US 11,727,521 B2
Container pack size optimization
Pallav S. Dubey, Bangalore (IN); Mohit Mehrotra, Jabalpur (IN); Deepa Radhakrishnan, Bangalore (IN); Harshitha Sampangi, Bangalore (IN); Kyle R. Carlyle, Cave Springs, AR (US); Anuradha Chithirala, Bentonville, AR (US); and Adriano De Brito Caraco, Bentonville, AR (US)
Assigned to Walmart Apollo, LLC, Bentonville, AR (US)
Filed by Walmart Apollo, LLC, Bentonville, AR (US)
Filed on Dec. 12, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/711,854.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/803,957, filed on Feb. 11, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 201841046952 (IN), filed on Dec. 12, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2020/0193547 A1, Jun. 18, 2020
Int. Cl. G06Q 10/0631 (2023.01); G06Q 50/28 (2012.01)
CPC G06Q 50/28 (2013.01) [G06Q 10/06315 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for automatically determining an optimal container pack size for a given item for shipping to an intermediary distribution facility, the apparatus comprising:
a distance-measuring probe configured to automatically measure distances for physical constraints that correspond to at least one conveyor line in the intermediate distribution facility, wherein the physical constraints include a lateral distance out from the conveyor line to a closest object that would impact a container pack on the conveyor line having a corresponding width that exceeds that lateral distance, and a vertical distance up to a closest object that would impact a container pack on the conveyor line having a corresponding height that exceeds that vertical distance, the distance-measuring probe comprising:
a housing;
a plurality of distance-measuring sensors, wherein at least a first one of the plurality of distance-measuring sensors is disposed to sense a distance between an upper surface of the housing and an object and at least one other of the plurality of distance-measuring sensors is disposed to sense a distance between a side wall of the housing and an object;
a control circuit configured to:
obtain a first set of rules that define a conveyability range for containers as a function of conveyability constraints pertaining to the intermediary distribution facility;
access conveyability constraint information for the intermediary distribution facility including constraint information that is based upon the automatically measured distance for the physical constraints that correspond to the at least one conveyor line;
generate the conveyability range for the intermediary distribution facility by evaluating the conveyability constraint information against the first set of rules;
obtain a second set of rules that define an objective function that uses the conveyability range as an objective function constraint to determine an optimal container pack size for the given item, wherein the objective function is configured to optimize the container pack size for the given item as a function of cost that represents a summation of a holding cost, an intermediary distribution facility handling cost, and a downstream store handling cost;
generate the optimal container pack size for the given item by evaluating the objective function against the conveyability range.