Shopping Cart Return Alerts for Reliable Non-Contact Charging
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Shopping carts are often left behind in retail stores or parking lots, leading to devices mounted on them not being charged, which affects their operation.
Innovation Solution
A shopping cart system with a non-contact power supply at designated return locations, combined with short-range communication devices and a server device that tracks cart locations and operation states, promoting returns through notifications when carts are likely to be left behind.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a non-contact power supply charging device is provided at a return place, then the device can be charged when the shopping cart is returned, but the shopping cart may still be left behind at places apart from the return place where charging cannot occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by notifying customers when their shopping cart is left behind at locations apart from the return place. The notification device sends alerts to customers' mobile devices, providing information about the cart's location and encouraging its return to the designated charging area, thereby improving charging reliability through behavioral feedback
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by automatically detecting shopping cart locations using short-range communication devices and autonomously sending notifications to customers without requiring manual intervention from store staff, thus resolving the contradiction between charging reliability and operational ease
2Reliability
If the shopping cart is left behind at a place apart from the return place, then the device mounted on the shopping cart is not charged, but providing continuous monitoring and notification increases system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The server device performs multiple functions: it manages shopping cart location data, determines whether carts are left behind, generates notifications, and communicates with both notification devices and customer mobile devices. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity by consolidating monitoring and notification tasks into a single centralized system
Solution Approach 2:
The notification device acts as an intermediary between the server device and the customer's mobile device. It receives determination results from the server and transmits notifications to customers, simplifying the communication architecture while ensuring reliable delivery of charging status information
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively reduces the likelihood of carts not being charged by encouraging their return to charging stations, improving operational efficiency and reducing instances of uncharged devices.
Implementation Method 1
a form of providing a charging device in which the device can be charged in a non-contact power supply scheme or the like at a predetermined location (hereinafter, referred to as a return place) inside the store
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
According to one embodiment, an information processing device includes a processing circuit having programmed instructions to: determine a cart location of a shopping cart that is moved by a customer and used for transportation of a merchandise purchased by the customer; and provide a notification for promoting a return of the shopping cart to a return area for returning the shopping cart in response to a determination that (i) the shopping cart is located in a place outside of the return area and (ii) a stay time of the shopping cart at the place outside the return area exceeds a threshold length of time.