Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TICKET HOLDER-1NITIATED SEAT CHANGES
Field of the Invention
[0001] The invention is generally related to computers and computer software,
and in particular, to travel-related computer software and systems.
Background of the Invention
[0002] Computer technology is increasingly used by travelers to make traveling
less difficult and more efficient. Automated booking systems, for example,
enable
travelers to view prices and schedules for passenger vehicles such as
airplanes, buses,
trains, subways, ferries, cruise ships, etc., as well as purchase tickets for
such vehicles
when a suitable match is found. Flight and public transportation status
systems are
available to track delays in scheduled flights, buses, subways and passenger
trains,
often enabling travelers to view in real-time where a passenger vehicle is
currently
located and when it will arrive at its intended destination. In addition, for
road travel by
car, traffic information is often available in real time to enable travelers
to identify delays
on certain routes, and in many cases, to change their planned routes in order
to avoid
delays.
[0003] Concurrent with the improvements in computer technology is an
increasing reliance on mobile devices such as smart phones by travelers. Many
travel-
related tools that were once limited to access via computers, e.g., via web
sites, are
now optimized for access via a mobile device, whether by mobile device
optimized web
sites or web-based applications, or via dedicated mobile applications.
[0004] In addition, travel-related tools have been developed to enable
travelers
on travel vehicles such as airplanes to select specific seats on the travel
vehicles. At
the time of booking and/or at check-in, for example, travelers may be
permitted to select
specific seats, or at least request an aisle or window seat. The selection may
in some
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instances be performed by the traveler via a web site, mobile app or check-in
kiosk, and
preferred seating may be offered at an additional cost.
[0005] Despite these improvements in travel-related computer technology,
challenges still remain for many travelers. For example, seat selection by a
traveler is
generally restricted after check-in, and changes to seat assignments close to
departure
often require the involvement of travel provider staff members, generally
located at the
departure gate, at a ticket desk, or at a central call center.
[0006] These restrictions can be problematic in certain scenarios. For
example,
when a travel vehicle is not booked to capacity, travelers often shift to
seats other than
their assigned seats, either to be located closer to friends or family, or to
sit adjacent an
empty seat for greater comfort. However, if a traveler has purchased an
ancillary
service such as a vegetarian or Kosher meal option, the service is often tied
to the
traveler's original seat assignment, complicating meal distribution by travel
staff
members aboard the travel vehicle.
[0007] In addition, even where a traveler solicits the help of a gate agent or
other travel staff member to change a seat assignment at the last minute,
these travel
staff members are often busy handling numerous traveler issues prior to
departure,
including attending to stand by travelers, rebooking wait listed travelers,
etc., so seat
assignment changes present an additional burden on these staff members. In
addition,
should seat assignment changes be approved at the last minute, the assignment
changes may not be forwarded to travel staff members aboard the travel
vehicle, so any
ancillary services purchased by a traveler may still be associated with the
traveler's
prior seat assignment.
[0008] Furthermore, additional complications exist when travelers desire to
switch seat assignments with other travelers. Traveler-initiated seat
assignment
changes are generally limited to selection of previously-unused seats, so even
if a
traveler were to agree with another traveler to switch seat assignments, the
switch could
only be handled, if at all, by a travel staff member, and only after receiving
confirmation
from both travelers wishing to switch seat assignments.
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[0009] A similar issue may also exist with respect to other types of ticket
holders. For example, ticket holders who purchase tickets at a concert,
sporting event,
theater performance, or other entertainment event are often assigned to
specific seats
(e.g., designated by a section, row and/or seat number). In some instances,
these
ticket holders may wish to change their seat assignment, potentially with
other ticket
holders, and doing so, even if permitted, may require involvement and/or or
approval of
service personnel at a venue.
[0010] Therefore, a substantial need continues to exist in the art for an
improved manner of enabling travelers and other ticket holders to change seat
assignments.
Summary of the Invention
[0011] The invention addresses these and other problems associated with the
prior art by providing a method, apparatus, and program product that enable
ticket
holders, e.g., travelers scheduled to travel on a travel vehicle, or attendees
at an
entertainment venue, to change seat assignments using a short range wireless
network.
A change of seat assignment may be initiated in response to a request
communicated
between a mobile device of a ticket holder and another device over a short
range
wireless network, and in some instances may result in updating ancillary
services such
as special meals of one or more ticket holders based upon the updated seat
assignment. In some embodiments, seat assignments of two ticket holders may be
exchanged, while in other embodiments, a seat assignment of one ticket holder
may be
changed to select a previously-empty seat, even after boarding a travel
vehicle or
entering an entertainment venue. The mobile device may communicate over the
short
range wireless network with another mobile device, e.g., of the other ticket
holder or of a
staff member, or with a computer system or other device disposed on-board a
travel
vehicle or disposed in a terminal or other point of departure, or otherwise
within an
entertainment venue. in addition, in some instances a seat change operation
may
result in an update to a back-end system of a travel or entertainment
provider.
