ITEM MOVEMENT TRACKING WITH THREE-DIMENSIONAL (3D) PROXIMITY EXCLUSIONS

• US 20160253885A1
• Filed: 02/26/2015
• Published: 09/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Riffe, Annette S. H., Wong, Bernie K. K., Nassar, Nader M., Spremulli, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,672,710 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 15/00 Tags attached to, or associated with, an object, in order to enable detection of the object record carriers for use with machines having a detectable tag or marker G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30232 Surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/292 Multi-camera tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A proximity exclusion is configured for at least one item in a commercial environment that precludes movement of the at least one item into a defined prohibited region within a structure associated with the commercial environment. Movement of the at least one item is detected within the structure associated with the commercial environment. A determination is made as to whether the movement of the at least one item results in the at least one item being located within the defined prohibited region within the structure associated with the commercial environment. In response to determining that the movement of the at least one item results in the at least one item being located within the defined prohibited region, a proximity exclusion alert is generated indicating that the at least one item is located within the prohibited region.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

configuring, for at least one merchandise item in a commercial environment, a merchandise proximity exclusion that precludes movement of the at least one merchandise item into a defined prohibited region associated with the commercial environment;

monitoring changes of location of the at least one merchandise item within the structure associated with the commercial environment; and

generating, in response to determining that a detected the movement change of location of the at least one merchandise item results in the at least one merchandise item being located within the defined prohibited region, a merchandise proximity exclusion alert indicating that the at least one merchandise item is located within the defined prohibited region.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, where configuring, for the at least one merchandise item in the commercial environment, the merchandise proximity exclusion that precludes movement of the at least one merchandise item into the defined prohibited region associated with the commercial environment comprises:

configuring a mutual merchandise proximity exclusion between two merchandise items that defines a prohibited relative mutually-exclusive region that precludes movement of either one of the two merchandise items into proximity of the other one of the two merchandise items.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, where configuring, for the at least one merchandise item in the commercial environment, the merchandise proximity exclusion that precludes movement of the at least one merchandise item into the defined prohibited region associated with the commercial environment comprises:

configuring a commercial environment tag sensor located within the defined prohibited region associated with the commercial environment with criteria of the merchandise proximity exclusion of the at least one merchandise item, where the commercial environment tag sensor detects proximity of a merchandise item tag associated with the at least one merchandise item configured with the merchandise proximity exclusion to the defined prohibited region.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, where the defined prohibited region comprises a vertical merchandise keep-out region, and further comprising:

detecting a vertical movement of the at least one merchandise item that results in a vertical change of location of the at least one merchandise item; and

where determining that the detected change of location of the at least one merchandise item results in the at least one merchandise item being located within the defined prohibited region comprises;

determining that the at least one merchandise item has entered the vertical merchandise keep-out region.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, where the vertical merchandise keep-out region comprises at least one of a merchandise keep-out region above and a merchandise keep-out region below an acceptable vertical elevation range for the at least one merchandise item in the commercial environment.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

configuring, in association with the merchandise proximity exclusion, a time-based merchandise proximity hysteresis threshold that allows the at least one merchandise item to be located temporarily within the defined prohibited region for a specified period of time without generating the merchandise proximity exclusion alert; and

where generating, in response to determining that the detected change of location of the at least one merchandise item results in the at least one merchandise item being located within the defined prohibited region, the merchandise proximity exclusion alert indicating that the at least one merchandise item is located within the defined prohibited region comprises;

generating the merchandise proximity exclusion alert in response to the at least one merchandise item being located within the defined prohibited region for a longer period of time than the specified period of time of the configured time-based merchandise proximity hysteresis threshold.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the merchandise proximity exclusion alert on a console within in a security management office along with a time series of security camera images that document detected changes of location of the merchandise item prior to the generation of the merchandise proximity exclusion alert; and

providing image content of at least an entrance to the defined prohibited region contemporaneously captured with the detected change of location of the at least one merchandise item that resulted in the at least one merchandise item being located within the defined prohibited region.

8. A system, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor programmed to;

configure, within the memory for at least one merchandise item in a commercial environment, a merchandise proximity exclusion that precludes movement of the at least one merchandise item into a defined prohibited region associated with the commercial environment;

monitor changes of location of the at least one merchandise item within the commercial environment; and

generate, in response to determining that a detected change of location of the at least one merchandise item results in the at least one merchandise item being located within the defined prohibited region, a merchandise proximity exclusion alert indicating that the at least one merchandise item is located within the defined prohibited region.

9. The system of claim 8, where, in being programmed to configure, within the memory for the at least one merchandise item in the commercial environment, the merchandise proximity exclusion that precludes movement of the at least one merchandise item into the defined prohibited region associated with the commercial environment, the processor is programmed to:

configure a mutual merchandise proximity exclusion between two merchandise items that defines a prohibited relative mutually-exclusive region that precludes movement of either one of the two merchandise items into proximity of the other one of the two merchandise items.

10. The system of claim 8, where, in being programmed to configure, within the memory for the at least one merchandise item in the commercial environment, the merchandise proximity exclusion that precludes movement of the at least one merchandise item into the defined prohibited region associated with the commercial environment, the processor is programmed to:

configure a commercial environment tag sensor located within the defined prohibited region associated with the commercial environment with criteria of the merchandise proximity exclusion of the at least one merchandise item, where the commercial environment tag sensor detects proximity of a merchandise item tag associated with the at least one merchandise item configured with the merchandise proximity exclusion to the defined prohibited region.

