PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-8215546-B2
Application Number: US-28635308-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: System and method for transportation check-in

Abstract:
There is provided a method and system for transportation check-in (e.g., ticketing and identification) via near field communication (NFC) using a handheld electronic device, such as a cellular phone or a personal media player. The handheld device may store and transmit travel reservations and traveler identifications using a travel management application. Various methods may be employed to acquire the reservation and identification information on the handheld device. For example, travel reservations may be made via the management application or may be retrieved from an email, a website, another NFC-enabled device, or a carrier-provided confirmation number. User identification may be acquired by scanning a radio frequency identification tag embedded in a government-issued I.D. In another embodiment, an I.D. number may be entered via the travel management application, and the user&#39;s identification information may be downloaded from the issuing authority.

Claims:
1. A method for transportation ticketing check-in, comprising:
 prompting a traveler to place a handheld electronic device comprising a display and a plurality of wireless communication interfaces within range of a near field communication (NFC) reader, wherein the display is configured to display a graphical user interface, wherein each of the plurality of wireless communication supports a respective communication protocol, and wherein one of the plurality of wireless communication interfaces comprises an NFC interface; 
 retrieving ticketing and traveler identification information from the NFC interface of the handheld electronic device via the NFC reader; and 
 verifying the traveler&#39;s identity using the retrieved traveler identification, wherein verifying the traveler&#39;s identity comprises comparing a photograph retrieved from the handheld electronic device to the traveler. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein verifying the traveler&#39;s identity comprises downloading a photograph of the traveler from a database using an identification code retrieved from the handheld electronic device. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein verifying the traveler&#39;s identity comprises:
 downloading a fingerprint from a database using an identification code retrieved from the handheld electronic device; and 
 comparing the downloaded fingerprint to a scanned fingerprint provided by the traveler at check-in. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein verifying the traveler&#39;s identity comprises:
 downloading a first retinal scan from a database using an identification code retrieved from the handheld electronic device; and 
 comparing the downloaded first retinal scan to a second retinal scan provided by the traveler at check-in. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 prompting the traveler to place the handheld electronic device within range of the NFC reader again after successfully checking in; and 
 updating the ticketing information on the handheld electronic device to indicate that the traveler checked in successfully. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein updating the ticketing information comprises storing information about checked luggage on the handheld electronic device. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ticketing information comprises a reservation for a flight, car rental, cruise, train, bus, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein, in addition to the NFC interface, the plurality of wireless communication interfaces comprises a Wi-Fi communication interface, a cellular data communication interface, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
       9. A handheld electronic device comprising tangible, machine-readable media, comprising code executable to perform the steps of:
 booking a travel reservation for a mode of transportation using a travel management application on the handheld electronic device; 
 scanning an email account on the handheld electronic device for an email containing the travel reservation; 
 importing the travel reservation information from the email into the travel management application; 
 storing the travel reservation on the handheld electronic device; 
 accessing the travel reservation using the travel management application; 
 transmitting the travel reservation from the handheld electronic device to a check-in kiosk; 
 receiving check-in details from the check-in kiosk to the handheld electronic device; and 
 transmitting the check-in details from the handheld electronic device to a gate kiosk to gain entrance to the mode of transportation. 
 
     
     
       10. The handheld electronic device of  claim 9 , wherein the tangible, machine-readable media comprises code executable to perform the steps of:
 accessing the travel reservation from a website; and 
 importing the travel reservation information from the website into the travel management application. 
 
     
     
       11. The handheld electronic device of  claim 9 , wherein the tangible, machine-readable media comprises code executable to perform the steps of:
 receiving the travel reservation via NFC from another NFC-enabled electronic device; and 
 importing the travel reservation information from the other NFC-enabled electronic device into the travel management application. 
 
     
     
       12. The handheld electronic device of  claim 9 , wherein the tangible, machine-readable media comprises code executable to perform the step of retrieving the travel reservation via the travel management application using a carrier-provided confirmation number. 
     
     
       13. The handheld electronic device of  claim 9 , wherein at least one of transmitting the travel reservation from the handheld electronic device to a check-in kiosk, receiving check-in details from the check-in kiosk to the handheld electronic device, and transmitting the check-in details from the handheld electronic device to a gate kiosk to gain entrance to the mode of transportation, occurs via near-field communication (NFC). 
     
     
       14. A method for transportation ticketing check-in, comprising:
 prompting a traveler to place a handheld electronic device comprising a display and a plurality of wireless communication interfaces within range of a near field communication (NFC) reader, wherein the display is configured to display a graphical user interface, wherein each of the plurality of wireless communication supports a respective communication protocol, and wherein one of the plurality of wireless communication interfaces comprises an NFC interface; 
 retrieving ticketing and traveler identification information from the NFC interface of the handheld electronic device via the NFC reader; and 
 verifying the traveler&#39;s identity using the retrieved traveler identification, wherein verifying the traveler&#39;s identity comprises downloading a photograph of the traveler from a database using an identification code retrieved from the handheld electronic device. 
 
     
     
       15. A method for transportation ticketing check-in, comprising:
 prompting a traveler to place a handheld electronic device comprising a display and a plurality of wireless communication interfaces within range of a near field communication (NFC) reader, wherein the display is configured to display a graphical user interface, wherein each of the plurality of wireless communication supports a respective communication protocol, and wherein one of the plurality of wireless communication interfaces comprises an NFC interface; 
 retrieving ticketing and traveler identification information from the NFC interface of the handheld electronic device via the NFC reader; and 
 verifying the traveler&#39;s identity using the retrieved traveler identification, wherein verifying the traveler&#39;s identity comprises:
 downloading a fingerprint from a database using an identification code retrieved from the handheld electronic device; and 
 comparing the downloaded fingerprint to a scanned fingerprint provided by the traveler at check-in. 
 
 
     
     
       16. A method for transportation ticketing check-in, comprising:
 prompting a traveler to place a handheld electronic device comprising a display and a plurality of wireless communication interfaces within range of a near field communication (NFC) reader, wherein the display is configured to display a graphical user interface, wherein each of the plurality of wireless communication supports a respective communication protocol, and wherein one of the plurality of wireless communication interfaces comprises an NFC interface; 
 retrieving ticketing and traveler identification information from the NFC interface of the handheld electronic device via the NFC reader; and 
 verifying the traveler&#39;s identity using the retrieved traveler identification, wherein verifying the traveler&#39;s identity comprises:
 downloading a first retinal scan from a database using an identification code retrieved from the handheld electronic device; and 
 comparing the downloaded first retinal scan to a second retinal scan provided by the traveler at check-in. 
 
 
     
