Optimization of packaging sizes

• US 8,340,812 B1
• Filed: 08/30/2007
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tian, Hong, Smith, Mackenzie, Mishra, Devesh
• Primary Examiner(s): KASENGE, CHARLES R
• Application Number:
  US11/847,735
• Time in Patent Office: 1,944 Days
• Field of Search: 700/28, 700/97, 700/99, 700/171, 700/213, 700/214, 700/216, 700/219, 703/6, 703/7, 703/1, 705/26.8, 705/26.81, 705/28, 53/52, 533/96, 534/52, 534/57, 534/58
• US Class Current: 700/216
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 65/08 Devices for counting or registering the number of articles handled, or the number of packages produced by the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping

Abstract

Various systems, methods, and programs embodied in computer-readable mediums are provided for determining optimum sizes of packaging in a packaging suite employed in a materials handling facility. The packaging may be used, for example, in the shipping of items from the materials handling facility to various destinations. The sizes of the packaging in the packaging suite are determined based upon the shipping volumes associated with packages or shipments shipped from the materials handling facility.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor circuit having a processor and a memory;

a plurality of shipping volumes stored in the memory, each shipping volume comprising a three-dimensional bounding box around at least one item;

a packaging suite manager stored in the memory and executable by the processor;

the packaging suite manager being configured to determine a plurality of sizes of packaging in a packaging suite employed in a materials handling facility based upon the shipping volumes, the packaging in the packaging suite being used for a plurality of shipments;

the packing suite manager determining the plurality of sizes of packaging in the packaging suite by calculating the plurality of sizes based upon the shipping volumes, a maximum number of sizes of packaging specified for the packaging suite, a plurality of possible packaging sizes in the packaging suite using a P-median solver;

wherein each of the shipping volumes are associated with a corresponding at least one item shipped in a package from the materials handling facility to a plurality of customers over a predefined period of time, or with a plurality of items to be shipped from the materials handling facility to a plurality of customers in the future; and

the packaging suite manager being further configured to periodically generate an order for the packaging in the packaging suite after the determination of the sizes of packaging in the packaging suite.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the packaging in the packaging suite further comprises a plurality of boxes.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the packaging in the packaging suite further comprises a plurality of envelopes.

4. A method, comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of shipping volumes in a memory, each one of the shipping volumes enclosing a collection of at least one item and being associated with one of a plurality of different orders for goods, at least some of the shipping volumes differing with respect to each other;

determining, in a computer system, a plurality of sizes of packaging in a packaging suite employed in a materials handling facility based at least in part upon the plurality of shipping volumes, the packaging in the packaging suite being used for a plurality of shipments;

wherein the sizes of the packaging are not predetermined; and

wherein the step of determining the plurality of sizes of packaging in the packaging suite further comprises the step of calculating the plurality of sizes based upon the shipping volumes using a P-median solver.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of determining the shipping volumes by calculating a plurality of dimensions of a three-dimensional bounding box around the at least one item.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the shipping volumes are associated with a plurality of items to be shipped from the materials handling facility to a plurality of customers in the future.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of generating an order for the packaging in the packaging suite after the determination of the sizes of packaging in the packaging suite.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the packaging in the packaging suite further comprises a plurality of boxes.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the packaging in the packaging suite further comprises a plurality of envelopes.

10. A method, comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of shipping volumes in a memory, each shipping volume enclosing a collection of at least one item;

determining, in a computer system, a plurality of sizes of packaging in a packaging suite employed in a materials handling facility based upon the shipping volumes, the packaging in the packaging suite being used for a plurality of shipments; and

wherein the step of determining the plurality of sizes of packaging in the packaging suite further comprises the step of calculating the plurality of sizes based upon the shipping volumes using a P-median solver.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of specifying a maximum number of sizes of packaging in the packaging suite.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of specifying a plurality of possible packaging sizes in the packaging suite.

