Smartphone Asset Tracking via Image Recognition and Location Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current asset management systems, such as barcode and RFID technologies, are costly, labor-intensive, and often error-prone, making it difficult to efficiently manage large sets of assets, especially for individuals and small institutions.
Innovation Solution
A mobile communications device with a camera and network connection is used to capture images of assets, which are then sent to a remote server for identification and location inference, allowing for efficient tracking and inventory management without the need for physical tags or expensive hardware.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If barcode or RFID systems are used for asset management, then asset tracking accuracy is improved, but system cost and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses visual copies (images) of assets instead of physical tags. The mobile device captures images of assets, and image recognition algorithms identify and track assets without requiring physical attachment of barcode or RFID tags. This eliminates the need for expensive tagging infrastructure while maintaining tracking capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical/physical tracking systems (barcode scanners, RFID readers) with an optical/electronic system. The mobile device camera captures visual information, and computer vision algorithms process these images to identify and track assets, substituting physical tag reading with image-based recognition.
2Device complexity
If manual updates are used for asset inventories, then system cost is reduced, but labor requirements and error rates increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automatic self-updating of asset inventories. When the mobile device captures an image of an asset, the image recognition system automatically identifies the asset and updates the inventory database without requiring manual intervention. This eliminates labor-intensive manual updating while reducing errors associated with manual data entry.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements automatic feedback loops where captured images are processed and results are fed back into the inventory database. The mobile device continuously monitors and updates asset locations and statuses based on visual recognition, creating a self-correcting system that eliminates manual update requirements.
3Measurement precision
If physical tags are attached to each asset, then asset identification accuracy is improved, but implementation complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses digital copies (images) instead of physical tags attached to assets. The mobile device captures images of assets in their natural environment, and image recognition algorithms extract identifying features without requiring physical attachment of tags. This eliminates the complexity of tag application while maintaining identification accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile device serves multiple functions: it acts as a camera for capturing images, a computer for processing and recognition, and a database for storing asset information. This universal approach eliminates the need for separate physical tagging infrastructure, reducing implementation complexity while maintaining asset identification capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of tracking an inventory of objects via a mobile communications device includes acquiring an image of one or more of the objects via the mobile communications device, which also collects a location of the mobile communications device while acquiring the image of the one or more of the objects. The location and image are transferred from the mobile communications device to a remote server via a wireless network, such that the one or more of the objects are identified at the server based on the image, and the location and identity of the one or more objects are stored on a database associated with the server.