Abstrict
A method is provided for receiving a data stream of an airline
ticketing reservations computer, striping-away data bits included
for the ordering and identifying and reading and writing of the
data stream on magnetic media and selecting and converting the remaining
data into multi-dimensional symbology or bar code for printing onto
airline ticket and/or boarding documents.
Claims
Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and
desired to be secured by Letters Patent is as follows:
1. A method of receiving a data stream formatted for recording
onto magnetic stripe media from a shared central reservation computer
offering passenger air travel information to multiple airlines and
selecting and converting said data stream into multi-dimensional
symbology for printing onto airline documents comprising the steps
of: receiving from a shared central reservation computer a data
stream containing formatting codes to allow recording of said data
stream onto a magnetic stripe media, selecting from said data stream
at least a portion of said data for recording onto said magnetic
media to provide a selected data stream, identifying said formatting
codes of said selected data stream, removing said formatting codes
from said selected data stream to provide second data stream, converting
said second data stream into a multi-dimensional symbology data
set, and printing said multi-dimensional symbology data set onto
an airline document to provide an airline document containing a
printed multi-dimensional symbology data set.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the step
of compressing said second data stream prior to said converting
step.
3. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the step
of printing said second data stream as alphanumeric information
onto an airline document.
4. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the steps
of: scanning said airline document containing a printed multi-dimensional
symbology data set to provide a scanned data set image, storing
said scanned data set image into a computer memory register, converting
said scanned data set image into a data stream suitable for comparison
with a data stream formatted for recording onto magnetic stripe
media from a shared central reservation computer.
5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said printing of said
multi-dimensional symbology data is at a second location on said
airline document that is different from a first location identified
in said data stream from said shared central reservation computer.
6. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the step
of converting a digital photograph of an airline passenger into
a multi-dimensional symbology data set and printing said multi-dimensional
symbology data set containing said digital photograph onto an airline
document. Description FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the processing of airline tickets
and/or boarding passes or, generally, boarding authorizations or
tickets related to the purchase of passage on an airliner. More
particularly, the present invention relates to the use of streams
of computer data code intended for printing onto documents or for
recording onto magnetic media on documents and the selection and
allocation of portions of the data stream for representation in
multi-dimensional symbology for scanable reading with or without
the representation of all or some of the data stream in magnetically
readable stored data.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Computer reservations systems (CRS), also known as global distribution
systems (GDS) are used by travel industry employees worldwide to
make airline, hotel and car rental reservations for their clients.
They also are used to calculate airfares and issue airline tickets.
In particular, information for airline passenger reservations is
entered into central computer system and this information, or at
least parts of the information, is then shared with, or available
to, other airlines and ticketing agencies. For the purposes of this
specification these types of computer reservation systems shall
be defined as "shared computer reservation systems" (SCRS)
as the data they contain is accessible to and/or shared by more
than one airline.
During the creation of an airline travel document (FIGS. 4 5) for
an airline flight, the computer data from the SCRS is downloaded
by the ticketing agent at the airline counter in the airport or
by a travel agent or ticket reseller (Travelocity.com) and portions
of the available downloaded information are recorded onto a magnetic
stripe on the backside of the boarding document (FIG. 5). This information
is then carried by the passenger to the gate area where the information
recorded on the boarding document is confirmed by reading the recorded
information and comparing it to the data associated with the boarding
document in the central computer system of the airline or on a local
area network.
The information is recorded onto a magnetic stripe on the back
of the boarding document as heretofore only magnetic stripes were
able to hold the amount of data needed to be contained on the boarding
documents in an inexpensive and portable manner which also permitted,
within the air terminal, recording and re-recording and reading
of the information. Magnetic stripe recording is similar to audio
and video recording. In magnetic stripe recording the magnetic material
is applied to a paper or plastic card or ticket. The data is stored
on the stripe instead of on tape. The stripes can be recorded, read,
and re-recorded multiple times. The black or brown magnetic stripe
is made up of magnetic particles of resin. Brown stripes are generally
low-coercivity (LoCo), while black stripes are high-coercivity cards
(HiCo). Coercivity is the ability of the magnetic stripe to resist
demagnetization. The resin particle material used determines the
coercivity of the stripe: low-coercivity stripes of 300 Oe (oersteds)
are made of iron oxide and high-coercivity stripes of 2750 to 4000
Oe are usually made from barium ferrite. The higher the coercivity,
the harder it is to encode--and erase--information from the stripe.
The data on magnetic stripes is recorded in "tracks"
much like audio sound tracks. A single magnetic stripe has multiple
tracks on it that are available for recording. There are four track
locations on a standard credit or ATM card. In other magnetic stripe
uses, such as airline tickets and/or boarding passes the track locations
and data format do not necessarily follow the standards set out
for financial cards. The four magnetic tracks have been assigned
names and numbers as listed below:
"Track 1" as used by the International Air Transportation
Association (IATA), contains alphanumeric information for airline
ticketing or other transactions where a reservation database is
accessed.
