A system for monitoring shopping baskets (e.g., baskets on human-propelled carts, motorized carts, or hand-carried baskets) can include a computer vision unit that can image a surveillance region (e.g., an exit to a store), determine whether a basket is empty or loaded with merchandise, and assess a potential for theft of the merchandise. The computer vision unit can include a camera and an image processor programmed to execute a computer vision algorithm to identify shopping baskets and determine a load status of the basket. The computer vision algorithm can comprise a neural network. The system can identify an at least partially loaded shopping basket that is exiting the store, without indicia of having paid for the merchandise, and execute an anti-theft action, e.g., actuating an alarm, notifying store personnel, activating a store surveillance system, activating an anti-theft device associated with the basket (e.g., a locking shopping cart wheel), etc.
G08B 13/196 - Actuation by interference with heat, light, or radiation of shorter wavelength; Actuation by intruding sources of heat, light, or radiation of shorter wavelength using passive radiation detection systems using image scanning and comparing systems using television cameras
B62B 5/04 - Braking mechanisms; Locking devices against movement
B62B 3/14 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys
B62B 5/00 - Accessories or details specially adapted for hand carts
G08B 13/194 - Actuation by interference with heat, light, or radiation of shorter wavelength; Actuation by intruding sources of heat, light, or radiation of shorter wavelength using passive radiation detection systems using image scanning and comparing systems
G06V 20/52 - Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects
G06F 18/214 - Generating training patterns; Bootstrap methods, e.g. bagging or boosting
G06V 10/147 - Optical characteristics of the device performing the acquisition or on the illumination arrangements - Details of sensors, e.g. sensor lenses
A wheel or wheel assembly for a non-motorized vehicle, such as a shopping cart, is disclosed that detects its direction of rotation. In one embodiment, the wheel assembly includes a plurality of magnets mounted to a rotating portion of the wheel, and includes a magnetic sensor, such as a tunneling magnetoresistance sensor, mounted to a non-rotating portion. As the wheel rotates the magnets produce a varying magnetic field that is sensed by the sensor, which outputs a signal corresponding to the sensed magnetic field. The magnets are arranged—preferably asymmetrically—such that the sensor's output signal differs depending upon whether the wheel is rotating in the clockwise versus counterclockwise direction. A controller analyzes the sensor's output signal to determine the direction of rotation. In another embodiment, the magnets are replaced by conductive targets, and an eddy current sensor is used for the magnetic sensor.
A system for monitoring and controlling shopping cart usage comprises a wheel assembly that attaches to a shopping cart. In some embodiments the wheel assembly includes a wheel, a brake that can be activated to inhibit rotation of the wheel, a controller that controls the brake, a VLF receiver, and an RF transceiver. The RF transceiver may, for example, operate in a 2.4 GHz frequency band. In some implementations, the RF transceiver may be used to detect entry of the shopping cart into a checkout area of the store, and the VLF receiver may be used to detect that the shopping cart is exiting the store. The controller may activate the brake if the shopping cart attempts to exit the store without first passing through a checkout area.
B62B 5/04 - Braking mechanisms; Locking devices against movement
B62B 3/14 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys
G08B 13/24 - Electrical actuation by interference with electromagnetic field distribution
B60K 25/08 - Auxiliary drives from a ground wheel, e.g. engaging the wheel tread or rim
B60T 7/18 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle operated by wayside apparatus
G01C 21/12 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups by using measurement of speed or acceleration executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning
G06Q 10/08 - Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
G08G 1/00 - Traffic control systems for road vehicles
H02K 7/18 - Structural association of electric generators with mechanical driving motors, e.g.with turbines
H04W 4/029 - Location-based management or tracking services
A47F 10/04 - Furniture or installations specially adapted to particular types of service systems, not otherwise provided for for self-service type systems, e.g. supermarkets for storing or handling self-service hand-carts or baskets
B60T 7/16 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle
G01C 21/20 - Instruments for performing navigational calculations
B62B 5/00 - Accessories or details specially adapted for hand carts
G06K 7/10 - Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers by corpuscular radiation
A system for monitoring shopping carts uses cameras to generate images of the carts moving in a store. In some implementations, cameras may additionally or alternatively be mounted to the shopping carts and configured to image cart contents. The system may use the collected image data, and/or other types of sensor data (such as the store location at which an item was added to the basket), to classify items detected in the shopping carts. For example, a trained machine learning model may classify item in a cart as “non-merchandise,” “high theft risk merchandise,” “electronics merchandise,” etc. When a shopping cart approaches a store exit without any indication of an associated payment transaction, the system may use the associated item classification data, optionally in combination with other data such as cart path data, to determine whether to execute an anti-theft action, such as locking a cart wheel or activating a store alarm. The system may also compare the classifications of cart contents to payment transaction records (or summaries thereof) to, e.g., detect underpayment events.
B62B 5/04 - Braking mechanisms; Locking devices against movement
G06Q 20/40 - Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check of credit lines or negative lists
A method of monitoring of transportation network company vehicles within a geofence associated with an airport according to one embodiment includes receiving a user selection of a past time interval and an event type within the geofence to be monitored, querying a database for event data that matches the user selection of the past time interval and the event type, generating a JSON object that includes spatial data for each event identified as a result of querying the database, and animating a visual representation of the spatial data for each event in a map view over a timeline associated with the past time interval (e.g., as a video replay).
H04W 4/42 - Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P] for mass transport vehicles, e.g. buses, trains or aircraft
A system for monitoring and controlling shopping cart usage comprises a wheel assembly that attaches to a shopping cart. In some embodiments the wheel assembly includes a wheel, a brake that can be activated to inhibit rotation of the wheel, a controller that controls the brake, a VLF receiver, and an RF transceiver. The RF transceiver may, for example, operate in a 2.4 GHz frequency band. In some implementations, the RF transceiver may be used to detect entry of the shopping cart into a checkout area of the store, and the VLF receiver may be used to detect that the shopping cart is exiting the store. The controller may activate the brake if the shopping cart attempts to exit the store without first passing through a checkout area.
B62B 5/04 - Braking mechanisms; Locking devices against movement
B62B 3/14 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys
G08B 13/24 - Electrical actuation by interference with electromagnetic field distribution
B60K 25/08 - Auxiliary drives from a ground wheel, e.g. engaging the wheel tread or rim
B60T 7/18 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle operated by wayside apparatus
G01C 21/00 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups
G01C 21/12 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups by using measurement of speed or acceleration executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning
G06Q 10/08 - Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
G08G 1/00 - Traffic control systems for road vehicles
H02K 7/18 - Structural association of electric generators with mechanical driving motors, e.g.with turbines
H04W 4/029 - Location-based management or tracking services
A47F 10/04 - Furniture or installations specially adapted to particular types of service systems, not otherwise provided for for self-service type systems, e.g. supermarkets for storing or handling self-service hand-carts or baskets
B60T 7/16 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle
G01C 21/20 - Instruments for performing navigational calculations
B62B 5/00 - Accessories or details specially adapted for hand carts
G06K 7/10 - Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers by corpuscular radiation
Examples of systems and methods for locating movable objects such as carts (e.g., shopping carts) are disclosed. Such systems and methods can use dead reckoning techniques to estimate the current position of the movable object. Various techniques for improving accuracy of position estimates are disclosed, including compensation for various error sources involving the use of magnetometer and accelerometer, and using vibration analysis to derive wheel rotation rates. Also disclosed are various techniques to utilize characteristics of the operating environment in conjunction with or in lieu of dead reckoning techniques, including characteristic of environment such as ground texture, availability of signals from radio frequency (RF) transmitters including precision fix sources. Such systems and methods can be applied in both indoor and outdoor settings and in retail or warehouse settings.
