database 500.

The Internet-based travel service 320, having performed a search of the dynamic inventory database 500, and determined via a prescribed algorithm what the lowest price is that can be offered for a customer's inquiry, displays the lowest price and the consumer has the option to purchase at this lowest price. If the consumer does not wish to purchase the inventory at the price indicated, then the process is complete and no sale is made. If the consumer does wish to purchase the inventory at the price indicated, the consumer indicates acceptance of the lowest price offer and a sale is made. Once the sale is made, then the specifics, such as supplier and times of travel, are made known to the consumer.

Fig. 5 is a flow chart of a first embodiment of a process in accordance with the present invention. After start 60, a consumer makes a limited query 65 for the purchase of dynamic inventory. Software, which can access and interface with a dynamic inventory database 500, determines which of the inventory match the consumer's criteria at 70. Then, by a prescribed algorithm, the software computes a lowest price that can be offered. This lowest price is then offered to the consumer at 75, albeit without full disclosure to the consumer regarding all of the purchase details. The consumer then makes a decision whether to purchase at 80. If the consumer decides to purchase at the price offered, the remaining undisclosed details regarding the inventory to be purchased are displayed to the consumer at 85. Having displayed the details to the consumer, all of the necessary billing and delivery information is obtained from the consumer and the purchase is then complete as indicated at 90, and the flow ends at 95. If the consumer does not decide to purchase the inventory at the price offered, no sale is made and the flow ends at 95. The consumer can then start again at 60.

Fig. 6A is a flow chart of a second embodiment of a process in accordance with the present invention. In the second embodiment, if the lowest price offered is not purchased by the consumer, the consumer is given an additional offer for other inventory. After start 600, a consumer makes a limited query 610 for the purchase of dynamic inventory. Software with access to dynamic inventory database 500 determines which of the inventory in the database 500 match the consumer's criteria at 620. Then, by a prescribed algorithm, the software computes a lowest price that can be offered. This lowest price is then offered to the consumer at 630, albeit without full disclosure to the consumer regarding all of the purchase details. The consumer then makes a decision whether to purchase at 640. If the consumer decides to purchase at the price offered, the details regarding the inventory purchased are displayed to the consumer at 650. Having displayed the details to the consumer, all of the necessary billing and delivery information is obtained and the purchase is then complete as indicated at 660, and the flow ends at 670. If the consumer does not decide to purchase the inventory at the lowest price offered, an alternate offer is made to the consumer at 675. This alternate offer could be related to the consumer query, but it could also be a separate special offer that is unrelated to the consumer's query. The consumer decides whether to purchase the alternately offered inventory at 680. If the consumer does not decide to purchase based on the alternate offer, no sale is made and the flow ends at 685. If the consumer does purchase the alternately offered inventory, the details of that inventory, if still unknown, are displayed to the consumer at 690. Having displayed the details of the inventory, all of the necessary billing and delivery information is obtained from the consumer and the purchase is complete at 695, and the flow ends at 670. The consumer can then start again at 600.

As explained, in a preferred embodiment, the consumer uses a web browser to communicate with a web page server with access to a dynamic inventory database. For example, in Figure 6 A, browser instances are shown to illustrate how the present invention might be reflected in a browser format. In browser instance 180a, a consumer enters information about an item for possible purchase at designated prompts located in the browser window. For example, a user might specify the item generally, such as plane tickets, and also various desired characteristics for that item such as departure location, destination and times of travel. Once the item is specified, the consumer can then send the inquiry by, for example, 'clicking' on a send button located in the browser window, as represented by the thicker arrow. 'Clicking' is a term of art that describes the act of moving a mouse cursor in the browser window onto a particular spot in the browser window and then pressing the mouse button. Then, once the lowest price is computed for that item, the lowest price and some details for the item to be purchased are displayed, and the consumer is given a chance to purchase with this displayed criteria. This is shown in browser window 180b. The consumer can click on 'Yes' to purchase and can click on 'No' to decline to purchase. Other input means can be used as well to indicate a consumer response. If a purchase is made, complete details of the item purchased are subsequently displayed in the browser window. In the presently described embodiment, an alternate offer is made if the consumer clicks 'No.' In browser window 180c, the alternately offered inventory and the option to buy at a given price are displayed to the consumer. As with the lowest priced inventory, the consumer can click on 'Yes' to purchase and can click on 'No' to decline to purchase. If a purchase is made, complete details of the item purchased are subsequently displayed in the browser window.

