Filling a query cache for travel planning

• US 20040249682A1
• Filed: 06/06/2003
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Boyan, Justin A., DeMarcken, Carl G.
• Application Number:
  US10/456,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20040249682A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24552 Database cache management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3349 Reuse of stored results of previous queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events

Abstract

A query cache for travel planning includes a cache database that stores query results and a cache test mechanism that receives a travel planning query and uses the query to find a result in the cache database and if a result is found returns the result, the result including a set of answers each answer in the set having a flight and a fare useable with the flight.

Claims

1. A method of filling a query cache that stores query results for travel planning, the method comprising:

storing query results for travel planning in a cache database;

retrieving query results and querying a travel planning system with queries based on cached answers that comprise the retrieved result; and

storing answers returned from the retrieving produced by the travel planning system in response to the queries based on the cached answers.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the new queries are flight-pricing queries.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the new queries are low-fare-search queries that are constrained by a parameter of the query.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the new queries are low-fare-search queries constrained by route or flight numbers.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the new queries are low-fare-search queries constrained by airline.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the new queries are low-fare-search queries constrained by date.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the new queries are low-fare-search queries constrained by at least one selected from the group consisting of airline, date, route or flight number.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the new queries are low-fare-search queries constrained by airline.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

preemptively performing queries to fill the cache.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising instructions to:

produce the new queries as flight-pricing queries.

12. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising instructions to:

produce the new queries as low-fare-search queries that are constrained by a parameter of the query.

13. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising instructions to:

produce the new queries as low-fare-search queries constrained by route or flight numbers.

14. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising instructions to:

produce the new queries as low-fare-search queries constrained by airline.

15. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising instructions to:

produce the new queries as flight-pricing queries low-fare-search queries constrained by date.

16. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising instructions to:

produce the new queries as flight-pricing queries low-fare-search queries constrained by at least one parameter of the query selected from the group consisting of airline, date, route or flight number.

17. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising instructions to:

preemptively performing queries to fill the cache.

18. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the preemptive queries are prioritized based on estimates of probability of staleness of results in the cache or changes to the travel database.

10. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium for filling a query cache for travel planning comprises instructions to:

store query results for travel planning in a cache database;

retrieve query results and querying a travel planning system with queries based on cached answers that comprise the retrieved result; and

store answers returned from the retrieving produced by the travel planning system in response to the queries based on the cached answers.

19. A query cache for travel planning comprises:

a cache database that stores query results for travel planning;

a process to retrieve query results and query a travel planning system with new queries based on cached answers that comprise the retrieved result; and

a process to store answers returned from the retrieving produced by the travel planning system in response to the queries based on the cached answers.

20. The query cache of claim 19 further comprising:

a process to produce the new queries as flight-pricing queries.

21. The query cache of claim 19 further comprising:

a process to produce the new queries as low-fare-search queries that are constrained by a parameter of the query.

22. The query cache of claim 19 further comprising:

a process to produce the new queries as low-fare-search queries constrained by route or flight numbers.

23. The query cache of claim 19 further comprising:

a process to produce the new queries as low-fare-search queries constrained by airline.

24. The query cache of claim 19 further comprising:

a process to produce the new queries as flight-pricing queries low-fare-search queries constrained by date.

25. The query cache of claim 19 further comprising:

a process to produce the new queries as flight-pricing queries low-fare-search queries constrained by at least one parameter of the query selected from the group consisting of airline, date, route or flight number.

26. The query cache of claim 19 further comprising:

a process to produce preemptively perform queries to fill the cache.

27. The query cache of claim 26 wherein the preemptive queries are prioritized based on estimates of probability of staleness of results in the cache or changes to the travel database.

28. A query cache for travel planning comprising:

a cache database that stores query results;

a retrieval mechanism that retrieves cached query results in response to a received query for travel options and if a result is found,

queries a travel planning system with queries that are based on cached answers that comprise the cached result and to perform a new search based on the received query; and

returns a combination of the cached answers and answers received from the new search based on the received query.

29. The query cache of claim 28 further comprising:

a process to preemptively perform queries to fill the cache.

30. The query cache of claim 28 wherein preemptive queries are deeper than ordinary queries.

31. The query cache of claim 29 wherein the preemptive queries are prioritized based on estimates of probability of staleness of results in the cache or changes to the travel database.