G08G 1/00 - Traffic control systems for road vehicles
B60T 7/18 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle operated by wayside apparatus
G01P 3/48 - Devices characterised by the use of electric or magnetic means for measuring angular speed by measuring frequency of generated current or voltage
G01S 5/00 - Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more direction or position-line determinations; Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more distance determinations
B62B 3/14 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys
G01C 21/12 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups by using measurement of speed or acceleration executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning
G06Q 10/06 - Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
G01S 5/14 - Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
G01S 5/02 - Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more direction or position-line determinations; Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more distance determinations using radio waves
G01S 11/06 - Systems for determining distance or velocity not using reflection or reradiation using radio waves using intensity measurements
B60T 7/12 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger
B62B 5/04 - Braking mechanisms; Locking devices against movement
G01C 21/20 - Instruments for performing navigational calculations
G01H 11/08 - Measuring mechanical vibrations or ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves by detecting changes in electric or magnetic properties by electric means using piezoelectric devices
G05D 1/02 - Control of position or course in two dimensions
B62B 5/00 - Accessories or details specially adapted for hand carts
Examples of systems and methods for locating movable objects such as carts (e.g., shopping carts) are disclosed. Such systems and methods can use dead reckoning techniques to estimate the current position of the movable object. Various techniques for improving accuracy of position estimates are disclosed, including compensation for various error sources involving the use of magnetometer and accelerometer, and using vibration analysis to derive wheel rotation rates. Various techniques utilize characteristics of the operating environment in conjunction with or in lieu of dead reckoning techniques, including characteristic of environment such as ground texture, availability of signals from radio frequency (RF) transmitters including precision fix sources. Navigation techniques can include navigation history and backtracking, motion direction detection for dual swivel casters, use of gyroscopes, determining cart weight, multi-level navigation, multi-level magnetic measurements, use of lighting signatures, use of multiple navigation systems, or hard/soft iron compensation for different cart configurations.
B62B 3/14 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys
G01P 15/08 - Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration by making use of inertia forces with conversion into electric or magnetic values
G01C 21/16 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups by using measurement of speed or acceleration executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning by integrating acceleration or speed, i.e. inertial navigation
A system for monitoring shopping carts uses cameras to generate images of the carts moving in a store. In some implementations, cameras may additionally or alternatively be mounted to the shopping carts and configured to image cart contents. The system may use the collected image data, and/or other types of sensor data (such as the store location at which an item was added to the basket), to classify items detected in the shopping carts. For example, a trained machine learning model may classify item in a cart as “non-merchandise,” “high theft risk merchandise,” “electronics merchandise,” etc. When a shopping cart approaches a store exit without any indication of an associated payment transaction, the system may use the associated item classification data, optionally in combination with other data such as cart path data, to determine whether to execute an anti-theft action, such as locking a cart wheel or activating a store alarm. The system may also compare the classifications of cart contents to payment transaction records (or summaries thereof) to, e.g., detect underpayment events.
B62B 5/04 - Braking mechanisms; Locking devices against movement
G06Q 20/40 - Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check of credit lines or negative lists
G06K 9/62 - Methods or arrangements for recognition using electronic means
G06K 9/00 - Methods or arrangements for reading or recognising printed or written characters or for recognising patterns, e.g. fingerprints
A system for monitoring shopping carts uses cameras to generate images of the carts moving in a store. In some implementations, cameras may additionally or alternatively be mounted to the shopping carts and configured to image cart contents. The system may use the collected image data, and/or other types of sensor data (such as the store location at which an item was added to the basket), to classify items detected in the shopping carts. For example, a trained machine learning model may classify item in a cart as “non-merchandise,” “high theft risk merchandise,” “electronics merchandise,” etc. When a shopping cart approaches a store exit without any indication of an associated payment transaction, the system may use the associated item classification data, optionally in combination with other data such as cart path data, to determine whether to execute an anti-theft action, such as locking a cart wheel or activating a store alarm. The system may also compare the classifications of cart contents to payment transaction records (or summaries thereof) to, e.g., detect underpayment events.
B62B 5/04 - Braking mechanisms; Locking devices against movement
G06Q 20/40 - Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check of credit lines or negative lists
A self-leveling caster assembly includes a caster frame and a castor fork which is configured to pivot relative to the caster frame. A spring or other biasing mechanism biases the caster fork away from the caster frame, to maintain contact between the ground and a wheel supported by the caster fork along a travel range of the wheel. Even if a frame supporting the self-leveling caster assembly is bent, pulling the wheel away from the ground, the biased caster fork will maintain contact between the ground and the wheel, allowing continued use of a shopping cart or other wheeled apparatus including the self-leveling caster assembly.
A system for monitoring and controlling shopping cart usage comprises a wheel assembly that attaches to a shopping cart. The wheel assembly includes a wheel, a brake that can be activated to inhibit rotation of the wheel, a controller that controls the brake, a VLF receiver, and an RF transceiver. The RF transceiver may, for example, operate in a 2.4 GHz frequency band. In some implementations, the RF transceiver may be used to detect entry of the shopping cart into a checkout area of the store, and the VLF receiver may be used to detect that the shopping cart is exiting the store. The controller may activate the brake if the shopping cart attempts to exit the store without first passing through a checkout area.
B62B 5/04 - Braking mechanisms; Locking devices against movement
B62B 3/14 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys
B62B 5/00 - Accessories or details specially adapted for hand carts
G08B 13/24 - Electrical actuation by interference with electromagnetic field distribution
B60K 25/08 - Auxiliary drives from a ground wheel, e.g. engaging the wheel tread or rim
B60T 7/18 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle operated by wayside apparatus
G01C 21/00 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups
G01C 21/12 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups by using measurement of speed or acceleration executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning
G06Q 10/08 - Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
G08G 1/00 - Traffic control systems for road vehicles
H02K 7/18 - Structural association of electric generators with mechanical driving motors, e.g.with turbines
H04W 4/029 - Location-based management or tracking services
A47F 10/04 - Furniture or installations specially adapted to particular types of service systems, not otherwise provided for for self-service type systems, e.g. supermarkets for storing or handling self-service hand-carts or baskets
B60T 7/16 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle
G01C 21/20 - Instruments for performing navigational calculations
G06K 7/10 - Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers by corpuscular radiation
Examples of systems and methods for calibrating or operating a magnetic sensor for sensor temperature or operating conditions are provided. The magnetic sensor can comprise a dual magnetometer sensor that comprises a first, low-power-consumption magnetometer (e.g., a magneto-inductive magnetometer) and a second higher-power-consumption magnetometer (e.g., a magneto-resistive magnetometer). The second magnetometer can have a lower unit-to-unit variation in temperature calibration parameters and can be used to temperature-correct readings from the first magnetometer. The magnetic sensor can dynamically switch between usage of the first magnetometer and the second magnetometer in order to provide a dynamic sample rate that can depend on conditions within the sensor or external to the sensor.
A navigation system uses a dead reckoning method to estimate an object's present position relative to one or more prior positions. In some embodiments, the dead reckoning method determines a change in position from the object's heading and speed during an elapsed time interval. In embodiments suitable for use with wheeled objects, the dead reckoning method determines the change in position by measuring the heading and the amount of wheel rotation. Some or all of the components of the navigation system may be disposed within a wheel, such as a wheel of a shopping cart.
B62B 5/04 - Braking mechanisms; Locking devices against movement
B62B 3/14 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys
G08B 13/24 - Electrical actuation by interference with electromagnetic field distribution
B60K 25/08 - Auxiliary drives from a ground wheel, e.g. engaging the wheel tread or rim
B60T 7/18 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle operated by wayside apparatus
G01C 21/12 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups by using measurement of speed or acceleration executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning
G06Q 10/08 - Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
G08G 1/00 - Traffic control systems for road vehicles
H02K 7/18 - Structural association of electric generators with mechanical driving motors, e.g.with turbines
H04W 4/029 - Location-based management or tracking services
A47F 10/04 - Furniture or installations specially adapted to particular types of service systems, not otherwise provided for for self-service type systems, e.g. supermarkets for storing or handling self-service hand-carts or baskets
B60T 7/16 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle
G01C 21/20 - Instruments for performing navigational calculations
B62B 5/00 - Accessories or details specially adapted for hand carts
G06K 7/10 - Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers by corpuscular radiation
Examples of systems and methods for locating movable objects such as carts (e.g., shopping carts) are disclosed. Such systems and methods can use dead reckoning techniques to estimate the current position of the movable object. Various techniques for improving accuracy of position estimates are disclosed, including compensation for various error sources involving the use of magnetometer and accelerometer, and using vibration analysis to derive wheel rotation rates. Also disclosed are various techniques to utilize characteristics of the operating environment in conjunction with or in lieu of dead reckoning techniques, including characteristic of environment such as ground texture, availability of signals from radio frequency (RF) transmitters including precision fix sources. Such systems and methods can be applied in both indoor and outdoor settings and in retail or warehouse settings.
