Method and apparatus for destination tracking with misrouting indication

• US 8,049,616 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Patricia Hill
• Original Assignee: Patricia Hill
• Inventors: Hill, Patricia
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood; Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fan; Hongmin
• Application Number:
  US11/607,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20080129488A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,797 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13, 340/539.1, 340/572.1, 340/572.9
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

Methods and devices for tracking portable items, such as luggage, are disclosed. The methods and devices determine an actual location of the portable item, compare the actual location with a predetermined expected location of the portable items, and provide an alert if the actual location is outside of a calibrated range of the predetermined expected location. The system includes a device co-located or stowable with the portable item, and systems and applications remote from the device and able to communicate therewith to send or receive signals, or both.

Claims

1. A system for tracking a portable item, the system comprising:

a communications device stowable with the item and having wireless communication, the communications device adapted to communicate with a geographic positioning system remotely located from the communications device to determine a present physical geographic location of the communications device, the communications device including a passive listening input device that includes a transmitter and a receiver for effecting the wireless communication, the passive listening input device adapted to disable the transmitter and maintain functionality of the receiver;

an external application in wireless communication with the communications device, the application adapted to provide a predetermined expected physical geographic location for the communications device at a specified time; and

an alert operably coupled to the communications device that is activated if, at the specified time, the present physical geographic location is not the same as the predetermined expected physical geographic location.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the communications device utilizes global positioning system satellites.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising an external database, wherein the communications device retrieves location coordinates and corresponding times for the communications device from the external database via one of the external applications.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising an alert when the present physical geographic location of the communications device is outside of a calibrated range from the predetermined physical geographic location at the specified time.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the communications device provides an alert to the external applications of misrouting of the communications device when the present physical geographic location is outside of a calibrated range from the predetermined physical geographic location at the specified time.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the specified time corresponds to departure or arrival on a plane, and the physical geographic location is proximate a plane.

7. The system of claim 1 further including a call device, wherein the communications device is responsive to the call device by providing an alarm or identification response.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the alarm is selected from illuminated lights, an auditory sound, or a communication response.

9. A device for tracking a checked item at an airport, the device comprising:

a memory module;

a communications module;

an alert provided by the device;

a processor module; and

an input module, wherein;

the communications module communicates with a geographic positioning system to receive geographic location information, the processor module interprets the geographic location information to determine an actual geographic position, the communications module communicates with an external application to receive an expected geographic position at a specified time, the device compares the actual geographic position with the expected geographic position, and the alert is automatically activated to personnel if the actual geographic position is not substantially the expected geographic position at the specified time; and

the communications module includes a passive listening input device that includes a transmitter and a receiver for effecting the communication between the communications module and the external application, the passive listening input device adapted to disable the transmitter.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein the communications module transmits the actual geographic position to the external application.

11. The device of claim 9 wherein the device sends a misroute message to the external application when the actual geographic position is outside of a calibrated range from the expected geographic position.

12. A method of operating a system for tracking a portable item via a communications device provided with the portable item, the method comprising the steps of:

routing the communications device and portable item;

providing expected geographic location coordinates corresponding to at least one specified time;

determining actual geographic location coordinates for the communications device corresponding to the specified time;

automatically providing an alert by the communications device if the actual geographic location coordinates are not within a calibrated range of the expected geographic location coordinates at the specified time as determined by the communications device; and

disabling a transmitter and maintaining functionality of a receiver provided within the communications device by a passive listening input device.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of providing expected geographic location coordinates includes delivering the expected geographic location coordinates to the communications device.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of determining actual geographic location coordinates is performed by the communications device.

15. The method of claim 12 further including the step of sharing the actual geographic location coordinates between the communications device and a remotely-located system.

16. The method of claim 12 further including sending a failure alert if any of the steps is not performed.

17. The method of claim 12 further including steps of:

the communications device determining if geographic location signals are sufficient to determine a geographic location are receivable; and

providing an alert if said signals are not sufficient to determine a geographic location.

18. A tracking system for tracking a portable item, the tracking system comprising:

a communications device securable with the item and having at least one-way wireless communication, the communications device including a passive listening input device that includes a transmitter and a receiver for effecting the wireless communication, the passive listening input device adapted to disable the transmitter;

a set of external applications including one or more external applications, the set of external applications remotely located from the communications device, the communications device and at least one of the external applications being able to communicate wirelessly in at least one direction;

an alert;

wherein the communications device at least receives communications from the geographic positioning system, the tracking system provides a predetermined expected physical geographic location for the communications device at a specified time, the tracking system determines an actual physical geographic location of the communications device, the communications device receives communications from the geographic positioning system including location information regarding the actual physical geographic location of the communications device, the communications device processes the location information to determine the actual physical geographic location, the communications device transmits the processed location information to at least one of the external applications, the communications device determines whether the actual physical geographic location is within a calibrated range of the predetermined expected physical geographic location at the specified time, and the alert being automatically activated to indicate the communications device failed to be within the calibrated range of the predetermined expected physical geographic location at the specified time.

19. A tracking system for tracking a portable item, the tracking system comprising:

a communications device securable with the item and having at least one-way wireless communication, the communications device adapted to communicate with a geographic positioning system remotely located from the communications device to determine a present physical geographic location of the communications device, the communications device including a passive listening input device that includes a transmitter and a receiver for effecting the wireless communication, the passive listening input device adapted to disable the transmitter;

a set of external applications including one or more external applications, the set of external applications remotely located from the communications device, the communications device and at least one of the external applications being able to communicate wirelessly in at least one direction;

wherein the communications device at least receives communications from the geographic positioning system, the tracking system provides a predetermined expected physical geographic location for the communications device at a specified time, the tracking system determines an actual physical geographic location of the communications device, the communications device receives communications from the geographic positioning system including location information regarding the actual physical geographic location of the communications device, the communications device processes the location information to determine the actual physical geographic location, the communications device receives the predetermined expected physical geographic location at a specified time information from one of the external applications, the communications device compares the actual physical geographic location with the predetermined expected physical geographic location at the specified time, and the communications device provides an alert if the actual physical location is not within a calibrated range of the predetermined expected physical geographic location at the specified time.

20. The tracking system of claim 19 wherein the alert includes a visual, audible, or radio-frequency communication.

21. The tracking system of claim 19 wherein the alert includes providing an alert to at least one of the external applications.