IP Library Granted Patent US 11,926,482
Granted Patent B2
US 11,926,482 · App. 17/010,930 · Granted Mar 12, 2024

Luggage processing station

Inventors: Michael Dupre Sanderson (Willoughby, AU); Rainer Rudolf Dinkelmann (South Coogee, AU); Paul Craig Bellamy (Ashtead, GB); Christian Riegman (Greensborough, AU); Kenneth Scott Ifield (Castlecrag, AU)
Assignee: ICM Airport Technics Pty Ltd
B65G43/08B64F1/366B65G43/10G06Q10/02B65G2201/0264
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,926,482
App. No.
17/010,930
Granted
Mar 12, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

An example luggage processing station comprises: an injector adapted to receive a piece of luggage, the injector comprising an injector conveyor belt integrated into a floor of the injector; a group of sensors positioned around the injector directed towards the injector conveyor belt; a controller adapted to assess the piece of luggage compared to an acceptance parameter whilst the piece of luggage is stationary on the injector conveyor belt; and the controller is configured to actuate the injector conveyor belt when the controller assesses the piece of luggage as meeting the acceptance parameter.

Claims (25)

1. A luggage processing station adapted to process a piece of luggage, the luggage processing station comprising:

an injector adapted to receive the piece of luggage, wherein the injector comprises an injector conveyor belt integrated into a floor of the injector;

a group of sensors;

wherein at least one sensor is positioned around the injector directed towards the injector conveyor belt and at least one sensor is directed toward a predetermined zone;

a controller adapted to assess the piece of the piece of luggage compared to an acceptance parameter whilst the piece of luggage is stationary on the injector conveyor belt; and

wherein the controller is configured to actuate the injector conveyor belt when the controller assesses the piece of luggage as meeting the acceptance parameter and a person staying within the predetermined zone.

2. The luggage processing station of claim 1 , wherein the piece of luggage is maintained in stationary position on the injector conveyor belt until the acceptance parameter is determined to be accepted by the controller.

3. The luggage processing station of claim 1 , wherein the group of sensors is configured to sense the piece of luggage whilst the piece of luggage is stationary on the injector conveyor belt.

4. The luggage processing station of claim 1 , wherein the acceptance parameter is that a luggage tag applied to the piece of luggage is readable by an electronic reader around the injector.

5. The luggage processing station of claim 1 , wherein the injector conveyor belt is adapted to convey the piece of luggage to a downstream collector conveyor belt.

6. The luggage processing station of claim 5 , wherein the injector conveyor belt is parallel to the ground upon which the injector is mounted.

7. A process for processing a piece of luggage, wherein the process comprises, in order:

i. a controller receiving input from a group of sensors mounted on an injector to determine at least one of size, shape, weight and tag readability of the piece of luggage, the piece of luggage located on an injector conveyor belt of the injector;

ii. the controller determining whether the piece of luggage meets a predetermined acceptance parameter and whether a person stays within a predetermined zone; and

iii. the controller actuating the injector conveyor belt when the piece of luggage meets the acceptance parameter.

8. The process of claim 7 , wherein the injector conveyor belt conveys the piece of luggage to a downstream collector conveyor belt upon the acceptance parameter being determined to be met by the controller.

9. The process of claim 8 , comprising maintaining the piece of luggage in stationary position on the injector conveyor belt until the acceptance parameter is met.

10. A processing station for registering a passenger's luggage, the processing station comprising:

an injector for receiving a piece of luggage associated with the passenger, the injector including an injector conveyor belt provided in a floor of the injector;

a group of sensors comprising at least one sensor associated with the injector for sensing the piece of luggage and at least one sensor for sensing a passenger staying within a predetermined area; a controller associated with the group of sensors, the controller being adapted to monitor the group of sensors; and

a user interface electrically connected to the controller, wherein the user interface includes a display screen for displaying messages to the passenger, and wherein the display screen is a touch screen.

11. The station of claim 10 , wherein the display screen is configured to display error message regarding the processing of the luggage to the passenger.

12. The station of claim 10 , wherein the touch screen is adapted to allow the passenger to input information to facilitate the processing of the piece of luggage.

13. The station of claim 10 , wherein the display screen is mounted on the injector.

14. The station of claim 13 , wherein the display screen is mounted on one side of the injector at a predetermined angle of deflection away from a longitudinal axis of the injector.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 2, 2026
From: ICM AIRPORT TECHNICS PTY LTD
To: AMADEUS AIRPORT IT AMERICAS, INC.
Reel/Frame 073658/0353 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 14, 2023
From: ICM AIRPORT TECHNICS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD
To: ICM AIRPORT TECHNICS PTY LTD
Reel/Frame 062975/0920 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 3, 2020
From: SANDERSON, MICHAEL DUPRE; DINKELMANN, RAINER RUDOLF; BELLAMY, PAUL CRAIG; RIEGMAN, CHRISTIAN; IFIELD, KENNETH SCOTT
To: ICM AIRPORT TECHNICS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD
Reel/Frame 054771/0385 →
Priority Claims (1)
AU 2010903430 · Jul 28, 2010 · national
Continuity (3)
Continuation 15711640 · Sep 21, 2017
Continuation 13812616
Related Publication 20200401956A1 · Dec 24, 2020