Identifying complimentary physical components to known physical components

• US 10,691,983 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2018
• Issued: 06/23/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Beller, Charles E., Johnson, Benjamin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elahi, Shan E
• Application Number:
  US16/163,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20190050676A1
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 348135
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/2431 Multiple classes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/13 Edge detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/50 Depth or shape recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/62 of area, perimeter, diameter or volume
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/64 Three-dimensional objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/66 Trinkets, e.g. shirt buttons or jewellery items recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/10 Recognition assisted with metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/142 using hand-held instruments; Constructional details of the instruments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/19594 using a television camera or a still video camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32144 embedded in the image data, i.e. enclosed or integrated in the image, e.g. watermark, super-imposed logo or stamp
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders

Abstract

An approach is provided that captures a digital image of an object that has a number of facets. The approach further determines the actual sizes of various facets found on the object. The actual sizes of the facets are used to identify compatible objects based, with the compatible objects being objects that can work with the object.

Claims

1. A method implemented by an information handling system that includes a processor and a memory accessible by the processor, the method comprising:

capturing a digital image of a physical object that comprises a plurality of facets corresponding to a plurality of physical properties of the physical object;

determining, based on the captured digital image, an actual size of one or more of the physical object'"'"'s facets;

identifying, from a database, one or more compatible physical objects corresponding to the physical object based on the actual size of the physical object'"'"'s facets; and

displaying the one or more compatible physical objects on a display to a user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the compatible physical objects is a compatible replacement object of the physical object, and wherein the method further comprising:

identifying one or more boundaries of the physical object from the digital image; and

distinguishing a reference object from the physical object, wherein both the reference object and the physical object are included in the digital image, and wherein the reference object has a known size.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

identifying a reference image size of the reference object in the digital image; and

extrapolating an image scale based on the identified reference image size and the known size of the reference object.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

identifying an object image size of the physical object in the digital image; and

determining the actual size of the physical object based on the extrapolated image scale and the object image size.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

identifying a set of object metadata pertaining to the physical object;

comparing the identified set of object metadata to a plurality of sets of object class metadata;

identifying an object class of the physical object based on the comparing;

identifying one or more compatible object types based on the identified object class; and

identifying the compatible physical objects from a set of product objects belonging to the compatible object types and based on the actual size of the physical object.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating a search criteria based on a selected one of the compatible physical objects;

searching a data store that includes identifiers of a plurality of component products, wherein the searching utilizes the search criteria and results in a selected set of one or more of the plurality of component products that are adapted to work with the physical object;

displaying the selected set of component products to the user;

receiving a purchase selection of one of the displayed component products from the user; and

ordering the displayed component product corresponding to the received purchase selection from a selected online merchant.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

receiving a price corresponding to the set of component products from a plurality of online merchants; and

displaying the price corresponding to each of the selected set of component products along with the online merchant associated with the displayed price, wherein the purchase selection includes the selected online merchant.

8. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory coupled to at least one of the processors; and

a set of computer program instructions stored in the memory and executed by at least one of the processors in order to perform actions comprising;

capturing a digital image of a physical object that comprises a plurality of facets corresponding to a plurality of physical properties of the physical object;

determining, based on the captured digital image, an actual size of one or more of the physical object'"'"'s facets;

identifying, from a database, one or more compatible physical objects corresponding to the physical object based on the actual size of the physical object'"'"'s facets; and

displaying the one or more compatible physical objects on a display to a user.

9. The information handling system of claim 8, wherein at least one of the compatible physical objects is a compatible replacement object of the physical object, and wherein the actions further comprise:

identifying one or more boundaries of the physical object from the digital image; and

distinguishing a reference object from the physical object, wherein both the reference object and the physical object are included in the digital image, and wherein the reference object has a known size.

10. The information handling system of claim 9 wherein the actions further comprise:

identifying a reference image size of the reference object in the digital image; and

extrapolating an image scale based on the identified reference image size and the known size of the reference object.

11. The information handling system of claim 10 wherein the actions further comprise:

identifying an object image size of the physical object in the digital image; and

determining the actual size of the physical object based on the extrapolated image scale and the object image size.

12. The information handling system of claim 11 wherein the actions further comprise:

identifying a set of object metadata pertaining to the physical object;

comparing the identified set of object metadata to a plurality of sets of object class metadata;

identifying an object class of the physical object based on the comparing;

identifying one or more compatible object types based on the identified object class; and

identifying the compatible physical objects from a set of product objects belonging to the compatible object types and based on the actual size of the physical object.

13. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the actions further comprise:

generating a search criteria based on a selected one of the compatible physical objects;

searching a data store that includes identifiers of a plurality of component products, wherein the searching utilizes the search criteria and results in a selected set of one or more of the plurality of component products that are adapted to work with the physical object;

displaying the selected set of component products to the user;

receiving a purchase selection of one of the displayed component products from the user; and

ordering the displayed component product corresponding to the received purchase selection from a selected online merchant.

14. The information handling system of claim 13 wherein the actions further comprise:

receiving a price corresponding to the set of component products from a plurality of online merchants; and

displaying the price corresponding to each of the selected set of component products along with the online merchant associated with the displayed price, wherein the purchase selection includes the selected online merchant.

15. A computer program product stored in a computer readable storage medium, comprising computer program code that, when executed by an information handling system, performs actions comprising:

capturing a digital image of a physical object that comprises a plurality of facets corresponding to a plurality of physical properties of the physical object;

determining, based on the captured digital image, an actual size of one or more of the physical object'"'"'s facets;

identifying, from a database, one or more compatible physical objects corresponding to the physical object based on the actual size of the physical object'"'"'s facets; and

displaying the one or more compatible physical objects on a display to a user.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein at least one of the compatible physical objects is a compatible replacement object of the physical object, and wherein the actions further comprise:

identifying one or more boundaries of the physical object from the digital image; and

distinguishing a reference object from the physical object, wherein both the reference object and the physical object are included in the digital image, and wherein the reference object has a known size.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the actions further comprise:

identifying a reference image size of the reference object in the digital image; and

extrapolating an image scale based on the identified reference image size and the known size of the reference object.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the actions further comprise:

identifying an object image size of the physical object in the digital image; and

determining the actual size of the physical object based on the extrapolated image scale and the object image size.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the actions further comprise:

identifying a set of object metadata pertaining to the physical object;

comparing the identified set of object metadata to a plurality of sets of object class metadata;

identifying an object class of the physical object based on the comparing;

identifying one or more compatible object types based on the identified object class; and

identifying the compatible physical objects from a set of product objects belonging to the compatible object types and based on the actual size of the physical object.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the actions further comprise:

generating a search criteria based on a selected one of the compatible physical objects;

searching a data store that includes identifiers of a plurality of component products, wherein the searching utilizes the search criteria and results in a selected set of one or more of the plurality of component products that are adapted to work with the physical object;

displaying the selected set of component products to the user;

receiving a purchase selection of one of the displayed component products from the user; and

ordering the displayed component product corresponding to the received purchase selection from a selected online merchant.