Detecting errors in a travel planning system

• US 20080167886A1
• Filed: 01/05/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Marcken, Carl De
• Application Number:
  US11/650,324
• Publication Number:
  US 20080167886A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Systems and techniques for detecting errors in a travel planning system are described. Cached travel options stored in a cache database are analyzed to determine an anomaly in one or more of the cached travel options, and an administrator of the travel planning system is notified that a problem may exist.

Claims

1. A method for detecting errors in a travel planning system, the method comprising:

analyzing cached travel options stored in a cache database, wherein cached travel options are generated from the travel planning system in response to receiving a travel query at different times, the cached travel options satisfying parameters of the travel query;

determining an anomaly in one or more of the cached travel options; and

notifying an administrator of the travel planning system that a problem may exist.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the cached travel options comprises using thresholds, heuristics, or tables of historical behavior or expected behavior to evaluate the cached travel options.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising temporarily disabling the travel planning system.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising temporarily disabling entries within the travel planning system, the entries being associated with the anomaly.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing of cached travel options is performed before users have access to the cached travel options.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing comprises determining that a price of a flight is below a predefined minimum threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing comprises determining that a price of a flight is below an average minimum price over the preceding month of travel of corresponding flights having a same length of advance purchase and destination layover.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving payment in exchange for analyzing cached travel options over a predetermined period of time.

9. A system for detecting errors in a travel planning system, the system comprising:

a cache database storing cached travel options generated from the travel planning system in response to receiving a travel query at different times; and

a processor configured to;

analyze the cached travel options stored in the cache database;

determine an anomaly in one or more of the cached travel options; and

notify an administrator of the travel planning system that a problem may exist.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to use thresholds, heuristics, or tables of historical behavior or expected behavior to evaluate the cached travel options.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to temporarily disable the travel planning system.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to temporarily disable entries within the travel planning system, the entries being associated with the anomaly.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to analyze the cached travel options before users have access to the cached travel options.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to determine that a price of a flight is below a predefined minimum threshold.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to determine that a price of a flight is below an average minimum price over the preceding month of travel of corresponding flights having a same length of advance purchase and destination layover.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to receive payment in exchange for analyzing cached travel options over a predetermined period of time.

17. A computer program product for detecting errors in a travel planning system, the computer program product being tangibly stored on machine readable media, comprising instructions operable to cause one or more processors to:

analyze cached travel options stored in a cache database, wherein cached travel options are generated from the travel planning system in response to receiving a travel query at different times, the cached travel options satisfying parameters of the travel query;

determine an anomaly in one or more of the cached travel options; and

notify an administrator of the travel planning system that a problem may exist.

18. The product of claim 17, further comprising instructions to use thresholds, heuristics, or tables of historical behavior or expected behavior to evaluate the cached travel options.

19. The product of claim 17, further comprising instructions to temporarily disable the travel planning system.

20. The product of claim 17, further comprising instructions to temporarily disable entries within the travel planning system, the entries being associated with the anomaly.

21. The product of claim 17, further comprising instructions to analyze the cached travel options before users have access to the cached travel options.

22. The product of claim 17, further comprising instructions to determine that a price of a flight is below a predefined minimum threshold.

23. The product of claim 17, further comprising instructions to determine that a price of a flight is below an average minimum price over the preceding month of travel of corresponding flights having a same length of advance purchase and destination layover.

24. The product of claim 17, further comprising instructions to receive payment in exchange for analyzing cached travel options over a predetermined period of time.