BOOKING METHOD AND APPARATUS

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided by which a client can book a service to take place at and for a selected period of time. A graphical representation (2) of a plurality of services (20, 21...) and their availability over time (30, 31...) is displayed on a client display device (1). At least one of the services (20, 21...) is booked by the client selecting on the client display device (1) at least one of the services (20, 21...) for a selected period of time. The step of selecting causes an instruction to be issued to book the at least one service (20, 21...) for the selected period of time for the benefit of the client.

Description: BOOKING METHOD AND APPARATUS The present invention relates to a booking method and apparatus . There are many circumstances in which a client needs to reserve or book a service to take place for a certain period of time. Such services include the collection or delivery of an article during a specified time window; the hire of an article for a certain period of time; the provision of a table or room at a venue such as a restaurant, theatre, club, etc.; the provision of a specific manual service such as office or domestic cleaning services, typing services, etc; the provision of video-on- demand; etc. Furthermore, it is becoming increasingly common to provide advertising space in the form of electronic display screens on which advertising material can be displayed, optionally with other multimedia presentations for example in the form of sound, etc. Such advertising space can be provided at plural different geographical locations. Such electronic advertising space may be provided for example in a door of a booth as disclosed in O-A- 97/14122, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. For any of such services, it would be of great value to allow clients wishing to book the service a facility by which clients can be provided with a simple display showing the availability of services and their availability over time and which allows clients to book one or more services for a certain period of time. At present, typically the booking of any service involves a relatively lengthy exchange with the service provider, typically by telephone or by written correspondence. The client typically has to ask the service provider when a desired service is available. The service provider then typically looks up availability on a paper or computer record, and then relays the availability to the client. The client then books a certain service for a certain period of time, again typically by telephone or written correspondence. The whole of this exchange can take a considerable period of time. "Double bookings" can often arise because the service provider is using an out of date record of availability of services and may inadvertently allow a client to book a service for a certain period of time when that service has already been booked by that or another client for that or at least some of that period of time. Some websites or other on-line systems exist which allow a customer to purchase for example an airline ticket. However, such systems are text-based and are usually menu- driven or form-driven. In essence, such systems merely replicate conventional paper systems for purchasing an airline ticket or the like. Such systems do not display availability of services or enable a service to be booked. It is known to use so-called "time-lines" in non- linear video editing systems. Such systems are disclosed in for example US-A-4893256 and US-A-5659793. In each of these patents, there is disclosed a method and apparatus for enabling a multimedia presentation to be prepared. Events such as for example display of a video clip, playback of an audio sound clip, etc., are displayed graphically in a matrix in which the different available events appear as rows of the matrix and the columns of the matrix represent time slots. A user wishing to prepare a multimedia presentation can select which of the available events are to be invoked and the start and end time of those events. In this way, the user can simply build up a complete multimedia presentation. In each case, the system is used to assist in the production of a single programme (namely the multimedia presentation) by compiling multiple events to be invoked as part of that programme. According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method by which a client can book a service to take place at and for a selected period of time, the method comprising the steps of : displaying on a client display device a graphical representation of a plurality of services and their availability over time; and, booking at least one of said services by the client selecting on the client display device at least one of said services for a selected period of time; said selecting step causing an instruction to be issued to book said at least one service for said selected period of time for the benefit of said client. The client is provided with a graphical representation of a plurality of services and their availability over time. Typically, this graphical representation will be provided by or constructed from data provided by a host or server. The host may be the provider of the services or may be some third party contracted by service providers to operate and maintain the booking system on behalf of the service providers. One or more clients can immediately see on their own display devices what services are available and their availability over time. The availability over time of a service may be a representation of the period for which that service can be booked (as in the case of for example the service of providing advertising space) or may be for example a time "window" during which a particular service can be carried out (such as for example the delivery of articles to or collection of articles from a client) . In a preferred embodiment, information concerning the availability of services over time is stored in one or more databases, the databases being updated, preferably in real-time, as services are booked by one or more clients or as services become available for booking. In the preferred embodiment, clients are thus interactively and dynamically in real-time informed of the availability of services over time and are able to book one or more services for desired periods of time. As will become clear from the following, it will be understood that a "service" will provide the client with some benefit, typically for a limited period of time after which the client no longer has access to the service without booking the service again, in return for which the client will typically pay some consideration. In a preferred embodiment, said graphical representation includes a display having at least two dimensions