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[0012] Therefore, consistent with one aspect of the invention, seat
assignments
may be exchanged between first and second ticket holders respectively assigned
first
and second seats. In response to a request communicated between a first mobile
device of the first ticket holder and a second device over a short range
wireless
network, a seat change operation is initiated to exchange seat assignments
between
the first and second ticket holders, and the seat change operation is
performed by
updating seat assignments for the first and second ticket holders to assign
the second
seat to the first ticket holder and assign the first seat to the second ticket
holder.
[0013] Consistent with another aspect of the invention, a seat assignment may
be changed for a ticket holder initially assigned a first seat. In response to
a request
communicated over a short range wireless network between a mobile device of
the
ticket holder and a second device in a location restricted to ticket holders
after the ticket
holder has entered the location, a seat assignment for the ticket holder is
changed from
the first seat to a second seat, and ticket holder information associated with
the ticket
holder is updated in response to changing the seat assignment to associate an
ancillary
service for the ticket holder with the second seat.
[0014] These and other advantages and features, which characterize the
invention, are set forth in the claims annexed hereto and forming a further
part hereof.
However, for a better understanding of the invention, and of the advantages
and
objectives attained through its use, reference should be made to the Drawings,
and to
the accompanying descriptive matter, in which there is described exemplary
embodiments of the invention.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0015] FIGURE 1 is a schematic illustration of an example system suitable for
implementing a seat change operation consistent with the invention.
[0016] FIGURE 2 is a block diagram of an example hardware and software
implementation of the system of Fig. 1.
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[0017] FIGURE 3 is a block diagram of an example software architecture
suitable for implementing a seat change operation in the system of Figs. 1-2.
[0018] FIGURE 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example sequence of operations
for performing a seat change operation in the system of Figs. 1-3.
[0019] FIGURE 5 is a flowchart illustrating another example sequence of
operations for performing a seat change operation in the system of Figs. 1-3.
Detailed Description
[0020] Embodiments consistent with the invention enable ticket holders, such
as travelers scheduled to travel on a travel vehicle such as an airplane, or
attendees to
an event at an entertainment venue, to change seat assignments, either with
another
ticket holder or to an empty seat, and with or without the involvement of a
staff member
of a travel or entertainment provider. A change of seat assignments may be
initiated in
response to a request communicated between a mobile device of a ticket holder
and
another device over a short range wireless network, and in some instances may
result
in updating ancillary services such as special meals of one or more ticket
holders based
upon the updated seat assignments, thereby ensuring that any ancillary
services
associated with a ticket holder will follow along with the ticket holder after
the change of
seat assignments.
[0021] In the embodiments discussed hereinafter, a seat change operation may
be used in some instances to exchange seat assignments between first and
second
ticket holders. A seat change operation may be used to update seat assignments
for
the first and second ticket holders such that the first ticket holder's seat
assignment may
be updated to assign the first ticket holder to the seat originally assigned
to the second
ticket holder, and such that the second ticket holder's seat assignment may be
updated
to assign the second ticket holder to the seat originally assigned to the
first ticket holder.
The seat assignments generally refer to specific locations allocated for
travelers to sit or
otherwise ride in a travel vehicle, e.g., an airplane, a train, a bus, etc.,
or alternatively,
specific locations allocated for attendees at an event at an entertainment
venue to view
a performance, and are typically identified by a seat identifier, which in
some
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embodiments related to air travel, for example, may include a row number and a
letter
corresponding to one of the seats in a row (e.g., seat 4C), and in other
embodiments
related to entertainment, may include a section, row and seat number.
[0022] A seat change operation consistent with the invention may be initiated
in
response to a request communicated between a first mobile device of the first
ticket
holder and a second device over a short range wireless network. A short range
wireless network, in this regard, may incorporate a number of different
wireless
networking technologies, and may include both point-to-point networks, where
two
devices communicate directly with one another over a point-to-point
connection, as well
as multi-device networks where more than two devices share the same network,
and in
some instances communicate with one another through a central device. In some
instances, a network may be hosted and managed by a ticket holder device,
while in
other instances, a network may be hosted and managed by a central device to
which a
ticket holder device connects. In addition, in some embodiments, a seat change
operation may utilize multiple short range wireless networks, e.g., to
communicate with
a second ticket holder and a staff member, and in some embodiments, another
wireless
network, e.g., a VVi-Fi, satellite or cellular network, may be used in
addition to a short
range wireless network, e.g., to update a back-end system.
