Methods of transport of one or more items between locations

• US 9,424,547 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2015
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: West View Research LLC
• Original Assignee: West View Research LLC
• Inventors: Gazdzinski, Mark J., Gazdzinski, Robert F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Ahshik
• Application Number:
  US14/610,946
• Publication Number:
  US 20150242809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 235/383, 235/384, 235/375, 235/472.01
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/025 for measuring physiological data
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/04 using radio waves radio-controlled time-pieces G04R
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/06 using voice
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07762 the adhering arrangement making the record carrier wearable, e.g. having the form of a ring, watch, glove or bracelet record carriers for insertion in the human body for medical purposes A61B90/00; record carriers adapted for attachment to animals A01K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10425 the interrogation device being arranged for interrogation of record carriers passing by the interrogation device
• 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: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00193 : Constructional details of apparatus in a franking system
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00314 : Communication within apparatus, personal computer [PC] system, or server, e.g. between printhead and central unit in a franking machine
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00225 : Vending machine or POS (Point Of Sale) apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00322 : Communication between components/modules/parts, e.g. printer, printhead, keyboard, conveyor or central unit
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 : for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/10 : for means for safe-keeping of property, left temporarily, e.g. by fastening the property
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/13 : the containers being a postal pick-up locker
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/0235 : the arrangements being full-front touchscreens
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 : the reader being an RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 : based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 : Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Methods of causing transport of one or more items between two or more locations using computerized apparatus. In one embodiment, the one or more items comprise one or more pieces of luggage of a user which are shipped from a transportation facility such as an airport via user-instigated actions at a kiosk located within the facility. In one variant, user information is provided to the kiosk via a personal electronic device of the user (e.g., provided wirelessly via a smartphone), and the kiosk accesses a travel reservation system to obtain information about the routing of the luggage.

Claims

1. A method of causing transport of an item from one location to at least one other location, the method comprising:

prompting a user to provide user-specific information to a kiosk disposed at the one location, the prompting comprising establishing wireless communication with a wireless-enabled mobile electronic device of the user, the wireless-enabled mobile electronic device having a transportation-related application computer program operative to run thereon for receiving input comprising a selection of the user-specific information from the user;

receiving, from the wireless-enabled mobile electronic device of the user, the user-specific information;

based at least in part on the received user-specific information, causing production of an identification apparatus, the identification apparatus comprising at least a portion of the received user-specific information;

prompting the user to affix the identification apparatus to the item; and

causing the item to be routed to the at least one other location based at least on the received user-specific information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said kiosk comprises:

at least one display device, the display device performing at least a portion of the prompting via one or more displayed instructions presented to the user; and

a receptacle configured to receive items being transported at least temporarily.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said causing the item to be routed comprises accessing a travel-related database using at least a portion of the received user-specific information to obtain additional information facilitating said routing.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said causing the item to be routed further comprises accessing a financial-related database using at least a portion of the received user-specific information to obtain additional information facilitating payment for said routing.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said causing the item to be routed further comprises accessing a computerized travel reservation system comprising at least one of an airplane flight destination or airplane routing information, said at least one of an airplane flight destination or airplane routing information being used to provide said routing of the item.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said user comprises a user travelling on a mass transport modality, and said item comprises a piece of luggage or baggage of the user to be routed to a travel destination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving, from the wireless-enabled mobile electronic device of the user, the user-specific information, comprises receiving from the wireless-enabled mobile electronic device digitally encoded data which at least identifies the user individually.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said receiving, from the wireless-enabled mobile electronic device of the user, the user-specific information, further comprises transmitting electromagnetic radiation from a transmission apparatus of the kiosk, the electromagnetic radiation used to facilitate said receipt of the digitally encoded data.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said transmitting electromagnetic radiation from a transmission apparatus of the kiosk, the electromagnetic radiation used to facilitate said receipt of the digitally encoded data, comprises transmitting radio frequency energy to a radio frequency identification (RFID)-based device to cause transmission of the encoded data from the wireless-enabled mobile electronic device.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said digitally encoded data is obtained from a bar code apparatus associated with the wireless-enabled mobile electronic device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said kiosk comprises a printing apparatus, and said identification apparatus comprises a tag, the tag comprising human-readable information printed on a surface thereon by said printing apparatus to aid in routing the item.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein at least a portion of said user-specific data is obtained by the said wireless-enabled mobile electronic device via wireless communication with a network prior to said receiving by said kiosk.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the transportation-related application computer program for download via a network onto the wireless-enabled mobile electronic device.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless-enabled mobile electronic device comprises an assisted global positioning system (A-GPS)-based wireless receiver, the A-GPS receiver enabling provision of location data, and the transportation-related application computer program enables both (i) storage of the location data, and the selection of the user-specific information from the stored location data.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing of the wireless communication with the wireless-enabled mobile electronic device comprises establishing the wireless communication via a Bluetooth-compatible wireless interface of the wireless-enabled mobile electronic device.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing of the wireless communication with the wireless-enabled mobile electronic device comprises establishing the wireless communication via a wireless interface of kiosk compatible with a corresponding interface of the wireless-enabled mobile electronic device, the wireless interface of the kiosk compliant with an IEEE.802.11 Standard.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing of the wireless communication with the wireless-enabled mobile electronic device comprises establishing the wireless communication via at least a wireless interface of the kiosk, the wireless interface of the kiosk utilizing orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) spectral access.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, wirelessly from the wireless-enabled mobile electronic device of the user, data relating to payment for the routing of the item.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the receiving, wirelessly from the wireless-enabled mobile electronic device of the user, the data relating to the payment for the routing of the item comprises receiving the data relating to the payment via a radio-frequency identification (RFID) protocol-compliant wireless interface of the wireless-enabled mobile electronic device.

13. A method of causing transport of one or more items associated with a user from one location to at least one other location, the method comprising:

establishing wireless communication with a wireless-enabled mobile electronic device carried by the user, the wireless-enabled mobile electronic device having a transportation-themed application computer program operative to run thereon and configured to receive input comprising one or more instructions to transmit user-specific information to a kiosk disposed within the one location;

receiving, at the kiosk disposed within the one location, the user-specific information received wirelessly by the kiosk from the wireless-enabled mobile electronic device carried by the user;

based at least in part on the received user-specific information, causing substantially automatic production of a unique identification apparatus, the unique identification apparatus comprising at least a portion of the received user-specific information;

prompting the user to affix the identification apparatus to at least one of the one or more items; and

causing the one or more items to be routed to the at least one other location based at least on the affixed identification apparatus.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the receiving of the user-specific information wirelessly comprises receiving via a short-range wireless interface that is indigenous to the wireless-enabled mobile electronic device when manufactured.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the receiving of the user-specific information wirelessly comprises receiving at least a portion of the user-specific information optically via a bar code scanning interface of the kiosk.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least the portion of the received user-specific information is disposed on the wireless-enabled mobile electronic device by the user after purchase of the wireless-enabled mobile electronic device but before arriving at the kiosk.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the transportation-themed application computer program is downloaded to the wireless-enabled mobile electronic device after purchase of the wireless-enabled mobile electronic device, and the method further comprises providing the transportation-themed application computer program for download to the wireless-enabled mobile electronic device.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more items comprises a piece of luggage, and the method further comprises prompting the user, prior to said causing production and via at least a capacitive touch screen display device of the kiosk, to confirm a plurality of information relating to the transport of the piece of luggage and its destination.

27. The method of claim 13, wherein the wireless-enabled mobile electronic device comprises a global positioning system (GPS)-based wireless receiver, the GPS receiver enables provision of location data, and the transportation-related application enables storage of the location data, and selection of the user-specific information from the stored location data.

19. A method of causing transport of an item of luggage from a travel departure location for a user to at least one other location, the at least one other location comprising a travel destination for the user who owns the item of luggage, the method comprising:

receiving, from the user at a kiosk disposed in the travel departure location, user-specific information, the user-specific information provided to the kiosk from a wireless-enabled mobile electronic device of the user via a bar code scanning apparatus of the kiosk;

based at least in part on the received user-specific information, causing access of a travel reservation system over at least a network interface between the kiosk and the travel reservation system, the travel reservation system comprising data regarding the user and the travel destination;

causing printing of a tag or a label via a printing apparatus of the kiosk, the tag or the label comprising at least a portion of the accessed data;

prompting the user to affix the tag or the label to the item;

causing production of a receipt for the user which the user can take from the kiosk; and

causing the item of luggage to be routed to at least the travel destination based at least on at least a portion of the accessed data.

28. The method of claim 19, wherein the receipt comprises an electronic receipt sent to the wireless-enabled mobile electronic device via a textual message.

29. The method of claim 19, wherein the receipt comprises an electronic receipt sent to a previously designated electronic mail account associated with the user.

30. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

obtaining a weight for the item of luggage via the kiosk; and

wherein the receipt comprises the obtained weight.

31. The method of claim 19, wherein the kiosk comprises a receptacle or aperture, the receptacle or aperture sized so as to permit only a prescribed maximum size of the item of luggage, and the causing the item of luggage to be routed comprises receiving the item of luggage in the receptacle or aperture.

32. The method of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

presenting, via at least the kiosk, one or more purchase options to the user;

receiving one or more selections of the one or more purchase options from the user; and

accessing a previously designated financial account of the user to enable purchase of the selected one or more purchase options.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the accessing a previously designated financial account comprises:

transferring information identifying the financial account to the kiosk from the wireless-enabled mobile electronic device via a short-range radio frequency interface compliant with at least one radio frequency identification (RFID) standard; and

utilizing at least the transferred information to access the financial account.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the purchase options comprise insurance for at least one of the item of luggage or the user.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the purchase options comprise purchase of an electronic data structure, the data structure transferred to the mobile electronic device via at least one of (i) transmission via electronic mail;

and/or (ii) transmission via a wireless interface of the kiosk directly to the mobile electronic device.

36. The method of claim 19, wherein the causing access of a travel reservation system over at least a network interface between the kiosk and the travel reservation system comprises establishment of a secure communication session between the kiosk and the travel reservation system, the secure session protecting at least a portion of the accessed data.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the secure communication session between the kiosk and the travel reservation system comprises one of a secure sockets layer (SSL) or transport layer security (TLS) session, and comprises exchange of at least one cryptographic key element between the kiosk and the travel reservation system.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the secure communication session between the kiosk and the travel reservation system comprises establishment of a virtual private network (VPN) between at least the kiosk and the travel reservation system.

39. The method of claim 19, wherein the providing user-specific information to the kiosk from a mobile electronic device of the user via a bar code scanning apparatus of the kiosk comprises causing the user to place the mobile electronic device in proximity to the scanning apparatus at the kiosk.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising transmitting to the user at least a portion of the user-specific information so as to enable pre-coding of the mobile electronic device by the user prior to the user utilizing the kiosk at the travel departure location.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising causing pre-coding of the mobile electronic device with at least a portion of the user-specific information prior to the user utilizing the kiosk at the travel departure location.

42. The method of claim 19, further comprising using biometric data associated with the user to authenticate the user via at least the kiosk.

43. The method of claim 19, further comprising using the kiosk to obtain at least one image or scan of the item of luggage.

44. The method of claim 43, further comprising forwarding the obtained at least one image or scan of the item of luggage to a location or entity at which the item of luggage will be at least temporarily received.

