Handeling smart baggage in an airport

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10518904-B2
Application number	US-201815992696-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2018
Priority date	May 30, 2018
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer program products for controlling a movement of a smart bag through an airport baggage handling system are provided. Aspects include receiving a check-in notification for a passenger traveling with a smart bag, the check-in notification including an identification of the passenger, an identification of the smart bag and an identification of a flight that the passenger is booked on. Aspects also include determining a location of the smart bag in an airport and determining a travel path for the smart bag through the airport from the location to a departure gate for the flight. Aspects further include transmitting instructions to the smart bag based on the travel path, wherein the instructions cause the smart bag to autonomously move along at least a portion of the travel path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for controlling movement of smart baggage in an airport, comprising:
a baggage control system having a memory having computer readable instructions and a processor for executing the computer readable instructions, the computer readable instructions include instructions for:
receiving a check-in notification for a passenger traveling with a smart bag, the check-in notification including an identification of the passenger, an identification of the smart bag and an identification of a flight that the passenger is booked on;
determining a location of the smart bag in the airport;
determining a travel path for the smart bag through the airport from the location to a departure gate for the flight; and
transmitting instructions to the smart bag based on the travel path, wherein the instructions cause the smart bag to autonomously move along at least a portion of the travel path and cause the smart bag to utilize a baggage handling system of the airport for at least another portion of the travel path.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the baggage handling system includes one or more of a baggage conveyor, a baggage elevator and a baggage cart.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the instructions cause the smart bag to utilize one or more of the baggage conveyor, the baggage elevator and the baggage cart.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the smart bag includes a motor, a processor, a battery and a transceiver.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the smart bag further includes a charging device that is configured to receive power from one or more of the baggage conveyor, the baggage elevator and the baggage cart and to responsively charge the battery.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the charging device includes an inductive coupling.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer readable instructions also include instructions for:
receiving an indication that the flight is ready to depart a gate;
determining whether the passenger is aboard the flight; and
based on a determination that the passenger is not aboard the flight, transmitting instructions to the smart bag to deplane the flight.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer readable instructions also include instructions for:
determining an arrival travel path for the smart bag through the airport from an arrival gate to a baggage claim area; and
transmitting instructions to the smart bag based on the arrival travel path, wherein the instructions cause the smart bag to autonomously move along at least a portion of the arrival travel path and cause the smart bag to utilize the baggage handling system of the airport for at least another portion of the arrival travel path.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the computer readable instructions also include instructions for:
transmitting a pick-up location for the smart bag to the passenger; and
validating the identification of the passenger prior to permitting the passenger to pick-up the smart bag.

10. A method for controlling a movement of a smart bag through an airport, the method comprising:
receiving a check-in notification for a passenger traveling with the smart bag, the check-in notification including an identification of the passenger, an identification of the smart bag and an identification of a flight that the passenger is booked on;
determining a location of the smart bag in the airport;
determining a travel path for the smart bag through the airport from the location to a departure gate for the flight; and
transmitting instructions to the smart bag based on the travel path, wherein the instructions cause the smart bag to autonomously move along at least a portion of the travel path.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein airport includes a baggage handling system having one or more of a baggage conveyor, a baggage elevator and a baggage cart.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the instructions cause the smart bag to utilize one or more of the baggage conveyor, the baggage elevator and the baggage cart.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the smart bag includes a motor, a processor, a battery and a transceiver.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the smart bag further includes a charging device that is configured to receive power from one or more of the baggage conveyor, the baggage elevator and the baggage cart and to responsively charge the battery.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the charging device includes an inductive coupling.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the method also includes:
receiving an indication that the flight is ready to depart a gate;
determining whether the passenger is aboard the flight; and
based on a determination that the passenger is not aboard the flight, transmitting instructions to the smart bag to deplane the flight.

17. The method of claim 16 , the method also includes:
determining an arrival travel path for the smart bag through the airport from an arrival gate to a baggage claim area; and
transmitting instructions to the smart bag based on the arrival travel path, wherein the instructions cause the smart bag to autonomously move along at least a portion of the arrival travel path.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the method also includes:
transmitting a pick-up location for the smart bag to the passenger; and
validating the identification of the passenger prior to permitting the passenger to pick-up the smart bag.

19. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith the program instructions executable by a computer processor to cause the computer processor to perform a method, comprising:
receiving a check-in notification for a passenger traveling with a smart bag, the check-in notification including an identification of the passenger, an identification of the smart bag and an identification of a flight that the passenger is booked on;
determining a location of the smart bag in an airport;
determining a travel path for the smart bag through the airport from the location to a departure gate for the flight; and
transmitting instructions to the smart bag based on the travel path, wherein the instructions cause the smart bag to autonomously move along at least a portion of the travel path.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein the method further comprises:
receiving an indication that the flight is ready to depart a gate;
determining whether the passenger is aboard the flight; and
based on a determination that the passenger is not aboard the flight, transmitting instructions to the smart bag to deplane the flight.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Kline Eric V
• Rakshit Sarbajit K

Classifications

• G06Q50/14 Primary

  Travel agencies · CPC title

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• B64F1/368 Primary

  Arrangements or installations for routing, distributing or loading baggage · CPC title