     
       17. A handheld electronic device comprising tangible, machine-readable media, comprising code executable to perform the steps of:
 booking a travel reservation for a mode of transportation using a travel management application on the handheld electronic device; 
 accessing the travel reservation from a website; 
 importing the travel reservation information from the website into the travel management application; 
 storing the travel reservation on the handheld electronic device; 
 accessing the travel reservation using the travel management application; 
 transmitting the travel reservation from the handheld electronic device to a check-in kiosk; 
 receiving check-in details from the check-in kiosk to the handheld electronic device; and 
 transmitting the check-in details from the handheld electronic device to a gate kiosk to gain entrance to the mode of transportation.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates generally to transportation check-in and, more particularly, to employing near field communication for identification and ticketing by transportation providers. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art. 
     Transportation ticketing has traditionally involved a pre-printed ticket which is scanned at a departure station. For example, transportation tickets may be printed at home with a barcode or a QR code (i.e., a 3-dimensional barcode) encoded with information about the traveler and/or the travel (e.g., name, destination, departure time, schedule number, etc.). In addition, this information may be included in plain language on the printed ticket. A traveler may be required to present this pre-printed ticket to gain admission to the transportation depot (e.g., airport, train station, but station, etc.), to pass through a security check-point, and/or to board the vehicle for transportation. 
     For example, in order to board an airplane at an airport, a traveler may be asked to present his pre-printed ticket in order to check in to his flight, to pass through the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint, and to enter the gangway to board the airplane. The traveler may also be required to present photo identification at some or all of these locations. The ticket and/or identification may also be required to retrieve luggage from a baggage claim station at the traveler&#39;s destination. In addition to carrying the ticket and identification, the traveler may be carrying luggage and/or carryon bags to the ticket counter; bags, a laptop, and shoes through the TSA checkpoint; and carryon bags onto the airplane. Juggling multiple items while presenting a paper ticket and identification is often inconvenient and may lead to forgotten items, lost tickets and/or identification, and other hassles. 
     Furthermore, printing out paper tickets consumes natural resources and costs money every time a ticket is printed. Indeed, many airlines charge a traveler considerable fees to receive an airline-printed ticket. Accordingly, a traveler is generally expected to have a pre-printed ticket in his hands upon arrival at the transportation depot. 
     SUMMARY 
     Certain aspects of embodiments disclosed herein by way of example are summarized below. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a brief summary of certain forms an invention disclosed and/or claimed herein might take and that these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of any invention disclosed and/or claimed herein. Indeed, any invention disclosed and/or claimed herein may encompass a variety of aspects that may not be set forth below. 
     Accordingly, there is provided a handheld electronic device, such as a cellular phone or a personal media player, which may enable traveler check-in for travel. That is, ticketing and identification information may be stored on the handheld electronic device and transmitted, such as via near field communication, to another electronic device. The handheld device may be used to check into flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises, trains, buses, and so forth. 
     In addition, traveler identification information may be transmitted electronically to enable faster security verification during check-in. The traveler identification information may enable automatic lookup of the traveler in a security database, thereby reducing the inconveniences of incorrect identification. Travelers may also provide specialized identification, such as fingerprints or retinal scans, in order to provide heightened security on high-risk modes of transportation. 
     Travel information may be managed on the handheld device by a travel management application. Ticketing and reservation information may be entered into the application via several methods. For example, reservations may be made through the travel management application. In another embodiment, reservations may be retrieved from an email, a website, another electronic device, or via a carrier-provided confirmation number. Additional reservation retrieval methods may be employed, such as, for example, acquiring digital images of travel documents and extracting reservation images via optical character recognition software, barcode-reading software, or QR-code-reading software. 
     Identifications may also be managed via the travel management application. I.D.s, such as passports or driver&#39;s licenses, may be loaded onto the handheld device via, for example, scanning a radio frequency identification tag embedded in the I.D., or entering an I.D. number and looking up the corresponding identification information. Again, additional identification retrieval methods may be employed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Advantages of the invention may become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an electronic device in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of an embodiment of the electronic device of  FIG. 1  in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of another embodiment of the electronic device of  FIG. 1  in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a ticketing and baggage check counter kiosk including an embodiment of the electronic device of  FIG. 1  in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an unmanned ticketing and baggage check kiosk including an embodiment of the electronic device of  FIG. 1  in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a transportation security checkpoint including embodiments of the electronic device of  FIG. 1  in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a boarding gate including an embodiment of the electronic device of  FIG. 1  in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 8  is a flow chart of a travel check-in process using the electronic device of  FIG. 1  in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic of a screen shot of a travel management application on the electronic device of  FIG. 1  in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIGS. 10-12  are schematics of screen shots of a check-in and/or baggage claim function of the travel management application on the electronic device of  FIG. 1  in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIGS. 13-19  are schematics of screen shots of a travel reservation function of the travel management application on the electronic device of  FIG. 1  in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 20  is a schematic of a screen shot of a reservation review function of the travel management application on the electronic device of  FIG. 1  in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIGS. 21-27  are schematics of screen shots of a reservation retrieval function of the travel management application on the electronic device of  FIG. 1  in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIGS. 28 and 29  are schematics of screen shots of a reservation sharing function of the travel management application on the electronic device of  FIG. 1  in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIGS. 30 and 31  are schematics of screen shots of a reservation retrieval function of the travel management application on the electronic device of  FIG. 1  in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 32  is a schematic of a screen shot for an identification management function of the travel management application on the electronic device of  FIG. 1  in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIGS. 33-36  are schematics of screen shots of an identification retrieval function of the travel management application on the electronic device of  FIG. 1  in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIGS. 37 and 38  are schematics of screen shots of an identification transmittal function of the travel management application on the electronic device of  FIG. 1  in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 39  is a schematic of a screen shot for an identification deletion function of the travel management application on the electronic device of  FIG. 1  in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS 
     One or more specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all features of an actual implementation are described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers&#39; specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure. 
     Turning first to  FIG. 1 , an electronic device  10  may be configured for obtaining, storing, or using electronic tickets and/or identification for transportation. As discussed below with reference to  FIGS. 2-7 , the electronic device  10  may be, among other things, a handheld device, a computer, or a media player adapted to obtain, store, or use electronic travel reservations and/or identification, collectively referred to as travel documents, using techniques described in greater detail below; a manned or unmanned kiosk to sell or distribute electronic transportation tickets to another electronic device  10  and/or to enable transportation check-in using another electronic device  10 ; or an electronic ticket reader to present identification and/or transportation ticketing information upon receipt of travel documents from another electronic device  10 . As such, the electronic device  10  may be, for example, an iPhone®, iPod®, iMac®, or MacBook®, available from Apple Inc., or similar devices by any manufacturer. It should be appreciated that embodiments of the electronic device  10  may include more or fewer elements than those shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     The electronic device  10  may include at least one central processing unit (CPU)  12 . For example, the CPU  12  may include one or more microprocessors, and the microprocessors may be “general purpose” microprocessors, a combination of general and special purpose microprocessors, or ASICS. Additionally or alternatively, the CPU  12  may include one or more reduced instruction set (RISC) processors, video processors, or related chip sets. The CPU  12  may provide processing capability to execute an operating system, run various applications, and/or provide processing for one or more of the techniques described herein. Exemplary applications that may run on the electronic device  10  include a music player, a video player, a picture displayer, a calendar, an address book, an email client, a telephone dialer, and so forth. In addition, software for managing electronic travel documents may be included on the electronic device  10 , as described below. 
