CA3020705A1 - System and method for baggage monitoring - Google Patents

Abstract

This patent application relates to an individualised monitoring method and system, thanks to which an aircraft passenger can receive real-time information about the location of a piece of his/her baggage after delivering it to an airport baggage management system. The airport baggage management system comprises one or more baggage detecting stations (22, 221, 222) positioned along a baggage movement path (800) and a computer (24) operatively connected to the one or more baggage detecting stations (22, 221, 222). The computer (24) receives information about baggage transit from the one or more baggage detecting stations (22, 221, 222) and manages a database (28) containing information about the location of the baggage on the baggage movement path (800). The monitoring system comprises a portable electronic device (4) which is carried by the passenger and a communication interface between the portable electronic device (4) and the airport baggage management system. The communication interface is designed to operatively link a specific piece of baggage (8) with the portable electronic device (4), to request information about the location of the specific piece of baggage (8) from the database (28) and to transmit that information to the portable electronic device (4).

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR BAGGAGE MONITORING
* * *
DESCRIPTION
This invention relates in general to the monitoring of baggage of travellers during air travel. In particular, this invention relates to a monitoring system for monitoring a piece of baggage delivered by an aircraft passenger to an airport baggage management system.
As is well known to anyone who has made at least one journey in an aircraft managed by an airline company, baggage which exceeds the size and/or weight limits set cannot be carried into the cabin with the passenger, but must be delivered to an airport baggage management system by means of which it is loaded into the hold of the aircraft. Therefore, the passenger is separated from his/her piece of baggage before departure, when he/she checks in and/or delivers the piece of baggage to the appropriate desk, and collects his/her piece of baggage at the end of the journey, after the management system of the arrival airport has unloaded the aircraft hold and loaded the baggage onto a baggage claim carousel.
During the period between baggage delivery and collection, the passenger has no control over his/her piece of baggage and must trust that the airport system will manage it correctly and promptly. Unfortunately, quite often, for a variety of reasons, the piece of baggage delivered by the passenger does not arrive in time for the step of loading in the aircraft hold and, therefore, the piece of baggage, which was not loaded on the aircraft, does not arrive at the destination with the passenger. Obviously, this is very inconvenient for the passenger, who for a more or less long period of time is left without the items contained in his/her piece of baggage and, if necessary, may have to alter his/her travel plans in order to await the arrival of the piece of baggage. In even worse cases, the piece of baggage is permanently lost and the passenger has no information about the events that resulted in this loss.
The inventors of this invention have observed that uncertainty about the actual presence of their baggage on board the aircraft is a source of tension and worry for passengers during the journey. If the piece of baggage was not loaded in time, the passenger will only find out upon arriving and after a long and tiring wait at the baggage claim carousel.
Based on this observation by the inventors, a technical purpose which forms the basis of this invention is to enable aircraft passengers to do an individualised and substantially real-time monitoring of the location of their baggage after it has been delivered to the airport baggage management system, at least to enable passengers to know, before the departure of the aircraft, whether or not their baggage has been loaded in the hold.
The technical purpose and the aims indicated are substantially achieved by a monitoring

2 system and by a monitoring method as described in the respective appended claims.
Specifically, it is an individualised monitoring system which enables the passenger to receive substantially real-time information about the location of his/her piece of baggage.
In particular, the system enables the passenger to autonomously track his/her piece of baggage.
In this description, the term "aircraft passenger" means not just a person in an aircraft, but also a person in an airport waiting to board an aircraft or who has just exited an aircraft. In particular, the aircraft is an airline company passenger aeroplane.
The term "piece of baggage" refers generically to a suitcase, a bag, a rucksack, a pack or other object that a passenger carries with him/her during a journey. In particular, the baggage referred to in this description is delivered to the airport baggage management system in a special zone of the departure airport (for example, a check-in desk) long before the respective owners board the aircraft. Therefore, said baggage only returns under the control of the respective owners at the end of the journey. Baggage is loaded in the aircraft hold by the airport system operators, instead of being carried on board by the respective owners.
The term "individualised monitoring", or customised monitoring, means that each passenger can monitor his/her piece of baggage using a system that can be managed by the passenger him/herself and that recognises the passenger as the user, in particular using a portable device that the passenger has with him/her.
The term "real-time monitoring" means that the information about the location of the piece of baggage is supplied substantially simultaneously with the movement of the piece of baggage by the airport baggage management system.
"Autonomously track" means that the monitoring can be carried out directly by the passenger, without the need to contact airport personnel every time the passenger wants information about the location of his/her piece of baggage.
Unlike the system currently known, in which the passenger with a lost piece of baggage can only obtain information at the end of the journey by going to the appropriate office, the system according to this invention is useful for providing information to the passenger during the journey and in particular before take-off, for example indicating to the passenger the moment when his/her piece of baggage was loaded in the hold, or indicating that the piece of baggage was not loaded in time.
According to one aspect of this invention, the monitoring system includes an airport baggage management system which, for example, is of the type already used in airports and implements baggage tracking. This invention enables passengers to interface with such an airport baggage management system, providing passengers with information

