Commodity recognition apparatus and commodity recognition method

Abstract

In accordance with one embodiment, a commodity recognition apparatus detects, from a captured image, an object imaged in the captured image and extracts an appearance feature amount of the object from the image of the object; compares the extracted appearance feature amount with feature amount data of a dictionary file in which feature amount data indicating the surface information of a commodity is stored for each recognition target commodity to calculate a similarity degree indicating how similar the appearance feature amount is to the feature amount data for each recognition target commodity; recognizes whether or not the object is a commodity based on the calculated similarity degree; and specifies and notifies the reason in a case in which the object is not recognized as a commodity.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A commodity recognition apparatus comprising:
 an image sensor which has an area image sensor to photograph a commodity and generate a captured image of the commodity;   a display configured to display the image captured by the image sensor;   a memory configured to store computer-readable instructions; and   a central processing unit which processes the captured image according to the computer-readable instructions causing the commodity recognition apparatus to:
 recognize the commodity imaged in the captured image; 
 specify a reason why the commodity cannot be recognized in a case in which the commodity cannot be recognized; and 
 notify a specified reason by a category of a frame displayed in the display. 
   
     
     
         3 . The commodity recognition apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the specified reason is notified by difference of colors of the frame.   
     
     
         4 . The commodity recognition apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the specified reason is notified by the frame or an icon.   
     
     
         5 . The commodity recognition apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the central processing unit detects, from the image captured by the image sensor, an object imaged in the image, and   the frame is displayed in a manner of surrounding the object.   
     
     
         6 . The commodity recognition apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the central processing unit measures a size of the frame in a case in which the commodity cannot be recognized, and specifies that the reason why the commodity cannot be recognized is a position of the commodity in a case in which the size is smaller than a preset value.   
     
     
         7 . The commodity recognition apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a pattern memory storing pattern data obtained by patterning shapes of a hand of an operator.   
     
     
         8 . The commodity recognition apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the central processing unit detects, from the image captured by the image sensor, an object imaged in the image, and determines whether the reason why the commodity cannot be recognized is the hand of the operator by reference to the detected object and the pattern data stored in the pattern memory in a case in which the commodity cannot be recognized.   
     
     
         9 . A commodity recognition method comprising:
 generating a captured image of a commodity with an image sensor;   displaying the image captured by the image sensor in a display;   recognizing the commodity imaged in the captured image;   specifying a reason why the commodity cannot be recognized in a case in which the commodity cannot be recognized; and   notifying a specified reason by a category of a frame displayed in the display.   
     
     
         10 . The commodity recognition method according to  claim 9 , wherein
 notifying the specified reason is carried out by a difference of colors of the frame.   
     
     
         11 . The commodity recognition method according to  claim 9 , wherein
 notifying the specified reason is carried out by the frame or an icon.   
     
     
         12 . The commodity recognition method according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 detecting, from the image captured by the image sensor, an object imaged in the image; and   displaying the frame in a manner of surrounding the object.   
     
     
         13 . The commodity recognition method according to  claim 12 , further comprising:
 measuring a size of the frame in a case in which the commodity cannot be recognized; and   specifying that the reason why the commodity cannot be recognized is a position of the commodity in a case in which the size is smaller than a preset value.   
     
     
         14 . The commodity recognition method according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 storing pattern data obtained by patterning shapes of a hand of an operator in a pattern memory;   detecting, from the image captured by the image sensor, an object imaged in the image; and   determining whether the reason why the commodity cannot be recognized is the hand of the operator by reference to the detected object and the pattern data stored in the pattern memory in a case in which the commodity cannot be recognized.   
     
     
         15 . A settlement system comprising:
 the commodity recognition apparatus of  claim 2 ; and   a POS terminal for registering sales data of the commodity recognized by the commodity recognition apparatus.   
     
     
         16 . The settlement system of  claim 15 , wherein
 the central processing unit of the commodity recognition apparatus outputs a commodity ID of the commodity to the POS terminal in a case in which the commodity can be recognized from the image captured by the image sensor.   
     
     
         17 . The settlement system of  claim 15 , wherein
 the commodity recognition apparatus notifies of the specified reason by difference of colors of the frame.   
     
     
         18 . The settlement system of  claim 15 , wherein
 the commodity recognition apparatus notifies of the specified reason by the frame or an icon.   
     
     
         19 . The settlement system of  claim 15 , wherein
 the central processing unit detects, from the image captured by the image sensor, an object imaged in the image, and   the frame is displayed in a manner of surrounding the object.   
     
     
         20 . The settlement system of  claim 19 , wherein
 the central processing unit measures a size of the frame in a case in which the commodity cannot be recognized, and specifies that the reason why the commodity cannot be recognized is a position of the commodity if the size is smaller than a preset value.   
     
     
         21 . The settlement system of  claim 15 , wherein
 the commodity recognition apparatus further comprises a pattern memory storing pattern data obtained by patterning shapes of a hand of an operator, and   the central processing unit detects, from the image captured by the image sensor, an object imaged in the image, and determines whether the reason why the commodity cannot be recognized is the hand of the operator by reference to the detected object and the pattern data stored in the pattern memory in a case where the commodity cannot be recognized.