Shopping Cart With RFID and Biometric Components and Associated Systems and Methods

• US 20180237048A1
• Filed: 01/25/2018
• Published: 08/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Jones, Nicholaus Adam, Vasgaard, Aaron, Jones, Matthew Allen
• Granted Patent: US 10,093,333 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/1424 Electronic display devices
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0096 Identification of the cart or merchandise, e.g. by barcodes or radio frequency identification [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10475 arrangements to facilitate interaction with further interrogation devices, e.g. such that at least two interrogation devices may function and cooperate in a network of such devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/12 Fingerprints or palmprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/70 Multimodal biometrics, e.g. combining information from different biometric modalities

Abstract

Described in detail herein are systems and methods for interacting with an interactive display using a shopping cart. A biometric device integrated with the handle portion on a shopping cart can detect and discriminate between user attributes. At least one RFID tags can store the captured biometric information associated with the user attributes. A RFID reader and a computing system can be disposed within a predetermined distance of the shopping cart. The RFID reader can communicate with the at least one RFID tag in response to the at least one RFID tag being with a range of the at least one RFID reader to transfer the biometric information stored in the RFID tag to the RFID reader. The RFID reader can transmit the biometric information to the computing system. The computing system can authenticate the user based on the biometric information received via the at least one RFID reader.

Claims

1. A shopping cart system comprising:

a shopping cart including a frame having a handle portion, a basket supported by the frame, and a plurality of caster configured to support the frame;

a biometric device integrated with the handle portion to detect and discriminate between user attributes;

at least one RFID tag integrated in the shopping cart, the at least one RFID tag is configured to store biometric information associated with the user attributes;

at least one RFID reader configured to communicate with the at least one RFID tag in response to the at least one RFID tag being with a range of the at least one RFID reader to transfer the biometric information stored in the RFID tag to the RFID reader; and

a computing system operatively coupled to the at least one RFID reader, the computing system being configured to authenticate the user based on the biometric information received via the at least one RFID reader.

2. The system in claim 1, wherein the computing system is programmed to trigger an action on an interactive display of the computing system in response to authentication of the user.

3. The system in claim 2, wherein the action is based on a type of user attribute that is detected by the biometric device.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of RFID tags integrated in the handle portions, the plurality of RFID tags including the at least one RFID tag, a first RFID tag, and a second RFID tag.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first and second RFID tags are disposed near a surface of the handle portion and are readable by the at least one RFID reader in response to the first and second RFID tags being with a range of the at least one RFID reader, and

wherein, in response to the first RFID tag being covered by one of the digits of the user when the first RFID tag is within range of the at least one RFID reader, the at least one RFID reader is prevented from reading the first RFID tag and the computing system is configured to control an interactive display of the computing system to perform one or more action on the interactive display.

6. The system in claim 5, wherein the action is one or more of scroll, input information, and make selections on the interactive display.

7. The system in claim 4, wherein the first RFID tag includes far-filed component and a near-field component, the near-field component and far-field component being moveable with respect to each other between a first position in which the near-field component and far-field component are spaced away from each other and a second position in which the near-field component and far-field component are mechanically coupled to each other, and

wherein, in response to the near-field component and far-field component being moved to the second position when the first RFID tag is within range of the at least one RFID reader, the at least one RFID reader is reads the first RFID tag and the computing system is configured to control an interactive display of the computing system to perform one or more action on the interactive display.

8. The system in claim 1, wherein the handle portion includes discrete push buttons.

9. The system in claim 1, further comprising a database coupled to the computing system, and the computing system is programmed to query the database to determine the corresponding action to perform in response to authentication.

10. The system in claim 1, wherein the user attributes detected by the biometric device include at least one of finger prints, facial images, iris prints or voice recognition.

11. A method comprising:

detecting and discriminating between user attributes via a biometric device integrated with the handle portion of a shopping cart;

storing, via at least one RFID tag integrated in the shopping cart, biometric information associated with the user attributes;

communicating via at least one RFID reader, with the at least one RFID tag in response to the at least one RFID tag being with a range of the at least one RFID reader to transfer the biometric information stored in the RFID tag to the RFID reader; and

authenticating the user based on the biometric information received via the at least one RFID reader via a computing system operatively coupled to the at least one RFID reader.

12. The method in claim 11, further comprising triggering, via the computing system, an action on an interactive display of the computing system in response to authentication of the user.

13. The method in claim 12, wherein the action is based on a type of user attribute that is detected by the biometric device.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein a plurality of RFID tags are integrated in the handle portions and the plurality of RFID tags include the at least one RFID tag, a first RFID tag, and a second RFID tag.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

preventing the at least one RFID reader from reading the first RFID tag in response to the first RFID tag being covered by one of the digits of the user;

controlling, via the computing system, an interactive display of the computing system to perform one or more action on the interactive display, and

wherein the first and second RFID tags are disposed near a surface of the handle portion and are readable by the at least one RFID reader in response to the first and second RFID tags being with a range of the at least one RFID reader.

16. The method in claim 15, wherein the action is one or more of scroll, input information, and make selections on the interactive display.

17. The method in claim 14, further comprising:

reading, via the at least one RFID reader, the first RFID tag in response to a near-field component and far-field component being moved from a first position to a second position when the first RFID tag is within range of the at least one RFID reader;

controlling, via the computing system, an interactive display of the computing system to perform one or more action on the interactive display, and

wherein the first RFID tag includes far-filed component and the near-field component, the near-field component and far-field component being moveable with respect to each other between the first position in which the near-field component and far-field component are spaced away from each other and the second position in which the near-field component and far-field component are mechanically coupled to each other.

18. The method in claim 11, wherein the handle portion includes discrete push buttons.

19. The method in claim 11, query, via the computing system, a database coupled to the computing system to determine the corresponding action to perform in response to authentication.

20. The method in claim 11, wherein the user attributes detected by the biometric device include at least one of finger prints, facial images, iris prints or voice recognition.