KR102642476B1 - Method and apparatus for allocating item to slot - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for an electronic device to allocate an item to a slot, comprising: receiving a slot allocation request for a first item group including one or more items; Checking status information of a plurality of slots in a first zone of the fulfillment center; determining a first slot corresponding to a first item group among a plurality of slots based on status information; and assigning a first group of items to a first slot, wherein the first zone includes a zone in which one or more picked items are placed before being packaged. .

Description

Method and apparatus for allocating items to slots {METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ALLOCATING ITEM TO SLOT}

Embodiments of the present specification relate to a method and device for allocating an item to a slot.

As the use of the Internet becomes more widespread, the e-commerce market is expanding. In particular, as infectious diseases spread, the proportion of products purchased by visiting offline stores is decreasing, while the proportion of products purchased through e-commerce using computers or smartphones is rapidly increasing.

Fulfillment centers, owned and operated by e-commerce service providers, are responsible for tasks such as receiving, picking, packaging, shipping, and delivering items. As the number of items ordered through e-commerce increases, the number of items that must be processed at the fulfillment center also increases, so it is essential for the fulfillment center to efficiently handle the picking and packaging process of multiple items.

Meanwhile, in the case of the picking area of a fulfillment center, numerous items are stored in different locations, so when a customer orders multiple different items, the location and picking time of the picking area where the ordered items are picked will also be different. If multiple items picked in the picking area are moved to the packing area in the order in which they were picked, numerous items with different delivery destinations and shipping deadlines will be gathered in a disorderly manner in the packing area, which will cause a disruption in the worker's packaging and shipping process. This can lead to inefficiency. Therefore, before the items picked in the picking area are moved to the packaging area, the e-commerce service provider or the operator of the fulfillment center groups and sorts the picked items according to specific criteria, and prepares the items for packaging when the group of items is completed. It is necessary to perform an efficient packaging and shipping process by establishing a system to transport groups of items in batches to the packaging area.

A prior document regarding such a system is Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2022-0105697.

An embodiment of the present disclosure is proposed to solve the above-described problem. In a first zone where picked items are placed in a fulfillment center before being packaged, an electronic device creates a first item group including one or more items. The purpose is to allocate to one slot among multiple slots in the area. The technical challenges that this embodiment aims to achieve are not limited to the technical challenges described above, and other technical challenges can be inferred from the following embodiments.

In order to achieve the above-described problem, a method of allocating an item to a slot by an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes the steps of: receiving a slot allocation request for a first item group including one or more items; Checking status information of a plurality of slots in a first zone of the fulfillment center; determining a first slot corresponding to the first item group among the plurality of slots based on the status information; And allocating the first item group to the first slot, wherein the first zone includes a zone in which the one or more picked items are placed before packaging. .

According to one embodiment, the plurality of slots each have a slot number, the status information includes item group information assigned to the plurality of slots, and the step of determining the first slot is one of the plurality of slots that has not yet been selected. Checking unassigned slots to which no item group is assigned; and determining the slot with the smallest slot number among the unassigned slots as the first slot.

According to one embodiment, the slot number is determined based on the positions of the plurality of slots.

According to one embodiment, the state information includes item group information assigned to the plurality of slots and location information of the plurality of slots, and determining the first slot may include determining whether an item group among the plurality of slots is still present. Checking unassigned and unassigned slots; And determining, among the unassigned slots, the slot closest to the transport mechanism between the picking zone and the first zone as the first slot based on the location information.

According to one embodiment, the first slot is determined in consideration of the positions of workers associated with the plurality of slots.

According to one embodiment, the method for the electronic device to allocate an item to a slot includes determining a second item group to be allocated to the second zone of the fulfillment center among a plurality of item groups allocated to the plurality of slots. It may further include that the items included in the second item group are distributed and arranged in a plurality of cells of the second zone in units of shipments for packaging.

According to one embodiment, determining the second item group includes confirming the capacity of the second zone; Confirming the number of ships corresponding to each of the plurality of item groups; and determining, as the second item group, an item group that can be placed in the second zone among the plurality of item groups, based on comparison of the capacity and the number of ships.

According to one embodiment, the step of determining the second item group includes confirming a delivery cut-off time of a shipment corresponding to each of the plurality of item groups; determining an allocation priority of the plurality of item groups based on the shipping deadline; and determining the second item group among the plurality of item groups based on the allocation priority.

According to one embodiment, the method of allocating an item to a slot by the electronic device includes: checking a delivery deadline time of a shipment corresponding to the first item group; And when the shipping cut-off time satisfies a specific condition, the step of rejecting the slot allocation request for the first item group and allocating the first item group to the second zone.

According to one embodiment, the number of shipments corresponding to each of the plurality of item groups is determined based on the delivery deadline time of the shipment.

According to one embodiment, the one or more items included in the first item group are picked in one or more containers.

According to one embodiment, the slot allocation request is generated in response to receiving scan information of a first container among the one or more containers.

An electronic device for allocating an item to a slot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a memory storing at least one command; And by executing the at least one command, receive a slot allocation request for a first item group including one or more items, check status information of a plurality of slots in the first zone of the fulfillment center, and the status information and a processor that determines a first slot corresponding to the first item group among the plurality of slots based on and assigns the first item group to the first slot, and the first zone is the one picked. It is characterized by including a zone where the above items are placed before being packaged.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a medium configured to store computer-readable instructions, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: one or more items Receiving a slot allocation request for a first item group including; Checking status information of a plurality of slots in a first zone of the fulfillment center; determining a first slot corresponding to the first item group among the plurality of slots based on the status information; and assigning the first group of items to the first slot, wherein the first zone is positioned before the one or more picked items are packaged. It is characterized by including an area that is.

