Updating a database of travel information

• US 20080167909A1
• 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: de Marcken, Carl
• Application Number:
  US11/650,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20080167909A1
• 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 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/14 Travel agencies

Abstract

Systems and techniques for determining staleness of a cached result for travel planning stored in a cache database are described. A first evaluation is performed to determine seat availability of flights associated with a cached result. A second evaluation is performed to determine a validity of one or more of a flight, fare, and fare rule associated with the cached result with the first evaluation performed at a higher rate of evaluations than a rate at which the second evaluation is performed.

Claims

1. A method for determining staleness of a cached result for travel planning stored in a cache database, the method comprising:

performing a first evaluation to determine seat availability of flights associated with a cached result; and

performing a second evaluation to determine a validity of one or more of a flight, fare, and fare rule associated with the cached result with the first evaluation performed at a higher rate of evaluations than a rate at which the second evaluation is performed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the first evaluation comprises determining whether a seat is available before determining a pricing solution for the cached result, and discarding the result if no seat is determined to be available.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the first evaluation comprises

comparing a booking-code restriction for a fare associated with the result to seat availability for result, to determine if there is a booking-code restriction on the result that violates the determined seat availability.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating a complete pricing-solution for the cached result.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating summary information for the cached result.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the first evaluation comprises querying a source of seat availability information for available seats corresponding to the cached result.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the second evaluation comprises querying a travel planning system for one or more of a flight, fare, and fare rule associated with the cached result.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising deleting the cached result from the cache database in response to determining that one or more of a flight, fare, and fare rule associated with the cached result is no longer valid.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising updating one or more of a flight, fare, and fare rule associated with the cached query in response to determining that one or more of a flight, fare, and fare rule associated with the cached result is no longer valid.

10. A system for determining staleness of a cached result for travel planning, the system comprising:

a cache database configured to store the cached result; and

an availability merging processor configured to;

perform a first evaluation to determine seat availability of flights associated with a cached result; and

perform a second evaluation to determine a validity of one or more of a flight, fare, and fare rule associated with the cached result with the first evaluation performed at a higher rate of evaluations than a rate at which the second evaluation is performed.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the availability merging processor is further configured to:

determine whether a seat is available before determining a pricing solution for the cached result; and

discard the result if no seat is determined to be available.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the availability merging processor is further configured to compare a booking-code restriction for a fare associated with the result to seat availability for result, to determine if there is a booking-code restriction on the result that violates the determined seat availability.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising a processor configured to:

calculate a complete pricing-solution for the cached result; and

generate summary information for the cached result.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the availability merging processor is further configured to query a source of seat availability information for available seats corresponding to the cached result.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the availability merging processor is further configured to query a travel planning system for one or more of a flight, fare, and fare rule associated with the cached result.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the cache database is further configured to delete the cached result from the cache database in response to determining that one or more of a flight, fare, and fare rule associated with the cached result is no longer valid.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the availability merging processor is further configured to update one or more of a flight, fare, and fare rule associated with the cached query in response to determining that one or more of a flight, fare, and fare rule associated with the cached result is no longer valid.

18. A computer program product for determining staleness of a cached result for travel planning stored in a cache database, the computer program product being tangibly stored on machine readable media, comprising instructions operable to cause one or more processors to:

perform a first evaluation to determine seat availability of flights associated with a cached result; and

perform a second evaluation to determine a validity of one or more of a flight, fare, and fare rule associated with the cached result with the first evaluation performed at a higher rate of evaluations than a rate at which the second evaluation is performed.

19. The product of claim 18, further comprising instructions to:

determine whether a seat is available before determining a pricing solution for the cached result; and

discard the result if no seat is determined to be available.

20. The product of claim 18, further comprising instructions to:

compare a booking-code restriction for a fare associated with the result to seat availability for result, to determine if there is a booking-code restriction on the result that violates the determined seat availability.

21. The product of claim 18, further comprising instructions to calculate a complete pricing-solution for the cached result.

22. The product of claim 18, further comprising instructions to generate summary information for the cached result.

23. The product of claim 18, further comprising instructions to query a source of seat availability information for available seats corresponding to the cached result.

24. The product of claim 18, further comprising instructions to query a travel planning system for one or more of a flight, fare, and fare rule associated with the cached result.

25. The product of claim 24, further comprising instructions to delete the cached result from the cache database in response to determining that one or more of a flight, fare, and fare rule associated with the cached result is no longer valid.

26. The product of claim 24, further comprising instructions to update one or more of a flight, fare, and fare rule associated with the cached query in response to determining that one or more of a flight, fare, and fare rule associated with the cached result is no longer valid.