A method and apparatus for determining a product packaging solution

Abstract

This invention discloses a method and apparatus for determining product packaging schemes, relating to the field of computer technology. One specific embodiment of the method includes: sorting packaging materials in a set of packaging materials according to specifications, and sorting products in a set of products to be packaged according to volume; based on the sorted set of packaging materials and the sorted set of products to be packaged, determining optional packaging schemes for the set of products to be packaged; after determining each optional packaging scheme, if the currently determined optional packaging scheme has upgrade conditions, further determining subsequent optional packaging schemes based on the currently determined optional packaging scheme; calculating the packaging cost for each optional packaging scheme; and selecting the optional packaging scheme with the lowest cost as the preferred packaging scheme. This embodiment can, while meeting the specifications of multiple packaging materials in a warehouse, perform trial calculations on the allocation of packaging materials according to product volume and placement requirements, ultimately calculating multiple packaging schemes and determining the packaging scheme with the optimal cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of computer technology, and in particular to a method and apparatus for determining product packaging schemes. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, WMS (Warehouse Management System) only supports calculating the quantity of packaging materials for products in their original packaging. For non-original packaging products, the product packaging scheme is determined by calculating the packaging material coefficient. For example, if the packaging material coefficient is 0.2, then 5 (1 divided by 0.2) of a certain product will be placed in one package. This method cannot meet the requirements when there are multiple packaging material specifications.

[0003] In the process of realizing this invention, the inventors discovered at least the following problems in the prior art:

[0004] The product packaging solution is only suitable for situations where there is only one type of packaging material in the warehouse, and cannot meet the needs of multiple packaging material specifications. Furthermore, no cost calculation has been performed for the determined packaging solution. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, embodiments of the present invention provide a method and apparatus for determining a product packaging scheme, which can perform trial calculations on the allocation of packaging materials according to the volume and placement requirements of the product while meeting the specifications of multiple packaging materials in the warehouse, and finally calculate multiple packaging schemes and the optimal packaging scheme with the best cost.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, according to one aspect of the present invention, a method for determining a product packaging scheme is provided.

[0007] A method for determining a product packaging scheme includes: sorting packaging materials in a set of packaging materials according to specifications, and sorting products in a set of products to be packaged according to volume; determining optional packaging schemes for the set of products to be packaged based on the sorted set of packaging materials and the sorted set of products to be packaged, wherein, after determining each optional packaging scheme, if the currently determined optional packaging scheme has upgrade conditions, further determining subsequent optional packaging schemes based on the currently determined optional packaging scheme, and finally obtaining a packaging scheme set composed of all optional packaging schemes; the optional packaging scheme includes packaging materials and products that can be placed in the corresponding packaging materials; calculating the packaging cost for each optional packaging scheme in the packaging scheme set, and selecting the optional packaging scheme with the lowest packaging cost as the preferred packaging scheme for the set of products to be packaged.

[0008] Optionally, based on the sorted set of packaging materials and the sorted set of products to be packaged, the first optional packaging scheme is determined as follows: For the sorted set of products to be packaged, packaging materials are allocated to each product in descending order of product volume. When allocating packaging materials, they are allocated in ascending order of packaging material specifications from the sorted set of packaging materials. Furthermore, if the currently allocated packaging material is full of products, the next packaging material is allocated, until all products in the set of products to be packaged have been allocated packaging materials. Based on the allocated packaging materials, the first optional packaging scheme is obtained.

[0009] Optionally, it further includes: after determining each optional packaging scheme, determining whether the currently determined optional packaging scheme has upgrade conditions by: according to the packaging item serial number in the currently determined optional packaging scheme, determining one by one whether there are packaging items that can be upgraded in terms of specifications among the other packaging items in the currently determined optional packaging scheme except for the packaging item corresponding to the last packaging item serial number; if so, the currently determined optional packaging scheme has upgrade conditions, wherein the packaging item serial number is determined according to the order in which the packaging items were selected into the optional packaging scheme.

[0010] Optionally, the step of further determining subsequent optional packaging schemes based on the currently determined optional packaging scheme includes: according to the packaging item number in the currently determined optional packaging scheme, upgrading the largest packaging item among the packaging items that can be upgraded in the currently determined optional packaging scheme to a higher specification; when determining subsequent optional packaging schemes for the currently determined optional packaging scheme, the products to be placed are re-determined starting from the packaging item upgraded to a higher specification based on the currently determined optional packaging scheme.

[0011] Optionally, the step of further determining subsequent optional packaging schemes based on the currently determined optional packaging scheme further includes: after the upgraded packaging to a higher-level specification is filled with products, for products in the set of products to be packaged that have not been assigned corresponding packaging, packaging is assigned in descending order of product volume. Specifically, when assigning packaging, it is assigned from the sorted set of packaging according to the packaging specifications in ascending order, and if an assigned packaging is filled with products, the next packaging for that packaging is selected, until all products in the set of products to be packaged have been assigned packaging, thus obtaining subsequent optional packaging schemes for the currently determined optional packaging scheme.

[0012] Optionally, when allocating packaging materials, a judgment condition corresponding to the product placement requirements is used to determine whether a packaging material can be allocated to a product. The judgment condition corresponding to the product placement requirements is determined based on the product size, packaging material size, packaging material filler, and packaging material volume.

[0013] Optionally, calculating the packaging cost for each optional packaging scheme in the set of packaging schemes includes: for each optional packaging scheme in the set of packaging schemes, calculating the packaging cost of the optional packaging scheme based on the cost attributes of each packaging item in the optional packaging scheme.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for determining a product packaging scheme is provided.

