METHOD OF GENERATING A TRAVEL ITINERARY THROUGH SEARCH AND INTERACTIVE OPTIMIZATION OF PREFERENCES

• US 20140236647A1
• Filed: 02/17/2014
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Howard Marc Wettan
• Original Assignee: Howard Marc Wettan
• Inventors: Wettan, Howard Marc
• Application Number:
  US14/181,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20140236647A1
• 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 50/14 Travel agencies

Abstract

A method for building group travel itineraries includes providing web site associated with a web server, identifying a primary organizer for building a group travel itinerary through the web site, identifying one or more co-planners for building the group travel itinerary through the web site, collecting trip parameters from the primary organizer through the web site, collecting preferences from the one or more co-planners through the web site, building a plurality of group travel itineraries based on the trip parameters and the preferences using a decision engine associated with the web site, presenting the plurality of group travel itineraries to the primary organizer and the one or more co-planners through the web site, receiving feedback from the primary organizer and the one or more co-planners on the plurality of group travel itineraries through the web site, and determining a group travel itinerary using the feedback using the decision engine.

Claims

1. A method for generating a group travel itinerary for a group, the method comprising:

providing a web site associated with a web server, the web site presenting a user interface;

identifying through the user interface a primary organizer for building a group travel itinerary using the web site;

identifying through the user interface one or more co-planners for building the group travel itinerary through the web site;

collecting trip parameters from the primary organizer through the web site;

collecting preferences from the one or more co-planners through email, the web site or other electronic interfaces;

building a plurality of group travel itineraries based on the trip parameters and the preferences, the building performed using a decision engine associated with the web site and executing on a computing device;

presenting the plurality of group travel itineraries to the primary organizer and the one or more co-planners through the web site;

receiving feedback from the primary organizer and the one or more co-planners on the plurality of group travel itineraries through the web site; and

determining a group travel itinerary based on the feedback using the decision engine.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising booking the group travel itinerary for the primary organizer and the one or more co-planners using a booking engine.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising inviting one or more invitees to join the group.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more of the co-planners is essential.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more of the co-planners is non-essential.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the trip parameters from the primary organizer through the web site comprise when, where, how, and what.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the preferences from the one or more co-planners comprise what, how, where, and when.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of group travel itineraries is limited to a pre-determined maximum number of choices.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising presenting offers to the primary organizer or one or more of the co-planners from vendors based on the group itinerary.

10. A method for generating a group travel itinerary for a group, the method comprising:

providing a web site associated with a web server, the web site presenting a user interface;

identifying through the user interface a primary organizer for building a group travel itinerary using the web site;

identifying through the user interface one or more co-planners for building the group travel itinerary through the web site;

collecting trip parameters from the primary organizer through the web site;

collecting preferences from the one or more co-planners through email, the web site or other electronic interfaces;

building a plurality of group travel itineraries based on the trip parameters and the preferences, the building performed using a decision engine associated with the web site and executing on a computing device;

presenting the plurality of group travel itineraries to the primary organizer and the one or more co-planners through the web site;

receiving feedback from the primary organizer and the one or more co-planners on the plurality of group travel itineraries through the web site; and

determining a group travel itinerary using the feedback using the decision engine;

inviting one or more invitees to join the group.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising booking the group travel itinerary for the primary organizer and the one or more co-planners using a booking engine.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising booking the group travel itinerary for one or more of the invitees using the booking engine.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising presenting an offer to at least one of the primary organizer, the co-planners, or the invitees from a vendor based on the group itinerary.

14. A system for generating a group travel itinerary, the system comprising:

a user interface associated with a computing system, the user interface configured for (a) identifying a primary organizer for building a group travel itinerary, (b) identifying one or more co-planners for building the group travel itinerary, (c) collecting trip parameters from the primary organizer, (d) collecting preferences from the one or more co-planners;

a decision engine in operative communication with the computing system, the decision engine configured to build group travel itineraries based on the trip parameters and the preferences; and

a booking engine in operative communication with the computing system, the booking engine configured to book a selected one of the group travel itineraries.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the user interface is further configured to invite one or more invitees to join the group.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the booking engine is configured to book the selected one of the group travel itineraries for the one or more invitees.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the trip parameters from the primary organizer comprise when, where, how, and what.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the preferences from the one or more co-planners comprise what, how, where, and when.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the group travel itineraries are limited in number to a pre-determined maximum number of choices.