Shopping cart

Abstract

To provide a shopping cart that can be selectively used with a fixed scanner or a hand-held scanner.SOLUTION: A shopping cart includes: a main unit on which a container for holding articles can be placed; at least three wheels attached to the main unit and movably supporting the main unit; a fixed scanner attached to the main unit that reads code symbols displayed on the articles held out of a reading window and outputs the result to an information processor that displays information on the articles; a hand-held scanner, which is detachable from the main unit and outputs the results of reading the code symbols displayed on the articles to the information processor that displays information on the articles; and a battery, which is a rechargeable secondary battery that supplies power to the fixed scanner and the hand-held scanner.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to a shopping cart. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been proposed a shopping cart equipped with a product registration device that allows customers to register products they wish to purchase while shopping in a store. Such shopping carts are equipped with a scanner that reads (decodes) code symbols such as barcodes and two-dimensional codes attached to products. There are scanners that are fixedly attached to the handle of the shopping cart (e.g., Patent Document 1), and scanners that can be held in the hand and brought close to the products (e.g., Patent Document 2).

[0003] When reading the code symbol of a product that is picked up, the former type of fixed scanner is more convenient than the latter type, because the latter type requires the user to hold the scanner in their hand each time, which is cumbersome. Also, when the product is large or heavy, it is difficult to lift and handle the product, so the latter type is more convenient than the former type, because the scanner can be brought closer to the product. However, there is no scanner that combines the advantages of both types. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENTS The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a shopping cart that can selectively use either a fixed scanner or a handheld scanner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A shopping cart in one embodiment comprises a main body on which a container for storing goods can be placed, at least three wheels attached to the main body for supporting the main body so that it can be moved freely, a fixed scanner attached to the main body for reading a code symbol displayed on a product held up to a reading window and outputting the results to an information processing device that displays information about the product, a hand scanner detachably attached to the main body for reading the code symbol displayed on the product and outputting the results of reading the code symbol displayed on the product, and a battery, which is a rechargeable secondary cell, for supplying power to the fixed scanner and the hand scanner. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a first perspective view of a shopping cart according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a second perspective view of the shopping cart of the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which the batteries of the shopping carts according to the embodiment are being charged in a stacked state. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a hardware block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the shopping cart according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

[0008] A shopping cart 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0009] (Outline of shopping cart configuration) A schematic configuration of a shopping cart 10 of an embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a first perspective view of the shopping cart of the embodiment. Figure 2 is a second perspective view of the shopping cart of the embodiment.

[0010] As a customer walks through a store pushing the shopping cart 10, the shopping cart reads product information of products the customer wishes to purchase and registers the products. The customer places the registered products in the cart and continues shopping. After completing their shopping, the customer goes to an accounting machine (not shown) and has the accounting machine carry out payment processing for the registered products. The shopping cart 10 may also have a function of carrying out payment processing itself.

[0011] The shopping cart 10 has a pair of front wheels 14 and a pair of rear wheels 15 attached to a pair of left and right bottom frames 11. The distance between the pair of front wheels 14 is narrower than the distance between the pair of rear wheels 15. The front wheels 14 and the rear wheels 15 are installed in the front-rear direction of the shopping cart 10. The front wheels 14 and the rear wheels 15 are attached to the bottom frame 11 by attachment members (not shown). The front wheels 14 and the rear wheels 15 can turn left and right around the attachment positions to the bottom frame 11. Therefore, the direction of travel of the shopping cart 10 can be changed left and right depending on the force applied to a handle 16 installed above the shopping cart 10. A customer holds the handle 16 and pushes the shopping cart 10 while changing the direction of the shopping cart 10 left and right.

[0012] The charging unit 4 is attached between the pair of left and right bottom frames 11. The charging unit 4 has a built-in charging circuit 41 (see FIG. 4) and charges the battery 29, which will be described later. A detailed charging method will be described later (see FIG. 3). The charging unit 4 also has an input terminal 7 and an output terminal 8. The charging unit 4 also serves as a strength member that connects the left and right bottom frames 11 together.

