Baggage check-in using short message device

• US 20050051622A1
• Filed: 08/27/2004
• Published: 03/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mobile Technology Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: bCode Pty Limited
• Inventors: Mak, Michael Man Ho
• Granted Patent: US 7,275,689 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/384
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/366 Check-in counters
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/368 Arrangements or installations for routing, distributing or loading baggage
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00

Abstract

A check-in method for airlines allows passengers to use Short Message Service (SMS) to check-in themselves and baggage. A passenger requests to check-in via SMS from practically anywhere and not limited to the airport. After receipt of the request, a confirmation message is sent back to the passenger'"'"'s registered mobile phone number by SMS. The system will ask the passenger for, and receive from the passenger, the number of bags they intend to check-in for the flight. The passengers can in some embodiments drop the baggage off without any required further action. The system issues an SMS-based encrypted code, such as a bar-code boarding pass to the passenger once the baggage (if any) is successfully transferred and registered to existing baggage management systems through the process above. This code, when scanned, recognized and authenticated provides identification and security clearance for the passenger to board the aircraft.

Claims

1. A method of checking in an airline passenger, comprising the steps of:

registering a passenger for an SMS based check in system, and during that registration, capturing data about the passenger;

receiving a request SMS message from the passenger, after registration, the request message indicating an intention to check in for a flight;

replying to the request message, by SMS, with a confirmation message;

transmitting by SMS, a boarding pass message to the same passenger, the boarding pass message being an encoded representation of data unique to the passenger, the SMS boarding pass message being displayable by the passenger as a boarding pass image, the image being optically scannable;

then

scanning the passenger'"'"'s boarding pass image and decoding it and verifying the passenger'"'"'s identity from the decoded image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

data captured about the passenger during registration comprises a telephone number to which a future SMS confirmation messages are sent.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

data captured about the passenger during registration comprises a password that is used during a later check in to verify a passenger.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

registering a passenger comprises receiving a registration request SMS message from the passenger.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the registration request SMS message from the passenger further comprises the passenger transmitting their frequent flyer number.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

registration results in a sending of coded baggage labels, tags or printed inserts to the passenger for use during baggage check-in.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the boarding pass image is a bar code.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the boarding pass image is an alphanumeric code.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

transmitting by SMS of the boarding pass message to the passenger occurs upon the passenger sending an SMS message that indicates that they have no luggage.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

transmitting by SMS of the boarding pass message to the passenger occurs upon the passenger successfully checking in their luggage.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the bar code is a two dimensional barcode.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the boarding pass message further comprises seating allocation information that is displayable.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the boarding pass image is captured, for boarding purposes, by a digital camera.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a pre-determined interval is established before which a passenger may not request to check in by SMS.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the interval is about 6 hours.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the alphanumeric code displays data checkpoints or reference characters.

17. A method of checking in an airline passenger, comprising the steps of:

registering a passenger for an SMS based check in system, and during that registration, capturing data about the passenger;

receiving a passenger'"'"'s baggage, the baggage being presented by the passenger together with a printed baggage identification code identifying the passenger in an encrypted format;

using the successful decryption and reconciliation of the baggage identification code to trigger the transmission by SMS, of a boarding pass message to the same passenger, the boarding pass message being an encoded representation of data unique to the passenger, the SMS boarding pass message being displayable by the passenger as a boarding pass image, the image being optically scannable;

then

scanning the passenger'"'"'s boarding pass image and decoding it and verifying the passenger'"'"'s identity from the decoded image.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the baggage identification code is a barcode representing a unique numeric code obtained from an encryption algorithm and essentially permanent to a 0 passenger.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the baggage identification code is printable and transmitted to the passenger after successful registration that includes the passenger submitting a mobile telephone number to which future SMS messages will be sent.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the baggage identification code is transmitted to the passenger by email as an attachment to or accompanying an e-ticket, the code being printable by the passenger on an ordinary printer.