Edge Gateway Video Analysis for Autonomous Cart Registration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shopping systems require substantial remodeling of shopping carts to securely image commodities, limiting customer autonomy in commodity registration.
Innovation Solution
A commodity registration support apparatus and system that includes a video acquiring unit, a counting unit, a number-of-commodities acquiring unit, and a number-of-commodities comparison information output unit, allowing customers to register commodities without remodeling the shopping cart by comparing the number of commodities counted from video footage with the number registered by the system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the shopping cart is substantially remodeled to securely image the commodity, then the reliability of commodity imaging is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an external imaging apparatus as an intermediary device that is separate from the shopping cart. This mediator captures images of commodities placed in the cart and transmits them to a server for processing, thereby achieving reliable imaging without remodeling the shopping cart itself. The intermediary handles the complex imaging functions externally.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical imaging systems (cameras and image processing units integrated into the shopping cart) with a server-based system. The server receives image data from a simple imaging apparatus and performs comprehensive processing, substituting complex mechanical systems with a centralized computational approach.
2Measurement precision
If the shopping cart is substantially remodeled to securely image the commodity, then the measurement precision of commodity registration is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables self-service commodity registration by having the customer simply place items in the shopping cart while the system automatically captures images and processes registration. The customer does not need to manually scan or input commodity information - the system serves itself by using the imaging apparatus and server to automatically register commodities.
Solution Approach 2:
The imaging apparatus acts as an intermediary that automatically captures commodity images without requiring customer intervention. This mediator handles the precise measurement and registration tasks automatically, maintaining high measurement precision while keeping the customer's operation simple.
3Reliability
If a video acquiring unit and counting unit are added to compare commodity numbers, then the reliability of fraud detection is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The server performs multiple functions including receiving image data, counting commodities, comparing counts with registration data, and detecting fraud. By making the server multi-functional, the patent avoids adding separate dedicated devices for each function, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while maintaining high fraud detection reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The server acts as an intermediary that processes all data and performs fraud detection centrally. Rather than embedding complex detection mechanisms in the shopping cart, the server mediates between the simple imaging apparatus and the registration system, handling complex comparisons and fraud detection externally.
Data Source
AI summary
An edge gateway supports an operation of a cart terminal that registers a commodity. The edge gateway includes a video acquiring unit that acquires a video of the commodity being put in a basket that stores the commodity and an identification number of the basket, a commodity counting unit that counts, from the acquired video, a first number that is the number of commodities put in the basket, a commodity registration information acquiring unit that acquires a second number that is a number of commodities read by the cart terminal until registration completion, and a number-of-commodities comparison information output unit that outputs, on condition that the first number and the second number do not match, the identification number, the first number, and the second number in order to cause a portable terminal carried by a store clerk to alert the store clerk.