US 7,321,863 B2
Systems, methods, and computer program products for storing and retrieving product availability information from a storage cache
Joshua Hartmann, New York, N.Y. (US); DeWitt Clinton, New York, N.Y. (US); Kishore Pallamreddy, Flower Mound, Tex. (US); and Daniel Shtarkman, Dallas, Tex. (US)
Assigned to Travelocity.com LP, Fort Worth, Tex. (US)
Filed on Aug. 06, 2003, as Appl. No. 10/635,273.
Prior Publication US 2005/0033621 A1, Feb. 10, 2005
Int. Cl. G06F 17/60 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 705—5  [711/118; 711/129] 64 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for providing product availability information to a user from at least one product source, where a product has one or more associated different start dates indicating when a user may initiate use of the product, said method comprising:
accessing at least one product source and requesting product availability information concerning at least one product prior to receipt of a product availability request from a user concerning the product;
storing the product availability information received from the product source in a storage device;
receiving a product availability request from the user concerning a requested product;
accessing the product availability information stored in the storage device for the requested product;
determining the availability of the requested product based on at least the product availability information stored in the storage device;
generating an availability response based on at least the product availability information stored in the storage device; and
updating the product availability information stored in the storage device more often for start dates of the requested product that occur sooner in time than for start dates that occur later in time,
wherein the requested product can be used beginning on a particular start date and may be used for different lengths of use from the start date;
wherein said storing step comprises storing product availability information including start dates and a maximum length of use for each start date;
wherein said receiving step comprises receiving an availability request from the user concerning the requested product, a requested start date and a requested length of use;
wherein said determining step comprises determining the availability of the requested product for the requested start date and the requested length of use from the product availability information stored in the storage device; and
wherein when the requested length of use for the requested product exceeds the maximum length of use stored in the storage device, said determining step comprises:
dividing the requested length of use into at least two selected lengths of use that are each less than the maximum length of use stored in the storage device, each selected length of use having an associated selected start date; and
determining the availability of the requested product for each selected start date and selected length of use to determine the availability of the product for the requested start date and requested length of use.