Individual identification apparatus

An individual product identification method performed by an individual product identification apparatus having an adjustment phase and an operation phase following the adjustment phase, an imaging condition being adjusted in the adjustment phase, an individual product being identified in the operation phase, the individual product identification method comprising:

• in the adjustment phase:
• acquiring a registration image obtained by capturing a portion of a reference product by a first camera;
• setting the imaging condition for imaging the portion of the reference product by a second camera;
• acquiring a matching image obtained by imaging the portion of the reference product by the second camera under the set imaging condition;
• comparing the acquired matching image and the registration image to determine a matching degree therebetween;
• repeating:
• changing the imaging condition in a direction by a value;
• reacquiring the matching image obtained by imaging the portion of the reference product by the second camera under the imaging condition as has been changed;
• comparing the reacquired matching image and the registration image to redetermine the matching degree therebetween;
• and
• comparing the matching degree as was redetermined after the imaging condition was changed in the direction by the value with the matching degree as was determined or redetermined before the imaging condition was changed, to determine whether or not to further change the imaging condition in the direction,
• until it has been determined that the imaging condition is not to be further changed in the direction, in order to determine the imaging condition to be used in the operation phrase;
• in the operation phase,
• acquiring, for each of a plurality of products, a registration image obtained by capturing a portion of the product by the first camera;
• storing the acquired registration image for each product in a database;
• acquiring a matching image obtained by capturing a portion of one of the plurality of products, by the second camera under the imaging condition to be used in the operation phase as has been determined in the adjustment phase;
• comparing the matching image acquired in the operation phase to the registration image for each product stored in the database to determine a matching degree therebetween;
• and
• determining that the one of the plurality of products of the matching image acquired in the operation phase is identical to the product of the registration image for which the matching degree is greater than a preset threshold.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions executable by an individual product identification apparatus to perform processing, the individual product identification apparatus having an adjustment phase and an operation phase following the adjustment phase, an imaging condition being adjusted in the adjustment phase, an individual product being identified in the operation phase, the processing comprising:

• in the adjustment phase:
• acquiring a registration image obtained by capturing a portion of a reference product by a first camera;
• setting the imaging condition for imaging the portion of the reference product by a second camera;
• acquiring a matching image obtained by imaging the portion of the reference product by the second camera under the set imaging condition;
• comparing the acquired matching image and the registration image to determine a matching degree therebetween;
• repeating:
• changing the imaging condition in a direction by a value;
• reacquiring the matching image obtained by imaging the portion of the reference product by the second camera under the imaging condition as has been changed;
• comparing the reacquired matching image and the registration image to redetermine the matching degree therebetween;
• and
• comparing the matching degree as was redetermined after the imaging condition was changed in the direction by the value with the matching degree as was determined or redetermined before the imaging condition was changed, to determine whether or not to further change the imaging condition in the direction,
• until it has been determined that the imaging condition is not to be further changed in the direction, in order to determine the imaging condition to be used in the operation phrase;
• in the operation phase,
• acquiring, for each of a plurality of products, a registration image obtained by capturing a portion of the product by the first camera;
• storing the acquired registration image for each product in a database;
• acquiring a matching image obtained by capturing a portion of one of the plurality of products, by the second camera under the imaging condition to be used in the operation phase as has been determined in the adjustment phase;
• comparing the matching image acquired in the operation phase to the registration image for each product stored in the database to determine a matching degree therebetween;
• and
• determining that the one of the plurality of products of the matching image acquired in the operation phase is identical to the product of the registration image for which the matching degree is greater than a preset threshold.