Method and apparatus for managing transportation from an origin location

• US 7,080,021 B1
• Filed: 04/17/2000
• Issued: 07/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: McCulloch, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Dixon, Thomas A.
• Application Number:
  US09/550,963
• Time in Patent Office: 2,283 Days
• Field of Search: 705/5, 705/6, 705/7
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

An electronic method for managing transportation from an origin location, the method including the steps of: receiving an activity indicator including an activity location and an activity start time; identifying at least a first airport (or other origin location), the first airport being within a first threshold measurement of the activity location; and identifying at least a first departing flight (or other mode of transportation) associated with the at least the first airport, the identified at least a first departing flight associated with a flight arrival time and being at least between the origin location and the at least the first airport; wherein the flight arrival time of the at least the first identified departing flight is prior to the activity start time.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for managing transportation from an origin location, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, from a client computer, an activity indicator including an activity location and an activity start time;

identifying, at a host computer, a first airport, the first airport being within a first threshold measurement of the activity location, wherein the first threshold measurement comprises at least one of a walking distance, a set distance, and a time threshold;

computing an optimal arrival time from the activity start time, the activity location, and the first airport;

identifying, at the host computer, a first departing flight associated with the first airport, the identified first departing flight associated with a flight arrival time and the identified first departing flight being between the origin location and the first airport;

wherein the flight arrival time of the identified first departing flight is prior to the optimal arrival time;

identifying, at the host computer, an optimal ground transportation option between the first airport and the activity location;

determining, at the host computer, an optimal trip option for transportation from the origin location to the activity location, wherein the optimal trip option includes the identified first departing flight and the optimal ground transportation option;

compiling, at the host computer, a travel itinerary based on the optimal trip option for transportation; and

,

receiving, at the client computer, the travel itinerary.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the first airport includes the step of identifying a plurality of airports and wherein the step of identifying the first departing flight includes the step of identifying a plurality of flights associated with each of the plurality of airports.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein each of the identified plurality of flights is associated with a characteristic data item, the method further comprising the steps of:

comparing, at the host computer, the characteristic data item for each of the identified plurality of flights with a flight preference; and

ranking, at the host computer, each of the identified plurality of flights according to the flight preference.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3, wherein the step of comparing the characteristic data item includes the step of comparing the flight price for each of the identified plurality of flights with a flight price maximum;

and wherein the step of ranking each of the identified plurality of flights includes the step of ranking each of the identified plurality of flights according to the comparison of the flight price to the flight price maximum.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the first departing flight includes the steps of:

calculating a travel time between the first airport associated with the first departing flight and the activity location; and

determining an activity location arrival time, the activity location arrival time indicating a summation of the flight arrival time and the calculated travel time;

wherein the determined activity location arrival time is prior to or equivalent to the activity start time.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the first departing flight includes the steps of:

calculating a travel time between the first airport associated with the first departing flight and the activity location; and

determining an earliest flight arrival time, the earliest flight arrival time representing the result of subtracting the calculated ground travel time from the activity start time;

wherein the arrival time of the first flight is prior to or simultaneous with the determined earliest flight arrival time.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, at the host computer, an activity stop time indicator, the activity stop time indicator indicating a stop time for the activity; and

identifying, at the host computer, a first returning flight, the first returning flight associated with a flight departure time and being between the first airport and the origin location;

wherein the flight departure time of the identified first returning flight is subsequent to the stop time for the activity.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

determining, at the host computer, if the flight arrival time of the identified first departing flight is on a first day and if the flight departure time of the identified first returning flight is on a second day;

responsive to determining that the flight arrival time of the identified first departing flight is on the first day and that the flight departure time of the identified first returning flight is on the second day, identifying, at the host computer, a plurality of lodging locations within a lodging threshold distance of at least one of the first airport and the activity location.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of:

reserving one of the identified plurality of lodging locations.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving an activity indicator includes the step of receiving an address for the activity location.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the first airport includes the step of identifying the first airport, the first airport being within a temporal threshold measurement of the activity location.

12. A computer implemented method for receiving an electronic signal from a first electronic device at a second electronic device, the electronic signal capable of activating the second electronic device, wherein the second electronic device is responsive to the electronic signal to thereby perform steps for managing transportation from an origin location, the steps comprising:

receiving, at the second electronic device, an activity indicator including an activity location and an activity start time;

identifying, at the second electronic device, a first airport, the first airport being within a first threshold measurement of the activity location, wherein the first threshold measurement comprises at least one of walking distance, a set distance, and a time threshold;

computing an optimal arrival time from the activity start time, the activity location, and the first airport;

identifying, at the second electronic device, a first departing flight associated with the first airport, the identified first departing flight associated with a flight arrival time and being between the origin location and the first airport;

wherein the flight arrival time of the identified first departing flight is prior to optimal arrival time;

identifying, at the second electronic device, an optimal ground transportation option between the first airport and the activity location;

determining, at the second electronic device, an optimal trip option for transportation from the origin location to the activity location, wherein the optimal trip option includes the identified first departing flight and the optimal ground transportation option;

compiling at the host computer, a travel itinerary based on the optimal trip option for transportation; and

,

receiving, at the client computer, the travel itinerary.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 12, wherein the second electronic device is responsive to the electronic signal to thereby perform steps comprising:

calculating, at the second electronic device, a travel time between the first airport associated with the first departing flight and the activity location; and

determining, at the second electronic device, an activity location arrival time, the activity location arrival time indicating a summation of the flight arrival time and the calculated travel time;

wherein the determined activity location arrival time is prior to or equivalent to the activity start time.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 12, wherein the second electronic device is responsive to the electronic signal to thereby perform steps comprising:

calculating, at the second electronic device, a travel time between the first airport associated with the identified first departing flight and the activity location; and

determining, at the second electronic device, an earliest flight arrival time, the earliest flight arrival time representing the result of subtracting the calculated ground travel time from the activity start time;

wherein the arrival time of the at least the first flight is prior to or simultaneous with the determined earliest flight arrival time.