Patent Application
20240046384
The present invention relates to systems, methods and computer program products for amenity, special service and food/beverage searching and purchasing booking engines in hospitality and travel applications. The present invention further relates to systems, methods and computer program products for adaptive operations and logistics in situational user/equipment/supplies (Resource), including tracing in facilities and spaces with amenity, special service, food/beverage or event (Features) search and utilization engines in real estate, hospitality and travel.
In the field of travel accommodations searching and booking, customers are presented with many options. Travel websites such as Orbitz, Expedia, and Travelocity permit customers to search for room accommodations in a given locale for a given date or range of dates. For example, a customer seeking a room accommodation on New Year's eve in New York City might visit such a website and enter or select “New York, N.Y.” in a “city” or “destination” field on the page and enter or select a check-in date of December 31 and a check-out date of January 1. The website would then use the customer's information to search its database for rooms available in New York for those days, presenting a list of hotels with bookable rooms. However, if the customer is seeking certain features, most hospitality or travel websites require the customer to read the detailed description of each of the hotels listed in the search results in order to determine whether the features are offered at any of them. Additionally, even if it can be determined that a particular listed hotel generally offers the feature, these web sites offer no provisions for determining whether the desired feature will actually be available and no provisions for actually reserving, booking or paying for the feature with or without a room booking.
In the fields of real estate and related hospitality and travel, feature searching and booking customers are presented with a spectrum of property types from hotels to hospitals and everything in-between. That is, a customer could be presented with a variety of options such as through a graphical user interface and/or voice recognition technology, which could be dependent on, for example, available search criteria and it is up to the user to determine if the selectable options match the desired booking, including related amenities. Further, many times these facilities are fractionally operated by independent businesses based on, for example, feature capability, use of time and space, and equipment/supplies. Hotel websites and other commodity booking engines such as those associated with a hotel chain like Hilton, Marriot, or Hyatt, permit users to book hotel rooms, but limit check-in for patron-users to only hotel rooms, typically for a single location for a given date or range of dates. Similarly, a patron-user seeking a meeting room experience during the United Nations Assembly, for example, in New York City might visit a co-working website and enter or select “New York, NY” in a “city” or “destination” field on the page and enter or select a check-in date of September 1, then configure check-out for two hours later. The website would then use the patron's information to, typically manually, search its relational database for meeting rooms available in New York for said date range, presenting a list of pre-established meeting rooms within their portfolio, with available meeting rooms.
However, if the customer is seeking unique features (e.g., a specialized arrangement of furniture or equipment), most meeting room websites require the customer to read a detailed description of unique artifacts (or characteristics) of the facilities listed in the search results, and this is limited by manual or human interpretation, and whether the desired features are offered at any of provider locales now or in the future. In the prior art this process is decoupled and separate from the earlier described booking process. Additionally, even if it can be determined that a particular listed facility, generally as opposed to uniquely, offers meeting room features, web sites generally offer no provisions for determining whether the desired feature will actually be available upon arrival and no provisions for actually reserving, booking or paying for the feature with or without the ability to reconfigure said feature or space for alternative use based on fluctuating operations of the facility (e.g., combining smaller meeting rooms into a larger wedding venue and/or transforming fractional bookings of meeting rooms into an alternative-use feature such as an event space for a greater time duration with correlated meeting room resources to satisfaction). Because commodity (or feature) bookings are not necessarily 1:1 relationships with, say, the facility provider, one thing can be easily swapped out for another thing (i.e., chair for a chair as opposed to a fish-eye 3D projector vs. regular 2D projector).
In order to ensure commodity booking utilization, generally, hospitality providers allow for over booking in order to hedge against cancellations. When overbookings occur, capability to facilitate fixed commodity features is limited whereas unique features and a flexible scheduling capability, such as disclosed herein in the present invention, can convert utilities of alternative features to meet present and future demand. Using the present invention, converting features requires transforming permutations of existing feature functionalities as well as other dependent features combined or in parallel.
Moreover, facilities lack the technical capacity to dynamically adapt to the changing conditions of its users or potential users according to situational awareness (e.g., patron-users come into contact with infectious disease and facilities need to reconfigure and implement recommended operational protocols such as identifying dynamic status conditions and proximity to other users or features for conversion of facility space, feature utility and logistical sequencing of resources).
Other travel websites, such as hotels.com, BookIt.com and Google Hotel Finder, offer a similar accommodation search dialog and similarly display search results for hotels in a particular location with available rooms in the desired period. These sites differ, however, from other sites in that hotels listed on the search results page may be “filtered” by the customer, who may choose to have displayed only results matching additional criteria, such as being in a particular neighborhood or having certain general amenities. Filter selections are made by the customer by way of drop-down or check-box selections; however, only a limited selection of general amenities is provided. For example, Google Hotel Finder's amenity filter list includes only air-conditioned, bar, beach access, business center, gym, internet, parking, pets allowed, pools, restaurant, accessible facilities, children welcome, laundry and room service. Hotels.com's list has similar amenity filters and adds a few more, including free breakfast, cribs available, and spa. Free-form feature search, i.e., permitting the customer to enter or type a desired amenity, special service or food/beverage into search input form, is not provided. However, even if the customer limits display of search results to hotels meeting these certain limited criteria, the customer is not provided an opportunity to determine availability, much less book or reserve, a particular amenity with a room booking. In fact, Google Hotel Finder and another hotel amenity search web site employing the check-box approach, juicyhotels.com, do not even provide for room bookings through the site. Customers must perform the room booking through the hotel's web site, another travel web site such as BookIt.com, Travelocity or Orbitz, or through a non-web-based means.
OpenTable, a restaurant search web site, offers a similar customer interface. Customers select a general location such as a city or neighborhood and a time in addition to a date. The site will search for available accommodations and present a list of restaurants matching the selection criteria and availability. Similarly to some of the hotel search sites, OpenTable offers customers the ability to filter the results list based on additional criteria such as cuisine style and price range. OpenTable can also display lists of restaurants having “private dining facilities” such as chef's tables, function rooms and private dining rooms. However, customers cannot directly determine availability or price or book such private dining features through the web site. Customers are provided a phone number and contact name or can use a web page form-based inquiry. UrbanSpoon, another restaurant search web site, additionally offers customers a list of selectable restaurant “items” including “private parties” and “live music” for filtering restaurant lists; however, there is also no provision for determining availability or price of those items for a given date and time or for booking a table with the item. As with the other hospitality or travel web sites, there is no free-form arbitrary search and purchase function for features. Customers are limited to filtering results according to pre-selected items and amenities.
