WO2022061298A1 - Système de suivi de chariot d'achat - Google Patents

Système de suivi de chariot d'achat Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2022061298A1
WO2022061298A1 PCT/US2021/051334 US2021051334W WO2022061298A1 WO 2022061298 A1 WO2022061298 A1 WO 2022061298A1 US 2021051334 W US2021051334 W US 2021051334W WO 2022061298 A1 WO2022061298 A1 WO 2022061298A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
signal
shopping cart
wireless communication
communication device
received
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2021/051334
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Kyle PAYNE
Jonathan BEMIS
Gordon SCHWARTZ
Shawna WITEK
David Baughman
Original Assignee
Bemis Manufacturing Company
Sigfox, Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Bemis Manufacturing Company, Sigfox, Inc. filed Critical Bemis Manufacturing Company
Publication of WO2022061298A1 publication Critical patent/WO2022061298A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W4/00—Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
    • H04W4/02—Services making use of location information
    • H04W4/029—Location-based management or tracking services
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
    • B62B—HAND-PROPELLED VEHICLES, e.g. HAND CARTS OR PERAMBULATORS; SLEDGES
    • B62B5/00—Accessories or details specially adapted for hand carts
    • B62B5/0096—Identification of the cart or merchandise, e.g. by barcodes or radio frequency identification [RFID]
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q30/00—Commerce
    • G06Q30/018—Certifying business or products
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q30/00—Commerce
    • G06Q30/06—Buying, selling or leasing transactions
    • G06Q30/0601—Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
    • G06Q30/0639—Item locations
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W4/00—Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
    • H04W4/02—Services making use of location information
    • H04W4/021—Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W4/00—Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
    • H04W4/30—Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
    • H04W4/33—Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W4/00—Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
    • H04W4/30—Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
    • H04W4/35—Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes for the management of goods or merchandise
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W4/00—Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
    • H04W4/30—Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
    • H04W4/40—Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W4/00—Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
    • H04W4/80—Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Definitions

  • Embodiments relate to shopping cart tracking systems. This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/081,128, filed September 21, 2020, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
  • Embodiments relate to shopping cart tracking systems.
  • Loss of shopping carts e.g., due to theft
  • retail environments such as grocery stores and shopping malls
  • tracking shopping carts becomes difficult once the cart has been removed from the store premises. It is desirable for store owners to track the location of a shopping cart regardless of whether the shopping cart is located within the premises of a store.
  • a shopping cart tracking system includes a shopping cart, a tracking device, and a server.
  • the shopping cart includes a frame at least partially formed of a plastic material and supported for movement and a basket supported on the frame.
  • the tracking device is supported on the shopping cart and includes a plurality of wireless communication devices.
  • the tracking device also includes a controller having an electronic processor. The controller is configured to determine whether a predetermined condition has been met, determine whether a first signal has been received by a first wireless communication device of the plurality of wireless communication devices when the predetermined condition has been met, generate an information signal based in part on the first signal when the first signal has been received by the first wireless communication device, and transmit, by a second wireless communication device of the plurality of wireless communication devices, the information signal.
  • the server is configured to wirelessly receive the information signal and determine, by a second electronic processor, a location of the shopping cart based on the information signal.
  • the first wireless communication device is a global positioning system (GPS) receiver configured to receive the first signal from a GPS satellite.
  • GPS global positioning system
  • the tracking device further includes a third wireless communication device.
  • the third wireless communication device is a short-range radio transceiver.
  • the controller is further configured to determine whether a second signal has been received by the third wireless communication device, generate the information signal based in part on the second signal when the second signal has been received by the third wireless device, and generate the information signal based in part on the first signal when the second signal has not been received by the third wireless communication device and the first signal has been received by the first wireless communication device.
  • the first wireless communication device is a short-range radio transceiver.
  • the first wireless communication device receives the first signal from a Bluetooth® radio beacon located at a retail environment.
  • the first wireless communication device receives the first signal from a Wi-Fi® access point located at a retail environment.
  • the shopping cart tracking system includes a cellular base station configured to wirelessly receive the information signal from the second wireless communication device and wirelessly transmit the information signal to the server.
  • the frame includes an upright member and a cross-member.
  • the tracking device is mounted proximate the upright member on the underside of the cross-member.
  • the frame includes an upright member and a cover portion that is removably coupled to the upright member.
  • the tracking device is mounted within the upright member and shielded by the cover portion.
  • the frame includes a handle assembly and the tracking device is mounted within the handle assembly.
  • a method for tracking a shopping cart including a frame and a basket supported on the frame.
  • a tracking device is supported on the shopping cart, and the tracking device includes a controller having an electronic processor, a first wireless communication device, and a second wireless communication device.
  • the method includes: determining, by the controller, whether a predetermined condition has been met; determining, by the controller, whether a first signal has been received by the first wireless communication device when the predetermined condition has been met; generating, by the controller, an information signal based in part on the first signal when the first signal has been received by the first wireless communication device; transmitting, by the second wireless communication device, the information signal to a server; and determining, by the server, a location of the shopping cart based on the information signal.
  • the first wireless communication device is a global positioning system (GPS) receiver configured to receive the first signal from a GPS satellite.
