U.S. patent application number 09/734323 was filed with the patent office on 2002-06-27 for systems and methods of matching customer preferences with available options.
Invention is credited to Bastnagel, Maryann, Berk, Byron J., Burkard, Anne D., Carpenter, Michael A., Christen, Holley S., Codd, Tracey Lee, Colangelo, Paul Lee, Cox, Mitch, DeLand, Joanell U., DelPino, George, Delva, Joelle S., Elenberger, Maureen J., Elliot, Todd, Everhart-Brooks, Sharon, Ewart, Vivian D., Ferguson, Bradley, Fessenden, Timothy, Fitton, Paul, Forman, David A., Helms, Kevin, Hintz, Samuel L., Huff, Wallace C., Judy, Elizabeth K., Klotz, Irwin D., Kurk, Courtney W. T., Leslie, Keith J., Levy, Sandi B., Locicero, Fred, Loiselle, Vance M., Luna, Charlotte A., Moorhead, Timothy M., Nickerson, Jeffrey A., Porter, Nancy, Quintana, Adolf, Reynolds, Karen J., Rodriguez, Elena M., Scanlon, Monica, Schiff, Martin R., Sherota, Michael T., Sussman-Wiles, Kathleen M., Tolle, Dot.
Application Number | 20020082877 09/734323 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 22613292 |
Filed Date | 2002-06-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020082877 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Schiff, Martin R. ; et
al. |
June 27, 2002 |
Systems and methods of matching customer preferences with available
options
Abstract
The present invention relates to systems and methods for
matching customer preferences with available options determining
customer needs which may be used for the purpose of facilitating
the cruise selling and booking process. The cruise selling and
booking system is designed to store customer information and
preferences and use the information to query available cruise
options. The results of the query represent optimized cruise
selections for which the customer will be well suited. The user
quickly accesses relevant cruise package and pricing information
which may be used for detailed comparisons between individual
cruise packages.
Inventors: |
Schiff, Martin R.; (Coral
Springs, FL) ; Sussman-Wiles, Kathleen M.; (Miami
Beach, FL) ; Ewart, Vivian D.; (Davie, FL) ;
Huff, Wallace C.; (Dresser, WI) ; Berk, Byron J.;
(Northborough, MA) ; Elenberger, Maureen J.;
(Concord, MA) ; Fessenden, Timothy; (Waltham,
MA) ; Fitton, Paul; (Hollis, NH) ; Loiselle,
Vance M.; (Bolton, MA) ; Carpenter, Michael A.;
(Loxahatchee, FL) ; Sherota, Michael T.; (Davie,
FL) ; Judy, Elizabeth K.; (Marina Del Rey, CA)
; Rodriguez, Elena M.; (Miami, FL) ; Christen,
Holley S.; (Syracuse, NY) ; Cox, Mitch;
(Orlando, FL) ; Elliot, Todd; (Orlando, FL)
; Helms, Kevin; (Orlando, FL) ; Quintana,
Adolf; (Orlando, FL) ; Tolle, Dot;
(Casselberry, FL) ; Porter, Nancy; (St. Cloud,
FL) ; Reynolds, Karen J.; (Orlando, FL) ;
Scanlon, Monica; (New York, NY) ; Colangelo, Paul
Lee; (Airmont, NY) ; Codd, Tracey Lee;
(Charlotte, FL) ; DeLand, Joanell U.; (Clay,
NY) ; Moorhead, Timothy M.; (Syracuse, NY) ;
Burkard, Anne D.; (Delray Beach, FL) ; DelPino,
George; (Coral Springs, FL) ; Delva, Joelle S.;
(Miami, FL) ; Everhart-Brooks, Sharon; (Boca
Raton, FL) ; Ferguson, Bradley; (Boca Raton, FL)
; Forman, David A.; (Deerfield Beach, FL) ; Hintz,
Samuel L.; (Coral Springs, FL) ; Klotz, Irwin D.;
(Boca Raton, FL) ; Kurk, Courtney W. T.; (Miami
Beach, FL) ; Leslie, Keith J.; (Plantation, FL)
; Levy, Sandi B.; (Deerfield Beach, FL) ;
Locicero, Fred; (Smithtown, NY) ; Luna, Charlotte
A.; (Boca Raton, FL) ; Nickerson, Jeffrey A.;
(Coconut Creek, FL) ; Bastnagel, Maryann;
(Rockville, MD) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KNOBBE MARTENS OLSON & BEAR LLP
620 NEWPORT CENTER DRIVE
SIXTEENTH FLOOR
NEWPORT BEACH
CA
92660
US
|
Family ID: |
22613292 |
Appl. No.: |
09/734323 |
Filed: |
December 1, 2000 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60168871 |
Dec 3, 1999 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
705/5 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/06 20130101;
G06Q 30/02 20130101; G06Q 30/0607 20130101; G06Q 30/0283 20130101;
G06Q 50/14 20130101; G06Q 30/0241 20130101; G06Q 10/02
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/5 |
International
Class: |
G06F 017/60 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method for selecting cruise sailings among a plurality of
cruise packages utilizing a cruise web server environment to
electronically communicate via a data communications network with a
plurality of remote users using web browser programs, the method
comprising: providing an electronic cruise sailing database wherein
the electronic cruise sailing database includes detailed
information about a plurality of cruise sailings for a plurality of
cruise lines; receiving a set of customer preferences from a remote
user's web browser; searching the electronic cruise sailing
database for a subset of the cruise sailings that correspond to the
set of customer preferences; and returning the subset of the cruise
sailings to the remote user's web browser for display as an
electronic document.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: formatting the subset
of the cruise sailings in a table format.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein searching the electronic cruise
sailing database includes formulating a query to search for exact
matches.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein searching the electronic cruise
sailing database includes formulating a query to search for close
matches.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein searching the electronic cruise
sailing database includes formulating a query to search for exact
matches and close matches.
6. A cruise qualification system for managing and suggesting cruise
sailing data implemented in a web server environment wherein a
plurality of remote users using web browser programs electronically
communicate with the cruise qualification system via a data
communications network, the cruise qualification system comprising:
an electronic cruise sailing database of cruise sailing data
wherein the cruise sailing data includes data for at least two
cruise lines; a customer query program module configured to send
and receive queries to a user, wherein the queries include cruise
preference data; and a cruise sailing search program module
configured to search the electronic cruise sailing database for
cruise sailing data that corresponds to the cruise preference
data.
7. The cruise qualification system of claim 6, further comprising a
cruise data presentation program module configured to present the
cruise sailing data that corresponds to the preference data, where
in the cruise sailing data is presented in the form of an
electronic document.
8. The cruise qualification system of claim 6, wherein the cruise
sailing data that corresponds to the cruise preference data
includes exact matches.
9. The cruise qualification system of claim 6, wherein the cruise
sailing data that corresponds to the cruise preference data
includes close matches.
10. The cruise qualification system of claim 6, wherein the cruise
sailing data that corresponds to the cruise preference data
includes exact matches and close matches.
11. The cruise qualification system of claim 6, further comprising
an electronic customer database of customer data, wherein the
cruise preference data includes at least a portion of the customer
data.
12. The cruise qualification system of claim 6, wherein the cruise
sailing search program module is further configured to search
electronic the cruise sailing database for data that corresponds to
a customer's stored data.
13. A method for searching a cruise sailing and booking system for
cruise sailing data using a web browser program to electronically
communicate with a remote cruise web server via a data
communications network, the method comprising: submitting cruise
preference data to the remote cruise web server, wherein the cruise
preference data designates at least one of preferred sailing dates,
preferred sailing length, preferred destination, and preferred
sailing port; and receiving from the remote cruise web server a set
of cruise sailing data that matches or closely matches at least a
portion of the cruise preference data, wherein the set of cruise
sailing data is retrieved from an electronic cruise sailing
database of cruise sailing data for a plurality of cruise
lines.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising selecting at least
one of the set of cruise sailing data for additional detailed
information.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein the cruise sailing data
includes at least one of itinerary information, cabin availability,
and pricing information.
16. The method of claim 13, wherein the set of cruise sailing data
is retrieved based in part on customer information in the cruise
preference data.