Yet another system, Orion from Ascension Software, is a web-based platform used by hotels to provide guests online access to room service and amenities gift ordering. However, Orion does not permit arbitrary feature searching or purchasing. Rather, Orion provides “catalogs” of amenities and services available for ordering. Additionally, Orion does not offer the possibility of booking or reserving a room in conjunction with ordering amenities or services.
Accordingly, there is a need for an a la carte hospitality/travel and accommodations system that provides customers the option to search and purchase features within or separate from accommodation venues having desired, bookable/ticketable amenities and/or special services and/or food/beverage available for the desired date(s) and time(s) and the additional capability to book/purchase such features with the capability, but not the requirement of booking an a la carte accommodation such as a room or table at a restaurant. Additionally, there is a need for customers to be able to enter free-form, arbitrary search items to query for desired features.
The present invention relates to systems, methods and computer program products for an a la carte amenity, special service, food/beverage and accommodation (“feature”) search and booking engines. Aspects of the present invention allow customers to identify, via arbitrary search, amenities and/or special services (including food/beverage) available at lodging facilities, restaurants, clubs/lounges/bars, dwellings and travel accommodation venues. In this sense, “arbitrary” means the customer can enter search inputs other than those provided in a check-box list or other pre-determined list. Customers are presented with goods and services matching or related to their query items and are permitted to select and confirm desired feature options and book, reserve or purchase their selection; optionally including the booking of an accommodation such as a room or table at a restaurant as well.
According to one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a system for identifying and booking features from a hospitality/travel provider having a processor, a network interface coupled to a network, a feature database stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, a non-transitory storage medium storing processor instructions and an interface coupling the processor, storage medium, feature database and network interface. The feature database contains feature artifacts associating a bookable amenity, special service or food/beverage item with a hospitality/travel provider. The processor instructions cause the processor to receive, over the network, arbitrary feature identity information for a bookable feature from a client device; search the feature database for a match, at least in part; transmit one or more hospitality/travel provider identities associated with the matches; receive a hospitality/travel provider selection from the client device; and transmit for display on the client device an offer to the client to book a feature based on the arbitrary feature identity information and/or the selected hospitality/travel provider.
In another embodiment, the processor instructions further instruct the processor to, in response to receiving arbitrary feature identity information, in part or in whole, search the feature database for feature artifacts having a feature identity at least partially matching the arbitrary feature identity information and transmit the feature identities associated with at least one of the partially matching artifacts to the client device for display on the client device in an autocomplete list.
In another embodiment, the processor instructions further instruct the processor to receive, from the client device, accommodation search constraints, including an indication of a desired booking period for an accommodation and an indication of a desired geographic location for a hospitality/travel provider. The search of the feature database may be further constrained to those hospitality/travel providers within the desired geographic location and able to provide an accommodation or the bookable feature during the desired booking period; accommodation search constraints may also include a desired room configuration. In one embodiment, the processor instructions further instruct the processor to transmit, through the network, to an external provider, a booking query based on the accommodation search constraints and receive from the external provider availability information for at least one accommodation provider satisfying the accommodation search constraints. The external provider may be a GDS provider, a CRS provider, CRM system, inventory system, sales/revenue management system, loyalty system, property/operations system, or an accommodation provider's PMS. The processor instructions may further include instructions to cause the processor to receive, from the client device, an indication of an acceptance of the offer to book and payment information; transmit the payment information to a payment processor, update an inventory record in the database to record the booking of the feature and/or accommodation, and transmit a confirmation of the booking to the client device.
In another embodiment, the processor instructions further instruct the processor to receive, through the network from a network connected affiliate device, a hospitality provider amenity identity and store an artifact associating said hospitality amenity identity with an identity of said hospitality provider in the amenity database.
In another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a computer implemented method for identifying and booking features from a hospitality provider having a step of transmitting, via a network from a network connected client device to a network connected server, arbitrary (e.g., freeform entry) feature identity information for a bookable feature. The method includes a step of receiving from the server on the client/patron device, one or more hospitality/travel provider identities of hospitality/travel providers able to provide a bookable features corresponding to the arbitrary feature identity information; transmitting to the server from the client/patron device, an indication of a selected hospitality provider identity; and receiving for display on the client device, an offer to the client to book the feature associated with the feature identity matching the arbitrary feature identity information and/or an accommodation of the selected hospitality/travel provider.
The method may further include steps of transmitting from the client device, a partial arbitrary feature identity and receiving on the client device, amenity identities corresponding to the partial arbitrary feature identity for display on the client device in an autocomplete list.
The method may include a step of transmitting from the client device to the server, accommodation search constraints indicating a desired booking period for an accommodation and a desired geographic location for a hospitality/travel provider. The one or more hospitality/travel provider identities correspond to hospitality/travel providers within the desired geographic location and able to provide an accommodation or the bookable feature during the desired booking period. The search constraints may indicate a desired room configuration.