[0015] An apparatus for determining product packaging schemes includes: a sorting module for sorting packaging materials in a set of packaging materials according to specifications and products in a set of products to be packaged according to volume; an optional packaging scheme determination module for determining optional packaging schemes for the set of products to be packaged based on the sorted set of packaging materials and the sorted set of products to be packaged, wherein, after determining each optional packaging scheme, if the currently determined optional packaging scheme has upgrade conditions, subsequent optional packaging schemes are further determined based on the currently determined optional packaging schemes, finally obtaining a packaging scheme set composed of all optional packaging schemes; the optional packaging scheme includes packaging materials and products that can be placed in the corresponding packaging materials; and a preferred packaging scheme determination module for calculating the packaging cost of each optional packaging scheme in the packaging scheme set, and selecting the optional packaging scheme with the lowest packaging cost as the preferred packaging scheme for the set of products to be packaged.

[0016] Optionally, the optional packaging scheme determination module is further configured to: allocate packaging materials to each product in the sorted set of products to be packaged according to the product volume from largest to smallest, wherein, when allocating packaging materials, the packaging materials are allocated in the sorted set of packaging materials in the order of smallest to largest, and the next packaging material is allocated only when the currently allocated packaging material is full of products, until all products in the set of products to be packaged have been allocated packaging materials, and the first optional packaging scheme is obtained based on the allocated packaging materials.

[0017] Optionally, the judgment module is used to: after determining each optional packaging scheme, determine whether the currently determined optional packaging scheme has upgrade conditions by: according to the packaging item serial number in the currently determined optional packaging scheme, determine one by one whether there are packaging items that can be upgraded in terms of specifications among the other packaging items in the currently determined optional packaging scheme except for the packaging item corresponding to the last packaging item serial number; if so, the currently determined optional packaging scheme has upgrade conditions, wherein the packaging item serial number is determined according to the order in which the packaging items were selected into the optional packaging scheme.

[0018] Optionally, the optional packaging scheme determination module is further configured to: according to the packaging item number in the currently determined optional packaging scheme, upgrade the first packaging item with the largest specification among the packaging items that can be upgraded in the currently determined optional packaging scheme to a higher specification; when determining subsequent optional packaging schemes for the currently determined optional packaging scheme, based on the currently determined optional packaging scheme, redetermine the products to be placed starting from the packaging item upgraded to a higher specification.

[0019] Optionally, the optional packaging scheme determination module is further configured to: after the upgraded packaging to a higher specification is filled with products, allocate packaging to products in the set of products to be packaged that have not been assigned corresponding packaging in descending order of product volume. Specifically, when allocating packaging, the packaging is allocated from the sorted set of packaging in ascending order of packaging specifications. Furthermore, if an allocated packaging is filled with products, the next packaging for that packaging is selected, and so on, until all products in the set of products to be packaged have been allocated packaging, thereby obtaining the subsequent optional packaging scheme of the currently determined optional packaging scheme.

[0020] Optionally, the optional packaging scheme determination module includes a packaging material allocation submodule, which is used to determine whether a packaging material can be allocated to a product based on judgment conditions corresponding to product placement requirements when allocating packaging materials. The judgment conditions corresponding to product placement requirements are determined based on product size, packaging material size, packaging material filler, and packaging material volume.

[0021] Optionally, the preferred packaging scheme determination module includes a packaging cost calculation submodule, used to: calculate the packaging cost of each optional packaging scheme in the set of packaging schemes based on the cost attributes of each packaging item in the optional packaging scheme.

[0022] According to another aspect of the present invention, an electronic device is provided.

[0023] An electronic device includes: one or more processors; and a memory for storing one or more programs, which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to implement the method for determining a product packaging scheme provided in embodiments of the present invention.

[0024] According to another aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable medium is provided.

[0025] A computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the method for determining a product packaging scheme provided in embodiments of the present invention.

[0026] One embodiment of the above invention has the following advantages or beneficial effects: The packaging materials in the packaging material set are sorted by specifications, and the products in the product set to be packaged are sorted by volume; based on the sorted packaging material set and the sorted product set to be packaged, optional packaging schemes for the product set to be packaged are determined. Specifically, after determining each optional packaging scheme, if the currently determined optional packaging scheme has upgrade conditions, subsequent optional packaging schemes are further determined based on the currently determined optional packaging scheme, finally obtaining a packaging scheme set composed of all optional packaging schemes; the packaging cost of each optional packaging scheme in the packaging scheme set is calculated, and the optional packaging scheme with the lowest packaging cost is selected as the preferred packaging scheme for the product set to be packaged. This allows for trial calculations of packaging material allocation based on product volume and placement requirements while meeting the specifications of multiple packaging materials in the warehouse, ultimately calculating multiple packaging schemes and determining the optimal packaging scheme with the best cost.

[0027] The further effects of the aforementioned unconventional alternative methods will be explained below in conjunction with specific implementation methods. Attached Figure Description

[0028] The accompanying drawings are provided to better understand the invention and are not intended to unduly limit the scope of the invention. Wherein:

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the main steps of a method for determining a product packaging scheme according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of determining a product packaging scheme according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the main modules of an apparatus for determining a product packaging scheme according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 4 This is an exemplary system architecture diagram in which embodiments of the present invention can be applied;

[0033] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a computer system suitable for implementing terminal devices or servers of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The following description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrates exemplary embodiments of the present invention, including various details to aid understanding. These details should be considered merely exemplary. Therefore, those skilled in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications can be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Similarly, for clarity and brevity, descriptions of well-known functions and structures are omitted in the following description.

