Material handling system with palletizing replanning

Abstract

A material handling system for handling packages and placing the packages on a pallet for an order store, the material handling system comprising: a storage array having a storage space for holding packages therein; an automated package conveying system communicatively connected to the storage array for storing packages in the storage space of the storage array and retrieving packages from the storage space of the storage array; an automated palletizer for placing mixed packages on a pallet to form a pallet load of the mixed packages, the automated palletizer being communicatively connected to the automated package conveying system, the automated package conveying system providing individual packages from the storage array to the automated palletizer to form a pallet load of the mixed packages, the pallet load of the mixed packages including a composite layer of more than one of the mixed packages; and a controller operably connected to the automated palletizer, the controller being programmed with a pallet load generator having an initial pallet load.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] [Cross - Reference to Related Applications] This application is a non - provisional application of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 368,710, filed on July 18, 2022, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference and for which priority is claimed.

[0002] [Technical Field] The present disclosure generally relates to material handling systems, such as automated storage and retrieval systems, and more specifically to automatic palletizing.

Background Art

[0003] [Brief Description of Related Developments] In warehousing and logistics operations, an ever - increasing amount of automation is being utilized for storage and retrieval operations. Generally, in storage and retrieval operations, pallet loads are created according to one or more customer orders, and the pallet loads are shipped to retail stores, corporate customers, or another warehouse. Pallet loads generally include boxes of packages having a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape, which are collected together (e.g., via a retrieval operation) and placed on one or more pallets for transportation from a staging area in a warehouse or logistics center to a truck (or other vehicle) received by a retail store, corporate customer, or another warehouse. As can be understood, pallet construction is still a labor - intensive and time - consuming operation, and the purpose of the above - mentioned automation is to automate the process of palletizing boxes removed from storage locations with robots and other warehouse machinery.

[0004] Generally, a pallet load plan (e.g., a list of the positions and orientations of the boxes on the pallet that results in a stable and transportable arrangement of the boxes) is generated so that the palletizing robot can construct the pallet load. The boxes to be conveyed to the palletizing robot to construct the pallet load according to the pallet load plan are conveyed to the palletizing robot in the exact order defined by the pallet load plan, where the conveyance of the boxes is performed using various types of conveyance machinery (e.g., a small crane, shuttle, or mobile robot that picks inventory from a storage location; a vertical lift or conveyor; and a horizontal conveyor, sorter, or merger that delivers the boxes to the palletizing area), and the boxes are transferred between these and delivered to the palletizing robot. At each step of the conveyance process, the boxes need to arrive at the destination within a relatively short time frame in the exact order.

[0005] As can be understood, the high cost of automation generally becomes a factor that seeks to maximize the processing capacity of the warehouse / logistics facility and the palletizing of the boxes (e.g., the number of boxes placed on the pallet per unit time). If the delivery of the boxes to the palletizer is delayed, it may cause problems in the operation of the warehouse storage and retrieval system (e.g., the processing capacity decreases), where the palletizer needs to wait for specific boxes in turn. In some cases (e.g., mechanical or electrical problems in the warehouse / logistics facility that cause equipment failures; the closure of part of the warehouse / logistics facility for maintenance; inventory accounting errors, computer failures, etc.), the boxes are prevented from being delivered in turn and within the desired time frame, and the palletizing process is interrupted. If the delivery of one or more boxes in a series of boxes to the palletizer fails, the order of the boxes placed on the pallet (e.g., as defined by the pallet load plan) cannot be arbitrarily changed, and generally, other boxes cannot be placed on the missing box, and the absence of the box implies that there are holes or voids in the pallet and other boxes cannot be stably supported.

[0006] Conventionally, box shortages in a series of boxes delivered to a palletizer are mitigated in ways that reduce palletizing efficiency (e.g., reduce throughput) and / or reduce the quality of the pallet load construction. Examples of mitigating box shortages include delivering additional boxes to the palletizer that are not part of a customer order but are similar in dimensions to the missing boxes, stopping an automated palletizer suitable for manual palletizing of the remaining pallet load, stopping the automated palletizer for the pallet being constructed, and creating a new pallet load plan for the remaining pallets such that additional pallets are constructed. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The foregoing aspects and other features of the disclosed embodiments are explained in the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008]

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0009] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary automated storage and retrieval system (also referred to herein as a material handling system) 100 for handling packages and placing them on a pallet for an order store (e.g., a retail store, a corporate customer, or another warehouse) according to an aspect of the present disclosure. While aspects of the present disclosure are described with reference to the drawings, it should be understood that they can be embodied in many forms. Further, any suitable size, shape, or type of element or material can be used.