     A main memory  14  may be communicably coupled to the CPU  12 , which may store data and executable code. The main memory  14  may represent volatile memory such as RAM, but may also include nonvolatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM) or Flash memory. In buffering or caching data related to operations of the CPU  12 , the main memory  14  may store data associated with open applications running on the electronic device  10 . 
     The electronic device  10  may also include nonvolatile storage  16 . The nonvolatile storage  16  may represent any suitable nonvolatile storage medium, such as a hard disk drive or nonvolatile memory, such as flash memory. Being well-suited to long-term storage, the nonvolatile storage  16  may store data files such as media (e.g., music files, video files, pictures, etc.), software (e.g., for implementing functions on the electronic device  10 ), preference information (e.g., media playback preferences, desktop background image, ringtones, etc.), transaction information (e.g., credit card data, records of transactions, etc.), wireless connection information (e.g., wireless network names and/or passwords, cellular network connections, etc.), subscription information (e.g., a record of podcasts, television shows, or other media to which a user subscribes), as well as personal information (e.g., contacts, calendars, email, etc.). Additionally, travel document data may be saved in the nonvolatile storage  16 , as discussed further below. 
     In certain embodiments, a display  18  of the electronic device  10  may display images and/or data. The display  18  may be any suitable display, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display, an electronic paper display (e.g., E Ink), a light emitting diode (LED) display, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, a cathode ray tube (CRT) display, or an analog or digital television. In some embodiments, the display  18  may include touch screen or multi-touch screen technology through which a user may interface with the electronic device  10 . 
     The electronic device  10  may further have a user interface  20 . The user interface  20  may include, for example, indicator lights, user inputs, and/or a graphical user interface (GUI) on the display  18 . In practice, the user interface  20  may operate via the CPU  12 , using memory from the main memory  14  and long-term storage in the nonvolatile storage  16 . In an embodiment lacking the display  18 , indicator lights, sound devices, buttons, and other various input/output (I/O) devices may allow a user to interface with the electronic device  10 . In an embodiment having a GUI, the user interface  20  may provide interaction with interface elements on the display  18  via certain user input structures, user input peripherals such as a keyboard or mouse, or a touch sensitive implementation of the display  18 . 
     At a given time, one or more applications may be open and accessible to a user via the user interface  20  and/or displayed on the display  18  of the electronic device  10 . The applications may run on the CPU  12  in conjunction with the main memory  14 , the nonvolatile storage  16 , the display  18 , and the user interface  20 . Various data may be associated with each open application. As will be discussed in greater detail below, instructions stored in the main memory  14 , the nonvolatile storage  16 , or the CPU  12  of the electronic device  10  may obtain, store, and use electronic travel documents. Rather than manage paper tickets and photo ID cards, a user may employ the electronic device  10  to manage travel documents electronically. As such, it should be appreciated that the instructions for carrying out such techniques may represent a standalone application, a function of the operating system of the electronic device  10 , or a function of the hardware of the CPU  12 , the main memory  14 , the nonvolatile storage  16 , or other hardware of the electronic device  10 . 
     In certain embodiments, the electronic device  10  may include location sensing circuitry  22 . The location sensing circuitry  22  may represent global positioning system (GPS) circuitry, but may also represent one or more algorithms and databases, stored in the nonvolatile storage  16  or main memory  14  and executed by the CPU  12 , which may be used to infer location based on various observed factors. For example, the location sensing circuitry  22  may include an algorithm and database used to approximate geographic location based on the detection of local wireless networks (e.g., 802.11x, otherwise known as Wi-Fi) or nearby cellular phone towers. As discussed below, the electronic device  10  may employ the location sensing circuitry  22  as a factor for carrying out certain ticketing and/or identification management techniques. By way of example, the location sensing circuitry  22  may be used by the electronic device  10  to determine a user&#39;s location during an event; the location during the event may then affect and/or determine the information displayed on the electronic device  10 . 
     With continued reference to  FIG. 1 , the electronic device  10  may also include a wired input/output (I/O) interface  24  for a wired interconnection between one electronic device  10  and another electronic device  10 . The wired I/O interface  24  may be, for example, a universal serial bus (USB) port or an IEEE 1394 port (e.g., FireWire®, available from Apple Inc.), but may also represent a proprietary connection. Additionally, the wired I/O interface  24  may permit a connection to peripheral user interface devices, such as a keyboard or a mouse. 
     One or more network interfaces  26  may provide additional connectivity for the electronic device  10 . The network interfaces  26  may include, for example, one or more network interface cards (NIC) or a network controller. In certain embodiments, the network interface  26  may include a personal area network (PAN) interface  28 . The PAN interface  28  may provide capabilities to network with, for example, a Bluetooth® network, an IEEE 802.15.4 (e.g., ZigBee) network, or an ultra wideband (UWB) network. As should be appreciated, the networks accessed by the PAN interface  28  may, but do not necessarily, represent low power, low bandwidth, or close range wireless connections. The PAN interface  28  may permit one electronic device  10  to connect to another local electronic device  10  via an ad-hoc or peer-to-peer connection. However, the connection may be disrupted if the separation between the two electronic devices  10  exceeds the range of the PAN interface  28 . 
     The network interface  26  may also include a local area network (LAN) interface  30 . The LAN interface  30  may be, for example an interface to a wired Ethernet-based network or an interface to a wireless LAN, such as a Wi-Fi network. The range of the LAN interface  30  may generally exceed the range available via the PAN interface  28 . Additionally, in many cases, a connection between two electronic devices  10  via the LAN interface  30  may involve communication through a network router or other intermediary device. 
     Additionally, for some embodiments of the electronic device  10 , the network interfaces  26  may include the capability to connect directly to a wide area network (WAN) via a WAN interface  32 . The WAN interface  32  may permit a connection to a cellular data network, such as the Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) network, a 3G network, or another cellular network. When connected via the WAN interface  32 , the electronic device  10  may remain connected to the Internet and, in some embodiments, to another electronic device  10 , despite changes in location that might otherwise disrupt connectivity via the PAN interface  28  or the LAN interface  30 . As will be discussed below, the wired I/O interface  24  and the network interfaces  26  may represent high-bandwidth communication channels for transferring user data using the simplified data transfer techniques discussed herein. 
     Certain embodiments of the electronic device  10  may also include a near field communication (NFC) interface  34 . The NFC interface  34  may allow for extremely close range communication at relatively low data rates (e.g., 424 kb/s), and may comply with such standards as ISO/IEC 18092, ECMA-340, ISO/IEC 21481, ECMA-352, ISO 14443, and/or ISO 15693. The NFC interface  34  may have a range of approximately 2-4 cm. The close range communication with the NFC interface  34  may take place via magnetic field induction, allowing the NFC interface  34  to communicate with other NFC interfaces  34  or to retrieve information from tags having radio frequency identification (RFID) circuitry. As described below, the NFC interface  34  may enable initiation and/or facilitation of data transfer of from one electronic device  10  to another electronic device  10 . 
     The electronic device  10  of  FIG. 1  may also include a camera  36 . With the camera  36 , the electronic device  10  may obtain digital images and/or videos. In combination with optical character recognition (OCR) software, barcode-reading software, or QR-code-reading software running on the electronic device  10 , the camera  36  may be used to input data from printed materials having text or barcode information. 
     In addition, in certain embodiments of the electronic device  10 , one or more accelerometers  38  may be included which sense the movement and/or orientation of the electronic device  10 . The accelerometers  38  may provide input or feedback regarding the position of the electronic device  10  to certain applications running on the CPU  12 . By way of example, the accelerometers  38  may include a 3-axis accelerometer from ST Microelectronics. 
       FIGS. 2-7  illustrate various specific embodiments of the electronic device  10  of  FIG. 1 . For example, the electronic device  10  of  FIG. 1  may be a handheld device  40 , as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . The exemplary handheld device  40  may be a portable phone and/or a portable media player, such as an iPhone® or an iPod® available from Apple Inc. 