  • GPS global positioning system
  • the method further includes determining, by the controller, whether a second signal has been received by a third wireless communication device of the tracking device; generating, by the controller, the information signal based in part on the second signal when the second signal has been received by the third wireless communication device; and generating, by the controller, the information signal based in part on the first signal when the second signal has not been received by the third wireless communication device and the first signal has been received by the first wireless communication device.
  • the third wireless communication device is a short-range radio transceiver.
  • the first wireless communication device is a short-range radio transceiver.
  • the first signal is a Bluetooth® signal transmitted by a radio beacon located at a retail environment.
  • the first signal is a Wi-Fi® signal transmitted by an access point located at a retail environment.
  • the method includes forwarding, by a cellular base station, the information signal to the server.
  • a shopping cart in yet another independent aspect, includes a frame at least partially formed of a plastic material and supported for movement, a basket supported on the frame, and a tracking device supported on the shopping cart.
  • the tracking device includes a short-range radio transceiver, a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, and a controller having an electronic processor.
  • GPS global positioning system
  • the controller is configured to determine whether a predetermined condition has been met, determine whether the short-range radio transceiver has received a first signal when the predetermined condition has been met, determine whether the GPS receiver has received a second signal when the predetermined condition has been met, generate an information signal based in part on the first signal when the first signal has been received by the short-range radio transceiver, and generate the information signal based in part on the second signal when the first signal has not been received by the short-range radio transceiver and the second signal has been received by the GPS receiver.
  • the first signal is a Bluetooth® signal transmitted by a radio beacon located at a retail environment.
  • the first signal is a Wi-Fi® signal transmitted by an access point located at a retail environment.
  • the controller is further configured to transmit, by a cellular transceiver of the tracking device, the information signal to a server.
  • the server determines a location of the shopping cart based on the information signal.
  • the server stores the location in association with a timestamp and an identifier.
  • the frame includes an upright member and a cross-member. In such aspects, the tracking device is mounted proximate the upright member on the underside of the cross-member. [0031] In some aspects, the frame includes an upright member and a cover portion that is removably coupled to the upright member. In such aspects, the tracking device is mounted within the upright member and shielded by the cover portion.
  • the frame includes a handle assembly and the tracking device is mounted within the handle assembly.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a shopping cart tracking system according to some embodiments.
  • FIG. 2 is a side view of shopping cart according to some embodiments.
  • FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the shopping cart illustrated in FIG. 2 according to some embodiments.
  • FIG. 4A is a close-up view of the shopping cart illustrated in FIG. 2 according to some embodiments.
  • FIG. 4B is a perspective view of a portion of the shopping cart illustrated in FIG. 2, according to some embodiments.
  • FIG. 5 is a close-up perspective view of the shopping cart illustrated in FIG. 2 according to some embodiments.
  • FIG. 6A is a block diagram of a tracking device according to some embodiments.
  • FIG. 6B is a block diagram of a tracking device according to some embodiments.
  • FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a process or operation of determining the location of a shopping cart according to some embodiments.
  • FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating a process or operation of determining the location of a shopping cart according to some embodiments.
  • FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating a process or operation of determining the location of a shopping cart according to some embodiments.
  • embodiments may include hardware, software, and electronic components or modules that, for purposes of discussion, may be illustrated and described as if the majority of the components were implemented solely in hardware.
  • the electronic-based aspects may be implemented in software (e.g., stored on non-transitory computer-readable medium) executable by one or more processing units, such as a microprocessor and/or application specific integrated circuits (“ASICs”).
  • ASICs application specific integrated circuits
  • FIG. 1 illustrates a shopping cart tracking system 100 including one or more shopping carts 105, one or more global navigational system satellites 110 (e.g., a global positioning system (GPS) satellite), one or more radio beacons 115 (for example, a Wi-Fi® access point, a Wi-Fi® router, a Bluetooth® beacon etc.), one or more cellular base stations 120, and a cellular network 125.
  • GPS global positioning system
  • the cellular network 125 may be implemented as, for example, an analog cellular network, a digital cellular network (e.g., Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), Short Message Service (SMS), a low-power wide-area network (LPWAN), a 2G network, an EDGE network, a 3G network, a 4G LTE network, an NB-IoT network, a 5G network, or any other cellular network protocol.
  • GSM Global System for Mobile Communications
  • CDMA Code Division Multiple Access
  • HSDPA High-Speed Downlink Packet Access
  • SMS Short Message Service
  • LPWAN low-power wide-area network
  • the shopping cart tracking system 100 further includes network devices such as a shopping cart tracking server 130, a smartphone 135, and a personal computer 140 (e.g., a desktop, a laptop, a tablet, etc.).
  • the shopping cart tracking system 100 enables a user to monitor location and motion information associated with the one or more shopping carts 105 remotely by, for example, the smart phone 135 or personal computer 140.
  • Location information associated with the one or more shopping carts 105 may be stored at the shopping cart tracking server 130.
  • FIGS. 2-5 illustrate a shopping cart 105 according to some embodiments.
  • the illustrated embodiment of shopping cart 105 includes a similar construction to the shopping cart disclosed in granted U.S. Patent No. 9,731,742, which is incorporated entirely by reference.
  • the shopping cart 105 includes a frame 145, one or more baskets 150, 155, a handle assembly 160 for pushing the cart 105, and multiple wheels 170 supporting the frame 145 for movement over the ground.
