Stackable charging device for shopping carts with onboard computing systems

A system comprising:

• a first shopping cart and a second shopping cart, where each of the first shopping cart and the second shopping cart comprises:
• a basket;
• a plurality of wheels coupled to the basket;
• a computing device coupled to the basket, wherein the computing device comprises a processor and a computer-readable medium;
• a battery coupled to the computing device;
• a front charging connector coupled to the basket, wherein the front charging connector is electrically coupled to the battery, and wherein the front charging connector is a male charging connector and comprises:
• a first and second charging socket electrically coupled to the battery;
• and
• a control socket that is coupled to the computing device;
• and
• a rear charging connector coupled to the basket, wherein the rear charging connector is electrically coupled to the battery, and wherein the rear charging connector is electrically and mechanically coupled to the front charging connector, and wherein the rear charging connector is a female charging connector and comprises:
• a first and second charging pin electrically coupled to the battery;
• and
• a control pin that is coupled to the computing device, wherein the control pin is shorter than the first charging pin and the second charging pin such that, when the male charging connector of the second shopping cart is inserted into the female charging connector of the first shopping cart, the first and second charging pins of the female charging connector of the first shopping cart make physical contact with the first and second charging sockets of the male charging connector of the second shopping cart, respectively, before the control pin of the female charging connector of the first shopping cart makes physical contact with the control socket of the male charging connector of the second shopping cart;
• wherein the second shopping cart is stackable within the first shopping cart such that the front charging connector of the second shopping cart is connected to the rear charging connector of the first shopping cart;
• and
• a charging station comprising a dock connector, wherein the first shopping cart and the second shopping cart can be docked within the charging station such that the front charging connector of the first shopping cart is connected to the dock connector of the charging station, wherein the dock connector of the charging station is substantially identical to the rear charging connector of the first shopping cart and the second shopping cart.