13. A method, comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of shipping volumes in a memory, each one of the shipping volumes enclosing a collection of at least one item and being associated with one of a plurality of different orders for goods;

determining, in a computer system, a plurality of sizes of packaging in a packaging suite employed in a materials handling facility based at least in part upon the plurality of shipping volumes, the packaging in the packaging suite being used for a plurality of shipments;

wherein each of the shipping volumes is associated with a corresponding at least one item shipped in a package from the materials handling facility to a plurality of customers over a predefined period of time;

wherein the sizes of the packaging are not predetermined; and

wherein the step of determining the plurality of sizes of packaging in the packaging suite further comprises the step of calculating the plurality of sizes based upon the shipping volumes using a P-median solver.

14. A method, comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of shipping volumes in a memory, each one of the shipping volumes enclosing a collection of at least one item and being associated with one of a plurality of different orders for goods;

determining, in a computer system, a plurality of sizes of packaging in a packaging suite employed in a materials handling facility based at least in part upon the plurality of shipping volumes, the packaging in the packaging suite being used for a plurality of shipments;

wherein the sizes of the packaging in the packaging suite are determined periodically at predefined time intervals;

wherein the sizes of the packaging are not predetermined; and

wherein the step of determining the plurality of sizes of packaging in the packaging suite further comprises the step of calculating the plurality of sizes based upon the shipping volumes using a P-median solver.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of generating an order for the packaging in the packaging suite after each determination of the sizes of packaging in the packaging suite.

16. A system, comprising:

a processor circuit having a processor and a memory;

a plurality of shipping volumes stored in the memory, each one of the shipping volumes enclosing at least one item and being associated with one of a plurality of orders for goods, at least some of the shipping volumes differing with respect to each other;

a packaging suite manager stored in the memory and executable by the processor, the packaging suite manager being configured to determine a plurality of sizes of packaging in a packaging suite employed in a materials handling facility based at least in part upon the shipping volumes, the packaging in the packaging suite being used for a plurality of shipments;

wherein the sizes of the packaging are not predetermined; and

wherein the packaging suite manager determines the plurality of sizes of packaging in the packaging suite by calculating the plurality of sizes based upon the shipping volumes using a P-median solver.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the packaging suite manager calculates the plurality of sizes further based upon a maximum number of sizes of packaging specified for the packaging suite.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the packaging suite manager calculates the plurality of sizes further based upon a plurality of possible packaging sizes in the packaging suite.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein each of the shipping volumes is associated with a corresponding at least one item shipped in a package from the materials handling facility to a plurality of customers over a predefined period of time.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein each of the shipping volumes comprises a three-dimensional bounding box around the at least one item, where at least some of the shipping volumes are shipped in respective ones of the packages having a maximum interior volume that is greater than the respective shipping volumes.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the shipping volumes are associated with a plurality of items to be shipped from the materials handling facility to a plurality of customers in the future.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the packaging suite manager is further configured to generate an order for the packaging in the packaging suite after the determination of the sizes of packaging in the packaging suite.

23. The system of claim 16, where the packaging suite manager is further configured to determine the sizes of the packaging in the packaging suite periodically at predefined time intervals.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein the packaging in the packaging suite further comprises a plurality of boxes.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein the packaging in the packaging suite further comprises a plurality of envelopes.

26. The system of claim 16, wherein each of the shipping volumes comprises a three-dimensional bounding box around the at least one item.

27. A system, comprising:

a plurality of shipping volumes stored in a memory, each one of the shipping volumes enclosing at least one item and being associated with one of a plurality of different orders for goods, at least some of the shipping volumes differing with respect to each other;

means for determining a plurality of sizes of packaging in a packaging suite employed in a materials handling facility based at least in part upon the plurality of shipping volumes, the packaging in the packaging suite being used for a plurality of shipments;

wherein the sizes of the packaging are not predetermined; and

wherein the means for determining determines the plurality of sizes of packaging in the packaging suite by calculating the plurality of sizes based upon the shipping volumes using a P-median solver.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein each of the shipping volumes comprises a three-dimensional bounding box around the at least one item.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the means for determining the plurality of sizes of packaging in the packaging suite further comprises means for calculating the plurality of sizes based upon the shipping volumes, a maximum number of sizes of packaging specified for the packaging suite, and a plurality of possible packaging sizes in the packaging suite.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein each of the shipping volumes are associated with a corresponding at least one item shipped in a package from the materials handling facility to a plurality of customers over a predefined period of time.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein each of the shipping volumes comprises a three-dimensional bounding box around the at least one item, where at least some of the shipping volumes are shipped in respective ones of the packages having a maximum interior volume that is greater than the respective shipping volumes.

