Usage monitoring of shopping carts or other human-propelled vehicles

• US 8,433,507 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gatekeeper Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Gatekeeper Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Hannah, Stephen E., Carter, Scott J., James, Jesse M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mawari, Redhwan K
• Application Number:
  US12/202,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20090002160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,705 Days
• Field of Search: 701/9, 701/408, 701/470, 701/469, 701/472, 340/568, 340/539, 340/988, 340/426, 340/825.49, 340/825.47, 340/573, 340/572, 340/574, 340/506, 340/505
• US Class Current: 701/400
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 10/04 for storing or handling self-service hand-carts or baskets
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 25/08 from a ground wheel, e.g. engaging the wheel tread or rim
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/16 operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/18 operated by wayside apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/14 characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys collapsible shopping trolleys B62B3/027
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/1404 Means for facilitating stowing or transporting of the trolleys; Antitheft arrangements B62B5/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/1412 mounted on the frame
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/1424 Electronic display devices
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/1492 Wheel arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0003 Adaptations for loading in or on a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0423 braking or blocking when leaving a particular area
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0438 hand operated
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/048 Hub brakes; drum brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/12 executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2434 Tag housing and attachment details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2448 Tag with at least dual detection means, e.g. combined inductive and ferromagnetic tags, dual frequencies within a single technology, tampering detection or signalling means on the tag
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/246 Check out systems combined with EAS, e.g. price information stored on EAS tag anti-theft systems in point of sale systems G07G3/003
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 : Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2474 : Antenna or antenna activator geometry, arrangement or layout loop antennae H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2477 : Antenna or antenna activator circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2482 : EAS methods, e.g. description of flow chart of the detection procedure
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 : Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1846 : structurally associated with wheels or associated parts dynamos arranged in the wheel hub of cycles B62J6/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 : Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 : Assembling or joining

Abstract

A vehicle tracking system includes a wheel containing sensor circuitry capable of sensing various types of conditions, such as wheel rotation, wheel vibration caused by skidding, and specific electromagnetic and/or magnetic signals indicative of particular wheel locations. The sensor circuitry is coupled to an RF transceiver, which may but need not be included within the wheel. The wheel may also include a brake mechanism. In one embodiment, the wheels are placed on shopping carts and are used to collect and monitor shopping cart status and location data via a wireless network. The collected data may be used for various purposes, such as locking the wheel of an exiting cart if the customer has not paid, estimating numbers of queued carts, stopping wheel skid events that occur during mechanized cart retrieval, store planning, and providing location-based messaging to customers.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring shopping cart usage, comprising:

generating shopping cart event data via two-way radio frequency (RF) communications with each of a plurality of shopping carts associated with a store, said event data including information reflective of zone entry events detected by particular shopping carts, each zone entry event representing entry of a particular shopping cart into a particular zone of a plurality of zones associated with said store, said zone entry events detected by the corresponding shopping carts based on transmissions received by the shopping carts from corresponding antennas mounted in a monitoring area associated with the store, said shopping cart event data additionally including battery level data reported by said shopping carts, said battery level data reflective of battery levels of batteries included in wheel assemblies of said shopping carts;

aggregating the shopping cart event data associated with the plurality of shopping carts in a data repository; and

programmatically analyzing the aggregated shopping cart event data to generate statistical information regarding said shopping carts;

wherein the method comprises, via circuitry included in the wheel assemblies of the shopping carts, generating received signal strength measurements based on said transmissions, and using the received signal strength measurements to detect said zone entry events.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the statistical information comprises an indication of a number of shopping carts currently in active use.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the statistical information comprises information regarding amounts of time spent by customers in a particular merchandise area of said store.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the event data to make automated determinations of whether particular shopping carts are authorized to exit the store.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating said shopping cart event data comprises, via electronic circuitry of said shopping carts, detecting transmissions from each of a plurality of devices located in said store, and transmitting information regarding the detected transmissions on a radio frequency link.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the information regarding the detected transmissions comprises RSSI (received signal strength indication) data derived from said transmissions.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein programmatically analyzing the aggregated shopping cart event data comprises associating particular shopping cart paths followed by customers with particular purchase transaction records generated by a point-of-sale system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein programmatically analyzing the aggregated shopping cart event data comprises associating particular shopping cart paths followed by customers with particular customer identifiers.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein associating particular shopping cart paths with particular purchase transaction records comprises comparing event data reported by a shopping cart to time stamp and register ID information included in a purchase transaction record generated by the point-of-sale system.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining from the shopping cart paths and the associated purchase transaction records whether customers tend to look in a wrong location before finding a desired product.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining from the shopping cart paths and associated purchase transaction records whether customers tend to linger in a particular store area without selecting a product to purchase.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein programmatically analyzing the aggregated shopping cart event data comprises matching a particular shopping cart session record to a particular purchase transaction, said shopping cart session record including data reflective of a path taken by a corresponding shopping cart in said store.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises receiving, via wireless access points mounted in said store, RF transmissions of said shopping cart event data from transceivers housed within respective wheel assemblies of said shopping carts.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising communicating the shopping cart event data from the wireless access points to a central node.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the shopping cart event data additionally includes data reported by the shopping carts regarding wheel locking events.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the shopping cart event data additionally includes wheel rotation speed data generated via rotation sensors included in wheel assemblies of the shopping carts.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising, via execution of instructions by a processor, using the shopping cart event data to determine whether to activate a braking mechanism of a shopping cart.

9. A system for monitoring shopping cart usage, said system comprising wheel assemblies that attach to the shopping carts, and comprising devices that communicate wirelessly with the wheel assemblies, the system configured to implement a method that comprises:

generating shopping cart event data via two-way radio frequency (RF) communications with each of a plurality of shopping carts associated with a store, said event data including information reflective of zone entry events detected by particular shopping carts, each zone entry event representing entry of a particular shopping cart into a particular zone of a plurality of zones associated with said store, said zone entry events detected by the corresponding shopping carts based on transmissions received by the shopping carts from corresponding antennas mounted in a monitoring area associated with the store, said shopping cart event data additionally including battery level data reported by said shopping carts, said battery level data reflective of battery levels of batteries included in the wheel assemblies of said shopping carts;

aggregating the shopping cart event data associated with the plurality of shopping carts in a data repository; and

programmatically analyzing the aggregated shopping cart event data to generate statistical information regarding said shopping carts;

wherein the method comprises, via circuitry included in the wheel assemblies of the shopping carts, generating received signal strength measurements based on said transmissions, and using the received signal strength measurements to detect said zone entry events.