JP2002259578A - Brokerage method for hotel reservation using communication network - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a brokerage method for managing unsold rooms and room reservations for contracted intermediate and small hotels via an Internet or a hand-held terminal communication network. SOLUTION: A brokerage method of a hotel reservation brokerage agent, who reserves a room of the contracted hotels via an Internet, provides a computer storage means to be connected to the Internet for the hotel reservation brokerage agent, which stores unsold room data of contracted hotels, and a site for hotel room reservations, which is prepared by the hotel reservation brokerage agent at their site, for the agent to reserve the rooms of the contracted hotels. The method has two ways to reserve the hotel rooms for the contracted hotels. The one is to click a button for the reservations installed on a home page of the contracted hotels in order to connect to a computer located in the hotel reservation brokerage agent and the other is to click the button for the reservations installed at an introduction site of the hotel reservation brokerage agent, which is registered at a retrieval engine site, in order to connect to the computer located in the hotel reservation brokerage agent.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for mediating hotel reservations on a computer network, particularly on the Internet or via a portable information terminal communication network represented by a portable telephone.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, hotel reservations have been made either directly by telephone or by telephone or facsimile via a hotel reservation company. However, with the spread of mobile information terminals such as the Internet and mobile phones, it has become possible to make hotel reservations on the Internet or via a mobile information terminal communication network.

[0003] For example, a hotel terminal device and a user terminal device are connected to each other by a public line on the Internet, a portable information terminal line on a portable information terminal, or the like through a host computer of a reservation intermediary, several days, several months later, or the same day. Reservations have been made and accepted.

[0004] As the acceptance of reservations on the Internet and in portable information terminal communication networks has become widespread, hotels have increasingly created their own homepages and accepted reservations directly. However, even if a homepage is created, it is impossible for small and medium-sized hotels to manage and manage the remaining rooms (inventory management) with their own software, at the cost and human resources. is there.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a method for performing such a remaining room management on the Internet or via a portable information terminal communication network, and further mediating a reservation.

[0006]

That is, the first aspect of the present invention is as follows.
Stores the remaining room information of each contracted hotel in the storage means of a computer connected to the Internet of the hotel reservation intermediary, and the hotel reservation intermediary mediates the reservation of the room of the contracted hotel via the Internet In the method, the hotel reservation intermediary establishes a reservation reception site dedicated to the contracted hotel in the site of the hotel reservation intermediary, (1) installs a reservation reception button on the contracted hotel's website, and clicks the reservation reception button. To connect to the contracted hotel exclusive reservation reception site on the computer of the hotel reservation intermediary, or (2) set up a contracted hotel introduction site with a reservation reception button installed in the hotel reservation intermediation site, and Register on the search engine site and click on the reservation acceptance button to By connecting to the contract hotel-only reservation site Le reservation brokers of the computer,
The present invention relates to a method for mediating the reservation of a contract hotel.

A second aspect of the present invention is that the remaining room information of each contracted hotel is stored in a portable information terminal dedicated storage means of a computer connected to a portable information terminal communication network of a hotel reservation intermediary. In a method in which a hotel reservation intermediary brokers the reservation of a room of the contracted hotel via the information terminal communication network, the hotel reservation intermediary transmits a mobile information terminal dedicated reservation reception site dedicated to the contracted hotel to the mobile information of the hotel reservation intermediary. Installed in a dedicated site for terminal communication network,
(1) To set up a reservation acceptance button for personal digital assistants on the contracted hotel's website, click the reservation acceptance button, enter the address of the personal digital assistant, and send it to the site dedicated to the personal digital assistant communications network of the hotel reservation intermediary. By
Either send the address of the mobile information terminal dedicated reservation reception site dedicated to the contract hotel of the hotel reservation intermediary to the mobile information terminal, or (2) reserve the mobile information terminal dedicated within the mobile information terminal communication network dedicated site of the hotel reservation intermediary. Set up a contracted hotel introduction site dedicated to the mobile information terminal communication network equipped with a reception button, register the contracted hotel introduction site dedicated to the mobile information terminal communication network in the search engine site dedicated to the mobile information terminal communication network, and click the reservation reception button. The present invention also relates to a method for mediating a reservation of a contracted hotel via a portable information terminal communication network by connecting to a reservation reservation site for exclusive use of a contracted hotel dedicated to a portable information terminal of the hotel reservation intermediary.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS First, the first invention relating to the mediation of reservation on the Internet (web site) will be described with reference to FIG.

The terms used in the first aspect of the present invention will now be described.

[0010] The contracted hotel homepage (HP) (Fig. 1)
Reference number 2): A homepage for a hotel that has concluded a brokerage agreement with a hotel reservation broker to introduce its own hotel. It has a URL dedicated to hotels.