[0010] According to aspects of the present disclosure, the automated storage and retrieval system 100 of FIG. 1 can be disposed in a retail distribution center or warehouse, for example, to fulfill orders received from a retail store for replenishment items shipped in cases, packages, and / or parcels. The terms case, package, and parcel are used interchangeably herein and can be any container that can be used for shipping and can be filled by a manufacturer with cases or multiple product units. As used herein, a (one or more) case means a unit of a case, package, or parcel that is not (e.g., is not contained) stored in a tray, on a tote, etc. A case unit CU (also referred to herein as a mixed case, case, package, box, and shipping unit) can include a case of articles / units (e.g., a case of soup cans, a box of cereal, etc.), or individual articles / units adapted to be removed from or placed on a pallet. It is noted that according to an exemplary embodiment, a shipping case or case unit (e.g., a carton, barrel, box, wooden frame, jug, shrink-wrapped tray or group, or any other suitable device for holding a case unit) can have a variable size, can be used to hold a case unit during shipping, and can be configured to be palletized for shipping. For example, when an incoming bundle or pallet (e.g., from a manufacturer or supplier of a case unit) arrives at the automated storage and retrieval system for replenishment of the automated storage and retrieval system 100, the contents of each pallet can be uniform (e.g., each pallet holds a predetermined number of the same articles, i.e., one pallet holds soup and another holds cereal). As can be understood, such palletized cases can be substantially similar or, in other words, homogeneous cases (e.g., similar dimensions) and can have the same SKU (otherwise, as described above, the pallet can be a "rainbow" pallet having layers of homogeneous cases).When the pallet exits the automated storage and retrieval system with the case filled with replenishment orders, the pallet can contain any suitable number and combination of various case units (e.g., each pallet can hold various types of case units, i.e., the pallet can hold a combination of canned soup, cereal, beverage packs, cosmetics, and household detergents). The cases combined on a single pallet can have different dimensions and / or different SKUs.

[0011] Referring also to FIGS. 3A and 3B, a schematic perspective view of an exemplary mixed case pallet load PAL constructed in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown. For example, when incoming bundles or pallets (e.g., from a case unit manufacturer or supplier) arrive at the automated storage and retrieval system for replenishment of the automated storage and retrieval system 100, the contents of each pallet can be uniform (e.g., each pallet holds a predetermined number of the same articles, i.e., one pallet holds soup and another holds cereal). As can be appreciated, cases of such pallet loads can be substantially similar or, in other words, homogeneous cases (e.g., similar dimensions) and can have the same SKU (otherwise, as described above, the pallet can be a “rainbow” pallet having layers formed of homogeneous cases). The pallet load PAL shown in FIG. 3A can be referred to as a level layer pallet, and the pallet is constructed by placing cases one case layer L121 - L125, L12T at a time (the cases can be placed individually, partially, or as an entire layer as described above until levels L121 - L125, L12T are completed and the next levels L121 - L125, L12T are progressed). The pallet load PAL has a very non-uniform case order such that the degree of non-uniformity that can be encountered when constructing a mixed case pallet is better understood from the curve shown in FIG. 3B. FIG. 3B is a graph illustrating the variation in case dimensions (e.g., length, height, and width) within a representative population of cases, such as those that can be found in a storage and retrieval system and used to generate mixed case pallets according to customer replenishment orders. As can be appreciated, as a result of the order, a mixed case pallet can include many cases having dimensions from different portions of the dimension spectrum illustrated in FIG. 3B.In one aspect, the pallet load PAL (or a part thereof) can be stacked in layers up to a maximum allowable pallet height, such as where cases can be stacked in rows, or for example, 48 inches (including the height of the pallet base) for a standard short pallet or 96 inches (including the height of the pallet base) for a standard tall pallet (in other aspects, the pallet may be higher or lower so as to have a non-standard height). Cases within a layer rest on the support surface of the case layer below (e.g., the lower) within the pallet load PAL, and conversely, the surface of the lower case layer delimits the cases in the layer that can be placed above (e.g., the upper layer / overlay layer). Relaxing the size limitations of the undercases results in undesirable effects that negatively impact the stability of the pallet. Aspects of the present disclosure overcome the problem of pallet stability, as further explained below.

[0012] A very non-uniform pallet load PAL can be formed using a pallet planner arrangement (similar to that described in U.S. Patent No. 8,965,559, issued February 24, 2015, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference), the pallet planner arrangement being configured to plan the structure of the pallet load and sort the order of case units for the pallet load. The pallet planner (also referred to as pallet load generators 164, 164') generates a planned initial pallet structure (i.e., a mixed case placement plan) 184 according to a planning system or process similar to the method described in U.S. Patent No. 8,965,559, which was previously incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, including boundary conditions and constraints imposed by pallet size, case characteristics, and packing efficiency. As can be understood, in an automated warehouse system, some case units in the initial pallet load plan 184 (e.g., "missing cases / case units", also referred to herein as "scratched cases / case units") are not delivered to, for example, the palletizer 160PB in the desired order (or at all), leaving "empty spaces" in the pre-calculated pallet load PAL defined by the initial pallet load plan 184. It is predicted that there will be more than one excluded case in most of the pallet builds, and multiple excluded cases tend to appear in pallet builds with at least one excluded case. The distribution of pallets with excluded cases is predicted to follow a distribution similar to the one shown in Figure 3B. In other words, the presence of excluded cases is predicted to lead to pallet build failures without mitigation measures. Aspects of the present disclosure provide mitigation of case shortages by what can be referred to as minimal modifications to the pallet load plan / structure for a pallet being built in real time. These minimal modifications or differences enable a pallet load that is at least partially replanned to be stably built without undelivered cases, generally protecting the pallet shape of the original or initial pallet load plan.The presence of voids / excluded cases within the initial pallet build is noted to cause pallet build failures due to the instability indicated by the voids. Thus, the relief provided by the corrections, although called minimal corrections, is critically necessary for the success of the pallet build. The minimal corrections to the initial pallet load plan 184 are determined prior to placement in order for palletization of the affected case units (e.g., case units in the same stack or layer as the missing case) as described herein. For example, referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the case unit CU can be considered to be in the "order for palletization" and once placed on the outbound conveyor 160CB or on the pallet, the placement of the case unit in the pallet placement order cannot be changed (however, the placement position of the case may be changed as described herein as long as the cases are placed in the pallet placement order).

