Automatic generation of flexible load design

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021150102-A1
Application number	US-202117161559-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 28, 2021
Priority date	Jan 30, 2019
Publication date	May 20, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system including one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computing instructions that, when executed on the one or more processors, perform certain acts. The acts can include obtaining an original load design for loading a trailer to deliver stacks of pallets to physical stores. The load design specifies a respective floor spot assignment for each of the stacks. The original load design satisfies center-of-gravity constraints. The acts also can include generating fluid groups of the stacks to form an initial fluid grouping. The acts additionally can include determining that the fluid groups do not collectively satisfy the center-of-gravity constraints. The acts further can include until the fluid groups collectively satisfy the center-of-gravity constraints, repeatedly determining one or more infeasible groups from the fluid groups, and adjusting at least one of the one or more infeasible groups to update the fluid groups. The acts additionally can include outputting a flexible load design comprising the fluid groups that collectively satisfy the center-of-gravity constraints. Other embodiments are described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system comprising:
one or more processors; and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computing instructions that, when executed on the one or more processors, perform:
obtaining an original load design for loading a trailer to deliver stacks of pallets to physical stores, wherein the load design specifies a respective floor spot assignment for each of the stacks, and wherein the original load design satisfies center-of-gravity constraints;
generating fluid groups of the stacks to form an initial fluid grouping;
determining that the fluid groups do not collectively satisfy the center-of-gravity constraints;
until the fluid groups collectively satisfy the center-of-gravity constraints, repeatedly:
determining one or more infeasible groups from the fluid groups; and
adjusting at least one of the one or more infeasible groups to update the fluid groups; and

outputting a flexible load design comprising the fluid groups that collectively satisfy the center-of-gravity constraints.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein generating the fluid groups of the stacks further comprises:
generating the fluid groups of the stacks in the initial fluid groupings based at least in part on: (i) the physical stores to which the stacks are to be delivered, and (ii) one or more containers of the trailer to which the stacks are assigned in the original load design.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein determining that the fluid groups do not collectively satisfy the center-of-gravity constraints further comprises:
determining if a lower bound center-of-gravity constraint is satisfied when the stacks in the fluid groups are arranged heaviest frontward in each of the fluid groups; and determining if an upper bound center-of-gravity constraint is satisfied when the stacks in the fluid groups are arranged heaviest rearward in each of the fluid groups;

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein determining that the fluid groups do not collectively satisfy the center-of-gravity constraints further comprises:
determining if a first side-to-side weight difference is within a threshold weight when the stacks in the fluid groups are arranged heaviest roadside in each of the fluid groups; and determining a second side-to-side weight difference is within the threshold weight when the stacks in the fluid groups are arranged lightest roadside in each of the fluid groups;

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the threshold weight is approximately 5,000 pounds.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the at least one of the one or more infeasible groups further comprises:
determining a first group of the fluid groups that is most infeasible; and splitting the first group into two subgroups to update the fluid groups.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein determining the first group of the fluid groups that is most infeasible further comprises:
determining the first group based on one or more of front-to-rear center-of-gravity variations of the fluid groups or side-to-side weight differences of the fluid groups.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the at least one of the one or more infeasible groups further comprises:
moving a stack from a second fluid group to an adjacent fluid group, wherein the second fluid group and the adjacent fluid group were both part of a same initial fluid group of the initial fluid groupings, and wherein at least one of the second fluid group and the adjacent fluid group are part of the one or more infeasible groups.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the at least one of the one or more infeasible groups further comprises:
combining two of the fluid groups.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the flexible load design specifies respective floor spot assignments for a respective set of stacks for each respective fluid group of the fluid groups; and the stacks within the respective set of stacks for the each respective fluid group are interchangeable, to satisfy the center-of-gravity constraints, among the respective floor spot assignments for the each respective fluid group.

11 . A method implemented via execution of computing instructions at one or more processors, the method comprising:
obtaining an original load design for loading a trailer to deliver stacks of pallets to physical stores, wherein the load design specifies a respective floor spot assignment for each of the stacks, and wherein the original load design satisfies center-of-gravity constraints; generating fluid groups of the stacks to form an initial fluid grouping; determining that the fluid groups do not collectively satisfy the center-of-gravity constraints; until the fluid groups collectively satisfy the center-of-gravity constraints, repeatedly:
determining one or more infeasible groups from the fluid groups; and
adjusting at least one of the one or more infeasible groups to update the fluid groups; and
outputting a flexible load design comprising the fluid groups that collectively satisfy the center-of-gravity constraints.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein generating the fluid groups of the stacks further comprises:
generating the fluid groups of the stacks in the initial fluid groupings based at least in part on: (i) the physical stores to which the stacks are to be delivered, and (ii) one or more containers of the trailer to which the stacks are assigned in the original load design.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein determining that the fluid groups do not collectively satisfy the center-of-gravity constraints further comprises:
determining if a lower bound center-of-gravity constraint is satisfied when the stacks in the fluid groups are arranged heaviest frontward in each of the fluid groups; and determining if an upper bound center-of-gravity constraint is satisfied when the stacks in the fluid groups are arranged heaviest rearward in each of the fluid groups;

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein determining that the fluid groups do not collectively satisfy the center-of-gravity constraints further comprises:
determining if a first side-to-side weight difference is within a threshold weight when the stacks in the fluid groups are arranged heaviest roadside in each of the fluid groups; and determining a second side-to-side weight difference is within the threshold weight when the stacks in the fluid groups are arranged lightest roadside in each of the fluid groups;

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the threshold weight is approximately 5,000 pounds.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein adjusting at least one of the one or more infeasible groups further comprises:
determining a first group of the fluid groups that is most infeasible; and splitting the first group into two subgroups to update the fluid groups.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein determining the first group of the fluid groups that is most infeasible further comprises:
determining the first group based on one or more of front-to-rear center-of-gravity variations of the fluid groups or side-to-side weight differences of the fluid groups.

18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein adjusting at least one of the one or more infeasible groups further comprises:
moving a stack from a second fluid group to an adjacent fluid group, wherein the second fluid group and the adjacent fluid group were both part of a same initial fluid group of the initial fluid groupings, and wherein at least one of the second fluid group and the adjacent fluid group are part of the one or more inf

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Sun Ou
• Liu Minghui
• Huang Jing
• Fu Mingang

Classifications

• G06F2111/06

  Multi-objective optimisation, e.g. Pareto optimisation using simulated annealing [SA], ant colony algorithms or genetic algorithms [GA] · CPC title

• G06F30/20

  Design optimisation, verification or simulation (optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30) · CPC title

• G06F30/15 Primary

  Vehicle, aircraft or watercraft design · CPC title

• G06F30/17

  Mechanical parametric or variational design · CPC title