in which different services are represented along a first axis of the display and the availability of the services over time is represented along a second axis of the display. It is preferred that the axes be orthogonal. In a most convenient form of display, services and their availability are shown as "time-lines" with different services being indicated down the display and time across the display. This provides the client with an intuitive and easy-to-use display by means of which the client can make the desired bookings. The services may be "different" in many senses. For example, the services may be of an entirely unrelated nature, and may be from different service providers. Alternatively or additionally, as will be discussed further below, the services may be in substance the same but provided at different geographical locations. Preferably, said selecting step causes said at least one service to be marked as unavailable for further booking for said selected period of time. The unavailability of a service can be indicated on a client display device by for example greying out or otherwise dimming one or more icons representing that service in the graphical representation displayed on a client display device. It is preferred that the service is made "non-selectable" on the client display device. In an embodiment, at least some of said plurality of services are available at different geographical locations, said displaying step causing display on a said client display device of a graphical representation of the plurality of services and their availability over time and their geographical location, and said booking step including selecting on the client display device at least one of said services for a selected period of time for a selected geographical location. This embodiment allows a client to select services according to geographical location. This means that the client can for example select the provision of the same service at the same time at different geographical locations; the same service at different geographical locations and times; and/or different services at different geographical locations at the same or different times. The client can therefore coordinate the booking of services over a wide geographical area and substantially at any time in a simple and efficient manner. Said graphical representation preferably includes a display having at least two dimensions in which services at different geographical locations are represented along a first axis of the display and the availability of the services over time is represented along a second axis of the display. In an embodiment, the plurality of services includes the provision of advertising space. Apparatus may be provided at the advertising space sites for displaying material transmitted electronically to said advertising space, the booking step including the step of booking said advertising space for a selected period of time, the method further comprising the step of transmitting electronically material to be advertised at said advertising space for said selected period of time. Said material may be transmitted electronically by the client who booked said advertising space. In this example, an organisation (typically the service provider or supplier) maintains and operates advertising sites at which apparatus is provided for displaying material transmitted electronically to the advertising space. One or more clients wishing to feature advertisements at those advertising spaces can look up the availability of the advertising spaces, preferably at different geographical locations, and book one or more advertising spaces for a selected period of time. The client can then transmit or arrange for the transmission of advertising material to be advertised at the advertising space for the selected period of time. It will be understood that the expression "display of material at an advertising space" is to be construed broadly and encompasses one or more of the display of visual matter (for example static or moving images) , play back of audio matter (including for example music or other sound clips) , and other methods of presenting information. In addition to or instead of the provision of advertising space, the plurality of services may include one or more of: delivery of an article; collection of an article; hire of an article; provision of a specific manual service; provision of a table or room at a venue; the provision of video-on-demand. According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided apparatus for enabling a client using a client computer having a client display device to book a service to take place at and for a selected period of time, the apparatus comprising: at least one data storage device having at least one database in which data concerning services and their availability over time is stored; and, a host computer for accessing the data on the at least one database and transmitting an instruction to a client computer to cause display on a client display device of a graphical representation of a plurality of services and their availability over time in accordance with said data; the client computer being arranged to enable a client to book at least one of said services by selecting on the client display device at least one of said services for a selected period of time, the client computer operating to cause an instruction to be issued to book said at least one service for said selected period of time for the benefit of said client. The host processor is preferably arranged so that said graphical representation includes a display having at least two dimensions in which different services are represented along a first axis of the display and the availability of the services over time is represented along a second axis of the display. Preferably, the axes are orthogonal. Preferably, at least some of said plurality of services are available at different geographical locations, the host processor being arranged so that the display on a said client display device includes a graphical representation of the plurality of services and their availability over time and their geographical location, and the client computer being arranged to allow selection on the client display device of at least one of said services for a selected period of time for a selected geographical location. The host processor may be arranged so said graphical representation includes a display having at least two dimensions in which services at different geographical locations are represented along a first axis of the display and the availability of the services over time is represented along a second axis of the display. Said plurality of services may include the provision of advertising space. The advertising space preferably includes apparatus for displaying