G08G 1/00 - Traffic control systems for road vehicles
B60T 7/18 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle operated by wayside apparatus
G01P 3/48 - Devices characterised by the use of electric or magnetic means for measuring angular speed by measuring frequency of generated current or voltage
G01S 5/00 - Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more direction or position-line determinations; Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more distance determinations
B62B 3/14 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys
G01C 21/12 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups by using measurement of speed or acceleration executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning
G06Q 10/06 - Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
G01S 5/14 - Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
G01S 5/02 - Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more direction or position-line determinations; Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more distance determinations using radio waves
G01S 11/06 - Systems for determining distance or velocity not using reflection or reradiation using radio waves using intensity measurements
B60T 7/12 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger
B62B 5/04 - Braking mechanisms; Locking devices against movement
G01C 21/20 - Instruments for performing navigational calculations
G01H 11/08 - Measuring mechanical vibrations or ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves by detecting changes in electric or magnetic properties by electric means using piezoelectric devices
G05D 1/02 - Control of position or course in two dimensions
B62B 5/00 - Accessories or details specially adapted for hand carts
A system for monitoring shopping baskets (e.g., baskets on human-propelled carts, motorized carts, or hand-carried baskets) can include a computer vision unit that can image a surveillance region (e.g., an exit to a store), determine whether a basket is empty or loaded with merchandise, and assess a potential for theft of the merchandise. The computer vision unit can include a camera and an image processor programmed to execute a computer vision algorithm to identify shopping baskets and determine a load status of the basket. The computer vision algorithm can comprise a neural network. The system can identify an at least partially loaded shopping basket that is exiting the store, without indicia of having paid for the merchandise, and execute an anti-theft action, e.g., actuating an alarm, notifying store personnel, activating a store surveillance system, activating an anti-theft device associated with the basket (e.g., a locking shopping cart wheel), etc.
B62B 5/04 - Braking mechanisms; Locking devices against movement
B62B 3/14 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys
B62B 5/00 - Accessories or details specially adapted for hand carts
G06K 9/00 - Methods or arrangements for reading or recognising printed or written characters or for recognising patterns, e.g. fingerprints
G06K 9/62 - Methods or arrangements for recognition using electronic means
G08B 13/194 - Actuation by interference with heat, light, or radiation of shorter wavelength; Actuation by intruding sources of heat, light, or radiation of shorter wavelength using passive radiation detection systems using image scanning and comparing systems
G08B 13/196 - Actuation by interference with heat, light, or radiation of shorter wavelength; Actuation by intruding sources of heat, light, or radiation of shorter wavelength using passive radiation detection systems using image scanning and comparing systems using television cameras
A wheel for a non-motorized vehicle (e.g., a shopping cart) can include a housing assembly and a tread assembly. The housing assembly can be configured to sealingly house electronics or other components. The tread assembly can removably mate with the housing assembly such that the electronics or other components remain closed and/or sealed within the housing assembly when the tread assembly is mated or unmated with the housing assembly.
B60B 19/06 - Wheels not otherwise provided for or having characteristics specified in one of the subgroups of this group with compartments for fluid, packing, or loading material; Buoyant wheels
B60B 23/10 - Attaching rim to wheel body by screws, bolts, pins, or clips arranged axially
B60B 3/00 - Disc wheels, i.e. wheels with load-supporting disc body
B60B 5/02 - Wheels, spokes, disc bodies, rims, hubs, wholly or predominantly made of non-metallic material made of synthetic material
B60B 21/02 - Rims characterised by transverse section
B60B 23/04 - Attaching rim to wheel body by bayonet-joint, screw-thread, or like attachments
B60B 7/04 - Wheel cover discs, rings, or the like, for ornamenting, protecting, or obscuring, wholly or in part, the wheel body, rim, hub, or tyre sidewall built-up of several main parts
B60B 7/14 - Fastening arrangements therefor comprising screw-threaded means
Examples of systems and methods for locating movable objects such as carts (e.g., shopping carts) are disclosed. Such systems and methods can use dead reckoning techniques to estimate the current position of the movable object. Various techniques for improving accuracy of position estimates are disclosed, including compensation for various error sources involving the use of magnetometer and accelerometer, and using vibration analysis to derive wheel rotation rates. Various techniques utilize characteristics of the operating environment in conjunction with or in lieu of dead reckoning techniques, including characteristic of environment such as ground texture, availability of signals from radio frequency (RF) transmitters including precision fix sources. Navigation techniques can include navigation history and backtracking, motion direction detection for dual swivel casters, use of gyroscopes, determining cart weight, multi-level navigation, multi-level magnetic measurements, use of lighting signatures, use of multiple navigation systems, or hard/soft iron compensation for different cart configurations.
B62B 3/14 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys
G01P 15/08 - Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration by making use of inertia forces with conversion into electric or magnetic values
G01C 21/16 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups by using measurement of speed or acceleration executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning by integrating acceleration or speed, i.e. inertial navigation
A motorized cart retriever, which may be a cart pusher or a cart puller, can apply a force to a nest of human-propelled, wheeled carts to facilitate retrieval of the carts. The cart retriever can include a transceiver configured to wirelessly receive cart status information from cart transmitters of the wheeled carts and wirelessly report event data to a control unit. The cart status information may include an identification of the cart transmitter, a location of the cart, a lock or unlock status of a cart wheel, a misuse condition, etc. The event data can include the cart status information, a number of wheeled carts being retrieved, etc. The cart wheel may include a brake. The transceiver may communicate a message to the cart wheel to keep the brake unactuated during retrieval. The control unit may analyze the event data to detect traffic patterns of the carts.
B62B 3/14 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys
B62B 5/04 - Braking mechanisms; Locking devices against movement
G08B 13/24 - Electrical actuation by interference with electromagnetic field distribution
B60T 7/18 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle operated by wayside apparatus
G01C 21/00 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups
B60K 25/08 - Auxiliary drives from a ground wheel, e.g. engaging the wheel tread or rim
G01C 21/12 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups by using measurement of speed or acceleration executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning
G06Q 10/08 - Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
G08G 1/00 - Traffic control systems for road vehicles
H02K 7/18 - Structural association of electric generators with mechanical driving motors, e.g.with turbines
H04W 4/029 - Location-based management or tracking services
A47F 10/04 - Furniture or installations specially adapted to particular types of service systems, not otherwise provided for for self-service type systems, e.g. supermarkets for storing or handling self-service hand-carts or baskets
B60T 7/16 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle
G01C 21/20 - Instruments for performing navigational calculations
B62B 5/00 - Accessories or details specially adapted for hand carts
G06K 7/10 - Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers by corpuscular radiation
Examples of systems and methods for locating movable objects such as carts (e.g., shopping carts) are disclosed. Such systems and methods can use dead reckoning techniques to estimate the current position of the movable object. Various techniques for improving accuracy of position estimates are disclosed, including compensation for various error sources involving the use of magnetometer and accelerometer, and using vibration analysis to derive wheel rotation rates. Various techniques utilize characteristics of the operating environment in conjunction with or in lieu of dead reckoning techniques, including characteristic of environment such as ground texture, availability of signals from radio frequency (RF) transmitters including precision fix sources. Navigation techniques can include navigation history and backtracking, motion direction detection for dual swivel casters, use of gyroscopes, determining cart weight, multi-level navigation, multi-level magnetic measurements, use of lighting signatures, use of multiple navigation systems, or hard/soft iron compensation for different cart configurations.
B62B 3/14 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys
B62B 5/04 - Braking mechanisms; Locking devices against movement
G01P 15/08 - Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration by making use of inertia forces with conversion into electric or magnetic values
G01C 21/16 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups by using measurement of speed or acceleration executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning by integrating acceleration or speed, i.e. inertial navigation
Examples of systems and methods for locating movable objects such as carts (e.g., shopping carts) are disclosed. Such systems and methods can use dead reckoning techniques to estimate the current position of the movable object. Various techniques for improving accuracy of position estimates are disclosed, including compensation for various error sources involving the use of magnetometer and accelerometer, and using vibration analysis to derive wheel rotation rates. Also disclosed are various techniques to utilize characteristics of the operating environment in conjunction with or in lieu of dead reckoning techniques, including characteristic of environment such as ground texture, availability of signals from radio frequency (RF) transmitters including precision fix sources. Such systems and methods can be applied in both indoor and outdoor settings and in retail or warehouse settings.
G05D 1/02 - Control of position or course in two dimensions
G01S 5/00 - Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more direction or position-line determinations; Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more distance determinations
G01P 3/48 - Devices characterised by the use of electric or magnetic means for measuring angular speed by measuring frequency of generated current or voltage
G01H 11/08 - Measuring mechanical vibrations or ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves by detecting changes in electric or magnetic properties by electric means using piezoelectric devices
B60T 7/18 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle operated by wayside apparatus
B60T 7/12 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger
B62B 3/14 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys
G01C 21/20 - Instruments for performing navigational calculations
B62B 5/00 - Accessories or details specially adapted for hand carts
G01C 17/00 - Compasses; Devices for ascertaining true or magnetic north for navigation or surveying purposes
G01P 3/02 - Devices characterised by the use of mechanical means
22.