"Track 2" was developed by the American Bankers Association
(ABA) contains numeric information for the automation of financial
transactions. Track 2 is also used by most systems that require
an identification number and a minimum of other control information.
"Track 3" typically contains information which is intended
to be updated during each transaction. For example for a private
gift card that operates "off-line" from a central computer,
the cash register might read the contents of this track to determine
the amount of value on the card. At the conclusion of a transaction
this track of the card would be updated with the new value of the
card reflecting the old card value minus the amount of the concluded
transaction.
"Track 4" is reserved.
A magnetic stripe is encoded with bit patterns, which correspond
to alphanumeric (Track 1) or numeric (Tracks 2 & 3) ASCII characters.
The number of bits on a given track is limited to a certain number
of bits per inch, or BPI. There are also a series of all zero bits
encoded at the beginning and end of a magnetic stripe. These all
zero bits are known as "clocking bits" and establish timing
for the code reading device.
The magnetic striped cards used for airline boarding documents
present a number of deficiencies to the cost conscious airline industry.
Each magnetic card blank cost the airline between seven and eleven
cents ($0.07 $0.11) each to purchase. New magnetic stripe boarding
pass cards have a failure rate of approximately five to seven percent
(5 7%) on the first attempt. This failure rate is incurred while
attempting to read and confirm the pre-recorded serial number, or
stock control number, (FIG. 4) that is applied to each card before
any writing is attempted on the card. A second failure rate of approximately
five to seven percent (5 7%) on the first attempt is presented by
magnetic stripe boarding pass cards upon attempting to read the
recorded information after the recording process at the airline
check-in counter. Thus an average overall failure rate of approximately
fourteen percent (10 14%) is presented in the day to day use of
magnetic stripe boarding pass cards. For an airline using 2 million
such documents this represents a loss of $28,000 in unusable card
stock. In contrast, a ticket or boarding document blank that does
not contain a magnetic stripe costs approximately three-thousandths
of a cent each ($0.003) to purchase and avoids the failure rate
associated with a magnetic stripe.
Further, the use of magnetic stripe cards for recording ticket
and boarding document information requires that air carriers use
thousands of magnetic stripe printers and readers which are very
expensive devices to purchase and to keep in repair. For example,
a typical magnetic stripe recorder and text printer device costs
approximately $4,000 per machine. The corresponding magnetic stripe
reader device used at a jetway or boarding gate costs approximately
$6,000. Since each airline must purchase its own devices for each
airport ticket counter and gate, tens of thousands of these devices
must be purchased by airlines and replacement devices must be kept
on hand to replace defective devices. For an airline operating in
only 15 airports and having 10 ticketing locations in each airport
using writer devices and 15 aircraft gates in each airport using
reader devices, the basic cost of using magnetic stripe card reader/writer
equipment would be approximately $1,950,000 in equipment purchase
costs. This cost does not include the cost of the magnetic card
stock having a fourteen percent (14%) waste component or the costs
of stocking replacement units at each airport.
In contrast, a typical reader/writer unit for printing and reading
multi-dimensional bar codes costs approximately $1,000 and the scanner
device used at the boarding gate costs between $300 and $400 dollars.
Thus, the equipment cost for the airline operating at 15 airports
and having 10 ticketing locations in each airport using writer devices
and 15 aircraft gates in each airport using reader devices, would
be approximately $240,000 when avoiding the use of magnetic stripe
cards. A savings of $1,710,000 in equipment.
The information recorded onto magnetic stripe boarding pass cards
is data about the passenger, the passenger's flight itinerary; passenger
contact information, security information, number of bags checked
on the flight, and other information. Some of this data is used
by the air carrier to document passenger preferences and other information
is used to identify and verify the passenger at the time of flight
boarding.
Every airline reservation for a passenger, or group of passengers,
is associated with a booking code under which the reservation is
stored in a central booking computer. This booking code is known
as the Passenger Name Record (PNR). It is defined by means of a
combination of five or six letters and numbers. In the PNR, additional
information on the traveler or special service requests can also
be included. Since one PNR is created for each travel plan, passenger
name records and passengers do not necessarily match up one to one:
a group traveling together may have one record with only travel
agency information in it.
Each PNR has five mandatory fields: number of passengers and their
names; contact phone number; ticketing information; ticket order
received-from data; and itinerary. Each part that contains data
about the passenger is referred to as a field. The passenger data
fields thus include a Name field, Phone field, Ticketing field,
and Received-from field. Each field has an identifier, or function
code, which is used to enter data into that field. For example,
the identifier for the Name field is the hyphen. This field identifier
tells the computer system what field to use for storing the data.
Name Field
The Name field contains one or more name items. Passenger names
are grouped together by last name. All passengers who share a last
name are listed in a collective name item. A PNR may contain one
or more name items--for example, parties with different surnames.
For international travel, the passenger's complete name should be
entered in the PNR, as documented on the traveler's passport.