[0035] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the main steps of a method for determining a product packaging scheme according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] like Figure 1 As shown, the method for determining a product packaging scheme according to an embodiment of the present invention mainly includes the following steps S101 to S103.

[0037] Step S101: Sort the packaging items in the packaging set according to specifications, and sort the products in the product set to be packaged according to volume;

[0038] Step S102: Based on the sorted set of packaging materials and the sorted set of products to be packaged, determine the optional packaging schemes for the set of products to be packaged. After determining each optional packaging scheme, if the currently determined optional packaging scheme has upgrade conditions, further determine subsequent optional packaging schemes based on the currently determined optional packaging schemes, and finally obtain a set of packaging schemes composed of each optional packaging scheme. The optional packaging schemes include packaging materials and products that can be put into the corresponding packaging materials.

[0039] Step S103: Calculate the packaging cost for each of the optional packaging schemes in the packaging scheme set, and select the optional packaging scheme with the lowest packaging cost as the preferred packaging scheme for the set of products to be packaged.

[0040] The specifications of the packaging include, for example, its size. All products in the product set to be packaged are physical products, not virtual products. The packaging can be a container other than the original outer packaging of the product, such as a box.

[0041] Based on the sorted set of packaging materials and the sorted set of products to be packaged, the first optional packaging scheme is determined as follows: For the sorted set of products to be packaged, packaging materials are assigned to each product in descending order of product volume. However, during allocation, packaging materials are allocated in ascending order of size from the sorted set. The allocation continues until the currently allocated packaging material is full, at which point the next packaging material is allocated, until all products in the set have been allocated packaging materials. Based on the allocated packaging materials, the first optional packaging scheme is obtained. Specifically, the largest product is first tested to determine if it can fit into the smallest packaging material. If not, the packaging material is upgraded to a higher size to see if the product fits. This process continues until a suitable packaging material is found, and the size of the tested packaging materials is gradually upgraded. Finally, if a suitable packaging material is found, the product is assigned to that packaging material; that is, the matching relationship between the product and the packaging material is established and saved. If, through trial calculations matching each size of packaging for the product, none of the available packaging options can fit the product, then the product will use its original packaging, meaning it will not be assigned the packaging options of this embodiment, and thus will not participate in the packaging scheme generation. After determining the usable packaging options or using the original packaging for the product with the largest volume through the above trial calculations, the second-largest product will be calculated to determine its assigned packaging options. The calculation logic will follow the same logic as for the product with the largest volume, and so on. Subsequent products will also be assigned packaging options according to the same logic.

[0042] After each optional packaging scheme is determined, its upgradeability is assessed as follows: Based on the packaging item serial numbers in the currently determined optional packaging scheme, each packaging item in the scheme, excluding the last item with the highest serial number, is checked to see if any can be upgraded in size. If so, the current optional packaging scheme is considered upgradeable. The packaging item serial numbers are determined by the order in which they were selected into the optional packaging schemes; the first item selected has the highest serial number (1), and the last item selected has the highest serial number. Upgradeable packaging items are those whose dimensions are not the maximum possible size. The maximum possible size packaging items are not considered upgradeable.

[0043] Based on the currently determined optional packaging schemes, further determine subsequent optional packaging schemes, specifically including: according to the packaging item serial number in the currently determined optional packaging schemes, upgrade the largest packaging item among the packaging items that can be upgraded to a higher specification. For example, if the currently determined optional packaging schemes are: large box, medium box, medium box, small box, then the packaging items that can be upgraded are medium box, medium box, and small box. The largest packaging item among the packaging items that can be upgraded is the first medium box, so upgrade the first medium box to a large box; after determining the current... When considering subsequent optional packaging options based on the currently determined optional packaging options, the products to be placed are re-determined starting from upgrading to a higher-level packaging. For example, in the example above, the first medium box among large box, medium box, medium box, and small box is upgraded to a large box. Then, the packaging corresponding to the first two packaging item numbers are large box and large box. The items that can be placed in the first large box have already been determined in the aforementioned currently determined optional packaging options. All other products in the set of products to be packaged, except for the products in the already determined large box, are considered as products for which packaging has not been allocated in the aforementioned subsequent optional packaging options. Optionally, for these products without assigned packaging, first try placing them in the second large box (i.e., the large box obtained through the above upgrade), also placing them in the upgraded packaging of a higher specification. After the upgraded packaging of a higher specification is full of products, the products in the set of products to be packaged that have not been assigned corresponding packaging are allocated packaging in descending order of product volume. Specifically, when allocating packaging, the products are allocated from the sorted set of packaging in ascending order of packaging specifications. And if an allocated packaging is full of products, the next packaging for that packaging is selected. Combining the above example, assuming that the second large box can be filled by trial calculation and it is determined that it is full of products, the remaining products without assigned packaging are sorted by volume from largest to smallest, and then by packaging specifications from smallest to largest. Trial calculation is started, that is, the trial calculation is started from the largest product to determine whether it is suitable to be placed in the smallest specification packaging. The trial calculation logic is the same as described above and will not be repeated. This continues until all products in the set of products to be packaged have been allocated packaging, and then the next optional packaging scheme of the currently determined optional packaging scheme is obtained.

[0044] When allocating packaging materials, a judgment condition corresponding to the product placement requirements is used to determine whether a packaging material can be allocated to a product. The judgment condition corresponding to the product placement requirements is determined based on the product size, packaging material size, packaging material filler, and packaging material volume.

[0045] The judgment conditions corresponding to product placement requirements can be divided into judgment conditions corresponding to products with special placement requirements and products without special placement requirements.

