Electronic boarding pass

• US 7,950,571 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2007
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Wienholt, Willfried, Kübler, Anette
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Ahshik
• Application Number:
  US11/772,454
• Publication Number:
  US 20090008439A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,429 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/384, 340/825.49
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to an electronic boarding pass for a passenger having an user interface for indicating an actual position of the passenger in an airport. The position data is received via wireless interface of the electronic boarding pass. In a memory flight data and shopping data of the respective passenger is stored. A processing unit such as a microprocessor is provided for processing received position data, data stored in the memory and airport map data of the airport.

Claims

1. An electronic boarding pass for a passenger comprising a user interface for indicating an actual position of said passenger in an airport,

the user interface comprises a display, the display indicates an actual position of the passenger in a map of the airport,

the map of said airport is downloaded by the electronic boarding pass via a wireless interface from a server of said airport, the airport map comprises icons indicating facilities of said airport,

the facilities of the airport comprises shops, toilets and restaurants, and

the passenger can select an indicated facility.

2. The electronic boarding pass according to claim 1, wherein the electronic boarding pass comprises a wireless interface for receiving position data.

3. The electronic boarding pass according to claim 2, wherein the wireless interface is an RFID-interface, a GPS-interface, a GSM/EDGE-interface, a WLAN-interface or a WIMAX-interface.

4. The electronic boarding pass according to claim 1, wherein the electronic boarding pass comprises a memory for storing flight data and its updates.

5. The electronic boarding pass according to claim 4, wherein the memory further stores user data of said passenger.

6. The electronic boarding pass according to claim 5, wherein the user data comprises a passport ID-number and biometric data.

7. The electronic boarding pass according to claim 4, wherein the memory further stores shopping data comprising information about purchases performed by the passenger in the airport.

8. The electronic boarding pass according to claim 4, wherein the memory further stores airline data.

9. The electronic boarding pass according to claim 1, wherein the user interface further indicates waiting times, an estimated walking time to a gate, a gate number, a terminal number, a flight number, a flight operator code, a boarding time, and a departure time.

10. The electronic boarding pass according to claim 1, wherein the electronic boarding pass comprises a microprocessor for calculating the shortest route between the actual position of the passenger to the selected facility of the airport.

11. The electronic boarding pass according to claim 1, wherein the electronic boarding pass comprises an interface for receiving information text from a server of said airport which are displayed by said display.

12. An electronic boarding pass for a passenger comprising:

(a) a wireless interface for receiving position data of said passenger;

(b) a memory for storing flight data and user data of the passenger;

(c) a processing unit for processing the received position data, the data stored in the memory and airport map data; and

(d) an user interface for indicating an actual position of said passenger in an airport,

wherein, the user interface comprises a display,

the display indicates an actual position of the passenger in a map of the airport, the map of said airport is downloaded by the electronic boarding pass via the wireless interface from a server of said airport,

the airport map comprises icons indicating facilities of said airport, the facilities of the airport comprises shops, toilets and restaurants, and

the passenger can select an indicated facility.

13. A method for informing a passenger having an electronic boarding pass about its actual position comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving position data via a wireless interface of said electronic boarding pass; and

(b) indicating the actual position of the passenger by an user interface of said electronic boarding pass,

wherein, the user interface comprises a display, the display indicates an actual position of the passenger in a map of the airport,

the map of said airport is downloaded by the electronic boarding pass via the wireless interface from a server of said airport,

the airport map comprises icons indicating facilities of said airport, the facilities of the airport comprises shops, toilets and restaurants, and

the passenger can select an indicated facility.

14. A passenger information system,

wherein each passenger receives a corresponding electronic boarding pass having a user interface for indicating an actual position of the respective passenger in an airport,

wherein, the user interface comprises a display, the display indicates an actual position of the passenger in a map of the airport,

the map of said airport is downloaded by the electronic boarding pass via the wireless interface from a server of said airport,

the airport map comprises icons indicating facilities of said airport, the facilities of the airport comprises shops, toilets and restaurants, and

the passenger can select an indicated facility.

15. The electronic boarding pass for a passenger comprising

a user interface layer for indicating an actual position of said passenger in an airport,

a flexible support layer and

a printed circuit layer,

wherein, the user interface layer comprises a display, the display indicates an actual position of the passenger in a map of the airport,

the map of said airport is downloaded by the electronic boarding pass via a wireless interface layer from a server of said airport,

the airport map comprises icons indicating facilities of said airport, the facilities of the airport comprises shops, toilets and restaurants, and

the passenger can select an indicated facility.

16. The electronic boarding pass according to claim 15, wherein a printed circuit layer comprises a wireless interface receiving position data of said passenger, a memory for storing flight data and user data of the passenger and

a processing unit for processing the received position data, the data stored in the memory and airport map data.