KR102620192B1 - Method for providing information and electronic device for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of providing picking-related information in a distribution center in an electronic device, comprising: identifying a shipment set including at least one shipment among a plurality of shipments assigned to the distribution center for a batch picking process; ; Confirming at least one item set to be assigned to a picker based on a plurality of item information included in the shipment set; A set of status information of a shipment corresponding to one or more items included in the at least one item set, a set of status information of a shipment set corresponding to the at least one item set, and information about characteristics of the at least one item set confirming an allocation priority of the at least one item set based on at least one of a set and a set of information about a work state of the at least one item set; and allocating the selected item set to a picking worker based on the allocation priority.

Description

Method for providing information and electronic device therefor {METHOD FOR PROVIDING INFORMATION AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE FOR THE SAME}

The present invention relates to an electronic device and method for providing information for managing the picking operation of a distribution center.

With the development of electronic technology, e-commerce has become a field of shopping. Customers can purchase items online without having to go to a shopping mall, market, or store in person, and items purchased online are delivered to the delivery address requested by the customer.

In the case of such e-commerce, the speed of delivery has a significant impact on service satisfaction, so various ways to deliver items to customers more quickly are being discussed. As one of the ways to ensure rapid delivery, logistics centers are being established in various regions. Each logistics center stores various items sold online, and when a purchase occurs, items are delivered to the customer from a logistics center near the customer who purchased the item. In other words, items are placed in various areas before a purchase occurs, and then when a purchase occurs, the item is shipped and delivered from a logistics center adjacent to the customer's location, thereby shortening the delivery period. In particular, recently, in order to improve profitability and expand the scope of services, there has been discussion about work management methods for fulfillment centers that provide fulfillment services that collectively handle the entire process of receiving, shipping, delivery, and inventory management. It's becoming more active.

In relation to this, prior literature such as KR 10-2097022 B1 and KR 10-0976871 B1 may be referred to.

According to the method of the present invention, an electronic device can provide picking-related information to improve the work efficiency of a distribution center.

The technical problems to be achieved in the present invention are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below. You will be able to.

Various embodiments may provide a method of providing information related to picking items in a distribution center and an electronic device that supports the same.

A method of providing picking-related information in a logistics center in an electronic device according to various embodiments disclosed in this document includes selecting at least one shipment among a plurality of ships assigned to the logistics center for a batch picking process. identifying a shipping set that includes; Confirming at least one item set to be assigned to a picker based on a plurality of item information included in the shipment set; A set of status information of a shipment corresponding to one or more items included in the at least one item set, a set of status information of a shipment set corresponding to the at least one item set, and information about characteristics of the at least one item set confirming an allocation priority of the at least one item set based on at least one of a set and a set of information about a work state of the at least one item set; and allocating the selected item set to the picking worker based on the allocation priority.

In an embodiment, the step of checking the allocation priority of the at least one item set may include: checking a delivery deadline of the shipment set based on a status information set of the shipment set; checking a set of information about the work status of the at least one item set based on whether the delivery deadline of the shipment set is greater than or equal to a threshold; and confirming the allocation priority of the at least one item set based on a set of information about the work status of the at least one item set.

In an embodiment, the delivery deadline of the item set may be determined based on the delivery deadline of the shipment with the earliest delivery deadline among one or more ships corresponding to one or more items included in the item set.

In an embodiment, the set of status information of a shipment corresponding to one or more items included in the at least one item set includes information regarding a delivery deadline for the shipment and information regarding whether delivery of the shipment is delayed. may include.

In an embodiment, the set of information regarding the working status of the at least one item set may be comprised of the number of orders for which picking is completed when all of the one or more items included in the item set among orders corresponding to the shipment set are completed. It may include at least part of information about the number of orders for which picking has not been completed among orders corresponding to the shipment set.

In an embodiment, the set of information about the status of a task of the at least one set of items may include information about the status of a classification task corresponding to the set of items.

In an embodiment, the information about the status of the classification task may include information about the number of completed classification cells among a plurality of classification cells included in the classification area corresponding to the at least one item set.

In an embodiment, the information about the status of the classification task may include information about the number of uncompleted classification cells among a plurality of classification cells included in the classification area corresponding to the at least one item set.

In an embodiment, the status information set of the shipment set corresponding to the at least one item set may include information regarding the delivery deadline of the shipment set.

In an embodiment, the status information set of the shipment set corresponding to the at least one item set may include information about the volume of a plurality of items included in the shipment set.

In an embodiment, the status information set of the shipment set corresponding to the at least one item set may include information regarding an expected amount of additional work to complete the picking of the shipment set.

In an embodiment, the information regarding the expected amount of additional work may be determined based on information regarding the overall volume of a plurality of items included in the shipment set and the total number of totes used to pick the shipment set.

In an embodiment, the set of information regarding characteristics of the at least one set of items may include information regarding whether the set of items was stopped during a picking operation, information regarding whether an administrator's request was assigned, and the time at which the set of items was created. It may include at least some of the information about.

In an embodiment, the step of confirming the allocation priority of the at least one item set includes a set of status information of the shipment, a set of status information of the shipment set, a set of information about characteristics of the item set, and the work status. It may include the step of confirming the allocation priority based on first information confirmed based on the order corresponding to each of one or more pieces of information included in at least a portion of the information set.

In an embodiment, confirming the shipment set may include confirming the shipment set based on expected delivery date information corresponding to a plurality of shipments assigned to the distribution center.

In an embodiment, the step of checking the at least one item set may include selecting the at least one item based on at least a portion of location information where a plurality of items included in the shipment set are arranged and location information of one or more picking workers capable of picking. It may include the step of checking the item set.