[0046] The judgment conditions for products with special placement requirements are as follows: For a product with special placement requirements, if a package is assigned to it, the following conditions must be met: i. (the length of the package is greater than the length of the product) and (the width of the package is greater than the width of the product) and (the height of the package is greater than the height of the product); ii. the volume of the package × the fill rate – the volume of the product already placed in the package is greater than the volume of the product to be placed in the package with special placement requirements. If the above two conditions are met, the product to be placed in the package with special placement requirements can be placed in the package.

[0047] For products without special placement requirements, the judgment conditions are as follows: For a product without special placement requirements, if a package is assigned to it, it must meet the following conditions: i. The volume of the package × the fill rate – the volume of the already packed product > the volume of the product to be placed in the package; ii. If one of the following conditions is met, it indicates that the product can be placed in the package: 1. The package's length, width, and height are sorted and the shortest side is taken; the product's length, width, and height are sorted and the longest side is taken; the package's shortest side > the product's longest side; 2. The product's length, width, and height are sorted, with the longest side defined as "length", the second longest side defined as "width", and the shortest side defined as "height"; the package's length, width, and height are successively greater than the product's redefined length, width, and height. If conditions i and ii are met, then the product to be placed in the package can be placed in that package.

[0048] Since each package usually needs to be filled with other fillers (such as air bags for shock absorption and impact protection) after the actual product is placed in it, a certain amount of space needs to be reserved for fillers. The fill rate can be the maximum percentage of the package volume that can hold the actual product. Therefore, the volume of the package that can hold the product = the volume of the package × the fill rate.

[0049] The packaging cost is calculated for each of the optional packaging options in the packaging solution set. Specifically, for each optional packaging option in the packaging solution set, the packaging cost of the optional packaging option is calculated based on the cost attributes of each packaging item in the optional packaging option.

[0050] For example, the set of products to be packaged in this embodiment of the invention can be a collection of all physical products in an order. Before sorting the packaging materials in the packaging material set by specifications and the products in the set of products to be packaged by volume, the order's physical product list and order quantity can be obtained first. The physical product list does not include virtual products such as electronic coupons. The length, width, height, volume, placement requirements, and whether original packaging is allowed for the physical products in the order can also be obtained. Additionally, the packaging material list and information such as the length, width, height, volume, fill rate, and cost attributes of the packaging materials within it can be obtained. The packaging material list is the packaging material set in this embodiment of the invention.

[0051] Taking a packaging box used for logistics and delivery as an example, the process of determining a product packaging scheme in one embodiment of the present invention may include steps S201 to S209:

[0052] Step S201: Loop through all products in the order, find products marked with the "allow original packaging for shipment" label, exclude such products, and mark them as "original packaging for shipment".

[0053] Original packaging refers to the original packaging of the product. Products marked with the "Permitted to be shipped in original packaging" label indicate that the product does not need to be placed in the packaging material of this embodiment of the invention, and can be shipped directly in its original packaging. Therefore, for such products, it is not necessary to determine the packaging scheme of this embodiment of the invention, and such products can be excluded for the time being.

[0054] Step S202: Sort the boxes in descending order of size.

[0055] Step S203: Sort the unpacked products in the order from largest to smallest by volume, and perform a trial calculation starting with the product with the largest volume.

[0056] Trial calculations for the product involve allocating packaging boxes to the product.

[0057] Step S204: Select the product and find a suitable box for it. Start with the smallest box and try to fit it in. If the box fits, end the trial. If the largest box cannot fit the product, mark it as an abnormal product and release it from the original box.

[0058] For example, if the products in a set of products to be packaged are ordered from largest to smallest as a, b, c, d, and e, and the packaging boxes are ordered by size as large boxes, medium boxes, and small boxes, then according to step S204, first find a packaging box that can fit product a, starting with the small box. If the small box cannot fit product a, then check if the medium box can fit product a. If it still cannot fit, then check if the large box can fit. The packaging box that fits successfully in the trial is assigned as the packaging for product a. If none of the box sizes can fit product a, then product a is marked as abnormal and needs to be shipped out in its original box (i.e., original packaging).

[0059] Step S205: After step S204 is completed, attempt to place the product with the second-highest volume into the packaging box generated in step S204 (if step S204 does not generate a packaging box, repeat step S204). If the product can be placed, continue to try the next product and continue to step S205; if the product with the second-highest volume cannot be placed, skip this product and try to place the next product in the packaging box and continue to step S205, until all remaining products cannot be placed, then mark the packaging box as sealed.

[0060] Based on the example above, the product with the second-highest volume is product b. If product a is successfully placed in a box, then we try to place product b into that box as well. Specifically, we can calculate whether the remaining volume of the box (box volume × fill rate – volume of the already boxed products) is sufficient to fit product b. In this example, the already boxed product is product a. If product b can be placed in the box assigned to product a, then we continue to try the next product c. For product c, we execute step S205 to determine whether product c can be placed in the box assigned to product a. If it can be placed, we further try the next product d, and so on. It should be noted that "already boxed products" does not mean that the products are actually placed in the box, but rather that a matching relationship has been established between the product and the box it is placed in.

[0061] If, during the above process, a product cannot be placed in the box assigned to product a after trial calculations, then skip this product and proceed to the next product for trial calculation. For example, suppose product b cannot be placed in the box, then skip product b and continue to determine whether product c can be placed in the box assigned to product a.

[0062] After calculating the remaining products b, c, d, and e, the box assigned to product a is sealed to indicate that there are no more products to put in the box, thus becoming a full box.

