Baggage receiving and handling method in airport, baggage receiving and handling system in airport, and baggage automatic handling apparatus

• US 5,793,639 A
• Filed: 09/10/1996
• Issued: 08/11/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Minoru
• Primary Examiner(s): RUGGIERO, JOSEPH F
• Application Number:
  US08/711,740
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 364/478.01, 364/478.13, 364/478.14, 235/375, 235/384, 395/206, 395/213, 705/6, 705/13, 705/28, 705/29, 705/5
• US Class Current: 700/226
• 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

An airport baggage receiving and handling method receives a passenger'"'"'s baggage, identifies the baggage and processes the baggage for the passenger'"'"'s flight. The method includes providing identification information, storing a result of a baggage security check, retrieving the baggage security check result, conveying the baggage security check result to the passenger, and forwarding the baggage after the baggage security check is satisfied. The identification information identifies the passenger, the baggage, and the passenger and the baggage with respect to each other, when the passenger undergoes a check-in procedure. The baggage security check result is retrieved based on the identification information of the passenger at the time of the passenger'"'"'s security check. If the baggage security check result is a rejection, the passenger is permitted to satisfy the rejection. As a result, only baggage that has satisfied the security check is forwarded to a sorting section.

Claims

1. An airport baggage receiving and handling method to receive a passenger'"'"'s baggage, to identify the baggage and to process the baggage for the passenger'"'"'s flight, the method comprising the steps of:

providing identification information to identify the passenger, the baggage and the passenger and the baggage with respect to each other, when the passenger undergoes a check-in procedure;

storing a result of a baggage security check on the baggage;

retrieving the baggage security check result based on the identification information of the passenger at the time of a passenger security check on the passenger;

conveying the baggage security check result to the passenger, and if the baggage security check result is a rejection, permitting the passenger to overcome the rejection; and

forwarding the baggage that has passed the baggage security check to a sorting section.

2. The baggage receiving and handling method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

storing baggage information reported by a passenger when he makes a reservation, and providing reservation information to identify the reservation; and

retrieving the baggage information based on the reservation information and outputting said identification information for the passenger and his baggage.

3. The baggage receiving and handling method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

entering reservation information on a passenger recording medium of the passenger when the passenger makes a reservation; and

reading said reservation information from said passenger recording medium when the passenger undergoes the check-in procedure.

4. The baggage receiving and handling method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of transporting baggage judged to be the passenger'"'"'s baggage and to have passed the baggage security check based on the baggage security check result retrieved at the time of a passenger security check on the passenger.

5. An airport baggage receiving and handling system to receive a passenger'"'"'s baggage, to identify the baggage and to process the baggage for the passenger'"'"'s flight, the system comprising:

memory means for storing baggage identification information, a baggage security check result and passenger identification information, wherein at least the baggage identification information and the passenger identification information are cross-referenced with each other;

informing means for retrieving the baggage security check result stored in the memory means based on the passenger identification information at the time of a passenger security check, and conveying the baggage security check result to the passenger; and

a sorting section for sorting the baggage that has passed the baggage security check.

6. The baggage receiving and handling system according to claim 5, wherein said sorting section sorts baggage according to flights, the baggage having passed the security check and being owned by passengers who passed a passenger security check.

7. The baggage receiving and handling system according to claim 5, further comprising a storage section for storing the baggage that has passed the security check.

8. The baggage receiving and handling system according to claim 5, further comprising checking means for providing identification information to identify the passenger and the passenger'"'"'s baggage at the time of check-in procedures, wherein the baggage identification information and the passenger identification information to be stored in the memory means are received from the checking means.

9. The baggage receiving and handling system according to claim 8, further comprising reservation means for storing baggage information reported by a passenger when he makes a reservation, and providing reservation information to identify the reservation to the passenger,

wherein said checking means provides at least one of said baggage identification information and said passenger identification information based on the reservation information.

10. The baggage receiving and handling system according to claim 9, wherein said checking means compares the reservation information and stored reservation information stored in said reservation means, and provides at least one of said baggage identification information and the passenger identification information if the reservation information is in agreement with the stored reservation information.

11. The baggage receiving and handling system according to claim 10, wherein said reservation means enters the reservation information on a passenger recording medium at the time of reservation, and said checking means reads the reservation information from said passenger recording medium at the time of check-in procedures.

12. The baggage receiving and handling system according to claim 10, further comprising:

tag issuing means for issuing a baggage tag indicating the baggage identification information provided by said checking means; and

baggage receiving means for receiving baggage having the baggage tag attached,

wherein the baggage security check is performed on the baggage received in said baggage receiving means.

13. The baggage receiving and handling system according to claim 11, further comprising:

tag issuing means for issuing a baggage tag indicating the baggage identification information provided by said checking means; and

baggage receiving means for receiving baggage having the baggage tag attached,

wherein the security check is performed on the baggage received in said baggage receiving means.

14. The baggage receiving and handling system according to claim 12, wherein the baggage receiving means is normally adapted to prevent receipt of baggage, and is adapted to receive baggage when the baggage identification information on the attached tag is in agreement with the stored baggage identification information.

15. The baggage receiving and handling system according to claim 13, wherein the baggage receiving means is normally adapted to prevent receipt of baggage, and is adapted to receive baggage when the baggage identification information on the attached tag is in agreement with the stored baggage identification information.

16. An automatic baggage handling apparatus for receiving baggage of a passenger who intends to board an airplane, the apparatus comprising:

reservation information memory means for storing boarding information input in advance as stored reservation information;

comparing means for comparing current reservation information entered at the time of baggage check-in procedures and the stored reservation information;

tag issuing means for issuing a baggage tag indicating the boarding information if the current reservation information is in agreement with the stored reservation information; and

baggage receiving means for receiving the baggage having the baggage tag attached.

17. The automatic baggage handling apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising reading means for reading the reservation information recorded in a passenger recording medium of the passenger presented at the time of baggage check-in procedures,

wherein said comparing means compares the reservation information read by said reading means and the stored reservation information.

18. The automatic baggage handling apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising:

forbidding means for preventing the baggage receiving means from receiving baggage; and

control means for controlling and driving said forbidding means to to permit the baggage receiving means to receive baggage when said tag issuing means issues a baggage tag.

19. The automatic baggage handling apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising:

forbidding means for forbidding the baggage receiving means from receiving baggage; and

control means for controlling and driving said forbidding means to to permit the baggage receiving means to receive baggage when said tag issuing means issues a baggage tag.