3 obtained from the airport baggage management system.
Another aspect of this invention relates to the use of a portable electronic device belonging to a passenger for informing the passenger about the location of a piece of baggage delivered to the airport baggage management system. The portable electronic device communicates with the airport baggage management system for receiving information about the location of the piece of baggage after it has been delivered to the airport baggage management system, enabling the passenger to perform individualised monitoring which is autonomous and substantially in real time. In other words, the airport baggage management system is interfaceable with the portable electronic device, for sending the latter substantially real-time information about the location of the piece of baggage. Therefore, the passenger receives the information directly on his/her portable device.
One way of using this invention is briefly described below.
When a passenger delivers his/her piece of baggage to the airport check-in desk, an identification code for the piece of baggage is generated and a tag containing all of the information (baggage identification code / passenger / flight / etc.) is applied to the piece of baggage. A receipt showing the identification code is issued to the passenger. The piece of baggage is sent into the security restricted areas of the airport by a baggage transporting and processing system.
The baggage transporting and processing system performs the following activities:
- baggage security check using x-ray/tomography scan machines;
- recognition of the tag of the piece of baggage with the aid of recognition equipment (automatic optical readers, manual optical readers, etc.);
- sending to the dedicated flight preparation zone;
- inserting of baggage in baggage carts for flight preparation and if necessary initial recognition with BRS (Baggage Reconciliation System) using a hand-held computer (for example a portable optical reader);
- transporting the piece of baggage to the aircraft apron parking area and loading in the hold, if necessary with BRS recognition (BRS on board).
In the meantime, having completed the check-in, the passenger goes to the security controls in order to go airside and/or to the shopping/restaurant areas. While waiting for his/her gate to be opened in order to gain access to the aircraft, the passenger may request the status of his/her piece of baggage using a personal portable device (for example, via an "app" or website), by sending the identification code shown on the receipt issued at the check-in desk and/or by directly scanning the receipt.
This request may also be sent from inside the aircraft, only until the flight attendants

4 instruct passengers to switch off all electronic devices.
The identification code is sent to a server which has saved the tracking details for the "life"
of the piece of baggage in the airport. The server gives a real-time response about the status of the piece of baggage. Said response is transmitted to the personal portable device belonging to the passenger.
It is also possible to implement intermediate management of the information to be sent to the passenger, relating to movement of the piece of baggage in the airport systems/operations, from the first to the last reading of the tag applied to the piece of baggage.
.. In some embodiments, the system according to this invention also facilitates search, recovery and/or return operations for a piece of baggage that was lost by the baggage transporting and processing system, or that could not be transported on an aircraft together with the respective owner.
Further features, embodiments and advantages of this invention are more apparent in the detailed description of a preferred, non-limiting embodiment of it. Reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:
- Figure 1 is a first schematic illustration of a monitoring system according to this invention;
- Figure 2 is a second schematic illustration of a monitoring system according to this invention.
By means of a monitoring system according to this invention, a passenger of an aircraft 9 can monitor his/her own piece of baggage 8 which was delivered to an airport baggage management system. For example, the piece of baggage 8 was delivered to a check-in desk 20.
.. To enable the traceability and identification of each piece of baggage 8 and its linking to the passenger and to the destination, a respective baggage tag 82 is applied to the piece of baggage 8 at the time of check-in. The baggage tag 82 bears an identification code (for example a bar code 83) that is uniquely associated with the piece of baggage 8, that is to say, that uniquely identifies the specific piece of baggage 8 during management by the airport system.
The baggage tag 82 also bears a plurality of information such as: tag number, passenger name, number and date of the flight or flights, destination or destinations, total number of pieces of baggage registered, weight of the baggage.
The data contained in the baggage tags 82 is used by the airport baggage management system to correctly process the baggage 8, for its handling towards the respective aircraft 9.

At the time of check-in, a baggage delivery tag or receipt 84 is issued to the passenger.
The receipt 84 summarises the information contained in the respective baggage tag 82 and in particular bears the same identification code, for example the bar code 83.
In accordance with the IATA rules currently in force, the identification code is a ten-figure

5 numeric code and uniquely identifies the piece of baggage 8 for the entire period during which the latter is managed by the airport management system, which cannot have two pieces of baggage in it with the same identification code.
The airport baggage management system, specifically, is or comprises a technical and information technology infrastructure, in addition to the necessary human resources, with the function of receiving baggage from departing passengers and managing the transporting of said baggage to the destinations of the respective passengers.
Basically, the airport baggage management system implements baggage handling using an automatic transporting and selecting system designed to receive baggage from the check-in desks 20 and to direct it to the destination piers predetermined based on the respective flights, using conveyor belts and mechanical arms, with the aid of optical readers.
Therefore, the airport baggage management system moves each piece of baggage 8 from the check-in desk 20 to the hold of the aircraft 9 of the respective departing passenger.
Therefore, a baggage movement path is defined, which comprises stretches physically constituted of equipment (for example, conveyor belts inside the airport) and stretches that may vary each time (for example, the path followed by a cart that carries the baggage from the handling pier to a position below the aircraft). In Figure 1, the baggage movement path is schematically illustrated by the arrow 800.
The airport baggage management system comprises one or more baggage detecting stations 22, said detecting stations 22 being positioned along the baggage movement path 800. Said detecting stations 22 are capable of detecting the transit or the presence of the pieces of baggage 8, recognising them individually thanks to reading of the baggage tags 82. In use, each detecting station 22 is a check-point for the baggage.
In particular, the detecting stations 22 comprise optical readers, scanners or other devices capable of reading the identification data on the tag 82 applied to each piece of baggage 8.
For example, some of said detecting stations 22 are portals 221 equipped with optical readers and are positioned across a conveyor belt in specific positions along the movement path 800. In particular, said readers, scanners or devices operate in conjunction with an automatic tag reading software (ATR, Automatic Tag Reader).
Another of said detecting stations 22 comprises a portable optical reader 222 which is

