ONE-STOP TRAVEL SEARCH

• US 20090171899A1
• Filed: 12/28/2007
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Oath Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shenoy, Sudhir, CHITTOOR, Arjun
• Application Number:
  US11/966,701
• Publication Number:
  US 20090171899A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events

Abstract

One-stop travel search technology operable to aid users via an improved graphical information display is disclosed. The one-stop travel search technology can be operable to display a graph of the price of the travel mode depending on variables such as time of day. In one embodiment, the one-stop travel search technology further displays information pertaining to travel prices from online travel agents along with those directly obtained from the travel service providers. The technology accesses a travel event database, and directs display of information relating to the travel event based on the event information.

Claims

1. An online one-stop travel search system, comprising:

a user search interface module for receiving a travel plan from a user, wherein the travel plan corresponds to a travel mode;

a first search engine module for searching for and obtaining a first set of online travel results from a first set of online travel sources in response to the travel plan; and

processing logic for providing display information used in forming a travel results graph corresponding to the first set of online travel results.

2. The online one-stop travel search system of claim 1, further comprising a second search engine module for obtaining a second set of online travel results from a second set of online travel sources.

3. The online one-stop travel search system of claim 2, further comprising a correlator module for associating the first set of online travel results with the second set of online travel results.

4. The online one-stop travel search system of claim 3, wherein the display is further operable to present the first set of online travel results along with the second set of online travel results.

5. The one-stop travel search system of claim 3, further comprising a database module for storing data pertaining to the travel plan, the first set of online travel results and the second set of online travel results.

6. The online one-stop travel search system of claim 1, wherein the travel results graph comprises:

a ticket price axis showing a range of ticket prices;

a travel time axis showing a range of travel times; and

a travel line graph showing ticket prices as a function of travel times, wherein the ticket prices are within the range of ticket prices, and the travel times are within the range of travel times.

7. The online one-stop travel search system of claim 6, wherein the travel line graph further comprises a plurality of icons, wherein the icons are operable to provide network links to travel details corresponding to each of the ticket prices.

8. The online one-stop travel search system of claim 6, wherein the travel time axis indicates departure time.

9. The online one-stop travel search system of claim 6, wherein the travel time axis indicates arrival time.

10. The online one-stop travel search system of claim 1, wherein the travel mode comprises air travel, rail travel, or travel by ship.

11. The online one-stop travel search system of claim 1, wherein the travel plan comprises location of departure, location of arrival, time of departure, time of arrival, number of passengers, and travel class.

12. A method for online one-stop travel search, the method comprising:

receiving a travel plan from a user;

searching a first set of online travel sources for a first set of online travel results in response to the travel plan;

obtaining the first set of online travel results from the first set of online travel sources;

constructing a travel results graph corresponding to the first set of online travel results; and

providing for display of the travel results graph.

13. The online one-stop travel search method of claim 12, further comprising:

searching a second set of online travel sources for a second set of online travel results in response to the travel plan;

obtaining the second set of online travel results from the second set of online travel sources; and

providing for display of the first set of online travel results along with the second set of online travel results.

14. The online one-stop travel search method of claim 13, further comprising correlating the first set of online travel results with the second set of online travel results.

15. The one-stop travel search method of claim 14, further comprising storing data pertaining to the travel plan, the first set of online travel results and the second set of online travel results.

16. The online one-stop travel search method of claim 12, wherein the travel results graph comprises:

a range of ticket prices on a ticket price axis;

a range of travel times on a travel time axis; and

a travel line graph showing ticket prices as a function of travel times, wherein the ticket prices are within the range of ticket prices, and the travel times are within the range of travel times.

17. The online one-stop travel search method of claim 16, further comprising linking the travel results graph to travel details corresponding to each of the ticket prices.

18. An interface for an online one-stop travel search, the interface comprising:

a travel results graph operable to show;

a ticket price axis for illustrating a range of ticket prices;

a travel time axis for illustrating a range of travel times; and

a travel line graph for illustrating ticket prices as a function of travel times,

wherein the ticket prices are within the range of ticket prices, and the travel times are within the range of travel times; and

a travel results comparison table.

19. The interface of claim 18, wherein the travel line graph further comprises a plurality of icons for providing network links to travel details corresponding to each of the ticket prices.

20. The interface of claim 18, wherein the travel results compassion chart shows a first set of travel data obtained from a first set of online travel sources along with a second set of travel data obtained from a second set of online travel sources.

21. An online one-stop travel search system, comprising:

a user search interface module for receiving travel choices from the user, and modify behavior of the user search interface module based on the travel choices received from the user;

a first search engine module for searching for and obtaining a first set of online travel results from a first set of online travel sources in response to the travel choices;

a second search engine module for searching for and obtaining a second set of online travel results in response to the travel choices;

a correlator module for associating the first set of travel results with the second set of travel results to obtain a travel results comparison table; and

processing logic for providing for display of the travel results comparison table and a travel results graph.

22. The online one-stop travel search system of claim 21, wherein the travel results graph comprises:

a range of ticket prices on a first axis;

a range of travel times on a second axis; and

a travel line graph showing ticket prices as a function of travel times, wherein the ticket prices are within the range of ticket prices, and the travel times are within the range of travel times.

23. A computer-readable medium for providing an online one-stop travel search, the program code for:

receiving travel choices from a user;

searching a first set of online travel sources for a first set of online travel data in response to the travel choices;

obtaining the first set of online travel data from the first set of online travel sources;

constructing a travel results graph corresponding to the first set of online travel data; and

providing for display of the travel results graph.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, further comprising:

searching a second set of online travel sources for a second set of online travel data in response to the travel choices;

obtaining the second set of online travel data from the second set of online travel sources;

correlating the first set of online travel data with the second set of online travel data to obtain a travel results comparison table; and

providing for display of the travel results comparison table.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the travel results graph comprises:

a range of ticket prices on a first axis;

a range of travel times on a second axis; and

a travel line graph showing ticket prices as a function of travel times, wherein the ticket prices are within the range of ticket prices, and the travel times are within the range of travel times.