System and method for real-time pricing through advertising

• US 20060184400A1
• Filed: 02/17/2005
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sabre Incorporated (Sabre Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sabre Incorporated (Sabre Corp.)
• Inventors: Rao, Bejugum V., Schermerhorn, Robert F., Smith, Barry C.
• Application Number:
  US11/059,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20060184400A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A method, system, and computer-readable medium for providing real-time pricing through advertising are provided. The method includes generating at least one search result satisfying a user request and generating a visit parameter set in response to the request. The method also includes augmenting the visit parameter set with at least one target parameter extracted from the search result to create an augmented visit parameter set. The method further includes providing at least one target-able ad that is selected based on the augmented visit parameter set.

Claims

1. A method for providing pricing through advertising comprising the steps of:

generating at least one search result satisfying a user request;

generating a visit parameter set in response to the request;

augmenting the visit parameter set with at least one target parameter extracted from the search result to create an augmented visit parameter set; and

providing at least one target-able ad that is selected based on the augmented visit parameter set.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving a request including at least one travel preference, and wherein the travel preference comprises at least one of departure and return dates, an origin location, a destination location, and a price range.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising constructing a redirect command including the augmented visit parameter set.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

providing the redirect command along with the augmented visit parameter set;

executing the redirect command;

determining the at least one target-able ad based on the augmented visit parameter set; and

providing the target-able ad along with the search result.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one target parameter comprises at least one of a lowest fare, number of lowest fare instances, carriers offering the lowest fare, origin and destination, requested departure time and date, requested arrival time and date, displacement times of the lowest fares, service quality of the lowest fare product, and elapsed time of the lowest fares.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating the at least one search result comprises generating a search result having an associated fare.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein determining the at least one target-able ad comprises determining a set of campaigns with each campaign including one or more offers.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the set of campaigns comprises at least one offer including a lower or equal associated fare than the associated fare of the at least one search result.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating the visit parameter set comprises generating a visit parameter set having at least one of a plurality of session-based target parameters and a plurality of customer-based target parameters.

10. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for causing a computing device to perform the steps of:

generating at least one search result satisfying a user request;

generating a visit parameter set in response to the request;

augmenting the visit parameter set with at least one target parameter extracted from the search result to create an augmented visit parameter set; and

providing at least one target-able ad that is selected based on the augmented visit parameter set.

11. The computer-readable medium according to claim 10, further comprising receiving a request including at least one travel preference, and wherein the travel preference comprises at least one of departure and return dates, an origin location, a destination location, and price range.

12. The computer-readable medium according to claim 10, further comprising constructing a redirect command including the augmented visit parameter set.

13. The computer-readable medium according to claim 12, further comprising:

providing a redirect command along with the augmented visit parameter set;

executing the redirect command;

determining the at least one target-able ad based on the augmented visit parameter set; and

providing the target-able ad along with the search results.

14. The computer-readable medium according to claim 10, wherein the at least one target parameter comprises at least one of a lowest fare, number of lowest fare instances, carriers offering the lowest fare, origin and destination, requested departure time and date, requested arrival time and date, displacement times of the lowest fares, service quality of the lowest fare product, and elapsed time of the lowest fares.

15. The computer-readable medium according to claim 10, wherein generating the at least one search result comprises generating a search result having an associated fare.

16. The computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein determining the at least one target-able ad comprises determining a set of campaigns with each campaign including one or more offers.

17. The computer-readable medium according to claim 16, wherein the set of campaigns comprises at least one offer including a lower or equal associated fare than the associated fare of the at least one search result.

18. The computer-readable medium according to claim 10, wherein generating the visit parameter set comprises generating a visit parameter set having at least one of a plurality of session-based target parameters and a plurality of customer-based target parameters.

