Baggage tracking system

TW202641427AActive Publication Date: 2026-10-16CHINA UNIV SCI & TECH
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Patent Information

Application Number
TW114112441
Authority / Receiving Office
TW · TW
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2025-03-31
Publication Date
2026-10-16
Estimated Expiration
2045-03-30

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Airports face challenges with complex baggage handling processes leading to lost or delayed baggage, and passengers lack real-time information about their luggage status, affecting their travel plans and experience.

Method used

A baggage tracking system with smart tags and readers that provide real-time location updates via a central server, integrating GPS and Bluetooth technology to monitor and notify passengers of their luggage's status.

Benefits of technology

Enables real-time tracking and efficient baggage management by providing accurate location updates and predicted arrival times, reducing waiting times and improving passenger experience.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

A baggage tracking system includes a smart baggage tag, multiple tag readers, and a central server. The smart baggage tag is attached to a piece of baggage and records baggage information using an electronic tag. A GPS positioning module locates the baggage's position, and a power supply module supplies power to maintain the operation of the electronic tag and the GPS positioning module. Each tag reader establishes a connection with the smart baggage tag moving along the baggage transport route, records the baggage's position, and obtains baggage information. The central server collects information transmitted by the smart baggage tag and tag sensors, generates a location report, updates the location report as the baggage status changes, and pushes notifications to mobile devices to inform passengers, providing real-time and accurate baggage tracking information, improving baggage transport efficiency and passenger experience.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of baggage transportation, and in particular refers to a baggage tracking system. Prior Technology

[0002] With the development of the air transport industry, air transport has increasingly become one of the main modes of daily travel and cargo transportation. Airports handle a large amount of baggage every day, requiring significant manpower and equipment. However, baggage handling procedures are complex and prone to problems such as lost or delayed baggage. During transportation, passengers cannot know the status and location of their baggage, and when baggage is lost or delayed, they cannot be notified immediately and can be dealt with in a timely manner, affecting their subsequent travel plans.

[0003] Each baggage carousel at an airport typically handles baggage from multiple flights simultaneously, generally transporting baggage to the carousel in the order of flight arrivals. Upon arrival, passengers need to identify their flight's carousel before proceeding to wait. However, passengers often lack information about flight arrival times and baggage status, leading to excessively long waiting times and negatively impacting their experience.

[0004] Therefore, how to solve the above-mentioned problems is the primary issue that this invention aims to address. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The main objective of this invention is to provide a baggage tracking system that attaches a smart baggage tag to baggage, reads and obtains baggage information through multiple tag readers installed along the baggage transportation route, collects and processes the information through a central server to generate a location report, and updates the location report as the baggage status changes and notifies the passenger, providing the user with real-time and accurate baggage tracking information, improving baggage transportation efficiency and user experience.

[0006] To achieve the aforementioned objectives, the present invention provides a baggage tracking system, comprising:

[0007] A smart baggage tag, attached to a piece of luggage, includes an electronic tag for recording luggage information, a GPS positioning module for locating the luggage, and a power supply module for maintaining operation.

[0008] Multiple tag readers are installed at preset intervals along the baggage transport route to connect with smart baggage tags that move along the route, in order to record baggage location and obtain baggage information;

[0009] A central server is used to collect information transmitted by the smart baggage tags and the tag readers, generate a location report based on the information, update the location report as the baggage status changes, and push notifications to mobile devices to inform passengers.

[0010] Preferably, the electronic tag of the smart baggage tag is a low-power Bluetooth beacon. The Bluetooth beacon carries baggage information, including the baggage name, attributes, storage conditions, origin, destination, sender information, and recipient information. Each smart baggage tag has a unique identification code.

[0011] Preferably, the GPS positioning module transmits luggage location information to the central server wirelessly.

[0012] Preferably, the smart luggage tag also has an environmental sensing module for monitoring environmental conditions during luggage transportation.

[0013] Preferably, the tag readers establish a connection with the smart luggage tag via a Bluetooth module, thereby obtaining the luggage information contained in the identification code, and the obtained luggage information is uploaded to the central server by a wireless transmission module. Both the Bluetooth module and the wireless transmission module are powered by a power module.

[0014] Preferably, the central server has an application programming interface (API) that allows mobile devices to access and view the location report via software.

