# US 2021/0241197 A1 · Systems and methods for optimization of pick walks > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0241197 A1 - Document ID: US20210241197A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/778,355 - Filed: 2020-01-31 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2020-01-31 - Assignees: Walmart Apollo, LLC - Applicants: Walmart Apollo, LLC - Inventors: Seon Ki Kim; Aditya Arcot Srinivasan; Mingang Fu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210241197A1 ## CPC - G06Q 10/06316: {Sequencing of tasks or work} - G06F 7/24: Sorting, i.e. extracting data from one or more carriers, rearranging the data in numerical or other ordered sequence, and rerecording the sorted data on the original carrier or on a different carrier or set of carriers {sorting methods in general}(G06F7/36 takes precedence) - G06F 7/32: Merging, i.e. combining data contained in ordered sequence on at least two record carriers to produce a single carrier or set of carriers having all the original data in the ordered sequence {merging methods in general}(G06F7/36 takes precedence) - 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 10/0637: Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals - G06Q 10/0875: Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials - G06Q 10/10: Office automation; Time management - G06Q 30/0635: {replenishment orders; recurring orders} - 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) ## Abstract Systems and methods including one or more processors and one or more non-transitory storage devices storing computing instructions configured to run on the one or more processors and perform: executing a greedy incremental batcher loop, which can comprise: selecting a first picklist of one or more picklists; and merging the first picklist with one or more picklists in a first remainder of the one or more picklists when the merging would decrease a cost of the first picklist, wherein the first remainder of the one or more picklists comprises the one or picklists excluding the first picklist; executing a randomized tote local search loop, which can comprise: selecting two random picklists of the one or more picklists, as merged; and swapping totes of the two random picklists of the one or more picklists, as merged, when the swapping would decrease a cost of at least one picklist of the two random picklists; executing an update min trolley loop, which can comprise: selecting a shortest picklist of the one or more picklists, as merged and swapped; and combining the shortest picklist with at least one picklist of the one or more picklists, as merged and swapped, wherein a combination picklist of the shortest picklist and the at least one picklist results in a savings of cost; and facilitating displaying the combination picklist and the one or more picklists, as merged and swapped, to a picker. Other embodiments are disclosed herein. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: one or more processors; and one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage devices storing computing instructions configured to run on the one or more processors and perform: executing a greedy incremental batcher loop comprising: selecting a first picklist of one or more picklists; and merging the first picklist with one or more picklists in a first remainder of the one or more picklists when the merging would decrease a cost of the first picklist, wherein the first remainder of the one or more picklists comprises the one or picklists excluding the first picklist; executing a randomized tote local search loop comprising: selecting two random picklists of the one or more picklists, as merged; and swapping totes of the two random picklists of the one or more picklists, as merged, when the swapping would decrease a cost of at least one picklist of the two random picklists; executing an update min trolley loop comprising: selecting a shortest picklist of the one or more picklists, as merged and swapped; and combining the shortest picklist with at least one picklist of the one or more picklists, as merged and swapped, wherein a combination picklist of the shortest picklist and the at least one picklist results in a savings of cost; and facilitating displaying the combination picklist and the one or more picklists, as merged and swapped, to a picker. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein selecting the first picklist of the one or more picklists comprises: calculating a respective cost for each picklist of the one or more picklists; and ordering a list of one or more picklists from least cost to greatest cost. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the computing instructions are further configured to run on the one or more processors and perform: repeating merging the first picklist, as merged, with one or more additional lists of the one or more picklists until the cost of the first picklist, as merged, is increased; after the cost of the first picklist, as merged, is increased, unmerging a last merger of the first picklist; initializing a new list of the one or more picklists using a second remainder of the one or more picklists, wherein the second remainder of the one or more picklists comprises the one or more picklists excluding the first picklist, as merged; ordering the new list of the one or more picklists from least cost to greatest cost; and merging a new first picklist of the new list with one or more picklists in a third remainder of picklists of the one or more picklists when merging would decrease a cost of the new first picklist, wherein the third remainder of the one or more picklists comprises the one or more picklists excluding the first picklist, as merged, and the new first picklist. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein selecting the two random picklists of the one or more picklists, as merged, comprises: randomly selecting a first random picklist of the two random picklists; and randomly selecting a second random picklist of the two random picklists, wherein: a first randomness of a first selection of the first random picklist is weighted towards selecting a most expensive picklist of the one or more picklists, as merged; and a second randomness of a second selection of the second random picklist is not weighted. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein swapping totes of the two random picklists comprises: performing a two-way swap. