Providing travel information using cached summaries of travel options

• US 20080167912A1
• 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:
  US11/650,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20080167912A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• 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 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/14 Travel agencies

Abstract

Systems and techniques for maintaining a cache database storing cached results for travel planning are described. Results generated at and received from a travel planning system include travel parameters of a plurality of trips. Summary information generated from the results includes a first parameter corresponding to a combination of different parameters of the trips.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining a cache database storing cached results for travel planning, the method comprising:

receiving results generated from a travel planning system, the results including travel parameters of a plurality of trips; and

generating summary information from the results, the summary information including a first parameter corresponding to a combination of different parameters of the trips, with the summary information including less information than a complete pricing solution for a trip.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting a portion of the summary information to a user;

receiving a travel query from the user, the travel query including the summary information; and

determining pricing solutions that satisfy the received travel query.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first parameter and the different parameters are selected from a group consisting of:

an origin, a destination, a price, an airline, and a number of stops.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first parameter is a lowest available price.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first parameter is a range of pricing solutions belonging to one or more super categories.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first parameter is a range of prices for pricing solutions that include any US city as an origin and any European city as a destination.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting one of the different travel parameters to be a super category of travel parameters selected from a group consisting of:

an origin, a destination, a price, and an airline.

8. A system for maintaining a cache database storing cached results for travel planning, the system comprising:

a poller configured to receive results generated from a travel planning system, the results including travel parameters of a plurality of trips; and

a processor configured to generate summary information from the results, the summary information including a first parameter corresponding to a combination of different parameters of the trips, with the summary information including less information than a complete pricing solution for a trip.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

present a portion of the summary information to a user;

receive a travel query from the user, the travel query including the summary information; and

determine pricing solutions that satisfy the received travel query.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first parameter and the different parameters are selected from a group consisting of:

an origin, a destination, a price, an airline, and a number of stops.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the first parameter is a lowest available price.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the first parameter is a range of pricing solutions belonging to one or more super categories.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the first parameter is a range of prices for pricing solutions that include any US city as an origin and any European city as a destination.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to select one of the different travel parameters to be a super category of travel parameters selected from a group consisting of:

an origin, a destination, a price, and an airline.

15. A computer program product for maintaining a cache database storing cached results for travel planning, the computer program product being tangibly stored on machine readable media, comprising instructions operable to cause one or more processors to:

receive results generated from a travel planning system, the results including travel parameters of a plurality of trips; and

generate summary information from the results, the summary information including a first parameter corresponding to a combination of different parameters of the trips, with the summary information including less information than a complete pricing solution for a trip.

16. The product of claim 15, further comprising instructions to:

present a portion of the summary information to a user;

receive a travel query from the user, the travel query including the summary information; and

determine pricing solutions that satisfy the received travel query.

17. The product of claim 15, wherein the first parameter and the different parameters are selected from a group consisting of:

an origin, a destination, a price, an airline, and a number of stops.

18. The product of claim 15, wherein the first parameter is a lowest available price.

19. The product of claim 15, wherein the first parameter is a range of pricing solutions belonging to one or more super categories.

20. The product of claim 15, wherein the first parameter is a range of prices for pricing solutions that include any US city as an origin and any European city as a destination.

21. The product of claim 15, further comprising instructions to select one of the different travel parameters to be a super category of travel parameters selected from a group consisting of:

an origin, a destination, a price, and an airline.