Automated Trip Quote System for Private Air Travel

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Solution Overview

Problem

Private air travel planning is time-consuming due to the need for travelers to research and arrange various flight-related services and aircraft specifications, requiring significant effort and knowledge about aircraft endurance and third-party vendor services.

Innovation Solution

A system that provides an automated trip quote summary report for air travel trips, including user input for price quotes, a price quoting system connected to databases for air travel and third-party vendor information, and a data engine to process and display the quote in a graphic format, covering third-party fees and estimated aircraft fuel pricing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If travelers manually research and arrange flight-related services, then they can obtain detailed information about aircraft specifications and third-party vendors, but the planning process becomes time-consuming and labor-intensive

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation completenessVSAvoidplanning time
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service by allowing travelers to input their flight requirements and automatically receiving comprehensive trip quotes including aircraft specifications, third-party service options, and pricing. The system performs the research and information aggregation that would otherwise require manual investigation, eliminating the time-consuming aspect while maintaining information completeness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary action by pre-calculating and preparing comprehensive trip quotes before the traveler needs to make decisions. The system aggregates aircraft specifications, third-party service information, and pricing data in advance, so that when a traveler inputs their requirements, they receive ready-to-use information without having to conduct manual research.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If travelers manually research third-party vendor services, then they can evaluate pricing and service options, but the process becomes detailed and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice option flexibilityVSAvoidresearch time
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables travelers to self-service by automatically generating comprehensive trip quotes that include multiple third-party service options with pricing. The system evaluates and presents service options from various vendors, allowing travelers to review and select from pre-compiled information rather than conducting manual research, thus maintaining service flexibility while reducing research time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides multi-functionality by aggregating information about multiple third-party service types (landing permits, navigation services, fuel services, ground handling, hotel reservations, ground transportation, catering, and parking) into a single comprehensive trip quote. This universal approach allows travelers to evaluate diverse service options simultaneously without needing to research each service type separately.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Loss of information

If travelers manually calculate fuel costs and service fees, then they can understand the complete trip cost, but the process requires significant knowledge and effort

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecost information completenessVSAvoidoperational simplicity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables travelers to self-service by automatically calculating and presenting complete trip costs including fuel expenses, third-party service fees, and other travel-related expenses. The system handles the complex calculations and data aggregation, allowing travelers to simply input their flight requirements and receive a comprehensive cost breakdown without needing to manually calculate or understand the underlying complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system acts as an intermediary by processing complex cost calculations and data aggregation between the traveler's flight requirements and the final trip quote. The system mediates the complexity of fuel cost calculations, service fee assessments, and pricing data aggregation, presenting the results in a simplified, easy-to-understand format that maintains complete cost information while improving operational simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS8788367B2Trip quote system and method
Publication Date: 2014.07.22 ROCKWELL COLLINS INC
  • US8788367B2 patent drawing
  • US8788367B2 patent drawing
  • US8788367B2 patent drawing

AI summary

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.