6 PCT/IB2016/052115 manually operated by an operator. For example, said portable optical reader 222 is used for reading the pieces of baggage 8 at the moment when they are loaded in the aircraft hold. In this case, it is a detecting station which is movable and can be positioned as necessary.
Therefore, the piece of baggage 8 which is transported along the movement path passes through the detecting stations 22 one after another, with each one identifying it by reading its baggage tag 82.
The airport baggage management system also includes a computer 24 (which, for example, may be a local or remote server, or a computer network) which is operatively connected to the detecting stations 22. Thanks to that operative connection (which may be via cable or wireless), the computer 24 receives information about the transit of the pieces of baggage 8 from the detecting stations 22. In use, each detecting station 22 communicates the identification codes of the pieces of baggage 8 that were read during the transit of the pieces of baggage at the self-same detecting station. In Figure 1, the information flow from the detecting stations 22 to the computer 24 is generically labelled 200.
The computer 24 manages a database (ideally shown as a container in Figure 2 and labelled 28) which contains said information received from the detecting stations 22, as well as the other information about the pieces of baggage 8 acquired during check-in.
Therefore, for each piece of baggage 8, the computer 24 can verify which stations 22 have already been passed through and which stations 22 are still to be passed through, in that way establishing where the piece of baggage 8 is located along the movement path.
In use, the database 28 contains information about the location of the pieces of baggage 8 along the baggage movement path 800.
As is schematically indicated by the arrow 29 in Figure 2, the final result of the operations of the airport baggage management system is that the piece of baggage 8 is loaded into the aircraft 9.
The check-in desks 20, the detecting stations 22, the computer 24 and the database 28 form an airport information system.
The aspects described above for the airport baggage management system may be implemented according to known methods. One embodiment is described below.
The airport information system is fed, according to standardised methods, by the DOS
(Departure Control System) of the airlines and by the LDCS (Local Departure Control System), in use at the airports for some airlines.
The check-in stations at the check-in desks 20 assign and issue for each piece of baggage 8 an identification code for the piece of baggage using applications in use at

7 airports. For example, use is made of an application that is direct and dedicated with the airline, or a CUTE (Common Use Terminal Equipment), or a CUSS (Common Use Self Service, for stations without manned check-in), or a CUPPS (Common Use Passenger Processing System). The identification code is shown both on the baggage tag 82 glued or applied on the piece of baggage 8, and on the receipt 84 supplied to the passenger.
A departure control information technology system generates a BSM (Baggage Sorting Message) containing information about the piece of baggage, in particular: the flight identification code; ten-figure baggage identification code; service class;
final destination;
other information (such as intermediate destinations and passenger name) which is used to provide operators with other access keys if searching for information about the piece of baggage.
Baggage is processed by a BHS (Baggage Handling System). This is an automatic transporting and selecting system, built to receive baggage from the check-in desks and to direct it to the destination piers, using belts and/or mechanical arms controlled by a programmable logic controller (PLC).
This system combines various sources of information:
- BSM generated at the check-in desk 20 at the time of printing the tag 82.
Said message enables the identification code to be associated with the piece of baggage and the flight number;
- FDB (flight database), which enables the flight number to be associated with the pier number;
- optical readers or scanners which read the tag 82 for detecting the identification code of the piece of baggage.
The transporting and selecting system is a sub-system for baggage directing and outfeed:
by means of automatic tag readers, scanners and/or manual tag readers, the data contained in the bar code 83 of the tag 82 is read and the piece of baggage 8 is correctly directed accordingly.
In the event of correct reading, the identification code is transmitted to the BHD (Baggage Handling Director), that is to say, a server 24 which contains the list of baggage and associates the tag identification code with the corresponding flight, checking the daily flight timetable for the handling pier decided by the manager to which the piece of baggage must be sent. Basically, the server 24 searches for the identification code in the baggage list, checks which flight it corresponds to and checks in the flight timetable for the number of the pier to which the piece of baggage must be sent.
In the event of incorrect reading, a diverter sends the piece of baggage to a station for manual coding, where a worker performs reading of the data shown on the tag using a

8 manual reader, if possible, or directly enters the data into the system if it cannot be read in an automated fashion.
The server 24 transmits the pier number to the PLC, which plans the movement path and checks it so as to make the piece of baggage 8 arrive at the required pier, where an operation completed signal is transmitted to the BHD again, which in turn transmits a message to the FDB (in use, to an airport server used to store baggage routing information) indicating the end of the process relating to that piece of baggage.
The point further downstream of the systems for reading and recognising the baggage identification code is the BRS (Baggage Reconciliation System), which can be used at the flight preparation carousels/bays or, even further downstream, during operations for loading baggage into the aircraft hold (commonly known as BRS on board).
The server 24 archives in the database 28 all information about routing of the piece of baggage 8, from the first identification code reading position to the last reading position, for example from the check-in desk 20 to loading in the aircraft 9. As already indicated, along the movement path the piece of baggage 8 passes through the baggage detecting stations 22, whose readings are archived in the database 28.
The following is a non-exhaustive list of the main data normally archived in the database 28:
- flight plan: information about all changes made to flight plan data, following insertions, updates or cancellations;
- baggage movement: information (date and time of infeed into the system, of transit under each detecting station 22, of transit with manual coding, of security check in each piece of equipment, of passage through predetermined sections, of unloading to piers or carousels, of loading in the baggage carts for transportation to the aircraft, loading in the aircraft, etc.) relating to the processing of each piece of baggage;
- baggage flows: all information (flows of baggage: originating, in transit, early, short connection, recirculating, passing through predetermined sections, handled at piers and carousels, flows of trays, etc.), relating to baggage processing, in a predetermined time period (every fifteen minutes, for every hour, for every day, for every week, for every month, etc.);
- division of baggage by flight: statistical data relating to the flights, for example the number of pieces of baggage handled by flight, pieces of baggage that are late, early, misconnected, etc.;
- unavailability: statistical data about the unavailability times, in a predetermined period of time, of lines, components, parts of the system;
- optical readers or ATR scanners: information (pieces of baggage read, not read,