  • the cart 105 includes a first or upper basket 150 and a second or lower basket 155, and also includes a lower tray 165 positioned below the lower basket 155; however, in other embodiments, the cart may include a single basket, and may not incorporate a tray.
  • substantially all of the components of the cart 105 are made from a plastic material, and are preferably injection-molded.
  • frame 145 and handle assembly 160 are formed from polycarbonate polyethylene, and the baskets 150, 155 and tray 165 are formed from high-density polyethylene.
  • the frame 145, handle assembly 160, the baskets 150, 155, and the tray 165 may be formed from the same material.
  • other plastic materials may be used.
  • the frame 145 includes a base 175 and upright members 180 to support the baskets 150, 155.
  • the upright members 180 are formed integrally with the base 175.
  • the base 175 includes a front member 185 to which the front wheels 170 are coupled and parallel sides extending between the front member 185 and the upright members 180.
  • the base 175 is substantially parallel to the ground or support surface and supports the tray 165.
  • the frame 145 also includes a crossmember 190 extending between the upright members 180.
  • One or more portions of the shopping cart frame 145 may include recessed portions for receiving objects that are supported and/or mounted therein. For example, as illustrated in FIG.
  • the upright members 180 include recesses formed within for supporting one or more objects (e.g., a tracking device). Furthermore, recesses operable to support objects may be formed in any other portion of the shopping cart, such as the baskets 150, 155, the handle assembly 160, the tray 165, the base 175, the front member 185, and/or the cross-member 190.
  • a tracking device 200 is supported, or mounted, on or within the shopping cart frame 145.
  • the tracking device 200 may be mounted proximate upright member 180 on the underside of cross-member 190.
  • the upright member 180 may additionally include a cover portion 182 (FIG. 4B) that shields the tracking device 200 when the tracking device 200 is mounted in the illustrated position.
  • the cover portion 182 is removably coupled to the upright member 180, such that when the cover portion 182 is removed from the upright member, the tracking device 200 may be mounted within the upright member 180 and/or accessed.
  • the tracking device 200 cannot be accessed from outside of the shopping cart frame 145.
  • the shopping cart frame 145 is formed of a plastic material, and, thus, causes little interference with wireless signals transmitted and received by the tracking device 200.
  • the tracking device 200 may be supported on or within other portions of the shopping cart 105.
  • the tracking device is mounted on or within the handle assembly 160, the base 175, one of the upright member 180, or a portion of a basket 150, 155.
  • the handle assembly 160 includes a hollow portion that is arranged to receive the tracking device 200. That is, the tracking device 200 may be mounted within a hollow portion, or section, of the handle assembly 160.
  • the tracking device is mounted to the shopping cart frame 145 by screws.
  • the tracking device 200 is removably attached to the shopping cart frame 145 by fixing straps, snaps, pins, bolts, and/or any other fastening method.
  • the tracking device 200 is integrally formed with the shopping cart frame 145.
  • the tracking device 200 is attached to the shopping cart 100 using adhesive.
  • FIG. 6A illustrates a block diagram of the tracking device 200 according to a first embodiment.
  • the tracking device 200 of shopping cart 105 includes one or more wireless communication devices, such as wireless transceiver and/or receiver units, for communicating with the one or more satellites 110, the one or more radio beacons 115, the one or more cellular base stations 120, and/or other wireless communication networks and devices included in the cellular network 125.
  • the one or more wireless communication devices may include a long-range radio or cellular transceiver 205, a short- range radio transceiver 210, and a global positioning system (GPS) rereceiver 215.
  • GPS global positioning system
  • the GPS receiver 215 is implemented as a GPS transceiver.
  • the cellular transceiver 205 includes a cellular antenna 220.
  • the short-range radio transceiver 210 includes a short-range radio antenna 225 and the GPS receiver 215 includes, a GPS antenna 230.
  • the GPS receiver 215 is described as including a GPS antenna 230, it should be understood that the GPS receiver 215 is not limited to including antennas that are configured to receive GPS signals.
  • the GPS receiver 215 may include one or more antennas that are configured receive signals from any other type of global navigation system satellite.
  • the one or more wireless communication devices included in the shopping cart tracking device 200 may be implemented as transmitters, receivers, or combinations of transmitters and receivers.
  • the tracking device 200 may include fewer or more wireless communication devices than illustrated in FIG. 6A.
  • the short-range radio transceiver 210 facilitates wireless signal reception according to IEEE 802.11 protocols, also referred to as Wi-Fi®.
  • Wi-Fi® wirelessly receive signals from one or more Wi-Fi® access points or routers located within the premises of a retail environment.
  • short-range radio transceiver 210 facilitates wireless signal reception according to IEEE 802.15 protocols, also referred to as Bluetooth®.
  • the short- range radio transceiver 210 may wirelessly receive signals from one or more Bluetooth® radio beacons located within the premises of a retail environment.
  • more than one antenna is included in the short-range radio transceiver 210 such that the short-range radio transceiver 210 can facilitate wireless signal reception using Bluetooth®, WiFi®, radio frequency identification (RFID), Zigbee®, and/or any other short-range radio communication protocol.
  • RFID radio frequency identification
  • the tracking device 200 further includes a controller 235.
