Profitability based ranking of search results for lodging reservations

Abstract

Method and apparatus for dynamic information connection search engine. User actions may be detected on at least one client system. Determination may be made whether the user is searching for supported information. When the user is searching for supported information, information may be extracted electronically from, e.g., third party websites, direct supplier connections, and/or intermediate databases. Suppliers may be automatically selected in response to the user search. Queries may be formulated from the user search and transferred to one or more selected suppliers over a network coupling (e.g., the Internet and/or intranet). Queries may include one or more requests for information. One or more responses may be received from suppliers, and responses may be used to generate results for the user. Results may include information and/or query status information. An electronic link may be provided to a website of one or more suppliers from which information was derived.

1 . A search method, comprising:
 generating a result list comprising a plurality of lodging reservations;   assigning to each item in the result list a measure of popularity;   categorizing each item in the result list into one of at least two tiers; and   displaying to a user the items categorized into a first one of the tiers above the items categorized into a second one of the tiers;   wherein the items categorized into the first one of the tiers are displayed to the user in an order based at least in part upon the measure of popularity assigned to each item in the first one of the tiers; and   wherein the items categorized into the second one of the tiers are displayed to the user in an order based at least in part upon the measure of popularity assigned to each item in the second one of the tiers.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the result list is generated based upon a search query input by the user. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the measure of popularity assigned to each item is determined prior to the input of the search query. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the measure of popularity assigned to each item is determined periodically. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the measure of popularity assigned to each item is determined based upon the input of the search query. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the measure of popularity assigned to each item is determined based upon a number of times that a given item was booked by a user within the preceding x number of days, wherein x is an integer. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the measure of popularity assigned to each item is determined based upon an average number of times that a given item was booked by a user in each of the preceding x number of days, wherein x is an integer. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the average number of times that a given item was booked by a user in each of the preceding x number of days is a weighted average. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein x is an integer between 1 and 31. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the measure of popularity assigned to each item is determined based upon a number of times that a given item was viewed by a user within the preceding x number of days, wherein x is an integer. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the measure of popularity assigned to each item is determined based upon an average number of times that a given item was viewed by a user in each of the preceding x number of days, wherein x is an integer. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the average number of times that a given item was viewed by a user in each of the preceding x number of days is a weighted average. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein x is an integer between 1 and 31. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the measure of popularity assigned to each item is determined based upon a number of times that a given item was accessed by a user within the preceding x number of days, wherein x is an integer. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the measure of popularity assigned to each item is determined based upon an average number of times that a given item was accessed by a user in each of the preceding x number of days, wherein x is an integer. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the average number of times that a given item was accessed by a user in each of the preceding x number of days is a weighted average. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein x is an integer between 1 and 31. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the categorization of each item is carried out prior to the input of the search query by the user. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the categorization is carried out periodically. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the categorization of each item is carried out based upon the input of the search query.