[0023] A short range wireless network may include a number of different
wireless technologies and/or protocols, including but not limited to a near
field
communication (NEC) network, a point-to-point wireless Ethernet network, a
personal
area network (PAN), a Bluetooth network, an ad-hoc wireless network, a
wireless
Ethernet (Wi-Fl) network, or a radio frequency identification (RFID) network.
Various
standardized services or protocols may be used, such as the Airdrop or iBeacon
protocols developed by Apple Computer, Wi-Fi Direct, ANT+, Zigbee, Wireless
USB or
WiGig industry standard protocols, or other wireless networks and/or protocols
as will
be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the
instant
disclosure.
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[0024] As will become more apparent below, a ticket holder's mobile device
may communicate over the short range wireless network with various devices.
For
example, the mobile device may communicate with another mobile device, e.g.,
of the
other ticket holder or of a staff member (e.g., a flight attendant, a gate
agent, an usher,
etc.). A ticket holder's mobile device may also communicate with a computer
system or
other device disposed on-site at an entertainment venue, on-board a travel
vehicle (e.g.,
an airplane) or disposed in a terminal or other point of departure, e.g., a
kiosk disposed
at a gate or ticketing area. It will be appreciated that a seat change
operation may be
requested and/or initiated by any device coupled to the short range wireless
network.
[0025] In some embodiments, a seat change operation may notify one or more
entities of an update to seat assignments. For example, a staff member such as
a flight
attendant or an usher may be notified on his or her mobile device. As another
example,
a back-end system may be notified. In addition, as a result of a seat change
operation,
ticket holder information may be updated such that one or more ancillary
services for
one or both of the ticket holders involved in a seat change operation are
effectively
updated to reflect the new seat assignments, e.g., so that a staff member
delivers a
requested special meal purchased by a ticket holder to the ticket holder's new
seat.
Other types of ancillary services may include headphones, pillows, blankets,
onboard
entertainment packages, wireless Internet access, and any other products or
services
capable of being ordered on-board a travel vehicle, e.g., food, beverages and
other
items, as well as any products or services capable of being ordered in an
entertainment
venue, e.g., food, beverages, seat backs or cushions, etc.
[0026] In some embodiments, a seat change operation may be performed at no
cost to a ticket holder. In other embodiments, a fee may be charged to one or
both ticket
holders involved in such an operation.
[0027] In addition, in some embodiments, the initiation of a seat change
operation may be implemented in a mobile application resident on a ticket
holder's
mobile device. For example, a seat change operation may be incorporated into a
mobile application for an airline or other travel provider, or an
entertainment provider.
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After establishing a short range wireless network connection between the
ticket holder's
device and another device, e.g., the mobile device of another ticket holder
with which
seat assignments are to be exchanged, ticket holder information may be
received from
the other ticket holder's mobile device, and the received ticket holder
information may
be used to update the seat assignments for the ticket holders. In some
embodiments,
the ticket holder information may include various ticket holder identification
information,
including name, frequent flyer number, etc., while in other embodiments only a
seat
identifier may be provided.
[0028] Further, in some embodiments, after establishing a short range wireless
network connection between the mobile devices of two ticket holders, another
short
range wireless network connection may be established between one of the mobile
devices and that of a staff member, such that ticket holder information from
at least one
of the mobile devices may be communicated to a mobile device of the staff
member to
update the seat assignments for both ticket holders on the staff member's
mobile
device. In such a scenario, therefore, no communication with a back-end system
or
other networked computer system may be required, with all data interchange
occurring
between the mobile devices of the ticket holders and staff member. As such, in
situations where no network connectivity is available on-board a travel
vehicle or in an
entertainment venue, a staff member may still be alerted with changes in seat
assignments to enable the staff member to deliver ancillary services such as
meals to
the proper seats.
[0029] In still other embodiments, a short range wireless network may be used
to facilitate seat change operations for a single ticket holder, e.g., a
traveler wishing to
move to an empty seat after boarding or after a performance has begun or
seating has
otherwise been completed. In such embodiments, a request may be communicated
over a short range wireless network between a mobile device of the ticket
holder and a
second device at a location restricted to ticket holders, e.g., on-board a
travel vehicle
(e.g., a travel staff member mobile device or on-board computer system) after
a traveler
has boarded the travel vehicle, or within an entertainment venue after an
attendee has
presented his or her ticket and entered a ticket holder-restricted area of the
venue. In
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response to the request, a seat assignment of the ticket holder may be changed
to a
new seat, e.g., in a similar manner in which a ticket holder is able to select
a seat when
booking or checking-in for a trip. Through the use of the techniques disclosed
herein,
however, a ticket holder is able to change a seat assignment after boarding a
travel
vehicle or entering an entertainment venue, and potentially after network
connectivity in
a travel vehicle or entertainment venue is restricted for technical or
regulatory reasons.