Phone Field
Each PNR must include at least one contact phone number for one
member of the traveling party. In addition, the travel agency phone
number is customarily entered first, with passenger contact phone
numbers listed in the following order: business, home, hotel, if
available and applicable. Multiple numbers can be entered for each
passenger, but each phone listing must be identified as Agency,
Business, Home, or Hotel.
Ticketing Field
Information entered in the Ticketing field depends on the ticketing
arrangements requested by the passenger. For example, if the tickets
will be printed on a future date, the intended ticketing date is
entered. On that date the PNR will appear automatically in an electronic
holding area called the ticketing queue. By looking in the queue,
the agent can determine which reservations are scheduled to be ticketed
on that day. If a prepaid ticket advisory (PTA) is sent to the airline,
the PTA date is entered. Information in the Ticketing field is identified
by a function code, and only one entry is allowed in the Ticketing
field. This limitation is known as a single-field entry. The ticketing
field can also be used to record a time limit in conjunction with
a passenger reservation, for example, a client might wish that tickets
be issued at the airport prior to departure. The recent advent of
electronic ticketing or e-tickets has eliminated some of the complications
previously associated with providing the passenger with ticket documents.
Received from Field
A received-from entry is used to record the party who placed the
air reservation, be it the passenger, parent, secretary, etc.
Itinerary Field
The itinerary consists of one or more air segments. Each segment
represents a confirmed, requested or wait-listed reservation on
a designated flight.
When a travel agent makes a reservation, they enter data on a computer
reservations systems/global distribution systems (CRS/GDS) terminal,
and create a PNR in that CRS/GDS. If the airline is hosted in a
different CRS/GDS, information about the flight(s) on that airline
is sent to the airline's host system, and a PNR is created in the
airline's partition in that system as well. What information is
sent between airlines, and how, is specified in the Airline Interline
Message Procedures (AIRIMP) manual, although many airlines and CRS's/GDS's
have their own direct connections and exceptions to the AIRIMP standards.
If, for example, a reservation is made on United Airlines (which
outsources the hosting of its reservations database to the Galileo
CRS/GDS) through the Internet travel agency Travelocity.com (which
is a division of Sabre, and uses the Sabre CRS/GDS), Travelocity.com
creates a PNR in Sabre. Sabre sends a message derived from portions
of the Sabre PNR data to Galileo, using the AIRIMP (or another bilaterally-agreed
format). Galileo in turn uses the data in the AIRIMP message to
create a PNR in United's Galileo "partition."
If a set of reservations includes flights on multiple airlines,
each airline is sent the information pertaining to its flights.
If information is added later by one of those airlines, it may or
may not be transmitted back to the CRS/GDS in which the original
reservation was made, and almost never will be sent to other airlines
participating in the itinerary that are hosted in different CRS's/GDS's.
So there can be many different PNR's, in different CRS's/GDS's,
for the same set of reservations, none of them containing all the
data included in all of the others.
When a ticket is issued, that is recorded in the PNR; if it is
an e-ticket, the actual "ticket", as defined by the airline,
is the electronic ticket record in the PNR. When you check-in, the
claim check numbers and the weights of your bags are added to the
PNR. If you don't show up for a flight on which you are booked,
that fact is logged in the PNR. Whenever anything in the reservation
is added, changed, or canceled, that information may be communicated
back to the CRS/GDS that holds the original PNR. If you call the
airline or visit its Web site, and request seat assignments, that
is entered in the PNR. If your travel agency or the airline uses
Sabre, and you look up your airline reservation on Sabre's "VirtuallyThere.com"
Web site, and add a car reservation through VirtuallyThere.com,
that goes in the same Sabre PNR.
As now can be appreciated a substantial amount of information is
available about a passenger and passenger travels via the PRN. Further,
it should be appreciated that it is necessary that this information
be available in a form--a data stream--that can be received by an
air carrier ticketing agent for recording onto a magnetic stripe.
The recording of this information onto a magnetic stripe is required
of all airline tickets, but is often ignored on U.S. domestic flights.
Instead, for domestic flights, information about the flight and
passenger is printed on the boarding document using bar codes printed
on the front of the ticket using information generated by the airline
about its own domestic flight and not using a downloaded PNR magnetic
data stream.
However, if a U.S. airline is to issue boarding documents that
will be accepted on international flights it is a necessity that
the PNR data be recorded onto a magnetic stripe on the back of boarding
documents or the boarding documents will be rejected upon their
use on an international flight. This PNR data must be recorded in
the order and position dictated in the Airline Interline Message
Procedures (AIRIMP) manual.
Therefore, while it has been possible for an airline offering only
domestic flights to ignore the international and FAA requirements
for use of magnetically recorded PNR information on domestic boarding
documents this is not possible for airlines that issue boarding
documents for both domestic and international flights. These air
carriers are required to receive PNR data and record the required
PNR data on a magnetic stripe on ticket and boarding documents to
permit the ticket and boarding documents they issue to be accepted
during the international leg of their flight schedules or the flight
schedules of international airlines for whom they are issuing documents.
