Abstract An automatic baggage handling system utilizing individually powered baggage carts designed to carry luggage or other material at airports, railroad stations, and the like. Baggage handling information is converted into an electrical binary train of bits prepared by an optical ticket reader which scans a precoded, specially prepared baggage ticket and converts the data thereon into binary form. Baggage associated with the particular baggage ticket is loaded on to the baggage cart and a low power transmitter transfers the digital data to an escort memory in the form of a transceiver on the baggage cart. The loaded selfpropelled baggage cart then moves along a track, with its escort memory being read by track readers located at critical, switching portions of the track, the track being switched in response to information contained in the baggage cart escort memory so that the baggage cart is transported expeditiously to a predetermined point on the track which may be a final destination or an intermediate holding area. Means are also provided for changing the information contained in the escort memory of identified carts in the holding area so as to encode a message therein identifying the desired final destination of the cart. The cart is then released from the holding area and delivered to the desired final destination, the aforementioned track readers reading the escort memory and switching the track in accordance with the information read.
A master reader for reading and reprogramming a remote memory including a memory receiving means, said memory having the characteristic ability to store a message including at least a first unique word, a second unique word identifying said memory and a third word, sample and transmit said message and reprogram itself upon receipt of said first unique word at said memory receiving means with a subsequently received message, sAid memory containing before being reprogrammed a first message including at least said first and second words but not said third word, said master reader comprising: master storage means for storing a second message including at least said first, second and third unique words; master receiving means for receiving messages transmitted by said memory and for generating a start signal upon receipt of said first unique word; comparator means for comparing a message applied thereto with said second message during a comparison period and for generating a reprogramming signal when said messages compare properly; first means responsive to said start signal for applying said received first message to said comparator means; second means responsive to said start signal for sampling said second message stored in said master storage means and applying said sampled second message to said comparator means; means responsive to said received first signal for disabling said comparator means during predetermined portions of said comparison period; and, transmitter means responsive to said reprogramming signal for transmitting said second message to said memory.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
242 words
A master reader for reading and reprogramming a remote memory including a memory receiving means, said memory having the characteristic ability to store a message including at least a first unique word, a second unique word identifying said memory and a third word, sample and transmit said message and reprogram itself upon receipt of said first unique word at said memory receiving means with a subsequently received message, sAid memory containing before being reprogrammed a first message including at least said first and second words but not said third word, said master reader comprising: master storage means for storing a second message including at least said first, second and third unique words; master receiving means for receiving messages transmitted by said memory and for generating a start signal upon receipt of said first unique word; comparator means for comparing a message applied thereto with said second message during a comparison period and for generating a reprogramming signal when said messages compare properly; first means responsive to said start signal for applying said received first message to said comparator means; second means responsive to said start signal for sampling said second message stored in said master storage means and applying said sampled second message to said comparator means; means responsive to said received first signal for disabling said comparator means during predetermined portions of said comparison period; and, transmitter means responsive to said reprogramming signal for transmitting said second message to said memory.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
A master reader as recited in claim 1 wherein said first and second messages comprise trains of electrical binary bits arranged in a predetermined order and said master storage means comprises a shift register.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
87 words
A master reader as recited in claim 2 wherein said second means comprises: a temporary shift register connected to discharge the contents in a predetermined order into said comparator means when strobed for storing said sampled second message; a plurality of gates qualified by said start signal for sampling said second message as contained in said master storage means into said temporary shift register; and, strobing means responsive to said received first signal for generating strobing pulses and applying said strobing pulses to said temporary shift register.