Mesh network applied to fixed establishment with movable items therein

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016019515-A1
Application number	US-201414332836-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 16, 2014
Priority date	Jul 16, 2014
Publication date	Jan 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Mesh node modules are associated with movable and fixed items in a building such as a grocery store or factory floor to maintain a database of the locations of those items as they are processed through the establishment. The items form a mesh network and relay location information through access points, when in range, to control/monitoring computers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . System comprising:
a mesh network dynamically established among first computerized node modules operatively engaged with respective movable items in a building, at least some of the first computerized node modules communicating at least respective location information among each other; and at least one monitoring computer receiving location information from at least the first computerized node modules via at least one access point (AP) communicating with at least one of the first computerized node modules.

2 . The system of claim 1 , comprising second computerized node modules operatively engaged with immovable items in the building and at least one first computerized node module communicating with at least one second computerized node module.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first computerized node modules (FCNM) are located in a store, and the respective movable items communicate with a node module operatively engaged with a shopping cart in which the FCNM are located.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the node module operatively engaged with a shopping cart in which the FCNM are located communicates item data from the movable items in the shopping cart to a checkout station node module.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the item data includes item type.

6 . The system of claim 4 , wherein a computer adds prices for the movable items in the shopping cart and presents a sum representative thereof on a display.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the display presents a “yes” selector selectable to agree to pay the sum and a “no” selector selectable to decline to pay the sum.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the display is a display of a consumer electronics (CE) device of a shopper.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the CE device downloads an application from a store computer and provides its network address to the store computer and updates the store computer with its location information, the store computer correlating CE device location with a shopping cart based on the CE device location being closest to a particular shopping cart than it is to other shopping carts.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first computerized node modules (FCNM) are located in a factory.

11 . Device, comprising:
at least one display; at least one computer readable storage medium bearing instructions executable by a processor; and at least one processor configured for accessing the computer readable storage medium to execute the instructions to configure the processor to: present on the display a user interface (UI) populated with information from a store computer including total price of items in a shopping container automatically uploaded to the store computer from mesh network nodes associated with the items, the UI including a prompt selectable to agree to pay the total price.

12 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the UI also includes a “no” prompt selectable to refuse to pay the total amount.

13 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the instructions when executed by the processor configure the processor to:
present on the display a message UI including a first message indicating that a shopping list from the device has been received by the store computer, and at least a second message indicating a location within a store of an item on the list.

14 . The device of claim 13 , wherein the message UI includes a third message indicating that an item is out of stock.

15 . The device of claim 13 , wherein the message UI includes a third message indicating that an item on the shopping list is on sale.

16 . Non-transitory computer readable storage medium (NTCRSM) bearing instructions executable by a processor to configure the processor to:
present on a display a user interface (UI) populated with information from a store computer including total price of items in a shopping container automatically uploaded to the store computer from mesh network nodes associated with the items, the UI including a prompt selectable to agree to pay the total price.

17 . The NTCRSM of claim 16 , wherein the UI also includes a “no” prompt selectable to refuse to pay the total amount.

18 . The NTCRSM of claim 16 , wherein the instructions when executed by the processor configure the processor to:
present on the display a message UI including a first message indicating that a shopping list from the device has been received by the store computer, and at least a second message indicating a location within a store of an item on the list.

19 . The NTCRSM of claim 18 , wherein the message UI includes a third message indicating that an item is out of stock.

20 . The NTCRSM of claim 18 , wherein the message UI includes a third message indicating that an item on the shopping list is on sale.

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Milne James R
• Carlsson Gregory Peter
• Zustak Frederick J

Classifications

• G06Q30/0639

  Locating goods or services, e.g. based on physical position of the goods or services within a shopping facility · CPC title

• G06Q30/0601

  Electronic shopping [e-shopping] · CPC title

• H04W84/18

  Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks · CPC title

• G06Q30/0641

  utilising user interfaces specially adapted for shopping · CPC title

• G06Q30/0635 Primary

  replenishment orders; recurring orders · CPC title