Weight measurement adjustment and inhibition based on sensor measurements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11827263-B2
Application number	US-202217821876-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2022
Priority date	Aug 19, 2019
Publication date	Nov 28, 2023
Grant date	Nov 28, 2023

Abstract

Disclosed herein relates to a system, comprising: at least one load receiver mounted on a shopping cart or basket and configured to receive an item placed into the shopping cart or basket for a weighing operation; a plurality of sensors configured to detect a plurality of parameters relating to the weighing operation of the item including at least one of: a relative angle between a force sensing axis of the at least one load receiver and a direction of gravity, a motion of the shopping cart or basket, and an ambient temperature surrounding the shopping cart or basket and the at least one load receiver; and a processor configured to determine an actual weight of the item based on at least a portion of the plurality of parameters.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A shopping cart comprising:
a storage space that comprises one or more upright side surfaces and a base surface;
a force sensor coupled to the base surface, wherein the force sensor is configured to measure a weight of one or more items within the storage space;
an orientation sensor coupled to the base surface, wherein the orientation sensor is configured to measure a tilt angle of the shopping cart relative to a direction of gravity;
a processor; and
a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
perform a weighing function, wherein performing the weighing function comprises:
receiving a first signal from the force sensor; and
outputting, based on the first signal, a second signal indicative of a weight of one or more items within the storage space;

receive a tilt angle from the orientation sensor;
compare the tilt angle to a threshold, wherein the comparison indicates whether the tilt angle exceeds the threshold; and
responsive to the tilt angle exceeding the threshold, disable the weighing function of the shopping cart.

2. The shopping cart of claim 1 , wherein the instructions for disabling the weighing function of the shopping cart comprise instructions that cause the processor to:
display a reading on a digital weight indicator of the shopping cart that indicates that a weight measurement of the items in the storage space was not taken.

3. The shopping cart of claim 1 , wherein the instructions for disabling the weighing function of the shopping cart comprise instructions that cause the processor to:
transmit a third signal to the force sensor to inhibit the force sensor from capturing a weight measurement.

4. The shopping cart of claim 1 , wherein the shopping cart further comprises a self-checkout system.

5. The shopping cart of claim 1 , wherein the force sensor and the orientation sensor are coupled to a load receiving element, wherein the load receiving element is coupled to the storage space of the shopping cart.

6. The shopping cart of claim 5 , wherein a top surface of the load receiving element is coupled to the base surface.

7. The shopping cart of claim 1 , wherein the orientation sensor comprises a force-sensing axis that is perpendicular to the direction of gravity when the shopping cart is not tilted.

8. The shopping cart of claim 7 , wherein the instructions for receiving the tilt angle from the orientation sensor comprise instructions that cause the processor to:
receive a force measurement from the orientation sensor along the force-sensing axis;
identify that the force measurement from the orientation sensor is equal to zero; and
responsive to the force measurement being zero, determine that the tilt angle of the shopping cart is zero degrees.

9. The shopping cart of claim 7 , wherein the instructions for receiving the tilt angle from the orientation sensor comprise instructions that cause the processor to:
receive a force measurement from the orientation sensor along the force-sensing axis;
identify that the force measurement from the orientation sensor is equal to 1G; and
responsive to the force measurement being 1G, determine that the tilt angle of the shopping cart is ninety degrees.

10. A shopping cart comprising:
a storage space that comprises one or more upright side surfaces and a base surface;
a force sensor coupled to the base surface, wherein the force sensor is configured to measure a mass of one or more items within the storage space;
a motion sensor coupled to the base surface, wherein the motion sensor is configured to measure a motion of the shopping cart;
a processor; and
a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
perform a weighing function, wherein performing the weighing function comprises:
receiving a first signal from the force sensor; and
outputting, based on the first signal, a second signal indicative of a weight of one or more items within the storage space;

receive a motion measurement from the motion sensor;
compare the motion measurement to a threshold; and
responsive to the motion measurement exceeding the threshold, disable the weighing function of the shopping cart.

11. The shopping cart of claim 10 , wherein the instructions for disabling the weighing function of the shopping cart comprise instructions that cause the processor to:
display a reading on a digital weight indicator of the shopping cart that indicates that a weight measurement of items in the storage space was not taken.

12. The shopping cart of claim 10 , wherein the instructions for disabling the weighing function of the shopping cart comprise instructions that cause the processor to:
inhibit a weight measurement from being taken by the force sensor.

13. The shopping cart of claim 10 , wherein the shopping cart further comprises a self-checkout system.

14. The shopping cart of claim 10 , wherein the force sensor and the motion sensor are coupled to a load receiving element, wherein the load receiving element is coupled to the storage space of the shopping cart.

15. The shopping cart of claim 14 , wherein a top surface of the load receiving element is coupled to the base surface.

16. The shopping cart of claim 10 , wherein the motion sensor comprises an accelerometer or a gyroscope.

17. The shopping cart of claim 10 , wherein the instructions for receiving the motion measurement comprise instructions that cause the processor to:
determining the motion measurement by filtering a signal from the motion sensor to generate a filtered vibration value, wherein the filtered vibration value represents a measure of vibration of the shopping cart.

18. The shopping cart of claim 10 , wherein the threshold comprises a threshold period of time over which the shopping cart is moving.

19. The shopping cart of claim 10 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:
receive a plurality of motion measurements;
determine a standard deviation of the plurality of motion measurements; and
compare the standard deviation of the plurality of motion measurements to a second threshold.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
perform a weighing function, wherein performing the weighing function comprises:
receiving a first signal from a force sensor coupled to a shopping cart; and
outputting, based on the first signal, a second signal indicative of a weight of one or more items within a storage space of the shopping cart;

receive a tilt angle from an orientation sensor coupled to the shopping cart;
compare the tilt angle to a threshold; and
responsive to the tilt angle exceeding the threshold, disable the weighing function of the shopping cart.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 , wherein the instructions for disabling the weighing function of the shopping cart comprise instructions that cause the processor to:
display a reading on a digital weight indicator of the shopping cart that indicates that a weight measurement of the items in the storage space was not taken.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 , wherein the instructions for disabling the weighing function of the shopping cart comprise instructions that cause the processor to:
transmit a third signal to the force sensor to inhibit the force sensor f

Assignees

• Maplebear Inc

Inventors

• Gao Lin
• Sanzari Michael Joseph
• Huang Yilin
• Yang Shiyuan
• Beshry Ahmed

Classifications

• B62B5/00 Primary

  Accessories or details specially adapted for hand carts ({B62B3/1404} , B62B9/00 take precedence; wheels, axles, or axle bearings for vehicles B60B; castors for vehicles, castors in general B60B33/00) · CPC title

• B62B3/1468

  Additional trays · CPC title

• G01G19/12

  having electrical weight-sensitive devices · CPC title

• G01G21/00

  Details of weighing apparatus · CPC title

• B62B2203/50

  comprising weighing means · CPC title