In response to a seat change, ticket holder information associated with the
ticket holder
may be updated to associate any ancillary services purchased or requested by a
ticket
holder with the new seat. Thus, for example, if a ticket holder who is a
traveler on an
aircraft has purchased a special meal such as a vegetarian or Kosher meal, a
staff
member may be notified, or in the least the traveler's seat identifier may be
updated, so
that the staff member delivers the meal to the proper seat.
[0030] The focus hereinafter will be on implementations of the invention in
connection with air travel, whereby a ticket holder is a traveler possessing a
flight
reservation, a staff member is a travel staff member such as a flight
attendant or gate
agent, a location restricted to ticket holders is on-board an aircraft, and a
seat is a
specific location on an aircraft. It will be appreciated by those of ordinary
skill in the art
having the benefit of the instant disclosure, however, that the invention may
be utilized
in connection with other forms of travel, as well as in connection with
changing seats in
entertainment venues for events or performances such as concerts, sporting
events,
theater performances, musical performances, etc. In addition, implementation
of the
herein-described functionality in these other implementations would be well
within the
abilities of those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the
instant disclosure.
[0031] Other variations and modifications will be apparent to one of ordinary
skill in the art.
Hardware and Software Environment
[0032] Turning now to the drawings, wherein like numbers denote like parts
throughout the several views, Fig. 1 illustrates an example data processing
system 10 in
which a seat change operation may be implemented consistent with the
invention.
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System 10 is illustrated as including a traveler mobile device 12 from which a
seat
change operation may be initiated. Traveler mobile device 12 may communicate
with a
number of different devices and systems via a short range network
communications,
e.g., another traveler mobile device 14 via a short range wireless network 16,
a staff
member mobile device 18 via a short range wireless network 20, an on-board
computer
system 22 via a short range wireless network 24, or a terminal computer system
26 via
a short range wireless network 28. Each short range wireless network may
incorporate
any of the aforementioned networking technologies and/or protocols, and it
will be
appreciated that the same short range wireless network may be used to couple
to
multiple devices at different times or different short range wireless networks
may be
used to different devices.
[0033] Each device/system 12, 14, 18, 22, 26 may also be coupled to additional
networks, e.g., a network 30, providing access to additional networked
services such as
a back-end system 32 for a travel provider. Network 30 may include various
types of
networks, including mobile service networks, e.g., GSM, LTE, CDMA or other
cellular
networks, as well as local-area or wide-area (wired and/or wireless) networks,
the
Internet, etc. In addition, multiple networks may be used to connect to some
systems
(e.g., a combination of a mobile service network and the Internet). Back-end
system 32
may be implemented, for example, as a reservation system, a global
distribution system
(GOB), or any other system capable of storing traveler information associated
with
traveler reservations, including information such as seat assignments,
ancillary services
purchased, etc.
[0034] As illustrated in Fig. 2, each mobile device 12, 14, 18 may include a
central processing unit 50 including at least one hardware-based
microprocessor
coupled to a memory 52, which may represent the random access memory (RAM)
devices comprising the main storage of the mobile device, as well as any
supplemental
levels of memory, e.g., cache memories, non-volatile or backup memories (e.g.,
programmable or flash memories), read-only memories, etc. In addition, memory
52
may be considered to include memory storage physically located elsewhere in
the
mobile device, e.g., any cache memory in a microprocessor, as well as any
storage
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capacity used as a virtual memory, e.g., as stored on a mass storage device or
on
another computer coupled to the mobile device. Each mobile device also
typically
receives a number of inputs and outputs for communicating information
externally. For
interface with a user or operator, the mobile device typically includes a user
interface 54
incorporating one or more user input devices, e.g., a keyboard, a touchscreen,
hard
buttons, a display, etc. Each mobile device also may be in communication with
one or
more mass storage devices 56, which may be, for example, internal flash
memories,
internal hard disk storage devices, external storage devices, network storage,
etc. Each
mobile device also includes a mobile network interface 58 for connecting to a
mobile
network such as network 30, as well as a short range wireless network
interface 60 for
connecting to other networkable devices such as other mobile devices, kiosks,
network
access points, etc. over a short range wireless network, generically
represented by
short range wireless network 62. Short range wireless network interface 60 may
include
support for various types of networks, including any of the aforementioned
networks
such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, etc. In some embodiments network interfaces 58,
60
may be combined, and in other embodiments additional network interfaces may be
provided.
