Automated shopping cart handle

• US 6,177,880 B1
• Filed: 07/12/1993
• Issued: 01/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Klever Marketing Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Klever-Kart Inc.
• Inventors: Begum, Paul G.
• Primary Examiner(s): BRITTON, HOWARD W
• Application Number:
  US08/090,285
• Time in Patent Office: 2,752 Days
• Field of Search: 280/33.992, 235/383, 235/385, 364/401, 403/08, 404/82, 345/168, 345/169, 345/173, 345/146, 340/825.35, 340/825.32
• US Class Current: 340/5.9
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/1408 Display devices mounted on it, e.g. advertisement displays
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/1416 mounted on the handle
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/1424 Electronic display devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices

Abstract

An electronic shopping-cart handle with a hand bar and a display unit having an informational display screen for a product directory and periodic display of advertisements, the display unit having operating controls operable by a user'"'"'s thumbs while maintaining a hand grip on the hand bar for displaying select user information on the display screen.

Claims

1. An electronic, shopping-cart, informational device comprising:

an ergonomically designed display handle having two hand grip portions;

a central display unit portion with the hand grip portions being arranged on each side of the display unit portion, the hand grip portions having ends connectable to a shopping cart frame, and the display unit portion having a display screen and user control means for displaying selected information on the display screen, wherein the user control means comprises thumb operated buttons located on each side of the display screen proximate the hand grip portions for scrolling information in the display screen using a thumb while the user is able to maintain a grip on the hand portion of the display handle with the hand operating thumb;

automatic means for periodically displaying promotional product advertisements on the display screen; and

unobtrusive cue means apart from the display screen for directing a user'"'"'s attention to the display screen when a promotional product advertisement is displayed on the display screen.

9. The electronic, shopping-cart, informational device of claim 1 wherein the non-informational cue means comprises an audible chime.

10. The electronic, shopping-cart, informational device of claim 1 wherein the non-informational cue means comprises a handle vibration.

11. The electronic, shopping-cart, informational device of claim 1 wherein the non-informational cue means comprises a light.

12. The electronic, shopping-cart, informational device of claim 1 wherein the user control means comprises further, at least one thumb operated selection bar wherein the thumb operated selection bar is operable by at least one thumb of a user while the user maintains a hand grip on the hand grip portions of the display handle with both hands.

13. The electronic, shopping-cart, informational device of claim 1 wherein the hand grip portions and the display unit portion are of unitary construction.

14. The electronic, shopping-cart, informational device of claim 1 wherein the automatic means for displaying product advertisements includes transmission means external to the handle for transmitting signals for display of product advertisements.

15. The electronic, shopping-cart, informational device of claim 14 wherein the display unit portion includes a portable power pack and means for trickle charging the power pack.

2. An electronic, shopping-cart, informational device comprising:

an ergonomically designed, informational display handle for pushing a shopping cart to which the display handle is connected, the display handle having an integrated, interactive display unit for assisting a user using the display handle, the display handle having,

two hand grip portions and a central display unit portion, the hand grip portions being arranged on each side of the display unit portion with the hand grip portions having ends connectable to a shopping-cart frame, wherein the interactive display unit is located at the display unit portion and has a display screen with sides and thumb operated control means located on the display unit proximate at least one side of the display screen and proximate the hand grip portion for user operation of the display screen by at least one of the user'"'"'s thumbs while the user is gripping the hand grip portions of the display handle, wherein the display screen displays informational screen displays with user selectable information in the screen displays, wherein the user selects information from the screen displays using at least one of the user'"'"'s thumbs, while at the same time the thumb operating hand is able to grip one of the hand grip portions of the display handle, and wherein all of the user-selectable information in the screen displays is selectable by the user'"'"'s thumb without removing the user'"'"'s thumb operating hand from the hand grip portion of the display handle.

3. The electronic, shopping-cart, informational device of claim 2 wherein the hand grip portions and display unit portion of the handle are of a unitary construction, and the hand grip portions have releasable connection means at their ends for connecting the display handle to a shopping cart.

4. The electronic, shopping-cart, informational device of claim 2 wherein the hand grip portions and the display unit portion of the handle are of a unitary construction, and wherein the hand grip portions are cylindrical and hollow, and have means to contain plurality of batteries of a battery pack.

5. The electronic, shopping-cart, informational device of claim 4 wherein the display unit portion has a low profile and is contoured with respect to the cylindrical hand grip portions.

6. The electronic, shopping-cart, informational device of claim 2 wherein the display unit portion has a construction with a hollow interior to contain batteries of a battery pack.

7. The electronic, shopping-cart, informational device of claim 2 wherein the display screen is centrally positioned on the interactive display unit and the thumb operated control means comprise scroll buttons arranged on each side of the display screen proximate the hand grip portions.

8. The electronic, shopping-cart, informational device of claim 7 wherein the thumb operated control means comprise further, an elongated selection bar arranged under the display screen, the bar being accessible by either thumb of a user while at the same time the user is gripping the hand grip portions of the hand bar with both hands.

16. The electronic, shopping-cart, informational device of claim 2 wherein the central display unit portion and the hand grip portions are of unitary construction with a common housing.

17. The electronic shopping-cart informational device of claim 2 wherein the central display unit portion includes means for coupling the display unit portion to the hand grip portions.

18. The electronic shopping cart informational device of claim 17 wherein the hand grip portions comprise a conventional shopping cart hand bar.

19. The electronic shopping cart informational device of claim 17 wherein the means for coupling the display unit portion to the hand grip portion comprises a clamp mechanism.

20. The electronic shopping-cart informational device of claim 2 wherein the thumb operated control means comprises at least one selection button.

21. The electronic shopping-cart informational device of claim 20 wherein the thumb operated control means comprises further, at least one scroll button proximately positioned to the selection button.

22. The electronic shopping-cart informational device of claim 2 wherein the thumb operated control means selectively displays selectable informational screen displays and selectively selects information displayed in the informational screens display.

23. The electronic shopping-cart informational device of claim 2 wherein the display screen automatically displays informational screen displays with user selectable information in the display screens and the control means selectively selects information displayed in the automatically displayed screen displays.