Shopping cart retrieval method

Abstract

The application discloses a shopping cart finding method, which comprises the following steps: setting a locator on the shopping cart, positioning the position of the shopping cart by the locator, and reporting the position of the shopping cart to a server or an application end through a gateway or a base station; a user obtains the position of the shopping cart from the server or the application end, and finds the shopping cart. The locator is configured with a motion trigger task and a motion detection task, the motion trigger task sets a motion flag to 1 and turns off a trigger, and the motion detection task sets the motion flag to 0 and turns on the trigger. After receiving the position information, the server or the application end sends feedback information to the locator, and the locator receives the feedback information after reporting the position, if the feedback information is not received, the locator enters a missing rescue working mode: a short-period repeated position reporting task. When the shopping cart is pushed to a place without fixed gateway or base station coverage and needs to be found back, the user carries a mobile gateway or a base station which keeps online with the server or the application end to search for the shopping cart.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of shopping cart positioning and retrieval technology, and relates to the technology of determining the location of a shopping cart that has been pushed out of the supermarket, specifically the positioning and retrieval of a wheeled, pushable shopping cart. Background Technology

[0002] Shopping carts used in supermarkets and similar establishments are often left haphazardly by customers after use, either in non-designated collection points or even pushed outside the supermarket grounds, to places far away, such as the roadside. This leads to cart theft and other problems. All of these issues result in direct losses for supermarket operators, or force them to incur significant costs to recover carts that have been pushed outside the supermarket or stolen.

[0003] To facilitate the retrieval of shopping carts that have been pushed out of the supermarket, an effective method is to install a locator on the shopping cart. The locator is equipped with a positioning module that can generate the shopping cart's location and a communication module that transmits the shopping cart's location. In addition, a user backend is established to communicate with the locator to obtain the shopping cart's location, forming a shopping cart retrieval system. When the shopping cart leaves the supermarket area, the locator reports the shopping cart's location to the user backend through the communication module. The user can then view the location reported by the locator through the user backend and retrieve the shopping cart at the corresponding location.

[0004] Based on this shopping cart retrieval method, the locator battery life cannot be too short. If the locator battery life is only a few days or a few months, then for a supermarket with hundreds of shopping carts, charging or replacing the batteries will bring a huge maintenance cost to the user. When the maintenance cost of all shopping carts exceeds the loss of a few shopping carts, this high-cost shopping cart retrieval solution becomes impractical. Therefore, the locator battery life generally needs to be several years. To reduce the energy consumption of the locator, on the one hand, existing shopping cart locators generally use low-power networks such as LoRa and Sigfox to communicate with the user's backend. This relates to the first problem that this invention aims to solve: the deployment of LoRa gateways or Sigfox base stations is far less extensive than the cellular network base stations used in our mobile phones. If the shopping cart is pushed to an area without LoRa gateway coverage, the shopping cart's location cannot be successfully reported to the user's backend, and the shopping cart cannot be retrieved.

[0005] On the other hand, existing shopping cart locators are configured to wake up only a few times a day (e.g., twice) to locate and report the shopping cart's position (timed or periodic operation mode), while remaining dormant the rest of the time. However, if the shopping cart is moved during dormancy, the location displayed in the user's backend before the next wake-up is only the cart's historical location, not its current actual location, leading to shopping cart retrieval failure. To address this issue, existing shopping cart locators employ a motion detection mode. This mode equips the locator with sensors capable of detecting cart movement (e.g., gyroscopes, vibration sensors). When the locator detects cart movement, it activates the positioning module and reports the location. While this solves the retrieval failure problem associated with the timed or periodic operation mode, it introduces a new problem: when the shopping cart is pushed, including during normal use within a supermarket, the locator will continuously or frequently wake up due to motion detection, consuming a significant amount of power. This is the second problem that this invention aims to solve.

[0006] Furthermore, the tracking devices installed on the shopping cart frame are easily removed by thieves. Integrating the tracking device inside the wheel to create a tracking wheel can effectively prevent its removal when the shopping cart is stolen. However, due to the limited space inside the shopping cart wheel, larger capacity batteries cannot be installed. Therefore, reducing the energy consumption of the tracking device and extending the lifespan of the tracking wheel with limited battery capacity is a major challenge for tracking wheel designs. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The first objective of this invention is to provide a motion detection mode that can effectively reduce energy consumption, based on existing shopping cart positioning technology and addressing the problem of high energy consumption in the existing motion detection modes of shopping cart locators.

[0008] An energy-saving shopping cart locator motion detection mode is disclosed. The locator is equipped with a motion sensor for detecting shopping cart movement. The locator is configured with a motion triggering task triggered by the motion sensor signal and a motion detection task that starts at a set period. It also includes a motion flag. When the motion triggering task is activated, the motion flag is set to a value indicating movement (e.g., set to 1), and the sensor signal triggering of the motion triggering task is turned off. The motion detection task determines whether the shopping cart has moved based on the motion flag, and then the locator initiates shopping cart positioning and location reporting based on the movement status. When the motion detection task is activated, it first checks the motion flag. If the motion flag indicates movement, it is set to a value indicating stillness (e.g., set to 0), and the sensor signal triggering of the motion triggering task is turned on again.

[0009] Based on the motion detection mode described above, after the locator is awakened by a sensor signal, the triggering function of the sensor signal is turned off through a motion triggering task. This prevents the locator from being awakened by a sensor signal again before the next periodic wake-up to start the motion detection task, thus effectively solving the problem of the locator consuming a lot of power due to continuous or frequent wake-ups caused by motion detection. For example, if the interval between locator wake-ups is set to 120 seconds, and each wake-up operation lasts approximately 150ms, then during the continuous pushing of the shopping cart, the locator's working time percentage is = (0.15s of periodic wake-up time + 0.15s of sensor signal trigger wake-up time) / (120s of periodic interval time) = 0.125%. That is, the locator is in a dormant state for 99.875% of the time. Obviously, compared with the working mode where the locator is continuously or frequently woken up during the use of the shopping cart, this can save the vast majority of energy consumption.

