Vision and Gravity Sensing for Accurate Item-Customer Matching
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing item-customer matching process in supermarkets and stores is inefficient as it requires cashier participation, limiting their availability and resulting in a poor shopping experience due to time constraints.
Innovation Solution
An item-customer matching method and device utilizing vision and gravity sensing technologies to track customers in real-time, identify items by changes in shelf weight, and determine the purchaser's identity based on shelf position, hand position, and action behavior, enabling accurate matching without cashier intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If barcode scanning terminal held by cashier is used for item-customer matching, then item identification can be completed, but cashier participation is required which limits availability and reduces productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service item identification through weight sensing devices on shelves that automatically detect when items are placed or removed, eliminating the need for cashier participation in barcode scanning. The gravity-based detection system autonomously tracks item movements and updates customer purchases without human intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical barcode scanning system with a gravity-based weight sensing system. Instead of using optical scanners and barcodes, the system uses force sensors to detect item placement on shelves, automatically identifying purchases through weight changes and correlating them with customer information.
2Ease of operation
If manual barcode scanning by cashier is used, then item-customer matching can be performed, but the process is time-consuming and deteriorates shopping experience
Solution Approach 1:
The weight sensing system operates continuously to monitor item movements on shelves in real-time. As customers place items on shelves, the system immediately detects weight changes and automatically records purchases, eliminating the discontinuous manual scanning process and reducing waiting time throughout the shopping experience.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary item identification and purchase recording automatically as items are placed on shelves during shopping. This preliminary action eliminates the need for final checkout scanning, allowing customers to complete their shopping faster without manual intervention at the point of sale.
3Measurement precision
If cashier participation is required for item-customer matching, then accurate item identification can be achieved, but the system complexity increases and automation level decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves automated purchaser identification by combining weight sensing data with customer information systems. The gravity-based detection automatically correlates item placements with registered customer accounts, eliminating the need for cashier verification while maintaining accurate purchase attribution through automated data matching.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary computing system that bridges weight sensing data and customer information. This intermediary automatically processes gravity measurements, identifies items placed by customers, matches purchases with registered users, and manages the item-customer association without requiring direct human intervention.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution facilitates efficient and accurate item-customer matching, enhancing the shopping experience and reducing cashier workload by allowing unmanned convenience store operations.
Implementation Method 1
acquiring a shelf position of the shelf where a loading weight changes; identifying the items that cause changes in the loading weight of the shelf
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention discloses an item-customer matching method and device based on vision and gravity sensing, and belongs to the technical field of computer. The method comprises acquiring the identity information of a customer and tracking the customer in real time in the shopping place, wherein shelves for carrying items are arranged; acquiring the shelf position of the shelf where the loading weight changes; identifying the items that cause changes in the loading weight of the shelf to obtain the item identification result; determining the identity information of the purchaser according to the shelf position, the hand position of the customer, and the action behavior of the customer, wherein the purchaser is a customer matching the item identification result. The device includes a customer tracking module, a shelf position acquiring module, an item identification result acquiring module, and a matching module. The present invention realizes the accurate matching between the item identification result and the customer by the above-mentioned technical solution, which is beneficial to the completion of the settlement work of the unmanned convenience store, and can also improve the accuracy of the item identification.