Predicting inventory events using foreground/background processing

A method for tracking puts and takes of inventory items by subjects in an area of real space, comprising:

• producing a plurality of sequences of images of inventory display structures in corresponding fields of view in the real space, the field of view of each sequence of images overlapping with the field of view of at least one other sequence of images in the plurality of sequences;
• using first image processors, including subject image recognition engines, to process images to identify subjects represented in the images in the corresponding sequences of images;
• detecting puts and takes of inventory items by identifying gestures of subjects and inventory items associated with the gestures by processing foreground data in the sequences of images, and by identifying semantically significant changes in inventory items on inventory display structures by processing background data in the sequences of images to construct sequences of background images and detect changes in the sequences of background images;
• wherein said identifying semantically significant changes in inventory items includes using second image processors, including background image recognition engines, to mask identified subjects in images in the sequences of images, to generate masked images, to process the masked images to identify and to classify background changes represented in the images in the corresponding sequences of images;
• and
• wherein said identifying gestures of subjects and inventory items associated with the gestures includes using third image processors, including foreground image recognition engines, receiving corresponding sequences of images from the plurality of cameras, to process images to identify and classify foreground changes represented in the images in the corresponding sequences of images.

A computer program product, comprising:

• a computer readable memory comprising a non-transitory data storage medium;
• computer instructions stored in the memory executable by a computer to execute a process including:
• using sequences of images of corresponding fields of view in the real space from a plurality of cameras, the field of view of each camera overlapping with the field of view of at least one other camera in the plurality of cameras;
• using first image processors, including subject image recognition engines, to process images to identify subjects represented in the images in the corresponding sequences of images;
• using second image processors, including background image recognition engines, to mask identified subjects in images in the sequences of images, to generate masked images, to process the masked images to identify and to classify background changes represented in the images in the corresponding sequences of images;
• and
• using third image processors, including foreground image recognition engines, receiving corresponding sequences of images from the plurality of cameras, to process images to identify and classify foreground changes represented in the images in the corresponding sequences of images.