[0013] As described herein, the minimal corrections to the pallet load plan / structure for a pallet being built in real-time provide stability to the stack / layer of case units of the pallet and provide stability to the pallet load during build, conveyance, and depalletization even in the absence of undelivered cases. The stability of the stack of case units refers to the ability of the cases in a pallet build to maintain an upright state without being compromised, i.e., for example, when a palletizer places a case on a pallet stack and pulls out from under the case on which the palletizer is placed, the ability to be stable against the predicted forces such as the forces generated by the palletizer or other cases when they contact the already placed cases, and the frictional forces between the placed case and the cases already in the stack. The stability of the pallet load refers to the ability of the pallet load to maintain an upright state without being compromised, i.e., the ability to be stable against the forces such as acceleration during transport, deceleration, forklift handling operations, depalletization, etc., that will be experienced during the delivery cycle.

[0014] Minimal modifications to the (initial) pallet load plan / structure for the constructed pallet include, but are not limited to, moving and / or repositioning cases adjacent to the space designated for missing cases (e.g., the designated space) in such a way as to invade the designated space (e.g., to reduce the empty space within the pallet load PAL, such as that resulting from missing cases), replacing a missing case with another case that has similar dimensions but a higher sequence number (e.g., a case that is intended to be placed on the pallet after the missing case), and swapping a pallet layer (e.g., the missing case layer) that includes the empty space corresponding to the missing case with another pallet player that is intended to be placed on the pallet after the missing case layer such that the empty space occurs later in the palletizing order. Here, minimal modifications to the pallet load plan / structure for a pallet constructed in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure can, in addition to maximizing storage and retrieval throughput capabilities, also result in interruption-free operation of the palletizer 160PB with a case supply reliability to the palletizer of less than 100%. As can be understood, the value of minimizing modifications to the pallet load plan 184 can be understood to be in protecting the delivery order of the remaining case units to the palletizer 160PB, where the palletizing speed is maintained. Aspects of the present disclosure provide a pallet load replanning 185 configured to substantially maintain the palletizing speed, the stability of the pallet / layer / case stack, and the placement of case units without obstruction (e.g., without obstruction by case units already placed on the pallet) on the pallet / within the pallet layer, as described herein.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 3A, the pallet load PAL described herein and generated in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is one in which layers of case units of similar height are stacked on top of other layers, a stack in which case units are stacked on top of each other, the entire stack having a substantially similar height, a composite layer having a stack of mixed case units in each layer, and / or a stack of sub-layers that occupy a portion of the pallet footprint, (e.g., as defined by each pallet load plan), a well-defined structure. At least one layer in a complete and stable mixed case pallet structure has a substantially flat deterministic upper surface to form a seating surface for interchangeably placing other mixed case CUs thereon over a predetermined area of the pallet covered by a plurality of stacked mixed case CUs of the complete and stable mixed case pallet structure, or has a free non-deterministic surface that forms the uppermost boundary surface (see layer L12T) of the complete and stable mixed case pallet structure. When the pallet load PAL is planned, the pallet can be constructed using an automated palletizer 160PB (see FIG. 1), where the planned cases are ordered for pallet construction in a manner substantially similar to the method described in U.S. Patent No. 11,305,430, issued April 19, 2022, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, or in any other suitable method.

[0016] It can be appreciated that the generation of an ordering to solve how to construct a complete and stable mixed case placement plan 184 is decoupled from the generation of the mixed case pallet placement plan 184. By decoupling the generation of the ordering from the generation of the mixed case pallet load plan, the substantially continuous case placement action of the palletizer 160PB that constructs the pallet load PAL, and the substantially real-time compensation for ordering anomalies that can occur in an extended series of pick transactions of the multi-level conveyor system 190 (also called an automated package / case unit handling system) output in a manner substantially similar to the method described in U.S. Patent No. 11,305,430, issued April 19, 2022, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein, enables the optimization of both the mixed case pallet placement plan 184 (e.g., for adapting the fulfillment of mixed cases to placement on a stably palletized and efficiently packed pallet load PAL) and the solution order of the mixed cases for the palletizer 160PB that constructs the pallet load PAL for the mixed case placement plan 184 (e.g., efficient, e.g., time-optimal, or non-waiting).

