In-Store Product Detection via Augmented Reality

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Solution Overview

Problem

Shoppers face difficulties in locating specific products in brick-and-mortar stores due to the vast variety of products and product variants, leading to challenges in identifying items on shopping lists among numerous available products.

Innovation Solution

A mobile electronic device with hardware and software components that enables automated detection of target products by processing image information, displaying an augmented reality view to highlight the products, and providing location indicators, using visual product codes, trade dress elements, or RFID signals.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If products are provided in vast variety on in-store displays, then product selection and availability are improved, but shopper ability to identify and locate specific products deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduct varietyVSAvoidproduct identification

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary system consisting of image capture devices, processors, and display devices that mediate between the diverse products and the shopper. The system captures images of products, processes them to identify target products, and presents them to shoppers through displays or mobile devices, thus facilitating product identification without reducing product variety

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the manual mechanical searching process with an automated optical and computational system. Instead of shoppers physically scanning and identifying products manually, the system uses image capture devices, computer vision algorithms, and automated processing to identify and present target products, substituting mechanical human effort with automated technological systems

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Device complexity

If manual product searching is required, then system complexity is reduced, but time spent by customers in stores increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem simplicityVSAvoidshopping time

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by pre-configuring the system with product databases, recognition criteria, and detection algorithms before shopping occurs. The system is prepared in advance to automatically recognize and identify target products, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual searching during the shopping process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces time-consuming manual product location and identification with automated optical scanning and computer vision systems. The system rapidly captures, processes, and identifies products automatically, dramatically reducing the time customers spend searching for items while managing complexity through integrated automated systems

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS11854071B2In-store product detection system

Publication Date: 2023.12.26 PAYPAL INC

AI summary

A method and system create, on a portable electronic device, a real-time graphical view of an in-store product display that pinpoints the location of one or more target products on the product display. The graphical view is generated by capturing merchandise display data, such as a video feed of the in-store product display, and processing the data to detect the one or more target products based on predefined product recognition criteria uniquely associated with the respective target products.