Transmission of images for inventory monitoring

• US 9,380,222 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2012
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Clayton, Richard M., Lakshminarayanan, Karthik, Stern, Miklos
• Primary Examiner(s): BERARDESCA, PAUL M
• Application Number:
  US13/693,503
• Publication Number:
  US 20140152874A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 348/143, 348/150, 348/222.1, 382/284
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20221 Image fusion; Image merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30108 Industrial image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0008 checking presence/absence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/001 using an image reference approach
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A method and apparatus for transmitting an image for inventory monitoring is provided herein. During operation, a camera may take a series of images of a particular area to be monitored. Each image will be broken into a plurality of regions and a determination will be made if a region is at least partially blocked. Those regions deemed unblocked will be utilized to generate a composite image. The camera continues acquiring images, using unblocked regions until a complete composite image is formed without obstructions. The composite image will then be transmitted and used for inventory monitoring.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting an image of inventory, the method comprising:

receiving, at a processing system, a first image of inventory from a camera;

determining, by a processor of the processing system, that a portion of the first image contains one or more blocked regions, and responsively;

requesting, by the processor, a second image of the inventory from the camera; and

receiving, at the processing system, the second image containing one or more unblocked regions corresponding to the one or more blocked regions of the first image;

creating, by the processor, a composite image formed of unblocked regions of the first and second images;

determining, by the processor, that a blocked portion of the composite image has remained blocked for longer than a predetermined period of time; and

transmitting the composite image including the blocked portion;

wherein determining that the portion of the first image contains one or more blocked regions comprises;

identifying, by the processor, absence of specific image features at specific locations in the first image; and

wherein the absence of the one or more specific image features is used to determine that an area of the first image is blocked.

2. A method for transmitting an image of inventory, the method comprising:

receiving, at a processing system, a first image of inventory from a camera;

determining, by a processor of the processing system, that a portion of the first image contains one or more blocked regions, and responsively;

requesting, by the processor, a second image of the inventory from the camera; and

receiving at the processing system, the second image containing one or more unblocked regions corresponding to the one or more blocked regions of the first image;

creating, by the processor, a composite image formed of unblocked regions of the first and second images;

identifying a relative level of blockage of a current image region in a current image;

comparing the relative level of blockage to a corresponding level of blockage of a corresponding region in the composite image; and

merging the current image region into the corresponding composite region of the composite image if the current image region has less blockage;

wherein determining that the portion of the first image contains one or more blocked regions comprises;

identifying, by the processor, absence of specific image features at specific locations in the first image; and

wherein the absence of one or more specific image features is used to determine that an area of the first image is blocked.

3. An apparatus comprising:

a camera;

a communications interface;

data storage; and

a processor configured to;

receive, via the communications interface, a first image of inventory from the camera;

determine that a portion of the first image contains one or more blocked regions, and responsively;

request a second image of the inventory from the camera; and

receive the second image containing one or more unblocked regions corresponding to the one or more blocked regions of the first image;

create a composite image formed of unblocked regions of the first and second images;

wherein the processor is configured to determine if the portion of the first image contains one or more blocked regions by;

identifying absence of specific image features at specific locations in the first image;

wherein the absence of one or more specific image features is used to determine that an area of the first image is blocked; and

wherein the processor is further configured to;

determine that a blocked portion of the composite image has remained blocked for longer than a predetermined period of time, and responsively transmit, via the communications interface, the composite image including the blocked portion.