Cart monitoring system capable of authorizing cart exit events
A system for monitoring shopping carts or other human-propelled carts includes wireless access points that communicate on a wireless network with wheel assemblies of the carts. The system is capable of monitoring a path followed by a cart in a store or building, and using the path (optionally together with other criteria) to determine whether to authorize the cart to exit. For example, if a shopping cart fails to pass through a checkout lane of a store, the system may perform an action that blocks or inhibits the shipping cart from exiting the store.
B60R 25/00 - Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles
B62B 5/00 - Accessories or details specially adapted for hand carts
B62B 5/04 - Braking mechanisms; Locking devices against movement
B62B 3/14 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys
H04W 4/029 - Location-based management or tracking services
G08B 13/24 - Electrical actuation by interference with electromagnetic field distribution
H02K 7/18 - Structural association of electric generators with mechanical driving motors, e.g.with turbines
G01C 21/20 - Instruments for performing navigational calculations
G01C 21/00 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups
A47F 10/04 - Furniture or installations specially adapted to particular types of service systems, not otherwise provided for for self-service type systems, e.g. supermarkets for storing or handling self-service hand-carts or baskets
B60K 25/08 - Auxiliary drives from a ground wheel, e.g. engaging the wheel tread or rim
H04W 4/02 - Services making use of location information
G01C 21/12 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups by using measurement of speed or acceleration executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning
G08G 1/00 - Traffic control systems for road vehicles
G06K 7/10 - Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers by corpuscular radiation
B60T 7/16 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle
B60T 7/18 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle operated by wayside apparatus
G06Q 10/08 - Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
23.
Cart monitoring system with wheel assembly capable of visually signaling cart status
A system for monitoring shopping carts or other human-propelled carts includes wireless access points that communicate on a wireless network with wheel assemblies of the carts. The system is capable of monitoring a path followed by a cart in a store or building, and using the path (optionally together with other criteria) to determine whether to authorize the cart to exit. For example, if a shopping cart fails to pass through a checkout lane of a store, the system may perform an action that blocks or inhibits the shipping cart from exiting the store. The wheel assemblies may include LEDs or other visual indicators that alert store personnel when a wheel assembly is in a particular state.
B62B 5/00 - Accessories or details specially adapted for hand carts
B62B 5/04 - Braking mechanisms; Locking devices against movement
B62B 3/14 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys
A47F 10/04 - Furniture or installations specially adapted to particular types of service systems, not otherwise provided for for self-service type systems, e.g. supermarkets for storing or handling self-service hand-carts or baskets
B60K 25/08 - Auxiliary drives from a ground wheel, e.g. engaging the wheel tread or rim
B60T 7/18 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle operated by wayside apparatus
G01C 21/00 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups
G01C 21/12 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups by using measurement of speed or acceleration executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning
G06Q 10/08 - Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
G08B 13/24 - Electrical actuation by interference with electromagnetic field distribution
G08G 1/00 - Traffic control systems for road vehicles
H02K 7/18 - Structural association of electric generators with mechanical driving motors, e.g.with turbines
B60T 7/16 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle
G01C 21/20 - Instruments for performing navigational calculations
H04W 4/02 - Services making use of location information
G06K 7/10 - Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers by corpuscular radiation
H04W 4/029 - Location-based management or tracking services
24.
Cart monitoring system supporting unicast and multicast command transmissions to wheel assemblies
A system for monitoring shopping carts or other human-propelled carts includes wireless access points that communicate bi-directionally on a wireless network with wheel assemblies of the carts. The system supports both unicast and multicast command transmissions from the access points to the wheel assemblies, including multicast transmissions in which the target wheel assemblies are specified in terms of their states. For example, an access point can transmit a command that is addressed to all wheel assemblies that are locked, or to all wheel assemblies that are moving.
B62B 5/04 - Braking mechanisms; Locking devices against movement
B62B 3/14 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys
G08B 13/24 - Electrical actuation by interference with electromagnetic field distribution
H02K 7/18 - Structural association of electric generators with mechanical driving motors, e.g.with turbines
G01C 21/20 - Instruments for performing navigational calculations
G01C 21/00 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups
B62B 5/00 - Accessories or details specially adapted for hand carts
A47F 10/04 - Furniture or installations specially adapted to particular types of service systems, not otherwise provided for for self-service type systems, e.g. supermarkets for storing or handling self-service hand-carts or baskets
B60K 25/08 - Auxiliary drives from a ground wheel, e.g. engaging the wheel tread or rim
H04W 4/02 - Services making use of location information
G01C 21/12 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups by using measurement of speed or acceleration executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning
G08G 1/00 - Traffic control systems for road vehicles
G06K 7/10 - Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers by corpuscular radiation
B60T 7/16 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle
B60T 7/18 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle operated by wayside apparatus
G06Q 10/08 - Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
25.
Direction crossing detector for containment boundary
A containment area can be defined by a single cable carrying an asymmetric electromagnetic signal that generates a magnetic field comprising an asymmetric waveform. A single inductor circuit configured to detect a single axis of the magnetic field can detect the asymmetric waveform and determine which direction the inductor is traveling relative to the cable. A human-propelled cart can have a wheel that includes the single inductor circuit and detect whether the cart is being pushed from inside-to-outside the containment area (which may reflect the cart is being stolen or improperly used) or from outside-to-inside (which may reflect the cart is being returned). The cart can include an anti-theft system (e.g., a locking or braking wheel), which can be triggered if the cart is being moved from inside to outside the containment area. The single cable, single inductor system can be less expensive and more efficient than multi-cable, multi-inductor systems.
B60R 25/30 - Detection related to theft or to other events relevant to anti-theft systems
G01V 3/08 - Electric or magnetic prospecting or detecting; Measuring magnetic field characteristics of the earth, e.g. declination or deviation operating with magnetic or electric fields produced or modified by objects or geological structures or by detecting devices
G01V 3/38 - Processing data, e.g. for analysis, for interpretation or for correction
B62B 5/04 - Braking mechanisms; Locking devices against movement
G08G 1/042 - Detecting movement of traffic to be counted or controlled using inductive or magnetic detectors
G01V 3/10 - Electric or magnetic prospecting or detecting; Measuring magnetic field characteristics of the earth, e.g. declination or deviation operating with magnetic or electric fields produced or modified by objects or geological structures or by detecting devices using induction coils
26.
Navigation systems and methods for wheeled objects
A navigation system uses a dead reckoning method to estimate an object's present position relative to one or more prior positions. In some embodiments, the dead reckoning method determines a change in position from the object's heading and speed during an elapsed time interval. In embodiments suitable for use with wheeled objects, the dead reckoning method determines the change in position by measuring the heading and the amount of wheel rotation. Some or all of the components of the navigation system may be disposed within a wheel, such as a wheel of a shopping cart.
B62B 5/04 - Braking mechanisms; Locking devices against movement
B62B 3/14 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys
G08B 13/24 - Electrical actuation by interference with electromagnetic field distribution
B60K 25/08 - Auxiliary drives from a ground wheel, e.g. engaging the wheel tread or rim
B60T 7/18 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle operated by wayside apparatus
G01C 21/00 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups
G01C 21/12 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups by using measurement of speed or acceleration executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning
G06Q 10/08 - Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
G08G 1/00 - Traffic control systems for road vehicles
H02K 7/18 - Structural association of electric generators with mechanical driving motors, e.g.with turbines
H04W 4/029 - Location-based management or tracking services
A47F 10/04 - Furniture or installations specially adapted to particular types of service systems, not otherwise provided for for self-service type systems, e.g. supermarkets for storing or handling self-service hand-carts or baskets
B60T 7/16 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle
G01C 21/20 - Instruments for performing navigational calculations
B62B 5/00 - Accessories or details specially adapted for hand carts
G06K 7/10 - Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers by corpuscular radiation
27.
Low-energy consumption location of movable objects
Low-energy consumption techniques for locating a movable object using a global satellite navigation system (GNSS) are provided. A mobile station attached to or included in a movable object can communicate bidirectionally with a fixed base station to determine a location of the movable object. The mobile station may communicate an estimated position to the base station and receive from the base station a set of GNSS satellites that are visible to the mobile station. The mobile station can acquire satellite timing information from GNSS signals from the set of satellites and communicate minimally-processed satellite timing information to the base station. The base station can determine the position of the mobile station and communicate the position back to the mobile station. By offloading much of the processing to the base station, energy consumption of the mobile station is reduced.
