WO2018068761A1

WO2018068761A1 - Booking system and method of booking room

Info

Publication number: WO2018068761A1
Application number: PCT/CN2017/106072
Authority: WO
Inventors: Paul Daniel SALNIKOW; Jason Fui Kok WONG; George Nicholas SALNIKOFF; John F. MAYO-SMITH; Erik LAURENCEAU
Original assignee: Intelletec Limited
Priority date: 2016-10-13
Filing date: 2017-10-13
Publication date: 2018-04-19
Also published as: CN110073378A

Abstract

A method and system for booking a room are disclosed, wherein the method comprises steps of: receiving a booking request from a user (1602), processing the booking request (1604) and identifying a plurality of available rooms from a plurality of bookable rooms (1606), providing the plurality available rooms to the user (1608), receiving a selection request from the user (1610), booking the selected one or more rooms from the plurality of available rooms (1612), updating the available rooms in real time based on one or more room bookings of one or more of the plurality of available rooms (1614).

Description

[Title established by the ISA under Rule 37.2] BOOKING SYSTEM AND METHOD OF BOOKING ROOM

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a booking system and method for booking a room, in particular the present disclosure relates to a booking system and method for booking a meeting room.

BACKGROUND

Meetings are common-place in modern business. Meetings are part of everyday business interactions for business development, for sales, for relationship building, for decision making and for communication of information. Meetings provide a more engaging way of conducting business due to the face to face factor as compared to emails and phone calls.

Some organizations have meeting rooms as part of their campus or office space, but there are a number of organizations that do not have meeting rooms. Due to the popularity of meetings as a tool for conducting business there is a need for meeting rooms in businesses or organizations. Currently there are a number of organizations that offer meeting rooms that can be booked by a plurality of users. These meetings rooms can be booked by any user for any duration, and are becoming more and more popular since businesses do not need to invest heavily in building dedicated meeting spaces.

These organizations use booking systems that are used to enable users to reserve rooms in advance prior to meetings. Traditionally such booking systems comprised a paper diary located in or near the meeting room, or phone systems that allow a user to contact a meeting room provider to book a meeting room. Recently electronic booking systems have been developed such as email or other software packages that provide a portal for a user to contact the meeting room provider to book a meeting room. A common issue is the lack of centralization of available meeting rooms and the inability to proximate time slots. There are currently no or not very well known booking systems that can access multiple available meeting rooms and provide a user with a tailored list of rooms and times to select from.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure has been developed primarily for providing booking system and a method of booking a room, in particular a meeting room or conference room, easily and quickly. The system for booking a room and method of booking a room will be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying figures. However it will be appreciated that the embodiments described in present disclosure may not be limited to this particular field of use.

In accordance with a first aspect the present disclosure provides a method for booking a room, utilizing a user device that communicates with a server, the server being a cloud-based computing server, and the method comprising:

receiving a booking request from a user, the booking request comprising one or more booking parameters, processing the booking request and identifying a plurality of available rooms from a plurality of bookable rooms based on the one or more booking parameters,

providing the plurality available rooms to the user,

receiving a selection request from the user, the selection request including one or more rooms from the plurality of available rooms selected by the user for booking,

booking the selected one or more rooms from the plurality of available rooms,

updating the available rooms in real time based on one or more room bookings of one or more of the plurality of available rooms.

In an embodiment the method comprising the additional steps of:

processing the selection request received from the user, wherein processing the selection request includes checking if the selected one or more rooms is available once a selection request is received, and；

if the selected room is unavailable then re-presenting a plurality of available rooms to the user excluding the booked rooms.

In an embodiment the plurality of available rooms and available room time periods are presented as a scrollable list on a user interface, each of the plurality of available rooms and available time periods being selectable for booking by the user.

In an embodiment the method comprises the additional step of analyzing vacancy rates of the one or more available rooms, and wherein the plurality of available rooms are arranged based on the analyzed vacancy rates.

In an embodiment wherein the plurality of available rooms are arranged based on vacancy rates such that the available rooms with greater vacancies are arranged above rooms with less vacancies in the scrollable list.

In an embodiment the booking parameters comprise one or more of:

a location of the room,

number of attendees,

amenities required,

user identity,

time of meeting,

duration of meeting,

user price.

In an embodiment the step of identifying a plurality of available rooms from a plurality of bookable rooms comprises identifying a plurality of available rooms based on the booking parameters.

In an embodiment the plurality of available rooms are identified based on at least the location of the user, the time of the meeting, the duration of the meeting and the number of attendees.

In an embodiment the method comprises the steps of: analyzing the booking rates for each of each of the available rooms, determine booking trends for each of the available rooms, and present available rooms to the user based on the booking trends, such that available rooms with the least bookings are present first to the user on a user device.

In an embodiment the step of analyzing the booking rates for each available room is performed in real time, and the step of presenting the available rooms is performed in real time.

In an embodiment the method comprises the steps of: recording bookings made by each user, and processing the recorded booking to identify booking trends of each user.

In an embodiment the method comprises the step of prioritizing rooms for a user based on the user’s identified booking trends, wherein the booking trends includes one or more of rooms that are booked by the user, location where a user books, amenities requested by the user.

In an embodiment the method comprises the steps of:

providing a user interface to input special requests,

receiving a special request that can include a request for a specific item or service,

processing each special request and providing a notification to a supplier such that the supplier can provide the item or service, wherein the notification includes the date and location of the room that requires the item or service.

In an embodiment the method comprises the step of providing a user an unlock code associated with the selected room, the unlock code allowing the user to unlock the selected room.

In an embodiment the step of identifying a plurality of available rooms comprises locating a plurality of available rooms that best match as many booking parameters defined by the user, and wherein the plurality of available rooms are ordered based on the number of booking parameters that have been matched.

In an embodiment the room is an office room or a meeting room or a conference room.

In an embodiment the method is stored as executable instructions in a memory unit, the memory unit being in electronic communication with a hardware processor, the server comprising the memory unit and the hardware processor, the hardware processor being configured to execute the stored instructions to cause the server to communicate a user device and execute one or more of the method steps described above clauses 1-16.

In accordance with a second aspect the present invention provides a booking system for booking a room, the booking system comprising；

a booking server in electronic communication with one or more user devices,

one or more room interfaces in electronic communication with the booking server, each room interface being associated with a bookable room

the booking server configured to receive a booking request from a user device of the one or more user devices,

the booking request comprising one or more booking parameters,

the server being configured to process the booking request and identify a plurality of available rooms from a plurality of bookable rooms based on one or more booking parameters,

the server further being configured to provide the plurality of available rooms to the user device for viewing by the user,

the server configured to receive a selection request from the user device, the selection request includes one or more rooms being selected, from the plurality of available rooms, for booking by the user,

the server configured to book the selected one or more rooms from the plurality of available rooms by providing a booking message to the room interface,

the server further configured to update the available rooms in real time based on one or more room bookings of the one or more of the plurality of available rooms by the one or more users.