9 percentage of reading errors, etc.) relating both to each reader or scanner, and to each reading head;
- faults: information about faults which occurred on the various parts and on the various components (machines, equipment, etc.) of the system.
The airport baggage management system also comprises management of baggage arriving or in transit. Similarly to what is described above for management of departing baggage, for baggage that is arriving or in transit too there are baggage detecting stations 22 which send information to the database 28 during the movement along a respective path.
According to this invention, the airport baggage management system described above (or another similar system, if necessary according to the prior art) can be interfaced with a portable electronic device 4 belonging to a passenger for supplying the passenger with substantially real-time information about a piece of baggage 8 that he/she delivered to the airport baggage management system.
For example, said portable electronic device 4 may be a mobile telephone, a smartphone, a tablet or a laptop computer. In use, the portable electronic device 4 is a communication device (for example, via internet or mobile telephone network) that the passenger carriers with him/her even after having delivered the piece of baggage 8 to the check-in desk 20, and which he/she can use while waiting in the airport, before and after the flight. In Figure 1, the route of the passenger and of his/her portable electronic device 4 in the airport is schematically illustrated by the arrow 400.
During use, the portable electronic device 4 can be put into communication with the airport baggage management system, for receiving information about the location of the piece of baggage 8 delivered. That information is obtained from the database 28, which, as described above, contains all information about the movement and processing of each piece of baggage. Access to the information contained in the database 28 enables the passenger, through a suitable interface, to autonomously and substantially in real time track the location of his/her piece of baggage after its delivery to the airport system, thereby carrying out individualised monitoring.
For example, when the passenger is about to board the aircraft 9, the passenger can check whether or not his/her piece of baggage 8 has already been loaded into the aircraft, if it is about to be loaded or if it has been left behind and will not be loaded in time.
This is useful on one hand for reassuring the passenger about the fact that his/her piece of baggage has been loaded, and on the other hand for avoiding pointless waiting at the baggage claim carousel if the piece of baggage was not loaded.
If the piece of baggage was not loaded in time, the passenger cannot have any kind of recourse, for example delaying the flight or other demands. However, he/she could have the possibility of sending, using the portable electronic device 4, an indication to the departure airport to facilitate a swift search and sending with the first means available. To increase baggage receiving priority, the passenger can indicate if the piece of baggage 5 must be shipped by courier, so that the piece of baggage is received as soon as possible, to the destination airport or to another address. Moreover, the passenger can also use the portable device 4 to send a photograph of the piece of baggage 8 and a brief description of its contents: in this way, airport workers can identify and return the piece of baggage even if the tag 82 is damaged.

10 Therefore, this invention relates to an individualised monitoring system comprising the portable electronic device 4 and a communication interface between the portable electronic device 4 and the airport baggage management system, so that information can be extracted from the database 28. Specifically, the communication interface is implemented using a computer program.
The communication interface is designed to operatively link a specific piece of baggage 8 belonging to the passenger with the portable electronic device 4 belonging to the passenger, to request information about the location of the specific piece of baggage 8 from the database 28 and to transmit to the portable electronic device 4 the information about the location of the specific piece of baggage 8 obtained from the database 28.
The above-mentioned computer program may be more or less complex and may be run by the portable electronic device 4, by the computer 24 or by an intermediary server 35, depending on the architecture adopted for the monitoring system.
Figure 1 schematically illustrates three different architectures. In a first architecture (labelled 301), the portable electronic device 4 communicates with the airport baggage management system via a website, labelled 31, which for example is a page of the main airport website or is managed by a service provider separate from the airport.
In use, the passenger connects to the website using the portable electronic device 4 and identifies him/herself by entering his/her credentials (for example, the identification code of the piece of baggage), the website interrogates the database 28, obtains the information requested and shows it to the passenger. In this case, the computer program makes the website work.
In a second architecture (labelled 302), the portable electronic device 4 communicates directly with the computer 24 of the airport baggage management system. For example, the portable electronic device 4 is a smartphone and said computer program is an "app"
run by the self-same smartphone.
In a third architecture (labelled 303), a server 35 or another computer is operatively

