System for shopping in a store

• US 7,672,876 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2008
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sunrise R&D Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Sunrise R&D Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Bonner, Brett Bracewell, Hjelm, Christopher Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith; Jeffrey A
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZUKANOVICH, BRANDY A
• Application Number:
  US12/172,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20090017764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 370/406, 455/95
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 2203/50 comprising weighing means
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/146 Lockers, hooks, e.g. for personal belongings
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0096 Identification of the cart or merchandise, e.g. by barcodes or radio frequency identification [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

A system for shopping in a store is provided that includes a multi-network for communications in a store, a shopping cart that weighs items placed therein and then transmits that weight information through the multi-network, and a wireless end device that may be handheld and/or releasably attached to the shopping cart whereby a shopper uses the wireless end device to send and receive information to the store though the multi-network.

Claims

1. A system for enabling a shopper to shop in a store having purchasable items, comprising:

A wireless end device;

A central computer; and

A communications multi-network having

A mesh communication network for tracking said wireless end device throughout a store; and

A star communication network for transfer of data from said central computer to said wireless end device and from said wireless end device to said central computer;

said central computer operatively connected to said communications multi-network;

said wireless end device positioned in close proximity to a shopper, said wireless end device being positioned to travel with said shopper through said store and said wireless end device configured to

a) scan readable media positioned onto said purchasable items in said store such that upon scanning of said readable media scanning data is created,

b) transmit said scanning data through said star communication network of said communications multi-network to said central computer

c) produce location tracking data; and

d) transmit said location tracking data through said mesh communication network of said communications multi-network to said central computer;

said central computer operating to continually update said shopper'"'"'s position based on the location tracking data received.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a shopping cart configured to receive items placed within said shopping cart wherein said shopping cart operates to record the weight information of each said item placed within said shopping cart.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said shopping cart operates to transmit said recorded weight information wirelessly through said star communication network of said communications multi-network.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one mesh communications network of said communications multi-network operates within a beacon enabled network or a non-beacon enabled network.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said communications multi-network comprises two or more star communication networks.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said wireless end device is a reduced function device.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said wireless end device is a full function device.