In an embodiment the server is configured to maintain a register of available rooms and update the register of available rooms based on the bookings of available rooms by one or more users, the server configured to remove an available room from the register once the server has transmitted a booking message to the associated room interface.

In an embodiment the room is a meeting room or a conference room.

In an embodiment the server is configured to process the selection request received from the user device by checking if the selected one or more rooms is still available once a selection request is received, and； the server configured to re-send a plurality of available rooms, excluding the booked one or more rooms, to the user device for display to the user.

In an embodiment the plurality of available rooms are presented as a scrollable list on a user interface of the user device, each of the plurality of available rooms being selectable for booking via the user interface of the user device.

In an embodiment the plurality of available rooms are presented as a scrollable list on a user interface upon the user device.

In an embodiment the server is configured to analyze vacancy rates of each of the plurality of available rooms, and wherein the plurality of available rooms are ordered based on the analyzed vacancy rates.

In an embodiment the server is configured to order the plurality of available rooms based on the vacancy rates such that the available rooms with greater vacancies are arranged above rooms with less vacancies in the scrollable list, and； the server further configured to transmit the list information to the user device such that the scrollable list is displayed on the user device.

In an embodiment the booking parameters comprise one or more of:

a location of the room,

number of attendees,

amenities required,

time of meeting,

duration of the meeting

user identity,

user price.

In an embodiment the booking server is configured to identify a plurality of available rooms from a plurality of bookable rooms based on the booking parameters and vacancy of the bookable rooms.

In an embodiment the system comprises a room database, the room database being in electronic communication with the booking server, wherein the room database stores a catalogue of bookable rooms and the room database is further configured to store room parameters associated with each bookable room.

In an embodiment the booking server is configured to determine the available rooms by matching one or more booking parameters with one or more of the room parameters, the available rooms being presented to the user based on the number of matches between the booking parameters and room parameters.

In an embodiment the room parameters comprise one or more of: the room location, number of occupants the room can receive, amenities that are included in the room, amenities that can be supported by the room and cost of the room.

In an embodiment the booking server is configured to analyze the booking rates for each available room, the booking server being configured to determine booking trends for each of the available rooms, present the available rooms to the user based on the identified booking trends, and wherein the booking server being further configured to provide the available rooms with the least bookings first to the user device.

In an embodiment the booking server is configured to analyze the booking rates for each available room in real time, and the booking server further configured to provide the available rooms to the user device in real time.

In an embodiment the user device is configured to provide a user interface to the user, to input special requests, the booking server being configured to receive a special request, wherein the special request can include a request for a specific item or service, and the booking server further being configured to process each special request and provide a notification to a supplier device such that a supplier can provide the item or service, wherein the notification includes the date and location of the room that requires the item or service.

In accordance with a third aspect the present invention provides a booking system for booking a room, the booking system comprising；

a booking server in electronic communication with one or more user devices,

the booking server configured to receive a booking request from a user device of the one or more user devices, the booking request comprising one or more booking parameters,

the server being configured to process the booking request and identify a plurality of available rooms from a plurality of bookable rooms based, the available rooms being identified based on the one or more booking parameters,

the server further configured to update the available rooms in real time based on one or more room bookings of the one or more of the plurality of available rooms by the one or more users,the server is configured to maintain a register of available rooms and update the register of available rooms based on the bookings of available rooms by one or more users, the server configured to remove an available room from the register once the server has transmitted a booking message to the associated room interface,

the server being configured to process the selection request received from the user device by checking if the selected one or more rooms is still available once a selection request is received, and；

the server further being configured to re-send a plurality of available rooms, excluding the booked one or more rooms, to the user device for display to the user, the plurality of available rooms are presented as a scrollable list on a user interface of the user device, each of the plurality of available rooms being selectable for booking via the user interface of the user device, wherein the plurality of available rooms are presented as a scrollable list on a user interface upon the user device,

the server is configured to analyze vacancy rates of each of the plurality of available rooms, and wherein the plurality of available rooms are ordered based on the analyzed vacancy rates,

the server is configured to order the plurality of available rooms based on the vacancy rates such that the available rooms with greater vacancies are arranged above rooms with less vacancies in the scrollable list, and； the server further configured to transmit the list information to the user device such that the scrollable list is displayed on the user device,

the booking server is configured to identify a plurality of available rooms from a plurality of bookable rooms based on the booking parameters and vacancy of the bookable rooms,

the system comprises a room database, the room database being in electronic communication with the booking server, wherein the room database stores a catalogue of bookable rooms and the room database is further configured to store room parameters associated with each bookable room,

the booking server is configured to determine the available rooms by matching one or more booking parameters with one or more of the room parameters, the available rooms being presented to the user based on the number of matches between the booking parameters and room parameters,

the booking server is configured to analyze the booking rates for each available room, the booking server being configured to determine booking trends for each of the available rooms, present the available rooms to the user based on the identified booking trends, and wherein the booking server being further configured to provide the available rooms with the least bookings first to the user device,

the booking server is configured to analyze the booking rates for each available room in real time, and the booking server further configured to provide the available rooms to the user device in real time,

the user device is configured to provide a user interface to the user, to input special requests, the booking server being configured to receive a special request, wherein the special request can include a request for a specific item or service, and the booking server further being configured to process each special request and provide a notification to a supplier device such that a supplier can provide the item or service, wherein the notification includes the date and location of the room that requires the item or service.

In an embodiment the room is a meeting room or a conference room.

In some embodiments, the term “room” may include any functional spaces, including meeting, study, storage, sales, experimentation, research, laboratory, computing, processing, 3D printing, office, recreational, resting rooms, areas, desk area, community area, co-working area, or space. Some example embodiments of the invention may also be adapted to operate with the booking of any such rooms, areas or space by users to perform such activities.

The term “comprising” (and its grammatical variations) as used herein are used in the inclusive sense of “having” or “including” and not in the sense of “consisting only of” .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the booking system and method of booking a room will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a booking system for booking a room.

Figure 2a shows a block diagram of the booking server and the components of the booking server from the booking system.

Figure 2b illustrates a diagram of the user device and the room interface as well as the relationship between the booking server, the room interface and the user device.