11 interposed between the portable electronic device 4 and the airport baggage management system. The server 35 is external to or separate from the airport baggage management system, that is to say, it is not directly involved in managing the movement of baggage in the airport, and it interfaces with the computer 24 of the airport baggage management system, for example through a dedicated communication port belonging to the latter.
The server 35 exchanges information both with the computer 24 and with the portable electronic device 4, acting as an intermediary between them. The server 35 runs a computer program capable of interrogating the computer 24 for obtaining information from the database 28 and for communicating with the portable electronic device 4 for receiving requests and for transmitting the information obtained. For example, the server 35 is managed by a services company which is separate from the airport management company.
Basically, irrespective of the architecture used, the computer program translates a language for communication with the portable electronic device belonging to the passenger into a language for communication with the computer of the airport baggage management system, and vice versa. In particular, the computer program prepares a message for interrogating the database 28 in a format corresponding to that used by the computer 24 which manages the database. The interrogation message contains the identification code of the piece of baggage.
.. That enables the passenger to request and obtain information about his/her piece of baggage 8 in a simple way, without having to know the data formats of and methods for interrogating the database 28 which the airport baggage management system uses in its ordinary operations.
The action of operatively linking the piece of baggage 8 with the portable electronic device 4 involves associating or connecting, in terms of information technology data management, the piece of baggage 8 with the portable electronic device 4, in such a way that the information about the specific piece of baggage 8 is transmitted to the specific portable electronic device 4 that requested it.
That operative link may be established in various ways, even depending on the monitoring system architecture that is used.
For example, if the portable electronic device 4 is a telephone (mobile phone, smartphone or tablet), the passenger can supply the related telephone number at check-in, said telephone number being acquired in the database together with the other data about the passenger. If the portable electronic device 4 is a computer (laptop, smartphone or tablet), the passenger can supply his/her e-mail address at check-in, said address being acquired in the database together with the other data about the passenger.

12 In alternative embodiments, the operative link is established after check-in, using the identification code of the piece of baggage that is also shown on the receipt 84. For example, the identification code is typed by the passenger on a keyboard of the portable electronic device 4, or entered in another way. In a specific embodiment, the portable .. electronic device 4 comprises a detector (in particular an optical detector, such as a camera) capable of reading the identification code (for example, the bar code 83) on the receipt 84.
The identification code acquired in that way is transmitted from the portable device to the communication interface, for operatively linking the piece of baggage with the portable electronic device.
Alternatively, the operative link is established using the personal details of the passenger instead of the identification code. The information in the database 28 enables identification of the piece of baggage 8 that was delivered by the passenger with said personal data.
Once that operative link has been created, the portable electronic device 4 belonging to the passenger can receive the information about the piece of baggage 8 associated with it.
While the piece of baggage 8 is being moved along the movement path, the information about the transit of the piece of baggage 8 through the baggage detecting stations 22 is transmitted to the computer 24 and saved in the database 28. At least some of this .. information about the location of the piece of baggage 8 along the movement path is transmitted to the portable electronic device 4 associated with it and is therefore made known to the passenger.
The information to be transmitted may be more or less complete and detailed, depending on the settings selected by the airport system manager and/or by the passenger.
In a first method, the information made accessible to the passenger only relates to completed loading of the piece of baggage 8 in the hold of the aircraft 9. In this case, the passenger does not receive information about the intermediate steps and only obtains confirmation that the management procedure was completed in time.
In a second method, the information made accessible to the passenger also relates to the passage of the piece of baggage 8 through intermediate detecting stations 22 between the check-in desk 20 and the aircraft 9. In this case, the passenger can track the movements of his/her piece of baggage 8 for the entire waiting period before boarding and can check if the piece of baggage 8 is actually travelling towards the handling pier.
Transmission of the information to the portable electronic device 4 may be on demand or automatic.
In the on demand mode, when the passenger wants information about his/her piece of

13 baggage, he/she sends a request for information using the portable electronic device 4.
The computer program interfaces with the database 28, obtains the information requested (for example: where the piece of baggage is at that moment) and transmits it to the portable electronic device 4.
In the automatic mode, a notification is automatically transmitted to the portable electronic device 4 when the piece of baggage 8 passes through a detecting station 22.
For example, to do that, the computer program interrogates the database 28 at preset time intervals, until the take-off time scheduled. When the piece of baggage 8 is found to have passed a further detecting station 22 after the previous interrogation, a corresponding notification is sent to the portable electronic device 4.
For example, the information may be made available to the passenger via a web page, a notification via an "app", an SMS message, an e-mail message, a telephone call with a pre-recorded voice.
In one embodiment, the monitoring system and method enable the passenger to receive information about the location of his/her piece of baggage 8 even in the arrival airport and in any intermediate connection airports. In other words, the passenger can receive information and track his/her piece of baggage 8 from the moment of delivering the piece of baggage to the departure airport baggage management system to the moment of collecting the piece of baggage from the arrival airport management system.
For example, that is useful for enabling the passenger to know substantially in real time if his/her piece of baggage has been transferred in time during any connection at an intermediate airport, if it has already been unloaded from the hold and if it is arriving at the baggage claim carousel.
This information is obtained by also interfacing the portable electronic device 4 with the baggage management systems of the arrival airport and of any intermediate connection airports. That interface with a plurality of airport systems is also implemented by a computer program.
In a particular embodiment, the server 35, which is separate from the airport systems and may be an external server, is designed to communicate with a plurality of airport baggage management systems, if necessary using a specific communication language for each of them. Therefore, the portable electronic device 4 communicates only with the server 35, which, knowing the travel itinerary of the passenger, obtains the information requested by interrogating the airport system corresponding to the current position of the passenger.
As already indicated above, the piece of baggage 8 may not be loaded in time onto the aircraft and consequently the piece of baggage 8 is not transported on the aircraft 9 with the passenger. In this case, the piece of baggage 8 does not arrive at the destination