45. A method of causing transport of an item of luggage for a user who owns the item of luggage, the transport from an air travel departure location to at least one other location, the at least one other location comprising a travel destination for the user, the method comprising:

receiving, from the user at a kiosk disposed in the air travel departure location, user-specific information, the user-specific information provided to the kiosk wirelessly from a mobile electronic device of the user, the mobile electronic device comprising at least one travel-themed application computer program rendered in a Java-based programming language;

based at least in part on the received user-specific information, causing substantially automatic access of a travel reservation system over at least a network interface between the kiosk and the travel reservation system, the travel reservation system comprising data regarding the user and the travel destination;

causing printing of a tag or a label via a printing apparatus of the kiosk, the tag or the label comprising at least a portion of the user-specific information and at least a portion of the accessed data, the tag or the label configured to be affixed to the item of luggage; and

causing the item of luggage with affixed tag or label to be routed to at least the travel destination.

46. The method of claim 45, further comprising causing provision of the travel-themed application computer program for downloading to the mobile electronic device.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein the provision of the user-specific information to the kiosk from a mobile electronic device of the user comprises using a bar code scanning apparatus of the kiosk to scan at least a portion of the mobile electronic device.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the using the bar code scanning apparatus of the kiosk comprises causing the user to place the mobile electronic device in proximity to the scanning apparatus at the kiosk.

49. The method of claim 45, further comprising transmitting to the user at least a portion of the user-specific information so as to enable pre-coding of the mobile electronic device by the user prior to the user utilizing the kiosk at the travel departure location.

50. The method of claim 45, further comprising causing pre-coding of the mobile electronic device with at least a portion of the user-specific information prior to the user utilizing the kiosk at the travel departure location.

51. The method of claim 45, further comprising using biometric data associated with the user to authenticate the user before access to the travel reservation system by the kiosk can occur.

52. The method of claim 45, wherein the provision of the user-specific information to the kiosk from a mobile electronic device of the user comprises using a radio frequency apparatus of the kiosk to cause transfer of the user-specific information from the mobile electronic device via a complementary radio frequency interface of the mobile electronic device.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the radio frequency apparatus of the kiosk and the complementary radio frequency interface of the mobile electronic device each comprise radio frequency interfaces compliant with at least one Bluetooth standard.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the interface compliant with at least one Bluetooth standard comprises an interface having at least one Bluetooth profile, the at least one Bluetooth profile enabling the transfer of the user-specific information from the mobile electronic device when paired with the interface.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein:

the at least one Bluetooth profile comprises at least one of (i) a profile enabling data “

pull”

, and/or (ii) a profile enabling data “

push”

; and

the transfer of the user-specific information comprises at least one of a data pull or data push.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the at least one of (i) a profile enabling data “

pull”

, and/or (ii) a profile enabling data “

push”

comprises an OBEX (object exchange) protocol.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein the OBEX (object exchange) protocol comprises a handshake protocol, and the method further comprises executing the handshake protocol to enable communication of data objects between the mobile electronic device and the kiosk.

58. The method of claim 52, wherein the radio frequency apparatus of the kiosk and the complementary radio frequency interface of the mobile electronic device each comprise interfaces compliant with a radio frequency identification (RFID) standard, and the complementary radio frequency interface of the mobile electronic device comprises an interface disposed within the mobile electronic device at time of manufacture thereof, and has be precoded with the user-specific information before the user'"'"'s arrival at the kiosk.

59. The method of claim 52, wherein the radio frequency apparatus of the kiosk and the complementary radio frequency interface of the mobile electronic device each comprise interfaces compliant with a radio frequency identification (RFID) standard, and the the complementary radio frequency interface of the mobile electronic device comprises a passive RFID device, and the method further comprises interrogating, by way of the radio frequency apparatus of the kiosk, the complementary radio frequency apparatus of the mobile device so as to cause emission of the user-specific data via frequency energy from the complementary radio frequency apparatus.

60. The method of claim 45, wherein the printing of the tag or label comprises printing of a tag or label having a short-range radio frequency apparatus compliant with a radio frequency identification (RFID) standard therein or thereon, the printing further comprises encoding of the radio frequency apparatus with at least a portion of the accessed data.

61. The method of claim 60, wherein said encoding comprises encrypting at least a portion of the accessed data.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein said encrypting comprises encrypting said at least portion of the accessed data such that only a reader possessing the appropriate cryptographic material can decrypt the encrypted at least portion of the accessed data.

63. The method of claim 62, wherein said appropriate cryptographic material comprises at least one of a public or private encryption key.

64. The method of claim 60, wherein the encoding of the radio frequency apparatus further comprises encoding with at least a portion of the user-specific information.

65. The method of claim 64, wherein at least a portion of the encoded at least portion of user-specific information, and the at least portion of accessed data, are encrypted using at least one of a public or private encryption key.

66. The method of claim 45, wherein the kiosk comprises one of plurality of similar kiosks disclosed at the travel departure location, and the method further comprises analyzying collectively, using a computerized process, respective ones of user-specific information or accessed data from respective ones of the plurality of kiosks.

67. The method of claim 66, wherein:

the analyzing collectively comprises analyzing the respective ones of user-specific information or accessed data from respective ones of the plurality of kiosks to identify two or more users such that the respective items of luggage of the identified two or more users can be aggregated onto a common travel modality; and

the causing the item of luggage with affixed tag or label to be routed to at least the travel destination comprises causing the item of luggage with affixed tag or label to be routed to at least the travel destination via the common travel modality.

68. The method of claim 66, wherein the plurality of kiosks comprise kiosks associated with two or more different transportation agents.

69. The method of claim 68, wherein the two or more different transportation agents comprise two or more different airlines, the travel departure location comprises an airport, and the common travel modality comprises an airplane operated by one of the two or more different airlines which is scheduled to depart from the airport.

70. The method of claim 45, wherein the kiosk comprises one of plurality of similar kiosks disclosed at the travel departure location in data communication with at least a common computerized process, and the method further comprises coordinating, using the common computerized process, actions of the respective ones of the plurality of kiosks.

71. The method of claim 45, wherein the kiosk comprises a client portion of a client-server computer program, the client portion configured to run on a digital processing apparatus of the kiosk, and configured to communicate with both (i) a server portion of the client-server computer program disposed on a server apparatus in data communication with the kiosk, and (ii) the application computer program of the mobile electronic device.

72. The method of claim 45, wherein the communication with the application program of the mobile electronic device comprises wireless communication via a Blue-tooth-compliant wireless interface.

73. The method of claim 45, wherein:

the kiosk comprises a client portion of a client-server computer program, the client portion configured to run on a digital processing apparatus of the kiosk, and configured to communicate with a server portion of the client-server computer program disposed on a server apparatus in data communication with the kiosk and maintained by an airline transportation agent, the kiosk associated with the airline transportation agent; and

the application computer program of the mobile electronic device is further configured to communicate with a computer program disposed on a server apparatus of the airline transportation agent via a secure session established according to a secure sockets layer (SSL) or transport layer security (TLS) protocol over an untrusted internetwork.

74. A method of causing transport of an item of luggage for a user who owns the item of luggage, the transport from an travel departure location to at least one other location, the at least one other location comprising a travel destination for the user, the method comprising:

receiving, from the user at a kiosk disposed in the travel departure location, user-specific information;

based at least in part on the received user-specific information, causing access of a travel reservation system over at least a network interface between the kiosk and the travel reservation system, the travel reservation system comprising data regarding the user and the travel destination;

causing provision, via the kiosk, of a tag or a label, the tag or the label comprising at least a portion of the user-specific information and at least a portion of the accessed data, the tag or the label configured to be affixed to the item of luggage and comprising a short-range radio frequency electronic device; and

causing the item of luggage with affixed tag or label to be routed to at least the travel destination based at least in part on the short-range radio frequency electronic device.

75. The method of claim 74, wherein said a short-range radio frequency electronic device comprises a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) device having an antenna, a storage device associated therewith, and data processing logic in data communication with the storage device and the antenna, wherein the device is configured to transmit data contained within the storage device upon interrogation by radio frequency energy from a reader or interrogator apparatus, and wherein the causing the item of luggage with affixed tag or label to be routed to at least the travel destination based at least in part on the short-range radio frequency electronic device comprises:

causing interrogation of the RFID device to cause said transmission of said data contained within the storage device; and

utilizing at least a portion of said transmitted data to effectuate said routing.

76. The method of claim 75, wherein at least a portion of the accessed data is stored within the storage device, and the transmission of the data contained within the storage device comprises transmitting said at least a portion of the accessed data.

77. The method of claim 76, wherein at least a portion of the user-specific information is also stored within the storage device, and the transmission of the data contained within the storage device comprises transmitting said at least a portion of the user-specific information.

78. The method of claim 75, wherein the causing provision, via the kiosk, of a tag or a label comprises encoding the radio frequency electronic device using an encoding apparatus of the kiosk.

79. The method of claim 78, wherein the encoding apparatus of the kiosk comprises a radio frequency apparatus configured to transmit the radio frequency energy, and wherein the encoding comprises exchanging with the RFID device a plurality of data transfers according to one or more communications protocols, the protocols at least partly stored on the storage device.

80. The method of claim 79, wherein at least a portion of the data stored on the storage device is encrypted, and the exchanging with the RFID device a plurality of data transfers according to one or more communications protocols comprises an exchange of at least one cryptographic key.

81. The method of claim 80, wherein the utilizing at least a portion of said transmitted data to effectuate said routing comprises decrypting at least a portion of the data transmitted by the RFID device using the at least one cryptographic key.

82. The method of claim 75, wherein the utilizing at least a portion of said transmitted data to effectuate said routing comprises inventorying a plurality of items of luggage, the plurality including the item of luggage, using their respective RFID devices while the plurality of items of luggage are disposed so that the reader or interrogator apparatus can interrogate each of the respective RFID devices substantially simultaneously.

83. The method of claim 75, wherein the causing provision, via the kiosk, of a tag or a label comprising a short-range radio frequency electronic device comprises causing provision of a substantially flat tag or label, the short-range radio frequency device of the substantially flat tag or label having been printed on a substrate that is at least part of the tag or label, the tag or label and the substrate being substantially flexible.

84. The method of claim 83, wherein the causing provision, via the kiosk, of a tag or a label comprises encoding the radio frequency electronic device using an encoding apparatus of the kiosk, the storage device comprises a non-volatile writable memory, and the encoding comprises writing to the non-volatile memory via radio frequency energy transmitted by the encoding apparatus and the data processing logic.

85. The method of claim 84, wherein the writing to the non-volatile memory via radio frequency energy transmitted by the encoding apparatus and the data processing logic comprises writing at least one number to the memory, the at least one number being one of a sequence of numbers, others of the sequence of numbers assigned to others of radio frequency electronic devices encoded by the encoding apparatus of the kiosk.

86. The method of claim 84, wherein the routing further comprises interrogating a plurality of items of luggage, the plurality including the item of luggage, using their respective RFID devices, so as to verify that all items of luggage expected for loading on a transportation modality are present or accounted for.

