Cart return loyalty credit system
AssigneeCarttronics, LLC
InventorsJohn R. French, Philip Witham
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for providing an incentive to a cutomer of a store to return a shopping cart to a cart return location. The cart return location, such as a cart corral, has a plurality of detection loops at an entrance to the corral. The system detects a change in inductance of the loops when a cart is returned to the cart corral and generates a cart return signal, which is indicative of a returned cart, in response to the change of inductance. The system determines wheather a cart is being removed from or returned to the cart corral by use of the multiple detection loops. Visual and/or audible feedback indicative of an action may be provided to the customer.
Claims43
A cart return system for use by a store utilizing a computer, the system comprising:
- a detection loop arranged at the entrance to a cart return location;
- a loop oscillator circuit connected to the detection loop, wherein a frequency is influenced by moving a cart proximate to the detection loop;
- and
- a processing circuit, connected to the loop oscillator circuit, being capable of detecting a change in inductance of the loop and identifying a cart return condition in response to the loop oscillator circuit, wherein the processing circuit is adapted to provide a customer identification code to the computer, wherein the customer identification code is unique to each customer and which is input to the system by the customer.
A method of providing an incentive for a customer of a store to return a shopping cart to a cart return location having a detection loop at the entrance to the cart return location, the method comprising:
- detecting a change in inductance of the loop when a cart is moved proximate to the detection loop;
- generating a cart return signal, which is indicative of a returned cart, responsive to the change of inductance;
- inputting a customer identification code proximal in time to the cart return signal, wherein the customer identification code is unique to each customer;
- and
- sending the customer identification code to a computer.
A cart return system, comprising:
- a detection loop arranged at the entrance to a cart return location;
- a loop oscillator circuit connected to the detection loop, wherein a frequency is influenced by moving a cart proximate to the detection loop;
- and
- a processing circuit, being capable of detecting a change in inductance of the loop and identifying a cart return condition in response to the loop oscillator circuit, wherein the processing circuit is adapted to provide a customer identification code, wherein the customer identification code is unique to each customer and which is input to the system by the customer.
A method of providing an incentive for a customer of a store to return a shopping cart to a cart return location having a detection loop at the entrance to the cart return location, the method comprising:
- detecting a change in inductance of the loop when a cart is moved proximate to the detection loop;
- generating a cart return signal, which is indicative of a returned cart, responsive to the change of inductance;
- inputting a customer identification code proximal in time to the cart return signal, wherein the customer identification code is unique to each customer;
- and
- storing the customer identification code in a memory.
A system of providing an incentive for a customer of a store to return a shopping cart to a cart return location having a detection loop at the entrance to the cart return location, the system comprising:
- means for detecting a change in inductance of the loop when a cart is moved proximate to the detection loop;
- means for generating a cart return signal, which is indicative of a returned cart, responsive to the change of inductance;
- means for inputting a customer identification code proximal in time to the cart return signal, wherein the customer identification code is unique to each customer;
- and
- means for storing the customer identification code.
A method of providing an incentive for a customer of a store to return a shopping cart to a cart return location having a detection loop at the entrance to the cart return location, the method comprising:
- detecting a change in inductance of the loop;
- generating a cart return signal, which is indicative of a returned cart, responsive to the change of inductance;
- obtaining a customer identification code proximal in time to the cart return signal;
- sending the customer identification code to a computer;
- and
- updating a customer loyalty database indexed by the customer identification code with a prespecified number of points associated with a cart return.
A method of providing an incentive for a customer of a store to return a shopping cart to a cart return location having a detection loop at the entrance to the cart return location, the method comprising:
- detecting a change in inductance of the loop;
- generating a cart return signal, which is indicative of a returned cart, responsive to the change of inductance;
- obtaining a customer identification code proximal in time to the cart return signal;
- storing the customer identification code in a memory;
- and
- updating a customer loyalty database indexed by the customer identification code with a prespecified number of points associated with a cart return.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.