17. A method for selecting cruise package information utilizing a
cruise web server environment to electronically communicate via a
data communications network with a plurality of remote users using
web browser programs, the method comprising: receiving a range of
search criteria from a remote user's web browser program; obtaining
cruise package information for a plurality of cruise lines that
relates to the range of search criteria from an electronic database
of cruise line data; and outputting the cruise package information
to the remote user's web browser for display in an electronic
document.
18. In a network comprising a user node having a browser program
coupled to the network, the user node providing request for
information on the network, a network node comprising: a cruise
booking node responsive to a request to obtain cruise package
information from the user node that relates to a range of search
criteria received from said user node, wherein the cruise package
information includes information from at least two cruise
lines.
19. The network mode of claim 18, further comprising a cruise line
database configured to store the cruise package and pricing
information for the at least two cruise lines.
20. A cruise selling system for selecting cruise package
information implemented in a web server system wherein a plurality
of remote users communicate via a data communications network with
the cruise selling system using web browser programs, the cruise
selling system comprising: an electronic database of cruise pricing
information wherein the cruise pricing information comprises
information from different cruise lines; a software module
programmed to receive a range of search criteria; a software module
programmed to obtain cruise price information from the electronic
database related to the range of search criteria; and a software
module programmed to output cruise package information.
21. A system for finding cruise package information that
corresponds to a user's preferences implemented in conjunction with
a web browser program wherein the web browser program communicates
with a remote cruise web server system via a data communications
network, the system comprising: a user preference programming
module configured to send a set of user preferences to the remote
cruise web server system; and a display programming module
configured to receive a display of cruise package and pricing
information corresponding to the set of user preferences.
22. The system of claim 21, wherein the cruise package and pricing
information also corresponds in part to customer profile
information stored in an electronic customer database of the remote
cruise web server system.
23. The system of claim 21, wherein the set of user preferences
includes at least one of number of passengers per cabin, travel
date, travel region, cruise line, cruise ship, and departure
date.
24. The system of claim 21, wherein the system communicates with
the remote cruise web server system using standard web based
protocols.
25. A method for selecting cruise sailings among a plurality of
cruise packages utilizing a cruise web server environment to
electronically communicate via a data communications network with a
plurality of remote users using web browser programs, the method
comprising: means for providing an electronic cruise sailing
database wherein the electronic cruise sailing database includes
detailed information about a plurality of cruise sailings for a
plurality of cruise lines; means for receiving a set of customer
preferences from a remote user's web browser; means for searching
the electronic cruise sailing database for a subset of the cruise
sailings that correspond to the set of customer preferences; and
means returning the subset of the cruise sailings to the remote
user's web browser for display as an electronic document.
26. A method for searching a cruise sailing and booking system for
cruise sailing data using a web browser program to electronically
communicate with a remote cruise web server via a data
communications network, the method comprising: means for submitting
cruise preference data to the remote cruise web server, wherein the
cruise preference data designates at least one of preferred sailing
dates, preferred sailing length, preferred destination, and
preferred sailing port; and means for receiving from the remote
cruise web server a set of cruise sailing data that matches or
closely matches at least a portion of the cruise preference data,
wherein the set of cruise sailing data is retrieved from an
electronic cruise sailing database of cruise sailing data for a
plurality of cruise lines.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 60/168,871 filed Dec. 3, 1999, the disclosure of
which is hereby incorporated by reference. In addition, this
application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application
filed concurrently and entitled "SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF ON-LINE
BOOKING OF CRUISES," internal reference number TRAVL.002A, which is
hereby incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present systems and methods relate to on-line booking of
cruises and in particular concern applications designed to
facilitate cruise booking and streamline the cruise selection
process among a variety of available cruise packages.
BACKGROUND
[0003] The growth of the cruise industry has created an increase in
the number of passenger cruise lines that sail each year. Each
cruise line offers a variety of cruise packages, and the cruise
packages vary depending on destination, sailing date, cruise ship,
cabin category, excursions, special discounts, and so forth. While
such variety offers great selection to potential customers, finding
the cruise package that best fits the customer's budget and
preferences is often a difficult task. As a result, travel agents
spend large amounts of time and energy researching and booking
cruises for customers.
[0004] Conventional approaches in the cruise industry fail to
provide the travel agent with an integrated collection of tools
capable of effectively managing the large number of available
cruises. In many instances, there are more choices and options
available than an agent has time to thoroughly describe.
Additionally, the customer may become distracted by the quantity of
information from all of the available cruises so as to make it
difficult for the customer to select a cruise which best meets his
needs. These problems create inefficiency in the cruise industry
and affect both travel agents and customers alike.
[0005] Customers often seek the advice and guidance of travel
agents to provide them with a variety of different cruises and
available options, while at the same time, they rely on the travel
agent to help limit the number of cruises that they must review.
This reliance places a significant burden of responsibility upon
the travel agent who is required to be knowledgeable about both the
customer's preferences as well as the available cruises. The travel
agent is then faced with the daunting task of matching a customer
with a set of cruises that meet the customer's preferences. In
addition, the agent must be ready to present these choices to the
customer in a timely manner.
[0006] Conventional approaches to solving this problem in the
cruise industry often lead to less than optimal results and do not
provide the customer with a comprehensive set of available cruises.
Because a travel agent is limited in the amount of time he can
spend with each customer, a travel agent may only provide the
customer with cruise choices with which the travel agent is most
familiar. This limitation is a disservice to the customer as
alternative choices may be available of which the travel agent is
unaware or does not have time to find.
[0007] An additional problem is that travel agents spend large
amounts of time determining the preferences of each individual
customer, finding cruise packages that meets the customer's needs,
and booking the cruise package. A travel agent spends, on average,
well over one hour with each customer manually sifting through
piles of paper documentation and is constantly on the phone with
cruise lines to get current information, such as availability and
pricing.
[0008] Another common problem relates to the varied pricing and
cabin availability of cruise sailings. For each cruise sailing,
there are typically a wide variety of pricings, luxury levels,
features, and/or available activities. This complexity is further
compounded by numerous special offers, discounts, group rates, and
restrictions which may apply to the cruise sailing. As a result, a
travel agent may encounter difficulty in obtaining the best price
and/or quality cruise for the customer unless the agent devotes an
undue amount of time to collecting customer information and
researching every possible cruise package.
[0009] Thus, conventional approaches fail to provide effective
methods for narrowing the choices of the many different cruises to
provide the customer with a consolidated, yet comprehensive, series
of cruises that are best suited for the customer. Furthermore,
conventional approaches may not adequately consider customer
preferences or eligibility when determining cruise availability. As
a result, a travel agent's efficiency is hindered when dealing with
multiple clients and may result in the non-optimal presentation of
cruises to customers affecting both the quality of the cruise
booking process experienced by the customers and the number of
customers which are serviced by the travel agent.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] One embodiment of the present invention is a method for
selecting cruise sailings among a plurality of cruise packages
utilizing a cruise web server environment to electronically
communicate via a data communications network with a plurality of
remote users using web browser programs. The method comprises
providing an electronic cruise sailing database wherein the
electronic cruise sailing database includes detailed information
about a plurality of cruise sailings for a plurality of cruise
lines and receiving a set of customer preferences from a remote
user's web browser. The method also comprises searching the
electronic cruise sailing database for a subset of the cruise
sailings that correspond to the set of customer preferences and
returning the subset of the cruise sailings to the remote user's
web browser for display as an electronic document.
[0011] Another embodiment of the present invention is a cruise
qualification system for managing and suggesting cruise sailing
data implemented in a web server environment wherein a plurality of
remote users using web browser programs electronically communicate
with the cruise qualification system via a data communications
network. The cruise qualification system comprises an electronic
cruise sailing database of cruise sailing data wherein the cruise
sailing data includes data for at least two cruise lines, a
customer query program module configured to send and receive
queries to a user, wherein the queries include cruise preference
data, and a cruise sailing search program module configured to
search the electronic cruise sailing database for cruise sailing
data that corresponds to the cruise preference data.