[0017] According to aspects of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, system 100 can generally be configured to include an infeed section, a storage and sorting section (e.g., multi-level conveyor system 190), and an output section. As will be described in more detail below, system 100, which operates, for example, as a retail distribution center, receives a uniform pallet load of cases, breaks down the palletized goods, or separates the cases from the uniform pallet load into individual case units UC that are individually handled by system 100, retrieves the various cases required by each order, classifies them into corresponding groups, and conveys the corresponding groups of cases to assemble them into what is called a mixed case pallet load (such as that illustrated in FIG. 3A). The infeed section can generally break down a uniform pallet load into individual cases, convey the cases via appropriate conveying means, and input them into the storage and sorting section. In the storage and sorting section, in turn, it can receive the individual cases, store them in a storage area, individually retrieve the desired cases according to commands generated according to orders input into warehouse management system 2500, and convey them to the output section. Classification and grouping of cases according to orders can be performed in whole or in part by either or both of the storage and retrieval section or the output section, and the boundary between the storage and retrieval section and the output section is for convenience of explanation, and classification and grouping can be performed in any number of ways as will be further described below. The intended result is that the output section assembles an appropriate group of ordered cases, which may differ in terms of stock keeping unit (SKU), dimensions, etc., into a mixed case pallet load MPL (FIG. 3A). In aspects of the present disclosure, the output section generates a pallet load in what may be called a structured architecture of a mixed case stack. The structured architecture of the pallet load can be characterized as having several flat case layers L121-L125 (see FIG. 3A), at least one of which is formed by a non-intersecting, self-standing, and stable stack of multiple mixed cases.The mixed case stack of the given layers L121 - L125, L12T has a substantially the same height (see FIG. 3A), whereby, as can be understood, substantially flat upper and lower surfaces of the given layers L121 - L125, L12T are formed and are sufficient in number (and can generally have a length and width) to cover a pallet area of a standard pallet having standard dimensions (inches) of 40×48, 42×42, 48×48, 48×42, 40×40, 48×45, 44×44, 36×36, 48×36, or 48×20 (in other embodiments, the pallet may have any suitable standard or non - standard dimensions) or any desired portion(s) of the pallet area (e.g., here, with as many mixed case stacks as possible placed without overhanging the pallet area).

[0018] The automated storage and retrieval system can generally be described as a multi - level conveyor system 190 connected to a palletizer 160PB. The palletizer 160PB is an automated palletizer configured to place mixed package / case units CU onto a pallet to form a pallet load PAL of mixed packages. As described herein, the palletizer 160PB is communicatively connected to an automated package conveyor system 190 that provides individual case units CU from a storage array (as described herein) of the material handling system 100 to the palletizer 160PB to form the pallet load PAL.

[0019] Looking more particularly now, and still referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the automated storage and retrieval system 100 can be configured, for example, to be installed in an existing warehouse structure or adapted to a new warehouse structure. As described above, the system 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is representative and can include, for example, an input station 160IN (including a depalletizer 160PA and / or a conveyor 160CA for conveying articles to the lift module 150A for storage in the storage structure) and an output station 160UT (including a palletizer 160PB, an operator station 160EP, and / or a conveyor 160CB for conveying case units from the lift module 150B and removing them from the storage structure), input and output vertical lift modules 150A, 150B (generally referred to as lift modules 150, although input and output lift modules are shown, a single lift module may be used to place and retrieve case units into and out of the storage structure), a storage structure 130, and several autonomous rovers / vehicles or transport vehicles 110 (referred to herein as "bots"). It should be noted that the depalletizer 160PA can be configured to remove case units from a pallet so that the input station 160IN can convey articles to the lift module 150 for insertion into the storage structure 130. The palletizer 160PB can be configured to place articles removed from the storage structure 130 onto a pallet (FIG. 3A) for conveyance, as described herein.

[0020] At least the storage structure 130 (including one or more of the picking passages 130A, storage spaces 130S (also referred to herein as storage locations), and transfer decks 130B of each different storage structure level 130L) and the bots 110 are collectively referred to herein as a multi-level conveyance system 190 (also referred to herein as an automated package conveyance system) that is communicatively connected to a storage array (e.g., formed by a storage rack module array RMA) to store the case unit CU within the storage space 130S of the storage array and retrieve the case unit CU from the storage space 130S of the storage array. Each level 130L of the multi-level conveyance system 190 has a corresponding asynchronous level conveyance system 191 of a mixed case that is separate and different from the level conveyance system 191 corresponding to each other level 130L of the multi-level conveyance system 190 (see FIG. 2, which includes, for example, the bots 110, picking passages 130A, storage spaces 130S, and transfer decks 130B of each level 130L).