material transmitted electronically to said advertising space, the client computer being arranged to transmit electronically on request material to be displayed at said advertising space for said selected period of time. According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of indicating the availability of a plurality of services over time, the method comprising the steps of: providing, on demand from a client, command signals to a client display device to form on the client display device a graphical representation of a plurality of services and their availability over time. Said graphical representation preferably includes a display having at least two dimensions in which different services are represented along a first axis of the display and the availability of the services over time is represented along a second axis of the display. Said graphical representation most preferably includes a display having at least two dimensions in which services at different geographical locations are represented along a first axis of the display and the availability of the services over time is represented along a second axis of the display. The method preferably further comprises the step of booking at least one of said services by the client selecting on the client display device at least one of said services for a selected period of time, said selecting step causing an instruction to be issued to book said at least one service for said selected period of time for the benefit of said client. An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a client computer, a host computer and two databases,- and, Fig. 2 is a representation of a screen display at a client in accordance with an example of a method and apparatus according to the present invention. Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, one or more databases 100 hold data relating to a number of discrete services. The data for each service includes time intervals over which that service is available and preferably time intervals over which that service is unavailable (for example because the service is intrinsically unavailable at that time or because the service has already been booked) . Typically, at least some of the services will be available in certain geographical areas and the data stored on the database (s) 100 reflects this . A client wishing to book a service accesses the one or more databases 100. In a convenient embodiment, the client's access is by means of a Web browser located on a client computer 101 which accesses the databases 100 via a website maintained on a host or server computer 102 which can access the databases 100. The website host may be a provider of a service. In that case, typically the or each database 100 will be associated with and maintained by the host and may be incorporated in the host server computer 102. Alternatively, the website host may be a third party independent of the service providers. In that case, the host will be a different entity to the service provider (s) and the database (s) 100 are likely to be remote from the host computer 102. In one specific example, at least one of the service providers is an operator of apparatus provided at various different geographical locations on which advertising material can be displayed for or on behalf of one or more clients. Such apparatus may be for example the booths as generally disclosed in WO-A-97/14122. Such booths provide access for the public to a remote communications terminal and can be provided with a door that includes electronic display devices and/or audio playback equipment enabling video and audio displays to be presented. The service provider maintains one or more databases on which information relating to the advertising spaces is stored, the information including at least the geographical location of the advertising space and the current availability over time of the advertising spaces. On request from a client, appropriate software running on the host computer 102 accesses the one or more databases 100 and provides data and commands to the client computer 101 so that a graphical representation of the services available is displayed on a display device 1 of the client computer 101 along with the availability of those services over time. The client may initially be prompted to enter certain details, including for example account details to which charges for booked services should be made as well as details of the range of services, their geographical locations and a time period which the client would like to view. An example of a typical display which might be provided on the client display device 1 is shown in Figure 2. The display on a client display device 1 includes a two dimensional display or array 2 which shows graphically a representation of plural services and their availability over time. Along a vertical axis, the rows 20,21,... of the display 2 represent discrete services. In the example described in detail herein, the different services represented by the rows 20,21... correspond to advertising spaces at different geographical locations. Along a horizontal axis, the columns 30,31,... of the display 2 represent time. In the example shown, each column 30,31,... is of five minutes duration. The time resolution of the display 2 can be altered by the client by for example selecting from different standard display options 4 by means of which different time intervals across the screen can be shown. For example, the user can select display options for showing a day, a month or a year. The client is also provided with the ability to zoom in and out of the time frame so that individual columns 30,31,... of the display 2 can represent any desired time interval, such as for example five minutes, fifteen minutes, one hour, twelve hours, etc. As mentioned, the or each database 100 stores information about the services corresponding to the realtime availability of a service. Such information is relayed graphically to the client on accessing the or each database 100. For example, the availability of a service can be indicated on the display device 1 by using a light or bright colour for the appropriate parts of the display 2. By way of specific example, the service indicated by row 20 (corresponding to an advertising space available at Regent Street, London) is available in the interval 2.00pm to 2.27pm. The unavailability of a service can be indicated by for example using a darker or dimmer colour for the those parts of the display 2 and preferably by making those parts unselectable, as is known per se in windows-type operating systems and graphical user interfaces. Thus, in the example shown in Figure 2, the service indicated by row 20 is marked as not available in the period 3.02pm to 3.16pm. It will be understood that a particular service may