Method and system for reserving resources and managing access to reserved resources - Patents.com

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for reserving resources and providing access to the reserved resources. The method is implemented on a resource management system configured to communicate with one or more computing devices and one or more resource reservation systems over a communications network. The method includes receiving, in the resource management system, a request to reserve a resource from one of the one or more computing devices, the request including a resource identifier and a mobile computing device identifier, and generating a reservation based on the resource identifier. The method further includes determining a virtual key associated with the resource identifier, the virtual key configured to cooperate with an access device co-located with the resource to grant access to the resource, and providing a confirmation message to the one of the one or more computing devices associated with the mobile computing device identifier, the confirmation message including (i) the virtual key and (ii) one of a confirmation code associated with the virtual key that enables the virtual key to be retrieved. [Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present embodiments relate to methods and systems for reserving resources and managing access to reserved resources. Some embodiments relate to methods and systems for resource management, such as reserving resources and providing access to reserved resources. Some embodiments relate to methods and systems for reserving resources and access to reserved resources. Some embodiments relate to methods and systems for managing access to reserved resources. [Background technology]

[0002] Reserving and accessing resources can be a time-consuming and labor-intensive process. For example, even if accommodations are reserved in advance, hotel guests typically must go through a check-in process at the hotel upon arrival. The check-in process is typically managed by hotel staff and may include verifying identity and providing keys to the reserved room. Hotels also have systems to manage and track the assignment of rooms and keys to guests who check in. A similar process occurs when reserving and accessing other types of resources, such as rental cars. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] It would be desirable to address or ameliorate some of the shortcomings associated with conventional methods and systems for reserving hotel rooms and managing access to rooms, or at least to provide a useful alternative thereto.

[0004] Any mention or description of documents, acts, materials, products, or the like contained in this specification is not an admission that any or all of those matters form part of the prior art or were common general knowledge in the art relevant to the present disclosure as existing prior to the priority date of each appended claim. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] Some embodiments relate to a computer-implemented method for reserving resources and providing access to the reserved resources, the method being implemented on a resource management system configured to communicate with one or more computing devices and one or more resource reservation systems over a communications network, the method comprising: receiving, in the resource management system, a request to reserve a resource from one of the one or more computing devices, the request including a resource identifier and a mobile computing device identifier; generating a reservation based on the resource identifier; determining a virtual key associated with the resource identifier, the virtual key configured to cooperate with an access device co-located with the resource to grant access to the resource; providing a confirmation message to a mobile computing device of the one or more computing devices associated with the mobile computing device identifier, the confirmation message including the virtual key; Includes.

[0006] In some embodiments, creating the reservation includes sending a reservation confirmation request to the resource reservation system to confirm the reservation of the resource.

[0007] In some embodiments, determining the virtual key associated with the resource includes retrieving the virtual key from a virtual key database based on the resource identifier.

[0008] In some embodiments, the virtual key comprises one or more QR codes readable by the access device associated with the resource identifier.

[0009] In some embodiments, the request further includes at least one or more of (i) payment details and (ii) a duration indication for the reservation.

[0010] Some embodiments relate to a resource management system for reserving resources and providing access to the reserved resources, the system being configured to communicate with one or more computing devices and one or more resource reservation systems over a communications network. one or more servers, each of the one or more servers: one or more processors; a memory containing computer code that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more servers of the system to perform a method for reserving the resources and providing access to the reserved resources; and Equipped with.

[0011] Some embodiments relate to a computer-implemented method for reserving resources and accessing the reserved resources, the method being implemented on a mobile computing device configured to communicate with a resource management system over a communications network, the method comprising: sending a request to reserve a resource from the mobile computing device to the resource management system, the request including a resource identifier and a mobile computing device identifier; receiving, at the mobile computing device, a confirmation message from the accommodation management server, the confirmation message including a virtual key associated with the reserved accommodation, the virtual key configured to cooperate with an access device co-located with the resource to grant access to the resource; providing the virtual key to the access device co-located with the resource to gain access to the resource; Includes.

[0012] In some embodiments, providing the virtual key to the access device includes one of the following steps: (i) presenting the virtual key to a reader on the access device so that the access device can scan the virtual key; and (ii) sending the virtual key to the access device using a near-field communication or Bluetooth-enabled communication function.

[0013] Some embodiments relate to a mobile computing device for reserving resources and accessing the reserved resources, the device being configured to communicate with a resource management system over a first communication network and with one or more lock devices over a second communication network. one or more processors; a memory containing computer code that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the mobile computing device to perform a method for reserving the resources and providing access to the reserved resources; and Equipped with.

[0014] Some embodiments relate to a method of granting access to reserved resources, the method being implemented by an access device configured to operate one or more locking mechanisms associated with each resource, the access device being configured to communicate with one or more mobile devices over a communications network, the method comprising: receiving, at the access device, an access request from one of the one or more mobile computing devices, the access request including a virtual key for a resource co-located with the access device; determining the validity of the virtual key for the resource; activating a locking mechanism associated with the resource to permit access to the resource in response to determining that the virtual key is valid for the resource; Includes.

[0015] In some embodiments, determining the validity of the virtual key for the resource includes comparing the virtual key to a stored virtual key for the resource and determining whether the virtual key is substantially equal to or different from the stored virtual key.