Figure 3 shows an exemplary start screen that is displayed on the user device.

Figure 4 shows an exemplary log in screen.

Figure 5 shows a new booking screen or page that is presented to the user.

Figure 6 shows a meeting room details screen that is presented to the user on a user device.

Figure 7 shows an exemplary screen of the amenities that are provided in the selected room.

Figure 8 shows a map screen with the location of the booked room on the map screen.

Figure 9 shows an example of the client application accessing Google Maps, Apple Maps or Baidu Maps for directions from the user location to the room location.

Figure 10 illustrates a booking screen including details of the booking.

Figure 11 shows a booking confirmation screen that is created by the client application of the user device.

Figure 12 shows a list of upcoming bookings, the list of upcoming bookings being displayed as a scrollable list.

Figure 13 shows a list of past bookings made by the user, the past bookings being shown as a scrollable list.

Figure 14 shows a settings screen where the setting can be adjusted.

Figure 15 shows a language selection screen that is presented to the user.

Figure 16 shows a flow chart of an embodiment of a method of booking a room.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A booking system and a method for booking a room using the system are described herein. The booking system comprises a booking server in electronic communication with one or more user devices, one or more room interfaces in electronic communication with the booking server, each room interface being associated with a bookable room, the booking server configured to receive a booking request from a user device of the one or more user devices, the booking request comprising one or more booking parameters, the server being configured to process the booking request and identify a plurality of available rooms from a plurality of bookable rooms based on one or more booking parameters, the server further being configured to provide the plurality of available rooms to the user device for viewing by the user, the server configured to receive a selection request from the user device, the selection request comprising one or more rooms being selected, from the plurality of available rooms, for booking by the user, the server configured to book the selected one or more rooms from the plurality of available rooms by providing a booking message to the room interface, the server further configured to update the list of available rooms in real time based on one or more room bookings of the one or more of the plurality of available rooms by the one or more users.

A method for booking a room, utilizing a user device that communicates with a server, the server being a hardware computing server, and the method for booking a room comprising the steps of: receiving a booking request from a user, the booking request comprising one or more booking parameters, processing the booking request and identifying a plurality of available rooms from a plurality of bookable rooms based on the one or more booking parameters, providing the plurality available rooms to the user, receiving a selection request from the user, the selection request comprising one or more rooms from the plurality of available rooms selected by the user for booking, booking the selected one or more rooms from the plurality of available rooms, updating the list of available rooms in real time based on one or more room bookings of one or more of the plurality of available rooms.

Some embodiments of the booking system for a room and a method of booking a room will be described with reference to the figures. The room may be a meeting room or a conference room or a ballroom or any other suitable location to hold a meeting or conference. The system of booking a room and the method of booking a room described herein could be used for booking other types of rooms or locations that are suitable for holding a meeting, gathering or conference, or other functions such as work, study, discussion, photography, audio recordings, studio shoots, storage, sales, experimentation, research, laboratory, computing, processing, 3D printing, office, recreation, or rest.

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a booking system 100 for booking a room. As seen in figure 1 the system comprises a booking server 102. The booking system 100 further comprises a plurality of

bookable rooms

120, 122, 124 (120-124) . Each bookable room comprises a

room interface

130, 132, 134 (130-134) associated with each bookable room 120-124. Each

room interface

130, 132, 134 is arranged in electronic communication with the booking server 102. In the exemplary embodiment of figure 1, the booking system 100 comprises three bookable rooms and three associated room interfaces. Each

room interface

130, 132, 134 may be associated with a room provider. The bookable rooms are rooms that are provided by a room provider such as for example a hotel, an office block, meeting room providers etc. The booking server 102 is configured to communicate with the room providers through the room interface. The booking server 102 functions as a central server.

The booking system 100 further comprises a plurality of

user devices

140, 142, 144 (140-144) . Each user device is associated with a user. Each

user device

140, 142, 144 is arranged in electronic communication with the booking server 102. The user devices are any suitable computing devices that can communicate over a communication network. Some examples of the

user device

140, 142, 144 are a smartphone, a mobile phone, a tablet, a laptop or a desktop computer.

The booking system 100 further comprises a suitable communication network that links each

room interface

130, 132, 134, and each

user device

140, 142, 144 with the booking server. The communication network allows electronic communication between the booking server 102 and the user devices 140-144, and the booking server 102 and the room interfaces 130-134. Each room interface is a suitable computing device or mobile device. The communication network can be any suitable communication network such as internet, Wifi, WAN, a cellular network, LAN or any other suitable communication network.

The booking system 100 further comprises a room database 150. The room database comprises a catalogue of bookable rooms. The database includes one or more room parameters associated with each bookable room. The room database 150 includes room parameters associated with each

room

120, 122, 124. The room parameters include the room location, number of occupants the room can receive, amenities that are included in the room, amenities that can be supported by the room and cost of the room. The cost of the room can be expressed either as an hourly cost but any other format to represent cost may be used to create the room database. The cost is expressed in any suitable currency, such as US dollars or Japanese Yen or any other currency. The currency is set based on the location of the room. The room parameters may also include other parameters such as the room area, type of furniture and so on. The database 150 is a searchable database that can be access by the booking server 102.

The booking system 100 further comprises a user database 160. The user database 160 is in electronic communication with the booking server 102. The user database 160 stores user information associated with the user profile.

The room database 150 and the user database 160 may be stored in a suitable memory unit. In one example the room database 150 and user database 160 may be stored on an external memory unit that is separate to the booking server 102. Alternatively the room database 150 and the user database 160 may be stored on a memory unit within the booking server 102.

The user devices and the booking server are arranged in a suitable computing architecture. In the illustrated embodiment the

user devices

140, 142, 144 and the booking server 102 are arranged in a client –server architecture. Each

user device

140, 142, 144 comprises an application that is executed on the

user device

140, 142, 144. The application is a client application that allows a user device to access the booking server 102. The booking server 102 comprises at least a server application 202 that is executable on the booking server. The server application and client application 204 may be suitable software applications that are stored within and executed by the booking server 102 and the

user device

140, 142, 144 respectively.