     The handheld device  40  may have an enclosure  42  of plastic, metal, composite materials, or other suitable materials in any combination. The enclosure  42  may protect the interior components of the handheld device  40  from physical damage and electromagnetic interference (EMI). Additionally, the enclosure  42  may allow certain frequencies of electromagnetic radiation to pass to and/or from wireless communication circuitry within the handheld device  40  to facilitate wireless communication. 
     The display  18  of the handheld device  40  may include the user interface  20  in the form of a GUI, which may have a number of individual icons representing applications that may be activated. The user interface  20  on the display  18  of the handheld device  40  may also include certain status indicator icons  46 , which may indicate the status of various components of the handheld device  40 . For example, the status indicator icons may include a cellular reception meter, an icon to indicate when the PAN interface  28  is active (e.g., when a Bluetooth® network is in use), or a battery life meter. 
     In some embodiments, a travel management application icon  44  may be selectable by a user. For example, the display  18  may serve as a touch-sensitive input device, and icons may be selected by touch. Here, the travel management application icon  44  is designated as “iTravel” to indicate to a user that selection of the icon  44  will allow the user to store and use travel documents, including transportation tickets and/or identification. When the travel management application icon  44  is selected, the travel management application may open, as described further below. The travel management application may enable a user to obtain, store, or use electronic travel documents to gain entry to a terminal, depot, station, mode of transportation, and so forth. 
     The handheld device  40  may connect to another electronic device  10 , such as a computer, through the wired I/O interface  24 . For example, the wired I/O interface  24  may be a proprietary connection for coupling the handheld device  40  to another electronic device  10  via USB or FireWire®. Once connected, the devices  10  may synchronize and/or transfer certain data, such as electronic travel documents, in accordance with techniques discussed herein. 
     User input structures  48 ,  50 ,  52 , and  54  may supplement or replace the touch-sensitive input capability of the display  18  for interaction with the user interface  20 . By way of example, the user input structures  48 ,  50 ,  52 , and  54  may include buttons, switches, a control pad, keys, knobs, a scroll wheel, or any other suitable input structures. The user input structures  48  and  50  may work in conjunction with the display  18  to control functions of the device. Particularly, the user input structure  48  may be an on/off button; the user input structure  50  may be a navigation button for navigating the user interface  20  to a default or home screen; the user input structures  52  may be a pair of buttons for controlling volume and/or for navigating up and down a screen of the user interface  20 ; and the user input structure  54  may be a sliding button which mutes the handheld device  40  or which “locks” and “unlocks” the device  40 . 
     In addition, the handheld device  40  may include audio input and/or output structures. For example, audio structures  56  may include one or more microphones for receiving voice data from a user and/or one or more speakers for outputting audio data, such as songs, ringtones, sound tracks associated with videos, voice data received by the handheld device  40  over a cellular network, and so forth. In addition, an audio structure  58  may include a speaker for output audio data, such as voice data received by the handheld device  40  over the cellular network. In certain embodiments, an audio port  60  may also enable connection of peripheral audio input and output devices, such as headsets, speakers, or microphones, for use with the handheld device  40 . 
     As noted above, some embodiments of the electronic device  10  may include the NFC interface  34 . The handheld device  40  depicted in  FIG. 2  may include the NFC interface  34  in any suitable location within the enclosure  42 . Because the NFC interface  34  may permit communication at a very short range, the location of the NFC interface  34  in the handheld device  40  may be indicated on the exterior of the enclosure  42 , as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . The NFC interface  34  may enable the handheld device  40  to communicate with RFID tags and/or other NFC-enabled electronic devices  10 . For example, the NFC interface  34  may enable transmission of electronic travel documents to transportation and/or security personnel, as described further below. 
     Additionally, the camera  36  may be located, for example, on the back of the handheld device  40 . As discussed further below, the camera  36  may be used to obtain a digital images of travel documents. The handheld device  40  may thereafter employ optical character recognition (OCR) software, barcode reading software, and/or QR code reading software to extract ticket information from the image, as described further below. 
     The handheld device  40  may also include the location sensing circuitry  22  and/or the accelerometers  38 . Certain applications running on the handheld device  40  may obtain information about the location, orientation, and/or movement of the handheld device from the location sensing circuitry  22  and/or the accelerometers  38 . This information may enable applications to display personalized data or to display data in an innovative manner in response to a user&#39;s location and/or movement. For example, the travel management application may acquire the user&#39;s location via the location sensing circuitry  22  as a security measure, as discussed in more detail below. 
     Another embodiment of the electronic device  10  of  FIG. 1  may be a computer  62 , as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . The computer  62  may be any computer, such as a desktop computer, a server, or a notebook computer, but may also be a standalone media player or video gaming machine. By way of example, the computer  62  may be an iMac®, a MacBook®, or an AppleTV® by Apple Inc. In addition, the computer  62  may be a personal computer (PC) from another manufacturer. An enclosure  64  may protect internal components of the computer  62 . Such internal components may include, for example, the CPU  12 , the main memory  14 , the nonvolatile storage  16 , certain network interfaces  26 , and/or the NFC interface  34 , as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
     The NFC interface  34  may permit near field communication between the computer  62  and other NFC enabled electronic devices  10 , such as the handheld device  40 . Accordingly, the location of the NFC interface  34  within the enclosure  64  may be noted by a label on the exterior of the enclosure  64  to enable positioning of other NFC enabled electronic devices  10  within the short range of the NFC interface  34 . Additionally, the NFC interface  34  may also enable the computer  62  to receive electronic ticket data from an RFID tag located on a ticket, as described further below. 
     The user interface  20  may be displayed on the display  18  of the computer  62  in the form of a GUI. The user interface  20  may display, for example, user interfaces for applications  66  running on the computer  62 . Additionally, the user interface  20  may include a variety of icons related to applications installed on the computer  62 , such as the travel management application icon  44 . When the travel management application icon  44  is selected, another version of the travel management application optimized for the computer  62  may open. The travel management application may enable a user to obtain, store, or use travel documents, as described further herein. 
     A user may interact with the user interface  20  via various peripheral input devices, such as a keyboard  68  and/or a mouse  70 . Peripherals may connect to the computer  62 , for example, via the wired I/O interface  24  and/or the PAN interface  28  (e.g., Bluetooth®). The wired I/O interface  24  may also provide a high bandwidth communication channel for coupling other electronic devices  10 , such as the handheld device  40 , to the computer  62 . 
     The computer  62  may also include the camera  36 . As discussed further below, the camera  36  may obtain, among other things, a digital image of a transportation ticket and/or identification. With the digital image, the computer  62  and/or the handheld device  40  may employ optical character recognition (OCR) software, barcode-reading software, or QR-code-reading software to extract ticket information from the image. 
     Turning to  FIG. 4 , a perspective view of a ticketing and baggage check counter  78  having an NFC-enabled counter kiosk  80 , another embodiment of the electronic device  10  of  FIG. 1 , is illustrated. The NFC-enabled counter kiosk  80  may communicate with another electronic device  10 , such as the handheld device  40 , to purchase a transportation ticket and/or to check in for travel. For example, as described further below, a user may purchase or otherwise obtain an electronic travel ticket from the counter kiosk  80 . The user may also use an electronic travel ticket and/or electronic identification at the counter kiosk  80  to check in for travel, including checking in luggage. As described in more detail below, the electronic travel ticket may include a unique identifier, such as a digital code, which may be utilized to look up and/or alter information regarding a traveler&#39;s reservation in a networked database. 
     The counter kiosk  80  may generally include a traveler interface  82  and an agent interface  84 . The traveler interface  82  may have an integrated or separate NFC interface  34  within an enclosure  86 . The NFC interface  34  may permit near field communication between the counter kiosk  80  and other NFC enabled electronic devices  10 , such as the handheld device  40 . Accordingly, the location of the NFC interface  34  within the enclosure  86  may be noted by a label on the exterior of the enclosure  86  to enable positioning of other NFC enabled electronic devices  10  within the short range of the NFC interface  34 . The traveler interface  82  may also include the display  18  having the user interface  20  (e.g., a touch-screen display) and a credit card scanner  88 . A luggage scale  90  may also be coupled to or in communication with the counter kiosk  80  to enable detection and weighing of the traveler&#39;s luggage. 
