Baggage and passenger matching method and system

• US 5,051,565 A
• Filed: 02/26/1990
• Issued: 09/24/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Service Company
• Inventors: Wolfram, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitts, Harold
• Application Number:
  US07/485,322
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/376, 235/384, 364/401, 364/463, 364/407
• US Class Current: 235/384
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/366 Check-in counters
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/368 Arrangements or installations for routing, distributing or loading baggage
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00

Abstract

A system and method for matching all loaded baggage with passengers during aircraft boarding provides each passenger with a boarding pass and baggage tags, each having the same unique machine readable code imprinted thereon. A scanner and memory device at the boarding point scans and reads a passenger'"'"'s pass and stores the code. A portable scanner and memory at the baggage loading point scans and reads each luggage tag and stores each code. The stored codes are delivered to the passenger loading gate prior to departure of the aircraft. A computer compares stored passenger codes with stored baggage codes. Lack of a stored loading pass code with a matching stored code of loaded baggage is indicated to permit inspection of such baggage prior to aircraft departure.

Claims

1. A system for matching the identity of a passenger boarding a public transport with check-in luggage comprising:

a transport boarding pass;

at least one luggage tag for attachment to luggage to be checked;

at least two labels, each having the same unique machine readable code imprinted thereon, one of said labels attached to said boarding pass, and the other one attached to said luggage tag;

first scanning and storing means at a transport loading point for scanning the machine readable code of said boarding pass as the passenger boards, and storing said pass code;

second scanning and storing means at a transport baggage loading point for scanning the machine readable code of said luggage tag, and storing said tag code;

means for comparing and attempting to match the stored boarding pass code with the stored luggage tag code;

means for indicating presence of a lack of a stored boarding pass code with the same code as a stored luggage tag code; and

a video photograph identification system for producing a paper photographic print of a passenger for attachment to said boarding pass.

2. The system as defined in claim 1 in which said identification system includes:

a video camera;

a video frame proocessor and storage;

a video image printer, and

adhesive-backed labels for printing of said photographic print.

3. The system as defined in claim 2 which further includes a video recorder.