Electronic devices according to various embodiments disclosed in this document include storage; Ministry of Communications; and a processor, wherein the processor identifies a shipment set including at least one shipment among a plurality of shipments assigned to the distribution center for a batch picking process, and sets the shipment set. Confirming at least one item set to be assigned to a picker based on a plurality of item information included in, and a set of status information of the shipment corresponding to one or more items included in the at least one item set, Based on at least one of a set of status information of a shipment set corresponding to at least one item set, a set of information about characteristics of the at least one item set, and a set of information about the working status of the at least one item set It can be set to check the allocation priority of one item set and assign the selected item set to the picking worker based on the allocation priority.

According to the method of the present invention, the electronic device determines the allocation priority that adaptively considers various situations in an item picking operation performed to deliver one or more shipments assigned to a logistics center in response to a customer's order. Accordingly, work productivity in a distribution center can be improved by assigning a set of items to be picked to a picker.

The effects that can be obtained from the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below. will be.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a collection information providing system in which a method of providing collection-related information by an electronic device can be implemented according to various embodiments.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an electronic device, an operator device, and an administrator device according to various embodiments.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an operation for providing picking-related information by an electronic device according to various embodiments.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an operation in which an electronic device checks an allocation priority according to various embodiments.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a method of providing picking-related information and a distribution center to which picking-related information is provided, according to an embodiment.
Figure 6 is a diagram for explaining a classification area according to an embodiment.
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating one or more conditions for confirming allocation priority and information corresponding to the conditions, according to an embodiment.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an operation in which an electronic device confirms an allocation priority based on first information according to various embodiments.

The following embodiments combine components and features of various embodiments in a predetermined form. Each component or feature may be considered optional unless explicitly stated otherwise. Each component or feature may be implemented in a form that is not combined with other components or features. Additionally, various embodiments may be configured by combining some components and features. The order of operations described in various embodiments may change. Some features or features of one embodiment may be included in other embodiments or may be replaced with corresponding features or features of other embodiments.

In the description of the drawings, procedures or steps that may obscure the gist of the various embodiments are not described, and procedures or steps that can be understood at the level of a person with ordinary knowledge in the relevant technical field are not described. did.

Throughout the specification, when a part is said to “comprise or include” a certain element, this means that it does not exclude other elements but may further include other elements, unless specifically stated to the contrary. do. In addition, terms such as "... unit", "... unit", and "module" used in the specification refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which refers to hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. It can be implemented as: Additionally, the terms “a or an,” “one,” “the,” and similar related terms are used herein in the context of describing various embodiments (particularly in the context of the claims below). Unless otherwise indicated or clearly contradicted by context, it may be used in both singular and plural terms.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments according to various embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The detailed description set forth below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings is intended to illustrate exemplary embodiments of various embodiments and is not intended to represent the only embodiment.

In addition, specific terms used in various embodiments are provided to aid understanding of the various embodiments, and the use of such specific terms may be changed to other forms without departing from the technical spirit of the various embodiments. .

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.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a collection information providing system 100 in which a method of providing collection-related information by an electronic device according to various embodiments can be implemented.

Referring to FIG. 1, a collection information providing system 100 according to various embodiments may be implemented in various types of devices. For example, the collection information providing system 100 may be implemented in the electronic device 101, the operator device 102, and the manager device 103. In other words, the electronic device 101, the operator device 102, and the manager device 103 perform operations according to various embodiments of the present disclosure based on the collection information providing system 100 implemented in each device. can do. Meanwhile, the collection information providing system 100 according to various embodiments is not limited to what is shown in FIG. 1, and may be implemented in a wider variety of electronic devices and servers.

The electronic device 101 according to various embodiments may be a device that performs wireless and wired communication with the worker device 102 and the manager device 103 and includes storage with a large storage capacity. For example, the electronic device 101 may be a cloud device connected to one or more worker devices 102 and/or manager devices 103.

The worker device 102 according to various embodiments may be a device that can be used by an individual user (eg, a worker) such as a desktop PC, tablet PC, or mobile terminal. In addition, other electronic devices that perform similar functions may be used as the operator device 102.

The administrator device 103 according to various embodiments may be a device that can be used by an individual user (eg, an administrator) such as a desktop PC, tablet PC, or mobile terminal. In addition, other electronic devices that perform similar functions may be used as the manager device 103.

The collection information providing system 100 according to various embodiments may include various modules for operation. The modules included in the collection information provision system 100 enable a physical device (e.g., electronic device 101) on which the collection information provision system 100 is implemented (or included in the physical device) to perform a specified operation. It may be implemented computer code or one or more instructions. In other words, the physical device on which the collection information providing system 100 is implemented stores a plurality of modules in the memory in the form of computer code, and when the plurality of modules stored in the memory are executed, the physical device stores the plurality of modules in the memory. It is possible to perform designated operations corresponding to .

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an electronic device, an operator device, and an administrator device according to various embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 2, the electronic device 101, operator device 102, and manager device 103 may include an input/output unit 210, a communication unit 220, a storage 230, and a processor 240. there is.

The input/output unit 210 may be various interfaces or connection ports that receive user input or output information to the user. The input/output unit 210 may include an input module and an output module, and the input module receives user input from the user. User input can take various forms, including key input, touch input, and voice input. Examples of input modules that can receive such user input include traditional keypads, keyboards, and mice, as well as touch sensors that detect the user's touch, microphones that receive voice signals, cameras that recognize gestures through image recognition, etc. A proximity sensor including at least one of an illumination sensor or an infrared sensor that detects user approach, a motion sensor that recognizes user movement through an acceleration sensor or gyro sensor, and various other types of sensors that detect or receive user input. There is an input means, and the input module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one of the devices listed above. Here, the touch sensor may be implemented as a piezoelectric or capacitive touch sensor that detects touch through a touch panel or touch film attached to the display panel, or an optical touch sensor that detects touch by an optical method. In addition, the input module may be implemented in the form of an input interface (USB port, PS/2 port, etc.) that connects an external input device that receives user input instead of a device that detects user input itself. Additionally, the output module can output various information. The output module may include at least one of a display that outputs an image, a speaker that outputs sound, a haptic device that generates vibration, and various other types of output means. In addition, the output module may be implemented in the form of a port-type output interface that connects the individual output means described above.

