Mobile automated shopping system

• US 4,071,740 A
• Filed: 05/26/1976
• Issued: 01/31/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Paul Gogulski
• Original Assignee: Paul Gogulski
• Inventors: Gogulski, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Cook, Daryl W.
• Application Number:
  US05/689,968
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 235/61.11 E, 235/61.6 R, 235/61.7 B, 235/61.7 R, 235/61.9 R, 186/1 AC
• US Class Current: 235/431
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 2203/50 comprising weighing means
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/1424 Electronic display devices
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/148 Adaptations facilitating the transport to the counter
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/1484 by an auxiliary access to the inside of the basket
• 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 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10861 sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0054 with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0081 the reader being a portable scanner or data reader G07G1/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/06 with provision for the noting of the money to be paid

Abstract

An improved automated shopping system used within stores of the type utilizing shopping carts having product code scanning means and product weight sensing means located thereon in conjunction with a central computer also located within the store wherein the improvement comprises a first scanner releasably mounted on the shopping cart, a control panel mounted upon the shopping cart, means for visual display of word and numerical entries on the control panel, means for the readings of the first scanner to appear on the visual display, means for totalling numerical data that appear on the visual display, a second scanner located on the control panel, means whereby the second scanner'"'"'s numerical entries are totaled and the total, with the second scanner'"'"'s other readings appear on the visual display, and a printout device located in said control panel which records and totals the numerical entries and prints them on tape.

Claims

1. An improved automated shopping system means for the purchasing of line-encoded identified products and articles utilized in stores of the type having shopping carts having associated therewith apparatuses providing product code indicia scanning means and weight sensing means utilized in conjunction and communication with a governing central computer, having stored product information related to said line-encoded indicia, by means of radio transmitting and receiving units wherein the improvement comprises:

a control panel and associated visual display unit affixed to said shopping cart for operation of a cart of said shopping system and for indication by display of said line-encoded product representative indicia;

a first line-encoded indicia scanner releasably mounted upon and connected with said control panel to read said line-encoded indicia upon said products having means responsive to said first scanner to decode and to display upon said visual display said product information derived by said first scanner from said products by means of transmission and reception of said product information with said central computer;

a second line-encoded scanner mounted within said control panel having means to decode and to cause display upon said visual display of said product line-encoded information derived from said products by means of transmission and reception of said information with said central computer;

a plurality of photocell sensing units positioned about the perimeter of the opening of said shopping cart to direct a plane of light across said cart opening to sense certain entries into said cart, said sensing units being responsive to said second scanner and decoding means such that said photocell sensing units deactivate for a predetermined period of time after said second scanner reads and decodes said line-encoded information to allow the insertion of a product or article in said cart and after said time period reactivates to provide a warning if an article is attempted to be inserted within said cart without first being scanned by said second scanner; and

said weight-sensing means being within the bottom of said cart and having an associated comparator circuit in said control panel in communication with said central computer to provide a means of comparison of actual and computer stored product weights and to provide a warning if said weights do not correspond.

2. The shopping system apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said photocell sensing units and warning system include:

a braking system for the wheels of said cart being responsive to said plane of photosensor light being broken and being activated by means of said circuitry associated with a warning light activated when said light plane is broken.

3. The shopping system apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said weight sensing means has circuitry associated with said braking system such that when said actual and stored weight comparisons do not correspond, said braking system is activated in conjunction with a warning light.

4. The shopping system apparatus as recited in claim 1 including a printer and tape responsive to line-encoded information decoded by said second scanner and said central computer for printing a cumulative tabulation of products passed over said second scanner as stored by said central computer.