Patents Assigned to HomeAway
  • Publication number: 20160267610
    Abstract: A datastore that includes property listings (e.g., for rental properties) may be accessed by a computing resource configured to execute a thumb printing algorithm to generate summary data values (e.g., thumbprint values, hash values) of digital data included one or more images of a property listing. The summary data values along with listing attributes (e.g., address, zip code, geolocation, brand, number of bedrooms/bathrooms/sleeps, amenities) of the property listing may be compared with summary data values and listing attributes of other property listings to determine if the summary data values of one or more images match and if one or more listing attributes match. A threshold number of image matches and listing attribute matches may indicate that the property listings are duplicate property listings, which may be merged, removed or replaced with links/pointers by the computer resource to increase data storage space and/or reduce data search latency times of the datastore.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Applicant: HomeAway, Inc.
    Inventors: Bill Corbett, Bryon Jacob, David Petty
  • Publication number: 20160225069
    Abstract: A system configured to receive data representing a bid from a customer (e.g., a consumer, a user, a traveler) may be operative to place the bid on one or more products that satisfy the same need (e.g., property listings) for one or more bid prices and may be operative to submit the bid(s) to sellers (e.g., owners) of the one or more listings. An auction for the product may be terminated by elapsing of a bid window, by one of the owners being the first to accept the customers bid, or by the customer accepting an owner's counter offer. The system may present data representing inquiry bids that may meet the needs of the customer. The system may communicate data with another system that may publish data representing a deal or deals generated by an owner(s).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2015
    Publication date: August 4, 2016
    Applicant: HomeAway, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles Wagner
  • Publication number: 20160205506
    Abstract: Aggregated traveler data may be accessed by subscribers to a content management system. Subscriber data in access requests from one or more subscribers may be used to describe a pool of travelers in the aggregated traveler data that may be concentrated in a geographic location. Location data, temporal data or both, from one or more electronic sources and/or data stores may be processed to determine if a selected traveler will be positioned within a threshold of an allowable distance from an allowable event in the geographic location at a time coincident with an event time window for the allowable event. Selected travelers who meet location and/or temporal parameters may be targeted to receive customized content for events including activities, services, goods, suggestions, and recommendations from subscribers. A subscriber may own a rental property in the geographic location that is rented by a selected traveler.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2015
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Applicant: HomeAway, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Hedley Turner, Daniel Steven Haligas, Velayudhan Venugopal, Alex Holm Devine
  • Publication number: 20160202851
    Abstract: A wireless mobile device in data communication with a platform may present on a display of the wireless mobile device graphic images and/or icons that may represent different information as a function of time, location, type of activity, type of event, anonymized trend data, push notifications and electronic messages. The graphic images and/or icons may be selectably visible on the display based on context-relevance of the information being displayed relative to an event, such as a rental of property by a traveler, for example. The graphic images and/or icons displayed may be determined by a data file that includes information configured to cause a visual characteristic of the graphic images and/or icons to dynamically change during different periods associated with an event, such as a pre-event, during-event, and post-event periods. Image/icon color, shape, size, opacity, position, transparency, intensity, invisibility, or other visual characteristics may be changed among images/icons being displayed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2015
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Applicant: HomeAway, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Hedley Turner, Daniel Steven Haligas, Velayudhan Venugopal, Alex Holm Devine
  • Publication number: 20160165403
    Abstract: Various embodiments relate generally to electrical and electronic hardware, computer software, wired and wireless network communications, and wearable computing devices for identifying activities and/or destinations of relative importance. More specifically, a system, a device and a method are provided to predict a type of companion with whom a traveler collaborates to, among other things, predict activities (e.g., preferential activities) available at a geographic region association with lodging. In one or more embodiments, a method can include determining a location at which a user computing device associated with a user is disposed, and calculating that a computing device associated with a candidate companion is within a region coterminous with the location. Also, the method may include predicting data representing a companionship type for data representing the candidate companion based at least the location at which the user and the candidate companion are co-located.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2014
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Applicant: HomeAway, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Hedley Turner, Daniel Steven Haligas, Velayudhan Venugopal, Alex Holm Devine
  • Publication number: 20160165067
