Portable Device OCR Product Identification Vector Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing shopping experience in retail stores is inefficient due to the need for customers to manually search through numerous products and then physically transport them to a point-of-sale system, which can be time-consuming and cumbersome, especially with the limitations of traditional product identification methods.
Innovation Solution
A system and method utilizing portable computing devices with optical character recognition (OCR) and vector modeling to identify products through image processing, reducing the need for secondary identification modes and enhancing computational efficiency by locally processing images and generating query product vectors for rapid product recognition and recommendation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional manual product search and physical transport to point-of-sale is used, then customers can identify and purchase products, but the process is time-consuming and cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical search and physical transport with automated optical character recognition (OCR) technology. The system captures images of products, extracts text information using OCR, and automatically identifies products, eliminating the need for manual searching and physical transport to point-of-sale systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service product identification by allowing customers to use their own portable computing devices to capture and process product images. The automated OCR and identification processes occur without requiring staff intervention or manual processing at point-of-sale locations.
2Speed
If image processing and OCR are performed locally on portable devices, then response speed improves and network bandwidth is reduced, but device computational resources must be sufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the image processing workflow into distinct stages: local image capture and initial processing on the portable device, followed by selective data transmission to remote servers for additional processing. This segmentation allows fast local response while utilizing remote computational resources for complex tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions locally on the portable device by capturing images and extracting text information through OCR before transmitting data to remote servers. This preliminary processing reduces the amount of data that needs to be transmitted and enables faster initial response.
3Measurement precision
If multiple secondary identification modes are used, then product identification accuracy improves, but system complexity and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the OCR-based text extraction system universal by demonstrating that it can handle multiple product types and packaging formats through a single unified approach. The system extracts text from various product labels and packaging elements, eliminating the need for separate identification modes for different product categories.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly reduces the time and complexity of product identification, improves response speed, and minimizes network bandwidth usage while maintaining accurate results, allowing for seamless integration with point-of-sale systems and virtual cart management.
Implementation Method 1
performing an optical character recognition (OCR) on the image and identifying a set of text from the image
Data Source
AI summary
Some embodiments provide systems to identify products comprising: product vector database; a plurality of portable computing devices comprising a camera and a control circuit configured to: access an image captured by the camera; perform an optical character recognition on the image; apply a vector modeling rule to key text, generate a first query product vector and wirelessly communicate the first query product vector to the product recommendation system; the product recommendation system is configured to apply a vector evaluation rule to the first query product vector to identify a first product; and wirelessly communicate to the portable computing device the first product identifier; wherein the control circuit receives the first product identifier, accesses a product information, causes product information to be displayed; and causes the first product to be virtually added to a virtual cart.