# US 12,112,577 B2 · Optical character recognition of bag tag

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- Number: US 12,112,577 B2
- Document ID: US12112577B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/514,877
- Filed: 2023-11-20
- Published: 2024-08-01
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2023-02-01
- Applicants: Craig Mateer
- Inventors: Craig Mateer
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12112577B2

## CPC

- G01N 23/046: using tomography, e.g. computed tomography [CT]
- G07B 11/00: Apparatus for validating or cancelling issued tickets
- B42D 15/0053: {Forms specially designed for commercial use, e.g. bills, receipts, offer or order sheets, coupons}
- G06K 7/1413: {1D bar codes}
- G06Q 10/08: Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
- G06Q 50/10: Services
- G06Q 50/14: Travel agencies
- G06Q 50/40: Business processes related to the transportation industry (shipping G06Q10/083)
- G09F 3/207: {in the form of a badge to be worn by a person}
- G01N 23/10: the material being confined in a container, e.g. in a luggage X-ray scanners
- G06K 2007/10524: {Hand-held scanners}
- G06Q 30/018: Certifying business or products
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- G07B: TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
- B42D: BOOKS; BOOK COVERS; LOOSE LEAVES; PRINTED MATTER CHARACTERISED BY IDENTIFICATION OR SECURITY FEATURES; PRINTED MATTER OF SPECIAL FORMAT OR STYLE NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; DEVICES FOR USE THEREWITH AND NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; MOVABLE-STRIP WRITING OR READING APPARATUS
- G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G09F: DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS

## Abstract

Provided is a system and method of optical character recognition of a bag tag, the method including: a) obtaining, by at least one of at least one processor, image data representative of at least one image of printed passenger information associated with an airline travel carrier on an originating hardcopy bag tag or a printed instrument comprising at least a portion of the printed passenger information on the originating hardcopy bag tag to create a digital passenger information (DPI) data record linked to the airline travel carrier, wherein the originating hardcopy bag tag is issued for a luggage item of a passenger, and wherein the DPI data record comprises an International Air Transport Association (IATA) license plate number, a passenger name record (PNR) number, an airline code, an airline name, a name of the passenger, or any combination thereof; b) accessing, by at least one of the at least one processor, passenger return flight information from a computer system associated with the airline travel carrier, based on the DPI data record; and c) printing, by a printing device, a return leg travel IATA bag tag for a return flight associated with the passenger return flight information.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
a) obtaining, by at least one of at least one processor, image data representative of at least one image of printed passenger information associated with an airline travel carrier on an originating hardcopy bag tag or a printed instrument comprising at least a portion of the printed passenger information on the originating hardcopy bag tag to create a digital passenger information (DPI) data record linked to the airline travel carrier, wherein the originating hardcopy bag tag is issued for a luggage item of a passenger, and wherein the DPI data record comprises an International Air Transport Association (IATA) license plate number, a passenger name record (PNR) number, an airline code, an airline name, a name of the passenger, or any combination thereof;
b) accessing, by at least one of the at least one processor, passenger return flight information from a computer system associated with the airline travel carrier, based on the DPI data record; and
c) printing, by a printing device, a return leg travel IATA bag tag for a return flight associated with the passenger return flight information.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the DPI data record comprises the PNR number.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the DPI data record further comprises an airline code, an airline name, the name of the passenger, or any combination thereof.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein the marker identifier comprises a barcode, wherein the barcode is readable by a barcode scanning device, and wherein the marker identifier includes one of the IATA license plate number or a new tracking identifier.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the DPI data record further comprises passenger related or airline related information included on the originating hardcopy bag tag that links to the passenger return flight information stored in memory systems of the computer system associated with the airline travel carrier.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining the image data comprises:
capturing, by an imaging device, the at least one image of the originating hardcopy bag tag or the printed instrument; and
communicating, by a communication device in electronic communication with the imaging device, the at least one image to a network interface coupled to at least one of the at least one processor.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
performing, by at least one of the at least one processor, image processing on the at least one image to optically recognize printed text of the printed passenger information associated with the airline travel carrier on the originating hardcopy bag tag and converting the printed text to searchable machine-encoded text sequences; and
creating, by at least one of the at least one processor, the DPI data record linked to the airline travel carrier from the searchable machine-encoded text sequences.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the performing image processing further comprises:
optically recognizing text of the PNR number in the at least one image;
forming a machine-encoded text sequence of the PNR number;
optically recognizing text of the name of the passenger in the at least one image; and
forming a machine-encoded text sequence of the name of the passenger.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the performing image processing further comprises:
optically recognizing text of an airline code or an airline name in the at least one image; and
forming a machine-encoded text sequence of the airline code or the airline name.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1,
wherein the accessing the passenger return flight information comprises accessing a B-type message using the IATA license plate number of the DPI data record, wherein the B-type message comprises the PNR number, and
wherein the B-type message comprises a baggage source message.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising checking in, by at least one of the at least one processor, the luggage item for the return flight with a return flight carrier, prior to printing the return leg travel IATA bag tag.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising, prior to c):
generating, by at least one of the at least one processor, a manifest record with the passenger return flight information;
linking, by at least one of the at least one processor, the manifest record to one of a marker identifier and the IATA license plate number;
determining, by at least one of the at least one processor, a trigger of one of the marker identifier or the IATA license plate number being received; and
in response to determining that the trigger has been received, performing c).

