Methods and systems for selecting travel products

• US 20010044748A1
• Filed: 12/07/2000
• Published: 11/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Maier, Robert J.
• Original Assignee: Maier, Robert J.
• Inventors: Maier, Robert J.
• Application Number:
  US09/731,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20010044748A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A system for selecting travel products is described. The methods and system of the invention enable a travel agent or client to search a travel database that contains information about: (i) technical specifications about a travel product; (ii) price information for the travel product; (iii) comparative pricing information about the travel product, e.g., travel specials; (iv) graphical and pictorial information about the travel product; (v) sales and promotional messages; (vi) a uniform resource locator (URL) address for a Web site containing information and hyperlinks to other Internet sites of interest on the Worldwide Web; or (vii) on virtual faxes. The methods and system of the present invention enable the travel agent to search a remotely located travel database using a wide range of selection criteria and provide the supplier of travel products with a comparatively inexpensive and rapid method for distributing information about all their travel products using a system of virtual faxes. The methods and systems of searching, retrieving and distributing information using this invention may be applied to other areas requiring rapid distribution of information to a geographically disperse group of users.

Claims

1. A method for searching a database stored on a remotely located computer connected through the Internet to a Web enabled device, comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting from a plurality of selection criteria at least one subset of selection criteria;

(b) screening and selecting from the database using the subset of selection criteria for data records satisfying at least one member of the subset of the selection criteria;

(c) rank ordering the data records selected in step (b); and

(d) displaying the data records that have been rank ordered in step (c).

2. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the database comprises travel related information.

3. The method of

claim 2

, wherein the selection criteria comprise travel related selection criteria.

4. The method of

claim 1

, wherein at least two subsets of selection criteria are used in step (b).

5. The method of

claim 4

, wherein each member of at least one of the subsets of the selection criteria is assigned a numerical weight.

6. The method of

claim 4

, wherein the data records in step (c) are rank ordered by the sum of the numerical weights of the selection criteria used to select the data records in step (b).

7. The method of

claim 4

, wherein the data records selected contain every member of at least one of the subsets of the selection criteria used in step (b).

8. A computer readable storage medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions capable of being executed by a processor to search a database stored on a remotely located computer connected through the Internet to a Web enabled device, the set of instructions performing the steps comprising:

(a) selecting from a plurality of selection criteria at least one subset of selection criteria;

(b) screening the database using the subset of selection criteria for data records satisfying at least one member of the subset of the selection criteria;

(c) rank ordering the data records selected in step (b); and

(d) displaying the data records that have been rank ordered in step (c).

9. The computer readable storage medium of

claim 8

, wherein the database comprises travel related information.

10. The computer readable storage medium of

claim 9

, wherein the selection criteria comprise travel related selection criteria.

11. The computer readable storage medium of

claim 8

, wherein at least two subsets of selection criteria are used in step (b).

12. The computer readable storage medium of

claim 11

, wherein each member of at least one of the subsets of the selection criteria is assigned a numerical weight.

13. The computer readable storage medium of

claim 12

, wherein the data records selected in step (c) are rank ordered by the sum of the numerical weight of the selection criteria used to select the data records.

14. The computer readable storage medium of

claim 11

, wherein the data records selected in step (c) contain every member of at least one of the subsets of selection criteria used in step (b).

15. A method for distributing at least one virtual fax over the Internet to a plurality of Web enabled devices, comprising the steps of:

(a) logging-on from the Web enabled device through a network to a file server that contains a database storing a plurality of virtual faxes;

(b) selecting at least one selection criteria from a plurality of selection criteria;

(c) retrieving from the database all virtual faxes that satisfy the selection criteria used in step (b); and

(d) displaying the virtual fax from step (c) on the Web enabled device.

16. The method of

claim 15

, wherein the selection criteria comprise virtual faxes that have not been previously displayed and retrieved.

17. The method of

claim 15

, wherein the database comprises information about travel products.

18. The method of

claim 17

, wherein the selection criteria comprise a plurality of targeting criteria used to direct the virtual fax to a particular group of users.

19. A computer readable storage medium storing a set of search instructions, the set of instructions capable of being executed by a processor to direct Web enabled devices linked over the Internet, the set of instructions performing the steps of:

(a) logging-on from the Web enabled device through a network to a file server that contains a database storing a plurality of virtual faxes;

(b) selecting at least one selection criteria from a plurality of selection criteria;

(c) retrieving from the database all virtual faxes that satisfy the selection criteria in step (b); and

(d) displaying the virtual fax from step (c) on the Web enabled device.