[0063] Step S206: After step S205, the first packaging box of the first packaging scheme is determined. If there are still unpacked products in the order, these products are processed again according to steps S202 to S205, and the second packaging box of the first packaging scheme is determined. This process continues until there are still unpacked physical products. Steps S202 to S205 are repeated until all products are assigned to packaging boxes. The box numbers (i.e., packaging item numbers) of the first packaging scheme are formed according to the order of full boxes.

[0064] The order of boxes selected for a packaging plan refers to the sequence in which the boxes are chosen. For example, following the steps above, assuming products a, b, c, d, and e are assigned three boxes: medium box, medium box, and medium box, the box numbers for these three medium boxes are 1, 2, and 3. The last box selected for a packaging plan is called the tail box. The tail box is the package corresponding to the last package number.

[0065] Step S207: For the latest packaging scheme that has been generated. Upgrade the packaging box corresponding to the first priority box number under the largest size in the packaging scheme (excluding the last box) by one size, and then pack the products in descending order of volume. Repeat steps S203 to S206 to form a new packaging scheme; if there is no such case, this step ends.

[0066] Non-tail box refers to any other packaging box in the packaging solution besides the tail box. Taking a total of three sizes: large box, medium box, and small box as an example, the largest size refers to the large box.

[0067] Referring to the example above, the packaging boxes in the first packaging scheme are: medium box, medium box, medium box. Therefore, the packaging box corresponding to the first sequential box number (excluding the last box) of the largest size in this packaging scheme is upgraded by one box size; that is, the first medium box is upgraded to a large box. Thus, when generating the second packaging scheme, the products to be placed are determined starting from this upgraded large box. After the large box is full of products, steps S203 to S206 are repeated to obtain the second packaging scheme.

[0068] For example, in the first packaging plan, the first medium-sized box in the combination of medium-sized boxes, medium-sized boxes, and medium-sized boxes is upgraded to a large box. When determining the second packaging plan, the unpacked products in the order are still sorted by volume from largest to smallest. The trial calculation is performed starting with the largest product, with the product order being a, b, c, d, and e. Since the packaging box corresponding to the first sequential box number under the largest size in the first packaging plan is upgraded by one box size, i.e., a large box, the process of generating the second packaging plan starts with the large box. That is, according to the product volume from smallest to largest, product a is first tried to be placed in the large box. If it can be placed, then the subsequent products b, c, d, and e are tried to see if they can also be placed in the large box. When the large box is full, it is sealed, resulting in the first packaging box of the second packaging plan. If there are still products that can be placed in the large box, then the second packaging box of the second packaging plan is determined. For the specific method of assigning packaging boxes to products, please refer to the above introduction on determining the packaging boxes in the first packaging plan. The second packaging scheme was finally obtained, in which the box numbers of the second packaging scheme were formed according to the order of full boxes.

[0069] Step S208: Loop through the box numbers of the latest packaging plan, and check if all boxes except the last box are the largest size packaging boxes. If not, unpack all non-largest size packaging boxes and repeat step S207 until one of the following conditions is met, then the process ends:

[0070] Condition i. One order per carton: All products in this order can fit into one carton;

[0071] Condition ii. One order, multiple boxes: Except for the tail box, all other boxes are the largest size boxes.

[0072] For example, the latest packaging plan is: large box, medium box, small box. By cycling through the box numbers of the latest packaging plan, it is found that the medium box corresponding to the second box number is not the largest size box. Therefore, all non-large size boxes in the latest packaging plan are unpacked, meaning the matching relationship between the non-large size medium and small boxes and their corresponding products is broken, making these products unpacked again. Following the process described above, the medium boxes are upgraded to large boxes, and the unpacked products are repackaged. During this process, the matching relationship between the large boxes and the products determined to be placed in them in the latest packaging plan remains unchanged. Through this step, another new packaging plan is obtained, where the first and second boxes are large boxes and large boxes respectively. If there are still unpacked products after these two boxes are full, new boxes are allocated. Assuming that allocating one more small box will fit the remaining products, then the new packaging plan is: large box, large box, small box. Since only the tail box is not the largest size at this time, which meets condition ii in step S208, this new packaging scheme is the last packaging scheme for the set of products to be packaged.

[0073] The packaging schemes determined through steps S201 to S208 above can all be called optional packaging schemes.

[0074] Step S209: Compare the costs of the above-generated optional packaging schemes, calculate the cost of each scheme, and select the optional packaging scheme with the lowest cost as the optimal scheme (which can be called the preferred packaging scheme), and output the information of the preferred packaging scheme.

[0075] Each type of packaging box corresponds to a cost attribute, which represents the cost of the corresponding packaging box. For example, the cost of a packaging scheme can be obtained by adding the costs of each packaging box in the packaging scheme.

[0076] Each packaging plan may include information such as packaging box specifications, unpacking details, original packaged products shipped out, and products in abnormal original packages. The unpacking details include the packaging item serial number (i.e., box serial number) and the product information corresponding to the packaging item serial number.

[0077] This invention changes the traditional method of defining coefficients based on the original package or product. It can calculate multiple packaging options based on product placement requirements and volume information, and finally return the optimal packaging option based on cost attributes. Based on this invention, it can help to further build production processes such as box picking, parcel production, and box verification.

[0078] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the main modules of an apparatus for determining a product packaging scheme according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0079] like Figure 3 As shown, the device 300 for determining a product packaging scheme according to an embodiment of the present invention mainly includes: a sorting module 301, an optional packaging scheme determination module 302, and a preferred packaging scheme determination module 303.

[0080] The sorting module 301 is used to sort the packaging items in the packaging item set according to their specifications, and to sort the products in the product set to be packaged according to their volume.