    Abstract: A platform may include resources configured to receive information representing a phone call from a caller (e.g., a traveler) to a callee (e.g., a proprietor) and instead of immediately connecting the phone call may communicate a message to the caller telling the caller the call is being connected. Prior to connecting the phone call with the callee, the platform may connect with a proprietor device (e.g., a landline telephone or a smartphone) and communicate a message to the callee that an incoming phone call is from a potential customer and is being provided courtesy of a merchant electronic exchange. The message may further encourage the callee to join the merchant electronic exchange as a member and/or inform the callee of the number of leads it has provided to the callee. After communicating the message to the proprietor, the platform may connect the call between the caller and the callee.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2014
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Applicant: HomeAway, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Hedley Turner, Daniel Steven Haligas, Velayudhan Venugopal, Alex Holm Devine
  • Publication number: 20160162809
    Abstract: An application executing on a computing device (e.g., a wireless computing device) may be configured to monitor and provide channelized stay data that includes tagged activities engaged in by a traveler during a stay at a rental property such as physical presence of the traveler at the rental property during the stay, searches conducted on the computing device, activities selected using the computing device and to verify participation by the traveler in one or more of the selected activities. A networked computing device may receive the channelized stay data and use data included in the channelized stay data to form a search key configured to filter out a subset of rental property listings, which may be of interest to the traveler, from a larger pool of rental property listings. The networked computing device may present the subset of rental property listings on a display of the computing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2014
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Applicant: HomeAway, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Hedley Turner, Daniel Steven Haligas, Velayudhan Venugopal, Alex Holm Devine
  • Publication number: 20160165388
    Abstract: Various embodiments relate generally to electrical and electronic hardware, computer software, wired and wireless network communications, and wearable computing devices for identifying activities and/or destinations of relative importance. More specifically, a system, a device and a method are provided to determine interactions at a mobile computing device predict activities based on one or more types of interactions. Examples of activities include preferential activities available at a geographic region association with lodging In one or more embodiments, a method can include receiving data representing an interaction with a user interface, generating data summarizing the interaction to include an interaction type, and determining data representing a prioritized value indicative of a degree of the interaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2014
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Applicant: HomeAway.com, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Hedley Turner, Daniel Steven Haligas, Velayudhan Venugopal, Alex Holm Devine
  • Publication number: 20160165391
    Abstract: A process, a system or both may be configured to correlate triggers indicative of an occurrence of one or more events or other data associated with lodging for a traveler, determine if one or more precedent conditions associated with the one or more events are satisfied, and generate one or more context-specific messages when the one or more precedent conditions have been satisfied. Context-specific messages may be communicated (e.g. wirelessly) to a client computing device (e.g., a smartphone, tablet or pad) pursuant to one or more precedent conditions being satisfied. The context-specific message(s) and at least one of the one or more precedent conditions may originate from a member computing device (e.g., a computing device of an owner or a proprietor). Geolocation based data included in one or more triggers may be used to activate communication of the context-specific message(s) and/or to satisfy one or more precedent conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2014
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Applicant: HomeAway, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Hedley Turner, Daniel Steven Haligas, Velayudhan Venugopal, Alex Holm Devine, Juliette Susan Kimes
  • Publication number: 20160165402
    Abstract: Various embodiments relate generally to electrical and electronic hardware, computer software, wired and wireless network communications, and wearable computing devices for identifying activities and/or destinations of relative importance. More specifically, a system, a device and a method provide to predict activities (e.g., preferential activities) available at a geographic region association with lodging and to adaptively generate advisory data. In one or more embodiments, a method can include accessing traveler profile data associated with a user, identifying data representing a portion of traveler attributes associated with a geographic region including lodging for the user, and receiving data indicative of locality-related characteristics. The method also includes predicting a first activity as a function of a locality-related characteristic and a travel attribute, and generating customized advisory data configured to engage in an activity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2014
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Applicant: HomeAway
    Inventors: Ryan Hedley Turner, Daniel Steven Haligas, Velayudhan Venugopal, Alex Holm Devine
  • Publication number: 20160163138
