Method and apparatus for shelf feature and object placement detection from shelf images
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of detecting a back of a shelf for supporting objects, comprising:
- obtaining, by an imaging controller, an image depicting a shelf having a shelf edge and a support surface extending from the shelf edge to a shelf back;
decomposing, by the imaging controller, the image into a plurality of patches;
for each patch;
generating a feature descriptor;
based on the feature descriptor, assigning one of a shelf back classification and a non-shelf back classification to the patch;
generating a mask corresponding to the image, the mask containing an indication of the classification assigned to each of the patches, wherein the indication of the classification assigned to each of the patches comprises one of a plurality of intensity values; and
presenting the mask to a gap detector for detection of gaps from the mask.
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Abstract
A method of detecting a back of a shelf for supporting objects includes: obtaining an image depicting a shelf having a shelf edge and a support surface extending from the shelf edge to a shelf back; decomposing the image into a plurality of patches; for each patch: generating a feature descriptor; based on the feature descriptor, assigning one of a shelf back classification and a non-shelf back classification to the patch; generating a mask corresponding to the image, the mask containing an indication of the classification assigned to each of the patches; and presenting the mask.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of detecting a back of a shelf for supporting objects, comprising:
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obtaining, by an imaging controller, an image depicting a shelf having a shelf edge and a support surface extending from the shelf edge to a shelf back; decomposing, by the imaging controller, the image into a plurality of patches; for each patch; generating a feature descriptor; based on the feature descriptor, assigning one of a shelf back classification and a non-shelf back classification to the patch; generating a mask corresponding to the image, the mask containing an indication of the classification assigned to each of the patches, wherein the indication of the classification assigned to each of the patches comprises one of a plurality of intensity values; and presenting the mask to a gap detector for detection of gaps from the mask. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 19, 20)
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9. A method of detecting, by an imaging controller, gaps in an image of a shelf having a shelf edge and a support surface for supporting objects extending from the shelf edge to a shelf back, the method comprising:
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obtaining, by the imaging controller, a mask generated from the image and containing indications, for each of a plurality of areas of the mask, of a classification assigned to the area and selected from a shelf back classification and a non-shelf back classification; obtaining, by the imaging controller, a location of the shelf edge within the mask; generating, by the imaging controller, a gap mask identifying a subset of the areas having shelf back classifications as gaps on the shelf, by; selecting an area of the mask within a predetermined distance of the shelf edge location and having the shelf back classification; and generating a joining area between the selected area and the shelf edge location; and assigning a gap classification to the selected area and the joining area; and presenting the gap mask. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A server for detecting a back of a shelf for supporting objects, comprising:
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a memory storing an image depicting a shelf having a shelf edge and a support surface extending from the shelf edge to a shelf back; and an imaging controller comprising; a pre-processor configured to decompose the image into a plurality of patches; a back of shelf detector configured to; (a) for each patch; generate a feature descriptor; based on the feature descriptor, assign one of a shelf back classification and a non-shelf back classification to the patch; (b) generate a mask corresponding to the image, the mask containing an indication of the classification assigned to each of the patches, wherein the indication of the classification assigned to each of the patches comprises one of a plurality of intensity values; the back of shelf detector further configured to present the mask.
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18. A server for detecting gaps in an image of a shelf having a shelf edge and a support surface for supporting objects extending from the shelf edge to a shelf back, the system comprising:
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a memory storing a mask generated from the image, the mask containing indications, for each of a plurality of areas of the mask, of a classification assigned to the area and selected from a shelf back classification and a non-shelf back classification; and an imaging controller comprising; a shelf edge detector configured to obtain a location of the shelf edge within the mask; a gap generator configured to generate a gap mask identifying a subset of the areas having shelf back classifications as gaps on the shelf, by; selecting an area of the mask within a predetermined distance of the shelf edge location and having the shelf back classification; and generating a joining area between the selected area and the shelf edge location; and assigning a gap classification to the selected area and the joining area; and the gap generator further configured to present the gap mask.
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Specification