14 airport simultaneously with the passenger and the latter must therefore deal with delayed delivery of the piece of baggage 8.
To manage this possible outcome in a way that is least inconvenient for the passenger, the monitoring system and method described herein may enable the passenger to use his/her portable electronic device 4 to send the airport baggage management system a request for the return of the piece of baggage 8. Said request also contains a selection of a return method, for example if the piece of baggage 8 should be delivered with a subsequent flight and/or by express courier to a specific delivery address.
The return request, which for example is transmitted by the portable electronic device 4 to the airport system via the communication interface (directly or passing via the server 35, depending on the architecture used for the system), is processed by the airport baggage management system so as to return the piece of baggage 8 to the passenger using the selected return method. The airport system, after tracing or locating the specific piece of baggage 8 that is operatively linked with the portable electronic device 4 from which the return request came, organises delivery of the piece of baggage 8 using the method selected by the passenger.
For example, the passenger may send the return request and an indication of how he/she wants the piece of baggage to be delivered using a dedicated section of the above-mentioned "app", if necessary with the possibility of selecting the option of the next flight .. (as usually happens) or the option of sending the piece of baggage urgently via express courier to a precise address.
The return request may be sent before take-off or during the journey (if necessary even during the flight), if the passenger has received the information stating that his/her piece of baggage has not been loaded in time, or when the passenger is at the destination airport.
If necessary, the portable electronic device 4 may send the return request automatically and without any action by the passenger, for example based on settings saved by said "app", when the portable electronic device 4 receives the information that the piece of baggage 8 has not been loaded in time on the aircraft 9. Alternatively, the settings or preferences for management of the respective baggage may be supplied in advance by the passenger to the airport system, for example at check-in, directly or via the "app" of the portable electronic device 4. If the piece of baggage is not loaded in time on the aircraft, the airport system can automatically proceed according to the settings or preferences supplied, so as to promptly implement the return procedure without any further request by the passenger.
In some cases, the piece of baggage 8 may be lost by the airport baggage management system and, therefore, it cannot arrive at the destination. For example, the tag 82 on the piece of baggage 8 could come off or be damaged, making it illegible, or the piece of baggage 8 could fall off a cart or conveyor belt, or the tag 82 could be read incorrectly by a detecting station. Therefore, in these cases, the location of the piece of baggage 8 is unknown or imprecise: for example, the information about the location of the specific piece 5 of baggage 8 is not available in the database 28 or the database 28 contains information that is not up-to-date, which does not correspond to the actual location of the piece of baggage 8.
To facilitate the search for and recovery of the piece of baggage 8 in these eventualities, the monitoring system and method described herein may enable the passenger to use 10 his/her portable electronic device 4 to send the airport baggage management system an image of the piece of baggage 8 (for example, a photograph of it) and/or a description of the piece of baggage 8 (for example, a description of its outer appearance and/or of its contents). Basically, the passenger sends a request to search for the piece of baggage matching the image and/or the description.

15 The image and/or description, which for example are transmitted by the portable electronic device 4 to the airport system by means of the communication interface (directly or passing through the server 35), are used by the airport baggage management system to search for the piece of baggage 8, for example to identify the specific piece of baggage 8 amongst all of the pieces of baggage found for which the owner information has been lost.
For example, the passenger can send the image and/or description using a dedicated section of the above-mentioned "app". If necessary, the portable electronic device 4 can automatically send an image and/or a description which were previously set by the passenger and saved by said "app".
The image may be a photograph of the piece of baggage 8 taken using the portable electronic device 4, for example at the check-in desk. The description may, if necessary, include a brief description of the contents of the piece of baggage.
For example, the passenger can photograph his/her piece of baggage 8 on the outside and inside and prepare a brief or detailed description of the contents. This can even be done at home, before leaving, and saved using the "app" in the portable electronic device 4.
If necessary, to provide more complete information, the passenger can use the portable electronic device 4 to also send the identification code shown on the receipt 84 issued at the check-in desk and attached to the boarding card and/or the photograph of his/her piece of baggage 8 also showing the tag 82 with the identification code 83.
For example, once the piece of baggage 8 has been tagged at the check-in desk, the passenger can

16 take a further photograph of the piece of baggage 8 together with the tag 82, or that photograph may be taken directly by the check-in desk and sent to the portable electronic device 4 belonging to the passenger.
If necessary, the passenger can decide, on his/her own initiative, or at the request of the "app", whether or not to also send the photographs and/or the description of his/her piece of baggage 8. If the passenger decides to send them, the photographs and/or description are transmitted to the airport baggage management system, for example together with the identification code that is uniquely associated with the piece of baggage 8.
Moreover, as mentioned above, the passenger could provide in advance (at check-in or afterwards using the "app" of the portable electronic device 4) the settings or preferences for management of his/her piece of baggage 8 should it subsequently be lost.
In another embodiment, it is not necessary for the passenger to supply a photograph of his/her piece of baggage 8, whilst one or more photographs of the piece of baggage 8 (with the tag 82) can be taken at the check-in desk or by said one or more baggage detecting stations 22, automatically, during movement of the piece of baggage 8 along the movement path 800. Therefore, in this alternative embodiment, at least one image of the piece of baggage is supplied to the airport baggage management system by the components of the airport system itself, at check-in or downstream of check-in. The images obtained in this way, saved by the computer 24 or by the server 35, if present, to which they can be transmitted, are used to search for the piece of baggage 8 should it be lost.
Irrespective of the way in which the photographs are supplied, the airport system may forward the information supplied about the piece of baggage 8 (images and/or description, passenger settings or preferences, if provided) to the section dedicated to lost baggage at the airport, so as to be able to proceed as soon as possible with the search for the piece of baggage 8 and, in the case of a piece of baggage whose tag is missing or unrecognisable, to check the contents of a piece of baggage that is a potential match so as to confirm who its owner is.
Obviously, the request for the return of the piece of baggage 8 and the information (images, description or other) for the search for the piece of baggage 8 may be sent together, in a single request, for example using said "app", when the piece of baggage 8 is missing in the airport system and/or on board the aircraft.
If photographs and/or the description of the piece of baggage 8 were supplied in advance, the search and subsequent return procedure could be started automatically at the moment when it is ascertained that the piece of baggage 8 has not been loaded on the aircraft on which the passenger is departing or has already departed.