[0013] The input terminal 7 is a charging connector that connects to the power supply unit 5 (see FIG. 3). Power is supplied from the power supply unit 5 to the input terminal 7 for charging the battery 29. The input terminal 7 is also a charging connector that connects to an output terminal 8 of another shopping cart 10. Power is supplied from the output terminal 8 of the other shopping cart 10 to the input terminal 7 for charging its own battery 29. The input terminal 7 and the output terminal 8 are installed at the same height from the floor. The shopping cart 10 is an example of an object to be charged in this disclosure.

[0014] The output terminal 8 is a charging connector that connects to the input terminal 7 of another shopping cart 10 .

[0015] A lower frame 12 is attached to the front side (X-axis positive side) of the bottom frame 11, rising upward (Z-axis positive side) and then extending diagonally upward toward the front. The lower frame 12 holds a battery 29. The battery 29 is a rechargeable secondary battery that supplies power to various electronic devices provided in the shopping cart 10. The battery 29 is, for example, a lithium ion battery, a nickel cadmium battery, a nickel metal hydride battery, a lead storage battery, etc.

[0016] A pair of upper frames 13 are attached to the upper end of the lower frame 12 facing upward (toward the positive side of the Z axis). A rod-shaped handle 16 is attached to the pair of upper frames 13 and extends along the left-right direction (Y axis direction) of the shopping cart 10. Various electronic devices equipped in the shopping cart 10 are attached to the upper frames 13 and the handle 16.

[0017] In addition, a lower basket support frame 18 is attached to the bottom frame 11 and the lower frame 12. A shopping basket (not shown) for containing merchandise is placed on the lower basket support frame 18 when a customer goes shopping.

[0018] An upper basket support frame 17 is attached to the upper frame 13. A shopping basket (not shown), which is a container for containing merchandise, is placed on the upper basket support frame 17 when a customer goes shopping.

[0019] A weight sensor 28 is also installed on the lower frame 12 at a position extending toward the front. The weight sensor 28 is located below the upper basket support frame 17 and measures the weight of an item placed in a shopping basket placed on the upper basket support frame 17.

[0020] A cart terminal 2, a hand scanner 25, a card reader 26, and a camera 27 are mounted on the upper part of the upper frame 13. In addition, a fixed scanner 24 is mounted on the handle 16. These electronic devices are operated by power from a battery 29.

[0021] The above-mentioned bottom frame 11, lower frame 12, upper frame 13, handle 16, upper basket support frame 17, and lower basket support frame 18 constitute an example of a main body on which a container (e.g., a shopping basket) for storing products can be placed. The front wheels 14 and rear wheels 15 are an example of wheels that support the main body so that it can move freely. Although four wheels are attached to the bottom frame 11 in this embodiment, in practice, the shopping cart may have at least three or more wheels.

[0022] The cart terminal 2 is an example of an information processing device that displays product information, and is attached to a main body when used to register products purchased by customers. The cart terminal 2 includes a display unit 22 and an operation unit 23. The cart terminal 2 may further include a function for making payments for registered products.

[0023] The display unit 22 displays various information related to the registration of a product. The display unit 22 is, for example, a liquid crystal monitor or an organic EL monitor.

[0024] The operation unit 23 detects operations performed on various buttons displayed on the display unit 22. The operation unit 23 is, for example, a touch panel laminated on the display unit 22.

[0025] The fixed scanner 24 is an example of a scanner that is attached to the handle 16 and reads a code symbol displayed on a product held up to a reading window 241, and outputs the result to the cart terminal 2. The fixed scanner 24 has the reading window 241 on the front side of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing 240, and an imaging element that captures an image through the reading window 241 is built into the housing 240.