     To enable purchase and/or redemption of an electronic travel ticket, the traveler interface  82  may communicate with the agent interface  84  and various other computers over a variety of networks using the network interfaces  26  ( FIG. 1 ). By way of example, the traveler interface  82  may be coupled to the agent interface  84  via a direct connection or a LAN. The counter kiosk  80  may communicate with a local server over a local network or a web service over the Internet. The local server or the web service may track, for example, reservation information, whether a traveler has checked in, if the traveler has checked in any bags, and so forth. 
     In addition, traveler identification information, such as a photograph, fingerprint, or retinal scan, may be accessed from the local server or the web service for verification of the traveler&#39;s identity. The camera  36 , a fingerprint scanner  94 , and/or a retina scanner  96  may also be incorporated into the traveler interface  82  to enable enhanced traveler identification for security purposes, as described in more detail below. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates an NFC-enabled unmanned kiosk  100 , which may be another embodiment of the electronic device  10  of  FIG. 1 . The unmanned kiosk  100  may be configured to enable a user of another electronic device  10 , such as the handheld device  40 , to obtain an electronic travel reservation or to check in using an existing electronic travel reservation. The unmanned kiosk  100  may function largely in the same manner as the counter kiosk  80  of  FIG. 4 , but may operate without a human agent. For example, as described below, a user may purchase or otherwise obtain an electronic travel reservation from the unmanned kiosk  100 , or the user may access an existing reservation and check in for travel at the unmanned kiosk  100 . 
     An enclosure  102  may protect the internal components of the unmanned kiosk  100  from its particular environment. For example, the enclosure  102  may include weather resistant material and sealant if the unmanned kiosk  102  is to be located outdoors. Among the components housed within the enclosure  102  may be the NFC interface  34 . The NFC interface may enable a user to interact with the unmanned kiosk  100  using an NFC-enabled electronic device  10  or an NFC-enabled card. The unmanned kiosk  100  may also include other elements of the electronic device  10  described above with reference to  FIG. 1 , such as the display  18  having the user interface  20 . The display  18  may be a touch-screen display; in addition, or alternately, the unmanned kiosk  100  may include a keypad  104  to enable user interaction with the kiosk  100 . 
     As noted above with reference to the counter kiosk  80  of  FIG. 4 , the unmanned kiosk  100  may also communicate with various other computers over a variety of networks to provide functionality for obtaining an electronic travel reservation or checking in with an existing electronic travel reservation. By way of example, the unmanned kiosk  100  may communicate with a local server over a local network or a web service over the Internet using the network interfaces  26 . The local server or the web service may track, for example, reservation information, whether a traveler has checked in, if the traveler has checked in any bags, and so forth. 
     In addition, traveler identification information, such as a photograph, fingerprint, or retinal scan, may be accessed from the local server or the web service for verification of the traveler&#39;s identity. The camera  36 , a fingerprint scanner  106 , and/or a retina scanner  108  may also be incorporated into the unmanned kiosk  100  to enable enhanced traveler identification for security purposes, as described in more detail below. 
     The unmanned kiosk  100  may also be communicatively coupled to a luggage scale  110 . The scale may enable the unmanned kiosk  100  to assess fees for checked baggage, overweight baggage, and so forth. A credit card scanner  112  may also be incorporated into the unmanned kiosk  100  to enable the traveler to pay assessed fees via credit card. 
     In  FIG. 6 , a security checkpoint  120  is illustrated. The security checkpoint  120  may include one or more embodiments of the electronic device  10  of  FIG. 1 . For example, a line entrance kiosk  122  may include the NFC interface  34  within an enclosure  124 . The enclosure  124  may also house the display  18 , which a security official  126  may monitor. A traveler may approach the line entrance kiosk  22  and move the handheld device  40  to within the range of the NFC interface  34  of the kiosk  122 , as indicated by a label on the exterior of the enclosure  124 . The kiosk  122  may then receive traveler identification information from the handheld device  40 . For example, the traveler&#39;s name, picture, and description may be transmitted from the handheld device  40  to the kiosk  122 . In another embodiment, a unique identifier may be transmitted from the handheld device to the line entrance kiosk  122 , and the traveler&#39;s identification information may be downloaded from a networked database. As described above, the identification information may include a picture, description, fingerprint, retinal scan, and so forth. In some embodiments, a camera  36 , fingerprint scanner  127 , and/or retina scanner (not shown) may be incorporated into the line entrance kiosk  122  to enable automatic identity verification (e.g., via facial recognition, fingerprint comparisons, or retina comparisons). In the illustrated embodiment, the security official  126  may compare the traveler to a picture on the display  18  before allowing the traveler to stand in the line. The traveler may move the handheld device  40  within range of the kiosk  122  again to receive confirmation that the traveler&#39;s identification was checked. 
     The traveler may then proceed to a metal detector  128  and a carry-on luggage scanner  130 . The traveler generally places any carry-on luggage on a conveyor belt to pass through the luggage scanner  130 , which X-rays the luggage. Another security official  126  may monitor the progress of carry-on luggage through the scanner  130 , for example, on a monitor  132 . While the traveler&#39;s carry-on luggage is being examined, another security official  126  may observe as the traveler passes through the metal detector  128 . To verify that the traveler&#39;s identification was checked at the line entrance kiosk  122 , or in lieu of checking identification at the kiosk  122 , the metal detector  128  may be another embodiment of the electronic device  10  of  FIG. 1 . That is, the metal detector  128  may include elements of the electronic device  10 , such as the NFC interface  34  and the display  18 . Upon approaching the metal detector  128 , the traveler may move the handheld device  40  within range of the NFC interface  34 , as noted by a label on the metal detector  128 . The handheld device  40  may transmit a confirmation that the traveler&#39;s identification was verified at the line entrance kiosk  122 . In another embodiment, the metal detector  128  may receive identification information from the handheld device, and the traveler&#39;s identification may be verified at the metal detector  128 . That is, a picture of the traveler may be displayed on the display  18  for comparison to the traveler. In other embodiments, the metal detector  128  may include or may be coupled to a camera, a fingerprint scanner, a retina scanner, and so forth. In these instances, the traveler&#39;s identity may be confirmed via facial recognition software, fingerprint comparisons, or retina comparisons. 
     After passing through the security checkpoint  120 , the traveler may be required to present the travel reservation information and/or identification at a boarding gate  140 , illustrated in  FIG. 7 , before boarding a transportation vehicle  142  (e.g., plane, train, bus, cruise ship, etc.). The boarding gate  140  may be equipped with another embodiment of the electronic device  10  of  FIG. 1 . For example, a boarding kiosk  144  may be placed next to an entrance to the transportation vehicle  142  to enable one last check of the traveler&#39;s documents before boarding. In the illustrated embodiment, the boarding kiosk  144  may include the NFC interface  34 , denoted by a label on the kiosk  144 , and one or more of the network interfaces  26 . The traveler may move the handheld device  40  within range of the NFC interface  34  of the kiosk  144 , for example, to verify that the correct vehicle is being boarded (e.g., to ensure the traveler is getting on the right flight) and to keep track of the travelers who have already boarded. To facilitate this oversight, the kiosk  144  may be in communication with a local server over a local network or a web service over the Internet using the network interfaces  26 . In some embodiments, the kiosk  144  may also include the display  18  and/or other identification structures to enable further identity verification. 
     An exemplary process  200  for travel check-in is illustrated in  FIG. 8 . The check-in process  200  may be implemented at a check-in device, such as, for example, the ticketing and baggage check counter  78  of  FIG. 4  or the unmanned kiosk  200  of  FIG. 5 . The traveler may approach a check-in device and optionally place luggage on a luggage scale. An NFC-enabled device, such that the handheld device  40 , may be moved within range of an NFC interface in the check-in device (block  202 ). As described in more detail below, the check-in device may receive travel reservation information, such as a unique code, from the handheld device  40 . The unique code may be used to look up travel information, for example, from a networked database of travel reservations. 
