Enhanced air travel security method and apparatus

• US 7,280,994 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2005
• Issued: 10/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Steven Daum
• Original Assignee: Steven Daum
• Inventors: Daum, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Knight; Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, Jr.; Nathan H.
• Application Number:
  US11/031,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20050138080A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 707/104.1, 382/115, 706/48, 340/5.52
• US Class Current: 706/48
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/32 in combination with an identity check

Abstract

A method of screening passengers for a passenger aircraft flight includes a step of obtaining voluntary consent from a plurality of passengers to perform background check. The method further includes formulating a data record associated with each of the plurality of passengers. The passenger aircraft flight is scheduled as one of a plurality of regular scheduled flights. Prior to the passenger aircraft flight, it is determined whether a person is associated with a formulated data record. The method includes denying participation by the person in the passenger aircraft flight if the person is not associated with a formulated data record.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a. a memory;

b. a communication device, wherein the communication device includes a visible indicator;

c. a processing circuit operable to

formulate and store in the memory a data record associated with a first passenger, the data record including an indication that the first passenger has passed a background check, the data record further including facial scan identification data associated with the first passenger;

receive retinal scan measurement data associated with a person, compare the facial scan measurement data to the retinal scan identification data in the data record, and;

provide an indication signal to the communication device, the communication signal operable to cause the communication device to provide human-perceivable indicia representative of the result of the comparison.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processing circuit includes more than one processor connected via a network.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the communication device includes a visible display.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the communication device includes an audible sound generator.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processing circuit is further operable to associate the person with a first fractional aircraft owner.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the more than one processor is connected via the Internet.