    Abstract: A computing device may be configured to transition control over one or more functions of a rental unit to a user (e.g., a traveler) based on one or more of time, geo-location and access credentials. Access may be granted to the traveler to use one or more home automation functions including a HVAC system, a thermostat, lighting, security alarm, automated door locks, etc. An owner of the rental unit may have access to some or all of the home automation functions blocked during the traveler's stay at the rental unit, and at an end of the stay owner access to those functions may be enabled. Some functions may be activated prior to the traveler's arrival at the unit based on a time to arrival and/or distance from the unit. An application on a traveler's computing device may be configured to summon a repair service for the unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2014
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Applicant: HomeAway, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Hedley Turner, Daniel Steven Haligas, Velayudhan Venugopal, Alex Holm Devine
  • Publication number: 20160162945
    Abstract: Various embodiments relate generally to electrical and electronic hardware, computer software, wired and wireless network communications, and wearable computing devices for identifying activities and/or destinations of relative importance. More specifically, a system, a device and a method provide to predict activities (e.g., preferential activities) available at a geographic region association with lodging and to adaptively generate advisory data. In one or more embodiments, a method can include receiving data representing a request to implement data representing an identifier for a destination and activity characteristics at the destination, fetching traveler attributes associated with users, and matching the activity characteristics against the traveler attributes to identify a subset of users.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2014
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Applicant: HomeAway, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Hedley Turner, Daniel Steven Haligas, Velayudhan Venugopal, Alex Holm Devine
  • Publication number: 20160131490
    Abstract: Various embodiments relate generally to a system, a device and a method provide for a modification of direction of travel based on, for example, proximity thresholds and adaptive alerts specifying an action item. In one or more embodiments, a method can include receiving at a device action alert data including data representing a destination at which an action item resides and data representing an event time frame during which the action item is actionable. Also, the method can include determining at a processor data representing a proximity threshold value relative to a detected location data as a function of at least a rate of travel to form a subset of proximity threshold data specifying the proximity threshold value under which generation of an adaptive alert is enabled. The method can facilitate a change in travel from a first path segment to a second path segment to the destination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Publication date: May 12, 2016
    Applicant: HomeAway, Inc.
    Inventor: Juliette Susan Kimes
  • Publication number: 20160105435
    Abstract: Credential and/or location data included in data received by a networked system from a device that communicated the data to the networked system may be processed to determine if the credential data and/or location data validate an identity of a user (e.g., a guest, traveler, patron) and/or a location of the user based on a location of the device when the data is communicated. The data may be review data and the credential and/or location data may be included in review data. The device and/or the networked system may generate a location history database from location data from the device or other system that is periodically logged from multiple locations at different times during an event (e.g., a stay at a vacation rental). Data from the database may be used to determine if a location for a communication is with a threshold of an allowable distance from an allowable location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Publication date: April 14, 2016
    Applicant: HomeAway, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Hedley Turner, Daniel Steven Haligas, Velayudhan Venugopal, Alex Holm Devine
  • Publication number: 20160104216
    Abstract: Review data associated with a guest experience at an event, such as a vacation rental, for example, is transmitted over a communications network to one or more networked computing devices for processing the review data into a review data file for publication. The review data may be generated by an application executing on a processor of a client device such as a smartphone, tablet or pad. The review data may include access credentials and location data that may be processed to validate that the review data is legitimate. The review data may include media content captured in-situ at the event while the guest is experiencing the event. Prior to publishing a review data file, an owner may receive a notice and/or a copy of the pending review data file and the owner may take action to cure a less than stellar review and/or amend the review prior to publication.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Publication date: April 14, 2016
    Applicant: HomeAway, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Hedley Turner, Daniel Steven Haligas, Velayudhan Venugopal, Alex Holm Devine
  • Patent number: 9269100
    Abstract: Social graphs using shared personal data are described, including techniques for capturing data from a social data source, determining one or more connections associated with an item using the data, and creating a social graph using the one or more connections, the social graph comprising the one or more connections associated with the item. Embodiments of the invention also include techniques for updating social graphs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: HomeAway.com, Inc.
