Planogram and Realogram Alignment

• US 20170178227A1
• Filed: 05/25/2016
• Published: 06/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Van Olst, Daniel G., Griffin, Michael, Romain, Tiffany, Graham, Jamey
• Granted Patent: US 10,445,821 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

The disclosure includes a system and method for aligning a realogram and a planogram. An alignment module of an image recognition application receives a realogram, the realogram including information about product recognitions, and a planogram corresponding to the realogram. The alignment module also generates a planogram brand chunk in the planogram, the planogram brand chunk grouping a plurality of planogram product facings belonging to a same brand, and a realogram brand chunk in the realogram based on the planogram brand chunk. The alignment module additionally identifies a planogram product facing in the planogram brand chunk and a realogram product facing in the realogram brand chunk and aligns the planogram product facing with the realogram product facing.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a realogram, the realogram including information about product recognitions;

receiving a planogram corresponding to the realogram;

generating a planogram brand chunk in the planogram, the planogram brand chunk grouping a plurality of planogram product facings belonging to a same brand;

generating a realogram brand chunk in the realogram based on the planogram brand chunk;

identifying a planogram product facing in the planogram brand chunk;

identifying a realogram product facing in the realogram brand chunk; and

aligning the planogram product facing with the realogram product facing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a planogram brand chunk comprises:

identifying a planogram product facing on a shelf of the planogram;

determining a brand of the planogram product facing;

determining whether the brand is matching an existing planogram brand chunk;

responsive to determining the brand is matching the existing planogram brand chunk, adding the planogram product facing to the existing planogram brand chunk; and

responsive to determining the brand is not matching the existing planogram brand chunk, creating a new planogram brand chunk and adding the planogram product facing to the new planogram brand chunk.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a realogram brand chunk comprises:

creating an identical copy of the planogram brand chunk;

storing the identical copy of the planogram brand chunk in a corresponding shelf of the realogram as a realogram brand chunk; and

refining the realogram brand chunk based on analyzing a plurality of realogram product facings identified within the realogram brand chunk.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein aligning the planogram product facing with the realogram product facing comprises:

comparing an index position of the planogram product facing in the planogram brand chunk and the realogram product facing in the realogram brand chunk to generate an index score;

comparing an aspect ratio of the planogram product facing and the realogram product facing to generate an aspect ratio score;

comparing neighboring product facings of the planogram product facing and the realogram product facing to generate a neighbor score;

comparing an identifier of the planogram product facing and the realogram product facing to generate an identifier score;

determining an average score based on the index score, the aspect ratio score, the neighbor score and the identifier score;

determining whether the average score satisfies a threshold; and

storing the realogram product facing as a connection of the planogram product facing in a candidate list of realogram product facings.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a gap threshold for a shelf in the realogram;

determining a distance between two realogram product facings on the shelf;

determining whether the distance between the two realogram product facings satisfies the gap threshold;

responsive to determining the distance between the two realogram product facings satisfies the gap threshold;

creating a gap facing;

classifying the gap facing; and

inserting the gap facing into the shelf between the two realogram product facings.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein classifying the gap facing comprises:

preprocessing an image of the gap facing by cropping edges and setting alpha values of a plurality of pixels in the image of the gap facing to one;

processing the image of the gap facing using a corner detection filter, an edge detection filter, and a bright color filter;

determining whether at least two of the corner detection filter, the edge detection filter, and the bright color filter indicate a presence of product like features in the gap facing; and

responsive to determining that at least two of the corner detection filter, the edge detection filter, and the bright color filter indicate the presence of product like features, classifying the gap facing as containing an unrecognized product facing.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising, responsive to determining that fewer than two of the corner detection filter, the edge detection filter, and the bright color filter indicate the presence of product like features, classifying the gap facing as containing a hole.

8. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory, the memory storing instructions, which when executed cause the one or more processors to;

receive a realogram, the realogram including information about product recognitions;

receive a planogram corresponding to the realogram;

generate a planogram brand chunk in the planogram, the planogram brand chunk grouping a plurality of planogram product facings belonging to a same brand;

generate a realogram brand chunk in the realogram based on the planogram brand chunk;

identify a planogram product facing in the planogram brand chunk;

identify a realogram product facing in the realogram brand chunk; and

align the planogram product facing with the realogram product facing.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein to generate a planogram brand chunk, the instructions cause the one or more processors to:

identify a planogram product facing on a shelf of the planogram;

determine a brand of the planogram product facing;

determine whether the brand is matching an existing planogram brand chunk;

responsive to determining the brand is matching the existing planogram brand chunk, add the planogram product facing to the existing planogram brand chunk; and

responsive to determining the brand is not matching the existing planogram brand chunk, create a new planogram brand chunk and add the planogram product facing to the new planogram brand chunk.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein to generate a realogram brand chunk, the instructions cause the one or more processors to:

create an identical copy of the planogram brand chunk;