     The traveler&#39;s reservation information may then be accessed from the networked database. A display on the check-in device may provide a list of travelers associated with the reservation and prompt the traveler to select one or more individuals for check-in (block  204 ). For security purposes, the identity of the passengers checking in may be verified (block  206 ). A variety of identification verification methods may be employed. In a first embodiment, the traveler&#39;s handheld device  40  may include an electronic identification, such as a picture, a fingerprint, a retinal scan, and so forth. In this embodiment, security measures must be taken to ensure that the identifying information may not be altered. For example, a local, state, or federal government may provide a user with an electronic identification which may be stored on the handheld device  40 . The electronic identification may include a picture, the user&#39;s full name and birth date, a digitized copy of the user&#39;s signature, a description of the user (e.g., height, weight, hair color, eye color, etc.), or any other identifying information. The traveler&#39;s identification may be provided by the handheld device  40  to the check-in device, whereby an agent or security official may examine the identification, for example, as displayed on a display. 
     In another embodiment of traveler identification verification (block  206 ), the check-in device may be connected to a local or remote server which contains user identification data. For example, the traveler&#39;s handheld device  40  may include a unique identifier, such as an alpha-numeric code, which is used to look up the traveler in a database. The database may contain identification information (e.g., picture, fingerprint, retinal scan, signature, description, etc.) which may then be accessed by the check-in device. Further, the database may be maintained by a government, a travel depot (e.g., an airport, a train station, a cruise terminal, a bus station, etc.), a travel provider (e.g., an airline, a train line, a cruise line, a bus company, etc.), or a third-party security company, for example. Providing identifying data to the database maintainer may be voluntary or mandatory. The traveler may be prompted to provide a photograph, a fingerprint, or a retina scan for comparison with stored identification information. The acquired photograph may be automatically compared to the traveler&#39;s identification photograph, for example, via facial recognition software. The scanned fingerprint or retina may also be automatically compared to identifying data stored in the database to verify the traveler&#39;s identity. 
     If more than one traveler is checking in, the passengers may go through the security verification process one-at-a-time. Upon verification of the first traveler, the second traveler may tap another handheld device  40  to the check-in device to initiate a similar identification verification process. This process (block  206 ) may be repeated until all of the selected passengers (block  204 ) are verified. If the additional passengers do not have NFC-enabled handheld devices  40 , any suitable alternate identification method may be employed. 
     The traveler(s) may then indicate whether they have luggage to check (block  208 ). For example, if weight is detected on the scale, the check-in device may automatically prompt the traveler(s) to indicate how many bags are being checked. In another embodiment, the passengers may be prompted to indicate if any luggage will be checked (i.e., a yes/no question) and how many bags are being checked. Tags for the checked luggage may then be printed for placement on the bags, and identifying information on the tags may be associated with the traveler&#39;s reservation. 
     Additionally, some travel providers charge passengers a fee to check luggage. Fees may also be assessed for certain large and/or heavy checked items. Generally, payment is due at the time the luggage is checked, or during traveler check-in. Other fees may also be assessed at check-in, for example, if the traveler(s) request a different travel arrangement than originally reserved. Accordingly, after determining fees to be assessed, the traveler may be requested to pay the fees via the check-in device (block  210 ). For example, the traveler may be prompted to pay the assessed fess using a credit card or the NFC-enabled handheld device  40 . That is, the traveler may be asked to select a payment method by choosing one of several options available. If the user selects to pay by credit card, the user may be prompted to insert a credit card into the check-in device, enter security information, and approve payment. In another embodiment, the user may select to pay fees via the handheld device  40 , as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/286,488, entitled “PEER-TO-PEER FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS,” to Lin et al., filed on Sep. 30, 2008, now published as U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0082481 A1, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     Once check-in has been completed, the traveler may again move the handheld device  40  within range of the NFC interface of the check-in device to update the reservation data stored on the handheld device  40  (block  212 ). For example, the traveler&#39;s baggage claim information may be associated with the reservation data, and the data may be updated to indicate that the traveler went through the check-in process  200 . 
       FIGS. 9-12  illustrate exemplary screen shots which may be accessed on the handheld device  40  during the check-in process  200  of  FIG. 8 . Upon selection of the travel management application icon  44  ( FIG. 2 ), the travel management application is launched, an exemplary home screen  220  of which is illustrated in  FIG. 9 . The home screen  220  may be displayed when the travel management application begins to run on the handheld device  40 . The home screen  220  may include a title bar  222 , which may assist with navigation through the application. The home screen  220  may additionally include a number of user selectable buttons. A button  224  may be labeled “Make Reservation,” and may provide access to online travel websites where a user may make a travel reservation (e.g., purchase a ticket, reserve a hotel room, book a rental car, etc.); a button  226  may be labeled “Retrieve Reservation,” and may enable a user to add a previously-arranged travel reservation to the travel management application; a button  228  may be labeled “Review Reservation,” and may enable a user to view the details of an existing reservation; a button  229  may be labeled “Share Reservation,” and may enable a user to share the details of a reservation with another user; a button  230  may be labeled “Check In/Baggage Claim,” and may enable a user to use a travel reservation (e.g., check in for a flight, check into a hotel room, etc.); a button  232  may be labeled “Identification,” and may enable a user to provide identity verification data. An information button  234  may also enable the user to view information about the travel management application, get help using the application, change settings of the application, and so forth. 
     In order to check in, the traveler may select the “Check-In/Baggage Claim” button  230 . A check-in/baggage claim screen  236 , illustrated in  FIG. 10 , then provides a list of recent and future user-selectable reservations  238  stored in the travel management application. The user may be prompted to select a reservation by touching the details of that reservation. If the traveler has more reservations than will reasonably fit on the screen  236 , multiple pages of the screen  236  may be employed. A page indicator  240  may indicate which page the traveler is on and how many other pages of reservations  238  are available. In the illustrated embodiment, the page indicator  240  may be a number of dots representing the number of pages available, with the displayed page indicated by a darkened dot. In other embodiments, the page indicator  240  may be numeric, such as “Page 3 of 5.” The traveler may switch between pages by flicking the screen (i.e., holding a finger on the screen and sliding left or right quickly). 
     In addition to the reservations  238 , the check-in/baggage claim screen  236  may include several user-selectable navigation buttons. A “Back” button  242  may enable the user to go back to the previous screen; a “Menu” button  244  may enable the user to return to the home screen  220  ( FIG. 9A ); a “Next” button  246  may enable the user to go to the following screen; and the information button  234  may open an information menu. The user may employ the “Back” button  242 , for example, to verify or change an entry on a previous page. The “Next” button  246  may be available only when the user has used the “Back” button  242  and has not made any changes on a previous screen; otherwise, the screens may advance normally. The “Menu” button  244  may return the user to the home page  220  to restart the check-in or baggage claim process. 
     On the screen  236 , the traveler may select the desired travel reservation  238 . A reservation screen  248 , illustrated in  FIG. 11 , may then display the selected reservation, a “Check In” button  250 , an “Update” button  252 , and a “Baggage Claim” button  254 . Upon selection of the “Check In” button  250 , the handheld device  40  may transmit the traveler&#39;s reservation information via the NFC interface  34  ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ). A data transmission screen  256 , illustrated in  FIG. 12 , may be displayed while the data is being transmitted. The screen  255  may indicate that information is being sent and/or received and may include a progress indicator  258  and a “Cancel” button  260 . The progress indicator  258  may be animated to indicate when the handheld device  40  is transmitting data. If the animation stops, this may be an indication that the device  40  has stopped transmitting data. The “Cancel” button  260  may be used to stop transmission of data or to cancel the attempted transmission of data when it appears that the transmission is not going through. 
     If the handheld device  40  is within range of an NFC interface on a check-in device (e.g., the counter kiosk  80  or the unmanned kiosk  100 ), the check-in device may receive the NFC transmission from the handheld device  40  and initiate traveler check-in. In addition to the reservation information, the handheld device  40  may transmit the traveler&#39;s identification information. As discussed above, this information may include, for example, a picture, a description, a signature, a fingerprint, a retina scan, and so forth. In another embodiment, the handheld device may transmit a unique code which enables look-up of the traveler&#39;s identification information from a networked database. 