As an example, a display-type output module can display text, still images, and moving images. Displays include liquid crystal display (LCD), light emitting diode (LED) display, organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, flat panel display (FPD), and transparent display. Among various types of devices that can perform image output functions such as display, curved display, flexible display, 3D display, holographic display, projector, and other It can contain at least one. This display may be in the form of a touch display integrated with the touch sensor of the input module.

The communication unit 220 can communicate with other devices. Accordingly, the electronic device 101, the operator device 102, and the manager device 103 can transmit and receive information with other devices through the communication unit. For example, the electronic device 101, the operator device 102, and the manager device 103 may communicate with each other or with other devices using their respective communication units.

Here, communication, that is, transmission and reception of data, can be accomplished wired or wirelessly. To this end, the communication department includes a wired communication module that connects to the Internet, etc. through a LAN (Local Area Network), a mobile communication module that transmits and receives data by connecting to a mobile communication network through a mobile communication base station, and a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) such as Wi-Fi. A short-distance communication module using an Area Network-type communication method or a WPAN (Wireless Personal Area Network)-type communication method such as Bluetooth or Zigbee, and a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) such as a GPS (Global Positioning System) ) may be composed of a satellite communication module using a satellite communication module or a combination thereof.

Storage 230 can store various types of information. Storage can store data temporarily or semi-permanently. For example, the storage of the electronic device 101 includes an operating program (OS: Operating System) for driving the electronic device 101, a program for generating data or Braille for hosting a website, or an application (e.g., Data related to web applications) may be stored. Additionally, the storage may store modules in the form of computer code as described above.

Examples of storage 230 include hard disk drive (HDD), solid state drive (SSD), flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), etc. This can be. This storage can be provided as a built-in or detachable type.

The processor 240 controls the overall operation of the electronic device 101, operator device 102, and manager device 103. To this end, the processor 240 can perform computation and processing of various information and control the operation of components of the electronic device 101. For example, the processor 240 may execute a program or application to provide collection information. The processor 240 may be implemented as a computer or similar device using hardware, software, or a combination thereof. In hardware, the processor 240 may be implemented in the form of an electronic circuit that processes electrical signals to perform a control function, and in software, it may be implemented in the form of a program that drives the hardware processor 240. Meanwhile, unless otherwise specified in the following description, the operations of the electronic device 101, operator device 102, and manager device 103 may be interpreted as being performed under the control of the processor 240. That is, when the modules implemented in the above-described collection information providing system 100 are executed, the processor 240 performs the following operations on the electronic device 101, the operator device 102, and the manager device 103. It can be interpreted as controlling to do so.

In summary, various embodiments may be implemented through various means. For example, various embodiments may be implemented by hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof.

In the case of hardware implementation, methods according to various embodiments include one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), and FPGAs. It can be implemented by (field programmable gate arrays), processor, controller, microcontroller, microprocessor, etc.

In the case of implementation by firmware or software, methods according to various embodiments may be implemented in the form of modules, procedures, or functions that perform the functions or operations described below. For example, software code can be stored in memory and run by a processor. The memory may be located inside or outside the processor, and may exchange data with the processor through various known means.

Below, various embodiments will be described in more detail based on the above technical idea. The contents described above may be applied to various embodiments described below. For example, operations, functions, terms, etc. that are not defined in various embodiments described below may be performed and explained based on the contents described above.

In the following description, various embodiments will be described on the premise that the electronic device 101 performs an operation to provide picking-related information. According to various embodiments, the electronic device 101 provides information related to the operation to the operator. It can transmit and receive information to and from the device 102 and/or the manager device 103.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an operation for providing picking-related information by an electronic device according to various embodiments.

According to various embodiments, in operation S301, the electronic device 101 may check the shipment set.

In embodiments, a shipment may include more than one item with the same shipping information. Delivery information may include information about the delivery destination, delivery recipient (e.g., customer), expected delivery date, and delivery method. According to one embodiment, when a customer places an order for one or more items, one or more shipments corresponding to the order may be created. For example, among a plurality of items corresponding to one order, at least some of the plurality of items may be assigned different delivery information based on item information. For example, in the case of fresh food among multiple items corresponding to one order, the delivery method (e.g., packaging method, delivery time zone) may be different from that of other items, so different deliveries are made based on information about the characteristics of the item. Information about the method may be provided. Among a plurality of items corresponding to one order, at least some items having the same delivery information may correspond to each other as one shipment. For another example, among a plurality of items corresponding to a plurality of orders, at least some items assigned the same delivery information may correspond to each other as one shipment. One or more items corresponding to an order may be delivered to the customer in shipments. Shipment information may include information about one or more items to be included in the shipment and delivery information corresponding to the shipment.

In embodiments, a shipment set may include at least one shipment. The shipment set may include at least one of the shipments assigned to the distribution center. According to one embodiment, the electronic device 101 may check the shipment set based on expected delivery date information. For example, the electronic device 101 can check one or more ships among a plurality of ships assigned to a logistics center based on expected delivery date information, and can check one or more confirmed ships as a shipment set. At this time, the picking task can be processed in batches based on the shipment set, and the shipment set can be referred to as a batch. The electronic device 101 may provide picking information to perform a batch picking process based on the shipment set.

According to various embodiments, in operation S302, the electronic device 101 may check at least one item set to be assigned to a picker.

An item set may include one or more items. The electronic device 101 may confirm an item set including one or more items identified based on item information corresponding to a plurality of items included in the shipment set. An item set may contain a list of one or more items that are assigned to a picker and on which the picker will perform a picking task. The electronic device 101 can check the item set by considering movement efficiency. Item information includes identification information of the item, name information of the item, information about the location where the item is placed in the distribution center, information about the volume of the item, information about the weight of the item, and information about the characteristics of the item (e.g. fresh food). information on whether or not it is recognized) may be included. According to one embodiment, the electronic device 101 may check the item set based on the location information of the item and the location information of the picking worker. The electronic device 101 confirms location information within the distribution center of the picking worker, checks one or more items located within a specified radius from the location of the picking worker based on the location information of a plurality of items included in the shipment set, and confirms. One or more items can be set as an item set. The electronic device 101 may check the item set based on information about the worker's location received from the worker device 102 and location information of a plurality of items included in the shipment set. According to one embodiment, the electronic device 101 may check one or more item sets corresponding to one shipment set.