Referring to figure 2a there is illustrated a block diagram of the booking server 102 and the components of the booking server 102. Figure 2a is an exemplary, non-limiting embodiment of the booking server 102 and its components. As seen in figure 2a the booking server comprises a processor unit 302, a memory unit 304, user communication interface 306 and a room communication interface 308. The processor unit 302 is a hardware processor that is in electrically linked to and communicates with the memory unit 304, user communication interface 306 and the room communication interface 308. The processor unit 302 can control the operation of the other components of the booking server 102. The user communication interface 306 is an electronic communication interface or module that allows wireless communication between the booking server 102 and the

user device

140, 142, 144. The user communication interface 306 can be for example a Wifi module or cellular module or WAN/LAN module or any other suitable electronic communication module. The room communication interface 308 is an electronic communication interface or module that allows wireless communication between the

room interface

130, 132, 134 and the booking server 102. The room communication interface 308 can be for example a Wifi module or cellular module or WAN/LAN module or any other suitable electronic communication module. The room communication interface 308 is also configured to allow the booking server 102 to communicate with a room provider i.e. an owner of the room. The room communication interface 308 is further configured to allow the booking server 102 to transmit messages such as text messages or emails to a mobile device or computing device associated with the room provider.

Referring to figure 2b there is shown a block diagram of the booking system 100. Figure 2b shows details of the user device and the room interface as well as the relationship between the booking server 102, the

room interface

130, 132, 134 and the

user device

140, 142, 144. Each

user device

140, 142, 144 comprises at least a processor 332, and a memory unit 334. The processor 332 of the user device is any suitable processor that allows various computing processing activities. The memory unit 334 of the

user device

140, 142, 144 is a read/write memory. In one example the memory unit 334 may be a ROM or flash memory or RAM or any other suitable memory. Each

user device

140, 142, 144 includes a user interface 336 that is electrically connected to the processor 332 and memory unit 334. The user interface 336 may be a touch screen, an LCD screen, an LED screen, an array of lights or LEDs or any other suitable screen. The user interface 336 may include buttons or other input devices that allows a user to input information.

As seen in figure 2b the booking server 102 includes a server application 320 that is stored in the memory unit 304. Each

user device

140, 142, 144 includes a client application 340. The

user device

140, 142, 144 communicates with a room or books a room by accessing the server application 320 on the booking server 102, through the client application 340. The client application 340 may be implemented using a user interface on the user device. In some embodiments, the server application 320 may generate one or more pages that may be displayed to the user, on the

user device

140, 142, 144.

Figure 2b also shows details of the

room interface

130, 132, 134. Each

room interface

130, 132, 134 comprises at least one processor 342, a memory unit 344 and a communication interface 346. The

room interface

130, 132, 134 may be a mobile device such as a tablet or smartphone or mobile phone or laptop. Alternatively the

room interface

130, 132, 134 may be a stationary device such as a computer or a computerized lock. The

room interface

130, 132, 134 may also include a user interface (not shown) such as a touch screen or LCD screen or an array of lights. The

room interface

130, 132, 134 allows a user to input information into the room interface. The

room interface

130, 132, 134 may be associated with a room provider. The

room interface

130, 132, 134 receives booking information or booking requests from the booking server 102 and allows a room provider to view room bookings.

The booking server 102 is configured to provide room booking services to the

user device

140, 142, 144 to allow a user to book a room, in response to a booking request. The booking server 102 is configured to receive a booking request from a

user device

140, 142, 144, the booking request comprising one or more booking parameters.

The booking server 102 is configured to process the booking request and identify a plurality of available rooms from a plurality of bookable rooms. The booking server 102 identifies vacant or available rooms from the room database 150 based the booking parameters. The booking parameters can be any one or more of: location of the user, number of attendees for the event, amenities required, user identity or user price. The booking server 102 is configured to identify a plurality of available rooms from the plurality of bookable rooms by identifying which rooms are available (i.e. not booked) , and matching one or more booking parameters with one or more room parameters. In another embodiment the booking server identifies available rooms, in response to a booking request, by matching as many booking parameters with room parameters. Any room where three or more booking parameters match the room parameters is selected.

In a further embodiment the booking server 102 includes a predefined weighting for booking parameters, the weighting defining the importance of each booking parameter. For example the location of the user has the maximum weighting, followed by the number of attendees, followed by price and so on. The booking server 102 processes a booking request to identify the booking parameters, search through the room database 150 and identify available rooms and match the weighted booking parameters with the associated room parameters. The booking server 102 is configured to update the available rooms in real time based on one or more bookings of the one or more plurality of available rooms by one or more users. In one example the available rooms are identified based on at least the location of the user and the number of attendees. In a further example the booking server identifies available rooms by matching the location of the user with the location of the room, and by matching the number of attendees from the user with the number of occupants of the room. Other matching strategies or processes can be used by the booking server 102 to identify available rooms.

The matching used by the booking server 102 is advantageous because it provides a user with the most relevant results. The results of available rooms provided to the user are most closely matched to the user’s requirements as defined in the booking parameters.

The booking server 102 is configured to provide the plurality of available rooms that have been identified based on the booking parameters, to the user device for display to the user. The identified available rooms are presented on the

user device

140, 142, 144 as a scrollable list. In one example the list of available rooms is provided as a scrollable list on a webpage that is displayed on the user interface 336 of the

user device

140, 142 or 144. The webpage information is provided by the server application on the booking server 102 to the client application on the

user device

140, 142, 144.

The user can select a room from the available rooms by inputting a selection through the user interface 336. The

user device

140, 142, 144 generates a selection request based on the user selection. The booking server 102 is configured to receive a selection request from the user, the selection request including one or more rooms from the plurality of available rooms selected by the user for booking. The booking server 102 receives the selection request via the user communication interface 306. The selection request is communicated to the server application through the client application.

The booking server 102 is configured to book the selected one or more rooms from the plurality of available rooms. The booking 102 further updating the available rooms in real time based on the booking made by the user via the selection request. The booking server 102 maintains a register of available rooms. The available rooms are rooms that are unbooked from the database of bookable rooms. The register maintains a record of available or unbooked rooms. The booking server 102 is configured to update the register in real time. The data from the register is used to provide a user with available rooms based on the booking parameters. The use of this register is advantageous since it allows the booking server 102 to maintain a real time, up to date record of the available rooms.

The booking server 102 is further configured to process received selection request from the

user device

140, 142, 144. The booking server 102 checks whether the selected room by the user is still available once the selection request is received. This is done to ensure that the room has not been booked in the time taken to receive the selection request or during the time a user is deliberating regarding their room selection. If the selected room is booked the booking server 102 transmits a message that the selected room is booked. The booking server 102 is further configured to re-send the plurality of available rooms, excluding the booked room or rooms, to the

user device

140, 142, 144 from which the selection request was received. The booking server 102 is configured to receive a plurality of booking requests and selection requests. The booking server 102 can process multiple booking requests and selection requests using the register or available rooms. The register of available rooms is updated in real time based on the received booking requests and selection requests.