G01S 19/05 - Cooperating elements; Interaction or communication between different cooperating elements or between cooperating elements and receivers providing aiding data
G01S 19/11 - Cooperating elements; Interaction or communication between different cooperating elements or between cooperating elements and receivers providing dedicated supplementary positioning signals wherein the cooperating elements are pseudolites or satellite radio beacon positioning system signal repeaters
G01S 19/25 - Acquisition or tracking of signals transmitted by the system involving aiding data received from a cooperating element, e.g. assisted GPS
G01S 19/06 - Cooperating elements; Interaction or communication between different cooperating elements or between cooperating elements and receivers providing aiding data employing an initial estimate of the location of the receiver as aiding data or in generating aiding data
G01S 19/09 - Cooperating elements; Interaction or communication between different cooperating elements or between cooperating elements and receivers providing processing capability normally carried out by the receiver
G01S 19/14 - Receivers specially adapted for specific applications
G01S 19/41 - Differential correction, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS]
G01S 19/49 - Determining position by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system whereby the further system is an inertial position system, e.g. loosely-coupled
H04W 4/02 - Services making use of location information
H04W 4/029 - Location-based management or tracking services
28.
Power generation systems and methods for wheeled objects
A power generation system for wheeled objects comprises a generator mechanically coupled to one or more of the object's wheels to convert wheel rotational energy into electrical energy. The power generation system may comprise an electrical storage device configured to store the electrical power produced by the generator. Power from the generator and/or the electrical storage device can be used to provide power to other electrical systems in or on the object. In certain embodiments, the electrical storage device comprises a bank of high-capacity capacitors connected in series. Some embodiments use a control circuit, for example, to regulate the charging and discharging of the capacitor bank and to provide suitable voltages for other systems. The power generation system may be disposed within an object's wheel, such as a wheel of a shopping cart.
B62B 5/04 - Braking mechanisms; Locking devices against movement
B60T 7/18 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle operated by wayside apparatus
B62B 3/14 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys
A47F 10/04 - Furniture or installations specially adapted to particular types of service systems, not otherwise provided for for self-service type systems, e.g. supermarkets for storing or handling self-service hand-carts or baskets
B60K 25/08 - Auxiliary drives from a ground wheel, e.g. engaging the wheel tread or rim
G01C 21/00 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups
G01C 21/12 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups by using measurement of speed or acceleration executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning
G06Q 10/08 - Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
G08B 13/24 - Electrical actuation by interference with electromagnetic field distribution
G08G 1/00 - Traffic control systems for road vehicles
H02K 7/18 - Structural association of electric generators with mechanical driving motors, e.g.with turbines
B60T 7/16 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle
G01C 21/20 - Instruments for performing navigational calculations
B62B 5/00 - Accessories or details specially adapted for hand carts
H04W 4/02 - Services making use of location information
G06K 7/10 - Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers by corpuscular radiation
H04W 4/029 - Location-based management or tracking services
29.
Direction crossing detector for containment boundary
A containment area can be defined by a single cable carrying an asymmetric electromagnetic signal that generates a magnetic field comprising an asymmetric waveform. A single inductor circuit configured to detect a single axis of the magnetic field can detect the asymmetric waveform and determine which direction the inductor is traveling relative to the cable. A human-propelled cart can have a wheel that includes the single inductor circuit and detect whether the cart is being pushed from inside-to-outside the containment area (which may reflect the cart is being stolen or improperly used) or from outside-to-inside (which may reflect the cart is being returned). The cart can include an anti-theft system (e.g., a locking or braking wheel), which can be triggered if the cart is being moved from inside to outside the containment area. The single cable, single inductor system can be less expensive and more efficient than multi-cable, multi-inductor systems.
G08G 1/01 - Detecting movement of traffic to be counted or controlled
B60R 25/30 - Detection related to theft or to other events relevant to anti-theft systems
G01V 3/08 - Electric or magnetic prospecting or detecting; Measuring magnetic field characteristics of the earth, e.g. declination or deviation operating with magnetic or electric fields produced or modified by objects or geological structures or by detecting devices
G01V 3/38 - Processing data, e.g. for analysis, for interpretation or for correction
B62B 5/04 - Braking mechanisms; Locking devices against movement
G08G 1/042 - Detecting movement of traffic to be counted or controlled using inductive or magnetic detectors
30.
Systems with buried antennas for bi-directional communication with wheeled vehicles
Various systems for monitoring wheeled vehicles (such as shopping carts) are disclosed. The system can include an RF antenna unit that is buried and is configured for bi-directional communication with the electronics on the cart. In some embodiments, the antenna comprises a plurality of transmitters, which can emit synchronized signals. In some embodiments, the antenna comprises a radiating cable, which can emit a signal along some, substantially all, or all of its length.
B62B 3/14 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys
B62B 5/00 - Accessories or details specially adapted for hand carts
B62B 5/04 - Braking mechanisms; Locking devices against movement
H04W 4/80 - Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
Examples of systems and methods for controlling or monitoring a fleet of human-propelled, wheeled carts and cart retrievers are described. The carts can be shopping carts at a retail facility, and the cart retrievers can be used to collect and return the shopping carts from a parking lot near the facility to a cart collection area. The carts or cart retrievers can monitor various status or usage parameters (such as retriever battery charge, cart collection trip speed, cart collection path or duration, etc.) and transmit the parameters to a central control unit. The central control unit can analyze and process the status or usage parameters. The system can provide a user interface for access to the status or usage parameters of the cart and cart retriever fleet.
B62B 5/00 - Accessories or details specially adapted for hand carts
B60L 11/18 - using power supplied from primary cells, secondary cells, or fuel cells
B32B 3/14 - Layered products essentially comprising a layer with external or internal discontinuities or unevennesses, or a layer of non-planar form; Layered products essentially having particular features of form characterised by a discontinuous layer, i.e. apertured or formed of separate pieces of material characterised by a face layer formed of separate pieces of material
G05D 1/00 - Control of position, course, altitude, or attitude of land, water, air, or space vehicles, e.g. automatic pilot
B62B 3/14 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys
G05D 1/02 - Control of position or course in two dimensions
G07C 5/08 - Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle, or waiting time
G07C 5/00 - Registering or indicating the working of vehicles
32.
Magnetometer and accelerometer calibration for cart navigation system
A wheeled object (e.g., a human-propelled cart such as a shopping cart) can include a navigation system that uses dead reckoning to determine the position of the wheeled object. The navigation system can include a magnetometer and an accelerometer and may be disposed on a handle of the wheeled object. Examples of a system for calibrating the magnetometer and accelerometer during manufacture as well as during installation on the wheeled object are disclosed. The calibration includes calibrating for the soft iron distortion induced at the navigation system by the ferromagnetic shopping cart handle (or other ferromagnetic portions of the cart such as the frame) and hard iron distortions induced by nearby magnetic sources (e.g., a permanent magnet in an audio speaker). The calibration system can include a plurality of Helmholtz or Maxwell coils.
Examples of systems and methods for locating movable objects such as carts (e.g., shopping carts) are disclosed. Such systems and methods can use dead reckoning techniques to estimate the current position of the movable object. Various techniques for improving accuracy of position estimates are disclosed, including compensation for various error sources involving the use of magnetometer and accelerometer, and using vibration analysis to derive wheel rotation rates. Also disclosed are various techniques to utilize characteristics of the operating environment in conjunction with or in lieu of dead reckoning techniques, including characteristic of environment such as ground texture, availability of signals from radio frequency (RF) transmitters including precision fix sources. Such systems and methods can be applied in both indoor and outdoor settings and in retail or warehouse settings.
B62B 5/04 - Braking mechanisms; Locking devices against movement
G01H 11/08 - Measuring mechanical vibrations or ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves by detecting changes in electric or magnetic properties by electric means using piezoelectric devices
B60T 7/12 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger
G05D 1/02 - Control of position or course in two dimensions
B62B 3/14 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys
G01C 21/20 - Instruments for performing navigational calculations
B62B 5/00 - Accessories or details specially adapted for hand carts
B60T 7/18 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle operated by wayside apparatus
G01P 3/48 - Devices characterised by the use of electric or magnetic means for measuring angular speed by measuring frequency of generated current or voltage
G01S 5/00 - Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more direction or position-line determinations; Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more distance determinations
A vehicle tracking system includes a wheel assembly containing sensor circuitry capable of sensing one or more 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 wheel assembly may also include a brake mechanism. The wheel assemblies may be mounted on shopping carts and used to collect and monitor shopping cart status and location data via a wireless network. In one embodiment, the wheel assembly communicates via a wired or wireless connection with a handlebar mounted display unit of the cart.
