Methods and arrangements for identifying objects
First Claim
1. An image processing method to identify a canned, barcoded item selected for purchase by a first shopper at a retail store, the store having a shopping portion where items are stocked for sale, and a checkout portion, the method including using information from a first sensor, and then using information from second sensor different than the first sensor, in a data fusion manner to narrow a universe of possible item identifications, the method more particularly comprising the acts:
- based on information from the first sensor, developing a set of plural item identification hypotheses about the canned barcoded item selected by the shopper for purchase, each of said item identification hypotheses having an associated confidence score that respectively indicates certainty about said hypothesis;
refining the set of plural identification hypotheses about the selected barcoded item, by applying data fusion based on other information, the other information including information from the second sensor, said refining including revising at least certain of said associated confidence scores;
if need be, successively repeating said refining act, until one of said revised confidence scores has a value exceeding a particular, predetermined threshold value, said threshold value having been established prior to said refining act, and serving as a basis for comparison in judging the revised confidence scores; and
adding, to a purchase tally for said shopper, an item associated with said one revised confidence score that has a value exceeding the threshold value, said item being the canned barcoded item selected for purchase by the shopper;
wherein one of said sensors is a fixed sensor in an aisle of the shopping portion of the store, the information from said fixed sensor that is used in said data fusion manner more particularly comprising (a) information indicating locations visited by the shopper during a track of the shopper through the store, or (b) information indicating both removal of an object from a store shelf location and a time of such removal; and
the other of said sensors is a camera at the checkout portion of the retail store, the information from said camera that is used in said data fusion manner more particularly-comprising imagery depicting the canned, barcoded item, or a person'"'"'s interaction with said item.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In some arrangements, product packaging is digitally watermarked over most of its extent to facilitate high-throughput item identification at retail checkouts. Imagery captured by conventional or plenoptic cameras can be processed (e.g., by GPUs) to derive several different perspective-transformed views—further minimizing the need to manually reposition items for identification. Crinkles and other deformations in product packaging can be optically sensed, allowing such surfaces to be virtually flattened to aid identification. Piles of items can be 3D-modelled and virtually segmented into geometric primitives to aid identification, and to discover locations of obscured items. Other data (e.g., including data from sensors in aisles, shelves and carts, and gaze tracking for clues about visual saliency) can be used in assessing identification hypotheses about an item. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.
55 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. An image processing method to identify a canned, barcoded item selected for purchase by a first shopper at a retail store, the store having a shopping portion where items are stocked for sale, and a checkout portion, the method including using information from a first sensor, and then using information from second sensor different than the first sensor, in a data fusion manner to narrow a universe of possible item identifications, the method more particularly comprising the acts:
-
based on information from the first sensor, developing a set of plural item identification hypotheses about the canned barcoded item selected by the shopper for purchase, each of said item identification hypotheses having an associated confidence score that respectively indicates certainty about said hypothesis; refining the set of plural identification hypotheses about the selected barcoded item, by applying data fusion based on other information, the other information including information from the second sensor, said refining including revising at least certain of said associated confidence scores; if need be, successively repeating said refining act, until one of said revised confidence scores has a value exceeding a particular, predetermined threshold value, said threshold value having been established prior to said refining act, and serving as a basis for comparison in judging the revised confidence scores; and adding, to a purchase tally for said shopper, an item associated with said one revised confidence score that has a value exceeding the threshold value, said item being the canned barcoded item selected for purchase by the shopper; wherein one of said sensors is a fixed sensor in an aisle of the shopping portion of the store, the information from said fixed sensor that is used in said data fusion manner more particularly comprising (a) information indicating locations visited by the shopper during a track of the shopper through the store, or (b) information indicating both removal of an object from a store shelf location and a time of such removal; and the other of said sensors is a camera at the checkout portion of the retail store, the information from said camera that is used in said data fusion manner more particularly-comprising imagery depicting the canned, barcoded item, or a person'"'"'s interaction with said item. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A system, configured to identify a packaged, barcoded item selected for purchase by a shopper in a retail store, the store having a shopping portion where items are stocked for sale, and a checkout portion, the system employing information from a first sensor, and then information from second sensor different than the first sensor, in a data fusion manner to narrow a universe of possible item identifications, the system including:
-
a first, fixed, sensor in an aisle of the shopping portion of the store, the first sensor being adapted to produce (a) information indicating locations visited by the shopper during a track of the shopper through the store, or (b) information indicating both removal of an object from a store shelf location and a time of such removal; a second, camera, sensor, at the checkout portion of the retail store, the second sensor being adapted to produce imagery depicting the packaged, barcoded item, or a person'"'"'s interaction with said item; a memory; and one or more processors operating in accordance with instructions stored in the memory; wherein said instructions stored in the memory configure the system to perform acts including; based on information from one of said sensors, developing a set of plural item identification hypotheses about the packaged barcoded item selected by the shopper for purchase, each of said item identification hypotheses having an-associated confidence score that respectively indicates certainty about said hypothesis; refining the set of plural identification hypotheses about the selected barcoded item, by applying data fusion based on other information, the other information including information from the other of said sensors, said refining including revising at least certain of said associated confidence scores; if need be, successively repeating said refining act until one of said revised confidence scores has a value exceeding a particular, predetermined threshold value, said threshold value having been established prior to said refining act, and serving as a basis for comparison in judging the revised confidence scores; and adding, to a purchase tally for said shopper, an item associated with said one revised confidence score that has a value exceeding the threshold value, said item being the packaged barcoded item selected for purchase by the shopper.
-
-
20. A tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium containing instructions for configuring a system, including one or more processors, to identify a packaged, barcoded item selected for purchase by a shopper in a retail store, the store having a shopping portion where items are stocked for sale, and a checkout portion, the system including first and second sensors, one of said sensors comprising a fixed sensor in an aisle of the shopping portion of the store that is adapted to produce (a) information indicating locations visited by the shopper during a track of the shopper through the store, or (b) information indicating both removal of an object from a store shelf location and a time of such removal, the other of said sensors comprising a camera at the checkout portion of the retail store that is adapted to produce imagery depicting the packaged, barcoded item, or a person'"'"'s interaction with said item, said instructions configuring the system to perform acts including:
-
based on information from one of said sensors, developing a set of plural item identification hypotheses about the packaged barcoded item selected by the shopper for purchase, each of said item identification hypotheses having an associated confidence score that respectively indicates certainty about said hypothesis; refining the set of plural identification hypotheses about the selected barcoded item, by applying data fusion based on other information, the other information-including information from the other of said sensors, said refining including revising at least certain of said associated confidence scores; if need be, successively repeating said refining act, until one of said revised confidence scores has a value exceeding a particular, predetermined threshold value, said threshold value having been established prior to said refining act, and serving as a basis for comparison in judging the revised confidence scores; and adding, to a purchase tally for said shopper, an item associated with said one revised confidence score that has a value exceeding the threshold value, said item being the packaged, barcoded item selected for purchase by the shopper.
-
Specification