Retail Shelf Image Selection for Complete Inventory Views
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual inspection of product storage facilities is time-consuming and increases operational costs due to the large number of shelves and products, necessitating a more efficient inventory monitoring system.
Innovation Solution
An image capture device moves about the storage facility capturing images from various angles, with a computing device processing these images to detect products and select a single image that provides a complete view of each storage structure and its stocked items, using machine learning and computer vision to analyze and identify product storage structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual inspection of product storage areas is performed, then inventory monitoring is achieved, but time consumption and operational costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical inspection system with an automated image capture and processing system. Image capture devices take photographs of product storage areas, and computer vision algorithms automatically analyze these images to detect products, identify storage structures, and determine inventory status, eliminating the need for manual visual inspection by workers
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates digital copies (images) of the physical product storage areas. Instead of workers directly observing physical shelves, the system captures images and processes them computationally to extract inventory information, allowing multiple analyses of the same physical space without additional time investment
2Measurement precision
If multiple images of a product storage structure are captured from different angles, then complete product detection is improved, but data processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by capturing multiple images of the same product storage structure from different angles before processing. This allows the system to have complete visual information available, enabling more accurate product detection and storage structure identification by analyzing the composite information from all images
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the image processing task into distinct stages: first detecting individual products in each image, then identifying product storage structures based on the arrangement of detected products, and finally synthesizing information from multiple images to create a complete inventory assessment. This segmentation makes the complex processing manageable and systematic
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods of monitoring inventory of a product storage facility include an image capture device configured to move about the product storage areas of the product storage facility and capture images of the product storage areas from various angles. A computing device coupled to the image capture device obtains the images of the product storage areas captured by the image capture device and processes the obtained images of the product storage areas to detect individual products captured in the obtained images. Based on detection of the individual products captured in the images, the computing device analyzes each of the obtained images to detect one or more adjacent product storage structures (shelves, pallets, etc.) and identifies and selects a single image that fully shows a product storage structure of interest and fully shows each of the products stored on the product storage structure of interest.