Patent ID: 7415419

Claim:
A method for presenting rates for travel services, the method comprising: obtaining a dynamic range of available rates for a travel service from a least expensive rate to a most expensive rate; subdividing the dynamic range of available rates into a limited number of pricing bands, wherein each pricing band represents a portion of the dynamic range of available rates and each pricing band is computed based on an algorithm using at least the least expensive rate; wherein the pricing bands that represent each portion of the dynamic range of available rates that do not include the least expensive rate are defined by a from value representing the lowest rate in the portion, and a to value representing the highest rate in the portion; wherein the from value is computed using a first algorithm, L+(x−1*(R/N−1))+1, and the to value is computed using a second algorithm, L+(x*(R/N−1)), wherein L represents the least expensive rate that was obtained in the dynamic range of available rates, R represents the range of rates that were obtained as determined by subtracting the least expensive from the most expensive rate, N represents the limited number of pricing bands, and x represents an integer value incremented from 1 to N−1 for computing each successive one of the limited number of pricing bands; determining an approximate rate for the travel service based on the pricing band corresponding to the portion of the dynamic range of available rates within which an exact rate for the travel service falls; and presenting the approximate rate for the travel service in an interactive interface using a characteristic keyed to the corresponding pricing band, the characteristic including at least one of a graphical and audio characteristic that conveys a relative expense of the approximate rate for the travel service compared to other approximate rates for the travel service presented in the same interface.