According to one embodiment, a shopping support apparatus for a retail store includes a display screen and a control unit. The control unit causes a store map to be displayed on the display screen and acquires a commodity code for a commodity for sale in the store to register the commodity corresponding to the acquired commodity code in a sales transaction. The sales transaction list is displayed on the display screen along with a button for requesting a recipe for a dish including the commodity. The control unit acquires recipes for dishes including the commodity for when the button is pressed, and then displays images associated with the acquired recipes on the display screen along with an ingredient list button for each. An ingredients list for a selected dish is shown for a dish when selected and a location of any unregistered ingredient is displayed on the store map.

Methods, systems, and machine readable medium are provided for autonomous item identification in an environment including a mobile computational device and a container. One or more sensors are disposed at the container to sense a selected item being placed in the container. In response to sensing the selected item being placed in the container, a location of the container is determined using a positioning system. One or more physical characteristics of the selected item is sensed via the one or more sensors at the container. A set of stored characteristics is retrieved from a database for available items proximate to the location of the container. An identification code for the selected item is identified based on a comparison of the one or more physical characteristics of the selected item with the stored characteristics retrieved from the database of the available items based on the location of the container.

A weight system includes a cart comprising a plurality of wheels and a frame on the plurality of wheels. The frame has a plurality of rails, and a basket is suspended from the plurality of rails of the frame. A weight sensor is coupled at one end to the suspended basket and attached at another end to one of the plurality of rails of the frame from which the basket is suspended. The weight sensor is adapted to detect weight change of the basket when an item is placed into or removed from the basket.

An information providing apparatus including a detection unit of at least one computer, a decision unit of the at least one computer, and a sound control circuit. The detection unit detects a position and a movement direction of a moving object in an area in which an article, corresponding to information that is provided, is disposed. The decision unit decides a direction in which the information is provided to the moving object from a relationship between the position of the moving object, the movement direction of the moving object, and a position in the area of the article. The sound control circuit controls a sound output attached to the moving object to localize a sound image according to the information in the direction decided.

The present disclosure discloses a smart shopping cart, comprising a shopping basket provided with a cover plate which may be tilted toward the interior of the shopping basket to form an entrance; and the shopping cart further comprises a scanner configured to scan a barcode of a commodity placed on the cover plate to acquire an identity and/or a price of the commodity; a first scale configured to measure a weight of the commodity; a controller configured to generate settlement information of the commodity based on at least one of the identity, the price, and the weight of the commodity, and add the settlement information to a settlement list to update the settlement list; and a display comprising a first display area on which the settlement list is able to be displayed. The present disclosure further discloses a smart shopping system including the shopping cart described above.

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.

A shopping trolley includes a basket, two or more wheel assemblies, a chassis coupled to the basket and the two or more wheels assemblies, and a handle assembly. The handle assembly is coupled to the basket and/or the chassis, and includes a handle and one or more optical sensors. The shopping trolley also includes a processing unit that is configured to facilitate classification of items scanned by at least one of the one or more optical sensors, at least in part by (i) processing electronic signals generated by the at least one optical sensor, or (ii) causing a transmitter of the shopping trolley to transmit the first electronic signals, or data derived therefrom, to a server. The shopping trolley also includes a power unit configured to provide power to the processing unit and the one or more optical sensors.

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 shopping trolley for self-service shopping, includes a frame (1) supported by wheels (51, 52) The frame includes longitudinal beams (2) which at an upper end portion are coupled to each other by a handrail (3) that extends transverse thereto. A suspension assembly (4) extends operatively intermediate of the wheels and the frame. A scale (7) that includes an upward facing weighing surface is operatively supported by the frame. The shopping trolley includes a removable shopping bag (9) with a bottom (91). A pair of releasable grips (8) are operable to secure the shopping bag in a position with its bottom (91) on the weighing surface of the scale. An electronic terminal (6) is in operative connection with the scale.

A shopping trolley for self-service shopping, includes a frame (1) supported by wheels (51, 52) The frame includes longitudinal beams (2) which at an upper end portion are coupled to each other by a handrail (3) that extends transverse thereto. A suspension assembly (4) extends operatively intermediate of the wheels and the frame. A scale (7) that includes an upward facing weighing surface is operatively supported by the frame. The shopping trolley includes a removable shopping bag (9) with a bottom (91). A pair of releasable grips (8) are operable to secure the shopping bag in a position with its bottom (91) on the weighing surface of the scale. An electronic terminal (6) is in operative connection with the scale.