Airport check-in system and method

• US 7,086,591 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2003
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alaska Airlines Incorporated (Alaska Air Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Alaska Airlines Incorporated (Alaska Air Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Anderson, Jeffrey L.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, UYEN CHAU N
• Application Number:
  US10/644,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20040035928A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 235/385, 235/384, 235/375, 235/376, 235/380, 705/5, 705/6
• US Class Current: 235/384
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/366 Check-in counters
• 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 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• 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 improved airport check-in system includes a central conveyor and a plurality of outwardly-extending conveyors. Airline agents operate workstations adjacent the outwardly extending conveyors, which are accessible by passengers so that passengers can deposit their own bags directly onto the conveyors. A number of electronic kiosks are provided to obtain boarding passes having encoded passenger information. Check-in is accomplished in two steps, including first obtaining a boarding pass and then proceeding to a baggage check station to check bags. At the baggage check station, the boarding pass is scanned to quickly retrieve key information that would otherwise have been gathered verbally, hastening the check-in process.

Claims

1. A method for checking a passenger and baggage into an airline flight, comprising:

providing an electronic station configured to enable the passenger to obtain a boarding pass at a first location inside an airport terminal,

receiving from the passenger, at the electronic station, information associated with the passenger;

providing the passenger with the boarding pass, the boarding pass containing at least a portion of the information received from the passenger and an indicator that the passenger has checked in;

receiving from the passenger the boarding pass at a second location inside the airport terminal, the second location being separated from but in view of the first location, the second location further being adjacent a baggage drop conveyor;

scanning the boarding pass at the second location; and

checking the baggage at the second location in accordance with information obtained from the boarding pass, wherein the information comprises a destination and number of bags to be checked.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information contained on the boarding pass is printed on the boarding pass in the form of a barcode.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising scanning the boarding pass at the second location to retrieve the information.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the second location further comprises a central conveyor and the baggage drop conveyor has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the baggage drop conveyor is adjacent the central conveyor.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the passenger placing the baggage on the baggage drop conveyor substantially at the second end of the baggage drop conveyor.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the baggage drop conveyor comprises a scale and the method further comprises the step of weighing the baggage with the scale.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first location comprises an electronic kiosk.

8. A system for checking a passenger and baggage into an airline flight, comprising:

a server coupled to a database containing stored passenger and flight information;

a boarding pass station comprising a client computer configured for communication with the server, the client computer having a processor, a display, and an associated printer, the processor executing program instructions to request itinerary information from the passenger, retrieve information from the database, and cause the printer to print a boarding pass; and

a baggage drop station located separate from the boarding pass station, the baggage drop station comprising a central conveyor having an origination end and a destination end and configured to convey baggage in a direction from the origination end toward the destination end; and

a baggage drop computer located at the baggage drop station and configured for communication wit the server, the baggage drop computer having a processor, a display, a scanner, and an associated printer, the processor executing program instructions to receive and interpret images scanned from the boarding pass and to allow baggage to be checked into the flight at the baggage drop station only if the passenger has already checked in.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the boarding pass includes a barcode containing the number of bags to be checked.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the baggage drop station further comprises a plurality of baggage drop conveyors each having a first end and a second end, wherein the first ends of the baggage drop conveyors are adjacent the central conveyor and the baggage drop conveyors are configured to convey baggage from the second end toward the first end and the central conveyor.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the baggage drop conveyors further comprises a scale for weighing baggage placed on the baggage drop conveyor.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the second end of the baggage drop conveyor is lower than the first end.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the client computer is a home or office computer.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the client computer is located outside the airport.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the client computer is an electronic kiosk located inside the airport.

16. A system for checking a passenger and baggage into an airline flight, comprising:

a server coupled to a database containing stored passenger and flight information;

a plurality of electronic kiosks, each of the kiosks configured for communication with the server, the kiosks executing program instructions to request information from the passenger, retrieve flight and passenger information from the database, and cause an associated printer to print a boarding pass, wherein the boarding pass contains an indication of the passenger'"'"'s name and number of bags to be checked; and

a baggage drop station located separate from the boarding pass station and within an airport terminal, the baggage drop station comprising (1) a central conveyor having an origination end and a destination end and configured to convey baggage in a direction from the origination end toward the destination end, and (2) a plurality of baggage drop point conveyors extending outward from the central conveyor, the drop point conveyors having a first end adjacent the central conveyor and a second end distant from the central conveyor, the drop-point conveyors further being configured to convey baggage from the second end toward the first end to be deposited onto the central conveyor; and

one or more signs directing the passenger to begin the check-in process at one or more of the kiosks before proceeding to the baggage drop station.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising one or more sensors associated with the central conveyor and configured to detect the presence of an item on a portion of the central conveyor.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the drop point conveyors comprise:

an initial conveyor, the initial conveyor having an endless belt at least part of which defines an upper surface, the upper surface of the belt being configured to travel from a first end of the initial conveyor to a second end of the initial conveyor; and

a staging conveyor, the staging conveyor having an endless belt at least part of which defines an upper surface,

wherein the initial conveyor is configured to deliver bags to the staging conveyor and the staging conveyor is configured to deliver bags to the central conveyor, and further wherein at least a portion of the upper surface of the initial conveyor is relatively lower than a the upper surface of the staging conveyor.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a motor adapted to cause the staging conveyor endless belt to rotate;

a sensor associated with the staging conveyor to detect the presence of an item on the staging conveyor; and

a conveyor controller in signal communication with the motor, the staging conveyor sensor, and the one or more sensors associated with the central conveyor and configured to cause the staging conveyor to deposit bags onto the central conveyor only where there are no detected bags in an interfering position on the central conveyor.

20. A method for checking a passenger into an airline flight, comprising:

providing an electronic station at a first location, the electronic station having a display and an input device,

retrieving, at the electronic station, information from the passenger related to the identity of the passenger and at least one additional item of passenger information related to the need for special service;

verifying that the passenger holds a reservation for the airline flight;

providing the passenger with a printed record, the printed record containing passenger identifying information and the at least one additional item of passenger information;

receiving, from the passenger, at a second location, the printed record; and

processing passenger check-in in accordance with the passenger identifying information and the at least one additional item of passenger information.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the at least one additional item of passenger information related to the need for a special service comprises an indication of additional charges to be collected, and processing passenger check-in further comprises collecting the additional charges and issuing a boarding pass.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the at least one additional item of passenger information related to the need for a special service comprises an indication of the presence of an unaccompanied minor, and processing passenger check-in further comprises issuing a boarding pass.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the at least one additional item of passenger information related to the need for a special service comprises an indication of large luggage to check, and processing passenger check-in further comprises checking the large luggage.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein processing passenger check-in further comprises providing the special service.