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US 2017/0166232 A1Published application
Multiple frequency band braking apparatus with magnetic force interposer
AssigneeCarttronics, LLC
InventorThomas K. Khuu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A shopping cart wheel includes a braking apparatus, and electronics that control the braking apparatus in response to wireless signals. The wireless signals include low frequency electromagnetic signals within a low frequency band and high frequency signals within a high frequency band. The braking apparatus includes a moveable interposer and an interposer controller where the moveable interposer is moved between braking and non-breaking positions at least partially with magnetic force.
Claims20
A shopping cart wheel comprising:
- a non-rotating component;
- a rotating component configured to rotate relative to the non-rotating component unless the shopping cart wheel is in a braking configuration where a moveable interposer is lodged between the rotating component and the non-rotating component;
- a low frequency antenna;
- a high frequency antenna;
- a low frequency receiver electrically connected to the low frequency antenna and configured to receive one or more low frequency signals through the low frequency antenna, the one or more low frequency signals transmitted within a low frequency band;
- a high frequency receiver electrically connected to the high frequency antenna and configured to receive one or more high frequency wireless signals through the high frequency antenna, the one or more high frequency wireless signals transmitted within a high frequency band having a lower limit greater than an upper limit of the low frequency band;
- and
- an interposer controller connected to the low frequency receiver and the high frequency receiver, the interposer controller configured to place the shopping cart wheel in the braking configuration in response to the one or more low frequency signals and to take the shopping cart wheel out of the braking configuration in response to the one or more high frequency signals, the interposer controller configured to take the shopping cart out of the braking configuration by moving the moveable interposer from being positioned between the rotating component and the non-rotating component at least partially using magnetic force between the moveable interposer and a component of the interposer controller.
5 more elements
A shopping cart wheel comprising:
- a rotating component having a rotating component feature;
- a non-rotating component having a non-rotating component feature;
- a moveable interposer configured to inhibit rotation of the rotating component relative to the non-rotating component when the moveable interposer is in a braking position where the moveable interposer is positioned between the rotating component feature and the non-rotating component feature and configured to not inhibit rotation of the rotating component relative to the non-rotating component when the moveable interposer is in a non-braking position where the moveable interposer is not positioned between the rotating component feature and the non-rotating component feature;
- a low frequency antenna;
- a high frequency antenna;
- a low frequency receiver electrically connected to the low frequency antenna and configured to receive one or more low frequency signals through the low frequency antenna;
- a high frequency receiver electrically connected to the high frequency antenna and configured to receive one or more high frequency wireless signals;
- and
- an interposer controller connected to the low frequency receiver and the high frequency receiver, the interposer controller configured to move the moveable interposer between the braking position and the non-braking position in response to the one or more low frequency signals and the one or more high frequency signals, where movement of the moveable interposer to the non-braking position is at least partially due to magnetic force between the moveable interposer and a component of the interposer controller.
6 more elements
A shopping cart wheel comprising:
- a non-rotating component;
- a rotating component configured to rotate relative to the non-rotating component unless the shopping cart wheel is in a braking configuration where a moveable interposer is lodged between the rotating component and the non-rotating component;
- an interposer controller configured to place the shopping cart wheel in the non-braking configuration at least partially by moving the moveable interposer with magnetic force between the moveable interposer and a component of the interposer controller;
- and
- electronics configured to place the shopping cart wheel in the non-braking configuration in response to a wireless signal received within a first frequency band defined by an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard, the electronics configured to place the shopping cart wheel in the braking configuration in response to an electromagnetic signal received within a second frequency band lower than the first frequency band.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.