[0010] Applying the above motion detection mode to shopping cart retrieval yields a shopping cart retrieval method. A locator is installed on the shopping cart to pinpoint its location and report it over the network. The user retrieves the shopping cart's location via the network and then retrieves it. The locator is equipped with motion sensors to detect cart movement. It features a motion triggering task triggered by the motion sensor signals and a motion detection task that starts at a set period. It also has a motion flag. When the motion triggering task is activated, the motion flag is set to a value indicating movement (e.g., set to 1), and the sensor signal triggering the motion triggering task is disabled. The motion detection task determines whether the shopping cart has moved based on the motion flag, and then the locator initiates cart positioning and location reporting accordingly. When the motion detection task is activated, it first checks the motion flag. If the motion flag indicates movement, it is set to a value indicating stillness (e.g., set to 0), and the sensor signal triggering the motion triggering task is enabled again.

[0011] In the above motion detection mode and shopping cart retrieval method, to achieve the triggering of turning the sensor signal on and off, you can choose to set a physical switch in the sensor circuit that is controlled by the locator's controller to determine whether the sensor signal can be transmitted to the controller. Alternatively, you can connect the sensor's signal output terminal to an external interrupt pin on the controller chip, or set a piece of software code that allows the locator's controller to respond to or ignore the sensor signal.

[0012] Optionally, a switch can be set in the sensor circuit, and the positioner controls the opening and closing of the switch to trigger the sensor signal to turn off and on.

[0013] Alternatively, the positioner can trigger the sensor signal to be turned off and on by disabling and enabling interrupts via a controller.

[0014] Specifically, the sensor is connected to an interrupt pin of the positioner's controller. The controller configures an external interrupt using the sensor signal as the interrupt source and configures the interrupt service routine of the external interrupt to: set the motion flag to a value indicating motion (e.g., set it to 1) and disable the interrupt.

[0015] The second objective of this invention addresses the problem of shopping carts being lost after being pushed to areas without network coverage. It provides a method for retrieving shopping carts pushed to locations without fixed gateway or base station coverage. The shopping cart reports its location to a server or application via a wireless gateway or base station. Upon receiving the reported location, the server or application sends a feedback message to the shopping cart. The system also receives the feedback message after the shopping cart reports its location. If no feedback message is received, the shopping cart enters a distress mode until a feedback message is received. In this distress mode, the shopping cart repeatedly reports its location in short intervals (the interval is based on the time required for a search vehicle carrying a mobile gateway or base station to travel the distance covered by the signal at normal speed on typical urban roads, and is reasonably set so that at least one report is received when the search vehicle passes near the shopping cart). The user searches for the shopping cart using a mobile gateway or base station. When the signal range of the mobile gateway or base station covers the shopping cart's location, the user obtains the shopping cart's location through the mobile gateway or base station and retrieves the shopping cart.

[0016] Furthermore, the shopping cart reports its location via the LoRa network. The retrieval method is as follows: the shopping cart reports its location to the LoRa network server via a LoRa gateway. The LoRa network server is configured to send a feedback message to the shopping cart after receiving the reported location. The shopping cart is also configured to receive the feedback message from the network server after reporting its location. If no feedback message is received, the shopping cart enters a missing person / sOS mode until a feedback message is received. In this SOS mode, the shopping cart repeatedly reports its location in short intervals (the interval is based on the time required for a search vehicle carrying a mobile LoRa gateway to travel the distance covered by the mobile LoRa gateway signal at normal speed on typical urban roads, and is reasonably set so that at least one report is received when the search vehicle passes near the shopping cart). The user searches for the shopping cart using a mobile LoRa gateway. When the mobile LoRa gateway signal covers the shopping cart's location, the user obtains the shopping cart's location through the mobile LoRa gateway and retrieves the shopping cart.

[0017] In the above solution, a missing vehicle distress mode is set up in conjunction with a mobile LoRa gateway to retrieve shopping carts that have been pushed into areas without fixed LoRa gateway coverage. When a shopping cart is pushed into an area without fixed LoRa gateway coverage, the locator enters a state of short-cycle repeated location reporting, for example, once per minute. When a user (driving a search vehicle) carrying a mobile LoRa gateway passes near the shopping cart, as long as the mobile LoRa gateway signal covers the location of the shopping cart for more than one reporting cycle, the location data reported by the shopping cart can be successfully received. If the mobile LoRa gateway maintains an connection with the LoRa network server during this process and uploads the received shopping cart location at any time, the user can view the location of the shopping cart immediately from the mobile user terminal carried in the vehicle and successfully retrieve the shopping cart.

[0018] It is conceivable that the mobile LoRa gateway could also choose not to connect to the network server, but instead be equipped with a mobile car-finding device that connects to the mobile LoRa network and can display the location in real time. The mobile LoRa gateway sends the shopping cart location to the mobile car-finding device and displays it to the user.

[0019] Ideally, the mobile LoRa gateway should be connected to a LoRa terminal server. The LoRa terminal server pushes the shopping cart location to the application server, and the user retrieves the shopping cart location from the application server through the client. This allows the shopping cart to be retrieved in this specific situation (where the shopping cart is pushed to an area without fixed LoRa gateway coverage) using the same LoRa network server, application server, and client as in the general situation (where the shopping cart is pushed to an area with fixed LoRa gateway coverage).

[0020] Applying the aforementioned method for retrieving shopping carts that have been pushed to locations without fixed gateway or base station coverage to practical shopping cart retrieval yields a new method. This method involves setting a locator on the shopping cart to pinpoint its location and reporting the cart's location to the server or application via a gateway or base station. The user then retrieves the shopping cart's location from the server or application and recovers the cart.