[0011] Reservation reception button (3 in FIG. 1): a reservation reception button provided in the HP of the contract hotel. By clicking, you are automatically connected to the site of the hotel reservation broker (so-called linked).

[0012] Site of a hotel reservation broker (reference numeral 4 in FIG. 1): provided with storage means for the remaining room information of the contracted hotel, management of the remaining room information, reservation reception and intermediary software, contracted hotel introduction site, etc. site.

[0013] Reservation reception site exclusively for contracted hotels (reference numeral 5 in FIG. 1): A reservation reception site provided for each contracted hotel in the hotel reservation intermediary site. From this site, you can search for remaining room information and apply for reservations.

Search site (reference numeral 6 in FIG. 1): A site provided with means (search engine) capable of performing various searches. Usually, word search is enabled and is operated by a specialized company.

Contracted hotel introduction site (symbol 7 in FIG. 1): A site provided on the site of the hotel reservation intermediary for introducing contracted hotels for each hotel. This is a simple HP form. This site may accept reservations exclusively for contracted hotels.

In the first aspect of the present invention, when the contracted hotel is the hotel 9a having its own homepage (HP) 2 (Embodiment 1a), the contracted hotel has its own homepage (HP). There is a case where the hotel 9b is not located (Embodiment 1b).

In the case of the embodiment 1a, the user accesses a homepage 2 on the Internet of a hotel (for example, the hotel 1a) to which the user wants to stay by using a computer (PC) 1 which can be connected to the Internet. This contracted hotel homepage 2 contains information on hotels,
A reservation accepting button 3 as shown in FIG. 2 and, if necessary, a portable information terminal communication network reservation accepting button 13 used in a second invention described later are provided. This is the contracted hotel site.

The reservation accepting button 3 is connected to a contracted hotel exclusive reservation accepting site 5 provided on the site 4 of the hotel reservation intermediary, and when clicked, a screen such as that shown in FIG. 3 is displayed. Thereafter, processing such as remaining room information for knowing the reservation status and application for reservation is advanced according to the instructions on the screen. Note that the screen display form and instruction hierarchy (processing procedure) are described in FIG.
The present invention is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 3 and is not particularly limited. As the reservation processing means, a conventionally known means is employed.

For example, receiving the remaining room information from the contracted hotel 9a, storing the remaining room information in the remaining room information storage means 8 of the computer of the hotel reservation intermediary, and managing the remaining room and the reservation by the user's reservation. Is adopted. The contact with the contract hotel 9a may be made by various communication means (e-mail transmission / reception via the Internet, telephone, facsimile, etc.).

According to the first embodiment 1a of the present invention, the reservation intermediation of the contracted hotel 9a in which the remaining room management and the reservation management are not performed on the Internet by the user even with his / her own HP is smoothly performed on the Internet. Can do it.

Next, a first embodiment 1b of the present invention will be described. This embodiment 1b is for a contract hotel 9b that does not have its own homepage on the Internet. Creating a homepage for your own hotel isn't too difficult, but updating the homepage can be a significant amount of work.

In the embodiment 1b, the contract hotel 9b
Instead of this, a hotel reservation intermediary creates a contracted hotel introduction site 7 and registers it on a search site 6 created by providers and specialized companies on the Internet.

The contracted hotel introduction site 7 can be connected to the contracted hotel exclusive reservation reception site 5 together with a simple hotel introduction (the ordinary search site 6 is set in this way).

The user accesses the search site 6 on the Internet from his / her personal computer 1 and arrives at the introduction site 7 of the contract hotel 9b by, for example, word search or various sort searches prepared by the provider. Next, a connection is made from the introduction site 7 to the contracted hotel exclusive reservation reception site 5, and thereafter the reservation process proceeds as in the embodiment 1a. Information exchange between the contracted hotel 9b and the hotel reservation intermediary 4 is performed by various communication means (e-mail transmission / reception via the Internet, telephone, facsimile, etc.).
It should be done in.

According to the first embodiment 1b of the present invention, the reservation brokerage of the contract hotel 9b having no own HP can be smoothly performed on the Internet instead of the contract hotel 9b.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The second embodiment is directed to a user who can connect to the Internet with a personal computer (PC) 11a and can receive a communication network service provided by the portable information terminal 11b. There is an embodiment 2b for users who can only receive services of the communication network. Each will be described.

First, terms in the second aspect of the present invention will be described.

Contracted Hotel Homepage (HP) on the Internet (reference numeral 12a in FIG. 4): A homepage for a hotel that has concluded a brokerage contract with a hotel reservation brokerage company to introduce his / her own hotel. It has a URL dedicated to hotels.