According to various embodiments, in operation S303, the electronic device 101 may check the allocation priority of the item set. The electronic device 101 may check the allocation priority corresponding to each of one or more item sets identified corresponding to one or more shipments. The assignment priority may include a priority among one or more sets of items as to which set of items will be assigned to the picking worker first.

In an embodiment, the electronic device 101 includes a set of status information of a shipment corresponding to one or more items included in an item set, a set of status information of a shipment set corresponding to the item set, a set of information regarding characteristics of the item set, The allocation priority of the item set can be confirmed based on at least one of the information sets regarding the work status of the item set.

In embodiments, a set of status information for a shipment may include one or more status information regarding the shipment that corresponds to one or more items included in the item set. For example, the status information set of a shipment may include information regarding the delivery deadline of the shipment and information regarding whether delivery of the shipment is delayed. The delivery deadline of the shipment can be confirmed based on delivery information corresponding to the shipment. The electronic device 101 may check the delivery deadline of the shipment based on the expected delivery date information corresponding to the shipment. According to one embodiment, the electronic device 101 determines the shipping cut-off time of the shipment with the earliest shipping cut-off time among one or more ships corresponding to one or more items included in the item set as the shipping cut-off time of the item set. You can. The electronic device 101 may check the allocation priority of the item set based on the shipping deadline of the item set. Whether delivery of the shipment has been delayed may be determined based on whether the shipment has exceeded the shipping deadline. According to one embodiment, the electronic device 101 may confirm that the allocation priority of an item set whose shipping deadline is less than or equal to a specified threshold (i.e., an item set whose shipping deadline is imminent) has a higher priority. According to one embodiment, the electronic device 101 may confirm that the allocation priority of an item set corresponding to a shipment set including a shipment whose delivery has been delayed is higher than that of other item sets. According to one embodiment, the electronic device 101 sets the allocation priority of the item set to a higher priority when there is a delayed shipment among one or more ships corresponding to one or more items included in the item set. You can check this.

In embodiments, the set of information regarding the status of the item set and the corresponding shipment set may include one or more information regarding the characteristics or work situation of the shipment set in which the item set is included. The set of information about the status of the shipment set includes information about the expected amount of additional work to complete the picking of the shipment set, information about the volume corresponding to a plurality of items included in the shipment set, and information about the volume corresponding to the plurality of items included in the shipment set. It may include information about the number of totes already used in the picking operation and information about the delivery deadline of the shipment set. A tote is a picking unit used in picking work, and a picking worker can transport one or more items with one tote. According to one embodiment, the information regarding the expected additional workload is the total expected number of totes corresponding to the shipment set minus the number of totes already used in the picking operation of the shipment set. May include information regarding the ratio to the total expected number of totes. The total expected number of totes may be confirmed based on information about the total volume of items corresponding to the shipment set and information about the volume of the totes. For example, the total volume of items corresponding to a shipment set divided by the volume of one tote may correspond to the total expected number of totes. That is, the electronic device 101 can check information about the total volume of items corresponding to the shipment set and information about the expected additional workload corresponding to the shipment set based on the number of totes previously used in the shipment set. there is. The electronic device 101 may determine that, among one or more item sets, an item set with a smaller expected additional workload of the corresponding shipment set has a higher allocation priority than other item sets. According to one embodiment, the electronic device 101 may determine that, among one or more item sets, the item set with the highest total expected workload of the corresponding shipment set has a higher allocation priority than other item sets. At this time, the total expected workload of the shipment set may correspond to the total volume of the items included in the shipment set divided by the volume of one tote. According to one embodiment, the electronic device 101 may determine that, among one or more item sets, an item set with an earlier delivery deadline of the corresponding shipment set has a higher allocation priority than other item sets. The shipping cut-off time of the shipment set may correspond to the shipping cut-off time of the shipment with the earliest shipping cut-off time among one or more ships included in the shipment set.

In embodiments, the set of information regarding the characteristics of a set of items may include one or more information regarding the nature of the item set itself. The set of information about the characteristics of the item set includes information about whether the picking operation corresponding to the item set was stopped midway, whether an administrator request corresponding to the item set was assigned, and information about the time at which the item set was created. can do. While an item set is assigned to a picking worker and a picking operation is being performed, if the picking operation is stopped before all items included in the item set are picked, the electronic device 101 starts the picking operation corresponding to the item set. You can check whether the task was stopped midway. The electronic device 101 may confirm that the item set whose picking operation was stopped in the middle has a higher allocation priority than other item sets. According to one embodiment, the manager's request corresponding to the item set may include a priority picking request received from the manager. For example, the electronic device 101 may receive a manager request from the manager device 103 requesting priority picking in response to a specific item set. The electronic device 101 may confirm that the item set to which the manager's request is assigned has a higher allocation priority than other item sets. According to one embodiment, the information about the time when the item set was created may include information about the time when the electronic device 101 confirmed the item set based on information about a plurality of items included in the shipment set. there is. According to one embodiment, the electronic device 101 may confirm that an item set created earlier has a higher allocation priority than another item set.

In embodiments, the set of information regarding the operational status of a set of items may include one or more pieces of information that are confirmed based on the progress of a picking and/or sorting operation of the set of items. A set of information about the work status of an item set includes information about the number of orders for which picking has been completed when the item set is picked among orders corresponding to the shipment set, and information about the number of orders picked among orders corresponding to a shipment set containing the item set. Information about the number of incomplete orders, information about the number of completed classification cells among the plurality of classification cells included in the classification area corresponding to the item set, and information about the number of incomplete classification cells among the plurality of classification cells included in the classification area corresponding to the item set. It may contain information about the number of classification cells.

