Method and systems for detecting duplicate travel path

• US 8,712,811 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2012
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Concur Technologies Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: Concur Technologies Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Fredericks, Michael, Silveria, Lisa Anne, Denmark, Richard Thor, Lore, Michael, Moffatt, Keith, Ollenberger, Brian Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): CAMPBELL, SHANNON S
• Application Number:
  US13/602,589
• Publication Number:
  US 20120330906A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 705/5, 705/6
• US Class Current: 705/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/14 Travel agencies

Abstract

A system and method comprising: receiving itinerary data from at least two sources; identifying a traveler associated with the itinerary data; and adding information about the identified traveler to the itinerary data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

performing processing associated with receiving, with an identity assignment module in communication with a computer comprising a database, a first reservation from a first source and at least one second reservation from at least one second source, the at least one second reservation comprising;

at least one new reservation with respect to the first reservation, at least one change to the first reservation, or at least one replacement of the first reservation;

performing processing associated with identifying, with the identity assignment module, a traveler associated with the first reservation;

performing processing associated with adding, with the identity assignment module, information about the identified traveler from the first reservation to an itinerary record in the database;

performing processing associated with retrieving, with a merge and de-duplication module in communication with the computer, the itinerary record associated with the first reservation of the identified traveler from the database;

performing processing associated with determining, with the merge and de-duplication module, whether information from the at least one second reservation will replace information from the first reservation;

performing processing associated with combining, with the merge and de-duplication module, information from the first reservation and information from the at least one second reservation when it cannot be determined whether the information from the at least one second reservation will replace the information from the first reservation;

performing processing associated with storing, with the merge and de-duplication module, an updated itinerary record in the database, the updated itinerary record being updated based on replacement information and/or combined information,

performing processing associated with retrieving, with a policy enforcement module in communication with the computer, the updated itinerary record from the database;

performing processing associated with evaluating, with the policy enforcement module, the updated itinerary record to determine whether it is in compliance with a policy;

performing processing associated with adding, with the policy enforcement module, non-compliance data to an evaluated itinerary record when the evaluated itinerary record is not in compliance with the policy so that the evaluated itinerary record is marked non-compliant;

performing processing associated with sending, with an itinerary management interface module in communication with the computer, at least some information from the non-compliant itinerary record to a display when the evaluated itinerary record is not in compliance with the policy; and

performing processing associated with storing, with the itinerary management interface module, information from the non-compliant itinerary record in the database when the evaluated itinerary record is not in compliance with the policy.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing processing associated with identifying, with the identity assignment module, a company associated with the itinerary record; and

performing processing associated with adding, with the identity assignment module, information about the identified company to the itinerary record.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing processing associated with storing, with the identity assignment module, the itinerary record in the database.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing processing associated with receiving, with an itinerary parser module in communication with the computer, an email associated with an itinerary;

performing processing associated with parsing, with the itinerary parser module, the email into structured data;

performing processing associated with adding, with the itinerary parser module, related data to the structured data to create the itinerary record; and

performing processing associated with sending, with the itinerary parser module, the itinerary record to the identity assignment module.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing processing associated with adding, with the policy enforcement module, compliance information to the evaluated itinerary record when the evaluated itinerary record is in compliance with the policy.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing processing associated with receiving, with the itinerary management interface module, a command in response to the sending of the non-compliant itinerary record to the display when the evaluated itinerary record is not in compliance with the policy;

performing processing associated with marking, with the policy enforcement module, the evaluated itinerary record as allowed or requiring a change.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first source and the at least one second source comprise at least two of the following:

a supplier direct connection, an online booking tool, an email from a user, or a travel agent, or any combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein expenses related to an itinerary may be incorporated into an expense report and/or a location of a user may be determined.

9. A system comprising:

a processor configured for;

performing processing associated with receiving, with an identity assignment module in communication with a computer comprising a database, a first reservation from a first source and at least one second reservation from at least one second source, the at least one second reservation comprising;

at least one new reservation with respect to the first reservation, at least one change to the first reservation, or at least one replacement of the first reservation;

performing processing associated with identifying, with the identity module, a traveler associated with the first reservation;

performing processing associated with adding, with the identity assignment module, information about the identified traveler from the first reservation to an itinerary record in the database;

performing processing associated with retrieving, with a merge and de-duplication module in communication with the computer, the itinerary record associated with the first reservation of the identified traveler from the database;

performing processing associated with determining, with the merge and de-duplication module, whether information from the at least one second reservation will replace information from the first reservation;

performing processing associated with combining, with the merge and de-duplication module, information from the first reservation and information from the at least one second reservation when it cannot be determined whether the information from the at least one second reservation will replace the information from the first reservation;

performing processing associated with storing, with the merge and de-duplication module, an updated itinerary record in the database, the updated itinerary record being updated based on replacement information and/or combined information;

performing processing associated with retrieving, with a policy enforcement module in communication with the computer, the updated itinerary record from the database;

performing processing associated with evaluating, with the policy enforcement module, the updated itinerary record to determine whether it is in compliance with a policy;

performing processing associated with adding, with the policy enforcement module, non-compliance data to an evaluated itinerary record when the evaluated itinerary record is not in compliance with the policy so that the evaluated itinerary record is marked non-compliant;

performing processing associated with sending, with an itinerary management interface module in communication with the computer, at least some information from the non-compliant itinerary record to a display when the evaluated itinerary record is not in compliance with the policy; and

performing processing associated with storing, with the itinerary management interface module, information from the non-compliant itinerary record in the database when the evaluated itinerary record is not in compliance with the policy.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured for:

performing processing associated with identifying, with the identity assignment module, a company associated with the itinerary record; and

performing processing associated with adding, with the identity assignment module, information about the identified company to the itinerary record.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured for performing processing associated with storing, with the identity assignment module, the itinerary record in the database.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured for:

performing processing associated with receiving, with an itinerary parser module in communication with the computer, an email associated with an itinerary;

performing processing associated with parsing, with the itinerary parser module, the email into structured data;

performing processing associated with adding, with the itinerary parser module, related data to the structured data to create an itinerary record; and

performing processing associated with sending, with the itinerary parser module, the itinerary record to the identity assignment module.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured for performing processing associated with adding, with the policy enforcement module, compliance information to the evaluated itinerary record when the evaluated itinerary record is in compliance with the policy.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured for:

performing processing associated with receiving, with the itinerary management interface module, a command in response to the sending of the non-compliant itinerary record to the display when the evaluated itinerary record is not in compliance with the policy;

performing processing associated with marking, with the policy enforcement module, the evaluated itinerary record as allowed or requiring a change.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the first source and the at least one second source comprise at least two of the following:

a supplier direct connection, an online booking tool, an email from a user, or a travel agent, or any combination thereof.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein expenses related to an itinerary may be incorporated into an expense report and/or a location of a user may be determined.