[0081] The optional packaging scheme determination module 302 is used to determine optional packaging schemes for the set of products to be packaged based on the sorted set of packaging materials and the sorted set of products to be packaged. After each optional packaging scheme is determined, if the currently determined optional packaging scheme has upgrade conditions, subsequent optional packaging schemes are further determined based on the currently determined optional packaging schemes, and finally a set of packaging schemes composed of all optional packaging schemes is obtained. The optional packaging schemes include packaging materials and products that can be put into the corresponding packaging materials.

[0082] The preferred packaging scheme determination module 303 is used to calculate the packaging cost of each optional packaging scheme in the packaging scheme set, and select the optional packaging scheme with the lowest packaging cost as the preferred packaging scheme for the set of products to be packaged.

[0083] The optional packaging scheme determination module 303 is also used to: allocate packaging materials to each product in the sorted set of products to be packaged according to the product volume from largest to smallest. When allocating packaging materials, the packaging materials are allocated in the sorted set of packaging materials in the order of smallest to largest size. And if the currently allocated packaging material is full of products, the next packaging material is allocated. This continues until all products in the set of products to be packaged have been allocated packaging materials. Based on the allocated packaging materials, the first optional packaging scheme is obtained.

[0084] The device 300 for determining product packaging schemes may further include a judgment module for: after determining each optional packaging scheme, determining whether the currently determined optional packaging scheme has upgrade conditions by: according to the packaging item serial number in the currently determined optional packaging scheme, judging one by one whether there are packaging items that can be upgraded in terms of specifications among the other packaging items in the currently determined optional packaging scheme except for the packaging item corresponding to the last packaging item serial number; if so, the currently determined optional packaging scheme has upgrade conditions, wherein the packaging item serial number is determined according to the order in which the packaging items are selected into the optional packaging schemes.

[0085] The optional packaging scheme determination module 302 can also be used to: according to the packaging item number in the currently determined optional packaging scheme, upgrade the first packaging item with the largest specification among the packaging items that can be upgraded in the currently determined optional packaging scheme to a higher specification; when determining subsequent optional packaging schemes for the currently determined optional packaging scheme, based on the currently determined optional packaging scheme, start from the packaging item that has been upgraded to a higher specification to redetermine the products to be placed.

[0086] The optional packaging scheme determination module 302 can also be used to: after upgrading to a higher-level packaging material and filling it with products, allocate packaging materials to products in the product set that have not been assigned corresponding packaging materials, according to the product volume from largest to smallest. Specifically, when allocating packaging materials, they are allocated from the sorted packaging material set according to the packaging material specifications from smallest to largest. If an allocated packaging material is filled with products, the next packaging material for that packaging material is selected, until all products in the product set to be packaged have been assigned packaging materials, and then the subsequent optional packaging schemes of the currently determined optional packaging scheme are obtained.

[0087] The optional packaging scheme determination module 302 includes a packaging material allocation submodule, which is used to determine whether a packaging material can be allocated to a product based on judgment conditions corresponding to product placement requirements when allocating packaging materials. The judgment conditions corresponding to product placement requirements are determined based on product size, packaging material size, packaging material filler, and packaging material volume.

[0088] The preferred packaging scheme determination module 302 can also include a packaging cost calculation submodule, which is used to: calculate the packaging cost of each optional packaging scheme in the set of packaging schemes based on the cost attributes of each packaging item in the optional packaging scheme.

[0089] Furthermore, the specific implementation details of the apparatus for determining the product packaging scheme in the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail in the method for determining the product packaging scheme described above, so the details will not be repeated here.

[0090] Figure 4 An exemplary system architecture 400 is shown, which can be applied to a method or apparatus for determining a product packaging scheme according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0091] like Figure 4 As shown, system architecture 400 may include terminal devices 401, 402, and 403, a network 404, and a server 405. Network 404 serves as the medium for providing communication links between terminal devices 401, 402, and 403 and server 405. Network 404 may include various connection types, such as wired or wireless communication links, or fiber optic cables, etc.

[0092] Users can use terminal devices 401, 402, and 403 to interact with server 405 via network 404 to receive or send messages, etc. Various communication client applications can be installed on terminal devices 401, 402, and 403, such as shopping applications, web browser applications, search applications, instant messaging tools, email clients, social media platform software, etc. (for example only).

[0093] Terminal devices 401, 402, and 403 can be various electronic devices with displays that support web browsing, including but not limited to smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers.

[0094] Server 405 can be a server that provides various services, such as a backend management server that supports shopping websites browsed by users using terminal devices 401, 402, and 403 (for example only). The backend management server can analyze and process data such as received product information query requests, and feed back the processing results (such as target push information, product information - for example only) to the terminal device.

[0095] It should be noted that the method for determining the product packaging scheme provided in the embodiments of the present invention is generally executed by the server 405, and correspondingly, the device for determining the product packaging scheme is generally set in the server 405.

[0096] It should be understood that Figure 4 The number of terminal devices, networks, and servers shown is merely illustrative. Depending on implementation needs, any number of terminal devices, networks, and servers can be included.

[0097] The following is for reference. Figure 5 It shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a computer system 500 suitable for implementing terminal devices or servers in the embodiments of this application. Figure 5 The terminal device or server shown is merely an example and should not impose any limitations on the functionality and scope of use of the embodiments of this application.

[0098] like Figure 5 As shown, the computer system 500 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 501, which can perform various appropriate actions and processes based on programs stored in read-only memory (ROM) 502 or programs loaded from storage section 508 into random access memory (RAM) 503. The RAM 503 also stores various programs and data required for the operation of the system 500. The CPU 501, ROM 502, and RAM 503 are interconnected via a bus 504. An input / output (I / O) interface 505 is also connected to the bus 504.