  • the controller 235 is electrically and/or communicatively connected to a variety of modules or components of the tracking device 200.
  • the controller 235 is connected to, among other things, the cellular transceiver 205, the short-range radio transceiver 210, the GPS receiver 215, a power supply 240, and one or more sensors 245.
  • the short-range radio transceiver 210 is configured to receive signals from one or more radio beacons 115 and forward the received signals to the controller 235.
  • the short-range radio transceiver 210 does not receive transmission instructions from the controller 235 or transmit signals to the one or more short-range radio beacons 115.
  • the GPS receiver 215 is configured to receive signals from one or more satellites 110 and forward the received signals to the controller 235.
  • the GPS receiver 215 is not configured to receive transmission instructions from the controller 235 or transmit signals to the one or more satellites 110.
  • the controller 235 includes a plurality of electrical and electronic components that provide power, operational control, and protection to the components and modules within the controller 235 and/or the tracking device 200.
  • the controller 235 includes, among other things, an electronic processor 250 (for example, a microprocessor or another suitable programmable device) and a memory 255.
  • the memory 255 includes, for example, a program storage area and a data storage area.
  • the program storage area and the data storage area can include combinations of different types of memory, such as read-only memory (ROM) and random access memory (RAM).
  • ROM read-only memory
  • RAM random access memory
  • Various non-transitory computer readable media for example, magnetic, optical, physical, or electronic memory may be used.
  • the electronic processor 250 is communicatively coupled to the memory 255 and executes software instructions that are stored in the memory 255, or stored in another non-transitory computer readable medium such as another memory or a disc.
  • the software may include one or more applications, program data, filters, rules, one or more program modules, and other executable instructions.
  • Power supply 240 is configured to supply power to the controller 235 and/or other components of the tracking device 200.
  • the power supply 240 includes an energy storage device.
  • the energy storage device is a non-rechargeable, primary battery.
  • the energy storage device is a rechargeable battery (e.g., lithium ion) and/or an ultracapacitor.
  • the power supply 240 is electrically connected to a solar cell mounted on the shopping cart 105.
  • the one or more sensors 245 sense one or more characteristics of the tracking device 200.
  • the sensors 245 include one or more motion sensors, or accelerometers, configured to sense motion of the shopping cart 105.
  • the one or more sensors 245 may monitor an electrical characteristic (for example, voltage, current, power, etc.) of one or more components of the tracking device 200 (for example, the power supply 240).
  • the one or more sensors 245 includes one or more temperature sensors configured to sense one or more temperatures of the tracking device 200 and/or shopping cart 105 (for example, a temperature within a housing of the tracking device 200, an ambient temperature proximate the shopping cart 105, etc.).
  • FIG. 6B illustrates a block diagram of a shopping cart tracking device 300 that has a similar configuration to that of the tracking device 200 shown in FIG. 6A.
  • the communication line between the short-range radio transceiver 210 and the controller 235 is bi-directional.
  • the short-range radio transceiver 210 of tracking device 300 is configured to receive signals from one or more short-range radio beacons 115 and forward the received signals to the controller 235.
  • the short-range radio transceiver 210 included in tracking device 300 is configured to receive transmission instructions from the controller 235.
  • the short-range radio transceiver 210 is configured to wirelessly receive signals from and transmit signals to the one or more short- range radio beacons 115.
  • the short-range radio transceiver 210 enables bidirectional wireless communication between the tracking device 300 and one or more radio beacons 115 (e.g., Bluetooth® beacons, Wi-Fi® access points, etc.).
  • radio beacons 115 e.g., Bluetooth® beacons, Wi-Fi® access points, etc.
  • the GPS receiver 215 is configured to receive signals from one or more satellites 110 and forward the received signals to the controller 235.
  • the GPS receiver 215 is implemented as a transceiver that is configured to receive transmission instructions from the controller 235 and/or transmit signals to the one or more satellites 110.
  • the tracking device controller 235 may be configured to determine whether a predetermined condition has been met. For example, the tracking device controller 235 may be configured to determine whether a predetermined movement condition has been met. The controller 235 determines whether a predetermined movement condition (e.g., movement of shopping cart 105 has exceeded a threshold, shopping cart 105 has been in motion for a specified time period, shopping cart 105 is stationary for a specified time period, etc.) is met based on motion signals generated by the one or more sensors 245. For example, the controller 235 may determine that a predetermined movement condition has occurred when motion signals generated by the one or more sensors 245 exceed an acceleration threshold.
  • a predetermined movement condition e.g., movement of shopping cart 105 has exceeded a threshold, shopping cart 105 has been in motion for a specified time period, shopping cart 105 is stationary for a specified time period, etc.
  • the controller 235 may determine that a predetermined movement condition has occurred when motion signals generated by the one or more sensors 245 exceed an acceleration threshold a specified number of times and/or for a specified time period (e.g., motion signals exceed a threshold ten times over a one minute period). In another example, the controller 235 may determine that a predetermined movement condition has occurred when the controller 235 determines that shopping cart 105 has not been moved within a specified time period (e.g., shopping cart 105 has been stationary for 10 hours). As will be described in more detail below, the tracking device controller 235 may generate and instruct the cellular transceiver 205 to transmit an information signal when a predetermined movement condition has been met.
