System and method for real-time, personalized, dynamic, interactive voice services for travel availability information

• US 6,658,093 B1
• Filed: 12/07/1999
• Issued: 12/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microstrategy Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Microstrategy Incorporated
• Inventors: Orolin, Nicolas J., Saylor, Michael J., Richards, Frederick III, Langseth, Justin, Zirngibl, Michael, Patnaik, Anurag
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Foster, Roland G.
• Application Number:
  US09/455,526
• Time in Patent Office: 1,456 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/88-1-, 379/88.16, 379/88.17, 379/88.22, 379/88.23, 379/88.27, 379/28.29, 379/201-1-2, 379/917, 379/207.02, 704/275, 704/258, 704/260, 704/270, 705/5-9
• US Class Current: 379/88.17
• 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: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/105 Financial transactions and auctions, e.g. bidding auctioneering devices in packet switching networks H04L12/1804
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1058 Shopping and product ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1066 Game playing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2016 Call initiation by network rather than by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/355 Interactive dialogue design tools, features or methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6045 Identity confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42136 Administration or customisation of services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 : via computer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/487 : Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4872 : Non-interactive information services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 : Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 : Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 : comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 : in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 : Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 : Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53325 : Interconnection arrangements between voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53375 : Message broadcasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 : for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal

Abstract

System and methods for real-time, interactive transmission of information about travel schedules and creation of travel schedules are provided. A user defines desired travel parameters, such as dates, times, costs and the like related to a travel component. Travel components are reviewed to determine if traveler parameters are triggered. If a travel component triggers traveler parameters, options for other travel components may be determined. A user may be contacted and communicated information about the travel component and options, thereby allowing a user to interactively create a travel schedule.

Claims

1. A method for operating a voice service system for providing interactive real-time transmission of travel information to a user having at least one traveler parameter set by the user as a trigger condition, wherein operation of the voice service system comprises the following steps:

determining that the at least one traveler parameter has been satisfied;

determining options to create a travel schedule based on the at least one satisfied traveler parameter;

generating content from the at least one satisfied traveler parameter and the options;

initiating by the voice service system, a communication session with the user; and

communicating the content to the user during the communication session, and receiving from the user, during the communication session, instructions to create a travel schedule based at least in part on the content;

wherein a created travel schedule comprises at least one travel component wherein the at least one travel component is one of the group consisting of an airline flight, a rental car reservation, and a room reservation.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of converting the content to speech output, and wherein the step of initiating a communication session comprises initiating a voice communication session.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of communicating the content comprises communicating the speech output.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the step of initiating a voice communication session includes initiating telephone communication.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one travel component satisfies the at least one traveler parameter;

and

wherein the step of determining options further comprises determining options for at least one other travel component based on the at least one travel component.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one traveler parameter comprises at least one of a date, date range, time, cost, travel rate, destination, weather preference, availability of a vacation package, discount applicability, or specific company.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one traveler parameter comprises a type of travel, the type of travel comprising at least one of required travel, leisure travel, or spur of the moment travel.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of enabling a user to specify when to search for travel components that satisfy the at least one traveler parameter.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of enabling a user to specify the duration of a search for travel components that satisfy the at least one traveler parameter.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of enabling a user to specify when the voice service system should initiate a communication session.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one traveler parameter comprises a plurality of traveler parameters, and further comprising the step of enabling a user to assign relative weights to traveler parameters based on their importance to the user.

12. A voice service system for providing interactive real-time transmission of travel information to a user having at least one traveler parameter set by the user as a trigger condition, the system comprising:

means for determining that the at least one traveler parameter has been satisfied;

means for determining options to create a travel schedule based on the at least one satisfied traveler parameter;

means for generating content from the at least one satisfied traveler parameter and the options;

means for initiating a communication session with the user;

means for communicating the content to the user during the communication session; and

means for receiving from the user, during the communication session, instructions to create a travel schedule based at least in part on the content, wherein a created travel schedule comprises at least one travel component, wherein the at least one travel component is one of the group consisting of an airline flight, a rental car reservation, and a room reservation.

13. The system according to claim 12, further comprising means for converting the content to speech output, and wherein the means for initiating a communication session comprises means for initiating a voice communication session.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the means for communicating the content comprises means for communicating the speech output.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein initiating a voice communication includes initiating a telephone communication.

16. The system according to claim 12, wherein the at least one travel component satisfies the at least one traveler parameter;

and

wherein the means for determining options further comprises means for determining options for at least one other travel component based on the at least one travel component.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one traveler parameter comprises at least one of a date, date range, time, cost, travel rate, destination, weather preference, availability of a vacation package, discount applicability, or specific company.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one traveler parameter comprises a type of travel, the type of travel comprising at least one of required travel, leisure travel, or spur of the moment travel.

19. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for enabling a user to specify when to search for travel components that satisfy the at least one traveler parameter.

20. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for enabling a user to specify the duration of a search for travel components that satisfy the at least one traveler parameter.

21. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for enabling a user to specify when the voice service system should initiate a communication session.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one traveler parameter comprises a plurality of traveler parameters, and further comprising means for enabling a user to assign relative weights to traveler parameters based on their importance to the user.