[0099] The following components are connected to I / O interface 505: an input section 506 including a keyboard, mouse, etc.; an output section 507 including a cathode ray tube (CRT), liquid crystal display (LCD), etc., and speakers, etc.; a storage section 508 including a hard disk, etc.; and a communication section 509 including a network interface card such as a LAN card, modem, etc. The communication section 509 performs communication processing via a network such as the Internet. A drive 510 is also connected to I / O interface 505 as needed. A removable medium 511, such as a disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, semiconductor memory, etc., is installed on drive 510 as needed so that computer programs read from it can be installed into storage section 508 as needed.

[0100] In particular, according to the embodiments disclosed in this invention, the processes described above with reference to the flowcharts can be implemented as computer software programs. For example, embodiments disclosed in this invention include a computer program product comprising a computer program carried on a computer-readable medium, the computer program containing program code for performing the methods shown in the flowcharts. In such embodiments, the computer program can be downloaded and installed from a network via communication section 509, and / or installed from removable medium 511. When the computer program is executed by central processing unit (CPU) 501, it performs the functions defined above in the system of this application.

[0101] It should be noted that the computer-readable medium shown in this invention can be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium, or any combination thereof. A computer-readable storage medium can be, for example,—but not limited to—an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any combination thereof. More specific examples of a computer-readable storage medium may include, but are not limited to: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage device, magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination thereof. In this application, a computer-readable storage medium can be any tangible medium containing or storing a program that can be used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. In this application, a computer-readable signal medium can include a data signal propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, carrying computer-readable program code. Such propagated data signals can take various forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination thereof. Computer-readable signal media can also be any computer-readable medium other than computer-readable storage media, which can send, propagate, or transmit a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The program code contained on the computer-readable medium can be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to: wireless, wire, optical fiber, RF, etc., or any suitable combination thereof.

[0102] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of this application. In this regard, each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of code containing one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions indicated in the blocks may occur in a different order than those indicated in the drawings. For example, two consecutively indicated blocks may actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each block in a block diagram or flowchart, and combinations of blocks in a block diagram or flowchart, may be implemented using a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or operation, or using a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0103] The modules described in the embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in software or hardware. The described modules can also be housed in a processor; for example, a processor may be described as including a sorting module, an optional packaging scheme determination module, and a preferred packaging scheme determination module. The names of these modules do not necessarily limit the module itself; for example, the sorting module may also be described as "a module for sorting packaging items in a set of packaging materials according to specifications, and sorting products in a set of products to be packaged according to volume."

[0104] In another aspect, the present invention also provides a computer-readable medium, which may be included in the device described in the above embodiments; or it may exist independently and not assembled into the device. The computer-readable medium carries one or more programs that, when executed by the device, cause the device to include: sorting packaging materials in a set of packaging materials according to specifications, and sorting products in a set of products to be packaged according to volume; determining optional packaging schemes for the set of products to be packaged based on the sorted set of packaging materials and the sorted set of products to be packaged, wherein, after determining each optional packaging scheme, if the currently determined optional packaging scheme has upgrade conditions, further determining subsequent optional packaging schemes based on the currently determined optional packaging scheme, finally obtaining a set of packaging schemes composed of each optional packaging scheme; the optional packaging scheme includes packaging materials and products that can be placed in the corresponding packaging materials; calculating the packaging cost for each optional packaging scheme in the set of packaging schemes, and selecting the optional packaging scheme with the lowest packaging cost as the preferred packaging scheme for the set of products to be packaged.

[0105] According to the technical solution of this invention, the packaging materials in the packaging material set are sorted by specifications, and the products in the product set to be packaged are sorted by volume. Based on the sorted packaging material set and the sorted product set to be packaged, optional packaging schemes for the product set to be packaged are determined. After each optional packaging scheme is determined, if the currently determined optional packaging scheme has upgrade conditions, subsequent optional packaging schemes are further determined based on the currently determined optional packaging scheme, finally obtaining a packaging scheme set composed of all optional packaging schemes. The packaging cost of each optional packaging scheme in the packaging scheme set is calculated, and the optional packaging scheme with the lowest packaging cost is selected as the preferred packaging scheme for the product set to be packaged. This method can, while meeting the specifications of multiple packaging materials in the warehouse, perform trial calculations on the allocation of packaging materials according to the volume and placement requirements of the products, ultimately calculating multiple packaging schemes and determining the optimal packaging scheme with the best cost.

