System, methods and computer program products for offering products based on extrapolation of inputs

• US 7,395,220 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2005
• Issued: 07/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TVL LP (Sabre Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Travelocity.com LP (Expedia Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tassone, Damon, Albert, Robert, Weber, Tracey, Yong, David, Abrams, Rachel
• Primary Examiner(s): Garg; Yogesh C
• Application Number:
  US11/215,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20050288976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 705/5, 705/6, 705/8, 705/35, 705/26, 705/27, 705/1, 707/3, 709/221
• US Class Current: 705/6
• 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 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

A computer system for extrapolating from relatively small amounts of information provided by a consumer to generate a wide range of travel options that are still associated with the information provided by the consumer. For example, the system includes processes for generating or finding travel packages with exactly matching travel dates and destinations supplied by the consumer. In addition, the system includes processes for varying the dates of travel by several days, or proximate weekends, and the destination of travel with nearby or regional destinations, so as to generate or find additional travel options. Further, the system can be configured to extract a theme of the consumer requested information and to use this theme to construct or find travel packages with similar or matching themes.

Claims

1. A computer system for providing a wide range of travel packages to a consumer based on limited entry of information, said computer system comprising:

data storage comprising travel information used for generation of travel packages;

a travel package matching system in communication with said data storage, said travel package matching system configured to provide a selection of substantially matching travel packages to the consumer based on travel selection data including a date of travel and a destination location stored in a memory, wherein each substantially matching travel package comprises a plurality of preassembled travel components or a plurality of travel components combined by the travel package matching system; and

an extrapolative matching system in communication with said data storage, said extrapolative matching system configured to;

extract a theme from the selection of substantially matching travel packages; and

generate a selection of additional and different travel packages from the selection of substantially matching travel packages based on the theme without consumer intervention.

2. A computer system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a truncation system configured to reduce the selection of additional and different travel packages, said truncation system uses pruning criteria stored in the memory of the computer system, wherein the stored pruning criteria are determined independent of the travel selection data.

3. A computer system according to claim 2, wherein the stored pruning criteria includes at least one of a screen size limit, a non-duplication requirement, a price range or a popularity rating, wherein said truncation system uses the pruning criteria to reduce the number of additional and different travel packages.

4. A computer system according to claim 3, wherein the stored pruning criteria includes each of a screen size limit, a non-duplication requirement, a price range and a popularity rating, wherein said truncation system uses the pruning criteria to reduce the number of additional and different travel packages.

5. A computer system according to claim 1, wherein the travel selection data are selected from a group consisting of a departure date, a return date, a departure location and the destination location and said travel package matching system provides a selection of substantially matching travel packages to the consumer based on the limited travel selection data.

6. A computer system according to claim 1, wherein the extrapolative matching system includes at least one of:

a nearby destination identification system configured to provide additional and different travel packages having a common airport;

a regional destination identification system configured to provide additional and different travel packages within a same region;

a theme extraction system configured to extract a theme from the selection of substantially matching travel packages;

or

a theme identification system configured to provide additional and different travel packages having a same theme as the substantially matching travel packages.

7. A computer system according to claim 1, wherein the extrapolative matching system is configured to extract a theme from at least one of:

a theme pre-assigned to one or more of the substantially matching travel packages;

schema associated with one or more of the substantially matching travel packages;

affinity ratings of one or more elements in one or more of the substantially matching travel packages;

or

the travel selection data.

8. A computer system for providing a wide range travel packages to a consumer based on limited entry of information, said computer system comprising:

a travel package matching system configured to provide a selection of substantially matching travel packages to the consumer based on limited travel selection data including a date of travel and a destination location, wherein each substantially matching travel package comprises a plurality of preassembled travel components or a plurality of travel components combined by the travel package matching system;

an extrapolative matching system configured to extract a theme from the selection of substantially matching travel packages and generate a selection of additional and different travel packages from the selection of substantially matching travel packages based on the theme without consumer intervention; and

a truncation system configured to reduce the selection of additional and different travel packages using pruning criteria stored in a memory of the computer system, wherein the stored pruning criteria are determined without requiring additional travel selection data from the consumer.

