Baggage Screening Workflow Using IATA Tag Reuse and Image Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing baggage handling processes for travel carriers are inefficient, costly, and resource-intensive, particularly in high-volume lodging entities like cruise ships, due to the need for manual data entry and printing of bag tags, which can lead to errors and consumption of valuable human resources.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilizes the International Air Transport Association (IATA) license plate number from a discarded bag tag to automate the luggage handling process, including security screening analysis and printing of markers to bypass security screening, using a graphical user interface and scanning devices to identify prohibited items and update reservation information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual data entry and bag tag printing processes are used, then human resources can process luggage information, but human resource consumption increases and data entry errors occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by allowing passengers to perform check-in and bag tagging operations independently through automated kiosks or mobile devices. The passenger's information is automatically retrieved using identification documents, eliminating the need for manual agent assistance while ensuring data accuracy through system-verified input fields.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical data entry processes with automated optical character recognition (OCR) systems that scan identification documents and automatically populate passenger information. This substitution eliminates human error in data transcription while maintaining high processing speeds through efficient scanning and validation algorithms.
2Productivity
If automated systems are implemented to reduce manual operations, then processing efficiency improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves multi-functionality by integrating multiple operations into a single automated platform that handles passenger identification, information retrieval, bag tagging, and security documentation generation. This universal system replaces multiple separate manual processes, improving efficiency while managing complexity through unified software architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary automated kiosk system that mediates between the passenger and the complex backend travel management systems. This intermediary simplifies the user interface while handling complex data processing, security checks, and system communications in the background, thereby improving efficiency without exposing system complexity to end users.
3Loss of substance
If discarded bag tags are reused for automated processing, then resource utilization improves and costs reduce, but additional processing steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements discarding and recovering by capturing images of discarded bag tags during the check-in process, extracting relevant information through OCR, and storing this data for future reuse. This allows the same physical bag tag to serve multiple purposes across different travel segments, reducing material waste while the automated information extraction process manages the additional processing requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-extracting and storing bag tag information during the initial check-in process before the tag is discarded. This advance preparation creates a digital record that can be automatically retrieved and reused for subsequent travel segments, eliminating the need for manual re-entry and reducing material consumption without adding significant process complexity.
4Measurement precision
If security screening analysis is automated using AI, then screening accuracy improves, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial action by implementing a two-tier security screening approach where AI performs initial automated analysis of bag tag images to identify obvious anomalies, and only cases requiring further investigation are escalated to manual review. This partial automation maintains high accuracy for complex cases while reducing overall processing time by quickly resolving straightforward situations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuity of useful action by processing bag tag images in real-time during the check-in flow rather than as a separate post-processing step. The AI security analysis occurs continuously as part of the automated bag tagging process, allowing parallel execution of tagging and security verification, thereby improving accuracy without adding noticeable processing time to the passenger experience.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a system and method for security screening, the method including: matching, by at least one of at least one processor, a passenger name of a passenger in a baggage source message (BSM) with a passenger name in a manifest, wherein the BSM comprises travel data of a first mode of travel of a luggage item of the passenger on an air carrier; extracting, by at least one of the at least one processor, an International Air Transport Association (IATA) license plate number from the BSM for the luggage item; accessing, by at least one of the at least one processor, security screening image and related data captured during a first mode of travel security screen of the luggage item using the IATA license plate number; displaying, by at least one of the at least one processor, a graphical user interface (GUI) on a display device to analyze the screening image and related data; and obtaining via a scanning device, by at least one of the at least one processor, a mark representative of the analysis result in response to scanning an IATA license plate barcode affixed to the luggage item, wherein the analysis result is representative of one of: a security compliance of the luggage item to cross a border or to transfer to a second mode of travel, and a non-security compliance of the luggage item.