Automated Lost Item Recovery System with Pre-stored Itinerary Matching

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Solution Overview

Problem

The current process for reporting and recovering lost items is inefficient and costly, often resulting in items not being returned to their rightful owners due to laborious and expensive shipping processes, leading to customers opting to buy new items instead of recovering their lost belongings.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that automates the reporting and recovery of lost items by using a third-party server to communicate with users, identify purchases or reservations, and associate them with lost item protection, allowing for efficient communication with establishments to locate and return lost items, with options for insurance to reduce or eliminate recovery costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If manual reporting and shipping processes are used for lost items, then customers can recover their lost items, but the process is laborious, costly, and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of reporting and recovering lost itemsVSAvoidtime required to locate and return lost items

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-collects customer information, itinerary data, and establishment contacts during the booking process. When an item is lost, the system automatically retrieves and processes this pre-stored information to generate reports and initiate recovery procedures, eliminating the need for customers to manually gather information at the time of loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary system (hotel management system integrated with recovery services) that acts as a mediator between the customer, the establishment, and the shipping company. This intermediary automatically coordinates communication and actions among all parties, streamlining the recovery process and reducing manual intervention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If manual shipping processes are used to return lost items, then items can be returned to customers, but shipping costs are very expensive

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesuccess rate of returning lost itemsVSAvoidshipping cost for returning lost items

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service functionality where customers can automatically initiate lost item reports through the platform, and the system automatically matches items with customers using pre-stored itinerary and customer data. This automation reduces manual labor and associated costs while maintaining high reliability in item recovery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameters of the shipping process by integrating it with the booking system, allowing for pre-negotiated rates and automated selection of optimal shipping methods. The system dynamically adjusts shipping parameters based on item characteristics, destination, and cost considerations to minimize expenses while ensuring reliable delivery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If customers manually contact each establishment to report lost items, then they can locate their lost items, but the process requires recalling and contacting multiple locations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveefficiency of locating lost itemsVSAvoidcomplexity of reporting process

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-collects and stores all necessary information including customer details, itinerary data, visited establishments, and contact information during the booking process. When an item is lost, the system automatically retrieves this pre-stored information and generates reports to all relevant establishments, eliminating the need for customers to manually recall and contact each location.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a universal platform that handles multiple functions: booking, information storage, lost item reporting, establishment communication, and shipping coordination. This multi-functional system consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate manual actions into a single integrated process, reducing complexity while maintaining high productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS10762586B2System and method for efficient and automatic reporting and return of lost items

Publication Date: 2020.09.01 CHARGERBACK

AI summary

In one embodiment, a system and method for receiving itinerary information and user information for a reservation for a user where the user has opted to acquire lost item protection for use with at least part of the reservation; receiving a lost item notification from a computing device associated with a notifior, the lost item notification including at least notifior information and lost item information; retrieving itinerary information from the first database associated with the user when it is determined that the notifior information from the lost item report matches the user information stored in the first database; facilitating presentation of a list of one or more establishments associated with the retrieved itinerary information; and automatically generating and electronically transmitting a lost item report to the selected at least one establishment if it is determined that the establishment information is stored in the second database.