The booking server 102 is configured to analyze booking rates for each bookable room. The booking server 102 analyzes the booking rates of each room stored in the database 150. The booking server 102 processes the analyzed booking rates to identify usage patterns or other booking trends associated with each of the bookable rooms. The booking server 102 analyzes booking rates on the fly or in real time based on the booking information such as for example based on the information received from various selection requests. The booking server 102 is configured to update the list of the available rooms based on the analyzed vacancy rates. The list provided as a webpage on the

user device

140, 142, 144. The booking information as each room is booked may be stored in the memory unit 304 temporarily to allow the processor 302 to analyze the booking information to identify booking trends. The trends may be stored in the database 150 or temporarily stored in the memory unit 304.

The booking server 302 prioritizes available rooms for presentation to the user based on the user’s identified booking trends. The booking trend can include booking patterns or bookings made by a user. The booking trends can also include the specific rooms booked by the user or the location where a user books or amenities requested by the user and so on. The booking server 102 may further analyze a particular user’s booking patterns and store these patterns in the memory unit 304 or in the user database 160. The user’s usage or booking patterns are analyzed based on the bookings made by the user. The booking server 102 further identifies and stores the booking parameters defined by the user.

A user is required to create a user profile as part of a sign up process. The sign up process involves the user inputting at least the user name, location and any other required information. The user can also include a photo of the user and include the profession of the user. The sign up process can be completed though the client application in the

user device

140, 142, 144. The user information is communicated to the booking server 102 through the user communication interface 306 and server application. The user profile and information is stored on a user database 160. The created user profile allows a user to become a member of the system and gain access to the booking system 100.

As described earlier the booking server 102 updates the available rooms based on the analyzed booking patterns and/or the user information stored in the user database 160. In one example the rooms that are most vacant are prioritized and presented higher up in the scrollable list. The available rooms that have the most vacancies are presented at the top of the scrollable list. Bookable rooms with a greater number of back to back bookings are located toward the bottom of the list, even if there is a vacancy at the requested time slot from a user. Further the booking server 102 may prioritize users based on the analyzed booking trends or patterns. The booking server 102 is further configured to identify each user’s booking patterns or trends. The user’s booking patterns or trends may be stored in the memory unit 304 or in the register that is stored in the memory unit 304. The user’s booking patterns or trends may be stored in the user database 160. The bookings made by a particular user are stored in the user database 160. The user can access a full history of bookings made by the user.

The booking server 102 is configured to give priority to user’s who book certain specific rooms regularly and other factors based on usage patterns and analytics. The booking server 102 is configured to automatically give priority to users who book certain rooms such that these users get priority to book their favorite rooms. The booking server 102 is further configured to identify the location of the user. The booking server 102 can determine the location of the user based on a location signal received by the booking server 102 from the

user device

140, 142, 144. Alternatively, the location of the user can be identified from the booking parameters received as part of the booking request. The booking server 102 prioritizes or gives priority to users that book rooms within their home location. The booking server 102 further applies any specific discounts or entitlements based on the user profile. The booking server 102 determines the user profile of the user that sends a booking request. The booking server 102 automatically applies any specific discounts or entitlements to the price of the available rooms prior to providing the available room list to the user.

The booking server 102, in particular the client application allows the user to invite additional attendees to the meeting. The additional invitees can be invited either before or after an available room is booked. The client application on the

user device

140, 142, 144 transmits information regarding any additional invitees to the booking server 102. The client application provides a user interface and can link to an email account of the user to allow the user to invite additional attendees. The client application on the

user device

140, 142, 144 further can communicate with and synchronize with the calendar application of the user device. This allows the user to add meeting details to their personal calendar.

A user can order additional amenities or services to compliment the bookings. The additional amenities or services or goods are ordered through a user interface provided on the

user device

140, 142, 144 via the client application. The booking server 102, specifically the server application and client application provide a user a user interface to through which a user can input special requests. The booking server 102 is configured to receive a special request, wherein the special request can include a request for a specific item or service. The booking server 102 is further configured to process each special request and provide a notification to a supplier device 170 such that a supplier can provide the item or service. Figure 1 shows a supplier device in electronic communication with the booking server 102. The notification provided by the booking server 102, includes the date and location of the room that requires the item or service. Some examples of the requested item or service can be video conferencing equipment, conference bridges, catering, drinks and the like. The supplier is also provided a time of when the item or service is required such that the item or service is delivered to the room that includes the user that ordered the item or service.

The booking request can include room set up information regarding a particular room set up for a booked meeting room. The set up information may include window blinds position, temperature of a room, privacy glass to be switched on or off, intensity of the lights or level of lights, air condition settings and so on.The room set up information is inputted through a

user device

140, 142, 144 and is included into the booking request by the client application being executed on the

user device

140, 142, 144. The room set up information can also include a room layout that is requested by the user. The booking server 102 is configured to transmit the room set up information to each

room interface

130, 132, 134. The room set up information can be used by appropriate staff or the room owner to set up the booked room as per a user’s request.

The booking server 102 is configured to communicate with mapping systems such as GPS. This allows the booking server 102 to provide map information when a booking confirmation is sent to the

user device

140, 142, 144. The map information shows directions from a user location to the location of the room to make getting to the room easier for a user who has booked a particular room. The map information can be used by the

user device

140, 142, 144 to access a GPS system from the user device.

The booking server 102 is configured to act as a payment portal that can link the

user device

140, 142, 144 and a room providers bank account. The client application on the

user device

140, 142, 144 links to a payment webpage or allows the user to include credit card details to allow the user to pay for a booked room. The money from the user is transmitted to the

room interface

130, 132, 134 or directly to a bank account of the room provider. In an embodiment the booking server may also communicate with customer relationship management ( “CRM” ) system of each room provider to allow each room provider to conduct analytics. The booking server 102 can also generate an invoice and transmit the invoice to the user device. A user can also access a payment portal at any time to allow a user to pay-as-you-go when additional services or items are ordered by the user, such as for example photocopiers, fax, wifi access, snack bar, drinks and so on.

The booking server 102 generates an unlock code and transmits the unlock code to the user once a booking of a room is confirmed. The server application on the booking server 102 can generate an unlock code. The unlock code can be used by the user to unlock the booked room. In one embodiment the user can input the unlock code into a

room interface

130, 132, 134 to unlock the booked room. Each

room interface

130, 132, 134 can have a unique unlock code associate with it. The booking server 102 can include a list of unique unlock codes for each room. The booking server 102 can also receive additional unlock codes if new rooms are added to the system. Each unlock code may be stored in the room database and related to the specific room that relates to the unlock code.