19. A system for providing fares for pricing through advertising comprising:

a client device to receive a user request;

at least one processing element to generate at least one search result satisfying the request, extract at least one target parameter from the search result, generate a visit parameter set in response to the request, and augment the visit parameter set with the target parameter from the search result to create an augmented visit parameter set; and

an ad server to receive the augmented visit parameter set, determine at least one target-able ad based on the augmented visit parameter set, and transmit the target-able ad to be displayed at the client device.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the at least one processing element comprises:

at least one server to generate the at least one search result satisfying the request, and extract the at least one target parameter from the search result; and

a browser element to generate the visit parameter set in response to the request, and augment the visit parameter set with the target parameter into an augmented visit parameter set.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein the at least one processing element comprises:

a first server to generate the at least one search result satisfying the request; and

a second server to extract the at least one target parameter from the search result.

22. The system according to claim 19, further comprising a campaign database including at least one offer, wherein the ad server is capable of accessing the campaign database to obtain at least one offer to include in the target-able ad.

23. A method for providing fares for travel through targeted advertising comprising the steps, performed by a processor, of:

generating at least one search result having an associated fare and satisfying a user request;

generating a visit parameter set in response to the request;

augmenting the visit parameter set with at least one target parameter extracted from the search result to create an augmented visit parameter set; and

providing at least one offer having an associated fare that is selected based on the augmented visit parameter set.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein providing comprises providing the offer in at least one target-able ad along with the search result.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein each of the search result and offer comprises at least one respective travel itinerary.

26. The method according to claim 23, wherein the associated fare of the at least one offer is lower than or equal to the associated fare of the search result.

27. The method according to claim 23, wherein the at least one target parameter comprises at least one of a lowest fare, number of lowest fare instances, carriers offering the lowest fare, origin and destination, requested departure time and date, requested arrival time and date, displacement times of the lowest fares, service quality of the lowest fare product, and elapsed time of the lowest fares.

28. An apparatus for providing fares for pricing through advertising comprising:

at least one processing element to generate at least one search result satisfying a user request, extract at least one target parameter from the search result that defines at least one characteristic of the search result, and then construct a redirect command to facilitate subsequent generation of an ad based on the characteristic defined by the target parameter.

29. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the at least processing element comprises:

a first server to generate the at least one search result satisfying the request, and construct the redirect command to facilitate subsequent generation of the ad based on the characteristic defined by the target parameter; and

a second server to extract the at least one target parameter from the search result that defines the at least one characteristic of the search result.

30. A method for providing fares for pricing through advertising comprising:

generating at least one search result satisfying a user request;

extracting at least one target parameter from the search result that defines at least one characteristic of the search result; and

constructing a redirect command to facilitate subsequent generation of an ad based on the characteristic defined by the target parameter.

31. The method according to claim 30, further comprising:

providing the redirect command along with the search result; and

executing the redirect command.

32. An apparatus for providing pricing through advertising comprising:

a processing element to receive a visit parameter set augmented with at least one target parameter, determine at least one offer having an associated price based on the augmented visit parameter set including the target parameter, and provide the offer in at least one target-able ad.

33. The apparatus according to claim 32, further comprising a campaign database including the at least one offer, wherein the ad server is capable of accessing the campaign database to obtain the at least one offer to include in the target-able ad.

34. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the price comprises a fare that is associated with a travel itinerary.

35. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the processing element is an ad server.

36. A method for providing fares for pricing through advertising comprising:

receiving a visit parameter set augmented with at least one target parameter;

determining at least one offer having an associated price based on the augmented visit parameter set including the target parameter; and

providing the offer in at least one target-able ad.

37. The method according to claim 36, wherein the price comprises a fare that is associated with a travel itinerary.

38. The method according to claim 36, wherein the at least one target parameter comprises at least one of a lowest fare, number of lowest fare instances, carriers offering the lowest fare, origin and destination, requested departure time and date, requested arrival time and date, displacement times of the lowest fares, service quality of the lowest fare product, and elapsed time of the lowest fares.