Systems and methods for verifying the contents of a shipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016275441-A1
Application number	US-201615073927-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 18, 2016
Priority date	Mar 18, 2015
Publication date	Sep 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Various embodiments are directed to systems and methods for verifying the content of shipments based at least in part on images representing the interior of the shipments generated by an imaging device. Embodiments comprise features for receiving shipment data identifying expected contents of a shipment, receiving image data comprising an image of an interior of the shipment, detecting one or more items in the image of the interior of the shipment, and determining whether the detected items match the expected content of the shipment.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1 . A system for verifying the content of shipments, the system comprising:
one or more memory storage areas; and one or more processors collectively configured to:
receive shipment data corresponding to at least one shipment, wherein the shipment data is indicative of the expected content of the shipment;
receive image data comprising an image of an interior of the shipment, wherein the image data is generated based at least in part on output of an imaging device imaging the shipment;
detect one or more items represented in the image of the interior of the shipment;
determine whether the detected one or more items matches the expected content of the shipment; and
generate a graphical display indicative of whether the detected one or more items matches the expected content of the shipment.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the shipment data identifies an expected quantity of items within the shipment; and
wherein determining whether the detected one or more items matches the expected content of the shipment comprises determining whether a quantity of detected items represented in the image of the interior of the shipment satisfies an expected quantity of items within the shipment.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
receive reference image data comprising one or more reference images of one or more item types, wherein each reference image is associated with an item description; compare the detected one or more items represented in the image against the reference data; identify a matching reference image corresponding to one or more of the items detected in the image; associate the item description of the matching reference image with the corresponding item detected in the image; and determine whether the detected item description matches at least a portion of the expected content of the shipment.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the graphical display comprises:
the image of the interior of the shipment; and one or more of the reference images and the associated item descriptions; and wherein the graphical display is configured to receive user input to associate one or more of the reference images with the image of the interior of the shipment.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the imaging device comprises an X-ray imaging device.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein detecting one or more items represented in the image of the interior of the shipment comprises detecting the edges of each of the one or more items represented in the image.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the shipment data comprises one or more images of the expected content of the shipment; and determining whether the detected one or more items matches the expected content of the shipment comprises determining whether the detected one or more items matches one or more of the images stored in the shipment data.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to generate a notification indicative of whether the detected one or more items matches the expected content of the shipment.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the shipment data identifies a disposition criteria for determining whether the detected one or more items matches the expected content of the shipment.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the disposition criteria is selected from: (1) determining whether the number of items detected in the image matches an expected number of items; or (2) determining whether an identified item description corresponding to at least one of the items detected in the image matches an expected item description.

11 . A computer-implemented method for verifying the content of shipments, the method comprising steps for:
receiving, via one or more processors, shipment data corresponding to at least one shipment, wherein the shipment data is indicative of the expected content of the shipment; receiving, via the one or more processors, image data comprising an image of an interior of the shipment, wherein the image data is generated based at least in part on output of an imaging device imaging the shipment; detecting, via the one or more processors, one or more items represented in the image of the interior of the shipment; determining, via the one or more processors, whether the detected one or more items matches the expected content of the shipment; and generating, via a graphical display device, a graphical display indicative of whether the detected one or more items matches the expected content of the shipment.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the shipment data identifies an expected quantity of items within the shipment; and
wherein determining whether the detected one or more items matches the expected content of the shipment comprises determining whether a quantity of detected items represented in the image of the interior of the shipment satisfies an expected quantity of items within the shipment.

13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising steps for:
receiving reference image data comprising one or more reference images of one or more item types, wherein each reference image is associated with an item description; comparing the detected one or more items represented in the image against the reference data; identifying a matching reference image corresponding to one or more of the items detected in the image; associating the item description of the matching reference image with the corresponding item detected in the image; and determining whether the detected item description matches at least a portion of the expected content of the shipment.

14 . A system for verifying the content of shipments, the system comprising:
one or more memory storage areas; and one or more processors collectively configured to:
receive first image data comprising a first image of an interior of a shipment, wherein the first image data is generated based at least in part on output of an imaging device imaging the shipment;
receive second image data comprising a second image of the interior of the shipment, wherein the second image data is generated based at least in part on output of an imaging device imaging the shipment after the first image data is generated;
detect one or more first items represented in the first image of the interior of the shipment;
detect one or more second items represented in the second image of the interior of the shipment; and
determine whether the one or more first items match the one or more second items.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein determining whether the one or more first items match the one or more second items comprises determining whether the quantity of first items is the same as quantity of second items.

16 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
receive reference image data comprising one or more reference images of one or more item types, wherein each reference image is associated with an item description; compare the detected one or more first items represented in the first image against the reference data; identify a matching reference image corresponding to one or more of the first items detected in the first image; associate the item description of the matching reference image with the corresponding first item detected in the first image; compare the detected one or more second items represented in the second image against the reference data; identify a matching reference image corresponding to one or more of the second items detected i

Assignees

• United parcel service america inc

Inventors

• Barber Jim
• Cooper Jeffrey
• Schenken Christopher T

Classifications

• G06T7/001

  using an image reference approach · CPC title

• G06Q10/083 Primary

  Shipping · CPC title

• G06K9/6202

  Physics · mapped topic