     Additionally, multiple travelers may travel on a single reservation, in which case the reservation information may be acquired from only the first traveler. However, all passengers may be required to provide identification during the check-in process  200  ( FIG. 8 , block  206 ). Multiple identifications may be stored on a single handheld device  40 , or multiple devices  40  may be used to provide identity verification. For example, the first traveler may provide the reservation information to the check-in device. After the first traveler&#39;s identification has been verified, the second traveler may be asked to provide identification. In some instances, the second traveler&#39;s identification information may be stored on the handheld device  40  of the first traveler. In other embodiments, another handheld device  40  may contain the second traveler&#39;s identification information. If the traveler does not need to provide reservation information but merely needs to transmit identification information, the user may select the “Identification” button  232  from the home screen  220  ( FIG. 9 ) to transmit identification information, as described below. 
     The reservation on the handheld device  40  may be updated via NFC or another network connection, such as an airport WAN. For example, after the traveler has checked in on the check-in device, baggage claim information may be transmitted from the check-in device to the handheld device  40  for storage with the reservation information. In addition, the reservation may be updated to indicate that the traveler checked in already. Even before the traveler checks in, the reservation may be updated to indicate, for example, the status or location of the mode of transportation. That is, the traveler may update a flight reservation upon entering the airport to determine if a flight is on time and the gate from which the flight will depart. This update may occur by pressing the “Update” button  252  on the reservation screen  248  ( FIG. 11 ). The data transmission screen  256  ( FIG. 12 ) may again be displayed to indicate that information is being sent and/or received by the handheld device. 
     Further, selection of the “Baggage Claim” button  254  on the reservation screen  248  may display the baggage claim information transmitted to the handheld device  40  during the update. The baggage claim information may include, for example, a list of identifying codes, bar codes, QR codes, or similar identifying information associated with the tags placed on the traveler&#39;s checked luggage ( FIG. 8 , block  208 ). 
     The “Check-In/Baggage Claim” and “Verify Identity” functions of the travel management application may also be used at the security checkpoint  120  and the boarding gate  140 . The “Check In” function may be used to transmit reservation information and traveler identification information, whereas the “Verify Identity” function may be used to transmit just the traveler identification information, as needed. 
     Prior to check-in, the traveler may obtain travel reservations for storage on the handheld device  40  through a variety of sources. As illustrated on the home screen  220  ( FIG. 9 ), the travel management application may include options to make a reservation (i.e., the “Make Reservation” button  224 ), to retrieve an existing reservation (i.e., the “Retrieve Reservation” button  226 ), to review reservations stored in the handheld device  40  (i.e., the “Review Reservation” button  228 ), and to share reservation details with other users (i.e., the “Share Reservation” button  229 ). In order to make a new reservation, the user may select the “Make Reservation” button  224  to access an exemplary reservation screen  262 , illustrated in  FIG. 13 . The reservation screen  262  may include a number of user-selectable travel options from which the user may choose to make a reservation. For example, the reservation screen  262  may include a “Flight” button  264 , a “Hotel” button  266 , a “Car Rental” button  268 , a “Cruise” button  270 , a “Train” button  272 , a “Bus” button  274 , and so forth. The user may select the button corresponding to the type of travel reservation desired. 
     An exemplary search screen  274  is illustrated in  FIG. 14 . The search screen  274  is designed for a flight search; however, it should be understood that similar search screens may be presented for each type of travel reservation offered through the travel management application. On the search screen  276 , text entry boxes  278  and  280  may enable the user to enter departure and destination cities/airports, respectively. A check-box  282  may be selected to search for additional nearby airports. Departure and return dates and times may be entered via drop-down menus  284 ,  286 ,  288 ,  290 ,  292 , and  294 . A check-box  296  may be selected to search for fares on surrounding dates. The number of adults, children, and seniors traveling may be entered via drop-down menus  298 ,  300 , and  302 , respectively. A check-box  304  may be selected to bring up an additional search screen (not shown) with more detailed search information, such as, for example, the number of stops desired, preferred airlines, service class, fare type, and so forth. A “Go” button  306  may be selected to initiate a search based on the entered parameters. 
     A departure screen  308 , illustrated in  FIG. 15 , may display a list of flights matching the search parameters. If more flights are available than fit on the screen  308 , multiple pages may be used. As described above, the user may move between pages by flicking the screen. After the user selects a departure flight, a similar screen (not shown) may display a list of return flights matching the search parameters. When the departure and arrival flights have been selected, a traveler information screen  310 , illustrated in  FIG. 16 , may be displayed to enable entry of information for the passengers traveling in the reservation. Drop-down menus  312  may enable fast fill-in of the traveler information for passengers who have been previously saved on the handheld device  40 . Text entry boxes  314  and  316  may enable the user to enter the first and last names, respectively, of each traveler. Radio buttons  318  may be selected to indicate a seat preference. Text entry boxes  320  may enable entry of the travelers&#39; frequent flyer numbers. In addition, check-boxes  322  may be selected to save the traveler information for future inclusion in the drop-down menus  312 . When the requested information has been entered, the user may press a “Go” button  324  to submit the traveler information. 
     The travel management application may then request a payment method, as illustrated on a payment screen  326  in  FIG. 17 . In the illustrated embodiment, the user may have several credit cards and/or bank accounts stored on the handheld device  40  to enable purchases via the device  40 . The stored payment methods may be displayed as user-selectable buttons on the screen  326 . For example, a “Visa” button  328  may enable payment with a Visa credit or debit card; a “MasterCard” button  330  may enable payment with a MasterCard credit or debit card; a “Discover” button  332  may enable payment with a Discover credit card; and a “Checking” button  334  may enable payment directly from a checking account. In addition, the balances of the available payment methods may be displayed to facilitate the user&#39;s selection of a payment method. Additional payment options, such as, for example, Bill Me Later, PayPal, a frequent flyer account, an unsaved credit card, or additional saved accounts, may be accessed via an “Other” button  336 . 
       FIG. 18  illustrates a reservation confirmation screen  338  which may be presented after the payment method is selected. The reservation confirmation screen  338  may display the names of the travelers, the departure and return flight information, the total price for the reservation, and the selected payment method. A “Purchase” button  340  may initiate purchase of the selected reservation. For example, the reservation and payment information may be transmitted to a local server or a web service via the network connections  26 . After making the reservation, a reservation review screen  342 , illustrated in  FIG. 19 , may be displayed. The reservation review screen  342  may display the names of the travelers, the departure and return flight information, the total price for the reservation, and the selected payment method. In addition, a reminder button  344  may enable the user to set up or change one or more reminders associated with the reservation. 
     The reservation review screen  342  may also be accessed via the “Review Reservation” button  228  on the home screen  220  ( FIG. 9 ). After pressing the “Review Reservation” button  228 , a reservation selection screen  346 , illustrated in  FIG. 20 , may display a list of the user&#39;s upcoming reservations as selectable buttons  348 . Upon selection of the desired reservation button  348 , the reservation review screen  342  ( FIG. 19 ) may be displayed. 
     In addition to making a reservation via the handheld device  40 , as described above, the user may retrieve an existing reservation by selecting the “Retrieve Reservation” button  226  from the home screen  220  ( FIG. 9 ). A reservation retrieval screen  350  may then be displayed, as illustrated in  FIG. 21 . Several user-selectable buttons provide the user options for reservation retrieval. For example, an “Email” button  352  may enable reservation retrieval from an email message; a “Website” button  354  may enable reservation retrieval from a website; an “NFC Device” button  356  may enable reservation retrieval from another NFC-enabled electronic device  10 , such as another handheld device  40 , the computer  62 , or the kiosks  80  or  100 ; and a “Confirmation No.” button  358  may enable reservation retrieval from certain carriers using a provided confirmation or reservation number. 
     Selection of the “Email” button  352  may open an email search screen  360 , illustrated in  FIG. 22 . The email search screen  360  may include search options, such as a drop-down menu  362  to select the email account which is to be searched and drop-down menus  364 ,  366 ,  368 ,  370 ,  372 , and  374  to select a date range in which to search. A “Go” button  376  may initiate the search. The search results may be displayed on an email search result screen  378 , illustrated in  FIG. 23 . The user may select the desired email to open a reservation details screen  380 , illustrated in  FIG. 24 . Details of the reservation may be displayed on the reservation details screen  380 . In addition, an “Add Reservation” button  382  may enable the user to add the reservation to the travel management application. The user may then check in to the reservation using the handheld device  40 , as described above. 
