Shelf-Mountable Imaging System for Non-Intrusive Inventory Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Retailers face challenges in efficiently managing inventory at physical retail locations, particularly with high-volume and low-volume products that experience fluctuating demand. Current solutions, such as continuous surveillance cameras and robotic devices, can be disruptive and require significant employee intervention or infrastructure changes.
Innovation Solution
A shelf-mountable imaging system that captures images of products on shelves minimally invasively, avoiding capture of customers, employees, or other non-product objects. The system operates with low-power consumption, does not require external power or communication lines, and can communicate image data to a local or remote server for analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If continuous surveillance cameras or robotic devices are used to monitor inventory, then inventory monitoring capability is improved, but customer comfort deteriorates and employee intervention is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the monitoring function from intrusive continuous surveillance cameras and robotic devices, replacing them with shelf-mounted imaging devices that capture images locally. This removes the harmful effect of customers feeling watched while maintaining inventory monitoring capability through periodic image capture and analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of continuous surveillance that disturbs customers, the system uses periodic image capture at scheduled intervals. The imaging devices take pictures of shelves at predetermined times, allowing inventory monitoring without constant observation, thus maintaining customer comfort while achieving monitoring goals.
2Measurement precision
If continuous surveillance cameras or robotic devices are deployed, then inventory monitoring is improved, but device complexity and infrastructure requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging devices are designed to be self-contained with onboard power sources (batteries) and autonomous operation capabilities. They automatically capture images, store them locally, and transmit data without requiring external power lines, communication wiring, or continuous employee intervention, thereby reducing infrastructure complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical robotic devices with simpler electronic imaging devices mounted on shelves. These devices use electronic image capture and wireless communication instead of mechanical movement and complex control systems, significantly reducing device complexity and infrastructure needs.
3Measurement precision
If high-resolution imagery is captured continuously, then product identification accuracy is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system captures high-resolution images periodically rather than continuously. Image capture is triggered at predetermined time intervals or when specific conditions are met, allowing the device to maintain high product identification accuracy while consuming power only during capture and transmission events, not continuously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses energy-efficient imaging components and processors that consume minimal power during operation. The system accepts that individual image data may be transient (short-lived in memory) and processes/transmits them efficiently, reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining identification accuracy through sufficient image quality.
Data Source
AI summary
An imaging system capture images of products on shelves in a minimally invasive way. The images can be processed to assess restocking needs and other information. The imaging system includes multiple shelf-mountable imaging devices that can be positioned throughout one or more retail locations. Certain types of imaging devices may be self-contained units having replaceable or rechargeable internal power sources and/or wireless communication interfaces. Certain types of imaging device are configured to take images only when the field of view is not blocked by traffic (e.g., consumers, employees, etc.). Certain types of imaging devices are low-profile and/or are camouflageable to enhance the user experience.