The method may further include steps of transmitting from the client device to the server, an acceptance of the offer to book and payment information and receiving, by the client device, a confirmation of the booking.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a computer program product for identifying and booking features from hospitality and travel providers, comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing processor instructions. The instructions instruct the processor to receive, through a network, arbitrary feature identity information for a bookable amenity and/or special service and/or food/beverage from a client device. The instructions also include instructions for searching a feature database for a set of feature artifacts having a feature identity matching, at least in part, the arbitrary feature identity information. The feature database is stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium and comprises feature artifacts associating bookable feature identities with hospitality/travel provider identities. The instructions also include instructions for transmitting to the client device hospitality/travel provider identities associated with the set of feature artifacts and receiving from the client device, a selection of a hospitality/travel provider identity and transmitting to the client device for display, an offer to the client to book the feature associated with the feature identity matching the arbitrary feature identity information and/or an accommodation of the selected hospitality/travel provider.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a computer program product for identifying and booking features from providers, comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing processor instructions. The instructions instruct the processor to receive, through a network, arbitrary features identity information for a bookable amenity and/or special service and/or food/beverage from a client device. The instructions also include instructions for searching a feature database for a set of feature artifacts having a feature identity matching, at least in part, the arbitrary feature identity information. The feature database is stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium and comprises feature artifacts associating bookable feature identities with provider identities. The instructions also include instructions for transmitting to the client device provider identities associated with the set of feature artifacts and receiving from the client device, a selection of a provider identity and transmitting to the client device for display, an offer to the client to book the feature associated with the feature identity matching the arbitrary feature identity information and/or an accommodation of the selected provider. In one embodiment, the providers may be hospitality providers. In another embodiment, the providers may be travel providers.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a computer implemented method for identifying and booking features from a hospitality/travel provider having a step of receiving, through a network, arbitrary features identity information for a bookable amenity from a network connected client device. There is also a step of searching a features database for a set of feature artifacts having a feature identity matching, at least in part, the arbitrary feature identity information, the feature database stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium and comprising a plurality of feature artifacts associating a bookable feature identity with a hospitality/travel provider identity. There are also steps of transmitting, through the network to the client device, one or more hospitality/travel provider identities associated with the set of feature artifacts, receiving, from the client device, a selected hospitality/travel provider identity, and transmitting to the client device an offer to the client to book the feature associated with the feature identity matching the arbitrary feature identity information and/or an accommodation of the selected hospitality/travel provider.
In some embodiments, the hospitality providers and/or travel providers are boutique hotels. In some embodiments, feature identity information includes location information derived from a geolocation or proximity of the client device. In some embodiments, the amenity database is searched using semantic matching technologies. In some embodiments, a bookable feature is an amenity and/or special service and/or food/beverage. In some embodiments, the feature identity information may identify a plurality of features.
The present invention further relates to systems, methods and computer program products for an adaptive operations and logistics engine for facility-and-users and for providing features, potentially reconfigurable, in a spectrum of real estate facilities or spaces. That is, the present invention is directed to matching patron-user requests to facilities, and subsequently booking the combination of facilities and features, where the facilities include potentially numerous locales and a plethora of diverse services, any or all of which could be convertible or reconfigurable. The present invention is further directed to the automated operational aspects of that selection and reconfiguration, including aspects of resource use (human and otherwise), costs, and assurance. In addition, the present invention is directed to creating updates and/or reconfigurations to a database based on either or both of user input (freeform or otherwise) and a facility's ability (or the ability of another, such as but not limited to an ancillary service provider) to satisfy an ancillary booking associated with an initial facility booking, where the ancillary booking might relate to associated equipment, goods, and/or staffing, as examples. In the present description, the terms ancillary, feature, and artifact may be used interchangeably. In addition, to the extent possible, the present invention is directed to automatedly implementing a facility reconstruction or arranging for staffing, goods, and/or equipment for the reconstruction and for ancillary services.
While discussed herein as services largely related to hospitality, other services can be incorporated as well, as could other non-traditional hospitality services and features. As an example, real estate facilities can be converted to functioning for different purposes, such as converting part or all of a hotel to a hospital, and such conversions can be included in the system of the present invention and indicated in the database of the present invention.
The system of the present invention includes a database, flexible in the sense that it can be reconfigured automatedly based on identifies possibilities and can encompass facilities and various related features, at least some of which are ascertainable from other providers or ascertainable as a combination of services from a plurality of providers. Aspects of the present invention enable providers using the system of the present invention to identify, via for example situational awareness, feature utilities with resources and the ability to configure a database of the present invention to recognize the ability to convert feature or space capabilities according to search input from a plurality of users and/or features. That is, the present invention is directed to the ability to perform at least some or all of the following (based on need):
Definitionally, the present invention uses the following terms:
The system or systems collects user data, interprets data, transforms data, configures data and creates data for the purpose of feature search, adaptive operations/logistics, resource allocation and enables new feature actualization.
Artifacts are exponentially descriptive attributes of a feature, facility or space that characterize the unique utility of a person, place or thing.
In another embodiment, the processor instructions further instruct the processor to receive, through the network from a network connected affiliate device, a hospitality provider amenity identity and store an artifact associating said hospitality amenity identity with an identity of said hospitality provider in the amenity database.
According to one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a system for identifying and booking in-progress and/or retrospective features from a hospitality/travel provider having a processor, a network interface coupled to a network, a feature database stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, a non-transitory storage medium storing processor instructions and an interface coupling the processor, storage medium, and network interface. The feature database contains feature artifacts associating a bookable amenity, special service, food/beverage or event item with a real estate/hospitality/travel provider and may be a part of a larger database. The processor instructions cause the processor to receive, over the network, arbitrary feature identity information for a bookable feature from a client device; search the feature database for a match, at least in part; transmit one or more hospitality/travel provider identities associated with the matches; receive a hospitality/travel provider selection from the client device; and transmit for display on the client device an offer to the client to book a feature based on the arbitrary feature identity information and/or the selected real estate/hospitality/travel provider.
In another embodiment, the processor instructions further instruct the processor to, in response to receiving arbitrary feature and resource identity information, in part or in whole, performing perpendicular, parallel and/or inverse search of the feature database for feature artifacts having a feature identity at least partially matching the arbitrary feature identity information and transmit the feature identities associated with at least one of the partially matching artifacts to the client device for display on the client device in an autocomplete list.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the system of the present invention includes a database which encompasses a plurality of booking facilities, where the booking facilities may have a plurality of owners or their own databases. In one embodiment, there is no longer a need for separate databases. In another embodiment, when, as an example, facility providers wish to maintain their own data or have specialized fields in that data, the database of the present invention recognizes that content and is automatedly reconfigured to receive that content and use it for the benefit of other providers as appropriate. In the database of the system, each of the possible booking locales is identifies and matches to known uses of that space, together with configuration information for that space. That is, a room in a hotel may be usable in a variety of ways and each way might have a variety of furniture arrangements. The system database would understand the resources needed to configure and break down each of the arrangements, including both physical and personal resources, together with the requisite times. In at least some cases, the determined use and updating or transforming/reconfiguring the database (content and/or reconfiguration) can result from free form entry. The database would further track all physical resources so that, for example, if a patron-user wished to book a room for two hours, the lead up, wind down, and resource needs would be incorporated. By having all this information in one place, inadvertent conflict booking could be avoided and, to the extent that multiple such facilities could be booked (in consistency with a patron-user's expressed needs), efficiencies can be factored into the decision process. Overbooking can be adjusted by the system of the present invention to satisfy all expressed needs.