According to one embodiment, when the electronic device 101 completes the picking of an item set, among one or more orders corresponding to a shipment set containing the item set, the item set with a higher number of orders for which picking is completed is another item. It can be confirmed that it has a higher allocation priority than the set.

According to one embodiment, when the electronic device 101 completes the picking of an item set, among one or more orders corresponding to a shipment set containing the item set, the item set with a higher rate at which picking can be completed is another item. It can be confirmed that it has a higher allocation priority than the set. At this time, the rate at which picking can be completed may correspond to the ratio of the number of orders for which picking will be completed by completing the picking of the item set to the number of orders for which picking has not been completed among orders corresponding to the shipment set.

According to one embodiment, items picked in item set units in a picking area of a distribution center may be moved to a sorting area, and one or more moved items may be sorted in a shipment unit through a sorting cell in the sorting area. . A classification worker can perform a classification task by placing items included in corresponding shipments in one classification cell. A classification cell corresponds to a shipment, and if all of one or more items corresponding to a shipment are placed in a classification cell, the classification cell can be confirmed as a 'completed classification cell'. On the other hand, when at least one item is placed in the classification cell where the classification task corresponding to the classification task has started, that is, in the classification cell, if all the items in the shipment corresponding to the classification cell are not placed, the classification cell is marked as 'incomplete' It can be identified as a ‘classified cell’. That is, if the classification task corresponding to the classification cell has started but has not yet been completed, it may be confirmed as an uncompleted classification cell. The classification task will be described later in FIGS. 5 and 6. According to one embodiment, item sets may correspond to classification areas. The electronic device 101 may assign an item set to one of one or more classification areas included in the distribution center. The electronic device 101 may check the allocation priority of the item set based on information about the work status of the classification area corresponding to the item set. According to one embodiment, the electronic device 101 may determine that, among one or more item sets, an item set corresponding to a classification area containing fewer completed classification cells has a higher allocation priority than other item sets. According to one embodiment, the electronic device 101 may determine that, among one or more item sets, an item set corresponding to a classification area containing more uncompleted classification cells has a higher allocation priority than other item sets. .

According to various embodiments, in operation S304, the electronic device 101 may assign an item set to a picking worker based on an allocation priority. The electronic device 101 may first assign an item set with a higher allocation priority among one or more item sets to the picking worker. The electronic device 101 may transmit one or more item information included in the to-be-assigned item set to the operator device 102 of the picking worker. According to one embodiment, the electronic device 101 may transmit information about the picking order of one or more items included in the item set to the worker device 102.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an operation in which an electronic device checks an allocation priority according to various embodiments.

According to various embodiments, in operation S401, the electronic device 101 may check the delivery deadline of the shipment set. According to one embodiment, the shipping cut-off time of the shipment set may correspond to the shipping cut-off time of the shipment with the earliest shipping cut-off time among one or more ships included in the shipment set. According to one embodiment, the electronic device 101 may check the shipping deadline of each shipment set corresponding to each of the one or more confirmed item sets.

According to various embodiments, in operation S402, the electronic device 101 may check an information set regarding the work status of the item set based on whether the shipping deadline of the shipment set is greater than or equal to a threshold. According to one embodiment, the electronic device 101 may not check the information set regarding the work status of the item set when the shipping deadline of the shipment set is less than or equal to the threshold, that is, when the shipping deadline is imminent. That is, the electronic device 101 checks the information set regarding the work status of the item set when there is at least one shipment set whose delivery deadline is imminent among the one or more shipment sets corresponding to each of the confirmed one or more item sets. Otherwise, it can be confirmed that the item set corresponding to the shipment set with the earlier delivery deadline has a higher allocation priority. The electronic device 101 may check an information set regarding the work status of an item set when the delivery deadline of all shipment sets corresponding to one or more item sets is greater than or equal to a threshold value.

According to various embodiments, in operation S403, the electronic device 101 may check the allocation priority of the item set based on a set of information about the work status of the item set. At this time, since there is no item set corresponding to a shipment set whose shipping time is imminent among one or more item sets, the allocation priority between one or more item sets may be determined by considering work efficiency. Accordingly, the electronic device 101 provides information about the number of orders for which picking has been completed when picking an item set among orders corresponding to a shipment set, and orders for which picking has not been completed among orders corresponding to a shipment set containing an item set. Information about the number of classification cells, information about the number of completed classification cells among the plurality of classification cells included in the classification area corresponding to the item set, and information about the number of incomplete classification cells among the plurality of classification cells included in the classification area corresponding to the item set. The allocation priority of the item set can be confirmed based on at least one of the number information.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a method of providing picking-related information and a distribution center to which picking-related information is provided, according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 5 , the distribution center may include a collecting area 510, one or more sorting areas (eg, a first sorting area 520, a second sorting area 530), and a packaging area 540. The first sorting area 520 and the second sorting area 530 are, for example, in the form of a wall where storage units are placed and accessible from both directions of the collecting area 510 and the packaging area 540. can be provided. The packaging area 540 may be referred to as an area where work (eg, packaging work) is performed after classification. According to embodiments, areas of a distribution center may be physically or conceptually separated from each other.

Referring to FIG. 5, an item set may be allocated to at least one of the first classification area 520 or the second classification area 530. At least one classification area may be assigned to the item set at the time the item set is created in the shipment set. Accordingly, when an item set is assigned to a picking worker and a picking operation is performed in the picking area 510, the picking operation to be performed corresponding to the item set may be assigned to a classification area corresponding to the item set. The picking operation corresponding to the item set can be understood as an operation of moving the items picked in the picking area 510 to the classification area, and the classification operation may be initiated for the items that have been picked and transported to the classification area.

Meanwhile, when classification completion information for a storage unit related to a picking operation is received, operation information for moving an item set corresponding to the picking operation to the packaging area 540 may be generated.