[0026] The fixed scanner 24 reads a code symbol, such as a barcode, attached to a product for sale that is held over the reading window 241. A product code that uniquely identifies the product is registered in the code symbol. The fixed scanner 24 obtains the product code by decoding the result of reading the code symbol.

[0027] Hand scanner 25 is an example of a device that is detachably attached to the main body and outputs the results of reading a code symbol displayed on a product. Like fixed scanner 24, hand scanner 25 reads a code symbol affixed to a product to obtain the product code. Hand scanner 25 is used in particular when reading the code symbols of products that are difficult to read with fixed scanner 24, such as heavy or large products.

[0028] The hand scanner 25 is supported in a detachable state while being hooked onto a holder 31 provided on the mounting plate 3 to which the cart terminal 2 is attached. The hand scanner 25 is wired and connected to the cart terminal 2 by a spiral, extendable cord 251. Note that the cord 251 may have a shape other than a spiral shape, or the hand scanner 25 and the cart terminal 2 may be connected wirelessly.

[0029] The card reader 26 reads information registered on an IC card or magnetic card held by a customer. For example, the card reader 26 reads membership information registered on a membership card of the customer. The cart terminal 2 may display bargain information and service information on products that match the customer's tastes on the display unit 22 based on the membership information read by the card reader 26, for example by referring to the purchase history of the customer. If the shopping cart 10 further has a function for performing payment processing, the card reader 26 may read registration information of a credit card used by the customer for payment, or the charge amount of an electronic money card, a prepaid card, etc.

[0030] The camera 27 captures an image of the area including the shopping basket placed on the upper basket support frame 17. The cart terminal 2 associates identification information for identifying itself, the image captured by the camera 27, the weight of the shopping basket measured by the weight sensor 28, and the product registration information at that time, and transmits them to a store server (not shown).

[0031] The store server analyzes the information sent from the shopping cart 10 and monitors whether an unregistered product has been put into the shopping cart. Specifically, if the weight of the shopping cart increases even though a product has not been registered, it is determined that the customer may have put an unregistered product into the shopping cart. In such a case, the store server transmits a signal to the cart terminal 2 to call attention. Then, the cart terminal 2 displays a message on the display unit 22 to call attention. The cart terminal 2 may also output a warning sound from a speaker (not shown). Furthermore, the store server may notify a mobile terminal carried by a store clerk of the identification number of the corresponding shopping cart 10. The clerk who receives the notification goes to the corresponding shopping cart 10 and checks the contents of the product that the customer plans to purchase and the product registration information. Such monitoring processing may be performed by the cart terminal 2 itself.

[0032] Although Figures 1 and 2 only show the camera 27 and weight sensor 28 monitoring the shopping basket placed on the upper basket support frame 17, the camera 27 and weight sensor 28 are also installed on the lower basket support frame 18 to monitor the shopping basket placed on the lower basket support frame 18 as well.

[0033] (How to charge the battery) A method of charging the battery 29 provided in the shopping cart 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which the battery is being charged when the shopping carts of the embodiment are stacked.

[0034] By inserting a pair of bottom frames 11 of a shopping cart 10 between a pair of bottom frames 11 of a shopping cart 10 in the rear stage, it is possible to stack more shopping carts 10 in a small area, as shown in Fig. 3. Hereinafter, such a state in which multiple shopping carts 10 are stacked is referred to as a stacked state.

[0035] When stacking the shopping carts 10, the charging unit 4 of the front shopping cart 10 and the charging unit 4 of the rear shopping cart 10 are butted against each other in the front-to-rear direction (X-axis direction). At this time, the output terminal 8 of the front shopping cart 10 and the input terminal 7 of the rear shopping cart 10 are connected. In addition, the input terminal 7 of the leading shopping cart 10 is connected to the output terminal 8 of the power supply unit 5.

[0036] At this time, a voltage signal from the power supply unit 5 is supplied to the leading shopping cart 10 via the input terminal 7. This voltage signal is supplied to the battery 29 of the leading shopping cart 10, thereby charging the battery 29 of the leading shopping cart 10.