### Claim 13

A system comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one non-transitory, tangible memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, the at least one memory storing at least one instruction,
wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the at least one instruction to:
obtain image data representative of at least one image of printed passenger information associated with an airline travel carrier on an originating hardcopy bag tag or a printed instrument comprising at least a portion of the printed passenger information on the originating hardcopy bag tag to create a digital passenger information (DPI) data record linked to the airline travel carrier, wherein the originating hardcopy bag tag is issued for a luggage item of a passenger, and wherein the DPI data record comprises an International Air Transport Association (IATA) license plate number, a passenger name record (PNR) number, an airline code, an airline name, a name of the passenger, or any combination thereof,
access passenger return flight information from a computer system associated with the airline travel carrier, based on the DPI data record, and
cause a printing device to print a return leg travel IATA bag tag for a return flight associated with the passenger return flight information.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the DPI data record comprises the PNR number.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein DPI data record further comprises an airline code, an airline name, the name of the passenger, or any combination thereof.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the DPI data record further comprises passenger related or airline related information included on the originating hardcopy bag tag that links to the passenger return flight information stored in memory systems of the computer system associated with the airline travel carrier.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the at least one instruction to:
perform image processing on the at least one image to optically recognize printed text of the printed passenger information associated with the airline travel carrier on the originating hardcopy bag tag and convert the printed text to searchable machine-encoded text sequences; and
create the DPI data record linked to the airline travel carrier from the machine-encoded text sequences.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the at least one instruction to:
optically recognize text of the PNR number in the at least one image;
forming a machine-encoded text sequence of the PNR number;
optically recognize text of the name of the passenger in the at least one image; and
form a machine-encoded text sequence of the name of the passenger.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the at least one instruction to:
optically recognize text of an airline code or an airline name in the at least one image; and
form a machine-encoded text sequence of the airline code or the airline name.

### Claim 20 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the at least one instruction to:
access the passenger return flight information by accessing a B-type message using the IATA license plate number of the DPI data record, wherein the B-type message comprises the PNR number.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The system of claim 20, wherein the B-type message comprises a baggage source message (BSM).

### Claim 22 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the at least one instruction to:
check in the luggage item for the return flight with a return flight carrier, prior to printing the return leg travel IATA bag tag.

### Claim 23

A method comprising:
a) obtaining, by at least one of at least one processor, image data representative of at least one image of printed passenger information associated with an airline travel carrier on an originating hardcopy bag tag or a printed instrument comprising at least a portion of the printed passenger information on the originating hardcopy bag tag to create a digital passenger information (DPI) data record linked to the airline travel carrier, wherein the originating hardcopy bag tag is issued for a luggage item of a passenger, and wherein the DPI data record comprises an International Air Transport Association (IATA) license plate number, a passenger name record (PNR) number, an airline code, an airline name, a name of the passenger, or any combination thereof;
b) accessing, by at least one of the at least one processor, passenger return flight information from a computer system associated with the airline travel carrier, based on the DPI data record; and
c) printing, by a printing device, a return leg travel IATA bag tag for a return flight associated with the passenger return flight information,
wherein the accessing the passenger return flight information comprises accessing a B-type message using the IATA license plate number of the DPI data record, wherein the B-type message comprises the PNR number.