[0106] The specific embodiments described above do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations, and substitutions can occur depending on design requirements and other factors. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this invention should be included within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A method for determining a product packaging scheme, characterized in that, include: Sort the packaging materials in the packaging material set by specifications, and sort the products in the product set to be packaged by volume; Based on the sorted set of packaging materials and the sorted set of products to be packaged, optional packaging schemes for the set of products to be packaged are determined. After each optional packaging scheme is determined, if the currently determined optional packaging scheme has upgrade conditions, subsequent optional packaging schemes are further determined based on the currently determined optional packaging scheme, and finally a set of packaging schemes composed of all optional packaging schemes is obtained. The optional packaging scheme includes packaging materials and products that can be placed in the corresponding packaging materials. The packaging cost of each of the optional packaging schemes in the set of packaging schemes is calculated, and the optional packaging scheme with the lowest packaging cost is selected as the preferred packaging scheme for the set of products to be packaged. After each optional packaging scheme is determined, it is determined whether the currently determined optional packaging scheme has the conditions for upgrading by the following method: according to the packaging item serial number in the currently determined optional packaging scheme, it is determined one by one whether there are packaging items that can be upgraded in terms of specifications among the other packaging items in the currently determined optional packaging scheme except for the packaging item corresponding to the last packaging item serial number. If so, the currently determined optional packaging scheme has the conditions for upgrading. The packaging item serial number is determined according to the order in which the packaging items were selected into the optional packaging scheme. Packaging materials are allocated according to product volume from largest to smallest. During allocation, a judgment condition corresponding to product placement requirements is used to determine whether a package can be assigned to a product. This judgment condition is determined based on product dimensions, packaging dimensions, packaging filler, and packaging volume. The judgment condition includes: for products with special placement requirements, the length, width, and height of the packaging are greater than the length, width, and height of the product, and the packaging volume multiplied by the fill rate minus the volume of the already boxed product is greater than the product volume; for products without special placement requirements, the packaging volume multiplied by the fill rate minus the volume of the already boxed product is greater than the product volume, and one of the following conditions is met: the packaging length, width, and height are sorted and the shortest side is taken; the product length, width, and height are sorted and the longest side is taken; the shortest side of the packaging is greater than the longest side of the product; or, the product length, width, and height are sorted, with the longest side defined as length, the second longest side as width, and the shortest side as height; the length, width, and height of the packaging are successively greater than the redefined length, width, and height of the product.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Based on the sorted set of packaging materials and the sorted set of products to be packaged, the first optional packaging scheme is determined as follows: For the sorted set of products to be packaged, packaging materials are allocated to each product in descending order of product volume. When allocating packaging materials, the packaging materials are allocated in ascending order of their specifications. If the currently allocated packaging material is full of products, the next packaging material is allocated. This process continues until all products in the set of products to be packaged have been allocated packaging materials. Based on the allocated packaging materials, the first optional packaging scheme is obtained.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of further determining subsequent optional packaging options based on the currently determined optional packaging options includes: According to the packaging item number in the currently determined optional packaging scheme, the first packaging item with the largest specification among the packaging items that can be upgraded in the currently determined optional packaging scheme is upgraded to a higher specification. When determining subsequent optional packaging options for the currently determined optional packaging options, the products to be placed are re-determined based on the currently determined optional packaging options, starting with upgrading to a higher-level packaging.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The further determination of subsequent optional packaging schemes based on the currently determined optional packaging schemes also includes: After the upgraded packaging is filled with products, the products in the set of products to be packaged that have not yet been assigned corresponding packaging are allocated packaging in descending order of product volume. Specifically, packaging is allocated from the sorted set of packaging in ascending order of packaging size. If an allocated packaging is filled with products, the next packaging will be selected, and so on, until all products in the set of products to be packaged have been allocated packaging. This process yields the subsequent optional packaging schemes for the currently determined optional packaging scheme.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The calculation of packaging costs for each of the optional packaging options in the set of packaging options includes: For each optional packaging scheme in the set of packaging schemes, the packaging cost of the optional packaging scheme is calculated based on the cost attributes of each packaging item in the optional packaging scheme.

6. An apparatus for determining a product packaging scheme, characterized in that, include: The sorting module is used to sort the packaging items in the packaging item collection by specifications, and to sort the products in the product collection to be packaged by volume; An optional packaging scheme determination module is used to determine optional packaging schemes for the set of products to be packaged based on the sorted set of packaging materials and the sorted set of products to be packaged. After determining each optional packaging scheme, if the currently determined optional packaging scheme has upgrade conditions, subsequent optional packaging schemes are further determined based on the currently determined optional packaging scheme, finally obtaining a packaging scheme set composed of all optional packaging schemes. Each optional packaging scheme includes packaging materials and products that can be placed in the corresponding packaging materials. The preferred packaging scheme determination module is used to calculate the packaging cost of each optional packaging scheme in the set of packaging schemes, and select the optional packaging scheme with the lowest packaging cost as the preferred packaging scheme for the set of products to be packaged; The device for determining product packaging schemes also includes a judgment module, used to: after determining each optional packaging scheme, determine whether the currently determined optional packaging scheme has upgrade conditions by: according to the packaging item serial number in the currently determined optional packaging scheme, judging one by one whether there are packaging items that can be upgraded in terms of specifications among the other packaging items in the currently determined optional packaging scheme except for the packaging item corresponding to the last packaging item serial number; if so, the currently determined optional packaging scheme has upgrade conditions, wherein the packaging item serial number is determined according to the order in which the packaging items were selected into the optional packaging schemes; The packaging allocation submodule is used to allocate packaging materials according to the product volume in descending order. When allocating packaging materials, it determines whether a packaging material can be allocated to a product based on judgment conditions corresponding to the product placement requirements. These judgment conditions are determined based on the product size, packaging material size, packaging material filler, and packaging material volume. The judgment conditions include: for products with special placement requirements, the length, width, and height of the packaging material are greater than the length, width, and height of the product, and the packaging material volume multiplied by the fill rate minus the volume of the already boxed product is greater than the product volume; for products without special placement requirements, the packaging material volume multiplied by the fill rate minus the volume of the already boxed product is greater than the product volume, and one of the following conditions is met: the packaging material's length, width, and height are sorted and the shortest side is taken; the product's length, width, and height are sorted and the longest side is taken; the packaging material's shortest side is greater than the product's longest side; or, the product's length, width, and height are sorted, with the longest side defined as length, the second longest side as width, and the shortest side as height; the packaging material's length, width, and height are successively greater than the product's redefined length, width, and height.

7. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: One or more processors; Memory, used to store one or more programs. When the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-5.

8. A computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the method as described in any one of claims 1-5.

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