System for improving order batching using location information of items in retail store and method of using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10445691-B2
Application number	US-201715418101-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2017
Priority date	Jan 27, 2017
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

A system and method includes receiving a plurality of orders having one or more items, separating the orders by load number and due times, batching the separate orders into different commodities, generating an optimized pick path through a retail store to pick the one or more items according to an optimization algorithm that generates the optimized pick path based on item location of the one or more items within the batched orders of the different commodities, obtaining a store map, the store map being indicative of a layout of the retail store, transmitting a representation of the store map and the optimized pick path to the user device, and displaying the store map overlaid with the optimized pick path on a graphical display of the user device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a computing device configured to provide output to a user device;
the computing device being configured to receive a plurality of orders having one or more items, to:
separate orders of the plurality of orders by load number and due times,
find item-item XY distances for each of the one or more items in relation to corner points of a retail store,
batch the orders, as separated, into different commodities,
generate, using the item-item XY distances, an optimized pick path through the retail store to pick the one or more items according to an optimization algorithm that generates the optimized pick path based on item location of the one or more items within the orders, as separated and subsequently batched, of the different commodities,
obtain a store map, the store map being indicative of a layout of the retail store, and
transmit a representation of the store map and the optimized pick path to the user device, and to display the store map overlaid with the optimized pick path on a graphical display of the user device.

2. A system, as set forth in claims 1 , wherein the computing device is further configured to find the optimization algorithm produces item-item XY pre-computed distances for each of the one or more items by finding four (4) corner points of the retail store.

3. A system, as set forth in claim 2 , wherein the computing device is further configured to divide a two dimensional representation of the retail store into small grids with configurable width and height.

4. A system, as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the computing device is further configured to:
mark each aisle of the retail store based on a bay type and an aisle type as obstacles in the two dimensional representation; and
designate a remaining portion of the two dimensional representation as free space.

5. A system, as set forth in claim 4 , wherein the computing device is further configured to iterate through all picks points, which are before each bay.

6. A system, as set forth in claim 5 , wherein the computing device is further configured to run the optimization algorithm with shortest path or distance heuristics by giving source and destination pick points.

7. A system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said the computing device is further configured to generate an icon being associated with a physical location of each of the one or more items in the retail store, and to present to the icon, wherein the store map represents the retail store and the icon and the optimized pick path are positioned overlaid on the store map to designate the physical location of each of the one or more items in the retail store.

8. A system, as set forth in claim 7 , wherein the system includes an item location database that stores a plurality of waypoints corresponding to the retail store, each waypoint of the plurality of waypoints is a respective icon indicating a respective item in the retail store.

9. A system, as set forth in claim 1 , where said the computing device includes a map generation module to generate a map showing a physical location of the one or more items on the map.

10. A system, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the computing device includes a path generation module monitoring a current location of a user, acquiring an in-store location for the one or more items, and providing the optimized pick path from the current location to the in-store location, the optimized pick path being configured for display to the user on the user device.

11. A method comprising:
receiving, by a computing device, a plurality of orders having one or more items;
separating, by the computing device, orders of the plurality of orders by load number and due times;
finding, by the computing device, item-item XY distances for each of the one or more items in relation to corner points of a retail store;
batching, by the computing device, the orders into different commodities;
generating, by the computing device, using the item-item XY distances, an optimized pick path through the retail store to pick the one or more items according to an optimization algorithm that generates the optimized pick path based on item location of the one or more items within the orders, as separated and subsequently batched, of the different commodities;
obtaining, by the computing device, a store map, the store map being indicative of a layout of the retail store;
transmitting, by the computing device, a representation of the store map and the optimized pick path to a user device; and
displaying the store map overlaid with the optimized pick path on a graphical display of the user device.

12. A method, as set forth in claim 11 , wherein including a step of finding, by the computing device, the optimization algorithm produces the item-item XY distances for each of the one or more items by finding four (4) corner points of the retail store.

13. A method, as set forth in claim 11 , including a step of dividing, by the computing device, a two dimensional representation of the retail store into small grids with configurable width and height.

14. A method, as set forth in claim 13 , including a step of marking, by the computing device, each aisle of the retail store based on a bay type and an aisle type as obstacles in the two dimensional representation and designate a remaining portion of the two dimensional representation as free space.

15. A method, as set forth in claim 14 , including the steps of iterating, by the computing device, through all picks points, which are before each bay.

16. A method, as set forth in claim 15 , including a step of running, by the computing device, the optimization algorithm with shortest path or distance heuristics by giving source and destination pick points.

17. A method, as set forth in claim 11 , including steps of monitoring a current location of a user, acquiring an in-store location for the one or more items, and providing the optimized pick path from the current location to the in-store location, the optimized pick path being configured for display to the user on the user device.

18. A method, as set forth in claim 11 , including a step of rendering an image of the store map having an item waypoint and the optimized pick path displayed therein, wherein the image, including the optimized pick path, is provided to the user device for display.

19. A method, as set forth in claim 11 , including a step of generating a map showing a physical location of one or more items in the retail store.

20. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media, having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein when executed by at least one processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to:
receive a plurality of orders having one or more items;
separate orders of the plurality of orders by load number and due times;
batch the orders into different commodities;
find item-item XY distances for each of the one or more items in relation to corner points of a retail store;
generate, using the item-item XY distances, an optimized pick path through the retail store to pick the one or more items according to an optimization algorithm that generates the optimized pick path based on item location of the one or more items within the orders, as separated and subsequently batched, of the different commodities;
obtain a store map, the store map being indicative of a layout of the retail store;
transmit a representation of the store map and the optimized pick path to a user de

Assignees

• Wal Mart Stores Inc
• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Kumar Ashwin
• Shendre Ameya Ajay
• Rajkhowa Pratosh Deepak
• Kumar R R Pavan

Classifications

• G01C21/206

  specially adapted for indoor navigation · CPC title

• G06Q10/087 Primary

  Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders · CPC title