According to an embodiment of the present specification, through the operation of the relocation zone, a plurality of items with the same or similar delivery route are grouped and provided to the packaging zone in a batch, so that the packaging work efficiency of workers in the packaging zone can be improved, Unnecessary waste of space due to excessive accumulation of items awaiting packaging in the packaging area can be prevented.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when determining a first slot for allocating a first item group among a plurality of slots in a relocation zone, the electronic device includes the positions of the plurality of slots, the slot number, the position of the operator, By considering the number, type, and delivery deadline of items included in the first item group, the user experience of the dashboard improves work efficiency by shortening the worker's item transport line and manages status information of multiple slots. can be improved, and by ensuring that items in an item group are sorted once in the relocation area after being picked and before moving to the packaging area, efficiency can be expected to improve through group-specific rebin and packaging work in the packaging area.

The effect of the invention is not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

1 is an exemplary diagram schematically illustrating each configuration of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating each zone of the fulfillment center and the order processing process in each zone according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 3 is an exemplary diagram illustrating an item allocation process in a relocation area and a leavin area of a fulfillment center according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
4A and 4B illustrate example screens of a dashboard for managing status information of a plurality of slots according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of a method by which an electronic device allocates an item to a slot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

In describing the embodiments, description of technical content that is well known in the technical field to which the present invention belongs and that is not directly related to the present invention will be omitted. This is to convey the gist of the present invention more clearly without obscuring it by omitting unnecessary explanation.

For the same reason, some components are exaggerated, omitted, or schematically shown in the accompanying drawings. Additionally, the size of each component does not entirely reflect its actual size. In each drawing, identical or corresponding components are assigned the same reference numbers.

The advantages and features of the present invention and methods for achieving them will become clear by referring to the embodiments described in detail below along with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and may be implemented in various different forms. The present embodiments are merely provided to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to provide common knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains. It is provided to fully inform those who have the scope of the invention, and the present invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

At this time, it will be understood that each block of the processing flow diagram diagrams and combinations of the flow diagram diagrams can be performed by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be mounted on a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing equipment, so that the instructions performed through the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing equipment are described in the flow chart block(s). It creates the means to perform functions. These computer program instructions may also be stored in computer-usable or computer-readable memory that can be directed to a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to implement a function in a particular manner, so that the computer-usable or computer-readable memory It is also possible to produce manufactured items containing instruction means that perform the functions described in the flowchart block(s). Computer program instructions can also be mounted on a computer or other programmable data processing equipment, so that a series of operational steps are performed on the computer or other programmable data processing equipment to create a process that is executed by the computer, thereby generating a process that is executed by the computer or other programmable data processing equipment. Instructions that perform processing equipment may also provide steps for executing the functions described in the flow diagram block(s).

Additionally, each block may represent a module, segment, or portion of code that includes one or more executable instructions for executing specified logical function(s). Additionally, it should be noted that in some alternative execution examples it is possible for the functions mentioned in the blocks to occur out of order. For example, it is possible for two blocks shown in succession to be performed substantially at the same time, or it is possible for the blocks to be performed in reverse order depending on the corresponding function.

At this time, the term '~unit' used in this embodiment refers to software or hardware components such as FPGA or ASIC, and the '~unit' performs certain roles. However, '~part' is not limited to software or hardware. The '~ part' may be configured to reside in an addressable storage medium and may be configured to reproduce on one or more processors. Therefore, as an example, '~ part' refers to components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, processes, functions, properties, and procedures. , subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuitry, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. The functions provided within the components and 'parts' may be combined into a smaller number of components and 'parts' or may be further separated into additional components and 'parts'. Additionally, components and 'parts' may be implemented to regenerate one or more CPUs within a device or a secure multimedia card.

1 is an exemplary diagram schematically illustrating each configuration of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 1, the electronic device 100 may include a processor 110 and a memory 120, and may perform a method of allocating an item to a slot. In the electronic device 100 shown in FIG. 1, only components related to the present embodiments are shown. Accordingly, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the electronic device 100 may further include other general-purpose components in addition to the components shown in FIG. 1 .

The processor 110 controls overall functions for item allocation in the electronic device 100. For example, the processor 110 generally controls the electronic device 100 by executing programs stored in the memory 120 within the electronic device 100. The processor 110 may be implemented as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an application processor (AP), etc. provided in the electronic device 100, but is not limited thereto.

The memory 120 is hardware that stores various types of data processed within the electronic device 100. The memory 120 may store data processed and data to be processed in the electronic device 100. Additionally, the memory 120 may store applications, drivers, etc. to be run by the electronic device 100. The memory 120 includes random access memory (RAM) such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), CD- It may include ROM, Blu-ray or other optical disk storage, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or flash memory.

In one embodiment, the electronic device 100 may be associated with a first zone between a picking zone and a packaging zone of a fulfillment center, which will be described later with reference to FIG. 2 . The first zone may be an area where items picked in the picking zone are temporarily stored and rearranged by group to improve shipping and packaging efficiency before moving to the packaging zone. In the technical field related to this disclosure, a group may be referred to as a batch, a process of relocating items in a first zone may be referred to as a rebatch process, and the first zone may be referred to as a rebatch zone. The electronic device 100 may assign items picked in the picking zone to a plurality of slots in the first zone by group. To facilitate understanding of the method for allocating items to slots of the electronic device 100, the overall process related to order processing at the fulfillment center will be described below with reference to FIG. 2.

Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating each zone of the fulfillment center and the order processing process in each zone according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

2 shows fulfillment center 200. Fulfillment center 200 is an example of a physical location that stores items for shipment to customers when ordered. Fulfillment center (FC) 200 may be divided into multiple zones, each of which is shown in FIG. 2 . In some embodiments, these “zones” may be thought of as virtual divisions between different stages of the process of receiving goods, storing goods, retrieving goods, and transporting goods. Accordingly, although “zones” are shown in FIG. 2, other divisions of zones are possible, and in some embodiments, zones in FIG. 2 may be omitted, duplicated, or modified.