[0021] The lift module 150 may be shown as a reciprocating lift in the drawings, but in other embodiments, the lift module 150 may be any suitable vertical configuration of article handling devices (one or more) such as, for example, elevators (e.g., reciprocating lifts) 150A1, 150B1, escalators 150A2, 150B2, angled conveyor belts 150A3, 150B3, unmanned aerial vehicles (e.g., drones, quadcopters, multicopters, etc.) 150A4, 150B4, and / or cranes / hoists 150A5, 150B5. In some embodiments, the lift modules 150A, 150B may form a vertical sequencer in addition to the storage and retrieval engine 190, as described in U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 444,592, filed Jun. 18, 2019, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0022] The storage structure 130 may include multiple levels (e.g., storage levels 130L) of a storage rack module RMA that forms a storage array (e.g., having one or more storage spaces 130S for holding the case unit CU therein), where each level 130L includes respective picking aisles 130A and a transfer deck 130B for transferring the case unit CU between either the storage area 130S of the storage structure 130 and the shelves of one or more lift modules 150A, 150B. The picking aisles 130A and the transfer deck 130B also enable the bot 110 to place the case unit CU into the picking stock and retrieve the ordered case unit CU. In an alternative embodiment, each storage level 130L may also include respective bot transfer stations TS for indirectly transferring the case unit between the bot 110 and the lifts 150A, 150B, although in other embodiments, the transfer of the case unit CU between the bot 110 and the lifts 150A, 150B may be a direct transfer.

[0023] Bot 110 can place case units such as the above-mentioned retail products in picking stock at one or more levels 130L of the storage structure 130, and then selectively retrieve the ordered case units and ship the ordered case units to, for example, a store or other appropriate location. For example, each storage level 130L includes a pick face storage / handoff space 130S (referred to herein as storage space / location 130S) formed by a rack module RM. The storage space 130S is formed by a rack module RM and, in one aspect, extends linearly, for example, through a rack module array RMA, and includes shelves arranged along a storage vault or picking aisle 130A (connected to the transfer deck 130B) that provides access for the bot 110 to the storage space 130S and the (one or more) transfer decks 130B. In other aspects, the storage space 130S formed by the rack module RM may include slots, receptacles, stalls, cribs, enclosed areas, hooks, racks, or other appropriate locations having a configuration that allows the bot to pick and place case units between the storage space. In one aspect, the shelves of the rack module RM are arranged as multi-level shelves distributed along the picking aisle 130A. As can be understood, the bot 110 moves along each storage level 130L along the picking aisle 130A and the transfer deck 130B to transfer case units between any of the storage spaces 130S of the storage structure 130 (e.g., at the level where the bot 110 is located) and any of the lift modules 150 (e.g., each of the bots 110 has access to each storage space 130S at each level and each lift module 150 at each storage level 130L).The transfer deck 130B may be arranged at one end or side RMAE1 of the storage rack array RMA, or at several ends or sides RMAE1, RMAE2 of the storage rack array RMA, etc., as described in U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 326,674 filed on December 15, 2011, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, such that they can be stacked on top of each other or shifted horizontally (corresponding to each level 130L of the storage and retrieval system). In other embodiments, the storage structure may not have a transfer deck above one or more of the levels 130L, where the picking aisle may extend in a manner similar to that described in U.S. Patent No. 8,974,168 issued on March 10, 2015, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, such that the bot 110 has access to one or more lifts arranged on the side of the picking aisle.

[0024] The system 100 may also include one or more break pack stations or modules 130BPK configured to remove individual items (e.g., break pack merchandise or vendor packs) from a supply container CUS (e.g., stored in a rack module RM and conveyed by the bot 110 to the break pack station 130BPK) and group them into break pack containers CUB, where a customer order includes at least one or more break pack containers CUB. Suitable examples of break pack stations are described in U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 358,383 filed on February 14, 2022 and U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 657,705 filed on April 1, 2022, both entitled "Warehouse System for Storing and Retrieving Goods in Containers", the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0025] The infeed transfer station 170 and the outfeed transfer station 160 can operate together with the respective lift modules 150A, 150B (one or more) to transfer the case unit CU bidirectionally to / from one or more levels 130L of the storage structure 130. The lift modules 150A, 150B can be described as dedicated inbound lift module 150A and outbound lift module 150B, but it is noted that in an alternative embodiment, each of the lift modules 150A, 150B may be used for both inbound and outbound transfer of case units / case units from the automated storage and retrieval system 100.

[0026] As can be understood, the automated storage and retrieval system 100 includes one or more case units that are not included (for example, one or more case units are not held in a tray) or one or more case units that are included (in a tray or tote), and can be transferred from the lift modules 150A, 150B to each storage space on each level 130L and from each storage space on each level 130L to any one of the lift modules 150A, 150B, for example, by the bot 110 of the automated storage and retrieval system 100. The bot 110 can be configured to transfer the case unit CU between the storage space and the lift modules 150A, 150B. Generally, the lift modules 150A, 150B include at least one movable payload support that can move one or more case units between the infeed and outfeed transfer stations 160, 170 and each level of the storage space where one or more case units are stored and retrieved. The one or more lift modules can have any suitable configuration, such as a reciprocating lift, or any other suitable configuration. The one or more lift modules 150A, 150B include any suitable controller (such as controller 120, or another suitable controller connected to controller 120, warehouse management system 2500, and / or palletizer controller 164, etc.), and can form a sequencer or sorter in a manner similar to the method described in U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 444,592, filed on June 18, 2019, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, which sequences the mixed case CUs according to a predetermined mixed case sequence solution, and the predetermined mixed case sequence solution is generated such that the palletizer 160PB constructs the pallet load PAL as described herein.

