Secure electronic compartment identifier system

• US 9,202,323 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2004
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joseph A. Queenan
• Original Assignee: Joseph A. Queenan
• Inventors: Queenan, Joseph A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nam V
• Application Number:
  US10/771,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20040246097A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,319 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.6, 340/5.61, 340/5.7, 340/5.73, 340/551, 340/545.6, 340/568.1, 340 101- 105, 713/185, 713/182, 713/166, 713/193, 380 44- 47
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/00 Programme-control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00722 with magnetic components, e.g. magnets, magnetic strips, metallic inserts mechanical locks operated by permanent magnets E05B47/0038
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration

Abstract

A latch, or tag that can be used on luggage, baggage, trunks, rail cars, trailers or any compartment that can be opened and closed that establishes profile data that is associated with the latch or tag and is adapted to store personal data and an identifier in the latch mechanism or on the tag. The profile data can be used to establish a risk factor with the luggage or compartment and/or a person associated with the luggage or compartment.

Claims

1. A method for establishing profile data that is associated with a latch mechanism comprising:

obtaining personal data associated with a user;

obtaining an identifier that identifies a latch mechanism that is associated with a movable object;

associating the personal data with the identifier;

assigning a risk level for the latch mechanism as a function of the personal data; and

storing the personal data and the identifier in the latch mechanism;

obtaining location data as a function of a location of the latch mechanism; and

outputting the location data.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

generating profile data for the latch mechanism as a function of the personal data.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

transmitting the profile data to a remote location.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

transmitting the profile data to a storage location.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the storage location is a database.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

retrieving the profile data from the storage location.

7. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the obtaining step includes obtaining personal data associated with a second user;

and

the generating step includes generating the profile data for the latch mechanism as a function of the personal data associated with the second user.

8. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

outputting the profile data.

9. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

printing the profile data on a medium.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the medium is a tag.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the medium is a ticket.

12. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

displaying the profile data on an electronic device.

13. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

encoding the profile data;

and outputting the profile data.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the outputting step further comprises:

printing the profile data.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the outputting step further comprises:

displaying the profile data.

16. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

tracking the profile data; and

updating the profile data.

17. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

generating a first indicator as a function of the personal data; and

storing the first indicator.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

generating a second indicator as a function of the identifier; and

storing the second indicator.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising:

segregating latch mechanisms as a function of either the first indicator or the second indicator or both the first indicator and the second indicator.

20. The method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising:

outputting the second indicator.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the outputting step further comprises:

printing the second indicator.

22. The method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

outputting the first indicator.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the outputting step further comprises:

printing the first indicator.

24. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

modifying the risk level.

25. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the output step further comprises:

transmitting the location data to an electronic device.

26. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the output step further comprises:

displaying the location data.

27. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

generating manifest data as a function of contents of a compartment; and

storing the manifest data in the latch mechanism.

28. The method as claimed in claim 27, further comprising:

outputting the manifest data.

29. The method as claimed in claim 28, wherein the outputting step includes transmitting the manifest data to a remote location.

30. The method as claimed in claim 28, wherein the outputting step includes printing the manifest data.

31. An apparatus for establishing profile data that is associated with a latch mechanism comprising:

means for obtaining personal data associated with a user;

means for obtaining an identifier that identifies a latch mechanism that is permanently associated with a movable object;

means for associating the personal data with the identifier;

means for associating a risk level with the latch mechanism as a function of the personal data;

means for storing the personal data and the identifier in the latch mechanism;

means for obtaining location data as a function of a location of the latch mechanism; and

means for outputting the location data.

32. The apparatus as claimed in claim 31, further comprising:

means for generating profile data for the latch mechanism as a function of the personal data.

33. The apparatus as claimed in claim 32, further comprising:

means for transmitting the profile data to a remote location.

34. The apparatus as claimed in claim 32, further comprising:

means for transmitting the profile data to a storage location.

35. The apparatus as claimed in claim 34, wherein the storage location is a database.

36. The apparatus as claimed in claim 34, further comprising:

means for retrieving the profile data from the storage location.

37. The apparatus as claimed in claim 32, further comprising:

means for outputting the profile data.

38. The apparatus as claimed in claim 32, further comprising:

means for printing the profile data on a medium.

39. The apparatus as claimed in claim 38, wherein the medium is a tag.

40. The apparatus as claimed in claim 38, wherein the medium is a ticket.

41. The apparatus as claimed in claim 32, further comprising:

means for displaying the profile data on an electronic device.

42. The apparatus as claimed in claim 32, further comprising:

means for encoding the profile data; and

means for outputting the profile data.

43. The apparatus as claimed in claim 42, wherein the means for outputting further comprises:

means for printing the profile data.

44. The apparatus as claimed in claim 42, wherein the means for outputting further comprises:

means for displaying the profile data.

45. The apparatus as claimed in claim 32, further comprising:

means for tracking the profile data; and

means for updating the profile data.

46. The apparatus as claimed in claim 31, further comprising:

means for generating a first indicator as a function of the personal data; and

means for storing the first indicator.

47. The apparatus as claimed in claim 46, further comprising:

means for generating a second indicator as a function of the identifier; and

means for storing the second indicator.

48. The apparatus as claimed in claim 47, further comprising:

means for segregating latch mechanisms as a function of either the first indicator or the second indicator or both the first indicator and the second indicator.

49. The apparatus as claimed in claim 47, further comprising:

means for outputting the second indicator.

50. The apparatus as claimed in claim 49, wherein the means for outputting further comprises:

means for printing the second indicator.

51. The apparatus as claimed in claim 46, further comprising:

means for outputting the first indicator.

52. The apparatus as claimed in claim 51, wherein the means for outputting further comprises:

means for printing the first indicator.

53. The apparatus as claimed in claim 31, further comprising:

means for modifying the risk level.

54. The apparatus as claimed in claim 31, wherein the means for outputting further comprises:

means for transmitting the location data to an electronic device.

55. The apparatus as claimed in claim 31, wherein the means for outputting further comprises:

means for displaying the location data.

56. A method for establishing profile data that is associated with a latch mechanism comprising:

obtaining personal data associated with a user;

obtaining an identifier that identifies a latch mechanism that is associated with a movable object;

associating the personal data with the identifier;

obtaining the current location of the latch mechanism; and

outputting the location to the person whose data is associated with the latch mechanism.

57. The method as claimed in claim 56, wherein the output step further comprises transmitting the location to an electronic device associated with the person whose data is associated with the latch mechanism.

58. The method as claimed in claim 56, wherein the movable object is a piece of luggage and the output step further comprises displaying the location on an electronic display associated with a luggage carousel.

59. A method for establishing profile data that is associated with a movable object comprising:

obtaining personal data associated with a user of the movable object;

obtaining an identifier that identifies the movable object;

associating the personal data with the identifier;

associating a risk level with the movable object as a function of the personal data; and

wherein the personal data includes the identity of at least one geographic location in which the person whose data is associated with the moveable object has been located.

60. A method for establishing profile data that is associated with a movable object comprising:

obtaining an identifier that identifies the movable object;

obtaining a geographic location at which the object was once located;

associating the identifier with the geographic location; and

associating a risk level with the movable object as a function of the geographic location.