87. A method of causing transport of an item of luggage for a user who owns the item of luggage, the transport from an air travel departure location to at least one other location, the at least one other location comprising a travel destination for the user, causing transport occurring without resort to a human customer service representative, the method comprising:

receiving, from the user at a kiosk disposed in the air travel departure location, user-specific information, the user-specific information comprising at least information relating to the travel destination;

based at least in part on the received user-specific information, causing access of an airline travel reservation system over at least a network interface between the kiosk and the airline travel reservation system, the travel reservation system comprising data regarding the user and the travel destination;

causing provision, via the kiosk, of a tag or a label, the tag or the label configured to be affixed to the item of luggage by the user and comprising a short-range radio frequency electronic device, said a short-range radio frequency electronic device comprising a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) device having an antenna, a data storage device associated therewith, and data processing logic in data communication with the storage device and the antenna, the RFID device configured to transmit data contained within the data storage device upon at least interrogation by radio frequency energy from a reader or interrogator apparatus, at least one of;

(i) a portion of the user-specific information, and/or (ii) at least a portion of the accessed data being stored in the data storage device after encoding by an encoding apparatus of the kiosk, the encoding apparatus comprising a radio frequency apparatus configured to transmit radio frequency energy, and wherein the encoding comprises exchanging with the RFID device data according to at least one communication protocol, at least a portion of the at least one protocol stored on the storage device; and

causing the item of luggage with affixed tag or label to be routed to at least the travel destination based at least in part on the RFID device, the causing the item of luggage with affixed tag or label to be routed comprising;

causing interrogation of the RFID device to cause said transmission of said data contained within the storage device by said encoding; and

utilizing at least a portion of said transmitted data to effectuate said routing;

wherein said causing provision comprises causing provision of a substantially flat tag or label, the RFID device of the substantially flat tag or label having been printed on a substrate that is at least part of the tag or label, the tag or label and the substrate being substantially flexible.

88. The method of claim 87, wherein the storage device comprises a non-volatile writable memory, and the encoding comprises writing to the non-volatile memory via radio frequency energy transmitted by the encoding apparatus and the data processing logic.

89. The method of claim 88, wherein the writing to the non-volatile memory via radio frequency energy transmitted by the encoding apparatus and the data processing logic comprises writing at least one number to the memory, the at least one number being one of a sequence of numbers, others of the sequence of numbers assigned to others of radio frequency electronic devices encoded by the encoding apparatus of the kiosk.

90. The method of claim 88, wherein the routing further comprises interrogating a plurality of items of luggage, the plurality including the item of luggage, using their respective RFID devices, so as to enable verification that all items of luggage expected for loading on a transportation modality are present or accounted for.

91. The method of claim 90, wherein the interrogating a plurality of items of luggage, including the item of luggage, using their respective RFID devices, is conducted substantially simultaneously while the plurality of items, and the item, are substantially co-located and within range of an interrogation apparatus conducting the interrogating.

92. The method of claim 88, wherein the routing further comprises interrogating a plurality of items of luggage, the plurality including the item of luggage, using their respective RFID devices, so as to enable verification that all of the RFID devices issued by at least the kiosk are present or accounted for on respective items of luggage.

93. The method of claim 88, wherein the routing further comprises interrogating a plurality of items of luggage, the plurality including the item of luggage, using their respective RFID devices, so as to enable verification that all items of luggage expected for loading on a transportation modality are present or accounted for.

94. The method of claim 88, further comprising:

obtaining a weight for the item of luggage via the kiosk; and

encoding at least the obtained weight on the RFID device via the encoding apparatus of the kiosk.

95. The method of claim 88, wherein the kiosk comprises a receptacle or aperture, the receptacle or aperture sized so as to permit only a prescribed maximum size of the item of luggage, and the causing the item of luggage to be routed comprises receiving the item of luggage in the receptacle or aperture, and any other items of luggage larger than the prescribed maximum size to be processed differently than the item of luggage.

96. The method of claim 88, further comprising:

obtaining imagery for the item of luggage via the kiosk; and

transmitting data related to the obtained imagery to at least one of the travel destination and/or an intermediary routing entity.

97. The method of claim 88, wherein the imagery comprises one of (i) visual-band imagery, and/or (ii) x-ray imagery.

98. The method of claim 88, wherein the transmitting the data relating to obtained imagery comprises encoding the data relating to the imagery onto the storage device of the RFID device.

99. The method of claim 88, further comprising:

performing a scan of the item of luggage via the kiosk; and

encoding data relating to the results of the performed scan onto the RFID device.

100. The method of claim 99, wherein the performing a scan comprises performing at least one of:

(i) an X-ray scan;

(ii) an infrared band (IR) scan, and/or (iii) a magnetometric scan.

101. The method of claim 99, wherein the performing a scan comprises performing at least a chemical “

sniff”

.

102. The method of claim 88, further comprising:

performing a scan of the item of luggage via the kiosk; and

transmitting data related to the performed scan to at least one of the travel destination and/or an intermediary routing entity.

103. The method of claim 88, further comprising using biometric data associated with the user to authenticate the user before access to the travel reservation system by the kiosk can occur, the biometric data having been previously supplied by the user and stored on an electronic storage device in data communication with at least one of the kiosk and/or a mobile electronic device of the user.

104. The method of claim 103, wherein the receiving from the user at a kiosk, user-specific information comprising at least information relating to the travel destination, comprises receiving the user-specific via a bar-code reader apparatus of the kiosk.

105. The method of claim 88, wherein the receiving from the user at a kiosk, user-specific information comprising at least information relating to the travel destination, comprises receiving the user-specific information via a bar-code reader apparatus of the kiosk.

106. The method of claim 105, wherein the user-specific information is provided to the a bar code scanning apparatus of the kiosk from a mobile electronic device of the user, the mobile electronic device comprising at least one air travel-themed application computer program rendered in a Java-based programming language, the at least one application computer program configured to receive electronic messages sent from a networked server to the at least one application computer program via at least one wireless interface of the mobile electronic device, and the method further comprises pushing one or more electronic messages from the networked server to the at least one application computer program.

107. The method of claim 105, wherein the kiosk is associated with an airline transportation agent, and further comprises a capacitive touch screen input and display device, and the method further comprises:

presenting to the user, via the display device, one or more data or service purchase options;

receiving at least one input via the kiosk, the at least one input indicative of the user'"'"'s desire to select one or more of the purchase options; and

effecting the selected one or more purchase options for the user based at least in part on the received at least one input.

108. The method of claim 107, wherein the one or more data or service purchase options comprise one or more of (i) an entertainment data purchase option, and/or (ii) a travel insurance purchase option.

109. The method of claim 107, wherein the effecting the selected one or more purchase options for the user comprises:

accessing a network-based credit or debit card account of the user, the credit or debit card account of the user having been previously identified to the transportation agent; and

causing debiting the credit or debit card account for an amount relating to the selected one or more purchase options.

110. The method of claim 109, wherein the kiosk comprises a client portion of a client-server computer program, the client portion configured to communicate with a complementary portion of the computer program disposed on a server apparatus of the airline transportation agent via a secure session established according to a secure sockets layer (SSL) or transport layer security (TLS) protocol over an untrusted internetwork;

and

wherein the effecting the selected one or more purchase options for the user based at least in part on the received at least one input comprises receiving the at least one input at the complementary portion of the computer program via the secure session.

111. The method of claim 110, wherein the accessing a network-based credit or debit card account of the user, the credit or debit card account of the user having been previously identified to the transportation agent, and the causing debiting the credit or debit card account for an amount relating to the selected one or more purchase options, are each conducted via a secure data session established between the complementary portion of the computer program and a network credit or debit card proxy gateway.

112. The method of claim 111, wherein the secure data session established between the complementary portion of the computer program and a network credit or debit card proxy gateway is established according to a secure sockets layer (SSL) or transport layer security (TLS) protocol over an untrusted internetwork.

113. The method of claim 110, wherein the effecting the selected one or more purchase options for the user further comprises automatically transmitting an electronic mail or textual message to a previously designated address or device of the user, the electronic mail or textual message comprising information relating to the effected one or more purchase options, including at least (i) a date the selected one or more purchase options was or were effected;

(ii) a payment source used to effect the one or more selected purchase options; and

(iii) information descriptive of the selected one or more purchased options.

114. The method of claim 107, wherein the effecting the selected one or more purchase options for the user further comprises automatically transmitting an electronic mail or textual message to a previously designated address or device of the user, the electronic mail or textual message comprising information relating to the effected one or more purchase options, including at least (i) a date the selected one or more purchase options was or were effected;

(ii) a payment source used to effect the one or more selected purchase options; and

(iii) information descriptive of the selected one or more purchased options.

115. Computerized apparatus configured to enable substantially automated transport of an item of luggage for a user who owns the item of luggage and without resort to use of a human customer service representative, the transport from an air travel departure location to at least one other location, the at least one other location comprising a travel destination for the user, the computerized apparatus disposed at the air travel departure location and comprising:

digital processing apparatus;

display apparatus in data communication with the digital processing apparatus;

network interface apparatus in data communication with the digital processing apparatus;

radio frequency encoding apparatus in data communication with the digital processing apparatus, the encoding apparatus configured to transmit radio frequency energy; and

at least one storage device in data communication with the digital processing apparatus, the at least one storage device comprising at least one computer program stored thereon, the at least one program configured to, when executed on the digital processing apparatus;

receive user-specific information, the user-specific information comprising at least information relating to the travel destination;

based at least in part on the received user-specific information, cause electronic access of an airline travel reservation system associated with an airline transportation agent over at least a network interface between the computerized apparatus and the airline travel reservation system, the travel reservation system comprising data regarding the user and the travel destination;

cause provision, via the computerized apparatus, of a tag or a label, the tag or the label configured to be affixed to the item of luggage by the user and comprising a short-range radio frequency electronic device, said a short-range radio frequency electronic device comprising a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) device having an antenna, a non-volatile data storage device associated therewith, and data processing logic in data communication with the storage device and the antenna, the RFID device configured to transmit data contained within the data storage device upon at least interrogation by radio frequency energy from a reader or interrogator apparatus, at least one of;

(i) a portion of the user-specific information, and/or (ii) at least a portion of the accessed data being stored in the data storage device after encoding by the radio frequency encoding apparatus, and wherein the encoding comprises exchanging with the RFID device data according to at least one communication protocol, at least a portion of the at least one protocol stored on the storage device of the RFID device; and

cause the item of luggage with affixed tag or label to be forwarded to a handling entity for subsequent routing to at least the travel destination based at least in part on the RFID device;

wherein said causation of provision comprises causing provision of a substantially flat tag or label, the RFID device of the substantially flat tag or label having been printed on a substrate that is at least part of the tag or label, the tag or label and the substrate being substantially flexible.

116. The computerized apparatus of claim 115, wherein the display apparatus comprises a capacitive touch screen input and display device, the display device configured to receive user one or more touch inputs from the user via a screen thereof, and also display a plurality of display elements on the screen in response to the one or more touch inputs.

117. The computerized apparatus of claim 116, wherein the plurality of display elements include a one-touch destination selection element, selection of the one-touch destination selection element by the user causing the destination for the item of luggage to be determined from a predetermined travel destination previously provided by the user.

118. The computerized apparatus of claim 116, wherein the computerized apparatus further comprises a wireless interface in data communication with the data processing apparatus, the wireless interface configured to receive data wirelessly, the wirelessly received data including the predetermined travel destination of the user.

119. The computerized apparatus of claim 118, wherein the wireless interface comprises a bar code scanning apparatus, and the receipt of the data including the predetermined travel destination of the user comprises receipt of bar coded data from a wireless-enabled mobile device of the user, the bar coded data previously provided to the mobile device from the airline transportation agent.

120. The computerized apparatus of claim 118, wherein the wireless interface comprises a Bluetooth-enabled radio frequency interface, and the receipt of the data including the predetermined travel destination of the user comprises receipt of wirelessly transmitted data from a wireless-enabled mobile device of the user via a corresponding Bluetooth-enabled interface of the mobile device.

121. The computerized apparatus of claim 120, wherein the wireless-enabled mobile device of the user comprises at least one travel-themed application computer program rendered in a Java-based programming language, the at least one application computer program configured to receive electronic messages sent from a networked server to the at least one application computer program via at least one wireless interface of the mobile electronic device, and the wirelessly transmitted data comprises data received via one or more of the electronic messages sent from the networked server to the at least one application computer program, the transmission of the wirelessly transmitted data initiated by the at least one application computer program.

