Systems and methods of object identification and database creation

• US 10,108,880 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2016
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnson, Christopher Soames, Clark, Jimmie Russell, Payne, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Bernardi, Brenda C
• Application Number:
  US15/274,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20170091579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2007/10524 Hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1456 determining the orientation of the optical code with respect to the reader and correcting therefore
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/75 Organisation of the matching processes, e.g. simultaneous or sequential comparisons of image or video features; Coarse-fine approaches, e.g. multi-scale approaches; using context analysis; Selection of dictionaries
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/2247 Characters composed of bars, e.g. CMC-7
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0018 Constructional details, e.g. of drawer, printing means, input means
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments are generally directed to systems and methods of object identification. Exemplary embodiments can scan, by an optical reader, a machine-readable identifier associated with an original object. Exemplary embodiments can capture an image of the original object at a first orientation using an image capture device. Exemplary embodiments can transmit the machine-readable identifier and the image of the original object to an image database to store an association between the image of the original object and the machine-readable identifier. Exemplary embodiments can receive a subsequent object having a subsequent machine-readable identifier that is unavailable or incapable of being scanned. Exemplary embodiments can capture an image of the subsequent object with the image capture device. Exemplary embodiments can execute an image recognition function that outputs object identification information for the image of the subsequent object based on the machine-readable identifier associated with the image of the original object.

Claims

1. A method of identifying objects using image recognition, comprising:

scanning, by an optical reader, a machine-readable identifier associated with an original object;

capturing an image of the original object at a first orientation using an image capture device, the image capture device disposed remotely from the optical reader;

transmitting the machine-readable identifier and the image of the original object to an image database to store an association between the image of the original object and the machine-readable identifier;

receiving a subsequent object having a subsequent machine-readable identifier that is unavailable or incapable of being scanned;

capturing an image of the subsequent object with the image capture device; and

identifying the subsequent object in response to execution of an image recognition function that receives as input the image of the subsequent object, compares the image of the subsequent object to other images in the image database to identify similar images, the similar images including at least the image of the original object, and that outputs object identification information for the image of the subsequent object based on the machine-readable identifier associated with the image of the original object, the object identification information identifying the subsequent object relative to the other images in the image database;

wherein scanning the machine-readable identifier associated with the original object with the optical reader actuates the image capture device to automatically capture the image of the original object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the optical reader is at least one of a barcode scanner or a radio-frequency identification scanner.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the machine-readable identifier of the original object is at least one of a barcode or a radio-frequency identification.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the image capture device comprises one or more cameras.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising transmitting the image of the original object to a server, and further comprising transmitting the image of the original object from the server to the image database.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising associating the object information data of the original object obtained from scanning the machine-readable identifier associated with the original object with the image of the original object in the image database.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the object identification information comprises at least one of an object name, an object description, or an object cost.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising displaying the object identification information at a graphical user interface.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising capturing a second image of the original object at a second orientation using the image capture device.

10. The method of claim 9, transmitting the second image of the original object to the image database to store an association between the image of the original object, the second image of the original object and the machine-readable identifier.

20. The method of claim 1, comprising capturing the image of the original object at a first orientation using the image capture device and capturing a second image of the original object at a second orientation using a second image capture device, the first and second orientation being different, and wherein scanning the machine-readable identifier associated with the original object with the optical reader actuates the image capture device and the second image capture device to automatically and substantially simultaneously capture the images of the original object.

11. A system for synchronized imaging of objects and machine-readable identifiers associated with the objects, the system comprising:

an optical reader, the optical reader being configured to read a machine-readable identifier associated with an object;

an image capture device, the image capture device being configured to capture an image of the object, and the image capture device is disposed remotely from the optical reader;

a processing device operatively coupled to the optical reader and the image capture device, wherein the processing device controls the optical reader and the image capture device to synchronize reading of the machine-readable identifier by the optical reader and capturing of the image of the object by the image capture device to automatically capture the image of the object;

wherein reading of the machine-readable identifier associated with the object with the optical reader actuates the image capture device to automatically capture the image of the object.

12. The system of claim 11, comprising an image database configured to store the image of the object.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the image database is configured to store an association between the image of the object and the machine-readable identifier associated with the object.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the image capture device is configured to capture an image of a subsequent object, the subsequent object having a subsequent machine-readable identifier that is unavailable or incapable of being scanned.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processing device is configured to execute an image recognition function that receives as input the image of the subsequent object, compare the image of the subsequent object to other images in an image database to identify similar images, the similar images including at least the image of the object, and outputs object identification information for the image of the subsequent object based on the machine-readable identifier associated with the image of the object, the object identification information identifying the subsequent object relative to the other images in the image database.

16. The system of claim 15, comprising a graphical user interface configured to display the object identification information for the image of the subsequent object.

17. A system for synchronized imaging of objects and machine-readable identifiers associated with the objects, the system comprising:

an optical reader, the optical reader being configured to read a machine-readable identifier associated with an original object;

an image capture device, the image capture device being configured to (i) capture an image of the original object, and (ii) capture an image of a subsequent object, the subsequent object having a subsequent machine-readable identifier that is unavailable or incapable of being read, the image capture device disposed remotely from the optical reader;

an image database configured to store an association between the image of the original object and the machine-readable identifier associated with the original object;

a processing device operatively coupled to the optical reader, the image capture device and the image database, wherein the processing device is configured to execute an image recognition function that receives as input the image of the subsequent object, compares the image of the subsequent object to other images in the image database to identify similar images, the similar images including at least the image of the original object, and that outputs object identification information for the subsequent image based on the machine-readable identifier associated with the image of the original object, the object identification information identifying the subsequent object relative to the other images in the image database;

wherein reading the machine-readable identifier associated with the original object with the optical reader actuates the image capture device to automatically capture the image of the original object.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the optical reader comprises a handheld or portable optical reader.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the image capture device is incorporated into the handheld or portable optical reader.