[0021] After receiving the location reported by the locator, the server or application is configured to send feedback information to the locator. The locator is also configured to receive feedback information after reporting its location. If the locator does not receive feedback information, it enters a missing person / sOS mode until it receives feedback information. In the SOS mode, the locator repeats the location reporting task in short cycles. When it is necessary to retrieve a shopping cart that has been pushed to a place without fixed gateway or base station coverage, the user carries a mobile gateway or base station that is connected to the server or application to search for the shopping cart. After receiving the location reported by the locator, the mobile gateway or base station sends the location to the server or application. The user then obtains the location of the shopping cart from the server or application and retrieves the shopping cart.

[0022] When the LoRa network is selected, the above retrieval method is as follows: a locator is set on the shopping cart, the locator locates the shopping cart's position, and reports the shopping cart's position to the LoRa network server through the LoRa gateway. The LoRa network server pushes the position to the application server, and the user obtains the shopping cart's position from the application server and retrieves the shopping cart.

[0023] After receiving location information, the LoRa network server sends feedback information to the locator. The locator receives feedback information after reporting its location. If the locator does not receive feedback information, it enters a missing person / sOS mode until it receives feedback information. In the SOS mode, the locator repeatedly reports its location in short intervals. When it is necessary to retrieve a shopping cart that has been pushed to a location without coverage by a fixed LoRa gateway, the user carries a mobile LoRa gateway that remains connected to the LoRa network server to search for the shopping cart. After receiving the location reported by the locator, the mobile LoRa gateway uploads the location to the LoRa network server. The LoRa network server then pushes the location to the application server. The user retrieves the shopping cart location from the application server and retrieves the shopping cart.

[0024] To address the above solution, one option is to locate the shopping cart every time a location reporting task is performed, but this would obviously consume more energy.

[0025] To address this issue, one approach is to locate the shopping cart only when necessary, save the location information, and report the latest saved location each time a location reporting task is performed. This eliminates the need to locate the shopping cart every time a location report is made. Alternatively, the locator can be equipped with a motion sensor. The locator initiates location tracking of the shopping cart based on its movement and saves the location information. In a missing / rescue mode, the locator reports the latest saved location. This configuration allows the locator to avoid repeatedly activating the relatively energy-intensive positioning module when stationary, even during missing / rescue mode.

[0026] Furthermore, the LoRa network server may optionally send feedback information in at least two ways: First, according to the standard LoRaWAN protocol, when the locator reports its location, it sends uplink data with confirmation (Confirmed DataUp) requesting ACK confirmation. After receiving the uplink data sent by the locator, the LoRa network server replies with ACK confirmation to the locator according to the LoRaWAN protocol. The locator considers receiving the ACK confirmation as receiving feedback information. Second, the locator simply reports its location without requesting ACK confirmation. The LoRa network server is configured to send ACK confirmation or other custom feedback information to the locator after receiving the location report. After receiving the data sent by the LoRa network server, the locator determines that it has received feedback information.

[0027] Specifically, the controller is configured with a response flag, where 1 indicates that feedback information has been received from the network server, and 0 indicates that no feedback information has been received from the network server.

[0028] The missing persons distress call mode is activated at a set cycle and executes the following steps: Check the response flag. If the flag is 1, end the missing person distress call mission. If it is 0, report the saved location once and receive feedback information. If received, reset the response flag to 1. If not received, reset the response flag to 0.

[0029] By combining the aforementioned energy-saving motion detection mode and the method for retrieving shopping carts pushed to locations without fixed gateway or base station coverage with the shopping cart retrieval practice, a shopping cart retrieval method can be obtained: A locator is set on the shopping cart to pinpoint its location. The locator then reports the shopping cart's location to the server or application via a gateway or base station. The user can then retrieve the shopping cart's location from the server or application and use it to access the cart.

[0030] The locator includes a positioning module for locating the shopping cart, a communication module for communicating with a gateway or base station, a controller for controlling the operation of each functional module of the locator, and a motion sensor for detecting the movement of the shopping cart, with the motion sensor connected to the controller.

[0031] The controller is configured with a motion triggering task triggered by motion sensor signals and a motion detection task that starts at a set period. It also has a motion flag. When the motion triggering task is activated, the motion flag is set to a value indicating movement (e.g., set to 1), and the sensor signal triggering for the motion triggering task is turned off. The motion detection task determines whether the shopping cart has moved based on the motion flag. Then, the locator starts positioning the shopping cart based on the movement (and whether it has left the area), and saves and reports the location. When the motion detection task is activated, it first checks the motion flag. If the motion flag is a value indicating movement, it is set to a value indicating stillness (e.g., set to 0), and the sensor signal triggering for the motion triggering task is turned on again.

[0032] After receiving location information, the server or application sends feedback information to the locator. The locator receives feedback information after reporting its location. If the locator does not receive feedback information, it enters a missing person distress mode until it receives feedback information. In the distress mode, the locator repeats the location reporting task in short cycles. When it is necessary to retrieve a shopping cart that has been pushed to a place without fixed gateway or base station coverage, the user carries a mobile gateway or base station that is connected to the server or application to search for the shopping cart.

[0033] Furthermore, before locating the shopping cart, the locator first determines whether the shopping cart has been pushed out of the normal use and parking area (hereinafter referred to as the supermarket area).

