System and method for matching an offer with a quote
US7272568B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 25, 2000 |
| Grant date | Sep 18, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 4, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06Q50/188
- WIPO fieldIT methods for management
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Described is a system and method for matching a customer's offer for travel services with quotes from providers of those travel services in a way that allows the providers to negotiate preferential treatment. An online travel service exchanger receives an offer from a customer for travel services, such as airfare. The online travel service exchanger attempts to satisfy the customer's offer by retrieving from a global distribution system one or more quotes for the identified travel services. Rather than merely requesting quotes from randomly selected airlines, the online travel service exchanger first requests quotes from one preferred airline at a time in descending order of preference until the offer is satisfied. If no preferred airline satisfies the offer, the online travel service exchanger may request quotes from a group of non-preferred airlines. The online travel service exchanger then satisfies, if possible, the offer with one of the quotes from the non-preferred airlines.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.