Mobile baggage dispatch system and method

• US 9,659,336 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2012
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baggage Airline Guest Services, Inc. (SP Plus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bags, Inc. (SP Plus Corporation)
• Inventors: Mateer, Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen, Akiba
• Application Number:
  US13/443,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20130268454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,869 Days
• Field of Search: 705333, 705 2662, 34053913, 4554221
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping

Abstract

The disclosure relates to an apparatus, method and system for dispatching baggage. The apparatus includes a processor configured to receive baggage information associated with a passenger; associate the baggage information with a delivery person, where the delivery person is associated with delivery person information; and transmit at least apportion of the baggage information and the delivery person information to a passenger computing device associated with the passenger.

Claims

1. An apparatus for dispatching baggage, comprising:

a server having a processor and a transceiver configured to transmit and receive communications to and from a passenger computing device associated with a passenger and a deliverer computing device associated with a delivery person wherein the passenger computing device includes a passenger interface to communicate with the server; and

the processor configured to;

receive, via the transceiver, after a piece of baggage has been transported to a destination, baggage information relating to the piece of baggage to be delivered to the passenger, the baggage information including a drop off address, wherein the passenger is at a location different than the destination;

associate the baggage information with the delivery person, wherein the delivery person is associated with delivery person information;

transmit, via the transceiver, a pick up bags message to the deliverer computing device associated with the delivery person; and

transmit, via the transceiver, at least a portion of the baggage information and the delivery person information to the passenger computing device associated with the passenger;

receive, via the transceiver, from the passenger computing device a selection to hold delivery of the piece of baggage using the passenger interface until a delayed delivery time wherein the passenger interface displays travel information of the passenger including at least one of an airline name and an airport name and a baggage map configured to display on the passenger computing device an approximate location or current location of the piece of baggage associated with the travel information wherein the passenger interface is updated with changes in the approximate location or the current location of the piece of baggage during transport;

relay, via the transceiver, a delivery change to the deliverer computing device responsive to the selection to hold delivery of the piece of baggage using the passenger interface; and

reorder other deliveries associated with the deliverer computing device given the delivery change.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the baggage information further comprises at least one of a picture of the delivery person, a picture of a vehicle of the delivery person, a name of the delivery person, a passenger name, passenger contact information, a bag description, a current bag location, a delivery status, and a tracking code.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to receive, via the transceiver, updated information entered via the user interface of the passenger computing device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein updated information comprises a selection to waive a signature using the passenger interface.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit, via the transceiver, the updated information to the deliverer computing device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to receive, via the transceiver, delivery information from the deliverer computing device, wherein the delivery information comprises at least one of a deliverer computing device location and a delivery time stamp.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the piece of baggage is one of a plurality of pieces of baggage to be delivered to a plurality of passengers, and wherein the processor is further configured to determine a most efficient travel path for the delivery person.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the piece of baggage is one of a plurality of pieces of baggage to be delivered to a plurality of passengers, and wherein the processor is further configured to order the plurality of pieces of baggage in a queue based on an amount of time for which each of the plurality of pieces of baggage is in the queue.

7. A method of dispatching baggage, comprising:

receiving, through a transceiver of a server and after a piece of baggage has been transported to a destination, baggage information relating to the piece of baggage to be delivered to a passenger, the baggage information including a drop off address, wherein the passenger is at a location different than the destination;

associating, by the processor of the server, the baggage information with a delivery person, wherein the delivery person is associated with delivery person information;

transmitting, through the transceiver, a pick up bags message to a deliverer computing device associated with the delivery persona;

transmitting, through the transceiver, at least a portion of the baggage information and the delivery person information to a passenger computing device associated with the passenger;

receiving, through the transceiver, from the passenger computing device a selection to hold delivery of the piece of baggage using a passenger interface until a delayed delivery time wherein the passenger interface displays travel information of the passenger including at least one of an airline name and an airport name and a baggage map configured to display on the passenger computing device an approximate location or current location of the piece of baggage associated with the travel information wherein the passenger interface is updated with changes in the approximate location or the current location of the piece of baggage during transport;

relaying, through the transceiver, a delivery change to the deliverer computing device responsive to the selection to hold delivery of the piece of baggage using the passenger interface; and

reordering, by the processor of the server, other deliveries associated with the deliverer computing device given the delivery change.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the baggage information further comprises at least one of a picture of the delivery person, a picture of a vehicle of the delivery person, a name of the delivery person, a passenger name, passenger contact information, a bag description, a current bag location, a delivery status, and a tracking code.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving, by the transceiver, updated information entered via the passenger interface of the passenger computing device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein updated information comprises a selection to waive a signature using the passenger interface.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting, via the transceiver, the updated information to the deliverer computing device.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving, via the transceiver, delivery information from the deliverer computing device, wherein the delivery information comprises at least one of a deliverer computing device location and a delivery time stamp.

13. A non-transitory, tangible computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a server processor, cause the server processor to perform operations comprising:

transmitting and receiving communications, by the server processor via a transceiver, to and from a passenger computing device associated with a passenger and a deliverer computing device associated with a delivery person wherein the passenger computing device includes a passenger interface to communicate with a server having the server processor;

receiving baggage information, by the server processor via the transceiver, after a piece of baggage has been transported to a destination, relating the piece of baggage to be delivered to a passenger, the baggage information including a drop off address, wherein the passenger is at a location different than the destination;

associating, by the server processor, the baggage information with a delivery person, wherein the delivery person is associated with delivery person information;

transmitting, by the server processor via the transceiver, a pick up message to a deliverer computing device associated with the delivery person;

transmitting, by the server processor via the transceiver, at least a portion of the baggage information and the delivery person information to a passenger computing device associated with the passenger;

receiving, by the server processor via the transceiver, from the passenger computing device a selection to hold delivery of the piece of baggage using the passenger interface until a delayed delivery time wherein the passenger interface displays travel information of the passenger including at least one of an airline name and an airport name and a baggage map configured to display on the passenger computing device an approximate location or current location of the piece of baggage associated with the travel information wherein the passenger interface is updated with changes in the approximate location or the current location of the piece of baggage during transport;

relaying, by the server processor via the transceiver, a delivery change to the deliverer computing device responsive to the selection to hold delivery of the piece of baggage using the passenger interface; and

reordering, by the server processor, other deliveries associated with the deliverer computing device given the delivery change.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the baggage information comprises at least one of a picture of the delivery person, a picture of a vehicle of the delivery person, a name of the delivery person, a passenger name, passenger contact information, a bag description, a current bag location, a delivery status, and a tracking code.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising receiving, by the server processor via the transceiver, updated information from the passenger computing device.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein updated information comprises a selection to waive a signature waiver by the passenger interface.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising transmitting, by the server processor via the transceiver, the updated information to the deliverer computing device.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising receiving, by the server processor via the transceiver, delivery information from the deliverer computing device, wherein the delivery information comprises at least one of a deliverer computing device location and a delivery time stamp.