Methods and arrangements for identifying objects
US10192087B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 7, 2016 |
| Grant date | Jan 29, 2019 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 15, 2036 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG09G2380/06
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
In some arrangements, product packaging is digitally watermarked over most of its extent to facilitate high-throughput item identification at retail checkouts. Imagery captured by conventional or plenoptic cameras can be processed (e.g., by GPUs) to derive several different perspective-transformed views—further minimizing the need to manually reposition items for identification. Crinkles and other deformations in product packaging can be optically sensed, allowing such surfaces to be virtually flattened to aid identification. Piles of items can be 3D-modelled and virtually segmented into geometric primitives to aid identification, and to discover locations of obscured items. Other data (e.g., including data from sensors in aisles, shelves and carts, and gaze tracking for clues about visual saliency) can be used in assessing identification hypotheses about an item. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.