METHOD OF OPERATING A WAREHOUSE
First Claim
1. A method for operating a warehouse, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a database server having a database, said database comprising real-time data related a warehouse object at said warehouse, said real-time data including data regarding the location of said warehouse object and data regarding the time and date said warehouse object became resident at said location, said real-time data populated in said database by warehouse management software;
providing at least one rule related to when a condition of location for said warehouse object must cease, each said rule having an associated trigger based on a lead time required to avoid violation of the rule;
receiving said data related to said warehouse object at a computer;
predicting a potential violation of said rule by comparing, on said computer, said data regarding the time and date said warehouse object became resident at said location with said trigger;
generating an alarm related to said potential violation of said rule; and
providing said alarm to an operator.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method comprising the steps of: providing a database server having a database comprising real-time data related a warehouse object, the real-time data including data regarding the location of the warehouse object and data regarding the time and date the warehouse object became resident at the location, the real-time data populated in the database by warehouse management software; providing at least one rule related to when a condition of location for the warehouse object must cease, each rule having an associated trigger based on a lead time required to avoid violation of the rule; receiving data related to the warehouse object at a computer; predicting a potential violation of the rule by comparing, on the computer, data regarding the time-date the warehouse object became resident at the location with the trigger; generating an alarm related to a potential violation of the rule; and providing an alarm to an operator.
27 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A method for operating a warehouse, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a database server having a database, said database comprising real-time data related a warehouse object at said warehouse, said real-time data including data regarding the location of said warehouse object and data regarding the time and date said warehouse object became resident at said location, said real-time data populated in said database by warehouse management software; providing at least one rule related to when a condition of location for said warehouse object must cease, each said rule having an associated trigger based on a lead time required to avoid violation of the rule; receiving said data related to said warehouse object at a computer; predicting a potential violation of said rule by comparing, on said computer, said data regarding the time and date said warehouse object became resident at said location with said trigger; generating an alarm related to said potential violation of said rule; and providing said alarm to an operator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for operating a warehouse, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a database server having a database, said database comprising real-time data related to a warehouse object at said warehouse, said real-time data including data regarding the location of said warehouse object and data regarding the time and date that said warehouse object became resident at said location, said real-time data populated in said database by warehouse management software; providing at least one rule related to a time when a condition for said warehouse object must cease, each said rule having an associated trigger based on a lead time required to avoid violation of the rule; receiving data related to said warehouse object at a computer; predicting a potential violation of said rule by comparing, on said computer, said data regarding the time and date that said warehouse object became resident at said location with said trigger; generating an alarm related to said potential violation of said rule; and
providing said alarm to an operator. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for operating a warehouse, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a database server having a database, said database comprising real-time data related to a warehouse object at said warehouse, said real-time data including data regarding the quantity of said warehouse object, said real-time data populated in said database by warehouse management software; providing at least one rule related to a condition of quantity for said warehouse object, each said rule having an associated trigger related to a desired quantity of said warehouse object in said warehouse; receiving said data related to said warehouse object at a computer; predicting a potential violation of said rule by comparing, on said computer, said data regarding the quantity of said warehouse object with said trigger; generating an alarm related to said potential violation of said rule; and providing said alarm to an operator. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method for operating a warehouse, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a database server having a database, said database comprising real-time data related to warehouse objects at said warehouse, said real-time data including data regarding the location of said warehouse objects within said warehouse and data regarding the frequency that said warehouse object is used, said real-time data populated in said database by warehouse management software; providing at least one rule related to organizing said warehouse objects within said warehouse; receiving data at a computer, said data related to a frequency that each said warehouse object is picked; comparing said data regarding the location of each said warehouse object and said data regarding the frequency that each said warehouse object is used, on said computer, to data for each other said warehouse object; generating a proposal for organization of said warehouse objects within said warehouse based on said rule; and providing said proposal to an operator. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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31. A method for operating a warehouse, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a database server having a database, said database comprising real-time data related to a warehouse object at said warehouse, said real-time data populated in said database by warehouse management software, said warehouse having a plurality of bays at which freight transportation vehicles interface with said warehouse, said real-time data including data regarding the distance of said warehouse object from said bays; providing at least one rule related to a condition of distance for said warehouse object relative to said bays; receiving data related to said warehouse object at a computer; comparing said data related to the distance of said warehouse object from said bays, on said computer with said rule; generating a proposal for directing a freight transportation vehicle to one of said plurality of bays based on said rule; and providing said proposal to an operator. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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33. A method for operating a warehouse, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a database server having a database, said database comprising real-time data related to operation of said warehouse, said real-time data comprising data related to the performance of an employee in completing a task in said warehouse, said real-time data populated in said database by warehouse management software; providing at least one benchmark performance target for at least one task related to operation of said warehouse; receiving data related to an employee'"'"'s performance of a task having an associated benchmark performance target at a computer; comparing said data related to said employee'"'"'s performance, on said computer, with said benchmark performance target; generating a report comprising a rating for said employee'"'"'s performance of said task based on said comparison; and providing said report to an operator. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification