Retail Shelf Imaging for Volume-Based Item Counting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inventory systems struggle to accurately determine the number of items available for sale on retail store shelves accessible to customers, as opposed to those stored in inaccessible stock areas, leading to difficulties in timely restocking and inventory management.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing an imaging device to capture images of items for sale, mapping item dimensions to pixels, and estimating volume and quantity using bounding boxes, combined with a control circuit to determine the number of items on display surfaces, supported by a database for item and surface dimensions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual inventory counting is used, then system complexity is low, but measurement precision of item quantity is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical counting with an automated imaging system using cameras to capture images of items on shelves. The system uses image processing algorithms to automatically detect, count, and track item quantities, eliminating the need for manual inventory checks while providing precise measurement of item quantities through digital image analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates digital copies of physical inventory through imaging. Cameras capture images of items on shelves, and these images are processed to create virtual representations of the inventory state. This digital copying enables automated tracking and counting without physically handling or manually recording each item.
2Measurement precision
If automated imaging system is implemented, then measurement precision of item quantity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging system is designed to perform multiple functions: capturing images of items, processing images to identify and count items, tracking inventory levels over time, and providing data for restocking decisions. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require separate systems into a single integrated platform, managing complexity while delivering precise measurements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service inventory monitoring where the imaging system automatically captures and processes images without requiring manual intervention. The image processing algorithms automatically identify items, count quantities, and update inventory records, allowing the system to serve itself in monitoring and reporting inventory status.
3Reliability
If frequent inventory checks are performed, then reliability of stock level information is improved, but loss of time for operations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging system operates continuously or at scheduled intervals to automatically capture images of inventory levels. This continuous monitoring provides up-to-date stock level information without requiring periodic manual interrupts, maintaining reliable inventory data while eliminating the time loss associated with manual counting operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary automated inventory assessment through image capture and processing before manual intervention is needed. By continuously monitoring stock levels and identifying low-stock situations in advance, the system provides reliable information for proactive restocking, reducing the need for reactive manual inventory checks.
Data Source
AI summary
In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to assessing items for sale. In some embodiments, there is provided a system for assessing items for sale at a retail facility including an imaging device, a database, and a control circuit. The control circuit configured to: receive a captured image of at least one of items for sale; receive, for each item in the captured image, an identification of the item for sale associated with each bounding box; map item dimensions for each identified item for sale to pixels associated with each bounding box in the captured image; determine a volume estimate corresponding to the at least one of the items for sale supported on a surface; and determine, based on at least the volume estimate and the item dimensions, a quantity of the at least one of the items for sale supported on the surface.