Therefore, in view of this requirement airlines that issue international
flight documents must use the central computer PNR data streams
and magnetic stripe cards for all their flight documents and incur
the substantial cost presented by magnetic stripe cards for all
their flights or find a means to avoid, at least partially, the
costs of magnetic stripe cards while continuing to use the PNR data
stream and offer magnetic stripe cards as needed for international
flights.
One barrier to a solution to this extra cost is the amount of information
that is required to be provided on an airline boarding document
or ticket. This quantity of information is far in excess of that
which can be contained in a conventional bar code that is commonly
used to present the universal product code (UPC) on products. A
partial solution to this problem is found in the use of multi-dimensional
bar codes (FIG. 6).
Two-dimensional symbology or bar codes were introduced in late
1980's with Code 49. Since then many other multi-dimensional "bar
codes" or "codes" have been developed to meet the
demand for storage of portable information in as little space as
possible. Several terms are used for this type of data storage such
as "two-dimensional code" or "2-D code" or "two-dimensional
symbology" or "2-D symbology." These names refer
to the general class of bar codes or symbols that use more than
one physical dimension to store or present or contain information.
One-dimensional bar codes, seen on current packaging, are made
up of a series of one-dimensional bars or lines with spaces between.
The series of bars and spaces having a varying width present the
coded data. A "one-dimensional bar code" is "vertically
redundant." The height of the line or "bar" is merely
a repetition of the same information that is presented by the width
of the line or "bar." The bar height can be lengthened
or reduced without information being lost. The vertical redundancy
permits the presence of printing defects such as ink blob or printing
gap while still allowing the bar code to be read. As the height
increases the probability increases that the bar code will be readable.
2-dimensional symbologies or codes can contain far more information
within the same space as can one-dimensional bar codes. This presents
an advantage when only a small amount of space is available for
information storage. Some examples of the multi-dimensional symbologies
that are currently available are:
Matrix Code
"Matrix Code" (Table 2) stores data based on the position
of black spots within a matrix. Each black spot or element is the
same dimension. The position of the element serves to code the data.
3D Barcode
3D bar code is simply a one dimensional bar code that is embossed
on a surface. The code is read by using differences in line depth,
rather than contrast, to distinguish between bars and spaces. The
code can be used where printed labels will not adhere and can be
painted or coated and still read. 3-DI 3-DI (Table 2) uses small
circular symbols.
Array Tag
Array Tag (Table 2) code is made up of hexagonal symbols and a
patented border. Array Tags are capable of encoding hundreds of
characters and can be read at distances of more than 50 yards.
Aztec Code
The Aztec Code (Table 2) symbols are on a square grid with a square
central bullseye. The smallest Aztec Code format encodes 13 numeric
or 12 alphabetic characters, the largest format encodes 3832 numeric
or 3067 alphabetic characters.
Code 49
Code 49 uses a series of one dimensional bar codes stacked one
on top of another. Each bar code can have between two and eight
rows. Every row contains the data in exactly 18 bars and 17 spaces,
and each row is separated by a one-module high separator bar.
CP Code
CP Code is made up of square matrix symbols with an L-shaped finder.
Data Matrix
Data Matrix is a 2-D matrix code that can store between one and
500 characters. The symbol is scalable between a 1-mil square to
a 14-inch square. Data Matrix symbol has a maximum theoretical density
of 500 million characters to the inch. Each symbol has two adjacent
sides printed as solid bars, while the remaining adjacent sides
are printed as a series of equally spaced square dots. These patterns
are used to indicate both orientation and printing density of the
symbol.
MaxiCode
Maxicode was developed by United Parcel Service and is made up
of a 1-inch by 1-inch array of 866 interlocking hexagons. Approximately
100 ASCII characters can be held in the 1-inch square symbol. The
symbol can still be read even when up to 25 percent of the symbol
has been destroyed.
PDF 417
PDF417 is a stacked symbology and was invented by Ynjiun Wang in
1991 at Symbol Technologies. PDF stands for Portable Data File,
and the symbology consists of 17 modules each containing 4 bars
and spaces (thus the number "417"). The code is in the
public domain. The structure of the code allows for between 1000
to 2000 characters per symbol with an information density of between
100 and 340 characters. Each symbol has a start and stop bar group
that extends the height of the symbol. A PDF417 symbol can be read
with modified handheld laser or CCD scanners. High density printers
(thermal transfer or laser) should be used to print the symbol.
While multi-dimensional bar codes can provide a means for presenting
the high quantity of information that was formerly presented on
the magnetic stripe it presently is necessary that air carriers
continue to use the available PNR data stream for receiving PNR
data and, where required, for recording onto magnetic stripe cards
for any international flights they issue.
Therefore, it would be a substantial benefit to air carriers if
a means were available which would allow the air carrier to use
the PNR magnetic data stream for international flight documents
having magnetic stripes thereon while providing the ability to select
and sort the information presented in the PNR data stream for conversion
into a multi-dimensional symbology that could be printed onto domestic
flight documents and permit the airline to avoid the cost of magnetic
stripe cards where possible.
