Patent Application
20160059875
The present invention relates to transportation of carts, and, more particularly to a train of one or more carts that may be unconnected to one another following a traveler or a lead cart through remote control.
Travelers move multiple carts by loading them onto a cart. This requires heavy lifting onto and off the cart. Pushing the loaded cart also generates a certain amount of strain. This is particularly strenuous over the long distances commonly found in airports, train stations and bus stations.
It would also be useful to have a better way to move multiple carts, particularly heavy carts, whether suitcases, trolley-type suitcases, baby strollers, prams, supermarket carts, cargo carts, etc.
There is a compelling need to have an apparatus and method that will provide a more convenient way for individuals to transport multiple carts, particular heavy carts.
One aspect of the present invention is a cart transportation system, comprising: one or more carts; a communication device incorporating a user controller, the user controller including at least a transmitter unit, the user controller for wirelessly transmitting electronic instructions via a communications protocol in at least one wavelength to either (i) each cart controller in the one or more carts or to (ii) a lead cart of the one or more carts, for each cart of the one or more carts, a navigation system for self-mobility in communication with the user controller, the navigation system including at least (i) a set of traction drivers for movement along a ground, (ii) a motor connected to the set of traction drivers for actuating the set of traction drivers and for turning at least one traction driver of the set of traction drivers; and (iii) a cart controller powered by a power supply and including a processor and software, a transmitter unit and a receiver unit, the cart controller of a particular cart of the one or more carts for controlling the motor, transmitter unit and receiver unit and for transmitting and receiving electronic instructions so as to define and control the functionality of the particular cart in the one or more carts in accordance with at least one of the following: (i) to follow the communications device held or worn by a user; (ii) to return to a base station; (iii) to follow other carts of the one or more carts; and (iv) to move from a first location to a second location.
A further aspect of the present invention is a cart transportation system comprising a cart transportation system, comprising one or more carts that are each self-mobile; a lead magnet that alone, or incorporated into a device, is portable or wearable by a user; each cart of the one or more carts having a set of wheels for moving along a ground and having a follower magnet either inside said each cart or rigidly affixed to said each cart such that the said each cart follows the user when the user moves, the magnetic force between the follower magnet and the lead magnet effective to apply at least a force of 10 newtons when the lead magnet and follower magnet are magnetically linked.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, descriptions and claims.
Various embodiments are herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.
The present invention generally provides a way of transporting one or more carts, which may for example be pieces of baggage/luggage in an airport or supermarket carts at a supermarket, without the user having to manually pull, lift or push the carts. Examples of applications of the present invention include one or more of the following: (a) having one or more carts, such as a suitcase or item of baggage or shopping cart or airport cart or lift cart, automatically follow a user such as a traveler, worker or a supermarket customer; (b) having multiple items of baggage follow one another; (c) direct a cart to move to a local station (for example returning a shopping cart to a supermarket's local station storing its supermarket carts) (d) having a baby stroller, perambulator or pram either following the mother automatically and independently, or else having it move along automatically with the mother also holding and pushing it, so as to facilitate the mother's efforts.
In one preferred embodiment, the system comprises one or more carts; a communication device incorporating a user controller, the user controller including at least a transmitter unit (and preferably also a receiver unit), the user controller for wirelessly transmitting (and in a preferred embodiment also receiving from) electronic instructions via a communications protocol in at least one wavelength to either (i) each cart controller in the one or more carts or to (ii) one or more lead carts of the one or more carts. In the latter case, the lead cart or carts then defines and controls the remaining carts of the one or more carts. For each cart of the one or more carts, a navigation system for self-mobility in communication with the user controller, the navigation system including at least (i) a set of traction drivers for movement along a ground, (ii) a motor connected to the set of traction drivers for actuating the set of traction drivers and for turning at least one traction driver of the set of traction drivers; and (iii) a cart controller powered by a power supply and including a processor and software, a transmitter unit and a receiver unit, the cart controller of a particular cart of the one or more carts for controlling the motor, transmitter unit and receiver unit and for transmitting and receiving electronic instructions so as to define and control the functionality of the particular cart in the one or more carts in accordance with at least one of the following: (i) to follow the communications device held or worn by a user; (ii) to return to a base station; (iii) to follow other carts of the one or more carts; and (iv) to move from a first location to a second location.
In other preferred embodiments, the controller is in wireless communication with at least one lead cart and the at least one lead cart is directly or indirectly in wireless communication with each remaining cart of the plurality. The term “lead” cart simply refers to a situation, in certain preferred embodiments, where at least one “lead” cart, which may be communication with the controller, may direct other carts of the one or more carts.
In contrast to prior art groups of luggage or other cart transportation systems, (where the word “cart” includes a piece of luggage, a shopping cart, etc. as that word is defined herein) in which each cart has to be pushed, pulled and lifted manually, the system of the present invention may utilize carts that move themselves without any manual intervention. In contrast to prior art luggage assemblies that can be rolled along the floor manually, the present invention allows the user to walk ahead and have the luggage simply follow the user, who may be holding or wearing the controller. In contrast to prior art systems, in which heavy luggage has to be manually loaded onto a trolley in order to transport all the pieces of luggage in unison, such as all the luggage of a family that is traveling, the cart system of the present invention allows the carts (i.e. pieces of luggage) to move along the ground on their won without any lifting or even tilting of the luggage.
