Method of controlling conveyer and electronic apparatus therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11745222-B2
Application number	US-202117303538-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2021
Priority date	Feb 5, 2020
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

Provided is a method of controlling a conveyor for item transportation and an electronic apparatus therefor, the method including acquiring information associated with a plurality of destinations, identifying a weight for each of the plurality of destinations based on the acquired information, determining, in response to an item being identified, a destination among the plurality of destinations based on the identified weight, wherein the item is placed in the determined destination, and controlling the conveyor to transport the item to the determined destination.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling a conveyor for item transportation, the method comprising:
acquiring information associated with a plurality of destinations;
identifying a weight for each of the plurality of destinations based on the information associated with the plurality of destinations;
determining, in response to an item being identified, a destination among the plurality of destinations based on the weight for each of the plurality of destinations; and
transmitting a control signal to the conveyor, wherein the control signal causes the conveyor to transport the item to the destination,
wherein identifying a particular weight for a particular destination comprises:
identifying a number of operators allocated for the particular destination and a size of a placement space for the particular destination based on the information associated with the plurality of destinations; and
identifying the particular weight for the particular destination based on the number of operators allocated for the particular destination and the size of the placement space for the particular destination.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying of the particular weight for the particular destination further comprises:
identifying a first weight for the particular destination based on the number of operators allocated for the particular destination;
identifying a second weight for the particular destination based on the size of the placement space for the particular destination; and
identifying the particular weight for the particular destination based on the first weight for the particular destination and the second weight for the particular destination.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the identifying of the particular weight for the particular destination is further based on a sum of the first weight for the particular destination and the second weight for the particular destination.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising reducing a weight for the destination based on determining transportation of the item is started.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising reducing a weight for the destination based on determining transportation of the item is completed.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the destination comprises determining the destination is associated with a desired weight.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving an input for selecting a zone of a plurality of zones in which placement of the item is available; and
in response to the receiving of the input, identifying the plurality of destinations based on the zone including the plurality of destinations.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the item comprises a plurality of items, wherein the plurality of items are associated with a plurality of item types.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium comprising a computer program for performing a method for controlling a conveyor for item transportation, the method comprising:
acquiring information associated with a plurality of destinations;
identifying a weight for each of the plurality of destinations based on the information associated with the plurality of destinations;
determining, in response to an item being identified, a destination among the plurality of destinations based on the weight for each of the plurality of destinations; and
transmitting a control signal to the conveyor, wherein the control signal causes the conveyor to transport the item to the destination,
wherein identifying a particular weight for a particular destination comprises:
identifying a number of operators allocated for the particular destination and a size of a placement space for the particular destination based on the information associated with the plurality of destinations; and
identifying the particular weight for the particular destination based on the number of operators allocated for the particular destination and the size of the placement space for the particular destination.

10. An electronic apparatus for controlling a conveyor for item transportation, the electronic apparatus comprising:
a memory storing at least one instruction; and
a hardware processor configured to execute the at least one instruction to:
acquire information associated with a plurality of destinations;
identify a weight for each of the plurality of destinations based on the information associated with the plurality of destinations;
determine, in response to an item being identified, a destination among the plurality of destinations based on the weight for each of the plurality of destinations; and
transmit a control signal to the conveyor, wherein the control signal causes the conveyor to transport the item to the destination,
wherein to identify a particular weight for a particular destination the hardware processor is further configured to execute the at least one instruction to:
identify a number of operators allocated for the particular destination and a size of a placement space for the particular destination based on the information associated with the plurality of destinations; and
identify the particular weight for the particular destination based on the number of operators allocated for the particular destination and the size of the placement space for the particular destination.

Assignees

• Coupang Corp

Inventors

• Kim Jae Hyun
• Lee Gyung Seok
• Jung Hyun Yop
• Park Woo Jung

Classifications

• G06Q10/08 Primary

  Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management · CPC title

• B07C3/00 Primary

  Sorting according to destination {(collating the pages of a book B42C1/00)} · CPC title

• B07C3/003

  Destination control; Electro-mechanical or electro- magnetic delay memories · CPC title

• B07C3/10

  Apparatus characterised by the means used for detection ofthe destination (methods or arrangements for reading and recognising printed or written characters or geometric figures G06V30/00) · CPC title

• B07C3/18

  Devices or arrangements for indicating destination, e.g. by code marks {(applying data to information carriers G06K1/12)} · CPC title