The inbound zone 203 represents an area of the fulfillment center 200 where goods are received from sellers wishing to sell products. For example, a seller may use truck 201 to deliver items 202A and 202B. Item 202A may represent a single item large enough to occupy its own shipping pallet, while item 202B may represent a set of items stacked together on the same pallet to save space. It can be expressed.

Workers receive items at inbound area 203 and may optionally inspect the items for damage and accuracy using a computer system (not shown). For example, an operator may use a computer system to compare the quantities of items 202A and 202B to an ordered quantity of items. If the quantities do not match, the operator may reject one or more of the items 202A or 202B. If the quantities match, workers can move these items (e.g., using a dolly, hand truck, forklift, or manually) to the buffer area 205. Buffer area 205 may be a temporary storage area for items that are not currently needed in the picking area, for example, because there is a sufficient quantity of those items in the picking area to meet the predicted demand. In some embodiments, forklift 206 is operated to move items around buffer zone 205 and between inbound zone 203 and drop zone 207. If items 202A or 202B are needed in the picking area (e.g., due to predicted demand), a forklift may move items 202A or 202B to drop area 207.

Drop zone 207 may be an area of fulfillment center 200 that stores items before they are moved to picking zone 209 . Workers assigned to a picking operation (“pickers”) access items 202A and 202B in the picking area, scan barcodes for the picking area, and use a mobile device to pick items 202A and 202B. You can scan the associated barcode. The picker can then take the items to picking area 209 (e.g., by placing or transporting the items on a cart).

Picking area 209 may be an area of fulfillment center 200 where items 208 are stored on storage units 210 . In some embodiments, storage unit 210 may include one or more of physical shelves, bookcases, boxes, totes, refrigerators, freezers, cold stores, etc. In some embodiments, picking area 209 may be comprised of multiple tiers. In some embodiments, workers or machines may move items to picking area 209 in a variety of ways, including, for example, forklifts, elevators, conveyor belts, carts, hand trucks, dollies, automated robots or devices, or directly. It can be moved. For example, a picker may place items 202A and 202B on a hand truck or cart at drop area 207 and transport items 202A and 202B on foot to picking area 209.

Pickers may receive instructions to place (or “store”) items in specific spots of picking area 209, such as specific spaces on storage unit 210. For example, a picker may scan item 202A using a mobile device. The device may indicate where the picker should deposit item 202A using, for example, aisles, shelves, and position indicating systems. The device may then prompt the picker to scan the barcode at that location before depositing item 202A at that location. The device may transmit data indicating that item 202A has been stored at that location by a user using the device (e.g., via a wireless network) to a computer system, such as a Warehouse Management System (WMS). Can be transmitted.

Once the user places an order, the picker may receive a command via the device to retrieve one or more items 208 from the storage unit 210 . The picker may retrieve the item 208, scan the barcode on the item 208, and place the item on a transport mechanism 214. Transport mechanism 214 may, in some embodiments, be implemented as one or more of a conveyor belt, elevator, cart, forklift, hand truck, dollie, cart, etc. The article 208 may then arrive at a packing zone 211.

Packaging area 211 may be an area of fulfillment center 200 where items are received from picking area 209 and packaged into boxes or bags for final shipment to the customer. In packing area 211, workers assigned to receive items (“rebin workers”) will receive item 208 from picking area 209 and determine which order it corresponds to. For example, a livable worker may use the device to scan a barcode on item 208. The device may visually indicate which order an item 208 is associated with. This may include, for example, a “cell” of space or wall 216 corresponding to an order. Once an order is complete (e.g., because a cell contains all items for the order), the Livin worker can indicate to a packing worker (or "packer") that the order is complete. Packers can retrieve items from cells and place them into boxes or bags for shipping. The packer may then transfer the boxes or bags directly to the hub area 213 or otherwise, for example, via forklift, cart, dolly, hand truck, conveyor belt.

Hub zone 213 may be an area of fulfillment center 200 that receives all boxes or bags (“packages”) from packaging zone 211 . Workers and/or machines in hub area 213 may retrieve packages 218, determine which part of the delivery area each package is intended for, and route the packages to the appropriate camp area 215. . For example, if the delivery area has two smaller sub-areas, the package will go to one of the two camp areas 215. In some embodiments, a worker or machine may scan a package (e.g., using a device) to determine its final destination. Routing a package to a camp area 215 may include, for example, determining the portion of the geographic area for which the package is destined (e.g., based on zip code), and the camp zone associated with the portion of the geographic area. It may include determining (215).

In some embodiments, camp area 215 may include one or more buildings, one or more physical spaces, or one or more regions, where packages are received from hub area 213 to be sorted into routes and/or sub-routes. do. In some embodiments, camp area 215 is physically separate from fulfillment center 200 , while in other embodiments camp area 215 may form part of fulfillment center 200 .

Workers and/or machines within camp area 215 may, for example, compare destinations to existing routes and/or sub-routes, calculate workloads for each route and/or sub-route, Depending on the time of day, method of transportation, cost to transport package 220, PDD associated with the items within package 220, etc., which route and/or sub-route and/or sub-route the package 220 is routed to. You can decide if it should be related. In some embodiments, a worker or machine may scan a package (e.g., using a device) to determine its final destination. Once a package 220 is assigned to a particular route and/or sub-route, workers and/or machines can move the package 220 to be transported. In the exemplary Figure 2, camp area 215 includes trucks 222, cars 226, and delivery workers 224A and 224B. In some embodiments, truck 222 may be driven by a delivery worker 224A, where delivery worker 224A is a full-time employee who delivers packages for fulfillment center 200, and truck 222 is , is owned, leased, or operated by the same company that owns, leases, or operates fulfillment center 200. In some embodiments, vehicle 226 may be driven by delivery worker 224B, where delivery worker 224B may be “flex” or irregular as needed (e.g., seasonally). It may be an accidental worker. Car 226 may be owned, leased, or operated by delivery worker 224B.

