Baggage delivery notification system and method

• US 10,204,502 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2013
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Inventors: McGrath, Adrian
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahase, Pameshanand
• Application Number:
  US13/753,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20140210623A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,204 Days
• Field of Search: 3405721
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence

Abstract

A baggage delivery notification system and method which alerts passengers when their baggage arrives. An example method includes obtaining a baggage identifier on a bag at a baggage claim carousel from a reader, determining a passenger associated with the baggage identifier, and alerting the passenger that the bag is at the baggage claim carousel. The method may further include determining a time of arrival of the bag at the baggage claim carousel and alerting the passenger to the time of arrival.

Claims

1. A processor-implemented baggage delivery notification method programmed in memory and/or a non-transitory computer-readable medium as software that executes on one or more processors configured to execute the method, comprising:

obtaining, by the software that executes on one or more processors of a computer, a baggage identifier on a bag at a baggage claim carousel from a reader that is part of the baggage claim carousel, wherein the baggage identifier comprises a barcode;

determining, by the software, a passenger associated with the baggage identifier by identifying a format for the baggage identifier, identifying an airline system based on the format, connecting to an airline system, and obtaining passenger information using the baggage identifier from the airline system; and

alerting, by the software, the passenger that the bag is at the baggage claim carousel in response to determining that passenger information for the passenger is identified in passenger records, wherein alerting further includes notifying a mobile applet executing within an Operating System (OS) of a mobile communication device operated by the passenger and in response to the mobile applet registering for notification, wherein alerting further includes also alerting the passenger when the passenger accesses a link providing on a web site of an airline website that activates the alerting with the passenger information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein alerting comprises displaying passenger information in the form of a message on a display at the baggage claim carousel.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the software, a time of arrival of the bag at the baggage claim carousel and alerting the passenger to the time of arrival.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein alerting comprises sending a message to the mobile communication device of the passenger.

5. A processor-implemented baggage delivery notification method programmed in memory and/or a non-transitory computer-readable medium as software that executes on one or more processors configured to execute the method, comprising:

registering, by the software that executes on the one or more processors of a computer, contact information of a passenger;

obtaining, by the software, a baggage identifier on a bag at a baggage claim carousel from a reader that is part of the baggage claim carousel, wherein the baggage identifier comprises a barcode;

determining, by the software, a passenger associated with the baggage identifier by identifying a format for the baggage identifier, connecting to an airline system based on the format, and obtaining passenger information from the airline system using the baggage identifier; and

contacting, by the software, the passenger using the contact information when the bag is at the baggage claim carousel in response to determining that passenger information for the passenger is identified in passenger records, wherein contacting further includes notifying a mobile applet executing within an Operating System (OS) of a mobile communication device operated by the passenger and in response to the mobile applet registering for notification, wherein contacting further includes also contacting the passenger when the passenger accesses a link providing on a web site of an airline website that activates the contacting with the contact information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the contact information comprises an email address and wherein contacting comprises sending an email to the passenger using the email address.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the contact information comprises a phone number of the mobile communication device of the passenger and wherein contacting comprises sending a text message to the passenger using the phone number.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the contact information comprises a phone number of the mobile communication device of the passenger and wherein contacting comprises sending a voice message to the passenger using the phone number.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising displaying, by the software, a message on a display at the baggage claim carousel.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining, by the software, a time of arrival of the bag at the baggage claim carousel and using the contact information to send the time of arrival to the mobile communication device of the passenger.

11. A baggage delivery notification system comprising:

a baggage tag reader that is part of the baggage claim carousel;

a computer that includes one or more processors and the computer programed with software from a non-transitory memory and/or a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, wherein the software executes on the one or processors, and the software configured to;

obtain a baggage identifier on a bag at a baggage claim carousel from the reader, determine a passenger associated with the baggage identifier, and alert the passenger that the bag is at the baggage claim carousel in response to determining that passenger information for the passenger is identified in passenger records, wherein the baggage identifier comprises a barcode that notifies a mobile applet executing within an Operating System (OS) of a mobile communication device operated by the passenger and in response to a notification provided by the mobile applet, the software further configured to;

register the notification and also alert the passenger when the passenger accesses a link providing on a web site of an airline website that activates an alert with the passenger information, wherein the software is further configured to identify a format for the baggage identifier, connect to an airline system based on the format, and obtain the passenger information from the airline system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the computer sends a message to the mobile communication device of the passenger.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising a display at the baggage claim carousel, wherein the computer sends a message to the display.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the computer also determines a time of arrival of the bag at the baggage claim carousel and alerts the passenger to the time of arrival.