# US 2021/0241209 A1 · Systems and methods for optimization of pick walks

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- Number: US 2021/0241209 A1
- Document ID: US20210241209A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/778,393
- 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/US20210241209A1

## CPC

- G06Q 10/087: Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
- G06F 16/901: Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures (for retrieval from the web G06F16/951)
- G06F 16/9035: Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
- G06F 16/9038: Presentation of query results
- G06Q 10/047: Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
- G06Q 10/08743: {using optimisation of routes}
- 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: receiving a respective number of totes for each respective order of one or more orders; determining, using a first set of rules, when the respective number of totes for a respective order of the one or more orders can be reduced; when the respective number of totes is determined to be able to be reduced, reducing, using a second set of rules, the respective number of totes for the respective order to a respective reduced number of totes for the respective order of the one or more orders; comparing the respective number of totes for the respective order to the respective reduced number of totes for the respective order; and when the respective number of totes for the respective order is compared to be equal to the respective reduced number of totes for the respective order, facilitating displaying, on an electronic device to a picker, the respective number of totes for the respective order. 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:
receiving a respective number of totes for each respective order of one or more orders;
determining, using a first set of rules, when the respective number of totes for a respective order of the one or more orders can be reduced;
when the respective number of totes is determined to be able to be reduced, reducing, using a second set of rules, the respective number of totes for the respective order to a respective reduced number of totes for the respective order of the one or more orders;
comparing the respective number of totes for the respective order to the respective reduced number of totes for the respective order; and
when the respective number of totes for the respective order is compared to be equal to the respective reduced number of totes for the respective order, facilitating displaying, on an electronic device to a picker, the respective number of totes for the respective order.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein determining, using the first set of rules, when the respective number of totes for the respective order of the one or more orders can be reduced comprises:
determining, using the first set of rules, a theoretical minimum number of totes for the respective order;
comparing the theoretical minimum number of totes for the respective order with the respective number of totes; and
when the theoretical minimum number of totes for the respective order is less than the respective number of totes, determining that the respective number of totes can be reduced.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the first set of rules comprise:
calculating a respective total volume for items in the respective order; and
dividing the respective total volume for the items in the respective order by a maximum volume capacity for each tote to determine the theoretical minimum number of totes for the respective order.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the first set of rules comprise:
calculating a respective total weight for items in the respective order; and
dividing the respective total weight for the items in the respective order by a maximum weight capacity for each tote to determine the theoretical minimum number of totes for the respective order.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the second set of rules comprise:
creating one or more infeasible totes using items in the respective number of totes for the respective order;
determining, using a third set of rules and a respective infeasible tote ratio for the one or more infeasible totes, when a first respective item of the items in a first respective tote of the respective number of totes for the respective order cannot be swapped with a second respective item of the items in a second tote of the respective number of totes for the respective order; and
when the first respective item in the first respective tote for the respective order cannot be swapped with the second respective item in the second respective tote for the respective order, increasing a minimum number of totes for the respective order by one tote.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the third set of rules comprise:
executing a large scale neighborhood search using the respective infeasible tote ratio.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the computing instructions are further configured to run on the one or more processors and perform:
repeating (1) determining when the first respective item in the first respective tote for the respective order cannot be swapped with the second respective item in the second respective tote for the respective order and (2) increasing the minimum number of totes for the respective order until the first respective item in the first respective tote for the respective order can be swapped with the second respective item in the second respective tote for the respective order; and
when the first respective item in the first respective tote for the respective order can be swapped with the second respective item in the second respective tote for the respective order, setting the respective reduced number of totes for the respective order as a current number of totes for the respective order.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the second set of rules comprise:
executing a greedy tote reduction algorithm using a maximum volume capacity of each tote of the respective number of totes for the respective order.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the second set of rules comprise:
executing a greedy tote reduction algorithm using a maximum weight capacity of each tote of the respective number of totes for the respective order.

### Claim 10 (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 respective number of totes for the respective order is compared to be not equal to the respective reduced number of totes for the respective order:
reducing, using the second set of rules, the respective reduced number of totes for the respective order to a respective further reduced number of totes for the respective order of the one or more orders;
comparing the respective reduced number of totes for the respective order to the respective further reduced number of totes for the respective order; and
when the respective reduced number of totes for the respective order is equal to the respective further reduced number of totes for the respective order, facilitating displaying, on the electronic device to the picker, the respective reduced number of totes for the respective order.

### 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:
receiving a respective number of totes for each respective order of one or more orders;
determining, using a first set of rules, when the respective number of totes for a respective order of the one or more orders can be reduced;
when the respective number of totes is determined to be able to be reduced, reducing, using a second set of rules, the respective number of totes for the respective order to a respective reduced number of totes for the respective order of the one or more orders;
comparing the respective number of totes for the respective order to the respective reduced number of totes for the respective order; and
when the respective number of totes for the respective order is compared to be equal to the respective reduced number of totes for the respective order, facilitating displaying, on an electronic device to a picker, the respective number of totes for the respective order.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein determining, using the first set of rules, when the respective number of totes for the respective order of the one or more orders can be reduced comprises:
determining, using the first set of rules, a theoretical minimum number of totes for the respective order;
comparing the theoretical minimum number of totes for the respective order with the respective number of totes; and
when the theoretical minimum number of totes for the respective order is less than the respective number of totes, determining that the respective number of totes can be reduced.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the first set of rules comprise:
calculating a respective total volume for items in the respective order; and
dividing the respective total volume for the items in the respective order by a maximum volume capacity for each tote to determine the theoretical minimum number of totes for the respective order.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the first set of rules comprise:
calculating a respective total weight for items in the respective order; and
dividing the respective total weight for the items in the respective order by a maximum weight capacity for each tote to determine the theoretical minimum number of totes for the respective order.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the second set of rules comprise:
creating one or more infeasible totes using items in the respective number of totes for the respective order;
determining, using a third set of rules and a respective infeasible tote ratio for the one or more infeasible totes, when a first respective item of the items in a first respective tote of the respective number of totes for the respective order cannot be swapped with a second respective item of the items in a second tote of the respective number of totes for the respective order; and
when the first respective item in the first respective tote for the respective order cannot be swapped with the second respective item in the second respective tote for the respective order, increasing a minimum number of totes for the respective order by one tote.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the third set of rules comprise:
executing a large scale neighborhood search using the respective infeasible tote ratio.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:
repeating (1) determining when the first respective item in the first respective tote for the respective order cannot be swapped with the second respective item in the second respective tote for the respective order and (2) increasing the minimum number of totes for the respective order until the first respective item in the first respective tote for the respective order can be swapped with the second respective item in the second respective tote for the respective order; and
when the first respective item in the first respective tote for the respective order can be swapped with the second respective item in the second respective tote for the respective order, setting the respective reduced number of totes for the respective order as a current number of totes for the respective order.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the second set of rules comprise:
executing a greedy tote reduction algorithm using a maximum volume capacity of each tote of the respective number of totes for the respective order.

### Claim 19 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the second set of rules comprise:
executing a greedy tote reduction algorithm using a maximum weight capacity of each tote of the respective number of totes for the respective order.

### Claim 20 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:
when the respective number of totes for the respective order is compared to be not equal to the respective reduced number of totes for the respective order:
reducing, using the second set of rules, the respective reduced number of totes for the respective order to a respective further reduced number of totes for the respective order of the one or more orders;
comparing the respective reduced number of totes for the respective order to the respective further reduced number of totes for the respective order; and
when the respective reduced number of totes for the respective order is equal to the respective further reduced number of totes for the respective order, facilitating displaying, on the electronic device to the picker, the respective reduced number of totes for the respective order.