In one embodiment, a relocation zone may exist between picking zone 209 and packaging zone 211. Since numerous items are stored in different locations within the picking area 209, when a customer orders a plurality of different items, the location and picking time of the picking area where the ordered items are picked will also be different. If a plurality of items picked in the picking area 209 are moved to the packaging area 211 in the order in which they were picked, without temporary storage in the relocation area, numerous items with different delivery destinations and shipping cut-off times They gather in a disorderly manner in the packaging area 211, which may result in inefficiency in the workers' packaging and shipping process. Accordingly, before the items picked in the picking area 209 move to the packaging area 211, the operator of the fulfillment center 200 groups the picked items according to specific criteria and places them in a plurality of slots provided in the relocation area. When packaging preparations for a specific item group are completed in the packaging area 211, the specific item group placed in a specific slot can be moved to the packaging area 211 in batches. In one embodiment, specific criteria may be set to consider at least one of the type of item (e.g., fresh delivery item, fragile item, bulky item, etc.), Expected Shipping Date (ExSD), and delivery destination. . Through the operation of such a relocation zone, a plurality of items with the same or similar delivery route are grouped and provided to the packaging zone 211 in a batch, so the packaging work efficiency of workers in the packaging zone 211 can be improved, Unnecessary waste of space due to excessive accumulation of items awaiting packaging in the packaging area 211 can be prevented.

In one embodiment, a rebin zone may exist between the relocation zone and the packaging zone 211. In other embodiments, a leavin area may be included in packaging area 211. The leave area may be an area that sorts a plurality of items delivered from the picking area or relocation area into shipment units. In one embodiment, the rebin area may include a space for classifying and arranging a plurality of items in shipment units, and the space may be referred to as a rebin wall, and may be used to accommodate items in shipment units. may include multiple cells for

In one embodiment, a shipment may indicate shipment information of an item. When a customer orders one or more items through an e-commerce service, the service server may generate order information and one shipment information corresponding to one order information. In one embodiment, a plurality of shipment information corresponding to one order information may be generated depending on the type and inventory availability of the ordered item. In one embodiment, one shipment information corresponding to a plurality of order information may be generated. For example, if a customer places orders through an e-commerce site in succession, a plurality of orders with significantly less order time intervals for the same customer may be generated. One shipment information may be created in response to order information.

In one embodiment, when receiving orders from a plurality of users, the electronic device 100 may extract ordered items from order information for a certain period of time and classify the ordered items into one or more item groups. In one embodiment, the electronic device 100 may group items having the same delivery route from picking to packaging into one item group, considering the type of item, storage location of the picking area, delivery cut-off time, delivery destination, etc. . In this way, the electronic device 100 can improve the convenience and efficiency of item picking, packaging, and shipping process management by grouping and managing items that have common characteristics and have the same shipping path into one item group. Information about the item group and the items included therein may be created when ordering an item and stored in a database.

Hereinafter, the process of processing an item group including one or more items in the relocation zone and the leave zone will be described with reference to FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 is an exemplary diagram illustrating an item allocation process in a relocation area and a leavin area of a fulfillment center according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 3 , a schematic structural diagram showing a first zone 320 and a second zone 330 is shown. In one embodiment, first zone 320 may include a relocation zone and second zone 330 may include a leave-in zone. Items picked in the picking area may be transported to the first area 320 via a transport mechanism 310, which in one embodiment may include a conveyor belt, elevator, cart, forklift, hand truck, or dollie. , a cart, etc. may be implemented as one or more of the following.

In one embodiment, items may be picked into a plurality of containers 350 and transported on a container 350 basis. The container 350 may be a tote for transporting items included in the same item group. The container 350 may include one or more items, and when a picking worker in the picking area scans the item to be picked and the container to accommodate the item using a work terminal, a correlation between the item and the container is created, and the mutual relationship between the item and the container is created. Information about the relationship may be transmitted to the electronic device 300 associated with the operation of the fulfillment center. The electronic device 300 may include the electronic device 100 shown in FIG. 1, and may allocate a group of items to a plurality of slots 321 in the first area 320, as will be described later.

Hereinafter, a method for allocating items in the first area 320 will be described.

In one embodiment, the electronic device 300 may receive a slot allocation request for a first item group including one or more items. One or more items included in the first item group may be picked in one or more containers, and one or more containers may include one or more totes. In one embodiment, a slot allocation request may be generated in response to receiving scan information of a first container among one or more containers. Scan information of the first container may be generated from a terminal of a picking worker in the picking area, and the generated scan information may be transmitted to another electronic device associated with the picking area. The electronic device associated with the picking area may generate a slot allocation request for the first item group based on the received scan information and transmit it to the electronic device 300. The electronic device 300 may recognize that one or more items have been picked in the first container through the received slot allocation request and that the picking operation of the first item group has started based on item group information stored in the database. Since the picking operation of the items included in the first item group has started, the electronic device 300 creates a slot 321 to temporarily place the containers in the first area 320 when the picked containers are transported to the first area 320. ) needs to be assigned. In another embodiment, the electronic device 300 may receive scan information of the first container from the terminal of a picking worker in the picking area and generate a slot allocation request for the first item group based on the received scan information. .

In one embodiment, the electronic device 300 may check status information of a plurality of slots 321 in the first area 320 of the fulfillment center in order to allocate a slot to the first item group. First zone 320 may include a relocation zone. The first area 320 may include a plurality of slots 321 in which containers containing picked items can be temporarily placed. In one embodiment, the electronic device 300 may assign an item group to one of the plurality of slots 321, and one item group may be assigned to each slot of the plurality of slots 321, and the slot The container 350 corresponding to the group of items assigned to may be placed in the slot assigned by the worker 360 when it reaches the first zone 320 through the transport mechanism 310. The worker 360 in the first zone 320 may be a person or an autonomous driving device such as a robot or an automated guided vehicle (AGV), and the worker 360 may be moved to the first zone 320 through the transportation mechanism 310. The containers 350 transported can be transported and placed in the corresponding slots 321.