122. The computerized apparatus of claim 115, further comprising parametric evaluation apparatus in data communication with the data processing apparatus, the evaluation apparatus configured to perform at least one evaluation operation of the item of luggage, and store data related to the performed at least one evaluation operation.

123. The computerized apparatus of claim 122, wherein the at least one evaluation operation comprises at least one of a chemical detection “

sniff”

operation, and/or an X-ray imaging operation.

124. The computerized apparatus of claim 122, wherein the encoding apparatus is configured to encode data relating to the at least one evaluation operation onto the RFID device.

125. The computerized apparatus of claim 122, wherein the at least one evaluation operation comprises weighing the item of luggage, and the encoding apparatus is configured to encode weight data relating to the weighing onto the RFID device.

126. The computerized apparatus of claim 115, wherein the computerized apparatus comprises a substantially stationary kiosk associated with the airline transportation agent, and further comprises computerized logic in data communication with the data processing apparatus, the logic configured to:

present to the user, via the display device, one or more data or service purchase options;

receive at least one input via the display device, the at least one input indicative of the user'"'"'s desire to select one or more of the purchase options; and

effect the selected one or more purchase options for the user based at least in part on the received at least one input.

127. The computerized apparatus of claim 126, wherein the one or more data or service purchase options comprises a digitally-rendered entertainment data purchase option.

128. The computerized apparatus of claim 126, wherein the effection of the selected one or more purchase options for the user comprises:

access of a network-based credit or debit card account of the user, the credit or debit card account of the user having been previously identified to the transportation agent; and

causation of debiting of the credit or debit card account for an amount relating to the selected one or more purchase options.

129. The computerized apparatus of claim 128, wherein the kiosk comprises a client portion of a client-server computer program, the client portion configured to communicate with a complementary portion of the computer program disposed on a server apparatus of the airline transportation agent via a secure session established according to a secure sockets layer (SSL) or transport layer security (TLS) protocol over an untrusted internetwork;

and

wherein the effection of the selected one or more purchase options for the user based at least in part on the received at least one input comprises receipt of the at least one input at the complementary portion of the computer program via the secure session.

130. The computerized apparatus of claim 129, wherein the access of a network-based credit or debit card account of the user, the credit or debit card account of the user having been previously identified to the transportation agent, and the causation of the debiting the credit or debit card account for an amount relating to the selected one or more purchase options, are each configured to be conducted via a secure data session established between the complementary portion of the computer program and a network credit or debit card proxy gateway.

131. The computerized apparatus of claim 129, wherein the effection of the selected one or more purchase options for the user further comprises automatic transmission of an electronic mail or textual message to a previously designated address or device of the user, the electronic mail or textual message comprising information relating to the effected one or more purchase options, including at least (i) a date the selected one or more purchase options was or were effected;

(ii) a payment source used to effect the one or more selected purchase options; and

(iii) information descriptive of the selected one or more purchased options.

132. The computerized apparatus of claim 122, wherein the computerized apparatus comprises a substantially stationary kiosk associated with the airline transportation agent, and further comprises biometric evaluation apparatus in data communication with the data processing apparatus, the biometric evaluation apparatus configured to use biometric data associated with the user to authenticate the user before access to the airline travel reservation system by the kiosk can occur, the biometric data having been previously supplied by the user and stored on an electronic storage device in data communication with at least one of the kiosk and/or a mobile electronic device of the user.

133. The computerized apparatus of claim 132, wherein the biometric data previously supplied by the user and stored on an electronic storage device comprises facial imagery or recognition data stored on a remote networked data storage entity in data communication with the kiosk, and the biometric evaluation apparatus comprises facial recognition software, the software operative to:

cause the kiosk to access, via the network interface thereof, of the remote networked data storage entity to retrieve at least a portion of the stored facial imagery or recognition data; and

cause use of the retrieved facial imagery or recognition data to recognize the user as part of the authentication.

134. The computerized apparatus of claim 132, wherein the biometric data previously supplied by the user and stored on an electronic storage device comprises fingerprint scan or recognition data stored on a remote networked data storage entity in data communication with the kiosk, and the biometric evaluation apparatus comprises fingerprint scan apparatus, the fingerprint scan apparatus operative to:

cause the kiosk to access, via the network interface thereof, of the remote networked data storage entity to retrieve at least a portion of the stored fingerprint data; and

cause use of the retrieved fingerprint data to authenticate the user.

135. The computerized apparatus of claim 132, wherein the biometric data previously supplied by the user and stored on an electronic storage device comprises retinal scan or recognition data stored on a remote networked data storage entity in data communication with the kiosk, and the biometric evaluation apparatus comprises retinal scan apparatus, the retinal scan apparatus operative to:

cause the kiosk to access, via the network interface thereof, of the remote networked data storage entity to retrieve at least a portion of the stored retinal scan or recognition data; and

cause use of the retrieved retinal scan or recognition data to authenticate the user.

136. The computerized apparatus of claim 135, further comprising short-range radio frequency interrogator apparatus in data communication with at least the digital processing apparatus, the radio frequency interrogator apparatus configured to interrogate a radio frequency identification standard-compliant device of a user when the standard-compliant device is brought within an interrogation range of the computerized apparatus, the interrogation to cause the standard-compliant device to engage in a communications protocol with the short-range radio frequency interrogator apparatus and, pursuant to said protocol, transmit data relating to a financial payment source or account of the user, the transmission obviating the user having to enter financial account data into the computerized apparatus manually.

137. The computerized apparatus of claim 136, wherein the data relating to a financial payment source or account of the user is stored within a secure data repository of a mobile electronic device of the user, the mobile electronic device further comprising at least one commerce-themed application computer program rendered in a Java-based programming language, the at least one application computer program configured to enable the access of the secure data repository to enable the transmission of the data relating to a financial payment source or account of the user.

138. The computerized apparatus of claim 115, further comprising short-range radio frequency apparatus in data communication with at least the digital processing apparatus, the short-range radio frequency apparatus configured to cause an active-enabled radio frequency identification standard-compliant device of a user, when the active-enabled device is brought within a wireless range of the computerized apparatus, to engage in a communications protocol with the short-range radio frequency apparatus and pursuant to said protocol, transmit data relating to a financial payment source or account of the user, the transmission of data relating to a financial payment source or account of the user obviating the user having to enter financial account data into the computerized apparatus manually.

139. Computerized apparatus configured to enable substantially automated transport of an item of luggage for a user who owns the item of luggage, the transport from an air travel departure location to at least one other location, the at least one other location comprising a travel destination for the user, the computerized apparatus comprising a substantially fixed kiosk disposed at the air travel departure location and comprising:

digital processing apparatus;

display apparatus in data communication with the digital processing apparatus;

network interface apparatus in data communication with the digital processing apparatus;

a limited-range wireless interface in data communication with the data processing apparatus, the wireless interface configured to receive data wirelessly from a mobile electronic user device; and

at least one storage device in data communication with the digital processing apparatus, the at least one storage device comprising at least one computer program stored thereon, the at least one program configured to, when executed on the digital processing apparatus;

receive user-specific information via the limited-range wireless interface, the user-specific information comprising at least information relating to the travel destination;

based at least in part on the received user-specific information, cause automated electronic access of an airline travel reservation system associated with an airline transportation agent over at least a network interface between the computerized apparatus and the airline travel reservation system, the travel reservation system comprising data regarding the user and the travel destination;

cause provision, via the computerized apparatus, of a tag or a label, the tag or the label configured to be affixed to the item of luggage by the user, the tag or label comprising at least one of;

(i) a portion of the user-specific information, and/or (ii) at least a portion of the accessed data; and

cause the item of luggage with affixed tag or label to be forwarded to a handling entity for subsequent routing to at least the travel destination based at least in part on the tag or label.

140. The computerized apparatus of claim 139, wherein:

the tag or the label comprises a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) device having an antenna, a non-volatile data storage device associated therewith, and data processing logic in data communication with the storage device and the antenna, the RFID device configured to transmit data contained within the data storage device upon at least interrogation by radio frequency energy from a reader or interrogator apparatus; and

the computerized apparatus further comprises radio frequency encoding apparatus in data communication with the digital processing apparatus, the encoding apparatus configured to transmit radio frequency energy, the transmitted energy configured to encode the RFID device with at least one of;

(i) a portion of the user-specific information and/or (ii) at least a portion of the accessed data, the encoding of the RFID device comprising exchange with the RFID device of data according to at least one communication protocol, at least a portion of the at least one protocol stored on the storage device of the RFID device; and

wherein the encoded RFID device enables the item of luggage with affixed tag or label to be routes to at least the travel destination based at least in part on the transmit data contained within the data storage device of the RFID device.

141. The computerized apparatus of claim 140, wherein:

said causation of provision comprises causing provision of a substantially flat tag or label, the RFID device of the substantially flat tag or label having been printed on a substrate that is at least part of the tag or label, the tag or label and the substrate being substantially flexible; and

the encoding of the RFID device via radio frequency energy transmitted by the encoding apparatus and the data processing logic comprises writing at least one number to the non-volatile storage device, the at least one number being one of a sequence of numbers, others of the sequence of numbers assigned to others of radio frequency electronic devices encoded by the encoding apparatus of the kiosk.

142. The computerized apparatus of claim 139, wherein the wireless interface of the kiosk comprises a Bluetooth-compliant interface, and the mobile electronic user device comprises:

a Bluetooth-compliant wireless interface; and

at least one travel-themed application computer program rendered in a Java-based programming language, the travel-themed application computer program provided by the airline transportation agent via download to the mobile electronic user device after the manufacture thereof, the application computer program configured to access from memory and send the user-specific information via Bluetooth-compliant wireless interface of the mobile electronic user device.

143. The computerized apparatus of claim 142, wherein the wireless interface of the kiosk comprises at least one Bluetooth profile, the at least one Bluetooth profile enabling the transfer of the user-specific information from the mobile electronicuser device when paired with the interface, the at least one Bluetooth profile comprising at least one of (i) a profile enabling data “

pull”

, and/or (ii) a profile enabling data “

push”

; and

the transfer of the user-specific information comprises at least one of a data pull or data push.

144. The computerized apparatus of claim 143, wherein the at least one of (i) a profile enabling data “

pull”

, and/or (ii) a profile enabling data “

push”

comprises an OBEX (object exchange) protocol, the OBEX (object exchange) protocol comprises a handshake protocol, and the kiosk is configured to execute at least a portion of the handshake protocol to enable communication of data objects between the mobile electronic user device and the kiosk.

145. The computerized apparatus of claim 139, wherein the kiosk comprises one of plurality of similar kiosks disclosed at the travel departure location, and the computerized apparatus further comprises computerized logic in data communication with each of the plurality of kiosks, the computerized logic configured to collectively analyze respective ones of user-specific information or accessed data from respective ones of the plurality of kiosks.

146. The computerized apparatus of claim 145, wherein:

the collective analysis comprises analysis of the respective ones of user-specific information or accessed data from respective ones of the plurality of kiosks to identify two or more users such that the respective items of luggage of the identified two or more users can be aggregated onto a common travel modality; and

wherein the computerized logic is further configured to cause the item of luggage with affixed tag or label to be routed to at least the travel destination via the common travel modality.

147. The computerized apparatus of claim 146, wherein the plurality of kiosks comprise kiosks associated with two or more different transportation agents, the two or more different transportation agents comprising two or more different airlines, the travel departure location comprises an airport, and the common travel modality comprises an airplane operated by one of the two or more different airlines which is scheduled to depart from the airport.

