Patent ID: 6509829
Filing Date: 2003-01-21
Classification: G01S,G06K,G06Q,G07C,G08B,H04M

Abstract:
A travel reservation system comprising:a database configured to store information identifying passengers who have purchased tickets for a voyage, information about the scheduled departure for the voyage, and information identifying passengers who have checked in for the voyage; a controller configured to operate on the database; and a wireless transponder in communication with the controller, and an antenna coupled to the wireless transponder, the transponder being configured to periodically send wireless commands requesting wireless responses from portable identification devices, the portable identification devices being configured to transmit identifying data in response to receiving a command, the wireless transponder having a predetermined communications range and being configured to communicate with portable identification devices within the predetermined communications range, the controller being configured to modify the database to indicate that one of the passengers who purchased a ticket has checked in, responsive to the wireless transponder receiving a response from the portable identification device associated with that passenger, which response includes identifying data for that passenger, provided that the scheduled departure is less than a predetermined amount of time away.