Patent Publication Number: US-2007106554-A1

Title: Method and apparatus for providing flexible travel discounts to travelers

Description:
BACKGROUND  
      1. Technical Field  
      Embodiments of this invention generally relate to advertising and travel. More particularly, embodiments of this invention relate to online discount travel offer programs.  
      2. Discussion  
      In the e-commerce industry, online discount programs have become a significant revenue-generating tool among merchants. An online discount program may enable the consumer to purchase discount packages, where the packages include discounts from a variety of merchants in a given geographic region. These packages are typically limited, however, to offers from merchants in the specific geographic region for the package purchased, making them of little use to consumers who may be traveling outside of the particular region. In addition, should the consumer be traveling within the region and wish to identify offers near a particular attraction, the traveler typically needs to know the address of the attraction in order to filter out the offers of interest. In many cases, such an address is either not known or difficult to determine, particularly if the individual is not from the region in question.  
      Although more recent solutions may attempt to combine travel information with discount offer programs, a number of difficulties remain. For example, one approach may be to link the discount package to the purchase of a fixed travel itinerary, where a travel arrangement confirmation page presents the consumer with the additional option of purchasing the discount package for the purchased trip. The purchased travel arrangements can therefore be used to set a geographic region and permissible usage period for the discount package. Should the traveler change his or her travel plans (e.g., change travel destination or travel dates), however, the purchased discounts may become useless to the traveler in question because the usage parameters of the discounts are generally fixed based on the original travel arrangements. Furthermore, the ability to identify offers near a particular attraction may continue to be a challenge for the consumer.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The various advantages of embodiments of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art by reading the following specification and appended claims, and by referencing the following drawings, in which:  
       FIG. 1  shows a flowchart of an example of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  shows a block diagram of an example of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 3  shows an example of an interface used to purchase a discount package according to an embodiment of the invention;  
       FIG. 4  shows an example of a trip entry screen according to an embodiment of the invention;  
       FIG. 5  shows an example of a welcome screen used to present discount offers to a discount package purchaser according to an embodiment of the invention;  
       FIG. 6  shows an example of a trip management screen used by a discount package purchaser according to an embodiment of the invention;  
       FIG. 7  shows an example of a trip addition screen used by a discount package purchaser according to an embodiment of the invention;  
       FIG. 8  shows an example of a discount browsing screen used by a discount package purchaser according to an embodiment of the invention;  
       FIG. 9  shows an example of a discount listing screen used by a discount package purchaser according to an embodiment of the invention;  
       FIG. 10  shows an example of a tool used by a discount package purchaser for searching for discount offers near an attraction according to an embodiment of the invention;  
       FIG. 11  shows an example of a discount offer information screen used by a discount package purchaser according to an embodiment of the invention; and  
       FIG. 12  shows an example of a print discount offer screen used by a discount package purchaser according to an embodiment of the invention.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      Embodiments of the present invention solve a number of challenges through a method and apparatus that enables meaningful partnerships and communication between consumers, remote merchants and travel providers. The merchants may provide a wide variety of goods and/or services such as dining, entertainment, shopping, etc. Embodiments allow consumers to discover, either in conjunction with travel arrangements or independently, discount offers from merchants in remote locations. These discounts may be stored in a server and can be provided to the consumer based on the consumer&#39;s travel plans. If the consumer then changes their travel plans, the set of offers available may subsequently change to reflect those changes. The embodiments are therefore highly flexible.  
       FIG. 1  shows one embodiment of the present invention at method  100 . The method  100  may be implemented in a discount program server as hardware, firmware, software, etc., or any combination thereof. For example, the method  100  may be implemented as a set of instructions stored in a machine readable medium such as a read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory, etc., where the instructions are capable of being executed by a processor to provide online discount offers to a remote user/consumer. In another example, the method  100  may be implemented as fixed functionality hardware such as an embedded microcontroller using complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology, transistor-transistor logic (TTL) technology, and so on.  
