Shopping Cart Information Processing Device Mode Switching

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing information processing devices often perform unnecessary generic object recognition on commodities with barcodes, leading to inefficiencies and potential misidentification of items without code symbols.

Innovation Solution

An information processing device equipped with a communication interface and a processor that switches between code reading and object recognition modes based on signals from beacon terminals, optimizing the use of object recognition only near product display areas without code symbols.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If object recognition is performed on all commodities, then identification accuracy for commodities without code symbols is improved, but processing time and computational resources are wasted on commodities with barcodes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveidentification accuracyVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection to determine whether a commodity has a code symbol before initiating object recognition processing. This preliminary action prevents unnecessary object recognition on commodities with barcodes, thereby reducing processing time while maintaining identification accuracy for commodities without code symbols.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If code symbol scanning is performed first, then processing efficiency is improved, but misidentification occurs when code symbols are not detected on commodities that have them

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing efficiencyVSAvoididentification reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses beacon terminal signals as feedback to determine whether to perform code symbol scanning or object recognition. When a beacon terminal detects a commodity, it provides feedback that triggers appropriate identification processing, ensuring that code symbol scanning is performed when applicable and object recognition is used when code symbols are not present, thereby improving both efficiency and reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Adaptability or versatility

If object recognition mode is always active, then identification of commodities without code symbols is ensured, but unnecessary processing is performed on commodities with barcodes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveidentification capabilityVSAvoidprocessing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically switches between code symbol scanning mode and object recognition mode based on real-time detection conditions. When a code symbol is detected, the system operates in scanning mode; when no code symbol is detected or a beacon terminal signal is received, it switches to object recognition mode. This dynamic adaptation ensures versatile identification capability while reducing unnecessary processing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3617975B1Information processing device
Publication Date: 2025.02.19 TOSHIBA TEC KK
  • EP3617975B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3617975B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3617975B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

An information processing device on a shopping basket or cart includes a communication interface configured to communicate with an imaging device installed on the shopping basket or cart and beacons installed on a product display area displaying a commodity, and a processor configured to, identify a commodity by either reading a commodity code in the image or performing object recognition on the image, and, according to a signal received from at least one beacon, switch between a first mode, in which the commodity can be identified by reading the commodity code, and a second mode, in which the commodity can be identified by either reading the commodity code or object recognition.