Item handling and tracking system and method therefor

Abstract

In an airport baggage handling system bag information, flight information and airport topology information are provided to a central processor which determines a path for the bag through the handling system. The bag is scanned at various points along the path and the scan time is compared with a predetermined arrival time for the bag at the scan point. A bag is marked at risk if it arrives at a scan point after the predetermined time and the system may suggest an alternative handling path for the bag if it is determined that the risk of the bag not making an outbound flight is too high.

1 - 36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . A method of tracking the passage of items from an arrival point to a departure point of an item, comprising the steps of:
 acquiring information about the identity of the items, the arrival and departure parameters for the item and the topology of the location through which the item may pass between arrival and departure;   for an item, defining a path though the item handling system, the path including a plurality of checkpoints at which the item is identified and recorded;   at a plurality of the checkpoints, determining a status of an item based on the time of arrival of the item at the checkpoint compared to a target time of arrival, and assigning a status from a plurality of statuses to the item, the plurality including a status indicating that the item is at risk of not arriving at the departure point by a required time; and   where an item is assigned an at risk status, determining and communicating a suggested remedial action to a controller.   
     
     
         38 . A method according to  claim 37 , wherein the items comprise baggage. 
     
     
         39 . A method according to  claim 38 , wherein the location is an airport and the departure point is the departure of the item of baggage on an outbound flight, wherein each item of baggage has a unique identifier, and wherein the determining the status of an item comprises scanning the unique identifier at one of a plurality of scan locations and comparing the time at which the item is scanned to a time at which the item is expected to be scanned at that scanning location. 
     
     
         40 . A method according to  claim 39 , wherein the unique identifier for each item of baggage comprises origin and destination airport codes. 
     
     
         41 . A method according to  claim 39 , wherein the arrival and departure parameters comprise scheduled, estimated and actual flight arrival and departure times, arrival and departure gates. 
     
     
         42 . A method according to  claim 39 , wherein the topology of the location comprises the topology of the airport and the step of defining a path through the item handling system comprises selecting a path from one of a plurality of stored possible paths through the airport baggage handling system, each path having been defined by identifying and listing the process activities required to transfer the item of baggage from an arriving flight on a first airline at a first location at the airport to a departing flight on a second airline at a second location at the airport and assigning and assigning an average time for transit between activities for each path. 
     
     
         43 . A method according to  claim 39 , wherein the at risk status assigned to an item of baggage is one of a plurality of risk statuses each indicating a different likelihood of the item of baggage failing to arrive at the departure point before the departure time. 
     
     
         44 . A method according to  claim 43 , comprising, after the departure of a flight, for each item of baggage for that flight having an at risk status between the arrival and departure points, assigning a further status indicating whether or not the item was loaded onto the flight. 
     
     
         45 . A method according to  claim 44 , wherein where the further status indicates that the item was loaded onto the flight, indicating whether or not there was any intervention in the passage of the item through the baggage handling system. 
     
     
         46 . A method according to  claim 44 , wherein the further status is recorded for subsequent analysis. 
     
     
         47 . A method according to  claim 37 , wherein the suggested remedial action comprises defining an alternative path through the item handling system. 
     
     
         48 . A method according to  claim 37 , wherein the suggested remedial action comprises locating the item. 
     
     
         49 . A method according to  claim 37 , wherein the suggested remedial action comprises informing an owner of the item that the item is no longer due. 
     
     
         50 . A system for tracking the passage of items from an arrival point to a departure point in an item handling system, comprising:
 an item processor for acquiring and processing information about the identity of the items;   an arrival and departure processor for acquiring and processing information about the arrival and departure parameters for the item;   a rules engine operating on a topology of the location through which the item may pass between arrival and departure to define a path through the location for a given item;   a store for storing item identity data provided from the item processor, arrival and departure parameters provided from the rules engine, and location topology information;   a user application for communicating data relating to arrival and departure parameters and items to a system user; and   a plurality of checkpoints arranged along the paths, each checkpoint including a scanner for scanning items to provide item identity and time of arrival information to the rules engine to determine a status of an item based on the time of arrival of the item at the checkpoint compared to a target time of arrival, an item being assigned one of a plurality of statuses by the rules engine, the plurality of statuses including a status indicating whether the item is at risk of not arriving at the departure point by a required time;   wherein when an item is assigned an at risk status, the rules engine is configured to determine and communicate a suggested remedial action to the user.   
     
     
         51 . A system according to  claim 50 , comprising a status agent communicating with the store and the rules engine for receiving item identity information updates and arrival and departure parameter updates from the rules engine and communicating those updates to the store. 
     
     
         52 . A system according to  claim 50 , wherein the items comprise baggage. 
     
     
         53 . A system according to  claim 52 , wherein the location is an airport and the departure point is the departure of the item of baggage on an outbound flight, wherein each item of baggage has a unique identifier, and wherein the scanner at each checkpoint scans the items of baggage to retrieve the unique identifier at one of a plurality of scan locations and communicate the identity to the rules engine together with the time of the scan, and the rules engine compares the time at which the item is scanned to a time at which the item is expected to be scanned at that scanning location. 
     
     
         54 . A system according to  claim 53 , wherein the topology of the location comprises the topology of the airport and the rules engine determines a path through the handling system from the plurality of paths stored in the store, the path comprising a series of process activities required to transfer the item of baggage from an arriving flight on a first airline at a first location at the airport to a departing flight on a second airline at a second location at the airport and assigning and an average time for transit between activities for each path. 
     
     
         55 . A system according to  claim 53 , wherein the at risk status assigned to an item of baggage by the rules engine is one of a plurality of risk statuses each indicating a different likelihood of the item of baggage failing to arrive at the departure point before the departure time. 
     
     
         56 . A system according to  claim 50 , wherein the rules engine is configured to assign a recovered status to a bag when a subsequent checkpoint indicates that the bag is no longer at risk. 
     
     
         57 . A system according to  claim 56 , wherein the rules engine is configured to assign, after the departure of a flight, for each item of baggage for that flight having an at risk status assigned between the arrival and departure points, a further status indicating whether or not the item was loaded onto the flight. 
     
     
         58 . A system according to  claim 57 , wherein, the rules engine is configured, where the further status indicates that the item was loaded onto the flight, to indicate whether or not there was any intervention in the passage of the item through the baggage handling system. 
     
     
         59 . A system according to  claim 57 , comprising a further store for storing the further status information for subsequent analysis. 
     
     
         60 . A system according to  claim 50 , wherein the suggested remedial action comprises an alternative path through the item handling system. 
     
     
         61 . A system according to  claim 50 , wherein the suggested remedial action comprises locating the item. 
     
     
         62 . A system according to  claim 50 , wherein the suggested remedial action comprises communicating to the owner of the item that the item is no longer due. 
     
     
         63 . A method of tracking the passage of items from an arrival point to a departure point in a hub and spoke item handling system, comprising the steps of:
 defining a set of configuration data comprising a set of paths an item may take from the arrival point to the departure point, a set of processes an item must undergo in each path, each process comprising at least one step and an item scan to determine the identity of the item and the time at which it is scanned, and a set of transits for each path, each transit comprising a start and an end scan point, an average time between the start and end scan points and the position of the transit in the path;   for each item passing through the system, acquiring event information relating to the item, the event information relating to the identity of the item, item scans, and its arrival and departure;   in response to event information, determining at a processor whether an item is at risk of failing to arrive at the departure point by a predetermined time and for any item determined to be at risk; and   if an item is determined to be at risk, determining a remedial action for the item.