[0037] The voltage signal supplied to the leading shopping cart 10 is supplied to its own battery 29, and is also supplied from the output terminal 8 of that shopping cart 10 to the input terminal 7 of the second shopping cart 10. This voltage signal is supplied to the battery 29 of the second shopping cart 10, thereby charging the battery 29 of the second shopping cart 10. Thereafter, the batteries 29 of subsequent shopping carts 10 are charged in a similar manner. The number of shopping carts 10 that can be charged simultaneously (the number of batteries 29) depends on the power capacity of the power supply unit 5 and the capacity of the batteries 29 provided in the shopping carts 10, but for example, the batteries 29 of approximately 10 shopping carts 10 can be charged at one time.

[0038] (Shopping cart hardware configuration) The hardware configuration of the shopping cart 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a hardware block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the shopping cart of the embodiment.

[0039] The shopping cart 10 comprises a cart terminal 2, a charging unit 4, a battery 29, an indicator 43, and peripheral devices such as a fixed scanner 24, a hand scanner 25, a card reader 26, a camera 27, and a weight sensor 28.

[0040] The cart terminal 2 performs various processes related to product registration. The cart terminal 2 includes a control unit 21, a display unit 22, and an operation unit 23. The cart terminal 2 is an example of a product sales data processing device and an information processing device in the present disclosure.

[0041] The control unit 21 controls the processing performed by the cart terminal 2 itself. The control unit 21 also controls the operation of various peripheral devices connected to the control unit 21. The control unit 21 includes a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, and a storage unit. The CPU causes the cart terminal 2 to perform predetermined processing related to product registration and the like by expanding a control program stored in the storage unit into the RAM and executing the control program. The functions of the display unit 22 and operation unit 23 included in the cart terminal 2 are as described above.

[0042] The functions of the fixed scanner 24, hand scanner 25, card reader 26, camera 27, and weight sensor 28, which are peripheral devices connected to the control unit 21, are as described above.

[0043] The charging unit 4 charges the battery 29. The charging unit 4 includes an input terminal 7, an output terminal 8, a charging circuit 41, and an energization control circuit .

[0044] The input terminal 7 inputs a voltage signal from the power supply unit 5. The input terminal 7 also inputs a voltage signal from an output terminal 8 provided in the charging unit 4 of the subsequent shopping cart 10. The voltage signal is transmitted through two signal lines: a signal line that transmits the voltage signal, and a ground line that transmits the ground (GND) level, which is a reference potential. That is, the input terminal 7 has two terminals. In this embodiment, the input terminal 7 is configured as a plug.

[0045] The output terminal 8 outputs a voltage signal to the input terminal 7 of the charging unit 4 of the subsequent shopping cart 10. Two signal lines are connected to the output terminal 8: a signal line for outputting a voltage signal and a signal line for outputting a ground level. In this embodiment, the output terminal 8 is configured with a socket.

[0046] The charging circuit 41 supplies the battery 29 with a voltage signal required for charging.

[0047] The energization control circuit 42 supplies a voltage signal to the subsequent shopping cart 10 only when the subsequent shopping cart 10 is connected to the preceding shopping cart 10. On the other hand, when the subsequent shopping cart 10 is not connected, the energization control circuit 42 does not output a voltage signal from the output terminal 8. This prevents electric shock even if the output terminal 8 is inadvertently touched.

[0048] Furthermore, when the socket that outputs the voltage signal and the plug that receives the voltage signal are in secure contact, and when the socket that connects to the ground line and the plug that takes over the ground potential are in secure contact, the current control circuit 42 supplies a voltage signal to the downstream shopping cart 10. As a result, if the contact of either one of the signal lines is unstable, a voltage signal is not output, so there is no risk of interfering with the operation of the charging circuit 41 of the downstream shopping cart 10.