32. The query cache of claim 28 wherein the queries based on cached answers and the query based on the received query are processed jointly by a travel planning system to simultaneously determine prices for queries based on cached answers and the query based on the original query.

33. A method of managing a query cache for travel planning, the method comprising:

storing query results in a cache database;

retrieving cached query results in response to a received query for travel options and if a result is found,

querying a travel planning system with queries that are based on cached answers that comprise the cached result;

performing a new search based on the received query; and

returning a combination of the cached answers from answers received from the search based on the received query.

34. The method of claim 33 further comprising:

preemptively performing queries to fill the cache.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein preemptive queries are deeper than ordinary queries.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein the preemptive queries are prioritized based on estimates of probability of staleness of results in the cache or changes to the travel database.

37. The query cache of claim 33 wherein the queries based on cached answers and the query based on the received query are processed jointly by a travel planning system to simultaneously determine prices for queries based on cached answers and the query based on the original query.

38. A computer program product for managing a query cache for travel planning comprises instructions for causing a computer to:

store query results in a cache database;

retrieve cached query results in response to a received query for travel options and if a result is found,

query a travel planning system with queries that are based on cached answers that comprise the cached result;

perform a new query search to the travel planning system, the new query search being based on the received query; and

return a combination of the cached answers and answers received from the new query search based on the received query.

39. The computer program product of claim 38 further comprising instructions to:

preemptively perform queries to fill the cache.

40. The computer program product of claim 38 wherein preemptive queries are deeper than ordinary queries.

41. The query cache of claim 38 wherein the preemptive queries are prioritized based on estimates of probability of staleness of results in the cache or changes to the travel database.

42. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium for producing query results from a travel planning query cache, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing a computer to:

retrieve cached query results from a cache database that stores query results;

query a travel planning system with queries based on testing of cached answers that comprise the result; and

returns the answers produced by the new queries.

43. The computer program product of claim 42 further comprising instructions to:

preemptively perform queries to fill the cache.

44. The computer program product of claim 42 wherein the new queries are flight-pricing queries.

45. The computer program product of claim 42 wherein the new queries are low-fare-search queries constrained by route or flight numbers.

46. The computer program product of claim 42 wherein the new queries are low-fare-search queries constrained by airline.

47. The computer program product of claim 46 wherein the new queries are low-fare-search queries constrained by date.

48. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium for producing query results from a travel planning query cache, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing a computer to:

retrieve cached query results from a cache database that stores query results, and if cached query results are found;

filter cached answers in the result that are stale; and

perform a new query to a travel planning system based on the query to return a combination of search results from the new query and the filtered cached answers.

49. The computer program product of claim 48 wherein the search is a shallow search.

50. The computer program product of claim 48 further comprising instructions to:

fill the cache by preemptively performing queries to a travel planning system to return search results that are stored in the cache.

51. A query cache for travel planning comprising:

a cache database that stores query results;

a retrieval mechanism that retrieves cached query results and if cached results are found, filters stale cached answers that comprise the cache results and performs a new search based on the query to return a combination of search results and the filtered cached answers.

52. The query cache of claim 51 wherein the search is a shallow search.

53. The query cache of claim 51 further comprising:

a filling process that preemptively performs queries to fill the cache.

54. The query cache of claim 53 wherein the preemptive queries are prioritized based on estimates of probability of staleness of results in the cache or changes to the travel database.

55. The query cache of claim 51 wherein the preemptive search queries are deeper than ordinary queries.

56. The query cache of claim 51 wherein the queries based on cached answers and the query based on the received query are processed jointly by a travel planning system to simultaneously determine prices for queries based on cached answers and the query based on the original query.

57. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium for producing query results from a travel planning query cache, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing a computer to:

retrieve cached query results from a cache database that stores query results;

query a travel planning system with queries based on testing of cached answers that comprise the result; and

returns the answers produced by the new queries.

58. The computer program product of claim 57 further comprising instructions to:

preemptively perform queries to fill the cache.

59. The computer program product of claim 57 wherein the new queries are flight-pricing queries.

60. The computer program product of claim 57 wherein the new queries are low-fare-search queries constrained by route or flight numbers.

61. The computer program product of claim 57 wherein the new queries are low-fare-search queries constrained by airline.

62. The computer program product of claim 61 wherein the new queries are low-fare-search queries constrained by date.