32. The system of claim 27, further comprising means for generating an order for the packaging in the packaging suite after the determination of the sizes of packaging in the packaging suite.

33. The system of claim 27, where the sizes of the packaging in the packaging suite are determined periodically at predefined time intervals.

34. The system of claim 27, wherein the packaging in the packaging suite further comprises a plurality of boxes.

35. The system of claim 27, wherein the packaging in the packaging suite further comprises a plurality of envelopes.

36. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying a program executable by a processor circuit, comprising:

code that determines a plurality of sizes of packaging in a packaging suite employed in a materials handling facility based at least in part upon a plurality of shipping volumes, the packaging in the packaging suite being used for a plurality of shipments; and

each one of the shipping volumes enclosing at least one item and being associated with one of a plurality of different orders for goods, at least some of the shipping volumes differing with respect to each other;

wherein the sizes of the packaging are not predetermined; and

wherein the code that determines is configured to determine the plurality of sizes of packaging in the packaging suite by calculating the plurality of sizes based upon the shipping volumes using a P-median solver.

37. The non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying the program executable by the processor circuit of claim 36, wherein each of the shipping volumes comprises a three-dimensional bounding box around the at least one item.

38. The non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying the program executable by the processor circuit of claim 36, wherein each of the shipping volumes is associated with a corresponding at least one item shipped in a package from the materials handling facility to a plurality of customers over a predefined period of time.

39. The non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying the program executable by the processor circuit of claim 36, wherein the shipping volumes are associated with a plurality of items to be shipped from the materials handling facility to a plurality of customers in the future.

40. The non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying the program executable by the processor circuit of claim 36, further comprising code that generates an order for the packaging in the packaging suite after the determination of the sizes of packaging in the packaging suite.

41. The non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying the program executable by the processor circuit of claim 36, wherein the sizes of the packaging in the packaging suite are determined periodically at predefined time intervals.

42. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying a program executable by a processor circuit, comprising:

code that determines a plurality of sizes of packaging in a packaging suite employed in a materials handling facility based upon a plurality of shipping volumes, the packaging in the packaging suite being used for a plurality of shipments;

each of the shipping volumes enclosing at least one item; and

wherein the code that determines the sizes of packaging in the packaging suite calculates the plurality of sizes using a P-median solver based upon the shipping volumes, a maximum number of sizes of packaging specified for the packaging suite, and a plurality of possible packaging sizes in the packaging suite.

43. A method, comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of shipping volumes in a memory, each one of the shipping volumes enclosing a collection of at least one item and being associated with one of a plurality of different orders for goods;

determining, in a computer system, a plurality of sizes of packaging in a packaging suite employed in a materials handling facility based at least in part upon the plurality of shipping volumes, the packaging in the packaging suite being used for a plurality of shipments;

wherein at least one of the collections of at least one item comprises a plurality of dissimilar items, and at least one of the collections is associated with a bounding box that is dissimilar relative to the remaining ones of the collections;

wherein the sizes of the packaging are not predetermined; and

wherein the step of determining the plurality of sizes of packaging in the packaging suite further comprises the step of calculating the plurality of sizes based upon the shipping volumes using a P-median solver.

44. A method, comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of shipping volumes in a memory, each one of the shipping volumes enclosing a collection of at least one item;

determining, in a computer system, a plurality of sizes of packaging in a packaging suite employed in a materials handling facility based at least in part upon the plurality of shipping volumes, the packaging in the packaging suite being used for a plurality of shipments;

wherein the collections of at least one item are randomly grouped;

wherein the sizes of the packaging are not predetermined; and

wherein the step of determining the plurality of sizes of packaging in the packaging suite further comprises the step of calculating the plurality of sizes based upon the shipping volumes using a P-median solver.