Technical Field

The technical field of this invention is the M2M Industry i.e. Machine To Machine, where advanced Communication Technologies combine with other technologies to produce a smart fully integrated system that serve different industries.

The invented system in this patent request is about introducing a an integral Baggage Loading Verification System for Airlines to decrease the mishandled baggage rate.

Background Art

Baggage Handling Process for airline travellers is one of the main and fundamental processes in the Commercial Aviation Industry and for this reason there is a very high focus on developing the systems managing this process and how to enhance their efficiencies to ensure the smoothest and fastest handling process with the minimum mishandled bags rate.

For the past decades, Baggage Handling Systems have mainly been offered to and managed by Airports where these systems handle the passengers' baggage journey from Check-in Counters till they get boarded on the aircrafts before departure then from the aircrafts till the baggage delivery belts upon arrival.

These systems have evolved years over years using different tracking technologies to enhance the process efficiency with the minimum mishandling rate and the latest tracking technologies used in such systems are Barcode Scanners Tracking Checkpoints and lately RFID Readers Tracking Checkpoints. The main difference between the two technologies is the accuracy of reading baggage's tags where it reaches around 90% reading success rate in case of Barcode Scanners and 99% reading success rate in case of RFID Readers.

As mentioned earlier, these systems are mainly offered to and managed by the airports and accordingly the baggage handling process' efficiency and accuracy is highly dependent on the technology used in the airports where the more adoption of airports to the RFID Readers Tracking Checkpoints over the Barcode Scanners Tracking

Checkpoints, the more efficient, accurate, and fastest baggage handling process and less mishandled baggage rates. However the reality is that the airports that currently use the RFID Tracking Technology are not exceeding 10 all over the world due to the high cost of installing such advanced system which means that we still have to wait decades till most of the airports adopt such new technology and yet some of them will never adopt as they can't afford the involved cost. This means that the mishandled baggage issue will continue where Airlines' reputations are being impacted with high expenses on compensations every year.

Finally, it was concluded that the key factors leading to the mishandled bags issue in the current Baggage Handlings Systems according to latest SIT A Baggage Report 2013 (http ://www . sita. aero/ surveys-reports/ industry - surveys-reports/baggage-report-2013?) are as follows with contribution percentage:

48% Transfer mishandling

17% Failure to load

13% Ticketing error/Bag switch/Security/Other 7% Ai ort/Customs/Weatller/Space-weigllt restriction

7% Loading error

4% Arrival mishandling

4% Tagging error

Disclosure Of Invention

As seen in the Background Art, more than 85% of the main key factors leading to the mishandled bags issue in the current Baggage Handling Systems can be easily voided if the gap in the baggage handling journey can be closed. If we have a closer look at the process, it can be easily spotted that the gap in the process is mainly in the baggage tracking procedures were it gets lost at the Aircraft Loading/Unloading procedures, currently verification of baggage loading/unloading to/from the aircraft is through wireless barcode scanners handhelds that require human

intervention and consumes time that can't be afforded by the airports nor the airlines, hence it's only used in case of baggage unloading procedures if the passenger didn't board the flight.

The invention tries to close this gap through introducing the idea of giving the Airlines a contribution role in the Baggage Handling System along with the current systems operated by the Airports.

This can be achieved by the special design of the system where it mainly constitutes of a Fixed RFID Reader (including GSM/GPRS Module) to be equipped in each aircraft (cargo area) along with assigning RFID Tags for each Checked In Baggage, accordingly each baggage will be verified that it has been loaded/unloaded the aircraft via reading its RFID Tag as it gets loaded to the aircraft.

System Hardware

1. Fixed RFID Readers Unit:

This unit is to be fixed in each aircraft (cargo area) and its main components are as follows:

• Memory Chip

• Microcontroller

• Internal and External Redundant Power Supply

• GSM/GPRS Module Quad Band

• RFID Reading Module

• Data Access In/Out port

2. Permanent RFID Tag Units:

This tag is to be attached to each bag during the baggage check-in process, there is no a special design here as the tags are already available in two main types i.e. passive or active tags. The selection of using passive or active tags in this system is highly dependent on the desired results of the reading success rates which will be confirmed during the field testing.

The Fixed RFID Reader equipped in each aircraft will read all RFID Tag Units attached to the different bags in the reading range as they get loaded/unloaded to/from the aircraft and hence a consolidated, accurate, and verified report of bags loaded/unloaded of a specific flight can be generated in the Fixed RFID Reader memory chip. System Software

This part of the system is composed of a Main Administrative Software that shall be installed on Airlines Companies' side and integrated with corresponding Airport Systems where Bags Loading/Unloading Reports can be sent to/managed by.

Main Administrative Software:

This application shall include the functions management that enables the Airlines

Personnel to handle any possible baggage mishandling incident proactively before departure, as follows:

1. Building Databases:

A) A database hosting a network of Fixed RFID Readers Units installed inside the aircrafts so that each unit is identified on the system by its serial number in addition to the aircraft registration number, then this network data is continuously updated (from different database on airline/airport end) with the different flight data flown by these aircrafts.

B) Another database containing Permanent RFID Tag Units which are identified by their ID Number as well as the Traveler's data, where each traveler can have a single tag or multiple tags according to his/her needs, which depends on the number of luggage that he/she normally takes

2. Baggage Boarding Reconciliation Report Management:

This part of the application shall enable the airlines personnel to receive two baggage boarding reports for each flight, one from the Airport system which is currently in use along with another report generated from the new system. The second report is easily transmitted from the Fixed RFID Reader Units to Airlines servers via GSM/GPRS Network

3. Baggage Boarding Alarm Management:

This part of the application is responsible for cross-matching the two received reports and detecting any discrepancies in the number and the identity of the boarded bags.

