Target object detection apparatus, target object detection method, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12217451-B2
Application number	US-202017770364-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2020
Priority date	Nov 5, 2019
Publication date	Feb 4, 2025
Grant date	Feb 4, 2025

Abstract

A management apparatus ( 100 ) includes: an area computation unit ( 102 ) that acquires an area of a displayable region of a display shelf in which a product can be displayed, and computes an area ratio of an area of a non-display region of the display shelf in which the product detected from a captured image is not displayed to the area of the display shelf; a decision unit ( 104 ) that decides whether to make a notification according to the area ratio; and a notification unit ( 106 ) that makes the notification when it is decided that the notification is to be made.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A management apparatus comprising:
at least one memory storing instructions; and
at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to:
receive a captured image of a display shelf including a displayable region in which products are to be displayed;
detect the products in the displayable region;
determine, in the displayable region of the display shelf, a non-display region of the display shelf in which no products have been detected, a plurality of shapes of notification target region in the displayable region being stored with a priority order;
determine a shape of the non-display region;
compare the shape of the non-display region to shapes of a plurality of notification target regions in order of priority of the notification target regions until a matching notification target region is identified for which the shape has a degree of coincidence with the shape of the non-display region greater than a predetermined threshold,
wherein once the matching notification target region is identified, comparison of the shape of the non-display region to the shapes of other of the notification target regions that are lower in priority than the matching notification target region is bypassed; and

output a notification when the matching notification target region has been identified.

2. The management apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:
determine a position of the non-display region from the captured image; and
in a case where no products are displayed in a specific position of the display shelf, as determined based on the position of the non-display region, do not perform comparison of the shape of the non-display region to the shapes of the plurality of notification target regions, and output the notification.

3. The management apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:
determine a position of the non-display region from the captured image;
determine a product displayed in the non-display region of the display shelf, based on the position of the non-display region in the display shelf; and
display character information and an image related to the determined product displayed in the non-display region.

4. The management apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:
determine a position of the non-display region from the captured image;
determine a product displayed in the non-display region of the display shelf, based on the position of the non-display region in the display shelf; and
compute a quantity of the determined product displayed in the non-display region, based on an area of the non-display region.

5. The management apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:
as the priority order is higher, perform comparison of the shape of the non-display region to the shapes of the plurality of notification target regions in a shorter processing cycle or set a level of the notification higher; and
perform the notification according to a different notification method depending on the level of the notification.

6. A management method performed by a management apparatus and comprising:
receiving a captured image of a display shelf including a displayable region in which products are to be displayed;
detecting the products in the displayable region;
determining, in the displayable region of the display shelf, a non-display region of the display shelf in which no products have been detected, a plurality of shapes of notification target region in the displayable region being stored with a priority order;
determining a shape of the non-display region;
comparing the shape of the non-display region to shapes of a plurality of notification target regions in order of priority of the notification target regions until a matching notification target region is identified for which the shape has a degree of coincidence with the shape of the non-display region greater than a predetermined threshold,
wherein once the matching notification target region is identified, comparison of the shape of the non-display region to the shapes of other of the notification target regions that are lower in priority than the matching notification target region is bypassed; and

outputting a notification when the matching notification target region has been identified.

7. The management method according to claim 6 , further comprising:
determining a position of the non-display region from the captured image; and
in a case where no products are displayed in a specific position of the display shelf, as determined based on the position of the non-display region, not performing comparison of the shape of the non-display region to the shapes of the plurality of notification target regions, and output the notification.

8. The management method according to claim 6 , further comprising:
determining a position of the non-display region from the captured image;
determining a product displayed in the non-display region of the display shelf, based on the position of the non-display region in the display shelf; and
displaying character information and an image related to the determined product displayed in the non-display region.

9. The management method according to claim 6 , further comprising:
determining a position of the non-display region from the captured image;
determining a product displayed in the non-display region of the display shelf, based on the position of the non-display region in the display shelf; and
computing a quantity of the determined product displayed in the non-display region, based on an area of the non-display region.

10. The management method according to claim 6 , further comprising:
as the priority order is higher, performing comparison of the shape of the non-display region to the shapes of the plurality of notification target regions in a shorter processing cycle or setting a level of the notification higher; and
performing the notification according to a different notification method depending on the level of the notification.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for executable by a computer to perform processing comprising:
receiving a captured image of a display shelf including a displayable region in which products are to be displayed;
detecting the products in the displayable region;
determining, in the displayable region of the display shelf, a non-display region of the display shelf in which no products have been detected, a plurality of shapes of notification target region in the displayable region being stored with a priority order;
determining a shape of the non-display region;
comparing the shape of the non-display region to shapes of a plurality of notification target regions in order of priority of the notification target regions until a matching notification target region is identified for which the shape has a degree of coincidence with the shape of the non-display region greater than a predetermined threshold,
wherein once the matching notification target region is identified, comparison of the shape of the non-display region to the shapes of other of the notification target regions that are lower in priority than the matching notification target region is bypassed; and

outputting a notification when the matching notification target region has been identified.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 11 , where

Assignees

• Nec Corp

Inventors

• Uchimura Jun
• Tahara Yuji
• TOMITA Rina
• KAZO Yasuyo

Classifications

• G06T2207/30232

  Surveillance · CPC title

• G06Q10/087 Primary

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

• G06T7/62

  of area, perimeter, diameter or volume · CPC title

• G06V20/52

  Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects (recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69) · CPC title

• G06Q30/06

  Buying, selling or leasing transactions · CPC title