IMAGE-AUGMENTED INVENTORY MANAGEMENT AND WAYFINDING

• US 20140003727A1
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Lortz, Victor B., Gopalakrishnan, Praveen
• Granted Patent: US 9,418,352 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/218
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/50 of still image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

Systems and methods may provide for receiving a query regarding an establishment, retrieving an output image from an image database in response to the query, and transmitting the output image to a mobile device. In one example, image data including a plurality of interior establishment images and a plurality of stocking area images are also received, wherein the image database may be constructed based on the received image data.

Claims

1. An inventory device comprising:

a database logic module to receive image data from a first mobile device, wherein the image data is to include a plurality of interior establishment images and a plurality of stocking area images associated with a retail establishment, and use the image data to construct an image database, the database logic module having a first recognition logic module to detect first content including one or more of barcodes, text, logos, and object shapes in the image data, a product logic module to identify a plurality of products based on the first content, and an update logic module to add the plurality of products and the image data to the image database;

a query logic module to receive a query regarding the retail establishment from a second mobile device, and retrieve an output image from the image database in response to the query, the query logic module including a second recognition logic module to identify second content including one or more of a product in an input image, a shelf location in the input image, a product identifier, and an aisle identifier in the query, wherein the output image is to be retrieved based on the second content; and

a response logic module to transmit the output image to the second mobile device, wherein the output image is to show a shelf location in one or more of the retail establishment and a stocking area associated with the retail establishment, and wherein the shelf location shown in the output image is to correspond to a product associated with the query.

2. The inventory device of claim 1, wherein the second recognition logic module is to extract a list from the query, and wherein the product identifier is to be identified in the list, and wherein the list is to be one of a shopping list and a stocking list.

3. The inventory device of claim 1, wherein the response logic module includes an annotation logic module to annotate the output image with one or more of a visual highlight, an aisle identifier, a floor plan, user specific workflow information, and a suggested route.

4. The inventory device of claim 1, further including a compression logic module to identify one or more barcode-free regions in the image database, compress image data corresponding to the one or more barcode-free regions, and compress the output image prior to transmission of the output image to the second mobile device.

5. A method comprising:

receiving a product query regarding an establishment;

retrieving an output image from an image database in response to the product query; and

transmitting the output image to a handheld device.

6. The method of claim 5, further including:

receiving a plurality of interior establishment images; and

using the plurality of interior establishment images to construct the image database.

7. The method of claim 6, further including:

receiving a plurality of stocking area images; and

using the plurality of stocking area images to further construct the image database.

8. The method of claim 7, further including:

detecting first content including one or more of barcodes, text, logos, and object shapes in the plurality of interior establishment images and the plurality of stocking area images;

identifying a plurality of products based on the first content; and

adding the plurality of products, the plurality of interior establishment images, and the plurality of stocking area images to the image database.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein at least two of the plurality of interior establishment images show a common shelf location under different conditions, and wherein the different conditions are one or more of views, resolutions, and times.

10. The method of claim 5, further including identifying second content including one or more of an input image, a product identifier, and an aisle identifier in the product query, wherein the output image is retrieved based on the second content.

11. The method of claim 10, further including identifying third content including one or more of a product and a shelf location in the input image, wherein the output image is retrieved further based on the third content.

12. The method of claim 10, further including extracting a list from the product query, wherein the product identifier is identified in the list, and wherein the list is one of a shopping list and a stocking list.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein the output image shows a shelf location corresponding to a product associated with the product query.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the shelf location is in one or more of the establishment and a stocking area associated with the establishment.

15. The method of claim 13, further including:

retrieving a plurality of output images from the image database in response to the product query; and

transmitting the plurality of output images to the handheld device, wherein the plurality of output images show the shelf location over time.

16. The method of claim 5, further including annotating the output image with one or more of a visual highlight, an aisle identifier, a floor plan, user specific workflow information, and a suggested route.

17. The method of claim 5, further including:

identifying one or more barcode-free regions in the image database;

compressing image data corresponding to the one or more barcode-free regions; and

compress the output image prior to transmission of the output image to the mobile device.

18. At least one computer-readable medium comprising one or more instructions that when executed on a processor configure the processor to perform the method of claim 5.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a query logic module to receive a product query regarding an establishment and retrieve an output image from an image database in response to the product query; and

a response logic module to transmit the output image to a handheld device.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further including a database logic module to receive a plurality of interior establishment images and use the plurality of interior establishment images to construct the image database.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the database logic module has a first recognition module to detect first content including one or more of barcodes, text, logos, and object shapes in the image data, a product logic module to identify a plurality of products based on the first content, and an update logic module to add the plurality of products and the image data to the image database.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein at least two of the plurality of interior establishment images are to show a common shelf location under different conditions, and wherein the different conditions are to be one or more of views, resolutions, and times.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the query logic module includes a second recognition logic module to identify second content including one or more of an input image, a product identifier, and an aisle identifier in the product query, wherein the output image is to be retrieved based on the second content.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the second logic module is to identify third content including one or more of a product and a shelf location in the input image, wherein the output image is to be retrieved further based on the third content.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the second logic module is to extract a list from the product query, wherein the product identifier is to be identified in the list, and wherein the list is to be one of a shopping list and a stocking list.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the output image is to show a shelf location corresponding to a product associated with the product query.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the shelf location is to be in one or more of the establishment and a stocking area associated with the establishment.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the query logic module is to retrieve a plurality of output images from the image database in response to the product query, and transmit the plurality of output images to the handheld device, and wherein the plurality of output images show the shelf location over time.

29. A system comprising:

a handheld device to issue a product query regarding an establishment; and

an inventory device including,

a query logic module to receive the product query and retrieve an output image from an image database in response to the product query; and

a response logic module to transmit the output image to the handheld device.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the inventory device further includes a database logic module to receive a plurality of interior establishment images and use the plurality of interior establishment images to construct the image database.