Digitization of a catalog of retail products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017308938-A1
Application number	US-201615134457-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 21, 2016
Priority date	Apr 21, 2016
Publication date	Oct 26, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and system for catalog digitization. A method including receiving observed information including physical attributes of a plurality of products, assigning an importance to each physical attribute, organizing the products into product categories based on the physical attributes and their corresponding importance, determining a product profile for of the products based on the product category of each of the products and a likelihood of any two attributes being observed together with respect to each of the products, identifying a match between two products based on a similarity between the physical attributes of the two products and their corresponding importance, and a comparison between the product profiles of the two products, preparing a product description based on a combination of the physical attributes of the two matching products, and creating a digital product catalog comprising the product description.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for catalog digitization, the method comprising:
receiving observed information comprising physical attributes of a plurality of products; assigning an importance to each physical attribute; organizing the plurality of products into product categories based on the physical attributes and their corresponding importance; determining a product profile for each of the plurality of products based on the product category of each of the plurality of products and a likelihood of any two attributes being observed together with respect to each of the plurality of products; identifying a match between two products of the plurality of products based on a similarity between the physical attributes of the two products and their corresponding importance, and a comparison between the product profiles of the two products; preparing a product description based on a combination of the physical attributes of the two matching products; and creating a digital product catalog comprising the product description.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein receiving observed information comprises:
capturing photographs and video.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein receiving observed information comprises:
capturing audio using voice recognition software.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the product categories comprise grocery, pharmacy, clothing and household.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein identifying a match between two products of the plurality of products comprises:
calculating a confidence score of the match between the two products, wherein the confidence score is based on the physical attributes of each of the two products and their corresponding importance; and comparing the confidence score to a predetermined confidence threshold, wherein the predetermined confidence threshold is determined by an administrator.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein supplementing the product description with product manufacturer information is based on the combined physical attributes.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the digital catalog is published on-line.

8 . A computer program product for catalog digitization, the computer program product comprising:
one or more computer-readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer-readable storage media, the program instructions comprising: program instructions to receive observed information comprising physical attributes of a plurality of products; program instructions to assign an importance to each physical attribute; program instructions to organize the plurality of products into product categories based on the physical attributes and their corresponding importance; program instructions to determine a product profile for each of plurality of products based on the product category of each of the plurality of products and a likelihood of any two attributes being observed together with respect to each of the plurality of products; program instructions to identify a match between two products of the plurality of products based on a similarity between the physical attributes of the two products and their corresponding importance, and a comparison between the product profiles of the two products; program instructions to prepare a product description based on a combination of the physical attributes of the two matching products; and program instructions to create a digital product catalog comprising the product description.

9 . The computer program product according to claim 8 , wherein program instructions to receive observed information comprises:
program instructions to capture photographs and video.

10 . The computer program product according to claim 8 , wherein program instructions to receive observed information comprises:
program instructions to capture audio using voice recognition software.

11 . The computer program product according to claim 8 , wherein the product categories comprise grocery, pharmacy, clothing and household.

12 . The computer program product according to claim 8 , wherein program instructions to identify a match between two products of the plurality of products comprises:
program instructions to calculate a confidence score of the match between the two products, wherein the confidence score is based on the physical attributes of each of the two products and their corresponding importance; and program instructions to compare the confidence score to a predetermined confidence threshold, wherein the predetermined confidence threshold is determined by an administrator.

13 . The computer program product according to claim 8 , wherein program instructions to supplement the product description with product manufacturer information is based on the combined physical attributes.

14 . The computer program product according to claim 8 , wherein the digital catalog is published on-line.

15 . A computer system for catalog digitization, the computer system comprising:
one or more computer processors, one or more computer-readable storage media, and program instructions stored on the one or more computer-readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising: program instructions to receive observed information comprising physical attributes of a plurality of products; program instructions to assign an importance to each physical attribute; program instructions to organize the plurality of products into product categories based on the physical attributes and their corresponding importance; program instructions to determine a product profile for each of plurality of products based on the product category of each of the plurality of products and a likelihood of any two attributes being observed together with respect to each of the plurality of products; program instructions to identify a match between two products of the plurality of products based on a similarity between the physical attributes of the two products and their corresponding importance, and a comparison between the product profiles of the two products; program instructions to prepare a product description based on a combination of the physical attributes of the two matching products; and program instructions to create a digital product catalog comprising the product description.

16 . The computer system according to claim 15 , wherein program instructions to receive observed information comprises:
program instructions to capture photographs and video.

17 . The computer system according to claim 15 , wherein program instructions to receive observed information comprises:
program instructions to capture audio using voice recognition software.

18 . The computer system according to claim 15 , wherein the product categories comprise grocery, pharmacy, clothing and household.

19 . The computer system according to claim 15 , wherein program instructions to identify a match between two products of the plurality of products comprises:
program instructions to calculate a confidence score of the match between the two products, wherein the confidence score is based on the physical attributes of each of the two products and their corresponding importance; and program instructions to compare the confidence score to a predetermined confidence threshold, wherein the predetermined confidence threshold is determined by an administrator.

20 . The computer system according

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Krishnan Nagesha Rao
• Ponniah Anbumunee
• Prasada Soumya
• Sar Sudhanshu S

Classifications

• G06Q30/0603 Primary

  Catalogue creation or management · CPC title

• G06Q30/0629

  by pre-processing results, e.g. ranking or ordering results · CPC title

• G06Q30/0643

  graphically representing goods, e.g. 3D product representation · CPC title