Re: FAA to require transponders on all aircraft passengers

[shamrock@netcom.com (Lucky Green)]

At 7:56 8/3/96, David Lesher wrote:
[Quoting Lucky]
>> According to KCBS, a local radio station, the FAA has closed a long
>> anticipated deal with a manufacturer of transponder devices. The goal of
>> the system to be deployed nationwide is to match aircraft passengers to
>> their luggage and thereby identify unaccompanied luggage on board an
>> aircraft.
>
>I thinks they have mixed their marbles....

Nope. This from Micron's website:

Editorial Contact:

     Julie Nash, Micron Technology, (208) 368-4400
     Web Site URL http://www.micron.com
     Fax-on-demand: 800-239-0337

     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

     MICRON COMMUNICATIONS, INC., ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT WITH THE FEDERAL
     AVIATION ADMINISTRATION

     Boise, Idaho, August 2, 1996 - Micron Communications, Inc., today
     announced a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRDA)
     with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to develop a model
     Positive Passenger Baggage Matching (PPBM) system. The objective
     of this PPBM system is to automatically recognize when baggage has
     been placed on an aircraft without an associated passenger. Micron
     Communications intends to utilize remote intelligent
     communications (RIC) technology developed for its MicroStamp�
     family of products to design a security system which will enhance
     current systems and provide efficient tracking of passengers and
     baggage.

     "Micron Communications is proud to be associated with products
     that are designed to help increase the safety of airline travel,
     while providing operational benefits to the industry and
     increasing the convenience to the traveler," said John R. Tuttle,
     Chairman and President of Micron Communications, Inc. "Our
     experience in microelectronics and systems design should enable us
     to develop systems that use tomorrow's technology in finding
     solutions to these important problems."

     "Once again, an Idaho company is breaking new ground," Senator
     Larry Craig said. "As chairman of the Congressional-White House
     Task Force on Terrorism, its exciting to see this kind of
     high-tech advancement in security being developed here at home by
     Micron Communications, Inc. The Positive Passenger Baggage
     Matching system is exactly the kind of common-sense answer we are
     looking for to improve airline safety and give us all greater
     comfort when we fly in the future, " Craig continued.

     Current MicroStamp-based products include the MicroStamp credit
     card-sized device and the MicroStamp Engine� in a 20-pin,
     small-outline integrated circuit (SOIC) plastic package. Micron
     Communications believes that the MicroStamp integrated circuit is
     the first wireless communications technology to integrate a
     single-chip CMOS solution, which includes a direct sequence spread
     spectrum (DSSS) microwave-frequency radio operating at 2.45GHz, a
     microcontroller, and low-power static random access memory (SRAM).
     It also contains a synchronous serial port allowing additional
     memory expansion.

     RIC units are different from RFID tags because they have a central
     processing unit (CPU), memory and microwave on board. This
     combination allows RIC units to perform more applications than
     low-performance RFID tags that use older technology at lower
     frequencies. MicroStamp RIC units are more powerful and more
     flexible than RFID units. They are also smaller and cost less than
     other RIC units of comparable performance.

     Systems integrators, original equipment manufacturers or end users
     interested in the MicroStamp family of products should contact
     Micron Communications Customer Service department, 1-888-MSTAMP1,
     (888-678-2671).

     Micron Communications, Inc., is a subsidiary of Micron Technology,
     Inc., whose common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange,
     Inc. (NYSE) under the symbol MU.

     MicroStamp and MicroStamp Engine are trademarks of Micron
     Communications, Inc.


-- Lucky Green <mailto:shamrock@netcom.com> PGP encrypted mail preferred.
   Defeat the Demopublican Unity Party. Vote no on Clinton/Dole in November.
   Vote Harry Browne for President.