Systems and methods for accessing travel services using a portable electronic device

• US 9,087,344 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2013
• Issued: 07/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Maranhas, Jeff, Ng, Stanley Carl, Westendorf, Courtnee
• Primary Examiner(s): Gonzalez, Amancio
• Application Number:
  US13/896,194
• Publication Number:
  US 20130254034A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute

Abstract

This is directed to systems and methods for integrating travel services in a single application available to a portable electronic device. Using the single application, a user can access and control travel services before arriving at the initial location of travel, on arriving at the initial location of travel, during travel, and after travel. Such services can include, for example, reserving a travel itinerary, checking-in remotely for a reservation, providing airport information, providing for social networking, obtaining dining or entertainment during travel, controlling and requesting cabin services, providing arrival notifications to third parties, providing destination location information, and the like.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a portable electronic device, a search request for businesses within an airport;

obtaining flight information associated with a user of the portable electronic device, the flight information identifying;

a gate in the airport where a flight of the user is scheduled to arrive or depart, and

a geographic location of the gate within the airport;

identifying a set of businesses located in the airport;

determining, from the set of businesses located in the airport, a subset of businesses that are located within a threshold distance from the location of the gate; and

delivering, to the portable electronic device, a promotional content item that promotes a first business from the subset of businesses that are located within a threshold distance from the location of the gate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the promotional content comprises information about a promotion offered by the first business.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

delivering directional data to the portable electronic device for providing the user of the portable device with directions from the gate to a location of the first business.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

delivering map data to the portable electronic device for providing the user of the portable device with a map displaying a location of the first business.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the portable electronic device, a request to conduct a transaction with a business using the portable electronic device to resolve the transaction;

determining that the user of the portable electronic device is authorized to conduct transactions with the business using the portable electronic device to resolve the transaction; and

notifying the business that the user of the portable electronic device is authorized to conduct transactions with the business using the portable electronic device to resolve the transaction.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a user of the portable electronic device has completed scheduled airline travel and has landed in an airport at an arrival gate,

wherein the gate is the arrival gate.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a user of the portable electronic device arrived at an arrival gate for a scheduled airline layover,

wherein the gate is the arrival gate.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the promotional content comprises an expiration time.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user profile from the portable electronic device, the user profile describing the user of the portable electronic device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

sending information from the user profile to a promotional content provider for selecting the promotional content.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

locating a user of an additional portable electronic device;

receiving an additional user profile and an additional location from the additional portable electronic device;

determining, using the user profile and the additional user profile, a common interest between the user of the portable device and the user of the additional portable device; and

notifying the user of the portable electronic device of the location of the additional portable device.

12. A system comprising:

a computer processor; and

a memory containing instructions that, when executed, cause the computer processor to;

receive, from a portable electronic device, a search request for businesses within an airport;

obtain flight information associated with a user of the portable electronic device, the flight information identifying;

a gate in the airport where a flight of the user is scheduled to arrive or depart, and

a geographic location of the gate within the airport;

identify a set of businesses located in the airport;

determine, from the set of businesses located in the airport, a subset of businesses that are located within a threshold distance from the location of the gate; and

deliver, to the portable electronic device, a promotional content item that promotes a first business from the subset of businesses that are located within a threshold distance from the location of the gate.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the promotional content comprises information about a promotion offered by the first business.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions further cause the computer processor to:

deliver directional data to the portable electronic device for providing the user of the portable device with directions from the gate to a location of the first business.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions further cause the computer processor to:

deliver map data to the portable electronic device for providing the user of the portable device with a map displaying a location of the first business.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions further cause the computer processor to:

receive, from the portable electronic device, a request to conduct a transaction with a business using the portable electronic device to resolve the transaction;

determine that the user of the portable electronic device is authorized to conduct transactions with the business using the portable electronic device to resolve the transaction; and

notify the business that the user of the portable electronic device is authorized to conduct transactions with the business using the portable electronic device to resolve the transaction.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions further cause the computer processor to:

determine that a user of the portable electronic device has completed scheduled airline travel and has landed in an airport at an arrival gate, wherein the gate is the arrival gate.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions further cause the computer processor to:

determine that a user of the portable electronic device arrived at an arrival gate for a scheduled airline layover, wherein the gate is the arrival gate.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a computer processor, cause the computer processor to:

receive, from a portable electronic device, a search request for businesses within an airport;

obtain flight information associated with a user of the portable electronic device, the flight information identifying;

a gate in the airport where a flight of the user is scheduled to arrive or depart, and

a geographic location of the gate within the airport;

identify a set of businesses located in the airport;

determine, from the set of businesses located in the airport, a subset of businesses that are located within a threshold distance from the location of the gate; and

deliver, to the portable electronic device, a promotional content item that promotes a first business from the subset of businesses that are located within a threshold distance from the location of the gate.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the promotional content comprises information about a promotion offered by the first business.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions further cause the computer processor to:

deliver directional data to the portable electronic device for providing the user of the portable device with directions from the gate to a location of the first business.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions further cause the computer processor to:

deliver map data to the portable electronic device for providing the user of the portable device with a map displaying a location of the first business.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions further cause the computer processor to:

receive, from the portable electronic device, a request to conduct a transaction with a business using the portable electronic device to resolve the transaction;

determine that the user of the portable electronic device is authorized to conduct transactions with the business using the portable electronic device to resolve the transaction; and

notify the business that the user of the portable electronic device is authorized to conduct transactions with the business using the portable electronic device to resolve the transaction.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions further cause the computer processor to:

determine that a user of the portable electronic device has completed scheduled airline travel and has landed in an airport at an arrival gate, wherein the gate is the arrival gate.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions further cause the computer processor to:

determine that a user of the portable electronic device arrived at an arrival gate for a scheduled airline layover, wherein the gate is the arrival gate.