Mobile Product Image Capture With Live Cropping for Item Records
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Solution Overview
Problem
Building an online inventory of item records with associated images is time-consuming and resource-intensive for small retailers transitioning from brick-and-mortar retail, often requiring different devices for item record creation and imaging, leading to unsuitable images and iterative reattempts.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method using a mobile device with a camera to capture and process live streams of product images, including detection, cropping, and scaling, to create suitable images for online retail inventory records.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If professional product photography equipment and expertise are used, then image quality is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the item record creation device and product imaging device into a single mobile computing device. The mobile device integrates both the camera application for capturing product images and the item record creation functionality, eliminating the need for separate professional photography equipment and simplifying the overall system while maintaining adequate image quality for online retail purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile computing device performs multiple functions: it serves as both the item record creation device and the product imaging device. The same device captures images, processes them through live stream filtering, and stores them associated with item records, making the system more versatile and reducing the need for specialized equipment.
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate devices are used for item record creation and product imaging, then image capture flexibility is improved, but device complexity and workflow complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the previously separate item record creation device and product imaging device into a single mobile computing device. This consolidation maintains adaptability for image capture while reducing the number of devices required and simplifying the workflow between devices.
3Manufacturing precision
If iterative image capture and editing is performed, then image suitability is improved, but time consumption and resource usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by implementing live stream processing that filters and processes images in real-time before they are captured or reviewed. The mobile device processes the live stream from the camera to create a processed live stream, applying filters and adjustments beforehand so that when images are captured, they are already optimized and suitable for online retail use, reducing the need for iterative editing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides feedback by displaying the processed live stream to the user during the capture process, allowing real-time assessment of image quality and suitability. This immediate feedback enables users to make adjustments during capture rather than discovering issues after the fact, reducing iterative reattempts.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and devices for capturing images for use in online retail of product items. A mobile device having a camera may be used when building a product item record having an associated image of the product. The method of capturing a suitable image may include obtaining a product item display page for a product item, the product item display page having a designated portion defined for display of an image of the product item; obtaining a real-time live stream of images from the camera; processing the live stream from the camera to create a processed live stream, and displaying the product item display page with the processed live stream displayed within the designated portion; and storing a processed image for the product item in association with an item record for the product item.