Image-based inventory control system and method

• US 9,258,534 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2015
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Inventors: Glickman, Stephen L., Jackson, David A., Lipsey, Matthew J., Phillips, Preston, Fly, David C., Weeks, Jason L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Adnan, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US14/668,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20150201166A1
• Time in Patent Office: 321 Days
• Field of Search: 340 31- 32
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25H 3/00 Storage means or arrangements for workshops facilitating access to, or handling of, work tools or instruments containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents B65D83/00; nail dispensers B25C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B25H 3/028 by sliding extraction from within a common frame
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Systems and methods for determining an inventory condition of objects based on captured images are described. An exemplary inventory control system or method utilizes a highly efficient and economical approach to apply suitable imaging parameters for capturing images of a storage drawer being accessed by a user, or for manipulating the captured images of the drawer. An inventory condition of the drawer is determined based on the captured images or manipulated images.

Claims

1. An inventory control system for determining an inventory condition of objects stored in the system, the system comprising:

a plurality of storage compartments, each storage compartment including a plurality of storage locations for storing objects;

an image sensing device comprising a plurality of cameras configured to capture images of the storage compartments;

a data storage device storing imaging parameters corresponding to each storage compartment, the stored imaging parameters comprising known reference data identifying regions of each storage compartment within a field of view of each of the plurality of cameras; and

a data processor configured to;

identify a storage compartment, access the imaging parameters corresponding to the identified storage compartment and including the known reference data identifying regions of the identified storage compartment within the field of view of each of the plurality of cameras, capture images of the identified storage compartment using the plurality of cameras, determine relative positional relationships between the images captured by each camera of the plurality of cameras using the known reference data identifying regions of the identified storage compartment within the field of view of each of the plurality of cameras and stitch together the images captured by the plurality of cameras based on the determined relative positional relationships between the images, and determine an inventory condition of the objects stored in the identified storage compartment according to the-stitched together image.

2. The inventory control system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of storage compartments is a plurality of storage drawers each including a plurality of storage locations for storing objects.

3. The inventory control system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of storage compartments is a plurality of shelves each including a plurality of storage locations for storing objects.

4. The inventory control system of claim 1, wherein the data processor identifies the storage compartment by detecting an identifier unique to the storage compartment or detecting a state of a signal generated by a sensor associated with the storage compartment.

5. The inventory control system of claim 1, wherein the known reference data further include settings used in capturing the images or processing the images after they are captured.

6. The inventory control system of claim 1, wherein the inventory control system is configured to determine which of the plurality of cameras to use in capturing the images of the identified storage compartment based on the known reference data identifying regions of the identified storage compartment within the field of view of each of the plurality of cameras.

7. The inventory control system of claim 6, wherein the inventory control system is further configured to turn off one of the plurality of cameras in response to determining that a region of the identified storage compartment is redundantly imaged by another of the plurality of cameras.

8. An inventory control system for determining an inventory condition of objects stored in the system, the system comprising:

storage means, including a plurality of compartments, for storing objects;

imaging means comprising a plurality of cameras for capturing images of the storage means;

data storage means for storing imaging parameters corresponding to each storage means, the stored imaging parameters comprising known reference data identifying regions of each compartment within a field of view of each of the plurality of cameras; and

data processing means for;

identifying a compartment, accessing the imaging parameters corresponding to the identified compartment and including the known reference data identifying regions of the identified compartment within the field of view of each of the plurality of cameras, capturing images of the identified compartment using the plurality of cameras, determining relative positional relationships between the images captured by each camera of the plurality of cameras using the known reference data identifying regions of the identified compartment within the field of view of each of the plurality of cameras and stitching together the images captured by the plurality of cameras based on the determined relative positional relationships between the images, and determining an inventory condition of the objects stored in the identified compartment according to the stitched together image.

9. The inventory control system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of compartments is a plurality of drawers each including a plurality of storage locations for storing objects.

10. The inventory control system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of compartments is a plurality of shelves each including a plurality of storage locations for storing objects.

11. The inventory control system of claim 8, wherein the data processing identifies the compartment by detecting an identifier unique to the compartment or detecting a state of a signal generated by a sensor associated with the compartment.

12. The inventory control system of claim 8, wherein the known reference data further include settings used in capturing the images or processing the images after they are captured.

13. The inventory control system of claim 8, wherein the inventory control system is configured to determine which of the plurality of cameras to use in capturing the images of the identified storage compartment based on the known reference data identifying regions of the identified storage compartment within the field of view of each of the plurality of cameras.