148. The computerized apparatus of claim 139, wherein:

the kiosk comprises a client portion of a client-server computer program, the client portion configured to run on a digital processing apparatus of the kiosk, and configured to communicate with both (i) a server portion of the client-server computer program disposed on a server apparatus in data communication with the kiosk, and (ii) an application computer program of a mobile electronic user device; and

the application computer program of the mobile electronic user device is provided by the airline transportation agent and further configured to;

(i) be downloaded to the mobile electronic user device; and

(ii) communicate with a computer program disposed on a server apparatus of the airline transportation agent via a secure session established according to a secure sockets layer (SSL) or transport layer security (TLS) protocol over an untrusted internetwork.

149. The computerized apparatus of claim 139, wherein the display apparatus comprises a capacitive touch screen input and display device, the display device configured to receive user one or more touch inputs from the user via a screen thereof, and also display a plurality of display elements on the screen in response to the one or more touch inputs, the plurality of display elements include a one-touch destination selection element, selection of the one-touch destination selection element by the user causing the destination for the item of luggage to be determined from a predetermined travel destination previously provided by the user.

150. The computerized apparatus of claim 139, wherein the limited-range wireless interface of the kiosk comprises a bar code scanning apparatus, and the receipt of the data including the predetermined travel destination of the user comprises receipt of bar coded data from a wireless-enabled mobile device of the user, the bar coded data previously provided to the mobile device from the airline transportation agent.

151. The computerized apparatus of claim 139, wherein the limited-range wireless interface comprises a Bluetooth-enabled radio frequency interface, and the receipt of the data including the predetermined travel destination of the user comprises receipt of wirelessly transmitted data from a wireless-enabled mobile device of the user via a corresponding Bluetooth-enabled interface of the mobile device, the wireless-enabled mobile device of the user comprising at least one travel-themed application computer program rendered in a Java-based programming language, the at least one application computer program configured to receive electronic messages sent from a networked server to the at least one application computer program via at least one wireless interface of the mobile electronic device, and the wirelessly transmitted data comprises data received via one or more of the electronic messages sent from the networked server to the at least one application computer program, the transmission of the wirelessly transmitted data initiated by the at least one application computer program.

152. The computerized apparatus of claim 139, further comprising parametric evaluation apparatus in data communication with the data processing apparatus, the evaluation apparatus configured to perform at least one evaluation operation of the item of luggage, and store data related to the performed at least one evaluation operation.

153. The computerized apparatus of claim 152, wherein the at least one evaluation operation comprises at least one of a chemical detection “

sniff”

operation, and/or an X-ray imaging operation.

154. The computerized apparatus of claim 152, wherein the encoding apparatus is configured to encode data relating to the at least one evaluation operation onto the RFID device.

155. The computerized apparatus of claim 152, wherein the at least one evaluation operation comprises weighing the item of luggage, and the encoding apparatus is configured to encode weight data relating to the weighing onto the RFID device.

156. The computerized apparatus of claim 139, further comprising computerized logic in data communication with the data processing apparatus, the logic configured to:

present to the user, via the display device, one or more data or service purchase options;

receive at least one input via the display device, the at least one input indicative of the user'"'"'s desire to select one or more of the purchase options; and

effect the selected one or more purchase options for the user based at least in part on the received at least one input.

157. The computerized apparatus of claim 156, wherein the one or more data or service purchase options comprises a digitally-rendered entertainment data purchase option.

158. The computerized apparatus of claim 156, wherein effecting the selected one or more purchase options for the user comprises:

access of a network-based credit or debit card account of the user, the credit or debit card account of the user having been previously identified to the transportation agent; and

causation of debiting of the credit or debit card account for an amount relating to the selected one or more purchase options;

wherein the kiosk comprises a client portion of a client-server computer program, the client portion configured to communicate with a complementary portion of the computer program disposed on a server apparatus of the airline transportation agent via a secure session established according to a secure sockets layer (SSL) or transport layer security (TLS) protocol over an untrusted internetwork; and

wherein the effecting of the selected one or more purchase options for the user based at least in part on the received at least one input further comprises receipt of the at least one input at the complementary portion of the computer program via the secure session; and

wherein the access of a network-based credit or debit card account of the user, the credit or debit card account of the user having been previously identified to the transportation agent, and the causation of the debiting the credit or debit card account for an amount relating to the selected one or more purchase options, are each configured to be conducted via a secure data session established between the complementary portion of the computer program and a network credit or debit card proxy gateway.

159. The computerized apparatus of claim 158, wherein the effecting the selected one or more purchase options for the user further comprises automatic transmission of an electronic mail or textual message to a previously designated address or device of the user, the electronic mail or textual message comprising information relating to the effected one or more purchase options, including at least (i) a date the selected one or more purchase options was or were effected;

(ii) a payment source used to effect the one or more selected purchase options; and

(iii) information descriptive of the selected one or more purchased options.

160. The computerized apparatus of claim 139, wherein the computerized apparatus further comprises biometric evaluation apparatus in data communication with the data processing apparatus, the biometric evaluation apparatus configured to use biometric data associated with the user to authenticate the user before access to the airline travel reservation system by the kiosk can occur, the biometric data having been previously supplied by the user and stored on an electronic storage device in data communication with at least one of the kiosk and/or a mobile electronic device of the user.

161. The computerized apparatus of claim 160, wherein the biometric data previously supplied by the user and stored on an electronic storage device comprises facial imagery or recognition data stored on a remote networked data storage entity in data communication with the kiosk, and the biometric evaluation apparatus comprises facial recognition software, the software operative to:

cause the kiosk to access, via the network interface thereof, of the remote networked data storage entity to retrieve at least a portion of the stored facial imagery or recognition data; and

cause use of the retrieved facial imagery or recognition data to recognize the user as part of the authentication.

162. The computerized apparatus of claim 160, wherein the biometric data previously supplied by the user and stored on an electronic storage device comprises fingerprint scan or recognition data stored on a remote networked data storage entity in data communication with the kiosk, and the biometric evaluation apparatus comprises fingerprint scan apparatus, the fingerprint scan apparatus operative to:

cause the kiosk to access, via the network interface thereof, of the remote networked data storage entity to retrieve at least a portion of the stored fingerprint data; and

cause use of the retrieved fingerprint data to authenticate the user.

163. The computerized apparatus of claim 160, wherein the biometric data previously supplied by the user and stored on an electronic storage device comprises retinal scan or recognition data stored on a remote networked data storage entity in data communication with the kiosk, and the biometric evaluation apparatus comprises retinal scan apparatus, the retinal scan apparatus operative to:

cause the kiosk to access, via the network interface thereof, of the remote networked data storage entity to retrieve at least a portion of the stored retinal scan or recognition data; and

cause use of the retrieved retinal scan or recognition data to authenticate the user.

164. The computerized apparatus of claim 139, further comprising short-range radio frequency interrogator apparatus in data communication with at least the digital processing apparatus, the radio frequency interrogator apparatus configured to interrogate a radio frequency identification standard-compliant device of a user when the standard-compliant device is brought within an interrogation range of the computerized apparatus, the interrogation to cause the standard-compliant device to engage in a communications protocol with the short-range radio frequency interrogator apparatus and, pursuant to said protocol, transmit data relating to a financial payment source or account of the user, the transmission obviating the user having to enter financial account data into the computerized apparatus manually.

165. The computerized apparatus of claim 164, wherein the data relating to a financial payment source or account of the user is stored within a secure data repository of a mobile electronic device of the user, the mobile electronic device further comprising at least one commerce-themed application computer program rendered in a Java-based programming language, the at least one application computer program configured to enable the access of the secure data repository to enable the transmission of the data relating to a financial payment source or account of the user.

166. The computerized apparatus of claim 139, further comprising short-range radio frequency apparatus in data communication with at least the digital processing apparatus, the short-range radio frequency apparatus configured to cause an active-enabled radio frequency identification standard-compliant device of a user, when the active-enabled device is brought within a wireless range of the computerized apparatus, to engage in a communications protocol with the short-range radio frequency apparatus and pursuant to said protocol, transmit data relating to a financial payment source or account of the user, the transmission of data relating to a financial payment source or account of the user obviating the user having to enter financial account data into the computerized apparatus manually.

167. A method of causing transport of an item of luggage for a user who owns the item of luggage, the transport from an air travel departure location to at least one other location, the at least one other location comprising a travel destination for the user, the method comprising:

a step for receiving, from the user at a kiosk disposed in the air travel departure location, user-specific information, the user-specific information comprising at least information relating to the travel destination;

a step for, based at least in part on the received user-specific information, causing access of an airline travel reservation system over at least a network interface between the kiosk and the airline travel reservation system, the travel reservation system comprising data regarding the user and the travel destination;

a step for causing provision, via the kiosk, of a means for conveying information, the means for conveying configured to be affixed to the item of luggage by the user and comprising a short-range radio frequency electronic device, said a short-range radio frequency electronic device comprising a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) device having an antenna, a data storage device associated therewith, and data processing logic in data communication with the storage device and the antenna, the RFID device configured to transmit data contained within the data storage device upon at least interrogation by radio frequency energy from a reader or interrogator apparatus, at least one of;

(i) a portion of the user-specific information, and/or (ii) at least a portion of the accessed data being stored in the data storage device after encoding by an encoding apparatus of the kiosk, the encoding apparatus comprising a radio frequency apparatus configured to transmit radio frequency energy, and wherein the encoding comprises exchanging with the RFID device data according to at least one communication protocol, at least a portion of the at least one protocol stored on the storage device; and

a step for causing the item of luggage with affixed means for conveying to be routed to at least the travel destination based at least in part on the RFID device, the causing the item of luggage with affixed means for conveying to be routed comprising;

causing interrogation of the RFID device to cause said transmission of said data contained within the storage device by said encoding; and

utilizing at least a portion of said transmitted data to effectuate said routing;

wherein said step for causing provision comprises a step for causing provision of a substantially flat means for conveying, the RFID device of the substantially flat means for conveying having been printed on a substrate that is at least part of the means for conveying, the means for conveying and the substrate being substantially flexible.

168. A method of causing transport of an item of luggage for a user who owns the item of luggage, the transport from an air travel departure location to at least one other location, the at least one other location comprising a travel destination for the user, the causing transport being without resort to a human customer service representative or airline employee, the method comprising:

a step for receiving, from the user at a kiosk disposed in the air travel departure location, user-specific information, the user-specific information provided to the kiosk wirelessly from a mobile electronic device of the user, the mobile electronic device comprising at least one travel-themed application computer program means rendered in a Java-based programming language, the application computer program means configured to cause the wireless provision of the user-specific information to the kiosk;

a step for, based at least in part on the received user-specific information, causing substantially automatic access of a travel reservation system over at least a means for network interface between the kiosk and the travel reservation system, the travel reservation system comprising data regarding the user and the travel destination;

a step for causing printing of a portable means for conveying information via a printing apparatus of the kiosk, the means for conveying comprising at least a portion of the user-specific information and at least a portion of the accessed data, the means for conveying configured to be affixed to the item of luggage;

a step for evaluating at least one parameter or physical quality associated with the item of luggage using at least the kiosk, the step for evaluating comprising a step for generating data relating to the evaluating;

a step for providing the generated data to at least one of (i) an entity at the travel destination, and/or (ii) an intermediary luggage routing entity; and

a step for causing the item of luggage with affixed means for conveying to be routed to at least the travel destination.