It further would be a substantial benefit to air carriers if a
means were available which would allow the air carrier to use the
PNR magnetic data stream for international flight documents having
magnetic stripes thereon while providing the ability to select and
sort the information presented in the PNR data stream for conversion
into a multi-dimensional symbology that could be printed onto domestic
air flight documents thereby avoiding the substantial cost of the
reader and writer devices that currently are used to read and write
magnetic stripe cards in airports.
It further would be a substantial benefit to air carriers if a
means were available which would allow air carriers to eliminate
the use of ticket and boarding documents having magnetic data recording
stripes while preserving the use of the computer software systems
associated with the use of the PNR magnetic data stream thereby
producing a cost savings for the airline industry by eliminating,
altogether, the reading and writing equipment associated with the
use of magnetic stripe cards as well as eliminating the use of magnetic
stripe cards while allowing for the inclusion of additional passenger
information such as digital photographic data of the passenger and
baggage identities.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A device and method are provided for receiving a stream of data
appropriate for recording onto the magnetic stripe of airline flight
documents from a shared computer reservation system, identifying
data within the data stream which is desirable for presenting on
an airline document, converting the magnetic stripe data stream
code into a multi-dimensional symbology and printing the multi-dimensional
symbology onto an airline flight document. The method further includes
the scanning of the printed multi-dimensional symbology on an airline
flight document into a computer memory or memory buffer for transformation
of the multi-dimensional symbology image onto a human readable data
format and a format readable by the particular user airline system
(host format).
The foregoing and other objects are intended to be illustrative
of the invention and are not meant in a limiting sense. Many possible
embodiments of the invention may be made and will be readily evident
upon a study of the following specification and accompanying drawings
comprising a part thereof. Various features and subcombinations
of invention may be employed without reference to other features
and subcombinations. Other objects and advantages of this invention
will become apparent from the following description taken in connection
with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration
and example, an embodiment of this invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Preferred embodiments of the invention, illustrative of the best
modes in which the applicant has contemplated applying the principles,
are set forth in the following description and are shown in the
drawings and are particularly and distinctly pointed out and set
forth in the appended claims.
FIG. 1 shows the front face of a typical airline ticket/boarding
non-magnetic stripe document having barcode data printed thereon,
but which code is not generated from magnetic data stream code,
but which is showing bar code information which is entered by the
particular airline ticket agent onto the ticket at the customer
check-in counter by use of an ASCII data stream code;
FIG. 2 shows the front face of a typical airline ticket/boarding
non-magnetic stripe document capable of having barcode data printed
thereon, but which code is not generated from magnetic data stream
code, but which is showing bar code information which is entered
by the particular airline ticket agent onto the ticket at the customer
check-in counter by use of an ASCII data stream code;
FIG. 3 shows the rear face of the airline ticket/boarding non-magnetic
stripe document of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 shows the front face of a typical airline ticket/boarding
magnetic stripe document; and
FIG. 5 shows the rear face of a typical airline ticket/boarding
magnetic stripe document and showing the magnetic stripe thereon.
FIG. 6 shows various examples of multi-dimensional symbology or
barcodes which are presently in use.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
As required, detailed embodiments of the present inventions are
disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed
embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be
embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional
details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting,
but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis
for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present
invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure.
When an airline passenger makes a flight reservation, information
about that passenger is entered into a central flight reservation
computer system. The information is then available to a number of
different airlines and available to travel booking agencies and/or
hotels and/or car rental agencies. This information is commonly
known as the PNR or PNR data or PNR information.
The information initially entered into the passenger reservation
computer system includes the passenger name, address, phone number
and if the passenger is a member of an airline "frequent flyer"
program. The central computer information also will include passenger
preferences such as aisle or window seating, type of meal request,
etc. Additional information that will be contained in the central
computer file relating to that particular passenger and the particular
flight for that particular passenger will be the value of the ticket,
boarding information such as seat, date of flight and flight number,
the number of bags checked which would be added to the information
upon check-in for the flight, the class of service such as first
class or coach, the value of each leg of the flight, and the passenger
name record number (PNR). In addition to this information, the bag
number or bag sequence number for checked baggage can be included
or the fact that no baggage was checked. With the advent of increased
security considerations on airlines, additional information may
be added to the passenger file regarding security issues. This information
can include an indication that any carry-on bags should be hand
checked, an indication to hand check checked luggage, a notation
to deny boarding to the passenger, or an indication to isolate the
passenger in a secured area, as well as, additional and/or new security
issues which relate to passengers and which will arise from time
to time. It is an important aspect of this information that it not
be in human readable form so that the cautionary notes regarding
a passenger may travel with the passenger's ticket which is in the
passenger's possession but not provide notice to the passenger that
a particular security issue has been applied to them.