It should be made abundantly clear that there are many different ways that a browser sequence such as the one just described can be implemented. A different browser window can be used for each step, for example. A different browser instance could be created for some steps. Pop-up menus or windows could be used. Dynamic windows using applets, plug-ins, Xcontrols, Java, javascript and the like could be implemented. Keyboard or other inputs could be used in place of a mouse input. In short, the number of different ways to implement web pages or browser instances are countless, and thus the implementation described above is for illustrative purpose only.

Fig. 6B is a flow chart of a variation of a second embodiment in accordance with the present invention. The main difference between Figure 6 A and Figure 6B is that, in Figure 6B, even if the consumer purchases the lowest priced inventory, the alternate offer is still made. Thus, instead of proceeding from a complete purchase 660 to the end 670, another offer can be made to the consumer at 675.

Thus, in the second embodiment, if a consumer does not wish to purchase the partially described inventory at the formulated lowest price, another offer can be made to the consumer, which can be more specific than the lowest price offer. This additional offer can be based on a variety of factors and does not need to relate to the inquiry made by the consumer.

Fig. 7 is a flow chart of a third embodiment of a process in accordance with the present invention. A main advantage of the arrangement of Figure 7 is that multiple inventory choices can be passed on to the consumer to provide greater choice. In the event that multiple choices of inventory satisfy both the lowest pricing criteria and the consumer's request, and if the consumer wishes to purchase at the lowest price, then the consumer can choose from among all of the choices. Alternatively, the consumer could be informed before or concurrently with the lowest price offer that multiple results satisfy the lowest price inquiry. The consumer thus benefits from the additional choices where all other criteria are satisfied.

After start 700, a consumer makes a limited query 710 for the purchase of dynamic inventory. Software with access to dynamic inventory database 700 determines which of the inventory match the consumer's criteria at 720. Then, by a prescribed algorithm, the software computes a lowest price that can be offered. This lowest price is then offered to the consumer at 730, albeit without full disclosure to the consumer regarding all of the purchase details. The consumer then makes a decision whether to purchase at 740. If the consumer decides to purchase at the price offered, a determination is made by the software at 745 whether multiple inventory satisfied both the consumer's criteria and the lowest price determination. If there are not multiple choices, the flow continues as usual to 750 where the details of the inventory purchased are displayed to the consumer. Then, billing and delivery information is obtained at 760 to complete the purchase and the flow ends at 770. If there are multiple choices, then the multiple choices are displayed to the consumer at 780 from which the consumer chooses at 790. Having chosen the inventory from among the choices, billing and delivery information are obtained at 760 to complete the purchase and the flow ends at 770. If, however, the consumer does not wish to purchase at the lowest price, no multiple choices are offered, no sale is made and the flow ends at 775. The fact that multiple choices satisfy the consumer query and lowest price criteria could also be made known and displayed to the consumer before the consumer decides to purchase at the lowest price. In accordance with the third embodiment, if the lowest price formula indicates multiple results which match the consumer's inquiry, the multiple results can be displayed to the consumer. The consumer can then choose from among the multiple results if the terms of the lowest price offer are accepted. Figure 8 is a block diagram of a system for updating the dynamic inventory database. Four databases are shown feeding dynamic inventory database 500. Some of these databases could be a local database 810. Other databases could be a global distribution system 840. For dynamic inventory database 500 updating purposes, the type of database for databases such as database 810, 820, 830 and 840 may govern. For example, for a global distribution system 840, it may be advisable to send a periodic query for updating inventory, whereas for a local database 810, requests for updates can be made more frequently and with greater breadth. In response to a request for an update, updated inventory is stored in the memory of the dynamic inventory database 500. Although examples have been used for illustrative purposes, any effective way of updating the dynamic inventory database 500 with current inventory information can be used. For example, instead of a periodic update, updates could be made based on the how current data is in the dynamic inventory database 500 i.e., once data has resided in the database over a threshold time, an update is made.