[0027] An automated storage and retrieval system may include a control system comprising one or more control servers 120 communicatively coupled to an infeed and outfeed conveyor and transfer station 170, 160, lift modules 150A, 150B, and bots 110, for example, via a suitable communication and control network 180. The communication and control network 180 may have any suitable architecture that may incorporate various programmable logic controllers (PLCs), for example, to command the automated operation of the infeed and outfeed conveyor and transfer station 170, 160, lift modules 150A, 150B, and other suitable systems. The control server 120 may include high-level programming enabling a case management system (CMS) 120 to manage a case flow system. The network 180 may further include suitable communication to provide a two-way interface with the bots 110. For example, the bots 110 may include an on-board processor / controller 1220. The network 180 may include a suitable two-way communication suite that enables the bot controller 1220 to request commands or receive commands from the control server 180 to effect the desired conveyance of case units (e.g., placement at or retrieval from a storage location) and to transmit to the control server 120 the desired bot 110 information and data including the ephemeris, status, and other desired data of the bot 110. As seen in FIG. 2, the control server 120 may further be connected to a warehouse management system 2500, for example, to provide inventory management and customer order fulfillment information to a program at the CMS 120 level. A suitable example of an automated storage and retrieval system arranged to hold and store case units is described in U.S. Patent No. 9,096,375, issued August 4, 2015, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0028] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in an aspect of the present disclosure, in the outfeed section of system 100, more specifically, the outfeed transfer station and conveyor 160 extending therefrom, serve to convey the case units removed from the storage to the palletizer 160PB. The palletizer 160PB includes one or more articulated arms 161, 162, each having a respective arm end tool or end effector 161E, 162E configured to convey the case unit CU and place it on the mixed case pallet load PAL. A suitable example of the palletizer 160PB is described in U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 035,204, filed on Jul. 13, 2018, entitled "Apparatus and Method for Building a Pallet Load", the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The interface (not shown) between the outfeed section conveyor and the palletizer 160PB may have any desired configuration that facilitates the substantially unrestricted arrival of the ordered case units (relative to the output of the outfeed section of the system) and the unrestricted picking of case units by the palletizer for building the mixed case pallet load PAL. A palletizer controller 164 is provided to control the operation of the palletizer 160PB. In the aspect of the present disclosure shown, the palletizer controller 164 may be a separate control server or processor (such as a PC) communicably linked via a suitable network (such as network 180 or a different network) for two-way communication with the control server 120, more specifically for the CMS-level programming of the control server 120. FIG. 2 further shows a case where the palletizer control device 164' is integrated into the system control server 120. Thus, as can be understood, in addition to the control-level programming (which enables commands for palletizer operation), higher-level palletizer programming by, for example, pallet load generators 166, 166' that may reside on a common processing platform as the control server 120 or the remote platform palletizer controller 164, as needed, is also possible.As can be further understood, the palletizers 164, 164' can interface with the CMS program of the control server 120 for information regarding the case units used by the palletizer in generating case loads corresponding to respective orders. For example, the information requested and provided to the palletizer controllers 164, 164' by the CMS program can include identification information for each order to be filled, the order in which the orders are to be completed, identification information (e.g., SKU) for the corresponding cases for each order (e.g., how many cases of which are there), queue information for the cases initialized for removal and conveyance to the palletizer, as well as changes thereto within the applicable dimensional data range for each case, and any other desired information.

[0029] Referring again to FIGS. 1A, 2, and 2A, a filling order (e.g., a customer order) is received by a warehouse management system 2500. Pallet load generators 166, 166' generate a pallet placement plan 184 (e.g., a pallet load structure) based on pallet and / or customer mixed case characteristics, conditions, and constraints (e.g., pallet size, case order position by fulfillment conditions, case stratification, etc.) provided by the warehouse management system 2500, such as the method described in U.S. Patent No. 8,965,559, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Here, the pallet placement plan 184 is stored in a memory accessible by the controller / pallet load generators 166, 166' such that the controller / pallet load generators are programmed with the initial pallet load plan (i.e., the pallet placement plan 184 is the initial pallet load plan). The initial pallet placement plan 184 can be any suitable plan that fully and stably forms a pallet load PAL of mixed packages in the initial planned pallet load distribution (such as that described in U.S. Patent No. 8,965,559, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety) in the mixed package layers L121-L125 of the pallet load PAL, but any suitable pallet placement plan 184 may be utilized as the initial pallet placement plan. The initial pallet placement plan 184 describes valid positions and poses for each mixed case CU in the pallet load PAL (before it is determined that there are missing cases), and it is noted that each case CU has a valid position and pose on the mixed case layers L121-L125, L12T of the pallet placement plan 184. As described herein, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, taking into account (one or more) missing cases is the initial pallet placement plan 184 that is modified in real time.