[0012] An additional embodiment of the present invention is a
method for searching a cruise sailing and booking system for cruise
sailing data using a web browser program to electronically
communicate with a remote cruise web server via a data
communications network. The method comprises submitting cruise
preference data to the remote cruise web server, wherein the cruise
preference data designates at least one of preferred sailing dates,
preferred sailing length, preferred destination, and preferred
sailing port and receiving from the remote cruise web server a set
of cruise sailing data that matches or closely matches at least a
portion of the cruise preference data, wherein the set of cruise
sailing data is retrieved from an electronic cruise sailing
database of cruise sailing data for a plurality of cruise
lines.
[0013] Another embodiment of the present invention is a method for
selecting cruise package information utilizing a cruise web server
environment to electronically communicate via a data communications
network with a plurality of remote users using web browser
programs. The method comprises receiving a range of search criteria
from a remote user's web browser program, obtaining cruise package
information for a plurality of cruise lines that relates to the
range of search criteria from an electronic database of cruise line
data, and outputting the cruise package information to the remote
user's web browser for display in an electronic document.
[0014] An additional embodiment of the present invention is a
network node in a network comprising a user node having a browser
program coupled to the network, the user node providing request for
information on the network. The network node comprises a cruise
booking node responsive to a request to obtain cruise package
information from the user node that relates to a range of search
criteria received from said user node, wherein the cruise package
information includes information from at least two cruise
lines.
[0015] Another embodiment of the present invention is a cruise
selling system for selecting cruise package information implemented
in a web server system wherein a plurality of remote users
communicate via a data communications network with the cruise
selling system using web browser programs. The cruise selling
system comprises an electronic database of cruise pricing
information wherein the cruise pricing information comprises
information from different cruise lines and a software module
programmed to receive a range of search criteria. The cruise
selling system also comprises a software module programmed to
obtain cruise price information from the electronic database
related to the range of search criteria and a software module
programmed to output cruise package information.
[0016] An additional embodiment of the present invention is a
system for finding cruise package information that corresponds to a
user's preferences implemented in conjunction with a web browser
program wherein the web browser program communicates with a remote
cruise web server system via a data communications network. The
system comprises a user preference programming module configured to
send a set of user preferences to the remote cruise web server
system and a display programming module configured to receive a
display of cruise package and pricing information corresponding to
the set of user preferences.
[0017] Another embodiment of the present invention is a method for
selecting cruise sailings among a plurality of cruise packages
utilizing a cruise web server environment to electronically
communicate via a data communications network with a plurality of
remote users using web browser programs. The method comprises means
for providing an electronic cruise sailing database wherein the
electronic cruise sailing database includes detailed information
about a plurality of cruise sailings for a plurality of cruise
lines and means for receiving a set of customer preferences from a
remote user's web browser. The method also comprises means for
searching the electronic cruise sailing database for a subset of
the cruise sailings that correspond to the set of customer
preferences and means returning the subset of the cruise sailings
to the remote user's web browser for display as an electronic
document.
[0018] An additional embodiment of the present invention is a
method for searching a cruise sailing and booking system for cruise
sailing data using a web browser program to electronically
communicate with a remote cruise web server via a data
communications network. The method comprises means for submitting
cruise preference data to the remote cruise web server, wherein the
cruise preference data designates at least one of preferred sailing
dates, preferred sailing length, preferred destination, and
preferred sailing port and means for receiving from the remote
cruise web server a set of cruise sailing data that matches or
closely matches at least a portion of the cruise preference data,
wherein the set of cruise sailing data is retrieved from an
electronic cruise sailing database of cruise sailing data for a
plurality of cruise lines.
[0019] For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects,
advantages, and novel features of the invention are described
herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such
advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular
embodiment of the invention. Those skilled in the art will
recognize that the invention may be embodied or carried out in a
manner that achieves one advantage or group of advantages as taught
herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be
taught or suggested herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0020] These and other features will now be described with
reference to the drawings summarized below. These drawings and the
associated description are provided to illustrate embodiments of
the invention and not to limit the scope of the invention.
Throughout the drawings, reference numbers are re-used to indicate
correspondence between referenced elements. In addition, the first
digit of each reference number indicates the figure in which the
element first appears.
[0021] FIG. 1 illustrates a high-level block diagram of one
embodiment of the present invention.
[0022] FIG. 2A illustrates a high-level block diagram of one
embodiment of the present invention.
[0023] FIG. 2B illustrates a high-level block diagram of an
additional embodiment of the present invention.
[0024] FIG. 3A illustrates a high-level block diagram of one
embodiment of the present invention.
[0025] FIG. 3B illustrates a high-level block diagram of an
additional embodiment of the present invention.
[0026] FIG. 4 illustrates a high-level block diagram of one
embodiment of a qualification module.
[0027] FIG. 5 illustrates a flow chart of one embodiment of
employing a customer information acquisition process during
customer qualification.
[0028] FIG. 6 illustrates a flow chart of one embodiment of
employing a pre-qualification process during customer
qualification.
[0029] FIG. 7 illustrates a flow chart of one embodiment of
employing a qualification query process during customer
qualification.
[0030] FIG. 9 illustrates one embodiment of a qualification
display.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0031] Systems and methods which represent various embodiments and
example applications of the invention will now be described with
reference to the drawings. Variations to the systems and methods
which represent other embodiments will also be described. In one
disclosed embodiment, the systems and methods are used to match a
customer's preferences with a variety of options and are described
in the context of a cruise selling and booking system. The
inventors contemplate that the present invention is not limited by
the type of environment in which the determination of the
customer's preferences is made, and that other types of
environments may be used, such as, for example, a real estate
system, an airline travel system, a car rental system, a car sales
system, and so forth. The figures and descriptions, however, relate
to embodiments of the invention wherein the determination is made
for a customer or agent desiring to narrow a list of available
cruise choices to those cruises which are most appropriate for the
customer.
[0032] The present invention relates to a systems and methods for
matching a customer's preferences with a variety of options for the
purpose of facilitating the cruise booking process. More
specifically, large quantities of cruise information, which may
comprise information describing hundreds, if not thousands, of
cruises from various cruise lines are processed to produce a
refined subset of cruise information and is herein referred to as
customer qualification.
[0033] Customer qualification provides the customer and/or agent
with refined cruise information which better reflects cruises which
will likely be of interest to the customer and reduces and/or
excludes inappropriate or extraneous cruise information. Using the
systems and methods described herein, a travel agent may better
service customers in a more efficient manner, thereby reducing the
time required to research appropriate cruise information, providing
additional, detailed cruise information based on customer
preferences, and creating a comprehensive summary relating to the
available cruises. The customer benefits from the aforementioned
systems and methods by the increased speed and ease of the cruise
selling and booking transaction as well as the narrowing of the
possible cruise choices to those that are likely to be most
appropriate for the customer. In some instances, the cruise
information refinement process results in the customer's ability to
book a higher quality or more luxurious cruise which might have
been otherwise overlooked using conventional methods of cruise
selling and booking.
[0034] In one embodiment, these features are integrated into a
cruise selling and booking system that automatically manages the
administrative tasks used to determine the customer needs and
preferences. Furthermore, the cruise selling and booking system
includes searching and matching functionality to determine which
cruises best meet with the criteria set forth by the customer
preferences. Additionally, the cruise selling and booking system
includes functions to provide a refined subset of available cruise
information wherein the cruise information is directed towards the
customer needs and preferences. It is recognized, however, that in
other embodiments, the processes designed to determine customer
needs may be integrated into other types of systems.
[0035] One benefit of one embodiment is that customer qualification
facilitates the cruise selling and booking process wherein a
customer may compare available cruise options and book a cruise
based on detailed and up-to-date information. More specifically,
customer qualification provides a flexible method to assess
customer attributes and incorporate these attributes into a search
query which returns a subset of results likely to be of interest to
the customer. By breaking down the query into subsets of query
information, important questions may be answered which may include,
for example, how much the customer can afford, what kinds of
activities the customer enjoys, the type of cruise which will
satisfy the customer, and the level of luxury the customer desires.
Furthermore, customer qualification helps to ensure that the travel
agent is provided with sufficient information to find and present
potential cruises that will suit the customer.
