CPC B62B 5/0438 (2013.01) [A47F 10/04 (2013.01); B60K 25/08 (2013.01); B60T 7/16 (2013.01); B60T 7/18 (2013.01); B62B 3/14 (2013.01); B62B 3/1404 (2013.01); B62B 3/1412 (2013.01); B62B 3/1424 (2013.01); B62B 3/1492 (2013.01); B62B 5/0003 (2013.01); B62B 5/0423 (2013.01); B62B 5/048 (2013.01); G01C 21/12 (2013.01); G01C 21/206 (2013.01); G06K 7/10366 (2013.01); G06Q 10/08 (2013.01); G08B 13/2434 (2013.01); G08B 13/2448 (2013.01); G08B 13/2462 (2013.01); G08B 13/2482 (2013.01); G08G 1/20 (2013.01); H02K 7/1846 (2013.01); H04W 4/024 (2018.02); H04W 4/029 (2018.02); G08B 13/246 (2013.01); G08B 13/2474 (2013.01); G08B 13/2477 (2013.01); Y10T 29/49826 (2015.01)] | 9 Claims |
1. A system for monitoring shopping cart usage in a store, comprising:
a VLF (Very Low Frequency) signal line from which an encoded VLF signal is transmitted, said VLF signal line provided at an exit of the store;
at least one fixed-location wireless signal transceiver mounted in the store; and
a shopping cart wheel assembly attached to a shopping cart, the shopping cart wheel assembly comprising a VLF receiver capable of receiving said VLF signal, a wireless signal transceiver capable of communicating bidirectionally with the at least one fixed-location wireless signal transceiver, and a controller;
wherein the controller of the shopping cart wheel assembly is programmed to detect, based on receipt of the VLF signal by the VLF receiver, a store exit event in which the shopping cart is exiting the store, and is further programmed to determine, based at least in part on a transmission received by the wireless signal transceiver from the at least one fixed-location wireless signal transceiver, whether the store exit event is authorized.
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