US 12,367,458 B2
Method and apparatus for logistics management using quantum computing
Jason Turner, New York, NY (US); William J. Haynes, II, Maryville, TN (US); and Christopher A. Wiklof, Everett, WA (US)
Assigned to Entanglement, Inc., Miami, LA (US); and William J. Haynes, II, Maryville, TN (US)
Appl. No. 18/250,040
Filed by ENTANGLEMENT, INC., Miami, FL (US)
PCT Filed Oct. 25, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/056503
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 22, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/087535, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 28, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/104,971, filed on Oct. 23, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0394653 A1, Nov. 28, 2024
Int. Cl. G06Q 10/087 (2023.01); G06N 10/60 (2022.01)
CPC G06Q 10/087 (2013.01) [G06N 10/60 (2022.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computer method for managing a supply chain, comprising the steps of:
receiving, into a server computer, an inventory of one or more supply items located at each of a plurality of different inventory locations;
receiving into the server computer, a demand for the one or more supply items corresponding to each of a plurality of different demand locations;
obtaining, with the server computer, map data corresponding to delivery routes between the plurality of different inventory locations and the plurality of different demand locations;
establishing, with the server computer, a Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization (QUBO) problem comprising the inventory of supply items at the plurality of different inventory locations, the demand at each of the plurality of different demand locations, and the map data, to solve for a flow of the one or more supply items therebetween;
transferring, to a quantum computer, data corresponding to the QUBO problem;
receiving, from the quantum computer into the server computer, a solution to the QUBO problem;
converting, in the server computer, the solution to the QUBO problem to a flow of supply items by transforming a plurality of solution binary values into corresponding flows of real supply items;
converting, in the server computer, the flow of supply items to a plurality of pick lists for transport from the plurality of different inventory locations to the plurality of different demand locations; and
enabling to output, via a graphical user interface (GUI) on an electronic display on at least one of a plurality of networked devices, at least one of the plurality of pick lists and delivery routes.