Graphical User Interface for Travel Planning System

• US 20080141158A1
• Filed: 08/28/2007
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ITA Software, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Daughtrey, Rodney S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,275,351 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events

Abstract

A user interface for presenting travel itineraries to a user includes an itinerary region for displaying travel itineraries and a filter region. Each travel itinerary has a corresponding value for a first travel criterion and the travel itineraries are grouped into categories based on the values of the first travel criterion. The filter region includes a plurality of cells, each of which is associated with one of the categories of travel itineraries. When a user selects a cell, the itinerary region displays only travel itineraries in the category associated with the selected cell.

Claims

1. A user interface for presenting travel itineraries to a user comprising:

a itinerary region for displaying travel itineraries, each travel itinerary having a corresponding value for a first travel criterion, the travel itineraries being grouped into a first set categories based on the values of the first travel criterion; and

a filter region including a plurality of cells and each cell is associated with one of the first set of categories of travel itineraries;

wherein when a user selects one of the plurality of cells, the itinerary region displays only travel itineraries in the one of the first set of categories associated with the selected cell.

2. The user interface of claim 1 wherein:

each travel itinerary has a corresponding value for a second different travel criterion, the travel itineraries being grouped into the first set of categories based also on the value of the second different travel criterion; and

the cells are arranged in rows and columns, with cells associated with first categories having the same value for the first travel criterion being positioned in the same row and cells associated with first categories having the same value for the second travel criterion being positioned in the same column.

3. The user interface of claim 1 wherein:

the filter region further includes plurality of tabs, each tab being associated with a different travel criterion; and

the user causes the filter region to display the plurality of cells associated with categories based on the first criterion by selecting the tab associated with the first travel criterion.

4. The user interface of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of cells displays information about the travel itineraries in the category associated with the cell.

5. The user interface of claim 1 wherein the first travel criterion is selected form a group that includes airline, departure time, arrival time, location of departure, location of arrival, number of stops, cost, travel restrictions, expected delays, and safety records.

6. The user interface of claim 4 wherein the at least one of the plurality of cells displays a cost of travel.

7. The user interface of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and filter regions is represented in a tagged format.

9. The user interface of claim 7 wherein at least one of the plurality of cells is associated with a link, the link causing the itinerary region to displays only travel itineraries in the one of the first set of categories associated with the cell when a user selects the cell.

11. The user interface of claim 1 wherein the itinerary region further displays a detail link associated with each itinerary, the detail link being configured to display detailed information about the itinerary associated with the link when the link is selected.

8. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

12. An article comprising a machine-readable medium which stores machine-executable instructions for generating a user interface for presenting travel itineraries to a user, the instructions operable to cause a machine to generate a user interface comprising:

a itinerary region for displaying travel itineraries, each travel itinerary having a corresponding value for a first travel criterion, the travel itineraries being grouped into a first set categories based on the value of the first travel criterion; and

a filter region including a plurality of cells and each cell associated with one of the first set of categories of travel itineraries;

wherein when a user selects one of the plurality of cells, the itinerary region displays only travel itineraries in the one of the first set of categories associated with the selected cell.

13. The article of claim 12 wherein:

each travel itinerary has a corresponding value for a second different travel criterion, the travel itineraries being grouped into the first set of categories based also on the value of the second different travel criterion; and

the cells are arranged in rows and columns, with cells associated with first categories having the same value for the first travel criterion being positioned in the same row and cells associated with first categories having the same value for the second travel criterion being positioned in the same column.

14. The article of claim 12 wherein:

the filter region further includes plurality of tabs, each tab being associated with a different travel criterion; and

the user causes the filter region to display the plurality of cells associated with categories based on the first criterion by selecting the tab associated with the first travel criterion.

15. The article of claim 12 wherein at least one of the plurality of cells displays information about the travel itineraries in the category associated with the cell.

16. The article of claim 12 wherein the first travel criterion is selected form a group that includes airline, departure time, arrival time, location of departure, location of arrival, number of stops, cost, travel restrictions, expected delays, and safety records.

17. The user interface of claim 15 wherein the at least one of the plurality of cells displays a cost of travel.

18. The article of claim 12 wherein at least one of the first and filter regions is represented in a tagged format.

20. The article of claim 16 wherein at least one of the plurality of cells is associated with a link, the link causing the itinerary region to displays only travel itineraries in the one of the first set of categories associated with the cell when a user selects the cell.

22. The article of claim 12 wherein the itinerary region further displays a detail link associated with each itinerary, the detail link being configured to display detailed information about the itinerary associated with the link when the link is selected.

19. (canceled)

21. (canceled)

23. A user interface for presenting an itinerary to user, the user interface comprising:

a first display of a first segment of the itinerary including a location of departure and a location of arrival for the first segment; and

a second display of a subsequent segment of the itinerary including a location of departure and a location of arrival for the subsequent segment;

wherein the location of arrival for the first segment is different from the location of departure for the subsequent segment and at least one of the first display and the second display is emphasized to indicate to the user that the itinerary has a different location of arrival for the first segment from the location of departure for the subsequent segment.

24. The user interface of claim 23 wherein at least one of the location of arrival for the first segment and the location of departure for the subsequent segment is emphasized by at least one of italics, font size, font type, bold face font, print color, and background color.

25. An article comprising a machine-readable medium which stores machine-executable instructions for generating a user interface for presenting a travel itinerary to a user, the instructions operable to cause a machine to generate a user interface comprising:

a first display of a first segment of the itinerary including a location of departure and a location of arrival for the first segment; and

a second display of a subsequent segment of the itinerary including a location of departure and a location of arrival for the subsequent segment;

wherein the location of arrival for the first segment is different from the location of departure for the subsequent segment and at least one of the location of arrival for the first segment and the location of departure for the subsequent segment is emphasized indicate to the user that the itinerary has a different location of arrival for the first segment from the location of departure for the subsequent segment.

26. The article of claim 25 wherein at least one of the location of arrival for the first segment and the location of departure for the subsequent segment is emphasized by at least one of italics, font size, font type, bold face font, print color, and background color.

27-30. -30. (canceled)

31. A user interface for presenting an itinerary to user, the user interface comprising:

a display of a segment of the itinerary including a location of departure and a location of arrival for the first segment; and

an alert associated with the first segment, wherein the alert is emphasized to bring it to the attention of the user.

32. The user interface of claim 31 wherein the alert is emphasized by at least one of italics, font size, font type, bold face font, print color, and background color.

35. The user interface of claim 31 wherein the first segment is a layover segment and the alert is selected from a group that includes notification of a short duration layover and a long duration layover.

36. The user interface of claim 31 wherein the first segment is a travel segment and the alert is selected from a group that includes notification of a non refundable travel fare, fees for changing the travel segment, overnight travel, and unknown seat availability.

33-34. -34. (canceled)

37. An article comprising a machine-readable medium which stores machine-executable instructions for generating a user interface for presenting a travel itinerary to a user, the instructions operable to cause a machine to generate a user interface comprising:

a display of a segment of the itinerary including a location of departure and a location of arrival for the first segment; and

an alert associated with the first segment, wherein the alert is emphasized to bring it to the attention of the user.

38. The article of claim 37 wherein the alert is emphasized by at least one of italics, font size, font type, bold face font, print color, and background color.

41. The article of claim 37 wherein the first segment is a layover segment and the alert is selected from a group that includes notification of a short duration layover and a long duration layover.

42. The article of claim 37 wherein the first segment is a travel segment and the alert is selected from a group that includes notification of a non refundable travel fare, fees for changing the travel segment, overnight travel, and unknown seat availability.

39-40. -40. (canceled)