      In general, the consumer is able to purchase access to a discount offer program, where the illustrated embodiment provides for receiving travel information at processing block  101 . The travel information may include a travel destination and an initial travel start date. A set of discount offers may then be selected and provided to the consumer at block  102  based on the travel information so that the consumer receives a set of trip-specific offers. For example, the consumer may have a trip planned to West Hollywood, California in mid-November, and may be interested in dining discounts near this travel destination during this time period. In such a case, the offers provided to the consumer at block  102  could be limited to discount offers from restaurants in the West Hollywood area. The set of discount offers may include one or many offers and could include discounts such as fifty percent off, buy one get one free, etc. The expiration date of the offers provided to the consumer at block  102  may also be time-sensitive based on the travel date. For example, the offers may be made to be valid only during the period of time around the travel dates. Thus, in the example above, the offers could be made to be valid from mid-November to, for example, the beginning of December. The use of travel information such as destination location and travel date to provide discount offers to consumers results in a robust coupon solution that can add significant value to consumer travel bookings.  
      Block  103  demonstrates that the consumer may change their travel information so that the travel information changes are received at block  103 , and in response, the set of discount offers changes. For example, the consumer may wish to research offers for another time period, where a new travel start date is received at block  103 . In another example, the consumer may decide to travel to a different destination, where a new travel destination is received at block  103 . Indeed, the consumer may simply decide to visit a different location while on the trip to the initial destination, and input new travel information accordingly in order to get a listing of new discounts. In yet another example, the consumer could be traveling to the destination by automobile and in need of discounts at an intermediate geographic location. In any event, the revised discount offers can be presented to the user at block  104 , where the revised discount offers reflect the change in travel plans. Enabling the consumer to modify the travel information “on-the-fly” and after purchase of the discount package provides consumers with much more flexibility and represents a substantial departure from conventional approaches.  
       FIG. 2  shows one embodiment of the present invention as system  200 . In the illustrated embodiment, a client computer system  201  is connected to a discount program server computer system  202  through a network  203 . The server computer system  202 , which may be separate from and independent of the system of any particular merchant and/or service provider, can be connected to a database  204  containing offers and travel information for a wide variety of merchants. In practice, the database  204  may actually be multiple databases, each containing subsets of that information. Further, the databases  204  may be stored on computer readable media within the server computer system, they may be connected directly to the server computer system  202 , or they may be connected through a network  205 . Network  205  may be the same or different than network  203 . In practice, these networks  203  and  205  are implemented as Ethernet networks, token-ring networks, wireless networks, the Internet or any other networking system. Client computer system  201  and server computer system  202  may be any of the many computing devices used in practice today. Similarly, database  204  may be a separate computing device, a software based component or merely computer readable media.  
      Turning now to  FIG. 3 , one embodiment of the invention includes purchasing a discount package directly from a discount package merchant through a purchase form  300 . The discount package merchant may be independent from any particular merchant and/or service provider, where the discount package merchant uses a discount program server computer system  202  ( FIG. 2 ) to present offers to consumers. In this embodiment, the consumer enters personal information in the consumer information box  301 . The personal information can include a password, identification information, (e.g., name, contact information, email address) and billing information (e.g., credit card number). The personal information can be used to generate a profile for user, where the profile may be updated by the user as needed. When the consumer is finished entering the personal information, the consumer can complete the step by clicking the information box submission button  302 , which provides them with access to the database of discount offers (assuming financial approval). In the illustrated example, no travel information is required at the time of purchase.  
      In one embodiment, once the consumer has purchased a discount package, the consumer is presented with a trip entry form  400 . In this embodiment, the consumer fills out the destination detail section  401 , the travel date section  402 , and then selects the trip submission link  403 . In the illustrated example, the discount offers to be presented to the consumer are selected based on the travel destination, and the travel start date is used to set the expiration date of the discount offers. In particular, the discounts will expire two weeks after the travel start date in the example shown. Shorter, longer, or unlimited periods of discount availability may alternatively be used. Both the travel destination and the travel start date may be subsequently changed by the consumer. In fact, the consumer may also search for discounts around specific attractions (e.g., museums, venues, neighborhoods, monuments, etc.) within any selected travel destination. In one embodiment, the travel date may only be modified prior to use of the print discount link  1104  or the print discount screen  1200 .  
