An order fulfillment cart including a first frame portion, the first frame portion including a first plurality of support members, a second frame portion positioned a distance from the first frame portion, the second frame portion including a second plurality of support members, and a connector, the connector operably coupled to the first frame portion and the second frame portion, wherein the connector extends diagonally from the first frame portion to the second frame portion, wherein the first plurality of support members and the second plurality of support members are configured to support a plurality of containers between the first frame portion and the second frame portion, is provided. Furthermore, an associated method is also provided.

In some embodiments, shopping cart apparatuses are provided herein useful to enable a consumer to reach commercial products positioned above the consumer. In some embodiments, a cart frame having cart wheels coupled to the cart frame is provided. A slide mechanism is slidably cooperated with the cart frame. A weight-bearing platform is secured with the slide mechanism and sliding between stowed and deployed positions such that the weight-bearing platform is moved away from a rear portion of the cart frame when the slide mechanism is in the deployed position. A restricting element is positioned near a front cart wheel and restricts the rotation thereof when the slide mechanism is in the deployed position. A support element is affixed to the weight-bearing platform. An elevating element is secured to the slide mechanism and configured to elevate the cart frame when the threshold amount of pressure is applied upon the weight-bearing platform.

A motorized cart retriever, which may be a cart pusher or a cart puller, can apply a force to a nest of human-propelled, wheeled carts to facilitate retrieval of the carts. The cart retriever can include a transceiver configured to wirelessly receive cart status information from cart transmitters of the wheeled carts and wirelessly report event data to a control unit. The cart status information may include an identification of the cart transmitter, a location of the cart, a lock or unlock status of a cart wheel, a misuse condition, etc. The event data can include the cart status information, a number of wheeled carts being retrieved, etc. The cart wheel may include a brake. The transceiver may communicate a message to the cart wheel to keep the brake unactuated during retrieval. The control unit may analyze the event data to detect traffic patterns of the carts.

The application discloses a shopping cart, an electronic device, and a method. The shopping cart can include a first acquisition apparatus configured to obtain user preference information associated with a user of the shopping cart. The shopping cart can further include a second acquisition apparatus configured to acquire product information of a commercial product and processing circuitry configured to determine whether the product information matches the user preference information. When the product information fails to match the user preference information, the processing circuitry performs a prompting operation corresponding to the commercial product to prompt the user that the product information fails to match the user preference information. The shopping cart can include a mechanical frame that includes a storage area.

A power generation system for wheeled objects comprises a generator mechanically coupled to one or more of the object's wheels to convert wheel rotational energy into electrical energy. The power generation system may comprise an electrical storage device configured to store the electrical power produced by the generator. Power from the generator and/or the electrical storage device can be used to provide power to other electrical systems in or on the object. In certain embodiments, the electrical storage device comprises a bank of high-capacity capacitors connected in series. Some embodiments use a control circuit, for example, to regulate the charging and discharging of the capacitor bank and to provide suitable voltages for other systems. The power generation system may be disposed within an object's wheel, such as a wheel of a shopping cart.

Disclosed herein relates to a self-checkout anti-theft vehicle system, comprising: a self-checkout vehicle having a plurality of sensors and components implemented thereon, the self-checkout vehicle being used by shoppers for storing selected merchandises in a retail environment; and a centralized computing device. The centralized computing device is configured to: obtain information related to each merchandise selected and placed into the self-checkout vehicle by a shopper by exchanging data with the plurality of sensors and components via a first communication network, identify each merchandise via a second, different communication network based at least upon the information obtained from the plurality of sensors and components, and process payment information of each merchandise.

A system for monitoring shopping carts or other human-propelled carts includes wireless access points that communicate on a wireless network with wheel assemblies of the carts. The system is capable of monitoring a path followed by a cart in a store or building, and using the path (optionally together with other criteria) to determine whether to authorize the cart to exit. For example, if a shopping cart fails to pass through a checkout lane of a store, the system may perform an action that blocks or inhibits the shipping cart from exiting the store. The wheel assemblies may include LEDs or other visual indicators that alert store personnel when a wheel assembly is in a particular state.

In some embodiments, shopping cart apparatuses are provided herein useful to enable a consumer to reach commercial products positioned above the consumer. In some embodiments, a cart frame having cart wheels coupled to the cart frame is provided. A slide mechanism is slidably cooperated with the cart frame. A weight-bearing platform is secured with the slide mechanism and sliding between stowed and deployed positions such that the weight-bearing platform is moved away from a rear portion of the cart frame when the slide mechanism is in the deployed position. A restricting element is positioned near a front cart wheel and restricts the rotation thereof when the slide mechanism is in the deployed position. A support element is affixed to the weight-bearing platform. An elevating element is secured to the slide mechanism and configured to elevate the cart frame when the threshold amount of pressure is applied upon the weight-bearing platform.

A shopping cart includes a cart body, a handle attached to the cart body on a front side thereof, a terminal attached to the cart body and including a display screen on a rear side of the cart body and on which information of an item stored in the shopping cart can be displayed, and a basket table attached to the cart body at a position lower than the display screen and the handle and located between the display screen and the handle when viewed from above.

Various embodiments herein relate to powered pusher devices configured to push wheeled objects from one location to another. Further embodiments relate to wheeled objects such as carts for transporting items from one location to another. Other embodiments relate to platform powered pushers that can be coupled to a family of various wheeled objects.