Confirming compliance with a configuration

• US 9,041,707 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2012
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: One Door, Inc.
• Original Assignee: RBM Technology Pvt., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ferrara, Raymond, Ci, Weiyan
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung, Kee M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wu, Sing-Wai
• Application Number:
  US13/485,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20130076726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• US Class Current: 345/418
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10004 Still image; Photographic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30232 Surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0002 Inspection of images, e.g. flaw detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/653 by matching three-dimensional models, e.g. conformal mapping of Riemann surfaces

Abstract

Confirming compliance with a configuration includes: receiving information about a fixture, where the information includes a specified configuration of items to be displayed on the fixture; generating a display using the information, where the display depicts the specified configuration; presenting the display using a graphics system of a computing device; receiving an image depicting an actual configuration of the fixture; associating metadata with the image, where the metadata includes searchable data that distinguishes the fixture from at least some other fixtures of like type; sending the image, along with the metadata, over a network to a server that is remote from the computing device; and in a case that the specified configuration substantially matches the actual configuration, sending, along with the image and the metadata, a message indicating that the fixture is in compliance with the specified configuration.

Claims

1. A method performed on a computing device, comprising:

receiving information about a fixture, the information corresponding to a predefined configuration of items to be displayed on the fixture;

generating, on the computing device, data for a display using the information, the display depicting the predefined configuration;

presenting the display based on the data using a graphics system of the computing device;

receiving an image depicting an actual configuration of the fixture;

comparing the actual configuration to the predefined configuration to produce a comparison result;

based on the comparison result, instructing a first server to send metadata to a compliance server, the metadata comprising searchable data that distinguishes the fixture from at least some other fixtures of like type, the metadata identifying at least some of the items in the actual configuration;

responsive to input received on the display, sending data for the image over a network to the compliance server, the compliance server being remote from the computing device; and

in a case that the actual configuration is deemed acceptable based on the comparison result, sending, to the compliance server, a message indicating that the fixture is in compliance with the predefined configuration.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information comprises a floorplan of a location that includes the fixture;

and

wherein the display comprises a first display and a second display, the first display being an image of the floorplan and comprising an icon corresponding to the fixture, the second display depicting the fixture and being presented in response to selection of the icon on the first display.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined configuration matches the actual configuration if at least some items and locations of at least some items on the actual configuration match at least some items and locations of at least some items on the predefined configuration.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in a case that the actual configuration is deemed not acceptable, sending, to the server, a message indicating that the fixture is not in compliance with the predefined configuration.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata comprises data identifying at least one of the following:

a type of the fixture, items on the fixture, and a location of the fixture.

6. One or more non-transitory machine-readable media storing instructions that are executable by one or more processing devices of a computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving information about a fixture, the information corresponding to a predefined configuration of items to be displayed on the fixture;

generating, on the computing device, data for a display using the information, the display depicting the predefined configuration;

presenting the display based on the data using a graphics system of the computing device;

receiving an image depicting an actual configuration of the fixture;

comparing the actual configuration to the predefined configuration to produce a comparison result;

based on the comparison result, instructing a first server to send metadata to a compliance server, the metadata comprising searchable data that distinguishes the fixture from at least some other fixtures of like type, the metadata identifying at least some of the items in the actual configuration;

responsive to input received on the display, sending data for the image over a network to the compliance server, the compliance server being remote from the computing device; and

in a case that the actual configuration is deemed acceptable based on the comparison result, sending, to the compliance server, a message indicating that the fixture is in compliance with the predefined configuration.

7. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 6, wherein the information comprises a floorplan of a location that includes the fixture;

and

wherein the display comprises a first display and a second display, the first display being an image of the floorplan and comprising an icon corresponding to the fixture, the second display depicting the fixture and being presented in response to selection of the icon on the first display.

8. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 6, wherein the predefined configuration matches the actual configuration if at least some items and locations of at least some items on the actual configuration match at least some items and locations of at least some items on the predefined configuration.

9. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise:

in a case that the actual configuration is deemed not acceptable, sending, to the server, a message indicating that the fixture is not in compliance with the predefined configuration.

10. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 6, wherein the metadata comprises data identifying at least one of the following:

a type of the fixture, items on the fixture, and a location of the fixture.

11. A system comprising:

memory storing instructions that are executable;

a graphics system for rendering images on a computer display screen; and

one more processing devices to execute the instructions to perform operations comprising;

receiving information about a fixture, the information corresponding to a predefined configuration of items to be displayed on the fixture;

generating, on the one or more processing devices, data for a display using the information, the display depicting the predefined configuration;

presenting the display based on the data using the graphics system;

receiving an image depicting an actual configuration of the fixture;

comparing the actual configuration to the predefined configuration to produce a comparison result;

based on the comparison result, instructing a first server to send metadata to a compliance server, the metadata comprising searchable data that distinguishes the fixture from at least some other fixtures of like type, the metadata identifying at least some of the items in the actual configuration;

responsive to input received on the display, sending data for the image over a network to the compliance server, the compliance server being remote from the computing device; and

in a case that the actual configuration is deemed acceptable based on the comparison result, sending, to the compliance server, a message indicating that the fixture is in compliance with the predefined configuration.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the information comprises a floorplan of a location that includes the fixture;

and

wherein the display comprises a first display and a second display, the first display being an image of the floorplan and comprising an icon corresponding to the fixture, the second display depicting the fixture and being presented in response to selection of the icon on the first display.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the predefined configuration matches the actual configuration if at least some items and locations of at least some items on the actual configuration match at least some items and locations of at least some items on the predefined configuration.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

in a case that the actual configuration is deemed not acceptable, sending, to the server, a message indicating that the fixture is not in compliance with the predefined configuration.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the metadata comprises data identifying at least one of the following:

a type of the fixture, items on the fixture, and a location of the fixture.