The contracted hotel homepage (HP) in the portable information terminal communication network (reference numeral 12b in FIG. 4): portable information for the hotel which has concluded the brokerage contract etc. with the hotel reservation brokerage company to introduce his / her own hotel Homepage for terminal communication network. It has a URL dedicated to hotels.

Reservation acceptance button for mobile information terminal communication network (reference numeral 13 in FIG. 4): HPs 12a and 12 of contracted hotels
Button for accepting reservation for mobile information terminal communication network provided in b.

The site for the mobile information terminal communication network of the hotel reservation intermediary (reference numeral 14 in FIG. 4): storage means for the remaining room information of the contract hotel, management of the remaining room information, reservation reception for the mobile information terminal communication network, Sites with mediation means and contracted hotel introduction sites.

Reservation receiving site for mobile information terminal communication network dedicated to contract hotel (reference numeral 15 in FIG. 4): mobile information terminal communication provided for each contract hotel in the mobile information terminal communication network site of the hotel reservation intermediary. Web reservation reception site. From this site, you can search for remaining room information and apply for reservations.

Internet search site (reference numeral 16a in FIG. 4): A site provided with means (search engine) capable of performing various searches on the Internet. Usually, word search is possible and is operated by a specialized company.

Search site for portable information terminal communication network (reference numeral 16b in FIG. 4): A site provided with software (search engine) capable of performing various searches on the Internet. Usually, word search is enabled and is operated by a specialized company.

Internet-based contracted hotel introduction site (reference numeral 17a in FIG. 4): A site for introducing each contracted hotel provided on the site of a hotel reservation broker on the Internet. This is a simple HP form.

Site for introducing contracted hotel for portable information terminal communication network (reference numeral 17b in FIG. 4): A site for introducing a contracted hotel provided in the site of the hotel reservation intermediary company for each hotel in the portable information terminal communication network. This is a simple HP form. At this site, a reservation for exclusive use of a contract hotel may be accepted from a portable information terminal.

Automatic URL transmission means (reference numeral 2 in FIG. 4)
0): Means for automatically transmitting the URL of the reservation reception site 15 for communication of the portable information terminal of the hotel reservation broker 14 to the portable information terminal 11b of the user. The automatic URL transmission means is automatically activated by clicking the mobile information terminal communication network reservation reception button 13 provided on the screen of the Internet contracted hotel HP 12a or the contracted hotel introduction site 17a.

The second embodiment is directed to a user who can connect to the Internet with a personal computer (PC) 11a and can receive a communication network service provided by the portable information terminal 11b.

First, the user accesses the contracted hotel homepage 12a on the Internet from the personal computer 11a or searches the provider's search site 1
Search for the contracted hotel introduction site 17a in 6a. Up to this point, it is the same as Embodiments 1a and 1b in the first invention. The contract hotel HP and the contract hotel introduction site are provided with a reservation acceptance button 13 for a portable information terminal communication network as shown in FIG. When the user who wants the reservation or the remaining room information clicks the reservation acceptance button 13, a screen as shown in FIG. 5 is displayed. The user inputs the mail address of the portable information terminal such as his / her mobile phone and clicks the send button 21.

When the transmission button 21 is clicked, the automatic URL transmission means 20 of the hotel reservation intermediary site is activated, and the portable information terminal 11b of the user is provided with the portable information terminal communication network provided on the site 14 of the hotel reservation intermediary side. Automatically transmits the URL of the contracted hotel exclusive reservation reception site 15. Therefore, there is no need for the user to input the URL of the contracted hotel exclusive reservation reception site 15 for the long mobile information terminal communication network into the mobile information terminal. An input field such as a mail address of a portable information terminal such as a mobile phone of the user may be provided together with the reservation accepting button 13 on the screen shown in FIG. In this case, by clicking the reservation reception button 13 after inputting the e-mail address, the automatic URL transmitting means 20 is activated, and the contracted hotel exclusive reservation reception site 15 is activated.
Is automatically transmitted to the user's portable information terminal 11b.

The user accesses the contracted hotel exclusive reservation reception site 15 for the portable information terminal communication network by executing the URL of the contracted hotel exclusive reservation reception site 15 for the portable information terminal communication network received by the portable information terminal. be able to. If you register the URL of this site 15,
Thereafter, the site 15 can be directly accessed from the portable information terminal.

The subsequent search for the remaining room information 18 of the hotel and the application for the reservation proceed in the same manner as in the embodiment 1a, except that the request is made in the portable information terminal communication network. The hotel reservation process in the portable information terminal communication network is a known process.