To accomplish this, heretofore, the PNR information has been stored
on the ticket by recording it in magnetic recordable form onto a
magnetic stripe that has been applied to the ticket. In addition
to the magnetic stripe information, a certain portion of the PNR
information which is desired to be human readable is printed on
the front of the ticket. This need for dual formatting of information
on tickets has been achieved by the formatting of some PNR information
so that it may be recorded onto the magnetic stripe and the formatting
of some information within the database so that it may be printed
onto the front of the ticket. The formatting used, generally, has
been to provide the information in two different manners, that is
to provide the human readable information identified as a "print"
or printable ASCII data stream and to present the majority of the
PNR information in the form of a magnetically recordable or magnetic
data stream. The printable ASCII data stream is accepted commonly
by printers and used to represent the data directly into human readable
alpha numeric representations. In this case, the print ASCII data
stream is used to contain the information which is printed in human
readable fashion on the front of the airline ticket and which is
generally limited to passenger name, seat number, date of flight
and flight number.
The print ASCII data stream information may or may not be duplicated
within the magnetic information data stream which is offered by
the central computer. The additional information previously described,
in addition to passenger name, seat number, date of flight and flight
number and which is contained in a magnetically recordable data
stream is a separately provided data stream and distinct from the
human readable data which is in the printable ASCII data.
This division of information between the human readable data stream
and the magnetically recordable data stream has presented some airlines
with the method of operation of simply excluding the use of the
magnetic data stream and airline documents containing a magnetic
stripe and using only the printable ASCII data stream to provide
only human readable data presentation on the front of the ticket.
This is done to save costs and also can be accomplished where the
airline deals only with, or mainly with, passengers engaging in
domestic flights in the United States and not passengers who will,
during a course of their flights during a particular sequence of
flying, encounter any international gates. The advantages to using
only the printable ASCII data to present human readable data on
airline ticketing and boarding documents was set forth previously
in the cost analysis of magnetic stripe equipped documents and the
relatively high rejection rate (ten percent to fourteen percent)
during the use of such magnetic stripe documents.
The present inventive device and method permit airlines which must
include the contents of the magnetically recordable data stream
on an airline ticket, either to conform with international flight
requirements or with FAA requirements, to do so while avoiding the
cost of magnetic stripe equipped documents. This method is accomplished,
generally, by receiving at the airline document printer the magnetically
recordable data stream or data elements from the central computer,
excluding the data stream portion presented in printable ASCII format
and converting at the printer the remaining magnetic data stream
contents into a two-dimensional symbology or two-dimensional bar
code format which is then printed onto the airline ticket or boarding
documents through the use of bar code printers and reading of the
information with bar code scanners. Such printers and readers and
scanners of bar codes are far less expensive than the magnetic data
readers and writers conventionally used with magnetic stripe data
recording airline ticket and boarding documents.
It should be appreciated that the use of two-dimensional bar codes
for printing onto airline ticketing and baggage documents is not
in and of itself new. At least two airlines, Alaska Airlines and
Southwest Airlines, have recently started use two-dimensional bar
codes for representation of the human readable information printed
on the front of an airline boarding pass. However the data streams
used in these cases does not involve any of the magnetically recordable
data instructions involved in the recording of magnetic data.
For example, in the current utilization of an airline boarding
or ticket document that contains magnetic recording media the sequence
of operations is as follows. In recording data onto a magnetic stripe
document, the host computer sends the message which directs the
magnetic recording device to check the magnetic stripe on the back
of the document. The first part of the host computer message alerts
the recoding device to prepare the document to receive a magnetically
recordable data stream. The host computer then provides a magnetically
recordable data stream that contains formatting codes directing
the recording device to the location on the magnetic stripe at which
the individual data elements of the magnetic data stream are to
be recorded. The host message then provides the magnetic data stream
and the direction to record the data on the magnetic stripe. After
the data is magnetically recorded, the host message the directs
the recording device to check the recorded magnetic stripe. If the
stripe reads accurately the host computer then switches to sending
data that is to be printed onto the document along with print formatting
codes and directions to print the data. However, if the magnetic
stripe on the document cannot be read properly that magnetic stripe
document is rejected, and is voided, and then the process begins
again with a new magnetic stripe document on which the recording
device attempts to record the magnetically recordable data stream.
In the case of Southwest Airlines a data stream that is coded only
for printing and that is not coded for magnetic recording is sent
from the Southwest host computer database to the local computer
being used by the ticketing agent. The ticket agent's local computer
then receives the printable data and converts some or all of the
print coded information into a 2D barcode print message and sends
the print message to a printer that simply prints the information
as instructed. In this instance the printer is a "dumb printer"
and cannot self select the information to be printed on the ticket
or select information to be converted into a 2D barcode nor does
the printer have the capability to convert the information into
a 2D barcode or other 2D symbology.
In the case of Alaska Airlines, the ticket agent receives a data
stream coded for human-readable printing and a stream of data coded
for recording onto magnetic media. Alaska Airlines discards the
stream of data coded for recording onto magnetic media and only
uses the a data stream coded for human-readable printing. All of
the Alaska data stream coded for human-readable printing is then
sent to a printer which converts portions of that printable data
stream, as received, directly into a 2D barcode and a prints the
2D barcode onto a boarding pass.