Figure 6 is a diagram for explaining a classification area according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 6, a perspective view 601 and a side view 602 of the work unit arranged in the classification area can be seen.

Referring to FIG. 6, a work unit included in a classification area may include a plurality of classification cells. According to one embodiment, classification cell identification information may be assigned to each classification cell. The electronic device 101 may obtain identification information of an item in relation to a classification task through the operator device 102. The electronic device 101 may check the shipment corresponding to the item's identification information. The electronic device 101 may check shipment information and order information corresponding to item identification information acquired in connection with the classification task. The electronic device 101 may provide the worker device 102 with information about the classification cell in which the item will be placed, based on the shipment information.

Referring to FIG. 6, the electronic device 101 may allocate a classification cell in response to shipment information. According to one embodiment, the electronic device 101 may check whether a classification cell corresponding to shipment information is assigned. If there is a pre-allocated classification cell corresponding to the shipment information confirmed based on the item identification information, the electronic device 101 may provide information regarding the assigned classification cell to the operator device 102. Therefore, the classification worker checks the identification information of the item, and if there is a classification cell assigned to the shipment corresponding to the item, the classification worker provides the classification cell information to the worker device 102, so that the worker places the item in the corresponding classification cell. It can be placed.

If a classification cell corresponding to the shipment information is not assigned, the electronic device 101 may provide a request for classification cell identification information to the operator device 102. The electronic device 101 may allocate the classification cell identification information obtained from the operator device 102 to the shipment information. For example, in the case of a shipment including a plurality of items, the electronic device 101 requests classification cell identification information in response to the acquisition of identification information of the item that is acquired first among the plurality of items included in the shipment. can be provided. The electronic device 101 may allocate the classification cell identification information obtained in response to the request to the corresponding shipment. As described above, in the case of a shipment containing only one item, a cell classification operation may be unnecessary, so the electronic device 101 determines that the shipment information corresponding to the item identification information corresponds to a shipment containing only one item. In this case, information about a classification cell (e.g., classification cell S) regarding a shipment containing a single item may be provided.

According to one embodiment, the electronic device 101 may check whether the classification task corresponding to each classification cell has been completed. That is, in a classification cell to which predetermined shipment information is assigned, that is, a classification cell in which a classification operation is initiated, when the classification operation corresponding to the shipment information is completed, the electronic device 101 performs the classification operation corresponding to the classification cell. You can confirm that this has been completed. The electronic device 101 may identify a classification cell in which a classification operation has started but the classification operation has not been completed as an incomplete classification cell. According to one embodiment, since the classification cell S corresponds to a shipment to which only one item is assigned, a classification operation corresponding to one or more shipments may be performed simultaneously. In the case of classification cells other than classification cell S, for example, classification cell A3, only a classification operation corresponding to one shipment can be performed at a time. In this case, when the classification task corresponding to the classification cell A3 is completed, the electronic device 101 may newly allocate the classification cell A3 to the shipment information corresponding to the item information acquired in relation to the classification task. Items may be placed in classification cells corresponding to shipment information.

Referring to the side view 602 of FIG. 6, the items 11 transported and loaded in the sorting cell may be moved from the picking area 510 to the packaging area 540 when the sorting operation is completed. According to one embodiment, each sorting cell may include a passage shape that is open in the y-axis direction of FIG. 6. According to one embodiment, each item 11 included in the shipment for which the classification operation has been completed may be transported to the packaging area 540. In response to completion of the sorting task, the electronic device 101 may provide the operator device 102 with a guidance message to push and transport one or more items 11 loaded in the sorting cell toward the packaging area 540. .

The electronic device 101 receives information about the work status of the sorting cell from the worker device 101 based on the item identification information acquired from the worker device 102 during the sorting operation and the sorting cell information corresponding to the item identification information. You can check it. The electronic device 101 may check information about the work status of each classification area based on information about the work status of the classification cell. The electronic device 101 includes the number of classification cells in which a classification operation is in progress (incomplete) among a plurality of classification cells included in the classification area, the number of classification cells for which the classification operation has been completed, and the available classification cells (where the classification operation has not started or , you can check the number of classification cells (not started after the classification task is completed).

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating one or more conditions for confirming allocation priority and information corresponding to the conditions, according to an embodiment.

Referring to an exemplary table 700 regarding a plurality of conditions and information corresponding to each condition in FIG. 7, the plurality of conditions may correspond to one or more corresponding information. At this time, the plurality of conditions may correspond to conditions for determining allocation priorities between item sets. For example, the electronic device 101 may determine an allocation priority corresponding to each set of one or more items based on the first condition.

Corresponding information corresponding to each of the plurality of conditions may include information confirmed to apply each condition. For example, in order to check the first condition, information regarding whether delivery of the shipment has been delayed can be checked. When determining the allocation priority between item sets by applying the first condition, the electronic device 101 may determine the allocation priority between item sets based on information regarding whether delivery of the shipment has been delayed.

The order corresponding to each of the plurality of conditions may correspond to the priority between conditions for applying each condition. For example, the electronic device 101 first checks the first condition to determine the allocation priority between item sets, and if there is no item set corresponding to the first condition, that is, delivery of shipments corresponding to all item sets. If there is no delay, the second condition can be applied.

According to one embodiment, the electronic device 101 may apply the first condition and grant a higher allocation priority to the item set corresponding to the shipment set including the delayed shipment. According to one embodiment, when there is no item set corresponding to the first condition, the electronic device 101 may apply the second condition and grant a higher allocation priority to the item set stopped during the picking operation. According to one embodiment, if there is no item set corresponding to the second condition, the electronic device 101 may apply the third condition and grant a higher allocation priority to the item set to which the administrator's request is assigned. . According to one embodiment, when there is no item set corresponding to the third condition, the electronic device 101 applies the fourth condition to select an item set whose delivery deadline is imminent (less than or equal to the threshold), that is, included in the item set. If among the shipments corresponding to an item, there is a shipment with an imminent delivery deadline, a higher allocation priority can be given. According to one embodiment, when there is no item set corresponding to the fourth condition, the electronic device 101 applies the fifth condition and gives a higher allocation priority when the shipping deadline of the shipment set including the item set is imminent. Ranking can be given.

