Methods, systems, and apparatuses for monitoring and improving productivity of a material handling environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11014123-B2
Application number	US-201815991408-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 29, 2018
Priority date	May 29, 2018
Publication date	May 25, 2021
Grant date	May 25, 2021

Abstract

Various embodiments described herein relates to techniques for providing real-time productivity information to a worker in a material handling environment. In this regard, for computing a productivity metric of the worker, a productivity metrics system may access various types of data. In this aspect, the productivity metric system may receive: order level data associated with multiple items identified for shipping; worker operation data associated with the workers and at least one workflow being operated by the workers; and dimensional data of the items being handled by the workers. The productivity metric system may compute the productivity metrics of the worker based on: the order level data, the dimensional data, the worker operation data, and a count of items handled by the worker. Further, the productivity metrics system may provide notifications including actionable insights indicative of actions to be performed by the worker.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for providing real-time productivity information to a worker in a material handling environment, the method comprising:
accessing, by a processing unit, order level data associated with a plurality of items identified for shipping in the material handling environment from a warehouse management system;
receiving, from a dimensioning system in real-time as at least one item from the plurality of items is being processed for shipping, dimensional data indicative of dimensions of the at least one item, wherein the dimensional data is determined based on processing a plurality of range images of the at least one item when the at least one item is placed in a field of view of the dimensioning system;
accessing, by the processing unit, worker operation data indicative of information associated with the worker and at least one workflow being operated by the worker;
computing, by the processing unit, productivity metrics of the worker based on: the order level data, the dimensional data, the worker operation data that includes requirements to handle the at least one item based on a situation associated with the at least one workflow being operated by the worker, and a count of the at least one item identified for shipping, wherein the requirements to handle the at least one item based on the situation are defined based at least on a dimension and a type of the at least one item; and
providing, by the processing unit, notifications comprising actionable insights indicative of actions to be performed by the worker based on the computed productivity metrics of the worker.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dimensional data is determined based on:
projecting, by a pattern projecting unit of the dimensioning system, a light pattern on the at least one item placed in the field of view of the dimensioning system; and
capturing, by a range imaging unit of the dimensioning system, the plurality of range images of the at least one item upon detecting the light pattern reflected from the at least one item.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dimensional data comprises at least one of:
volume, dimensional weight, height, or width corresponding to the at least one item.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing of the productivity metrics comprises:
computing dimensional throughput data based on: (a) the dimensional data including a volumetric dimension of the at least one item and (b) the worker operation data including use-case data associated with the at least one workflow being operated by the worker, wherein the dimensional throughput data is indicative of a delivery throughput of material handling environment with respect to dimensions of the plurality of items being processed for shipping in the material handling environment;
computing order throughput data based on the count of the at least one item identified for shipping and the worker operation data including the use-case data associated with the at least one workflow being operated by the worker, wherein the order throughput data is indicative of a delivery throughput of the material handling environment per shipping order; and
computing the productivity metrics based on a weighted average of the computed dimensional throughput data and the computed order throughput data.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein computing the productivity metrics further comprises receiving, from the warehouse management system, inputs indicative of weight for at least one of: the order level data, dimensional data, or the worker operation data.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the count of the at least one item is determined based on at least one of: scanning, by an encoded information reader, coded information on the at least one item, or detecting, by the dimensioning system, placement of the at least one item in the field of view of the dimensioning system.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the order level data comprising specifications of a customer order identified for shipping and an association of the at least one item from the plurality of items with the customer order.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the notifications are indicative of instructions for positioning the at least one item in a pre-defined orientation, in the field of view of the dimensioning system, wherein the pre-defined orientation is based on protocols to be followed by the worker for positioning the at least one item in the field of view of the dimensioning system.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the protocols for positioning the at least one item to be dimensioned in the field of view of the dimensioning system comprises at least one of: (i) positioning the at least one item at a center of the field of view of the dimensioning system, (ii) positioning the at least one item in the field of view of the dimensioning system with a surface having largest surface area facing a scale of the dimensioning system, (iii) positioning the at least one item with a surface on which labels are affixed facing towards the dimensioning system, (iv) positioning each item from the plurality of items with a pre-defined gap when each of the item is positioned in the field of view of the dimensioning system, or (v) positioning at least one item having cylindrical shape from the plurality of items in a horizontal orientation with respect to a platform on which the at least one item is positioned in the field of view of the dimensioning system.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the processing unit is to provide the notifications based on identifying errors recorded by the dimensioning system in computing the dimensional data of the at least one item, wherein the errors are recorded by the dimensioning system by detecting presence of non-adherence with the protocols to be followed by the worker for positioning the at least one item in the field of view of the dimensioning system.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the notifications are provided based on:
receiving, by the processing unit, range images and point cloud data from the dimensioning system for items handled by plurality of workers operating in the material handling environment;
computing product orientation, indicative of placement of the items in the field of view of the dimensioning system, based on processing the received range images and point cloud data, wherein the product orientation is computed for each item being handled by the plurality of workers;
identifying workers from the plurality of workers having a pre-defined productivity metric;
selecting product orientation corresponding to items handled by the identified workers; and
providing notifications including instructions for placing the items in the selected product orientations.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the worker operation data associated with the worker comprises at least one of a duration of employment for the worker, or a designation indicative of a role and responsibility of the worker in the material handling environment.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the worker operation data associated with the at least one workflow being operated by the worker corresponds to rules comprising one or more of: rules for packaging items based on at least one of an item type, a customer, irregularity in dimensions of the items, rules for creation of labels to be affixed on the items, and rules for packing multiple stock keeping units into one over-pack based on the dimensional data for the items.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the actionable insights comprises instructions for at least one of positioning a weighing scale in the field of view of the dimensioning

Assignees

• Hand Held Prod Inc

Inventors

• Issac Praveen

Classifications

• G06Q10/06398

  Performance of employee with respect to a job function · CPC title

• G06Q10/0633 Primary

  Workflow analysis · CPC title

• G06T2207/10028

  Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds · CPC title

• G05B13/028

  using expert systems only · CPC title

• B07C5/36

  Sorting apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution {(sorting according to destination B07C3/003, B07C3/02)} · CPC title