[0015] Preferably, the location report includes the baggage's movement route, the time the baggage arrives at each node of the movement route, the environmental conditions of the baggage, and the baggage's predicted arrival time and location.

[0016] The aforementioned objectives and advantages of the present invention can be readily understood from the following detailed description of the selected embodiments and the accompanying drawings. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0017] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the system block of the present invention. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the system structure of the present invention. Implementation

[0018] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a preferred embodiment of the baggage tracking system of the present invention is provided, which includes a smart baggage tag 1, multiple tag readers 2 and a central server 3. The tag readers 2 communicate with the smart baggage tag 1 via Bluetooth to obtain the indoor location of the baggage, and the central server 3 collects and processes the baggage location information and sends it to the passenger's mobile device 4, so that the passenger can obtain the baggage location information in real time.

[0019] As shown in Figure 1, the smart baggage tag 1 can be attached to a piece of luggage and includes an electronic tag 11, a GPS positioning module 12, an environmental sensing module 13, and a power supply module 14. The power supply module 14 provides power to maintain the operation of the electronic tag 11, the GPS positioning module 12, and the environmental sensing module 13. The electronic tag 11 is preferably a low-power Bluetooth beacon. Each smart baggage tag 1 has a unique identification code, ensuring that each piece of luggage corresponds to only one identification code to avoid confusion. The Bluetooth beacon also records luggage information. This luggage information includes the luggage's name, attributes, storage conditions, origin, destination, sender information, and recipient information. The GPS positioning module 12 accurately locates the luggage's position using the Global Positioning System to obtain the luggage's location in the transport environment. The environmental sensing module 13 monitors the environmental conditions during luggage transportation in real time. Environmental conditions include, but are not limited to, temperature, humidity, and light intensity, to facilitate confirmation that the transportation environment meets the luggage's storage conditions. The power supply module 14 preferably uses a high-efficiency battery and can be charged by the energy from vibrations during baggage handling, thus having better battery life and ensuring that the smart baggage tag 1 has enough power to maintain operation throughout the entire transportation process.

[0020] The aforementioned tag readers 2 are installed at preset intervals along the airport's baggage transport route at various key nodes, such as baggage conveyors, boarding gates, baggage compartments, and carousels. When baggage is on land and passes through various key nodes of the airport, the tag reader 2 establishes a connection with the smart baggage tag 1 via a Bluetooth module 21, obtains baggage information and environmental condition data from the smart baggage tag 1, and uploads the baggage information and environmental condition data to the central server via a wireless transmission module 22. The Bluetooth module 21 and the wireless transmission module 22 are powered by a power module 23. In this embodiment, the wireless transmission module 22 is preferably a Wi-Fi transmission module. The central server 3 is preferably a cloud server, which collects the information transmitted by the smart baggage tag 1 and the tag readers 2 and integrates it to generate a location report. The central server 3 provides an application programming interface (API) 31, allowing passengers to call the API 31 through the software APP of their mobile device 4 to query the baggage location.

[0021] In practical application, passengers input baggage-related information into a smart baggage tag with a unique identification code, register an account on a mobile app, and bind flight information and the identification code to establish a correspondence between the account and the smart baggage tag 1. The smart baggage tag 1 is attached to a piece of luggage. At this time, the GPS positioning module of the smart baggage tag 1 begins to send GPS positioning signals. The central server 3 receives the GPS positioning signals and marks the luggage location according to the map built into the central server 3. As the luggage moves along the luggage transport route, tag readers 2, installed at key nodes, establish connections with the smart baggage tag 1 as the luggage passes, record the luggage location, obtain luggage information and environmental conditions, and upload them to the central server. The central server continuously receives and uses big data analysis technology to determine the transport status of the luggage at key nodes, predict the luggage's movement trajectory, arrival time, etc., and update the location report. Based on the updated location report, the central server pushes notifications to passengers through the mobile app, such as luggage has been boarded or luggage has arrived at the carousel. Passengers can access and view the location report via the software app through the application interface 31, enabling them to instantly check the location of their luggage, view its movement trajectory, and confirm the predicted arrival time and location, thus shortening waiting time for luggage retrieval and improving luggage transportation efficiency and passenger experience. If the central server 3 determines that the luggage has deviated from the preset transportation path, and the diameter of the deviation exceeds 10 meters (reaching the threshold), the luggage is considered lost, and a notification is sent to remind the passenger of the lost luggage and provide assistance with luggage loss reporting.