      At this point, the user may be presented with a welcome screen  500  as shown in  FIG. 5 . From the welcome screen  500 , the user may select from a variety of options. These options include changing the details of their trip (by use of the change trip details link  501 ), adding a new trip (by use of the add a new trip link  502 ), selecting a different trip (by use of the select a different trip link  503 ), searching for discount offers (by use of the search for discounts interface  504 ) or selecting a discount offer  506  from the suggested offer box  505 . The details already entered by the user in the trip entry form  400  ( FIG. 4 ) are displayed in the trip details box  507 . In addition, a “currently browsing” box (not shown) may be included to indicate to the user the geographic region for which they are currently viewing discounts. In this regard, the user may be able to freely browse discounts in locations other than the trip destination.  
      Selecting the change trip details link  501  can lead the user to the trip management screen  600  shown in  FIG. 6 . The user may enter new information into trip change form  601  and use a change details submission link  602  to submit the new information. The input provided via the trip change form  601  identifies a change in the user&#39;s travel information, which may cause a modified set of discount offers to be presented to the user. In one embodiment, the trip change form  601  is not available if the user has already printed out a coupon.  
      Selecting the select a different trip link  503  ( FIG. 5 ) can also lead a user to the trip management screen  600  shown in  FIG. 6 . From there, the user may select a trip identification link  603  from the list provided in the trip listing box  604 . Selecting a trip identification link  603  may return the user to the welcome screen  500  shown in  FIG. 5 , with the travel destination, travel start date and discount offers modified accordingly.  
      Selecting the add a new trip link  502  ( FIG. 5 ) with the travel destination, travel start date and discount offers modified accordingly leads a user to the trip addition screen  700  shown in  FIG. 7 . A user enters information regarding the new trip in the new trip form  701  and submits it using the new trip submission link  702 . This option results in the purchase of a new discount package. The user may be returned to the welcome screen  500  shown in  FIG. 5  after submission of the new trip details.  
      By selecting any options within the search for discounts interface  504  ( FIG. 5 ), the user initiates either a browse discounts screen  800 , as shown in  FIG. 8 , or a search near attractions screen  1000 , as shown in  FIG. 10 . The illustrated browse discounts screen  800  displays to the user a number of discount subcategories  801  related to the item selected in the search for discounts interface  504  ( FIG. 5 ). Selecting an item from the discount subcategories  801  leads the user to a discount listing  900 , as shown in  FIG. 9 . The discount listing  900  includes a number of discount offers  901 . Selecting any of the discount offers  901  will lead the user to a related discount offer information screen  1100 , as shown in  FIG. 11 .  
      If a user selects an option within the search for discounts interface  504  ( FIG. 5 ) that leads to the search near attractions screen  1000 , as shown in  FIG. 10 , they may be presented with a number of offer category selection boxes  1001 , including within each an attraction type selection box  1002 , an attraction listing box  1003  and an attraction submission link  1004 . In one embodiment, the search near attractions screen  1000  includes several offer category selection boxes  1001  ( 1001   a ,  1001   b ) covering a number of different categories of discounts. Examples include a “dining” offer category selection box  1001   a , which enables a user to locate dining offers from restaurants or fast food locations near an attraction that they may be visiting, a “shopping” offer category selection box  1001   b , which enables a user to locate shopping discount offers from retail merchants near a particular attraction, and so on. Examples of other types of offer selection categories include, but are not limited to, an “entertainment” offer category selection box enabling a user to locate discounts from movie theaters or live action theaters near an attraction, and a “lodging” offer category selection box  1001  enab ling a user to locate discounts from hotels, motels, or campgrounds near an attraction.  
