Communication management systems and methods

• US 9,477,961 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2012
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amadeus North America Incorporated (Amadeus Global Travel Distribution S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Charter Solutions International
• Inventors: Pfeffer, Thomas, Beveridge, Derek, Patel, Vishrut
• Primary Examiner(s): OUELLETTE, JONATHAN P
• Application Number:
  US13/545,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20120278092A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,568 Days
• Field of Search: 705/321, 705 11-912
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/00 Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism healthcare informatics G16H
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/14 Travel agencies
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/265 Personal security, identity or safety
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/20 Destination assistance within a business structure or complex
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

A computer system that is adapted for: (A) displaying a geographical map on a display screen; (B) displaying a plurality of icons on the geographical map, each of which generally represents the current location of at least one individual; (C) allowing a user to select a group of the icons; and (D) after the user selects the group of icons, providing messaging functionality for allowing the user to send a common message to the respective portable computing devices of at least substantially all of the individuals who correspond to the selected group of icons. In particular embodiments, the system allows the user to send the message by executing a single activity, such as selecting a single button. The system may also be configured to approximate the current location of an individual based on the individual'"'"'s current travel itinerary.

Claims

1. A communication management system to communicate with multiple travelers, comprising:

a computer processor; and

a memory in communication with the computer processor,

wherein the computer processor executes instructions that are stored in the memory to cause the system to;

display a geographical map on a display screen;

determine, over time and from a geocoded electronic itinerary of each of a plurality of travelers, and apart from location information received from a location determination device, a physical location of each traveler, wherein the electronic itinerary associates each traveler with a plurality of locations at a given time, and wherein determining a physical location of each traveler comprises applying logic to automatically determine which itinerary location most accurately represents each traveler'"'"'s physical location;

display each of a plurality of icons in a respective location on the geographical map, each respective location corresponding at least generally to the determined physical location of each of the plurality of travelers at a given time;

receive a definition of a geographical area on the geographical map;

identify, over time, each traveler of the plurality of travelers entering the geographical area as determined from the geocoded electronic itinerary of each of a plurality of travelers, and apart from location information received from a location determination device; and

in response to identifying a traveler of the plurality of travelers entering the geographical area, send a message to a portable computing device associated with the traveler identified as entering the geographical area.

2. The communication management system of claim 1, wherein the geographical area is defined by defining a polygon on the geographical map.

3. The communication management system of claim 1, wherein identifying further comprises identifying only those travelers who work for a particular company and are entering the geographical area as determined from the geocoded electronic itinerary of each of a plurality of travelers, and apart from location information received from a location determination device.

4. The communication management system of claim 1, further comprising providing messaging functionality allowing each traveler receiving the message to communicate with a travel coordinator.

5. The communication management system of claim 4, wherein the messaging functionality allows each of said number of travelers receiving the message to respond to the message.

6. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer executable instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to send a common message to each of a number of travelers, said computer-executable instructions comprising instructions to;

display a geographical map on a display screen;

determine, over time and from a geocoded electronic itinerary of each of a plurality of travelers, and apart from location information received from a location determination device, a physical location of each traveler, wherein the electronic itinerary associates each traveler with a plurality of locations at a given time, and wherein determining a physical location of each traveler comprises applying logic to automatically determine which itinerary location most accurately represents each traveler'"'"'s physical location;

display each of a plurality of icons in a respective location on the geographical map, each of the plurality of icons representing a traveler of the number of travelers, and the respective location corresponding at least generally to the determined physical location physical location of each of the plurality of travelers at a given time;

receive a definition of a geographical area on the geographical map;

identify, over time, each traveler of the number of travelers entering the geographical area as determined from the geocoded electronic itinerary of each of a plurality of travelers, and apart from location information received from a location determination device; and

in response to identifying a traveler as entering the geographical area, send the common message to a portable computing device associated with the identified traveler.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, further comprising allowing each traveler receiving a message to respond to the received message.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, further storing computer executable instructions to, in response to receiving a response from a particular one of the number of travelers, change an appearance of an icon associated with the particular one of the number of travelers.

9. A computer-implemented method to communicate with a number of travelers, comprising:

displaying, by one or more computer processors, a geographical map on a display screen;

determining, by one or more computer processors, over time and from a geocoded electronic itinerary of each of a plurality of travelers, and apart from location information received from a location determination device, a physical location of each traveler, wherein the electronic itinerary associates each traveler with a plurality of locations at a given time, and wherein determining a physical location of each traveler comprises applying logic to automatically determine which itinerary location most accurately represents each traveler'"'"'s physical location;

displaying, by the one or more computer processors, a plurality of icons on the geographical map, each icon representing a traveler at a location on the geographical map corresponding at least generally to a determined physical location physical location of each of the plurality of travelers at a given time;

receiving, by the one or more computer processors, a definition of a geographical area on the geographical map;

identifying, over time, each traveler entering the geographical area as determined from the geocoded electronic itinerary of each of a plurality of travelers, and apart from location information received from a location determination device; and

in response to identifying each traveler entering the geographical area, providing, by the one or more computer processors, messaging functionality to send a message to a portable computing device associated with the identified traveler.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein said messaging functionality allows:

each traveler receiving the message to respond to the message.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising changing, by the one or more computer processors, an appearance of an icon representing a particular traveler in response to receiving a response from a portable computing device of the particular traveler.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising:

in response to receiving, from the portable computing device, a first type of response, changing, by the one or more processors, an appearance of the icon representing the particular traveler in a first way; and

in response to receiving, from the portable computing device, a second type of response, changing, by the one or more processors, an appearance of the icon representing the particular traveler in a second way.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein identifying further comprises identifying only those travelers who work for a particular company and are entering the geographical area as determined from the geocoded electronic itinerary of each of a plurality of travelers, and apart from location information received from a location determination device.