Interactive user interface for displaying available trips

• US 8,831,881 B1
• Filed: 05/15/2013
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Graells, Albert, Baig, Haroon, Goerisch, Florian, Wilder, Joshua, van As, Thijs, Seyboth, Stephan
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US13/894,477
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 701/117, 701/533, 340/572.1
• US Class Current: 701/533
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

An interactive user interface for displaying available trips is provided. The user interface includes a calendar overview tool. An exemplary computing system has a processor and a memory. The computing system is configured to perform operations including obtaining data describing a plurality of trips between an origin and a destination. Each trip has a departure time and an arrival time. The operations also include respectively representing the plurality of trips with a plurality of trip identifiers at different positions on a first axis of a graph. The graph has units of time on a second axis. Each trip identifier extends from the arrival time to the departure time of the trip such trip identifier represents. An interval of time depicted by the graph can be adjusted by a user.

Claims

1. A computing system comprising a processor and a memory, the computing system being configured to perform operations comprising:

obtaining data describing a plurality of trips between an origin and a destination, each trip having a departure time and an arrival time; and

respectively representing the plurality of trips with a plurality of trip identifiers at different positions on a first axis of a graph, the graph having units of time on a second axis, wherein each trip identifier extends from the arrival time to the departure time of the trip such trip identifier represents, and wherein an interval of time depicted by the graph can be adjusted by a user;

responsive to a user request, scrolling the graph with respect to the second axis;

when the graph is positive scrolled with respect to the second axis such that one of the departure times associated with one of the plurality of trips is no longer included in the interval of time depicted by the graph, removing from the graph the trip identifier representing the trip having the departure time which is no longer included in the interval of time depicted by the graph; and

when the graph is negatively scrolled with respect to the second axis such that one of the arrival times associated with one of the plurality of trips is no longer included in the interval of time depicted by the graph, removing from the graph the trip identifier representing the trip having the departure time which is no longer included in the interval of time depicted by the graph.

2. The computing system of claim 1, being configured to perform further operations comprising populating the graph with additional trip identifiers representing additional trips when the interval of time depicted by the graph is adjusted by the user, the additional trips respectively having arrival times and departure times within the interval of time depicted by the graph after being adjusted by the user.

3. The computing system of claim 1, being configured to perform further operations comprising:

receiving a user selection of one of the plurality of trip identifiers; and

adjusting the plurality of trip identifiers such that all trip identifiers other than the selected trip identifier are presented in a faded fashion.

4. The computing system of claim 1, wherein:

each of the plurality of trips comprises one or more legs; and

each trip identifier comprises one or more portions respectively corresponding to the one or more legs of the trip such trip identifier represents.

5. The computing system of claim 4, wherein:

each leg of each trip has a duration; and

each portion of each trip identifier has a length that is proportional to the duration of the leg to which such portion corresponds.

6. The computing system of claim 4, wherein:

each leg of each trip corresponds to transportation using one of a plurality of modes of transportation; and

each portion of each trip identifier provides an indication of the mode of transportation used by the leg to which such portion corresponds.

7. The computing system of claim 1, being configured to perform further operations comprising:

receiving a user selection of one of the plurality of trip identifiers; and

depicting the trip represented by the selected trip identifier on a map.

8. The computing system of claim 1, being configured to perform further operations comprising updating a position of an indicator with respect to the second axis of the graph such that the indicator indicates a current time.

9. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the first axis comprises a y-axis and the second axis comprises an x-axis, the computing system being configured to perform operations comprising:

responsive to a user request, scrolling the graph with respect to the x-axis;

moving the plurality of trip identifiers upwards and to the left when the graph is positively scrolled with respect to the x-axis; and

moving the plurality of trip identifiers downwards and to the right when the graph is negatively scrolled with respect to the x-axis.

10. The computing system of claim 1, wherein a size of the graph with respect to the first axis can be adjusted by a user such that additional trip identifiers representing additional trips can be provided at additional positions on the first axis when the size of the graph is increased with respect to the second axis.

11. A device comprising a processor and a memory, the device being configured to perform operations comprising:

receiving data describing a plurality of trips between an origin and a destination, the data being responsive to a user request;

providing to the user on a display of the device an interactive user interface for exploring the plurality of trips;

wherein the interactive user interface comprises a calendar overview tool depicting the plurality of trips across an interval of time.

12. The device of claim 11, being configured to perform further operations comprising:

receiving a user request to adjust the interval of time provided by the calendar overview tool;

requesting and receiving data describing additional trips between the origin and the destination; and

depicting the additional trips across the adjusted interval of time using the calendar overview tool.

13. A computing system comprising a processor and a memory, the computing system being configured to perform operations comprising:

obtaining data describing a plurality of trips between an origin and a destination, each trip having a departure time and an arrival time; and

respectively representing the plurality of trips with a plurality of trip identifiers at different positions on a y-axis of a graph, the graph having units of time on an x-axis, wherein each trip identifier extends from the arrival time to the departure time of the trip such trip identifier represents, and wherein an interval of time depicted by the graph can be adjusted by a user;

responsive to a user request, scrolling the graph with respect to the x-axis;

moving the plurality of trip identifiers upwards and to the left when the graph is positively scrolled with respect to the x-axis; and

moving the plurality of trip identifiers downwards and to the right when the graph is negatively scrolled with respect to the x-axis.