Wearable Shopping Interface With 3D Item Recognition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing scan as you shop applications require users to actively operate their mobile phones while shopping, causing usability issues and making it cumbersome to handle items and personal belongings, and often necessitate precise barcode orientation for item recognition.
Innovation Solution
A wearable processing device, such as glasses or goggles, captures item images through a front-facing camera, uses augmented reality to superimpose item information, and allows hands-free item selection and payment through gestures and voice commands, establishing a wireless transaction session with a cloud-based store server for seamless shopping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If customers use mobile phones for scan as you shop applications, then item scanning and tracking is enabled, but customer hands must be occupied with phone operation making shopping cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical interaction of holding and manually operating a mobile phone with an optical system. The wearable device uses a camera to capture barcodes optically and processes them automatically, eliminating the need for manual phone operation while maintaining automated scanning capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The wearable device performs scanning and item recognition autonomously without requiring customer intervention. The system captures images, identifies items, and updates the virtual cart automatically, allowing customers to shop hands-free while the device serves itself.
2Measurement precision
If customers hold items in one hand and operate phone with the other, then item scanning is possible, but carrying personal belongings and pushing carts becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional phone screen interaction to three-dimensional wearable integration. The camera and processing unit are positioned on the customer's head, providing a new spatial dimension for capturing barcodes at natural viewing angles without requiring manual phone manipulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The wearable device consolidates multiple functions into a single unit: it captures barcodes, processes images, identifies items, manages the virtual cart, and provides user feedback. This multi-functional integration eliminates the need for separate phone operation while maintaining all scanning capabilities.
3Productivity
If scan as you shop applications are used, then shopping workflow is streamlined, but precise barcode orientation is required for proper scanning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic image processing that adapts to various barcode orientations and distances. The camera captures images from different angles and the processing system dynamically adjusts recognition parameters, allowing barcodes to be scanned without precise orientation while maintaining high accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes multiple parameters including focal length, exposure time, and image processing algorithms based on the captured barcode characteristics. This allows the system to maintain accurate recognition across varying orientations, distances, and lighting conditions without requiring precise manual alignment.
Data Source
AI summary
A transaction session is established directly or indirectly between a wearable processing device and a cloud-based server of a store. During the session, items are recognized by placing the items in a field-of-view of a front-facing camera of the device. Item recognition does not require item barcode identification. A depth sensor associated with the camera creates a three-dimensional mapping of a given item. The mapping and image features are processed to uniquely identify the item even when the item is associated with a same category of items. Customer input during the session can be achieved through gestures (hand, eyes, head, fingers, etc.) and/or voice commands. The customer input is translated and mapped into transaction interface commands/options and processed during the session to select items, delete items, view a transaction receipt, identify a quantity of items, obtain item details for a given item, etc.