In neither case is a "smart printer" involved which receives
a stream of data coded for both printing on a ticket and recording
onto magnetic media, and selects the stream of magnetic data, and
redirects the magnetically recordable data stream through a conversion
operation in which the stream of data coded for recording onto magnetic
media and the associated formatting codes are converted into 2D
symbology and then printed by the printer onto a specified location
on the airline document which is different from the magnetic stripe
location.
In the case of Southwest Airlines and Alaska airlines the information
received at the printer is simply a two-dimensional bar code print
message developed from the printable information contained in the
data stream from the central computer. These operations do not include
or use data that is to be magnetically recorded onto the ticket
and which magnetically recordable data stream contains far more
information that does the printable data stream. Nor do these operations
identify at the printer, from the existing shared computer reservation
systems (SCRS) data stream, the available magnetically recordable
data and convert that data at the printer for printing as a two-dimensional
symbology that includes the magnetic formatting codes which would
allow for reconstruction of a magnetically recordable data stream
from the two-dimensional printed symbol.
Therefore, heretofore, a method of accessing and converting the
full and complete magnetic data stream information, as required,
at least, for international flights, has not been available and
has not been used for conversion of magnetic data stream code into
a format which permits airlines to avoid the use of magnetic data
stripe cards. As it will be appreciated that the Alaska Airlines
and Southwest Airlines examples provided herein do not use magnetic
data stripe cards or the magnetic data stream code. Their operations
use only the printable ASCII code stream and do so by the exclusion
of or ignoring the magnetic stripe data stream code available from
the central computer.
Best Mode of a Preferred Embodiment
Under the present invention, the airline ticketing agent or other
individual wishing to retrieve magnetic data stream information
regarding a passenger and present that magnetic data stream information
while avoiding the use of magnetic stripe recording, calls up the
information from an airline central computer shared system and initiates
the downloading of the data stream related to the particular reservation
or PNR. The data stream containing the magnetic stripe information
from the computer reservation system or global distribution system
is received at the particular airline ticketing terminal, whether
that terminal be at a travel agency or at an airline operated ticket
counter, and the information is stored into a memory buffer in the
printer processor. The magnetic code or magnetic data stream is
then released from the buffer memory and any print ASCII format
data is removed from the magnetic code data stream. The ASCII data
may either be printed onto a ticket or document in human readable
form or stored for later use or deleted.
The magnetic code or data stream is then operated on by the printer
processor to compare the data stream against itself for redundant
occurrences of the same data and to eliminate the duplicate occurrences
of the data. At this point, it will be appreciated that the magnetic
data stream, without redundant data entries, consists of, generally,
an element identifier label; the element contents and a field separator
in repeated form such that the data stream would appear, for example,
as follows, but as binary data or other form that is recordable
on magnetic media:
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 07Smith#08Joan#09816-374-0583# 112D#1402272004#15134.57#183#
195648#20F#2378.57#27DNB# 30Secure-AFF##07Smith#08Joan# 09816-374-0583#112D#
1402272004#15134.57#183# 195648#20F#2378.57#27DNB# 30Secure-AFF##
The information contained the Table 1 can be interpreted as follows:
TABLE-US-00002 Element identifier Element field label contents
separator 07 Smith (Last Name) # 08 Joan (First Name) # 09 816-374-0583
(Telephone No.) #
where each element identifier label is specific to a particular
type of data, e.g., 07 identifies that the information following
the label 07 is the last name of the passenger.
Once the magnetic data stream has exited the memory buffer and
has been operated on by the processor to reduce or eliminate redundant
occurrences of data, the newly formed non-redundant data is then
compressed using a standardly available data compression program
such as PKZip or Winzip, and the compressed data is then converted
into any one of several available multi-dimensional symbologies
or multi-dimensional bar code formats, and the representation of
the data which is now in the form of a printable bar code is transmitted
to a printer head for printing onto the airline ticket or boarding
pass or other airline document.
In an alternative embodiment, it may be desirable to add to the
data stream parametric table (Pectab) data which is used to define
the print and magnetic strip locations for each particular datum
which is contained within the magnetic code data stream. The Pectab
data may be unique for each airline or may be specified by an airline
group such as the Association of European Airlines (AEA) in their
joint technical specifications which are to be used in preparing
documents.