     If the user elects to retrieve a reservation from a website and selects the “Website” button  354  ( FIG. 21 ), a web browser  384  (e.g., Safari) may open inside the travel management application, as illustrated in  FIG. 25 . The user may be prompted to enter a website address or a search, for example, via a virtual QWERTY keyboard  386 . The user may navigate to a registration retrieval or site login page  388 , as illustrated in  FIG. 26 . After logging into the website or otherwise retrieving a reservation, as illustrated on a reservation page  390  in  FIG. 27 , the user may select a “Find Reservation” button  392 . The “Find Reservation” button  392  may initiate a search of the open web page  390  to find reservation details. The reservation details screen  380  ( FIG. 24 ) may then display the details found on the web page and the “Add Reservation” button  382  to enable the user to add the reservation to the travel management application. The user may then check in to the reservation using the handheld device  40 , as described above. 
     Further, reservation retrieval from another NFC device may be initiated via selection of the “NFC Device” button  352  ( FIG. 21 ). For example, a travel reservation may be shared between passengers, such as from one handheld device  40  to another handheld device  40  (e.g., by selecting the “Share Reservation” button  229  ( FIG. 9 )). In another embodiment, a traveler may make a reservation via the computer  62  ( FIG. 3 ), the counter kiosk  80  ( FIG. 4 ), the unmanned kiosk  100  ( FIG. 5 ), or another NFC-enabled device  10 , and share the reservation with the handheld device  40 . 
     In an exemplary embodiment in which a reservation is shared between handheld devices  40 , a user may select the “Share Reservation” button  229  from the travel reservation management application home screen  220  ( FIG. 9 ) on one handheld device  40 , and another user may select the “NFC Device” button from the reservation retrieval screen  350  ( FIG. 21 ) on another handheld device  40 . Selecting the “Share Reservation” button  229  may open a screen  394 , illustrated in  FIG. 28 , displaying a list of the user&#39;s upcoming reservations as selectable buttons  396 . The user may select one of the reservation buttons  396 , at which time a sharing screen  398 , illustrated in  FIG. 29 , may open. The sharing screen  398  may display the reservation information and a button  400  labeled, for example, “Share this Reservation.” The handheld device  40  may then transmit the details of the selected reservation via NFC. In an exemplary embodiment, the data transmission screen  256  ( FIG. 12 ) may be displayed while the reservation information is transmitted. 
     In addition, another user may activate another handheld device  40  to receive the shared reservation information by selecting the “NFC Device” button from the reservation retrieval screen  350  ( FIG. 21 ). A searching screen  402  may be displayed, as illustrated in  FIG. 30 . The searching screen may display a progress indicator  404  and a “Cancel” button  406 . Upon locating a travel reservation transmission, the reservation details screen  380  ( FIG. 24 ) may be displayed. The user may add the reservation by selecting the “Add Reservation” button  382 . Thereafter, the user may check in to the reservation using the handheld device  40 , as described above. 
     In a further embodiment, a user may retrieve a reservation using a confirmation or reservation number, for example, by selecting the “Confirmation No.” button  358  from the reservation retrieval screen  350  ( FIG. 21 ). A custom interface  408  (e.g., rather than a web browser), illustrated in  FIG. 31 , may be used to access reservations in this embodiment. For example, the custom interface  408  may include one or more drop-down menus to enable the user to select supported carriers. A reservation type menu  410  may include, for example, flight, hotel, car rental, cruise, train, bus, and so forth. A carrier menu  412  may include specific companies for which the custom interface  408  is enabled. In addition, the carrier menu  412  may change based on the selection of the reservation type from the menu  410 . That is, if “Flight” is selected in the type menu  410 , airlines may be listed in the carrier menu  412 , whereas if “Hotel” is selected in the type menu  410 , hotel brands may be listed in the carrier menu  412 . A text entry box  414  may enable the user to enter a confirmation or reservation number obtained from the carrier. Additionally, a text entry box  416  may enable the user to enter a name under which the reservation was made. Text entry may be via a virtual QWERTY keyboard  418 . When the reservation is found, the reservation details screen  380  ( FIG. 24 ) may be displayed. The user may add the reservation to the travel management application by selecting the “Add Reservation” button  382 . The reservation may then be available on the handheld device  40  for check-in, as described above. 
     As discussed above, in addition to storing travel reservations, the travel management application may be used to store and transmit a user&#39;s identification. It should be noted that, for security purposes, the identifications may not be altered but rather may be merely added and/or deleted from the handheld device  40 . One or more profiles may be stored on the handheld device  40 . For example, a minor&#39;s identification information may be stored on a guardian&#39;s handheld device  40 . Various identification methods may be employed, as described above. In order to store identification on the handheld device, the user may select the “Identification” button  232  from the travel management application home screen  220  ( FIG. 9 ). An identification options screen  420  may then be displayed, as illustrated in  FIG. 32 . The identification options screen  420  may include user-selectable buttons, such as, for example, a “Load Identification” button  422 ; a “Transmit Identification” button  424 ; and a “Delete Identification” button  425 . 
     Selection of the “Load Identification” button  422  may open a screen  426 , illustrated in  FIG. 33 , from which the user may select a “Scan ID” button  428  or an “Enter ID Number” button  430 . If the user selects the “Scan ID” button  428 , a screen  432 , illustrated in  FIG. 34 , may prompt the user to enter a nickname for the identification into a text entry box  434  and then press a “Scan” button  436  to search for nearby RFID-equipped identification (e.g., a passport or driver&#39;s license). Nickname entry may be enabled via a virtual QWERTY keyboard  438 . The data transmission screen  256  ( FIG. 12 ) may be displayed while the handheld device  40  searches for the identification information. Upon locating the information, an identification summary screen  440 , illustrated in  FIG. 35 , may be displayed. The user may add the identification information to the handheld device  40  by selecting an “Add Identification” button  442 . 
     If the user selects the “Enter ID Number” button  430  from the screen  426  ( FIG. 33 ), an entry screen  444 , illustrated in  FIG. 36 , may be displayed. The entry screen  444  may include, for example, a nickname text entry box  446 , an identification type drop-down menu  448 , an authority drop-down menu  450 , and an identification number text entry box  452 . Text entry may be facilitated by a virtual QWERTY keyboard  454 . Again, the user may enter a nickname for the identification in the text entry box  446 . The identification type drop-down menu  448  may include options such as “Passport” and “Driver&#39;s License.” The authority drop-down menu  450  may be based on the identification type drop-down menu  448  and may include, for example, countries and/or states. The identification number text entry box  452  may enable entry of an identification number from the user&#39;s identification, such as a passport number or a driver&#39;s license number. In the illustrated embodiment, the user may enter the requested information then press a “Go” button to initiate a search for the desired identification. For example, the travel management application may contact the selected authority to download user identification based on the entered information. An additional security code may be required to receive the information electronically. The identification summary screen  440  ( FIG. 35 ) may then be displayed, and the identification information may be added to the handheld device  40  by selection of the “Add Identification” button  442 . 
     In order to submit identification information, the user may select the “Transmit ID” button from the identification options screen  420  ( FIG. 32 ). An identification selection screen  458 , illustrated in  FIG. 37 , may then be displayed containing a list of user-selectable identification buttons  460 . The user may select the desired identification button  460 , at which time an identification transmission screen  462 , illustrated in  FIG. 38 , may be displayed. The identification transmission screen  462  may include a “Transmit” button  464  to enable transmission of the selected identification. The data transmission screen  256  ( FIG. 12 ) may be displayed while the identification information is transmitted. 
     In addition to adding identifications to the handheld device  40 , it may be desirable to delete obsolete identifications. Accordingly, the user may select the “Delete Identification” button  425  from the identification options screen  420  ( FIG. 32 ). The identification selection screen  458  ( FIG. 37 ) may then be displayed. The user may select the desired identification button  460  to open a deletion screen  466 , illustrated in  FIG. 39 . A “Delete Identification” button  468  may enable the user to remove an identification from the handheld device  40 . 
     While the invention may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and have been described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following appended claims.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20080930
Publication Date: 20120710
Grant Date: 20120710
Priority Date: 20080930
Inventors: LIN GLORIA
MIKHAK AMIR M.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "G07C9/257", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B64F1/366", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06Q10/02", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G07C9/257", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06Q10/02", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G07B15/02", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06Q50/14", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G07B15/02", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B64F1/366", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06Q50/14", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 42056318