System and method for providing travel related product information on an interactive display having neighborhood categories

• US 20060173617A1
• Filed: 01/23/2006
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orbitz LLC (Expedia Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Orbitz LLC (Expedia Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Barth, Douglas R.O., Mangalam, Subashini B., Czupryna, Anthony J., Jaehn, Bradley D., Day, Andrew S., Apostolova, Emilia A., Zavattero, Andrew C., Lutterbach, Ryan M., Goodman, David S., Sladky, Dennis, Sippel, Jeffrey D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,555,387 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A product location display system and method are provided that allow travel related product information, such as the geographic location of hotels, to be displayed on an interactive display. An application server of the product location display system receives user inputted criteria for a travel product search. A location management system determines a location for the travel product being searched based on the inputted criteria. Sub-locations associated with the geographic location being searched are pre-defined as being within the searched geographic location and stored within a location database memory component coupled with the location management system. A display configuration component of the location management system arranges and displays results of the search for the travel product by the sub-locations defined as being within the searched location.

Claims

1. A system for providing travel product information on a display device coupled with a computer system, the system comprising:

an application server that receives user inputted criteria for a search related to a travel product;

a location management system that determines a location for the travel product being searched based on the inputted criteria;

a memory component coupled with the location management system for storage of pre-defined sub-locations which are associated with the location being searched; and

a configuration component that arranges results of the search for the travel product to be displayed by the sub-locations defined as being associated with the searched location.

2. The system of claim 1 in which the configuration component accesses a regional map associated with the location for display of the regional map on the display device.

3. The system of claim 2 in which the sub-locations are identified on the regional map.

4. The system of claim 3 in which the regional map is provided with actuatable sections that correspond to the sub-locations identified.

5. The system of claim 2 further comprising a keyword analysis component that analyzes at least one keyword received as part of the user inputted criteria to determine the location being searched.

6. The system of claim 5 in which the configuration component arranges results of the search for display in a matrix format such that a matrix is positioned for display.

7. The system of claim 6 in which the matrix is positioned adjacent to the regional map.

8. The system of claim 6 in which the keyword analysis component determines a type of matrix format based on at least one keyword received as user inputted criteria.

9. The system of claim 6 in which the matrix has a first axis and a second axis and the configuration component accesses sub-location identifiers from the memory component and configures the matrix such that sub-location identifiers are listed along the first axis or second axis, and wherein the sub-location identifiers identify at least one of the pre-defined sub-locations.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising a rate engine coupled with the application server in which the application server directs the rate engine to retrieve rate information for the travel product being searched and the application server interacts with the configuration component to display rates for the travel product as data elements in rows and columns of the matrix such that the displayed rates are associated with a sub-location.

11. The system of claim 9 in which the travel product comprises hotel accommodations and the sub-locations are pre-defined neighborhoods within the location being searched.

12. The system of claim 11 in which the sub-location identifiers are neighborhood identifiers and in which the memory component stores an order in which the neighborhood identifiers are displayed in the matrix.

13. The system of claim 11 in which the memory component stores a world wide web (www) address for the configuration component to access the regional map that identifies neighborhoods associated with the neighborhood identifiers listed in the matrix.

14. The system of claim 11 in which the application server retrieves, for display, descriptive text associated with a neighborhood in response to user selection of at least one of (a) an actuatable section on the regional map, and (b) a data element displayed in the matrix.

15. The system of claim 14 in which the application server instructs a web browser associated with the display device to place a non-interactive image at discrete sections of a web page displaying the matrix and regional map in response to the user selection.

16. The system of claim 14 in which the application server replaces the regional map displayed with a neighborhood map corresponding to the neighborhood selected in response to the user selection.

17. The system of claim 16 in which the application server sends information regarding points to be plotted on the neighborhood map to a mapping engine such that the plotted points are associated with geographic locations of hotels found within the neighborhood selected.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising displaying summary hotel information associated with a hotel in response to a cursor on the display device crossing a plotted point corresponding to the hotel.

19. The system of claim 18 further comprising a mapping engine coupled with the application server that determines if the plotted point overlaps at least one other plotted point and in which summary hotel information associated with each plotted point determined to be overlapping on the neighborhood map is displayed in response to the cursor crossing one of the overlapping plotted points.

20. A method of providing travel product information on a display device coupled with a computer system, the method comprising:

receiving user inputted criteria for a search related to a travel product;

determining a location for the travel product being searched based on the inputted criteria;

pre-defining sub-locations which are associated with the location being searched; and

arranging and displaying results of the search for the travel product by the sub-locations defined as being associated with the searched location.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising accessing a regional map associated with the location;

and

displaying the regional map on the display device.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising identifying the sub-locations on the regional map.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising providing actuatable sections on the regional map that correspond to the sub-locations identified.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of determining a location further comprises analyzing a keyword received as part of the user inputted criteria to determine the location being searched.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising displaying results of the search in a matrix format such that a matrix is positioned for display.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising positioning the matrix adjacent to the regional map.

27. The method of claim 25 further comprising determining a type of matrix format based on the keyword received as user inputted criteria.

28. The method of claim 25 further comprising displaying the matrix having a first axis and a second axis wherein sub-location identifiers are listed and displayed along the first axis or second axis, the sub-location identifiers identify at least one of the pre-defined sub-locations.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising retrieving rate information for the travel product being searched;

and

displaying rates for the travel product as data element cells in rows and columns of the matrix such that the displayed rates are associated with a sub-location.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the travel product comprises hotel accommodations and the sub-locations are pre-defined neighborhoods within the location being searched.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the sub-location identifiers are neighborhood identifiers and further comprising identifying an order in which the neighborhood identifiers are displayed in the matrix.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising establishing a default category for listing hotels that are geographically located outside of the pre-defined neighborhoods.

33. The method of claim 30 wherein the step of accessing a regional map further comprises the step of providing a world wide web (www) address to access the regional map that identifies neighborhoods associated with the neighborhood identifiers listed in the matrix.

34. The method of claim 30 further comprising retrieving and displaying descriptive text associated with a neighborhood in response to user selection of at least one of (a) an actuatable section on the regional map, and (b) a data element displayed in the matrix.

35. The method of claim 34 further comprising placing a non-interactive image at discrete sections of a web page displaying the matrix and regional map in response to the user selection.

36. The method of claim 35 in which the non-interactive image is placed over the regional map and a search results section displayed on the web page.

37. The method of claim 34 further comprising replacing the regional map displayed with a neighborhood map corresponding to the neighborhood in response to the user selection.

38. The method of claim 37 further comprising plotting points on the neighborhood map displayed in which the plotted points are associated with geographic locations of hotels found within the neighborhood selected.

39. The method of claim 38 further comprising numbering each of the points plotted to correspond with an associated hotel listed in a search results section of the interactive display.

40. The method of claim 38 further comprising associating summary hotel information with the points that are plotted on the neighborhood map;

and

displaying the summary hotel information associated with a hotel in response to a cursor on the display device crossing a plotted point corresponding to the hotel.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein the step of displaying the summary hotel information further comprises displaying the summary hotel information on the neighborhood map and adjacent to the plotted point corresponding to the hotel.

42. The method of claim 40 further comprising moving detailed hotel information, associated with the hotel corresponding to the plotted point, that are displayed and listed in a search results section of the interactive display to the top of the search results section in response to user actuation of the summary hotel information displayed on the neighborhood map.

43. The method of claim 40 further comprising determining that the plotted point overlaps at least one other plotted point;

and

displaying summary hotel information associated with each plotted point determined to be overlapping on the neighborhood map in response to the cursor crossing one of the overlapping plotted points.