ITEM IDENTIFICATION USING VIDEO RECOGNITION TO SUPPLEMENT BAR CODE OR RFID INFORMATION

• US 20120127314A1
• Filed: 11/19/2010
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics LLC (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics LLC (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: CLEMENTS, Scott M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,171,442 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/150
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0063 with means for detecting the geometric dimensions of the article of which the code is read, such as its size or height, for the verification of the registration
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/246 Check out systems combined with EAS, e.g. price information stored on EAS tag anti-theft systems in point of sale systems G07G3/003
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/248 EAS system combined with another detection technology, e.g. dual EAS and video or other presence detection system

Abstract

A method and system for confirming the identity of a product in a security system and for determining sales-related information pertaining to the products. One or more products are associated with a product identification element, such as a bar code or an RFID tag. A reader or a scanner within the system receives a signal from the product identification element containing product identity information about the product. The system further includes a camera that captures a video image of the product. Signals representing the product identity information and the video image of the product are forwarded to a data correlation unit that determines if the product associated with the product identity information matches the product in the video image.

Claims

1. A method for confirming the identity of a product in a security system, the product associated with a product identification element, the method comprising:

receiving a signal from the product identification element containing product identity information;

receiving a video image of the product;

correlating the product identity information with the video image of the product; and

determining if the product associated with the product identity information matches the product in the video image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the product identification element is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and the signal containing the product identity information is an RFID signal.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the signal containing product identity information is received by a at least one of a handheld RFID reader, a shelf reader, and a reader situated proximate a point of sale (“

POS”

).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the product identification element is a bar code.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating an alerting action as a result of determining if the product associated with the product identity information matches the product in the video image.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein initiating the alerting action as a result of determining if the product associated with the product identity information matches the product in the video image includes activating an alarm if the product associated with the product identity information does not match the product in the video image.

7. A method of using video analytics to obtain sales related information, the method comprising:

capturing a video image of an area, the area including products on a product support structure;

receiving product identification signals from a product identification element associated with the product on the product support structure; and

determining characteristics relating to sales of the products from the video image and the product identification signals.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining characteristics relating to sales of the products includes determining which products were removed from the product support structure.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining characteristics relating to sales of the product further includes determining when the products were removed from the product support structure.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the video image of the area includes images of shoppers in proximity to the product support structure.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining characteristics relating to the sales of the product includes determining demographics of the shoppers in proximity to the product support structure.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein determining characteristics relating to the sales of the product includes determining if a product was removed from the product support structure and then replaced on the product support structure.

13. A system for confirming the identity of a product comprising:

a video capture device, the video capture device capturing an image of the product within a viewing area; and

a data correlation unit in communication with the video capture device, the data correlation unit;

receiving a signal from the video capture device, the signal representing the image of the product; and

determining an identity of the product based on the received signal from the video capture device.

14. The system of claim 13, further including an image storage database, the image storage database containing at least one stored product image, wherein the data correlation unit is in communication with the image storage database, the data correlation unit determining the identity of the product by comparing the image of the product represented by the received signal with the at least one product image stored in the image storage database.

15. The system of claim 13, further including stored images of products on a product storage device, wherein the viewing area is a POS, the data correlation unit determining an identity of the product at the POS by comparing the image of the product represented by the received signal with the stored images of products on the product storage device.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising a reader in communication with a product identification element, the product identification element associated with the product, the reader receiving a signal containing product identity information from the product identification element.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the data correlation unit:

receives a signal from the reader, the signal including the product identity information; and

determines if the product associated with the product identity information matches the image of the product captured by the video capture device.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the product identification element is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and the signal containing the product identity information is an RFID signal.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the product identification element is a bar code.

20. The system of claim 13, the video capture device further capturing images of shoppers in proximity to the product, the video capture device transmitting a signal corresponding to the image of the shoppers to the data correlation unit.