Mobile Device Initial Point Determination Using Decodable Indicia
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing RFID-based inventory systems are time-consuming and inefficient for retail floor inventory management, as they require manual scanning and lack assurance that all items have been inventoried, especially when dealing with complex retail fixtures.
Innovation Solution
A reader system that uses a mobile device with a camera and image processing capabilities to capture and decode indicia on retail objects, determining the initial point and orientation relative to the object, allowing for automated scan path determination and error correction, thereby streamlining the inventory process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual RFID scanning is used for inventory management, then all items can be inventoried, but the process is time-consuming and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical scanning operations with an automated optical imaging system. A camera captures images of barcodes and RFID tags on inventory items, and image processing algorithms automatically decode the information, eliminating the need for manual scanning and significantly reducing inventory time
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates visual copies (images) of inventory item identifiers (barcodes and RFID tags) and processes these copies to extract information. This allows simultaneous reading of multiple items without physical contact or sequential scanning, improving productivity while reducing time loss
2Loss of time
If automated image processing is used to capture inventory data, then inventory time is reduced, but determination of reader position and orientation relative to objects is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces decodable indicia (barcodes and RFID tags) as intermediary elements on inventory items and fixtures. These indicia serve as reference points that the imaging system can detect and use to calculate position and orientation, simplifying the overall system while enabling automated inventory
Solution Approach 2:
The patent pre-establishes the spatial relationships and coordinates of decodable indicia on fixtures before inventory taking. This preliminary setup allows the system to quickly determine reader position and orientation during inventory without complex real-time calculations, reducing both time and complexity
3Reliability
If comprehensive inventory coverage is ensured, then all items are accounted for, but it is difficult to verify whether all fixtures have been inventoried
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the system tracks which fixtures and items have been successfully inventoried by processing their decodable indicia. This feedback allows operators to verify inventory completion in real-time, ensuring comprehensive coverage while simplifying the verification process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses visual indicators (such as colored displays or markers) to show the status of inventory completion for different fixtures. This visual feedback system makes it easy to verify which areas have been inventoried and which remain, improving both reliability and ease of operation
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method of determining an initial point for a scan path may include acquiring, using a mobile device, an image of an object, the image comprising decodable indicia. Using the mobile device, data is decoded from the decodable indicia. Indicia dimensions of the decodable indicia are determined based on the data, and image dimensions of the decodable indicia in the image are determined. An initial location of the mobile device is calculated relative to the decodable indicia based on a geometric relationship between the indicia dimensions of the decodable indicia and the image dimensions of the decodable indicia in the image.