[0036] Another benefit of one embodiment is that customer
qualification may serve as a preliminary screening aid to
facilitate pricing comparisons. By removing cruises which do not
meet a customer's needs, customer qualification narrows the choices
presented to the customer so as to speed up the decision making
process. The customer is presented with the best options from a
large quantity of available cruises. In another aspect, by using
the qualification process to funnel through the often large amounts
of cruise information in a short period of time, both the travel
agent and customer benefit by reducing the time spent assessing
non-optimal cruise information and improving the booking experience
of the customer.
[0037] An additional benefit of one embodiment is that the customer
is able to find and book cruises in a more efficient manner saving
the user time. The cruise selling and booking system provides a
tool for readily accessing up-to-date, accurate cruise information
without spending the large amount of time often required when
telephoning the cruise lines one-by-one to collect cruise
information and to book a cruise.
[0038] I. Overview
[0039] In one embodiment, the systems and methods may be used in
the context of a cruise selling and booking system 110. FIG. 1
illustrates the cruise selling and booking system 110 of one
embodiment wherein a plurality of customers, agents, and cruise
lines interact with the cruise selling and booking system 110 via
communication mediums 120. Cruise lines may interact directly with
the cruise selling and booking system 110 and/or via a cruise line
interface system 130 that stores information for one or more cruise
lines. The cruise selling and booking system 110, in the
illustrated embodiment, provides an interactive tool for compiling,
reviewing, and processing information obtained from the cruise
lines, customers, and agents. The customer is presented with
information about various cruises packages and may book a cruise
package utilizing the components of the cruise selling and booking
system 110 through interaction with an agent.
[0040] In one embodiment, systems and methods for determining
customer needs through customer qualification may commence with a
customer interacting with an agent who has the expertise and
resources to efficiently assist the customer through the cruise
selling and booking process as illustrated in FIG. 2A.
[0041] Using the agent computer 240, the agent accesses the
components of the cruise selling and booking system 110 to find
information about the customer, to provide the customer with
information about cruise sailings from the cruise line database
234, and to book cruise packages as desired by the customer.
Additionally, the agent may collect and store information about the
customer in the customer database 232 and may further access
resources of the agent database 238. In one embodiment, the agent
database 238 stores information relating to the agents and their
customers allowing the agents to better manage customer
communication, scheduling, and interactions.
[0042] In one embodiment, a customer may also access the cruise
selling and booking system 110 without necessarily interacting with
an agent as illustrated in FIG. 2B. For example, a customer may
connect to the cruise selling and booking system 110 via a web
based service by utilizing a standard web browser on his own
computer to connect to the cruise selling and booking system 110
web page. In one embodiment, should the customer desire the
assistance of an agent, the cruise selling and booking system 110
may store the information entered by the customer in the database
collection 230. An agent with access to the cruise selling and
booking system 110 may subsequently retrieve the information. This
feature provides improved customer/agent interactivity by saving
the customers from repeating information previously stored in the
cruise selling and booking system 110 to each agent with whom they
interact. As it is recognized that both customers and agents may
access the cruise selling and booking system 110, the term "users"
will be used herein to refer to customers and/or agents.
[0043] In one embodiment, the qualification process is used to
select a subset of cruise information from a large number of
available cruise sailings and to reduce the complexity of
information and choices typically associated with each cruise
sailing. The refinement of cruise information is useful in that it
narrows the number of cruise booking choices that are presented to
the customer. Furthermore, the qualification process may improve
the percentage of customers who book cruises and help ensure that
customers are satisfied with their selection by knowing that their
choice was made from a comprehensive set of cruise choices and
options.
[0044] In one embodiment, the cruise selling and booking system 110
recognizes the refinement of cruise information through the
customer qualification process. The cruise selling and booking
system 110 may implement qualification through a series of steps
which progressively refine the selection criteria for available
cruises. Functionality for qualification using stored customer
information in the cruise selling and booking system 110 and/or
newly entered customer information provides flexibility in the
manner in which the qualification process is performed. The
customer information used in the qualification process may comprise
customer preferences, personal information, and other information
useful in narrowing the search criteria for acceptable cruises.
Additionally, the cruise selling and booking system 110 may use the
information gathered by customer qualification processes to
identify cruises or packages with special eligibility requirements
which might be otherwise overlooked or unknown by either the travel
agent or the customer.
[0045] Customer qualification improves the efficiency with which
the customer is serviced by providing a comprehensive search of
available cruises and narrowing the number of cruises which must be
compared. The narrowing process limits or eliminates cruises which
do not match the criteria set by the customer information. Thus,
the agent may quickly provide the customer with available cruise
options which may be desirable to the customer. Another aspect of
the customer qualification process ensures that the time spent by
both the customer and the agent is focused on dealing with "viable"
cruise selections rather than complicated by sorting through a
large number of available cruises which may not be relevant or
desirable to the customer.
[0046] II. Cruise Selling and Booking System
[0047] An overview of one embodiment of a cruise selling and
booking system 110 is shown in FIG. 2A. In the exemplary system, a
customer communicates with an agent via telephone and the agent
uses a computer (hereinafter "agent computer 240") to connect to
the Internet 125 to communicate with the cruise selling and booking
system 110. While the figure illustrates communication between the
agent and customer via telephone, it is recognized that the
communication between the customer and the agent may take any of a
number of forms including in-person conversations, mailed
correspondence, email, facsimile, and so forth. Additionally, the
customer may use a computer (hereinafter "customer computer 250")
to interact with the agent through online methods which may include
email correspondence, live "chat" methods, dedicated software
programs designed to facilitate online communication, and the like.
In one embodiment, the cruise selling and booking system 110
includes a server component 210, a cruise selling and booking
component 220, and a database collection 230. In one embodiment,
the database collection 230 includes a customer database 232, a
cruise line database 234, an activity database 236, and an agent
database 238. It is recognized that the information stored in the
database collection 230 may be discretely stored in multiple
independent databases, combined in a single database, or a
combination thereof.
[0048] In one embodiment, the agents and/or customers interact with
computers to access the cruise selling and booking system 110 via
communication mediums 120.
[0049] A. Communication Mediums
[0050] The communication mediums 120 as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B
include the Internet 125. The Internet 125 is a global network of
interconnected computers capable of sending and receiving
information between one another. The structure of the Internet 125,
which is well known to those of ordinary skill in the art, includes
a network backbone comprising communications channels such as
copper wire, optical fiber, or satellite based interconnections
between numerous computers, hubs, and routers which control,
direct, and maintain information passed between computers.
Additional networks branch from the above-mentioned backbone, and
these branches, in turn, have sub-networks branching from them, and
so on. Typically, information is passed through the network in the
form of packets which are discrete pieces the information desirably
sent through the network. These packets of information are encoded
in a form interpretable by the network infrastructure and may
support features such as data compression, encryption, and error
correction to optimize the speed and efficiency by which the
information is transferred. For a more detailed description of the
structure and operation of the Internet 125, please refer to "The
Internet Complete Reference," by Harley Hahn and Rick Stout,
published by McGraw-Hill, 1994.
[0051] One popular segment of the Internet 125 is the World Wide
Web (or Web). The World Wide Web comprises many thousands of
computers which utilize the Internet 125 infrastructure to serve
and distribute information. Typically, a server system is capable
of two-way communication with other computers and can desirably
send information to other computers which request the information
or content stored on the server system. The information stored on
the server system is typically interpreted using a software package
known as a browser, which is capable of displaying graphical,
textual, audio and/or visual information.
[0052] Some of the server systems, which provide information on the
World Wide Web, are often referred to as "websites" and interact
with other computers on the World Wide Web. Generally, each website
has an associated electronic page or series of electronic pages
which the server sends to those computers requesting the
information. The requested information generally takes the form of
an electronic page (or web page) encoded in one or more specific
languages that is interpreted by the requesting computer and the
browser which it runs. Several such languages commonly used by web
servers include, but are not limited to, Hypertext Markup Language
("HTML"), JAVA, JAVA Script, Extensible Markup Language ("XML"),
Active Server Pages ("ASP"), and CGI scripting. The web page
provides the requesting computer with a document that organizes the
presentation of the information into a display using text,
graphical images, audio, and/or video. Furthermore, the computer,
on which the online document is viewed, may communicate with the
website by sending and receiving information through interface
objects such as, for example, fields, buttons, pull down menus, and
key entered commands. For a more detailed description on the World
Wide Web, please refer to "How to Set Up and Maintain a World Wide
Web Site" by Lincoln D. Stein, published by Addison-Wesley
Publishing Company, 1995.