[0034] Optionally, the method for determining whether a shopping cart has been pushed out of the supermarket area is as follows: In-store communication devices are distributed throughout the supermarket area. The combined communication range of these devices can cover the entire normal use and parking area. The locator contains an in-store communication module that communicates with the in-store communication devices. The in-store communication devices maintain communication. When determining whether a shopping cart has been pushed out of the supermarket area, the locator's in-store communication module initiates communication with the in-store communication devices. If communication with the in-store communication device is successful, the shopping cart is considered present (still within the supermarket area). If communication with the in-store communication device is unsuccessful, the shopping cart is considered to have left the area (push out of the supermarket area). Communication between the locator's in-store communication module and the in-store communication devices can be as follows: the in-store communication device continuously broadcasts a signal, and the locator successfully receives this broadcast signal, indicating successful communication. Alternatively, the locator can send an acknowledgement request to the in-store communication device, and if the locator receives a response from the in-store communication device, successful communication is indicated.

[0035] Based on the above-mentioned shopping cart retrieval method, the present invention further provides a shopping cart retrieval system, including: a shopping cart equipped with a locator, an indoor communication device set within the supermarket area, an outdoor communication device and a mobile communication device for receiving the shopping cart location, a network server communicating with all outdoor communication devices and mobile communication devices, and a user terminal for viewing the shopping cart location.

[0036] The locator includes a positioning module for locating the shopping cart's position, an inner field communication module for communicating with an inner field communication device, an outer field communication module for communicating with an outer field communication device, a controller for controlling the operation of each module, and a motion sensor for detecting the movement of the shopping cart. The in-field communication device includes one or multiple devices distributed in a distributed manner. The communication range of the in-field communication devices, when superimposed, covers the normal use and parking area of ​​the shopping cart. The in-field communication device maintains communication status during operation. The field communication device is installed in the area where shopping reports are required, and the field communication device maintains communication status when it is working. The locator determines whether the shopping cart has left the premises based on whether it has successfully communicated with the in-store communication device.

[0037] The locator activates the positioning module to locate the shopping cart based on its movement and whether it has left the site, and saves the shopping cart's location. The locator then reports the shopping cart's location to the network server via an external communication device or a mobile communication device.

[0038] The web server sends the shopping cart location to the user's device.

[0039] After receiving the location information, the network server sends feedback information to the locator. The locator reports its location and then receives the feedback information. If the locator does not receive the feedback information, it enters the missing person distress mode until it receives the feedback information from the network server. In the distress mode, the locator repeats the location reporting task at short intervals.

[0040] The controller is configured with a motion triggering task triggered by a motion sensor signal, a motion detection task that starts at a set period, and a motion flag. After the motion triggering task is triggered, the motion flag is set to a value indicating motion, and the sensor signal triggering the motion triggering task is turned off. After the motion detection task is started, the motion flag is checked. If the motion flag is a value indicating motion, the motion flag is set to a value indicating stillness (e.g., set to 0), and the sensor signal triggering the motion triggering task is turned on. The locator determines the movement of the shopping cart based on the motion flag.

[0041] Furthermore, the positioning module is a satellite positioning module (GNSS). The indoor communication device is preferably a Bluetooth beacon, corresponding to the indoor communication module being a Bluetooth communication module.

[0042] Furthermore, the field communication device is preferably a LoRa gateway, correspondingly the indoor communication module is a LoRa communication module, the network server is a LoRa network server, and the mobile communication device is a mobile LoRa gateway connected to the network wirelessly. Correspondingly, the LoRa network server pushes the shopping cart location to the application server, and the user terminal obtains the shopping cart location from the application server.

[0043] Furthermore, the user interface generates a user-identifiable shopping cart location display (the user interface displays a map on the screen and shows an icon indicating the location of the shopping cart at the corresponding location on the map).

[0044] Furthermore, the controller is configured with a feedback status flag, where 1 indicates that feedback information has been received and 0 indicates that no feedback information has been received. If the locator does not receive feedback information after reporting its location, it sets the feedback status flag to 0 and enters a missing person / rescue mode. The missing person / rescue mode is as follows: the locator checks the feedback status flag at a set interval; if it is 1, the missing person / rescue mode ends; if it is 0, it reports its location and receives feedback information; if no feedback information is received, it waits for the next interval; if feedback information is received, it sets the feedback status flag to 1.

[0045] Optionally, the controller is set with a vehicle search time period. In the missing person distress call mode, before each time the locator executes the reporting task, it first determines whether it is within the vehicle search time period. Only if it is within the vehicle search time period will the reporting task be executed. If it is not within the vehicle search time period, it will wait for the next cycle.

[0046] Furthermore, the missing person distress call working mode is as follows: the locator starts the following tasks according to a set cycle: determine whether the current time is within the vehicle search period; if not, wait for the next cycle; if yes, check the feedback status flag; if it is 1, the missing person distress call working mode ends; if it is 0, report the location and receive feedback information; if no feedback information is received, wait for the next cycle; if feedback information is received, set the feedback status flag to 1, and the missing person distress call working mode ends.

[0047] Optionally, the motion flag is represented by 1 to indicate motion and 0 to indicate stationary.

[0048] As a first option, the steps for the locator to activate the positioning module and report the shopping cart location are as follows: After the motion detection task checks that the motion flag is 1, it starts the Bluetooth detection task: searching for Bluetooth beacon signals. If no Bluetooth signal is found within a set time, it starts the positioning module, then saves and reports the location, and receives feedback information.

[0049] Based on this choice, during the continuous movement of the shopping cart, the locator will start locating the shopping cart and reporting its location after each motion detection task is initiated.

[0050] As a second option, the controller is equipped with motion detection counting parameters, and the steps for the locator to activate the positioning module and report the shopping cart location are as follows: If the motion detection task checks the motion flag and finds it to be 0, the value of the motion detection count variable is cleared to zero. If it is 1, the value of the motion detection count variable is incremented by 1. Then, the value of the motion detection count variable is checked. When the value of the motion detection count variable reaches the set value of the motion detection count parameter, the value of the motion detection count variable is cleared to zero, and the Bluetooth detection task is started: searching for Bluetooth beacon signals. If no Bluetooth signal is found within the set time, the positioning module is started, and then the location is saved and reported, and feedback information is received.

