Systems and methods for accessing travel services using a portable electronic device

• US 8,463,286 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2009
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Maranhas, Jeff, Ng, Stanley Carl, Westendorf, Courtnee
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG-HURST, KATHY W
• Application Number:
  US12/642,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20100190510A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.4, 455/466, 705/6
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute

Abstract

This is directed to systems and methods for integrating travel services in a single application available to a portable electronic device. Using the single application, a user can access and control travel services before arriving at the initial location of travel, on arriving at the initial location of travel, during travel, and after travel. Such services can include, for example, reserving a travel itinerary, checking-in remotely for a reservation, providing airport information, providing for social networking, obtaining dining or entertainment during travel, controlling and requesting cabin services, providing arrival notifications to third parties, providing destination location information, and the like.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a portable electronic device, that a user is scheduled to depart for travel at an expected departure time and arrive to a destination at an expected arrival time from calendar information of the user;

determining, by the portable electronic device, that the portable electronic device in possession by the user is powered off within a first predetermined amount of the expected departure time;

determining, by the portable electronic device, the user arrived at the destination by detecting that the portable electronic device has been powered back on within a second predetermined amount of time of the expected arrival time;

accessing, from a contact book of the user by the portable electronic device, at least one third party recipient; and

transmitting, by the portable electronic device, an arrival notification of the arrival of the user to the at least one third party recipient based on the determining that the user arrived at the destination.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the user is scheduled to travel to a destination comprises:

determining the user is scheduled to travel to a destination by airplane.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the determining a user is scheduled to travel, the determining a portable electronic device is powered off, the determining the user has arrived, and the transmitting is integrated into a single application of the portable electronic device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the user is scheduled to travel to a destination comprises:

accessing calendar information of the user, wherein the calendar information is stored locally on the portable electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the user is scheduled to travel to a destination comprises:

accessing calendar information of the user, wherein the calendar information is stored in a database remote to the portable electronic device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the arrival notification comprises one of an e-mail, a text message, a voicemail, a push notification, and a pop-up notification.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting an arrival notification comprises:

receiving a listing from the user of at least one recipient;

transmitting the arrival notification to the at least one recipient.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting a notification comprises:

accessing a contact book of the user;

determining at least one contact from the contact book; and

transmitting the arrival notification to the at least one contact.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining at least one contact from the contact book comprises:

determining which contacts of the contact book are family members of the user; and

transmitting the arrival notification to the family members.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a confirmation that the at least one third party recipient has received the arrival notification.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the confirmation comprises one of an e-mail, a text message, a voicemail, a push notification, and a pop-up notification.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, using the portable electronic device, an arrival notification of the arrival of the user to at least one third party recipient based on the determining that the user arrived at the destination.

12. An electronic device comprising:

communication circuitry;

a storage component operable to store travel itinerary information of a user; and

control circuitry operable to;

determine, based on the stored travel itinerary information from calendar information of the user, that the user is scheduled to depart for travel at an expected departure time and arrive to a destination at an expected arrival time;

determine that the electronic device in possession by the user is powered off within a first predetermined amount of the expected departure time;

determine that the user arrived at the destination by detecting that the electronic device is powered back on within a second predetermined amount of time of the expected arrival time;

access, from a contact book of the user by the electronic device, at least one third party recipient; and

instruct the communication circuitry to transmit an arrival notification to the at least one third party in response to determining the user is scheduled to travel by airplane and determining the user arrived at the destination by detecting the electronic device is powered back on.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the electronic device comprises a portable electronic device.

14. The electronic device of claim 12, further comprising:

a positioning system operable to determine the current position; and

wherein the processor is further operable to;

determine a destination location based on the stored travel itinerary information;

determine the current position matches the destination location; and

instruct the communication circuitry to transmit the arrival notification in response to determining the current position matches the destination location.

15. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the clock circuitry is further operable to:

determine a second time corresponding to when the electronic device is powered off; and

wherein the processor is further operable to;

determine a scheduled departure time based on the stored travel itinerary information;

determine the scheduled departure time is within a second particular timeframe of the second time; and

instruct the communication circuitry to transmit the arrival notification in response to determining the scheduled departure time is within the second particular timeframe of the second time.

16. The electronic device of claim 12, further comprising:

a display operable to display an optical pattern for unlocking a door of a travel service provider.

17. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the communication circuitry is further operable to:

receive upgrade offers from a server of the travel service provider.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein:

the storage device is further operable to store user preferences; and

the processor is further operable to;

compare the stored user preferences to the received upgrade offers to determine at least one matching upgrade offer; and

provide the at least one matching upgrade offer to the user.

19. The electronic device of claim 12, further comprising:

an input component operable to receive user selections for controlling at least one cabin service of the airplane.

20. Non-transitory machine-readable media comprising non-transitory machine-readable instructions recorded thereon executable by a processor of a portable electronic device for performing a method of:

determining a user is scheduled to depart for travel at an expected departure time and arrive to a destination at an expected arrival time from calendar information of the user;

determining the portable electronic device in possession by the user is powered off within a first predetermined amount of the expected departure time;

determining the user arrived at the destination by detecting that the portable electronic device has been powered back on within a second predetermined amount of time of the expected arrival time;

accessing, from a contact book of the user by the portable electronic device, at least one third party recipient; and

transmitting an arrival notification of the arrival of the user to the at least one third party recipient based on the determining that the user arrived at the destination.