Apparatus and method for an Internet based computer reservation booking system

Abstract

The present invention is a software product that provides merchants that sell time-slot inventories tools to capitalize on the Internet revolution. The present invention enables the creation of web-sites for merchants with a built-in web-based reservation booking system. This offers customers the on-line benefits of access, selection and immediacy in making real-time reservation/appointments over the Internet. The software product also simplifies the merchant's booking process by providing a central web-based reservation/appointment management system that can be used for all bookings, regardless if made by telephone, by a walk-in customer, or by a customer via the Internet. The software product also provides the merchant with a powerful direct marketing tool. As a merchant uses the software product, user-customer profiles and demographics are captured in the database module, thus creating (in Web jargon) a “community” of customers specific to the merchant. The merchant is thus empowered, using the mail module, to directly communicate with its customer base, using customer profiles and demographics to create a highly targeted and effective marketing and promotional ad campaign. The software product also allows the merchant to auction off time-slot inventory over the Internet. Lastly, the software product enables the creation of Web “super-communities” consisting of the aggregate of all the individual merchant's customer-communities using the software product.

1 .- 36 . (canceled)  
     
     
         37 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a reservation booking database having a plurality of records, the plurality of records corresponding to a plurality of time-slots for tables at a restaurant;    a web site module configured to create an Internet web site to enable an Internet user to book a table at the restaurant, the web site module further comprising: 
 a time-slot display module configured to display one or more available time-slots corresponding to one or more tables at the restaurant's place of business; and  
 a booking module configured to enable the Internet user to book one of the available time-slots in the reservation booking database; and  
   a restaurant maintenance module configured to provide the restaurant access to the restaurant's table reservation booking database, the restaurant maintenance module further comprising:    a table reservation management module configured to enable the restaurant to book time-slots in the reservation booking database to reserve tables at the restaurant for customers not making bookings over the Internet.    
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 37 , wherein the time-slot display module of the web site module further comprises a time-slot search module configured to search and display the available time-slots for tables at the restaurant's place of business during a selected time period as defined by the Internet user.  
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 38 , wherein the time-slot search module is further configured to search and display the available and not-available time slot-increments for tables accommodating a specific party size as defined by the Internet user.  
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 37 , wherein the booking module of the web site module is further configured to require the Internet user to submit personal information over the Internet to book one of the available time-slots.  
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein the personal information includes at least one of the following types of information: the Internet user's name; the Internet user's email address; the Internet user's mailing address; the Internet user's phone number; the Internet user's credit card information; and the Internet user's password.  
     
     
         42 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein the booking module of the web site module is further configured to write the personal information submitted by the Internet user into the reservation booking database of the restaurant, the personal information being written into the record in the restaurant's reservation booking database corresponding to the time-slot displayed by the time-slot display module and booked by the Internet user.  
     
     
         43 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein the web site module further comprises a confirmation module configured to generate a confirmation message over the Internet to the Internet user to confirm the booking of the selected time-slot.  
     
     
         44 . The apparatus of  claim 37 , wherein the web site module further comprises a reminder module configured to send a reminder message over the Internet to the Internet user of the booked time-slot for the reserved table at the restaurant's place of business a predetermined time period prior to the date of the booking.  
     
     
         45 . The apparatus of  claim 37 , wherein the Internet web site further comprises a link element configured to link to a web page describing the restaurant.  
     
     
         46 . The apparatus of  claim 37 , wherein the table reservation management module is further configured to permit the restaurant to manage a substantial portion of its time-slot inventory for table bookings made by both Internet users through the Web site module or by non-Internet users.  
     
     
         47 . The apparatus of  claim 46 , wherein the table reservation management module further comprises a restaurant display module configured to permit the restaurant to display the available and the booked time-slots for the tables at the restaurant's place of business during a selected time period.  
     
     
         48 . The apparatus of  claim 37  wherein the web site module further comprises a first cancellation module configured to permit the Internet user to cancel over the Internet a previously booked timeslot for a table booked by the Internet user at the restaurant's place of business.  
     
