US 8,571,778 B2Granted

Cart braking control during mechanized cart retrieval

AssigneeGatekeeper Systems, Inc.

InventorsStephen E. Hannah, Scott J. Carter, Jesse M. James

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A vehicle tracking system includes a wheel containing sensor circuitry capable of sensing various types of conditions, such as specific electromagnetic and/or magnetic signals indicative of particular wheel locations. The sensor circuitry is coupled to an RF transceiver, which may but need not be included within the wheel. The wheel may also include a brake mechanism. In one embodiment, the wheels are placed on shopping carts and are used to collect and monitor shopping cart status and location data via a wireless network. The collected data may be used for various purposes, such as locking the wheel of an exiting cart if the customer has not paid, estimating numbers of queued carts, and stopping brake activation events from occurring during mechanized cart retrieval.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A system for controlling usage of shopping carts, comprising:

a shopping cart wheel assembly that attaches to a shopping cart, the shopping cart wheel assembly having a wheel, a braking unit that inhibits movement of the shopping cart when activated, and a control unit that controls the braking unit, the control unit comprising communication circuitry configured to detect transmissions of a boundary signal, wherein the control unit is configured to respond to the boundary signal by conditionally activating the braking unit;
a first transmitter positioned at a fixed location associated with a boundary, the first transmitter configured to transmit the boundary signal;
and
a second transmitter associated with a mechanized cart retrieval unit, the second transmitter configured to transmit a brake deactivation signal during mechanized cart retrieval, said second transmitter configured to transmit the brake deactivation signal in response to initiation by a retrieval unit operator of a cart retrieval operation;
wherein the control unit is responsive to receiving the brake deactivation signal by maintaining the brake unit deactivated regardless of whether the boundary signal is detected, such that the brake unit remains deactivated during mechanized cart retrieval regardless of whether the shopping cart crosses the boundary.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/850,220Filed 25 Mar 2013 · continuation
Priority: 18 Mar 2005
Published: US 2013/0214502 A122 Aug 2013
Granted: 29 Oct 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification42 codes

B62B 5/0438
Braking mechanisms; Locking devices against movement: hand operated
H04W 4/02
Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor: services making use of location information
A47F 10/04
For self-service type systems, e.g. supermarkets: for storing or handling self-service hand-carts or baskets
B60K 25/08
Auxiliary drives: from a ground wheel, e.g. engaging the wheel tread or rim

Family

Application60/663,147Us provisional application · filed 18 Mar 2005
Application60/663,327Us provisional application · filed 18 Mar 2005
Application60/663,195Us provisional application · filed 18 Mar 2005
Application11/277,016Parent of this division · filed 20 Mar 2006
Application12/200,771Parent of this continuation · filed 28 Aug 2008
US 2013/0214502 A1Pre-grant publication · published 22 Aug 2013
US 8,406,993 B2Parent of this continuation
Application12/200,771Parent of this division
US 2006/0244588 A1Published application
US 2008/0319625 A1Published application
US 8,463,540 B2Related patent
US 8,571,778 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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