| CPC G07C 9/00309 (2013.01) [G07C 9/25 (2020.01); H04W 4/029 (2018.02); G07C 2009/00642 (2013.01)] | 19 Claims |
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1. An electronic trolley lock system comprising:
a communication network connected system controller; and
a plurality of electronic trolley lock devices, each one of the plurality of electronic trolley lock devices configured for installation on a trolley,
each electronic trolley lock device comprising:
an electronically activated lock associated with the trolley, so when locked inhibits use of the trolley and when unlocked allows use of the trolley;
a tracking module configured to monitor movement and location of the trolley, to determine a location of the trolley lock device;
a wireless communication module; and
a device controller, comprising a processor and memory, the device controller being configured to:
transmit trolley data to the system controller via the communication module; and
in response to receiving an unlock request via the wireless communication module, unlock the electronically activated lock, and
the system controller comprising:
memory storing:
for each of the plurality of electronic trolley lock devices associated with trolleys, one or more data elements; and
registered user information; and
processing resources programmed with instructions executable to implement a communication control module configured to control communication with at least one of:
each of the electronic trolley lock devices via the communication network; and
user devices associated with registered users via the communication network; and
an authentication module configured to:
associate a registered user with an electronic trolley lock device of a trolley currently in use by the registered user based on trolley data received via the communication module, and store the association in memory, and
wherein trolley data transmitted by electronic trolley lock device indicates a location of the electronic trolley lock device, and the system controller is configured to determine when the location is outside an authorized use area, and determine when the location is within an authorized trolley holding area, the authorized trolley holding area being a designated area within the authorized use area.
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