[0051] Based on this selection, during the movement of the shopping cart, the locator will only initiate the positioning of the shopping cart and report its location when the shopping cart has been moving continuously for a set time.

[0052] As a third option, the controller is equipped with motion detection counting parameters, and the steps for the locator to activate the positioning module and report the shopping cart location are as follows: If the motion detection task checks the motion flag as 1, it increments the value of the motion detection count variable by 1, and then checks the value of the motion detection count variable. When the value of the motion detection count variable is equal to the set value of the motion detection count parameter, it starts the Bluetooth detection task. If the motion flag is 0, it checks the value of the motion detection count variable. If it is 0, the task ends; if it is not 0, the Bluetooth detection task starts.

[0053] The Bluetooth detection task involves searching for Bluetooth beacon signals. If no Bluetooth signal is found within a set time, the positioning module is activated, the location is saved and reported, and feedback information is received.

[0054] Based on this selection, the locator starts locating the shopping cart after a certain period of time when the cart is in motion, and after the motion ends, and reports the location.

[0055] In practical applications, the determination of whether the shopping cart has left the cart can also be set as a task that starts periodically, and an exit status flag can be configured, with 1 indicating exit and 0 indicating presence. After each execution of the task, the exit status flag is reset according to the determination result. When the controller executes other tasks related to whether the shopping cart has left the cart, the value of the exit status flag is used as the basis for determining whether the shopping cart has left the cart.

[0056] In addition, in-store communication devices can be used to locate shopping carts within the supermarket, allowing users to know the location and number of carts still within the supermarket. For example, when the in-store communication device communicates with the shopping cart locator, it sends its identification information to the locator. If the locator determines that the shopping cart is within the supermarket, it reports the in-store communication device's identification information as the shopping cart's location information to the network server or application server. This requires a communication device that can cover the entire supermarket area and is connected to the network server or application server to receive the location information reported by the locator (e.g., an external communication device covering the entire supermarket area), or the in-store communication device can be connected to the network server or application server, receiving the location reported by the locator and forwarding it to the network server or application server. Users can then determine the current location of their shopping carts based on the in-store communication device's identification information and its configured location.

[0057] Alternatively, the in-field communication device can be connected to a network server or application server. When the in-field communication device communicates with the shopping cart locator, the locator sends the shopping cart's identification information (such as ID) to the in-field communication device. The in-field communication device then sends the shopping cart's identification information along with its own identification information (such as the MAC address of a Bluetooth beacon) to the network server or application server. The user can then determine the current location of the shopping cart based on the identification information of the in-field communication device and the location settings of the in-field communication device. Attached Figure Description

[0058] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for retrieving shopping carts that have been pushed to locations without fixed LoRa gateway coverage. Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the workflow for a missing person rescue operation under a predefined vehicle search timeframe. Figure 3 This is a flowchart of the motion detection mode workflow; Figure 4 This is a workflow diagram for a motion detection task; Figure 5 It is Figure 3 The motion detection mode shown is applied to Figure 1 The flowchart shown illustrates the process of retrieving a shopping cart. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure and working principle of a shopping cart retrieval system. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the functional modules that enable the locator to function. Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating a workflow for reporting testing tasks. Detailed Implementation

[0059] Reference Figure 1The diagram shows a workflow for a shopping cart retrieval method that can retrieve shopping carts that have been pushed to locations without fixed LoRa gateway coverage.

[0060] The locator is configured to report its location periodically (e.g., every 6 hours) or at set times (e.g., daily at 8 AM and 2 PM). When the period or set time arrives, the locator's controller wakes up and initiates a Bluetooth detection task: searching for Bluetooth beacon signals (set to 10 seconds in this example). If a Bluetooth beacon is detected, it goes into sleep mode, waiting for the next reporting period or set time. If no Bluetooth beacon is detected, the positioning module is activated to locate the shopping cart. After obtaining the shopping cart's location, the location is saved and reported to the LoRa network server via the LoRa communication module. Then, it receives feedback information from the LoRa network server. If feedback information is received, it goes into sleep mode, waiting for the next reporting period or set time. If no feedback is received, the feedback status flag is set to 0, and the locator enters a lost / rescue mode.

[0061] In the missing distress mode, the controller wakes up at a relatively short interval (e.g., once every 1 minute). After each wake-up, it checks the feedback status flag. If it is 1, the missing distress mode ends. If it is 0, it reports the shopping cart location and then receives feedback information. If feedback information is received, the feedback status flag is set to 1, and the missing distress mode ends. If no feedback is received, it goes into sleep mode and waits for the next cycle (after 1 minute).

[0062] Reference Figure 2 When the controller is set to a vehicle search period, in the missing vehicle distress mode, the location can be repeatedly reported only at short intervals during the vehicle search period, and the location reporting task will not be performed outside the vehicle search period. This is to avoid unnecessary energy consumption.

[0063] Based on this setup, after the locator enters the missing and distress signal mode, the controller wakes up periodically (e.g., once every minute). Each time it wakes up, it checks whether it is in the vehicle search period. If not, it goes into sleep mode and waits for the next cycle (after 1 minute). If so, it checks the feedback status flag. If it is 1, the missing and distress signal mode ends. If it is 0, it reports the shopping cart location and then receives feedback information. If feedback information is received, the feedback status flag is set to 1, and the missing and distress signal mode ends. If no feedback is received, it goes into sleep mode and waits for the next cycle (after 1 minute).

[0064] Reference Figure 3 This diagram shows the workflow of the motion detection mode.

[0065] In the motion detection mode of this invention, the controller is configured with two tasks: a motion triggering task and a motion detection task. The motion triggering task is an interrupt task, triggered by a signal from the motion sensor. The motion detection task starts at a set period (e.g., once every 2 minutes). The motion triggering task does not directly initiate the positioning and location reporting functions. After being triggered, this task only modifies the motion flag to indicate to the controller that the shopping cart has moved, and then closes the interrupt. The motion triggering task will not be triggered again until the interrupt is reopened. After the interrupt is closed, the periodically started motion detection task is activated, enabling the motion sensor signal to trigger the motion triggering task.