[0030] The initial pallet placement plan 184 is for very non-uniform mixed case CUs and is not the same as the order of case CUs at the pallet building robot 14 determined from the pallet placement plan 184. In one aspect, the sequencing of case CUs using the multi-level transport system 190 may be effected by any suitable method such as a method similar to the method(s) described in U.S. Patent No. 10,377,585, titled "Storage and Retrieval System Transport Vehicle," issued on August 13, 2019; U.S. Patent No. 9,884,719, titled "Storage and Retrieval System," issued on February 6, 2018; U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 997,892, titled "Storage and Retrieval System," filed on January 18, 2016; U.S. Patent No. 10,214,355, titled "Storage and Retrieval System," issued on February 26, 2019; U.S. Patent No. 10,102,496, titled "Storage and Retrieval System," issued on October 16, 2018; and / or U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 444,592, titled "Vertical Sequencer for Product Order Fulfillment," filed on June 18, 2019, and U.S. Patent No. 11,305,430, issued on April 19, 2022, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0031] Still referring to FIGS. 1-3A, as described above, aspects of the present disclosure provide for a real-time modification of the initial pallet load plan 184 when one or more case units intended to be palletized according to the initial pallet load plan 184 are not delivered to the palletizer 160PB by the automated package conveyance system 190. In the event of a missing case unit, the controller 120 (and its pallet load generators 164, 164') is configured to quickly (e.g., in real time during pallet build, prior to the sequencing of the affected case units) modify the initial pallet load plan 184 so as to preserve the overall shape of the initial pallet load PAL and the order of the case units delivered to the palletizer 160PB by the automated package conveyance system 190. As described herein, depending on the structure of the initial pallet load PAL and / or the size and location of the missing case unit, there may be several ways to modify the initial pallet load plan 184 in the event of a missing case unit. These modifications to the initial pallet load plan 184 are implemented in a pallet load replanning 185, which provides for the construction of a stable pallet without the undelivered missing case units.

[0032] Controller 120 and its pallet load generators 164, 164' are configured to eliminate one or more voids in the initial pallet load plan 184 as a result of one or more missing case units by successively (or in any other suitable manner) adopting various possible modifications to the initial pallet load plan 184. Here, the various modifications are adopted in order from the modification having the least impact on the initial pallet load plan to the modification having the greatest impact on the initial pallet load plan, where a stable pallet load is generated, and the modification having the least impact on the initial pallet load is selected as the pallet load replan 185 by the controller. In other embodiments, the various modifications may be performed in parallel by the controller 120 of the pallet load generator, where the results of the determinations made in parallel are compared, a stable pallet load is generated, and the modification having the least impact on the initial pallet load is selected as the pallet load replan 185 by the controller.

[0033] Controller 120 is communicatively connected to register at least one missing / excluded package / case unit that cannot be delivered to the palletizer 160PB from at least one of the storage array and the automated package conveyance system 190. For example, controller 120 is connected communicatively by network 180 to automated package conveyance system 190 (e.g., bots 110 and / or lift 150 includes appropriate sensors for identifying the case units being conveyed and / or the location where the case units should be stored, picked, or otherwise placed, and such scanners result in identification of the presence or absence of case units at a specified location) and other automated devices of material handling system 100 (e.g., an input case scanner / sorter having sensors that result in registration of incoming case units into the storage). When case unit CU is placed in the storage array by automated package conveyance system 190, controller 120 is configured to track / register in memory the storage location 130S and the status (e.g., inventory status and location of the item) of incoming case unit CU. If case unit CU is determined (by one or more of infeed transfer station 160IN, lift 150A, and bots 110) to be damaged or cannot be delivered to the designated storage location, controller 120 receives from one or more of infeed transfer station 160IN, lift 150A, and bots 110 a message that the case unit cannot be delivered and cannot be used for palletization. Similarly, if case unit CU intended to be picked by bots 110 from storage location 130S designated for palletization is determined by bots 110 not to be located (e.g., missing) at the designated storage location 130S, or is jammed or otherwise immobile from the designated storage location, controller 120 receives from bots 110 a message that the case unit CU in (or supposed to be in) the designated storage area cannot be delivered and cannot be used for palletization.The controller 120 is also configured to receive, from the bot 110 that carries the case unit CU for palletization (e.g., disabled during the conveyance of the case unit), a message that the case unit CU mounted on the bot cannot be delivered and cannot be used for palletization. The above is just an example of a possible interruption in the conveyance of a case unit that could lead to an excluded / missing case unit, and it should be understood that the controller 120 can receive messages regarding the inability to utilize automation or the inability to utilize case units picked and / or conveyed by automation from any suitable automation device of the material handling system 100. Here, the controller 120 registers (at least one) missing case unit (identified, e.g., by the automated package conveyance system 190) in the memory.

