Image processing for tracking actions of individuals

A method comprising:

• tracking a person and an item from a time-stamped stream of images;
• assigning a person identifier for the person;
• isolating item pixels from the images by removing first pixels associated with individuals and second pixels associated with known background objects;
• providing an item identifier for the item based on the item pixels;
• tracking movements of the item relative to the person from the images;
• determining a relationship between the item and the person based on the tracking;
• and
• assigning the item identifier to a virtual shopping cart maintained for the person identifier of the person when the relationship indicates that the person is in possession of the item.

A method comprising:

• processing images by tracking a person represented within the images relative to items represented within the images;
• isolating each identified item within the images to item pixels by removing individual pixels associated with individuals and removing background pixels associated with background objects;
• assigning item identifiers to the items based on the corresponding item pixels associated with each identified item;
• tracking movements of the items within the images relative to the person and relative to known shelf locations of the items;
• adding first item identifiers associated with first items of the items to a virtual shopping cart maintained for a person identifier for the person based on relationships between the person and the first items determined from the tracking.

A system comprising:

• cameras situated throughout a store;
• a server comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium;
• the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions;
• the executable instructions executed by the processor from the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium causing the processor to perform operations comprising:
• receiving time-stamped images from the cameras;
• tracking persons via assigned person identifiers from the images;
• tracking item identifiers for items from the time-stamped images that are associated with the persons by isolating item pixels for other pixels associated with persons and background objects of the store from the time-stamped images and matching the corresponding item pixels to the corresponding item identifiers for the corresponding items;
• maintaining relationships between the item identifiers and the person identifiers based on movements of the items relative the persons detected from the tracking of the persons and the tracking of the items;
• and
• assigning select items to virtual shopping carts associated with the person identifiers when the corresponding relationships indicate that the corresponding persons are in possession of the select items.