[0066] A relatively simple optional setting for the motion detection task is as follows: Check the motion flag; if it is 0, the task ends; if it is 1, an interrupt is enabled, and then the Bluetooth detection task is started: search for Bluetooth beacon signals (e.g., set to 10 seconds). If a Bluetooth beacon is detected, the task ends and waits for the next cycle (after 2 minutes). If no Bluetooth beacon is detected, the positioning module is activated to locate the shopping cart. After obtaining the shopping cart's location, the location is reported to the LoRa network server via the LoRa communication module, the task ends, and waits for the next cycle (after 2 minutes).

[0067] Figure 4 For another setting of the motion detection task, based on this setting, location tracking and reporting of the shopping cart location are only activated when motion is detected consecutively several times after the start of the motion and after the end of the motion. The controller is set with a motion start reporting parameter (the parameter value represents the number of cycles between the start of the motion and the activation of the location reporting task). Its workflow includes the following steps: S1. Check the motion flag. If it is 0, go to S3. If it is 1, enable the interrupt, increment the motion detection count by 1, and then go to S2.

[0068] S2. Check the value of the motion detection count variable and determine whether it is equal to the set motion count parameter value. If it is not equal, the task ends and waits for the next cycle (2 minutes later). If it is equal, the positioning module is started to locate the shopping cart. After obtaining the location of the shopping cart, the location is reported and the task ends and waits for the next cycle (2 minutes later).

[0069] S3. Check the motion detection count and determine if the motion detection count is equal to 0. If it is equal to 0, the task ends and waits for the next cycle (2 minutes later). If it is not equal to 0, set the motion detection count variable value to 0, then start the positioning module to locate the shopping cart. After obtaining the location of the shopping cart, report the location and the task ends. Wait for the next cycle (2 minutes later).

[0070] Figure 5 The image shows the... Figure 3 The motion detection mode shown is applied to Figure 1The flowchart shown illustrates the process of retrieving the shopping cart.

[0071] The entire workflow is as follows: The motion detection task is initiated periodically (for example, every 2 minutes): Upon each startup, the system first checks the motion flag. If it's 0, the task ends and waits for the next cycle (after 2 minutes). If it's 1, an interrupt is enabled, and then a Bluetooth detection task is initiated: searching for Bluetooth beacon signals (e.g., set to 10 seconds). If a Bluetooth beacon is detected, the task ends and waits for the next cycle (after 2 minutes). If no Bluetooth beacon is detected, the positioning module is activated to locate the shopping cart. After obtaining the shopping cart's location, the location is saved and reported to the LoRa network server via the LoRa communication module, then feedback information is received. If feedback information is received, the task ends and waits for the next cycle (after 2 minutes); if no feedback is received, the feedback status flag is set to 0, and the locator enters a lost / sOS mode.

[0072] In the missing and distress call mode, the controller wakes up periodically (for example, once every minute). After each wake-up, it checks the feedback status flag. If it is 1, the missing and distress call mode ends. If it is 0, it reports the shopping cart location and then receives feedback information. If feedback information is received, the feedback status flag is set to 1 and the missing and distress call mode ends. If no feedback is received, it goes into hibernation and waits for the next cycle (after 1 minute).

[0073] Below is a specific application example.

[0074] Reference Figure 6-7 , Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a shopping cart retrieval system. The system consists of a shopping cart to be located (1), a Bluetooth beacon (2) serving as an in-field communication device, a LoRa network (3) serving as an out-of-field communication device, a user terminal (5) for displaying the location of the located shopping cart to the user, and a network server (4). In practical applications, existing LoRa network servers generally do not directly interface with applications. Common LoRa network servers generally do not support, or at least do not recommend, direct access to data by applications. Therefore, in general, an application server needs to be configured for the user terminal application. The LoRa network server pushes data to the application server, and the user terminal application retrieves data from the application server. Therefore, the network server (1004) here can refer to a LoRa network server or a combination of a LoRa network server and an application server.

[0075] The shopping cart is equipped with a locator. Preferably, the locator is installed inside one of the cart wheels, or the locator's functional module is integrated into one of the wheels; that is, the locator functions as a positioning wheel. Bluetooth beacons are placed within the supermarket, covering areas where locating the shopping cart is not required. The Bluetooth beacons continuously broadcast a pre-set Bluetooth signal. Each Bluetooth beacon has an omnidirectional antenna, and its signal can cover a range of approximately 20 meters. Lora gateways are placed outside the supermarket, covering areas where locating the shopping cart is required. Lora gateways receive Lora signals in real time. Each Lora gateway has an omnidirectional antenna, and its signal can cover a range of 2-5 kilometers. Lora gateways include fixed Lora gateways and portable mobile Lora gateways. The user terminal can be a dedicated device with a display screen, an app installed on a mobile phone or tablet, application software installed on a computer, or an application whose data is stored on a server and accessible through a client or webpage. The user terminal communicates directly with the Lora gateway or indirectly through a network server.

[0076] Reference Figure 7 The locator includes a satellite positioning module, a Bluetooth communication module, a LoRa communication module, and a controller. The locator also features motion sensors to detect shopping cart movement and a configuration switch to trigger parameter configuration tasks. The satellite positioning module, Bluetooth communication module, and LoRa communication module are all connected to and controlled by the controller. The Bluetooth communication module starts under the controller's control, communicates with the Bluetooth beacon, receives the setting signal broadcast by the Bluetooth beacon, and then sends the data from the Bluetooth signal to the controller. The satellite positioning module starts under the controller's control, communicates with the satellite to obtain position coordinates, generates position information, and then sends the position information to the controller. The controller controls the LoRa communication module to start communicating with the LoRa gateway, and packages the position information along with the shopping cart ID (which can be the locator ID or the wheel ID) and other necessary information, sending it to the LoRa communication module. The LoRa communication module then forwards the data packet containing the shopping cart location information to the LoRa gateway.

