Image overlaying and comparison for inventory display auditing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9595098-B2
Application number	US-201615085683-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2016
Priority date	Aug 24, 2011
Publication date	Mar 14, 2017
Grant date	Mar 14, 2017

Abstract

Example methods disclosed herein to perform inventory display auditing include comparing a reference image of an inventory display obtained during a prior audit of the inventory display with a current image captured by a camera to determine whether the current image corresponds to the same inventory display as the reference image. Disclosed example methods also include, when the current image is determined to correspond to the same inventory display as the reference image, identifying a difference region in the current image corresponding to a portion of the inventory display that changed relative to the prior audit. Disclosed example methods further include, while the current image is displayed on a display screen, modifying a characteristic of the current image in the difference region to indicate a change in product inventory in the portion of the inventory display.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method to perform inventory display auditing, the method comprising:
comparing, by executing an instruction with a processor, a reference image of an inventory display obtained during a prior audit of the inventory display with a current image captured by a camera to determine whether the current image corresponds to the same inventory display as the reference image;
when the current image is determined to correspond to the same inventory display as the reference image, identifying, by executing an instruction with the processor, a difference region in the current image corresponding to a portion of the inventory display that changed relative to the prior audit; and
while the current image is displayed on a display screen, overlaying, by executing an instruction with the processor, an outline and text on the difference region in the current image to indicate a change in product inventory in the portion of the inventory display.

2. The method of claim 1 , further including:
segmenting the current image into a plurality of segmented regions;
segmenting the reference image into a plurality of segment regions; and
comparing the segmented regions of the current image to the segmented regions of the reference image to identify the difference region in the current image.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the segmented regions of the current image correspond to different shelves of the inventory display.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the segmented regions of the current image correspond to different sections of the inventory display.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the comparing of the segmented regions of the current image to the segmented regions of the reference image includes correlating ones of the segmented regions of the current image with respective ones of the segmented regions of the reference image having similar locations as the ones of the segmented regions of the current image within a tolerance.

6. A method to perform inventory display auditing, the method comprising:
comparing, by executing an instruction with a processor, a reference image of an inventory display obtained during a prior audit of the inventory display with a current image captured by a camera to determine whether the current image corresponds to the same inventory display as the reference image;
when the current image is determined to correspond to the same inventory display as the reference image, identifying, by executing an instruction with the processor, a difference region in the current image corresponding to a portion of the inventory display that changed relative to the prior audit by:
segmenting the current image into a plurality of segmented regions;
segmenting the reference image into a plurality of segment regions;
comparing the segmented regions of the current image to the segmented regions of the reference image to identify the difference region in the current image, wherein the comparing of the segmented regions of the current image to the segmented regions of the reference image includes correlating ones of the segmented regions of the current image with respective ones of the segmented regions of the reference image having similar locations as the ones of the segmented regions of the current image within a tolerance;
averaging correlation results determined from the correlating of the ones of the segmented regions of the current image with the respective ones of the segmented regions of the reference image to determine an average value; and
identifying a first one of the segmented regions of the current image as corresponding to the difference region when a first one of the correlations results determined from the correlating of the first one of the segmented regions of the current image with a respective first one of the segmented regions of the reference image exceeds the average value; and

while the current image is displayed on a display screen, modifying, by executing an instruction with the processor, a characteristic of the current image in the difference region to indicate a change in product inventory in the portion of the inventory display.

7. The method of claim 1 , further including modifying at least one of coloring or shading in the difference region of the current image while the current image is displayed on the display screen.

8. A tangible computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions which, when executed, cause a processor to at least:
compare a reference image of an inventory display obtained during a prior audit of the inventory display with a current image captured by a camera to determine whether the current image corresponds to the same inventory display as the reference image;
when the current image is determined to correspond to the same inventory display as the reference image, identify a difference region in the current image corresponding to a portion of the inventory display that changed relative to the prior audit; and
while the current image is displayed on a display screen, overlay an outline and text on the difference region in the current image to indicate a change in product inventory in the portion of the inventory display.

9. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to:
segment the current image into a plurality of segmented regions;
segment the reference image into a plurality of segment regions; and
compare the segmented regions of the current image to the segmented regions of the reference image to identify the difference region in the current image.

10. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the segmented regions of the current image correspond to different shelves of the inventory display.

11. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the segmented regions of the current image correspond to different sections of the inventory display.

12. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to compare the segmented regions of the current image to the segmented regions of the reference image by correlating ones of the segmented regions of the current image with respective ones of the segmented regions of the reference image having similar locations as the ones of the segmented regions of the current image within a tolerance.

13. A tangible computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions which, when executed, further cause a processor to at least:
compare a reference image of an inventory display obtained during a prior audit of the inventory display with a current image captured by a camera to determine whether the current image corresponds to the same inventory display as the reference image;
when the current image is determined to correspond to the same inventory display as the reference image, identify a difference region in the current image corresponding to a portion of the inventory display that changed relative to the prior audit by causing the processor to:
segment the current image into a plurality of segmented regions;
segment the reference image into a plurality of segment regions;
compare the segmented regions of the current image to the segmented regions of the reference image to identify the difference region in the current image, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to compare the segmented regions of the current image to the segmented regions of the reference image by correlating ones of the segmented regions of the current image with respective ones of the segmented regions of the reference image having similar locations

Assignees

• Nielsen Co Us Llc

Inventors

• Hicks Michael A

Classifications

• G06Q10/0875 Primary

  Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials · CPC title

• G06T7/001 Primary

  using an image reference approach · CPC title

• G06T7/11

  Region-based segmentation · CPC title

• G06T7/90

  Determination of colour characteristics · CPC title

• G06T2207/20112

  Image segmentation details · CPC title