[0016] In some embodiments, determining the validity of the virtual key for the resource includes sending validation information from the access device to a resource access monitoring system, the validation information including the virtual key and a resource identifier associated with the resource, and receiving, at the access device, a notification from the resource access monitoring system indicating whether the virtual key is valid or invalid for the resource.

[0017] Some embodiments relate to an access device for granting access to reserved resources, the access device being configured to operate one or more locking mechanisms associated with each reserved resource and to communicate with one or more mobile computing devices over a communications network. one or more processors; a memory containing computer code that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the mobile computing device to perform a method for reserving the resources and providing access to the reserved resources; and Equipped with.

[0018] Some embodiments relate to a resource reservation and management system for reserving resources and providing access to the reserved resources, the system comprising: The resource management system of any one of the above embodiments; one or more computing devices of any one of the preceding embodiments; one or more access devices of any one of the above embodiments; Equipped with.

[0019] Some embodiments relate to a computer program product comprising computer readable code that, when executed by one or more processors, is configured to perform any one of the methods described above. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system for reserving resources and managing access to reserved resources, according to some embodiments. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a process flow diagram of a resource management method according to some embodiments, implemented by the resource management system of the system of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a process flow diagram of a method for reserving resources and obtaining access to reserved resources according to some embodiments, implemented by a mobile computing device of the system of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a process flow diagram of a method for managing access to reserved resources according to some embodiments, implemented by an access device of the system of FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a screenshot illustrating various stages involved in the reservation process of a reservation management platform according to some embodiments, implemented by a reservation management application executed by the resource management system of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an example screenshot illustrating various stages involved in a reservation process of a reservation management platform according to some embodiments, implemented by a reservation management application executed by the resource management system of FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a screenshot of an example interface display as displayed on the screen of a computing device in the system of FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a screenshot of an example interface display as displayed on the screen of a computing device of the system of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Some embodiments will now be described, by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0022] The present embodiments relate to methods and systems for reserving resources and managing access to reserved resources. Some embodiments relate to methods and systems for resource management, such as reserving resources and providing access to reserved resources. Some embodiments relate to methods and systems for reserving resources and access to reserved resources. Some embodiments relate to methods and systems for managing access to reserved resources.

[0023] For example, resources according to the present invention may relate to resources that can be reserved and that require access for use or convenience, for example resources may include rooms such as hotel or hostel rooms, houses, flats, apartments, service facilities such as gyms, vehicles such as cars, bicycles, mopeds, motorbikes, or facilities such as building facilities, gym facilities, etc.

[0024] The presently disclosed system and method for reserving and accessing resources offers significant advantages over previously known systems and methods. In particular, the presently disclosed system and method enable streamlined resource reservation, allowing users to both reserve resources and obtain the necessary access to the reserved resources through a relatively simple and straightforward process, for example, using a virtual key. The presently disclosed virtual key can be obtained directly from the booking platform at the time of resource reservation, thereby minimizing or eliminating additional steps in securing and obtaining access to the resource once a reservation is made. Furthermore, the presently disclosed virtual key can avoid loss and the expense associated with replacing lost physical keys or access cards. The presently disclosed system and method help avoid the environmentally harmful consequences of replacing lost physical keys or access cards in the prior art. Furthermore, the presently disclosed system and method can share a single virtual key across multiple mobile computing devices through duplication, thereby enabling shared access to resources among multiple users. Here, each user possesses a mobile computing device and accesses reserved resources independently of other users.

[0025] Additionally, streamlining the process for reserving resources and managing access to reserved resources reduces the human intervention required to facilitate reservations and access. Because the need for human intervention is reduced, the present systems and methods for reserving resources and accessing reserved resources may be more scalable in terms of handling more resources and reservations while providing a more efficient, low-latency service that requires less human intervention. Virtual key-based access to reserved resources also provides improved identity-based security for managing access to reserved resources. For example, access via a virtual key on a mobile computing device allows the identity of the mobile device, along with the virtual key, to be known and tracked. In some embodiments, the combination of the virtual key and the device identity may be verified to grant access to reserved resources as an additional layer of security.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system 100 for reserving resources and managing access to reserved resources, according to some embodiments.

[0027] As shown, system 100 may include a resource management system 102 configured to communicate with one or more computing devices 104 and one or more resource reservation systems 106 over a communications network 108. In some embodiments, system 100 includes a client-server architecture in which resource management system 102 is configured as a server and at least one of the computing devices 104 is configured as a client computing device.

[0028] Network 108 may include at least a portion of one or more networks having one or more nodes that transmit, receive, forward, generate, buffer, store, route, switch, process, or any combination thereof, one or more messages, packets, signals, any combination thereof, etc. Network 108 may include, for example, one or more of a wireless network, a wired network, the Internet, an intranet, a public network, a packet-switched network, a circuit-switched network, an ad hoc network, an infrastructure network, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a cable network, a cellular network, a satellite network, an optical fiber network, any combination thereof, etc.

[0029] In some embodiments, computing device 104 may comprise a mobile or handheld computing device, such as a smartphone or tablet, a laptop, or a PC. In some embodiments, computing device 104 may comprise multiple computing devices.