  • the tracking device controller 235 may also be configured to determine whether a predetermined time condition and/or predetermined signal reception condition has been met. For example, the tracking device controller 235 may determine that a predetermined time condition has been met if a specified amount of time (e.g., one hour) has passed since the last time at which the cellular transceiver generated and/or transmitted an information signal. In such an example, the tracking device controller 235 periodically determines that a predetermined time condition has been met. As another example, the tracking device controller 235 may determine that a signal reception condition has been met if the short-range radio transceiver 210 receives a signal from a short-range radio beacon 115 and/or the GPS receiver 215 receive a signal from a satellite 110. As will be described in more detail below, the tracking device controller 235 may generate and instruct the cellular transceiver 205 to transmit an information signal when a predetermined time condition or predetermined signal reception condition has been met.
  • a specified amount of time e.g., one hour
  • the shopping cart tracking device 200 generates, by the tracking device controller 235, and transmits, by the cellular transceiver 205, one or more information signals periodically and/or when the tracking device controller 235 determines that a predetermined condition has been met.
  • Information signals generated by the tracking device 200 include information that can be used by the cloud, or shopping cart tracking server 130, to determine a location of the shopping cart 105.
  • the information signals may include information that is included in and/or associated with signals received by one or more of the cellular transceiver 205, the short-range radio transceiver 210, and the GPS receiver 215.
  • an information signal may include information associated with strengths of received signals, information associated with angles at which the signals are received by the tracking device 200, identifying information (e.g., MAC address, IP address, satellite identifier, etc.) associated with devices that transmitted the received signals, location information associated with known locations of devices that transmitted the received signals, and/or motion and time data associated with movement of the shopping cart 105.
  • identifying information e.g., MAC address, IP address, satellite identifier, etc.
  • the short-range radio transceiver 210 receives, via the short- range radio antenna 225, beacon signals from one or more radio beacons 115.
  • the radio beacons 115 are Bluetooth® beacons distributed throughout the premises of a retail environment (for example, a grocery store, a mall, etc.) that periodically broadcast beacon signals.
  • a beacon signal transmitted by a Bluetooth® beacon includes identifying information, such as a MAC address of the Bluetooth® beacon and/or a known location of the Bluetooth® beacon.
  • the short-range radio transceiver 210 receives and outputs the one or more beacon signals to the tracking device controller 235.
  • the tracking device controller 235 is configured to interpret the received beacon signals and determine which information to include in an information signal to be transmitted by the cellular transceiver 205. For example, the tracking device controller 235 may generate an information signal that includes information associated with strengths of the signals received by the short-range radio transceiver 210, angles at which the beacon signals arrived at the short-range radio transceiver 210, MAC addresses of the Bluetooth® beacons that transmitted the beacon signals, known locations of the Bluetooth® beacons that transmitted the beacon signals, and/or motion and time data associated with the shopping cart 105. When the tracking device controller 235 determines that a predetermined condition is met, the tracking device controller 235 may generate an information signal as described above and instruct the cellular transceiver 205 to transmit the information signal.
  • the tracking device 200 is not limited to receiving Bluetooth® beacon signals from Bluetooth® beacons distributed throughout the premises of a retail environment. Furthermore, the tracking device 200 is not limited to generating and/or transmitting information signals that include information associated with Bluetooth® beacons distributed throughout the premises of a retail environment. For example, the short-range radio transceiver 210 of tracking device 200 may receive Bluetooth® beacon signals from any Bluetooth® device (e.g., smartphones, tablets, etc.), regardless of whether the Bluetooth® device is located within the premises of a retail environment.
  • any Bluetooth® device e.g., smartphones, tablets, etc.
  • the tracking device controller 235 may generate an information signal that includes information associated with strengths of the signals received by the short-range radio transceiver 210, angles at which the beacon signals arrived at the short-range radio transceiver 210, MAC addresses of the Bluetooth® devices that transmitted the Bluetooth® beacon signals, known locations of the Bluetooth® devices that transmitted the Bluetooth® beacon signals, and/or motion and time data associated with the shopping cart 105.
  • tracking device controller 235 is operable to generate information signals associated with signals received by the short-range radio transceiver 210 when shopping cart 105 has been removed from the premises of the retail environment (e.g., removed from the parking lot of the retail environment).
  • the one or more radio beacons 115 are Wi-Fi® access points or routers distributed throughout the premises of a retail environment, and the Wi-Fi® access points and routers are configured to broadcast beacon signals that include identifying information, such as a MAC address of the Wi-Fi® access point and/or a known location of the Wi-Fi® access point, to the tracking device 200.
  • the short-range radio transceiver 210 receives and outputs the one or more Wi-Fi® beacon signals to the tracking device controller 235.
  • the tracking device controller 235 is configured to interpret the received Wi-Fi® beacon signals and determine which information to include in an information signal to be transmitted by the cellular transceiver 205.
  • the tracking device controller 235 may generate an information signal that includes information associated with strengths of the signals received by the short-range radio transceiver 210, angles at which the beacon signals arrived at the short-range radio transceiver 210, MAC addresses of the Wi-Fi® access points that transmitted the beacon signals, known locations of the Wi-Fi® access points, and/or motion and time data associated with the shopping cart 105.