In yet another embodiment, situational tracing empowers human operators by enabling machine processors to interpret non-arbitrary, fluid executables to further instruct the processor to identify a spectrum of utility conversions for features, facilities and resources; with role assignment and user visualization with contact-tracing for the purpose of enabling transformative search and feature booking capacity, based on situational awareness of condition impacts.
The database of the present invention can also be configured for identifying users or attendees of a facility, together with contact information so as to facilitate subsequent contact tracing and better utility of the facilities (e.g., in the event of an attendee with a communicable disease; the facility could be shut down, prior bookings rearranged, the facility properly cleaned, and user's notified).
In yet another embodiment, a patron-user can either or both actively or passively change feature bookings based on new search criteria that is transformative to the previously utilized search criteria. Thereby facilitating unique booking changes by way of user and system in-progress and/or future time search for alternative feature utilities or preferences; beyond than those provided in a pre-determined reservation or booking. Similarly, a provider-user processor can adapt a feature or space capabilities based on perpendicular and/or parallel search inputs automatically and/or as directed in part or in whole with respect to the present invention's usage of scoring algorithms. Users are presented with a choice for alternative goods and services matching in part or in whole to features' artifact scores to determine feature or facility changes. Users are permitted to select and confirm desired feature options, book, reserve, or purchase their selection; optionally including the booking or reserving of parallel features in-house or in tandem with other providers as well.
Active in this sense means that a patron-user consciously books a new feature for utilization in conjunction with the connected booking or a provider-user reconfigures a series of feature, facility and/or resource implementations for compliant use.
Passive means that a patron-user may be unaware of feature utilization conflicts interpreted by the system, such as geo-location/proximity to dangerous conditions that determine a new feature, facility and/or resource reconfiguration for compliance with the search intention. As a result, booking conversions can create a myriad of overlapping conflicts depending on the expected feature availability, utility and/or resources. The system may further include the implementation of mesh networks to cross-verify accuracy and location of users and conditions so as to avoid the possibility of unintended double booking. As an example, if a facility is determined to have had an infected individual, remedial action can be directed to make the facility safe and reusable, and existing bookings can passively be directed to other facilities.
In yet another embodiment, “situational awareness” further instructs the process by identifying fluid conditions in correlation to scored artifact interpretation of features, facilities, users and resource utilization including, but not limited to adaptive parameter processing in determining reuse of feature configurations for variable settings with applicable resources.
In another embodiment of the invention, scored artifacts enable a facility and/or space configuration for non-binary feature compliance; or new feature creation with resource allocation for alternative utilization. Results are not just collected from a pre-determined list, but the system of the present invention uses user input (in combinations or based on free form, as examples) to match descriptive artifacts of alternative feature utilities which are used to create new unmatched feature for feature creation. The system of the present invention will automate a list of recommended feature and space transformations with resource allocation for structural or architectural validation of the reconfigured, unmatched use.
In yet another embodiment, the processor further instructs the system to mechanically reconfigure features with resources in facilities or spaces by assessing optimal utilization implementations, including but not limited to reconfiguring all dependent or overlapping features and/or sequences in part or in whole.
In another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a computer implemented method for identifying and booking features from a hospitality provider having a step of transmitting, via a network from a network connected client device to a network connected server, arbitrary feature identity information for a bookable feature, typically provided by free form entry. The method includes a step of receiving from a server, such as in communication with a client device, one or more hospitality/travel provider identities of hospitality/travel providers able to provide a bookable features corresponding to the arbitrary feature identity information; transmitting to the server from the client device an indication of a selected hospitality provider identity; and receiving for display on the client device, an offer to the client to book the feature associated with the feature identity matching the arbitrary feature identity information and/or an accommodation of the selected hospitality/travel provider.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a computer program product for identifying and booking features from providers, comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing processor instructions. The instructions instruct the processor to receive, through a network, arbitrary features identity information for a bookable amenity and/or special service and/or food/beverage from a client device. The instructions also include instructions for searching a feature database for a set of feature artifacts having a feature identity matching, at least in part, the arbitrary feature identity information. The feature database is stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium and comprises feature artifacts associating bookable feature identities with provider identities. The instructions also include instructions for transmitting to the client device provider identities associated with the set of feature artifacts and receiving from the client device, a selection for booking, the selection including a provider identity, and transmitting the selection to the client device for display, together with an offer to the client to book the feature associated with the feature identity matching the arbitrary feature identity information and/or an accommodation of the selected provider. In one embodiment, the providers may be hospitality providers. In another embodiment, the providers may be travel providers.
In some embodiments, the hospitality providers and/or travel providers are boutique hotels. In some embodiments, the hospitality providers and/or travel providers are regular hotels and resorts. In some embodiments, the hospitality providers and/or travel providers are office buildings. In some embodiments, the hospitality providers and/or travel providers are residential buildings. In some embodiments, the hospitality providers and/or travel providers are event, venue or stadium centers. In some embodiments, the hospitality providers and/or travel providers are retail centers. In some embodiments, the hospitality providers and/or travel providers are transportation vehicles, such as planes, trains, automobiles, ships, blimps or stations. In some embodiments, feature identity information includes location information derived from a geolocation or proximity of the client device. In some embodiments, a separate amenity database is searched using semantic matching technologies. In other embodiments, the amenity database is not separated from the larger database. In some embodiments, the amenity (or any other) database is searched using voice recognition technologies. In some embodiments, a bookable feature is an amenity and/or special service and/or food/beverage and/or event. In some embodiments, the feature identity information may identify a plurality of features.