[0030] The resource management system 102 may include one or more servers (not shown) configured to provide resource management services by executing a resource management application 110 stored in memory (not shown) associated with one or more servers of the resource management system 102. For example, the resource management system 102 may include multiple processing components or multiple virtual or physical servers operating together. In some embodiments, the resource management application 110 may include a reservation management module 112 and a virtual key management module 114.

[0031] The reservation management module 112, when executed by one or more processors (not shown) of one or more servers (not shown) of the resource management system 102, may be configured to determine whether resources associated with the resource reservation system 106 are available and to communicate with the resource reservation system 106 via the communications network 108 to, for example, reserve particular resources for particular users and / or for particular time periods.

[0032] The virtual key management module 114, when executed by one or more processors (not shown) of one or more servers (not shown) of the resource management system 102, may be configured to interrogate the virtual key database 116 to determine a virtual key for a particular resource. In some embodiments, the virtual key associated with a particular resource is configured to cooperate with an access device 118, which may be co-located with the resource, to grant access to the resource. The access is achieved, for example, by the virtual key causing the access device 118 to deactivate a locking mechanism 120 that prevents access to the resource. The virtual key database 116 may form part of the resource management system 102 or may be directly connected to the resource management system 102. Alternatively, the virtual key database 116 may be accessed by the resource management system 102 via the communications network 108 or other suitable network.

[0033] In some embodiments, resource management system 102 may be configured as a web server system capable of serving content, such as web pages and other content, conforming to protocols such as HTTP (hypertext transport protocol). For example, when supported and combined with an application framework and typical server-side functionality (such as web server functionality, data processing functionality, and data storage and retrieval functionality), resource management application 110 provides a resource reservation platform (examples of which are shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 ) that may include activities that may be performed or seen executing on one or more computing devices 104. However, it may be understood that the activities performed or executed on computing devices 104 depend on program code (including applets, as appropriate) that is provided to computing devices 104 by resource management system 102 and executed by a browser application (not shown). Thus, the functionality of the reservation platform is driven by code executed and provided by resource management system 102.

[0034] The resource management application 110 may enable programmatic interaction of remote applications to exchange information with the resource reservation system 106 via a defined API (“Application Program Interface”). Resource management services may be defined and implemented using a variety of underlying protocols and technologies. For example, some embodiments may rely on communication of XML (“eXtensible Markup Language”) formatted data using HTTP (“Hyper Text Transport Protocol”) in response to requests from the reservation management module 112 identified as a URI (“Uniform Resource Identifier”), such as a URL (“Uniform Resource Locator”), that includes a particular operation and one or more query parameters. Such URI-based requests may be based, for example, on the use of XML over HTTP (e.g., as part of the distributed interaction model “REST (Representational State Transfer)”). In some embodiments, additional underlying protocols may be used for various purposes. Such underlying protocols include SOAP ("Simple Object Access Protocol") for standard message exchange, WSDL ("Web Services Description Language") for describing service invocations, and UDDI ("Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration service") for discovering available services.

[0035] The resource reservation system 106 may comprise one or more servers (not shown) configured to provide a resource reservation service by executing a resource reservation application 122 stored in memory (not shown) associated with the one or more servers of the resource reservation system 106. The resource reservation system 106 is configured to maintain a register of resources available for reservation via the resource reservation system 106. The resource reservation system 106 is further configured, in response to receiving a reservation confirmation from the resource management system 102, to provide information about the availability of the resource to the reservation management module 112 of the resource management system 102 or otherwise make available the resource and reserve the resource, i.e., make the resource unavailable for reservation. However, it will be understood that resources may be reserved in other manners using the resource reservation system 106. For example, this may be done in response to a request made by a user, by the computing device 104 directly communicating with the resource reservation system 106, or by an operator manually reserving the resource. In some embodiments, the resource reservation system 106 may be configured to provide or otherwise make available information about virtual keys associated with particular resources to a virtual key management module 112 of the resource management system 102. In some embodiments, the resource reservation system 106 may be configured to provide or otherwise make available information about reserved resources, which may include, for example, credentials for accessing the reserved resources, to a resource access application 126 of the computing device 104.

[0036] The resource reservation application 122 may enable programmatic interaction of remote applications to exchange information via defined APIs (“Application Program Interfaces”). The resource reservation application 122 may be defined and implemented using a variety of underlying protocols and technologies. For example, some embodiments may rely on communication of data in XML (“eXtensible Markup Language”) format using HTTP (“Hyper Text Transport Protocol”) in response to requests from the resource access application 126 or resource management application 110 identified as a URI (“Uniform Resource Identifier”), such as a URL (“Uniform Resource Locator”), that includes a particular operation and one or more query parameters. Such URI-based requests may be based, for example, on the use of XML over HTTP (e.g., as part of the distributed interaction model “REST (Representational State Transfer)”). In some embodiments, additional underlying protocols may be used for various purposes. Such underlying protocols include SOAP ("Simple Object Access Protocol") for standard message exchange, WSDL ("Web Services Description Language") for describing service invocations, and UDDI ("Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration service") for discovering available services.

