Granted Patent B2

US 12,211,313 · App. 17/801,936 · Granted Jan 28, 2025

Inventors: Makiko Akiguchi (Tokyo, JP); Azusa Furukawa (Tokyo, JP); Kei Shibuya (Tokyo, JP); Kan Arai (Tokyo, JP); Hiroshi Hashimoto (Tokyo, JP); Ken Hanazawa (Tokyo, JP)

Assignee: NEC CORPORATION

G06V40/168G06Q30/0201G06T7/246G06T7/292G06T11/00G06V20/52G06T2210/16

Abstract

Claims (91)

1. A customer analysis apparatus used with a first image capture unit and a second image capture unit each capturing an image of at least one of a product placement location and an area in front of the product placement location, the customer analysis apparatus comprising:

at least one memory configured to store instructions; and

at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to perform operations comprising:

acquiring a first image generated by the first image capture unit and a second image generated by the second image capture unit; and

processing the first image and the second image, wherein

the first image capture unit, the product placement location, and the second image capture unit are arranged in this order in a first direction,

the first image capture unit is positioned at a height identical to that of or above the product placement location and captures an image of at least a diagonally lower area,

the second image capture unit is positioned at a height identical to that of or below the product placement location and below the first image capture unit and captures an image of at least a diagonally upper area, and

the operations further comprise:

generating product information indicating a product taken out from the product placement location, by processing the first image and the second image;

generating customer attribute information indicating an attribute of a customer taking out the product, by processing the first image; and

causing a storage unit to store the product information and the customer attribute information in association with each other.

2. The customer analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

generating customer attribute information comprises:

generating shoe information indicating a shoe worn by the customer, by processing the first image; and

making the shoe information at least part of the customer attribute information.

3. The customer analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

generating customer attribute information comprises:

generating clothing information indicating clothing worn by the customer, by processing the first image; and

making the clothing information at least part of the customer attribute information.

4. The customer analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

generating customer attribute information comprises:

generating wearing article information indicating a wearing article worn over a face of the customer, by further processing the second image; and

making the wearing article information at least part of the customer attribute information.

5. The customer analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

generating customer attribute information comprises:

generating child attribute information indicating an attribute of a child accompanying the customer, by further processing the second image; and

making the child attribute information at least part of the customer attribute information.

6. The customer analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

a display unit is provided at the product placement location or a store in which the product placement location is provided, and

the operations further comprise:

acquiring display information to be displayed by the display unit, by using the customer attribute information; and

causing the display unit to display the acquired display information.

7. A customer analysis method executed by a computer used with a first image capture unit and a second image capture unit each capturing an image of at least one of a product placement location and an area in front of the product placement location, the customer analysis method comprising:

acquiring a first image generated by the first image capture unit and a second image generated by the second image capture unit;

generating product information indicating a product taken out from the product placement location, by processing the first image and the second image;

generating customer attribute information indicating an attribute of a customer taking out the product, by processing the first image; and

causing a storage unit to store the product information and the customer attribute information in association with each other, wherein

the first image capture unit, the product placement location, and the second image capture unit are arranged in this order in a first direction,

the first image capture unit is positioned at a height identical to that of or above the product placement location and captures an image of at least a diagonally lower area, and

the second image capture unit is positioned at a height identical to that of or below the product placement location and below the first image capture unit and captures an image of at least a diagonally upper area.

8. The customer analysis method according to claim 7 , wherein

generating customer attribute information comprises:

generating shoe information indicating a shoe worn by the customer, by processing the first image; and

making the shoe information at least part of the customer attribute information.

9. The customer analysis method according to claim 7 , wherein

generating customer attribute information comprises:

generating clothing information indicating clothing worn by the customer, by processing the first image; and

making the clothing information at least part of the customer attribute information.

10. The customer analysis method according to claim 7 , wherein

generating customer attribute information comprises:

generating wearing article information indicating a wearing article worn over a face of the customer, by further processing the second image; and

making the wearing article information at least part of the customer attribute information.

11. The customer analysis method according to claim 7 , wherein

generating customer attribute information comprises:

generating child attribute information indicating an attribute of a child accompanying the customer, by further processing the second image; and

making the child attribute information at least part of the customer attribute information.

12. The customer analysis method according to claim 7 , wherein

a display unit is provided at the product placement location or a store in which the product placement location is provided, and

the customer analysis method further comprises:

acquiring display information to be displayed by the display unit, by using the customer attribute information; and

causing the display unit to display the acquired display information.

13. A non-transitory storage medium storing a program executed by a computer used with a first image capture unit and a second image capture unit each capturing an image of at least one of a product placement location and an area in front of the product placement location, the program causing the computer to execute a customer analysis method, the customer analysis method comprising:

acquiring a first image generated by the first image capture unit and a second image generated by the second image capture unit;

generating product information indicating a product taken out from the product placement location, by processing the first image and the second image;

generating customer attribute information indicating an attribute of a customer taking out the product, by processing the first image; and

causing a storage unit to store the product information and the customer attribute information in association with each other, wherein

the first image capture unit, the product placement location, and the second image capture unit are arranged in this order in a first direction,

the first image capture unit is positioned at a height identical to that of or above the product placement location and captures an image of at least a diagonally lower area, and

the second image capture unit is positioned at a height identical to that of or below the product placement location and below the first image capture unit and captures an image of at least a diagonally upper area.

14. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 13 , wherein

generating customer attribute information comprises:

generating shoe information indicating a shoe worn by the customer, by processing the first image; and

making the shoe information at least part of the customer attribute information.

15. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 13 , wherein

generating customer attribute information comprises:

generating clothing information indicating clothing worn by the customer, by processing the first image; and

making the clothing information at least part of the customer attribute information.

16. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 13 , wherein

generating customer attribute information comprises:

generating wearing article information indicating a wearing article worn over a face of the customer, by further processing the second image; and

making the wearing article information at least part of the customer attribute information.

17. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 13 , wherein

generating customer attribute information comprises:

generating child attribute information indicating an attribute of a child accompanying the customer, by further processing the second image; and

making the child attribute information at least part of the customer attribute information.

18. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 13 , wherein

a display unit is provided at the product placement location or a store in which the product placement location is provided, and

the customer analysis method further comprises:

acquiring display information to be displayed by the display unit, by using the customer attribute information; and

causing the display unit to display the acquired display information.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (29)