WO2016166686A1 - Système et procédé de surveillance de bagage - Google Patents

Système et procédé de surveillance de bagage Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2016166686A1
WO2016166686A1 PCT/IB2016/052115 IB2016052115W WO2016166686A1 WO 2016166686 A1 WO2016166686 A1 WO 2016166686A1 IB 2016052115 W IB2016052115 W IB 2016052115W WO 2016166686 A1 WO2016166686 A1 WO 2016166686A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
baggage
piece
airport
electronic device
portable electronic
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/IB2016/052115
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Alberto TAPELLA
Davide VENIR
Original Assignee
Tapella Alberto
Venir Davide
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Tapella Alberto, Venir Davide filed Critical Tapella Alberto
Priority to CA3020705A priority Critical patent/CA3020705A1/fr
Publication of WO2016166686A1 publication Critical patent/WO2016166686A1/fr

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
    • G06Q10/08—Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
    • G06Q10/083—Shipping
    • G06Q10/0833—Tracking

Definitions

  • This invention relates in general to the monitoring of baggage of travellers during air travel.
  • this invention relates to a monitoring system for monitoring a piece of baggage delivered by an aircraft passenger to an airport baggage management system.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • the passenger 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • a monitoring system which enables the passenger to receive substantially real-time information about the location of his/her piece of baggage.
  • the system enables the passenger to autonomously track his/her piece of baggage.
  • 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.
  • aircraft is an airline company passenger aeroplane.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • individualised 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 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.
  • 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.
  • 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:
  • the passenger goes to the security controls in order to go airside and/or to the shopping/restaurant areas.
  • 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 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.
  • 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.
  • FIG. 1 is a first schematic illustration of a monitoring system according to this invention
  • FIG. 2 is a second schematic illustration 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.
  • the piece of baggage 8 was delivered to a check-in desk 20.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • the identification code is a ten-figure 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.
  • 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.
  • 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).
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • said readers, scanners or devices operate in conjunction with an automatic tag reading software (ATR, Automatic Tag Reader).
  • ATR Automatic Tag Reading software
  • Another of said detecting stations 22 comprises a portable optical reader 222 which is manually operated by an operator.
  • 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.
  • it is a detecting station which is movable and can be positioned as necessary.
  • the piece of baggage 8 which is transported along the movement path 800 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.
  • the database 28 contains information about the location of the pieces of baggage 8 along the baggage movement path 800.
  • 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 airport information system is fed, according to standardised methods, by the DCS
  • 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 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.
  • BSM Band Sorting Message
  • Baggage is processed by a BHS (Baggage Handling System).
  • BHS Boggage Handling System
  • PLC programmable logic controller
  • This system combines various sources of information:
  • FDB flight database
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 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.
  • BRS Battery Reconciliation System
  • 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.
  • flight plan information about all changes made to flight plan data, following insertions, updates or cancellations;
  • - 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, 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.
  • 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.
  • said portable electronic device 4 may be a mobile telephone, a smartphone, a tablet or a laptop computer.
  • 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.
  • the route of the passenger and of his/her portable electronic device 4 in the airport is schematically illustrated by the arrow 400.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • the passenger cannot have any kind of recourse, for example delaying the flight or other demands.
  • 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.
  • the passenger can indicate if the piece of baggage 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • the computer program makes the website work.
  • the portable electronic device 4 communicates directly with the computer 24 of the airport baggage management system.
  • the portable electronic device 4 is a smartphone and said computer program is an "app" run by the self-same smartphone.
  • a server 35 or another computer is operatively 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.
  • the server 35 is managed by a services company which is separate from the airport management company.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • the identification code is typed by the passenger on a keyboard of the portable electronic device 4, or entered in another way.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • the passenger does not receive information about the intermediate steps and only obtains confirmation that the management procedure was completed in time.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • the passenger wants information about his/her piece of 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.
  • a notification is automatically transmitted to the portable electronic device 4 when the piece of baggage 8 passes through a detecting station 22.
  • the computer program interrogates the database 28 at preset time intervals, until the take-off time scheduled.
  • a corresponding notification is sent to the portable electronic device 4.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 airport simultaneously with the passenger and the latter must therefore deal with delayed delivery of the piece of baggage 8.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • the piece of baggage 8 may be lost by the airport baggage management system and, therefore, it cannot arrive at the destination.
  • 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 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.
  • 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 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).
  • the passenger sends a request to search for the piece of baggage matching the image and/or the description.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • the passenger can 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.
  • 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.
  • the passenger 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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".
  • 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.
  • 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 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.
  • this invention may use existing airport baggage management systems, without requiring structural or management modifications to said systems.
  • 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.

