Method and apparatus for managing product placement on store shelf

• US 9,659,272 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2012
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Birch, Thomas A., Kasper, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilder, Hunter
• Application Number:
  US13/976,327
• Publication Number:
  US 20140006229A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,874 Days
• Field of Search: 705 28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A method and apparatus for attending to a supply of product at a position on a store shelf involves receiving an electronic image of the position on a store shelf and comparing the electronic image to a previous electronic image of the position on the store shelf. Depending of the difference, if any, between the two images, generating an indication to attend to the supply of product at the position on the store shelf.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

capturing, by an image capturing device of a computing device representing a micro digital signage (MDS) unit having a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, a first electronic image of a position capable of hosting a product on a store shelf in a store, wherein capturing is performed in response to receiving a user command, wherein the MDS unit is placed on or near the store shelf or one or more edges of the store shelf and includes a display device coupled to the processor and the memory such that the display device is capable of retrieving from the memory one or more of advertisement data and pricing information relating to products placed on or near the store shelf while ignoring the store shelf when the store shelf lacks product activity or is obscured by one or more of persons and objects;

comparing, by the processor, the first electronic image to a second electronic image of the position on the store shelf, wherein the first electronic image includes a current electronic image, and wherein the second electronic image includes a previous electronic image; and

generating, by the processor, an indication to attend to supplying of the product at the position on the store shelf upon a determination that the second electronic image of the position on the store shelf does not match the first electronic image of the position on the store shelf, and

wherein the indication is further generated, by the processor, based on continuous detection or periodic detection, by one or more temperature sensors, of temperature conditions associated with one or more products to identify need for supplying or removing of the one or more products from one or more positions on one or more shelves associated with a cooler or a freezer in the store, wherein the temperature conditions indicate potential or actual changes in state of the one or more products based on a rise in temperature or a temperature exceeding a configurable threshold, wherein the one or more temperature sensors are coupled with the computing device and attached to or embedded in the one or more positions on the one or more shelves, wherein the periodic detection is determined in accordance with one or more configurable time periods based on one or more of minutes, hours, days, mornings, nights, business hours, shopping seasons, and natural seasons.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the previous electronic image of the position on the store shelf, wherein the current electronic image is taken upon occurrence of a configurable time period after taking of the previous electronic image, wherein the configurable time period includes at least one of a predetermined time period, busy shopping time, and end of business day, and

wherein the indication is ignored or rejected based on one or more considerations including time of day or knowledge of inventory supply including back-room inventory or current inventory at the store or other stores, and wherein the inventory supply is tracked using an inventory tracking device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving the previous electronic image comprises capturing the previous electronic image in response to an input from a sensor that detects a condition, and wherein receiving the electronic image of the position on the store shelf comprises capturing the current electronic image in response to receiving a user command or input from a sensor that detects a condition.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the user command or input from the sensor that detects a condition is based on at least one of date, time of day, motion detection, temperature detection, a state of the supply of product at the position on the store shelf as indicated in an electronic representation of the supply of product on the store shelf in the current electronic image, and a label or code on the product or on the store shelf at the position of the product on the store shelf.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the current electronic image to the previous electronic image comprises detecting whether there is a difference between an electronic representation of the supply of product on the store shelf in the current electronic image compared to an electronic representation of the supply of product on the store shelf in the previous electronic image.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the comparison detects one of:

the supply of product on the store shelf is at or below a minimum threshold supply of product on the store shelf, the supply of product on the store shelf includes an incorrect or misplaced product, and the supply of product is askew or otherwise is out of arrangement.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein generating an indication to attend to a supply of product at the position on the store shelf based on the analysis comprises generating the indication when there is a difference between an electronic representation of the supply of product on the store shelf in the current electronic image compared to an electronic representation of the supply of product on the store shelf in the previous electronic image.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving at an end user device the indication to attend to a supply of product at the position on the store shelf;

transmitting from the end user device an acknowledgment in response to receiving the indication; and

resetting the indication in response to receiving the acknowledgment.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein transmitting an acknowledgment in response to receiving the indication comprises transmitting an acknowledgment that the supply of the product at the position on the store shelf has been attended to or not.

