Shopping Cart Imaging for Retail Item Availability Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Online concierge systems lack efficient methods to determine inventory availability across different retailers due to inconsistent data formats and complex integration requirements, leading to high computational and operational costs.
Innovation Solution
Utilizing shopping carts equipped with cameras to capture images of retailer displays and automatically determine item availability, reducing the need for data reformatting and human intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the online concierge system requests inventory data from retailers, then availability information can be obtained, but the data requires complex reformatting and interpretation due to inconsistent formats across different retailers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses optical copies (images) of inventory items captured by shopping cart cameras instead of requesting and reformatting structured data from retailers. The images directly represent the physical inventory state, eliminating the need for complex data reformatting while preserving complete availability information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/data-processing system (requesting, receiving, and reformatting structured inventory data) with an optical imaging system (shopping cart cameras capturing images of inventory). This substitution eliminates the complexity of data reformatting by directly observing the physical inventory state.
2Quantity of substance
If the online concierge system processes inventory data from multiple retailers with different recording methods, then comprehensive availability data can be collected, but significant computing resources are required to ensure data consistency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses visual copies (images) captured by shopping cart cameras to represent inventory availability across multiple retailers. These images provide direct visual evidence of item availability without requiring complex computational processing to reconcile different data formats, thereby reducing computational resource requirements while maintaining comprehensive coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The shopping cart system performs self-service by capturing its own images of inventory items as it moves through retailer locations. This eliminates the need for the online concierge system to process and reconcile data from multiple retailers, significantly reducing computational resource requirements.
3Measurement precision
If manual verification of item availability is performed, then accurate inventory information can be obtained, but operational costs and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous automatic imaging of inventory items by shopping carts as they move through retailer locations. This continuous capture process provides ongoing updates on inventory availability without requiring periodic manual verification, thereby maintaining high measurement precision while reducing time consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The shopping cart system automatically captures and transmits images of inventory items as it moves through the retailer, performing self-service inventory monitoring. This eliminates the need for manual verification by store employees, reducing both operational costs and time consumption while maintaining accurate inventory information.
Data Source
AI summary
An online concierge system may use images received from shopping carts within retailers to determine the availability of items within those retailers. A shopping cart includes externally-facing cameras that automatically capture images of the area around the shopping cart as the shopping cart travels through a retailer. The online concierge system receives these images, which depict displays within the retailers from which a picker or a retailer patron can collect items. The online concierge system determines which items should be depicted in the images and which items are actually depicted in the images. The online concierge system identifies which items should be depicted, but are not depicted, and determines that these items are unavailable (e.g., out of stock) at that retailer. The online concierge system updates an availability database to indicate that these items are unavailable and may notify the retailer that the item is unavailable.