US 11,537,985 B2Granted

Anonymous inventory tracking system

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorsIgor S. Ramos, Kimberly J. Taft, Angelo Danducci, II, Devon E. Mensching

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Abstract

In an approach to anonymous inventory tracking, one or more computer processors receive a first image of one or more products from a user. The one or more computer processors remove data associated with an identity of the user from the first image. The one or more computer processors determine that a storage location associated with the one or more products in the first image is detected. The one or more computer processors determine an inventory count of the one or more products in the first image. The one or more computer processors submit the first image and the inventory count of the one or more products in the first image to a blockchain ledger in association with the storage location. The one or more computer processors take an action based on the inventory count.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A computer-implemented method comprising:

responsive to determining, by one or more computer processors, a device of a user that includes a camera is within a pre-defined threshold distance of a storage location, triggering, by one or more computer processors, the camera to capture a first image of one or more products in the storage location;
receiving, by one or more computer processors, the first image of the one or more products from the device of the user;
removing, by one or more computer processors, data associated with an identity of the user from the first image;
determining, by one or more computer processors, that a storage location associated with the one or more products is detected in the first image;
determining, by one or more computer processors, an inventory count of the one or more products in the first image;
submitting, by one or more computer processors, the first image and the inventory count of the one or more products in the first image to a blockchain ledger in association with the storage location;
taking, by one or more computer processors, an action based on the inventory count;
comparing, by one or more computer processors, the inventory count to a previous inventory state of the storage location;
based on the comparison, determining, by one or more computer processors, whether the inventory count is valid;
responsive to determining the inventory count is valid, tagging, by one or more computer processors, the first image as valid;
and responsive to determining the inventory count is invalid, tagging, by one or more computer processors, the first image as invalid.

8 more elements

A computer program product, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer readable storage devices and program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage devices, the stored program instructions comprising:
program instructions to determine a device of a user that includes a camera is within a pre-defined threshold distance of a storage location;
program instructions to, responsive to determining the device of the user is within the predefined threshold distance, trigger the camera to capture a first image of one or more products in the storage location;
program instructions to receive the first image of the one or more products from the device of the user;
program instructions to remove data associated with an identity of the user from the first image;
program instructions to determine that a storage location associated with the one or more products in the first image is detected in the first image;
program instructions to determine an inventory count of the one or more products in the first image;
program instructions to submit the first image and the inventory count of the one or more products in the first image to a blockcha in ledger in association with the storage location;
program instructions to take an action based on the inventory count;
program instructions to compare the inventory count to a previous inventory state of the storage location;
based on the comparison, program instructions to determine whether the inventory count is valid;
responsive to determining the inventory count is valid, program instructions to tag the first image as valid;
and
responsive to determining the inventory count is invalid, program instructions to tag the first image as invalid.

11 more elements

A computer system, the computer system comprising:

one or more computer processors;
one or more computer readable storage devices;
program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more computer processors, the stored program instructions comprising:
program instructions to determine a device of a user that includes a camera is within a pre-defined threshold distance of a storage location;
program instructions to, responsive to determining the device of the user is within the predefined threshold distance, trigger the camera to capture a first image of one or more products in the storage location;
program instructions to receive the first image of the one or more products from the device of the user;
program instructions to remove data associated with an identity of the user from the first image;
program instructions to determine that a storage location associated with the one or more products in the first image is detected in the first image;
program instructions to determine an inventory count of the one or more products in the first image;
program instructions to submit the first image and the inventory count of the one or more products in the first image to a blockchain ledger in association with the storage location;
program instructions to take an action based on the inventory count;
program instructions to compare the inventory count to a previous inventory state of the storage location;
based on the comparison, program instructions to determine whether the inventory count is valid;
responsive to determining the inventory count is valid, program instructions to tag the first image as valid;
and
responsive to determining the inventory count is invalid, program instructions to tag the first image as invalid.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/583,742Filed 26 Sep 2019
Published: US 2021/0097484 A11 Apr 2021
Granted: 27 Dec 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

G06Q 10/0875
Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders: itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or…
G06F 18/22
Analysing: matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
G06V 20/10
Scenes; Scene-specific elements: terrestrial scenes
G06V 20/52
Context or environment of the image: surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects