Baggage management system and a method for baggage management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12297044-B2
Application number	US-202117566771-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 31, 2021
Priority date	Dec 31, 2021
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

A baggage management system includes: a storage rack including a plurality of receptacles shaped and structured to retain one or more baggage items; a baggage transportation system including a plurality of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) configured to transport one or more baggage items between a pick up point, a drop off point, and the storage rack, each AGV including a a wireless communication unit and a controller configured to control movement of the specific AGV based on received control instructions; and a baggage administration server including a processor, a memory unit, and a wireless communication interface, and configured to receive a request to store or retrieve a baggage item from the storage rack, determine the position of the one or more AGVs, identify the one or more AGVs required to either store or retrieve a baggage item as defined in the request, and transmit control instructions to the AGVs.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A baggage management system comprising:
a storage rack for storing baggage;
the storage rack including a plurality of vertical columns, horizontal rails connected to and extending perpendicular to the vertical columns and a plurality of receptacles formed along the horizontal rails, each receptacle shaped and structured to retain one or more baggage items;
a baggage transportation system comprising:
one or more automated guided vehicles (AGVs), the automated guided vehicles (AGVs) being configured to transport one or more baggage items between a pick up point, a drop off point and the storage rack;
each AGV comprising a controller and a wireless communication unit configured for wireless communication and wherein the controller of each AGV is configured to control movement of the AGV based on received control instructions;

a baggage administration server comprising: a processor, a memory unit and a wireless communication interface, the baggage administration server configured to:
receive a request to store or retrieve a baggage item from the storage rack,
determine the position of the one or more AGVs,
identify the one or more AGVs required to either store or retrieve a baggage item as defined in the request
transmit the control instructions to the one or more AGVs, the control instructions defining movement instructions for one or more the AGVs, the movement instructions defining actions of the one or more AGVs to store or retrieve a baggage item as specified in the request; and

the controller of the one or more AGVs receiving the control instructions, executing the control instructions and causing the one or more AGVs to store or retrieve the baggage item as defined in the request,
wherein the one or more AGVs comprise:
an elevator coupled to the storage rack and configured to move vertically relative to the storage rack;
a carrier coupled to the storage rack and configured to move horizontally relative to the storage rack; and
a transport vehicle configured to travel between a pick up and/or drop off point and the storage rack,
wherein the transport vehicle comprises:
a chassis;
a pair of wheels;
a motor coupled to the wheels, the motor configured to drive the wheels;
a vehicle controller in electronic communication with the motor; and
a platform attached to the chassis, the chassis supporting the platform,
wherein the transport vehicle further comprises a lock on the platform, the transport vehicle adapted to receive a carrier box on the platform, and in use, the lock is configured to lock the carrier box to the platform and unlock the carrier box from the platform such that the carrier box is moveable relative to the platform.

2. A baggage management system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the transport vehicle is freely moveable, and the transport vehicle is configured to carry one or more baggage items and transport the one or more baggage items between the pick up and/or drop off point and the storage rack.

3. A baggage management system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the elevator is coupled to the storage rack, the elevator is further configured to receive one or more baggage items from the transport vehicle or from the carrier, and the elevator is further configured to travel vertically along the storage rack parallel to a vertical column of the storage rack to transport the one or more baggage items vertically along the storage rack.

4. A baggage management system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the elevator comprises:
a slab;
an elevator actuator;
a lift mechanism, the lift mechanism mechanically coupled to the elevator actuator and coupled to the slab; the lifting mechanism connected to a vertical column of the storage rack;
the elevator actuator configured to actuate the lift mechanism to cause the elevator to move vertically relative to the vertical column of the storage rack;
a plurality of active rollers disposed on or within the slab, the active rollers being selectively actuated; and
an elevator controller in electronic communication with the elevator actuator and in wireless communication with the baggage administration server, wherein the elevator controller is configured to receive control instructions from the baggage administration server and execute the control instructions to cause the elevator to move vertically along the storage rack to a specified position.

5. A baggage management system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the baggage administration server comprises:
a baggage movement coordinator comprising a computer program saved on a memory unit of the baggage administration server, the computer program being executed by the processor,
wherein the baggage movement coordinator is configured to:
determine the position of the AGVs,
determine a path the AGVs are required to follow to either store or retrieve a baggage item as defined in the request,
generate control instructions to be transmitted to the AGVs to cause the AGVs to move along the determined path to store or retrieve the baggage item as defined in the request,

the control instructions being transmitted to the AGV controllers by the wireless communication interface of the baggage administration server.

6. A baggage management system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the baggage administration server further comprising:
a baggage tracking engine, the baggage tracking engine being stored in the memory unit of the baggage administration server and executed by the processor of the baggage administration server,
wherein the baggage tracking engine includes instructions executable by the processor of the baggage administration server to cause the baggage administration server to execute the steps of:
receiving a request to store or retrieve a baggage item from a user,
check if the user is an authorized user by checking an authorized user database,
locating the baggage item from a baggage database of stored baggage items,
identifying the storage receptacle at which the baggage item is located at or identifying an unused storage receptacle in the storage rack,
providing storage receptacle identity to the baggage movement coordinator to generate control instructions.

7. A baggage management system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the carrier is coupled to the storage rack, the carrier is further configured to receive the one or more baggage items from the elevator, and the carrier is further configured to travel horizontally along the storage rack parallel to a horizontal rail and transport the one or more baggage items horizontally along the storage rack.

8. A baggage management system in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the carrier is configured to unload the one or more baggage items into a specified storage receptacle.

9. A baggage management system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the carrier box is configured to receive one or more baggage items within the carrier box.

10. A baggage management system in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the carrier box comprises a length of between 700 mm to 900 mm, a width of between 300 mm to 700 mm and a height of between 250 mm to 350 mm.

11. A baggage management system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the baggage management system comprises:
a kiosk comprising a user interface, a wireless communication unit, a kiosk processor and a memory unit,
the kiosk configured to:
receive, via the user interface, a request to store or retrieve a baggage item from a user,
process the request and determine if the user is an authorized user,
if the user is an authorized user, present accepta

Assignees

• Logistics And Supply Chain Multitech R&D Centre Ltd

Inventors

• Fan Ka Lun
• Leung Chung Hang

Classifications

• G05D1/617

  Safety or protection, e.g. defining protection zones around obstacles or avoiding hazards (arrangements for controlling the position or course of two or more vehicles for avoiding collisions therebetween G05D1/693; arrangements for reacting to or preventing system or operator failure G05D1/80) · CPC title

• G05D1/6987

  by centralised control off-board any of the vehicles · CPC title

• G05D1/644

  Optimisation of travel parameters, e.g. of energy consumption, journey time or distance · CPC title

• B64F1/366

  Check-in counters · CPC title

• G07C9/37

  using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition · CPC title