Referring to FIG. 7, the detailed conditions corresponding to the fifth condition apply the fifth condition preferentially, and if there is no item set corresponding to the fifth condition, the detailed conditions corresponding to the fifth condition are applied to the sixth condition. It can be applied with priority. Exceptionally, the first condition may be a condition to be applied only when the fifth condition is applicable. For example, the first detailed condition may be a condition regarding an item set in which the delivery deadline of the shipment set is early. That is, if among one or more item sets, there is an item set whose delivery deadline is imminent according to the fifth condition, a higher allocation priority can be given to the item set with an earlier delivery deadline by applying the first detailed condition. there is. According to one embodiment, when there is no item set corresponding to the fifth condition, the electronic device 101 displays a plurality of detailed conditions excluding the first detailed condition (second detailed condition, third detailed condition, fourth detailed condition, At least one detailed condition can be selected among the 5th detailed condition and the 6th detailed condition. The electronic device 101 may select at least one of a plurality of detailed conditions excluding the first detailed condition based on the current work status, history information about efficiency, and information about whether a work delay has occurred. According to one embodiment, the second detailed condition may be a condition regarding an item set with the largest number of orders that can be completed. The second detailed condition is the completion of picking of the item set, which is a condition for granting higher allocation priority to the item set with a higher number of orders for which picking has been completed among orders corresponding to a shipment set containing the item set. You can. The third detailed condition is the number of orders that have not been completed among the orders corresponding to the shipment set containing the item set, and the number of orders to be completed among the orders corresponding to the shipment set containing the item set due to the completion of the picking of the item set. This may be a condition for giving higher allocation priority to an item set with a higher number ratio. The fourth detailed condition may be a condition for granting higher allocation priority to the item set corresponding to a classification area with fewer completed classification cells among the classification areas. The fifth detailed condition may be a condition for giving higher allocation priority to the item set created first. The sixth detailed condition may be a condition for assigning higher priority to the item set corresponding to the classification area with the most incomplete classification cells. According to one embodiment, the electronic device 101 checks information about the work status of the entire classification area, and when the ratio of incomplete classification cells in the entire classification area or some classification areas is greater than or equal to a specified threshold, the electronic device 101 sets a plurality of detailed conditions. You can select the 6th detailed condition in the middle. According to one embodiment, the electronic device 101 may select a fourth detailed condition among a plurality of detailed conditions when the ratio of classification cells completed in all or some classification areas is less than a specified threshold. The electronic device 101 may randomly select a detailed condition among a plurality of detailed conditions, store history information about the average work time according to the selected detailed condition, and select the detailed condition based on the history information. The electronic device 101 determines the pick completion rate for the total shipments assigned to the distribution center, the shipments included in some sets of shipments assigned to the distribution center, or orders corresponding thereto, and determines the pick completion rate based on the pick completion rate. Thus, at least one of the second detailed condition or the third detailed condition can be selected.

According to one embodiment, if there is no item set corresponding to the fifth condition, the electronic device 101 may apply the sixth condition and assign a higher allocation priority to the item set with less expected additional work. . According to one embodiment, if there is no item set corresponding to the sixth condition, the electronic device may apply the seventh condition and grant a higher allocation priority to the item set with a larger expected workload of the shipment set. there is. According to one embodiment, when there is no item set corresponding to the seventh condition, the electronic device 101 may apply the eighth condition and determine the allocation priority of the item set based on the time the item set was created.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an operation in which an electronic device confirms an allocation priority based on first information according to various embodiments.

According to various embodiments, in operation S801, the electronic device 101 configures at least some of the status information set of the shipment, the status information set of the shipment set, the information set about the characteristics of the item set, and the information set about the work status. You can check the order corresponding to one or more pieces of information included in . At this time, one or more information included in each information set may mean corresponding information corresponding to each of a plurality of conditions described above in FIG. 7. Additionally, the order corresponding to this information may mean the order corresponding to each condition described above in FIG. 7. The electronic device 101 can sequentially check whether a corresponding item set exists from the first condition to the eighth condition according to the order, and check the condition in the highest order among the conditions under which the corresponding item set exists. You can.

According to various embodiments, in operation S802, the electronic device 101 may confirm the first information based on the confirmed order. The electronic device 101 can confirm corresponding information corresponding to the condition in the highest order among the confirmed conditions as first information.

According to various embodiments, in operation S803, the electronic device 101 may check the allocation priority based on the first information. The electronic device 101 may grant a higher allocation priority to an item set that meets the condition based on corresponding information corresponding to the condition and corresponding to the first information.

Meanwhile, the specification and drawings disclose preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, and although specific terms are used, these are used in a general sense to easily explain the technical content of the present disclosure and aid understanding of the invention. It is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. 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 disclosure can be implemented.

The electronic device or terminal according to the above-described embodiments includes a processor, memory for storing and executing program data, permanent storage such as a disk drive, a communication port for communicating with an external device, a touch panel, and a key. , and may include user interface devices such as buttons. Methods implemented as software modules or algorithms may be stored on a computer-readable recording medium as computer-readable codes or program instructions executable on a processor. Here, computer-readable recording media include magnetic storage media (e.g., ROM (read-only memory), RAM (random-access memory), floppy disk, hard disk, etc.) and optical read media (e.g., CD-ROM). ), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), etc. The computer-readable recording medium is distributed among computer systems connected to a network, so that computer-readable code can be stored and executed in a distributed manner. The media may be readable by a computer, stored in memory, and executed by a processor.