[0037] Each of the one or more computing devices 104 comprises one or more processors (not shown) and memory (not shown) that includes an operating system and multiple software applications or applets executable by the one or more processors to perform various device-related functions. For example, at least one such software application includes a browser application 124 for allowing a user to navigate to sites accessible via the communications network 108 to receive content from the sites. In some examples, the browser application 124 can be used to communicate with the resource management system 102 to request content from the resource management system 102. The content is provided to the browser application as program code in the form of one or more web pages executable by the processor of the computing device 104. According to some embodiments, the resource management system 102 is configured to provide code to the computing device 104 to provide an online resource reservation platform generated by the browser application 124 and viewable on a display (not shown) of a user interface (not shown) of the computing device 104.

[0038] The resource reservation platform may provide a user interface that allows a user to search for resources using specific key terms and / or criteria. For example, if the resource to be reserved is a hotel room, the resource reservation platform may provide a user interface that allows a user to enter a specific location and / or specific dates to search for available hotel rooms that meet the search criteria. In response to the user entering the search criteria, the reservation management module 112 of the resource management application 110 may determine and provide a list of available hotels to the resource reservation platform. The resource reservation platform may allow the user to navigate through the results and select a specific hotel. Upon selecting a specific hotel, the user may be prompted to pay for the hotel reservation, for example, by providing payment details. During the reservation process, the user may also be asked whether they would like to use keyless entry to the hotel room, as described in more detail below.

[0039] In some embodiments, the browser application 124 may be supplemented with special-purpose add-ons or replaced by special-purpose client software (i.e., an “app” for a smartphone or tablet device) to perform or facilitate the functions described herein. For example, for a computing device 104, a special-purpose application may be downloaded from the resource management system 102 or another dedicated download server (not shown) and installed on the computing device 104. When such a special-purpose application is executed on the computing device 104, it may facilitate appropriate formatting, interaction, display, and input to enable the user interface functions described herein. Such a special-purpose application may include a resource access application 126 configured to cooperate with application software running on the access device 118. In some embodiments, the resource access application 126 is configured to receive and store a virtual key associated with a particular resource, e.g., from the resource management system 102, and to provide the virtual key to the access device 118 associated with the resource to disable a locking mechanism 120 preventing access to the resource.

[0040] The resource access application 126 may be configured to communicate with the resource management system 102 to request and / or receive information from the resource management system 102. In some embodiments, the resource access application 126 is configured to receive and store a virtual key associated with a particular resource, for example from the resource management system 102, and to provide the virtual key to the resource-associated access device 118 to deactivate a locking mechanism 120 preventing access to the resource. In some embodiments, the resource access application 126 is configured to receive and store reservation confirmation details associated with a reserved resource, such as a resource identifier, associated dates, payment confirmation details, etc.

[0041] The access device 118 is configured to communicate with the resource access application 126 of the mobile computing device 104 to determine a virtual key associated with a particular resource managed under the control of the access device 118. For example, the resource access application 126 of the mobile computing device 104 may be configured to communicate with the access device 118 using a near-field communication capability or a Bluetooth®-enabled communication capability. In some embodiments, the virtual key may include a QR code readable or scannable by the access device 118.

[0042] Each access device 118 is associated with one or more resources and one or more respective locking mechanisms 120. When activated by the access device 118 or otherwise, the locking mechanisms 120 prevent access to the respective resources. In some embodiments, the access device 118 comprises one or more processors and memory including computing code. The computing code, when executed by the one or more processors, is configured to control operation of the access device 118. For example, the access device 118 may be configured to determine a virtual key provided on or received from the mobile computing device 104, determine the validity of the virtual key for a particular resource, and, if it determines that the virtual key is valid for that resource, deactivate the locking mechanism 120 associated with the resource to allow access to the resource. In some embodiments, the access device 118 is configured to communicate with the resource reservation system 106 or other server (not shown) associated with managing the resource to determine the validity of the virtual key for a particular resource. For example, the resource reservation system 106 or another server (not shown) may query a registry of virtual keys for resources and compare the virtual key for the resource with entries in the registry to determine the validity of the virtual key, for example, by determining whether a reservation has been made, whether the virtual key is active, and / or whether the virtual key matches records in the registry for a particular resource.

[0043] 2 is a process flow diagram of a resource management method 200 according to some embodiments. Method 200 may be implemented by resource management system 102. In particular, one or more processors of resource management system 102 may be configured to execute resource management application 110 to cause resource management system 102 to perform method 200.

[0044] 2, at 202, a request to reserve a resource is received at the resource management system 102 from a computing device 104. The request includes a resource identifier and a mobile computing device identifier. In some embodiments, the request further includes one or more of an indication of a duration for the resource reservation, any specific special requests, and payment details.

[0045] In some embodiments, the resource management application 110 retrieves resource details in response to a query received from the computing device 104 and displays the details on a reservation platform to allow a user to select a resource and submit a request for reservation. In some embodiments, the reservation management module 112 determines whether a resource is available and determines further details about the resource from a resource registry 128. The resource registry 128 may be local to the resource management system 102 or remote and is updated periodically and / or periodically by one or more resource reservation systems 106 associated with the resource. In some embodiments, the reservation management module 112 determines whether a resource is available and determines further details about the resource by querying one or more resource reservation systems 106.

