SYSTEM, METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR REDUCING THE BURDEN ON AN INVENTORY SYSTEM BY ASSEMBLING A SUGGESTED THEMED TRAVEL ITINERARY IN RESPONSE TO MINIMAL USER INPUT

• US 20080091482A1
• Filed: 03/30/2007
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Travelocity.com LP (Expedia Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Travelocity.com LP (Expedia Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Whitsett, Troy, Johnston, Laura, Holmes, Noel, Gillem, David, Shah, Fayyaz
• Application Number:
  US11/694,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20080091482A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation

Abstract

The present invention generates a concise listing of low-priced travel products in an interactive itinerary format in response to a simplified user input that may include specification of a selected travel theme. The interactive itinerary generated by the invention may allow the user to revise the itinerary to add, remove, and/or amend details related to the various travel products listed therein such that the user may be made aware of the cost and/or scheduling effects of making a particular revision to the itinerary. The invention may also provide a concise display of supplemental information related to the selected theme and/or a selected destination for the itinerary such that the user may be better informed when making revisions to the interactive itinerary. For example, the invention may provide interactive maps, reviews, photos, and/or other supplemental information related to the selected theme and/or one or more of the listed travel products.

Claims

1. A system for assembling and displaying a travel itinerary comprising a plurality of travel products selected from a database based on a selected theme in a manner that reduces the burden on inventory systems, the system comprising:

an inventory system comprising travel products wherein for at least some of the travel products said inventory system further comprises scheduling and/or location data corresponding to the travel products and theme data corresponding to the travel products; and

a host computing element in communication with said inventory system for running queries on said inventory system based on a initial user input, the initial user input comprising the selected theme, said host computing element configured to retrieve travel products from said inventory system having theme data corresponding to the selected theme of the user input and display retrieved travel products corresponding to the selected theme, wherein for those retrieved travel products having scheduling and/or location data corresponding to the retrieved travel products, said host computing element displays the retrieved travel products in an interactive itinerary based at least in part on the scheduling and/or location data and the selected theme, and

wherein said host computing element is configured to receive a plurality of user inputs indicating select travel options and save information corresponding to each select travel option to a wishlist, each select travel option including a designation of at least one of the group consisting of a hotel, an activity, an event, and a dining option, and said computing element configured to display information corresponding to each select travel option upon a user request to access the wishlist.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said host computing element is configured to receive a user input of a target price and, in response, determine a group of the select travel options, the select travel options having a combined cost that corresponds to the target price, and provide the group of the select travel options to the user.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said host computing element is configured to receive a user input request for building a trip and, in response, provide a total price to the user, the total price including the price for at least a user-designated group of the select travel options of the wishlist.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein said host computing element is configured to determine a minimum recommended time required for each of the travel options of the wishlist and provide the minimum recommended time to the user.

5. A system according to claim 3, wherein said host computing element is configured to determine at least one compatible travel product having a schedule corresponding to the travel options of the wishlist and provide information regarding the compatible travel product to the user.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein the compatible travel product includes at least one hotel room and one airline itinerary corresponding to a time of the travel options of the wishlist.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein the compatible travel product is the lowest cost hotel room and airline itinerary corresponding to the time of the travel options of the wishlist.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein said host computing element is configured to receive a user input request for a range of ranked travel packages and, in response, provide a plurality of travel packages to the user in order of at least one of the group consisting of price, length of stay, and star rating, each travel package including a group of travel products corresponding to the select travel options of the wishlist.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein said host computing element is configured to display an option to a user for extending the itinerary by one day, receive a user input request for selecting the option for extending the itinerary, and, in response to the user input request, provide an indication of an extension cost to the user, the extension cost being determined according to the cost for extending the itinerary by one day.

10. A method for assembling and displaying a travel itinerary comprising a plurality of travel products selected from a database based on a selected theme in a manner that reduces the burden on an inventory system, the inventory system comprising travel products wherein for at least some of the travel products said inventory system further comprises scheduling and/or location data corresponding to the travel products and theme data corresponding to the travel products, the method comprising:

retrieving travel products from an inventory system based on an initial user input, the initial user input comprising a selected theme;

displaying to the user retrieved travel products having theme data corresponding to the selected theme;

displaying the retrieved travel products in an interactive itinerary based at least in part on the scheduling and/or location data and the selected theme for those retrieved travel products having corresponding scheduling and/or location data;

receiving a plurality of user inputs indicating select travel options and saving information corresponding to each select travel option to a wishlist, each select travel option including a designation of at least one of the group consisting of a hotel, an activity, an event, and a dining option; and

displaying information corresponding to each select travel option upon a user request to access the wishlist.

