Online travel system

• US 20060277273A1
• Filed: 06/06/2006
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: William L. Hawkins
• Original Assignee: William L. Hawkins
• Inventors: Hawkins, William L.
• Application Number:
  US11/447,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20060277273A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers

Abstract

A unified web portal for potential travelers to find localized information specific to a particular geographic area and assist in direct booking of an itinerary with the selected establishments. The website is implemented on a web-enabled server maintained by a Manager, and includes a home page containing introductory travel information on the localized area and URL links to Business, Tourism, Lodging and Restaurants pages allowing the Client to specify travel categories for submission to a search engine to compile “best match” third-party URL links based on the categories, as we well as a Contact Us page displaying Manager contact info, an Upcoming Events page display a list of upcoming local events in the area. The layout of the web portal provides easy access to localized information specific to a particular geographic area, offers specific answers to questions that they might have, and provides a search engine that facilitates compilation of a personalized itinerary displayed with arrangements for direct booking through the respective establishments.

Claims

1. A website portal for potential travelers to find localized information specific to a particular geographic area and compile an itinerary, comprising:

a web-enabled server maintained by a Manager and hosting a database comprising information on a plurality of tourist attractions, businesses, lodging establishments, and restaurants all within a defined geographical area;

a website maintained on web-enabled server to facilitate interaction and provide information to potential traveler Clients, said website comprising,

a home page containing introductory travel information on the geographic area and URL links to a collection of pages including,

a Tourism page comprising a search function for allowing the Clients to specify desired tourist attractions and resources in which they are interested,

a Business page comprising a search function for allowing the Clients to specify desired businesses and resources in which they are interested,

a Lodging page comprising a search function for allowing the Clients to specify desired lodging characteristics in which they are interested, and

a Restaurant page comprising a search function for allowing the Clients to specify desired restaurants in which they are interested,

all of said Tourism, Business, Lodging and Restaurant pages including a link to initiate compiling of the Client specified characteristics of interest into a query and to send said query to a search engine for searching said database and to compile search results from said plurality of predefined tourist attractions, businesses, lodging establishments, and restaurants sorted by best match; and

an itinerary for allowing said Clients to select from said search results and compile their personal itinerary for consolidated display with contact information for direct booking.

2. The website portal for potential travelers according to claim 1, wherein each of said Tourism page, Business page, Lodging page and Restaurant page comprises an alternate search function including a standard keyword search form and a specific search form for allowing the Clients to specify a particular city and a region.

3. The website portal for potential travelers according to claim 2, wherein the specific search form for said Tourism page allows the Clients to specify a particular type of tourist attraction.

4. The website portal for potential travelers according to claim 3, wherein the specific search form for said Business page allows the Clients to specify a particular type of business.

5. The website portal for potential travelers according to claim 4, wherein the specific search form for said Lodging page allows the Clients to specify a particular type of lodging.

6. The website portal for potential travelers according to claim 5, wherein the specific search form for said Restaurant page allows the Clients to specify a particular type of restaurant.

7. The website portal for potential travelers according to claim 3, wherein the specific search forms for said Lodging and Restaurant page allows the Clients to specify a particular price range.

8. The website portal for potential travelers according to claim 2, further comprising an Upcoming Events page for displaying a list of upcoming local events in said local area.

9. The website portal for potential travelers according to claim 2, whereby said Business, Tourism, Lodging and Restaurants pages allow said Clients to search and select entries from among the search results and compile an itinerary there from.

10. The website portal for potential travelers according to claim 9, wherein items in the itinerary are tracked and displayed at will of the Clients in form of a detailed display for each itinerary item with contact information, phone and direct email link so that Clients can book their itinerary directly through booking agents associated with each item.

11. A web enabled method for potential travelers to find localized information specific to a particular geographic area and compile an itinerary, comprising the steps of:

maintaining a web server hosting a database comprising information on a plurality of tourist attractions, businesses, lodging establishments, and restaurants all within a defined geographical area;

providing a website on said web-enabled server comprising a home page containing introductory travel information on the geographic area, a Tourism page to allow Clients to specify desired tourist attractions and resources in which they are interested, a Business page for allowing the Clients to specify desired businesses and resources in which they are interested, a Lodging page for allowing the Clients to specify desired lodging characteristics in which they are interested, and a Restaurant page for allowing the Clients to specify desired restaurants in which they are interested,

providing a search engine for searching the database for specific tourist attractions, businesses, lodging establishments, and restaurants within said defined geographical area based on specified characteristics entered in said Tourism, Business, Lodging and Restaurant pages sorted by best match;

selecting individual results from among said search results; and

compiling a running itinerary of selected individual results and allowing consolidated display of said running itinerary with contact information for direct booking.

12. A website portal for finding information on specific commercial establishments within a particular geographic area and compiling a detailed report there from, comprising:

a web-enabled server maintained by a Manager and hosting a database comprising information on a plurality of commercial establishments all within a defined geographical area;

a website maintained on web-enabled server to facilitate interaction and provide information to potential Clients, said website comprising,

a home page containing introductory information on the geographic area and URL links to a collection of pages including a plurality of commercial establishments pages each devoted to a specific type of commercial establishment and each comprising a search function for allowing the Clients to select an alternate search function including a standard keyword search form and a specific search form for allowing the Clients to specify interests selected from among a group including characteristics, city, region and cost, all of said commercial establishment pages including a link to initiate compiling of the Client specified interests into a query and to send said query to a search engine for searching said database and to compile search results sorted by best match; and

means for allowing said Clients to select one or more of said search results and compile a detailed report for consolidated display of selected search results with contact information for direct contact with said commercial establishments.

13. The website portal according to claim 12, further comprising an Upcoming Events page for displaying a list of upcoming local events in said local area.

14. The website portal according to claim 12, wherein said detailed report for consolidated display of selected search results includes contact information, phone and direct email link to each selected commercial establishment so that Clients can correspond directly there with.