[0046] For example, a resource information query may be initiated by the reservation management module 112 submitting an HTTP POST request in XML format to a specified URL of the resource reservation application 122. The resource information query may also include credentials to validate and authorize the resource reservation by the resource reservation application 122. An example HTTP POST request in XML format is shown below:

[0047] <gethotels> <usertoken> <userid> xxxx< / userid> <password> yyyy< / password> < / usertoken> < / gethotels>

[0048] The resource reservation application 122 may return a response to the above query in the following format:

[0049] <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?> <hotels> <hotel> <hotelid> 1< / hotelid> <hotelname> test-hotel-1< / hotelname> < / hotel> < / hotels>

[0050] The reservation management module 112 may further query the resource reservation application 122 for details of available resources with specific conditions (e.g., available resources at a specific location). An example of a query for hotel room types for a hotel with hotel id 71656 is shown below:

[0051] <getroomtypes> <usertoken> <userid> xxxx< / userid> <password> yyyy< / password> <hotelid> 71656< / hotelid> < / usertoken> < / getroomtypes>

[0052] An example of a response generated by the resource reservation application 122 to the above query may be in the following format:

[0053] <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?> <roomtypes> <roomtype> <id> 142790< / id> <description> standard< / description> < / roomtype> <roomtype> <id> 145612< / id> <description> 2 bedroom apartment< / description> < / roomtype> <roomtype> <id> 148227< / id> <description> superior< / description> < / roomtype> <roomtype> <id> 97356< / id> <description> deluxe< / description> < / roomtype> < / roomtypes>

[0054] A user at the computing device 104 may navigate the resource details displayed on the booking platform, select a resource, and cause a request to be sent to the resource management system 102 to reserve the associated resource.

[0055] Referring again to Figure 2, at 204, the resource management system 102, and in particular the reservation management module 112, generates a reservation based on the resource identifier. In some embodiments, the reservation management module 112 sends a reservation confirmation request to the resource reservation application 122 of the resource reservation system. The reservation confirmation request includes the resource identifier and may further include additional information about the reservation.

[0056] An example of a reservation confirmation request sent by the reservation management module 112 to the resource reservation application 122 is shown below:

[0057] <booking> <username> xxxxxx< / username> <password> yyyyy< / password> <bookingtime> 2010-11-22 18:37:48< / bookingtime> <bookingid> 3345< / bookingid> <bookingstatus> Confirmed< / bookingstatus> <hotelname> third party site hotel< / hotelname> <hotelid> 4< / hotelid> <arrivaldate> 2010-11-24< / arrivaldate> <departuredate> 2010-11-30< / departuredate> <currencycode> aud< / currencycode> <totalcost> 620.00< / totalcost> <roomid> 6< / roomid> <roomquantity> 1< / roomquantity> <guestcount> 2< / guestcount> <arrivaltime> 02:00< / arrivaltime> <guestname> guest< / guestname> <guestphone> +64-9-123456< / guestphone> <guestemail> admin@myproperties.com< / guestemail> <specialrequest> Test< / specialrequest> <deposit> 0< / deposit> <depositdescription>< / depositdescription> <refer>< / refer> <addons> <addon> <id> 1< / id> <name> breakfast< / name> <unitcost> 10< / unitcost> <quantity> 2< / quantity> <total> 100< / total> <nights> 5< / nights> < / addon> <addon> <id> 2< / id> <name> Box of chocolate on arrival< / name> <unitcost> 20< / unitcost> <quantity> 1< / quantity> <total> 20< / total> <nights> -< / nights> < / addon> <addontotal> 120< / addontotal> < / addons> < / booking>

[0058] In some embodiments, the resource reservation application 122 determines whether to confirm or deny the reservation confirmation request and sends a response to the reservation management module 112. In some embodiments, if the resource reservation application 122 confirms the reservation, the resource reservation application 122 may update the resource registry to reflect the reservation and, for example, to mitigate multiple reservations for the same resource for the same time period. In some embodiments, the reservation management module 112 updates details about the resource in the resource registry 128.

[0059] At 206, the resource management application 110, and in particular the virtual key management module 114, determines a virtual key for the reserved resource. In some embodiments, the virtual key management module 114 queries the virtual key database 116 using the resource identifier to determine the virtual key associated with the resource identified by the resource identifier.

[0060] In some embodiments, at 208, the resource management application 110 determines whether the mobile computing device 204 associated with the mobile computing device identifier has a resource access application 126 deployed thereon. For example, the resource management application 110 may query a resource access application registry (not shown) using information about the user or mobile computing device, such as the mobile computing device identifier, to determine whether the resource access application 126 has been downloaded to the mobile computing device 204 associated with the user, such as the mobile computing device identified by the mobile computing device identifier. In some embodiments, the resource management application 110 may send a query to the computing device 104 to determine whether the resource access application 126 is deployed on the computing device 104. If it is determined that the resource access application 126 is not deployed on the mobile computing device 104, the resource management application 110 prompts the computing device 104 to obtain the resource access application 126, for example, by sending a link to download the resource access application 126, and the method returns to 208.