In one embodiment, the status information may include item group information assigned to a plurality of slots. In one embodiment, the status information may be stored in a database of the electronic device 300 or a remote database, and the electronic device 300 determines which of the plurality of slots is currently empty by checking the status information, and determines which slot is currently empty and which slot is empty. The first slot to which the first item group is to be assigned may be determined.

In one embodiment, the electronic device 300 may determine a first slot corresponding to the first item group among a plurality of slots based on status information. In one embodiment, the electronic device 300 may randomly determine a first slot among empty slots (i.e., unassigned slots) of the plurality of slots 321 . This may be the easiest and simplest decision method, but it does not take into account the positions of the numerous slots 321 occupying the spatially large first area 320, so the worker in the first area 320 places the container in the corresponding slot. It can be inefficient as it can have to travel a very long distance to transport it. In addition, in the first area 320, it is common to prepare a sufficient number of slots 321 in advance in case there are many picked items or an unexpectedly large amount of items need to be stored due to an overload in the packaging area. It can be. In this way, when a plurality of slots 321 exist in the first area 320, determining the first slot to which the first item group is randomly assigned without any specific criteria is necessary to manage the status information of the plurality of slots 321. This may impair the user experience of the dashboard. The dashboard for managing the status information of the plurality of slots 321 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B.

In one embodiment, the electronic device 300 may determine the first slot in the order in which the status information of the plurality of slots 321 is updated. The electronic device 300 moves the item group assigned to one of the plurality of slots 321 to the second area 330 for packaging and when the corresponding slot becomes empty, the electronic device 300 selects the next picked item in the order in which the slot becomes empty. A group of items can be assigned to an empty slot. However, this slot allocation method also does not consider the positions of the plurality of slots 321 in the first area 320, which may result in inefficient movement of the worker 360.

In order to solve the above-described problem, in one embodiment, a plurality of slots may each have a slot number, and the electronic device 300 determines an unassigned slot that has not yet been assigned an item group among the plurality of slots, and identifies an unassigned slot that has not yet been assigned an item group. Among the allocated slots, the slot with the smallest slot number may be determined as the first slot. That is, when allocating the picked item group to the plurality of slots 321, the electronic device 300 may allocate the slots in the order of having the smallest slot number among the unassigned slots. In this way, allocation of the first slot considering the slot number facilitates slot allocation and management when the number of plurality of slots 321 is large, and displays status information of the plurality of slots 321 on the dashboard for management. User experience can be improved by compressing and displaying information so that it can be viewed at a glance.

In one embodiment, the slot number may be determined based on the positions of the plurality of slots 321. For example, when a group of items is assigned to one of the plurality of slots 321, the slot numbers may be assigned in descending order, so the electronic device 300 may select a plurality of slots ( 321) Each slot number can be determined. That is, the electronic device 300 determines the slot closest to the transport mechanism 310 among the plurality of slots 321 as slot number 1, and selects the item group transported to the first area 320 through the transport mechanism 310. By allocating the slots closest to the transport mechanism 310, the operator's transport efficiency can be improved. In this embodiment, the slot number is determined based on the distance between the transport mechanism 310 and the plurality of slots 321, but this is only an example, and the plurality of slots 321 and various points (for example, the leavin area 330 ), the transport mechanism 340, and the leave wall 331) to the packaging area, the slot number may be determined.

In one embodiment, the status information includes item group information assigned to the plurality of slots 321 and location information of the plurality of slots 321, and the electronic device 300 is configured to select an item group among the plurality of slots 321. These unassigned slots may be checked, and the slot closest to the transport mechanism 310 between the picking area and the first area 320 among the unassigned slots may be determined as the first slot based on the location information. That is, when allocating the picked item group to one of the plurality of slots 321, the electronic device 300 allocates it to the item group starting from the slot closest to the transport mechanism 310 among the empty slots, so that the worker 360 Container transport efficiency can be improved. In this embodiment, the first slot is determined based on the distance between the transport mechanism 310 and the plurality of slots 321, but this is only an example, and the plurality of slots 321 and various points (for example, the leavin area ( The first slot may be determined based on the distance between the transport mechanism 340 and the leave wall 331 to the packaging area.

In one embodiment, the first slot may be determined considering the location of the worker 360 associated with the plurality of slots 321. The electronic device 300 checks the location of the worker 360 associated with the first area 320 in real time, and preferentially selects a slot close to the position of the worker 360 (for example, less than a certain distance) as the first slot. By determining this, the moving distance of the worker 360 can be minimized. The location of the worker 360 may be transmitted to the electronic device 300 in real time through the terminal of the worker 360.

In one embodiment, the electronic device 300 may determine the first slot based on at least one of the number and type of items included in the first item group. As an example, when the number of items included in the first item group is greater than the threshold, the electronic device 300 transports the first item group to the plurality of slots 321 in the transport mechanism 310 by the operator 360. Since the number of containers to be loaded will be large, the first group of items can be assigned to a slot close to the transport mechanism 310. Conversely, when the number of items included in the first item group is less than the threshold, the electronic device 300 allocates the first item group to a slot that is relatively far from the transport mechanism 310, thereby eliminating the need to transport many containers. You can plan to assign groups of items to nearby slots. As an example, the electronic device 300 may transport the first group of items with the transport mechanism 310 when the first group of items includes items that are difficult to transport (e.g., items with fragile tags). It can be assigned to a slot at a nearby distance.