Next, the embodiment 2b will be described. This embodiment is intended for a user who can receive only the service of the communication network by the portable information terminal 11b. The embodiment described as the first embodiment 1a and 1b in the first embodiment of the present invention is the same as the portable information terminal communication network. It is realized by. That is, the term "Internet" in the description of the embodiments 1a and 1b is replaced with "mobile information terminal communication network".

The reservation mediation service via the portable information terminal communication network according to the second aspect of the present invention uses the home page 12b on the portable information terminal communication network regardless of whether the contracted hotel 19 has the Internet home page 12a. Available regardless of whether or not. That is, in the case of a contracted hotel that does not have a homepage, the contracted hotel introduction sites 17a and 17b may be used.

[0045]

According to the reservation mediation method of the present invention, even a small or medium-sized hotel that does not have a homepage on the Internet or a portable information terminal communication network can accept a reservation from the Internet or a portable information terminal. .
Further, from the viewpoint of the user, even if the user does not have a personal computer or cannot use the personal computer, the user can use the portable information terminal communication network to select a desired hotel from a wide range of options.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an embodiment of a reservation mediation method according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an example of a screen of a homepage of a contract hotel in the reservation mediation method of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an example of a screen for accepting reservation for exclusive use of a contract hotel in the reservation mediation method of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of another embodiment of the reservation method of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an example of a screen for activating an automatic URL transmission unit when using the portable information terminal communication network in the reservation mediation method of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 User's personal computer 2 Contracted hotel website on the Internet 3 Reservation acceptance button 4 Hotel reservation intermediary site 5 Contracted hotel exclusive reservation acceptance site 6 Search site 7 Contracted hotel introduction site 8 Remaining room information storage means 9a Contracted hotel (HP available) 9b Contracted hotel (without HP) 11a User's personal computer 11b User's portable information terminal 12a Contracted hotel website on the Internet 12b Contracted hotel website on portable information terminal communication network 13 Reception acceptance button for mobile information terminal communication network 14 Hotel reservation Intermediary site for mobile information terminal communication network 15 Reservation reception site for mobile information terminal communication network dedicated to contract hotel 16a Search site for Internet 16b Search site for mobile information terminal communication network 17a Inter Tsu door for contract hotel introduction site 17b contract hotel introduction site for a mobile information terminal communication network 18 Zanshitsu information storage means 19 contract hotels 20 automatic URL transmission means 21 send button

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) G06F 17/60 504 G06F 17/60 504 506 506

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. The information on the remaining rooms of each contracted hotel is stored in a storage means of a computer connected to the Internet of the hotel reservation intermediary, and the reservation of the room of the contracted hotel is made via the Internet. In the method of intermediation by the hotel, the hotel reservation intermediary provides a reservation reception site dedicated to the contracted hotel in the site of the hotel reservation intermediary, and (1) installs a reservation reception button on the homepage of the contracted hotel; Click to connect to the contracted hotel exclusive reservation reception site on the computer of the hotel reservation intermediary, or (2) set up a contracted hotel introduction site with a reservation reception button installed on the hotel reservation intermediary's site, Register the referral site on the search engine site and click on the reservation acceptance button. A method of intermediating the reservation of a contracted hotel by connecting to the contracted hotel exclusive reservation reception site of the computer of the hotel reservation intermediary. 2. The remaining room information of the contracted individual hotel is stored in a portable information terminal dedicated storage means of a computer connected to a portable information terminal communication network of a hotel reservation intermediary,
In a method in which a hotel reservation intermediary brokers the reservation of a room at the contracted hotel via the portable information terminal communication network, the hotel reservation intermediary transmits the mobile information terminal reservation reception site dedicated to the contracted hotel to the mobile phone of the hotel reservation intermediary. Installed on the website dedicated to the information terminal communication network, (1) Install a dedicated mobile information terminal reservation reception button on the homepage of the contracted hotel, click the reservation reception button, enter the address of the mobile information terminal, and enter the mobile phone of the hotel reservation broker. By transmitting the information to the information terminal communication network dedicated site, the address of the mobile information terminal dedicated reservation reception site dedicated to the contract hotel of the hotel reservation broker is transmitted to the mobile information terminal, or (2) the mobile information of the hotel reservation broker. A contracted hotel exclusively for mobile information terminal communication network with a mobile information terminal exclusive reservation acceptance button installed in the terminal communication network dedicated site An intermediary site is provided, and the mobile information terminal communication network exclusive contract hotel introduction site is registered in the mobile information terminal communication network exclusive search engine site, and a reservation reception button is clicked. A method of mediating reservations for contracted hotels via a mobile information terminal communication network by connecting to a dedicated reservation reception site.