Efficient search of supplier servers based on stored search results

• US 7,979,457 B1
• Filed: 02/14/2006
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kayak Software Corporation (Booking Holdings, Inc., fka Priceline Group Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kayak Software Corporation (Booking Holdings, Inc., fka Priceline Group Inc.)
• Inventors: Garman, Matthew S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ly; Anh
• Application Number:
  US11/353,839
• Time in Patent Office: 1,974 Days
• Field of Search: 707 2- 4, 707/10, 707/100, 707/1, 707/707, 707/706, 707/768, 707/769, 707/771, 707/770, 705/1, 705/5, 705/26, 705/37, 705/50
• US Class Current: 707/768
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9532 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/14 Travel agencies

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for a dynamic information connection search engine. User actions may be detected on at least one client system. In response, a determination may be made whether the user is searching for supported information. When the user is searching for supported information, information may be extracted electronically from, for example, third party websites, direct supplier connections, and/or intermediate databases. Potential suppliers may be automatically selected in response to the detected user search. Queries may be formulated from the user search and transferred to one or more selected suppliers over a network coupling (e.g., the Internet and/or an intranet). The queries may include one or more requests for information. One or more responses may be received from the suppliers, and the responses may be used to generate a result list for the user. The result list may include information and/or query status information. Further, an electronic link may be provided to a website of one or more of the supplies from which the information was derived.

Claims

1. A search method directed to travel reservations, comprising:

storing search results from a plurality of previous searches, the search results provided by a plurality of supplier servers;

receiving at a search server from a user computer, a query request for a travel reservation;

based upon the stored search results of the plurality of previous searches, identifying at least one supplier server that has provided search results that satisfy the query request;

selecting to search the identified at least one supplier server from the plurality of supplier servers;

transmitting a search request to the selected supplier server, the search request generated based on the query request for the travel reservation;

receiving from the supplier server at least one search result responsive to the search request;

transmitting to the user computer the at least one search result; and

storing the at least one search result for a subsequent search, responsive to pricing information associated with the at least one search result falling within a set of boundaries comprising an upper bound and a lower bound.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the travel reservation is for a lodging reservation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the travel reservation is for an airline reservation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the travel reservation is for a ground transportation reservation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the query request includes itinerary information for the travel reservation.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the itinerary information for the travel reservation is used for identifying the at least one supplier server that has provided search results that satisfy the query request.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating pricing information based on the stored search results, the pricing information for a travel reservation on a future date; and

transmitting the pricing information to the user computer for display.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the pricing information is transmitted to the user computer for display on a landing page.

9. A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer program instructions and data embodied thereon to adapt a search server to respond to a query request, the computer program instructions and data to adapt the search server to perform the operations of:

storing search results from a plurality of previous searches, the search results provided by a plurality of supplier servers;

receiving at a search server from a user computer, a query request for a travel reservation;

based upon the stored search results of the plurality of previous searches, identifying at least one supplier server that has provided search results that satisfy the query request;

selecting to search the identified at least one supplier server from the plurality of supplier servers;

transmitting a search request to the selected supplier server, the search request generated based on the query request for the travel reservation;

receiving from the supplier server at least one search result responsive to the search request;

transmitting to the user computer the at least one search result; and

storing the at least one search result for a subsequent search, responsive to pricing information associated with the at least one search result falling within a set of boundaries comprising an upper bound and a lower bound.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the travel reservation is for a lodging reservation.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the travel reservation is for an airline reservation.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the travel reservation is for a ground transportation reservation.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the query request includes itinerary information for the travel reservation.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the itinerary information for the travel reservation is used for identifying the at least one supplier server that has provided search results that satisfy the query request.

15. The computer program product of claim 9, the computer program instructions and data to further adapt the search server to perform the operations of:

calculating pricing information based on the stored search results, the pricing information for a travel reservation on a future date; and

transmitting the pricing information to the user computer for display.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the pricing information is transmitted to the user computer for display on a landing page.