16. A method performed by a computing device, comprising:

receiving information about a fixture, the information corresponding to a predefined configuration of items to be displayed on the fixture;

generating, on the computing device, data for a display using the information, the display depicting the predefined configuration and comprising a user interface, the user interface comprising a control configured to trigger multiple operations automatically;

presenting the display based on the data using a graphics system of the computing device;

responsive to activation of the control, performing the multiple operations automatically, the multiple operations comprising;

controlling a camera associated with the computing device to capture an image depicting an actual configuration of the fixture;

associating metadata with the image, the metadata comprising searchable data that distinguishes the fixture from at least some other fixtures of like type, the metadata identifying at least some of the items in the actual configuration; and

sending the image, along with the metadata, over a network to a server that is remote from the computing device; and

sending, along with the image and the metadata, a message indicating whether the fixture is in compliance with the predefined configuration, the message being based on locations of at least some of the items in the actual configuration and locations of at least some of the items in the predefined configuration.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the server is a first server, and the information is received from a second server that is different from the first server;

and

wherein the method further comprises receiving the metadata from the second server.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining that the predefined configuration matches at least part of the actual configuration.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein determining is performed by comparing the predefined configuration to the actual configuration.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein comparing is performed manually.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein comparing is performed automatically by identifying items in the image depicting the actual configuration using one or more image matching processes, and by comparing attributes of the identified items to attributes of items in the predefined configuration.

22. One or more non-transitory machine-readable media storing instructions that are executable by one or more processing devices of a computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving information about a fixture, the information corresponding to a predefined configuration of items to be displayed on the fixture;

generating, on the computing device, data for a display using the information, the display depicting the predefined configuration and comprising a user interface, the user interface comprising a control configured to trigger multiple operations automatically;

presenting the display based on the data using a graphics system of the computing device;

responsive to activation of the control, performing the multiple operations automatically, the multiple operations comprising;

controlling a camera associated with the computing device to capture an image depicting an actual configuration of the fixture;

associating metadata with the image, the metadata comprising searchable data that distinguishes the fixture from at least some other fixtures of like type, the metadata identifying at least some of the items in the actual configuration; and

sending the image, along with the metadata, over a network to a server that is remote from the computing device; and

sending, along with the image and the metadata, a message indicating whether the fixture is in compliance with the predefined configuration, the message being based on locations of at least some of the items in the actual configuration and locations of at least some of the items in the predefined configuration.

23. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 22, wherein the server is a first server, and the information is received from a second server that is different from the first server;

and

wherein the operations further comprise receiving the metadata from the second server.

24. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 22, wherein the operations further comprise determining that the predefined configuration matches at least part of the actual configuration.

25. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 24, wherein determining is performed by comparing the predefined configuration to the actual configuration.

26. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 25, wherein comparing is performed manually.

27. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 25, wherein comparing is performed automatically by identifying items in the image depicting the actual configuration using one or more image matching processes, and by comparing attributes of the identified items to attributes of items in the predefined configuration.

28. A system comprising a computing device, the computing device comprising:

memory storing instructions that are executable;

a graphics system for rendering images on a computer display screen; and

one more processing devices to execute the instructions to perform operations comprising;

receiving information about a fixture, the information corresponding to a predefined configuration of items to be displayed on the fixture;

generating, on the computing device, data for a display using the information, the display depicting the predefined configuration and comprising a user interface, the user interface comprising a control configured to trigger multiple operations automatically;

presenting the display based on the data using the graphics system;

responsive to activation of the control, performing the multiple operations automatically, the multiple operations comprising;

controlling a camera associated with the computing device to capture an image depicting an actual configuration of the fixture;

associating metadata with the image, the metadata comprising searchable data that distinguishes the fixture from at least some other fixtures of like type, the metadata identifying at least some of the items in the actual configuration; and

sending the image, along with the metadata, over a network to a server that is remote from the computing device; and

sending, along with the image and the metadata, a message indicating whether the fixture is in compliance with the predefined configuration, the message being based on locations of at least some of the items in the actual configuration and locations of at least some of the items in the predefined configuration.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the server is a first server, and the information is received from a second server that is different from the first server;

and

wherein the operations further comprise receiving the metadata from the second server.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the operations further comprise determining that the predefined configuration matches at least part of the actual configuration.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein determining is performed by comparing the predefined configuration to the actual configuration.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein comparing is performed manually.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein comparing is performed automatically by identifying items in the image depicting the actual configuration using one or more image matching processes, and by comparing attributes of the identified items to attributes of items in the predefined configuration.