Retail shelf image processing and inventory tracking system

A system for identifying one or more products from an image, the system comprising:

• an imaging device within a retail store;
• a computing system comprising:
• a processor;
• a memory communicatively connected to the processor which stores program instructions executable by the processor, wherein, when executed the program instructions cause the system to:
• receive the image from the imaging device;
• retrieve a location where the imaging device is affixed within the retail store;
• detect one or more products within the image;
• generate a fingerprint for a product, wherein the product is one of the one or more products;
• compare the generated fingerprint with a plurality of reference fingerprints;
• determine one or more matches between the fingerprint and the plurality of reference fingerprints;
• using additional parameters including product category information associated with the location of the imaging device and without mapping to planogram data, refine the one or more matches to a final match between the fingerprint and a final reference fingerprint, wherein the product category data include categories of products viewable by the imaging device based on the location where the imaging device is affixed within the retail store;
• identify a final reference product associated with the final reference fingerprint;
• and
• identify the product as being the final reference product.

A method for identifying one or more missing products from a shelf image, the method comprising:

• receiving the shelf image from an imaging device, wherein the shelf image is an image of shelf within a retail store;
• retrieving a location where the imaging device is affixed within the retail store;
• detecting a position in the shelf image that is missing a missing product;
• analyzing one or more prior shelf images, wherein the one or more prior shelf images are images of the shelf acquired earlier in time;
• generating a product fingerprint of a shelf product occupying the position in the one or more prior shelf images;
• comparing the product fingerprint with a plurality of reference fingerprints;
• determining one or more product matches between the product fingerprint and the plurality of reference fingerprints;
• using additional parameters including product category data associated with the location of the imaging device and without mapping to planogram data, refining the one or more product matches to a final product match between the product fingerprint and a final reference product fingerprint, wherein the product category data include categories of products viewable by the imaging device based on the location where the imaging device is affixed within the retail store;
• identifying a final reference product associated with the final reference product fingerprint;
• and
• identifying the missing product as being the final reference product;
• and
• sending a message to one or more user computing devices that the shelf is missing the missing product.