In one embodiment, the electronic device 300 may determine the first slot based on the shipping deadline of the items included in the first item group. For example, the electronic device 300 checks the shipping cut-off time of the items included in the first item group, and places the first item group including items whose shipping cut-off time is imminent at a distance close to the second zone 330. Can be assigned to a slot. In this way, the electronic device 300 places an item group whose shipping deadline is approaching in a slot adjacent to the packaging area, allowing the worker 360 to easily identify the item group whose shipping deadline is approaching in the first area 320. And, the container corresponding to the corresponding item group can be quickly transported to the second area 330.

In this way, the electronic device 300 determines the first slot for allocating the first item group among the plurality of slots 321 in the first area 320, the location of the plurality of slots 321, and the slot number. , By considering the location of the worker 360, the number and type of items included in the first item group, the shipping deadline, etc., work efficiency is improved by shortening the transportation line of the worker 360, and a plurality of slots 321 ) improves the user experience of the dashboard for managing status information, and improves group-specific rebin and packaging operations in the packing area by ensuring that items in an item group are sorted once in the relocation area after being picked and before moving to the packing area. Improvement in efficiency can be expected.

Meanwhile, it can be assumed that all item groups are allocated to each of the plurality of slots 321 in the first area 320, and there are no unassigned slots to be allocated to a new item group. In this case, the electronic device 300 identifies an item group that is likely to move to the second area 330 due to the livable wall of the second area 330 being assigned to the slot in the near future, and determines the slot in which the item group is placed. You can assign and place new groups of items together. In one embodiment, the item group that is likely to move to the second area 330 in the near future is at least one of the slot allocation time of the item group, the number of containers corresponding to the item group, and the shipping cut-off time for the items included in the item group. It can be decided based on . For example, the electronic device 300 may operate in the second area 300 as the slot allocation time of the item group approaches, the number of containers corresponding to the item group decreases, and the deadline for shipping items included in the item group approaches. ) can be determined to be highly likely to move to.

In one embodiment, the electronic device 300 may determine the first slot and then allocate the first item group to the first slot. When the first item group is assigned to the first slot, the items included in the first item group are placed in the first slot after arriving in the first area 320 in the container 350 and in the second area 330. It can wait to be assigned to the Livin Wall (331).

Hereinafter, a method for allocating items in the second area 330 will be described.

In one embodiment, the second zone 330 may include a leavin zone. The second zone 330 may be a picking zone or an zone that sorts a plurality of items delivered from the first zone 320 (eg, a relocation zone) into shipment units. The second area 330 may include a space for classifying and arranging a plurality of items by shipment unit, and the space may be referred to as a leave wall 331, and may include a plurality of spaces for accommodating items by shipment unit. It can contain cells. In one embodiment, the left wall 331 may be one or may be composed of multiple left walls.

In one embodiment, the electronic device 300 may determine a second item group to be allocated to the second area 330 of the fulfillment center among the plurality of item groups allocated to the plurality of slots 321. Items included in the second item group may be distributed and placed in a plurality of cells of the second area 330 in units of shipments for packaging. For example, when the second item group placed in one of the plurality of slots 321 is assigned to the second area 330, the worker 360 of the first area 320 may select the item included in the second item group. Items are transported from one of the plurality of slots 321 to the second area 330, the items are taken out from a container containing items included in the second item group, and the items are sorted by shipment to be placed on the Livin Wall of the second area 330. It can be placed in each cell constituting (331). When the items are sorted and placed by shipment on the leave wall 331, the worker 370 in the second area 330 packs the items by shipment placed on the leave wall 331 through the transport mechanism 340. It can be transported to the area.

In one embodiment, in order to determine the second item group, the electronic device 300 checks the capacity of the second zone 330, checks the number of ships corresponding to each of the plurality of item groups, and determines the capacity and Based on comparison of the number of ships, an item group that can be placed in the second area 330 among the plurality of item groups may be determined as the second item group. Checking the capacity of the second zone 330 may include checking the number of empty cells among a plurality of cells constituting the empty wall 331 of the second zone 330. In one embodiment, the electronic device 300 checks the number of empty cells of the Livin Wall 331 and selects a corresponding item among the plurality of item groups arranged in each of the plurality of slots 321 in the first area 320. An item group in which the number of shipments is less than or equal to the number of empty cells may be determined as the second item group. For example, if 6 cells are currently empty in the Livin Wall 331, an item group with 7 shipments cannot be assigned to the second zone 330, and an item group with 6 or fewer shipments cannot be assigned to the second area 330. It may be assigned to this second zone 330.

In one embodiment, the number of shipments corresponding to each of the plurality of item groups may be determined based on the shipment deadline time of the shipment. As in the above-described embodiment, when the capacity of the Livin Wall 331 is insufficient, an item group with a small number of ships may be preferentially assigned to the second area 330, so the electronic device 300 When creating, you can check the shipment cut-off time of the items, and in the case of items with relatively little time remaining until the shipping cut-off time, you can ensure that they are included in an item group with a small number of shipments. In this way, when creating an item group, the electronic device 300 includes items with a relatively small amount of time remaining until the shipping deadline in one item group, and maintains the number of shipments of items in the item group to a small number, so that the item The group can be quickly assigned to the second zone 330.

In one embodiment, in order to determine the second item group, the electronic device 300 checks the shipping cut-off time (e.g., ExSD) of the shipment corresponding to each of the plurality of groups, and determines the shipping cut-off time based on the shipping cut-off time. The allocation priority of a plurality of item groups may be determined, and a second item group among the plurality of item groups may be determined based on the allocation priority. The delivery cut-off time may be set for the shipment containing the item in order to adhere to the expected delivery time announced to the customer who ordered the item, and the electronic device 300 may be set to the second zone (330) based on the shipping cut-off time of the shipment. ), it is possible to ensure that items with an imminent delivery deadline are shipped first and to prevent damage to customer experience due to late delivery.