[0022] When baggage is being transported in the air or outside the airport area, the central server 3 receives the GPS positioning signal transmitted by the GPS positioning module of the smart baggage tag 1 to accurately locate the baggage's position and combine it with the movement trajectory within the airport to draw a complete baggage transportation trajectory. Passengers can access the application interface 31 through the software on their mobile device 4. The software displays the baggage's location in real time and intuitively using map markers, enabling in-flight baggage tracking.

[0023] Based on the above description, the baggage tracking system provided by the present invention can achieve the following improvements:

[0024] First, it provides real-time monitoring of baggage movement. This invention uses tag readers installed at key nodes along the baggage transport route within the airport to mark the location of baggage and notify passengers of the completed transport milestones. Furthermore, it utilizes a GPS positioning module to pinpoint the location of baggage in both land and air transport environments, achieving comprehensive monitoring of baggage movement.

[0025] Secondly, multiple precise positioning: This invention combines tag reading with GPS positioning to achieve the positioning of transportation routes and transportation nodes, thus achieving multiple precise positioning and reducing the deviation of luggage position.

[0026] Third, it improves baggage transportation efficiency; the central server of this invention analyzes and predicts the movement trajectory and arrival time of baggage based on the collected information. Passengers can know the location of their baggage in real time to make corresponding preparations, effectively shortening the time for retrieving baggage and improving baggage transportation efficiency.

[0027] However, the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Therefore, any changes in numerical values ​​or substitutions of equivalent elements should still fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0028] In conclusion, since this invention can clearly demonstrate to those skilled in the art that it can achieve the aforementioned objectives, it complies with the provisions of the Patent Law, and therefore an application is filed in accordance with the law.

[0029] 1: Smart Luggage Tag 11: Electronic Tags 12: GPS positioning module 13: Environmental Sensing Module 14: Power Supply Module 2: Tag reader 21: Bluetooth module 22: Wireless transmission module 23: Power Module 3: Central Server 31: Application Interface 4: Mobile Device

Claims

1. A baggage tracking system comprising: a smart baggage tag attached to a baggage, including an electronic tag for recording baggage information, a GPS positioning module for locating the baggage's position, and a power supply module for power supply to maintain operation; a plurality of tag readers installed at preset intervals along a preset transport path, and establishing connections with smart baggage tags moving along the preset transport path to record baggage positions and obtain baggage information; a central server for collecting information transmitted by the smart baggage tags and the tag readers, generating a location report based on the information, updating the location report as the baggage status changes, and pushing notifications to mobile devices to inform passengers, the location report including the baggage's movement route, the time of arrival of the baggage at each node of the movement route, the environmental conditions of the baggage, and the predicted arrival time and location of the baggage; wherein, The central server determines whether the baggage has deviated from the preset transportation route based on the collected baggage location information. When the diameter of the baggage deviates from the preset transportation route by more than a threshold value, the central server determines that the baggage is lost, pushes a notification to remind the passenger and provides assistance in reporting the lost baggage. In addition, when the baggage is transported in the air or outside the airport area, the central server receives the GPS positioning signal transmitted by the GPS positioning module to accurately locate the baggage location, combines the movement trajectory within the airport to draw a complete baggage transportation trajectory, and displays the baggage location in real time through a mobile device in the form of map markings to achieve air baggage tracking.

2. The baggage tracking system as described in claim 1, wherein, The electronic tag of this smart baggage tag is a low-power Bluetooth beacon. The Bluetooth beacon carries baggage information, including the baggage name, attributes, storage conditions, origin, destination, sender information, and recipient information. Each smart baggage tag has a unique identification code.

3. The baggage tracking system as described in claim 1, wherein, The GPS positioning module transmits luggage location information to the central server wirelessly.

4. The baggage tracking system as described in claim 1, wherein, The smart luggage tag also features an environmental sensing module to monitor environmental conditions during luggage transport.

5. The baggage tracking system as described in claim 1, wherein, These tag readers connect to the smart luggage tag via a Bluetooth module to obtain luggage information, and the obtained luggage information is uploaded to the central server via a wireless transmission module. Both the Bluetooth module and the wireless transmission module are powered by a power module.

6. The baggage tracking system as described in claim 1, wherein, The central server has an application programming interface (API) that allows mobile devices to access and view the location report via software.