Shopping cart with RFID capability

• US 7,225,980 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2005
• Issued: 06/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Chang, Wei, Yu, Chun-Te, Ku, Chun-Hui
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Labaze; Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US11/149,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20060208072A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 235/383, 235/385, 235/435, 235/451, 235/472.01, 340/568.5
• US Class Current: 235/383
• 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 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0081 the reader being a portable scanner or data reader G07G1/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 the reader being an RFID reader

Abstract

The present invention discloses a shopping cart with RFID capability, for detecting a RFID tag, comprising: a frame, further comprising: an accommodating space for accommodating RFID-tagged items; a plurality of wheels, coupling to the frame for carrying the frame to move according to the rotation of the wheels; and a cover, rotatably mounted on the frame for sealing the accommodating space; a reader unit, further comprising: a RFID reader, attached to the frame; and at least an antenna, electrically connected to the RFID reader and being received in the accommodating space of the frame; a memory unit, attached to the frame and being electrically connected to the RFID reader; a control unit, further comprising: an actuating device, coupled to the frame and the cover in respective and capable of open/close the cover while operating; a sensing device, attached to the frame and being electrically connected to the RFID reader, capable of activating the RFID reader to start/stop reader RFID tags through the antenna with respect to the sensing unit sensing the opening/closing of the cover; and a power unit, for providing power to the reader unit, the memory unit and the control unit.

Claims

1. A shopping cart with RFID capability for detecting a RFID tag located on RFID-tagged items, the shopping cart comprising:

a) a frame having;

i) an accommodating space having an opening on a top thereof and accommodating the RFID-tagged items;

ii) a plurality of wheels rotatably connected to a bottom of the frame for supporting the frame and selectively facilitating a movement of the frame by a rotation of the plurality of wheels; and

iii) a cover pivotally connected to the frame and selectively sealing the opening of the accommodating space, the cover is movable between open and closed positions;

b) a reader unit having;

i) a RFID reader connected to the frame; and

ii) at least one antenna electrically connected to the RFID reader and located in the accommodating space of the frame;

c) a memory unit connected to the frame and electrically connected to the RFID reader;

d) a control unit having;

i) an actuating device connected to the frame and the cover and selectively moving the cover between the open and closed positions; and

ii) a sensing device connected to the frame and electrically connected to the RFID reader, the sensing device controlling the RFID reader through the at least one antenna, the sensing device turning the RFID reader on when the cover is located in the open position and turning the RFID reader off when the cover is located in the closed position; and

e) a power unit providing power to the reader unit, the memory unit and the control unit.

2. The shopping cart of claim 1, wherein the frame is made of a made of a material capable of blocking electromagnetic waves.

3. The shopping cart of claim 2, wherein the material is metal.

4. The shopping cart of claim 1, wherein the antenna is arranged at a position selected from the inner walls of the frame and the cover.

5. The shopping cart of claim 1, further comprising a display attached to the frame and being electrically connected to the memory unit, the display displaying information of the memory unit.

6. The shopping cart of claim 5, wherein the display is a device selected from the group consisting of a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT), a light emitting device (LED), Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and a grouping of computers.

7. The shopping cart of claim 1, wherein the power unit is a device selected from the group consisting of a power generating unit attaching to the frame and a battery pack.

8. The shopping cart of claim 7, wherein the battery pack has a plurality of rechargeable batteries.

9. The shopping cart of claim 7, wherein the power generating unit is a device capable of generating power by friction by contacting at least one of the plurality of wheels, the power generating unit generating power with respect to the rotating of the wheel.

10. The shopping cart of claim 7, wherein the power generating unit is a radio frequency device capable of receiving electromagnetic waves and then transferring the electromagnetic waves into power.

11. The shopping cart of claim 1, wherein the memory unit is a device selected from the group consisting of a hard disk, a soft disk, an optical disc, a RFID tag, a flash disk and a grouping of PenDrive.