not be available at any particular time because of intrinsic factors (for example because maintenance of equipment relating to the service is being carried out at that time or because the service is only available during office hours) or because the service has already been booked for a period of time by a client. A client wishing to book a service for a certain period of time moves a cursor 5 using an appropriate pointing device 104, such as a mouse or trackball or the like, over the relevant rows and columns or parts of columns of the display 2 and then selects the relevant portions by operation of a switch associated with the pointing device 104. In the example described in detail herein, a client may wish for example to book the advertising space at Piccadilly Circus of row 22 of the display 2 for the period 1.43pm to 2.05pm. In that case, the client simply selects those portions of the display 2 corresponding to the time interval 1.43pm to 2.05pm for row 22. When portions in the display 2 are selected by the user (and optionally after the user issues a command by which provisionally selected portions are to be confirmed as booked) , the client computer 101 sends an instruction to the host computer 102 appropriately. Such instruction causes the relevant database 100 to be updated so that that service is marked as unavailable over the selected periods of time so that the present client and other clients cannot double-book that service during the previously selected periods of time. Preferably, the displays 2 provided to all clients currently accessing the database 100 are updated so that this service is shown as unavailable for the selected periods of time on the display devices of all clients. Thus, in the most preferred embodiment, the accessing of the databases 100 by clients, the selection of one or more services for certain periods of time, the updating of the databases 100 accordingly, and the re- display of displays 2 at client display devices 1, all take place in real-time in a dynamic on-line system. The selection of portions in the display 2 may be arranged to cause a time-line bar to extend over the selected portions to provide the client with a more readily visible indication of which time intervals for which services have been selected. The time-line bar may be extendable by "dragging" one end of the bar on the client display 1 using the cursor 5. The time-line bar may be moved by dragging the bar as a whole using the cursor 5. In the example described in detail herein in which the service is the provision of advertising space, the apparatus can be arranged so that the client can upload material to be displayed at the booked advertising space for the predetermined period of time. For example, a company or other person wishing to provide advertisements at an advertising space can book that advertising space for a certain period of time. Once an advertising space has been booked for the desired period of time, the client can arrange for display material to be transmitted electronically to that advertising space for display at the advertising space. This can be achieved by providing an appropriate "UPLOAD MOVIES/AD" button 6 as part of the display 1 which can be selected by the client as appropriate. After the "UPLOAD MOVIES/AD" button 6 has been selected, the client can be provided with a drop-down list of computer files which represent material which can be transmitted electronically to the booked advertising space. Typically, the user will have previously compiled a multimedia presentation of say 30 minutes length, including video and audio clips, which can be uploaded automatically to the previously booked advertising space on selection of the "UPLOAD MOVIES/AD" button 6. Further options for the client can be provided. For example, buttons 7 can be provided on the display 1 by means of which the client can select whether the multimedia presentation is played just once or is played repeatedly (for the duration of the selected time) . "REPEAT" buttons 8 can be provided by means of which the client can request repetition of the multimedia presentation at certain intervals, for example hourly or daily or weekly; this booking of repeated showings of the multimedia presentation may be made subject to the availability of the advertising space at those intervals and the client can be provided with an alarm to indicate that one or more of the requested repeat bookings is not available if the client tries to book repeat showings for time periods which are not available. The REPEAT buttons 8 can be used with any appropriate service so that the service is booked for repeated periods of time. Thus, a client can for example book a cleaning service to take place every Monday between 8am and 10am. In a typical implementation of the present invention, the selection of the service for a selected period of time will typically automatically cause that service to be effected. This can occur directly on selection of the service for certain time periods by the client or indirectly, optionally through mediation by the host who contacts the relevant service provider to ensure that the service is effected as required. It is of course preferred that all such contact be made electronically and preferably in real-time on or shortly after selection of booking of a service by a client. Furthermore, the system can be arranged so that the client is invoiced or a charge debited to an account held by the client immediately on booking a service . Whilst it is most convenient to provide access to the databases 100 via the Internet, any suitable remote communications system can be used. Further, whilst in the specific example described above, the display 2 is two- dimensional, it will be understood that multiple dimensions can be used to reflect multiple characteristics or qualities or elements of the various services. An embodiment of the present invention has been described with particular reference to the examples illustrated. However, it will be appreciated that variations and modifications may be made to the examples described within the scope of the present invention.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A method by which a client can book a service to take place at and for a selected period of time, the method comprising the steps of: displaying on a client display device a graphical representation of a plurality of services and their availability over time; and, booking at least one of said services by the client selecting on the client display device at least one of said services for a selected period of time; said selecting step causing an instruction to be issued to book said at least one service for said selected period of time for the benefit of said client. 