The principles and operation of System of Self-Mobile Carts With Their Own Navigation Systems may be better understood with reference to the drawings and the accompanying description.
A signal used in this transportation system can be digital or analog. A receiver unit has an antenna and a transmitter unit has an antenna.
The term “follow” as used herein in the context of following an object or user includes following the object or user from behind, from the front, from a side or from an angle to the user or to the object.
A shown in
System 10 may also include a communication device incorporating a user controller 30. The user controller 30 may include at least a transmitter unit 32 and preferably also a receiver unit 34. User controller 30 may thereby control wirelessly transmitting electronic instructions via a communications protocol, in at least one wavelength, to at least one cart controller 40 of at least one cart in the one or more carts 20, and in a preferred embodiment also controls wireless receiving electronic instructions via the communications protocol from at least one cart controller 40. In one preferred embodiment, that shown in
In any embodiment of the present invention, the number of carts 20 in the one or more carts 20 in any preferred embodiment of the present invention can be any number, for example a plurality of carts, and is not of course limited to two carts, four carts or a specific number of carts depicted in any of the drawings herein.
In a different preferred embodiment in which the one or more carts is a plurality of carts, the user controller 30 wirelessly transmits electronic instructions via the communications protocol in at least one wavelength to one or more lead carts 20A (
Typically, user controller 30 has fewer capabilities than cart controller 40, although in one preferred embodiment shown in
Typically, as shown in
For each cart 20 of the one or more carts 20, system 10 may include a navigation system 60 for self-mobility in communication with the user controller 30. As seen from
In a preferred embodiment the traction drivers 62 are wheels 62. In other preferred embodiments, instead of a wheel, the cart may have a track (not shown) as its traction driver 62.
Navigation system 60 may also include a motor 64 connected to the set of traction drivers 62 for actuating the set of traction drivers 62 and for turning at least one traction driver 62 of the set of traction drivers. In a preferred embodiment, motor 64 is configured to turn all traction drivers 62 in the set of traction drivers, or at least two or at least three or at least four traction drivers 62, which may be wheels 62. The set of traction drivers 62 may be connected to the motor 64 and controlled (for example via the motor 64) by the controller 40 in such a way as to allow each cart to travel forward, travel backward, turn left and turn right. The term “ground” includes any place that is sufficiently solidified and on which a cart with a traction driver can move to transport items in the cart 20. A ground may or may not have earth and may have a man-made or natural floor. The ground need only be solidified enough for a vehicle with traction drivers to move along on it. The ground may be level or may not be level. In a preferred embodiment, the ground is dry, although in other preferred embodiments, the ground may be comprised of fluid, in which case, for example a body of water may interact with a traction driver to move a cart forward.
As shown in
In one preferred embodiment, all carts 20 of the one or more carts have the same functionality. In another preferred embodiment, one cart 20 may be defined to follow a user and one or more of the other carts of the one or more carts 20 may have been defined by the cart controller 40 to follow other carts, while a still further cart has been defined to return to a base station.
In other preferred embodiments, the cart controller defines and controls the functionality of each cart in the plurality in accordance with at least one of the following: (i) to follow the communications device held or worn by a user; (ii) to return to a base station; (iii) to follow other carts of the one or more carts. In still other preferred embodiments, the cart controller defines the functionality of each cart in the plurality in accordance with at least one of the following: (i) to follow the communications device held or worn by a user; and (ii) to follow other carts of the one or more carts.
Cart controller 40 may be powered by any suitable power supply 49, which may include a DC power source (i.e. battery, cell) or direct power supply, a system of converting sunlight, a system of converting motion of wind or air power or human movement to electricity or in some cases converting a mechanical movement of the wheels to electrical energy, or any combination of these examples. The power can also, in certain preferred embodiments, an AC power source that may have electric wiring to an electric outlet, especially in cases where the controller is not situated in any of the carts 20 of system 10.
Cart controller 40 may control wireless electronic communication to user controller 30. Although cart controller 40 may control wireless communication with user controller 30, cart controller 40 may communicate through a wired connection to other components of the cart or wirelessly (for example cart controller 40 of first cart 20A may communicate either wirelessly or through a wired connection with any of the components of first cart 20A and likewise cart controller 40 of second cart 20B may communicate either wirelessly or by wired connection to other components of second cart 20B, and so on for each cart of the one or more carts 20.
Cart controller 40 may include a CPU 70 and software 71, a transmitter unit 66 and a receiver unit 68 for transmitting and receiving wirelessly via a communications protocol. The communications protocol is such as to render wireless communications to be possible between all components of system 10 that may be included in system 10, for example the cart controller 40, motor 64, GPS, display, power supply, wheels 62, magnetic transmitter and receiver, optical transmitter and receiver. Preferably, such wireless communication should be made possible at a high level of reliability. In some preferred embodiments, the communications protocol is a short-range communications protocol such as Bluetooth (including, for example class 1 radio for up to one meter, class two radio for up to ten meters or class three radio for up to 100 meters), NFC, WiFi, infrared or other communications protocols of suitable range, although this is not a limitation since in other preferred embodiments the communications protocol is mid-range (for example up to 200 meters or up to 400 meters or up to 800 meters or up to 1500 meters) or a long-range communications protocol.
