Generating container plans for multi-item orders
First Claim
1. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:
- divide a plurality of items in an order for delivery by zone, wherein the zone associated with an item is based on one or more of a picking zone and packaging requirements for the item;
generate a zone-based container plan for each zone, wherein the zone-based container plan comprises an assignment of each item associated with the zone to one of one or more shipping containers allocated to the zone-based container plan based upon one or more of a weight and volume of each item assigned to the shipping container and a weight constraint and volume constraint associated with the shipping container;
generate a mixed container plan for the order, wherein the mixed container plan comprises an assignment of each item in the order regardless of zone to one of one or more shipping containers allocated to the mixed container plan based upon one or more of a weight and volume of each item assigned to the shipping container and a weight constraint and volume constraint associated with the shipping container;
determine if a number of shipping containers allocated to the mixed container plan is less than a combined number of shipping containers allocated to the zone-based container plans for all zones;
upon determining that the number of shipping containers allocated to the mixed container plan is greater than or equal to the combined number of shipping containers allocated to the zone-based container plans for all zones, generate a final container plan by combining the zone-based container plans for all zones; and
upon determining that the number of shipping containers allocated to the mixed container plan is less than the combined number of shipping containers allocated to the zone-based container plans for all zones, generate the final container plan based on the mixed container plan.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Technologies are described herein for generating container plans for multi-item orders. The items of the order are divided into zones, where the zones may determine the picking zone and/or packaging requirements for the item. Zone-based container plans are generated for the items in the order associated with each individual zone. The container plan includes an assignment of each item to one or more logical shipping containers. A mixed container plan is also generated for all the items in the order regardless of the associated zone. If the number of logical shipping containers in the mixed container plan is less than the total number of logical shipping containers in the zone-based container plans, then a final container plan for the order is generated from the mixed container plan. Otherwise, the final container plan is generated by combining the zone-based plans for each zone associated with items in the order.
75 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:
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divide a plurality of items in an order for delivery by zone, wherein the zone associated with an item is based on one or more of a picking zone and packaging requirements for the item; generate a zone-based container plan for each zone, wherein the zone-based container plan comprises an assignment of each item associated with the zone to one of one or more shipping containers allocated to the zone-based container plan based upon one or more of a weight and volume of each item assigned to the shipping container and a weight constraint and volume constraint associated with the shipping container; generate a mixed container plan for the order, wherein the mixed container plan comprises an assignment of each item in the order regardless of zone to one of one or more shipping containers allocated to the mixed container plan based upon one or more of a weight and volume of each item assigned to the shipping container and a weight constraint and volume constraint associated with the shipping container; determine if a number of shipping containers allocated to the mixed container plan is less than a combined number of shipping containers allocated to the zone-based container plans for all zones; upon determining that the number of shipping containers allocated to the mixed container plan is greater than or equal to the combined number of shipping containers allocated to the zone-based container plans for all zones, generate a final container plan by combining the zone-based container plans for all zones; and upon determining that the number of shipping containers allocated to the mixed container plan is less than the combined number of shipping containers allocated to the zone-based container plans for all zones, generate the final container plan based on the mixed container plan. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A computer-implemented method of generating a container plan for a multi-item order in a merchant system, the method comprising:
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dividing, by one or more computers in the merchant system, items in the order by zone, wherein the zone associated with an item is based on one or more of a picking zone and packaging requirements for the item; generating, by the one or more computers, a zone-based container plan for each zone, wherein the zone-based container plan comprises an assignment of each item associated with the zone to one of one or more shipping containers allocated to the zone-based container plan; generating, by the one or more computers, a mixed container plan for the order, wherein the mixed container plan comprises an assignment of each item in the order regardless of zone to one of one or more shipping containers allocated to the mixed container plan; selecting, by the one or more computers, between the mixed container plan and the zone-based container plans based at least in-part on a comparison between a number of shipping containers allocated to the mixed container plan and a combined number of shipping containers allocated to the zone-based container plans for all zones; upon selecting the zone-based container plans, generating, by the one or more computers, a final container plan by combining the zone-based container plans for all zones; and upon selecting the mixed container plan, generating, by the one or more computers, the final container plan from the mixed container plan. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system for generating a container plan for a multi-item order, the system comprising:
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a server computer comprising a memory and one or more processing units; and a cartonization module residing in the memory and configured to cause the one or more processing units to; generate a plurality of zone-based container plans for a number of zones associated with items in an order, wherein each zone-based container plan comprises an assignment of each item associated with the zone to one of one or more logical shipping containers allocated to the zone-based container plan, generate a mixed container plan for the order, wherein the mixed container plan comprises an assignment of each of the items item in the order to one of one or more logical shipping containers allocated to the mixed container plan, select between the mixed container plan and the zone-based container plans based at least in-part on a comparison between a number of logical shipping containers allocated to the mixed container plan and a combined number of logical shipping containers allocated to the zone-based container plans for all zones, upon selecting the zone-based container plans, generate a final container plan by combining the zone-based container plans for all zones, upon selecting the mixed container plan, generate the final container from the mixed container plan, and determining packing supplies for each of the one or more logical shipping containers allocated to the final container plan based on one or more of the zones associated with the items assigned to the logical shipping container and delivery preferences of the order, wherein the logical shipping containers represent shipping containers of a particular size and associated with particular weight constraint and volume constraint. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification