Shopping cart detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10592946-B2
Application number	US-201715497619-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2017
Priority date	Apr 29, 2016
Publication date	Mar 17, 2020
Grant date	Mar 17, 2020

Abstract

Apparatuses, systems, and methods are provided herein useful to determining cart movement in a shopping facility. In some embodiments, a system includes a collection device, wherein the collection device is configured to receive material from a cart that was collected throughout a shopping facility. The system can also include a measurement device, wherein the measurement device is configured to determine an amount of material that was received from the cart. The system can also include a control circuit communicatively coupled to the measurement device. The control circuit can be configured to receive, from the measurement device, an indication of the amount of material that was received from the cart.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for monitoring cart activity in a shopping facility, the system comprising:
a cart, wherein the cart is configured to accumulate a ferrous material while the cart traverses the shopping facility, and wherein the material is distributed about the shopping facility;
a terminal, wherein the terminal includes,
a point-of-sale (POS) device, wherein the POS device is configured to collect sales data for a transaction associated with the cart;
a collection device including a magnet, wherein the collection device is configured to receive the material from the cart that was collected throughout the shopping facility;
a measurement device including a scale, wherein the measurement device is configured to measure an amount of the material that was received from the cart; and

a control circuit communicatively coupled to the terminal, the control circuit configured to;
receive, from the terminal, an indication of the amount of the material that was received from the cart;
receive, from the terminal, the sales data for the transaction associated with the cart; and
correlate the sales data for the transaction associated with the cart and the amount of the material that was received from the cart.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sales data for the transaction associated with the cart includes an indication of items associated with the cart that were purchased, and wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
determine an approximate time that the cart was in the shopping facility based, at least in part, on the indication of the amount of material that was received from the cart; and
determine that the cart was in the shopping facility for a greater time than expected based, at least in part, on the indication of items associated with the cart that were purchased and the approximate time the cart was in the shopping facility.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
compare the indication of items associated with the cart that were purchased with indications of items associated with other carts;
determine, based on the comparison, one or more common items between the indication of items associated with the cart that were purchased and the indications of items associated with other carts.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
determine, based on the one or more common items, a task to perform; and
transmit an indication of the task to perform.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the material that was collected throughout the shopping facility was collected at one or more predetermined locations throughout the shopping facility, and wherein the amount of material that was received from the cart is negligible, the control circuit further configured to:
determine, based on the sales data for the transaction associated with the cart, an indication of items associated with the cart that were purchased;
determine, from the indication of items associated with the cart that were purchased, that one item is located at a first location and a second location, wherein the first location is one of the one or more predetermined locations throughout the shopping facility and the second location is a different location;
determine that the one item was retrieved from the second location based, at least in part, on the amount of material that was received from the cart being negligible; and
determine a task to perform based, at least in part, on the determination that the one item was retrieved from the second location.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the material that was collected throughout the shopping facility was collected at one or more predetermined locations throughout the shopping facility, the control circuit further configured to:
determine, based on the sales data for the transaction associated with the cart, an indication of items associated with the cart that were purchased;
determine that items associated with the one or more predetermined locations are not included in the indication of items associated with the cart that were purchased; and
determine a task to perform based, at least in part, on the determination that the items associated with the one or more predetermined locations are not included in the indication of items associated with the cart that were purchased.

7. A method for monitoring cart activity in a shopping facility, the method comprising:
accumulating, by a cart while the cart traverses the shopping facility, a ferrous material, wherein the material is distributed about the shopping facility;
collecting, by a point-of-sale device of a terminal, sales data for a transaction associated with the cart;
receiving, at a collection device of the terminal, the material that was collected throughout the shopping facility by the cart;
measuring, by a measurement device including a scale, an amount of the material received from the cart;
determining, by a control circuit based on the sales data for the transaction associated with the cart, an indication of items associated with the cart that were purchased; and
correlating, by the control circuit, the items associated with the cart that were purchased and the amount of the material that was received from the cart.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
determining, by the control circuit, an approximate time that the cart was in the shopping facility based, at least in part, on the amount of the material received from the cart; and
determining, by the control circuit, that the cart was in the shopping facility for a greater time than expected based, at least in part, on the indication of items associated with the cart that were purchased and the approximate time that the cart was in the shopping facility.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
comparing, by the control circuit, the indication of items associated with the cart that were purchased with indications of items associated with other carts; and
determining, by the control circuit, one or more common items between the indication of items associated with the cart that were purchased and the indications of items associated with other carts.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
determining, by the control circuit based on the one or more common items, a task to perform; and
transmitting, by the control circuit via a communications network, an indication of the task to perform.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the collection device includes a magnet.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the material that was collected throughout the shopping facility was collected at one or more predetermined locations throughout the shopping facility, and wherein the amount of material that was received from the cart is negligible, the method further comprising:
determining, by the control circuit based on the indication of items associated with the cart that were purchased, that one item is located in a first location and a second location, wherein first location is one of the one or more predetermined locations throughout the shopping facility and the second location is a different location;
determining, by the control circuit, that the one item was retrieved from the second location based, at least in part, on the amount of material that was received from the cart was negligible; and
determining, by the control circuit, a task to perform based, at least in part, on the determining that the one item was retrieved from the second location.

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein the material that was collected throughout the shopping facility was collected at one or mo

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Jones Nicholaus A
• Taylor Robert J
• Vasgaard Aaron J
• Jones Matthew A

Classifications

• G06Q30/0601 Primary

  Electronic shopping [e-shopping] · CPC title

• G06Q30/0242

  Determining effectiveness of advertisements · CPC title

• G06Q30/0201

  Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data · CPC title

• G06Q30/06

  Buying, selling or leasing transactions · CPC title