System and method for item management via an electronic communication network

• US 6,662,078 B1
• Filed: 06/25/2002
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lanna Kay Hardgrave, William David Hardgrave
• Original Assignee: Lanna Kay Hardgrave, William David Hardgrave
• Inventors: Hardgrave, William David, Hardgrave, Lanna Kay
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford, Gene O.
• Application Number:
  US10/178,999
• Time in Patent Office: 532 Days
• Field of Search: 700/213, 700/225, 700/226, 700/228, 700/229, 705/5, 705/28
• US Class Current: 700/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• 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 item tracking and management. A marking tag is affixed to each item to be tracked, such as articles of commercial airline passenger luggage, so that it can be read as items enter and leave the system through which they are actively managed. The marking tag bears unique identifying information that in a central registration database is associated with the person to which the item (or items) belongs. The marking tag may also bear additional information about the owner or the about the article itself. Each time the owner checks the item, the time and place of checking is noted in the registration database. A historical record of places the item has been checked is kept and may be used for identifying passengers, baggage or situations that may require greater scrutiny by security personnel. A check-out station is provided to monitor the return of items to their respective owners, and a lost item return system aids in the recovery of lost items.

Claims

1. A system for tracking items such as passenger baggage, said system comprising:

a registration database for storing information relating to the baggage;

a plurality of unique marker tags, each tag to be associated with and fixedly attached to a bag, whereas the marker tag bears information relating to the bag to which it is attached;

a plurality of tag readers in communication with the database for reading the information borne on the marker tags and transmitting it for storage in the database, the plurality of tag readers including at least one check-in station located at a passenger terminal; and

a registration server in communication with the tag readers and with the registration database for receiving information from the tag reader and storing it in the registration database;

wherein at least a portion of the information stored on the registration database is maintained so as to be accessible during at least one future presentation of the bag at a check-in station.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the information least of the information stored on the registration database is accessible to the public through a communication network such as the Internet.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a testing station for determining whether a marking tag is properly scannable prior to check-in of the bag associated with it.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising the step of performing a security analysis of the information stored on the registration database that relates to the at least one bag, the security analysis including the comparison of the stored information to predefined security criteria.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a security analysis module for performing a security analysis of the information stored on the registration database relating to a plurality bags, the security analysis including the comparison of the stored information to predefined security criteria.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the item-related information comprises a history of previous locations where the bag has been presented at a tag reader.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a security module accessible to the registration server for detecting when a tag reader has sent information relating to a specific bag and for retrieving at least a portion of the previously-stored information from the database that also relates to the specific bag.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the security module sets a security flag associated with the specific bag when the information relating to the specific item matches a predetermined security criteria.

9. The item management and tracking system of claim 1, further comprising a lost bag return (LBR) facility for receiving a request that a notification be sent when the current location of a specified item has been determined.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a communications terminal in communication with the registration server for presenting an electronic claim form to be filled out by a person desiring notification of the finding of an item.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the check-in station produces a claim check, and wherein the communications terminal further comprising a claim check reader such that at least a portion of the electronic claim form can be filled out by presenting the claim check to the claim check reader.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one check-out station located at a passenger terminal for tracking the baa'"'"'s location as the passenger travels.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the check-out station comprises a tag reader for reading the marking tags on items being retrieved.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein at least some of the marking tags are radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein at least some of the RFID tags are active transmitters of information.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein at least some of the active RFID tags are nodes in the communication network.

17. A method for the management and tracking of items such as passenger baggage, comprising the steps of:

providing a registration database for storing information relating to the items baggage to be tracked;

marking at least one bag with a unique marking tag that bears identifying information;

storing in the registration database information associating the unique marking tag with its bag;

providing at a trip departure terminal a check-in station in communication with the registration database for reading the marking tags on bags presented at the check-in station prior to travel; and

maintaining information relating to the trip that can be referred to on at least one future occasion when the bag is presented at a check-in station.

18. The method for the management and tracking of items of claim 17, further comprising the step of maintaining in the registration database a historical record of occasions when the at least one bag has been presented for check-in.

19. The method for the management and tracking of items of claim 17, further comprising the step of performing a security analysis of the information stored on the registration database that relates to the at least one bag, the security analysis including the comparison of the stored information to predefined security criteria.

20. The method for the management and tracking of items of claim 17, further comprising the step of providing at least some of the information relating to the at least one bag presented at the check-in station to a system outside of the item management and tracking system.

21. The method for the management and tracking of items of claim 17, further comprising the step of performing a security analysis using information relating to a plurality of bags stored on the registration database to determine whether the information relating to the plurality of bags matches predefined security criteria.

22. The method for the management and tracking of items of claim 17, further providing at a trip arrival terminal a check-out station in communication with the registration database for reading marking tags on bags presented at the check-out station subsequent to travel.

23. The method for the management and tracking of items of claim 17, further comprising the step gathering at the check-in station additional information relating to the at least one bag, the additional information including information not borne on the marking tag.

24. The method for the management and tracking of items of claim 23, wherein the at least one bag presented at the check-in station is presented by a person and the additional information gathered includes identifying information relating to the person presenting the item for check-in.

25. The method for the management and tracking of items of claim 17, further comprising the step of providing a claim check items presented for checking at the check-in station.

26. The method for the management and tracking of items of claim 25, further comprising a lost baggage return (LBR) system for assisting passengers in the recovery of lost bags.

27. The method for the management and tracking of items of claim 26, wherein the LBR system includes an electronic baggage claim form on which a passenger may enter information for use by the airline in retrieving a lost bag.

28. The method for the management and tracking of items of claim 27, wherein the LBR system further includes a claim check reader.

29. A method for the management and tracking of items such as airline passenger baggage, comprising the steps of:

providing a registration database for storing information relating to the items to be tracked,

marking a plurality of items with marking tags that bear identifying information;

affixing a marking tag to an item to be tracked;

storing in the registration database information associating each affixed tag with information relating to the item to which it is affixed;

providing a check-in station in communication with the registration database for reading the marking tags affixed to items presented at the check-in station;

providing a claim check for each item that is presented for checking at the check-in station;

providing a lost item return (LIR) system for assisting in the recovery of lost items wherein the LIR system includes an electronic claim form on which information for use in retrieving the lost item may be entered, and where in the LIR system includes a claim check reader, such that at least some of the information on the electronic claim form may be entered by presenting a claim check to the claim check reader.

30. The method for the management and tracking of items of claim 29, wherein at least some of the information relating to the lost item from the registration database may be retrieved through the communication network.

31. The method for management and tracking of items of claim 29, wherein the LIR system includes an interface for contacting a delivery service to arrange for the delivery of an item to a pre-arranged location or third party.