Methods and arrangements for configuring retail scanning systems

{
  "publication_number": "US10958807B1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B1",
  "title": "Methods and arrangements for configuring retail scanning systems",
  "abstract": "The present technology relates to image signal processing. One aspect of the present technology involves analyzing reference imagery gathered by a camera system to determine which parts of an image frame offer high probabilities of - relative to other image parts - containing decodable watermark data. Another aspect of the present technology whittles-down such determined image frame parts based on detected content (e.g., a cereal box) vs expected background within such determined image frame parts.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A method of image processing for processing a set of image areas within an image frame, the image frame having been captured with a camera, comprising the acts: for each image area within the set of image areas, establishing a plurality of subareas, each subarea comprising n×m pixels, where n and m are both positive integers, each of the n×m pixels including a value; for each subarea: determining an image characteristic representing the n×m pixels; comparing the determined image characteristic to a baseline characteristic associated with the subarea, the baseline characteristic representing a static image characteristic for that subarea; classifying the subarea as background or as content based on said comparing, a classification of content results when the determined image characteristic deviates within a threshold from the baseline characteristic; and triggering image distortion correction or signal decoding based on a classification from said classifying, in which the signal decoding, once triggered, recovers a plural-bit identifier from machine-readable indicia encoded in the image frame.",
    "2. The method of claim 1 in which said triggering is based on a plurality of classifications from said classifying.",
    "3. The method of claim 1, in which the image characteristic comprises a pixel mean value representing the n×m pixels.",
    "4. The method of claim 1 in which the image characteristic comprises a pixel greyscale mean value representing the n×m pixels.",
    "5. The method of claim 1 in which the image characteristic comprises a brightness or luminance value associated with the n×m pixels.",
    "6. The method of claim 1 further comprising maintaining an array or table of baseline values associated with the baseline characteristic, the baseline characteristic representing an image characteristic for that subarea over L immediately preceding image frames, where L is a positive integer between 10-10,000.",
    "7. The method of claim 6 further comprising maintaining a histogram of pixel values associated with each subarea.",
    "8. The method of claim 7 further comprising updating the histogram with the determined image characteristic.",
    "9. The method of claim 8 further comprising updating the baseline characteristic with the updated histogram.",
    "10. The method of claim 1 in which the baseline characteristic is dynamically updated with image data from each captured image frame or from each i th captured image frame, where i is an integer.",
    "11. An image-sensor based scanner comprising: one or more cameras; one or more multi-core processors configured for: analyzing image data captured by said one or more cameras to determine whether it represents a content object or background imagery, said analyzing determining an image characteristic for a spatial location within the image data and comparing it to a baseline characteristic, the baseline characteristic representing a static image characteristic associated with the spatial location within the image data, said analyzing yielding a determination of whether the determined image characteristic deviates within a threshold from the baseline characteristic; and gating signal decoding or fingerprint extraction based on the determination; and an output for outputting data from a signal decoding or fingerprint extraction.",
    "12. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions stored therein that, when executed by one or more electronic processors, cause the one or more electronic processors to perform the following the acts: obtaining an image frame having a set of image areas, the image frame having been captured with a camera; for each image area within the set of image areas, establishing a plurality of subareas, each subarea comprising n×m pixels, where n and m are both positive integers, each of the n×m pixels including a value; for each subarea: determining an image characteristic representing the n×m pixels; comparing the determined image characteristic to a baseline characteristic associated with the subarea; and classifying the subarea as background or as content based on the comparing, a classification of content results when the determined image characteristic deviates within a threshold from the baseline characteristic; and triggering image distortion correction or signal decoding based on a classification from the classifying, in which the signal decoding, once triggered, recovers a plural-bit identifier from machine-readable indicia encoded in the image frame.",
    "13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 in which said triggering is based on a plurality of classifications from said classifying.",
    "14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 in which the image characteristic comprises a pixel mean value representing the n×m pixels.",
    "15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 in which the image characteristic comprises a pixel greyscale mean value representing the n×m pixels.",
    "16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 in which the image characteristic comprises a brightness or luminance value associated with the n×m pixels.",
    "17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 in which the instructions further comprise instructions that cause the one or more electronic processors to perform the following the act: maintaining an array or table of baseline values associated with the baseline characteristic, the baseline characteristic representing an image characteristic for that subarea over L immediately preceding image frames, where L is a positive integer between 10-10,000.",
    "18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 in which the instructions further comprise instructions that cause the one or more electronic processors to perform the following the act: maintaining a histogram of pixel values associated with each subarea.",
    "19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18 in which the instructions further comprise instructions that cause the one or more electronic processors to perform the following the act: updating the histogram with the determined image characteristic.",
    "20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 in which the instructions further comprise instructions that cause the one or more electronic processors to perform the following the act: updating the baseline characteristic with the updated histogram.",
    "21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 in which the baseline characteristic is dynamically updated with image data from each captured image frame or from each i th captured image frame, where i is an integer."
  ],
  "cpc": [
    "H04N 1/32267",
    "G06K 19/06028",
    "G06K 19/06037",
    "G06K 7/10722",
    "G06K 7/10861",
    "G06K 7/1096",
    "G06K 7/1404",
    "G06K 7/1413",
    "G06K 7/1417",
    "G06K 7/1443",
    "G06T 1/0021",
    "G06T 2201/0065",
    "G06T 2207/20021",
    "G06T 2207/20084",
    "G06T 7/70"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "DIGIMARC CORP"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2019-02-07",
  "publication_date": "2021-03-23",
  "grant_date": "2021-03-23",
  "priority_date": "2018-02-08",
  "application_number": "US-201916270500-A",
  "family_id": "74882845",
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