Creating a Travel Community

• US 20090157613A1
• Filed: 12/17/2007
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Schoo, Karsten, Strohmenger, Klaus
• Granted Patent: US 8,700,539 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A user may be matched to a community or another user based on travel information such as destination, route, time to arrival and the like. Thus, a user traveling to a destination may be able to communicate with or meet other users traveling to the same destination. Other information may also be used in determining matches including habits, interests or relationship status. In one arrangement, travel information may automatically be obtained from a navigation engine while a user is traveling. The travel information may be automatically sent from the navigation engine or a communication system associated therewith to a server configured for identifying matches between users or between users and communities. A user may further set a match threshold to control the number of matches that are returned. Recommendations for restaurants, activities, hotels and the like may also be determined based on the history and profile of matching users.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving data relating to a trip being taken by a first user to a specified destination, wherein the data is generated by an automated navigation engine;

determining trip information associated with a second user;

determining whether the trip information associated with the second user matches the received trip data of the first user; and

in response to determining that the trip information associated with the second user matches the trip data of the first user, creating a community between the first and second users.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining travel recommendations for the first user based on previous travel of the second user; and

filtering the travel recommendations based on a user profile of the first user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the trip information associated with the second user matches the received trip data of the first user further comprises determining whether a non-travel interest of the first user matches a non-travel interest of the second user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the non-travel interest of the first user is stored in a user profile of the first user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the community includes at least one of:

a message forum, a chat room and an e-mail listserv.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the trip information associated with the second user is received from the second user while the second user is also traveling to the specified destination.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining whether the trip information associated with the second user matches the received trip data of the first user comprises determining whether the first user and the second user are projected to arrive at the specified destination within a predefined amount of time of each other.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the trip information associated with the second user matches the received trip data of the first user includes determining whether the specified destination of the first user and a destination of the second user are within a predefined proximity.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the trip information associated with the second user matches the received trip data of the first user includes determining whether a first mode of travel of the first user matches a second mode of travel of the second user.

10. A method comprising:

determining, using an automated navigation engine, trip data associated with a trip being taken by a first user;

transmitting the trip data to a server requesting identification of a second user associated with trip information matching the determined trip data of the first user; and

in response to the transmission, receiving information about the second user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the information about the second user includes community information for a community of which the second user is a member.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving one or more travel recommendations based on a travel history of the second user.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the information about the second user includes an e-mail address.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving updates to a location of the second user.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting a match threshold to the community server, the match threshold configured for use in determining whether a match exists between the first user and the second user.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

memory configured to store computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to perform a method comprising;

receiving data relating to a trip being taken by a first user to a specified destination, wherein the data is generated by an automated navigation engine;

determining trip information associated with a second user;

determining whether the trip information associated with the second user matches the received trip data of the first user; and

in response to determining that the trip information associated with the second user matches the trip data of the first user, creating a community between the first and second users.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, the memory further comprising instructions for:

determining travel recommendations for the first user based on previous travel of the second user; and

filtering the travel recommendations based on a user profile of the first user.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein determining whether the trip information associated with the second user matches the received trip data of the first user further comprises determining whether a non-travel interest of the first user matches a non-travel interest of the second user.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the trip information associated with the second user is received from the second user while the second user is also traveling to the specified destination.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein determining whether the trip information associated with the second user matches the received trip data of the first user comprises determining whether the first user and the second user are projected to arrive at the specified destination within a predefined amount of time of each other.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

memory configured to store computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to perform a method comprising;

determining, using an automated navigation engine, trip data associated with a trip being taken by a first user;

transmitting the trip data to a server requesting identification of a second user associated with trip information matching the determined trip data of the first user; and

in response to the transmission, receiving information about the second user.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the information about the second user includes information relating to a community of which the second user is a member.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising receiving one or more travel recommendations based on a travel history of the second user.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the information about the second user includes an e-mail address.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising receiving updates to a location of the second user.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising transmitting a match threshold to the community server, the match threshold configured for use in determining whether a match exists between the first user and the second user.

27. One or more computer readable media storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

determining, using an automated navigation engine, trip data associated with a trip being taken by a first user;

transmitting the trip data to a server requesting identification of a second user associated with trip information matching the determined trip data of the first user; and

in response to the transmission, receiving information about the second user.

28. The one or more computer readable media of claim 27, wherein the information about the second user includes information relating to a community of which the second user is a member.

29. The one or more computer readable media of claim 27, further comprising instructions for receiving one or more travel recommendations based on a travel history of the second user.

30. One or more computer readable media storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving data relating to a trip being taken by a first user to a specified destination, wherein the data is generated by an automated navigation engine;

determining trip information associated with a second user;

determining whether the trip information associated with the second user matches the received trip data of the first user; and

in response to determining that the trip information associated with the second user matches the trip data of the first user, creating a community between the first and second users.

31. The one or more computer readable media of claim 30, wherein determining whether the trip information associated with the second user matches the received trip data of the first user further comprises determining whether a non-travel interest of the first user matches a non-travel interest of the second user.

32. The one or more computer readable media of claim 30, wherein the trip information associated with the second user is received from the second user while the second user is also traveling to the specified destination.