Itinerary preparing system

• US 5,924,075 A
• Filed: 01/21/1997
• Issued: 07/13/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kanemitsu, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): MacDonald, Allen R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Jagdish
• Application Number:
  US08/786,042
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• Field of Search: 705/6, 705/5, 701/201, 701/200, 701/202, 701/209
• US Class Current: 705/6
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem

Abstract

A system which is capable of planning a tour time schedule using simple facility information entered by a traveler and then easily and quickly preparing a complete itinerary for implementing a comfortable tour. When the traveler inputs desired facilities (destinations), departure date and time, a departure location and a return destination, a schedule preparation section calculates the basic route by searching data bases and also searches basic stay time previously set with regard to the entered facilities from basic stay time storage section, thereby preparing an itinerary. If the items entered by the traveler do not contain supplementary items for smoothly implementing the tour, the supplementary items stored in the supplementary item storage section are incorporated to prepare a time schedule which takes the basic stay time of the supplementary items into consideration.

Claims

1. A computerized itinerary preparing system for preparing an itinerary based on information regarding at least one facility entered by a traveler, the system comprising:

basic stay time storage means for storing basic stay time for each of said at least one facility;

search means for searching through said basic stay time storage means for the basic stay time corresponding to said at least one facility; and

schedule preparation means for planning a tour time schedule based on the searched basic stay time to prepare the itinerary.

2. A system according to claim 1 further comprising change means for changing said basic stay time.

3. A system according to claim 1 further comprising an output section for outputting the prepared itinerary.

4. A computerized itinerary preparing system for preparing an itinerary based on information regarding at least one facility entered by a traveler, the system comprising:

supplementary item storage means for storing data regarding supplementary items for smoothly implementing a tour;

item judgement means for determining whether or not said supplementary items are contained in items entered by the traveler; and

schedule supplement means for inserting said supplementary items into predetermined time points of the itinerary when said supplementary items are not contained in the entered items based on a result from said judgement means to supplement said itinerary.

5. A system according to claim 4 further comprising change means for changing said supplementary items.

6. A system according to claim 4, wherein said supplementary items are rest facilities.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein said supplementary item storage means stores said data regarding said rest facilities and the basic stay time of said rest facilities, and wherein said schedule supplement means inserts said supplementary items into the predetermined time points of the itinerary when said supplementary items are not contained in the entered items based on the result from the item judgement means and plans a time schedule based on the basic stay time of the supplementary items to supplement the itinerary.

8. A system according to claim 7, further comprising:

basic stay time storage means for storing basic stay time for each of said at least one facility;

search means for searching through the basic stay time storage means for the basic stay time corresponding to each of said at least one facility; and

schedule preparation means for planning said time schedule based on the searched basic stay time and the basic stay time of the inserted supplementary items to prepare the itinerary.

9. A system according to claim 8 further comprising an output section for outputting the itinerary.

10. A system according to claim 4 further comprising an output section for outputting the itinerary.

11. A computer program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for making an itinerary, said method steps comprising steps of:

1) receiving information regarding facilities;

2) searching through a database which stores a basic stay time corresponding to each of the facilities for the basic stay time corresponding to each the facilities; and

3) preparing an itinerary based on the searched basic stay time.

12. A computer program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for making an itinerary, said method steps comprising steps of:

1) receiving information regarding facilities;

2) determining whether or not the received facility information contains supplementary items for smoothly implementing a tour; and

3) when the supplementary items are not contained in the received information as a result from the determining step, inserting the supplementary items into predetermined time points in the itinerary so as to complete the itinerary.