Planogram Notification Override for Low-Confidence Shelf Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for monitoring product placement in retail stores are inefficient and do not allow for continuous monitoring of dynamically changing displays, leading to nonuniform compliance with product-related guidelines.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for capturing, collecting, and analyzing images of products in retail stores using image processing and sensors to automatically identify disparities between desired and actual product placement, and to provide alerts or incentives for non-employee individuals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual monitoring of product placement is used, then compliance can be monitored, but it is inefficient and results in nonuniform compliance among retailers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical monitoring with an automated image processing system that captures images of product displays, processes them through algorithms, and automatically determines compliance status. This substitution eliminates human inefficiency and inconsistency, providing uniform compliance monitoring across all retail locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service monitoring where the image processing system autonomously captures, analyzes, and evaluates product placement compliance without requiring human intervention. The system serves itself by automatically comparing actual placement against planogram requirements and generating compliance reports.
2Reliability
If manual monitoring is used, then some compliance checking is possible, but it does not allow for continuous monitoring of dynamically changing product displays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous monitoring through automated image capture devices that continuously or periodically capture images of product displays. The system maintains continuous useful action by automatically processing images and updating compliance status without interruption, ensuring real-time monitoring of dynamically changing product arrangements.
3Productivity
If automated image processing is implemented, then continuous monitoring is enabled, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing an integrated system where a single image processing platform performs multiple functions: capturing images, processing images, comparing against planograms, determining compliance, and generating reports. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized devices, thereby managing complexity while maintaining high automation capability.
4Measurement precision
If automated notification system is used, then compliance alerts are provided, but false alerts may be generated due to product misidentification
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the system continuously monitors identification confidence levels and adjusts its notification behavior accordingly. When confidence is low, the system withholds notifications or flags them for manual review. This feedback loop prevents false alerts while maintaining high detection accuracy for confident identifications.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for automatically identifying situations to withhold planogram incompliance notifications in a retail store is disclosed. The system has a processor that receives image data depicting products displayed on a store shelf from image sensors mounted in the retail store. The processor identifies a product type associated with the displayed products and determines a placement of products of that product type on the shelf. The processor accesses a planogram describing a desired placement of products and identifies, based on the planogram, a discrepancy between the determined placement of products and the desired placement of product. The processor determines whether a notice-override condition exists. If a notice-override condition exists, the processor, withholds issuance of a user-notification associated with the identified discrepancy. If a notice-override condition does not exist, the processor issues the user-notification associated with the identified discrepancy.