Method for automatically generating waypoints for imaging shelves within a store
First Claim
1. A method for automatically generating waypoints for imaging shelves within a store comprises:
- dispatching a robotic system to autonomously collect map data of a floor space within the store during a mapping routine;
generating a map of the floor space from map data collected by the robotic system during the mapping routine;
accessing an architectural metaspace defining target locations and addresses of the set of shelving structures within the store;
distorting features in the architectural metaspace into alignment with like features in the map to generate a normalized metaspace representing real locations and addresses of the set of shelving structures in the store;
defining a coordinate system within the normalized metaspace;
defining a set of waypoints within the normalized metaspace relative to the coordinate system, the set of waypoints comprising a first subset of waypoints distributed longitudinally along and offset laterally from a real location of a first shelving structure, in the set of shelving structures, represented in the normalized metaspace, each waypoint in the first subset of waypoints defining an orientation relative to the coordinate system based on a known position of an optical sensor in the robotic system and the real location of the first shelving structure in the normalized metaspace; and
dispatching the robotic system to record optical data while occupying each waypoint in the first subset of waypoints during an imaging routine.
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Accused Products
Abstract
One variation of a method for automatically generating waypoints for imaging shelves within a store includes: dispatching a robotic system to autonomously generating a map of a floor space within the store; accessing an architectural metaspace defining target locations and addresses of the set of shelving structures within the store; distorting the architectural metaspace into alignment with the map to generate a normalized metaspace representing real locations and addresses of the set of shelving structures in the store; defining a set of waypoints distributed longitudinally along and offset laterally from a first shelving structure represented in the normalized metaspace based on a known position of an optical sensor in the robotic system; and dispatching the robotic system to record optical data while occupying the set of waypoints during an imaging routine.
18 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for automatically generating waypoints for imaging shelves within a store comprises:
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dispatching a robotic system to autonomously collect map data of a floor space within the store during a mapping routine; generating a map of the floor space from map data collected by the robotic system during the mapping routine; accessing an architectural metaspace defining target locations and addresses of the set of shelving structures within the store; distorting features in the architectural metaspace into alignment with like features in the map to generate a normalized metaspace representing real locations and addresses of the set of shelving structures in the store; defining a coordinate system within the normalized metaspace; defining a set of waypoints within the normalized metaspace relative to the coordinate system, the set of waypoints comprising a first subset of waypoints distributed longitudinally along and offset laterally from a real location of a first shelving structure, in the set of shelving structures, represented in the normalized metaspace, each waypoint in the first subset of waypoints defining an orientation relative to the coordinate system based on a known position of an optical sensor in the robotic system and the real location of the first shelving structure in the normalized metaspace; and dispatching the robotic system to record optical data while occupying each waypoint in the first subset of waypoints during an imaging routine. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for automatically generating waypoints for imaging shelves within a store comprises:
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dispatching a robotic system to autonomously map a floor space within the store; receiving a map of the floor space from the robotic system; accessing an architectural metaspace defining locations of shelving structures and addresses of shelving structures within the store; generating a normalized metaspace by aligning features in the architectural metaspace to features in the map; defining a coordinate system for the store within the normalized metaspace; defining a set of waypoints within the normalized metaspace based on positions of shelving structures within the normalized metaspace and imaging capabilities of the robotic system, each waypoint comprising a location and orientation relative to the coordinate system; labeling each waypoint in the set of waypoints with an address of a shelving structure proximal the waypoint; uploading the set of waypoints to the robotic system for execution in a subsequent imaging routine; accessing a first image comprising visual data recorded by the robotic system when occupying a first waypoint in the set of waypoints during the imaging routine; detecting a first shelf in the first image; determining an address of the first shelf based on a first address of a first shelving structure associated with the first waypoint and a vertical position of the first shelf within the first image; based on the address of the first shelf, retrieving a first list of products assigned to the first shelf by a planogram of the store; retrieving a first set of template images from a database of template images, each template image in the first set of template images comprising visual features of a product specified in the first list of products; extracting a first set of features from a first region of the first image adjacent the first shelf; and confirming presence of a unit of a first product, in the first list of products, on the first shelf in response to correlation between features in the first set of features and features in a first template image, in the first set of template images, representing the first product. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification