Flexible-Date Travel Queries

Abstract

Techniques for processing flexible-date queries are described. Techniques include a interface to enter a flexible date query including a description of a traveler's desired stay at a destination. A user receives a set of solutions that satisfy the flexible date query in the form of a calendar. The set of solutions can be stored in a database for eventual retrieval of a subset of the set of solutions to render to a user.

1 . An interface for travel planning comprises:
 a field that allows a user to enter a layover description that include the duration of the layover at a destination.   
     
     
         2 . The interface of  claim 1  wherein the layover description may imply other constraints on the departure date. 
     
     
         3 . The interface of  claim 1  wherein the constraint is leaving on only certain days of the week. 
     
     
         4 . The interface of  claim 1  wherein the interface is a graphical user interface that is divided into a plurality of panes, with one of the plurality of panes corresponding to a flexible date query form to enter flexible date queries, with the destination field being on the form. 
     
     
         5 . The interface of  claim 4  wherein the pane corresponding to the flexible date query form to enter flexible date queries further includes a field to enter an earliest departure date. 
     
     
         6 . The interface of  claim 4  wherein the pane corresponding to the flexible date query form to enter flexible date queries further includes a field to enter an origin and a field to enter a destination. 
     
     
         7 . A method of processing flexible-date queries comprises
 sending a flexible date query including a description of a traveler's desired layover at a destination;   receiving a set of solutions that satisfy the flexible date query from executing the query using a search engine;   storing the set of solutions in a database; and   retrieving a subset of the set of solutions to render to a user.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the database stores the solution set according to departure date. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising:
 augmenting the database with additional results from follow-up queries posted by user. 
 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising:
 rendering results to the user as a calendar having a link in a cell representing a property of at least one solution found for a day corresponding to the cell, with the link when selected rendering additional details of the at least one solution found for that day. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising:
 augmenting the database with solutions for commonly traveled markets and layover lengths using an offline process that runs periodically. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising:
 filtering the solution set according to user specified parameters. 
 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising:
 filtering the solution set to allow the user to select a particular airline or set of airlines, causing the calendar's prices to be updated so as to reflect the complete price of the cheapest ticket originating on each day using only the selected airline or airlines. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising:
 searching the set of solutions resulting from the flexible date query to generate the subset of solutions for the day when a user selects a link. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising:
 providing a follow-up query to the search engine to produce data for inclusion in the subset of solutions, in response to the user selecting the link associated with a given departure date on the calendar. 
 
     
     
         16 . An interface for travel planning comprises:
 a depiction of a calendar that represents in cells of the calendar search results for which a solution is found by using information pertaining to a complete, validated solution in each calendar cell for which a solution was generated.   
     
     
         17 . The interface of  claim 16  wherein the information displayed in a day's grid cell is a price. 
     
     
         18 . The interface of  claim 16  wherein the information displayed in a day's grid cell is a price corresponding to the complete price of the cheapest ticket originating on that day. 
     
     
         19 . The interface of  claim 16  further comprising:
 fields to allow a user to filter the solution set to allow the user to select a particular airline or set of airlines, causing the calendar's prices to be updated so as to reflect the complete price of the cheapest ticket originating on each day using only the selected airline(s). 
 
     
     
         20 . The interface of  claim 16  further comprising;
 fields that provide filters to filter the solution set according to at least one of number of connections in the solution, cabin class, layover duration, equipment types, origins, and destinations, so that the calendar's prices display the cheapest ticket using the selected one or ones of the filters. 
 
     
     
         21 . The interface of  claim 16  wherein the information displayed in a day's grid cell is information displayed as a hypertext link. 
     
     
         22 . The interface of  claim 16  wherein following the hypertext link produces a summary of the validated ticket options departing on that day. 
     
     
         23 . The interface of  claim 22  wherein the summary is depicted as a list of solutions. 
     
     
         24 . The interface of  claim 22  wherein the summary is depicted as an overview table of solutions grouped by carrier and other solution properties. 
     
     
         25 . The interface of  claim 22  wherein the summary reflects any filters selected by the user. 
     
     
         26 . The interface of  claim 22  wherein on dates for which the calendar has produced no associated solutions, links are provided to allow a follow-up query to be posed to the search engine to produce solutions on that date. 
     
     
         27 . The interface of  claim 22  wherein links are provided on columns and rows of the calendar, corresponding to weekdays and weeks respectively, allow a range of dates to be added to the query pool. 
     
     
         28 . The interface of  claim 22  wherein the interface includes a variety of parameter settings that can reduce the work performed by the search engine to minimize the computational burden incurred by a flexible date query. 
     
     
         29 . A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium for processing flexible-date queries comprises instructions to cause a processor to:
 send a flexible date query including a description of a traveler's desired layover at a destination;   receive a set of solutions that satisfy the flexible date query;   store the set of solutions in a database; and   retrieve a subset of the set of solutions to render to a user.   
     
     
         30 . The computer program product of  claim 29  wherein instructions to store, store the solution set according to departure date. 
     
     
         31 . The computer program product of  claim 29  further comprising instructions to:
 render results to the user as a calendar having a link in a cell representing a property of at least one solution found for a day corresponding to the cell, with the link when selected rendering additional details of the at least one solution found for that day. 
 
     
     
         32 . The computer program product of  claim 29  further comprising instructions to:
 filter the solution set according to user specified parameters. 
 
     
     
         33 . The computer program product of  claim 29  further comprising instructions to:
 filter the solution set to allow the user to select a particular airline or set of airlines, causing the calendar's prices to be updated so as to reflect the complete price of the cheapest ticket originating on each day using only the selected airline or airlines. 
 
     
     
         34 . The computer program product of  claim 31  further comprising instructions to:
 provide the subset of solutions to the user when the user clicks on a link associated with a given departure date on the calendar by instructions to:
 search the set of solution resulting from the flexible date query to generate the subset of solutions for the day corresponding to the link. 
 
 
     
     
         35 . The computer program product of  claim 31  further comprising instructions to:
 provide a follow-up query to the search engine to produce data for inclusion in the subset of solutions, in response to the user selecting the link associated with a given departure date on the calendar.