[0035] Likewise, each of computer systems 22, 24 and 32 of Fig. '1 includes a
central processing unit 70, memory 72, user interface 74, and mass storage
device 76,
as well as one or both of a network interface 78 and short range wireless
network
interface 80. It will be appreciated that short range wireless network
interface 80 may
be provided in a separate netvvorkable device coupled to the respective
computer
system in some embodiments, e.g., where a personal area or near field network
offering
only a few inches or a few feet of network connectivity is used to connect
with a mobile
device. In addition, a back-end system would typically not include any
dedicated short
range wireless network interface. Each computer system 22, 24 and 32 may also
be
implemented by one or more server-type computers in some embodiments.
[0036] Each computer system 22, 24 and 32 typically operates under the
control of an operating system 82 and executes or otherwise relies upon
various
computer software applications, components, programs, objects, modules, data
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structures, etc., e.g., an application 84. Likewise, each mobile device 12,
14, 18
typically operates under the control of an operating system 64 and executes or
otherwise relies upon various computer software applications, components,
programs,
objects, modules, data structures, etc., e.g., a mobile application 66, as
will be
described in greater detail below. Moreover, various applications, components,
programs, objects, modules, etc. may also execute on one or more processors in
another computer coupled to a computer system or mobile device via a network,
e.g., in
a distributed or client-server computing environment, whereby the processing
required
to implement the functions of a computer program may be allocated to multiple
computers over a network.
[0037] In general, the routines executed to implement the embodiments of the
invention, whether implemented as part of an operating system or a specific
application,
component, program, object, module or sequence of instructions, or even a
subset
thereof, will be referred to herein as "computer program code," or simply
"program
code." Program code typically comprises one or more instructions that are
resident at
various times in various memory and storage devices in a computer, and that,
when
read and executed by one or more processors in a computer, cause that computer
to
perform the steps necessary to execute steps or elements embodying the various
aspects of the invention. Moreover, while the invention has and hereinafter
will be
described in the context of fully functioning computers and computer systems,
those
skilled in the art will appreciate that the various embodiments of the
invention are
capable of being distributed as a program product in a variety of forms, and
that the
invention applies equally regardless of the particular type of computer
readable media
used to actually carry out the distribution.
[0038] Such computer readable media may include computer readable storage
media and communication media. Computer readable storage media is non-
transitory
in nature, and may include volatile and non-volatile, and removable and non-
removable
media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information, such
as
computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other
data.
Computer readable storage media may further include RAM, ROM, erasable
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programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-
only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other solid state memory technology, CD-
ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD), or other optical storage, magnetic
cassettes,
magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any
other
medium that can be used to store the desired information and which can be
accessed
by a computer and/or mobile device. Communication media may embody computer
readable instructions, data structures or other program modules. By way of
example,
and not limitation, communication media may include wired media such as a
wired
network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF,
infrared
and other wireless media. Combinations of any of the above may also be
included
within the scope of computer readable media.
[0039] In one implementation, mobile application 66 may be implemented as a
downloadable application, such as supported by Android and OS operating
systems
available from Open Handset Alliance and Apple Computer, respectively, or in
other
forms of program code as appropriate for the particular mobile device. A
mobile
application may also be implemented as a web application downloaded from a web
server, or even via web pages communicated by a web server. Furthermore,
multiple
mobile devices and operating systems may be supported consistent with the
invention
such that mobile devices from different vendors may utilize the same
functionality.
[0040] Various program code described hereinafter may be identified based
upon the application within which it is implemented in a specific embodiment
of the
invention. However, it should be appreciated that any particular program
nomenclature
that follows is used merely for convenience, and thus the invention should not
be limited
to use solely in any specific application identified and/or implied by such
nomenclature.
Furthermore, given the typically endless number of manners in which computer
programs may be organized into routines, procedures, methods, modules,
objects, and
the like, as well as the various manners in which program functionality may be
allocated
among various software layers that are resident within a typical computer
(e.g.,
operating systems, libraries, API's, applications, applets, etc.), it should
be appreciated
CA 02877140 2015-01-08
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that the invention is not limited to the specific organization and allocation
of program
functionality described herein.
[0041] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the example environment
illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 is not intended to limit the present invention.
Indeed, those
skilled in the art will recognize that other alternative hardware and/or
software
environments may be used without departing from the scope of the invention.
