Multiple frequency band braking apparatus with magnetic force interposer

Abstract

A shopping cart wheel includes a braking apparatus, and electronics that control the braking apparatus in response to wireless signals. The wireless signals include low frequency electromagnetic signals within a low frequency band and high frequency signals within a high frequency band. The braking apparatus includes a moveable interposer and an interposer controller where the moveable interposer is moved between braking and non-breaking positions at least partially with magnetic force.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A shopping cart wheel comprising:
 a non-rotating component;   a rotating component configured to rotate relative to the non-rotating component unless the shopping cart wheel is in a braking configuration where a moveable interposer is lodged between the rotating component and the non-rotating component;   a low frequency antenna;   a high frequency antenna;   a low frequency receiver electrically connected to the low frequency antenna and configured to receive one or more low frequency signals through the low frequency antenna, the one or more low frequency signals transmitted within a low frequency band;   a high frequency receiver electrically connected to the high frequency antenna and configured to receive one or more high frequency wireless signals through the high frequency antenna, the one or more high frequency wireless signals transmitted within a high frequency band having a lower limit greater than an upper limit of the low frequency band; and   an interposer controller connected to the low frequency receiver and the high frequency receiver, the interposer controller configured to place the shopping cart wheel in the braking configuration in response to the one or more low frequency signals and to take the shopping cart wheel out of the braking configuration in response to the one or more high frequency signals, the interposer controller configured to take the shopping cart out of the braking configuration by moving the moveable interposer from being positioned between the rotating component and the non-rotating component at least partially using magnetic force between the moveable interposer and a component of the interposer controller.   
     
     
         2 . The shopping cart wheel of  claim 1 , wherein the high frequency band is defined by an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard. 
     
     
         3 . The shopping cart wheel of  claim 1 , wherein the interposer controller is configured to determine a state of the shopping cart wheel and, based on the state and a received wireless signal, to place the shopping cart wheel in the braking configuration. 
     
     
         4 . The shopping cart wheel of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
 place the shopping cart wheel in the braking configuration in response to the low frequency receiver receiving a first low frequency wireless signal;   place the shopping cart wheel out of the braking configuration in response to the low frequency receiver receiving a second low frequency wireless signal;   place the shopping cart wheel in the braking configuration in response to the high frequency receiver receiving a first high frequency signal wireless signal; and   place the shopping cart wheel out of the braking configuration in response to the high frequency receiver receiving a second high frequency wireless signal.   
     
     
         5 . The shopping cart wheel of  claim 4 , wherein a frequency of the first low frequency signal and a frequency of the second low frequency signal are less than 9 KHz. 
     
     
         6 . The shopping cart wheel of  claim 5 , wherein the frequency of the first low frequency signal and the frequency of the second low frequency signal are about 8 KHz. 
     
     
         7 . The shopping cart wheel of  claim 4 , wherein a frequency of the first high frequency signal and a frequency of the second high frequency signal are greater than 2.3 GHz. 
     
     
         8 . The shopping cart wheel of  claim 7 , wherein the frequency of the first high frequency signal and the frequency of the second high frequency signal are about 2.4 GHz. 
     
     
         9 . A shopping cart wheel comprising:
 a rotating component having a rotating component feature;   a non-rotating component having a non-rotating component feature;   a moveable interposer configured to inhibit rotation of the rotating component relative to the non-rotating component when the moveable interposer is in a braking position where the moveable interposer is positioned between the rotating component feature and the non-rotating component feature and configured to not inhibit rotation of the rotating component relative to the non-rotating component when the moveable interposer is in a non-braking position where the moveable interposer is not positioned between the rotating component feature and the non-rotating component feature;   a low frequency antenna;   a high frequency antenna;   a low frequency receiver electrically connected to the low frequency antenna and configured to receive one or more low frequency signals through the low frequency antenna;   a high frequency receiver electrically connected to the high frequency antenna and configured to receive one or more high frequency wireless signals; and   an interposer controller connected to the low frequency receiver and the high frequency receiver, the interposer controller configured to move the moveable interposer between the braking position and the non-braking position in response to the one or more low frequency signals and the one or more high frequency signals, where movement of the moveable interposer to the non-braking position is at least partially due to magnetic force between the moveable interposer and a component of the interposer controller.   
     
     
         10 . The shopping cart wheel of  claim 9 , wherein the interposer controller comprises electronics configured to determine a state of the shopping cart wheel and, based on the state and a received wireless signal, to generate a first control signal to place the moveable interposer in the braking position and a second control signal to place the moveable interposer in the non-braking position. 
     
     
         11 . The shopping cart wheel of  claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to:
 place the moveable interposer in the braking position in response to the low frequency receiver receiving a first low frequency wireless signal;   place the moveable interposer in the non-braking position in response to the low frequency receiver receiving a second low frequency wireless signal;   place the moveable interposer in the braking position in response to the high frequency receiver receiving a first high frequency signal wireless signal; and   place the moveable interposer in the non-braking position in response to the high frequency receiver receiving a second high frequency wireless signal.   
     
     
         12 . The shopping cart wheel of  claim 11 , wherein a frequency of the first low frequency signal and a frequency of the second low frequency signal are less than 9 KHz. 
     
     
         13 . The shopping cart wheel of  claim 12 , wherein the frequency of the first low frequency signal and the frequency of the second low frequency signal are about 8 KHz. 
     
     
         14 . The shopping cart wheel of  claim 11 , wherein a frequency of the first high frequency signal and a frequency of the second high frequency signal are greater than 2.3 GHz. 
     
     
         15 . The shopping cart wheel of  claim 14 , wherein the frequency of the first high frequency signal and the frequency of the second high frequency signal are about 2.4 GHz. 
     
     
         16 . A shopping cart wheel comprising:
 a non-rotating component;   a rotating component configured to rotate relative to the non-rotating component unless the shopping cart wheel is in a braking configuration where a moveable interposer is lodged between the rotating component and the non-rotating component;   an interposer controller configured to place the shopping cart wheel in the non-braking configuration at least partially by moving the moveable interposer with magnetic force between the moveable interposer and a component of the interposer controller; and   electronics configured to place the shopping cart wheel in the non-braking configuration in response to a wireless signal received within a first frequency band defined by an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard, the electronics configured to place the shopping cart wheel in the braking configuration in response to an electromagnetic signal received within a second frequency band lower than the first frequency band.   
     
     
         17 . The shopping cart wheel of  claim 16 , wherein the electronics are configured to place the shopping cart wheel in the braking configuration in response to another wireless signal received within the first frequency band and to place the shopping cart wheel in the non-braking configuration in response to another electromagnetic signal received within the second frequency band. 
     
     
         18 . The shopping cart wheel of  claim 17 , wherein the first frequency band includes 2.4 GHz and the second frequency band includes 8 KHz. 
     
     
         19 . The shopping cart wheel of  claim 17 , wherein the rotating component comprises a wall and the non-rotating component comprises a non-rotating component feature and where the shopping cart wheel is in the braking configuration at least when a moveable interposer is positioned in a braking position where the moveable interposer is between the wall and the non-rotating component feature, the shopping cart wheel further comprising a release mechanism configured to release, the moveable interposer from a non-braking position to allow the moveable interposer to move to the braking position, the electronics configured to actuate the release mechanism to release the moveable interposer in response to detection of at least one of the electromagnetic signal and the another wireless signal. 
     
     
         20 . The shopping cart wheel of  claim 16 , wherein the moveable interposer moves to the braking position at least partially due to gravity.