Media enabled shopping system user interface

• US 7,762,458 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2007
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Media Cart Holdings, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Media Cart Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Stawar, Saul, Singleton, Cody
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAIL, ALLYSON NEEL
• Application Number:
  US11/690,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20080230603A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,220 Days
• Field of Search: 235/383, 705/16, 705/21, 705/22, 705/34
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/1408 Display devices mounted on it, e.g. advertisement displays
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/1424 Electronic display devices
• 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 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A media enhanced shopping cart system comprises a shopping cart comprising a frame, a basket, a handle, a base tray, a plurality of wheels, a read component for performing a proximity scan of the shopping cart, a locationing component for determining a location of the shopping cart within a store based on the scan, and a display component for displaying at least one advertisement for a product based on the location of the shopping cart within the store, wherein the locationing component is further operable to determine a location of the product within the store relative to the shopping cart based on the scan, and wherein the display component is further operable to display an indication of the location of the advertised product relative to the location of the shopping cart.

Claims

1. A user interface in a media enabled shopping system, the system comprising:

(a) a shopping cart comprising a frame, a basket, a handle, a plurality of wheels, wherein the basket comprises a bottom, two side walls, a nose comprising a front wall, and a rear comprising a rear wall;

(b) a display component located at the nose of the shopping cart, the display component comprising a base, a housing, and a screen comprising a viewable area;

(c) an embedded computing device comprising a central processing unit, a memory, a network transceiver configured for wireless communication; and

(d) a navigation device for manipulating the user interface, wherein the navigation device is located at the handle;

wherein the embedded computing device is affixed to the shopping cart and operably coupled to the display component; and

wherein the embedded computing device stores an executable set of software instructions which, when executed by the embedded computing device, control the operation of the embedded computing device, said software instructions generating the user interface on the display to navigate a plurality of options in the media enhanced shopping cart, said user interface including a plurality of menu options in a scrolling menu and dynamically magnified content associated with the menu option upon selection of a menu option.

2. The user interface in a media enabled shopping system of claim 1, wherein one menu option of the plurality of menu options comprises:

a price check function, such that scrolling to the price check function in the scrolling menu dynamically magnifies content associated with the price check function;

wherein the content associated with the price check function prompts the user to scan an item at the cart to determine a price for the item.

3. The user interface in a media enabled shopping system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of menu options comprises:

a store special function, such that scrolling to the store special function in the scrolling menu dynamically magnifies content associated with the store special function, wherein the content associated with the store special function displays a sale item, a price for the sale item, a location for the sale item, or combinations thereof.

4. The user interface in a media enabled shopping system of claim 3, wherein the plurality of menu options comprises:

an item finder function, such that scrolling to the item finder function in the scrolling menu dynamically magnifies content associated with the item finder function, wherein the content associated with the item finder function displays an alphanumeric keyboard display, a location for the item, or combinations thereof.

5. The user interface in a media enabled shopping system of claim 4, wherein the plurality of menu options comprises:

a help function, such that scrolling to the help function in the scrolling menu dynamically magnifies content associated with the help function, wherein the content associated with the help function displays instructions for use of the menu option to which the user most recently scrolled.

6. The user interface in a media enabled shopping system of claim 5, further comprising advertising associated with the content associated with the menu option.

7. The user interface in a media enabled shopping system of claim 6, further comprising a prompt to a user to perform an action.

8. The user interface in a media enabled shopping system of claim 7, wherein the prompt instructs the user to scan a loyalty card.

9. The user interface in a media enabled shopping system of claim 2, further comprising advertising associated with the content associated with the menu option.

10. The user interface in a media enabled shopping system of claim 1, wherein one menu option of the plurality of menu options comprises:

a store special function, such that scrolling to the store special function in the scrolling menu dynamically magnifies content associated with the store special function;

wherein the content associated with the store special function displays a sale item, a price for the sale item, a location for the sale item, or combinations thereof.

11. The user interface in a media enabled shopping system of claim 10, further comprising advertising associated with the content associated with the menu option.

12. The user interface in a media enabled shopping system of claim 1, wherein one menu option of the plurality of menu options comprises:

an item finder function, such that scrolling to the item finder function in the scrolling menu dynamically magnifies content associated with the item finder function;

wherein the content associated with the item finder function displays an alphanumeric keyboard display, a location for the item, or combinations thereof.

13. The user interface in a media enabled shopping system of claim 12, wherein a list of items available in a store is displayed via manipulation of the alphanumeric keyboard display, and wherein entry of each letter or number successively narrows the list of items.

14. The user interface in a media enabled shopping system of claim 12, further comprising advertising associated with the content associated with the menu option.

15. The user interface in a media enabled shopping system of claim 1, wherein one menu option of the plurality of menu options comprises:

a help function, such that scrolling to the help function in the scrolling menu dynamically magnifies content associated with the help function;

wherein the content associated with the help function displays instructions for use of the menu option to which the user most recently scrolled.

16. The user interface in a media enabled shopping system of claim 15, further comprising advertising associated with the content associated with the menu option.

17. The user interface in a media enabled shopping system of claim 1, wherein the user interface further comprises advertising associated with the content associated with the menu option.

18. The user interface in a media enabled shopping system of claim 17, further comprising a prompt to a user to perform an action.

19. The user interface in a media enabled shopping system of claim 1, wherein the user interface further comprises a prompt to a user to perform an action.

20. The user interface in a media enabled shopping system of claim 19, wherein the prompt instructs the user to scan a loyalty card.