The booking server 102 is further configured to manage a client membership program. The membership program utilizes information stored on the user database 160. A tiered membership program can be offered to users with a variety of client benefits at various tiers of membership. The user can select the required tier of membership or is signed up to the basic membership tier. One example is a bronze, silver, gold and platinum membership packages. There may be various discounts or added free services offered in higher tiers of membership as compared to lower tiers of membership. A user can also earn usage points with a points system. The booking server can identify the types of rooms booked and aggregate usage points based on the booking trends that are identified by the booking server 102. A user can spend the usage points as cash to purchase additional goods or services or to reduce the cash cost of a room. Other membership based functionality can also be incorporated into the booking system 100.

Figures 3 to 17 illustrate non limiting examples of various webpages or screens that are displayed on the user device. The webpages or screens are generated by the client application 340 residing on the user device.

Referring to figure 3 there is shows an exemplary start screen of the app i.e. the start screen generated by the client application 340 displayed on the user device. The start screen 400 includes a log in link 402 that allows a user to log in with an existing user account. The start screen 400 also includes a sign up portion 404. A new user can sign in using an email address. The user can access the booking system 100 functionality by signing up. The sign up information is stored in the user database 160. Alternatively, the user can continue without logging in by clicking on a “continue without logging in” 406 link or button.

Figure 4 shows a log in screen 410. The log in screen is accessed by clicking on the log in link 402. The log in screen includes a space to input an email 412. A password space 414 is located below the email space. A log in button 416 is pushed by the user to log in. The user can include a user email and password associated with the user ID. The booking server 102 checks the password associated with the email address and allows a user to log in. The check is performed using stored user information in the user database 150. A “forgot your password” link 418 is provided on the log in screen 410 to allow a user to recover a forgotten password. A register link 420 is presented to allow a user who does is not registered to register with the booking system 100.

Figure 5 shows a new booking screen or page 500 that is presented to the user. The new booking screen 500 is displayed on a user interface that is created by the client application 340 residing on the user device. The new booking screen shows a number of booking parameters that can be defined or selected by the user. The user can select the number of attendees 502, the date of the booking 504, a preferred booking time 506, a meeting length 508, and location 510 where the user wants to host the meeting or booking. Figure 5 further shows a list 512 of available rooms. The list 512 is a scrollable room. The list includes a first room 514 and a second room 514. As seen in figure 5, the list also includes details of each room. Specifically the list 512 includes the name of the room, the number of attendees the room can take, the price of the room. Additional room details can be seen by selecting the “room details” link. The bottom of the new booking screen 500 includes a tab labelled “reservations” to allow a user to view upcoming and past reservations.

Figure 6 shows a meeting room details screen 600. This screen is accessed by clicking on the room details link. The meeting room details screen 600 shows a picture of the meeting room 602. The photos of each bookable room may be stored in the room database 150. The pictures of each room are accessed, by the client application 340 by providing a request to the server application 320. The booking server 102 transmits the room pictures to the user device. The address 604 of the selected room is displayed. The price 606 of the selected room is displayed. The number of guests 608 that can be held into the room and an amenities link 610 is displayed.

Figure 7 shows an exemplary screen 700 of the amenities that are provided in the selected room. The amenities screen 700 is displayed by clicking on the amenities link 610. In the room shown in figure 7, the room includes a TV, a phone set, and a writing glass wall. Other amenities for other rooms are displayed when selected. Figure 8 shows a map screen 800. The location information of the selected room is provided to the user device by the booking interface. The location of the selected room 802 is illustrated on a map interface or screen. The client application 340 also can link to a GPS function or module of the user device to allow directions to the room to be communicated to the user. Figure 9 shows an example of the client application 340 accessing Google Maps, Apple Maps or Baidu Maps 900 for directions from the user location to the room location.

Figure 10 shows a booking screen 1000. The booking screen 1000 is a screen where booking details can be finalized. The booking screen displays the name of the room 1002, the duration of the booking 1004, the date of the booking 1006. The booking screen 1000 also displays the final price, including any discounts etc 1008. The booking screen displays the cancellation policy 1010 associated with the selected room. The cancellation policy is defined by each room provider. In one embodiment the cancellation policy of each room is stored in the room database 150. The screen or webpage 1000 is used to confirm the booking made by the user.

Figure 11 shows a booking confirmation screen 1100 or webpage that is created by the client application of the user device. The booking confirmation screen 1100 delivers a booking confirmation message 1102. The screen includes a space 1104 to enter any special requests. The special requests are inputted in a text format but other formats are also contemplated such as images or any other suitable form. The booking server 102 can receive the special requests and provide a message to the room provider or a supplier such that the special requests are attended to. Figure 12 shows a list of upcoming bookings 1200. The list of upcoming bookings in figure 12 are displayed as a scrollable list on the user device. The list of upcoming bookings 1200 are bookings for one specific user. Alternatively, the list of upcoming bookings can be displayed as a multi pane display or in a horizontal arrangement or any other suitable format. The list of upcoming bookings 1200 shows a list of the rooms, the dates of the bookings, the time duration of the booking and the number of attendees. Figure 13 shows a list of past bookings 1300 made by the user. The past bookings illustrate the date, the price paid and at least the name of the room.

Figure 14 shows a settings screen 1400. The setting screen 1400 shows a list of settings that can be changed or amended by the user on the user device. The setting screen 1400 allows various settings to be amended such as the type of clock, change password or language. Other settings can also be shown and amended. The setting changes are implemented by the client application 340 and can affect the operation of the user device. Figure 15 shows a language selection screen 1500 that is presented to the user. Any suitable language can be selected.

Figure 16 shows an exemplary method 1600 of booking a room. The method of booking a room 1600. The method of booking a room comprises the steps of receiving a booking request from the user at step 1602. The booking request includes one or more booking parameters. The booking parameters are user set parameters or user requirements for a booking. These can include for example the location of the user, number of attendees, the meeting time, duration of meeting, price, user identity and amenities required. The method proceeds to step 1604 that includes processing the booking request. At step 1606 a plurality of available rooms are identified from a plurality of bookable rooms. The bookable rooms details are stored in a room database 150. Step 1606 includes matching one or more booking parameters with one or more room parameters i.e. room information. Step 1606 includes matching as many booking parameters with room parameters. The rooms with the greatest matches are selected. The method proceeds to step 1608 that includes providing the plurality of identified available rooms to a user device for viewing by a user. The available rooms are provided as a list on a user interface on a user device. The user device includes a client application that generates webpages based on information received from the booking server via a server application. Step 1610 includes receiving a selection request from a user. The selection request includes a selection of one or more of the available rooms that have been selected by the user for booking. Step 1612 comprises booking the selected rooms by the user. Step 1614 comprises updating the available rooms in real time based on the one or more room bookings. A register of available rooms is maintained and updated in real time such that the booking server always provides up-to-date information regarding available rooms i.e. regarding room vacancies. If a room is booked it is removed from the register until the room is identified as free or unbooked. The method 1600 is repeated continuously. The method 1600 can also be executed in a short amount of time such as in real time. The method 1600 as described herein can be stored as executable instructions on the memory unit 304 of the booking server 102. The memory unit 304 is a non transitory computer readable medium. The processor unit 302 of the booking server 102 is configured to execute the method 1600 to control the functioning of the booking system 100.

