PaddlePaddle/PaddleOCR · error · TypeError

The input data is inconsistent with expectations.

Error message

The input data is inconsistent with expectations.

What it means

Raised by the kie_ser_re hubserving module's predict method when the request payload does not match the expected shape. The module accepts input either as raw image arrays (`images`) or as file paths (`paths`) — exactly one of the two, and it must be a non-empty Python list. Any other combination (both set, both empty, wrong types) falls through to this TypeError.

Source

Thrown at deploy/hubserving/kie_ser_re/module.py:115

                continue
            images.append(img)
        return images

    def predict(self, images=[], paths=[]):
        """
        Get the chinese texts in the predicted images.
        Args:
            images (list(numpy.ndarray)): images data, shape of each is [H, W, C]. If images not paths
            paths (list[str]): The paths of images. If paths not images
        Returns:
            res (list): The result of chinese texts and save path of images.
        """
        if images != [] and isinstance(images, list) and paths == []:
            predicted_data = images
        elif images == [] and isinstance(paths, list) and paths != []:
            predicted_data = self.read_images(paths)
        else:
            raise TypeError("The input data is inconsistent with expectations.")

        assert (
            predicted_data != []
        ), "There is not any image to be predicted. Please check the input data."

        all_results = []
        for img in predicted_data:
            if img is None:
                logger.info("error in loading image")
                all_results.append([])
                continue
            print(img.shape)
            starttime = time.time()
            re_res, _ = self.ser_re_predictor(img)
            print(re_res)
            elapse = time.time() - starttime
            logger.info("Predict time: {}".format(elapse))
            all_results.append(re_res)

View on GitHub (pinned to 2661c7c0ef)

Solutions

  1. Send exactly one field: either {"images": [<numpy arrays>} or {"paths": ["a.jpg"]}, never both, never neither.
  2. Ensure the chosen field is a Python list (JSON array) with at least one element.
  3. If calling the class directly, call predict(images=[img], paths=[]) or predict(images=[], paths=[...]).

Example fix

# before
res = module.predict(images=[img], paths=["a.jpg"])  # both set -> TypeError

# after
res = module.predict(images=[img], paths=[])
# or
res = module.predict(images=[], paths=["a.jpg"])
Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

def valid_kie_payload(images, paths) -> bool:
    return (
        isinstance(images, list) and images and not paths
    ) or (
        isinstance(paths, list) and paths and not images
    )

assert valid_kie_payload(images, paths), "send exactly one non-empty list: images XOR paths"

Type guard

from typing import Any, List

def is_valid_images_list(v: Any) -> bool:
    return isinstance(v, list) and len(v) > 0 and all(
        hasattr(im, "shape") for im in v
    )

def is_valid_paths_list(v: Any) -> bool:
    return isinstance(v, list) and len(v) > 0 and all(
        isinstance(p, str) for p in v
    )

Try / catch

try:
    res = module.predict(images=images, paths=paths)
except TypeError as e:
    if "inconsistent with expectations" in str(e):
        raise ValueError("payload must be exactly one non-empty list: images XOR paths") from e
    raise

Prevention

When it happens

Trigger: Calling predict with both `images` and `paths` non-empty, with both empty, with `images`/`paths` as a non-list (e.g. a single numpy array or string instead of a list), or passing keyword arguments the if/elif chain does not accept.

Common situations: POSTing a hubserving JSON body like {"images": [...], "paths": [...]} (both keys), sending a bare string path instead of a one-element list, or reusing a client written for a different PaddleOCR serving module that has a different payload contract.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of PaddlePaddle/PaddleOCR@2661c7c0ef (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/9177d83066827117. Report an issue: GitHub.