Shopping cart monitoring system
US5495102A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 14, 1993 |
| Grant date | Feb 27, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 14, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG08B13/1481
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A system for monitoring contents of a tray located beneath a basket of a shopping cart as the latter is passed through an aisle adjacent a checkout station having a point of sale terminal capable of receiving a signal through a communications interface which signal prevents completion of a transaction unless overridden by operator input of one of a product and an override code. The system includes apparatus adjacent the aisle for detecting and signalling presence of the cart in the aisle, apparatus adjacent the aisle for scanning a space above the tray of the cart to detect and signal the presence of objects thereon, and apparatus responsive to signals from both said cart detection apparatus and the object detection apparatus to output said signal to the communications interface of the terminal, thereby forcing the operator to enter one of a product and an override code.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.