Method and system for detecting and rewarding the returning of shopping carts

• US 7,579,967 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2007
• Issued: 08/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: systec POS-Technology GmbH
• Original Assignee: systec POS-Technology GmbH
• Inventors: Sonnendorfer, Horst, Wieth, Franz
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Previl; Daniel
• Application Number:
  US11/850,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20080021782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 340/988, 340/568, 340/572.1, 340/691.1, 340/568.5, 340/568.6, 340/568.7, 340/568.8, 340/572.8, 340/5.9, 340/426.2, 340/5.92, 340/5.91
• US Class Current: 340/988
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 9/045 Handling of baskets or shopping trolleys at check-out counters, e.g. unloading, checking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• 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: G07G 3/00 Alarm indicators, e.g. bells

Abstract

A method and a system for detecting and rewarding the returning of shopping carts to the supermarket collection points is provided. During shopping, a first signal A is generated. When a shopping cart is returned, a signal B is generated. These two signals A and B are correlated either in the supermarket or in an information device that the customer carries with him or her, in order to deliver a reward for returning the shopping cart. When the first signal A is generated, the customer or an information device carried with the customer is identified. Alternatively, the signal is provided to the customer at the supermarket checkout so that the customer himself/herself can take steps for the correlation of the signal A with the signal B that is still to be obtained.

Claims

1. A method to detect and reward the return of shopping carts to collection points at a shopping center, wherein during a purchase, a first signal A is automatically generated and when a shopping cart is returned to a collection point, a second signal B is automatically generated, and wherein the two signals A and B are correlated to issue a bonus, comprising;

establishing the generation of the first signal A by optical recognition;

assigning the first signal A to a certain customer by identifying or individualizing physical characteristics of the customer via data transmitted by the optical recognition;

establishing the generation of the second signal B by optical recognition;

assigning the second signal B to a certain customer by identifying or individualizing physical characteristics of the customer via data transmitted by the optical recognition; and

correlating the first signal A with the second signal B.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising

generating the second signal B when any shopping cart is returned to a collection point.

3. A method according to claim 2, further comprising

only generating the second signal B when the returned shopping cart had previously been located outside of the collection point for longer than a preset time period.

4. A method according to claim 2, further comprising

only generating the second signal B when the shopping cart had been previously used to go shopping.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the identified physical characteristics of the customer are biometric characteristics.

6. A system for detecting and rewarding the returning of shopping carts to a collection point, comprising a first detection means (5) to automatically generate a first signal A during a purchase and a second detection means (7) to automatically generate a second signal B when a shopping cart (1) is returned to a collection point (6), and a data processing unit to correlate the two signals A and B to issue a bonus,

the first detection means (5) is for establishing the generation of the first signal A by optical recognition and for assigning the first signal A to a certain customer by identifying or individualizing physical characteristics of the customer via data transmitted by the first detection means (5);

and

the second detection means (7) is for establishing the generation of the second signal B by optical recognition and for assigning the second signal B to a certain customer by identifying or individualizing physical characteristics of the customer via data transmitted by the second detection means (7).

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein

the second detection means (18) further includes means for recognizing the orientation of a shopping cart within the collection point (6) to determine whether the returned shopping cart (1) has been stored into the shopping cart stacked row within a prescribed tolerance.