The method may also comprise the additional step of providing a notification message if the selected room is booked in the time that the user ends up selecting the available. The method proceeds to re-transmitting an updated list of available rooms for selection by the user. The list of available rooms can be generated from the register of available rooms. The method may further include the additional steps of analyzing vacancy rates and booking rates of the one or more available rooms. Rooms with the highest number of vacancies are presented first to the user. The method may further comprise the steps of generating and transmitting an unlock code to a user to access the booked room. Additional functionality described earlier can also be provided as part of the method of booking a room.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the present invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

It will also be appreciated that where the methods and systems of the present invention are either wholly implemented by computing system or partly implemented by computing systems then any appropriate computing system architecture may be utilized. This will include stand-alone computers, network computers, cloud-based computers and dedicated hardware devices. Where the terms “computing system” and “computing device” are used, these terms are intended to cover any appropriate arrangement of computer hardware capable of implementing the function described.

Any reference to prior art contained herein is not to be taken as an admission that the information is common general knowledge, unless otherwise indicated. It is to be understood that, if any prior art information is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the information forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, any other country.

Claims

A method for booking a room, utilizing a user device that communicates with a server, the server being a hardware computing server, and the method comprising:

receiving a booking request from a user, the booking request comprising one or more booking parameters,

processing the booking request and identifying a plurality of available rooms from a plurality of bookable rooms based on the one or more booking parameters,

providing the plurality available rooms to the user,

receiving a selection request from the user, the selection request including one or more rooms from the plurality of available rooms selected by the user for booking,

booking the selected one or more rooms from the plurality of available rooms,

updating the available rooms in real time based on one or more room bookings of one or more of the plurality of available rooms.
A method for booking a room in accordance with claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the additional steps of:

processing the selection request received from the user, wherein processing the selection request includes checking if the selected one or more rooms is still available once a selection request is received, and；

if the selected room is unavailable then re-presenting a plurality of available rooms to the user excluding the booked rooms.
A method for booking a room in accordance with any one of claim 1 to 2, wherein the plurality of available rooms are presented as a scrollable list on a user interface, each of the plurality of available rooms being selectable for booking by the user.
A method for booking a room in accordance with any one of claim 1 to 3, wherein the method comprises the additional step of analyzing vacancy rates of the one or more available rooms, and wherein the plurality of available rooms are arranged based on the analyzed vacancy rates.
A method for booking a room in accordance with any one of claim 3 to 4, wherein the plurality of available rooms are arranged based on vacancy rates such that the available rooms with greater vacancies are arranged above rooms with less vacancies in the scrollable list.
A method for booking a room in accordance with any one of claim 1 to 5, wherein the booking parameters comprise one or more of:

a location of the room,

number of attendees,

amenities required,

user identity,

time of meeting,

duration of meeting,

user price.
A method for booking a room in accordance with any one of claim 1 to 6, wherein the step of identifying a plurality of available rooms from a plurality of bookable rooms comprises identifying a plurality of available rooms based on the booking parameters.
A method for booking a room in accordance with claim 6, wherein the plurality of available rooms are identified based on at least the location of the user, the time of the meeting, the duration of the meeting and the number of attendees.
A method for booking a room in accordance with claim 8, wherein the method comprises the steps of: analyzing the booking rates for each of each of the available rooms, determine booking trends for each of the available rooms, and present available rooms to the user based on the booking trends, such that available rooms with the least bookings are present first to the user on a user device.
A method for booking a room in accordance with any one of claim 1 to 9, wherein the step of analyzing the booking rates for each available room is performed in real time, and the step of presenting the available rooms is performed in real time.
A method for booking a room in accordance with any one of claim 1 to 10, wherein the method comprises the steps of: recording bookings made by each user, and processing the recorded booking to identify booking trends of each user.
A method for booking a room in accordance with claim 11, wherein the method comprises the step of prioritizing rooms for a user based on the user’s identified booking trends, wherein the booking trends includes one or more of rooms that are booked by the user, location where a user books, amenities requested by the user.
A method for booking a room in accordance with any one of claim 1 to 12, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

providing a user interface to input special requests,

receiving a special request that can include a request for a specific item or service,

processing each special request and providing a notification to a supplier such that the supplier can provide the item or service, wherein the notification includes the date and location of the room that requires the item or service.
A method for booking a room in accordance with any one of claim 1 to 13, wherein the method comprises the step of providing a user an unlock code associated with the selected room, the unlock code allowing the user to unlock the selected room.
A method for booking a room in accordance with any one of claim 1 to 14, wherein the step of identifying a plurality of available rooms comprises locating a plurality of available rooms that best match as many booking parameters defined by the user, and wherein the plurality of available rooms are ordered based on the number of booking parameters that have been matched.
A method for booking a room in accordance with any one of claim 1 to 15, wherein the room is an office room or a meeting room or a conference room.
A method for booking a room in accordance with any one of claim 1 to 16, wherein the method is stored as executable instructions in a memory unit, the memory unit being in electronic communication with a hardware processor, the server comprising the memory unit and the hardware processor, the hardware processor being configured to execute the stored instructions to cause the server to communicate a user device and execute one or more of the method steps defined in claims 1 to 16.
A booking system for booking a room, the booking system comprising；

a booking server in electronic communication with one or more user devices,

one or more room interfaces in electronic communication with the booking server, each room interface being associated with a bookable room

the booking server configured to receive a booking request from a user device of the one or more user devices,

the booking request comprising one or more booking parameters,

the server being configured to process the booking request and identify a plurality of available rooms from a plurality of bookable rooms based, the available rooms being identified based on the one or more booking parameters,

the server further being configured to provide the plurality of available rooms to the user device for viewing by the user,

the server configured to receive a selection request from the user device, the selection request includes one or more rooms being selected, from the plurality of available rooms, for booking by the user,

the server configured to book the selected one or more rooms from the plurality of available rooms by providing a booking message to the room interface,