store the identical copy of the planogram brand chunk in a corresponding shelf of the realogram as a realogram brand chunk; and

refine the realogram brand chunk based on analyzing a plurality of realogram product facings identified within the realogram brand chunk.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein to align the planogram product facing with the realogram product facing, the instructions cause the one or more processors to:

compare an index position of the planogram product facing in the planogram brand chunk and the realogram product facing in the realogram brand chunk to generate an index score;

compare an aspect ratio of the planogram product facing and the realogram product facing to generate an aspect ratio score;

compare neighboring product facings of the planogram product facing and the realogram product facing to generate a neighbor score;

compare an identifier of the planogram product facing and the realogram product facing to generate an identifier score;

determine an average score based on the index score, the aspect ratio score, the neighbor score and the identifier score;

determine whether the average score satisfies a threshold; and

store the realogram product facing as a connection of the planogram product facing in a candidate list of realogram product facings.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to:

determine a gap threshold for a shelf in the realogram;

determine a distance between two realogram product facings on the shelf;

determine whether the distance between the two realogram product facings satisfies the gap threshold;

responsive to determining the distance between the two realogram product facings satisfies the gap threshold;

create a gap facing;

classify the gap facing; and

insert the gap facing into the shelf between the two realogram product facings.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein to classify the gap facing, the instructions cause the one or more processors to:

preprocess an image of the gap facing by cropping edges and setting alpha values of a plurality of pixels in the image of the gap facing to one;

process the image of the gap facing using a corner detection filter, an edge detection filter, and a bright color filter;

determine whether at least two of the corner detection filter, the edge detection filter, and the bright color filter indicate a presence of product like features in the gap facing; and

responsive to determining that at least two of the corner detection filter, the edge detection filter, and the bright color filter indicate the presence of product like features, classify the gap facing as containing an unrecognized product facing.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to, responsive to determining that fewer than two of the corner detection filter, the edge detection filter, and the bright color filter indicate the presence of product like features, classify the gap facing as containing a hole.

15. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

receive a realogram, the realogram including information about product recognitions;

receive a planogram corresponding to the realogram;

generate a planogram brand chunk in the planogram, the planogram brand chunk grouping a plurality of planogram product facings belonging to a same brand;

generate a realogram brand chunk in the realogram based on the planogram brand chunk;

identify a planogram product facing in the planogram brand chunk;

identify a realogram product facing in the realogram brand chunk; and

align the planogram product facing with the realogram product facing.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein to generate a planogram brand chunk the computer readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to:

identify a planogram product facing on a shelf of the planogram;

determine a brand of the planogram product facing;

determine whether the brand is matching an existing planogram brand chunk;

responsive to determining the brand is matching the existing planogram brand chunk, add the planogram product facing to the existing planogram brand chunk; and

responsive to determining the brand is not matching the existing planogram brand chunk, create a new planogram brand chunk and add the planogram product facing to the new planogram brand chunk.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein to generate a realogram brand chunk the computer readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to:

create an identical copy of the planogram brand chunk;

store the identical copy of the planogram brand chunk in a corresponding shelf of the realogram as a realogram brand chunk; and

refine the realogram brand chunk based on analyzing a plurality of realogram product facings identified within the realogram brand chunk.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein to align the planogram product facing with the realogram product facing the computer readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to:

compare an index position of the planogram product facing in the planogram brand chunk and the realogram product facing in the realogram brand chunk to generate an index score;

compare an aspect ratio of the planogram product facing and the realogram product facing to generate an aspect ratio score;

compare neighboring product facings of the planogram product facing and the realogram product facing to generate a neighbor score;

compare an identifier of the planogram product facing and the realogram product facing to generate an identifier score;

determine an average score based on the index score, the aspect ratio score, the neighbor score and the identifier score;

determine whether the average score satisfies a threshold; and

store the realogram product facing as a connection of the planogram product facing in a candidate list of realogram product facings.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to:

determine a gap threshold for a shelf in the realogram;

determine a distance between two realogram product facings on the shelf;

determine whether the distance between the two realogram product facings satisfies the gap threshold;

responsive to determining the distance between the two realogram product facings satisfies the gap threshold;

create a gap facing;

classify the gap facing; and

insert the gap facing into the shelf between the two realogram product facings.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein to classify the gap facing, the computer readable program when executed on the computer causes the computer to:

preprocess an image of the gap facing by cropping edges and setting alpha values of a plurality of pixels in the image of the gap facing to one;

process the image of the gap facing using a corner detection filter, an edge detection filter, and a bright color filter;

determine whether at least two of the corner detection filter, the edge detection filter, and the bright color filter indicate a presence of product like features in the gap facing;

responsive to determining that at least two of the corner detection filter, the edge detection filter, and the bright color filter indicate the presence of product like features, classify the gap facing as containing an unrecognized product facing; and

responsive to determining that fewer than two of the corner detection filter, the edge detection filter, and the bright color filter indicate the presence of product like features, classify the gap facing as containing a hole.