[0053] One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the
communication mediums 120 may be advantageously be comprised of one
or more types of networks without detracting from the invention.
The communication mediums 120 may include, by way of example, local
area networks ("LANs"), wide area networks ("WANs"), public
internets, private internets, a private computer network, a secure
internet, a private network, a public network, a value-added
network, interactive television networks, wireless data
transmission networks, two-way cable networks, interactive kiosk
networks, digital subscriber lines, cable modem lines, and the
like. The disclosed invention is thus suitable for providing
connectivity through many different forms of communication mediums
120, however, it will be further discussed in the context of
connecting through the Internet 125. In addition, it is recognized
that one or more networks may be used to access the cruise selling
and booking system 110. For example, a customer may interact with
the cruise selling and booking system 110 via the Internet 125, an
agent may interact with the cruise selling and booking system 110
via a LAN, and/or the cruise lines may interact with the cruise
selling and booking system 110 via a wireless data transmission
network. In another embodiment, the customers, agents, and cruise
lines may all access the cruise selling and booking system 110 via
the Internet 125.
[0054] B. User Computer
[0055] The agent computer 240 and/or customer computer 250 ("user
computers 240, 250") shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B are devices that
allow the customer or agent to interact with cruise selling and
booking system 110 via the communication mediums 120. In one
embodiment, the user computer 240, 250 is a conventional personal
computer equipped with a modem, Ethernet card, or other component
which allows the computer to send and receive information through
the communication mediums 120. Preferably, the user computer 240,
250 runs an appropriate operating system such as the Microsoft.RTM.
Windows(.RTM. 3.1, Microsoft.RTM. Windows.RTM. 98, Microsoft.RTM.
Windows.RTM. 98 Second Edition.RTM., Microsoft.RTM. Windows.RTM.
Millennium Edition.RTM., Microsoft.RTM. Windows.RTM. NT,
Microsoft.RTM. Windows.RTM. 2000, Microsoft.RTM. Windows.RTM. CE,
PalmOS.RTM., Apple.RTM. MacOS.RTM., Linux.RTM., Solaris.RTM.,
IRIX.RTM., UNIX(.RTM., or IBM.RTM. OS/2.RTM. operating systems. As
is conventional, a preferred operating system further includes a
TCP/IP stack or other communications protocol which handles all
incoming and outgoing message traffic passed over the communication
mediums 120.
[0056] In other embodiments, the user computer 240, 250 may, for
example, be a computer workstation, a local area network of
individual computers, an interactive television, an interactive
kiosk, a personal digital assistant, an interactive wireless
communications device, cellular phone, or the like which interacts
with the communication mediums 120. While in such systems, the
operating systems may differ, the various operating systems may
continue to provide the appropriate communication protocols needed
to establish communication links with the communication mediums
120.
[0057] In one embodiment, the user computer 240, 250 utilizes
several operational modules (not shown) including a customer or
agent browser module. The browser module is a software program
which allows a consumer to access different content providers
through the communication mediums 120. In one embodiment, the
browser module is the Netscape.RTM. Navigator developed by
Netscape, Inc. or the Microsoft.RTM. Internet Explorer developed by
Microsoft Corporation. One of ordinary skill in the art, however,
will recognize that numerous other types of access software may
also be used to implement an embodiment of the present invention.
These other types of access software may, for example, include
other types of Internet browsers, custom network browsers, two-way
communications software, cable modem software, point-to-point
software, and the like.
[0058] While the agent computer 240 and customer computer 250 are
referred to as user computers 240, 250, it is recognized that the
agent computer 240 and the customer computer 250 may be implemented
using different or the same hardware and/or software.
[0059] C. Cruise Selling and Booking System
[0060] In one embodiment, the cruise selling and booking system 110
includes a server component 210, a cruise selling and booking
component 220, and a database collection 230 as illustrated in FIG.
3A.
[0061] As used herein, the words component and module refer to
logic embodied in hardware or firmware or to a collection of
software instructions, possibly having entry and exit points,
written in a programming language, such as, for example, C++,
VISUAL BASIC, JAVA, C, FORTRAN, JAVA Script, and so forth. A
software component/module may be compiled and linked into an
executable program, or installed in a dynamic link library, or may
be written in an interpretive language such as BASIC. It will be
appreciated that software components/modules may be callable from
other components or from themselves, and/or may be invoked in
response to detected events or interrupts. Software instructions
may be embedded in firmware, such as an EPROM. It will be further
appreciated that hardware components/modules may be comprised of
connected logic units, such as gates and flip-flops, and/or may be
comprised of programmable units, such as programmable gate arrays
or processors. The components described herein are preferably
implemented as software components/modules, but may be represented
in hardware or firmware.
[0062] 1. Server Component
[0063] In one embodiment, the cruise selling and booking system 110
includes a server component 210, as shown in FIG. 3A, that
interacts with the cruise selling and booking component 220 and
with the user computers 240, 250 via the communication mediums 120.
The server component 210 may be configured to process messages from
the user computer, to send requests to the cruise selling and
booking component 220, and to send response messages to the user
computer.
[0064] In one embodiment, the server component 210 is implemented
as a web server which serves content over the Internet 125 using
languages such as, the Hyper Text Markup Language ("HTML"). The web
server may accept requests from browsers, such as, for example, the
Netscape.RTM. Navigator or the Microsoft.RTM. Internet Explorer,
and return the requested document(s) to the browsers. The web
server may also utilize scripting programs, such as, for example,
CGI scripts, SSL security, and Active Server Pages ("ASP") to
provide additional functionality. A wide variety of web servers may
be used to implement the server component 210, such as, for
example, AOLserver, the Apache server, the iServer, Microsoft IIS
v5.0 server, Microsoft Site server, Netscape Enterprise server,
WebSite Pro server, Xitami server, and so forth. Furthermore, the
server component 210 may also be implemented using a variety of
other servers, such as, for example, the BlueStone Sapphire server,
the Interop server, a Netscape Server, an Oracle server, a
SilverStream server, the Sybase Enterprise Server, the WebObjects
server, and so forth. In addition, the server component 210 may be
implemented using a variety of computer systems, such as, for
example, a conventional general purpose computer using one or more
microprocessors, such as, for example, a Pentium processor, a
Pentium II processor, a Pentium Pro processor, an xx86 processor,
an 8051 processor, a MIPS processor, a Power PC processor, or an
Alpha processor, running a variety of platforms, such as, for
example, Mac OS, OpenLinux, Red Hat Linux, Sun Solaris, SGI IRIX,
Novel NetWare, Windows NT Server 4.0, and/or Windows 2000
Server.
[0065] 2. Cruise Selling and Booking Component
[0066] In one embodiment, the cruise selling and booking system 110
includes a cruise selling and booking component 220, as shown in
FIG. 3A, that interacts with the server component 210 and the
database collection 230. In other embodiments, it is recognized
that the cruise selling and booking component 220 may also interact
with external sources, such as, for example, proprietary cruise
line systems, banking/financial systems, other travel agencies,
external databases, and so forth. In one embodiment, the cruise
selling and booking component 220 processes search requests from
the server component 210, queries the database collection 230
and/or external sources for requested information, receives the
query results from the various sources, processes the results,
compiles the results into a set of data, and formats the results
for presentation to the user via the server component 210.
[0067] The exemplary cruise selling and booking component 220 of
FIG. 3A includes a cruise selling and booking process 310, a
customer module 320, a cruise module 330, and a booking module 340.
