SYSTEM FOR COMMUNICATING WITH AND MONITORING MOVEMENT OF HUMAN-PROPELLED VEHICLES

• US 20090002172A1
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jesse M. James, Scott J. Carter, Stephen E. Hannah
• Original Assignee: Jesse M. James, Scott J. Carter, Stephen E. Hannah
• Inventors: Hannah, Stephen E., Carter, Scott J., James, Jesse M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,417,445 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 10/04 for storing or handling self-service hand-carts or baskets
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 25/08 from a ground wheel, e.g. engaging the wheel tread or rim
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/16 operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/18 operated by wayside apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/14 characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys collapsible shopping trolleys B62B3/027
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/1404 Means for facilitating stowing or transporting of the trolleys; Antitheft arrangements B62B5/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/1412 mounted on the frame
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/1424 Electronic display devices
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/1492 Wheel arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0003 Adaptations for loading in or on a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0423 braking or blocking when leaving a particular area
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0438 hand operated
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/048 Hub brakes; drum brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/12 executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2434 Tag housing and attachment details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2448 Tag with at least dual detection means, e.g. combined inductive and ferromagnetic tags, dual frequencies within a single technology, tampering detection or signalling means on the tag
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/246 Check out systems combined with EAS, e.g. price information stored on EAS tag anti-theft systems in point of sale systems G07G3/003
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 : Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2474 : Antenna or antenna activator geometry, arrangement or layout loop antennae H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2477 : Antenna or antenna activator circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2482 : EAS methods, e.g. description of flow chart of the detection procedure
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 : Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1846 : structurally associated with wheels or associated parts dynamos arranged in the wheel hub of cycles B62J6/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 : Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 : Assembling or joining

Abstract

A vehicle tracking system includes a wheel containing sensor circuitry capable of sensing various types of conditions, such as wheel rotation, wheel vibration caused by skidding, and 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, stopping wheel skid events that occur during mechanized cart retrieval, store planning, and providing location-based messaging to customers.

Claims

1. A method of inhibiting theft of merchandise contained in a shopping cart, the method comprising:

monitoring a location of a shopping cart in a store via bi-directional radio frequency communications with communication circuitry of the shopping cart;

automatically determining whether the shopping cart is authorized to exit the store based, at least in part, on a path taken by the shopping cart before proceeding to an exit of the store, as determined from said monitoring; and

when the shopping cart is determined to not be authorized to exit the store, automatically taking an action to inhibit theft.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically determining whether the shopping cart is authorized to exit the store comprises determining whether the shopping cart entered a particular merchandise area of the store before proceeding to said exit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically determining whether the shopping cart is authorized to exit the store comprises determining an amount of time spent in the store since entry.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the location of the shopping cart comprises communicating with the communication circuitry via directional antennas mounted in the store.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the location of the shopping cart comprises communicating with the communication circuitry via wireless access points mounted in the store.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically determining whether the shopping cart is authorized to exit the store comprises assessing whether the shopping cart passed through a checkout lane.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein automatically determining whether the shopping cart is authorized to exit the store further comprises assessing whether said checkout lane was active when the shopping cart passed through the checkout lane.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein automatically determining whether the shopping cart is authorized to exit the store further comprises analyzing data reflective of a speed at which the shopping cart passed through the checkout lane.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically taking an action to inhibit theft comprises activating a motion inhibiting mechanism of said shopping cart.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically taking an action to inhibit theft comprises activating a store alarm.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically taking an action to inhibit theft comprises activating a video surveillance system.

12. A system configured to perform the method of claim 1, said system comprising said communication circuitry, and comprising a plurality of devices that are adapted to be mounted to structures in a vicinity of the store, said devices configured to communicate with the communication circuitry of the shopping carts

13. A method of monitoring and controlling movement of a shopping cart, the method comprising:

monitoring a location of a shopping cart via bidirectional radio frequency (RF) communications with communication circuitry the shopping cart, said communication circuitry electrically coupled to a brake mechanism of the shopping cart; and

automatically determining whether to activate the brake mechanism to inhibit the shopping cart from exiting a store based, at least in part, on a path taken by the shopping cart before proceeding to an exit of the store, as determined from said monitoring.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein automatically determining whether to activate the brake mechanism comprises assessing whether the shopping cart passed through a checkout lane prior to proceeding to the exit.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein automatically determining whether to activate the brake mechanism further comprises taking into consideration data reflective of a speed at which the shopping cart passed through the checkout lane.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein automatically determining whether to activate the brake mechanism further comprises identifying a checkout lane used by the shopping cart, and assessing whether a register in the checkout lane was active when the shopping cart passed through the checkout lane.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein automatically determining whether to activate the brake mechanism further comprises determining whether the shopping cart passed through a high-theft-risk merchandise area.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein monitoring the location of the shopping cart comprises monitoring signal detection events reported by the communication circuitry.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein monitoring the location of the shopping cart comprises communicating with the communication circuitry directional antennas mounted in the store.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of automatically determining whether to activate the brake mechanism is performed by electronic circuitry of the shopping cart.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of automatically determining whether to activate the brake mechanism is performed by an external system that communicates over a radio frequency link with the shopping cart.

22. A method of controlling a human-propelled wheeled vehicle, the method comprising:

communicating bi-directionally with the human-propelled wheeled vehicle over at least one wireless link to obtain event data, including event data reflective of a location of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes a brake mechanism that can be engaged to impair movement of the vehicle; and

programmatically analyzing the event data substantially in real time at a node that is separate from the vehicle to evaluate whether to cause the brake mechanism to be activated.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the vehicle is a shopping cart, and the method comprises communicating bi-directionally with the shopping cart via a plurality of access points located in a store.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the event data includes data descriptive of location-based signals detected by sensor circuitry contained in a wheel of the shopping cart.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein programmatically analyzing the event data comprises assessing whether the shopping cart has passed through a checkout lane of the store.