Passenger Name Record Synchronization via Central Database
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Solution Overview
Problem
The dispersion of travel-related data across multiple independent systems leads to discrepancies and conflicts between travel service providers, as changes made to one provider's data may not be synchronized with others, causing issues in service delivery and customer experience.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for synchronizing travel data across multiple platforms using a central database and a Booking Connectivity Server (BCS) that interfaces with individual travel service providers, creating a comprehensive travel record and updating it in real-time to ensure data consistency across all systems, including airlines, hotels, and rental car companies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If travel data are stored on multiple independent systems (GDS, airline systems, hotel systems, rental car systems), then each system can operate independently and maintain its own data, but discrepancies and conflicts arise between the data stored on different systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a central database as an intermediary that receives, stores, and distributes travel data to multiple independent travel service providers. This mediator enables data consistency across autonomous systems by serving as a single source of truth that all providers can access and update, resolving the contradiction between system independence and data reliability.
2Reliability
If a central database is implemented to synchronize travel data across all travel service providers, then data consistency and reliability are improved, but system complexity and the number of components increase
Solution Approach 1:
The central database is designed to serve multiple travel service providers (airlines, hotels, rental car companies) simultaneously with a single unified system. This multi-functional approach consolidates what could be multiple separate synchronization systems into one universal platform, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining data consistency across diverse providers.
3Loss of information
If real-time synchronization is implemented across all travel service provider systems, then data currency and service coordination are improved, but communication overhead and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous real-time synchronization where the central database maintains constant connectivity with all travel service providers, enabling immediate data updates and propagation. This continuous operation eliminates periodic synchronization delays and ensures data currency without requiring repeated full-synchronization cycles, thereby reducing overall processing time.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method are provided for maintaining updated passenger travel records across multiple system platforms. A network server is adapted to receive input data from a passenger including an indication that the passenger desires to purchase tickets or make reservations for travel related services. A booking engine acts to purchase the ticket or book the reservation and request and receive a copy of a passenger name record created by a global distribution system. The booking engine then forwards a copy of the received passenger name record to the database. The database is adapted to form an association between the received copy of the passenger name record and the input data received from the passenger, and store the copy of the passenger name record. The database may further perform a comparison between the input data and the received passenger name record to identify discrepancies.