B62B 5/04 - Braking mechanisms; Locking devices against movement
B62B 3/14 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys
A47F 10/04 - Furniture or installations specially adapted to particular types of service systems, not otherwise provided for for self-service type systems, e.g. supermarkets for storing or handling self-service hand-carts or baskets
B60K 25/08 - Auxiliary drives from a ground wheel, e.g. engaging the wheel tread or rim
B60T 7/18 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle operated by wayside apparatus
G01C 21/00 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups
G01C 21/12 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups by using measurement of speed or acceleration executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning
G06Q 10/08 - Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
G08B 13/24 - Electrical actuation by interference with electromagnetic field distribution
G08G 1/00 - Traffic control systems for road vehicles
H02K 7/18 - Structural association of electric generators with mechanical driving motors, e.g.with turbines
B60T 7/16 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle
H04W 4/02 - Services making use of location information
G01C 21/20 - Instruments for performing navigational calculations
B62B 5/00 - Accessories or details specially adapted for hand carts
G06K 7/10 - Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers by corpuscular radiation
35.
System with handheld mobile control unit for controlling shopping cart wheel assemblies
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.
B62B 5/00 - Accessories or details specially adapted for hand carts
B62B 5/04 - Braking mechanisms; Locking devices against movement
B62B 3/14 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys
A47F 10/04 - Furniture or installations specially adapted to particular types of service systems, not otherwise provided for for self-service type systems, e.g. supermarkets for storing or handling self-service hand-carts or baskets
B60K 25/08 - Auxiliary drives from a ground wheel, e.g. engaging the wheel tread or rim
B60T 7/18 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle operated by wayside apparatus
G01C 21/00 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups
G01C 21/12 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups by using measurement of speed or acceleration executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning
G06Q 10/08 - Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
G08B 13/24 - Electrical actuation by interference with electromagnetic field distribution
G08G 1/00 - Traffic control systems for road vehicles
H02K 7/18 - Structural association of electric generators with mechanical driving motors, e.g.with turbines
B60T 7/16 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle
H04W 4/02 - Services making use of location information
G01C 21/20 - Instruments for performing navigational calculations
G06K 7/10 - Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers by corpuscular radiation
36.
Low-energy consumption location of movable objects
Low-energy consumption techniques for locating a movable object using a global satellite navigation system (GNSS) are provided. A mobile station attached to or included in a movable object can communicate bidirectionally with a fixed base station to determine a location of the movable object. The mobile station may communicate an estimated position to the base station and receive from the base station a set of GNSS satellites that are visible to the mobile station. The mobile station can acquire satellite timing information from GNSS signals from the set of satellites and communicate minimally-processed satellite timing information to the base station. The base station can determine the position of the mobile station and communicate the position back to the mobile station. By offloading much of the processing to the base station, energy consumption of the mobile station is reduced.
G01S 19/05 - Cooperating elements; Interaction or communication between different cooperating elements or between cooperating elements and receivers providing aiding data
G01S 19/06 - Cooperating elements; Interaction or communication between different cooperating elements or between cooperating elements and receivers providing aiding data employing an initial estimate of the location of the receiver as aiding data or in generating aiding data
G01S 19/09 - Cooperating elements; Interaction or communication between different cooperating elements or between cooperating elements and receivers providing processing capability normally carried out by the receiver
G01S 19/14 - Receivers specially adapted for specific applications
G01S 19/41 - Differential correction, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS]
G01S 19/49 - Determining position by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system whereby the further system is an inertial position system, e.g. loosely-coupled
H04W 4/02 - Services making use of location information
G01S 19/25 - Acquisition or tracking of signals transmitted by the system involving aiding data received from a cooperating element, e.g. assisted GPS
G01S 19/11 - Cooperating elements; Interaction or communication between different cooperating elements or between cooperating elements and receivers providing dedicated supplementary positioning signals wherein the cooperating elements are pseudolites or satellite radio beacon positioning system signal repeaters
Examples of systems and methods for controlling or monitoring a fleet of human-propelled, wheeled carts and cart retrievers are described. The carts can be shopping carts at a retail facility, and the cart retrievers can be used to collect and return the shopping carts from a parking lot near the facility to a cart collection area. The carts or cart retrievers can monitor various status or usage parameters (such as retriever battery charge, cart collection trip speed, cart collection path or duration, etc.) and transmit the parameters to a central control unit. The central control unit can analyze and process the status or usage parameters. The system can provide a user interface for access to the status or usage parameters of the cart and cart retriever fleet.
B62B 5/00 - Accessories or details specially adapted for hand carts
B62B 3/14 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys
G05D 1/00 - Control of position, course, altitude, or attitude of land, water, air, or space vehicles, e.g. automatic pilot
G05D 1/02 - Control of position or course in two dimensions
G07C 5/08 - Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle, or waiting time
38.
Wheel skid detection during mechanized cart retrieval
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.
G01C 21/20 - Instruments for performing navigational calculations
B62B 3/14 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys
A47F 10/04 - Furniture or installations specially adapted to particular types of service systems, not otherwise provided for for self-service type systems, e.g. supermarkets for storing or handling self-service hand-carts or baskets
B60K 25/08 - Auxiliary drives from a ground wheel, e.g. engaging the wheel tread or rim
B60T 7/18 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle operated by wayside apparatus
B62B 5/04 - Braking mechanisms; Locking devices against movement
G01C 21/00 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups
G01C 21/12 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups by using measurement of speed or acceleration executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning
G06Q 10/08 - Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
G08B 13/24 - Electrical actuation by interference with electromagnetic field distribution
G08G 1/00 - Traffic control systems for road vehicles
H02K 7/18 - Structural association of electric generators with mechanical driving motors, e.g.with turbines
B60T 7/16 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle
H04W 4/02 - Services making use of location information
39.
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.
G08B 13/14 - Mechanical actuation by lifting or attempted removal of hand-portable articles
B62B 3/14 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys
A47F 10/04 - Furniture or installations specially adapted to particular types of service systems, not otherwise provided for for self-service type systems, e.g. supermarkets for storing or handling self-service hand-carts or baskets
B60K 25/08 - Auxiliary drives from a ground wheel, e.g. engaging the wheel tread or rim
B60T 7/18 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle operated by wayside apparatus
B62B 5/04 - Braking mechanisms; Locking devices against movement
G01C 21/00 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups
G01C 21/12 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups by using measurement of speed or acceleration executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning
G06Q 10/08 - Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
G08B 13/24 - Electrical actuation by interference with electromagnetic field distribution
G08G 1/00 - Traffic control systems for road vehicles
H02K 7/18 - Structural association of electric generators with mechanical driving motors, e.g.with turbines
B60T 7/16 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle
H04W 4/02 - Services making use of location information
G01C 21/20 - Instruments for performing navigational calculations
B62B 5/00 - Accessories or details specially adapted for hand carts
G06K 7/10 - Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers by corpuscular radiation
40.
Brake mechanism for a non-motorized wheeled vehicle
Brake mechanisms for a wheel of non-motorized wheeled vehicle such as, e.g., a shopping cart, are described. In various embodiments, the brake mechanism can provide a variable amount of braking force or torque between zero and an amount sufficient to lock the wheel. In some embodiments, the brake mechanism includes a brake plate that is movable toward and away from a surface of the wheel hub along a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the wheel. The brake plate is configured not to rotate when the wheel and hub are rotating. Frictional engagement between the brake plate and the surface of the wheel hub provides the braking force. The brake plate and/or the surface of the wheel hub can include engagement features such as, e.g., protrusions and slots. In some embodiments, the brake mechanism fits entirely within the wheel.
A power generation system for wheeled objects comprises a generator mechanically coupled to one or more of the object's wheels to convert wheel rotational energy into electrical energy. The power generation system may comprise an electrical storage device configured to store the electrical power produced by the generator. Power from the generator and/or the electrical storage device can be used to provide power to other electrical systems in or on the object. In certain embodiments, the electrical storage device comprises a bank of high-capacity capacitors connected in series. Some embodiments use a control circuit, for example, to regulate the charging and discharging of the capacitor bank and to provide suitable voltages for other systems. The power generation system may be disposed within an object's wheel, such as a wheel of a shopping cart.
B62B 5/04 - Braking mechanisms; Locking devices against movement
B62B 3/14 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys
A47F 10/04 - Furniture or installations specially adapted to particular types of service systems, not otherwise provided for for self-service type systems, e.g. supermarkets for storing or handling self-service hand-carts or baskets
B60K 25/08 - Auxiliary drives from a ground wheel, e.g. engaging the wheel tread or rim
B60T 7/18 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle operated by wayside apparatus
G01C 21/00 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups
G01C 21/12 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups by using measurement of speed or acceleration executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning
G06Q 10/08 - Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
G08B 13/24 - Electrical actuation by interference with electromagnetic field distribution
G08G 1/00 - Traffic control systems for road vehicles
H02K 7/18 - Structural association of electric generators with mechanical driving motors, e.g.with turbines
B60T 7/16 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle
H04W 4/02 - Services making use of location information
G01C 21/20 - Instruments for performing navigational calculations
B62B 5/00 - Accessories or details specially adapted for hand carts
42.
Navigation systems and methods for wheeled objects
A navigation system uses a dead reckoning method to estimate an object's present position relative to one or more prior positions. In some embodiments, the dead reckoning method determines a change in position from the object's heading and speed during an elapsed time interval. In embodiments suitable for use with wheeled objects, the dead reckoning method determines the change in position by measuring the heading and the amount of wheel rotation. Some or all of the components of the navigation system may be disposed within a wheel, such as a wheel of a shopping cart.
G01C 21/00 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups
B62B 3/14 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys
A47F 10/04 - Furniture or installations specially adapted to particular types of service systems, not otherwise provided for for self-service type systems, e.g. supermarkets for storing or handling self-service hand-carts or baskets
B60K 25/08 - Auxiliary drives from a ground wheel, e.g. engaging the wheel tread or rim
B60T 7/18 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle operated by wayside apparatus
B62B 5/04 - Braking mechanisms; Locking devices against movement
G01C 21/12 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups by using measurement of speed or acceleration executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning
G06Q 10/08 - Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
G08B 13/24 - Electrical actuation by interference with electromagnetic field distribution
G08G 1/00 - Traffic control systems for road vehicles
H02K 7/18 - Structural association of electric generators with mechanical driving motors, e.g.with turbines
B60T 7/16 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle
H04W 4/02 - Services making use of location information
G01C 21/20 - Instruments for performing navigational calculations
B62B 5/00 - Accessories or details specially adapted for hand carts
G06K 7/10 - Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers by corpuscular radiation
A wheel for a non-motorized vehicle (e.g., a shopping cart) can include a housing assembly and a tread assembly. The housing assembly can be configured to sealingly house electronics or other components. The tread assembly can removably mate with the housing assembly such that the electronics or other components remain closed and/or sealed within the housing assembly when the tread assembly is mated or unmated with the housing assembly.
B60B 19/06 - Wheels not otherwise provided for or having characteristics specified in one of the subgroups of this group with compartments for fluid, packing, or loading material; Buoyant wheels
B60B 23/10 - Attaching rim to wheel body by screws, bolts, pins, or clips arranged axially
B60B 3/00 - Disc wheels, i.e. wheels with load-supporting disc body
B60B 5/02 - Wheels, spokes, disc bodies, rims, hubs, wholly or predominantly made of non-metallic material made of synthetic material
A system is disclosed for tracking and controlling shopping carts and other types of human propelled vehicles. The system includes a wheel assembly that attaches to a cart. The wheel assembly includes a brake unit for inhibiting cart motion, and includes wireless communication circuitry. The wheel assembly is capable of activating the brake unit in response to one or more conditions, such as the receipt of an RF signal or command. In some embodiments, the system also includes a display unit that displays information to a user of the cart, including information regarding the cart's proximity to a lock zone in which the brake unit will become activated.
A wheel for a non-motorized vehicle (e.g., a shopping cart) can include a housing assembly and a tread assembly. The housing assembly can be configured to sealingly house electronics or other components. The tread assembly can removably mate with the housing assembly such that the electronics or other components remain closed and/or sealed within the housing assembly when the tread assembly is mated or unmated with the housing assembly.
In certain embodiments, a connection assembly can engage a cart, such as a retail shopping cart, to facilitate pushing and/or pulling the cart or a number of carts that have been nested together. In some embodiments, the connection assembly includes an engagement member with a recess. In an open position of engagement member, the recess can be configured to receive a portion of a frame member of the cart. In a closed position of the engagement member, the portion of the frame member can be secured with the connection assembly, thereby providing a secure connection with the cart to facilitate movement of the cart to a desired location.
B60D 1/40 - Traction couplings; Hitches; Draw-gear; Towing devices characterised by arrangements for particular functions for facilitating connection, e.g. hitch catchers involving a temporarily extensible or alignable member
B62B 5/00 - Accessories or details specially adapted for hand carts
B60D 1/07 - Multi-hitch devices, i.e. comprising several hitches of the same or of a different type; Hitch-adaptors, i.e. for converting hitches from one type to another
B62B 3/14 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys
A system is disclosed for tracking and controlling shopping carts and other types of human propelled vehicles. The system includes a wheel assembly that attaches to a cart. The wheel assembly includes a brake unit for inhibiting cart motion, and includes wireless communication circuitry. The wheel assembly is capable of activating the brake unit in response to one or more conditions, such as the receipt of an RF signal or command. In some embodiments, the system also includes a display unit that displays information to a user of the cart, including information regarding the cart's proximity to a lock zone in which the brake unit will become activated.
G01C 21/00 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups
B62B 3/14 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys
A47F 10/04 - Furniture or installations specially adapted to particular types of service systems, not otherwise provided for for self-service type systems, e.g. supermarkets for storing or handling self-service hand-carts or baskets
B60K 25/08 - Auxiliary drives from a ground wheel, e.g. engaging the wheel tread or rim
B60T 7/18 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle operated by wayside apparatus
B62B 5/04 - Braking mechanisms; Locking devices against movement
G01C 21/12 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups by using measurement of speed or acceleration executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning
G06Q 10/08 - Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
G08B 13/24 - Electrical actuation by interference with electromagnetic field distribution
G08G 1/00 - Traffic control systems for road vehicles
H02K 7/18 - Structural association of electric generators with mechanical driving motors, e.g.with turbines
B60T 7/16 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle
H04W 4/02 - Services making use of location information
G01C 21/20 - Instruments for performing navigational calculations
B62B 5/00 - Accessories or details specially adapted for hand carts
G06K 7/10 - Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers by corpuscular radiation
A vehicle tracking system includes a wheel unit containing RF communication circuitry. The wheel units communicate with fixed nodes of a monitoring system. In some embodiments, the wheel units are placed on shopping carts and are used to track the shopping carts in a vicinity of a store. The system may implement a variety of tracking-relating features, including detecting unauthorized store exit events, estimating the number of shopping carts that are clustered together, and inhibiting shopping cart theft.
A vehicle tracking system includes a wheel assembly containing sensor circuitry capable of sensing various types of conditions, such as 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. In some embodiments, the wheel assemblies detect that they have entered into particular zones by measuring received signal strengths of received command transmissions, and by comparing these measurements to thresholds that are used to define zone boundaries.
G01C 21/00 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups
B62B 3/14 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys
A47F 10/04 - Furniture or installations specially adapted to particular types of service systems, not otherwise provided for for self-service type systems, e.g. supermarkets for storing or handling self-service hand-carts or baskets
B60K 25/08 - Auxiliary drives from a ground wheel, e.g. engaging the wheel tread or rim
B60T 7/18 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle operated by wayside apparatus
B62B 5/04 - Braking mechanisms; Locking devices against movement
G01C 21/12 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups by using measurement of speed or acceleration executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning
G06Q 10/08 - Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
G08B 13/24 - Electrical actuation by interference with electromagnetic field distribution
G08G 1/00 - Traffic control systems for road vehicles
H02K 7/18 - Structural association of electric generators with mechanical driving motors, e.g.with turbines
B60T 7/16 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle
H04W 4/02 - Services making use of location information
G01C 21/20 - Instruments for performing navigational calculations
B62B 5/00 - Accessories or details specially adapted for hand carts
G06K 7/10 - Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers by corpuscular radiation
50.
Zone-based control of cart usage using RF transmission for brake activation
A vehicle tracking system includes a wheel containing sensor circuitry capable of sensing various types of conditions, such as 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.
