Method and apparatus for destination tracking with misrouting indication

• US 20080129488A1
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Patricia Hill
• Original Assignee: Patricia Hill
• Inventors: Hill, Patricia
• Granted Patent: US 8,049,616 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

Methods and devices for tracking portable items, such as luggage, are disclosed. The methods and devices determine an actual location of the portable item, compare the actual location with a predetermined expected location of the portable items, and provide an alert if the actual location is outside of a calibrated range of the predetermined expected location. The system includes a device co-located or stowable with the portable item, and systems and applications remote from the device and able to communicate therewith to send or receive signals, or both.

Claims

1. A system for tracking a portable item, the system comprising:

a communications device stowable with the item and capable of wireless communication;

a geographic positioning system remotely located from and able to communicate wirelessly with the communications device to determine a physical location of the communications device; and

at least one external application able to communicate with the communications device, the system providing a predetermined expected physical location for the communications device at a specified time.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the communications device and geographic positioning system utilize global positioning system satellites.

3. The system of claim 1 further including an external database, wherein the communications device retrieves location coordinates and corresponding times for the communications device from the external database via one of the external applications.

4. The system of claim 1 further including an alert of misrouting when the determined physical location of the communications device is outside of a calibrated range from the predetermined physical location at the specified time.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the communications device alerts one of the external applications of misrouting of the communications device when the determined physical location is outside of a calibrated range from the predetermined physical location at the specified time.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the specified time corresponds to departure or arrival on a plane, and the physical location is proximate the plane.

7. The system of claim 1 further including a call device, wherein the communications device is responsive to the call device by providing an alarm or identification response.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the alarm is selected from illuminated lights, an auditory sound, or a communication response.

9. A device for tracking a checked item at an airport, the device comprising:

a memory module;

a communications module;

a processor module; and

an input module;

wherein the communications module communicates with a geographic positioning system to receive geographic location information, the processor module interprets the geographic location information to determine an actual geographic position, the communications module communicates with an external application to receive an expected geographic position at a specified time, and the device compares the actual geographic location with the expected geographic position.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein the communications module transmits the actual geographic position to the external application.

11. The device of claim 9 wherein the device sends a misroute message to the external application when the actual geographic position is outside of a calibrated range from the expected geographic position.

12. A method of operating a system for tracking a portable item, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a communications device with the portable item;

routing the communications device and portable item;

providing expected geographic location coordinates corresponding to at least one specified time;

determining actual geographic location coordinates for the communications device corresponding to the specified time; and

providing an alert if the actual geographic location coordinates are not within a calibrated range of the expected geographic location coordinates.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of providing expected geographic location coordinates includes delivering the expected geographic location coordinates to the communications device.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of determining actual geographic location coordinates is performed by the communications device.

15. The method of claim 12 further including the step of sharing the actual geographic location coordinates between the communications device and a remotely-located system.

16. The method of claim 12 further including sending a failure alert if any of the steps is not performed.

17. The method of claim 12 further including steps of:

the communications device determining if geographic location signals are sufficient to determine a geographic location are receivable; and

providing an alert if said signals are not sufficient to determine a geographic location.

18. A tracking system for tracking a portable item, the tracking system comprising:

a communications device securable with the item and capable of at least one-way wireless communication;

a set of external applications including one or more external applications, the set of external applications remotely located from the communications device, the communications device and at least one of the external applications being able to communicate wirelessly in at least one direction;

a geographic positioning system remotely located from the communications device;

wherein the communications device is at least able to receive communications from the geographic positioning system, and

the tracking system provides a predetermined expected physical location for the communications device at a specified time, and determines an actual physical location of the communications device.

19. The tracking system of claim 18 wherein the communications device receives communications from the geographic positioning system including location information regarding the actual physical location of the communications device, and processes the location information to determine the actual physical location.

20. The tracking system of claim 19 wherein the communications device transmits the processed location information to at least one of the external applications, and at least one of the external applications determines whether the actual physical location is within a calibrated range of the predetermined expected physical location at the specified time.

21. The tracking system of claim 19 wherein the communications device receives the predetermined expected physical location at a specified time information from one of the external applications, compares the actual physical location with the predetermined expected physical location at the specified time, and provides an alert if the actual physical location is not within a calibrated range of the predetermined expected physical location at the specified time.

22. The tracking system of claim 21 wherein the alert includes a visual, audible, or radio-frequency communication.

23. The tracking system of claim 21 wherein the alert includes providing an alert to at least one of the external applications.

24. The tracking system of claim 18 wherein the communications device receives communications from the geographic positioning system including location information regarding the actual physical location of the communications device, the communications device transmits the location information to at least one of the external applications, the at least one of the external applications processes the location information to determine the actual physical location, the at least one of the external applications determines whether the actual physical location is within a calibrated range of the predetermined expected physical location at the specified time, and at least one of the external applications provides an alert if the actual physical location is not within the calibrated range.

25. The tracking system of claim 24 wherein the alert includes notifying supervising personnel, notifying the communications device, or notifying a further external application.