APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR TRACKING MOVEMENT OF PERSONS

• US 20080133127A1
• Filed: 12/01/2006
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Havens, William H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,885,763 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2011/02 related to amusement parks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

A system and method for tracking movements of an object of interest using an contact or contactless tag, having a writable memory. A plurality of scanners are dispersed throughout an environment in which movement of the object is to be tracked, wherein when a scanner detects the tag an entry is added to the tag. The entry can include a variety of data including, for example, the location entry indicating a time the tag was detected and a location of the detection. The system and method are particularly but not exclusively, suited for use with airline travel.

Claims

1. A system for tracking movements of an object of interest, the system comprising:

a storage device, having a writable memory, associated with the object of interest; and

a plurality of scanners dispersed throughout a region in which movement of the object of interest is to be tracked, wherein when a scanner detects the storage device a location entry is added to the storage device, the location entry indicating a time the storage device was detected and a location of the detection.

2. A system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the plurality of scanners includes fixed and mobile scanners.

3. A system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the storage device is integrated with a travel related document.

4. A system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the storage device is affixed to the object of interest.

5. A system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the object of interest is a person and the region is a travel depot.

6. A system, as set forth in claim 5, wherein the travel depot is an airport.

7. A system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the object of interest is a person and the region comprises at least two airports.

8. A system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the object of interest is a person and the region comprises an amusement park.

9. A system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the object of interest is a person and the region comprises a hospital.

10. A system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the object of interest is a person and the region comprises a prison.

11. A system, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

A printer associated with a scanner, the printer printing a travel log of the object of interest, the travel log including an indication of each location entry recorded in the storage device.

12. A system, as set forth in claim 8, wherein the object of interest is a person and the region comprises at least two airports.

13. A system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the storage device comprises one of, an RFID tag.

14. A system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the location entry comprises a time and an identifier of the scanner detecting the storage device.

15. A system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the location entry additionally comprises at least one of a date, an agent identification, a flight number, a baggage identification string, and a security status.

16. A system to report the movement of an airline traveler on a trip, the system comprising:

an RFID tag carried by the traveler, the RFID having a writable memory;

a plurality of RFID scanners dispersed along a path followed by the traveler, each RFID scanner configured to detect the proximity of the RFID tag and if a detection occurs, storing an indication on the RFID tag of the detection; and

reporting means for providing, based upon the indications stored in the RFID tag, a description of interactions between the RFID tag and each RFID scanner that detected the proximity of the RFID tag.

17. A system, as set forth in claim 16, wherein the RFID tag is a bracelet.

18. A system, as set forth in claim 16, wherein the RFID tag is incorporated into a boarding pass.

19. A system, as set forth in claim 16, wherein the RFID tag is incorporated into a ticket.

20. A system, as set forth in claim 16, wherein at least one RFID scanner is a hand held scanner.

21. A system, as set forth in claim 16, wherein at least one RFID scanner is a mobile scanner.

22. A system, as set forth in claim 16, wherein the reporting means comprises:

an RFID scanner that reads the indications stored on the RFID tag; and

a printer that outputs a report based on the indications read by the RFID scanner.

23. A method for tracking a traveler through an airport, the method comprising:

associating an RFID tag with the traveler;

placing a plurality of RFID scanners around an airport; and

when the traveler comes into proximity with an RFID scanner, storing on the RFID tag a record indicating the identity of the RFID scanner and the time at which the traveler came into proximity with the RFID scanner.

24. A method for tracking an airline traveler, the method comprising:

placing a plurality of RFID scanners around a first and second airport;

associating an RFID tag with the traveler when the traveler checks in at the first airport; and

as the traveler progresses from the first airport to the second airport, when the traveler comes into proximity with an RFID scanner, storing on the RFID tag a record indicating the identity of the RFID scanner and the time at which the traveler came into proximity with the RFID scanner.

25. A method, as set forth in claim 24, further comprising:

outputting a report based upon the records in the RFID tag.

26. A method, as set forth in claim 25, wherein the step of outputting comprises:

creating a web site based upon the records in the RFID tag.

27. A method, as set forth in claim 25, wherein the step of outputting comprises:

reading the records in the RFID tag; and

printing a report.