[0077] In this example, the locator is configured with three selectable operating modes: periodic reporting mode, timed reporting mode, and motion detection mode. In periodic reporting mode, the locator reports the latest location of the shopping cart at set intervals. In timed reporting mode, the locator reports the latest location of the shopping cart at set intervals. In motion detection mode, the locator reports the latest location of the shopping cart whenever it moves. This example allows the user to enable or select one of the three operating modes simultaneously.

[0078] To achieve the above three working modes, the locator is configured with motion triggering task, motion detection task, positioning task, reporting detection task, and function parameter configuration task, respectively.

[0079] For the above tasks, the controller is configured with a motion flag, where 1 indicates that there is a motion signal input and 0 indicates that there is no motion signal input.

[0080] The controller is configured with a motion start reporting parameter. The value of the motion start reporting parameter indicates the number of cycles after the motion starts, at which the positioning reporting task is activated.

[0081] The controller is configured with a departure status flag indicating whether the shopping cart is within the supermarket area or has been pushed out of the supermarket area. 0 indicates that the shopping cart is within the supermarket area, and 1 indicates that the shopping cart is outside the supermarket area.

[0082] The controller is configured with a location reporting cycle parameter. The value of the location reporting cycle parameter is the interval set by the user for reporting the location periodically. If the location reporting cycle parameter is empty, it means that the periodic location reporting function is not enabled.

[0083] The controller is set with a location reporting timer parameter. The value of the location reporting timer parameter is the set time point for reporting the location. If the location reporting timer parameter is empty, it means that the timed location reporting function is not enabled.

[0084] The controller is configured with a reporting flag to indicate whether there is a reporting task, with 0 indicating no reporting task and 1 indicating a reporting task.

[0085] The controller is configured with a feedback status flag to indicate whether feedback information has been received from the network server, with 0 indicating no feedback and 1 indicating receipt.

[0086] The controller has a vehicle search period parameter set, which specifies the start and end times of the search period. For example, 14:00-15:00.

[0087] The motion-triggered task is an external interrupt task, initiated by a motion sensor signal, used in response to the movement of the shopping cart. Upon triggering, this task executes the following: sets the motion flag to 1 and disables interrupts.

[0088] The motion detection task is a periodic task, starting at set intervals. In this example, it's set to start every minute to locate and report the position of the shopping cart after it moves. Once started, the task executes the following: S1. Check the motion flag. If it is 0, go to S3. If it is 1, enable the interrupt, increment the motion detection count by 1, and then go to S2.

[0089] S2. Check the motion detection count variable value to determine if it is equal to the set motion start reporting parameter value. If it is not equal, the current task ends and waits for the next motion detection cycle (1 minute later). If it is equal, start the positioning task, set the reporting flag to 1, and then the task ends and waits for the next motion detection cycle (1 minute later).

[0090] S3. Check the motion detection count and determine if the motion detection count is equal to 0. If it is equal to 0, the current task ends and waits for the next motion detection cycle (1 minute later). If it is not equal to 0, set the motion detection count variable value to 0, then start the positioning task and set the reporting flag to 1. The current task ends and waits for the next motion detection cycle (1 minute later).

[0091] The positioning task includes indoor positioning based on Bluetooth detection and outdoor positioning based on satellite positioning. This task is initiated by other tasks and is used to locate the shopping cart and save the location after it is obtained. After the task is initiated, it performs the following: searching for Bluetooth beacons. If a Bluetooth beacon is found, the departure status flag is set to 0, and the MAC address of the Bluetooth beacon with the strongest signal is saved as the indoor location information. The task ends. If no Bluetooth beacon is found for 10 seconds, the departure status flag is set to 1, and the positioning module is activated to locate the shopping cart. After obtaining the shopping cart's location, the location is saved as the outdoor location information, and the task ends.

[0092] The reporting and detection task is a periodic task, started at a set interval. In this example, it is set to start every 3 minutes to perform location reporting. (Refer to...) Figure 8 The task will execute after it is started: S1. Check the position reporting cycle parameter. If it is empty, go to S3. If it is not empty, go to S2.

[0093] S2. Increment the reporting cycle timing variable by 1. Then, determine whether the product of the value of the reporting cycle timing variable and the reporting detection cycle interval duration reaches the position reporting cycle parameter value. If it does, clear the value of the reporting cycle timing variable to zero and set the reporting flag to 1. Then go to S3. If it does not reach the value, go to S3.

[0094] S3. Check the location reporting timing parameters. If they are empty, proceed to S5. If they are not empty, proceed to S4.

[0095] S4. Determine if the current time is the location reporting timer parameter value (if there are multiple timers, determine them one by one). If not, proceed to S5. If yes, set the reporting flag to 1 and then proceed to S5.

[0096] S5. Check the feedback status flag. If it is 1, proceed to S6. If it is 0, determine whether the current time is within the range of the vehicle search time parameter value. If not, proceed to S6. If it is, set the reporting flag to 1 and then proceed to S6.

[0097] S6. Check the reporting flag. If the reporting flag is 0, the current task ends and waits for the next reporting detection cycle (3 minutes later). If the reporting flag is 1, check the departure status flag. If it is 0, report the most recently saved indoor location information and set the reporting flag to 0. If it is 1, report the most recently saved outdoor location information and set the reporting flag to 0. Then receive feedback information. If received, set the feedback status flag to 1. If not received, set the feedback status flag to 0. The current task ends and waits for the next reporting detection cycle (3 minutes later).

