Cart Terminal Charging-Area Power Saving for Reliable Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Shopping cart-mounted terminals often run out of power during customer operations due to inefficient or slow charging, necessitating frequent recharging which can be cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
The cart terminal switches to a power-saving mode when within a charging area, reducing power consumption by turning off non-essential functions and utilizing a charging system that allows for efficient power transfer between terminals or a power supply device, ensuring timely recharging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cart-type terminal is frequently recharged to avoid power depletion during customer operations, then the operational reliability is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to the cumbersome recharging process
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal automatically enters power-saving mode before charging occurs by detecting entry into the charging area. This preliminary action ensures the terminal is ready to charge efficiently without requiring manual intervention from customers, thus improving reliability while maintaining ease of operation.
2Productivity
If the charging process is made efficient and quick to prevent power depletion, then the productivity is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the need for power-saving mode switching and area detection
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal autonomously detects when it enters the charging area and automatically switches to power-saving mode without requiring external control or complex charging management systems. This self-service approach improves charging efficiency while minimizing the increase in device complexity by utilizing existing detection and control capabilities.
3Ease of operation
If the cart-type terminal remains in normal mode during charging, then the ease of operation is maintained, but the loss of energy increases leading to slower charging and potential power depletion
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal dynamically adjusts its power consumption by switching from normal mode to power-saving mode based on its location within the charging area. This dynamic adaptation reduces energy loss during charging while maintaining ease of operation, as the mode change is automatic and transparent to the user.
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, a cart-type terminal includes an operator terminal for registration of merchandise, a battery that supplies electric power to the operator terminal, a charging board configured to charge the battery from an external power source connected to a first coupling terminal, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to switch an operating mode of the cart-type terminal apparatus from a normal mode to a power saving mode when the cart-type terminal apparatus is determined to be within a charging area.