Patent ID: 8620735
Filing Date: 2013-12-31
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising: receiving, at a server hosting an electronic social network over an Internet, a future travel plan indicating departure and destination locations and dates for a future trip planned by a traveler; storing the future travel plan in a database storage device coupled to the server; storing a profile associated with the traveler in the database storage device coupled to the server indicating travel habits of the traveler based on previous travel plans of the traveler received at the server; determining a targeted travel habit for the traveler based on the future travel plan of the traveler and the profile of the traveler; receiving, at the server over the Internet, a future travel plan for a related individual, wherein the related individual is related to the traveler by no more than one degree of separation through the electronic social network; storing the received future travel plan for the related individual in the database storage device accessible by the server, wherein the received future travel plan for the related individual specifies a future trip planned by the related individual including the travel departure and destination locations and associated dates for the related individual's future trip; determining, by a data processing system, matching trips for the traveler and the related individual whom are related by no more than one degree of separation on the electronic social network, and wherein the matching trips for the members of the electronic social network is determined by: (1) the traveler and related individual having a matching destination in their future travel plans, wherein a matching destination is a travel destination for the related individual specified in the received future travel plan for the related individual matching a travel destination specified in the future travel plan for the traveler, and (2) the traveler and related individual have a matching date for the matching destination in their future travel plans, wherein a matching date is a date specified in the received future travel plan for the related individual for the matching destination matching a date specified in the future travel plan for the traveler for the matching destination; associating an advertisement to the traveler, wherein the advertisement is associated to the traveler based on (i) the traveler's targeted travel habit (ii) the traveler being related to the related individual through the electronic social network, (iii) the matching trips between the traveler and the related individual through the electronic social network, and (iv) raw data, of at least one of the traveler and the related individual through the electronic social network, related to the matching trips between the traveler and the related individual through the electronic social network; and displaying the advertisement to the traveler via the electronic social network on the Internet.