  • the tracking device controller 235 may generate an information signal as described above and instruct the cellular transceiver 205 to transmit the information signal.
  • the tracking device 200 is not limited to receiving Wi-Fi® beacon signals from Wi-Fi® access points that are distributed throughout the premises of a retail environment. Furthermore, it should be understood that the tracking device 200 is not limited to generating and/or transmitting information signals that include information associated with Wi-Fi® access points that are distributed throughout the premises of a retail environment.
  • the short-range radio transceiver 210 of tracking device 200 may receive Wi-Fi® beacon signals from any Wi-Fi® access point (e.g., residential Wi-Fi® routers, Wi-Fi® access points as businesses located outside the premises of the retail environment, Wi-Fi® hotspots, etc.) regardless of whether the Wi-Fi® access point is located within the premises of a retail environment.
  • the tracking device controller 235 may generate an information signal that includes information associated with strengths of the signals received by the short-range radio transceiver 210, angles at which the beacon signals arrived at the short-range radio transceiver 210, MAC addresses of the WiFi® routers that transmitted the beacon signals, known locations of the Wi-Fi® routers that transmitted the beacon signals, and/or motion and time data associated with shopping cart 105.
  • tracking device controller 235 is operable to generate information signals associated with signals received by the short-range radio transceiver 210 when shopping cart 105 has been removed from the premises of the retail environment (e.g., removed from the parking lot of the retail environment).
  • the shopping cart 105 may be moved to a location, such as a rural location, at which there are very few radio beacons 115 (e.g., Bluetooth® beacons and/or Wi-Fi® access points) present, and thus the tracking device 200 is unable to receive beacon signals from one or more radio beacons 115.
  • radio beacons 115 e.g., Bluetooth® beacons and/or Wi-Fi® access points
  • an owner of the shopping cart 105 may still wish to determine a location of the shopping cart 105 after it has been moved to location with a limited number of radio beacons 115.
  • the tracking device 200 is further configured to receive GPS signals via the GPS receiver 215 from the one or more satellites 110.
  • the GPS signals are forwarded from the GPS receiver 215 to the controller 235, which is configured to interpret the GPS signals to determine which information to include in an information signal to be transmitted by the cellular transceiver 205.
  • the tracking device controller 235 may determine to include information related to the strength of signals received by GPS receiver 215, identifying information associated with the satellites 110 that transmitted the GPS signals received by GPS receiver 215, timestamps associated with receipt of the GPS signals, and/or any other information that is included in the GPS signals received by the GPS receiver 215.
  • the tracking device controller 235 may instruct the cellular transceiver 205 to transmit the information signal that includes information associated with GPS signals received from one or more satellites 110.
  • the GPS receiver 215 may instead and/or additionally receive signals from one or more global navigation system satellites that are not GPS satellites.
  • a location of the shopping cart 105 it is preferable for a location of the shopping cart 105 to be determined based on beacon signals received from the one or more radio beacons 115 (e.g., Bluetooth® beacons or Wi-Fi® access points) when a predetermined condition is met. Accordingly, if the tracking device 200 receives beacon signals via the short-range radio transceiver 210, the tracking device controller 235 is configured to generate an information signal based on the received beacon signals as described above. However, if the tracking device 200 does not receive beacon signals via the short-range radio transceiver 210, the tracking device controller 235 is configured to generate an information signal that includes information associated with one or more GPS signals received by the GPS receiver 215.
  • the one or more radio beacons 115 e.g., Bluetooth® beacons or Wi-Fi® access points
  • a location of the shopping cart 105 it is preferable for a location of the shopping cart 105 to be determined based on GPS signals received by the GPS receiver 215 when a predetermined condition is met. Accordingly, if the tracking device 200 receives GPS signals from the one or more GPS satellites 110 via the GPS receiver 215, the tracking device controller 235 is configured to generate an information signal that includes information associated with one or more GPS signals received by the GPS receiver 215. However, if the tracking device does not receive GPS signals, the tracking device controller is further configured to generate an information signal based on received beacon signals as described above.
  • the tracking device controller 235 When a predetermined condition has been met and an information signal has been generated by the tracking device controller 235, the tracking device controller 235 outputs the information signal to the cellular transceiver 205.
  • the tracking device 200 may be configured to generate an information signal to the shopping cart tracking server 130 when a predetermined movement condition is met (for example, when acceleration of the shopping cart 105 exceeds a threshold.
  • the tracking device 200 may be configured to generate an information signal to the shopping cart tracking server 130 when a predetermined time condition is met.
  • the shopping cart tracking device 200 may generate information signals at a configurable interval (for example, once every four hours).
  • the tracking device 200 may be configured to generate an information signal when a predetermined signal reception signal is met.
  • the cellular transceiver 205 receives the information signal from controller 235 and transmits, via the cellular antenna 230, the information signal to the shopping cart tracking server 130. In some instances, the cellular transceiver 205 transmits the information signal directly to the shopping cart tracking server 130. In other instances, the cellular transceiver 205 transmits the information signal to one or more devices included in the cellular network 125 (e.g., the one or more cellular base stations 120, the smartphone, 135, the personal computer 140, etc.), which are configured to forward the information signal to the shopping cart tracking server 130.