the server further configured to update the available rooms in real time based on one or more room bookings of the one or more of the plurality of available rooms by the one or more users.
A booking system in accordance with claim 18, wherein the server is configured to maintain a register of available rooms and update the register of available rooms based on the bookings of available rooms by one or more users, the server configured to remove an available room from the register once the server has transmitted a booking message to the associated room interface.
A booking system in accordance with any one of claim 18 to 19, wherein the room is a meeting room or a conference room.
A booking system in accordance with any one of claim 18 to 20, wherein the server is configured to process the selection request received from the user device by checking if the selected one or more rooms is still available once a selection request is received, and；

the server configured to re-send a plurality of available rooms, excluding the booked one or more rooms, to the user device for display to the user.
A booking system in accordance with any one of claim 18 to 21, wherein the plurality of available rooms are presented as a scrollable list on a user interface of the user device, each of the plurality of available rooms being selectable for booking via the user interface of the user device.
A booking system in accordance with claim 22, wherein the plurality of available rooms are presented as a scrollable list on a webpage upon the user device.
A booking system in accordance with any one of claim 18 to 23, wherein the server is configured to analyze vacancy rates of each of the plurality of available rooms, and wherein the plurality of available rooms are ordered based on the analyzed vacancy rates.
A booking system in accordance with claim 24, wherein the server is configured to order the plurality of available rooms based on the vacancy rates such that the available rooms with greater vacancies are arranged above rooms with less vacancies in the scrollable list, and； the server further configured to transmit the list information to the user device such that the scrollable list is displayed on the user device.
A booking system in accordance with any one of claim 18 to 25, wherein the booking parameters comprise one or more of:

a location of the room,

number of attendees,

amenities required,

time of meeting,

duration of the meeting

user identity,

user price.
A booking system in accordance with any one of claim 18 to 26, wherein the booking server is configured to identify a plurality of available rooms from a plurality of bookable rooms based on the booking parameters and vacancy of the bookable rooms.
A booking system in accordance with any one of claim 18 to 27, wherein the system comprises a room database, the room database being in electronic communication with the booking server, wherein the room database stores a catalogue of bookable rooms and the room database is further configured to store room parameters associated with each bookable room.
A booking system in accordance with claim 28, wherein the booking server is configured to determine the available rooms by matching one or more booking parameters with one or more of the room parameters, the available rooms being presented to the user based on the number of matches between the booking parameters and room parameters.
A booking system in accordance with any one of claim 28 to 29, wherein the room parameters comprise one or more of: the room location, number of occupants the room can receive, amenities that are included in the room, amenities that can be supported by the room and cost of the room.
A booking system in accordance with any one of claim 18 to 30, wherein the booking server is configured to analyze the booking rates for each available room, the booking server being configured to determine booking trends for each of the available rooms, present the available rooms to the user based on the identified booking trends, and wherein the booking server being further configured to provide the available rooms with the least bookings first to the user device.
A booking system in accordance with any one of claim 1 to 9, wherein the booking server is configured to analyze the booking rates for each available room in real time, and the booking server further configured to provide the available rooms to the user device in real time.
A booking system in accordance with any one of claim 18 to 32, wherein the user device is configured to provide a user a portal to the user, to input special requests, the booking server being configured to receive a special request, wherein the special request can include a request for a specific item or service, and the booking server further being configured to process each special request and provide a notification to a supplier device such that a supplier can provide the item or service, wherein the notification includes the date and location of the room that requires the item or service.
A booking system for booking a room, the booking system comprising；

a booking server in electronic communication with one or more user devices,

one or more room interfaces in electronic communication with the booking server, each room interface being associated with a bookable room

the booking server configured to receive a booking request from a user device of the one or more user devices,

the booking request comprising one or more booking parameters,

the server being configured to process the booking request and identify a plurality of available rooms from a plurality of bookable rooms based, the available rooms being identified based on the one or more booking parameters,

the server further being configured to provide the plurality of available rooms to the user device for viewing by the user,

the server configured to receive a selection request from the user device, the selection request includes one or more rooms being selected, from the plurality of available rooms, for booking by the user,

the server configured to book the selected one or more rooms from the plurality of available rooms by providing a booking message to the room interface,

the server further configured to update the available rooms in real time based on one or more room bookings of the one or more of the plurality of available rooms by the one or more users,

the server is configured to maintain a register of available rooms and update the register of available rooms based on the bookings of available rooms by one or more users, the server configured to remove an available room from the register once the server has transmitted a booking message to the associated room interface,

the server being configured to process the selection request received from the user device by checking if the selected one or more rooms is still available once a selection request is received, and；

the server further being configured to re-send a plurality of available rooms, excluding the booked one or more rooms, to the user device for display to the user, the plurality of available rooms are presented as a scrollable list on a user interface of the user device, each of the plurality of available rooms being selectable for booking via the user interface of the user device, wherein the plurality of available rooms are presented as a scrollable list on a user interface upon the user device,

the server is configured to analyze vacancy rates of each of the plurality of available rooms, and wherein the plurality of available rooms are ordered based on the analyzed vacancy rates,

the server is configured to order the plurality of available rooms based on the vacancy rates such that the available rooms with greater vacancies are arranged above rooms with less vacancies in the scrollable list, and； the server further configured to transmit the list information to the user device such that the scrollable list is displayed on the user device,

the booking server is configured to identify a plurality of available rooms from a plurality of bookable rooms based on the booking parameters and vacancy of the bookable rooms,

the system comprises a room database, the room database being in electronic communication with the booking server, wherein the room database stores a catalogue of bookable rooms and the room database is further configured to store room parameters associated with each bookable room,

the booking server is configured to determine the available rooms by matching one or more booking parameters with one or more of the room parameters, the available rooms being presented to the user based on the number of matches between the booking parameters and room parameters,

the booking server is configured to analyze the booking rates for each available room, the booking server being configured to determine booking trends for each of the available rooms, present the available rooms to the user based on the identified booking trends, and wherein the booking server being further configured to provide the available rooms with the least bookings first to the user device,

the booking server is configured to analyze the booking rates for each available room in real time, and the booking server further configured to provide the available rooms to the user device in real time,

the user device is configured to provide a user interface to the user, to input special requests, the booking server being configured to receive a special request, wherein the special request can include a request for a specific item or service, and the booking server further being configured to process each special request and provide a notification to a supplier device such that a supplier can provide the item or service, wherein the notification includes the date and location of the room that requires the item or service.
A booking system in accordance with claim 34, wherein the room is a meeting room or a conference room.