In one embodiment, the electronic device 300 checks the shipping cut-off time of the shipment corresponding to the first item group for which slot allocation is requested, and when the shipping cut-off time satisfies a specific condition (e.g., shipping cut-off time) (if the time is less than 1 hour), the slot allocation request for the first item group may be rejected and the first item group may be allocated to the second zone 330. If the picking of a specific item is delayed due to an unexpected situation at the fulfillment center and it is difficult to meet the shipping deadline, the electronic device 300 skips the process in the first area 320 and places the specific item in the second area 330. ), you can take action to ensure prompt shipment. The electronic device 300 can adhere to the shipping deadline and improve customer experience through exception processing for items whose picking has been unexpectedly delayed.

In one embodiment, the electronic device may receive scan information associated with a specific slot from an electronic device associated with the second zone, and deallocate an item group corresponding to the specific slot in response to the received scan information. Electronic devices associated with the second zone may be included in terminals used by workers in the second zone or in a Livin server that handles the Livin process in the second zone. The scan information associated with a specific slot may include information indicating that the item group corresponding to the specific slot has been moved to the leavin wall in the second zone and scanned for leavin operation. When an item group corresponding to a specific slot is scanned in the second area, it means that the item group occupying the specific slot no longer exists in the first area, so the electronic device determines the allocation of the item group corresponding to the specific slot. You can cancel it and change the status information so that a new item group is assigned.

4A and 4B illustrate example screens of a dashboard for managing status information of a plurality of slots according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 4A, a page 410 showing status information of a plurality of slots in the relocation zone is shown. Page 410 displays the slot number of a plurality of slots in the relocation area, status information, item group information assigned to the slot, item group status, ExSD, elapsed time after assignment, number of totes included in the item group, and assigned Livin workbench. It may include information about. An operator managing a plurality of slots in the relocation area may, through page 410, receive information about which of the plurality of slots is currently empty and which item group is currently assigned to which slot, as well as the assigned group and You can check information about the relevant shipping cut-off time and number of totes. Additionally, through page 410, the operator can determine whether the item group assigned to each slot has been assigned to a leavin workbench (e.g., a leavin wall) in the leavin area and, if so, to which leavin wall in the leavin area the item group has been assigned. You can check information about.

Meanwhile, the relocation zone may be provided with a large number of slots (e.g., 200 slots), and when the electronic device assigns the first item group for which picking has started to one of the plurality of slots, the relocation zone may be provided in a random slot. If allocation is made randomly or slots are allocated in the updated order of a plurality of slots, the page 410 may display unnecessary empty space, such as the area 411. This unnecessary area 411 prevents the page 410 displayed on the limited-sized display from displaying some necessary information (for example, information about the item group assigned to slot 188), and the operator cannot display it like this. However, additional input (e.g., scrolling down input) must be performed to check the required information, which will interfere with the operator's efficient work through the page 410 of the dashboard. Furthermore, such an unnecessary area 411 may make it difficult to manage a group of items whose delivery deadline is approaching, which may ultimately lead to impaired customer experience due to late delivery.

Referring to FIG. 4B, a page 420 showing status information of a plurality of slots in the relocation zone is shown. It can be seen that the page 420, unlike the page 410, does not include an unnecessary area 411. This may be due to the fact that when the electronic device allocates the first item group for which picking has started to one of a plurality of slots, the slots with the smallest slot numbers are sequentially assigned among the unassigned slots. In one embodiment, the slot number may be determined based on the distance from a specific point within the fulfillment center. In this way, slot allocation considering slot numbers facilitates slot allocation and management when the number of slots is large, and allows the dashboard page to compress and display slot allocation information so that it can be viewed at a glance, improving the dashboard operator's convenience. It can improve user experience.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of a method by which an electronic device allocates an item to a slot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The steps shown in FIG. 5 may be performed by the electronic device 100 shown in FIG. 1 or the electronic device 300 shown in FIG. 3, and descriptions that overlap with the above may be omitted below.

In S510, the electronic device may receive a slot allocation request for a first item group including one or more items. One or more items included in the first item group may be picked in one or more containers, and one or more containers may include one or more totes. In one embodiment, a slot allocation request may be generated in response to receiving scan information of a first container among one or more containers. Scan information of the first container may be generated from a terminal of a picking worker in the picking area, and the generated scan information may be transmitted to another electronic device associated with the picking area. The electronic device associated with the picking area may generate a slot allocation request for the first item group based on the received scan information and transmit it to the electronic device. The electronic device may recognize that one or more items have been picked in the first container through the received slot allocation request and that the picking operation of the first item group has started based on item group information stored in the database. Since the picking operation of the items included in the first item group has started, the electronic device needs to allocate a slot to temporarily place the containers in the first zone when the picked containers are transported to the first zone.

In S520, the electronic device may check status information of a plurality of slots in the first zone of the fulfillment center. The first zone may include a relocation zone. The first zone may include a plurality of slots in which containers containing picked items can be temporarily placed. In one embodiment, the electronic device may assign an item group to one of a plurality of slots, one item group may be assigned to each slot of the plurality of slots, and a container corresponding to the item group assigned to the slot may be assigned. Once it reaches the first area through the transport mechanism, it can be placed in a slot assigned by the operator. The worker in the first zone may be a person or an autonomous device such as a robot or AGV, and the worker may transport and place the container transported to the first zone through a transport mechanism into a corresponding slot.

In S530, the electronic device may determine the first slot corresponding to the first item group among the plurality of slots based on the status information. In one embodiment, the plurality of slots may each have a slot number, and the electronic device checks the unassigned slots that have not yet been assigned an item group among the plurality of slots, and selects the slot with the smallest slot number among the unassigned slots. It can be decided with 1 slot. That is, when allocating a picked item group to a plurality of slots, the electronic device may allocate the slots in the order of having the smallest slot number among the unassigned slots. In this way, allocation of the first slot considering the slot number facilitates slot allocation and management when the number of multiple slots is large, and allows the information displayed on the dashboard to manage the status information of multiple slots to be viewed at a glance. The user experience can be improved by compressing and displaying the data so that it can be displayed easily.