Many aspects of the present disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
Aspects of the present invention relate to systems, methods and computer program products for features such as amenity, special service, food/beverage and accommodation search and booking engines. In the context of the present invention, affiliates are generally hospitality and travel providers such as places of lodging facilities, restaurants, clubs/lounges/bars, dwellings and travel accommodation venues. However, in some embodiments, affiliates may be limited to boutique hotels. Travel providers are generally entities providing travel related products and services. The term “accommodation” pertains to the core offerings of a hospitality provider; for example, hotel accommodations include rooms and restaurant accommodations include restaurant table. With reference to
Aspects of the present invention relate to systems, methods and computer program products for features such as amenity, special service, food/beverage and accommodation search and booking engines. In the context of the present invention, affiliates are generally real estate, hospitality, and travel providers such as places of lodging facilities, restaurants, clubs/lounges/bars, dwellings and travel accommodation venues. However, in some embodiments, affiliates may be limited to boutique hotels. In some embodiments, providers regular hotels and resorts. In some embodiments, the hospitality providers and/or travel providers are office buildings. In some embodiments, the hospitality providers and/or travel providers are residential buildings. In some embodiments, the hospitality providers and/or travel providers are event, venue or stadium centers. In some embodiments, the hospitality providers and/or travel providers are retail centers. In some embodiments, the hospitality providers and/or travel providers are transportation vehicles, such as planes, trains, automobiles, ships, blimps or stations. Travel providers are generally entities providing travel related products and services. The term “accommodation” pertains to the core offerings of a hospitality provider; for example, hotel accommodations include rooms and restaurant accommodations include restaurant table. With reference to
With reference to
With reference to
Loyalty systems comprise methods, products (e.g. credit/debit cards) and technical systems internal and external to affiliates that are structured marketing efforts that reward, and thereby encourage, loyal buying behaviors. These behaviors are used to monetize via incentives to perpetuate an intended behavior through an affiliate program. Communication with a loyalty system may include records of each transaction held in an analytics system for trend performance and suggestion models. Information from a loyalty system may be used to enhance (or transform) adaptive search into suggestions for repeat or perpetual business. Integration with loyalty system can enable enhanced search and suggestive purchase options via recommendations. This system of customer transaction input enables machine learning of repeat business to elicit an effect on the inventive system to create new artifacts for scored processing. In addition, incentivation of perpetual interaction is enabled with the search and purchase system to continually refine feature and/or accommodation item results for selection and purchase.
Server 100 includes data store 116, booking engine 120, affiliate profile administrator portal 122, payment gateway 132, GDS interface 134, PMS interface 136 and CRS interface 138. Customer device 160 is any network connectable computing device capable of transmitting customer search query data and receiving search results. Customers may enter queries using customer input 164, a key board, for example, and may view results on customer display 166. Customer device 160 may run one or more applications such as customer app 162 for interacting with server 100. In one embodiment, customer app 162 is a web browser. A customer device 160 may also have a geolocation component such as a GPS receiver and/or a proximity detection component 168, permitting customer device 160 to determine where it is and/or what it is in proximity to for search input. In one embodiment, proximity detection component 168 may utilize RFID technology. Affiliate device 180 is also a network connectable computing device and may include affiliate input 184, affiliate display 186, and affiliate app 182 for interacting through the network with server 100. In one embodiment, affiliate app 182 is a web browser. In an alternative embodiment, affiliate app 182 is a branded application for interacting with server 100. Affiliate device 180 may be one or more computers and may host an affiliate's general inventory and/or sales modules. Other methods of computing devices capable of transmitting search query data may also include: telepathic apparatuses, taste apparatuses, biometric integration, holographic integration and artificial intelligence functions any of which can be configured to serve as potential means of search input with facilitation of availability for ticketing, booking, reserving and/or purchasing of amenities and/or special services and/or food/beverage.
The modular components of server 100 ensure dynamic interconnected communication, allowing customers to identify amenities and/or special services and/or food/beverage of affiliates through search, and providing the option to purchase said items. Furthermore, this system allows affiliate users to connect their system of amenities and/or special services and/or food/beverage to the inventive system, but not limited to accessing its dashboard directly and uploading their amenities and/or special services and/or food/beverage.
The components of this system connect to each other through data transfer channels. These data transfer channels are interchangeable with other relevant data transfer channels. Portions of system 10 may be cloud based; however, cloud capabilities are not required. Cloud systems simply offer optionality of resources and data transfer channels.
Data store 116 comprises one or more databases for storing customer user and affiliate user artifacts. Booking engine 120 facilitates customer search and results.
In one embodiment, data store 116 comprises a relational database and a non-relational database. The relational database may handle customer user artifacts; the non-relational databases may handle customizable affiliate user artifacts. The use of a non-relational database component allows the system to evolve by adapting to increasing differentiation in terms of artifact types and uses recognized and stored for recall in the systems.
The databases of the present invention are useful for additional purposes. In order to continuously improve searching, queries and query trends are tracked as part of session data and the data are used for purposes such as, but not limited to, affiliate feature matching and potential monetization.
In general, users provide search content through either text, commands interpretable as text, image(s) input, audio, electronic signals or by menu selection. The menus may be in the form of click boxes or selectable icons among other known options. Once the user provides the requisite strings and/or selections, those items are delivered to one or more of the databases so as to return matching content. Further, the user may select non-matching content, such as not wanting an Affiliate that allows pets. The processor(s) of the present invention are programmed to filter out such non-matching content from the items returned to the user. Similarly, the user can refine their selection by choosing more strings and/or selections in a second search, including non-matching items and replacing previous queries. Like the first search, the user can select items to be filtered out.
