Method and apparatus for dynamic information connection engine

• US 20060190308A1
• Filed: 03/03/2006
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kayak Software Corporation (Booking Holdings, Inc., fka Priceline Group Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kayak Software Corporation (Booking Holdings, Inc., fka Priceline Group Inc.)
• Inventors: Janssens, Marcel D., Winkler, Philipp M. B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,668,811 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: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for a dynamic information connection engine. User actions are detected on at least one client system. In response, a determination is made whether the user is searching for supported information. When the user is searching for supported information, information is extracted electronically from third party web sites, direct supplier connections, and intermediate databases. Potential information suppliers are automatically selected in response to the detected user search. Queries are formulated from the user search and transferred to each selected supplier over a network coupling. The queries include a request for information. Responses are received from the suppliers, and the responses are used to generate a result list for the user. The result list includes information and query status information. Further, an electronic link may be provided to a web site of each supplier from which the information was derived.

Claims

1. A search method, comprising:

providing a search website;

receiving, at the search website, a request directed to a search for an item;

performing a search in response to the request;

presenting to a user a display including at least a first search result, wherein the first search result has associated therewith a first price; and

updating the display presented to the user;

wherein the display is updated as the search is progressing and as additional search results become available; and

wherein the updating includes changing the first price to a second price based upon a second search result.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is made by a web browser of the user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the display presented to the user is presented via the web browser.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the item is a travel-related item.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the travel-related item is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) airline reservations, (b) lodging reservations, and (c) ground transportation reservations.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second price is lower than the first price.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the travel-related item of the first search result and the travel-related item of the second search result are essentially the same item and wherein the first price is associated with a first source of the essentially same item and the second price is associated with a second source of the essentially same item.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising updating the display presented to the user to indicate that all sources of the essentially same item which will be searched have not yet been searched.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising updating the display presented to the user to indicate that all sources of the essentially same item which will be searched have already been searched.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the updating comprises keeping open a response stream from a search server associated with the search website to the web browser until the search is complete.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the response stream comprises HTTP.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the search server pushes out the search results to the web browser as the search results become available to the search server.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the search server creates and adds Javascript objects to the response stream.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps are carried out in the order recited.

15. A search method, comprising:

providing a search website;

receiving, at the search website, a request directed to a search for an item;

performing a search in response to the request;

presenting to a user a display including at least a first search result, wherein the first search result has associated therewith a first price; and

updating the display presented to the user;

wherein the display is updated as the search is progressing and as additional search results become available;

wherein the updating includes adding a second search result to the display; and

wherein the second search result is added to the display above the first search result if a price associated with the second search result is less than a price associated with the first search result and the second search result is added to the display below the first search result if the price associated with the second search result is more than the price associated with the first search result.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the request is made by a web browser of the user.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the display presented to the user is presented via the web browser.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the item is a travel-related item.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the travel-related item is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) airline reservations, (b) lodging reservations, and (c) ground transportation reservations.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising updating the display presented to the user to indicate that all sources of essentially the same item which will be searched have not yet been searched.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising updating the display presented to the user to indicate that all sources of essentially the same item which will be searched have already been searched.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the updating comprises keeping open a response stream from a search server associated with the search website to the web browser until the search is complete.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the response stream comprises HTTP.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the search server pushes out the search results to the web browser as the search results become available to the search server.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the search server creates and adds Javascript objects to the response stream.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein the steps are carried out in the order recited.

27. A search method, comprising:

providing a search website;

receiving, at the search website, a request directed to a search for an item, wherein the item is a travel-related item selected from the group consisting of;

(a) airline reservations, (b) lodging reservations, and (c) ground transportation reservations;

performing a search in response to the request;

presenting to a user a display including at least a first search result, wherein the first search result has associated therewith a first price; and

updating the display presented to the user;

wherein the display is updated as the search is progressing and as additional search results become available;

wherein the updating includes changing the first price to a second price based upon a second search result;

wherein the second price is lower than the first price;

wherein the travel-related item of the first search result and the travel-related item of the second search result are essentially the same item and wherein the first price is associated with a first source of the essentially same item and the second price is associated with a second source of the essentially same item; and

wherein the updating includes first presenting an indication that all sources of the essentially same item which will be searched have not yet been searched and then presenting an indication that all sources of the essentially same item which will be searched have already been searched.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the steps are carried out in the order recited.

29. A search method, comprising:

providing a search website;

receiving, at the search website, a request directed to a search for an item, wherein the item is a travel-related item selected from the group consisting of;

(a) airline reservations, (b) lodging reservations, and (c) ground transportation reservations;

performing a search in response to the request;

presenting to a user a display including at least a first search result, wherein the first search result has associated therewith a first price; and

updating the display presented to the user;

wherein the display is updated as the search is progressing and as additional search results become available;

wherein the updating includes adding a second search result to the display;

wherein the second search result is added to the display above the first search result if a price associated with the second search result is less than a price associated with the first search result and the second search result is added to the display below the first search result if the price associated with the second search result is more than the price associated with the first search result; and

wherein the updating includes first presenting an indication that all sources of essentially the same item which will be searched have not yet been searched and then presenting an indication that all sources of essentially the same item which will be searched have already been searched.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the steps are carried out in the order recited.