[0049] The battery 29 is as described above.

[0050] The indicator 43 is configured with, for example, an LED, and indicates the state of charging the battery 29 by the charging circuit 41. The indicator 43 at least indicates a fully charged state and a charging state.

[0051] The various peripheral devices connected to the control unit 21 are as described above, and therefore will not be described again.

[0052] The power supply unit 5 is, for example, a DC power supply device that supplies power to the charging unit 4 for charging the battery 29. The power supply unit 5 includes a power transmission circuit 51, an energization control circuit 42, and an output terminal 8.

[0053] The power transmission circuit 51 is a power source that supplies power required for charging the battery 29. The power transmission circuit 51 is composed of, for example, an inverter circuit that converts a commercial AC voltage of 100V into a DC voltage, and a rectifier circuit that rectifies the output of the inverter circuit and converts it into a DC voltage.

[0054] The current control circuit 42 and the output terminal 8 are as described above.

[0055] Although hand scanner 25 in this embodiment is connected to control unit 21, in practice, hand scanner 25 may be configured to be connected to fixed scanner 24. In this case, the reading result output by hand scanner 25 is input to fixed scanner 24.

[0056] Furthermore, the camera 27 of the cart terminal 2 may be used as a fixed scanner or a hand scanner. When using the camera 27 as a hand scanner, the cart terminal 2 is detachably attached to the mounting plate 3, and the camera 27 reads the code symbol of the product by detecting a predetermined operation. The predetermined operation may be an operation on the operation unit 23, or may be, for example, an operation of removing the cart terminal 2 from the mounting plate 3.

[0057] (Effects of the embodiment) As described above, the shopping cart of the embodiment includes both the fixed scanner 24 and the hand scanner 25, so that the user can selectively use either the fixed scanner 24 or the hand scanner 25, whichever is more convenient at any given time. For example, when reading a code symbol attached to a picked-up product, the side of the product on which the code symbol is attached is held up to the reading window 241 of the fixed scanner 24. Also, for example, when reading the code symbol of a large or heavy product, the hand scanner 25 is brought close to the code symbol of the product. In this way, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide a shopping cart 10 in which the fixed scanner 24 and the hand scanner 25 can be selectively used.

[0058] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This novel embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 10...Shopping cart (chargeable object), 11... bottom frame, 12... lower frame, 13... upper frame, 14…Front wheel, 15…Rear wheel, 16…Handle, 17...Upper cage support frame, 18...Lower cage support frame, 2 ... Cart terminal (product sales data processing device, information processing device), 21...control unit, 22...display section, 23...Operation unit, 24: fixed scanner; 240: housing; 241: reading window; 25…hand scanner, 251…code, 26...Card reader, 27…Camera, 28...Weight sensor, 29…Battery, 3 ... mounting plate, 31 ... holder, 4 … charging unit, 41: charging circuit; 42: current control circuit; 43: indicator; 5 ... power supply unit, 51 ... power transmission circuit, 7 ... Input terminal, 8...Output terminal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0060] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-030701 A [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2022-024705

Claims

1. A main body portion on which a container for accommodating a commodity can be placed; At least three wheels attached to the main body and supporting the main body so as to be movable; a fixed scanner attached to the main body for reading a code symbol displayed on a product held up to a reading window and outputting the result to an information processing device for displaying information about the product; a hand scanner that is detachably attached to the main body and that reads a code symbol displayed on a product and outputs the result; a battery, which is a rechargeable secondary battery, for supplying power to the fixed scanner and the hand scanner; A shopping cart equipped with

2. The fixed scanner or the hand scanner is a camera provided in the information processing device.

2. The shopping cart of claim 1.

3. the hand scanner is connected to the fixed scanner and outputs a read result to the fixed scanner; The fixed scanner outputs the reading result of itself and the reading result of the hand scanner to the information processing device.

2. The shopping cart of claim 1.

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