Method And System For Automated Luggage Security Inspection

A method of operating a checked bag reconciliation area, said method including:

• positioning a luggage item on a search table of an automatic guided vehicle;
• programming at least one bag ID into a control system, wherein the bag ID includes information related to the luggage item;
• determining an inspection station to transport the luggage item based on the bag ID;
• transmitting instructions to the automatic guided vehicle from the control system to transport the luggage item to the determined inspection station;
• transporting the luggage item to the determined inspection station with the luggage item disposed on the search table of the automatic guided vehicle;
• and
• conducting an inspection of the luggage item at the determined inspection station with the luggage item disposed on the search table of the automatic guided vehicle.

A system for operating a checked bag reconciliation area, said system comprising:

• an entrance mechanism wherein luggage items are received into the checked baggage reconciliation area;
• at least one inspection station spaced from the entrance mechanism;
• at least one pathway extending between said entrance mechanism and said at least one inspection station;
• at least one automatic guided vehicle including a chassis having a plurality of wheels for establishing movement of said automatic guided vehicle and a search table connected to said chassis for transporting the luggage items between said entrance conveyor and said inspection station with the luggage item disposed on said search table and for allowing the luggage item to be inspected while the luggage item is positioned on said search table;
• and
• a control system wirelessly connected to said automatic guided vehicle for controlling the movement of said automatic guided vehicle along said at least one pathway between said entrance conveyor and said at least one inspection station.

A method of operating an activity area, said method including:

• positioning a luggage item on a material handling device with the luggage item located at a first location in the activity area;
• providing instructions from a control system to the material handling device to move the luggage item from the first location to an inspection station in the activity area;
• transporting the luggage item from the first location to the inspection station with the material handling device and with the luggage item disposed on the material handling device;
• conducting an inspection of the luggage item at the inspection station with the luggage item disposed on the material handling device;
• determining a secondary destination to transport the luggage item based on the inspection of the luggage item;
• providing instructions from the control system to the material handling device to move the luggage item from the inspection station to the determined secondary destination;
• and
• transporting the luggage item to the determined secondary destination with the material handling device with the luggage item disposed on the material handling device.

A system for operating a checked bag reconciliation area, said system comprising:

• an entrance mechanism wherein luggage items are received into the checked baggage reconciliation area;
• at least one inspection station spaced from the entrance mechanism;
• at least one material handling device including an inspection surface for supporting at least one of the luggage items on said inspection surface and transporting the at least one luggage item between said entrance mechanism and said inspection station with the at least one luggage item supported by said inspection surface and for allowing the at least one luggage item to be inspected while the at least one luggage items is supported by said inspection surface;
• and
• a control system wireles sly connected to said material handling device for automatically controlling the movement of said material handling device.

A method of operating a checked bag reconciliation area, said method including:

• positioning a luggage item on a material handling device while the material handling device is positioned at a first location in the checked bag reconciliation area;
• transmitting a first input to a control system, wherein the first input is related to at least one of:
• bag ID information related to the luggage item and a condition in the checked bag reconciliation area;
• determining one inspection station of a plurality of inspection stations to transport the luggage item to based on the first input;
• providing instructions from the control system to the material handling device to move from the first location to the determined inspection station;
• and
• transporting the luggage item from the first location to the determined inspection station with the luggage item disposed on the material handling device.

A method of operating a checked bag reconciliation area, said method including:

• positioning a plurality of luggage items each on one of a plurality of material handling devices;
• transmitting a first input to a control system, wherein the first input is related to at least one of:
• bag ID information related to the luggage items and a condition in the checked bag reconciliation area;
• determining an order of priority of the material handling devices based on the first input;
• providing instructions from the control system to the plurality of material handling devices to each move to one of a plurality of inspection stations in the determined order of priority;
• and
• transporting the luggage items from the first location to the plurality of inspection stations in the determined order of priority with the luggage items each disposed on one of the material handling devices.

A system for operating a checked bag reconciliation area, said system comprising:

• an entrance mechanism wherein luggage items are received into the checked bag reconciliation area;
• at least one inspection station spaced from the entrance mechanism by a transportation distance;
• at least one material handling device including an inspection surface for supporting at least one of the luggage items on said inspection surface and transporting the at least one luggage item between said entrance mechanism and said inspection station along said transportation distance with the at least one luggage item supported by said inspection surface and for allowing the at least one luggage item to be inspected while the at least one luggage items is supported by said inspection surface;
• said transportation distance between said entrance mechanism and said at least one inspection station being independent of conveyors;
• and
• a control system wireles sly connected to said material handling device for automatically controlling the movement of said material handling device.

A system for prioritizing an automated movement of a plurality of luggage items, comprising:

• a data store comprising a computer readable medium storing a program of instructions for the prioritizing the automated movement;
• a processor that executes the program of instructions;
• a luggage information receiver configured to receive data associated with each of the plurality of luggage items;
• a luggage classifier configured to correspond the received data with priority data, the priority data being assigned to each of the plurality of luggage items;
• and
• an instructions communicator configured to communicate the priority data to a system for operating a checked bag reconciliation area,
• wherein the plurality of luggage items is processed via the checked bag reconciliation area based on the priority data.

A method of operating a checked bag reconciliation area, said method including:

• transporting a luggage item from an entrance mechanism to one of a plurality of inspection stations;
• conducting an inspection of the luggage item at the inspection station;
• and
• wherein transporting a luggage item from an entrance mechanism to one of a plurality of inspection stations includes transporting the luggage item to the inspection station with the luggage item disposed on a search table of an automatic guided vehicle, and wherein conducting an inspection of the luggage item includes conducting the inspection of the luggage item while the luggage item is disposed on the search table of the automatic guided vehicle, and wherein the inspection is conducted independent of an agent.