11. A method according to claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a user input of a target price;

in response to the user input of the target price, determining a group of the select travel options having a combined cost that corresponds to the target price; and

providing the group of the select travel options to the user.

12. A method according to claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a user input request for building a trip; and

in response to the user input request for building the trip, providing a total price to the user, the total price including the price for at least a group of the select travel options of the wishlist.

13. A method according to claim 10, further comprising:

determining a minimum recommended time required for each of the travel options of the wishlist; and

providing the minimum recommended time to the user.

14. A method according to claim 10, further comprising:

determining at least one compatible travel product having a schedule corresponding to the travel options of the wishlist; and

providing information regarding the compatible travel product to the user.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein said step of determining the at least one compatible travel product comprises determining at least one hotel room and one airline itinerary corresponding to a time of the travel options of the wishlist.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein said step of determining the at least one compatible travel product comprises determining the lowest cost hotel room and airline itinerary corresponding to the time of the travel options of the wishlist.

17. A method according to claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a user input request for a range of ranked travel packages; and

in response to the user input request for a range of ranked travel packages, providing a plurality of travel packages to the user in order of at least one of the group consisting of price, length of stay, and star rating, each travel package including a group of travel products corresponding to the select travel options of the wishlist.

18. A method according to claim 10, further comprising:

displaying an option to a user for extending the itinerary by one day;

receiving a user input request for selecting the option; and

in response to the user input request for selecting the option, providing an indication of an extension cost to the user, the extension cost being determined according to the cost for extending the itinerary by one day.

19. A computer program product for assembling and displaying a travel itinerary comprising a plurality of travel products selected from a database based on a selected theme in a manner that reduces the burden on an inventory system, the inventory system comprising travel products wherein for at least some of the travel products said inventory system further comprises scheduling and/or location data corresponding to the travel products and theme data corresponding to the travel products, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code instructions stored therein comprising:

first computer instruction means for retrieving travel products from an inventory system based on an initial user input, the initial user input comprising a selected theme;

second computer instruction means for displaying to the user retrieved travel products having theme data corresponding to the selected theme;

third computer instruction means for displaying the retrieved travel products in an interactive itinerary based at least in part on the scheduling and/or location data and the selected theme for those retrieved travel products having corresponding scheduling and/or location data;

fourth computer instruction means for receiving a plurality of user inputs indicating select travel options and saving information corresponding to each select travel option to a wishlist, each select travel option including a designation of at least one of the group consisting of a hotel, an activity, an event, and a dining option; and

fifth computer instruction means for displaying information corresponding to each select travel option upon a user request to access the wishlist.

20. A computer program product according to claim 19, further comprising:

sixth computer instruction means for receiving a user input of a target price;

seventh computer instruction means for, in response to the user input of the target price, determining a group of the select travel options having a combined cost that corresponds to the target price; and

eighth computer instruction means for providing the group of the select travel options to the user.

21. A computer program product according to claim 19, further comprising:

sixth computer instruction means for receiving a user input request for building a trip; and

seventh computer instruction means for, in response to the user input request for building the trip, providing a total price to the user, the total price including the price for at least a group of the select travel options of the wishlist.

22. A computer program product according to claim 19, further comprising:

sixth computer instruction means for determining a minimum recommended time required for each of the travel options of the wishlist; and

seventh computer instruction means for providing the minimum recommended time to the user.

23. A computer program product according to claim 19, further comprising:

sixth computer instruction means for determining at least one compatible travel product having a schedule corresponding to the travel options of the wishlist; and

seventh computer instruction means for providing information regarding the compatible travel product to the user.

24. A computer program product according to claim 23, wherein said sixth computer instruction means is capable of determining at least one hotel room and one airline itinerary corresponding to a time of the travel options of the wishlist.

25. A computer program product according to claim 24 wherein said sixth computer instruction means is capable of determining the lowest cost hotel room and airline itinerary corresponding to the time of the travel options of the wishlist.

26. A computer program product according to claim 19, further comprising:

sixth computer instruction means for receiving a user input request for a range of ranked travel packages; and

seventh computer instruction means for, in response to the user input request for a range of ranked travel packages, providing a plurality of travel packages to the user in order of at least one of the group consisting of price, length of stay, and star rating, each travel package including a group of travel products corresponding to the select travel options of the wishlist.

27. A computer program product according to claim 19, further comprising:

sixth computer instruction means for displaying an option to a user for extending the itinerary by one day;

seventh computer instruction means for receiving a user input request for selecting the option; and

eighth computer instruction means for, in response to the user input request for selecting the option, providing an indication of an extension cost to the user, the extension cost being determined according to the cost for extending the itinerary by one day.