Method for correlating and tracking passengers and baggage for a trackable passenger trip

• US 20070203765A1
• Filed: 04/19/2007
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marc Schoen, Stephen Hockaday
• Original Assignee: Marc Schoen, Stephen Hockaday
• Inventors: Hockaday, Stephen, Schoen, Marc
• Granted Patent: US 8,676,592 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments

Abstract

A system and method track both passenger and baggage during passenger trips, improving trip security, reducing lost baggage, allowing remote baggage check-in and retrieval, and allowing billing and financial transactions among system users. A passenger identification code (PIC) identifies a passenger, a trip starting location, and both a carrier and a final destination. A baggage identification code (BIC) is assigned to each piece of a trackable baggage set. At the trip starting location the PIC and BIC are wirelessly transmitted to an integrated travel information system (ITIS) using a wireless electronic device (WED). At a trip segment end the ITIS locates the baggage set and directs it to a transportation vehicle located by the ITIS. The ITIS directs the passenger to the transportation vehicle via a WED message. The WED transmits an end-of-trip signal to the ITIS at the final destination.

Claims

1. A method to electronically track elements of a passenger trip, comprising the steps of:

pre-assigning a baggage identification code to at least one trackable baggage piece;

accessing a travel information system by a passenger with a communication device one of before and during transit to and prior to arrival at a carrier terminal, including;

entering a passenger identification code of the passenger into the travel information system via the communication device to initiate the passenger trip; and

entering the baggage identification code into the travel information system via the communication device by the passenger during the accessing operation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking the passenger and the at least one trackable baggage piece during the passenger trip using the travel information system; and

selecting a baggage pickup location for the at least one trackable baggage piece.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising notifying the passenger of the baggage pickup location by communication along a path between the travel information system to the communication device and from the communication device to the passenger.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising confirming both an arrival of the passenger and an arrival of the at least one trackable baggage piece at a transfer terminal by communication from the travel information system to the passenger via the communication device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising automatically generating a signal when the passenger and the at least one trackable baggage piece both leave the transfer terminal.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising signaling the travel information system when the passenger and the at least one trackable baggage piece together arrive at a final destination by a final destination code transmittable by the passenger to the travel information system from the communication device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessing step further comprises wirelessly communicating using the communication device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

confirming the passenger identification code by the travel information system after the entering operation; and

sending a request from the travel information system to the passenger via the communication device for the baggage identification code.

9. A method to electronically track elements of a passenger trip comprising the steps of:

initializing a travel information system to track a passenger;

utilizing a transportation vehicle to transport the passenger together with a plurality of trackable baggage pieces to a carrier departure point;

accessing the travel information system by the passenger with a wireless communication device during transport to the carrier departure point to initiate the passenger trip for the passenger;

discharging the passenger at a passenger departure terminal for passenger check-in;

transporting the trackable baggage pieces to a baggage drop-off area separated from the passenger departure terminal for independent check-in of the trackable baggage pieces without the presence of the passenger;

locating both the passenger and the trackable baggage pieces using passenger and baggage data in the travel information system to confirm both the passenger and the trackable baggage pieces are simultaneously aboard a mobile platform; and

tracking the passenger and each of the trackable baggage pieces during the passenger trip using the travel information system.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

pre-assigning individual baggage identification codes to individual ones of the trackable baggage pieces prior to the transporting step; and

loading the baggage identification codes into the travel information system via the communication device by the passenger during the accessing step and prior to the discharging operation.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising selecting a baggage pickup location for the trackable baggage pieces using the travel information system.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising notifying the passenger of the baggage pickup location by communication along a path between the travel information system to the communication device and from the communication device to the passenger.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising confirming both an arrival of the passenger and an arrival of the trackable baggage pieces at a transfer terminal by communication between the passenger and the travel information system using the communication device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising automatically generating a signal when the passenger and the trackable baggage pieces leave the transfer terminal.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the accessing step further comprises wirelessly uploading a checked-in status of the passenger at the passenger departure terminal using a passenger identification code prior to the locating operation.

15. The method of claim 15, further comprising signaling the travel information system when the passenger and the trackable baggage pieces concurrently arrive at a final destination by a final destination code transmittable to the travel information system.

17. A method to track both passengers and passenger baggage during segments of a passenger trip, comprising:

accessing a travel information system by a passenger with a wireless communication device;

loading a baggage identification code of at least one trackable baggage piece and a passenger identification code into the travel information system via the communication device by the passenger during the accessing operation to initiate the passenger trip;

tracking the passenger and the at least one trackable baggage piece during the passenger trip using the travel information system; and

transmitting an end-of-trip signal to the travel information system by the passenger when both the passenger and the at least one trackable baggage piece arrive at a final destination during a final destination segment of the passenger trip.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising pre-assigning the baggage identification code to the at least one trackable baggage piece prior to the accessing operation.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising communicating by the passenger using the wireless communication device and the travel information system with a security agency to identify passenger and bag data including at least one of a missing, stolen and tampered trackable baggage piece.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising extending the tracking operation to each of a check-in segment having the passenger and the at least one trackable baggage piece independently tracked to a mobile platform at a departure terminal, a terminal departure segment having the passenger and the at least one trackable baggage piece concomitantly confirmed aboard the mobile platform, a travel segment, and a carrier arrival segment including identification to the passenger of a pickup location of the at least one trackable baggage piece.