In any of the preferred embodiments, transmitter unit 66 and receiver unit 68 of cart controller 40 may transmit and receive electronic instructions wirelessly via the communications protocol (or via a different communications protocol) (i) to and from another cart 20 of the one or more carts (i.e. a cart 20 other than the cart that the transmitter 66 or receiver 68 is inside of), (ii) to and from the communication device 31 that incorporates user controller 30, (iii) to and from a GPS system (or at least the portions of the UPS system outside system 10) and (iv) to and from a base station 99 (see
In certain preferred embodiments, the receiver unit 68 and the transmitter unit 66 of each navigation system 60 includes an optical transmitter 67 (or other transmitter) for transmitting in any of a variety of wavelengths and an optical receiver 69 (or other receiver) for receiving in any of a variety of wavelengths, the optical receiver 69 being an optical sensor. Controller 40 of navigation system 60 may also include a processor 70 and software 71 including for controlling the motor 64. Processor 70 may also control the receiver unit 68 and transmitter unit 66.
As shown in
As seen from
In other preferred embodiments, the order is set by configuring the software and/or controller by interacting with a display or other input device associated with the controller itself. Such configuring may be done manually by the user or by the provider or, in another preferred embodiment, the software may automatically configure the order in which carts 20 travel.
As seen from
In a preferred embodiment, each cart 20 of the one or more carts includes a display 94, such as an LED display 94, for displaying information. The information may include at least one of (i) a request for instructions from the user and (ii) information to the user. The information may also include a location of the cart 20, for example its location relative to one or more other carts 20 in the plurality. The displayed information may also include any other suitable information such as the order of the carts, for example “second” or “third” in the expected line of carts formed by the system, or battery level or a malfunction alert, etc.
In certain preferred embodiments the software 31 of the user controller 30 or the software 71 of the cart controller 40 of navigation system 60 of one or more particular carts 20 of the one or more carts, is programmed (or alternatively can be configured by the user) to transmit an alarm when a particular cart 20 becomes more distant than a pre-defined distance from another cart 20 of the one or more carts, which other cart 20 may be pre-defined. In other preferred embodiments, the alarm may be transmitted when the particular cart becomes more distant than a pre-defined distance from whichever cart 20 is nearest to the particular cart—either nearest in distance or in other versions nearest in order (for example the third cart may be considered nearest the fourth cart). The transmission of the alarm by the software may occur in conjunction with the transmitter unit 66 of the cart controller 40 or in conjunction with the transmitter unit 32 of the user controller 30, as the case may be.
In certain preferred embodiments, instead of the carts 20 moving in a line, they may move in other formations, such as a square or a circle or other geometric figures, which each cart at the corner of a polygonal figure (to take one example). For example, when moving forward or backward, the at least one lead cart may be situated in a center of the one or more carts and other carts of the one or more carts are each situated radially outward from the at least one lead cart.
In one preferred embodiment shown in
In a different preferred embodiment shown in
Although
Since pulling something on wheels requires a force that is only a fraction of the force needed to lift that same object, in one preferred embodiment, the magnetic force between the follower magnet and the lead magnet may be such as to be effective to apply at least a force of 10 newtons when the lead magnet and follower magnet are magnetically linked. In a further preferred embodiment, the magnetic force between the follower magnet and the lead magnet is effective to apply at least a force of 20 newtons when the lead magnet and follower magnet are magnetically linked. In a still further preferred embodiment, the magnetic force between the follower magnet and the lead magnet is effective to apply at least a force of 30 newtons when the lead magnet 91 and follower magnet 90 are magnetically linked. In other preferred embodiments, the magnetic force between the follower magnet and the lead magnet is effective to apply at least a force of 5 Newtons or at least 15, 25, 35, 40 or at least 45 Newtons when the lead magnet 91 and follower magnet 90 are magnetically linked. “Magnetically linked” may entail a situation in which the follower magnet 90 and lead magnet 90 are in contact with one another, and also a situation where they are separated by one or more coverings or containers that are in contact with one another.
The one or more carts 20 may be a plurality of carts. The follower(s) magnet 90 of a particular cart 20 of the plurality of carts may have an opposite polarity to a polarity of a follower magnet 90 of a cart 20 adjacent the particular cart 20.
In one preferred embodiment, the lead magnet 91 is attached to a leg of the user and a power supply 49 is generated by movement of the legs of the user while the user is walking, for example in an airport. The power supply 49 may include a first metal plate 49B attached to at least one leg of the user and a second metal plate 49A inside or affixed to at least one cart 20 of the one or more carts 20.
While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, it will be appreciated that many variations, modifications and other applications of the invention may be made. Therefore, the claimed invention as recited in the claims that follow is not limited to the embodiments described herein.
