Optimization of packaging sizes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016125352-A1
Application number	US-201614991244-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 8, 2016
Priority date	Aug 30, 2007
Publication date	May 5, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Various systems, methods, and programs embodied in computer-readable mediums are provided for determining sizes of packaging in a packaging suite and generating the new packaging. The packaging may be used, for example, in the shipping of items. Data may be received that describes bounding boxes corresponding to collections of items shipped to customers. The sizes of the packaging in the packaging suite may be determined based at least in part upon the data that describes the bounding boxes.

First claim

Therefore, having thus described the invention, at least the following is claimed:

1 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying at least one program executable in at least one computing device, the at least one program having a plurality of instructions that when executed cause the at least one computing device to at least:
receive data describing a plurality of shipments, individual ones of the plurality of shipments corresponding to at least one respective item that has been shipped, or is planned to be shipped, in a single respective package; and generate a packaging suite based at least in part on the data describing the plurality of shipments, the packaging suite including a plurality of different sizes of packaging without regard to predetermined sizes of packaging.

2 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein when executed the plurality of instructions further cause the at least one computing device to at least generate an order for the plurality of different sizes of packaging from the packaging suite.

3 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein when executed the plurality of instructions further cause the at least one computing device to at least receive a quantity of different packaging sizes, wherein the packaging suite is generated to include the quantity of different packaging sizes.

4 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein when executed the plurality of instructions further cause the at least one computing device to at least regenerate the packaging suite for a different plurality of shipments, wherein the packaging suite changes upon regeneration.

5 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein a first packaging of the plurality of different sizes of packaging differs in shape from a second packaging of the plurality of different sizes of packaging.

6 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the packaging suite is determined to minimize a wasted volume in the plurality of different sizes of packaging for future shipments.

7 . A system, comprising:
a data store storing data describing a plurality of bounding boxes, individual ones of the plurality of bounding boxes enclosing a corresponding one of a plurality of item collections that has been shipped, or is planned to be shipped; and at least one computing device in communication with the data store and configured to at least:
determine a plurality of shipping volumes from the data describing the plurality of bounding boxes, individual ones of the plurality of shipping volumes corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of item collections; and
generate a packaging suite based at least in part on the plurality of shipping volumes, the packaging suite specifying a plurality of different sizes of packaging that are to be employed for future shipments.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the packaging suite is further based at least in part on a plurality of packaging volumes individually corresponding to the plurality of different sizes of packaging.

9 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one computing device is further configured to at least generate the data describing the plurality of bounding boxes based at least in part on data describing the plurality of item collections.

10 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one computing device is further configured to at least regenerate the data describing the plurality of bounding boxes based at least in part on data describing a different plurality of item collections.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein a frequency of periodically regenerating the data describing the plurality of bounding boxes is based at least in part on a lead time between ordering new packaging and receiving the new packaging.

12 . The system of claim 7 , wherein individual ones of the plurality of item collections have been shipped, or are planned to be shipped, to a single respective customer.

13 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one computing device is further configured to at least cause at least one packaging machine to generate packaging in each of the plurality of different sizes of packaging in response to determining the packaging suite.

14 . A method, comprising:
receiving, via at least one computing device, data describing a plurality of bounding boxes, individual ones of the plurality of bounding boxes enclosing one of a plurality of item collections, individual ones of the plurality of item collections having been shipped to a respective customer; and determining, via the at least one computing device, a packaging suite specifying a plurality of different sizes of packaging that are to be employed for future shipments, the plurality of different sizes of packaging being determined based at least in part on the data describing the plurality of bounding boxes.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of different sizes of packaging are further determined based at least in part on a minimum buffering zone required for shipping individual items in the plurality of item collections.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of different sizes of packaging are further determined based at least in part on a plurality of shipping volumes associated with individual ones of the plurality of bounding boxes.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the plurality of item collections has been shipped or is planned to be shipped in at least two of the plurality of bounding boxes.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of different sizes are determined without regard for a set of the plurality of bounding boxes used for each of the plurality of item collections that have been shipped or are planned to be shipped to the respective customer.

19 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
determining, via the at least one computing device, a period of time; and requesting, via the at least one computing device, that the data describing the plurality of bounding boxes be based at least in part on the period of time.

20 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of different sizes of packaging in the packaging suite are determined without regard to predetermined sizes of packaging.

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Tian Hong
• Smith Mackenzie
• Mishra Devesh

Classifications

• G06Q10/04

  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 title

• G06Q10/083 Primary

  Shipping · CPC title

• B65B65/08

  Devices for counting or registering the number of articles handled, or the number of packages produced by the machine · CPC title