Anticipatory presentation of travel information

• US 8,781,864 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2010
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: De Marcken, Carl
• Primary Examiner(s): BORISSOV, IGOR N
• Application Number:
  US12/773,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20100305983A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,533 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1.1, 705/5, 705/6, 705/7.11, 705/7.12, 705/7.13, 705/7.24, 705/14.1, 705/14.4, 705/14.54, 707/708, 707/E17.108, 340/825.28, 340/825.29
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• 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 30/0256 User search

Abstract

Systems and techniques for presenting travel information to a user are described. A code that includes predetermined travel parameters specified by the user is included in a web page. Access to the web page by a user is detected. A travel query is populated with the predetermined travel parameters and a variable parameter based on identification information associated with the user. Cached travel options that are obtained from prior queries and that satisfy the travel query are presented to the user.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving by at least one computer, a code when a user accesses a web page hosted by an entity, the code identifying the user and including parameters derived from predetermined travel parameters specified by the user in a travel query;

in response to the user accessing the web page, populating, by the at least one computer, a new travel query with parameters derived from the predetermined travel parameters, the parameters including a departure date corresponding to a start of an event to be hosted by the entity, a return date corresponding to an end date of the event, a destination airport having flights with fares published by airlines, said destination airport being nearest to a geographic location of the event, and a variable parameter based on identification information associated with the user, the variable parameter comprising an origin airport corresponding to an airport that is, at least one of, within or nearest to a geographic location of the user;

identifying, by the at least one computer, a set of travel options that satisfy the new travel query, the travel options comprising sets of flights and sets of fares usable with the flights for travel between an origin and a destination; and

sending, by the at least one computer, to the user, the set of travel options that satisfy the new travel query.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the user to edit the predetermined travel parameters and the variable parameter with new travel parameters.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

searching a cache storing travel options with the new travel query; and

returning a subset of travel options from the cached travel options with the subset of travel options satisfying at least the new travel query.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the travel query is not solicited by the user.

5. A computer implemented method comprising:

including in a web page, a code comprising predetermined travel parameters specified by an entity that controls the web page;

detecting by at least one computer that a user has accessed the web page;

in response to the user accessing the web page, populating, by the at least one computer, a travel query with the predetermined travel parameters that include a departure date corresponding to a start of an event to be hosted by the entity, a return date corresponding to an end date of the event, a destination airport having flights with fares published by airlines, said destination airport being nearest to a geographic location of the event, and a variable parameter based on identification information associated with the user, the variable parameter comprising an origin airport corresponding to an airport that is, at least one of, within or nearest to a geographic location of the user, with the travel query not solicited by the user;

identifying, by the at least one computer, a set of travel options that satisfy the query, the travel options comprising sets of flights and sets of fares usable with the flights for travel between an origin and a destination; and

sending, by the at least one computer, to the user, the travel options satisfying the travel query.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the identification information comprises location identification information sufficient to determine the geographic location of the user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the location identification information comprises an internet protocol (IP) address.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the travel query is populated with a variable parameter including one of an outbound city, a destination city, an outbound airport, and a destination airport.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein sending the travel options comprises sending an advertisement comprising the travel options, wherein the advertisement is affiliated with an enterprise paying the entity associated with the web page for permitting the inclusion of the code.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the predetermined travel parameters comprise a destination airport corresponding to an airport nearest to a lodging establishment.

11. A system for presenting travel information to a user, the system comprising:

a processor configured to;

include in a web page, a code comprising predetermined travel parameters specified by an entity that controls the web page;

detect that a user has accessed the web page;

in response to the user accessing the web page, populate a travel query with the predetermined travel parameters that include a departure date corresponding to a start of an event to be hosted by the entity, a return date corresponding to an end date of the event, and a destination airport having flights with fares published by airlines, said destination airport being nearest to a geographic location of the event and a variable parameter based on identification information associated with the user, the variable parameter comprising an origin airport corresponding to an airport that is, at least one of, within or nearest to a geographic location of the user, with the travel query not solicited by the user;

identify a set of travel options that satisfy the query, the travel options comprising sets of flights and sets of fares usable with the flights for travel between an origin and a destination; and

send, to the user, the travel options satisfying the travel query.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the identification information comprises location identification information sufficient to determine the geographic location of the user.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the location identification information comprises an internet protocol (IP) address.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the travel query is populated with a variable parameter including one of an outbound city, a destination city, an outbound airport, and a destination airport.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to display an advertisement comprising the travel options, the advertisement affiliated with an enterprise paying the entity associated with the web page for permitting inclusion of the code.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the predetermined travel parameters comprise a destination airport corresponding to an airport nearest to a lodging establishment.

17. A non-transitory computer program product for presenting travel information to a user, the computer program product being tangibly stored on machine readable media, comprising instructions operable to cause one or more processors to:

produce, a code when a user accesses a web page hosted by an entity, the code sufficient to identify the user and including parameters derived from predetermined travel parameters specified by the user in a travel query;

detect that the user has accessed the web page;

in response to the user accessing the web page, populate a different travel query with parameters derived from the predetermined travel parameters, the parameters including a departure date corresponding to a start of an event to be hosted by the entity, a return date corresponding to an end date of the event, a destination airport having flights with fares published by airlines, said destination airport being nearest to a geographic location of the event, and a variable parameter based on identification information associated with the user, the variable parameter comprising an origin airport corresponding to an airport that is, at least one of, within or nearest to a geographic location of the user;

send the travel query to a cache that stores travel options;

receive a set of travel options that satisfy the query, the travel options comprising sets of flights and sets of fares usable with the flights for travel between an origin and a destination; and

send, to the user, the set of travel options that satisfy the travel query.

18. The product of claim 17, further comprising instructions to enable the user to edit the predetermined travel parameters and the variable parameter with new travel parameters.

19. The product of claim 18, further comprising instructions to:

search a cache storing cached travel options for travel planning with the different travel query; and

return a subset of travel options from the cached travel options with a subset of travel options satisfying at least the different travel query.

20. The product of claim 17, wherein the travel query is not solicited by the user.

21. A non-transitory computer program product for presenting travel information to a user, the computer program product being tangibly stored on machine readable media, comprising instructions operable to cause one or more processors to:

include in a web page, a code comprising predetermined travel parameters specified by an entity that controls the web page;

detect that the user has accessed the web page;

in response to the user accessing the web page, populate a travel query with the predetermined travel parameters that include a departure date corresponding to a start of an event to be hosted by the entity, a return date corresponding to an end date of the event, a destination airport having flights with fares published by airlines, said destination airport being nearest to a geographic location of the event, and a variable parameter based on identification information associated with the user, the variable parameter comprising an origin airport corresponding to an airport that, is at least one of, within or nearest to a geographic location of the user, with the travel query not solicited by the user;

send the travel query to a cache that stores cached travel options;

identify a set of travel options that satisfy the query, the travel options comprising sets of flights and sets of fares usable with the flights for travel between an origin and a destination; and

send, to the user, the travel options satisfying the travel query.

22. The product of claim 21, wherein the identification information comprises location identification information sufficient to determine the geographic location of the user.

23. The product of claim 22, wherein the location identification information comprises an internet protocol (IP) address.

24. The product of claim 21, wherein the travel query is populated with a variable parameter including one of an outbound city, a destination city, an outbound airport, and a destination airport.

25. The product of claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured to display an advertisement comprising the travel options, the advertisement affiliated with an enterprise paying the entity associated with the web page for permitting inclusion of the code.

26. The product of claim 21, wherein the predetermined travel parameters comprise a destination airport corresponding to an airport nearest to a lodging establishment.