Intelligent personal item transport containers for owner-customized monitoring, of owner-selected portable items for packing and transport by the owner

An electronic apparatus configured for use with a personal item transport container for portable items (PITCPI), said PITCPI being bounded in volume and weight to limits suitable for manual conveyance by an individual physical exertion of a primary authorized user and being configured to receive, enclose, and enable the transport of a plurality of primary authorized user-owned or controlled tagged portable items, said electronic apparatus comprising:

• a hardware processor;
• a portable item sensor which is configured to be structurally integrated into the PITCPI, which is local to and communicatively coupled with the hardware processor, and which is configured to detect the respective unique portable item signatures of respective electronically-detectable portable item tags attached to each respective, specific portable item in the PITCPI, wherein the portable item sensor is configured to uniquely distinguish, via electronic detection, any one portable item of the tagged plurality of portable items from any other portable item of the tagged plurality of portable items in the PITCPI;
• a memory which is local to and communicatively coupled with the hardware processor, and is configured to store:
• (i) respective electronic signatures from the portable item sensor which are indicative of the respectable portable item tags,
• (ii) a unique portable item description associated with each unique electronic signature, said unique description selectable or definable by the primary authorized user, said unique description thereby being primary-authorized-user customized to uniquely identify a specific portable item of the plurality for the primary authorized user, and
• (iii) a personal packing list which identifies at least one of:
• (a) tagged portable items which were contained in the PITCPI at a specific past point in time or are contained in the PITCPI at a present point in time, the present point in time subject to local, real-time designation by the individual primary authorized user;
• and;
• (b) tagged portable items designated by the primary authorized user as anticipated by the primary authorized user to be together in the PITCPI at a future point in time;
• said personal packing list comprising both the respective electronic signatures and the respective portable item descriptions of the tagged portable items, wherein the personal packing list is unique with respect to both the portable items identified in the list and to the primary-authorized-user-specific descriptions of the portable items, and
• an electronic user interface which is local to and communicatively coupled with the hardware processor, and configured to receive locally at the PITCPI from the individual primary authorized user:
• (i) control commands from the primary authorized user, and (ii) the unique portable item descriptions associated with each unique electronic signature;
• and
• wherein the hardware processor is configured to:
• obtain the personal packing list at a first time, the obtaining comprising at least one of:
• (i) receiving the personal packing list from the individual primary authorized user via the electronic user interface locally at the PTICPI, and (ii) generating the personal packing list, wherein generating the personal packing list by the hardware processor comprises:
• receiving a first signal to initiate a first contents assessment activity, said first signal being triggered locally at the PITCPI by the individual primary authorized user and comprising at least one of a signal received via the electronic user interface and a signal received from a case condition sensor of the PITCPI;
• upon receipt of the first signal, initiating the first contents assessment activity, wherein the item sensor electronically scans for portable item tags which are attached to portable items that are contained within the PITCPI at the time of the first contents assessment activity;
• storing in the memory the electronic signatures which are detected;
• and
• accepting via the electronic user interface from the primary authorized user, and storing in the memory, a primary-authorized-user-designated description to be associated with a detected signature;
• receive a second signal to initiate a second contents assessment activity, said second signal being triggered locally at the PITCPI by the individual primary authorized user at a second time which is subsequent to the first time, said second signal comprising at least one of a signal received from the electronic user interface and a signal received from the case condition sensor of the PITCPI;
• upon receipt of the second signal, initiate a second contents assessment activity, wherein the item sensor electronically scans for signatures of portable item tags which are contained within the PITCPI at the time of the second contents assessment activity;
• compare the signatures of the portable items detected during the second contents assessment activity with the stored portable item signatures in the personal packing list;
• based on the comparison, identify a set of non-present items comprising portable items which are identified in the personal packing list but are not present in the PITCPI at the time of the second contents assessment activity;
• and
• present locally at the PITCPI via the electronic user interface the unique descriptions of the portable items identified in the set of non-present items, said presented descriptions comprising the primary-authorized-user-designated descriptions of each of the non-present portable items;
• wherein the hardware processor, the portable item sensor, the memory, and the electronic interface are so configured and arranged as to function as a unit locally with, locally mobile with, and in colocation with said PITCPI, and are further configured and arranged for at least partial structural integration with said PITCPI, wherein the electronic apparatus is configured to function in joint operation together with said PITCPI so that said electronic apparatus and said PITCPI remain bounded in volume and weight to limits suitable for manual conveyance and for joint portability by the individual physical exertion of the primary authorized user;
• and
• wherein said electronic apparatus is configured to be functionally integrated with said PITCPI to enable said PITCPI to provide via the electronic user interface to the primary authorized user an interface to modify a primary-user-customized identification of portable items which may be transported by the primary authorized user for local, real-time evaluation and local response by the primary authorized user during transit of said portable items by the primary authorized user.

A computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium for use with an electronic apparatus comprising a hardware processor, a memory, and a portable item sensor, said hardware processor of the electronic apparatus configured and arranged to be mobile with and in colocation with a personal item transport container for portable items (PITCPI), said PITCPI and said electronic apparatus functioning in local combination further being bounded in joint volume and weight to limits suitable for manual, individual conveyance by a primary authorized user of all of the electronic apparatus, the PITCPI and the portable items to be conveyed, the computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the hardware processor, causes the hardware processor to execute a method comprising:

• obtaining a personal packing list, the obtaining comprising at least one of:
• (i) receiving a personal packing list from the primary authorized user and (ii) generating the personal packing list, wherein generating the personal packing list by the hardware processor comprises:
• receiving a first local signal to initiate a first contents assessment activity, said first signal being triggered by the primary authorized user at a first time, said first signal comprising at least one of a signal received from at least one of (a) an electronic user interface which is configured and arranged to be mobile with and in colocation with the PITCPI, and (b) a carrying case sensor integrated into the PITCPI and configured to detect a primary-authorized-user action with the PITCPI;
• upon receipt of the first signal, initiating the first contents assessment activity, wherein a portable item sensor which is structurally integrated into the PITCPI electronically scans for electronically detectable portable item tags which are attached to or embedded within portable items that are contained within the PITCPI, each electronically-detectable portable item tag configured to uniquely distinguish, via the electronic detection, any one portable item of the tagged plurality from any other portable item of the tagged plurality;
• storing the electronic signatures which are detected in the memory which is configured and arranged to be mobile with and in colocation with the PITCPI and which is communicatively coupled to the hardware processor;
• and
• accepting via the electronic user interface from the primary authorized user, and storing in the memory, respective primary-authorized-user designated unique portable item descriptions to be associated with respective detected signatures of tagged portable items, said electronic user interface configured to receive said unique descriptions which are selectable or definable by the primary authorized user, said unique descriptions thereby being primary-authorized-user customized to uniquely identify each user-specific portable item of the plurality for the primary authorized user;
• wherein the hardware processor generates the personal packing list, the list thereby comprising the electronic signatures and the unique, user-specific descriptions of those portable items which are designated by the primary authorized user to be transported together within the PITCPI;
• receiving a second local signal at a second time which is later than the first time, and upon receiving the second signal initiating a second contents assessment activity, said second signal being triggered by the individual primary authorized user at the second time;
• upon receipt of the second signal, initiating a second contents assessment activity, wherein the item sensor electronically scans for signatures of portable item tags which are contained within the PITCPI at the time of the second contents assessment activity;
• comparing the signatures of the portable items detected during the second contents assessment activity with the stored portable item signatures in the personal packing list;
• based on the comparison, generating a non-present item list which identifies a set of non-present items which are portable items identified in the personal packing list but are not present in the PITCPI at the time of the second contents assessment activity;
• and
• presenting, locally at the PITCPI via the user interface the unique primary-authorized-user-designated descriptions of each of the non-present portable items,
• wherein the method configures the hardware processor, the portable item sensor, the memory, and the electronic interface to function as a unit locally with, locally mobile with, and in colocation with said PITCPI, wherein the electronic apparatus is operative according to the method to function in joint local operation together with said PITCPI;
• and
• wherein the method configures said electronic apparatus to provide to the primary authorized user an interface to modify a primary-user-customized identification of portable items which may be transported by the primary authorized user for local, real-time evaluation and local response by the primary authorized user during transit of said portable items by the primary authorized user.

A electronically augmented, bodily-transportable personal item transport container for personal items (EABT-PITCPI) configured for individual use by a primary authorized user of both the EABT-PITCPI and a plurality of portable items, said EABT-PITCPI suitable to (i) transport within the EABT-PITCPI the plurality of portable items by the primary authorized user of both the EABT-PITCPI and the plurality of portable items and (ii) provide primary authorized user-specific inventory identification and primary authorized user-specific tracking of the transported plurality of portable items, said EABT-PITCPI comprising:

• an enclosure shell which is configured for manual conveyance by the physical exertion of the primary authorized user and bounded in volume and weight to limits suitable for manual conveyance by the physical exertion of the primary authorized user, whereby the enclosure structure may be hand-carried, bodily-carried, or otherwise manually transported by the primary authorized user and is configured to receive, enclose, and transport a plurality of tagged portable items, each respective portable item being tagged with a respective, electronically-detectable portable item signature tag sufficient to uniquely distinguish, via electronic detection, any one portable item of the tagged plurality from any other portable item of the tagged plurality;
• a hardware processor which is structurally integrated into the EABT-PITCPI;
• a portable item sensor which is structurally integrated into the EABT-PITCPI, which is communicatively coupled with the hardware processor, and which is configured to detect the respective unique portable item signatures of the respective tags attached to each respective, specific tagged portable item;
• an electronic user interface structurally integrated into, or configured to be portable with and local to, the EABT-PITCPI, which is communicatively coupled with the hardware processor, and configured to:
• receive control commands from the primary authorized user;
• and
• to provide via the electronic user interface to the primary authorized user of the EABT-PITCPI an interface to modify a primary-authorized-user-customized description of portable items for one or more portable items of the primary authorized user and which may be transported by the primary authorized user;
• and
• a memory which is structurally integrated into the EABT-PITCPI and communicatively coupled with the hardware processor, and configured to store:
• (i) respective electronic signatures from the portable item sensor which are indicative of the respective portable item tags,
• (ii) the portable item description associated with each respective electronic signature and being uniquely definable for each such item, said portable item description uniquely identifying the specific portable item of the plurality, and said unique portable item description subject to addition, removal, and editing via the electronic user interface by the primary authorized user of both the EABT-PITCPI and the portable items, and
• (iii) a personal packing list which identifies at least one of:
• (a) tagged portable items which are contained in the EABT-PITCPI at a specific past or present point in time as designated by the primary authorized user, and
• (b) tagged portable items designated by the primary authorized user as anticipated to be in the EABT-PITCPI at a common future point in time;
• wherein the personal packing list is unique with respect to both the items identified in the list and to the primary authorized user-specific descriptions of the portable items;
• wherein the hardware processor is configured to:
• inventory those portable items which the primary authorized user of the EABT-PITCPI transports in the EABT-PITCPI or lists as intended for transport via the personal packing list for local, real-time evaluation and local response by the primary authorized user during transit of said portable items by the primary authorized user.