Multi-tenant multi-user multi-airline cargo consolidation and processing center

• US 10,210,477 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2018
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ronald D. Factor
• Original Assignee: Ronald D. Factor
• Inventors: Factor, Ronald D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ludwig, Peter
• Application Number:
  US15/879,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20180225622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 391 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90332 Natural language query formulation or dialogue systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90335 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command

Abstract

A multi-tenant multi-user multi-airline cargo consolidation and processing center for processing cargo with an enclosed high security small footprint multi-level structure operably connected to an airport. The center having a plurality of secure floors, each secure floor with a secure landside cargo acceptance and delivery area for receiving cargo, a security inspection zone, and an automatic storage and retrieval system zone. The secure floors connect to a cargo build up/break down area via a floor connection mechanism. A transfer vehicle unit load device area and a government agency zone can be used for moving and clearing the cargo. The center can have a plurality of landside entry/exit areas, one for each secure floor and an airside entry/exit area. Scanners connected to a network, reading data devices on the cargo can connect with computers and scheduling models to automate the cargo movement process.

Claims

1. A multi-level multi-tenant multi-airline cargo consolidation and processing center for processing cargo operably connected to an airport comprising:

a. an enclosed high security small footprint multi-level structure;

b. a plurality of secure floors in the enclosed high security small footprint structure, each secure floor under the control of at least one tenant, each secure floor consisting of;

(i) a secure landside cargo acceptance and delivery area for receiving the cargo;

(ii) a security scanner and inspection zone for inspecting the cargo; and

(iii) an automatic storage and retrieval system zone for storing the cargo;

(iv) a cargo build up/break down area to build up the cargo or break down the cargo; and

(v) specialized function area/robotics area/government inspection zone for providing customs clearances and other government agency clearances for the cargo;

c. a floor connection mechanism/pallet and container handling system and transfer vehicle unit load device system for transferring the cargo from or to the plurality of secure floors;

d. a plurality of landside entry/exit areas, each landside entry/exit area for at least one of the plurality of secure floors each landside entry/exit area for receiving and transferring the cargo to and from a plurality of land based transport vehicles;

e. an airside entry/exit area connected to the specialized function area/robotics area/government inspection zone, the airside entry/exist area configured for receiving and transferring the cargo to and from a plurality of air based transport vehicles;

f. a plurality of landside scanners, wherein at least one landside scanner positioned on each landside entry/exit area to automatically scan a data device on the cargo, each landside scanner connected to a network;

g. at least one airside scanner positioned on each airside entry/exit area, the at least one airside scanner positioned to automatically scan the data device on the cargo, the at least one airside scanner connected to the network; and

h. an administrative processor in communication with the network, an administrative display, and an administrative data storage, the administrative data storage further comprising;

(i) computer instructions to instruct the administrative processor to receive cargo information from at least one client device controlled by the at least one tenant, the cargo information provided in advance of the cargo arriving at the enclosed high security small footprint multi-level structure;

(ii) computer instructions to instruct the administrative processor to automatically receive scanned cargo information from the plurality of landside scanners and the at last one airside scanner creating a plurality of cargo profiles, each a cargo profile for each piece of cargo;

(iii) computer instructions to instruct the administrative processor to use the plurality of cargo profiles simultaneously to determine if the cargo progresses to the security inspection zone or bypasses the security inspection zone, the automatic storage and retrieval system zone, the cargo build up/break down area, the floor connection mechanism/pallet and container handling system transfer vehicle unit load device area, and the specialized function area/robotics area/government inspection zone to one of the landside entry/exit areas or to the airside entry/exit area by matching each cargo profile to prepackaged cargo parameters stored in the administrative data storage;

(iv) computer instructions to instruct the administrative processor to compare the plurality of cargo profiles simultaneously to buildup/break down storage parameters in the administrative data storage to perform one of;

1. transfer the cargo to the automatic storage and retrieval system zone;

2. transfer the cargo to the cargo build up/break down area;

or

3. transfer the cargo to the floor connection mechanism/pallet and container handling system transfer vehicle unit load device area;

4. transfer the cargo to air based transport vehicles via airside entry/exit area;

(v) computer instructions to instruct the administrative processor to automatically map the cargo using the plurality of cargo profiles simultaneously to a scheduling model for the plurality of land based transport vehicles and the plurality of air based transport vehicles to identify transport vehicles to receive the cargo;

(vi) computer instructions to instruct the administrative processor to transmit locations of the cargo with the plurality of cargo profiles via the network to at least one client device of at least one tenant using priority groupings tied to ownership of the cargo, ownership of the transport vehicle, ownership of the secure floor, and federal government agencies-supplying approval to receive and deploy the cargo;

(vii) computer instructions to instruct the administrative processor to periodically transmit a virtual map with cargo depicting locations of the cargo to at least one client device of the at least one tenant using facility maps and the priority groupings stored in the administrative data storage based on the ownership of the cargo, the ownership of the transport vehicle, the ownership of the secure floor, and the federal government agencies supplying approval to receive and deploy the cargo; and

(viii) computer instructions to instruct the administrative processor to provide alerts to at least one client device of at least one tenant using the priority groupings stored in the administrative data storage based on the ownership of the cargo, the ownership of the transport vehicle, the ownership of the secure floor, and the federal government agencies supplying approval to receive and deploy the cargo when space limitations require changes in cargo movement.

2. The multi-tenant multi-user multi-airline cargo consolidation and processing center of claim 1, wherein the data device on the cargo is a radio frequency identifier device.

3. The multi-tenant multi-user multi-airline cargo consolidation and processing center of claim 1, wherein the data device on the cargo is computer readable medium with electronic air bills.

4. The multi-tenant multi-user multi-airline cargo consolidation and processing center of claim 1, wherein the data device on the cargo is an air bill readable by an optical character recognition reader connected to the network to electronically convert the air bill into a cargo profile and transmits the cargo profile to the administrative processor via the network.

5. The multi-tenant multi-user multi-airline cargo consolidation and processing center of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of one of the plurality of secure floors is temperature and humidity controlled, and wherein the cargo information contains humidity and temperature requirements.

6. The multi-tenant multi-user multi-airline cargo consolidation and processing center of claim 1, comprising a freight forwarder build up and break down zone for allowing a third party user to build up cargo for an airside delivery and breakdown or buildup cargo for landside delivery in at least one of the plurality of secure floors.

7. The multi-tenant multi-user multi-airline cargo consolidation and processing center of claim 1, further comprising at least one alarm and sensor device in at least one zone to actuate an alarm when a sensor detects the cargo exceeds a geographic location on at least one of the plurality of secure floors in the multi-tenant multi-airline cargo consolidation and processing center based on the cargo information in the cargo profile.

8. The multi-tenant multi-user multi-airline cargo consolidation and processing center of claim 1, wherein the at least one tenant is a consignor, a shipper, a recipient, or a freight forwarder.