Notification service for presenting travel information

• US 20080167908A1
• 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:
  US11/650,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20080167908A1
• 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: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem

Abstract

Systems and techniques for presenting travel planning information to a user are described. First and second cached travel options are retrieved from a cache that stores travel planning travel options. The first cached result is obtained in response to submitting a travel query to a travel planning system at a first time, and the second cached result is obtained in response to submitting the travel query to a travel planning system at a second, different time. The first, retrieved cached result is compared to the second, retrieved cached result; and a change, if detected, is reported to the user.

Claims

1. A method for presenting travel information to a user, the method comprising:

retrieving first and second cached travel options from a cache that stores travel planning travel options, the first cached result obtained in response to submitting a travel query to a travel planning system at a first time and the second cached result obtained in response to submitting the travel query to a travel planning system at a second, different time;

comparing the first, retrieved cached result to the second, retrieved cached result;

detecting a change between the first and second cached travel options;

reporting the change to the user; and

receiving a payment from the user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving payment from the user further comprises:

receiving payment from the user in return for continuously notifying the user of changes to cached travel options over a predetermined period of time.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving payment from the user further comprises:

receiving a payment from the user in response to the user purchasing one of the travel options, with the payment related to the price of the second result.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving payment from the user further comprises:

receiving a payment from the user in response to the user purchasing one of the travel options, with the payment related to the price of the second result plus a portion of the difference in price between the first and second travel options.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a timestamp of the first cached result immediately precedes a timestamp of the second cached result.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting a change comprises determining that a parameter of the second cached result matches criteria previously specified by the user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining that a parameter of the second cached result matches criteria comprises determining that a price associated with the second cached resulted is below a specified threshold.

8. A method for presenting travel information, the method comprising:

retrieving cached travel options from a cache database corresponding to a trip of interest to a user, the cache storing predetermined travel options; and

rendering information related to the cached travel options on a display.

9. The method of claim 8, comprising rendering the information as a moving ticker across the display.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the information in the display includes the price of the travel options rendered on a display.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the information in the display is displayed in real-time.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

detecting a change in a price of the flight; and

updating the ticker upon detecting a change in price.

13. The method of claim 8, comprising selecting the display from one of:

a kiosk, a monitor, and window of a computer desktop application.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising locating the display in an airport.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising regularly polling the cache database for prices of the flight;

and

presenting the prices on the display.

16. The method of claim 12, further wherein the updating is performed only after the change is detected.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein rendering comprises sending the information related to the cached travel options to a mobile device.

18. A system for presenting travel information to a user, the system comprising:

a cache storing travel planning travel options; and

a processor configured to;

retrieve first and second cached travel options from the cache, the first cached result obtained in response to submitting a travel query to a travel planning system at a first time and the second cached result obtained in response to submitting the travel query to a travel planning system at a second, different time;

compare the first, retrieved cached result to the second, retrieved cached result;

detect a change between the first and second cached travel options;

report the change to the user; and

receive a payment from the user.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to receive payment from the user in return for continuously notifying the user of changes to cached travel options over a predetermined period of time.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a payment from the user in response to the user purchasing one of the travel options, with the payment related to the price of the second result.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a payment from the user in response to the user purchasing one of the travel options, with the payment related to the price of the second result plus a portion of the difference in price between the first and second travel options.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein a timestamp of the first cached result immediately precedes a timestamp of the second cached result.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to determine that a parameter of the second cached result matches criteria previously specified by the user.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to determine that a price associated with the second cached resulted is below a specified threshold.

25. A system for presenting travel information, the system comprising:

a cache database storing cached travel options corresponding to a trip of interest to a user;

a processor configured to retrieve the cached travel options from the cache database; and

a display configured to render information related to the cached travel options.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the processor is further configured to render the information as a moving ticker across the display.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the information in the display includes the price of the travel options rendered on a display.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the information in the display is displayed in real-time.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect a change in a price of the flight; and

update the ticker upon detecting a change in price.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein the display is one of:

a kiosk, a monitor, and window of a computer desktop application.

31. The system of claim 25, wherein the display is located in an airport.

32. The system of claim 25, wherein the processor is further configured to regularly poll the cache database for prices of the flight;

and

present the prices on the display.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein the processor is further configured to update the ticker only after the change is detected.

34. The system of claim 25, wherein the processor is further configured to send the information related to the cached travel options to a mobile device.

35. A computer program product for presenting travel information to a user, the computer program product being tangibly stored on machine readable media, comprising instructions operable to cause one or more processors to:

retrieve first and second cached travel options from a cache that stores travel planning travel options, the first cached result obtained in response to submitting a travel query to a travel planning system at a first time and the second cached result obtained in response to submitting the travel query to a travel planning system at a second, different time;

compare the first, retrieved cached result to the second, retrieved cached result;

detect a change between the first and second cached travel options;

report the change to the user; and

receive a payment from the user.

36. The product of claim 35, further comprising instructions to receive payment from the user in return for continuously notifying the user of changes to cached travel options over a predetermined period of time.

37. The product of claim 35, further comprising instructions to receive a payment from the user in response to the user purchasing one of the travel options, with the payment related to the price of the second result.

38. The product of claim 35, further comprising instructions to receive a payment from the user in response to the user purchasing one of the travel options, with the payment related to the price of the second result plus a portion of the difference in price between the first and second travel options.

39. The product of claim 35, wherein a timestamp of the first cached result immediately precedes a timestamp of the second cached result.

40. The product of claim 35, further comprising instructions to determine that a parameter of the second cached result matches criteria previously specified by the user.

41. The product of claim 40, further comprising instructions to determine that a price associated with the second cached resulted is below a specified threshold.

42. A computer program product for presenting travel information, the computer program product being tangibly stored on machine readable media, comprising instructions operable to cause one or more processors to:

retrieve cached travel options from a cache database corresponding to a trip of interest to a user, the cache storing predetermined travel options; and

render information related to the cached travel options on a display.

43. The product of claim 42, further comprising instructions to render the information as a moving ticker across the display.

44. The product of claim 42, wherein the information in the display includes the price of the travel options rendered on a display.

45. The product of claim 42, wherein the information in the display is displayed in real-time.

46. The product of claim 42, further comprising instructions to:

detect a change in a price of the flight; and

update the ticker upon detecting a change in price.

47. The product of claim 42, further comprising instructions to regularly poll the cache database for prices of the flight;

and

present the prices on the display.

48. The product of claim 46, further comprising instructions to update the ticker only after the change is detected.

49. The product of claim 42, further comprising instructions to send the information related to the cached travel options to a mobile device.