Systems and methods for event driven baggage management

A method for managing objects comprising:

• associating a tag with a traveler;
• associating the tag with an object;
• providing a plurality of readers configured for detecting the tag;
• predicting a time for the object to travel to each such reader;
• determining, at the predicted time, whether the tag has been detected by a respective reader;
• providing a server configured for:
• automatically initiating a locating process when the central server determines that one or more of the readers do not detect the tag within the predicted time;
• sending a message to a traveler indicating the location status of the object when a specified event occurs;
• and
• sending a message to a transportation carrier indicating the location status of the object when the specified event occurs.

A method for tracking the status of an object, comprising:

• registering travel information associated with a traveler in a central database, wherein the travel information is associated with an identification tag attached to an object that is associated with the traveler;
• monitoring the location of the object by detecting when the identification tag passes by one or more checkpoints located between an origin location where the object is dropped off by the traveler, and a destination location where the object is loaded onto a transportation vehicle;
• and
• automatically initiating a locating process with a central server when the central server recognizes that the location tag has not passed through at least one of the one or more checkpoints within a predetermined amount of time, wherein the locating process includes:
• sending a notification message to the traveler from the central server indicating the status of the object's location when a specified event occurs;
• and
• sending a notification message to a transportation agent terminal from the central server indicating the status of the object's location.

A system for managing the tracking of baggage, comprising:

• a travel industry site, comprising:
• one or more checkpoints located between an origination location where one or more objects are accepted from a traveler, and a destination location where the one or more objects accepted from the travelers are intended to be directed to, wherein the one or more checkpoints, the origination location and the destination location include identification tag detectors for detecting when a identification tag attached to the one or more objects is located within a predetermined distance of the respective detector;
• a central server including a central database for storing:
• registration information associated with the traveler and the identification tag attached to the one or more objects, and
• location information associated with each checkpoint;
• wherein each of the one or more checkpoints are configured to send location information to the central server for storage into the central database when the respective checkpoint detects the identification tag within a predetermined distance of a location tag detector, wherein the central server automatically initiates a locating process when the central server determines that one of the one or more checkpoints do not detect the identification tag within a predetermined amount of time, wherein the central server is configured for interfacing with at least one baggage management system for performing the locating process, and wherein the locating process includes generating a travel status message with the central server that indicates the status of the location of the one or more objects when a specified event occurs, and generating a travel industry message with the central server that indicates the status of the location of the one or more objects including the last checkpoint the identification tag was detected.