Also, when the Internet-based service 300 makes a sale, that purchased inventory must be removed from the dynamic inventory database 500. Accordingly, information regarding the purchased inventory is sent to the dynamic inventory database 500 for removal of that purchased inventory.

While the present invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodiments of the various figures, it is to be understood that other similar embodiments may be used or modifications and additions may be made to the described embodiment for performing the same function of the present invention without deviating therefrom. For example, although in a preferred embodiment, billing and delivery information is obtained after pricing, billing and delivery information can be obtained at any time in accordance with the present invention. Additionally, while the present invention has been described with respect to an Internet-based travel service, the present invention can be applied to any service that vends dynamic inventory. Therefore, the present invention should not be limited to any single embodiment, but rather construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the recitation of the appended claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A network-based method for selling dynamic inventory to consumers, comprising the acts of: accepting search parameters from a consumer that specify characteristics of an item being sought for possible purchase; querying a database using at least some of the search parameters; determining a lowest price that can be offered to the consumer for at least one item from the dynamic inventory found in the database as a result of the querying; and displaying to the consumer information concerning the at least one item, including the lowest price, while withholding some information about the at least one item.

2. A network-based method according to Claim 1, wherein the information withheld is the supplier for the at least one item for which the lowest price is available.

3. A network-based method according to Claim 1, wherein the network-based service is a travel service selling at least airline tickets, wherein the information withheld is the airline carrier for the flight for which the lowest price is available.

4. A network-based method according to Claim 1 , wherein the network-based service is a travel service selling at least airline tickets, wherein the information withheld is the flight number of the flight for which the lowest price is available.

5. A network-based method according to Claim 1, wherein the network-based service is a travel service selling at least airline tickets, wherein the information withheld is the flight time of day for the flight for which the lowest price is available.

6. A network-based method according to Claim 1 , wherein the network-based service is a travel service selling at least hotel rooms, wherein the information withheld is the name of the hotel for which the lowest price is available.

7. A network-based method according to Claim 1 , wherein the network-based service is a travel service selling at least hotel rooms, wherein the information withheld is the type of hotel room for which the lowest price is available.

8. A network-based method according to Claim 1 , wherein the network-based service is a travel service selling at least rental cars, wherein the information withheld is the rental car agency for the car rental for which the lowest price is available.

9. A network-based method according to Claim 1 , wherein the network-based service is a travel service selling at least rental cars, wherein the information withheld is the type of rental car for which the lowest price is available.

10. A computer-readable medium bearing computer-executable instructions for controlling a computer in performing the acts recited in Claim 1.

11. A network-based service for selling dynamic inventory to consumers, comprising: a server computer operatively coupled to a first database of information concerning the dynamic inventory; a computer readable storage medium, operatively coupled to the server computer, comprising executable code for instructing the server computer to perform the following acts: accepting search parameters over a network from a remotely-located consumer that specify characteristics of an item being sought for possible purchase; querying the first database using at least some of the search parameters; determining a lowest price that can be offered to the consumer for at least one item from the dynamic inventory found in the first database as a result of the querying; and displaying to the consumer information concerning the at least one item, including the lowest price, while withholding some information about the at least one item.

12. A network-based service as recited in claim 11 , wherein the network is the Internet.

13. A network-based service as recited in claim 11, wherein the network is a telephony-based system.

14. A network-based service as recited in claim 11 , wherein the network is an intranet.

15. A network-based service as recited in claim 11 , wherein the network is a local area network.

16. A network-based service as recited in claim 11 , wherein the network is a wide area network.

17. A network-based service according to Claim 11 , wherein the first database comprises up to date information representative of inventory.

