# US 2020/0401968 A1 · Systems and Methods for Safety Stock Settings Using a Parallel Processing Computing Architecture > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0401968 A1 - Document ID: US20200401968A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/906,981 - Filed: 2020-06-19 - Published: 2020-12-24 - Earliest claimed: 2019-06-20 - Assignees: Walmart Apollo, LLC - Applicants: Walmart Apollo, LLC - Inventors: Shuohao Wu; Richard Ulrich; Dong Xu; Jingying Zhang; Kunlei Lian; Clifford Wayne Bolinger; Jackie Lei Guan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200401968A1 ## CPC - G06Q 10/06315: {Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis} - G06F 9/48: Program initiating; Program switching, e.g. by interrupt - G06F 9/5061: {Partitioning or combining of resources} - G06F 17/17: Function evaluation by approximation methods, e.g. inter- or extrapolation, smoothing, least mean square method ({G06F17/18 takes precedence } ; interpolation for numerical control G05B19/18) - G06N 7/01: Probabilistic graphical models, e.g. probabilistic networks - G06Q 10/04: 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) - G06Q 10/087: Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders - G06Q 10/08726: {for replenishment processing, procedures, or recommendations using forecasting or optimisation} - G06Q 30/0202: Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities - G06T 1/20: Processor architectures; Processor configuration, e.g. pipelining - G06F 2209/5018: Thread allocation - G06Q 10/08772: {Inventory counting methods} - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06N: COMPUTING ARRANGEMENTS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract This disclosure describes a graphics processing unit programmed to generate a sample path for the demand of the one or more products at a store based at least in part on data associated with a historical distribution of the variability of the demand of the one or more products. The graphics processing unit may generate a thread corresponding to a plurality scenarios. The graphics processing unit may execute the thread in parallel to determine one or more parameters for each of the plurality of scenarios for the one or more products. The graphics processing unit may select the one or more parameters generated from the execution of one of the sample paths to minimize the cost. The graphics processing unit may adjust an inventory management system to set an inventory management setting based at least in part on the selection of the one or more parameters. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a database storing a history of a variability of a demand for one or more products at a store; a central processing unit programmed to: receive data associated with a historical distribution of a variability of a demand for one or more products at a store; and submit the data associated with the historical distribution of the variability of the demand to a graphics processing unit; the graphics processing unit being programmed to: generate a sample path for the demand of the one or more products at the store based at least in part on the data associated with the historical distribution of the variability of the demand of the one or more products, wherein the sample path comprises a plurality of scenarios based on a negative binomial distribution associated with the data; generate a thread corresponding to each of the scenarios; execute each thread in parallel to determine one or more parameters for each of the plurality of scenarios for the one or more products; select the one or more parameters generated from the execution of one of the sample paths to minimize the cost; and adjust an inventory management system to set an inventory management setting based at least in part on the selection of the one or more parameters. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the central processing unit is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to: determine an inventory level of the one or more products based at least in part on an inventory level of the one or more products at a first time, an amount of the one or more products ordered at the first time, and the sample path for the demand of the one or more products. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the central processing unit is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to: determine a mean and a variance associated with the negative binomial distribution based at least in part on a sample mean of the historical distribution of the variability of the demand for the one or more products and a sample variance of the historical distribution of the variability of the demand for the one or more products. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the cost associated with the one or more products comprises a holding cost and loss of sales cost. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the central processing unit is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to: determine the inventory management setting based on a minimum of the sum of the holding cost and the loss of sales cost. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the holding cost is based at least in part on a total on-hand inventory quantity, an ending inventory, an inbound shipment quantity, and a quantity of the demand of the one or more products. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the loss of sales cost is based at least in part on a cost of at least one of the one or more products multiplied by a number of units of the at least one of the one or more products that are unavailable for sale. ### Claim 8 A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions stored therein, which when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the operations of: receiving data associated with a historical distribution of a variability of a demand for one or more products at a store; generating a sample path for the demand of the one or more products at the store based at least in part on the data associated with the historical distribution of the variability of the demand of the one or more products, wherein the sample path comprises a plurality of scenarios based on a negative binomial distribution associated with the data; generating a thread corresponding to each of the plurality of scenarios; processing each of the threads in parallel to determine an inventory level of the one or more products, a number of orders for the one or more products, and a cost associated with the one or more products for each of the plurality of scenarios using a parallel process; and selecting the one or more parameters generated from the execution of one of the sample paths to minimize the cost; adjusting an inventory management system to set an inventory management setting based at least in part on the selection of the one or more parameters. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to perform the operations of: determining the inventory level of the one or more products based at least in part on the inventory level of the one or more products at a first time, an amount of the one or more products ordered at a first time, and the sample path for the demand of the one or more products. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to perform the operations of: determining a mean and a variance associated with the negative binomial distribution based at least in part on a sample mean of the historical distribution of the variability of the demand for the one or more products and a sample variance of the historical distribution of the variability of the demand for the one or more products. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the cost associated with the one or more products comprises a holding cost and loss of sales cost. ### Claim 12 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to perform the operations of: determining the inventory management setting based on a minimum of the sum of the holding cost and the loss of sales cost. ### Claim 13 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the holding cost is based at least in part on a total on-hand inventory quantity, an ending inventory, an inbound shipment quantity, and a quantity of the demand of the one or more products. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the loss of sales cost is based at least in part on a cost of at least one of the one or more products multiplied by a number of units of the at least one of the one or more products that are unavailable for sale. ### Claim 15 A method for determining an inventory management setting for one or more products at a store comprising: receiving data associated with a historical distribution of a variability of a demand for one or more products at a store via a central processing unit; submitting the data associated with a historical distribution of a variability of a demand to a graphics processing unit; generating a sample path for the demand of the one or more products at the store by the graphics processing unit based at least in part on the data associated with the historical distribution of the variability of the demand of the one or more products, wherein the sample path comprises a plurality of scenarios based on a negative binomial distribution associated with the data; generating, via the graphics processing unit, a thread corresponding to each of the scenarios; executing, via the graphics processing unit, each thread in parallel to determine one or more parameters associated with the one or more products for each of the plurality of scenarios; and selecting the one or more parameters generated from the execution of one of the sample paths to minimize the cost; adjusting an inventory management system to set an inventory management setting based at least in part on the selection of the one or more parameters. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, the method further comprising: determining an inventory level of the one or more products based at least in part on an inventory level of the one or more products at a first time, an amount of the one or more products ordered at a first time, and the sample path for the demand of the one or more products. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, the method further comprising: determining a mean and a variance associated with the binomial distribution based at least in part on a sample mean of the historical distribution of the variability of the demand for the one or more products and a sample variance of the historical distribution of the variability of the demand for the one or more products. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the cost associated with the one or more products comprises a holding cost and loss of sales cost. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, the method further comprising: determining the inventory management setting based on a minimum of the sum of the holding cost and the loss of sales cost. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the holding cost is based at least in part on a total on-hand inventory quantity, an ending inventory, an inbound shipment quantity, and a quantity of the demand of the one or more products.