169. A method of frustrating surreptitious activity, the activity intended to be conducted via at least one item of luggage to be transported on a transportation modality, the transport being from a travel departure location to at least one other location, the at least one other location comprising a travel destination for the transportation modality, the method comprising:

receiving, from respective ones of a plurality of users at respective kiosks disposed in the travel departure location, user-specific information;

based at least in part on the received respective user-specific information, causing respective accesses of a travel reservation system over at least a network interface between the respective kiosk and the travel reservation system, the travel reservation system comprising data regarding the respective user and their travel destination;

causing provision, via the respective kiosk, of a respective tag or a label, the tag or the label comprising at least a portion of at least one of;

(i) the respective user-specific information, and/or (ii) at least a portion of the respective accessed data, the respective tag or label each configured to be affixed to the respective item of luggage, and comprising a short-range radio frequency electronic device formed or embedded therein or thereon;

thereafter, causing the items of luggage with respective affixed tag or label to be collectively inventoried or authenticated based at least in part on the short-range radio frequency electronic device after each respective item of luggage has left the possession of the respective user, but before being loaded onto the transportation modality, the collective inventory or authentication being used at least in part to identify one or more conditions indicative of possible tampering with one or more of the items of luggage.

170. The method of claim 169, wherein the one or more conditions indicative of possible tampering with one or more of the items of luggage comprise either:

(i) one of the respective items of luggage being missing or unaccounted for;

or (ii) a count of the total number of items of luggage processed by a plurality of the kiosks and to be loaded onto the transportation modality is greater than a total number of the respective items of luggage with the affixed tag or label.

171. The method of claim 170, wherein the plurality of respective kiosks are each in data communication with a common computerized process, and the collective inventory or authentication is conducted at least in part by the common computerized process based at least on identification of a common transportation modality onto which the respective items of luggage are to be loaded.

172. A method of frustrating surreptitious activity, the activity intended to be conducted via an item of luggage to be transported on a transportation modality, the transport being from a travel departure location to at least one other location, the at least one other location comprising a travel destination for the transportation modality, the method comprising:

receiving, from a kiosk disposed in the travel departure location, user-specific information;

based at least in part on the received user-specific information, causing access of a travel reservation system over at least a network interface between the kiosk and the travel reservation system, the travel reservation system comprising data regarding the user and their travel destination;

causing evaluation of the item of luggage, at the kiosk, via an evaluation apparatus, the evaluation apparatus configured to generate data relating to the evaluation of the item of luggage;

causing provision, via the kiosk, of a tag or a label, the tag or the label comprising at least a portion of at least one of;

(i) the user-specific information, and/or (ii) at least a portion of the accessed data, the tag or label configured to be affixed to the item of luggage, and comprising a short-range radio frequency electronic device formed or embedded therein or thereon, the short-range radio frequency device having been encoded with at least a portion of the generated data relating to the evaluation;

causing the item of luggage with affixed tag or label to be interrogated after the item of luggage has left the possession of the user, but before being loaded onto a transportation modality, the interrogation causing transmission of the at least a portion of the generated data relating to the evaluation from the short-range radio frequency device, the transmitted at least portion of the generated data being used at least in part to identify one or more conditions indicative of possible tampering with the item of luggage.

173. The method of claim 172, wherein the use of the transmitted at least portion of the generated to identify one or more conditions indicative of possible tampering with the item of luggage comprises:

conducting a second evaluation of the item of luggage, the second evaluation comprising evaluation of a same parameter or condition as in the evaluation via the kiosk;

comparing the transmitted at least portion of the generated data and data generated as part of the second evaluation so as identify one or more differences; and

where said one or more differences are identified, causing the item of luggage to be designated as potentially being subject to said surreptitious activity.

174. The method of claim 173, wherein the receiving user-specific information comprises receiving the user-specific information from a scan of a bar code associated with a mobile electronic device of the user, the scan conducted via a bar code scanning apparatus of the kiosk.

175. The method of claim 173, wherein the evaluation apparatus comprises an imaging apparatus, and the data generated relating to the evaluation via the kiosk, and the data generated relating to the second evaluation, each comprise data relating to results of imagery analysis of the item of luggage.

176. The method of claim 174, wherein the evaluation apparatus comprises an X-ray imaging apparatus.

177. The method of claim 173, wherein:

the evaluation apparatus comprises a scale or weighing apparatus; and

both the data generated relating to the evaluation via the kiosk, and the data generated relating to the second evaluation, each comprise data relating to the weight of the item of luggage.

178. The method of claim 173, wherein:

the evaluation apparatus comprises a scale or chemical “

sniffer”

apparatus; and

both the data generated relating to the evaluation via the kiosk, and the data generated relating to the second evaluation, each comprise data relating to a chemical signature of the item of luggage.

179. The method of claim 173, wherein:

the evaluation apparatus comprises a magnetometer apparatus; and

both the data generated relating to the evaluation via the kiosk, and the data generated relating to the second evaluation, each comprise data relating to the measured magnetic field or magnetic intensity of the item of luggage.

180. A method of causing shipment of an item to be transported on a transportation modality, the shipment being at least to a destination of the item, the method comprising:

receiving, from a kiosk disposed in a user-accessible location, user-specific information relating at least to the item and the destination;

causing evaluating the item at the kiosk, via an evaluation apparatus, the evaluation apparatus configured to generate data relating to the evaluation of the item;

causing provision, via the kiosk, of a tag or a label or an insert configured to be affixed to or included within the item or a shipping container associated therewith, the tag or the label or the insert comprising a radio frequency electronic device formed or embedded therein or thereon, the radio frequency device having been encoded with at least a portion of at least one of;

(i) the user-specific information, and/or (ii) the data relating to the evaluation;

causing the item with affixed or included tag or label or insert to be transported to a first location;

at the first location, accessing the encoded radio frequency device to obtain the at least a portion of the at least one of;

(i) the user-specific information, and/or (ii) the data relating to the evaluation;

utilizing the obtained at least a portion of the at least one of;

(i) the user-specific information, and/or (ii) the data relating to the evaluation, to attempt to validate or authenticate the item; and

performing one of the following as applicable;

when the item has been successfully validated or authenticated, causing delivery of the item to the destination;

or

when the item cannot be successfully validated or authenticated, causing designation of the item in a computerized system as at least one of (i) being undeliverable, and/or (ii) requiring further evaluation or investigation.

181. The method of claim 180, wherein the causing the item with affixed or included tag or label or insert to be transported to a first location comprises causing the item to transported via the transportation modality, the first location comprising a substantially centralized distribution facility.

182. The method of claim 180, wherein the causing delivery of the item to the destination comprises causing the item to transported via the transportation modality, the first location comprising a substantially centralized distribution facility.

183. The method of claim 180, wherein the receiving user-specific information comprises receiving the user-specific information from a scan of a bar code associated with a mobile electronic device of the user, the scan conducted via a bar code scanning apparatus of the kiosk.

184. The method of claim 180, wherein the receiving user-specific information comprises, based on a user permission:

establishing a communications session with a transport-themed application computer program of a mobile electronic device of the user when the mobile electronic device is within wireless range of the kiosk, the mobile electronic device and the kiosk comprising respective wireless interfaces compliant with a Bluetooth wireless communications protocol, the session established over the respective wireless interfaces; and

receiving the user-specific information via the communications session.

185. The method of claim 180, wherein the receiving user-specific information comprises, based on a user permission:

interrogating, using a wireless interrogator of the kiosk, a mobile electronic device of the user when the mobile electronic device is within wireless range of the kiosk, the mobile electronic device comprising a passive short-range wireless interface compliant with a radio frequency identification (RFID) wireless communications protocol;

conducting a handshake protocol with the short-range wireless interface; and

pursuant to the conducted protocol, receiving the user-specific information via the wireless interrogator of the kiosk.

186. The method of claim 180, wherein the causing evaluating the item at the kiosk, via an evaluation apparatus, the evaluation apparatus configured to generate data relating to the evaluation of the item, comprises weighing at least the item using a weight measurement apparatus, and the generated data comprises data indicative of the measured weight.

187. The method of claim 180, wherein the causing evaluating the item at the kiosk, via an evaluation apparatus, the evaluation apparatus configured to generate data relating to the evaluation of the item, comprises measuring a magnetic field or magnetic intensity of at least the item using a magnetometer apparatus, and the generated data comprises data indicative of the measured field or intensity.

188. The method of claim 180, wherein the causing evaluating the item at the kiosk, via an evaluation apparatus, the evaluation apparatus configured to generate data relating to the evaluation of the item, comprises measuring a chemical signature of at least the item using a chemical analyzer apparatus, and the generated data comprises data indicative of the measured chemical signature.

189. The method of claim 180, wherein the causing evaluating the item at the kiosk, via an evaluation apparatus, the evaluation apparatus configured to generate data relating to the evaluation of the item, comprises imaging at least a portion of the item using an imaging modality, and the generated data comprises data indicative of the identity or category of the item based on the imaging.

190. Computerized apparatus configured to enable substantially automated transport of items of luggage for a plurality of users who owns the respective items of luggage, the transport from a respective air travel departure location to respective ones of at least one other location, the respective at least one other location comprising a travel destination for the respective user, the computerized apparatus comprising:

network server apparatus, the network server apparatus comprising at least one network interface, the network interface configured to communicate via a data network with a plurality of computerized kiosks, the network server apparatus further comprising computerized logic configured to access a computerized airline travel reservation system associated with an airline transportation agent, and to;

receive, from respective ones of the kiosks, requests for access to data of the travel reservation system, the data comprising at least (i) user-specific identification information for respective ones of users using the respective kiosks; and

(ii) data relating to respective flight destinations or routes for the respective users; and

a plurality of substantially fixed computerized kiosks disposed at the respective air travel departure locations and each comprising;

digital processing apparatus;

display apparatus in data communication with the digital processing apparatus;

network interface apparatus in data communication with the digital processing apparatus, the network interface apparatus configured to enable communication with the data network;

a wireless interface in data communication with the data processing apparatus, the wireless interface configured to receive data wirelessly from a mobile electronic user device; and

at least one storage device in data communication with the digital processing apparatus, the at least one storage device comprising at least one computer program stored thereon, the at least one program configured to, when executed on the digital processing apparatus;

receive respective information via the wireless interface, the received information comprising at least information relating to the respective user or their travel destination;

based at least in part on the respective received information, cause automated electronic access of the airline travel reservation system over at least the data network;

cause provision, via the kiosk, of a tag or a label, the tag or the label configured to be affixed to or within the respective item of luggage by the respective user, the respective tag or label comprising at least one of;

(i) at least a portion of the respective user-specific identification information, and/or (ii) at least a portion of the data relating to the respective flight destination or route for the respective user; and

cause the respective item of luggage with affixed tag or label to be forwarded to a handling entity for subsequent routing to at least the respective travel destination based at least in part on the respective tag or label.

191. The computerized apparatus of claim 190, wherein the display apparatus of at least a portion of the plurality of substantially fixed computerized kiosks comprises a capacitive touch screen input and display device, the display device configured to receive user one or more touch inputs from the user via a screen thereof, and also display a plurality of display elements on the screen in response to the one or more touch inputs.

192. The computerized apparatus of claim 191, wherein the plurality of display elements include a one-touch destination selection element, selection of the one-touch destination selection element by the user causing the destination for the item of luggage to be determined from a predetermined travel destination previously provided by the user.

193. The computerized apparatus of claim 191, wherein the wireless interface of at least a portion of the plurality of substantially fixed computerized kiosks comprises a bar code scanning apparatus, and the receipt of the at least information relating to the respective user or their travel destination comprises receipt of bar coded data from a wireless-enabled mobile device of the respective user.

194. The computerized apparatus of claim 190, wherein the wireless interface of at least a portion of the plurality of substantially fixed computerized kiosks comprises a Bluetooth-enabled radio frequency interface, and the receipt of the at least information relating to the respective user or their travel destination comprises receipt of wirelessly transmitted data from a wireless-enabled mobile device of the user via a corresponding Bluetooth-enabled interface of the mobile device.

