Rotatable Code Reader for Shopping Carts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shopping carts require customers to lift and tilt commodities to read codes, which can be cumbersome, especially for heavy or undesirable items, and may lead to misrecognition due to improper orientation.
Innovation Solution
A handcart with a rotatable code reader attached to a lateral portion of the frame, allowing it to face either the shopping basket or the front, and equipped with a gyro sensor and image processing to validate code symbols based on size and orientation, enabling automatic or manual code reading without needing to lift or tilt the commodity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the code reader is attached to a fixed position on the shopping cart, then the structure is simple, but the customer needs to lift and tilt commodities to read codes, reducing ease of operation
Solution Approach 1:
The code reader is made rotatable around the lateral portion of the cart frame, allowing dynamic adjustment of the reading window orientation. This enables the reading window to face either the inner space of the shopping basket or the front of the cart frame, eliminating the need for customers to lift or tilt commodities and significantly improving ease of code reading.
2Productivity
If the code reader reading window faces the front of the cart frame, then automatic scanning is enabled, but code reading inside the basket requires rotation, increasing operation complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable attachment mechanism allows the code reader to switch between two primary orientations: facing the front for automatic scanning during movement, and facing the inner space of the shopping basket for manual scanning of items already placed in the basket. This dynamic repositioning resolves the contradiction between automatic scanning efficiency and ease of manual operation.
3Measurement precision
If image processing is performed on all scanned images, then code recognition accuracy is improved, but processing time and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs image processing selectively based on the detected orientation of the code reader. When the reading window faces the inner space of the shopping basket, full image processing is applied to ensure accurate code recognition. When facing the front for automatic scanning, the system may use simpler verification methods, reducing processing time and energy consumption while maintaining sufficient accuracy.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the code reader is attached to the lateral portion allowing rotation, then versatility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The code reader is attached to the lateral portion of the cart frame via a rotatable mechanism that allows it to pivot between facing the inner space of the shopping basket and facing the front of the cart frame. This simple rotational degree of freedom provides versatility for different scanning scenarios without introducing complex multi-axis mechanisms or multiple separate devices.
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
Enhances usability by allowing easy code reading without lifting or tilting commodities, reducing misrecognition and improving handling of heavy or sensitive items, and enabling automatic code scanning.
Implementation Method 1
a gyro sensor configured to detect an orientation of the code reader
Data Source
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AI summary
A handcart (10) includes a cart frame (31, 41, 51), a caster (32), and a code reader (120, 140). The cart frame includes a receiving portion on which a shopping basket is placeable and a lateral portion extending in a width direction of the cart frame. The caster is disposed at a bottom region of the cart frame. The code reader is attached to the lateral portion of the cart frame so as to be rotatable around the lateral portion. The code reader may be rotated around the lateral portion of the cart frame to a first position at which a reading window of the code reader faces an inner space of the shopping basket on the receiving portion of the cart frame, and to a second position at which the reading window of the code reader faces a front of the cart frame.