| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 340568500 | Shopping cart or item thereon | 9 |
| 20080316029 | CART CLUSTER DETECTION AND ESTIMATION - 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. | 12-25-2008 |
| 20090002160 | USAGE MONITORING OF SHOPPING CARTS OR OTHER HUMAN-PROPELLED VEHICLES - 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. | 01-01-2009 |
| 20090033491 | Method, System And Apparatus For Dwell Monitoring In A Retail Establishment - A method, system and apparatus for facilitating dwell monitoring in a retail store, including detecting and monitoring the number of shoppers in a store through the use of broadcasting devices, such as RFID tags, and associated signal detecting devices, and a processor for processing the information, and storage media for storing the information, as desired (such as, for example, a computer), and an event engine for comparing the information processed with threshold data to generate alerts when a threshold is reached. | 02-05-2009 |
| 20110109455 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REDUCING CART ALARMS AND INCREASING SENSITIVITY IN AN EAS SYSTEM WITH METAL SHIELDING DETECTION - A system for detecting electronic article surveillance (“EAS”) marker shielding includes an EAS subsystem a metal detector, a cart detection subsystem and a processor. The EAS subsystem is operable to detect an EAS marker in an interrogation zone. The metal detector is operable to detect a metal object in the interrogation zone. The cart detection subsystem includes a sensor array. The cart detection subsystem is operable to differentiate between a wheeled device and a human passing through the interrogation zone based on the sensor array. The processor is electrically coupled to the EAS subsystem, the metal detector and the cart detection subsystem. The processor is programmed to receive information outputted from the cart detection system and information outputted from the metal detector to determine whether to generate an alarm signal based on the presence of EAS marker shielding. | 05-12-2011 |
| 20110109456 | SYSTEM AND METHOD USING PROXIMITY DETECTION FOR REDUCING CART ALARMS AND INCREASING SENSITIVITY IN AN EAS SYSTEM WITH METAL SHIELDING DETECTION - A system for detecting electronic article surveillance (“EAS”) marker shielding includes an EAS subsystem, a metal detector, an object detector, a timer, a cart detection subsystem and a processor. The EAS subsystem is operable to detect an EAS marker in an interrogation zone. The metal detector is operable to detect a metal object in the interrogation zone. The object detector is operable to detect objects located proximate to an entry point of the EAS subsystem. The timer is programmed to start a countdown sequence upon receiving a signal generated by the object detector. The cart detection subsystem includes a sensor array. The cart detection subsystem is operable to differentiate between a wheeled device and a human passing through the interrogation zone based on an output of the sensor array. The processor is electrically coupled to the EAS subsystem, the metal detector, the object detector, the timer and the cart detection subsystem. The processor is programmed to receive a signal from the object detector and the timer to initiate gathering information outputted from the cart detection subsystem and information outputted from the metal detector to determine whether to generate an alarm signal based on the presence of EAS marker shielding. | 05-12-2011 |
| 20110279272 | THEFT PROTECTION FOR SELF-SERVICE STORES - In order to detect attempted theft, the time that a shopping cart remains in a self-scanning zone in a self-checkout line is monitored. If a certain duration is not met between the time at which the region of the self-scanning register is entered and the exit is passed, an alarm is triggered. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20140375456 | PUSH HANDLE FOR A SHOPPING TROLLEY - A push handle for a shopping trolley contains a holder for a mobile telecommunications terminal, in particular a smartphone. The holder includes a mounting for the telecommunications terminal and a pivot joint by which the mounting can be pivoted between a home position when it rests against the push handle and a holding position when it extends away from the push handle. | 12-25-2014 |
| 20150325093 | SYSTEM FOR DETECTING UNAUTHORIZED STORE EXIT EVENTS - Various systems for detecting unauthorized exit events are disclosed. The systems can support a variety of different methods for assessing whether a customer is exiting the store without paying. The particular method or methods used may vary widely based on the types and the locations of the system components included in a given installation. For example, the system may be configured to detect that a cart has passed or is passing through a checkout lane. | 11-12-2015 |
| 20160180670 | SYSTEM AND METHOD OF DETECTING ITEMS IDENTIFIED BY RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION (RFID) TAGS IN A SMART SHOPPING CART | 06-23-2016 |