195. The computerized apparatus of claim 194, wherein the wireless-enabled mobile device of the user comprises at least one travel-themed application computer program rendered in a Java-based programming language, the at least one application computer program configured to receive electronic messages sent from a networked server to the at least one application computer program via at least one wireless interface of the mobile electronic device, and the wirelessly transmitted data comprises data received via one or more of the electronic messages sent from the networked server to the at least one application computer program, the transmission of the wirelessly transmitted data initiated by the at least one application computer program.

196. The computerized apparatus of claim 190, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of substantially fixed computerized kiosks further comprise parametric evaluation apparatus in data communication with the data processing apparatus, the evaluation apparatus configured to perform at least one evaluation operation of the respective item of luggage, and store data related to the performed at least one evaluation operation.

197. The computerized apparatus of claim 196, wherein the at least one evaluation operation comprises at least one of a chemical detection “

sniff”

operation, and/or an X-ray imaging operation.

198. The computerized apparatus of claim 196, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of substantially fixed computerized kiosks further comprise encoding apparatus configured to encode data relating to the respective at least one evaluation operation onto a respective passive RFID device, the RFID device incorporated into or on the respective tag or label.

199. The computerized apparatus of claim 198, wherein the passive RFID device comprising an antenna, a data storage device associated therewith, and data processing logic in data communication with the storage device and the antenna, the RFID device configured to transmit data contained within the data storage device upon at least interrogation by radio frequency energy from a reader or interrogator apparatus, the RFID device having been printed on a substrate that is at least part of the tag or label, the tag or label and the substrate being substantially flexible;

and

wherein the encoded data relating to the respective at least one evaluation operation comprises at least one of;

(i) data relating to a weight of the item of luggage; and

/or (ii) data relating to a size or size classification of the item of luggage.

200. The computerized apparatus of claim 198, wherein the at least one evaluation operation comprises at least one of a chemical detection “

sniff”

operation, and/or an X-ray imaging operation.

201. The computerized apparatus of claim 190, wherein:

the wireless interface of at least a portion of the plurality of substantially fixed computerized kiosks comprises a bar code scanning apparatus, and the receipt of the at least information relating to the respective user or their travel destination comprises receipt of bar coded data from a wireless-enabled mobile device of the respective user, the wireless-enabled mobile device having been pre-coded with the bar coded data;

at least a portion of the plurality of substantially fixed computerized kiosks further comprise radio frequency encoding apparatus configured to encode data onto a respective passive RFID device, the RFID device incorporated into or on the respective tag or label, the tag or label being substantially flat, the RFID device of the substantially flat tag or label having been printed on a substrate that is at least part of the tag or label, the tag or label and the substrate being substantially flexible; and

the passive radio frequency identification (RFID) device comprises an antenna, a data storage device associated therewith, and data processing logic in data communication with the storage device and the antenna, the RFID device configured to transmit data contained within the data storage device upon at least interrogation by radio frequency energy from a reader or interrogator apparatus, at least a portion of the received at least information relating to the respective user or their travel destination being stored in the data storage device after encoding by the radio frequency encoding apparatus, and wherein the encoding comprises exchanging with the RFID device data according to at least one communication protocol, at least a portion of the at least one protocol stored on the storage device of the RFID device.

202. The computerized apparatus of claim 190, wherein the wireless interface of at least a portion of the plurality of substantially fixed computerized kiosks comprises a Bluetooth-enabled radio frequency interface, and the receipt of the at least information relating to the respective user or their travel destination comprises receipt of wirelessly transmitted data from a wireless-enabled mobile device of the user via a corresponding Bluetooth-enabled interface of the mobile device, the wireless-enabled mobile device of the user comprising at least one travel-themed application computer program rendered in a Java-based programming language, the at least one application computer program configured to receive electronic messages sent from the travel reservation system or its proxy to the at least one application computer program via at least one network interface of the mobile electronic device, and the wirelessly transmitted data comprises data received via one or more of the electronic messages sent from the networked server to the at least one application computer program, the transmission of the wirelessly transmitted data initiated by the at least one application computer program;

at least a portion of the plurality of substantially fixed computerized kiosks further comprise radio frequency encoding apparatus configured to encode data onto a respective passive RFID device, the RFID device incorporated into or on the respective tag or label, the tag or label being substantially flat, the RFID device of the substantially flat tag or label having been printed on a substrate that is at least part of the tag or label, the tag or label and the substrate being substantially flexible; and

the passive radio frequency identification (RFID) device comprises an antenna, a data storage device associated therewith, and data processing logic in data communication with the storage device and the antenna, the RFID device configured to transmit data contained within the data storage device upon at least interrogation by radio frequency energy from a reader or interrogator apparatus, at least a portion of the received at least information relating to the respective user or their travel destination being stored in the data storage device after encoding by the radio frequency encoding apparatus, and wherein the encoding comprises exchanging with the RFID device data according to at least one communication protocol, at least a portion of the at least one protocol stored on the storage device of the RFID device.

203. The computerized apparatus of claim 190, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of substantially fixed computerized kiosks comprise computerized logic in data communication with the data processing apparatus, the logic configured to:

present to the respective user, via the display device, one or more data or service purchase options;

receive at least one input via the display device, the at least one input indicative of the respective user'"'"'s desire to select one or more of the purchase options; and

effect the selected one or more purchase options for the respective user based at least in part on the received at least one input.

204. The computerized apparatus of claim 203, wherein the one or more data or service purchase options comprises a digitally-rendered entertainment data purchase option.

205. The computerized apparatus of claim 203, wherein the effecting the selected one or more purchase options for the respective user comprises:

access of a network-based credit or debit card account of the respective user, the credit or debit card account of the user having been previously identified to the transportation agent; and

causation of debiting of the credit or debit card account for an amount relating to the selected one or more purchase options; and

wherein the at least a portion of the plurality of substantially fixed computerized kiosks comprises a client portion of a client-server computer program, the client portion configured to communicate with a complementary portion of the computer program disposed on a server apparatus of the airline transportation agent via a secure session established according to a secure sockets layer (SSL) or transport layer security (TLS) protocol over an untrusted internetwork; and

wherein the effecting the selected one or more purchase options for the respective user based at least in part on the received at least one input comprises receipt of the at least one input at the complementary portion of the computer program via the secure session.

206. The computerized apparatus of claim 205, wherein the access of a network-based credit or debit card account of the user, the credit or debit card account of the user having been previously identified to the transportation agent, and the causation of the debiting the credit or debit card account for an amount relating to the selected one or more purchase options, are each configured to be conducted via a secure data session established between the complementary portion of the computer program and a network credit or debit card proxy gateway.

207. The computerized apparatus of claim 205, wherein the effecting the selected one or more purchase options for the user further comprises automatic transmission of an electronic mail or textual message to a previously designated address or device of the user, the electronic mail or textual message comprising information relating to the effected one or more purchase options, including at least (i) a date the selected one or more purchase options was or were effected;

(ii) a payment source used to effect the one or more selected purchase options; and

(iii) information descriptive of the selected one or more purchased options.

208. The computerized apparatus of claim 190, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of substantially fixed computerized kiosks comprise a biometric evaluation apparatus in data communication with the data processing apparatus, the biometric evaluation apparatus configured to use biometric data associated with the respective user to authenticate that user before access to the airline travel reservation system by the kiosk can occur, the biometric data having been previously supplied by that user and stored on an electronic storage device in data communication with at least one of the kiosk and/or a mobile electronic device of that user.

209. The computerized apparatus of claim 208, wherein the biometric data previously supplied by the respective user and stored on an electronic storage device comprises facial imagery or recognition data stored on a remote networked data storage entity in data communication with the kiosk, and the biometric evaluation apparatus comprises facial recognition software, the software operative to:

cause the kiosk to access, via the network interface thereof, of the remote networked data storage entity to retrieve at least a portion of the stored facial imagery or recognition data; and

cause use of the retrieved facial imagery or recognition data to recognize the respective user as part of the authentication.

210. The computerized apparatus of claim 209, wherein the wireless interface of at least a portion of the plurality of substantially fixed computerized kiosks comprises a bar code scanning apparatus, and the receipt of the at least information relating to the respective user or their travel destination comprises receipt of bar coded data from a wireless-enabled mobile device of the respective user.

211. The computerized apparatus of claim 209, wherein the wireless interface of at least a portion of the plurality of substantially fixed computerized kiosks comprises a Bluetooth-enabled radio frequency interface, and the receipt of the at least information relating to the respective user or their travel destination comprises receipt of wirelessly transmitted data from a wireless-enabled mobile device of that user via a corresponding Bluetooth-enabled interface of the mobile device.

212. The computerized apparatus of claim 211, wherein the wireless-enabled mobile device of the user comprises at least one travel-themed application computer program rendered in a Java-based programming language, the at least one application computer program configured to receive electronic messages sent from a networked server to the at least one application computer program via at least one wireless interface of the mobile electronic device, and the wirelessly transmitted data comprises data received via one or more of the electronic messages sent from the networked server to the at least one application computer program, the transmission of the wirelessly transmitted data initiated by the at least one application computer program.

213. The computerized apparatus of claim 208, wherein the biometric data previously supplied by the respective user and stored on an electronic storage device comprises fingerprint scan or recognition data stored on a remote networked data storage entity in data communication with the respective kiosk, and the biometric evaluation apparatus comprises fingerprint scan apparatus, the fingerprint scan apparatus operative to:

cause the respective kiosk to access, via the network interface thereof, of the remote networked data storage entity to retrieve at least a portion of the stored fingerprint data; and

cause use of the retrieved fingerprint data to authenticate the respective user.

214. The computerized apparatus of claim 213, wherein the wireless interface of at least a portion of the plurality of substantially fixed computerized kiosks comprises a bar code scanning apparatus, and the receipt of the at least information relating to the respective user or their travel destination comprises receipt of bar coded data from a wireless-enabled mobile device of the respective user.

215. The computerized apparatus of claim 213, wherein the wireless interface of at least a portion of the plurality of substantially fixed computerized kiosks comprises a Bluetooth-enabled radio frequency interface, and the receipt of the at least information relating to the respective user or their travel destination comprises receipt of wirelessly transmitted data from a wireless-enabled mobile device of that user via a corresponding Bluetooth-enabled interface of the mobile device.

216. The computerized apparatus of claim 215, wherein the wireless-enabled mobile device of the respective user comprises at least one travel-themed application computer program rendered in a Java-based programming language, the at least one application computer program configured to receive electronic messages sent from a networked server to the at least one application computer program via at least one wireless interface of the mobile electronic device, and the wirelessly transmitted data comprises data received via one or more of the electronic messages sent from the networked server to the at least one application computer program, the transmission of the wirelessly transmitted data initiated by the at least one application computer program.

217. The computerized apparatus of claim 208, wherein the biometric data previously supplied by the respective user and stored on an electronic storage device comprises retinal scan or recognition data stored on a remote networked data storage entity in data communication with the kiosk, and the biometric evaluation apparatus comprises retinal scan apparatus, the retinal scan apparatus operative to:

cause the respective kiosk to access, via the network interface thereof, of the remote networked data storage entity to retrieve at least a portion of the stored retinal scan or recognition data; and

cause use of the retrieved retinal scan or recognition data to authenticate the respective user.