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Abstract

La présente invention concerne un procédé et un système de surveillance individualisés, grâce auxquels un passager d'aéronef peut recevoir des informations en temps réel concernant l'emplacement d'une pièce de ses bagages après l'avoir livrée à un système de gestion des bagages d'un aéroport. Le système de gestion des bagages de l'aéroport comprend une ou plusieurs stations de détection de bagages (22, 221, 222) positionnées le long d'un trajet de déplacement des bagages (800) et un ordinateur (24) relié de manière opérationnelle à une ou plusieurs stations de détection de bagages (22, 221, 222). L'ordinateur (24) reçoit des informations concernant le transit des bagages à partir d'une ou de plusieurs stations de détection de bagages (22, 221, 222) et gère une base de données (28) contenant des informations concernant l'emplacement du bagage sur le trajet de déplacement des bagages (800). Le système de surveillance comprend un dispositif électronique portatif (4) qui est porté par le passager et une interface de communication entre le dispositif électronique portatif (4) et le système de gestion des bagages de l'aéroport. L'interface de communication est conçue pour relier de manière opérationnelle une pièce spécifique de bagage (8) avec le dispositif électronique portatif (4), pour demander des informations concernant l'emplacement de la pièce spécifique de bagage (8) à la base de données (28) et pour transmettre ces informations au dispositif électronique portatif (4).
PCT/IB2016/052115 2015-04-16 2016-04-14 Système et procédé de surveillance de bagage WO2016166686A1 (fr)

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ITUB2015A000422A ITUB20150422A1 (it) 2015-04-16 2015-04-16 Sistema e metodo per il monitoraggio di bagagli
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CN110599093A (zh) * 2019-09-09 2019-12-20 覃文明 机场行李全流程追踪方法及系统
EP3205411B1 (fr) * 2016-02-11 2020-08-19 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Procede de tri de bagages et systeme de tri de bagages
CN111581998A (zh) * 2020-05-09 2020-08-25 上海双十信息科技有限公司 一种智能行李提取监控方法及系统
WO2021124327A1 (fr) * 2019-12-16 2021-06-24 Ezrahi Ariel Systèmes, procédés, dispositifs, circuits et code exécutable par machine pour un routage de bagages dynamique interactif avec un utilisateur
US11176511B2 (en) 2019-01-04 2021-11-16 International Business Machines Corporation Item transportation management
WO2023149967A1 (fr) * 2022-02-05 2023-08-10 Tompkins Robotics, Inc. Appareil et procédé de point de contrôle de sécurité amélioré
US20230251667A1 (en) * 2022-02-05 2023-08-10 Tompkins Robotics, Inc. Security checkpoint apparatus and method

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US20110267192A1 (en) * 2010-04-28 2011-11-03 Alcatel-Lucent Usa Inc. Individualized Baggage Tracking And Notification System
US20130168443A1 (en) * 2011-12-30 2013-07-04 Fih (Hong Kong) Limited Computing device and method for monitoring luggage
US20130234849A1 (en) * 2012-03-09 2013-09-12 Cellco Partnership D/B/A Verizon Wireless Airline baggage tracking and notification system

Cited By (9)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP3205411B1 (fr) * 2016-02-11 2020-08-19 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Procede de tri de bagages et systeme de tri de bagages
US11865586B2 (en) 2016-02-11 2024-01-09 Siemens Logistics Gmbh Method for sorting pieces of luggage and luggage sorting system
US11176511B2 (en) 2019-01-04 2021-11-16 International Business Machines Corporation Item transportation management
CN110599093A (zh) * 2019-09-09 2019-12-20 覃文明 机场行李全流程追踪方法及系统
CN110599093B (zh) * 2019-09-09 2023-05-23 覃文明 机场行李全流程追踪方法及系统
WO2021124327A1 (fr) * 2019-12-16 2021-06-24 Ezrahi Ariel Systèmes, procédés, dispositifs, circuits et code exécutable par machine pour un routage de bagages dynamique interactif avec un utilisateur
CN111581998A (zh) * 2020-05-09 2020-08-25 上海双十信息科技有限公司 一种智能行李提取监控方法及系统
WO2023149967A1 (fr) * 2022-02-05 2023-08-10 Tompkins Robotics, Inc. Appareil et procédé de point de contrôle de sécurité amélioré
US20230251667A1 (en) * 2022-02-05 2023-08-10 Tompkins Robotics, Inc. Security checkpoint apparatus and method

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