[0061] If determined by the resource access application 126 to be deployed on the mobile computing device 104, the resource management application 110 provides 212 a confirmation message to the mobile computing device 104 associated with the mobile computing device identifier that includes a virtual key associated with the reserved resource. In some embodiments, rather than providing the virtual key directly to the mobile computing device via the confirmation message, the virtual key may be provided indirectly to the mobile computing device. For example, a confirmation code associated with the virtual key may be provided rather than the virtual key in the confirmation message. In embodiments that provide a confirmation code associated with the virtual key, the confirmation code may be used to retrieve and download the associated virtual key to the mobile computing device 104, for example, from a website whose address may be provided in the confirmation message.

[0062] In some embodiments, the resource management application 110 does not determine whether the mobile computing device 204 associated with the mobile computing device identifier has a resource access application 126 deployed thereon, and instead may either provide 212 a confirmation message to the mobile computing device 104 associated with the mobile computing device identifier that includes a virtual key associated with the reserved resource or a confirmation message to the mobile computing device 104 associated with the mobile computing device identifier that includes a confirmation code related to the virtual key associated with the reserved resource. For example, in some cases, it may not be necessary for the mobile computing device 204 to have the resource management application 110 to receive and use the virtual key to access the resource. In embodiments in which a confirmation code related to the virtual key is provided, the confirmation code may be used to retrieve and download the associated virtual key to the mobile computing device 104, for example, from a website whose address may be provided in the confirmation message.

[0063] 3 is a process flow diagram of a method 300 of reserving resources and obtaining access to the reserved resources, according to some embodiments. Method 300 may be implemented by a mobile computing device 104. In particular, one or more processors of computing device 104 may be configured to execute browser application 124 and a resource access application to cause computing device 104 to perform method 300.

[0064] At 302, a request to reserve a resource is sent from the computing device 104 to the resource management system 102. As described above, the computing device 204 is configured to display a reservation platform to the user to enable the user to generate a request to reserve a resource. The request includes a resource identifier associated with the resource to be reserved and a mobile computing device identifier. In some embodiments, the mobile computing device identifier is an identifier of the computing device 104, such as a telephone number.

[0065] At 304, a confirmation message including the virtual key is received at the mobile computing device 104 associated with the mobile computing device identifier. In some embodiments, instead of the virtual key, the confirmation message may include a confirmation code related to the virtual key. The confirmation code may be later used to obtain and download the associated virtual key.

[0066] The virtual key is used to obtain access to the reserved resource. At 306, the virtual key cooperates with an access device 118 associated with the reserved resource to provide access to the resource. In some embodiments, the resource access application 126 is configured to communicate with the access device 118 to obtain access to the resource. In response to the access device 118 determining that the virtual key is valid for a particular resource, the virtual key provides access to the resource.

[0067] The resource access application 126 that uses the virtual key may be configured to communicate with the access device using near field communication (NFC) or Bluetooth-enabled communication capabilities. In some embodiments, the virtual key may include a QR code that is readable or scannable by the access device 118.

[0068] 4 is a process flow diagram of a method 400 for managing access to reserved resources, according to some embodiments. The method may be implemented by an access device 118 of system 100. In particular, one or more processors of access device 118 may be configured to execute instructions (computer code) to cause access device 118 to perform method 400.

[0069] At 402, an access request for access to a resource co-located with or otherwise associated with the access device 118 is received at the access device 118 from a mobile computing device 104. For example, the access request may be received from a resource access application 126 deployed on the mobile computing device 104. The access request includes a virtual key associated with the resource. In some embodiments, the access request further includes a resource identifier and a virtual key associated with the resource.

[0070] At 404, the validity of the virtual key for the particular resource is determined. In some embodiments, the access device 118 communicates with the resource reservation system 106 or other server (not shown) associated with managing the resource to determine the validity of the virtual key for the particular resource. In some embodiments, relevant validity information may be stored locally in the memory of the access device 118 and interrogated to determine the validity of the virtual key for the presented resource. The validity of the virtual key may depend on the date and time the access request is received.

[0071] In some embodiments, the access device 118 may cause the resource access application 126 to prompt the user to undergo certain identification verification or compliance steps before granting access to the resource. For example, in some embodiments, the resource access application 126 may prompt the user to provide documentation, such as a proof of identification. The documentation may be communicated by the resource access application 126 to the resource reservation system 106 or other associated server or system (not shown), for example, for record keeping.

[0072] If the virtual key is determined to be valid for the resource at 406, access to the resource is granted at 408. For example, in some embodiments, the access device 118 communicates with a corresponding locking mechanism 120 directly or via a communications network (not shown) to disable the corresponding locking mechanism 120 and grant access to the resource.

[0073] If it is determined at 406 that the virtual key is not valid for the resource, access to the resource is denied at 410. In some embodiments, the access device 118 may report the denial of entry along with the presented virtual key or credential to the resource reservation system 106 or other associated server or system. This helps monitor unauthorized entry attempts.

[0074] 5 illustrates an example screenshot 500 of a booking platform for hotel resources shown on the interface of computing device 104. Area 505 allows a user to input a desired destination to search for hotels. Through user-selectable options shown in area 510, the user may input associated check-in and check-out dates. A list of all hotels available according to the criteria entered by the user is displayed in display window 515. A map view of the identified hotels is shown in map view window 520.