    Inventors: Blake Biesecker, Kerry Kelley
  • Publication number: 20150286977
    Abstract: The present application relates generally to systems, software and electronic commerce. More specifically, systems, methods and software to reconcile free-text with structured data are disclosed. Structured data may be in the form of a curated corpus. Free-text may be parsed and one or more terms, words, phrases or the like may be extracted by the parsing and compared with the structured data to determine if there is a difference between the structured data and the free-text it is compared with. Detected differences may be reported (e.g., to an endpoint) in real-time or near real-time and may include a suggestion or recommendation to change the free-text to more closely match the structured data or to change the structured data to more closely match the free-text, or both, for example. An endpoint may be a client device such as a smartphone, tablet, pad, or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2014
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Applicant: Homeaway, Inc.
    Inventor: Brent Schneeman
  • Publication number: 20150242835
    Abstract: Various embodiments relate generally to computer software, network communications and networked applications, and computing devices, including wired and wireless mobile and computing devices, for interfacing with a payment processor that provides electronic payments as a service, and more specifically, to correlate transactions generated by split payment operations to fulfill and correlate online orders of goods and services offered by multiple provider entities, via, for example, aggregation of electronic transactions. In some embodiments, a method includes causing presentation of one or more web pages to facilitate rental of real property, and receiving data representing electronic transactions subject to a split payment operation. The method can include monitoring the electronic transactions, and generating data representing a correlation identifier indicating that a first electronic transaction is associated with a subset of electronic transactions subject to the split payment operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2014
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Applicant: HomeAway.com, Inc.
    Inventors: James Aron Vaughan, Steve David Goldsmith
  • Publication number: 20150242834
    Abstract: Various embodiments relate generally to computer software, network communications and networked applications, and computing devices, including wired and wireless mobile and computing devices, for interfacing with a payment processor that provides electronic payments as a service, and more specifically, to a split payment engine and method for fulfillment of goods and services, such as reserving a rental property and ancillary goods and services, via, for example, aggregation of electronic transactions. In some embodiments, a method includes receiving a request acquire multiple goods or services from different good or service providers, and initiating a split payment operation at a processor to apply against an account. The split payment operation includes determining that the split payment operation is associated with either a first or a second state, and causing, if the request is in the first state, payments collectively represented as a single transaction in association with the account.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2014
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Applicant: Homeaway.com, Inc.
    Inventors: Steve David Goldsmith, James Aron Vaughan
  • Publication number: 20130159169
    Abstract: Embodiments relate generally to computer software and computing devices, and more particularly, to a system, an apparatus and a method configured to segregate data at an interface of a computing device to facilitate on-line electronic payment transactions. In one embodiment, a method includes presenting fields configured to accept a first type of data and to accept a second type of data for an on-line electronic payment transaction. The method includes generating an initialization signal for transmission to an isolated data management system to initialize a portion of a memory associated with first type of data, responsive to an interaction with a field, receiving data from the field, and generating a save signal to save the data from the field in a portion of the memory. This can be responsive to a second interaction with the field.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: HomeAway.com, Inc.
    Inventors: Brent T. Schneeman, Dennis Kashkin, Eric M. Carr, Mark R. Reynolds, Matthew W. Kinman, Charles R. Poff, III, Douglas A. Squires, Daniel A. Herrera