GB1280219A - Improvements in or relating to data storage systems - Google Patents

Abstract

1280219 Reservation booking systems UMC ELECTRONICS CO 23 Oct 1969 [1 Nov 1968] 52023/69 Heading G4T An inventory system as applied to hotel reservations comprises a card punch 12 which is used to code the details of each reservation upon a card 11, the details being read at 10, stored in 13-20 and used to control the decrementing of the counters 24 of display 21, which shows the number of rooms of each type, e.g. single SGL, double DBL &c., available each day for the next two months. The display is divided into ten or eleven day sections, oddnumbered months being represented by the upper three sections, so that, e.g. on January 10th the January indicator is lit in the upper sections, and the February indicator in the lower sections, whilst from January 11th the upper 1-10 day section is used to record March 1-10 bookings. The card is read (Fig. 4, not shown) one column at a time, by a star wheel which completes an electrical contact when a hole is sensed, so that, e.g. a hole in position 6 of any column makes the S6A terminal positive in each of the memory blocks, the column currently read being indicated by a commutator switch making the appropriate terminal, e.g. C9A, negative. The appropriate memory relay is energized by simultaneous activation of both its S and C terminals, so that a six hole in column 9 signifies that a single room is required, and energizes relay RC6 (Fig. 5). The relays may be replaced by valves, semi-conductors or other bistate memory devices. The information in column 11, which indicates whether the card deals with an arrival or cancellation, and whether the arrival is afternoon, evening, guaranteed, or without prior booking, is stored in memory section 14. The arrival date is indicated in columns 12, 13 as the month and columns 14, 15 as the day, and even month selector (18a) and an odd month selector (18b) are set to cover the current two month period, so that the appropriate odd or even month memory (50, 51) is actuated and bookings outside this period are rejected. Column 14 is then read to actuate the appropriate one of the four decade day memories (52-55), and column 15 to actuate the appropriate unit day memory (56-65). The memories are connected in cascade fashion, so that, e.g. a June 12th arrival date actuates even month memory (51), decade day memory (53) and unit day memory (58), and connects the M212A terminal to a negative supply, signifying an even month, 12th day arrival. The final occupancy date is similarly read from columns 16-19, and stored in memory section 16, except that the corresponding terminal, e.g. M218F, for June 18th departure is disconnected whilst all other final date terminals remain connected to a positive supply. The occupancy day selector 20 comprises a closed loop of 62 memory units, those representing the 31st of the even month and the first to the third of the odd month being shown in Fig. 11. For a stay from the 31st to 3rd inclusive, the arrival day terminal M231A is connected to a negative potential, so that the relay of memory D231 is energized, thus closing the circuit to memory D101, whose relay is energized by current flowing to terminal M101F, so that energization of each succeeding relay occurs until the chain is broken at the departure date memory D103, because the departure terminal M103F has been disconnected from the positive potential. Lines DM231 to DM103 are thus opened to the counters 24 displaying the number of rooms available on the 31st to the 3rd; the counters displaying the numbers of rooms of the chosen type, e.g. single rooms available having already been connected through lines RC6I, so that the four counters for single rooms on the 31st to the 3rd are ready to be decremented by the number of rooms required. Lights under these counters are lit to enable the clerk to check his entry, after which a validation stamp is placed on the card. The number of rooms required is read from columns 20 and 21, stored in register (90, Fig. 12) and then transferred to buffer store (99, Fig. 13) by subtracting from both registers the complement of the number entered into (90). The buffer store is then decremented to zero by pulses applied through rotary stepping switch (96), the pulses also being applied to the activated counters 24 via the room category register 13. The known counters 24 and (99) comprise solenoid operated numeral-bearing wheels, alternative lines RC1I-RC6I being provided for incrementing the number of rooms following a cancellation.