System and method for locating individuals and equipment, airline reservation system, communication system

• US 5,914,671 A
• Filed: 02/27/1997
• Issued: 06/22/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Micron Communications, Inc. (Micron Technology, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tuttle, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US08/807,678
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.54, 340/825.49, 379/106.2, 379/106.11, 379/38, 379/42, 455/88, 455/95, 455/100, 705/6, 707/1
• US Class Current: 340/10.42
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/04 Systems determining presence of a target based on relative movement of target G01S13/56
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/74 Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/1083 Pager locating systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 31/00 Predictive alarm systems characterised by extrapolation or other computation using updated historic data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber

Abstract

A system for locating an individual in a facility, the system including a portable wireless transponder device borne by the individual; an interrogator; and a plurality of antennas distributed in the facility, the antennas being selectively separately connected to the interrogator, the interrogator when connected to any of the antennas having a communications range covering less than the area of the entire facility, the interrogator being configured to repeatedly transmit a wireless command to the portable wireless transponder device using alternating antennas, the portable wireless transponder device being configured to transmit data identifying the portable wireless transponder device in response to a command if the portable wireless transponder device is within communications range of the antenna sending the command, the individual being locatable by determining with which antenna the interrogator was able to establish communications with the portable wireless transponder device.

Claims

1. An airline reservation system comprising:

a computer including a database storing information identifying passengers who have purchased tickets for a flight, information about the scheduled departure for the flight, and information identifying passengers who have checked in for the flight; and

a wireless transponder in communication with the computer, and an antenna coupled to the wireless transponder, the transponder being configured to periodically send wireless commands requesting wireless responses from portable identification devices, the portable identification devices being configured to transmit identifying data in response to receiving a command, the wireless transponder having a predetermined communications range and being configured to communicate with portable identification devices within the predetermined communications range, the computer modifying the database to indicate that one of the passengers who purchased a ticket has checked in in response to the wireless transponder receiving a response from one of the portable identification devices within a predetermined time period before a scheduled departure for the flight, which response includes identifying data for a passenger for whom the database indicates that a ticket for the flight has been purchased.

2. A system in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising one of the portable identification devices, including a housing, and battery, a transponder, and a microprocessor in the housing, the housing having length and width dimensions no greater than standard length and width dimensions of a credit card.

3. A system in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising one of the portable identification devices, including an integrated circuit having a transponder, a microprocessor, and a memory, and being configured to communicate with the wireless transponder at a microwave frequency.

4. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the wireless transponder, when connected to the antenna, has a predetermined communications range configured so that the computer modifies the database to indicate that a passenger has checked in when the portable identification device enters the predetermined communications range.

5. A system in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising a second antenna selectively alternately connected to the interrogator and configured to communicate with portable identification devices that have passed beyond a gate area indicating that the passenger has boarded a plane, and wherein the computer is configured to modify the database to indicate that a passenger has boarded the plane when a portable identification device identifying a passenger passes beyond the gate area.

6. A system for communicating custom flight information to a passenger, the system comprising:

a computer including a database storing information identifying passengers who have purchased tickets for a flight, and information about scheduled departures for flights;

a monitor coupled to the computer; and

a wireless transponder in communication with the computer, and an antenna coupled to the wireless transponder, the wireless transponder being configured to periodically send wireless commands requesting responses from portable identification devices, the portable identification devices being configured to transmit wireless identifying data in response to receiving a command, the wireless transponder, when connected to the antenna, having a predetermined range for communicating with portable identification devices within a desired distance from the antenna, the antenna being located proximate the monitor, the computer causing flight information about a passenger'"'"'s flight to be displayed on the monitor in response to the wireless transponder receiving a response from one of the portable identification devices using the antenna, the flight information including departure time information for the passenger'"'"'s flight.

7. A system in accordance with claim 6 wherein the flight information stored in the database and shown on the monitor includes the passenger'"'"'s name.

8. A system in accordance with claim 6 wherein the flight information stored in the database and shown on the monitor includes the gate for the flight.

9. A system in accordance with claim 6 wherein if multiple passengers having portable identification devices are within the range, the computer causes the monitor to show flight information for each passenger, which the flight information for a passenger being shown adjacent the passenger'"'"'s name.

10. A system for communicating custom flight information to a passenger, the system comprising:

a computer including a database storing information identifying passengers who have purchased tickets for a flight, and information about scheduled departures for flights;

a monitor coupled to the computer; and

a wireless transponder in communication with the computer and configured to periodically send wireless commands requesting wireless responses from portable identification devices, the portable identification devices being configured to transmit identifying data in response to receiving a command, the wireless transponder having a predetermined range for communicating with portable identification devices within a desired distance from the monitor, the computer being programmed to cause flight information about a passenger'"'"'s flight to be displayed on the monitor in response to the wireless transponder receiving a response from one of the portable identification devices within the predetermined range.

11. A system for communicating custom flight information to a passenger, the system comprising:

a computer including a database storing information identifying passengers who have purchased tickets for a flight, and information about scheduled departures for flights;

a speaker coupled to the computer; and

a wireless transponder in communication with the computer, and an antenna coupled to the wireless transponder, the wireless transponder being configured to periodically send wireless commands requesting responses from portable identification devices, the portable identification devices transmitting wireless identifying data in response to receiving a command, the wireless transponder, when connected to the antenna, having a desired range for communicating with portable identification devices within a desired distance from the antenna, the antenna being located proximate the speaker, the computer causing flight information about a passenger'"'"'s flight to be announced on the speaker in response to the wireless transponder receiving a response from one of the portable identification devices using the antenna proximate the speaker.

12. A system for communicating custom flight information to a passenger, the system comprising:

a computer including a database storing information identifying passengers who have purchased tickets for a flight, and information about scheduled departures for flights;

an interrogator in communication with the computer;

a plurality of distributed antennas configured to be alternately in communication with the interrogator, the interrogator when in communication with one of the antennas sending wireless commands requesting wireless responses from portable identification devices; and

portable identification devices adapted to be carried by a passenger and configured to transmit identifying data in response to receiving a command from an interrogator, and receive flight information from the interrogator for a passenger identified by the identifying data, the portable identification devices respectively further including a display on which the flight information is displayed.

13. A system in accordance with claim 12 wherein the portable identification devices include an actuator, and wherein the flight information is shown on the display in response to the actuator being actuated.