In one embodiment, the relational database is Postgres and includes the following tables:
In one embodiment, the non-relational database is MongoDB and includes hotel and features documents with the following structure:
Referring to
Session data 320 stores and applies the customer user interactions with the system to provide a learned user experience based on user preferences in navigating the user interface. For example, the user is not required to reset their times/dates when searching for various amenities and/or special services and/or food/beverage. The system will save these preferences unless the user resets the session data. Adaptive search capabilities permit recognition and scoring of customer inputs and types>scoring>human operator input via approval process>matching of amenities/services/food/beverage to affiliates with capabilities. Customer users interaction with adaptive search enables the inventive system, through machine learning of unmatched search input queries, to create a technical effect on the database system wherein unmatched and trend scored artifacts are clarified with the customer user and later create new feature categories for search, availability and purchase with matched and/or affiliates who have indicated evolving features.
Algorithmic logic 330 refers to algorithms and programming allowing the system to interpret data and communicate between components of the system in order to facilitate the intended user results.
Pseudo code corresponding to algorithms for search with facilitation of booking, reserving purchasing of amenities and/or special services includes:
Pseudo code corresponding to semantic-style smart search input with typeahead recall capabilities includes:
In one embodiment, there is provided a machine learning feature wherein, if a search input is not recognized by the system, a record is created for evaluation of input value. In another embodiment, a user enters a data string and if the data string is not recognizable, the system of the present invention may perform a variety of searches to return like-sounding or like-appearing suggestions to the user for selection. Once selected, that selection and the original search string are stored together relationally in memory so that later users can be offered a similar suggestion.
Upon verification of the input value, the new adaptive search input is enabled with capable affiliates for updated search with facilitation of availability for ticketing, booking, reserving and/or purchasing of amenities and/or special services and/or food/beverage. Pseudo code illustrating this includes:
Pseudo code corresponding to facilitation of operation in optional tandem with human operators includes:
Customers interact through the system via the search function, adding to the system's search capabilities through adaptive search update. Affiliate users add to the system's search capabilities via APAP. Pseudo code corresponding to dual user input (customer user and affiliate user) includes:
Pseudo code corresponding to dynamic pricing update includes:
Pseudo code corresponding to availability search utilizing inventory control system includes:
Pseudo code corresponding to availability search utilizing inventory control system includes:
Type ahead or text snippets from local expert reviews, blogs, and social media may augment search input and/or be connected to a referenced item via a search and purchase booking search link. Accordingly, customer users can copy and paste terms they find online or through the expert/social news updates feature of server 100 into search to recall travel tips or recommendations. Content supporting this feature can be obtained by SOC interface 139's crawling of SOC services 149 and storage of terms as artifacts in the database.
In one embodiment, type ahead and text snippets for augmenting search maybe sourced from expert reviews, which are uploaded and associated to an artifact. Accordingly, search results might include one or more reviews and associated artifacts. A customer viewing a review would be provided a search and purchase “Booking Button” within the review text that would bring the customer to the exact item (amenity, special service, food or beverage, or accommodation) for Booking.
Referring to
Asset management dashboard 410 is both a front-end user-interface and a back-end artifact integration tool. Affiliates utilize this dashboard to upload and manage their artifact assets (referred to as Items when considering customer users) in order to render a searchable profile on the system. This dashboard 410 retains a hierarchy of administrator access between affiliates and our systems computerized systems coupled with human operator maintenance.
Affiliates may also have the opportunity to upload and manage contract documents such as terms and conditions associated with an accommodation and/or feature, which must be accepted by a customer upon booking that item. Such documents may be presented to or available to customers prior to purchase or check-out.
Inventory control system 420 is a system that works in tandem with asset management dashboard 410. Here, algorithms process items as artifacts, such as “features,” in order to segment the items within the databases, thereby enabling artifacts to be available via search input. This feature is both manually driven and dynamically according to supply and demand by means of price control. More specifically, affiliates can log-on and upload/manage specific artifacts to the inventory control system via the APAP 122. In addition, affiliates can also enable real-time dynamic upload/managing of their artifacts between their own systems and the inventory control system. With a dynamic connection, the inventory control system is updated automatically whenever changes occur within the affiliate systems once artifacts are connected.
Referring now to
Although not shown in the figures, the present invention collects voluminous data from users. All searches are captured and stored. Consequently, the system of the present invention has the ability to identify trends and changes in user desires quickly. Such changes can, for example, identify when user demand increases or decreases either quickly or outside of a normal range. When these atypical conditions are recognized, and if they are coupled with other information, such as general location (like a portion of a city), the system of the present invention can suggest pricing changes to Affiliates such as hotels, restaurants, clubs/lounges/bars and other travel accommodation venues. For example, as demand increases in a particular locale, an Affiliate can adjust rates for unrented features upwards. And if demand drops off for a particular day or time, pricing can be reduced. Affiliates can use these price changes to, for example, inform a client base via digital notification.
Referring now to
Alternatively, a customer may access their customer user profile 826. Upon logging in, customers have the ability to recall previously interpreted data through a profile management interface. This information recall is pulled from the customer profile database.
Alternatively, a customer may access a general affiliate profiles via selection 828. The customer user has the ability to select from a variety of general affiliate profiles rendered for inquiry. The information populated on the Home/Landing Interface is managed and rendered by APAP, which enables the system to render continuous deployment of data to the interface.
From the landing page 810, a customer may use trip details engine 822 to search via: name; destination; amenity; special service or food/beverage using search input 823. In some embodiments, the “destination” input is provided by the customer device's location system 168 and may comprise the device's geolocation or detection of a proximity beacon. The data input is sourced and thereby interpreted by trip details engine 822.
A customer may also provide a date as well as a search input through selection 824. This combines ability of item search and event availability to narrow the search results provided or selected a specific item for selection. This combines inventory control search elements within the trip details engine 822.
Via times/dates selection 825, a customer user may search via item availability.
History is a subcomponent of the customer user profile 826, where the customer is able to select previous actions within the system. Session data and analytics enable the system to recall and render a historical interface to process availability of previous input(s).
Upon accessing the home/landing interface 810 or via search results rendered from trip details engine 822, a customer user has the ability to select from a variety of affiliate profiles rendered for inquiry. The selected affiliate profile is rendered by the home/landing interface or the results of input(s) produced by the trip details engine 822.
With respect to search results, affiliate profiles are rendered where item is available based on search input from trip details engine 822.
