Product detection system for shopping carts

An object detection system for detecting objects on a storage section of a moving shopping cart comprising:

• a cart detection and identifying means comprising a first cart detector operable to detect a first part of the shopping cart entering a first area and a second cart detector operable to detect a second part of the shopping cart entering a second area spatially separated from the first area;
• logic circuit means including a delay circuit, to discriminate the presence of a cart within the area;
• an object detecting means for detecting the presence of an object on the storage section of the shopping cart;
• wherein when the first cart detection detects that the first part of the shopping cart is entering the first area at substantially the same time as the second part of the shopping cart is entering the second area;
• the logic circuit means energizing the object detecting means to operate;
• and
• wherein the object detecting means generates a detection signal if the object detecting means detects an object.

An object detection combination having a first IR detector located in lateral scanning relation adjacent a restricted passage, to detect the presence of a cart in the passage;

• logic circuit means connected to receive an output from said first detector, to switch on the logic circuit means;
• second IR detector means comprising at least two mutually spaced apart IR detectors located adjacent the passage and on the side of said first detector means remote from a normally approaching cart, to receive diffused IR light reflected by two designated portions of a designated cart, upon location of said designated portions in front of said second detector means;
• said logic circuit means receiving outputs from said two IR second detector means;
• said logic circuit means identifying said two IR outputs from said designated cart, to provide an output in response thereto;
• trigger means, responsive to said output of said logic circuit means, connected in on-off controlling relation with third, object scanning IR detector means located in scanning relation adjacent said passage;
• said third IR detector means being located to scan said cart for said object;
• signal output means responsive to output from said third IR detector means, said signal output means including visual display means indicating the presence of an object detected by said object scanning means.