The cruise selling and booking process 310 guides the user through
searching for cruise packages and booking a selected package. The
exemplary customer module 320 includes a customer add process 322
that adds new customers to the customer database 232, a customer
search process 324 that queries the customer database 232, and a
customer update process 326 that updates an existing customer's
information. The exemplary cruise module 330 includes a cruise
information add process 332 that adds information about the cruise
lines, the cruise ships, the cruise sailings, and/or the cruise
packages to the cruise database, a cruise search process 334 that
queries the cruise database, a cruise qualification process 336
that receives a set of cruise preferences and finds cruise sailing
and/or cruise price information that matches the set of cruise
preferences, and a cruise comparison process 338 that receives
identifiers for multiple cruise sailings or packages and returns
detailed information about the identified objects in a comparison
format. The exemplary booking module 340 includes a cruise booking
process 342 that receives cruise reservation/booking information
and books the corresponding cruise package, and a cruise payment
process 344 that receives cruise payment information and forwards
the payment information to the appropriate entity.
[0068] An additional embodiment of a cruise selling and booking
component 220 is illustrated in FIG. 3B. In addition to the
customer module 320, the cruise module 330, and the booking module
340, the cruise selling and booking component 220 also includes an
agent ownership module 350 configured to track and manage agent of
record relationships, a customer qualification module 360
configured to match a customer's preferences with a variety of
cruise package options, a price comparison module 370 configured to
present the user with pricing options and to provide price matrices
of detailed pricing information, and a comparison module 380
configured to provide side-by-side comparisons of various cruise
package and pricing information.
[0069] It is recognized that in other embodiments, the cruise
selling and booking component 220 may include other processes (not
shown) that provide information from the database collection 230 as
well as other external sources.
[0070] The cruise selling and booking component 220 may be
implemented using a variety of software and hardware components.
For example, the cruise selling and booking component 220 may
include a set of electronic page documents that are written in HTML
code, ASP scripts, and so forth. As is well known in the art,
standard HTML documents are web documents wherein the structure and
layout are defined by a variety of tags and attributes and are
capable of being read by standard browsers. Active Server Pages
("ASP") is a server-based, script language developed by Microsoft
Corporation that allows for the dynamic generation of HTML code via
server and client program scripts. Rather than maintain separate
script programs and electronic page documents, the script programs
may be embedded in the active server pages to form a set of "smart"
electronic page documents. As is well known in the art, ASP
documents do not need to be compiled, they can run on any browser,
and may allow the transfer of information from the database
collection 230. For a more detailed description of Active Server
Pages, please refer to "ASP in a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick
Reference," by A. Keyton Weissinger, published by O'Reilly &
Associates, Inc., 1999.
[0071] In addition, the cruise selling and booking component 220
may include additional software modules programmed in variety of
languages for processing user requests, performing data lookup,
compiling sets of data, formatting data, and so forth.
[0072] In one embodiment, the cruise selling and booking component
220 is implemented on the same component as the server component
210, though it is recognized that in other embodiments, the cruise
selling and booking component 220 may be implemented in a separate
component. For more information on the types of computers and/or
platforms that may be used to implement the cruise selling and
booking component 220, please see the section above entitled
"Server Component."
[0073] 3. Database Collection
[0074] In one embodiment, the cruise selling and booking system 110
includes a database collection 230, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B,
that stores data about the customers, the cruises lines, the
activities, and the agents. The exemplary database collection 230
includes four databases, a customer database 232, a cruise line
database 234, an activity database 236, and an agent database
238.
[0075] The customer database 232 includes information about the
customers. Such information may include name, address, phone
number, cruise history, cabin preference, family information, age,
travel destination preference, as well as other travel-related
information.
[0076] The cruise line database 234 may include information about
various cruise lines, various cruise ships, and various cruise
sailings. The information about specific sailings may further
include information such as ship name, number, sailing destination,
departure dates, number of cabins, cabin categories, dining room
capacity, viewable maps of the ship, as well as other detailed
cruise line information. In addition, the cruise line database 234
may include information such as cabin availability and pricing
data. In one embodiment, the cruise line database 234 data may be
entered manually by a travel agent or downloaded/received from the
cruise lines and/or other sources.
[0077] In one embodiment, the cruise line database 234 enables
information about the various cruise lines to be stored in a single
database or database collection. The cruise lines have a myriad of
data that is organized differently according to each cruise line.
For example, the cruise lines tend to use their own proprietary
naming and pricing schemes; they individually select how the data
is selected, stored, and configured; and some cruise lines may
provide data that other cruise lines do not. For example, many
cruise lines use their own system for categorizing cabins and have
also use their own pricing schemes.
[0078] In some embodiments, the cruise line database 234 may
normalize all of the data from the various cruise lines into a
uniform system. In other embodiments, the cruise line database 234
may be configured to accommodate a wide variety of data. For
example, the cruise line database 234 may include a table of
categories in which each cruise line may have its own unique set of
categories ranked from most luxurious to most economical thus
maintaining the individuality of each cruise line while at the same
time enabling the various cruise line data to be compared. The
cruise line database 234 may, for example, provide pricing
information for the most luxurious cabins for cruise sailings on
Cruise Line A and Cruise Line B even though the cruise lines use
different cabin naming nomenclature and different category
structures.
[0079] The activity database 236 includes information about the
activities in the cruise selling and booking system 110. These
activities may include brochures, leads, quotes, reservations,
bookings, as well as other ongoing activity information. In one
embodiment, the activity database 236 is closely linked with the
customer database 232, the cruise line database 234, and the agent
database 238.
[0080] The agent database 238 includes information about the agents
that use the cruise selling and booking system 110. Agent
information may include the agents' logins, passwords, access
privileges, company, address, phone numbers, booking history,
current commission, and so forth.
[0081] While the database collection 230 depicted in FIGS. 3A and
3B includes four separate databases, it is recognized that in other
embodiments, the database collection 230 may include other
databases and/or some of the exemplary databases may be
combined.
[0082] In one embodiment, the database collection 230 may be
implemented with Structured Query Language ("SQL") code. The
structured query language is a language standardized by the
International Standards Organization ("ISO") for defining,
updating, and querying a relational database. It is recognized
however, that other code may be used to access the database
collection 230. For example, in one embodiment, the database
collection 230 may interact with various accessory programs to
store, retrieve, and process the information of the databases, such
as, for example, dynamic link libraries ("DLLs"). DLLs (not shown)
may interact with the server component 210, the cruise selling and
booking component 220, and the database collection 230 directly, or
with the database collection 230 via a database manipulation
module, such as, for example, a Microsoft Database Access Object
("DAO"). The execution of the DLL may be called automatically from
within the scripts or routines of the web page documents as needed
and may not necessarily require the customer or agent explicitly
launch a separate program or series of programs.
[0083] In one embodiment, the database collection 230 is
implemented using a relational database, such as, for example,
those sold by Oracle Corp. or Sybase. It is recognized however that
other relational databases may be used and/or other types of
databases may be used, such as, for example, object oriented
databases, flat file databases, and so forth. Furthermore, the
database collection 230 may be implemented as a single database
with separate tables or as other data structures that are well know
in the art such as linked lists, binary trees, and so forth.
[0084] In one embodiment, the database collection 230 is
implemented as a separate component or separate components from the
cruise selling and booking component 220 and/or the server
component 210, though it is recognized that in other embodiments,
the database collection 230 may be implemented on the same
component as the cruise selling and booking component 220 and/or
the server component 210. For more information on the types of
computers and/or platforms that may be used to run the database
collection 230, please see the section above entitled "Server
Component."
[0085] As noted above, one embodiment that is implemented using a
web server ("web server environment") provides several advantages.
First, the web server environment does not require any dedicated
hardware or software to be installed on the customer or agents
computer which will utilize the cruise selling and booking system
110. This advantage may apply to both customers and agents in that
they do not have the burden of expense normally associated with
purchasing or licensing a dedicated system. Second, maintenance and
upgrades of the cruise selling and booking system 110 may be
centrally administrated and automatically processed with little or
no intervention by those using the cruise selling and booking
system 110. For example, the cruise line database 234 may be
updated without the customer's knowledge. In addition, each
computer which connects to the cruise selling and booking system
110 automatically receives and connects with the most appropriate
software as determined by the web server of the cruise selling and
booking system 110. In addition, the interactive interface of the
cruise selling and booking system 110, like many interactive web
pages, uses the familiar environment of a web browser running on
the computer the customer or agent uses, thus, minimizing the
learning time required to operate and become proficient with the
cruise selling and booking system 110.