In S540, the electronic device may allocate the first item group to the first slot. When the first item group is assigned to the first slot, the items included in the first item group are placed in the first slot after arriving in the first zone in a container and wait to be assigned to the Livin Wall in the second zone. .

Meanwhile, the specification and drawings disclose preferred embodiments of the present invention, and although specific terms are used, they are used in a general sense to easily explain the technical content of the present invention and to aid understanding of the present invention. It is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. In addition to the embodiments disclosed herein, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that other modifications based on the technical idea of the present invention can be implemented.

100: electronic device
110: processor
120: memory

Claims (14)

A method for an electronic device to assign an item to a slot, comprising:
Receiving a slot allocation request for a first item group including one or more items;
Checking status information of a plurality of slots in a first zone of the fulfillment center;
determining a first slot corresponding to the first item group among the plurality of slots based on the status information;
assigning the first item group to the first slot; and
And determining a second item group to be allocated to a second zone of the fulfillment center among the plurality of item groups allocated to the plurality of slots,
The first zone includes a zone in which the one or more picked items are placed in one of the plurality of slots on an item group basis before moving to the second zone,
The second zone includes a plurality of cells in which the second item group is distributed and arranged in shipment units before moving to the packaging zone,
The step of determining the second item group is
Checking the number of empty cells among the plurality of cells;
Confirming the number of ships corresponding to each of the plurality of item groups; and
Based on comparison of the number of empty cells and the number of ships, determining an item group that can be placed in the second zone among the plurality of item groups as the second item group,
A method for an electronic device to allocate an item to a slot, wherein the number of shipments corresponding to each of the plurality of item groups is determined based on the shipment cut-off time of the shipment.
According to paragraph 1,
Each of the plurality of slots has a slot number,
The status information includes item group information assigned to the plurality of slots,
The step of determining the first slot is
Confirming an unassigned slot to which an item group has not yet been assigned among the plurality of slots; and
A method for an electronic device to allocate an item to a slot, including determining a slot with the smallest slot number among the unassigned slots as the first slot.
According to paragraph 2,
A method for an electronic device to allocate an item to a slot, wherein the slot number is determined based on the positions of the plurality of slots.
According to paragraph 1,
The status information includes item group information assigned to the plurality of slots and location information of the plurality of slots,
The step of determining the first slot is
Confirming an unassigned slot to which an item group has not yet been assigned among the plurality of slots; and
A method for an electronic device to allocate an item to a slot, including determining, among the unassigned slots, a slot closest to a transport mechanism between a picking area and the first area as the first slot based on the location information.
According to paragraph 1,
A method for an electronic device to allocate an item to a slot, wherein the first slot is determined considering the location of an operator associated with the plurality of slots.
delete delete According to paragraph 1,
The step of determining the second item group is
Confirming the delivery deadline time of the shipment corresponding to each of the plurality of item groups;
determining an allocation priority of the plurality of item groups based on the shipping deadline; and
A method for an electronic device to allocate an item to a slot, including determining the second item group among the plurality of item groups based on the allocation priority.
According to paragraph 1,
The step of receiving the slot allocation request is
Confirming the delivery deadline time of the shipment corresponding to the first item group; and
When the shipping cut-off time satisfies a specific condition, the electronic device further includes the step of rejecting the slot allocation request for the first item group and allocating the first item group to the second zone. How to allocate items.
delete According to paragraph 1,
A method for an electronic device to allocate an item to a slot, wherein the one or more items included in the first item group are picked into one or more containers.
According to clause 11,
The slot allocation request is generated in response to receiving scan information of a first container among the one or more containers.
An electronic device for assigning an item to a slot, comprising:
a memory storing at least one instruction; and
By executing the at least one command, receive a slot allocation request for a first item group including one or more items, check status information of a plurality of slots in a first zone of the fulfillment center, and send the status information. Based on this, a first slot corresponding to the first item group among the plurality of slots is determined, the first item group is assigned to the first slot, and the full fill among the plurality of item groups assigned to the plurality of slots is determined. a processor that determines a second group of items to be assigned to a second zone of the storage center;
The first zone includes a zone in which the one or more picked items are placed in one of the plurality of slots on an item group basis before moving to the second zone,
The second zone includes a plurality of cells in which the second item group is distributed and arranged in shipment units before moving to the packaging zone,
Determining the second item group is
Check the number of empty cells among the plurality of cells,
Check the number of ships corresponding to each of the plurality of item groups,
Based on comparison of the number of empty cells and the number of ships, determining an item group that can be placed in the second zone among the plurality of item groups as the second item group,
An electronic device that allocates items to slots, wherein the number of shipments corresponding to each of the plurality of item groups is determined based on the shipping deadline of the shipment.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising:
A medium configured to store computer readable instructions,
The computer-readable instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
Receiving a slot allocation request for a first item group including one or more items;
Checking status information of a plurality of slots in a first zone of the fulfillment center;
determining a first slot corresponding to the first item group among the plurality of slots based on the status information;
assigning the first item group to the first slot; and
causing an electronic device to perform a method of allocating items to slots, including determining a second item group to be allocated to a second zone of the fulfillment center among the plurality of item groups allocated to the plurality of slots,
The first zone includes a zone in which the one or more picked items are placed in one of the plurality of slots on an item group basis before moving to the second zone,
The second zone includes a plurality of cells in which the second item group is distributed and arranged in shipment units before moving to the packaging zone,
The step of determining the second item group is
Checking the number of empty cells among the plurality of cells;
Confirming the number of ships corresponding to each of the plurality of item groups; and
Based on comparison of the number of empty cells and the number of ships, determining an item group that can be placed in the second zone among the plurality of item groups as the second item group,
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, wherein the number of shipments corresponding to each of the plurality of item groups is determined based on the shipment cut-off time of the shipment.

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