Trip quote system and method
AssigneeRockwell Collins, Inc.
InventorsRoberto Nicolas Cormack, John Legh-Page
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method of providing an air travel pricing quote, including estimated fees for third-party air flight services and fuel vendors at each stop along the route of an air travel trip. A traveler is able to quickly and automatically retrieve air travel pricing quotes, thereby bypassing the detailed and time-consuming process of drawing up a flight plan, determining foreign and domestic third-party air flight service vendors across the globe, and arranging third-party air flight services.
Claims21
A method of automatically providing a trip quote summary report for at least one air travel trip having at least one trip leg, comprising:
- entering and submitting a price quote request for air flight services provided by at least one third-party vendor to a price quoting system installed at an operational center, wherein the price quote request is entered via a user interface;
- querying at least one database installed at the operational center and being recorded on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and communicably coupled to the price quoting system to retrieve air travel data and air flight service information corresponding to the price quote request;
- verifying whether an aircraft selected by the user for the at least one trip leg requires refueling when flying the at least one trip leg;
- processing the air travel data and air flight service information to obtain the trip quote summary report, wherein the trip quote summary report includes a summary of third-party fees for the air flight services provided by the at least one third-party vendor and an estimated aircraft fuel pricing for the at least one air travel trip;
- displaying, to a user, the trip quote summary report in at least one graphic image viewable on the user interface;
- processing (i) logistical information obtained from the at least one database and (ii) a result of a time and distance calculator, to display to the user, via the user interface, a geographical representation, the geographical representation including a distance and a trip time of the at least one trip leg and the logistical information for departing and arriving airports of the at least one trip leg;
- and
- processing a result of the verification to display to the user, via the user interface, a fuel stop analyzer module for the at least one trip leg when the result of the verification indicates that a refueling stop is required for the at least one trip leg, the fuel stop analyzer module configured to provide at least one fuel stop along the at least one trip leg.
A system for automatically providing a trip quote summary report for at least one air travel trip having at least one trip leg, comprising:
- a user interface configured to allow a user to input a price quote request for the at least one air travel trip including air flight services provided by at least one third-party vendor;
- a price quoting system installed at an operational center and being communicably coupled to the user interface via a computer network and configured to receive and process the price quote request;
- at least one database installed at the operational center and being recorded on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and communicably coupled to the price quoting system for storing and updating air travel data and air flight service information;
- a data engine installed at the operational center and being communicably coupled to the price quoting system, the data engine being configured to
- access the air travel data and air flight service information in the at least one database,
- verify whether an aircraft selected by the user for the at least one trip leg requires refueling when flying the at least one trip leg, and
- process the price quote request into the trip quote summary report, wherein the trip quote summary report includes a summary of third-party fees for the air flight services provided by the at least one third-party vendor and an estimated aircraft fuel pricing for the at least one air travel trip;
- and
- a render engine installed at the operational center and being communicably coupled to the price quoting system, the render engine being configured to
- convert the trip quote summary report processed by the data engine into at least one graphic image viewable on the user interface,
- process a result of a time and distance calculator provided by the data engine,
- process logistical information obtained by the data engine from the at least one database and processed by the data engine, such that a geographical representation is displayed on the user interface, the geographical representation including
- a distance and a trip time of the at least one trip leg, and
- the logistical information for departing and arriving airports of the at least one trip leg, and
- process a result of the verification provided by the data engine and display a fuel stop analyzer module for the at least one trip leg on the user interface when the result of the verification indicates that a refueling stop is required for the at least one trip leg, the fuel stop analyzer module configured to provide at least one fuel stop along the at least one trip leg.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.