17 To protect passenger confidentiality and to avoid any risk of fraud, the photographs of the piece of baggage (outside, inside and/or of the contents) and the description of the contents can be managed and saved by the airport baggage management system or by the server 35 in a confidential way, so that they are not visible to third parties who are not directly involved in the search and/or return procedures. For example, the photographs and/or the description could be made accessible or displayable on monitors of the airport system only after a lost baggage report or a request to search for the piece of baggage.
For example, the photographs and/or the description could be saved on the external server 35 and would be sent to the airport baggage management system only after a lost baggage report or a request to search for the piece of baggage 8.
If necessary, for public security, information about the piece of baggage 8 could be supplied to the authorities or official bodies following a specific request.
The monitoring system described herein may enable the passenger to use his/her portable electronic device 4 to send an indication relating to a fault or an error in the management of his/her piece of baggage 8. Said indication may be constituted of the above-mentioned return request and/or request for a search for the piece of baggage, or it may be an indication of minor faults such as damage to the piece of baggage.
Even these indications may be sent using a dedicated section of the "app".
Depending on the overall system architecture, said indications are sent, via the communication interface, to the airport baggage management system or to the server 35.
The computer 24 of the airport system or the server 35 are capable of saving the indications received and, regularly, of drawing up a summary report for a predetermined time interval.
The saving and processing of the indications received may trigger a process for improving airport efficiency in terms of the steps for processing and managing baggage.
That may help the airport to increase its rating relative to lost baggage and, consequently, to improve the other airport assessment parameters, making it increasingly efficient.
If the indications are gathered and saved by the server 35 rather than directly by the specific airport, there may be a dedicated communication interface (for example, an "app"
or a website) between the server 35 and the specific airport. Using that dedicated communication interface, the airport can obtain information about the indications relating to it and in particular summary reports which, for example, indicate how many events (that is to say, faulty or incorrect management operations) occurred during a predetermined period of time of interest to the airport.
This invention therefore brings important advantages. In particular, it enables a passenger to be simply and conveniently informed about what has happened to his/her piece of

18 baggage during a journey using one or more aircraft. Moreover, at least in some embodiments, this invention if necessary enables management in the event of loss of the piece of luggage, or any delayed delivery of the piece of baggage, in a way that is more effective and less inconvenient for the passenger.
Finally, it should be noticed that this invention is relatively easy to produce and that even the cost linked to implementing the invention is not very high.
In particular, this invention may use existing airport baggage management systems, without requiring structural or management modifications to said systems. In fact, according to one aspect of the monitoring method, the information supplied to the passenger is already present in the airport system, which, however, in its current form does not make it available to the outside.
The invention described above may be modified and adapted in several ways without thereby departing from the scope of the inventive concept.
Moreover, all details of the invention may be substituted with other technically equivalent elements and the materials used, as well as the shapes and dimensions of the various components, may vary according to requirements.

Claims (20)

19

1. A monitoring system for monitoring a piece of baggage (8) delivered by an aircraft passenger to an airport baggage management system, the airport baggage management system comprising one or more baggage detecting stations (22, 221, 222) positioned along a baggage movement path (800) and a computer (24) operatively connected to the one or more baggage detecting stations (22, 221, 222), wherein the computer (24) is capable of receiving information about baggage transit from the one or more baggage detecting stations (22, 221, 222) and of managing a database (28) containing information about the location of baggage on the baggage movement path (800), the monitoring system comprising:
- the airport baggage management system;
- a portable electronic device (4) which is carried by the passenger;
- a communication interface between the portable electronic device (4) and the airport baggage management system, the communication interface being implemented by means of a computer program;
wherein the communication interface is designed to operatively link a specific piece of baggage (8) with the portable electronic device (4), to request information about the location of the specific piece of baggage (8) from the database (28) and to transmit to the portable electronic device (4) the information received about the location of the specific piece of baggage (8), the monitoring system being an individualised monitoring system which enables the passenger to receive substantially real-time information about the location of his/her piece of baggage (8) after he/she has delivered it to the airport baggage management system.

2. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device (4) is a mobile telephone, a smartphone, a tablet or a laptop computer.

3. The monitoring system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the portable electronic device (4) comprises a detector for reading an identification code on a receipt or tag (84) issued to the passenger after he/she has delivered his/her piece of baggage (8), said identification code being uniquely associated with the piece of baggage (8), said identification code being transmitted by the portable electronic device (4) to the communication interface for operatively associating the piece of baggage (8) with the portable electronic device (4).

4. The monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising a server (35) which is separate from the airport baggage management system, the server (35) being operatively interposed between the portable electronic device (4) and the airport baggage management system, the server (35) being intended to manage said communication interface and to communicate with the computer (24) of the airport baggage management system.

