Method and system for request processing in a supply chain

• US 20070156491A1
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schuler, Francesca, Babin, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US11/323,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20070156491A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A method and a decentralized system for processing an order request for a resource are provided. An order request is processed in a decentralized system device (202) of the decentralized system (108). The decentralized system includes at least one operator device, and at least one pallet with an associated wireless pallet device. The method includes receiving (302) the order request for a set of resources. The method further includes obtaining (304) resource information pertaining to the set of resources from a resource information database. Further, a pallet configuration is optimized (306) based on the resource information and the pallet configuration is wirelessly communicated (308) to the at least one pallet device and/or the at least one operator device.

Claims

1. A method for processing an order request in a decentralized system device of a decentralized system, wherein the decentralized system comprises at least one operator device and at least one pallet wirelessly associated with a pallet device, the method comprising:

receiving the order request for a set of resources;

obtaining resource information of the set of resources from a resource information database;

optimizing a pallet configuration based on the resource information; and

communicating wirelessly the pallet configuration to one or more of the at least one pallet device and one or more of the at least one operator device.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving one of a notification that the set of resources have been removed from the at least one pallet and an exception notification.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring an order database for a change of the set of resources;

optimizing a new pallet configuration based on the changed set of resources and the resource information obtained from the resource information database; and

communicating the new pallet configuration to one or more of the wireless pallet devices and the operator device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein optimizing the pallet configuration comprises performing at least one of:

minimizing cost of transportation of the set of resources; and

maximizing service levels of the set of resources.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein optimizing the pallet configuration comprises using a set of variables, the set of variables selected from a group comprising mode costs, mode transfer times, product dimensions, pallet dimensions, weights, mode penalty costs, and order data.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein optimizing the pallet configuration comprises using a set of constraints.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein communicating the pallet configuration wirelessly further comprises updating one or more databases.

8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising calculating a loading status of a resource based on communication of loading parameters.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein communicating the pallet configuration wirelessly comprises using communication means, the communication means selected from a group comprising a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) means, a Bluetooth means, a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) and a Global Positioning System (GPS) means.

10. A method for processing an order request in a decentralized system, the decentralized system comprising at least one decentralized system device and at least one pallet wirelessly associated with a pallet device, the method comprising:

receiving an order request for a set of resources;

obtaining information about the resources in the set of resources from a resource information database;

optimizing a pallet configuration based on the set of resources and the information about the resources;

transmitting wirelessly the pallet configuration to a pallet device;

receiving wirelessly the pallet configuration at the pallet device;

monitoring wirelessly resources loaded onto the pallet;

making a determination that the pallet has been correctly loaded;

making a determination that the pallet has been unloaded; and

reporting the unloading to a decentralized system device.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein optimizing the pallet configuration comprises performing at least one of:

minimizing cost of transportation of the set of resources; and

maximizing service levels of the set of resources.

12. The method according to claim 10 further comprising shipping the order request.

21. The decentralized system according to claim 12 further comprising a plurality of sensors for sensing parameters of resources loaded on a pallet.

13. A decentralized system comprising:

a server for receiving an order request;

a plurality of pallet devices wherein each of the plurality of pallet devices is associated with one or more resources, each of the plurality of pallet devices interacting with one or more of the plurality of pallet devices and with at least one of a plurality of resources; and

a decentralized system device for processing the order request, the decentralized system device interacting with at least one of the plurality of pallet devices.

14. The decentralized system according to claim 13, wherein the decentralized system further comprises an operator device, the operator device comprising a display device for tracking resource location in an inventory to a user.

15. The decentralized system according to claim 13, further comprising at least one database, the at least one database interacting with the decentralized system device and the plurality of pallet devices.

16. The decentralized system according to claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of pallet devices interact with one or more of the plurality of pallet devices based on a set of rules.

17. The decentralized system according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the plurality of pallet devices comprises a memory module for storing information of the one or more resources.

18. The decentralized system according to claims 13, wherein each of the plurality of resources comprises a communication means, the communication means selected from a group comprising, a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) means and a Bluetooth means.

19. The decentralized system according to claims 13, wherein each of the plurality of pallet devices comprises a communication means, the communication means selected from a group comprising an RFID means, a Bluetooth means, a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) and a Global Positioning System (GPS) means.

20. The decentralized system according to claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of pallet devices further comprises:

a monitoring unit for monitoring resources loaded on a pallet; and

an alarming unit for raising alerts.