Method and apparatus for transporting passenger baggage

• US 20040199403A1
• Filed: 04/15/2004
• Published: 10/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mohan Ananda
• Original Assignee: Mohan Ananda
• Inventors: Ananda, Mohan
• Application Number:
  US10/824,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20040199403A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/500
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0831 Overseas transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

This invention comprises a baggage transport system for handling passenger baggage for transport. In accordance with one or more embodiments of this invention, when a passenger makes a reservation to travel, a passenger identifier number, which may be a ticket or reservation number, is issued and placed in a data collection together with the passenger'"'"'s transport number, date of travel, time of travel and method of carrier compensation. When the passenger obtains a ticket to a destination, the ticket identifies the passenger identifier, the transport number and date of departure.

Rather than check baggage for carriage at the transport check-in counter, under one embodiment of this invention, baggage is checked for carriage to a destination before departure at a baggage collection facility that is separate from the departure and arrival facility. In the proposed system, passengers will obtain their ticket or passenger identifier at any time in advance of travel and leave off their baggage at a convenient baggage collection center, which may feature drive-in service. The baggage collection center will then accept the baggage for transport to the passengers'"'"' ultimate destinations, not merely to the destination transport arrival facilities, which may be airports. Passengers will be able to have their baggage delivered directly to their homes, hotels, offices or other locations, rather than having to struggle with baggage at transport arrival facility baggage pickup carousels. Thus, passengers will be able to enter and leave transport arrival facilities quickly and conveniently.

Claims

1. A method for handling passenger baggage, comprising:

obtaining a passenger identifier for a passenger associated with a ticket to a destination arrival facility;

obtaining passenger baggage for carriage to said destination in at least one passenger baggage collection facility before said passenger'"'"'s departure, said passenger baggage identified by said passenger identifier;

obtaining a destination address at said destination to which said passenger baggage is to be delivered; and

delivering said passenger baggage to said destination address after said passenger has departed.