      Each offer category selection box  1001  may contain an attraction type selection box  1002 , where each attraction type selection box  1002  can be populated with different types of attractions. In the illustrated example, the attraction type selection box  1002  within the “dining” and “shopping” offer category selection boxes  1001  give the user the option of searching around amusement/theme/water parks, museums and tours. Other types of attractions such as venues, neighborhoods, and historical landmarks can also be used. Selecting an attraction type from the attraction type selection box  1002  populates the attraction listing box  1003  with attractions that fall within the selected attraction type. Thus, in one example, selecting “neighborhoods” from an attraction type selection box  1002  would populate the related attraction listing box  1003  with names of various neighborhoods. In another example, selecting “tours” from an attraction type selection box  1002  could populate the related attraction listing box  1003  with organized tours of various historical places. The related attraction listing box  1003  could be designed to list paid advertisers/partners and/or non-paid attraction sites.  
      Each attraction type selection box  1002  may be populated with different types of attractions, related and unrelated to the surrounding offer category selection box  1001 . For example, an attraction type selection box within an entertainment offer category selection box might contain entertainment-related entries such as “water parks” and “arcades”, but may also include non-entertainment entries such as “hotels”, “airports” or “neighborhoods”.  
      Selecting an attraction from the attraction listing box  1003  leads a user to a discount listing screen  900  ( FIG. 9 ) containing a number of discount offers  901  that fall within the category of the offer category selection box  1001  and are also geographically near the attraction selected in attraction listing box  1003 . Selecting a discount offer  901  leads the user to a discount offer information screen  1100  as shown in  FIG. 11 .  
      By way of example, if a user has determined that he is traveling to Chicago, Ill. and wishes to find dining discounts near the Navy Pier, he might navigate to the “Dining” offer category selection box  1001   a  and select “Historical Landmarks” from the attraction type selection box  1002 . The attraction listing box  1003  will be populated with the historical landmarks in the Chicago area, including the Navy Pier. Upon selecting the Navy Pier item in the attraction listing box  1003 , the user will be taken to a listing of dining discount offers near the Navy Pier.  
      In another example, if a user is traveling to Washington, D.C. and wishes to find shopping discounts near her hotel, she might use the “Shopping” offer category selection box  1001 b, then she might select “hotels” from the associated attraction type selection box  1002  and then choose her hotel from the now-populated attraction listing box  1003 . This would lead the user to a discount listing screen  900  ( FIG. 9 ) listing all shopping related discount offers geographically near her hotel.  
      In yet another embodiment, the user might wish to find restaurants near the neighborhood in which her late business meeting will be held. By using the “Dining” or “Restaurant” offer category selection box  1001 , then choosing “Neighborhood” from the attraction type selection box  1002  and then selecting the neighborhood of choice from the attraction listing box  1003 , the user will be shown a discount listing screen containing discount offers for restaurants in the selected neighborhood. Alternatively, the user could be presented with an attraction type selection box first, and then select different categories of offers (or all offers) as a subset. Other such variations may also be made in the user interface.  
      The illustrated discount listing screen  900  ( FIG. 9 ) can therefore be used to list discounts within several contexts, including listing the discounts within a discount subcategory (as selected from the browse discounts screen  800 ) and listing the discounts that are geographically near an attraction (as selected from the attraction selection box  1003 ).  
      Selecting a discount offer  506  from the suggested offer box  505  in  FIG. 5  leads the user to a related discount offer information screen as shown in  FIG. 11  in the same manner as when a user selects discounts offers  901  from the discount listing screen shown in  FIG. 9 .  
      The discount offer information screen  1100 , as shown in  FIG. 11 , displays to the user useful information related to a particular discount offer  901  selected from a discount listing screen. Such information may include a map  1101  to the merchant location, a discount offer description  1102 , a merchant description  1103 , and a print discount link  1104 . Selecting the print discount link  1104  leads the user to a print discount screen  1200 , as shown in  FIG. 12 .  
      The illustrated print discount screen  1200 , as shown in  FIG. 12 , contains a number of the same elements as the discount offer information screen but is formatted in a manner to make printing more convenient. The print discount screen includes the merchant address  1201 , discount offer description  1202  and a discount bar code identifier  1203 .  
      Although embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions, and alterations may be made herein, and the present invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements. Other examples are readily ascertainable from the above description by one skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.