[0098] The configuration task is an external interrupt task, triggered by the configuration switch, and is used by the user to complete the setting of all configurable functions and parameters of the locator.

[0099] In the above application example, when no feedback is received (entering the Missing Persons' SOS mode), the period for repeatedly reporting the location (hereinafter referred to as the SOS reporting period) is the same as the reporting and detection task period. If the user needs these two periods to be different, for example, a shorter reporting and detection period, such as 1 minute, and the repeated reporting period in the Missing Persons' SOS mode is 3 minutes, then the controller needs to set another SOS reporting period parameter. The value of the SOS reporting period parameter is the set interval for periodically reporting the location during the vehicle search period; in this example, it is set to 3 minutes.

[0100] Step S5 for reporting the detection task can be set as follows: Check the feedback status flag. If it is 1, proceed to S6. If it is 0, determine if the current time is within the range of the vehicle search period parameter value. If not, proceed to S6. If it is, increment the distress reporting cycle timer variable by 1. Then, determine if the product of the distress reporting cycle timer variable value and the reporting detection cycle interval duration reaches the distress reporting cycle parameter value. If it does, clear the distress reporting cycle timer variable to zero, set the reporting flag to 1, and proceed to S6. If it does not reach the parameter value, proceed to S6.

[0101] In the above application example, the Bluetooth beacon MAC address is saved as indoor positioning information during Bluetooth detection. This allows the user (based on the Bluetooth beacon's location settings) to know which area of ​​the supermarket the shopping cart is in, thus implementing a certain shopping cart management function. If only the shopping cart that has been pushed out of the supermarket needs to be located and retrieved, then saving the Bluetooth beacon MAC address and reporting the indoor location are not necessary. Furthermore, in this application example, Bluetooth detection is a step in the shopping cart positioning task and is not started separately. If the user needs to achieve more functions through Bluetooth detection, or if indoor positioning is required more frequently than outdoor positioning, Bluetooth detection can be separated from the positioning task, and separate activation conditions can be set. For example, the Bluetooth detection task can be started every time the motion detection task is initiated, while the positioning task can only be started at the beginning and end of the motion.

[0102] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for retrieving a shopping cart that has been pushed to an area without fixed gateway or base station coverage, characterized in that, The shopping cart reports its location to the server or application via a gateway or base station. Upon receiving the reported location, the server or application sends a feedback message to the shopping cart. The system also receives the feedback message after the shopping cart reports its location. If no feedback message is received, the shopping cart enters a distress mode until a feedback message is received. In this distress mode, the shopping cart repeatedly reports its location in short intervals. The user, carrying a mobile gateway or base station, searches for the shopping cart. When the signal range of the mobile gateway or base station covers the shopping cart's location, the user obtains the shopping cart's location through the mobile gateway or base station and retrieves the shopping cart.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shopping cart reports its location to the Lora network server via a Lora gateway. Upon receiving the reported location, the Lora network server sends a feedback message to the shopping cart. The shopping cart also receives the feedback message after reporting its location. If no feedback message is received, the shopping cart enters a distress mode until a feedback message is received. In this distress mode, the shopping cart repeatedly reports its location periodically. The user uses a mobile Lora gateway to search for the shopping cart. When the mobile Lora gateway's signal range covers the shopping cart's location, the user obtains the shopping cart's location through the mobile Lora gateway and retrieves the shopping cart.

3. A shopping cart retrieval method, wherein a locator is set on the shopping cart, the locator locates the shopping cart position, and reports the shopping cart position to the server or application through a gateway or base station, and the user obtains the shopping cart position from the server or application and retrieves the shopping cart; Its features are, After receiving the location reported by the locator, the server or application is configured to send feedback information to the locator. The locator is also configured to receive feedback information after reporting its location. If the locator does not receive feedback information, it enters a missing person / sOS mode until it receives feedback information. In the SOS mode, the locator repeats the location reporting task in short cycles. When it is necessary to retrieve a shopping cart that has been pushed to a place without fixed gateway or base station coverage, the user carries a mobile gateway or base station that is connected to the server or application to search for the shopping cart. After receiving the location reported by the locator, the mobile gateway or base station sends the location to the server or application. The user then obtains the location of the shopping cart from the server or application and retrieves the shopping cart.

4. The shopping cart retrieval method according to claim 3, characterized in that, A locator is set on the shopping cart. The locator locates the shopping cart and reports the location to the Lora network server through the Lora gateway. The Lora network server pushes the location to the application server. The user retrieves the shopping cart location from the application server and retrieves the shopping cart. After receiving location information, the LoRa network server sends feedback information to the locator. The locator receives feedback information after reporting its location. If the locator does not receive feedback information, it enters a missing person / sOS mode until it receives feedback information. In the SOS mode, the locator repeatedly reports its location in short intervals. When it is necessary to retrieve a shopping cart that has been pushed to a location without coverage by a fixed LoRa gateway, the user carries a mobile LoRa gateway that remains connected to the LoRa network server to search for the shopping cart. After receiving the location reported by the locator, the mobile LoRa gateway uploads the location to the LoRa network server. The LoRa network server then pushes the location to the application server. The user retrieves the shopping cart location from the application server and retrieves the shopping cart.

5. The shopping cart retrieval method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The locator is equipped with a motion sensor. The locator starts to locate the shopping cart based on the movement status and saves the location information. In the missing and distress working mode, the locator reports the latest saved location.

6. The shopping cart retrieval method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The controller is configured with a response flag, where 1 indicates that feedback information has been received from the network server and 0 indicates that no feedback information has been received from the network server. The missing person distress call mode starts at a set period and performs the following steps: check the response flag; if the flag is 1, the missing person distress call task ends; if it is 0, the saved location is reported once and feedback information is received; if received, the response flag is reset to 1; if not received, the response flag is reset to 0.

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