Item selection involves an interface allowing a customer user to select an intended item from search. A selected item is thereby identified to the system for the facilitation of availability for ticketing, booking, reserving and/or purchasing of features via the inventory control system for processing the transaction within the payment gateway. In the flow of one embodiment, as illustrated in
Item selection may further include an interface allowing environment configuration of the selected item. Capabilities of a selected item are uploaded and managed in the Inventory Control System via a series of input and management fields, such as seating arrangement, facilitation of equipment, lighting specifications, occupancy/capacity, catering, orientation, etc. Customers may select a configuration for a selected item or submit a request for an alternative configuration for approval (not shown).
Check-out includes an interface for customer user confirmation of intended item selection via an editable confirmation of intended purchase. Through stored session data within the systematic breadcrumb’ navigation of item selection(s) throughout the process flow, the system interacts with the payment gateway to complete the intended transaction.
Methods in accordance with the invention may follow the flow illustrated in
Referring now to
With reference to
With reference to
With reference to
Referring now to
With reference to
In an exemplary user experience flow, a user may interact with user interface 1000 as shown in
Based on the affiliate user input, the system stores the user assets as artifacts in within the inventory control system. The affiliate profile administrator profile (“APAP”) is the dashboard interface that enables both affiliate users and human operators to work in tandem to maintain affiliate profiles. The interface is maintained within the inventory control system. As affiliate assets are uploaded into the system, the data is interpreted into artifacts used to recall affiliate capabilities for product/services offerings. This system is both static and/or dynamic with affiliate systems; including the ability to work in tandem with human operators. Human operators serve a supportive function as needed.
The affiliate profile comprises dedicated representations of affiliate information data within an interface that enables users to examine and select offerings of products/services available for purchase. These are rendered via search to the customer user. The affiliate profile is produced by the system through data transfer channels exchanging affiliate assets statically and/or dynamically to APAP.
Affiliate profile general capabilities refers to affiliates common space offerings. Maintained within APAP, the system delineates capabilities between common and subordinate spaces. Subordinate capabilities refers to affiliates private space offerings.
The hotel images section 2720 attributes images, e.g., photo 2729, to the bookable/reservable/purchasable food & beverage, amenities and/or special services through a sub-interface (not shown) that enables dynamically priced features coupled by availability. Affiliate users may click add 2722, enter a feature into box 2724 and select its category with check box selections 2726, 2727 and 2728. Both sections may provide searchable features to users. Breadcrumb indicator 2750 permits the user to see progression of the process and return to previous steps and screens.
The room types section 2820 attributes images to the bookable/reservable/purchasable food & beverage, amenities and/or special services through a sub-interface (not shown) that enables dynamically priced features coupled by availability. Room photos such as photo 2829 may be added and room details may be added, deleted or updated using controls area 2824. Both sections provide searchable features to users. Breadcrumb indicator 2850 permits the user to see progression of the process and return to previous steps and screens.
In another embodiment, a module interface can be placed or embedded within an affiliate and/or vendor site and/or displayable on a customer device providing for search, availability and purchase of features such as amenities and/or special services and/or food/beverage. The module interface may also handle a booking query for a desired room configuration through the network gateway, with said external provider.
Embodiments of the present invention may interface with affiliates' general inventory and/or sales/revenue modules by enabling import of data to the APAP. For example, comma separated value (CSV) format files from small hotels or travel affiliates may categorize their inventory in simple tables (e.g., room types in rows and days of the week in columns—allowing pricing to be different according to supply and demand). Affiliates can maintain these tables feature with a spreadsheet program, export the data and then utilize the system's upload>export feature to populate APAP's input forms with the rows (e.g., rooms, items, amenities, services, food and beverages; tables) and columns (e.g., days of the week). Pricing may change across the week via ADR (Average Daily Rate) for any category (e.g., rooms, items, amenities, services, food and beverage) as well as within finer granularities such as time bands during a particular 24-hour period. See
Referring next to
Stored in the respective memories 2950, 3050 are several components that are executable by the processors 2955, 3055. In particular, stored in the memory 2950 of the server 100 are booking module 2920, affiliate profile administrator module 2922, payment module 2932, GDS module 2934, PMS module 2936, CRM module 2937, CRS module 2938 and data store 116. Stored in the memory 3050 of the customer device 160 may be the customer application 162 and other data and applications. It is understood that there may be other applications that are stored in the memories 2950, 3050 and are executable by the respective processors 2955, 3055 as can be appreciated. Where any component discussed herein is implemented in the form of software, it may be in the respective machine code of processor 2955, 3055 or based upon a source programming language such as, for example, C, C++, Java, Java Script, Perl, PHP, Python, Flash, and/or other programming languages.
A number of software components are stored in the respective memories 2950, 3050 and are executable by the respective processors 2955, 3055. In this respect, the term “executable” means a program file that is in a form that can ultimately be run by the processors 2955, 3055. Examples of executable programs may be, for example, a compiled program that can be translated into machine code in a format that can be loaded into a random access portion of the memory 2950, 3050 and run by a respective processor 2955, 3055, source code that may be expressed in proper format such as object code that is capable of being loaded into a random access portion of the memory 2950, 3050 and executed by a processor 2955, 3055, or source code that may be interpreted by another executable program to generate instructions in a random access portion of the memory 2950, 3050 to be executed by a processor 2955, 3055, etc. An executable program may be stored in any portion or component of the memory 2950, 3050 including, for example, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard drive, solid-state drive, USB flash drive, memory card, optical disc such as compact disc (CD) or digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk, magnetic tape, or other memory components.
The memory 2950, 3050 is defined herein as both volatile and nonvolatile memory and data storage components. Volatile components are those that do not retain data values upon loss of power. Nonvolatile components are those that retain data upon a loss of power. Thus, the memory 2950, 3050 may comprise, for example, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard disk drives, solid-state drives, USB flash drives, memory cards accessed via a memory card reader, floppy disks accessed via an associated floppy disk drive, optical discs accessed via an optical disc drive, magnetic tapes accessed via an appropriate tape drive, and/or other memory components, or a combination of any two or more of these memory components. In addition, the RAM may comprise, for example, static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), or magnetic random access memory (MRAM) and other such devices. The ROM may comprise, for example, a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or other like memory device. Although described herein as a single memory and a single processor, it should be recognized that both distributed memory and distributed processing are encompassed in the present invention. Such distributed memory may be distributed in any of several known ways, such as but not limited to distributed by type of data or distributed across a plurality of data stores housed in different locations. Similarly, distributed processing includes any of several known ways including but not limited to processor arrays and a plurality of different processors located in different locations performing different types of functions.