10. A system comprising:

an electronic image capture device of a computing device representing a micro digital signage (MDS) unit to capture and transmit a first electronic image of a position capable of hosting a product on a store shelf in a store, wherein capturing is performed in response to receiving a user command, wherein the MDS unit is placed on or near the store shelf or one or more edges of the store shelf and includes a display device coupled to the processor and the memory such that the display device is capable of retrieving from the memory one or more of advertisement data and pricing information relating to products placed on or near the store shelf while ignoring the store shelf when the store shelf lacks product activity or is obscured by one or more of persons and objects; and

a processor executing video analytic software coupled to the electronic image capture device of the computing device to receive the first electronic image and compare the first electronic image to a second electronic image of the position on the store shelf, wherein the first electronic image includes a current electronic image, and wherein the second electronic image includes a previous electronic image, and generate an indication to attend to supplying of the product at the position on the store shelf upon a determination that the second electronic image of the position on the store shelf does not match the first electronic image of the position on the store shelf, and

wherein the indication is further generated based on continuous detection or periodic detection, by one or more temperature sensors, of temperature conditions associated with one or more products to identify need for supplying or removing of the one or more products from one or more positions on one or more shelves associated with a cooler or a freezer in the store, wherein the temperature conditions indicate potential or actual changes in state of the one or more products based on a rise in temperature or a temperature exceeding a configurable threshold, wherein the one or more temperature sensors are coupled with the computing device and attached to or embedded in the one or more positions on the one or more shelves, wherein the periodic detection is determined in accordance with one or more configurable time periods based on one or more of minutes, hours, days, mornings, nights, business hours, shopping seasons, and natural seasons.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising a communications interface coupled to the electronic image capture device via which to transmit the electronic image, wherein the current electronic image is taken upon occurrence of a configurable time period after taking of the previous electronic image, wherein the configurable time period includes at least one of a predetermined time period, busy shopping time, and end of business day, and

wherein the indication is ignored or rejected based on one or more considerations including time of day or knowledge of inventory supply including back-room inventory or current inventory at the store or other stores, and wherein the inventory supply is tracked using an inventory tracking device.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the electronic image captured device further to capture and transmit the previous electronic image of the position on the store shelf.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising a sensor coupled to the electronic image capture device to cause the device to capture the current electronic image in response to the sensor detecting a condition, wherein the condition comprises one of date, time of day, detection of motion, and detection of temperature.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor executing video analytic software to compare the current electronic image to a previous electronic image of the position on the store shelf comprises the processor to detect whether there is a difference between an electronic representation of the supply of product on the store shelf in the current electronic image compared to an electronic representation of the supply of product on the store shelf in the previous electronic image.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor further to:

receive an acknowledgment in response to generating the indication; and

reset the indication in response to receiving the acknowledgment.

16. At least one non-transitory machine readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions that in response to being executed on a computing device, cause the computing device to:

capture a first electronic image of the position capable of hosting a product on the store shelf in a store, wherein capturing is performed in response to receiving a user command, wherein the computing device represents a micro digital signage (MDS) unit that is placed on or near the store shelf or one or more edges of the store shelf and includes a display device coupled to the processor and the memory such that the display device is capable of retrieving from the memory one or more of advertisement data and pricing information relating to products placed on or near the store shelf while ignoring the store shelf when the store shelf lacks product activity or is obscured by one or more of persons and objects;

compare the first electronic image to a second electronic image of the position on the store shelf, wherein the first electronic image includes a current electronic image, and wherein the second electronic image includes a previous electronic image; and

generate an indication to attend to supplying of the product at the position on the store shelf upon a determination that the second electronic image of the position on the store shelf does not match the first electronic image of the position on the store shelf, and

wherein the indication is further generated based on continuous detection or periodic detection, by one or more temperature sensors, of temperature conditions associated with one or more products to identify need for supplying or removing of the one or more products from one or more positions on one or more shelves associated with a cooler or a freezer in the store, wherein the temperature conditions indicate potential or actual changes in state of the one or more products based on a rise in temperature or a temperature exceeding a configurable threshold, wherein the one or more temperature sensors are coupled with the computing device and attached to or embedded in the one or more positions on the one or more shelves, wherein the periodic detection is determined in accordance with one or more configurable time periods based on one or more of minutes, hours, days, mornings, nights, business hours, shopping seasons, and natural seasons.

17. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first and second electronic images captured or received, respectively, in response to input from a sensor that detects a condition, wherein the user command or input from a sensor that detects a condition is based on at least one of date, time of day, motion detection, temperature detection, and a state of the supply of product at the position on the store shelf, wherein the current electronic image is taken upon occurrence of a configurable time period after taking of the previous electronic image, wherein the configurable time period includes at least one of a predetermined time period, busy shopping time, and end of business day, and

wherein the indication is ignored or rejected based on one or more considerations including time of day or knowledge of inventory supply including back-room inventory or current inventory at the store or other stores, and wherein the inventory supply is tracked using an inventory tracking device.

18. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 16, wherein the comparison detects one of:

the supply of product on the store shelf is at or below a minimum threshold supply of product on the store shelf, the supply of product on the store shelf includes an incorrect or misplaced product, and the supply of product is askew or otherwise is out of arrangement.