Image-Based Product Identification for Shipping Slip Generation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shipping operations for printed products, such as flyers and business cards, are cumbersome due to the need for capturing and identifying images of each product individually, leading to inefficiencies when multiple products are shipped to the same destination, and require the operator to search for mixed captured and uncaptured images.
Innovation Solution
An information processing device generates print data for delivery slips by capturing images of printed products and using similar image search technology to associate the images with stored data, allowing for automatic identification of delivery destinations without the need for pre-attached barcodes, thereby streamlining the shipping process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the barcode is attached to the products in advance for identification, then the product identification accuracy is improved, but the ease of manufacture deteriorates due to design constraints and blank space limitations of printed products
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses image capture to create a digital copy of the printed product instead of attaching a physical barcode. The imaging device captures an image of the printed product, and this image data is used for identification and delivery destination determination, eliminating the need for physical barcode attachment while maintaining identification accuracy.
2Ease of manufacture
If the image of each printed product is captured one by one for identification, then the product identification is achieved without barcodes, but the productivity deteriorates due to cumbersome shipping operation when multiple products are shipped to the same destination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple product images into a single composite image when multiple printed products are to be shipped to the same destination. The system determines that multiple products share the same delivery destination and combines their images, allowing simultaneous processing and identification without requiring individual capture and temporary storage of each product.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary determination of delivery destinations by analyzing image data before the actual shipping operation. By pre-identifying which products share the same destination, the system prepares the necessary information in advance, allowing operators to process multiple products efficiently without repeated individual identification steps.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the captured images are mixed with uncaptured images, then the shipping operation becomes more flexible, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to the need for manual searching of captured images
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an imaging device and image processing system as an intermediary between the printed products and the shipping operation. Instead of directly handling and searching through physical captured images, the system uses digital image data and automatic recognition algorithms to identify products and their delivery destinations, eliminating the need for manual searching while maintaining operational flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
An information processing device extracts a partial area corresponding to a newly placed printed product, from a captured image as a result of capturing an image of a predetermined image capturing area in which a printed product generated based on an order is placed, acquires from the table, slip information corresponding to image data obtained by searching the table for image data representing an image that matches or is similar to an image in the partial area, and generates print data of a slip corresponding to the newly placed printed product based on the acquired slip information.