Accordingly an alarm shall be triggered to the Airlines Personnel so they can take the necessary procedure of rectifying this issue before departure.

4. Baggage Transfer Alarm Management:

Using the same generated reports by the Fixed RFID Reader Units, this part of the application is responsible for validating the transfer process of bags from one flight to another. Accordingly an alarm shall be triggered to the Airlines Personnel once a transfer bag has been unloaded from one flight and didn't board the next flight, so they can take the necessary procedure of rectifying the issue before the departure of the next flight.

5. Passengers Notification Management:

This part of the application is responsible of sending notifications to passengers via SMS or Email confirming to them the loading/unloading of their bags once occurred i.e. before takeoff and right after landing

End to End Process Description

• Passengers head to the Airline Counters in the airport to check-in their bags.

• Airline Personnel will start the check-in process in the ordinary way till they assign a Bag Tag to each of the passengers' bags. Then they will assign the Permanent RFID Tag to each of the checked- in bags through the Permanent RFID Tags Database so all the bags become readable by the Fixed RFID Readers equipped in each aircraft.

• Then Airport BHS (Baggage Handling System) takes over from airport check-in counters to start the process of Security Screening, Sorting, and Distribution of all the bags to their corresponding flights/air crafts.

• Then Airline Baggage Ground Handlers takes over from Airport BHS and starts loading the bags into their corresponding aircrafts and confirm back to Airline Personnel that the loading procedure is completed

• Here comes the role of the invented system where once the Airline Personnel gets the confirmation that all bags got loaded to their corresponding flights, they will remotely live track all the boarded bags in the corresponding flight/aircraft as follows:

o Airline Personnel responsible for managing the invented system will choose the corresponding flight/aircraft from the Fixed RFID Readers Network Database and get access to the equipped RFID Readers in that aircraft

o Fixed RFID Readers get activated wirelessly through GSM/GPRS Network to start reading all the actual loaded bags on the corresponding aircraft via the Permanent RFID Tags attached to each bag

o Through one of the system applications Baggage Transfer Alarm Management, a cross-match procedure is being performed between the Flight Checked-In Bags List and Flight Boarded Bags List and hence a confirmation can be obtained if the two lists are identical or there is a discrepancy between them o If the lists are identical and there is an exact match, then Airline Personnel announce Takeoff Authorization to the flight, otherwise if there is a discrepancy, then Airline Personnel notifies Baggage Ground Handlers to correct the baggage loading error with informing them where the discrepancy is whether it's a missing bag that should be onboard or a mistakenly onboard bag that should be unloaded

o Baggage Ground Handlers then notify Airline Personnel that the loading correction procedure is completed and hence they can do another live remote reading of the boarded bags and cross-match the two lists again for final confirmation

• Finally after Airline Personnel confirms the exact match between the two lists, they announce Takeoff Authorization to the flight and automatic notifications are sent to passengers via SMS or Email confirming to them the boarding of their bags on the corresponding flight before the takeoff through Passengers Notification Management Having that said, the following benefits are realized from the invented system:

1) The Proactive Management of Baggage Mishandling to prevent bags loss/delay

2) Providing assurance to passengers before it takes off and right after landing

3) Avoiding Airline/ Airlines Alliance unnecessary Passengers Dissatisfaction, Financial Penalties, and Impacting Company's Reputation

Brief description of the drawings

Figure 1

(1) Refers to the cargo area within each plane

(2) Refers to Fixed RFID Readers Unit installed inside cargo area within plane

(3) Refers to Cell Site Tower (Mobile Network)

(4) Refers to the Internet Cloud through which the data transmitted through secured channels

(5) Refers to System Servers operated by airline (6) Refers to the other servers responsible for the baggage handling process data operated by airport

(7) Refers to airline officials responsible for the administration of the new system

(8) Refers to the Correction Process for loading/unloading luggage before takeoff

(9) Refers to moving luggage between aircrafts in transfer flights

Figure 2

(1) Refers to start of the process by the passengers approaching the airport to check-in their bags

(2) Refers to process step where the Airline Personnel checks-in passengers' bags to their corresponding flights

(2.1) Refers to Airline Personnel obtaining a confirmed list of checked-in bags per flight

(3) Refers to Baggage Handling and Sorting Process performed by Airport Baggage Handling System

(4) Refers to process step of baggage loading to aircrafts by Baggage Ground Handlers

(5) Refers to process step of Baggage Loading Process confirmation notification by Baggage Ground Handlers to Airline Personnel (Operations Management)

(6) Refers to process step where Airline Personnel remotely reading all boarded bags on any selected flight/aircraft through the Fixed RFID Readers

(6.1) Refers to Airline Personnel obtaining a confirmed list of all boarded bags per flight

(7) Refers to process step of reconciliation and cross-match by Airline Personnel between the Checked-In Bags List (obtained from 2.1) and the Boarded Bags List (obtained from Fixed RFID Readers 6.1)

(8) Refers to cross-match results, either Exact Match or Lists Discrepancy. In case of Exact Match, then go to step (9) and in case of Lists Discrepancy, then go to step (4) where it refers to loading correction based on the spotted discrepancy (9) Refers to process step of Airline Personnel authorizing takeoff to the flight in case of exact match (8)

(10) Refers to Airline Personnel notifying passengers with loading confirmations of their bags on the corresponding flight/aircraft before takeoff