NOTIFY ASSOCIATES OF CLEANUP JOBS

• US 20140168427A1
• Filed: 12/18/2012
• Published: 06/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal-Mart Stores Texas LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Argue, Stuart, Marcar, Anthony Emile
• Application Number:
  US13/718,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20140168427A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69

Abstract

A process and method for identifying spills or other types of floor messes through computer-implemented image processing techniques are disclosed. Embodiments of the present disclosure include notifying cleanup tasks when such floor messes are identified. Image processing techniques may be employed to analyze images captured by surveillance cameras installed in a retail, commercial or industrial setting. Analyzed images may be forwarded to human operators for additional analysis or classification.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of providing a cleanup notification, comprising:

capturing a reference image of a floor space;

capturing a test image of the floor space;

comparing the reference image with the test image;

identifying a feature on the test image as a floor mess; and

creating an alert regarding the floor mess.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing a reference image of a floor space comprises:

capturing a first baseline image;

capturing a second baseline image;

comparing the first baseline image and the second baseline image; and

selecting one of the first baseline image and the second baseline image to be the reference image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing a reference image of a floor space comprises:

capturing a first baseline image;

capturing a second baseline image;

comparing the first baseline image and the second baseline image; and

forming a composite of the first baseline image and the second baseline image to be the reference image.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating a graphical user interface adapted to:

display the test image and

allow a person to input a classification regarding the test image.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein creating an alert regarding the floor mess comprises transmitting a notification to a mobile computing device.

6. A system for providing a cleanup notification, comprising:

a camera;

an image processing module adapted to analyze an image captured by the camera;

an image database adapted to store the image;

a notification module adapted to create an alert regarding a result of an analysis conducted by the image processing module; and

an application server adapted to transmit a cleanup notification to a user.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the image processing module is adapted to analyze a portion of the image corresponding to a target floor space.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the image processing module is adapted to:

identify at least two baseline images and a test image and

compare a selected one of the baseline images with the test image.

9. The system of claim 6, further comprising a control center, wherein the control center comprises a display whereat a person may view the image.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the application server is adapted to create a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface is adapted to display the image.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the graphical user interface is further adapted to allow a person to input a classification regarding the image.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein the camera comprises a surveillance camera.

13. A computer-implemented method of providing a cleanup notification, comprising:

analyzing at least two images of a floor space;

identifying a difference between the at least two images of the floor space;

transmitting a selected one image from the at least two images of the floor space to a first person;

receiving a classification regarding a condition of the floor space from the first person; and

notifying a second person of the classification regarding the condition of the floor space.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein notifying a second person of the classification regarding the condition of the floor space comprises transmitting instructions to the second person to clean up the floor space.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein analyzing at least two images of a floor space comprises:

comparing a first image and a second image and

determining if the second image comprises a static feature that does not appear in the first image.