Seat Change Operation
[0042] In the embodiment discussed hereinafter, a mobile application resident
on a mobile device 12 may be used to communicate with another mobile device or
a
computer system over a short range wireless network to request and/or initiate
a seat
change operation with another traveler on the same travel vehicle. In the
discussion
hereinafter, an application of the invention in the context of air travel will
be described,
and as such, a travel vehicle and the seats thereon are seats on an airplane.
The
invention, however, is not limited to an air travel application, and may be
used in
connection with other forms of travel in which seats or locations on a travel
vehicle are
assigned to specific travelers or passengers.
[0043] A seat change operation may be initiated to address various situations
encountered by travelers. For example, travelers may wish to be seated with
friends or
family, but due to prior bookings, may not be able to initially select
adjacent seats when
booking or checking-in. It is common for travelers in such situations to
simply ask other
nearby travelers after boarding if they would mind exchanging seats. While
this is often
permitted when other travelers agree to move, the travelers exchanging seats
may not
receive any ancillary services such as special meals that they have requested
or
purchased, because the travel staff members aboard the airplane often have pre-
printed
lists that identify where certain services are to be delivered based on seat
number,
rather than traveler name. At the least, a traveler may have to talk to a
staff member to
ask for a requested ancillary service, which may prove to increase a staff
member's
workload and frustrate the traveler, and particularly in the case of
international travel,
may be complicated due to language barriers.
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[0044] As another example, travelers wishing to sit near friends or family may
approach a transfer (gate) desk prior to boarding to check if there is a
possibility to
change their seats to be seated together. In some cases, travelers may run
into friends
prior to boarding after previously being unaware that their friends were
traveling on the
same flight, and may wish to change their seat assignments to enable them to
sit
together. In these situations, even if service staff is able to assign new
seats based on
availability, the changes are last minute and often made after a list has been
printed and
provided to the on-board staff members, so again a risk exists that a traveler
may
receive the ancillary services they are due.
[0045] As yet another example, travelers may wish to move to empty seats or
rows whenever they are next to other occupied seats to provide themselves and
other
travelers with additional space to stretch out during a flight. Travelers may
also wish to
move in order to avoid certain nuisances, to move to an aisle or window seat,
or to sit
closer to friends or family. As with seat changes affecting multiple
travelers, however, if
such travelers have requested or purchased any ancillary services, traveler
staff
members may not otherwise be aware of where to deliver those ancillary
services.
[0046] Consistent with the invention, however, a seat change operation may be
initiated in response to a request communicated between a mobile device of a
traveler
and another device over a short range wireless network to exchange seats
between two
travelers, or to change a seat of a traveler to a previously empty seat. In
addition, as a
result of the seat change operation, seat assignments of affected travelers
may be
updated such that any ancillary services associated with those travelers may
be
associated with the new seat assignments, and such that the ancillary services
will
effectively move with their respective travelers. Further, in some
embodiments, a seat
change operation may be initiated after boarding to update traveler
information for any
affected traveler to indicate the seat change and thereby enable travel staff
members to
deliver ancillary services to the proper seats.
[0047] As one example, a seat change operation may be initiated between first
and second travelers through their respective mobile devices, e.g,, over an
NEC or
CA 02877140 2015-01-08
16
Bluetooth network, such that their seat assignments are exchanged. A seat
change
operation may also result in an update made to an on-board computer system, a
back-
end system and/or a staff member mobile device to reflect the seat change and
provide
the staff member with updated traveler information so that any ancillary
services are
properly delivered.
[0048] As another example, a seat change operation may be initiated between
a traveler and a staff member aboard an airplane through their respective
mobile
devices, and may result in an update made to an on-board computer system
and/or
back-end system to ensure proper delivery of ancillary services. Similarly, a
seat
change operation may be initiated between a traveler and a staff member at a
gate or
ticket desk, or between a traveler and an on-board computer system or a
computer
system disposed in a terminal (e.g., at a self-serve kiosk or access point).
[0049] Fig. 3 illustrates an example software architecture suitable for
implementing a seat change operation consistent with the invention. In a
traveler
application 100, e.g., a mobile application resident on a traveler mobile
device, an
application user interface 102 provides a user interface through which a
traveler
interacts with the application, e.g., via a touch screen. The user interface
may include,
among other features, options for checking in, checking flight status, booking
reservations, checking frequent flyer accounts, and other features available
on typical
travel-related mobile applications. In addition, the user interface may
include an option
for initiating a seat change operation consistent with the invention.
