Manifest creation using optical character recognition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12112576-B2
Application number	US-202318514826-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2023
Priority date	Feb 1, 2023
Publication date	Oct 8, 2024
Grant date	Oct 8, 2024

Abstract

Provided is a system and method of facilitating check-in of a luggage item of a passenger, the method includes: a) obtaining, by at least one of at least one processor, image data representative of at least one image of printed passenger information associated with an airline travel carrier on an originating hardcopy bag tag or a printed instrument having at least a portion of the printed passenger information on the originating hardcopy bag tag to create a digital passenger information (DPI) data record linked to the airline travel carrier, wherein the originating hardcopy bag tag is issued for the luggage item of the passenger, and wherein the DPI data record includes machine-encoded text of an International Air Transport Association (IATA) license plate number; b) accessing a B-type message including a passenger name record (PNR) number of the passenger, by at least one of the at least one processor, using the machine-encoded text of the IATA license plate number from a computer system associated with the airline travel carrier; c) retrieving check-in information of a return flight of the passenger with a designated return travel carrier, by at least one of the at least one processor, using PNR data associated with the PNR number; and d) checking in during a check-in window, by at least one of the at least one processor, the luggage item, the passenger, or a combination thereof, with the designated return travel carrier based on the retrieved check-in information for the return flight.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of facilitating check-in of a luggage item of a passenger, the method comprising:
a) obtaining, by at least one of at least one processor, image data representative of at least one image of printed passenger information associated with an airline travel carrier on an originating hardcopy bag tag or a printed instrument having at least a portion of the printed passenger information on the originating hardcopy bag tag to create a digital passenger information (DPI) data record linked to the airline travel carrier, wherein the originating hardcopy bag tag is issued for the luggage item of the passenger, and wherein the DPI data record comprises machine-encoded text of an International Air Transport Association (IATA) license plate number;
b) accessing a B-type message comprising a passenger name record (PNR) number of the passenger, by at least one of the at least one processor, using the machine-encoded text of the IATA license plate number from a computer system associated with the airline travel carrier;
c) retrieving check-in information of a return flight of the passenger with a designated return travel carrier, by at least one of the at least one processor, using PNR data associated with the PNR number; and
d) checking in during a check-in window, by at least one of the at least one processor, the luggage item, the passenger, or a combination thereof, with the designated return travel carrier based on the retrieved check-in information for the return flight.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
parsing, by at least one of the at least one processor, the IATA license plate number to locate an airline code; and
identifying, by at least one of the at least one processor, instructions for accessing the B-type message based on the airline code.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the retrieved check-in information comprises return leg flight times and the designated return travel carrier.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
obtaining, by at least one of the at least one processor during the checking in, airline bag tag information for the return flight for the luggage item; and
printing, by a printer, a new bag tag for the return flight that is compatible with an International Air Transport Association (IATA) license plate for the checked in return luggage item of the passenger.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
during the checking in, by at least one of the at least one processor, checking in the passenger for the return flight;
obtaining, by at least one of the at least one processor, boarding pass information for the return flight; and
communicating, by at least one of the at least one processor, the boarding pass information to an electronic communication device of the passenger.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtaining the image data comprises:
performing, by at least one of the at least one processor, image processing on the at least one image to optically recognize printed text of the printed passenger information associated with the airline travel carrier on the originating hardcopy bag tag and converting the printed text to searchable machine-encoded text; and
creating, by at least one of the at least one processor, the DPI data record linked to the airline travel carrier from the searchable machine-encoded text for the return flight with the designated return travel carrier.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the B-type message comprises a baggage source message.

8. A system for facilitating check-in of a luggage item of a passenger, the system comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one non-transitory, tangible memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, the at least one memory storing at least one instruction,
wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the at least one instruction to:
a) cause at least one of the at least one processor to obtain image data representative of at least one image of printed passenger information associated with an airline travel carrier on an originating hardcopy bag tag or a printed instrument having at least a portion of the passenger information on the originating hardcopy bag tag to create digital passenger information (DPI) data record linked to the airline travel carrier, wherein the originating hardcopy bag tag is issued for the luggage item of the passenger, and wherein the DPI data record comprises machine-encoded text of an International Air Transport Association (IATA) license plate number,
b) cause at least one of the at least one processor to access, using the machine-encoded text of the IATA license plate number from a computer system associated with the airline travel carrier, a B-type message comprising a passenger name record (PNR) number of the passenger,
c) cause at least one of the at least one processor to retrieve, using PNR data associated with the PNR number, check-in information of a return flight of the passenger with a designated return travel carrier, and
d) cause at least one of the at least one processor to check-in, during a check-in window, a return luggage item, a passenger, or a combination thereof, with the designated return travel carrier based on the retrieved check-in information for the return flight.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the at least one instruction to:
cause at least one of the at least one processor to parse the IATA license plate number to locate an airline code, and
cause at least one of the at least one processor to identify instructions for accessing the B-type message based on the airline code.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the retrieved check-in information comprises return leg flight times and the designated return travel carrier.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the at least one instruction to:
cause at least one of the at least one processor to obtain, during the check in, airline bag tag information for the return flight for the luggage item, and
cause a printer to print a new bag tag for the return flight that is compatible with an International Air Transport Association (IATA) license plate for the checked in return luggage item of the passenger.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the at least one instruction to, during the check-in:
cause at least one of the at least one processor to check-in the passenger for the return flight,
cause at least one of the at least one processor to obtain boarding pass information for the return flight, and
cause at least one of the at least one processor to communicate the boarding pass information to an electronic communication device of the passenger.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the at least one instruction to:
cause at least one of the at least one processor to perform image processing on the at least one image to optically recognize printed text of the printed passenger information associated with the airline travel carrier on the originating hardcopy bag tag and convert the printed text to searchable machine-encoded text, and
cause at least one of the at least one processor to create the DPI data record linked to the airline travel carrier from the searchable machine-encoded text for the return flight with the designated return travel carrier.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the B-type message comprises a baggage source message.

15. A non-transitory computer read

Assignees

• Mateer Craig

Inventors

• Mateer Craig

Classifications

• G01N23/10

  the material being confined in a container, e.g. in a luggage X-ray scanners · CPC title

• G06Q10/025

  Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation · CPC title

• G06Q10/08

  Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management · CPC title

• G07C9/215

  the system having a variable access-code, e.g. varied as a function of time · CPC title

• G07C9/22

  in combination with an identity check of the pass holder · CPC title