Label-less Return Shipment Identification via Surface Structure Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
E-commerce customers face inconvenience when returning consignment units as they need to print a return label, requiring communication with the merchant and access to a printer.
Innovation Solution
A method that uses an image of a consignment unit's surface to generate a unique string of characters, which is associated with shipping information, allowing for label-less return shipments without the need for customer communication with the merchant or access to a printer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional return label system is used, then shipping information can be accurately communicated, but the customer experiences inconvenience requiring communication with the merchant and access to a printer
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by allowing customers to autonomously generate return labels through automated image recognition and processing. The customer simply captures an image of the consignment unit, and the system automatically extracts shipping information, generates the return label, and provides it for printing, eliminating the need for merchant communication and manual information entry.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical processes (communicating with merchant, manually entering information, accessing printer) with an automated optical and digital system. Image recognition technology captures visual information from the consignment unit, automated algorithms process the data to generate shipping labels, and digital systems manage the entire return workflow, substituting mechanical human operations with automated technological processes.
2Productivity
If automated image recognition is used to generate return labels, then customer convenience is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves multi-functionality by integrating multiple capabilities into a single platform: image capture through camera interfaces, optical character recognition for extracting shipping information, automated label generation with routing logic, and database management. This universal system handles the entire return label workflow, improving productivity while consolidating complexity into an integrated solution rather than separate manual processes.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method is disclosed which is performed by at least one first apparatus, the method comprising obtaining or causing obtaining an image of at least a part of a surface of a consignment unit; deriving or causing deriving a representation of the at least a part of the surface from the image, the representation comprising a set of values respectively representing a corresponding set of height levels of corresponding sections of the at least a part of the surface; generating or causing generating a string of characters based on the representation of the at least a part of the surface, the string of characters comprising at least a first portion representative of the set of height levels of the corresponding sections of the at least a part of the surface and a second portion generated based on a function of the representation and/or of the first portion of the string of characters; and associating or causing associating information representing the string of characters with shipping information of the consignment unit.