US 12,114,082 B2
Shelf-mountable imaging system
Anup Jayapal Rao, Bengaluru (IN); Sunay Narkar, Bengaluru (IN); Sanjay Bhokse, Bengaluru (IN); Sandeep Tammana, Bengaluru (IN); Karthik Raju, Bengaluru (IN); Abby P Joby, College Station, TX (US); Hithyshi M, Tumakuru (IN); Kurmanadharao Valla, Srikakulam (IN); Shanavas M S, Bengaluru (IN); and Wasim Salih Thari, Bengaluru (IN)
Assigned to Target Brands, Inc., Minneapolis, MN (US)
Filed by Target Brands, Inc., Minneapolis, MN (US)
Filed on Feb. 25, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/681,378.
Prior Publication US 2022/0318728 A1, Oct. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. H04N 23/90 (2023.01); A47F 10/02 (2006.01); G06K 17/00 (2006.01); G06Q 20/20 (2012.01); H04N 23/54 (2023.01); H04N 23/61 (2023.01); H04N 23/661 (2023.01); H04N 23/80 (2023.01); G06Q 10/087 (2023.01)
CPC H04N 23/90 (2023.01) [A47F 10/02 (2013.01); G06K 17/0022 (2013.01); G06Q 20/203 (2013.01); G06Q 20/208 (2013.01); H04N 23/54 (2023.01); H04N 23/61 (2023.01); H04N 23/661 (2023.01); H04N 23/80 (2023.01); A47F 2010/025 (2013.01); G06Q 10/087 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An imaging system for use in capture of images of shelf stock at a retail location, the retail location including a plurality of retail product shelves arranged in a plurality of aisles, each of the retail product shelves having opposite top and bottom sides extending along a length and along a depth of the retail product shelf, the length of each retail product shelf extending along the respective aisle, the depth of each retail product shelf extending between a rear and a front edge of the retail product shelf, the imaging system comprising:
a plurality of self-contained imaging devices each mounted to the bottom side of one of the retail product shelves, each of the imaging devices comprising:
a housing mounted to the bottom side of the respective retail product shelf so that a viewing portion extends forwardly of the front edge of the retail product shelf while a majority of the housing remains flush or recessed from the front edge of the respective retail product shelf;
an image sensor disposed at the viewing portion of the housing and oriented toward an opposed retail product shelf on an opposite side of the aisle from the respective retail product shelf;
a main processor circuit disposed within the housing, the main processor circuit being configured to manage the image sensor;
a wireless communication interface disposed at the housing, the wireless communication interface being managed by the main processor circuit to communicate images obtained from the image sensor to a remote aggregation device; and
a replaceable internal power source disposed within the housing, the internal power source being configured to supply power to the image sensor, the main processor circuit, and the wireless communication interface.