11. The system of claim 8, where the defined prohibited region comprises a vertical merchandise keep-out region, the vertical merchandise keep-out region comprising at least one of a merchandise keep-out region above and a merchandise keep-out region below an acceptable vertical elevation range for the at least one merchandise item in the commercial environment, and where the processor is further programmed to:

detect a vertical movement of the at least one merchandise item that results in a vertical change of location of the at least one merchandise item; and

where, in being programmed to determine that the detected change of location of the at least one merchandise item results in the at least one merchandise item being located within the defined prohibited region, the processor is programmed to;

determine that the at least one merchandise item has entered the vertical merchandise keep-out region.

12. The system of claim 8, where the processor is further programmed to:

configure, within the memory in association with the merchandise proximity exclusion, a time-based merchandise proximity hysteresis threshold that allows the at least one merchandise item to be located temporarily within the defined prohibited region for a specified period of time without generating the merchandise proximity exclusion alert; and

where, in being programmed to generate, in response to determining that the detected change of location of the at least one merchandise item results in the at least one merchandise item being located within the defined prohibited region, the merchandise proximity exclusion alert indicating that the at least one merchandise item is located within the defined prohibited region, the processor is programmed to;

generate the merchandise proximity exclusion alert in response to the at least one merchandise item being located within the defined prohibited region for a longer period of time than the specified period of time of the configured time-based merchandise proximity hysteresis threshold.

13. The system of claim 8, where the processor is further programmed to:

provide the merchandise proximity exclusion alert on a console within in a security management office along with a time series of security camera images that document detected changes of location of the merchandise item prior to the generation of the merchandise proximity exclusion alert; and

provide image content of at least an entrance to the defined prohibited region contemporaneously captured with the detected change of location of the at least one merchandise item that resulted in the at least one merchandise item being located within the defined prohibited region.

14. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, where the computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal per se and where the computer readable program code when executed on a computer causes the computer to;

configure, for at least one merchandise item in a commercial environment, a merchandise proximity exclusion that precludes movement of the at least one merchandise item into a defined prohibited region associated with the commercial environment;

monitor changes of location of the at least one merchandise item within the commercial environment; and

generate, in response to determining that a detected change of location of the at least one merchandise item results in the at least one merchandise item being located within the defined prohibited region, a merchandise proximity exclusion alert indicating that the at least one merchandise item is located within the defined prohibited region.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, where, in causing the computer to configure, for the at least one merchandise item in the commercial environment, the merchandise proximity exclusion that precludes movement of the at least one merchandise item into the defined prohibited region associated with the commercial environment, the computer readable program code when executed on the computer causes the computer to:

configure a mutual merchandise proximity exclusion between two merchandise items that defines a prohibited relative mutually-exclusive region that precludes movement of either one of the two merchandise items into proximity of the other one of the two merchandise items.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, where, in causing the computer to configure, for the at least one merchandise item in the commercial environment, the merchandise proximity exclusion that precludes movement of the at least one merchandise item into the defined prohibited region associated with the commercial environment, the computer readable program code when executed on the computer causes the computer to:

configure a commercial environment tag sensor located within the defined prohibited region associated with the commercial environment with criteria of the merchandise proximity exclusion of the at least one merchandise item, where the commercial environment tag sensor detects proximity of a merchandise item tag associated with the at least one merchandise item configured with the merchandise proximity exclusion to the defined prohibited region.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, where the defined prohibited region comprises a vertical merchandise keep-out region, and where the computer readable program code when executed on the computer further causes the computer to:

detect a vertical movement of the at least one merchandise item that results in a vertical change of location of the at least one merchandise item; and

where, in causing the computer to determine that the detected change of location of the at least one merchandise item results in the at least one merchandise item being located within the defined prohibited region, the computer readable program code when executed on the computer causes the computer to;

determine that the at least one merchandise item has entered the vertical merchandise keep-out region.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, where the vertical merchandise keep-out region comprises at least one of a merchandise keep-out region above and a merchandise keep-out region below an acceptable vertical elevation range for the at least one merchandise item in the commercial environment.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, where the computer readable program code when executed on the computer further causes the computer to:

configure, in association with the merchandise proximity exclusion, a time-based merchandise proximity hysteresis threshold that allows the at least one merchandise item to be located temporarily within the defined prohibited region for a specified period of time without generating the merchandise proximity exclusion alert; and

where, in causing the computer to generate, in response to determining that the detected change of location of the at least one merchandise item results in the at least one merchandise item being located within the defined prohibited region, the merchandise proximity exclusion alert indicating that the at least one merchandise item is located within the defined prohibited region, the computer readable program code when executed on the computer causes the computer to;

generate the merchandise proximity exclusion alert in response to the at least one merchandise item being located within the defined prohibited region for a longer period of time than the specified period of time of the configured time-based merchandise proximity hysteresis threshold.

20. The computer program product of claim 14, where the computer readable program code when executed on the computer further causes the computer to:

provide the merchandise proximity exclusion alert on a console within in a security management office along with a time series of security camera images that document detected changes of location of the merchandise item prior to the generation of the merchandise proximity exclusion alert; and

provide image content of at least an entrance to the defined prohibited region contemporaneously captured with the detected change of location of the at least one merchandise item that resulted in the at least one merchandise item being located within the defined prohibited region.