System and method for itinerary planning

• US 9,946,978 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2012
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trapeze Software Inc.
• Original Assignee: Trapeze Software ULC (Constellation Software Incorporated)
• Inventors: Francis, Matthew David
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US13/432,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20120253657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,211 Days
• Field of Search: 701410
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3423 Multimodal routing, i.e. combining two or more modes of transportation, where the modes can be any of, e.g. driving, walking, cycling, public transport
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3446 Details of route searching algorithms, e.g. Dijkstra, A*, arc-flags, using precalculated routes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem

Abstract

A method for itinerary planning includes the steps of populating a first queue with a first set of network segments connected to an origin, removing one of the network segments from the first queue, placing an expansion build representing the one network segment together with a continuing network segment in a second queue if the continuing network segment has not been considered, noting a cost for the expansion build if it arrives at a destination, and placing a captured build representing the one network segment together with the continuing network segment in the first queue if the continuing network segment has been considered.

Claims

1. A method for itinerary planning, comprising:

populating by a computer processor a first queue stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium with a first set of network segments connected to an origin;

removing by the computer processor one of said network segments from said first queue;

placing by the computer processor an expansion build representing said one network segment together with a continuing network segment in a second queue stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium if said continuing network segment has not been considered and a noted cost for arriving at the end of the continuing network segment, via expansion build, is the best found thus far, noting by the computer processor a total cost of arriving at a destination for the expansion build if the expansion build arrives at the destination;

placing by the computer processor a captured build representing said one network segment together with said continuing network segment in said first queue if said continuing network segment has been considered and a noted cost for arriving at the end of the continuing network segment, via the captured build, is the best found thus far;

repeating said placing until said first queue is empty;

replacing by the computer processor said first queue with said expansion builds in said second queue;

repeating said removing to said replacing steps until said first and second queues are empty; and

outputting by the computer processor at least one of said builds having a lowest cost

wherein said lowest cost is determined by the computer processor based on a total cost (C) function;

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said placing said expansion build comprises:

placing said expansion build in said second queue if a best possible outcome for said expansion build is less than or equal to a threshold value; and

placing said expansion build in a third queue if said best possible outcome for said expansion build is greater than said threshold value,

and wherein said repeating said removing comprises;

repeating said removing to said replacing steps until said first, second and third queues are empty.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

replacing said first queue with said third queue when said first and second queues are empty.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein replacing said first queue further comprises:

adjusting said threshold value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said placing said expansion build comprises:

placing said expansion build representing said one network segment together with a continuing network segment in a second queue if said continuing network segment has not been considered and if the cost to arrive at the end of said expansion build is better than the cost

previously determined for arriving at the end of said continuing network segment.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said placing said captured build comprises:

placing a captured build representing said one network segment together with said continuing network segment in said first queue if said continuing network segment has been considered and if the cost to arrive at the end of said captured build is better than the cost previously determined for arriving at the end of said continuing network segment.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

noting the cost of said build if said continuing network segment arrives at the destination.

8. An itinerary planning system for itinerary planning, comprising:

a database of network segments stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium;

a processor executing computer-executable instructions stored on the computer readable medium, the computer-executable instructions comprising;

analyzing said network segments and, receiving an itinerary planning request, populating a first queue with a first set of network segments connected to an origin, removing one of said network segments from said first queue, placing an expansion build representing said one network segment together with a continuing network segment in a second queue if said continuing network segment has not been considered and a noted cost for arriving at the end of the continuing network segment, via expansion build, is the best found thus far, and noting a total cost of arriving at a destination for the expansion build if the expansion build arrives at the destination, placing a captured build representing said one network segment together with said continuing network segment in said first queue if said continuing network segment has been considered and a noted cost for arriving at the end of the continuing network segment, via the captured build, is the best found thus far, repeating said placing until said first queue is empty, replacing said first queue with said expansion builds in said second queue, and repeating said removing to said replacing steps until said first and second queues are empty, and outputting at least one of said builds having a lowest cost;

wherein said lowest cost is determined by the computer processor based on a total cost (C) function;

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said processor places said expansion build in said second queue if a best possible outcome for said expansion build is less than or equal to a threshold value, places said expansion build in a third queue if said best possible outcome for said expansion build is greater than said threshold value, and repeats said removing to said replacing steps until said first, second and third queues are empty.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said processor replaces said first queue with said third queue when said first and second queues are empty.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said processor adjusts said threshold value when replacing said first queue with said second queue.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein said processor places said expansion build representing said one network segment together with a continuing network segment in a second queue if said continuing network segment has not been considered and if the cost to arrive at the end of said expansion build is better than the cost previously determined for arriving at the end of said continuing network segment.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein said processor places a captured build representing said one network segment together with said continuing network segment in said first queue if said continuing network segment has been considered and if the cost to arrive at the end of said captured build is better than the cost previously determined for arriving at the end of said continuing network segment.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein said processor notes the cost of said network build if said continuing network segment arrives at the destination.

15. A method for itinerary planning, comprising:

generating by a computer processor builds of network segments for a journey, said network segments being stored in a database on a non-transitory computer readable medium accessible by a computer system;

placing by the computer processor said builds that whose last network segment has been previously considered in a first queue if a noted cost for arriving at an end of a last network segment in the builds is the best found thus far;

placing said builds whose last network has been previously unconsidered in a second queue stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium if a noted cost for arriving at an end of a last network segment in the builds is the best found thus far, noting a total cost of arriving at the destination for said builds if said builds arrive at the destination;

expanding said builds in said first queue before expanding said builds in said second queue; and

outputting by the computer processor at least one of said builds arriving at a destination for said journey having a lowest cost;

wherein said lowest cost is determined by the computer processor based on a total cost (C) function;

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said placing said builds in said second queue comprises:

placing said builds in said second queue if a best possible outcome for said builds is less than or equal to a threshold value; and

placing said builds in a third queue if said best possible outcome for said builds is greater than said threshold value.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

replacing said first queue with said second queue when said first queue is empty.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

replacing said first queue with said third queue when said first and second queues are empty.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein replacing said first queue further comprises:

adjusting said threshold.