System and method for providing travel related product information on an interactive display having neighborhood categories

• US 7,555,387 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2006
• Issued: 06/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Orbitz LLC (Expedia Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Orbitz LLC (Expedia Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mangalam, Subashini B., Czupryna, Anthony J., Jaehn, Bradley D., Day, Andrew S., Apostolova, Emilia A., Zavattero, Andrew C., Lutterbach, Ryan M., Barth, Douglas R. O., Goodman, David S., Sladky, Dennis, Sippel, Jeffrey D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): JEN, MINGJEN
• Application Number:
  US11/337,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20060173617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,254 Days
• Field of Search: 700/200, 700/211, 700/212, 705/5
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A product location display system and method are provided that allow travel related product information, such as the geographic location of hotels, to be displayed on an interactive display. An application server of the product location display system receives user inputted criteria for a travel product search. A location management system determines a location for the travel product being searched based on the inputted criteria. Sub-locations associated with the geographic location being searched are pre-defined as being within the searched geographic location and stored within a location database memory component coupled with the location management system. A display configuration component of the location management system arranges and displays results of the search for the travel product by the sub-locations defined as being within the searched location.

Claims

1. A system for providing travel product information on a display device coupled with a computer system, the system comprising:

an application server that receives user inputted criteria for a search related to hotel accommodations;

a location management system that determines a location for the hotel accommodations being searched based on the inputted criteria including a keyword analysis component that analyzes at least one keyword received as part of the user inputted criteria to determine the location for the hotel accommodations being searched;

a memory component coupled with the location management system for storage of pre-defined neighborhoods which are within the location being searched, the memory component storing pre-defined boundaries of neighborhoods;

a configuration component that arranges results of the search for the hotel accommodations to be displayed by the neighborhoods defined as being associated with the searched location, the configuration component adapted to access a regional map associated with the location for display of the regional map in which the neighborhoods are identified on the regional map, the configuration component arranges results of the search for display in a matrix format such that a matrix is positioned for display in which the matrix has a first axis and a second axis and the configuration component accesses neighborhood identifiers from the memory component and configures the matrix such that the neighborhood identifiers are listed along the first axis or second axis, and wherein the neighborhood identifiers identify at least one of the pre-defined sub-locations;

the application server retrieves, for display, descriptive text associated with a neighborhood in response to user selection of at least one of (a) an actuatable section on the regional map, and (b) a data element displayed in the matrix, the application server replaces the regional map displayed with a neighborhood map corresponding to the neighborhood selected in response to the user selection and in which the application server sends information regarding points to be plotted on the neighborhood map to a mapping engine such that the plotted points are associated with geographic locations of hotels found within a neighborhood selected, and in which summary hotel information associated with a hotel is displayed in response to a cursor on the display device crossing a plotted point corresponding to the hotel; and

the mapping engine determines if the plotted point overlaps at least one other plotted point and in which summary hotel information associated with each plotted point determined to be overlapping on the neighborhood map is displayed in response to the cursor crossing one of the overlapping plotted points.

2. A method of providing travel product information on a display device coupled with a computer system, the method comprising:

receiving user inputted criteria for a search related to hotel accommodations;

analyzing at least one keyword received as part of the user inputted criteria and determining a location for the hotel accommodations being searched based on the inputted criteria;

pre-defining neighborhoods which are associated with the location being searched and pre-defining boundaries of the neighborhoods;

arranging and displaying results of the search for the hotel accommodations by the neighborhoods defined as being associated with the searched location and displaying results of the search in a matrix format such that a matrix is positioned for display;

displaying the matrix having a first axis and a second axis wherein neighborhood identifiers are listed and displayed along the first axis or second axis, the neighborhood identifiers identify at least one of the pre-defined neighborhoods;

retrieving rate information for the hotel accommodations being searched;

displaying rates for the travel product as data element cells in rows and columns of the matrix such that the displayed rates are associated with a neighborhood;

accessing a regional map associated with the location;

displaying the regional map and identifying the neighborhoods on the regional map;

retrieving and displaying descriptive text associated with a neighborhood in response to user selection of at least one of (a) an actuatable section on the regional map, and (b) a data element displayed in the matrix;

replacing the regional map displayed with a neighborhood map corresponding to the neighborhood in response to the user selection;

plotting points on the neighborhood map displayed in which the plotted points are associated with geographic locations of hotels found within the neighborhood selected;

associating summary hotel information with the points that are plotted on the neighborhood map;

displaying the summary hotel information associated with a hotel in response to a cursor on the display device crossing a plotted point corresponding to the hotel;

determining that the plotted point overlaps at least one other plotted point; and

displaying summary hotel information associated with each plotted point determined to be overlapping on the neighborhood map in response to the cursor crossing one of the overlapping plotted points.