A vehicle tracking system includes a wheel unit containing circuitry capable of sensing various types of conditions, such as specific electromagnetic and/or magnetic signals indicative of particular wheel locations. The wheel units communicate with fixed nodes of a monitoring system. In some embodiments, the wheel units are placed on shopping carts and are used to determine whether particular shopping carts are authorized to exit a store. For example, if a shopping cart that has not passed through a checkout lane is approaching a store exit, the system may activate a shopping cart braking unit, and/or initiate another action to inhibit push-out theft.
A vehicle tracking system includes a wheel containing sensor circuitry capable of sensing various types of conditions, such as 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, and stopping brake activation events from occurring during mechanized cart retrieval.
G06F 7/70 - Methods or arrangements for performing computations using a digital non-denominational number representation, i.e. number representation without radix; Computing devices using combinations of denominational and non-denominational quantity representations using stochastic pulse trains, i.e. randomly occurring pulses the average pulse rates of which represent numbers
An embodiment of a light powered transmitter configured for broadcasting an electromagnetic control field to a region is provided. The transmitter includes a housing having a longitudinal axis. The housing includes a photovoltaic cell configured to generate electrical power in response to light and a rechargeable power source configured to store at least a portion of the power generated by the photovoltaic cell. The housing also includes an electromagnetic transmitter and a directional antenna. The directional antenna can be configured to broadcast an electromagnetic (e.g., radio-frequency) control field to a region. The directional antenna can be rotatably mounted in the housing such that the antenna can be rotated around the longitudinal axis. The housing can further include a transparent or translucent optical element configured to receive the light and converge at least a portion of the light onto the photovoltaic cell.
A wheel for a non-motorized vehicle (e.g., a shopping cart) can include a housing assembly and a tread assembly. The housing assembly can be configured to sealingly house electronics or other components. The tread assembly can removably mate with the housing assembly such that the electronics or other components remain closed and/or sealed within the housing assembly when the tread assembly is mated or unmated with the housing assembly.
A navigation system uses a dead reckoning method to estimate an object's present position relative to one or more prior positions. In some embodiments, the dead reckoning method determines a change in position from the object's heading and speed during an elapsed time interval. In embodiments suitable for use with wheeled objects, the dead reckoning method determines the change in position by measuring the heading and the amount of wheel rotation. Some or all of the components of the navigation system may be disposed within a wheel, such as a wheel of a shopping cart.
A system for controlling movement of a personal mobility vehicle near a restricted region is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes a detector that is configured to be disposed on the personal mobility vehicle and that is configured to receive an electromagnetic signal transmitted to the restricted region. The system also includes a control unit configured to communicate with the detector. The control unit is further configured to determine proximity of the detector to the restricted region using information related to the signal received by the detector. The control unit is also configured to provide a command to inhibit movement of the personal mobility vehicle in response to the determined proximity of the vehicle to the restricted region.
An embodiment of a light powered transmitter configured for broadcasting an electromagnetic control field to a region is provided. The transmitter includes a housing having a longitudinal axis. The housing includes a photovoltaic cell configured to generate electrical power in response to light and a rechargeable power source configured to store at least a portion of the power generated by the photovoltaic cell. The housing also includes an electromagnetic transmitter and a directional antenna. The directional antenna can be configured to broadcast an electromagnetic (e.g., radio-frequency) control field to a region. The directional antenna can be rotatably mounted in the housing such that the antenna can be rotated around the longitudinal axis. The housing can further include a transparent or translucent optical element configured to receive the light and converge at least a portion of the light onto the photovoltaic cell.
Brake mechanisms for a wheel of non-motorized wheeled vehicle such as, e.g., a shopping cart, are described. In various embodiments, the brake mechanism can provide a variable amount of braking force or torque between zero and an amount sufficient to lock the wheel. In some embodiments, the brake mechanism includes a brake plate that is movable toward and away from a surface of the wheel hub along a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the wheel. The brake plate is configured not to rotate when the wheel and hub are rotating. Frictional engagement between the brake plate and the surface of the wheel hub provides the braking force. The brake plate and/or the surface of the wheel hub can include engagement features such as, e.g., protrusions and slots. In some embodiments, the brake mechanism fits entirely within the wheel.
A power management system is disclosed. Embodiments of the power management system may be configured for use with an electric generator that produces AC or DC voltage from an energy source, which may be intermittent or fluctuating. One embodiment of the power management system includes an energy storage reservoir configured to be electrically coupled to the electric generator. The energy storage reservoir includes at least one ultracapacitor and at least one rechargeable battery. The power management system also includes an electronic controller configured to control storage in the reservoir of energy generated by the electric generator and to control power usage from the reservoir and the generator. The electronic controller is configured to control energy storage and power usage in response to one or more control signals.
A system is disclosed for tracking and controlling shopping carts or other types of human-propelled vehicles. In one embodiment, the system includes a wheel or wheel assembly with a braking mechanism that is activated in response to signals received by multiple receivers. The receivers may, for example, include a VLF (Very Low Frequency) receiver for detecting a VLF signal transmitted by a buried cable, and an RF transceiver for communicating over a wireless network. The receivers may, but need not, be included in the wheel. The multiple receivers may be used in combination to control a shopping cart; for example, a command received by a shopping cart's RF transceiver may cause the cart to ignore (not activate the brake in response to) a detected VLF signal.
G01C 21/00 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups
G01C 21/20 - Instruments for performing navigational calculations
B60T 7/18 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle operated by wayside apparatus
B62B 5/04 - Braking mechanisms; Locking devices against movement
G01C 21/12 - Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups by using measurement of speed or acceleration executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning
G06Q 10/08 - Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
G08B 13/24 - Electrical actuation by interference with electromagnetic field distribution
G08G 1/00 - Traffic control systems for road vehicles
H02K 7/18 - Structural association of electric generators with mechanical driving motors, e.g.with turbines
B60T 7/16 - Brake-action initiating means for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle
H04W 4/02 - Services making use of location information
A47F 10/04 - Furniture or installations specially adapted to particular types of service systems, not otherwise provided for for self-service type systems, e.g. supermarkets for storing or handling self-service hand-carts or baskets
B60K 25/08 - Auxiliary drives from a ground wheel, e.g. engaging the wheel tread or rim
B62B 3/14 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys
61.
System for communicating with and monitoring movement of 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
G01C 22/00 - Measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, persons, animals or other moving solid bodies, e.g. using odometers or using pedometers
66.
Antenna-based zone creation for controlling movement of 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.
A power management system is disclosed. Embodiments of the power management system may be configured for use with an electric generator that produces AC or DC voltage from an energy source, which may be intermittent or fluctuating. One embodiment of the power management system includes an energy storage reservoir configured to be electrically coupled to the electric generator. The energy storage reservoir includes at least one ultracapacitor and at least one rechargeable battery. The power management system also includes an electronic controller configured to control storage in the reservoir of energy generated by the electric generator and to control power usage from the reservoir and the generator. The electronic controller is configured to control energy storage and power usage in response to one or more control signals.
A system for controlling movement of a personal mobility vehicle near a restricted region is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes a detector that is configured to be disposed on the personal mobility vehicle and that is configured to receive an electromagnetic signal transmitted to the restricted region. The system also includes a control unit configured to communicate with the detector. The control unit is further configured to determine proximity of the detector to the restricted region using information related to the signal received by the detector. The control unit is also configured to provide a command to inhibit movement of the personal mobility vehicle in response to the determined proximity of the vehicle to the restricted region.
A power generation system for wheeled objects comprises a generator mechanically coupled to one or more of the object's wheels to convert wheel rotational energy into electrical energy. The power generation system may comprise an electrical storage device configured to store the electrical power produced by the generator. Power from the generator and/or the electrical storage device can be used to provide power to other electrical systems in or on the object. In certain embodiments, the electrical storage device comprises a bank of high-capacity capacitors connected in series. Some embodiments use a control circuit, for example, to regulate the charging and discharging of the capacitor bank and to provide suitable voltages for other systems. The power generation system may be disposed within an object's wheel, such as a wheel of a shopping cart.
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.
A navigation system uses a dead reckoning method to estimate an object's present position relative to one or more prior positions. In some embodiments, the dead reckoning method determines a change in position from the object's heading and speed during an elapsed time interval. In embodiments suitable for use with wheeled objects, the dead reckoning method determines the change in position by measuring the heading and the amount of wheel rotation. Some or all of the components of the navigation system may be disposed within a wheel, such as a wheel of a shopping cart.
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