GB883967A - Improvements relating to automatic reservation apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

883,967. Seat-reservation apparatus. ELECTRIC & MUSICAL INDUSTRIES Ltd. March 19, 1958 [Dec. 19, 1956], No. 38626/56. Class 106 (3). Reservation apparatus, for example for airline seats, comprises a plurality of stations each having means for testing availability in response to a reservation enquiry signal, means for recording reservations, and a computer for controlling the testing means to take account of reservations, the computers at said stations being interconnected for operation in response - to operation of said recording means at any of said stations. The computers may be connected in a chain or closed ring, or some may be connected in branch circuits radiating from a principal station. Reservation enquiry signals from a hand set S are passed by a conductor D to testing means C, which passes the answer by a circuit E. A reservation is recorded by means F by a signal over a circuit G, subject to a permissive signal from the testing means. The reservation details are transmitted by a circuit H to the computer B, where it is applied to classifying and amending means J, which classifies it according to flight sector and date, and applies signals to a space control record K containing a record of available space on all flights. After amendment of the record K, signals are applied to means L which test whether, as a result of the amendment, any particular flight sector is no longer available for reservations, in which case a non-availability signal is transmitted by a circuit M to the testing means. Signals transmitted from J are sent to all the computers in the system. Means may be provided to compare a signal initiated at a computer with the corresponding signal returned to it after circulation round the system. The apparatus F, J, K, L may also be used for handling cancellation signals. Specification 876,170 is referred to.