Flights search

• US 9,684,690 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2012
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Brodziak, Marcin Z., Pellereau, Emmanuel Francois-David, Semecky, Jiri, Wedum, Petter, Connolly, Emmet J., Diaz, Alejandro, Pharies, Stefan H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Waldron, Scott A
• Assistant Examiner(s): MINA, FATIMA P
• Application Number:
  US13/979,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20140052714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,986 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for information retrieval. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a search query in a search interface; determining that the received search query is a flights-related query; and in response to determining that the search query is a flights-related query and without further user input, providing a flight search interface including a plurality of search dimensions and a plurality of flight search results, each dimension associated with an attribute of flight search and each dimension having an associated value, wherein one or more dimension values correspond to values extracted from the search query, and wherein the plurality of flight search results are filtered according to the dimension values.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method to search for flights from non-customized search engine interfaces, comprising:

receiving, by one or more computing devices, an expressive search query in a search interface, wherein the search interface is not customized for flight search inputs from a user computing device and the search interface is configured to accept a search query that is not flight-related;

determining, by the one or more computing devices, that the received search query is a flights-related query based on context in the search query; and

in response to determining that the search query is a flights-related query and without further user input, providing, by the one or more computing devices, a flight search interface including a plurality of search dimensions and a plurality of specific flight search results, each dimension associated with an attribute of flight search and each dimension having an associated value, wherein one or more dimension values correspond to values extracted from the search query, wherein each specific flight search result identifies a specific flight responsive to the query, and wherein the plurality of specific flight search results are filtered according to the dimension values.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of dimensions are associated with default values.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, by the one or more computing devices, user input adjusting one or more values in the dimensions portion; and

automatically updating, by the one or more computing devices, the plurality of specific flight search results in response to the user input.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining that the received search query is a flights-related query is based on processing the received search query.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein one or more of the values associated with the dimensions are adjustable based on user input.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining that the received search query is a flights-related query includes identifying one or more keywords associated with flight queries.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising providing, by the one or more computing devices, a link to one or more third party booking sites in response to a user selection of one or more specific flight search results.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the portion includes an interactive map and wherein the user can modify an origin or destination value through a map input.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the dimensions portion includes a flights scatterplot displaying flights with respect to a pair of dimensions.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, by the one or more computing devices, a user input modifying a marker position associated with one or more of the pair of dimensions in the scatterplot; and

updating, by the one or more computing devices, the plurality of specific flight search results according to flights within the region of the scatterplot demarcated by the user input.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the one or more computing devices, a user input selecting a particular flight search result; and

in response to the selection, presenting, by the one or more computing devices, one or more associated return specific flight search results.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein a user selection of a flight search result and a return flight search result identifies a selected itinerary.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein each specific flight search result comprises a flight number.

14. A system comprising data processing apparatus and one or more storage devices storing instructions that, when executed by the data processing apparatus, cause the system to perform operations comprising:

receiving an expressive search query in a search interface, wherein the search interface is not customized for flight search inputs from a user computing device, and the search interface is configured to accept a search query that is not flight-related;

determining that the received search query is a flights-related query based on context in the search query; and

in response to determining that the search query is a flights-related query and without further user input, providing a flight search interface including a plurality of search dimensions and a plurality of specific flight search results, each dimension associated with an attribute of flight search and each dimension having an associated value, wherein one or more dimension values correspond to values extracted from the search query, wherein each specific flight search result identifies a flight responsive to the query, and wherein the plurality of specific flight search results are filtered according to the dimension values.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein one or more of the plurality of dimensions are associated with default values.

16. The system of claim 15, further storing instructions that, when executed by the data processing apparatus, cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving user input adjusting one or more values in the dimensions portion; and

automatically updating the specific flight search results in response to the user input.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein determining that the received search query is a flights-related query is based on processing the received search query.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein one or more of the values associated with the dimensions are adjustable based on user input.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein:

the dimensions portion includes a flights scatterplot displaying flights with respect to a pair of dimensions; and

the system stores instructions that, when executed by the data processing apparatus, cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising;

receiving a user input modifying a marker position associated with one or more of the pair of dimensions in the scatterplot; and

updating specific flight search results according to flights within the region of the scatterplot demarcated by the user input.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein each specific flight search result comprises a flight number.

21. A non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that, when executed by data processing apparatus, cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving an expressive search query in a search interface, wherein the search interface is not customized for flight search inputs from a user computing device and the search interface is configured to accept a search query that is not flight-related;

determining that the received search query is a flights-related query based on context in the search query; and

in response to determining that the search query is a flights-related query and without further user input, providing a flight search interface including a plurality of search dimensions and a plurality of specific flight search results, each dimension associated with an attribute of flight search and each dimension having an associated value, wherein one or more dimension values correspond to values extracted from the search query, wherein each specific flight search result identifies a flight responsive to the query, and wherein the plurality of specific flight search results are filtered according to the dimension values.

22. The computer storage medium of claim 21, wherein one or more of the plurality of dimensions are associated with default values.

23. The computer storage medium of claim 22, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving user input adjusting one or more values in the dimensions portion; and

automatically updating the specific flight search results in response to the user input.

24. The computer storage medium of claim 21, wherein determining that the received search query is a flights-related query is based on processing the received search query.

25. The computer storage medium of claim 24, wherein one or more of the values associated with the dimensions is adjustable based on user input.

26. The computer storage medium of claim 24, wherein determining that the received search query is a flights-related query includes identifying one or more keywords associated with flight queries.

27. The computer storage medium of claim 21, the computer-executable program instructions further comprising computer program instructions to provide a notice to the user of the refund.