  • the cellular network 125 e.g., the one or more cellular base stations 120, the smartphone, 135, the personal computer 140, etc.
  • the cellular transceiver 205 may transmit the location signal to the shopping cart tracking server 130 and/or other network devices in a format compatible with the cellular network 125, such as an analog cellular network, a digital cellular network (e.g., Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), Short Message Service (SMS)), a low-power wide-area network (LPWAN), a cellular network such as 2G, EDGE, 3G, 4G LTE, NB-IoT, or 5G, as well as other cellular network protocols.
  • GSM Global System for Mobile Communications
  • CDMA Code Division Multiple Access
  • HSDPA High-Speed Downlink Packet Access
  • SMS Short Message Service
  • LPWAN low-power wide-area network
  • a cellular network such as 2G, EDGE, 3G, 4G LTE, NB-IoT, or 5G, as well as other cellular network protocols.
  • the shopping cart tracking server 130 is configured to receive the one or more information signals transmitted by the shopping cart tracking device 200.
  • the shopping cart tracking server 130 may receive the one or more information signals directly from the shopping cart tracking device and/or via one or more devices included in the cellular network 125, such as a cellular base station 120.
  • the shopping cart tracking server 130 Upon receipt of an information signal, the shopping cart tracking server 130 is further configured to determine a location of the shopping cart 105 based on information included in the information signal. For example, in some instances, the shopping cart tracking server 130 may employ signal triangulation techniques to determine the location of shopping cart 105 based on information associated with arrival angles and/or strengths of signals received by the shopping cart tracking device 200.
  • the shopping cart tracking server 130 may determine a location of the shopping cart based on identifying information, such as MAC addresses and/or known locations of radio beacons that transmitted signals to the shopping cart tracking device 200. In some instances, the shopping cart tracking server 130 may employ triangulation or trilateration techniques to determine a location of the shopping cart 105 based on GPS signal information included in the information signal. In some instances, the shopping cart tracking server 130 may use any combination of the techniques described above to determine a location of shopping cart 105 based on the information signal.
  • the shopping cart tracking server 130 may be, implemented as computing device that includes an electronic processor. The shopping cart tracking server 130 may be included in a cloud-based database, a remote data base, and/or a local database located at the premises of a retail environment.
  • the shopping cart tracking server 130 may be configured to store the determined location of a particular shopping cart 105 in association with an identifier of the particular shopping cart 105. In some embodiments, the shopping cart tracking server 130 is further configured to store motion information included in an information signal in association with the identifier of the particular shopping cart 105 that transmitted with the information signal. Additionally, the shopping cart tracking server 130 may also store the shopping cart’s 105 location and motion information in association with the date and time at which the information signal was received. Furthermore, the shopping cart tracking server 130 may be configured to store the shopping cart’s 105 location and motion information in association with a flag indicative of whether the particular shopping cart 105 has left the premises of the retail environment.
  • the shopping cart tracking server 130 may be configured to raise a flag that indicates the shopping cart 105 is stolen.
  • the shopping cart tracking server 130 is configured to change a flag variable from an untriggered state to a triggered state when the shopping cart 105 is determined to be outside of retail environment premises.
  • the shopping cart tracking server 130 may be further configured to maintain a record of all previously determined locations associated with a particular shopping cart 105. Therefore, the shopping cart tracking server 130 may store a record of all previous locations of a shopping cart 105 and the respective dates and times at which the shopping cart 105 was at said previous locations.
  • the shopping cart tracking server 130 has been described as determining and storing location information associated with a single shopping cart 105, it should be understood that the shopping cart tracking server 130 is configured to receive location signals associated with and maintain records of all shopping carts 105 included in an owner’s shopping cart inventory. Accordingly, a user can retrieve, by a smartphone 135 and/or a personal computer 140, location information associated with any shopping cart 105 included in the user’s shopping cart inventory. Therefore, shopping cart tracking system 100 enables a user to readily obtain past and/or present locations of any shopping cart 105 included in the user’s inventory.
  • FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a process, or operation, 700 of determining a location of the shopping cart 105. It should be understood that the order of the steps disclosed in process 700 could vary. Furthermore, additional steps may be added to the process 700.
  • the tracking device controller 235 determines whether a predetermined condition has been met (block 705). If the tracking device controller determines that the predetermined condition has been met, the tracking device controller 235 determines whether the short-range radio transceiver 210 has received any beacon signals from radio beacons 115 (block 710).
  • the controller 235 determines that the short-range radio transceiver 210 has received one or more beacon signals, the controller 235 is further configured to generate an information signal based on the one or more beacon signals received by short-range radio transceiver 210 (block 715). If the controller 235 determines that the short-range radio transceiver 210 has not received any beacon signals, the tracking device controller 235 is configured to generate the information signal based on GPS signals received by the GPS receiver 215 from the one or more GPS satellites 110 (block 720). The cellular transceiver 205 included in shopping cart tracking device 200 transmits the information signal to the shopping cart tracking server 130 (block 725). The shopping cart tracking server 130 determines a location of the shopping cart 105 based on the information signal (block 730).
  • FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating a process, or operation, 800 of determining a location of the shopping cart 105. It should be understood that the order of the steps disclosed in process 800 could vary. Furthermore, additional steps may be added to the process 800.