218. The computerized apparatus of claim 190, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of substantially fixed computerized kiosks further comprise short-range radio frequency interrogator apparatus in data communication with at least the digital processing apparatus, the radio frequency interrogator apparatus configured to interrogate a radio frequency identification standard-compliant device of the respective user when the standard-compliant device is brought within an interrogation range of the computerized apparatus, the interrogation to cause the standard-compliant device to engage in a communications protocol with the short-range radio frequency interrogator apparatus and, pursuant to said protocol, transmit data relating to a financial payment source or account of the respective user, the transmission obviating that user having to enter financial account data into the computerized apparatus manually.

219. The computerized apparatus of claim 218, wherein the data relating to a financial payment source or account of the respective user is stored within a secure data repository of a mobile electronic device of the user, the mobile electronic device further comprising at least one commerce-themed application computer program rendered in a Java-based programming language, the at least one application computer program configured to enable the access of the secure data repository to enable the transmission of the data relating to a financial payment source or account of the respective user.

220. The computerized apparatus of claim 190, further comprising short-range radio frequency apparatus in data communication with at least the digital processing apparatus, the short-range radio frequency apparatus configured to cause an active-enabled radio frequency identification standard-compliant device of the respective user, when the active-enabled device is brought within a wireless range of the computerized apparatus, to engage in a communications protocol with the short-range radio frequency apparatus and pursuant to said protocol, transmit data relating to a financial payment source or account of that user, the transmission of data relating to a financial payment source or account of the respective user obviating that user having to enter financial account data into the computerized apparatus manually.

230. The computerized apparatus of claim 218, wherein the transport device comprises an item of user luggage, the point of departure comprises an airport, and the destination comprises an air travel destination of the user, the item of luggage is to be transported via an airline transportation agent, and the application computer program comprises a transport-themed application program caused to be provided by the airline transportation agent or its proxy, and configured for download to the mobile electronic device of the user;

wherein the computerized apparatus is configured to be portable and hand-carriable; and

wherein the computerized apparatus is further configured to wirelessly receive and store data relating to at least one of the weight, size or appearance of the transport device, at least a portion of the data relating to at least one of the weight, size or appearance used to facilitate subsequent routing to the destination, or tracking of, the item of luggage.

231. The computerized apparatus of claim 218, wherein the transport device comprises an item of user luggage, the point of departure comprises an airport, and the destination comprises an air travel destination of the user, the item of luggage is to be transported via an airline transportation agent;

wherein the computerized apparatus is configured to be portable and hand-carriable; and

wherein the computerized apparatus is further configured to wirelessly receive and store data relating to at least one of the weight, size or appearance of the transport device, at least a portion of the data relating to at least one of the weight, size or appearance used to facilitate subsequent authentication or security screening of the item of luggage.

221. Computerized apparatus configured for enabling routing of transport device of a user, the user utilizing the transport device for transport of one or more chattel between a point of departure and at least a destination, the transport device comprising a size and a weight and an appearance and being configured to contain the one or more chattel therein, the computerized apparatus comprising:

digital processor apparatus;

data storage apparatus in data communication with the digital processor apparatus;

a display device in data communication with the digital processor apparatus; and

a first wireless interface in data communication with the digital processor apparatus; and

computerized logic configured to be executed on the digital processor apparatus and configured to, when executed;

receive, via the first wireless interface, user-specific data relating to at least one of (i) a user identity, and/or (ii) the destination;

cause display of at least a portion of the received user-specific data on the display device;

store at least a portion of the received user-specific data in the data storage apparatus; and

wherein the computerized apparatus further comprises bar code apparatus, the bar code apparatus disposed so as to be scannable by an external bar code scanning apparatus, the bar code apparatus comprising a visible rendering of a bar code representative of at least a portion of the received user-specific data.

222. The computerized apparatus of claim 221, wherein the first wireless interface comprises a Bluetooth-compliant interface, and the receipt via the first wireless interface of the user-specific data comprises execution of a handshake protocol between the first wireless interface and a complementary Bluetooth-compliant interface of a wireless-enabled mobile electronic device of the user, the handshake protocol configured to establish a session between the computerized apparatus and an application computer program of the mobile electronic device, the session capable of transfer of the user-specific data from the mobile electronic device to the computerized apparatus.

223. The computerized apparatus of claim 222, wherein the first wireless interface comprises at least one Bluetooth profile associated therewith, the at least one Bluetooth profile enabling the transfer of the user-specific data, the at least one Bluetooth profile comprising a profile configured for at least one of (i) a profile enabling data “

pull”

, and/or (ii) a profile enabling data “

push”

; and

wherein the transfer of the user-specific data comprises at least one of a data pull or data push.

224. The portable computerized apparatus of claim 223, wherein the at least one of (i) a profile enabling data “

pull”

, and/or (ii) a profile enabling data “

push”

comprises an OBEX (object exchange) protocol.

225. The computerized apparatus of claim 222, wherein the transport device comprises an item of user luggage, the point of departure comprises an airport, and the destination comprises an air travel destination of the user, the item of luggage is to be transported via an airline transportation agent, and the application computer program comprises a transport-themed application program caused to be provided by the airline transportation agent or its proxy, and configured for download to the mobile electronic device of the user.

226. The computerized apparatus of claim 225, wherein the computerized apparatus is configured to be portable and hand-carriable.

227. The computerized apparatus of claim 226, wherein the transferred user-specific data comprises data transmitted by the airline transportation agent or its proxy and received at the mobile electronic device prior to the transfer to the computerized apparatus.

228. The computerized apparatus of claim 227, wherein the visible rendering of the bar code representative of at least a portion of the received user-specific data is provided by the airline transportation agent or its proxy via the data transmitted thereby.

229. The computerized apparatus of claim 222, wherein the computerized apparatus is further configured to wirelessly receive and store biometric data associated with the user, the biometric data comprising at least one of (i) facial scan digital data;

(ii) fingerprint scan digital data; and

/or (iii) voice digital data, the biometric data configured to enable authentication of at least one of the user or the transport device.

232. A portable computerized device configured to enable transport of at least one transport device of a user, the user utilizing the transport device for transport of one or more chattel between a point of departure and at least a destination, the transport device comprising a size and a weight and an appearance and being configured to contain the one or more chattel therein, the portable computerized device comprising computerized logic, a storage device, and a wireless interface, the portable computerized device configured to execute the method comprising:

enabling establishment of a communications session with a mobile electronic device of the user, the mobile electronic device comprising an application computer program operative to run thereon, the session to be established between the application computer program and at least one computer program of a portable computerized device;

wirelessly receiving, via the wireless interface and session and from the mobile electronic device of the user, user-specific data relating to at least one of (i) a user identity, and/or (ii) the destination;

storing at least a portion of the received user-specific data in a data storage device of the portable computerized device; and

causing, via the portable computerized device, encoding of data relating to at least the received user-specific data, the portable computerized device configured to be scanned by a scanning apparatus in order for the scanning apparatus to obtain the encoded data, the scanning comprising impinging electromagnetic radiation generated by the scanning apparatus onto the computerized device, the obtained encoded data useful in enabling said transport of the transport device to at least the destination.

233. The computerized apparatus of claim 232, wherein the transport device comprises an item of user luggage, the point of departure comprises an airport, and the destination comprises an air travel destination of the user, the item of luggage is to be transported via an airline transportation agent, and the application computer program comprises a transport-themed application program caused to be provided by the airline transportation agent or its proxy, and configured for download to the mobile electronic device of the user after the manufacture of the mobile electronic device;

wherein the wireless interface comprises a Bluetooth-compliant wireless interface; and

wherein the encoded data comprises a bar-coded representation of at least a portion of the received user-specific data.

234. The computerized apparatus of claim 233, wherein the portable computerized device is further configured to wirelessly receive and store data relating to at least one of the weight, size or appearance of the transport device, at least a portion of the data relating to at least one of the weight, size or appearance used to facilitate subsequent routing to the destination, or tracking of, the item of luggage, at least a portion of the data relating to at least one of the weight, size or appearance being encoded into the bar-coded representation.

235. The computerized apparatus of claim 232, wherein the transport device comprises an item of user luggage, the point of departure comprises an airport, and the destination comprises an air travel destination of the user, the item of luggage is to be transported via an airline transportation agent, and the application computer program comprises a transport-themed application program caused to be provided by the airline transportation agent or its proxy, and configured for download to the mobile electronic device of the user after the manufacture of the mobile electronic device;

wherein the wireless interface comprises a Bluetooth-compliant wireless interface; and

wherein the scanning apparatus comprises an RFID-based interrogator apparatus, the impinging electromagnetic radiation comprises radio frequency electromagnetic radiation, and the portable computerized device comprises a passive RFID-based device, the encoded data encoded into a storage device of the passive RFID-based tag.

236. The computerized apparatus of claim 235, wherein the portable computerized device is further configured to wirelessly receive and store data relating to at least one of the weight, size or appearance of the transport device, at least a portion of the data relating to at least one of the weight, size or appearance used to facilitate subsequent routing to the destination, or tracking of, the item of luggage, at least a portion of the data relating to at least one of the weight, size or appearance being encoded into the storage device of the RFID-based tag.

237. A method of transporting at least one transport device of a user, the user utilizing the transport device for transport of one or more chattel between a point of departure and at least a destination, the transport device comprising a size and a weight and an appearance and being configured to contain the one or more chattel therein, the method comprising:

causing provision of an application computer program, the application computer program configured for download to and operation on a Bluetooth-enabled wireless mobile device of a user, the application computer program configured to enable establishment of a communications session between the application computer program and at least one computer program of a portable computerized device associated with the transport device via a Bluetooth interface of the portable computerized device, the program further configured to cause transmission from the mobile electronic device, user-specific data relating to at least one of (i) a user identity, and/or (ii) the destination, to the portable computerized device;

wirelessly obtaining from the portable computerized device, data relating to the transmitted user-specific data;

the obtained data useful in enabling said transport of the transport device to at least the destination; and

causing transport of the transport device to the destination based at least on the obtained data.

238. The method of claim 237, wherein the transport device comprises an item of user luggage, the point of departure comprises an airport, and the destination comprises an air travel destination of the user, the item of luggage is to be transported via an airline transportation agent, and the application computer program comprises a transport-themed application program caused to be provided by the airline transportation agent or its proxy, and configured for download to the mobile electronic device of the user after the manufacture of the mobile electronic device;

and

wherein the wirelessly obtaining comprises optically scanning a bar-coded representation of at least a portion of the received user-specific data.

239. The computerized apparatus of claim 238, wherein the portable computerized device is further configured to wirelessly receive and store data relating to at least one of the weight, size or appearance of the transport device, at least a portion of the data relating to at least one of the weight, size or appearance used to facilitate subsequent routing to the destination, or tracking of, the item of luggage, at least a portion of the data relating to at least one of the weight, size or appearance being encoded into the bar-coded representation.

240. The computerized apparatus of claim 238, wherein the transport device comprises an item of user luggage, the point of departure comprises an airport, and the destination comprises an air travel destination of the user, the item of luggage is to be transported via an airline transportation agent, and the application computer program comprises a transport-themed application program caused to be provided by the airline transportation agent or its proxy, and configured for download to the mobile electronic device of the user after the manufacture of the mobile electronic device;

and

wherein the scanning apparatus comprises an RFID-based interrogator apparatus, the impinging electromagnetic radiation comprises radio frequency electromagnetic radiation, and the portable computerized device comprises a passive RFID-based device, the encoded data encoded into a storage device of the passive RFID-based tag.

241. The computerized apparatus of claim 240, wherein the portable computerized device is further configured to wirelessly receive and store data relating to at least one of the weight, size or appearance of the transport device, at least a portion of the data relating to at least one of the weight, size or appearance used to facilitate subsequent routing to the destination, or tracking of, the item of luggage, at least a portion of the data relating to at least one of the weight, size or appearance being encoded into the storage device of the RFID-based tag.