System and method for item consolidation
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A computer implemented method of consolidating items from a plurality of consolidation locations, comprising:
- receiving at a processor information about items at each respective consolidation location, the information including an item priority and an associated customer for each respective item, wherein items associated with different customers are located at the same consolidation location;
receiving at the processor location information regarding a location of a consolidation processor;
determining with the processor a number of items available for consolidation at each consolidation location in an area around the location of consolidation processor;
determining with the processor a distance from the location of the consolidation processor to each of the consolidation locations with available items;
determining with the processor an order priority for each consolidation location based on the respective item priorities of the available items at that consolidation location;
receiving at the processor, for each consolidation location, a respective weight for;
the distance from the location of the consolidation processor to that consolidation location;
the order priority of that consolidation location; and
a number of items available at that consolidation location;
determining with the processor, for each consolidation location, a priority score based on the distance from that location of the consolidation processor to that consolidation location the order priority for that consolidation location, the number of items available at that consolidation location and each of the respective weights;
providing instructions to the consolidation processor to proceed to a designated consolidation location based on the priority scores and to scan items at that designated consolidation location;
receiving via a scanner information scanned from the items; and
processing the scanned information.
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Abstract
Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for improved warehouse operations are provided. A consolidation processor (manual or automatic) establishes a connection to a warehouse management system. The current collection location of the consolidation processor may maybe established either manually or by automatically transmitting their current physical location in a facility to the warehouse management system. The warehouse management system may then direct the consolidation processor to a collection location to collect items for consolidation. This direction may be given based on one or more parameters.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A computer implemented method of consolidating items from a plurality of consolidation locations, comprising:
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receiving at a processor information about items at each respective consolidation location, the information including an item priority and an associated customer for each respective item, wherein items associated with different customers are located at the same consolidation location; receiving at the processor location information regarding a location of a consolidation processor; determining with the processor a number of items available for consolidation at each consolidation location in an area around the location of consolidation processor; determining with the processor a distance from the location of the consolidation processor to each of the consolidation locations with available items; determining with the processor an order priority for each consolidation location based on the respective item priorities of the available items at that consolidation location; receiving at the processor, for each consolidation location, a respective weight for;
the distance from the location of the consolidation processor to that consolidation location;
the order priority of that consolidation location; and
a number of items available at that consolidation location;determining with the processor, for each consolidation location, a priority score based on the distance from that location of the consolidation processor to that consolidation location the order priority for that consolidation location, the number of items available at that consolidation location and each of the respective weights; providing instructions to the consolidation processor to proceed to a designated consolidation location based on the priority scores and to scan items at that designated consolidation location; receiving via a scanner information scanned from the items; and processing the scanned information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A computer implemented method of consolidating items from a plurality of consolidation locations, comprising:
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receiving at a processor information about items at each respective consolidation location, the information including an item priority and an associated customer for each respective item, wherein items associated with different customers are located at the same consolidation location; receiving at a processor location information regarding a current location of a consolidation processor; determining with the processor a number of items available for consolidation at each consolidation location in an area around the current location of consolidation processor; determining with the processor a distance from the current location of the consolidation processor to each of the consolidation locations with available items; determining with the processor an order priority for each consolidation location based on the respective item priorities of the available items at that consolidation location; receiving at the processor, for each consolidation location, a weight for;
the distance from the location of the consolidation processor to that consolidation location;
the order priority of that consolidation location; and
a number of items available at that consolidation location;determining with the processor, for each consolidation location, a priority score based on the distance from that location of the consolidation processor to that consolidation location the order priority for that consolidation location, the number of items available at that consolidation location, and each of the respective weights; providing instructions to the consolidation processor to proceed to a designated consolidation location with a highest priority scores; providing instructions to the consolidation processor to scan items at that consolidation location based on whether the item completes an order, whether the item is the next to last step in completing the order and whether the item is starting an order; receiving via a processor information scanned from the items; and processing the scanned information. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:
receiving information about items at each respective consolidation location, the information including an item priority and an associated customer for each respective item, wherein items associated with different customers are located at the same consolidation location; receiving location information regarding a location of a consolidation processor; determining a number of items available for consolidation at each consolidation location in an area around the location of consolidation processor; determining a distance from the location of the consolidation processor to each of the consolidation locations with available items; determining an order priority for each consolidation location based on the respective item priorities of the available items at that consolidation location; receiving, for each consolidation location, a respective weight for;
the distance from the location of the consolidation processor to that consolidation location;
the order priority of that consolidation location; and
a number of items available at that consolidation location;determining, for each consolidation location, a priority score based on the distance from that location of the consolidation processor to that consolidation location the order priority for that consolidation location, the number of items available at that consolidation location and each of the respective weights; providing instructions to the consolidation processor to proceed to a designated consolidation location based on the priority scores and to scan items at that designated consolidation location; receiving via a scanner information scanned from the items; and processing the scanned information.
Specification