  • the tracking device controller 235 determines whether a predetermined condition has been met (block 805). If the tracking device controller 235 determines that the predetermined condition has been met, the tracking device controller 235 determines whether the short-range radio transceiver 210 has received any beacon signals from Bluetooth® beacons (block 810).
  • the controller 235 determines that the short-range radio transceiver 210 has received one or more Bluetooth® beacon signals, the controller 235 is further configured to generate an information signal based on the one or more received Bluetooth® beacon signals (block 815). If the controller 235 determines that the short-range radio transceiver 210 has not received any Bluetooth® beacon signals, the controller 235 is further configured to determine whether the short-range radio transceiver 210 has received any Wi-Fi® beacon signals broadcast by Wi-Fi® access points and/or routers (block 820).
  • the controller 235 determines that the short-range radio transceiver 210 has received one or more Wi-Fi® beacon signals, the controller 235 is further configured to generate an information signal based on the one or more received Wi-Fi® beacon signals (block 825). If the tracking device controller 235 determines that the short-range radio transceiver 210 has not received any Wi-Fi® beacon signals, the controller 235 is configured to generate an information signal based on GPS signals received by the GPS receiver 215 from the one or more GPS satellites 110 (block 830). The cellular transceiver 205 included in shopping cart tracking device 200 transmits the information signal to the shopping cart tracking server 130 (block 835). The shopping cart tracking server 130 determines a location of the shopping cart 105 based on the information signal (block 840).
  • FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating a process, or operation, 900 of determining a location of the shopping cart 105. It should be understood that the order of the steps disclosed in process 900 could vary. Furthermore, additional steps may be added to the process 900.
  • the tracking device controller 235 determines whether a predetermined condition has been met (block 905). If the tracking device controller 235 determines that the predetermined condition has been met, the tracking device controller 235 determines whether the short-range radio transceiver 210 has received any beacon signals from Wi-Fi® access points and/or routers (block 910).
  • the controller 235 determines that the short-range radio transceiver 210 has received one or more Wi-Fi® beacon signals, the controller 235 is further configured to generate an information signal based on the one or more received Wi-Fi® beacon signals (block 915). If the controller 235 determines that the short-range radio transceiver 210 has not received any Wi-Fi® beacon signals, the controller 235 is further configured to determine whether the short-range radio transceiver 210 has received any Bluetooth® beacon signals broadcast by Bluetooth® beacons (block 920). If the controller 235 determines that the short-range radio transceiver 210 has received one or more Bluetooth® beacon signals, the controller 235 is further configured to generate an information signal based on the one or more received Bluetooth® beacon signals (block 925).
  • the controller 235 determines that the short-range radio transceiver 210 has not received any Bluetooth® beacon signals, the controller 235 is configured to generate an information signal based on GPS signals received by the GPS receiver 215 from the one or more GPS satellites 110 (block 930).
  • the cellular transceiver 205 included in shopping cart tracking device 200 transmits the information signal to the shopping cart tracking server 130 (block 935).
  • the shopping cart tracking server 130 determines a location of the shopping cart 105 based on the information signal (block 940).

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Abstract

Un système de suivi de chariot d'achat comprend un chariot d'achat, un dispositif de suivi et un serveur. Le chariot d'achat comprend un cadre au moins partiellement formé d'un matériau plastique et soutenu de manière à pouvoir se déplacer et un panier soutenu sur le cadre. Le dispositif de suivi est soutenu sur le chariot d'achat et comprend une pluralité d'émetteurs-récepteurs sans fil et un dispositif de commande ayant un processeur électronique. Le dispositif de commande détermine si une condition prédéterminée a été satisfaite ou non, détermine si un premier signal a été reçu par un premier émetteur-récepteur sans fil de la pluralité de dispositifs de communication sans fil, génère un signal d'informations sur la base du premier signal lorsque le premier signal a été reçu par un premier dispositif de communication sans fil, et transmet, par un second dispositif de communication sans fil de la pluralité, le signal d'informations. Le serveur reçoit le signal d'informations du second dispositif de communication sans fil et détermine un emplacement du chariot d'achat sur la base du signal d'informations.
PCT/US2021/051334 2020-09-21 2021-09-21 Système de suivi de chariot d'achat WO2022061298A1 (fr)

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Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20110030875A1 (en) * 2009-08-04 2011-02-10 Zia Systems, Llc System and method for real-time tracking of objects
US9731742B2 (en) 2011-09-09 2017-08-15 Bemis Manufacturing Company Shopping cart
US20190323851A1 (en) * 2018-04-19 2019-10-24 Boe Technology Group Co., Ltd. Navigation method, shopping cart and navigation system
EP3664513A1 (fr) * 2017-08-23 2020-06-10 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. Procédé et appareil de positionnement

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20110030875A1 (en) * 2009-08-04 2011-02-10 Zia Systems, Llc System and method for real-time tracking of objects
US9731742B2 (en) 2011-09-09 2017-08-15 Bemis Manufacturing Company Shopping cart
EP3664513A1 (fr) * 2017-08-23 2020-06-10 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. Procédé et appareil de positionnement
US20190323851A1 (en) * 2018-04-19 2019-10-24 Boe Technology Group Co., Ltd. Navigation method, shopping cart and navigation system

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