5. The monitoring system according to claim 4, wherein the server (35) is designed to communicate with a plurality of airport baggage management systems, the monitoring system enabling the passenger to receive information about the location of his/her piece of baggage (8) from delivery of the piece of baggage (8) to the airport baggage management system of a departure airport to collection of the piece of baggage (8) from the airport baggage management system of an arrival airport.

6. The monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the communication interface is designed to transmit, from the portable electronic device (4) to the airport baggage management system, an image of the specific piece of baggage (8) and/or a description of the specific piece of baggage (8), the airport baggage management system being capable of using said image and/or description to search for the specific piece of baggage (8) if the location of the specific piece of baggage (8) is unknown or imprecise, for example, if the information about the location of the specific piece of baggage (8) is not available or is not up-to-date in the database (28).

7. The monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the communication interface is designed to transmit, from the portable electronic device (4) to the airport baggage management system, a request for the return of the specific piece of baggage (8), said return request containing a selection of a return method, the airport baggage management system being capable of processing said return request for returning the specific piece of baggage (8) to the passenger using the selected method.

8. The monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 7 or according to claim 4, wherein the communication interface is designed to transmit, from the portable electronic device (4) to the airport baggage management system or to the server (35), an indication relating to a fault or to an error in the management of the specific piece of baggage (8), wherein the computer (24) or the server (35) are capable of saving the indications received and of drawing up a summary report for a time interval.

9. A monitoring method for monitoring a piece of baggage (8) delivered by an aircraft passenger to an airport baggage management system, wherein the airport baggage management system comprises one or more baggage detecting stations (22, 221, 222) positioned along a baggage movement path (800) and a computer (24) operatively connected to the one or more baggage detecting stations (22, 221, 222), the computer (24) receiving information about baggage transit from the one or more baggage detecting stations (22, 221, 222) and managing a database (28) containing information about the location of baggage on the baggage movement path (800), the monitoring method comprising the steps of:
- creating an operative link between the piece of baggage (8) and a portable electronic device (4) belonging to the passenger;
- during movement of the piece of baggage (8) along the movement path (800), transmitting to the portable electronic device (4) information about the location of the piece of baggage (8), said information being obtained from the database (28), the monitoring method being an individualised monitoring method which enables the passenger to receive substantially real-time information about the location of his/her piece of baggage (8) after he/she has delivered it to the airport baggage management system.

10. The monitoring method according to claim 9, wherein said operative link between the piece of baggage (8) and a portable electronic device (4) belonging to the passenger is created by transmitting an identification code, which is uniquely associated with the piece of baggage (8), by means of the portable electronic device (4).

11. The monitoring method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein information about the location of the piece of baggage (8) is transmitted to the portable electronic device (4) in response to a request for information arriving from the portable electronic device (4).

12. The monitoring method according to claim 9, 10 or 11, wherein information about the location of the piece of baggage (8) is transmitted to the portable electronic device (4) in an automated fashion when the piece of baggage (8) passes one of said one or more baggage detecting stations (22, 221, 222).

13. The monitoring method according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein a computer program implements a communication interface between the portable electronic device (4) and the airport baggage management system, wherein the computer program translates a language for communication with the portable electronic device (4) into a language for communication with the computer (24) of the airport baggage management system, and vice versa.

14. The monitoring method according to claim 13, wherein the computer program implements a communication interface between the portable electronic device (4) and a plurality of airport baggage management systems, the monitoring method enabling the passenger to receive information about the location of his/her piece of baggage (8) from delivery of the piece of baggage (8) to the airport baggage management system of a departure airport to collection of the piece of baggage (8) from the airport baggage management system of an arrival airport.

15. The monitoring method according to any one of claims 9 to 14, wherein an image of the specific piece of baggage (8) and/or a description relating to the specific piece of baggage (8) is supplied to the airport baggage management system and the airport baggage management system uses that image and/or description to search for the specific piece of baggage (8) in particular when the location of the specific piece of baggage (8) is unknown or imprecise, for example, when the information about the location of the specific piece of baggage (8) is not available or is not up-to-date in the database (28).

16. The monitoring method according to claim 15, wherein the image of the specific piece of baggage (8) and/or the description relating to the specific piece of baggage (8) is transmitted by the portable electronic device (4) to the airport baggage management system.

17. The monitoring method according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the image of the specific piece of baggage (8) is a photograph taken by a component of the airport baggage management system, in particular by one of said baggage detecting stations (22, 221, 222) which are positioned along the baggage movement path (800).

18. The monitoring method according to any one of claims 9 to 17, wherein, when the specific piece of baggage (8) is not transported on the aircraft with the passenger, a return request for the specific piece of baggage (8) is transmitted by the portable electronic device (4) to the airport baggage management system and the airport baggage management system processes said return request in order to return the specific piece of baggage (8) to the passenger using a return method selected by the passenger.

19. Use of a portable electronic device (4) belonging to an aircraft passenger for informing the passenger about the location of a piece of baggage (8) which the passenger has delivered to an airport baggage management system, wherein, in use, the airport baggage management system is interfaced with the portable electronic device (4) for sending to the portable electronic device (4) substantially real-time information about the location of the piece of baggage (8) after it has been delivered to the airport baggage management system.

20. Use of a portable electronic device (4) according to claim 19, wherein the portable electronic device (4) is further usable for sending to the airport baggage management system an image of the piece of baggage (8) and/or a description relating to the piece of baggage (8) and/or a return request for the piece of baggage (8), in particular when the piece of baggage (8) has been lost or has not been transported on the aircraft with the passenger.