ZONE-BASED COMMAND TRANSMISSIONS TO CART WHEEL ASSEMBLIES

• US 20130257000A1
• Filed: 05/31/2013
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gatekeeper Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Gatekeeper Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Hannah, Stephen E., Carter, Scott J., James, Jesse M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,783,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/33.994
• 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 assembly 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. In some embodiments, the wheel assemblies detect that they have entered into particular zones by measuring received signal strengths of received command transmissions, and by comparing these measurements to thresholds that are used to define zone boundaries.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A system for controlling usage of human-propelled carts, comprising:

a wheel assembly that attaches to a human-propelled cart, said wheel assembly comprising a wheel and communication circuitry; and

a device that transmits a command via radio frequency transmissions from an antenna, said device positioned at a fixed location to create a zone into which the cart can enter;

wherein the communication circuitry is responsive to receiving a radio frequency transmission of the command from the device by measuring a received signal strength of the transmission and by determining whether the measured received signal strength satisfies a threshold for responding to the command, wherein the communication circuitry is configured to respond to the command when the threshold is satisfied and to disregard the command when the threshold is not satisfied, said threshold thereby defining a boundary of the zone.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the antenna is mounted above ground.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the antenna is a directional antenna that is mounted to project radiation downward toward a surface on which carts move.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the wheel assembly comprises a brake mechanism that, when activated, inhibits movement of the cart, and the command specifies an activation state of the brake mechanism.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the command is a lock command, such that the zone is a lock zone in which cart movement is restricted.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the command is an unlock command, such that the zone is an unlock zone to which the cart can be moved to cause the brake mechanism to become deactivated.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the device is a solar-powered device that is mounted outdoors and positioned to create a zone for controlling usage of carts in a store parking lot.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the device is configured to transmit, via said radio frequency transmissions, threshold information that specifies said threshold to the wheel assembly.

29. The system of claim 21, wherein the command is a “

report zone entry”

command to which the wheel assembly responds, when said threshold is met, by reporting, on a wireless network, entry of the cart into the zone.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein the command instructs the wheel assembly to report wheel assembly status information.

31. The system of claim 21, wherein the command instructs the wheel assembly to modify its wake up interval.

32. The system of claim 21, wherein the communication circuitry is configured to measure the received signal strength of the transmission by generating a filtered RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) value that is based on a plurality of RSSI measurements.

33. The system of claim 21, wherein the communication circuitry comprises a radio frequency transceiver that communicates bi-directionally with the device.

34. A method performed by a cart wheel assembly that comprises wireless communication circuitry, said cart wheel assembly attached to a human-propelled cart, the method comprising:

receiving, with the wireless communication circuitry, a wireless transmission of a command from an antenna mounted at a fixed location;

generating a received signal strength value representing a strength of the received wireless transmission of the command; and

determining, based at least in part on the received signal strength value, whether to respond to the command.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the command is a brake activation command that instructs the wheel assembly to activate a brake unit of the wheel assembly.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising determining whether to activate the brake unit in response to the brake activation command based at least partly on the received signal strength value.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein the command instructs the wheel assembly to report, on a wireless network, entry into a zone associated with the antenna, and the method further comprises the wheel assembly reporting zone entry on the wireless network in response to determining that the received signal strength value satisfies a threshold.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein the command instructs the wheel assembly to modify a wake up interval used by the wireless communications circuitry, and the method further comprises modifying the wake up interval in response to determining that the received signal strength value satisfies a threshold.

39. The method of claim 34, wherein the received signal strength value is a filtered RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) value that is based on a plurality of RSSI measurements.

40. A wheel assembly for a human-propelled cart, the wheel assembly comprising:

a wheel; and

a radio frequency transceiver unit configured to communicate on a wireless network, said radio frequency transceiver unit configured to receive a transmission on the wireless network of a command, and to determine whether to respond to the command at least in part by generating a received signal strength value representing a strength of the of the received transmission and by comparing the received signal strength value to a threshold.

41. The wheel assembly of claim 40, further comprising a brake unit that is capable of being activated to inhibit movement of the cart, wherein the command is an instruction to activate the brake unit, and the radio frequency transceiver unit is configured to determine, based at least partly on the received signal strength value, whether to activate the brake unit in response to the command.

42. The wheel assembly of claim 40, wherein the command instructs the wheel assembly to report, on the wireless network, entry of the cart into a zone, and the radio frequency transceiver unit is configured to determine, based at least partly on the received signal strength value, whether to report zone entry on the wireless network in response to the command.

43. The wheel assembly of claim 40, wherein the command instructs the wheel assembly to modify a wake up interval for communicating on the wireless network, and the radio frequency transceiver unit is configured to determine, based at least partly on the received signal strength value, whether to modify the wake up interval in response to the command.

44. The wheel assembly of claim 40, wherein the radio frequency transceiver unit is mounted within the wheel.