Boarding pass processing unit, boarding gate reader, person collation unit, boarding system, boarding pass, boarding pass processing method, service kiosk for boarding pass

• US 6,695,203 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2001
• Issued: 02/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Eck, Ralph H., Iki, Amehiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech; Karl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Walsh; Daniel I
• Application Number:
  US10/013,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20030111530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375,376,382,384
• US Class Current: 235/375
• 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

There is provided a boarding pass processing unit that can enable identification of a person-to-board to be easily performed in short time to thereby enhance services to persons-to-board and keep security. The boarding pass processing unit prints a face image of a person-to-board on his/her boarding pass. Accordingly, By making the person-to-board show his/her boarding pass, it can be easily judged whether the person possessing the boarding pass 10 is the proper owner of the boarding pass.

Claims

1. A boarding pass processing unit comprising:

a boarding pass accepting portion for accepting a boarding pass;

a control portion for identifying a person-to-board who is an owner of the boarding pass accepted by said boarding pass accepting portion, and judging whether the person-to-board should be allowed to board;

a face image acquiring portion for acquiring a face image of the person-to-board who is the owner of the boarding pass accepted by said boarding pass accepting portion;

a face image printing portion for printing the face image of the person-to-board acquired by said face image acquiring portion on the boarding pass accepted by said boarding pass accepting portion when said control portion judges that the person-to-board is allowed to board; and

a boarding pass discharge portion for discharging the boarding pass on which the face image is printed by said face image printing portion.

2. The boarding pass processing unit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a face image data recording portion for recording on the boarding pass face image data acquired by coding the face image printed on the boarding pass by said face image printing portion.

3. The boarding pass processing unit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an identification card reader for reading an identification card, wherein said control portion identifies the person-to-board on the basis of information of the identification card read out by said identification card reader, and judges whether the person-to-board is allowed to board.

4. A boarding pass having a face image print area in which a face image is printed by said boarding pass processing unit as claimed in claim 1.

8. A boarding system having said boarding pass processing unit as claimed in claim 1 and said boarding gate reader as claimed in claim 5.

10. A boarding gate reader as claimed in claim 4, wherein said control portion further collates at least one of said boarding data recorded on said boarding pass with at least one stored boarding data of said person-to-board in determining if passage of e person-to-board is prohibited.

5. A boarding gate reader comprising:

a boarding pass processing portion for accepting a boarding pass on which a face image of a person-to-board is printed, and reading boarding data recorded on the boarding pass;

a face image data acquiring portion for acquiring face image data corresponding to coded face image of a person-to-board who is the owner of the boarding pass from which the boarding data are read out by said boarding pass processing portion;

an image pickup portion for picking up an image of a person passing through a passage; and

a control portion for collating the face image data of the person-to-board acquired by said face image data acquiring portion with the face image picked up by said image pickup portion to identify the person-to-board, and prohibiting passage of the person-to-board when the identification of the person-to-board is negated.

6. The boarding gate reader as claimed in claim 5, wherein when said control portion judges that the identity of a person-to-board is verified, said boarding pass processing portion cuts out and withdraws a face-image printed portion of the boarding pass of the person-to-board, which is accepted by said boarding pass processing portion, and also discharges the remaining portion of the boarding pass.

7. The boarding gate reader as claimed in claim 5, wherein when said control portion judges that the identity of a person-to-board is verified, said boarding pass processing portion cuts out and discharges a face-image printed portion of the boarding pass of the person-to-board, which is accepted by said boarding pass processing portion, and also withdraws the remaining portion of the boarding pass.

9. A boarding gate reader as claimed in claim 5, wherein said boarding data comprises a name data for said person-to-board, a flight number associated with said person-to-board, a date associated with said flight number and a departure airport identification data.

11. A service kiosk for a boarding pass comprising:

a medium accepting portion for accepting insertion of a recording medium in which face image data corresponding to coded face image of an owner are recorded;

an image pickup portion for picking up an image of a person who inserts the recording medium accepted by said medium accepting portion;

a control portion for collating the face image data recorded in the recording medium accepted by said medium accepting portion with the face image of the person who inserts the recording medium, the face image being picked up by said image pickup portion;

an accepting portion for accepting indications of boarding data; and

a boarding pass issuing portion for issuing a boarding pass indicated when the control portion verifies the identity of the person-to-board.

12. A service kiosk as claimed in claim 11, wherein said boarding data comprises a name data for said person-to-board, a flight number associated with said person-to-board, a date associated with said flight number and a departure airport identification data.

13. A person collation unit of the present invention comprising:

a boarding pass accepting portion for accepting a boarding pass on which face image data acquired by coding the face image of an owner is printed, said boarding pass further including boarding data;

an image pickup portion for picking up an image of a person who inserts the boarding pass accepted by said boarding pass accepting portion;

a control portion for collating the face image data recorded in the boarding pass accepted by said boarding pass accepting portion with the face image of the person who inserts the boarding pass, the face image being picked up by said image pickup portion to judge the identity of the person; and

a display portion for displaying the judgment result in said control portion.

14. A person collation unit as claimed in claim 13, wherein said boarding data comprises a name data for said person-to-board, a flight number associated with said person-to-board, a date associated with said flight number and a departure airport identification data.

15. A boarding pass processing method comprising the steps of:

acquiring a face image of a person-to-board who is the owner of a boarding pass accepted by a boarding pass accepting portion and checking identity of the person-to-board to judge whether boarding of the person-to-board is allowed or not; and

printing the face image of the person-to-board thus acquired on the boarding pass accepted by the boarding pass accepting portion when it is judged that the person-to-board is allowed to board.

16. A boarding gate reader comprising:

a boarding pass processing portion for accepting a boarding pass on which at least one of a plurality of first and second data and a first facial image of a person-to-board are included, and reading at least one of said plurality of first and second data recorded on a data storage portion of the boarding pass;

a display portion for displaying said first facial image from said boarding pass;

an image data capture portion, said image data capture portion is positioned to obtain a second facial image of a person attempting to proceed through a passageway, said second facial image corresponding to said first facial image of a person-to-board; and

a control portion, said control portion authorizing boarding for said person-to-board based upon at least said plurality of first and second data, said first facial image and said second facial image from said image capture portion;

wherein said first plurality of data comprises personal identification data and said second plurality of data comprises conveyance related data.

17. A boarding gate reader as claimed in claim 16, wherein said personal identification data comprises a name data for said person-to-board and said conveyance information comprises a flight number associated with said person-to-board and a departure date and time associated with said flight number.