Travel

• US 20030050805A1
• Filed: 08/30/2001
• Published: 03/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mercury Kingdom Assets Limited
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gouyet, Albert, Usiskin, Suzanne
• Granted Patent: US 8,024,206 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A travel system comprising a universal search feature and a local escapes feature is provided. The universal search feature gives an end user everything in a glance and in an organized fashion; the local escapes feature comprises at-a-glance compilation of things to do for the weekend in a specified area.

Claims

1. A system for providing travel information to an end user in an intelligent way using a search result, said system comprising:

a server for receiving a request for travel information and for processing said request into a query;

a database for storing relevant travel information from a plurality of internal and external partners, for receiving and processing said query using said stored travel information, and returning said search result to said server, wherein said search result comprises said travel information in a concise and consistent fashion, thereby providing ease of use for an end user.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a feed retrieval system for linking to said plurality of internal and external partners to obtain said relevant travel information, and for categorizing, organizing, customizing, and otherwise preparing said relevant travel information for efficient storage by said database for easy retrieval.

3. The system of claim 2, said feed retrieval system further comprising:

a rules-based engine for said obtaining said relevant travel information from said internal and external partners.

4. The system of claim 2, said feed retrieval system further comprising:

custom coded forms in a predetermined format supplied to said partners for facilitating said obtaining travel information.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said custom coded forms are in XML format.

6. The system of claim 1, said server further comprising:

a spell check tool for providing a spell check service to an end user for assisting an end user in providing correct spelling of an intended word.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said spell check tool further comprising, but not limited to:

means for suggesting alternate spellings of said word;

means for providing similarly spelled words or relevant phrases; and

means for settling ambiguity among said word with other words or phrases having similar parts of said word.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

lookup tables for determining matches to facilitate processing said request into said query.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a search mechanism for determining a context of said request, thereby anticipating an end user'"'"'s intention.

10. The system of claim 9, said search mechanism further comprising:

a variety of context determining categories; and

means for determining said a context determining category.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said variety of context determining categories comprise, but are not limited to:

destination and interest.

12. The system of claim 1, said search result comprising, but not limited to, the following travel categories:

destination guides;

canned keywords;

local events;

low air fares;

hot deals; and

lodging.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said travel information comprises static and/or dynamic information.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said dynamic information comprises, but is not limited to:

local events;

low air fares;

hot deal;

fare watch; and

the like.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said server is a web server and said travel information is presented in one web page.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said one web page comprises a more link for facilitating linking to more detailed information as an option.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said more detailed information comprises information reflecting and associated with one or more than one of said context determining categories.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising a local escapes feature, wherein said local escapes feature uses a home location to provide particular travel information.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

means for determining said home location when not provided by an end user.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein said home location is selected from a list of predetermined home locations.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said list of predetermined home locations comprises, but is not limited to fifty predetermined cities or home airports.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein said provided travel information comprises, but is not limited to local escapes categories:

fare watch, weekend e-fares, local events, hot deals, links to other cities, maps, other resources, and the like.

23. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

means for filtering out travel information not relevant to said home location.

24. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a multi-hierarchical schema for organizing geographical regions to facilitate determining relevant travel information, and wherein content in said regions overlap.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein geographical regions comprise urban regions.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said urban regions comprise content from other nearby and relevant cities associated with said home location.

27. A method for providing travel information to an end user in an intelligent way using a search result, said method comprising:

providing a server for receiving a request for travel information and for processing said request into a query;

providing a database for storing relevant travel information from a plurality of internal and external partners, for receiving and processing said query using said stored travel information, and returning said search result to said server, wherein said search result comprises said travel information in a concise and consistent fashion, thereby providing ease of use for an end user.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

providing a feed retrieval system for linking to said plurality of internal and external partners to obtain said relevant travel information, and for categorizing, organizing, customizing, and otherwise preparing said relevant travel information for efficient storage by said database for easy retrieval.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said feed retrieval system further comprises:

a rules-based engine for said obtaining said relevant travel information from said internal and external partners.

30. The method of claim 28, said feed retrieval system further comprising:

custom coded forms in a predetermined format supplied to said partners for facilitating said obtaining travel information.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said custom coded forms are in XML format.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein said server further comprises:

a spell check tool for providing a spell check service to an end user for assisting an end user in providing correct spelling of an intended word.

33. The method of claim 32, said spell check tool further comprising, but not limited to:

suggesting alternate spellings of said word;

providing similarly spelled words or relevant phrases; and

settling ambiguity among said word with other words or phrases having similar parts of said word.

34. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

providing lookup tables for determining matches to facilitate processing said request into said query.

35. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

providing a search mechanism for determining a context of said request, thereby anticipating an end user'"'"'s intention.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein said search mechanism further comprises:

a variety of context determining categories; and

means for determining said a context determining category.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein said variety of context determining categories comprise, but are not limited to:

destination and interest.

38. The method of claim 27, wherein said search result comprises, but is not limited to, the following travel categories:

destination guides;

canned keywords;

local events;

low air fares;

hot deals; and

lodging.

39. The method of claim 27, wherein said travel information comprises static and/or dynamic information.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein said dynamic information comprises, but is not limited to:

local events;

low air fares;

hot deal;

fare watch; and

the like.

41. The method of claim 27, wherein said server is a web server and said travel information is presented in one web page.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein said one web page comprises a more link for facilitating linking to more detailed information as an option.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein said more detailed information comprises information reflecting and associated with one or more than one of said context determining categories.

44. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

providing a local escapes feature, wherein said local escapes feature uses a home location to provide particular travel information.

45. The method of claim 44, further comprising:

determining said home location when not provided by an end user.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein said home location is selected from a list of predetermined home locations.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein said list of predetermined home locations comprises fifty predetermined cities or home airports.

48. The method of claim 44, wherein said provided travel information comprises, but is not limited to local escapes categories:

fare watch, weekend e-fares, local events, hot deals, links to other cities, maps, other resources, and the like.

49. The method of claim 44, further comprising:

filtering out travel information not relevant to said home location.

50. The method of claim 44, further comprising:

providing a multi-hierarchical schema for organizing geographical regions to facilitate determining relevant travel information, and wherein content in said regions overlap.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein geographical regions comprise urban regions.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein said urban regions comprise content from other nearby and relevant cities associated with said home location.

53. A universal search algorithm for providing search results using a plurality of databases, comprising:

querying an first database;

if a match is established, then corresponding information from said first database is returned;

if a match is not established, then querying a second database;

if a match is established, then corresponding information from said second database is returned;

if no match is established, then a spell check tool is invoked, and the process of querying the first and second database is repeated; and

if all above querying attempts are exhausted, a simple text search is performed.

54. The universal search algorithm of claim 53, wherein said first database is an interest database, and wherein said second database is a destination database.

55. The universal search algorithm of claim 53, further comprising:

returning accurate and categorized information on selected predetermined keywords.

56. The universal search algorithm of claim 55, wherein said keywords comprise, but are not limited to visa, cars, hotels, and the like.