[0086] A detailed description of embodiments of a cruise selling
and booking system 110 is disclosed in a concurrently filed
application having the title "SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF ON-LINE
BOOKING OF CRUISES," internal reference number TRAVL.002A, which is
incorporated herein by reference. A detailed description of
embodiments of a compare display is disclosed in a concurrently
filed application having the title "SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF
COMPARING PRODUCT INFORMATION," internal reference number
TRAVL.017A, which is incorporated herein by reference. A detailed
description of embodiments of pricing options and price matrices is
disclosed in a concurrently filed application having the title
"SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF DISPLAYING CRUISE LINE PRICING DATA,"
internal reference number TRAVL.018A, which is incorporated herein
by reference. A detailed description of one embodiments of managing
agent ownership is disclosed in a concurrently filed application
having the title "SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF MAINTAINING CLIENT
RELATIONSHIPS," internal reference number TRAVL.019A, which is
incorporated herein by reference.
[0087] III. Customer Qualification Module
[0088] In one embodiment, the cruise selling and booking component
220 includes a customer qualification module 360 ("qualification
module 360") used to match a customer's preferences with a variety
of cruise package options thereby narrowing the number of cruise
packages that are presented to the user. One embodiment of a
customer qualification module 360 includes a customer information
acquisition process 410, a pre-qualification process 420, a
qualification query process 430, as well as additional processes
440 as illustrated in FIG. 4. For more information on the
processes, please refer to the section below entitled "Customer
Qualification Processes."
[0089] In one embodiment, the customer qualification module 360 is
implemented using one or more of a variety of technologies such as,
C++, VISUAL BASIC, JAVA, JAVA Script, Active Server Pages ("ASP"),
Extensible Markup Language ("XML"), as well as other scripting
language that may be used to dynamically retrieve, generate,
process, and/or format the data for a web document.
[0090] As used herein, the word module, whether in upper or lower
case letters, refers to logic embodied in hardware or firmware, or
to a collection of software instructions, possibly having entry and
exit points, written in a programming language, such as, for
example, C++. A software module may be compiled and linked into an
executable program, or installed in a dynamic link library, or may
be written in an interpretive language such as BASIC. It will be
appreciated that software modules may be callable from other
modules or from themselves, and/or may be invoked in response to
detected events or interrupts. Software instructions may be
embedded in firmware, such as an EPROM. It will be further
appreciated that hardware modules may be comprised of connected
logic units, such as gates and flip-flops, and/or may be comprised
of programmable units, such as programmable gate arrays or
processors. The modules described herein are preferably implemented
as software modules, but may be represented in hardware or
firmware.
[0091] IV. Customer Qualification Processes
[0092] In one embodiment, the customer qualification module 360
includes several processes such as a customer information
acquisition process 410, a pre-qualification process 420, a
qualification query process 430, as well as additional processes
440.
[0093] A. Customer Information Acquisition Process
[0094] FIG. 5 illustrates one embodiment of the customer
information acquisition process 410 used during customer
qualification to collect personal information from the customer.
The collected information may then be used to narrow the number of
cruises presented to the customer to those cruises which are most
appropriate. Beginning at a start state (block 500), the customer
information acquisition process 410 proceeds to the next state and
receives a customer identifier (block 505). In one embodiment, this
state may require the input of a customer identifier such as a
customer's name or customer ID to be used in subsequent steps in
the process. A customer identifier may be submitted, for example,
when the user logs onto the cruise selling and booking system 110.
In the case of a customer login, the login name and password
entered by the customer may be keyed to reference the actual name,
ID, and customer information stored within the cruise selling and
booking system 110. Proceeding to the next state (block 510), the
customer information acquisition process 410 determines whether the
supplied customer name or ID matches any records present in the
customer database 232. If a customer database 232 match is found,
the corresponding record with the customer profile is retrieved
(block 515). If the customer record does not exist, a new customer
profile is created (block 520) wherein the customer information
acquisition process 410 queries the user for information for at
least a portion of the fields of the customer profile before
proceeding to the next state. The information in the customer
profile may include general information identifying the customer,
such as, for example, name, age, address, contact information,
gender, marital status, family members, group or organization
affiliation, and the like. Upon successfully retrieving (block 515)
or creating (block 520) a customer profile, the customer
information acquisition process 410 proceeds to an edit state
(block 525) where the customer profile may be presented to the user
for viewing and/or editing. Upon completion of the customer profile
edits, the profile may be stored in the customer database 232
(block 530) and the customer information acquisition process 410
awaits user input (block 535) indicating whether the user desires
to proceed with a customer pre-qualification process 420 (block
540) or wishes to exit the customer information acquisition process
410 (block 545).
[0095] It is recognized that the customer information acquisition
process 410 may be implemented differently in other embodiments.
For example, the customer information acquisition process 410 may
store the customer profile at any time during the creation or
editing functions of the customer information acquisition process
410 and/or the customer information acquisition process 410 may
skip the edit customer profile state.
[0096] B. Pre-Qualification Process
[0097] FIG. 6 illustrates one embodiment of a pre-qualification
process 420. As illustrated in FIG. 6, after the customer
information has been collected, in one embodiment, the cruise
selling and booking system 110 may proceed to a start state (block
605). Upon entering this process, the pre-qualification process 420
(block 610) queries the user to determine whether the user would
like to view a pre-qualification summary. If so indicated by the
user, then the pre-qualification process 420 retrieves the
pre-qualification summary, sends the pre-qualification summary to
the user (block 615), and proceeds to the next state (block 620).
Should the user not wish to view the pre-qualification summary, the
pre-qualification process 420 proceeds to block 620.
[0098] In one embodiment, the pre-qualification summary information
includes information which may aid the user guiding the customer
through the remainder of the pre-qualification process 420. This
information may include a summary of brochures and advertising sent
to or encountered by the customer, customer travel history relating
to previous cruises or other vacations booked or taken by the
customer, and notes or reminders used to record items of interest
which may be useful in distinguishing a particular customer or his
travel habits.
[0099] Further functionality may be provided by the
pre-qualification process 420 to permit access to the stored
customer information allowing additional information (which may be
in the form of brochures, advertisements, or other information) to
be automatically sent to the customer as requested. In one
embodiment, the customer qualification module 360 updates the
pre-qualification summary as needed to indicate the materials sent
to the customer. In a like manner, the user may collect information
regarding a customer's travel habits, history, or notes which may
further be added to the existing pre-qualification summary as
needed or desired.
[0100] In block 620, the pre-qualification process 420 queries the
user for booking preferences which are used to further narrow the
selection of cruise sailings. More specifically, the booking
preferences may provide a number of criteria for establishing the
specific type of cruise the customer would like to book. The
information collected may include, for example, desired occupancy
per cabin, range of desired travel dates, the preferred region of
the world, specific destination, trip duration, acceptable days of
the week upon which the cruise may depart, the embarkation port or
point of origin of the cruise, specific cruise package suppliers,
and/or specific ships. In another embodiment, the booking
preferences are used to restrict the cruise preferences to exclude
cruise sailings which include undesirable cruise options. For
example, a particular cruise line or cruise ship may be
specifically excluded from the qualification results.
[0101] After collecting the booking preferences of the customer,
the pre-qualification process 420 proceeds to the next state
wherein additional search criteria may be obtained (block 625) from
the user to further narrow the search. The search criteria may
include other factors which aid in the cruise selection process
including indications of the degree of flexibility the customer has
with regard to the type, time, or destination of the cruise;
special restrictions which might apply to the desired cruise
including handicaps or food requests; special discounts or
eligibility requirements for which the customer may be entitled,
such as, for example, participation in various organizations,
membership in particular societies, or residency in certain states;
as well as other criteria that may be used by the cruise lines when
booking particular cruise sailings.
[0102] After the search criteria has been received, the
pre-qualification process 420 awaits for user input (block 630)
indicating whether the user desires to proceed with a customer
qualification query process 430 (block 635) or wishes to exit the
qualification process (block 640).
[0103] It is recognized that the pre-qualification process 420 may
be implemented differently in other embodiments. For example, the
pre-qualification process 420 may store information obtained during
any step of the process in the customer database 232 and may
further retrieve this information at any time to resume at the
point where the user left off.