[0050] A PNR module 104 in traveler application 100 handles passenger name
record (PNR) related queries and updates, e.g., to perform operations such as
retrieving
and updating a PNR and retrieving and updating seat identifiers and other
traveler
information. A check-in module 106 handles traveler check-in related queries
and
updates, e.g., to perform a check-in or cancel a check-in. Check-in module 106
may
also be used to display a seat map through which a traveler may select a seat
and
update the seat map based upon selection of a seat and/or exchange of a seat
assignment with another traveler. An exchange module 108 handles data exchange
CA 02877140 2015-01-08
17
related processes and actions, and provides an interface for operations such
as
encoding/decoding and formatting data being transferred, and interacting with
other
modules/components required for data transfer/exchange operations. Connection
module 110 handles connectivity related queries and actions, and provides an
interface
for operations such as scanning for devices according to the desired
connectivity
mechanism (e.g., a particular short range wireless network protocol),
connecting and/or
disconnecting to and from another device using the selected connectivity
mechanism,
and transferring data according to the selected connectivity mechanism.
[0051] Similarly, in a staff application 112, e.g., a mobile application
resident on
a flight attendant's, gate agent's or other travel staff member's mobile
device, an
application user interface 114 providing desired functionality for a staff
member may be
provided. Among other features, the user interface may provide a staff member
with a
graphical display of a seat map along with traveler information associated
with the
traveler in each seat, as well as any ancillary services (e.g., special
meals), purchased
or requested by the traveler in each seat, so that the staff member knows
where to
deliver special meals or other ancillary services requested by travelers. A
PNR module
116 and a connection module 118, having similar functionality to PNR module
104 and
connection module 110 of traveler application 100, may also be provided.
[0052] In an on-board system 120, e.g., a computer system located on an
aircraft, a back-end interface module 122 may be used to interface with a back-
end
system 124. On-board system 120 may also include functionality for interacting
with
traveler and/or staff applications, and for performing other on-board
activities as will be
appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the
instant
disclosure. In addition, on-board system 120 may store PNR's and other
traveler
information for all booked travelers in some embodiments. In some embodiments,
where two travelers initiate a seat change operation with one another, on-
board system
120 may interact with one or both of the travelers' mobile applications and
may notify a
staff member application of the seat change, without the staff member having
to interact
with either traveler directly. On-board system 120 may also notify back-end
system 124
CA 02877140 2015-01-08
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to enable the traveler PNR's to be updated with new seat identifiers, although
in other
embodiments no notification of a back-end system may be required.
[0053] Back-end system 124 may include, among other features, a check-in
interface 126 and a PNR interface 128. Check-in interface 126 interacts with
check-in
module 106 of a traveler application 100 to perform a traveler check-in, while
PNR
interface 128 interacts with PNR modules 104, 116 to handle queries and
updates of
PNR's and other traveler information. Additional functionality, unrelated to
seat change
operations, may also be utilized in back-end system 124, as will be
appreciated by
those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the instant
disclosure.
[0054] Now turning to Fig. 4, this figure illustrates a seat change operation
initiated to exchange seats between two travelers while on-board an aircraft.
The
operation may be initiated, for example, after one traveler asks another
traveler if they
would be willing to exchange seats. To initiate the operation, one traveler
may open the
mobile application on his or her mobile device 12, and then request a seat
exchange via
user interface of the mobile application, which then issues an ExchangeSeat
call to
exchange module 108 (step Al). Next, exchange module 108 sends a ConnectToPeer
request to connection module 110 (step A2), followed by a SendToPeer request
(step
A3). In this embodiment, connection module 110 represents a distributed
service with
instances resident in both mobile devices 12, 14. As such, connection module
110 then
initiates a connection attempt over a short range wireless network (e.g., an
NEC or
Bluetooth network) with the other traveler's mobile device 14, which confirms
the
connection attempt with a ReceiveFromPeer request to connection module 110
(step
A4). The mobile applications on mobile devices 14 and 12 then issue
UpdateSeatInfo
calls to PNR module 104 (steps A5 and A6) to update the traveler information
for each
traveler to swap the seat identifiers therefor. The seat assignments of the
travelers are
then updated.
[0055] In addition, as shown in steps A7-A10, a travel staff member may be
notified of the seat change operation by either traveler mobile device (here,
traveler
mobile device 14), the notification may occur via the same or a different
short range
CA 02877140 2015-01-08
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wireless network, and similar to the connection between mobile devices 12, 14,
a
connection is established between mobile device 14 and a staff member mobile
device
18 using ConnectToPeer and SendToPeer requests (steps A7 and A8) issued by
mobile device 14 and confirmed by ReceiveFromPeer request (step A9) issued by
mobile device 18. Mobile device 18 then updates its locally-stored traveler
information
via a local UpdateSeatInfo call (step A10). The seat change operation is then
complete,
and staff member mobile device 18 is updated such that any ancillary services
associated with one of the travelers is now associated with the traveler's new
seat.