     
         49 . The apparatus of  claim 37 , wherein the restaurant maintenance module further comprises a second cancellation module configured to permit the restaurant to cancel a previously booked time-slot for a table at the restaurant's place of business.  
     
     
         50 . The apparatus of  claim 37 , wherein the web site module is configured to reside at a central computing location coupled to the Internet.  
     
     
         51 . The apparatus of  claim 37 , wherein the restaurant maintenance module for the restaurant, including the reservation booking database and the table reservation management module, are configured to reside on a computer affiliated with the restaurant.  
     
     
         52 . The apparatus of  claim 50 , wherein the restaurant maintenance module for the restaurant, the reservation booking database and the table reservation management module, are further configured to reside at the central computing location and are accessible by the restaurant over the Internet.  
     
     
         53 . The apparatus of  claim 37 , wherein the web site module further comprising a web page module for the restaurant, the web page module configured to post information pertaining to the restaurant over the Internet.  
     
     
         54 . The apparatus of  claim 53 , wherein the restaurant maintenance module further comprises an editing module configured to permit the selected restaurant to edit the restaurant's web page module.  
     
     
         55 . The apparatus of  claim 37 , further comprising a table layout display module, the table layout display module further configured to display the layout of tables at the restaurant's place of business.  
     
     
         56 . The apparatus of  claim 55 , wherein the table layout display module is further configured to display booked tables in a first display mode and open tables in a second display mode.  
     
     
         57 . The apparatus of  claim 56 , wherein the first display mode is a first color and the second display mode is a second color.  
     
     
         58 . A method comprising: 
 providing a first restaurant a first reservation booking database having a plurality of records, the plurality of records corresponding to a plurality of time-slots for tables at the first restaurant    providing a restaurant table reservation management module configured to enable the first restaurant to book time-slots in the first reservation booking database to reserve the tables at the first restaurant for customers not making bookings over the Internet;    providing an Internet booking module configured to enable an Internet user to book an available one of the time-slots to reserve one of the tables at the first restaurant.    
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 58 , wherein providing the table reservation management module further comprises enabling the first restaurant to manage the time-slots for table bookings made by both Internet users and for customers not making reservations over the Internet.  
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 58 , wherein the providing the table reservation management module further comprises providing a restaurant display module configured to enable the first restaurant to display the available and the booked time-slots for the tables at the first restaurant's place of business during a selected time period.  
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein the providing the restaurant display module further comprises configuring the restaurant display module to display the bookings of time-slots for tables previously booked at the first restaurant by Internet users through the Internet booking module.  
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein the providing the restaurant display module further comprises configuring the restaurant display module to display the bookings of time-slots for tables previously booked for customers by the first restaurant through the reservation table management module.  
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein the displaying time-slots during the time period defined by the first restaurant further comprises configuring the displayed time-slots to correspond to records among the plurality of records in the first reservation booking database.  
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 63 , further comprising enabling the first restaurant to write customer information into the records.  
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 64 , further comprising enabling the Internet user to write customer information into the record through the Internet booking module.  
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 63 , further comprising configuring the record to include at least one of the following fields: a name field for storing the name of the customer; a mailing address field for storing the mailing address of the customer; an email address field for storing the email address of the customer; a phone number field for storing the phone number of the customer; a credit card field for storing the credit card information, of the customer; and a password field for storing the password information of the customer.  
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 58 , further comprising providing a cancellation module configured to permit the Internet user to cancel a previously booked time-slot for a table booked by the Internet user at the first restaurant's place of business.  
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 58 , further comprising providing a cancellation module configured to permit the first restaurant to cancel a previously booked time-slot for a table booked at the first restaurant's place of business.  
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 58 , further comprising providing a table layout display module configured to display the layout of tables at the first restaurant's place of business.  
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 69 , wherein the providing the table layout display module further comprises displaying booked tables in a first display mode and open tables in a second display mode.  
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 69 , wherein the first display mode is a first color and the second display mode is a second color.