[0104] C. Qualification Query Process
[0105] FIG. 7 illustrates one embodiment of a qualification query
process 430 for identifying cruise sailings of interest. As
illustrated in FIG. 7, after the prequalification process 420 has
been completed, in one embodiment, the cruise selling and booking
system 110 proceeds to a start state (block 700). Proceeding to the
next state, the qualification query process 430 retrieves the
information received in the customer information acquisition
process 410 and the pre-qualification process 420 to prepare a
qualification query (block 710). The qualification query process
430 may then prepare and process the qualification query (block
720) such that the qualification query acts as a filter to select
cruises from the cruise line database 234 which may be of potential
interest to the customer.
[0106] In one embodiment, the cruise selling and booking system 110
uses the information obtained from the cruise line database 234 to
identify cruises which meet the restrictions included in the
qualification query information. Additionally, the qualification
query process 430 may retrieve cruise information from other cruise
booking systems and databases. For example, in addition to using
the locally maintained cruise information stored in the database
collection 230, the qualification query process 430 may connect
with a plurality of external databases, cruise lines, and/or travel
agencies to acquire additional cruise information so as to create a
more comprehensive query.
[0107] Upon collecting the cruise data, the qualification query
process 430 retrieves matching cruise packages by applying the
query criteria to obtain a subset of cruises (block 730). In one
embodiment, the qualification query process 430 sorts the cruises
using a variety of methods, such as, for example, by order of
relevance, alphabetically, by price, and so forth. The results are
then sent to the user (block 740) for display in an organized
manner so as to limit the cruise choices to those cruises found to
be most likely to meet the customer's specifications, and the
qualification query process 430 proceeds to an end state (block
750).
[0108] In one embodiment, the qualification query results are
formatted in a list summarizing the available cruise choices which
are the most appropriate matches based on the customer's
information and preferences. The summary list may include
information regarding the cruise line, cruise ship, sail date,
duration, cruise itinerary or description, and pricing range. The
summary list provides an easy-to-visualize reference from which a
user may compare individual cruise sailings. Additionally, each
item in the summary list may be linked to extended information
regarding particular aspects, features, or descriptions which when
invoked, provide more in-depth information about the summary list
item. Thus, the user is able to readily search through thousands of
cruise packages and quickly obtain a comprehensive, yet
consolidated, subset of cruise selections facilitating the customer
cruise selection and booking process.
[0109] It is recognized that other embodiments of the qualification
query process 430 may be used. For example, in one embodiment, the
user may retrieve additional results from the current query and
refine the search to include alternative query information without
having to re-enter the query in its entirety. Further, in other
embodiments, only a local database may be searched or only an
external database may be searched.
[0110] Upon completion of the qualification query process 430, the
qualification query results may be selected and compared using
other features and functionalities of the cruise selling and
booking system 110. The design of the cruise selling and booking
system 110, therefore, may use the information from the
qualification query process 430 with other components or modules of
the cruise selling and booking system 110.
[0111] D. Additional Processes
[0112] The customer qualification module 360 may also include
additional processes 440. In one embodiment, the customer
qualification module 360 may include a summary list item process
for retrieving and returning additional detailed information on a
summary item. For example, a summary list item for a cruise ship
may be linked to an image or map of the actual decks of the cruise
ship for display to the user. This display provides detailed
information about a potential cruise sailing. Likewise, a summary
list item for an itinerary of a cruise sailing may provide a
detailed listing of activities, events, and stopovers which are
scheduled for a particular cruise sailing. Linking the summary list
items to more detailed information enables the user to quickly
access additional information about the qualified cruise sailings
which may aid customers in making a decision as to which cruise
best suits them.
[0113] The customer qualification module 360 may also include a
price breakdown process which displays a breakdown of the pricing
information for use by the travel agent when negotiating a booking
price with the customer. The price breakdown process provides the
travel agent with a tool to compare prices among the various
cruises. The price breakdown process may be advantageously used by
the travel agent to negotiate booking prices with the customer
allowing the travel agent to present the customer with pricing
choices for various quality and luxury options on the cruise
sailings while at the same time maximizing the travel agent's
commission. Additionally, the price breakdown process may indicate
to the travel agent the lowest allowable prices for which a cruise
may be booked.
[0114] In addition, the customer qualification module 360 may
include an availability check process that displays the current
availability of cabins or rooms on selected cruise ships. Using
this information, the user may verify the availability of
particular rooms or cabins which may be held, reserved, and/or
booked. The availability check process may also assist the user in
determining how full a cruise sailing remains and provide the user
with an indication of the relative urgency of the customer's
booking. For example, if a user knows that the cabins for which the
customer is interested are only 25% booked, the urgency is low;
whereas if the cabins are 98% booked, the user may urge the
customer to book or at least hold a cabin.
[0115] V. Qualification Display
[0116] FIG. 8 illustrates one embodiment of qualification display
web page 810 or customer preference display with a preferences
section 820. In the exemplary qualification display 810, the
preferences section 820 includes number of persons per cabin 821,
dates of travel 822, home gateway 823, number of nights of travel
824, day of embarkation 825, and port of embarkation 826. In
addition, the preferences section 820 enables the user to view a
set of travel regions 827, itineraries 828, suppliers 829, ships
830, and/or ports 831. In addition, the user may search by supplier
contract number 832. In one embodiment, the cruise selling and
booking system 110 may generate such information from the database
collection 230, however, it is recognized that in other
embodiments, the information may be entered in whole or in part as
separate data or not included at all.
[0117] In the exemplary qualification display 810, the user has
restricted the search to cruises allowing two persons per cabin,
sailing from Oct. 8, 1999 to Oct. 2, 1999 for seven nights, and
departing on any day of the week.
[0118] When the agent has entered the appropriate information
listed above, the agent computer 240 submits the customer's sailing
preferences to the cruise selling and booking system 110. The
customer qualification module 360 receives the information and
searches for cruise sailings in the cruise line database 234 that
fall within the range of the submitted criteria.
[0119] If no matching cruise sailings are found, the customer
qualification module 360 may inform the agent computer 240 that no
sailings were found or may return a set of "suggested" cruise
sailings that do not meet the criteria but still may be of interest
to the customer. Such "suggested" cruise sailings may be selected
on the basis of several factors. For example, the customer
qualification module 360 may suggest cruises sailings that depart
on dates before or after those specified by the customer, cruise
sailings that provide special discounts for attributes that match
the customer's profile (e.g., children cruise free), cruise
sailings that match preferences that the customer has previously
requested, as well many other cruise sailings.
[0120] If matching cruise sailings are found, the customer
qualification module 360 sends a set of matching cruise sailings to
the user. As described above, the customer qualification module 360
may also include a set of suggested cruise sailings with the
matching cruise sailings. FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary set of
cruise sailing search results that enables the user to view and
select number of cruise sailings by marking the "check box" 842
that corresponds to the selected cruise package. An exemplary
cruise sailings search results section 840 is shown in FIG. 8
wherein the first cruise package is the Carnival Tropicale ship
scheduled to depart on Sep. 8, 2001 for a seven day cruise to the
Western Caribbean. The user has selected the Carnival Tropicale,
the Princess Dawn Princess, and the Royal Caribbean Explorer of the
Seas.
[0121] It is recognized that FIG. 8 illustrates one embodiment of a
set of cruise sailing search results and that in other embodiments,
other sets of cruise sailing search results may be used. For
example, in another embodiment, the set of cruise sailing search
results may include information about pricing, such as Block
pricing and/or FIT pricing information, as well time stamp
information indicating when the information was last updated by
time and date.
[0122] In one embodiment, the customer qualification module 360 may
also include guidelines for ranking the order in which the cruise
sailings are displayed and/or provide separate designations for
"matching" and "suggested" cruise sailings, such as, for example,
by availability, by departure date, by average cost, and so
forth.
[0123] VI. Conclusion
[0124] While certain embodiments of the invention have been
described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example
only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present
invention. Accordingly, the breadth and scope of the present
invention should be defined in accordance with the following claims
and their equivalents.
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