9. A computer system according to claim 8, wherein the extrapolative matching system includes at least one of:

a nearby destination identification system configured to provide additional and different travel packages having a common airport;

a regional destination identification system configured to provide additional and different travel packages within a same region;

a theme extraction system configured to extract a theme from the selection of substantially matching travel packages;

or

a theme identification system configured to provide additional and different travel packages having a same theme as the substantially matching travel package.

10. A computer system according to claim 9, further comprising a cache storing a plurality of pre-constructed travel packages searchable by the systems for providing the substantially matching and additional and different travel packages.

11. A computer system according to claim 9, wherein the extrapolative matching system comprises a theme extraction system, and wherein the theme extraction system is configured to determine affinity ratings from the selection of substantially matching travel packages and identify a trend in the affinity ratings.

12. A computer system according to claim 9, wherein the extrapolative matching system comprises a nearby destination identification system, a regional destination identification system, or a theme identification system, and wherein each of the nearby destination identification system, the regional destination identification system, and the theme identification system is configured to assemble the additional and different travel packages using an affinity algorithm.

13. A method for providing a wide range of travel packages to a consumer based on limited entry of information, said method comprising:

storing in memory travel selection data including a date of travel and a destination location from the consumer;

providing a selection of substantially matching travel packages to the consumer based on the travel selection data, wherein providing comprises selecting substantially matching travel packages each comprising a plurality of preassembled travel components or combining a plurality of travel components in order to generate a selection of substantially matching travel packages;

extracting a theme from the selection of substantially matching travel packages;

generating a selection of additional and different travel packages from the selection of substantially matching travel packages based on the theme without consumer intervention; and

providing the selection of additional and different travel packages to the consumer.

14. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

determining pruning criteria independent of the travel selection data; and

truncating the selection of additional and different travel packages using the pruning criteria.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein determining the pruning criteria includes determining a screen size of the display used by the consumer and truncating the selection of additional and different travel packages includes truncating the selection of additional and different packages to fit the screen size.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein truncating the selection of additional and different travel packages includes eliminating duplications.

17. A method according to claim 13, wherein storing the travel selection data includes storing data consisting of at least one of a departure date, a return date, a departure location and the destination location.

18. A method according to claim 13, wherein extracting a theme from the substantially matching travel packages includes identifying a trend in affinity ratings of the substantially matching travel packages.

19. A method according to claim 13, wherein extracting a theme comprises extracting a theme from at least one of:

a theme pre-assigned to one or more of the substantially matching travel packages;

schema associated with one or more of the substantially matching travel packages;

affinity ratings of one or more elements in one or more of the substantially matching travel packages;

or

the travel selection data.

20. A computer program product for providing a wide range of travel packages to a consumer based on limited entry of information, the computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion for storing into memory travel selection data including a date of travel and a destination location from the consumer;

a second executable portion for providing a selection of substantially matching travel packages to the consumer based on the travel selection data wherein the second executable portion is configured to select substantially matching travel packages each comprising a plurality of preassembled travel components or combine a plurality of travel components in order to generate a selection of substantially matching travel packages;

a third executable portion for extracting a theme from the selection of substantially matching travel packages;

a fourth executable portion for generating a selection of additional and different travel packages from the selection of substantially matching travel packages based on the theme without consumer intervention; and

a fifth executable portion for providing the selection of additional and different travel packages to the consumer.

21. A computer program product according to claim 20, further comprising a sixth executable portion for determining pruning criteria independent of the travel selection data and truncating the selection of additional and different travel packages using the pruning criteria.

22. A computer program product according to claim 21, further comprising a seventh executable portion for determining a screen size of the consumer'"'"'s display and truncating the selection of additional and different packages to fit the screen size.

23. A computer program product according to claim 22, further comprising an eighth executable portion for truncating the additional and different packages by eliminating duplications.

24. A computer program product according to claim 20, further comprising a ninth executable portion for storing data consisting of at least one of a departure date, a return date, a departure location and the destination location.

25. A computer program product according to claim 20, further comprising a tenth executable portion for identifying a trend in affinity ratings of the substantially matching travel packages and using the trend to determine the theme.

26. A computer program product according to claim 20, wherein the third executable portion is further configured to extract a theme from at least one of:

a theme pre-assigned to one or more of the substantially matching travel packages;

schema associated with one or more of the substantially matching travel packages;

affinity ratings of one or more elements in one or more of the substantially matching travel packages;

or

the travel selection data.