Providing travel information using a notification service

• US 20080167910A1
• 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:
  US11/650,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20080167910A1
• 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 presenting travel information to a first enterprise are described. Cached travel options for travel planning are retrieved from a cache database storing predetermined travel planning options. The cached travel planning options are analyzed to detect a change in price of a flight operated by a second, different enterprise. The change is then reported to the first enterprise.

Claims

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

retrieving cached travel options for travel planning from a cache database, the cache database comprising predetermined travel planning options;

analyzing the cached travel planning options to detect a change in price of a flight operated by a second, different enterprise;

reporting the change to the first enterprise; and

receiving a payment from the first enterprise.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting comprises determining that the price of the flight has increased by a predetermined amount.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting comprises determining that the price of the flight has decreased by a predetermined amount.

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

receiving payment from the enterprise in return for continuously notifying the enterprise of changes to prices of flights maintained by other enterprises over a predetermined period of time.

5. The method of claim 1, where detecting comprises determining that the price of the flight has changed by a predetermined amount relative to a price of a corresponding flight offered by the enterprise.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein reporting comprises sending a report that includes current and previous prices of a flight offered by the second enterprise and the difference between the previous price and the current price.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein reporting comprises sending a report that includes the difference between the current price of the flight offered by the second enterprise and a similar flight offered by the first enterprise.

8. A system for presenting travel information to a first enterprise, the system comprising:

a cache database storing predetermined travel planning options; and

a processor configured to;

retrieve cached travel options for travel planning from a cache database, the cached travel options selected from the predetermined travel planning options;

analyze the cached travel planning options to detect a change in price of a flight operated by a second, different enterprise;

report the change to the first enterprise; and

receive a payment from the first enterprise.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to determine that the price of the flight has increased by a predetermined amount.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to determine that the price of the flight has decreased by a predetermined amount.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to receive payment from the enterprise in return for continuously notifying the enterprise of changes to prices of flights maintained by other enterprises over a predetermined period of time.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to determine that the price of the flight has changed by a predetermined amount relative to a price of a corresponding flight offered by the enterprise.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to send a report that includes current and previous prices of a flight offered by the second enterprise and the difference between the previous price and the current price.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the report includes the difference between the current price of the flight offered by the second enterprise and a similar flight offered by the first enterprise.

15. A computer program product for presenting travel information to a first enterprise, 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 for travel planning from a cache database, the cache database comprising predetermined travel planning options;

analyze the cached travel planning options to detect a change in price of a flight operated by a second, different enterprise;

report the change to the first enterprise; and

receive a payment from the first enterprise.

16. The product of claim 15, further comprising instructions to determine that the price of the flight has increased by a predetermined amount.

17. The product of claim 15, further comprising instructions to determine that the price of the flight has decreased by a predetermined amount.

18. The product of claim 15, further comprising instructions to receive payment from the enterprise in return for continuously notifying the enterprise of changes to prices of flights maintained by other enterprises over a predetermined period of time.

19. The product of claim 15, further comprising instructions to determine that the price of the flight has changed by a predetermined amount relative to a price of a corresponding flight offered by the enterprise.

20. The product of claim 15, further comprising instructions to send a report that includes current and previous prices of a flight offered by the second enterprise and the difference between the previous price and the current price.

21. The product of claim 15, further comprising instructions to send a report that includes the difference between the current price of the flight offered by the second enterprise and a similar flight offered by the first enterprise.