US 12,437,542 B2
Methods and systems employing image sensing and 3D sensing to identify shelved products
Eric D. Evans, Portland, OR (US); and Bryan Olmstead, Eugene, OR (US)
Assigned to Digimarc Corporation, Beaverton, OR (US)
Filed by Digimarc Corporation, Beaverton, OR (US)
Filed on Sep. 16, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/476,608.
Application 17/476,608 is a division of application No. 16/714,258, filed on Dec. 13, 2019, granted, now 11,126,861.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/780,100, filed on Dec. 14, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0076027 A1, Mar. 10, 2022
Int. Cl. G06V 20/52 (2022.01); G06K 7/14 (2006.01); G06K 19/06 (2006.01); G06Q 10/087 (2023.01); H04N 23/58 (2023.01); H04N 23/72 (2023.01)
CPC G06V 20/52 (2022.01) [G06K 7/1413 (2013.01); G06K 19/06028 (2013.01); G06Q 10/087 (2013.01); H04N 23/58 (2023.01); H04N 23/72 (2023.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. In a product distribution facility that has racks of shelving, the racks of shelving comprising plural shelves spaced above each other for storing products, an ambient inventorying system comprising:
a sensing subsystem including an image sensor and a 3D sensor, said sensing subsystem being mounted to a ceiling of said distribution facility or to one of said racks of shelving;
one or more processors and one or more memories, the one or more memories containing software instructions that configure the system to perform acts including:
processing data from the 3D sensor to identify a first shelf, and a second shelf next-above the first shelf;
identifying—in imagery captured by the image sensor—a storage region between said identified first and second shelves; and
processing an image excerpt that depicts part of said identified storage region, to thereby identify a product stored on said first shelf;
wherein said instructions further configure the system to (A) operate a flash to illuminate imagery captured by the image sensor and to suppress operation of the flash when a person is within view of said image sensor, and (B) to capture said imagery with image sensor exposures of longer than a tenth of a second.