18. A network-based service according to Claim 11 , wherein said first database is connectable to a global distribution system to receive inventory data therefrom.

19. A network-based service according to Claim 11, further comprising a second database connected to the first database.

20. A network-based service according to Claim 11 , wherein a prescribed algorithm, implemented via instructions stored on the computer-readable medium, is employed to determine the lowest price that can be offered to the consumer.

21. A network-based service according to Claim 11 , wherein an alternate offer is made to the consumer if the consumer does not purchase inventory at the lowest price offered.

22. A network-based service according to Claim 11 , wherein an alternate offer is made to the consumer after the lowest price is offered.

23. A network-based service according to Claim 11, wherein multiple inventory that can be offered at the same lowest price are offered to the consumer.

24. A network-based service according to Claim 17, wherein said first database is updated periodically.

25. A network-based service according to Claim 17, wherein data in said first database is updated when said data has been stored longer than a threshold time.

26. A network-based service according to Claim 17, wherein said first database is updated when an item of inventory is purchased.

27. An Internet-based travel service for offering items from a dynamic inventory selected from a group consisting of airline tickets, hotel rooms, and rental cars; and determining and displaying a lowest price that can be offered to a consumer for a specified item while withholding information concerning the supplier of the specified item until after purchase.

28. A network-based method according to Claim 1, wherein said displaying of information concerning said at least one item includes displaying information concerning an additional item not specified by said search parameters, said additional item being offered with said at least one item at the lowest price.

29. A network-based method for selling dynamic inventory to consumers, comprising the acts of: accepting search parameters from a consumer that specify characteristics of an item being sought for possible purchase; querying a database using at least some of the search parameters; determining a plurality of low prices that can be offered to the consumer for a corresponding plurality of items found in the database as a result of the querying; and displaying to the consumer information concerning the plurality of items, including their respective low prices, while withholding some information about the plurality of items.

30. A network-based method according to Claim 29, wherein said plurality of low prices are for similar items found in said database based on differing sets of said search parameters utilized for said querying, and said plurality of low prices are determined according to different pricing terms.

31. A network-based method according to Claim 29, wherein said plurality of low prices are for similar items found in said database based on differing sets of said search parameters utilized for said querying, and the information withheld for at least one of said plurality of items is different from the information withheld for at least one other of said plurality of items.

32. A network-based method according to Claim 29, wherein the information withheld for at least one of said plurality of items for which a low price is available is the supplier.

33. A network-based method according to Claim 29, wherein the network-based service is a travel service selling at least airline tickets, wherein the information withheld for at least one of said plurality of items for which a low price is available is the airline carrier.

34. A network-based method according to Claim 29, wherein the network-based service is a travel service selling at least airline tickets, wherein the information withheld for at least one of said plurality of items for which a low price is available is the flight number.

35. A network-based method according to Claim 29, wherein the network-based service is a travel service selling at least airline tickets, wherein the information withheld for at least one of said plurality of items for which a low price is available is the flight time of day.

36. A network-based method according to Claim 29, wherein the network-based service is a travel service selling at least hotel rooms, wherein the information withheld for at least one of said plurality of items for which a low price is available is the name of the hotel.

37. A network-based method according to Claim 29, wherein the network-based service is a travel service selling at least hotel rooms, wherein the information withheld for at least one of said plurality of items for which a low price is available is the type of hotel room.

38. A network-based method according to Claim 29, wherein the network-based service is a travel service selling at least rental cars, wherein the information withheld for at least one of said plurality of items for which a low price is available is the rental car agency for the car rental.

39. A network-based method according to Claim 29, wherein the network-based service is a travel service selling at least rental cars, wherein the information withheld for at least one of said plurality of items for which a low price is available is the type of rental car.

40. A network-based method according to Claim 29, wherein said displaying of information concerning said plurality of items includes displaying information concerning an additional item not specified by said search parameters, said additional item being offered together with at least one of said plurality of items at the low price associated therewith.

41. A computer-readable medium bearing computer-executable instructions for controlling a computer in performing the acts recited in Claim 29.--