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US 11,618,490 B2Granted
Empty bottom shelf of shopping cart monitor and alerting system using distance measuring methods
AssigneeBOB Profit Partners LLC
InventorsDale Lee Yones, Scott David Dalgleish, Craig W. Moyer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method apparatus are directed to identify items disposed on the bottom shelf of a shopping cart bottom of basket (BoB). Certain aspects envision a distance measurement sensor and computing system connected to the shopping cart. A first set of distance measurements of the bottom shelf when empty is obtained via the distance measurement sensor. Next, at a checkout stand, a second set of distance measurements of the shelf are taken, which can be used to compare with the first set of distance measurements to identify if there is an object on the BoB. An alert can be provided to a checkout attendant if there is an object on the BoB.
Claims20
A shopping cart comprising:
- a basket;
- a shelf connected to the basket, the shelf located under the basket and spaced sufficiently under the basket to support at least one item;
- at least one distance measurement sensor connected to the shopping cart, the shelf in a field of view of the at least one distance measurement sensor;
- a power supply connected to and adapted to power the at least one distance measurement sensor;
- a shopping cart transceiver connected to and adapted to be powered by the power supply, the shopping cart transceiver comprises an antenna;
- and
- a microprocessor, powered by the power supply and connected to the shopping cart transceiver, configured to become fully activated when in an interrogation zone of an interrogation zone transceiver, the microprocessor configured to determine a presence of the item by comparing a second set of distance measurements of the shelf with the item against a first set of distance measurements of the shelf without the item, the first set of distance measurements and the second set of distance measurements obtained by the at least one distance measurement sensor, the first set of distance measurements retained in non-transitory memory accessible to the microprocessor, the shopping cart transceiver configured to transmit the presence of the item supported by the shelf to the interrogation zone transceiver.
4 more elements
A method comprising:
- providing a shopping cart that possesses a basket, a shelf connected to and located under the basket, a microprocessor, a distance measurement sensor, non-transitory memory, and a shopping cart transceiver;
- collecting a first set of distance measurements of the shelf when empty via the distance measurement sensor;
- storing the first set of distance measurements to the non-transitory memory;
- collecting a second set of distance measurements of the shelf via the distance measurement sensor when within an interrogation zone;
- comparing the second set of distance measurements with the first set of distance measurements retained in the non-transitory memory;
- determining a status of whether there is at least one item disposed on the shelf from the comparing step, the status is either an empty status indicating no item disposed on the shelf or a full status indicating at least one item disposed on the shelf;
- and
- transmitting the status to an alert system.
5 more elements
A method comprising:
- providing a shopping cart that includes a basket, a shelf connected to and located under the basket, a microprocessor, a distance measurement sensor, non-transitory memory, a power supply, and a shopping cart transceiver, the microprocessor controlling the distance measurement sensor, the non-transitory memory, and the shopping cart transceiver powered by the power supply;
- with the microprocessor in an active state, collecting a first set of distance measurements of the shelf when empty via the distance measurement sensor, the active state defined by controlling functionality and power to the distance measurement sensor, the non-transitory memory, and the shopping cart transceiver as well as executing all relevant internal microprocessor functionality;
- storing the first set of distance measurements to the non-transitory memory;
- transitioning the microprocessor in a sleep state defined by a low-power consuming condition after the storing step;
- the shopping cart transceiver receiving a wireless signal when in an interrogation zone produced by a checkout station transceiver while the microprocessor is in the sleep state;
- waking up the microprocessor from the sleep state to the active state via the wireless signal;
- collecting a second set of distance measurements of the shelf via the distance measurement sensor when within the interrogation zone after the waking up step;
- comparing the second set of distance measurements with the first set of distance measurements retained in the non-transitory memory via the microprocessor;
- determining a status of whether there is at least one item disposed on the shelf from the comparing step, the status is either an empty status indicating no item disposed on the shelf or a full status indicating at least one item disposed on the shelf;
- transmitting the status to a checkout station;
- and
- providing notice at the checkout station of the status.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.