Commodity recognition apparatus and commodity recognition method

• US 10,108,830 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2016
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kakino, Tomonari
• Primary Examiner(s): YANG, WEI WEN
• Application Number:
  US15/253,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20160371564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/68 Food, e.g. fruit or vegetables
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A commodity recognition apparatus comprises an image interface, a memory and a processor. The image interface is configured to acquire a commodity image captured by a camera. The memory is configured to store a candidate of a commodity recognized from the commodity image acquired by the image interface. The processor is configured to try to read a commodity recognition code from the commodity image acquired by the image interface and reset the candidate of the commodity stored in the memory if the commodity recognition code is read.

Claims

1. A commodity recognition apparatus, comprising:

an image interface configured to acquire a commodity image captured by a single common camera;

a connection interface with a terminal which registers commodity sales data;

a display;

a memory; and

a processor configured to try to read a commodity recognition code from the commodity image acquired through the image interface,

wherein, in response to the commodity recognition code being not successfully read, the processor recognizes a candidate of a commodity from the commodity image from which the processor has tried to read the commodity recognition code, wherein the processor recognizes the candidate by

     1) extracting feature data from the commodity image, wherein the feature data comprises a function of a shape of the candidate, a surface hue of the candidate, a pattern of the candidate, and a concave-convex shape of the candidate,

     2) parameterizing the feature data, and

     3) matching parameterized feature data to feature data representing objects in a recognition dictionary database, wherein the processor recognizes the candidate with a highest similarity score, stores the recognized candidate of the commodity in the memory, and displays, in a candidate area of the display, the candidate of the commodity stored in the memory, and in response to the the commodity recognition code being successfully read while the candidate of the commodity is displayed in the candidate area of the display, the processor clears the candidate of the commodity stored in the memory by using successful reading of the commodity recognition code as a trigger, and erases the display of the candidate area, and sends the commodity recognition code successfully read to the terminal through the connection interface.

2. The commodity recognition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display includes a function of a touch panel.

3. A commodity recognition apparatus, comprising:

an image interface configured to acquire a commodity image captured by a single common camera;

a connection interface with a terminal which registers commodity sales data;

a display;

a memory; and

a processor configured to recognize a candidate of a commodity from the commodity image acquired through the image interface, wherein the processor recognizes the candidate by

     1) extracting feature data from the commodity image, wherein the feature data comprises a function of a shape of the candidate, a surface hue of the candidate, a pattern of the candidate, and a concave-convex shape of the candidate,

     2) parameterizing the feature data, and

     3) matching parameterized feature data to feature data representing objects in a recognition dictionary database, wherein the processor recognizes the candidate with a highest similarity score, store the recognized candidate of the commodity in the memory, try to read a commodity recognition code from the commodity image from which the candidate of the commodity is recognized, wherein if the commodity recognition code is not successfully read, the processor displays, in a candidate area of the display, the candidate of the commodity stored in the memory, and if the commodity recognition code is successfully read while the recognized candidate of the commodity is displayed in the candidate area of the display, the processor clears the recognized candidate of the commodity stored in the memory by using successful reading of the commodity recognition code as a trigger, and erases the display of the candidate area, and sends the commodity recognition code to the terminal through the connection interface.

4. The commodity recognition apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the display includes a function of a touch panel.

5. A commodity recognition method, comprising:

trying to read a commodity recognition code from a commodity image captured by a single common camera acquired through an image interface;

in response to the commodity recognition code being not successfully read, recognizing a candidate of a commodity from the commodity image from which an attempt to read the commodity recognition code was made, wherein the recognizing the candidate comprises

     1) extracting feature data from the commodity image, wherein the feature data comprises a function of a shape of the candidate, a surface hue of the candidate, a pattern of the candidate, and a concave-convex shape of the candidate,

     2) parameterizing the feature data, and

     3) matching parameterized feature data to feature data representing objects in a recognition dictionary database, wherein the recognizing the candidate comprises determining the candidate with a highest similarity score, storing the recognized candidate of the commodity in a memory, and displaying, in a candidate area of a display, the candidate of the commodity stored in the memory; and

in response to the commodity recognition code being successfully read while the candidate of the commodity is displayed in the candidate area of the display, clearing the candidate of the commodity stored in the memory by using successful reading of the commodity recognition code as a trigger, and erasing the display of the candidate area, and sending the commodity recognition code successfully read to a terminal through a connection interface.

6. A commodity recognition method, comprising:

recognizing a candidate of a commodity from a commodity image captured by a single common camera acquired through an image interface, wherein the recognizing the candidate comprises

     1) extracting feature data from the commodity image, wherein the feature data comprises a function of a shape of the candidate, a surface hue of the candidate, a pattern of the candidate, and a concave-convex shape of the candidate,

     2) parameterizing the feature data, and

     3) matching parameterized feature data to feature data representing objects in a recognition dictionary database, wherein the recognizing the candidate comprises determining the candidate with a highest similarity score and storing the recognized candidate of the commodity in a memory;

trying to read a commodity recognition code from the commodity image from which the candidate of the commodity is recognized;

if the commodity recognition code is not successfully read, displaying, in a candidate area of a display, the candidate of the commodity stored in the memory; and

if the commodity recognition code is successfully read while the recognized candidate of the commodity is displayed in the candidate area, clearing the recognized candidate of the commodity stored in the memory by using successful reading of the commodity recognition code as a trigger, and erasing the display of the candidate area, and sending the commodity recognition code to a terminal through a connection interface.