In addition, the processor 2955, 3055 may represent multiple processors and the memory 2950, 3050 may represent multiple memories that operate in parallel. In such a case, the local interface 2960, 3060 may be an appropriate network that facilitates communication between any two of the multiple processors, between any processor and any one of the memories, or between any two of the memories etc. The local interface 2960, 3060 may comprise additional systems designed to coordinate this communication, including, for example, performing load balancing. The processor 2955, 3055 may be of electronic or of some other available construction.
It can be appreciated that affiliate device 180, shown in
In one embodiment of the present invention, unmatched queries are treated and operated on extensively, typically using machine learning, to update, reconfigure, and/or restructure a database.
As queries return matching characteristics, (also referred to herein as “artifacts”) those characteristics are used for searching existing databases and data stores of the present invention for those characteristics, perhaps together with query content, and associations may be made in the database or data store usable later in subsequent searches. For example, if a match returns a term which also happens to appears as a field or in an entry, the database or data store appropriately is altered by adding this term (or a variation thereof) and/or relationship in the database or datastore. Similarly, if an event transpires where a particular facility can be determined to have new uses, including uses assigned to other facilities, the database and/or data stores can be adapted to reflect the additional usages for those facilities and, through machine learning, have other facilities in the database or data stores similarly adjusted to reflect such usages. In at least some cases, this may require the database and/or data stores to be reconfigured or restructured to reflect such improvements.
As queries relative to terms, artifacts, or characteristics, such as related to utility, are returned as either unmatched or partially matched, the present invention seeks to find a match and have the match entered relationally to one or more databases or data stores for real-time and later look ups. To do so, the present invention, at least in part, uses machine learning, such as but not limited to beginning with initiating web-based searches, digital or otherwise, to identify an association between the content of the query request and existing material in the databases or datastores. Such a correlation might be literal, of similar or identical meaning, homophonic, or it might be similar in root, as examples. As connections are made, the present invention stores such connections, potentially together with similar entries (e.g., synonyms or homonyms, or non-textual) for machine learning, thereby concurrently building a depository of connections for reference. Also, as connections are made, the determined resolution to achieve the correlation is added to the machine learning algorithm and to both the appropriate database and/or data store plus the depository. In at least some cases, the added material to the database or data stores may be non-textual, such as an image or sound. In other words, the storage is not limited to a single term but rather machine-determined variations as well.
The more frequent these situations exist, the more comprehensive is the machine learning. That is, the machine learning algorithm grows over time, as does the depository. To the extent that a connection is determined, the present invention further searches its databases and data stores, together with its machine learning depository, to identify and establish relationships with existing entries in its databases and data stores and how those relationships should be maintained. In some cases, new entries can be included in a previously-structured database or data store, but in other cases, new fields in the databases and data stores can be established, such that the new fields are relationally established to existing entries and/or existing fields. Such additions may result in limited reconfiguration of a database to accommodate the new entries or fields. In other cases (or in addition to the aforementioned cases), the machine learning portion of the present invention can result in the entire database or datastore to be reconfigured or restructured for creation of both the new entry or entries but also to match them to existing entries.
In this embodiment, unmatched queries are effectively matched to new entries of fields through use of one or more growing algorithms developed on-goingly based at least on how results are achieved.
Although various systems and applications mentioned above may be depicted as being embodied in software or code executed by general purpose hardware such as processor-based systems as discussed above, as an alternative the same may also be embodied in dedicated hardware or a combination of software/general purpose hardware and dedicated hardware. If embodied in dedicated hardware, such systems and applications can be implemented as a circuit or state machine that employs any one of or a combination of a number of technologies. These technologies may include, but are not limited to, discrete logic circuits having logic gates for implementing various logic functions upon an application of one or more data signals, application specific integrated circuits having appropriate logic gates, programmable circuits such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or other components, etc.
Although the flowcharts of
Also, where various systems and applications described herein comprise software or code, each can be embodied in any tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system such as, for example, a processor in a computer system or other system. In this sense, such systems or applications may comprise, for example, statements including instructions and declarations that can be fetched from the computer-readable medium and executed by the instruction execution system. In the context of the present disclosure, a “computer-readable medium” can be any tangible, non-transitory medium that can contain, store, or maintain the above-described systems and applications for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system. The computer readable medium can comprise any one of many physical media such as, for example, electronic, magnetic, optical, or semiconductor media. More specific examples of a suitable computer-readable medium would include, but are not limited to, magnetic tapes, magnetic floppy diskettes, magnetic hard drives, memory cards, solid-state drives, Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drives, or optical discs. Also, the computer-readable medium may be a random access memory (RAM) including, for example, static random access memory (SRAM) and dynamic random access memory (DRAM), or magnetic random access memory (MRAM). In addition, the computer-readable medium may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or other type of memory device.
It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure are merely possible examples of implementations set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the disclosure. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiment(s) without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the disclosure. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and protected by the claims.
The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/947,095, now pending, which is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/021,386, filed on Mar. 11, 2016 and now allowed as U.S. Pat. No. 10,719,896, which is a national phase application of PCT/US2014/055717, filed on Sep. 15, 2014 and now expired, which claims priority to all of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/877,941 filed on Sep. 13, 2013 and now expired, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/936,869 filed on Feb. 6, 2014 and now expired, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/992,714 filed on May 13, 2014 and now expired. This application claims priority to all of the above, all of which is incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61877941 | Sep 2013 | US | |
| 61936869 | Feb 2014 | US | |
| 61992714 | May 2014 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
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| Parent | 16947095 | Jul 2020 | US |
| Child | 18484107 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
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| Parent | 15021386 | Mar 2016 | US |
| Child | 16947095 | US |