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said graphical representation includes a display having at least two dimensions in which different services are represented along a first axis of the display and the availability of the services over time is represented along a second axis of the display. 3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said axes are orthogonal . 4. A method according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein said selecting step causes said at least one service to be marked as unavailable for further booking for said selected period of time. 5. A method according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least some of said plurality of services are available at different geographical locations, said displaying step causing display on a said client display device of a graphical representation of the plurality of services and their availability over time and their geographical location, and said booking step includes selecting on the client display device at least one of said services for a selected period of time for a selected geographical location. 6. A method according to claim 5, wherein said graphical representation includes a display having at least two dimensions in which services at different geographical locations are represented along a first axis of the display and the availability of the services over time is represented along a second axis of the display. 7. A method according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein said plurality of services includes the provision of advertising space. 8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the advertising space includes apparatus for displaying material transmitted electronically to said advertising space, and wherein the booking step includes the step of booking said advertising space for a selected period of time, and further comprising the step of transmitting electronically material to be displayed at said advertising space for said selected period of time. 9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said material is transmitted electronically by the client who booked said advertising space. 10. A method according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein said plurality of services includes one or more of: delivery of an article; collection of an article; hire of an article; provision of a specific manual service; provision of a table or room at a venue; the provision of video-on-demand. 11. Apparatus for enabling a client using a client computer having a client display device to book a service to take place at and for a selected period of time, the apparatus comprising: at least one data storage device having at least one database in which data concerning services and their availability over time is stored; and, a host computer for accessing the data on the at least one database and transmitting an instruction to a client computer to cause display on a client display device of a graphical representation of a plurality of services and their availability over time in accordance with said data; the client computer being arranged to enable a client to book at least one of said services by selecting on the client display device at least one of said services for a selected period of time, the client computer operating to cause an instruction to be issued to book said at least one service for said selected period of time for the benefit of said client. 12. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the host processor is arranged so that said graphical representation includes a display having at least two dimensions in which different services are represented along a first axis of the display and the availability of the services over time is represented along a second axis of the display. 13. Apparatus according to claim 11 or claim 12, wherein at least some of said plurality of services are available at different geographical locations, and wherein the host processor is arranged so that the display on a said client display device includes a graphical representation of the plurality of services and their availability over time and their geographical location, and wherein the client computer is arranged to allow selection on the client display device of at least one of said services for a selected period of time for a selected geographical location. 14. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the host processor is arranged so that said graphical representation includes a display having at least two dimensions in which services at different geographical locations are represented along a first axis of the display and the availability of the services over time is represented along a second axis of the display. 15. Apparatus according to any of claims 11 to 14, wherein said plurality of services includes the provision of advertising space. 16. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the advertising space includes apparatus for displaying material transmitted electronically to said advertising space, and wherein the client computer is arranged to transmit electronically on request material to be displayed at said advertising space for said selected period of time. 17. A method of indicating the availability of a plurality of services over time, the method comprising the steps of: providing, on demand from a client, command signals to a client display device to form on the client display device a graphical representation of a plurality of services and their availability over time. 18. A method according to claim 17, wherein said graphical representation includes a display having at least two dimensions in which different services are represented along a first axis of the display and the availability of the services over time is represented along a second axis of the display. 19. A method according to claim 16, wherein said graphical representation includes a display having at least two dimensions in which services at different geographical locations are represented along a first axis of the display and the availability of the services over time is represented along a second axis of the display. 20. A method according to any of claims 17 to 19, further comprising the step of booking at least one of said services by the client selecting on the client display device at least one of said services for a selected period of time, said selecting step causing an instruction to be issued to book said at least one service for said selected period of time for the benefit of said client.

Inventors: MARINESCU JOSEPH SEVER, TONG ANDREW MING WEI, MARINESCU, JOSEPH, SEVER, TONG, ANDREW, MING, WEI
Applicants: BITSTOP LTD, MARINESCU JOSEPH SEVER, TONG ANDREW MING WEI, BITSTOP LIMITED, MARINESCU, JOSEPH, SEVER, TONG, ANDREW, MING, WEI
Application year: 2001
Main classification: G06F17
IPC codes: G06Q10