Method and system for inputting products into an inventory system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10984374-B2
Application number	US-201815860755-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 3, 2018
Priority date	Feb 10, 2017
Publication date	Apr 20, 2021
Grant date	Apr 20, 2021

Abstract

A method of characterizing inventory items to a planogram includes receiving images of view of a scene with inventory items and corresponding indicia using an imaging device; receiving utterances (such as spoken description of inventory items) from a user using a voice recognition system; identifying inventory items in the scene and a corresponding identification code based at least in part on the images and at least in part on the utterances; identifying a plurality of attributes corresponding to the inventory items; and characterizing the inventory items to a planogram based on the respective identification code and plurality of attributes.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of characterizing an inventory item to a planogram, the method comprising:
receiving an image using an imaging device, the image comprising a view of a scene including an inventory item and an indicia for the inventory item, the indicia comprising an identification code configured to identify the inventory item;
receiving an utterance from a user using a voice recognition system, the utterance comprising a spoken description of the inventory item;
identifying the inventory item in the scene and the identification code corresponding to the identified inventory item, wherein the identifying is based on the image and on the utterance;
identifying an attribute corresponding to the inventory item, the attribute identified based on the image and the utterance;
calculating a performance metric corresponding to the inventory item, wherein the performance metric comprises at least one of a gross margin, a profit margin, an inventory turn, a customer conversion ratio, a shelf space and an item per purchase;
characterizing the inventory item to generate a planogram based on the performance metric, the identification code and the attribute;
wherein the identification code is identified from the image during planogram generation; and
wherein the attribute of the inventory item identified from the image and the user utterance received are used for characterizing of the inventory item during the planogram generation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the image comprising the view of the scene comprises of:
a location corresponding to the inventory item in the scene;
a quantity corresponding to the inventory item in the scene;
a facing arrangement corresponding to the inventory item in the scene;
a floor layout corresponding to the inventory item in the scene;
a fixture attribute corresponding to the inventory item in the scene; and
an identification code corresponding to the inventory item in the scene.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the utterance comprises at least one of:
a location corresponding to the inventory item in the scene;
a quantity corresponding to the inventory item in the scene;
a facing arrangement corresponding to the inventory item in the scene;
a floor layout corresponding to the inventory item in the scene;
a fixture attribute corresponding to the inventory item in the scene; and
an identification code corresponding to the inventory item.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the attribute comprises at least one of:
a location corresponding to the inventory item;
a quantity corresponding to the inventory item;
a facing arrangement corresponding to the inventory item;
a floor layout corresponding to the inventory item; and
a fixture attribute corresponding to the inventory item.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the planogram comprises:
a visual representation of the scene, the visual representation based is on the image and the utterance;
a description of the inventory item in the scene, the description comprising a visual representation of the inventory item and/or a textual description of the inventory item, wherein the description is based on the utterance; and
a description of the attribute corresponding to the inventory item, the description comprising a visual representation of the attribute and a textural description of the attribute.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a description of the inventory item in the scene comprises an identification code corresponding to inventory item in the scene.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein a description of the attribute corresponding to the inventory item comprises the description of:
a location corresponding to inventory item in the scene, the description of the location comprising a visual representation of the location and/or a textual description of the location;
a quantity corresponding to the inventory item in the scene, the description of the quantity comprising a visual representation of the quantity and/or a textual description of the quantity;
a facing arrangement corresponding to the inventory item in the scene, the description of the facing arrangement comprising a visual representation of the facing arrangement and/or a textual description of the facing arrangement;
a floor layout corresponding to inventory item in the scene, the description of the floor layout comprising a visual representation of the floor layout and/or a textual description of the floor layout; and
a fixture attribute corresponding to the inventory item, the description of the fixture attribute comprising a visual representation of the fixture attribute and/or a textual description of the fixture attribute.

8. The method of claim 1 , comprising identifying a first inventory item based on the image and the utterance.

9. The method of claim 1 , comprising identifying a first inventory item based on the image and identifying a second inventory item based the utterance.

10. The method of claim 1 , comprising identifying a first inventory item based on the image and identifying an identification code corresponding to the first inventory item based on the utterance.

11. A method of characterizing one or more inventory items to a planogram, the method comprising:
receiving an image using an imaging device, the image comprising a view of a scene including an inventory item and at least one of:
an indicia for the inventory item, each indicia comprising an identification code configured to identify a respective inventory item;
a location corresponding to the inventory item in the scene;
a quantity corresponding to the inventory item in the scene;
a facing arrangement corresponding to the inventory item in the scene;
a floor layout corresponding to the inventory item in the scene; and
a fixture attribute corresponding to the inventory item in the scene;

receiving an utterance from a user using a voice recognition system, the utterance comprising a spoken description of:
at least the inventory item;
a location corresponding to the inventory item in the scene;
a quantity corresponding to the inventory item in the scene;
a facing arrangement corresponding to the inventory item in the scene;
a floor layout corresponding to the inventory item in the scene;
a fixture attribute corresponding to the inventory item in the scene; and
an identification code corresponding to the inventory item;

identifying the inventory item in the scene based on the image and utterance;
identifying an attribute corresponding to the inventory item, the attribute identified based on the image and the utterance, wherein the attribute comprises at least one of:
a location corresponding to a respective inventory item;
a quantity corresponding to a respective inventory item;
a facing arrangement corresponding to a respective inventory item;
a floor layout corresponding to a respective inventory item; and
a fixture attribute corresponding to a respective inventory item; and

calculating a performance metric corresponding to the inventory item, wherein the performance metric comprises at least one of a gross margin, a profit margin, an inventory turn, a customer conversion ratio, a shelf space and an item per purchase;
characterizing the inventory item to generate a planogram based on the performance metric, the identification code and the respective attribute, wherein the identification code is identified from the image during planogram generation, and the generated planogram comprises of:
a visual representation of the scene, the visual representation based on the image and on the utterance;
a description of the inventory item in the scene and of the corresponding identification

Assignees

• Vocollect Inc

Inventors

• Pike Jeffrey
• Pike Lori
• Mellott Mark
• Sanchez Vanessa Cassandra
• Karabin George Joshue
• Bender Brian
• Volz Justin

Classifications

• G06K7/1413

  1D bar codes · CPC title

• G06K7/1417

  2D bar codes · CPC title

• G06K7/10722

  Photodetector array or CCD scanning · CPC title

• G06Q10/087 Primary

  Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders · CPC title

• G06Q10/08724 Primary

  by shelf level inventory management, e.g. planograms · CPC title