In view of the variety of Pectabs that are available (each airline
may have its own, and there may be a different Pectab for each type
of document being printed), a particular example of a Pectab incorporated
within the data for service subsequent compression and conversion
into a 2-D symbology will not be specifically set forth here. Rather,
a generalized format of a Pectab appear as follows:
TABLE-US-00003 A1/26#07Smith#A27/36#08Joan# G1/12#09816-374-0583#
D45/50#112D# C1/17#1402272004# G40/47#15134.57# F1/2183# 1927- 5648#B47/51#20F#G40/482378.57#
27DnB#30Secure-Yes##
The information of Table 2, using the provided phantom Pectab could
allocate and present the data stream of Table 2 on a boarding document
in the following positions:
TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 3 1 2 3 4 5 12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456
A Smith Joan B 1.sup.ST Class C Feb. 27, 2004 D DNB Seat 2D E Secure
Flight No. 5648 F 3 Bags Checked 134.57 G 816-374-0583 2378.57
TABLE-US-00005 A1/26#07Smith# Last Name Smith A27/36#08Joan# First
Name Joan G1/12#09816-374-0583# Telephone No. 816-374-0583 D45/50#112D#
Seat 2D C1/17#1402272004# Flight Date Feb. 27, 2004 G40/47#15134.57#
Leg cost $134.57 F1/2#183# Bags checked 3 E45/51#195648# Flight
No. 5648 B47/51#20F# First Class G40/482378.57# Total ticket cost
$2,378.57 D1/3#27DNB# Do not allow to Board E1/6#30Secure-Yes##
Hold passenger in a secure area
The resulting data stream of Table 1 or Table 2 would be converted
into a multi-dimensional symbology or bar code that uses for example
PDF 417 (see FIG. 6) or Symbol 49 (see FIG. 6).
Conversion of the Multi-dimensional Symbology
When it is desired to retrieve the information printed in the two-dimensional
symbology from the ticket, a scanning device is used to scan the
multi-dimensional bar code. The various manufacturers of two-dimensional
bar codes provide for scanner devices which can be used to scan
their particular bar code format and, thus, are well known in the
art and will not be further described within this specification.
The scanned data image is transmitted to a memory buffer in the
scanning device, and the information is extracted from the buffer
and compared by an image interpreter and converter software which
permits the interpretation of the particular multi-dimensional symbology
or bar code and conversion of the bar code image into binary or
ASCII code data stream from which the data may then be converted
into human readable format for display on a CRT or LCD display or
other human readable display or for printing of the information
onto a paper document. As will be appreciated from the previous
description, the multi-dimensional bar code may or may not include
Pectab data. In the situation in which Pectab data is included within
the multi-dimensional code, the computer reading the scanned image
can detect the Pectab information and transmit the data to the CRT
or LCD display or format the data for the printer based upon the
Pectab contained within the multi-dimensional symbology. Alternatively,
if no Pectab data is included within the multi-dimensional symbology,
the reading device or computer will access a Pectab which is indicated
for use by the operator and will associate various data stream components
with the downloaded Pectab to allow formatting and positioning of
data extracted from the multi-dimensional bar code into the proper
positions for use.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the ability
provided by the present invention to encode substantially more information
onto an airline ticket or boarding document will permit the addition
of other security information onto the ticket in the form of the
multi-dimensional symbology. One such example is the use of digital
photographs of the passenger and/or passenger luggage and/or passenger
carry-ons which can then be converted into multi-dimensional symbology
or bar codes and printed onto the ticket. Then upon final boarding,
the photographic information can be scanned, and the photograph
of the individual encoded onto the ticket can be compared with the
individual presenting the ticket. It will be appreciated that as
the photographs are taken within a few moments or few days of being
reexamined for security purposes, that the photographs will quite
closely and accurately reflect the appearance of the individual
and will not suffer from changes in appearance which can occur over
longer periods of time as are found on, for example, passport photographs
which may be five or ten years old at the time they are compared
with the individual. Further, it will be appreciated that the opportunity
to take such a photograph at the time that a potential passenger
confirms their identity, either through the use of a passport or
a driver's license or other identity documents, time will be allowed
for scrutiny of the individual's background as the ticket is obtained
several days in advance of the airline flight, and with the photograph
then being downloaded and encoded onto the ultimately issued boarding
document it will serve as a means of verification that the individual
who purchased or obtained the original reservation is in fact, the
individual presenting the boarding document just prior to their
entry onto the aircraft. In this manner, an individual who is a
security risk would not be able to employ the use of another individual
to initially make the airline reservation to thereby avoid being
recognized as a security risk for the flight.
In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for
brevity, clearness and understanding; but no unnecessary limitations
are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior
art, because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are
intended to be broadly construed. Moreover, the description and
illustration of the inventions is by way of example, and the scope
of the inventions is not limited to the exact details shown or described.
Certain changes may be made in embodying the above invention, and
in the construction thereof, without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention. It is intended that all matter contained
in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings
shall be interpreted as illustrative and not meant in a limiting
sense.
Having now described the features, discoveries and principles of
the invention, the manner in which the inventive method for providing
and printing multi-dimension symbology or multi-dimensional bar
codes of the magnetic data stream onto airline documents are performed,
constructed and used, the characteristics of the construction, and
advantageous, new and useful results obtained; the new and useful
structures, devices, elements, arrangements, parts and combinations,
are set forth in the appended claims.
It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended
to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention
herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention
which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.
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