Systems and methods for monitoring shopping cart wheels
AssigneeWalmart Apollo, LLC
InventorsNicholaus Adam Jones, Matthew Dwain Biermann, Steven Jackson Lewis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems are provided for evaluating shopping cart wheels using a sensor module or one or more microphones engaged with the shopping cart. The microphones can be used to detect sounds generated by the wheels of the shopping cart. A sound signature can be determined from the detected sound and compared to sound signatures in a database. If the detected sound indicates that a wheel of the shopping cart is failing, an alert can be generated using an associate alert system.
Claims19
A system for monitoring the status of one or more wheels of a shopping cart, the system comprising:
- a shopping cart including a frame and wheels configured to support the frame;
- one or more microphones positioned on the shopping cart to detect sounds generated by the wheels of the shopping cart;
- a communication module engaged with the shopping cart, the communication module configured to receive information related to the sounds detected by the one or more microphones and configured to emit wireless transmissions including the information;
- a wireless receiver configured to receive the wireless transmissions from the communication module;
- and
- a server in communication with the wireless receiver, the server including an associate alert system and a processor that can execute instructions to:
- receive the wireless transmissions from the communication module via the wireless receiver, the wireless transmissions including signals associated with the sounds generated by the wheels detected by the one or more microphones;
- and
- generate an alert using the associate alert system in response to determining that the signals received by the server indicate that at least one of the wheels of the shopping cart is failing.
A shopping cart, comprising:
- a frame;
- a plurality of wheels configured to support the frame;
- one or more microphones disposed on the frame and positioned proximate to one or more of the plurality of wheels to detect sounds generated by rotation of at least one of the wheels;
- a communication module disposed on the frame;
- and
- a processor disposed on the frame that is operatively coupled to the one or more microphones and is operatively coupled to the communication module, the processor configured to execute instructions to:
- receive signals corresponding to detected sounds output by the one or more microphones;
- control the communication module to transmit a message to a server including information related to the received signals by the one or more microphones.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.