Automated resersvation system with transfer of user-preferences from home to guest accomodations

Abstract

When a user reserves guest accommodations the user programmable settings of the appliances of the user's home network are transferred to the appliances of the guest accommodations. The settings can be stored in a file on the user's computer system or on an accessible external system such as the internet. Alternatively, or in addition, when the user makes a reservation, the home network can query appliances connected to the home network to determine the user programmable settings of such appliances.

1 - 25 . (canceled) 
   
   
       26 . An automated reservation system for guest accommodations, comprising:
 a home network including a database of customer preferences including customer preferences for guest accommodations;   home appliances connected to the home network, the home appliances having user programmable settings stored in the home appliances;   means for uploading the user programmable settings for the home appliances from the home appliances to the home network, the customer preferences including the uploaded user programmable settings;   means for communicating through a communications network between the home network and a provider network of an accommodations provider to reserve guest accommodations, the communication including automatically transmitting customer preferences, the customer preferences including preferences for guest accommodations and the user programmable settings for the home appliances, whereby the user programmable settings for the home appliances are useable for programming guest appliances connected to the provider network.   
   
   
       27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the communications network includes one or more of: a cable television network, a telephone network, and the internet. 
   
   
       28 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein one or more of the home appliances are user programmable by using a remote control. 
   
   
       29 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the preferences for accommodations comprise one or more of: the configuration of the guest accommodations, appliances provided in the guest accommodations, supplies provided in the guest accommodations, food preferences, computer software and software setting preferences, security code settings, a password for the room access, environmental settings for the accommodations, the location of the guest accommodations relative to guest facilities, access to guest facilities, and the location of the guest accommodations relative to guest accommodations of other guests. 
   
   
       30 . The system of  claim 26 , comprising:
 reserving request means for reserving guest accommodations; and   wherein the communicating means transmits the customer preferences depending on the use of the reserving means.   
   
   
       31 . The system of  claim 26 , comprising:
 reserving request means for reserving guest accommodations; and   wherein the uploading means uploads the user programmable settings from the home appliances to the home network depending on the use of the reserving means.   
   
   
       32 . The system of  claim 26  wherein the customer preference database includes programmable settings for appliances that may be contained in guest accommodations and that are not connected to the home network. 
   
   
       33 . The system of  claim 26  in which the customer preference database includes user programmable settings of devices connected to the home network. 
   
   
       34 . The system of  claim 33  comprising: means for downloading user programmable settings from the home network controller to the home appliances. 
   
   
       35 . An automated reservation system for guest accommodations, comprising:
 a guest accommodation which can be automatically reserved by the system and used by a customer for a period of time;   a provider network of a guest accommodations reservation provider having a data base for guest preferences;   means for communication through a communication network between a home network of the customer and the provider network for reserving the guest accommodations for a period of use;   preference reception means for receiving customer preferences from a home network of the customer to the data base for customer preferences of the provider network through the communication network; and   means for the provider network to select the guest accommodations depending on the customer preferences.   
   
   
       36 . The system of  claim 35 , in which the communications network includes one or more of: a cable television network, a telephone network, and the internet. 
   
   
       37 . The system of  claim 35 , comprising:
 guest appliances for the guest accommodation, the guest appliances having user programmable settings and wherein the provider network is connected with the guest appliances, and wherein the received customer preferences include user programmable settings of appliances of the customer;   means for the provider network to download user programmable settings to the guest appliances of the guest accommodation depending on the user programmable settings of the customer preferences.   
   
   
       38 . A method of obtaining reservations of guest accommodations, comprising:
 programming user programmable settings into home appliances;   connecting the home appliances in a home network;   automatically uploading the user programmable settings of the home appliances to the home network;   storing user preferences for guest accommodations in the home network;   initiating the reservation of guest accommodations of a provider of guest accommodations;   communicating through a communication network between the home network and a provider network of the accommodation provider, the communication including the automatic upload of user preferences for guest accommodations and the user programmable settings of the home appliances to the provider network.   
   
   
       39 . A method of providing reservations of guest accommodations, comprising:
 connecting guest appliances of guest accommodations to a provider network of an accommodation provider;   communicating through a communication network between a home network and the provider network, the communication including the automatic upload of user preferences for guest accommodations and user programmable settings of home appliances;   selecting the guest accommodations depending on the user preferences for guest accommodations;   downloading user settings to guest appliances of the selected guest accommodations depending on the user programmable settings of home appliances.