TRAVEL SEARCH MACHINE WITH SHAREABLE TRIP OBJECTS

• US 20160253600A1
• Filed: 02/26/2015
• Published: 09/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hipmunk Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: Hipmunk Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Porter, Lauren, Aquilina, Phillip, Hang, Nancy Tu, Huffman, Steven Ladd, Ramadas, Niranjan
• Granted Patent: US 10,366,353 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/14 Travel agencies

Abstract

A travel search machine generates a trip object defined by a corresponding trip identifier. The trip object may have a corresponding trip data structure to which one or more search results may be assigned by a user. For example, the travel search machine may be configured to receive a trip identifier as a submission from a user device, generate a trip data structure corresponding to the trip identifier, and responsive to a received command from a user device, assign one or more search results to the trip data structure, such that reference to the trip data structure via the received trip identifier causes a presentation of at least some of the one or more search results assigned to the trip data structure.

Claims

1. A method including:

by a trip module that includes a processor of a machine, obtaining a trip identifier that identifies a trip data structure;

by a search module that includes a processor of the machine, determining and presenting a set of search results generated based on a set of search criteria submitted in a search request by a user, the search module accessing a search data structure that includes the set of search results and the set of search criteria;

by the trip module, receiving a command from a device of the user to assign the presented set of search results to the trip identifier;

by the trip module, responsive to the received command, linking the search data structure that includes the set of search results to the trip data structure identified by the trip identifier; and

by a presentation module that includes a processor of the machine, generating and causing display of a presentation of search results assigned to the trip identifier, the presentation including at least a portion of the linked search data structure.

2. The method of claim 1, further including:

generating a reference to the set of search results assigned to the trip identifier; and

storing the reference to the set of search results in the trip data structure identified by the trip identifier.

3. The method of claim 2, further including:

receiving a second request from the user to view searches assigned to the trip identifier; and

responsive to receiving the second request, presenting at least a portion of the search data structure linked to the trip data structure identified by the trip identifier to the first user.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the user is a first user; and

the method further comprises;

receiving a second request from a second user to view searches assigned to the trip identifier; and

responsive to receiving the second request, presenting at least a portion of the search data structure linked to the trip data structure identified by the trip identifier to the second user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the generating of the presentation causes the presentation to include at least one of the set of search criteria included in the search data structure.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the generating of the presentation causes the presentation to include at least one of the set of search results included in the search data structure.

7. The method of claim 1, further including:

generating the search data structure by combining the set of search results and the set of search criteria.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining of the trip identifier includes:

causing presentation of a trip creation interface by the device of the user, the trip creation interface including a text field operable to accept the trip identifier as a submission of the user; and

receiving the trip identifier as the submission from the device of the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining of the trip identifier includes:

causing presentation of a trip creation interface by the device of the user, the trip creation interface including a menu depicting a plurality of icons that each representing a different trip identifier; and

detecting that an icon is selected from among the plurality of icons via the device of the user, the selected icon representing the trip identifier.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining of the trip identifier includes:

causing presentation of a trip selection interface by the device of the user, the trip selection interface including a menu of trip identifiers among which is the trip identifier that identifies the trip data structure; and

detecting selection of the trip identifier by the user via the menu within the trip selection interface.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the device of the user is a first device of a first user;

the presentation is a first presentation of search results; and

the method further comprises;

receiving a search comment to be applied to the search data structure, the search comment corresponding to the set of search results and being received from the first device of the first user;

storing the search comment in the search data structure; and

causing a second presentation of search results to a second device of a second user, the second presentation including the search comment applied to the search data structure and at least a portion of the linked search data structure.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the search comment to be applied to the search data structure includes at least one of a text string, a uniform resource identifier, an image, or a video.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the device of the user is a first device of a first user;

the presentation is a first presentation of search results; and

the method further comprises;

receiving a trip comment to be applied to the trip data structure, the trip comment corresponding to the trip identifier and being received from the first device of the first user;

storing the trip comment in the trip data structure; and

causing a second presentation of search results to a second device of a second user, the second presentation including the trip comment and at least a portion of the trip data structure.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the device of the user is a first device of a first user;

the presentation is a first presentation of search results; and

the method further comprises;

receiving a search rating to be applied to the search data structure, the search rating corresponding to the set of search results and being received from the first device of the first user;

storing the search rating in the search data structure; and

causing a second presentation of search results to a second device of a second user, the second presentation including the search rating and at least a portion of the search data structure.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the device of the user is a first device of a first user;

the presentation is a first presentation of search results; and

the method further comprises;

receiving a trip rating to be applied to the trip data structure, the trip rating corresponding to the trip identifier and being received from the first device of the first user;

storing the trip rating in the trip data structure; and

causing a second presentation of search results to a second device of a second user, the second presentation including the trip rating and at least a portion of the trip data structure.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the linking of the search data structure to the trip data structure identified by the trip identifier comprises;

generating a reference that identifies the trip data structure; and

storing the reference that identifies the trip data structure in the search data structure.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the linking of the search data structure to the trip data structure identified by the trip identifier comprises;

generating a reference that identifies the search data structure; and

storing the reference that identifies the search data structure in the trip data structure.

18. A system comprising:

a trip module that includes a processor of a machine and is configured to obtain a trip identifier that identifies a trip data structure;

a search module that includes a processor of the machine and is configured to determine and present a set of search results generated based on a set of search criteria submitted in a search request by a user, the search module accessing a search data structure that includes the set of search results and the set of search criteria;

the trip module being further configured to;

receive a command from a device of the user to assign the presented set of search results to the trip identifier; and

responsive to the received command, linking the search data structure that includes the set of search results to the trip data structure identified by the trip identifier; and

a presentation module that includes a processor of the machine and is configured to generate and cause display of a presentation of search results assigned to the trip identifier, the presentation including at least a portion of the linked search data structure.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein:

the search module is further configured to;

receive a second request to view the searches assigned to the trip identifier, the second request indicating the reference to the set of search results in the trip data structure; and

responsive to receiving the second request indicating the reference, present at least a portion of the searches assigned to the trip identifier.

20. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations including:

obtaining a trip identifier that identifies a trip data structure;

determining and presenting a set of search results generated based on a set of search criteria submitted in a search request by a user, the search module accessing a search data structure that includes the set of search results and the set of search criteria;

receiving a command from a device of the user to assign the presented set of search results to the trip identifier;

responsive to the received command, linking the search data structure that includes the set of search results to the trip data structure identified by the trip identifier; and

generating and causing display of a presentation of search results assigned to the trip identifier, that includes at least a portion of the linked search data structure.