[0075] 6 illustrates another example screenshot 600 of a reservation platform 602 for hotel resources as shown on the interface of a computing device 104. Area 605 of the reservation platform 602 displays details of a reservation made by a user. In particular, check-in and check-out dates, number of guests, and number of rooms are displayed for the user's review and consideration. Section 610 of the reservation platform 602 displays relevant add-ons applicable to the reservation. One relevant add-on is the ability to provide keyless entry to hotel rooms. By selecting user-selectable option 615, the user may indicate that they would like keyless entry to their reserved hotel room upon arrival.

[0076] FIG. 7 illustrates an example screenshot 700 of a resource access application 126 interface 702, as may be presented to a user, for example, when the resource access application 126 is first launched. The user is prompted to enter their phone number in area 710 and a user-provided verification code in area 720. For example, the phone number entered by the user may correspond to the mobile computing device identifier provided to the resource management system 102 at 302 of method 300 as shown in FIG. 3 . The verification code may be provided to the user's computing device 104 when the resource access application 126 is downloaded or installed on the computing device 104. The verification code may be provided to the user's computing device 104 via a messaging service, such as SMS, MMS, or email. After entering the phone number and verification code into interface 700, the user may confirm the entered details using a confirm button 730. After the user presses the confirm button 730, the entered details are sent by the resource access application 126 to the resource reservation system 106 to obtain information about the reserved resource. Also, as shown in Figure 8, the resource management system 102 returns the details of the user's reservation to the resource access application 126.

[0077] FIG. 8 illustrates an example screenshot 800 of an interface 802 of the resource access application 126. The interface 802 displays details of a confirmed hotel room reservation to allow a user to validate the received reservation information. For example, area 810 displays the associated dates for which the reservation is valid, and area 820 displays the room number assigned to the reservation. In some embodiments, the room number may not be assigned immediately upon reservation, but rather there may be a period of time between when the reservation is made by the user and when the room is assigned to the user-made reservation. The interface 802 also provides a button 830 associated with a virtual key for the reserved resource. Pressing the button 830 while the mobile computing device 104 is in proximity to the access device 118 (in this case, the hotel door lock) initiates transmission of the virtual key or credential details to the access device 118 for verification. For example, this may correspond to 306 of the method 300 shown in FIG. 3.

[0078] In some embodiments, the resource access application 126 may allow virtual keys or credentials to be shared among multiple mobile devices 104, each running the resource access application 126. The mobile device 104 registered during the reservation process may be known as the primary mobile device. The primary mobile device may share the received virtual key or credentials via the resource access application with other secondary mobile devices running the resource access application. This may be advantageous when multiple people use the reserved resource or when multiple reserved resources are associated with the same virtual key.

[0079] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variations and / or modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the broad overall scope of the present disclosure, and the present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims

1. 1. A computer-implemented method for reserving resources and providing access to the reserved resources, the method being implemented on a resource management system configured to communicate with one or more mobile computing devices and one or more resource reservation systems over a communications network, the method comprising: receiving, in the resource management system, a request to reserve a resource from one of the one or more mobile computing devices, the request including a resource identifier and a mobile computing device identifier; generating a reservation based on the resource identifier; determining a virtual key associated with the resource identifier, the virtual key configured to cooperate with an access device co-located with the resource to grant access to the resource, the access device configured to operate one or more locking mechanisms associated with the resource; determining whether the one of the one or more mobile computing devices associated with the mobile computing device identifier has a resource access application deployed thereon, the resource access application configured to receive and store a virtual key associated with a particular resource and to communicate with the access device to obtain access to the resource, before providing a confirmation message to the one mobile computing device; in response to determining that the one mobile computing device has the resource access application deployed, providing the confirmation message to the one mobile computing device of the one or more computing devices associated with the mobile computing device identifier, the confirmation message including one of (i) the virtual key and (ii) a confirmation code associated with the virtual key that enables the virtual key to be retrieved; in response to determining that the one mobile computing device does not have the resource access application deployed, prompting the one mobile computing device to obtain the resource access application; After the access device receives an access request including the virtual key from the one mobile computing device via the communications network and the access device determines the validity of the virtual key for the resource, the access device activates the one or more locking mechanisms associated with the resource to grant access to the resource. method.

2. 10. The method of claim 1, generating the reservation includes sending a reservation confirmation request to the resource reservation system to confirm the reservation of the resource; method.

3. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, determining the virtual key associated with the resource includes retrieving the virtual key from a virtual key database based on the resource identifier; method.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the virtual key includes one or more QR codes readable by the access device associated with the resource identifier; method.

5. 10. The method of claim 1, the request further includes at least one or more of (i) payment details and (ii) a duration indication for the reservation; method.