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein swapping totes of the two random picklists comprises: performing a one-way swap. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the shortest picklist of the one or more picklists comprises a last picklist leftover after performing a one-way swap when swapping the totes of the two random picklists of the one or more picklists. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the computing instructions are further configured to run on the one or more processors and perform: when the swapping would not decrease the cost of the at least one picklist of the two random picklists, repeating (1) selecting respective additional two random picklists and (2) swapping totes of the respective additional two random picklists until the swapping the totes of the respective additional two random picklists would decrease the cost of at least one respective picklist of the two random picklists. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein selecting the shortest picklist of the one or more picklists, as merged and swapped, occurs only when all business constraints have been met for each picklist of the one or more picklists, as merged and swapped. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the computing instruction are further configured to run on the one or more processors and perform: before facilitating displaying the combination picklist and the one or more picklists, as merged and swapped, repeating previously performed steps until no more reduction in cost can be achieved. ### Claim 11 A method implemented via execution of computing instructions configured to run at one or more processors and configured to be stored at non-transitory computer-readable media, the method comprising: executing a greedy incremental batcher loop comprising: selecting a first picklist of one or more picklists; and merging the first picklist with one or more picklists in a first remainder of the one or more picklists when the merging would decrease a cost of the first picklist, wherein the first remainder of the one or more picklists comprises the one or picklists excluding the first picklist; executing a randomized tote local search loop comprising: selecting two random picklists of the one or more picklists, as merged; and swapping totes of the two random picklists of the one or more picklists, as merged, when the swapping would decrease a cost of at least one picklist of the two random picklists; executing an update min trolley loop comprising: selecting a shortest picklist of the one or more picklists, as merged and swapped; and combining the shortest picklist with at least one picklist of the one or more picklists, as merged and swapped, wherein a combination picklist of the shortest picklist and the at least one picklist results in a savings of cost; and facilitating displaying the combination picklist and the one or more picklists, as merged and swapped, to a picker. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein selecting the first picklist of the one or more picklists comprises: calculating a respective cost for each picklist of the one or more picklists; and ordering a list of one or more picklists from least cost to greatest cost. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 further comprising: repeating merging the first picklist, as merged, with one or more additional lists of the one or more picklists until the cost of the first picklist, as merged, is increased; after the cost of the first picklist, as merged, is increased, unmerging a last merger of the first picklist; initializing a new list of the one or more picklists using a second remainder of the one or more picklists, wherein the second remainder of the one or more picklists comprises the one or more picklists excluding the first picklist, as merged; ordering the new list of the one or more picklists from least cost to greatest cost; and merging a new first picklist of the new list with one or more picklists in a third remainder of picklists of the one or more picklists when merging would decrease a cost of the new first picklist, wherein the third remainder of the one or more picklists comprises the one or more picklists excluding the first picklist, as merged, and the new first picklist. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein selecting the two random picklists of the one or more picklists, as merged, comprises: randomly selecting a first random picklist of the two random picklists; and randomly selecting a second random picklist of the two random picklists, wherein: a first randomness of a first selection of the first random picklist is weighted towards selecting a most expensive picklist of the one or more picklists, as merged; and a second randomness of a second selection of the second random picklist is not weighted. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein swapping totes of the two random picklists comprises: performing a two-way swap. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein swapping totes of the two random picklists comprises: performing a one-way swap. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the shortest picklist of the one or more picklists comprises a last picklist leftover after performing a one-way swap when swapping the totes of the two random picklists of the one or more picklists. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 further comprising: when the swapping would not decrease the cost of the at least one picklist of the two random picklists, repeating (1) selecting respective additional two random picklists and (2) swapping totes of the respective additional two random picklists until the swapping the totes of the respective additional two random picklists would decrease the cost of at least one respective picklist of the two random picklists. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein selecting the shortest picklist of the one or more picklists, as merged and swapped, occurs only when all business constraints have been met for each picklist of the one or more picklists, as merged and swapped. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 further comprising: before facilitating displaying the combination picklist and the one or more picklists, as merged and swapped, repeating previously performed steps until no more reduction in cost can be achieved.