This embodiment can be represented by functional block configurations and various processing steps. These functional blocks may be implemented in various numbers of hardware or/and software configurations that execute specific functions. For example, embodiments include integrated circuit configurations such as memory, processing, logic, look-up tables, etc. that can execute various functions under the control of one or more microprocessors or other control devices. can be hired. Similar to how the components can be implemented as software programming or software elements, the present embodiments include various algorithms implemented as combinations of data structures, processes, routines or other programming constructs, such as C, C++, Java ( It can be implemented in a programming or scripting language such as Java, assembler, Python, etc. Functional aspects may be implemented as algorithms running on one or more processors. Additionally, this embodiment may employ conventional technologies for electronic environment settings, signal processing, and/or data processing. Terms such as “mechanism,” “element,” “means,” and “composition” can be used broadly and are not limited to mechanical and physical components. The above-mentioned term may include the meaning of a series of software routines in connection with a processor, etc.

The above-described embodiments are merely examples and other embodiments may be implemented within the scope of the claims described below.

Claims (18)

In a method of providing information related to picking of a distribution center from an electronic device,
identifying a shipment set including at least one shipment among a plurality of shipments assigned to the distribution center for a batch picking process;
Confirming at least one item set to be assigned to a picker based on a plurality of item information included in the shipment set;
A set of status information of a shipment corresponding to one or more items included in the at least one item set, a set of status information of a shipment set corresponding to the at least one item set, and information about characteristics of the at least one item set confirming an allocation priority of the at least one item set based on at least one of a set and a set of information about a work state of the at least one item set; and
Allocating the selected item set to a picking worker based on the allocation priority,
A set of information about the working status of the at least one item set,
Contains information regarding the status of a classification task corresponding to the item set,
Information regarding the status of the classification task is:
Contains information about the number of completed classification cells among a plurality of classification cells included in the classification area corresponding to the at least one item set,
The step of checking the allocation priority of the at least one item set is,
A step of assigning a higher allocation priority as the number of completed classification cells among the plurality of classification cells included in the classification area corresponding to the at least one item set decreases,
A method of providing information, wherein one or more items included in the shipment corresponding to the completed sorting cell are items to be moved to the packaging area. According to paragraph 1,
The step of checking the allocation priority of the at least one item set is,
Confirming the delivery deadline of the shipment set based on the status information set of the shipment set;
checking a set of information about the work status of the at least one item set based on whether the delivery deadline of the shipment set is greater than or equal to a threshold; and
Confirming an allocation priority of the at least one set of items based on a set of information about the working status of the at least one set of items. According to paragraph 2,
The deadline for shipping the above item set is:
A method of providing information, wherein the delivery deadline is determined based on the delivery deadline of the earliest shipment among one or more ships corresponding to one or more items included in the item set. According to paragraph 1,
The status information set of the shipment corresponding to one or more items included in the at least one item set is:
A method of providing information, including information about a delivery deadline of the shipment and information about whether delivery of the shipment is delayed. According to paragraph 1,
A set of information about the working status of the at least one item set,
Information on the number of orders for which picking is completed when all one or more items included in the item set are picked among orders corresponding to the shipment set, and the number of orders for which picking is not completed among orders corresponding to the shipment set. A method of providing information, including at least some of the information about. delete delete According to paragraph 1,
Information regarding the status of the classification task is:
An information providing method including information about the number of incomplete classification cells among a plurality of classification cells included in a classification area corresponding to the at least one item set. According to paragraph 1,
The status information set of the shipment set corresponding to the at least one item set is:
A method of providing information, including information regarding a delivery deadline of the shipment set. According to paragraph 1,
The status information set of the shipment set corresponding to the at least one item set is:
A method of providing information, including information about the volume of a plurality of items included in the shipment set. According to paragraph 1,
The status information set of the shipment set corresponding to the at least one item set is:
A method of providing information, including information regarding the expected amount of additional work to complete picking of the set of shipments. According to clause 11,
For information regarding the above estimated additional workload,
A method of providing information, which is determined based on information about the overall volume of a plurality of items included in the shipment set and the total number of totes used to pick the shipment set. According to paragraph 1,
The set of information regarding the characteristics of the at least one set of items includes:
A method of providing information, comprising at least some of information about whether the item set was stopped during a picking operation, information about whether an administrator's request was assigned, and information about the time when the item set was created. According to paragraph 1,
The step of checking the allocation priority of the at least one item set is,
Based on the order corresponding to each of one or more pieces of information included in at least some of the status information set of the shipment, the status information set of the shipment set, the information set about the characteristics of the item set, and the information set about the work status. A method of providing information, including the step of confirming the allocation priority based on the first information confirmed. According to paragraph 1,
The step of checking the shipment set is,
An information providing method comprising the step of confirming the shipment set based on expected delivery date information corresponding to the plurality of shipments assigned to the distribution center. According to paragraph 1,
The step of checking the at least one item set is,
An information providing method comprising the step of confirming the set of at least one item based on at least a portion of location information on where a plurality of items included in the shipment set are arranged and location information on one or more picking workers capable of picking. In electronic devices,
storage;
Ministry of Communications; and
Includes a processor,
The processor,
Identifying a shipment set that includes at least one shipment among a plurality of shipments assigned to the distribution center for a batch picking process,
Confirm at least one item set to be assigned to a picker based on the plurality of item information included in the shipment set,
A set of status information of a shipment corresponding to one or more items included in the at least one item set, a set of status information of a shipment set corresponding to the at least one item set, and information about characteristics of the at least one item set Confirm the allocation priority of the at least one item set based on at least one of a set and a set of information about the working status of the at least one item set,
is set to assign the selected item set to the picking worker based on the allocation priority,
A set of information about the working status of the at least one item set,
Contains information regarding the status of a classification task corresponding to the item set,
Information regarding the status of the classification task is:
Contains information about the number of completed classification cells among a plurality of classification cells included in the classification area corresponding to the at least one item set,
The processor,
The lower the number of completed classification cells among the plurality of classification cells included in the classification area corresponding to the at least one item set, the higher the allocation priority is given,
One or more items included in the shipment corresponding to the completed sorting cell are items to be moved to the packaging area. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium that records a program for executing the method of claim 1 on a computer.

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