[00561 Next, Fig. 5 illustrates a similar seat change operation that may be
performed when a traveler is online, and thus capable of accessing off-board
computer
systems. Steps B1-B8 illustrate a traveler checking in using mobile device 12.
A
Checkin request is issued to check-in module 106 (step B1), which subsequently
issues
a RetrievePNR request (step B2) and GetSeatInfo request (step B3) to PNR
module
104 to retrieve traveler information, including the traveler's current seat
assignment.
Next, the traveler accesses a seat map and selects a seat, represented by
ShowSeatMap request (step B4) and SelectSeat request (step B5) issued to check-
in
module 106. Based on the selected seat, check-in module 106 issues an
UpdateSeatInfo request (step B6) and UpdatePNR request (step B7) to update the
traveler information in PNR module 104. PNR module 104 then synchronizes the
traveler information with back-end system 124 by issuing an UpdatePNR request
(step
B8) to back-end system 124.
[0057] A seat change operation may then be initiated after the traveler asks
another traveler if they would be willing to exchange seats. The traveler may
then
request a seat exchange via an ExchangeSeat call to exchange module 108 (step
B9).
Next, exchange module 108 issues ScanDevices (step B10), GetConnTypes (step
B11)
and SelectConnType (step B12) requests to connection module 110 to locate a
connection with the other traveler's mobile device. Next, exchange module 108
sends a
ConnectToPeer request to connection module 110 (step B13), followed by a
SendToPeer request (step B14) to establish a connection with mobile device 14
over a
short range wireless network. Upon receipt of the connection attempt a
CA 02877140 2015-01-08
ReceiveFromPeer request is issued by mobile device 14 of the other traveler
(step 815)
to establish the connection. Mobile device 14 then issues an a RetrievePNR
request
to PNR module 104 (step B16) followed by UpdateSeatInfo and UpdatePNR requests
to
PNR module 104 (steps B17 and 818) to update the traveler information for each
traveler to swap the seat identifiers therefor. The seat assignments of the
travelers are
then updated.
[0058] PNR module 104 then synchronizes the traveler information with back-
end system 124 by issuing an UpdatePNR request (step B19) to back-end system
124.
Back-end system 124 then issues an UpdateSeatInfo request to on-board system
120
(step B20), which then forwards the UpdateSeatInfo request to the staff member
mobile
device 18, thereby alerting the staff member of the exchange of seats between
the two
travelers, and enabling any ancillary services associated with the travelers
to be
associated with the new seat assignments.
[0059] It will be appreciated that the operations illustrated in Fig. 4 and 5
may
be utilized in connection with seat changes involving only a single traveler,
e.g., by
connecting a traveler with a staff member mobile device or an on-board system,
terminal system, or back-end system in a similar manner to that described
above for
connecting with another traveler mobile device. Moreover, such operations may
be
performed prior to or after boarding, with staff member mobile devices and/or
other
travel provider computer systems updated to enable travel staff members to be
made
aware of seat changes initiated by travelers.
[0060] It will further be appreciated that a travel staff member aboard a
travel
vehicle may be notified of seat assignment changes in various manners, e.g.,
via a
notification to the staff member's mobile device or an on-board computer
system. In
other embodiments, a travel staff member may utilize a mobile device or tablet
when
distributing meals or other ancillary services, such that the most up-to-date
seat
assignments (including any changed assignments) will be displayed to a staff
member
when distributing such services, whereby no specific notification of a seat
assignment
change may be required.
CA 02877140 2015-01-08
21
[0061] Other modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention lies in the claims
hereinafter appended.
[0062] According to one aspect, changing seat assignments presented herein
includes the following points:
1. A method of changing a seat assignment of a ticket holder, wherein the
ticket
holder is initially assigned a first seat, the method comprising:
in response to a request communicated over a short range wireless
network between a mobile device of the ticket holder and a second device in a
location restricted to ticket holders after the ticket holder has entered the
location,
changing a seat assignment for the ticket holder from the first seat to a
second
seat; and
updating ticket holder information associated with the ticket holder in
response to changing the seat assignment to associate an ancillary service for
the ticket holder with the second seat.
2. The method of point 2, wherein the second device comprises a staff
member mobile device or a computer system disposed at the location.
3. The method of point 1 or point 2, further comprising notifying a staff
member at the location of the change in seat assignment of the ticket holder
such
that the staff member provides the ancillary service to the ticket holder at
the
second seat.
4. The method of any of points 1 to 3, wherein the ticket holder is a
traveler, wherein the first and second seats are on-board a travel vehicle,
and
wherein the location restricted to ticket holders is on-board the travel
vehicle.
