Trust-based social graph for travel planning

• US 10,643,292 B1
• Filed: 07/22/2015
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gorman-Ladd, Jordan Anne, Evans, Ethan Zane, Talukdar, Taneem, Van Houten, Glenn Warren
• Primary Examiner(s): Padot, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US14/806,307
• Time in Patent Office: 1,749 Days
• Field of Search: 705 729
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/14 Travel agencies

Abstract

Methods and systems for implementing a trust-based social graph for travel planning are disclosed. Social data is obtained from one or more social network services. Based at least in part on the social data, trust scores are determined between an entity and a plurality of additional entities. For one of the additional entities, the respective trust score is determined based at least in part on a respective relationship score and a respective similarity score for the additional entity. One or more respective connections are generated in a social graph between the entity and one or more trusted entities of the additional entities. The one or more respective connections with the trusted entities are generated based at least in part on the respective trust scores.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

one or more computing devices configured to implement a travel planning system, wherein the travel planning system is configured to;

obtain social data for a user account and a plurality of additional accounts, wherein the social data comprises travel preferences and purchase histories from one or more social networks via a programmatic interface between the travel planning system and the one or more social networks, the travel preferences and purchase histories obtained to determine respective trust scores for the user account with respect to individual ones of the plurality of additional accounts;

determine, for the user account, respective relationship scores for individual ones of the plurality of additional accounts based at least in part on the social data, wherein, for an individual one of the additional accounts, the respective relationship score represents a strength of a relationship with the user account, and wherein the additional accounts represent users or entities;

determine, for the user account, respective similarity scores for individual ones of the plurality of additional accounts based at least in part on analysis of the social data comprising the travel preferences and the purchase histories associated with user account and the additional accounts, wherein, for an individual one of the additional accounts, the respective similarity score represents a similarity of interests or preferences with respect to the user account, and wherein the respective similarity score is distinct from the respective relationship score;

determine, for the user account, respective trust scores for individual ones of the plurality of additional accounts, wherein, for an individual one of the additional accounts, the respective trust score is determined based at least in part on the respective relationship score and the respective similarity score for the individual one of the additional accounts;

generate one or more respective connections in a social graph between the user account and one or more trusted accounts of the additional accounts, wherein the one or more respective connections with the trusted accounts are generated based at least in part on the respective trust scores, and wherein the social graph is maintained by the one or more computing devices;

modify an itinerary for the user account to generate a modified itinerary, wherein the itinerary is modified based at least in part on the respective connections with the one or more trusted accounts; and

store the modified itinerary.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein an additional account has no preexisting relationship with the user account, and wherein the travel planning system is configured to:

recommend, to the user account, a connection to the additional account in the social graph, wherein the connection is recommended based at least in part on a similarity score for the additional account.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the respective similarity score for the one of the additional accounts is determined based at least in part on analysis of one or more photos associated with the one of the additional accounts.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the social data comprises relationship data obtained from one or more external social graphs.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the itinerary comprises a set of trip components representing a plurality of events or a plurality of locations, wherein the itinerary comprises a chronological order for the set of trip components, and wherein the travel planning system is configured to:

generate a recommendation, to the user account, of one or more modifications to the set of trip components or to the chronological order, wherein the one or more modifications are determined based on analysis of travel data from the one or more trusted accounts, and wherein the itinerary is modified based at least in part on user input representing an acceptance of the one or more modifications in the recommendation.

6. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

performing, by a system comprising a user account, the system implemented on one or more computing devices;

obtaining social data for a user account and a plurality of additional accounts, wherein the social data comprises travel preferences and purchase histories for one or more additional accounts from one or more social network services via a programmatic interface, the travel preferences and purchase histories obtained to determine respective trust scores for the user account with respect to individual ones of the plurality of additional accounts;

determining, for the user account, respective trust scores for individual ones of the plurality of the additional accounts based at least in part on analyzing the social data comprising the travel preferences and the purchase histories for the one or more additional accounts, wherein, for one of the additional accounts, the respective trust score is determined based at least in part on a respective relationship score and a respective similarity score for the one of the additional accounts, wherein the respective similarity score is distinct from the respective relationship score, wherein the respective relationship score represents a strength of a relationship with the user account, and wherein the respective similarity score represents a similarity of interests with respect to the user account that is based at least in part on analyzing the social data comprising the travel preferences and purchase history for the one of the additional accounts;

generating one or more respective connections in a social graph between the user account and one or more trusted accounts of the additional accounts, wherein the one or more respective connections with the trusted accounts are generated based at least in part on the respective trust scores;

modifying an itinerary for the user account to generate a modified itinerary, wherein the itinerary is modified based at least in part on the respective connections with the one or more trusted accounts; and

storing the modified itinerary.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein, for one of the additional accounts, the respective relationship score represents a strength of a relationship with the account, and wherein, for one of the additional accounts, the respective similarity score represents a similarity of preferences with respect to the account.

8. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein an additional account has no preexisting relationship with the account, and wherein the method further comprises performing, by the system implemented on the one or more computing devices:

recommending, to a user or entity for the account, a connection to the additional account in the social graph, wherein the connection is recommended based at least in part on a similarity score for the additional account.

9. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the method further comprises performing, by the system implemented on the one or more computing devices:

performing an analysis of one or more photos associated with one of the additional accounts, wherein a respective similarity score for the one of the additional accounts is determined based at least in part on the analysis of the one or more photos.

10. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the method further comprises performing, by the system implemented on the one or more computing devices:

performing an analysis of travel preferences associated with one of the additional accounts, wherein a respective similarity score for the one of the additional accounts is determined based at least in part on the analysis of the travel preferences.

11. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the method further comprises performing, by the system implemented on the one or more computing devices:

performing an analysis of a purchase history associated with one of the additional accounts, wherein a respective similarity score for the one of the additional accounts is determined based at least in part on the analysis of the purchase history.

12. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the social data comprises relationship data obtained from one or more external social graphs.

13. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein an itinerary comprises a set of trip components representing a plurality of events or a plurality of locations, wherein the itinerary comprises a chronological order for the set of trip components, and wherein the method further comprises performing, by the system implemented on the one or more computing devices:

generating a recommendation, to a user or entity for the account, of one or more modifications to the set of trip components or to the chronological order, wherein the one or more modifications are determined based on analysis of travel data from the one or more trusted accounts, and wherein the itinerary is modified based at least in part on user input representing an acceptance of the one or more modifications in the recommendation.

14. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the social data is obtained using a subscription interface to a travel planning service.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions computer-executable to perform:

for a system comprising a user account;

obtaining, social data for a user account and a plurality of additional accounts, wherein the social data comprises travel preferences and purchase histories for one or more additional accounts from one or more social network services via a programmatic interface, the travel preferences and purchase histories obtained to determine respective trust scores for the user account with respect to individual ones of the plurality of additional accounts;

determining, for the user account, respective trust scores for individual ones of the plurality of the additional accounts based at least in part on analyzing the social data comprising the travel preferences and the purchase histories for the one or more additional accounts, wherein, for one of the additional accounts, the respective trust score is determined based at least in part on a respective relationship score and a respective similarity score for the one of the additional accounts, wherein the respective similarity score is distinct from the respective relationship score, wherein the respective relationship score represents a strength of a relationship with the user account, and wherein the respective similarity score represents a similarity of interests with respect to the user account that is based at least in part on analyzing the social data comprising the travel preferences and purchase history for the one of the additional accounts;

generating one or more respective connections in a social graph between the user account and one or more trusted accounts of the additional accounts, wherein the one or more respective connections with the trusted accounts are generated based at least in part on the respective trust scores;

modifying an itinerary for the user account to generate a modified itinerary, wherein the itinerary is modified based at least in part on the respective connections with the one or more trusted accounts; and

storing the modified itinerary.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 15, wherein an additional account has no preexisting relationship with the user account, and wherein the program instructions are further computer-executable to perform:

recommending, to the user account, a connection to the additional account in the social graph, wherein the connection is recommended based at least in part on a similarity score for the additional account.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the program instructions are further computer-executable to perform:

performing an analysis of one or more photos or textual elements associated with one of the additional accounts, wherein a respective similarity score for the one of the additional accounts is determined based at least in part on the analysis of the one or more photos or textual elements.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the program instructions are further computer-executable to perform:

performing the analyzing the purchase history associated with the one of the additional accounts.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 15, wherein to perform said modifying the program instructions are further computer-executable to perform:

modifying, based at least in part on the respective connections with the one or more trusted accounts, an itinerary for the user account to generate a modified itinerary, wherein the itinerary comprises a set of trip components representing a plurality of events or a plurality of locations, wherein the itinerary comprises a chronological order for the set of trip components; and

wherein the program instructions further computer-executable to perform generating a recommendation, to the user account, of one or more modifications to the set of trip components or to the chronological order, wherein the one or more modifications are determined based on analysis of travel data from the one or more trusted accounts, and wherein the itinerary is modified based at least in part on user input representing an acceptance of the one or more modifications in the recommendation.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the social data is obtained using a subscription interface to a travel planning system.