Luggage contents recommendations and tracking

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10373106-B2
Application number	US-201514949974-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 24, 2015
Priority date	Nov 24, 2015
Publication date	Aug 6, 2019
Grant date	Aug 6, 2019

Abstract

In an approach for suggesting an item to pack, a processor receives an indication that a user is packing a first item of luggage, wherein the indication includes information about a trip. A processor generates a packing list based on the information about the trip. A processor receives a request to link the first item of luggage and a second item of luggage for the trip. A processor links the first and second items of luggage such that contents of each item of luggage are jointly compared to the packing list. A processor receives, via a short-range point-to-point communication reader of the first item of luggage, a signal from a short-range point-to-point communication device operably affixed to a first item. A processor identifies the first item based on the signal. A processor determines that the first item is an item of the packing list.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for suggesting an item to pack in an item of luggage, the method comprising:
receiving a first indication that a user is packing a first item of luggage for a trip, wherein the indication includes information about the trip;
generating, by one or more processors, a packing list based on, at least, the information about the trip;
receiving a request to link the first item of luggage and a second item of luggage for the trip;
linking, by one or more processors, the first item of luggage and the second item of luggage such that contents of each respective item of luggage are jointly compared to the packing list;
receiving, via a short-range point-to-point communication reader of the first item of luggage, a signal from a short-range point-to-point communication device operably affixed to a first item;
identifying, by one or more processors, the first item based on the signal;
comparing, by one or more processors, the first item to the packing list;
determining, by one or more processors, that the first item is an item listed on the packing list;
determining, by one or more processors, that a second item has been placed in luggage during a preselected number of previous trips and that the second item was not removed from the luggage during the preselected number of previous trips; and
causing, by one or more processors, a recommendation to be presented to the user that the second item be removed from the first item of luggage.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a second indication that the user is packing for return from the trip;
comparing, by one or more processors, contents of the first item of luggage and contents of the second item of luggage to the packing list;
determining, by one or more processors, that the first item is located in neither the first item of luggage nor the second item of luggage; and
causing, by one or more processors, an alert, to be presented to the user, indicating that the first item has not been packed.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request to link the first item of luggage and the second item of luggage further specifies that the second item of luggage is to remain within a predetermined threshold distance of the first item of luggage, further comprising:
determining, by one or more processors, that the second item of luggage is outside of the predetermined threshold distance of the first item of luggage; and
causing, by one or more processors, an alert, to be presented to the user, indicating that the second item of luggage is outside of the predetermined threshold distance of the first item of luggage.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
accessing, by one or more processors, an inventory of a shop, wherein the shop is located within a threshold distance from a destination included in the information about the trip;
determining, by one or more processors, that the item is available in the inventory of the shop; and
generating, by one or more processors, a recommendation to be presented to the user indicating that the item be removed from the first item of luggage and purchased at the shop.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the short-range point-to-point communication reader is a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader; and
the short-range point-to-point communication device is an RFID tag.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information about the trip comprises duration of the trip and destination.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by one or more processors, that a weight of the first item of luggage exceeds a preselected weight; and
causing, by one or more processors, a second recommendation to be presented to the user that that a third item be removed from the first item of luggage.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the weight of the third item is stored on a second short-range point-to-point communication device operable affixed to the third item.

9. A computer program product for suggesting an item to pack in an item of luggage, the computer program product comprising:
one or more computer readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to receive a first indication that a user is packing a first item of luggage for a trip, wherein the indication includes information about the trip;
program instructions to generate a packing list based on, at least, the information about the trip;
program instructions to receive a request to link the first item of luggage and a second item of luggage for the trip;
program instructions to link the first item of luggage and the second item of luggage such that contents of each respective item of luggage are jointly compared to the packing list;
program instructions to receive, via a short-range point-to-point communication reader of the first item of luggage, a signal from a short-range point-to-point communication device operably affixed to a first item;
program instructions to identify the first item based on the signal;
program instructions to compare the first item to the packing list;
program instructions to determine that the first item is an item listed on the packing list;
program instructions to determine that a second item has been placed in luggage during a preselected number of previous trips and that the second item was not removed from the luggage during the preselected number of previous trips; and
program instructions to cause a recommendation to be presented to the user that the second item be removed from the first item of luggage.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 , further comprising:
program instructions, stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, to receive a second indication that the user is packing for return from the trip;
program instructions, stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, to compare contents of the first item of luggage and contents of the second item of luggage to the packing list;
program instructions, stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, to determine that the first item is located in neither the first item of luggage nor the second item of luggage; and
program instructions, stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, to cause an alert, to be presented to the user, indicating that the first item has not been packed.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the request to link the first item of luggage and the second item of luggage further specifies that the second item of luggage is to remain within a predetermined threshold distance of the first item of luggage, further comprising:
program instructions, stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, to determine that the second item of luggage is outside of the predetermined threshold distance of the first item of luggage; and
program instructions, stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, to cause an alert, to be presented to the user, indicating that the second item of luggage is outside of the predetermined threshold distance of the first item of luggage.

12. The computer program product of claim 9 , further comprising:
program instructions, stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, to access an inventory of a shop, wherein the shop is located within a threshold distance from a destination included in the information about the trip;
program instructions, stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, to determine that the item is available in the inventory of the shop; and
program inst

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Bender Michael
• Childress Rhonda L
• Kumhyr David B
• Spisak Michael J

Classifications

• G06Q30/0631

  Recommending goods or services · CPC title

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• G06Q10/087 Primary

  Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders · CPC title

• G06Q30/0639

  Locating goods or services, e.g. based on physical position of the goods or services within a shopping facility · CPC title

• G08B21/24

  Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms · CPC title