6. 1. A resource management system for reserving resources and providing access to the reserved resources, the system configured to communicate with one or more mobile computing devices and one or more resource reservation systems over a communications network, the system comprising: one or more servers, each of the one or more servers: one or more processors; a memory containing computer code that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more servers of the system to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 5; A system comprising:

7. 1. A system comprising: a resource management system for reserving resources and providing access to the reserved resources, the resource management system being configured to communicate with one or more mobile computing devices and one or more resource reservation systems over a communications network; and an access device for granting access to reserved resources, the access device configured to operate one or more locking mechanisms associated with each reserved resource and to communicate with the one or more mobile computing devices over the communications network, the system comprising: one or more processors; a memory containing computer code that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the mobile computing device to perform operations; Equipped with The operation is receiving, in the resource management system, a request to reserve a resource from one of one or more mobile computing devices, the request including a first resource identifier and a first mobile computing device identifier; generating a reservation based on the first resource identifier; determining a virtual key associated with the first resource identifier, the virtual key configured to cooperate with an access device co-located with the resource to grant access to the resource; determining whether the one of the one or more mobile computing devices associated with the first mobile computing device identifier has a resource access application deployed thereon, the resource access application configured to receive and store a virtual key associated with a particular resource and to communicate with the access device to obtain access to the resource, before providing a confirmation message to the one mobile computing device; providing a confirmation message to the one mobile computing device in response to determining that the one mobile computing device has the resource access application deployed, the confirmation message including one of (i) the virtual key and (ii) a confirmation code associated with the virtual key that enables the virtual key to be retrieved; prompting the one mobile computing device to obtain the resource access application in response to determining that the one mobile computing device does not have the resource access application deployed; sending a request to reserve a resource from the one mobile computing device to the resource management system, the request including a second resource identifier and a second mobile computing device identifier; receiving, at the one mobile computing device, a confirmation message from the resource management system, the confirmation message including one of (i) a virtual key associated with the reserved accommodation and (ii) a confirmation code associated with the virtual key to enable the virtual key to be retrieved, the virtual key configured to cooperate with an access device co-located with the resource to grant access to the resource; providing the virtual key to the access device co-located with the resource to gain access to the resource; receiving, at the access device, an access request from the one of the one or more mobile computing devices, the access request including a virtual key for a resource co-located with the access device; determining the validity of the virtual key for the resource; activating the locking mechanism associated with the resource to permit access to the resource in response to determining that the virtual key is valid for the resource; A system that encompasses:

8. 1. A computer program product comprising computer readable code that, when executed by one or more processors, receiving, in a resource management system, a request to reserve a resource from one of one or more mobile computing devices, the request including a resource identifier and a mobile computing device identifier; generating a reservation based on the resource identifier; determining a virtual key associated with the resource identifier, the virtual key configured to cooperate with an access device co-located with the resource to grant access to the resource, the access device configured to operate one or more locking mechanisms associated with the resource; determining whether the one of the one or more mobile computing devices associated with the mobile computing device identifier has a resource access application deployed thereon, the resource access application configured to receive and store a virtual key associated with a particular resource and to communicate with the access device to obtain access to the resource, before providing a confirmation message to the one mobile computing device; providing the confirmation message to the one mobile computing device in response to determining that the one mobile computing device has the resource access application deployed, the confirmation message including one of (i) the virtual key and (ii) a confirmation code associated with the virtual key that enables the virtual key to be retrieved; in response to determining that the one mobile computing device does not have the resource access application deployed, prompting the one mobile computing device to obtain the resource access application; a computer program product configured to: receive an access request from the mobile computing device over a communications network, the access request including the virtual key; and, after the access device determines the validity of the virtual key for the resource, the access device performs an operation to activate the one or more locking mechanisms associated with the resource to grant access to the resource.

9. 1. A computer program product comprising computer readable code that, when executed by one or more processors, receiving, in a resource management system, a request to reserve a resource from one of one or more mobile computing devices, the request including a first resource identifier and a first mobile computing device identifier; generating a reservation based on the first resource identifier; determining a virtual key associated with the first resource identifier, the virtual key configured to cooperate with an access device co-located with the resource to grant access to the resource; determining whether the one of the one or more mobile computing devices associated with the first mobile computing device identifier has a resource access application deployed thereon, the resource access application configured to receive and store a virtual key associated with a particular resource and to communicate with the access device to obtain access to the resource, before providing a confirmation message to the one mobile computing device; providing a confirmation message to the one mobile computing device in response to determining that the one mobile computing device has the resource access application deployed, the confirmation message including one of (i) the virtual key and (ii) a confirmation code associated with the virtual key that enables the virtual key to be retrieved; prompting the one mobile computing device to obtain the resource access application in response to determining that the one mobile computing device does not have the resource access application deployed; sending a request to reserve a resource from the one mobile computing device to the resource management system, the request including a second resource identifier and a second mobile computing device identifier; receiving, at the one mobile computing device, a confirmation message from the resource management system, the confirmation message including one of (i) a virtual key associated with the reserved accommodation and (ii) a confirmation code associated with the virtual key to enable the virtual key to be retrieved, the virtual key configured to cooperate with an access device co-located with the resource to grant access to the resource; providing the virtual key to the access device co-located with the resource to gain access to the resource; receiving, at the access device, an access request from the one of the one or more mobile computing devices, the access request including a virtual key for the resource co-located with the access device; determining the validity of the virtual key for the resource; activating a locking mechanism associated with the resource to permit access to the resource in response to determining that the virtual key is valid for the resource; A computer program product configured to perform operations including:

Images