Cart return credit system

• US 6,975,205 B1
• Filed: 03/23/2000
• Issued: 12/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Carttronics LLC (Gatekeeper Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Carttronics LLC (Gatekeeper Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Witham, Philip, French, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHIMIZU, MATSUICHIRO
• Application Number:
  US09/535,076
• Time in Patent Office: 2,091 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.9, 340/5.91, 340/5.92, 340/568.5, 705/14, 194/211, 235/383
• US Class Current: 340/5.92
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0636 in which the trolleys or carts are kept in a restricted zone such as a coral-like enclosure, or are passing a gate before use is possible
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0681 in which a card, pay-card or card-like object is used as the special token required to get permission or activate the lock to use the trolley or cart
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 194/905 Shopping cart return

Abstract

A system and method for providing an incentive to a customer of a store to return a shopping cart to a cart return location. The system generates a cart return signal. The system determines whether a cart is being removed from or returned to the cart corral. Alternatively, a radio frequency identification system may be used to detect return of a cart. The shopper is credited with points or credits in a frequent shopper or reward program for returning the shopping cart to the cart return location. The cart return system may be readily configured to integrate with a wide range of existing, or new frequent shopper or loyalty programs.

Claims

1. A cart system, comprising:

a sensor transmitting cart return signals when a cart is returned to a cart corral;

a plurality of customer identification signals each unique to a specific customer which are entered at the cart corral or transmitted from a customer device when the specific customers return carts to the cart corral; and

a data processing section receiving the cart return signals from the sensor and the customer identification signals so as to associate each returned cart with a specific customer for a customer reward program.

2. A cart return system, comprising:

a sensor transmitting cart return signals when a cart is returned to a cart corral;

a first interface which receives a first set of customer identification signals from a customer;

a second interface which receives a second set of customer identification signals from a customer; and

a data processing section associating at least one of the sets of customer identification signals with the cart return signal received from the sensor for a customer rewards program.

3. The system defined in claim 2, wherein the data processing section receives both the first and second sets of signals from the customer.

4. The system defined in claim 2, wherein the data processing section receives the second set of signals due to a failure of the first interface.

5. A cart return system for use by a store, the system comprising:

a detection loop arranged at the entrance to a cart return location;

a cart detection circuit connected to the detection loop being configured for detecting a change of inductance of the loop and identifying a cart detected condition; and

a processing circuit, connected to the cart detection circuit, being configured for identifying a cart return condition in response to the cart detected condition, wherein the processing circuit is configured to receive a customer identification which is unique to a specific customer and which is input to the system by the customer who returns the cart to the cart return location, and to associate the customer identification with the cart return condition.

6. The system defined in claim 5, wherein the cart detection circuit includes a loop oscillator circuit connected to the detection loop.

7. The cart return system defined in claim 6, wherein the cart detection circuit includes a control circuit detecting a change in inductance of the loop so as to specify the cart detected condition in response to the loop oscillator circuit.

8. The system defined in claim 5, additionally comprising an output interface connected to the processing circuit, wherein the processing circuit generates an output signal for the output interface based on the cart return condition and the customer identification.

9. The system defined in claim 8, wherein the output signal is indicative of a reward for a specific customer of the store associated with said customer identification.

10. The system defined in claim 8, wherein the output interface provides a reward to a specific customer of the store associated with said customer identification.

11. The system defined in claim 5, wherein the processing circuit includes a customer identification interface that provides the customer identification responsive to the cart return condition.

12. The system defined in claim 11, wherein the customer identification interface is a keypad.

13. The system defined in claim 11, wherein the customer identification interface is a smart card reader.

14. The system defined in claim 11, wherein the customer identification interface comprises a wireless transceiver.

15. The system defined in claim 11, wherein the customer identification interface comprises a biometrics subsystem.