[0034] Referring also to FIG. 8A (showing the initial planned pallet load distribution), with the missing case unit CU registered by the controller, the pallet load generators 164, 164’ are arranged or configured (e.g., using any suitable non-transitory computer program code) to identify the corresponding pallet layer L of the missing case unit 800 in the initial pallet load plan 184 and to determine the corresponding void VCUV formed by the missing case unit 800 within the corresponding layer L. The pallet load generators 164, 164’ are configured (e.g., using any suitable non-transitory computer program code) to determine a measure of stability resulting from the corresponding void VCUV within the corresponding pallet layer L and heuristically resolve the corresponding void VCUV based on the optimization of the measure of stability such that the corresponding pallet layer L with the resolved void VCUV is characterized as being stable if it is the same as or exceeds a predetermined threshold (e.g., a predetermined stability threshold). The pallet load generators 164, 164’ are configured (e.g., as described herein with respect to FIGS. 6A - 14) to heuristically optimize the measure of stability of the corresponding pallet layer L from the metapose of at least one adjacent package for at least one adjacent case unit or package CU adjacent to the corresponding void VCUV such that the measure of stability is the same as or exceeds the predetermined threshold and the corresponding void VCUV is resolved. As described herein, the pallet load generators 164, 164’ are configured to optimize the measure of stability of the corresponding pallet layer L from both the heuristic optimization via the metapose package resolver 164R and the swapping of at least another package of the initial pallet load plan 184 to the corresponding void VCUV for the missing case unit (i.e., excluded package) 800.Also, as described herein, the pallet load generators 164, 164' are configured to generate a pallet load replanning 185 for the automated palletizer 160PB, which is defined by the elimination of each corresponding void VCUV for each missing case unit 800 in the initial pallet load plan 184.

[0035] A predetermined stability threshold of the stability measure characterizes a corresponding pallet layer having a resolved void RVCUV (e.g., layer L in FIG. 8A, see also FIGS. 8B - 13B) as being stable for automatic palletization. The predetermined threshold of the stability measure also characterizes the elimination of the corresponding void VCUV to a resolved void RVCUV and the re - formation of the corresponding pallet layer L destabilized by the corresponding void VCUV into a stable layer (see FIGS. 8B, 9B, 10B, 10C, 11B, 12B, and 13B) stabilized by the resolved void RVCUV. The stable layer defines a stable support SUP corresponding to each other stable layer of the pallet load replanning 185 for the automatic palletization of all overlaid layers on the stable layer (e.g., see layer LS, LS1 in FIG. 8B, layer L9S in FIG. 9B, layer L10S in FIGS. 10B and 10C, layer L11S in FIG. 11B, layer L12S in FIG. 12B, and layer L13S in FIG. 13B). By way of example, the predetermined stability threshold is, as described herein, the point at which case units / stacks within the layer and / or the pallet load PAL become unstable such that they fall or drop as a result of the expected forces experienced during pallet construction and transport.

[0036] Also, as described herein, optimization of the stability measure can result from at least one of repositioning (e.g., moving and / or reorienting) of the case units, swapping / replacing at least one case unit with a missing case unit, and swapping of pallet layers. In other embodiments, optimization of the stability measure may result from any suitable method. As described herein, repositioning of the case units includes repositioning at least one adjacent case unit horizontally (e.g., adjacent to the void VCUV) in the initial pallet load plan 184 with respect to the corresponding void VCUV and / or changing the orientation of at least one adjacent case unit in the initial pallet load plan 184 with respect to the corresponding void VCUV. Also, as described herein, swapping of the case units includes swapping / replacing at least another case unit of the initial pallet load 184 with a corresponding void VCUV in place of a missing / excluded case unit. The pallet load generators 164, 164' are configured to generate a pallet load replan 185 for the automated palletizer 160PB defined by resolution of each corresponding void VCUV for each excluded case unit in the initial pallet load plan 184.

[0037] Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 5, it is again noted that pallet load replanning 185 can be effected for any part of the initial pallet load 184 that has not yet been sequenced for palletization. FIGS. 4 and 5 show case units CU at various stages of delivery to the palletizer 160PB. For example, FIG. 4 shows a pallet load PAL constructed according to the initial pallet load plan 184, where the pallet load PAL includes mixed case units having various dimensions. Here, the case units are shown as being placed on the outbound conveyor 160CB in a predetermined palletization placement order. In the example shown in FIG. 4, case units in the order for palletizing SCUs having placement order numbers 1 - 40 are placed on the pallet load PAL (and their positions and orientations are not changed in the pallet load replanning 185), while case units having placement order numbers 41 - 50 are placed on the outbound conveyor 160CB for placement in order in the pallet load PAL. Case units placed on the outbound conveyor 160CB are considered to be in the "order for palletization", and the placement order of these cases may not be changed in the pallet load replanning 185, but the positions of the sequenced case units within the pallet load PAL relative to the original or initial pallet load plan 184 can be changed, and anomalies in the placement of case units in the order for palletization can be addressed / solved in a manner somewhat similar to the method described in U.S. Patent No. 11,305,430, issued April 19, 2022, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0038] Figure 5 shows the construction of the pallet load PAL, where the case units are already in the pallet load PAL, and here, the next case units (e.g., case units numbered 1 to 6) are placed on the outbound conveyor 160CB in the order for palletization. As described above, the case units already placed in the pallet load PAL are not affected by the pallet load replanning 185, but only the positions of the case units (not the order of placement) in the order for palletization of the SCU can be changed by the pallet load replanning 185. The case unit CU is delivered from one or more storage levels 130L to the outbound conveyor 160CB by the multi-level conveying system 190. The position and / or order of placement of the case units (or these case units that are still in the storage space but are assigned to the pallet load PAL, i.e., not in the "order for palletization") when transferring to the outbound conveyor 160CB can be changed by the pallet load replanning 185. These case units at the time of transfer are identified by the serial numbers 7 to 15 (however, the serial numbers can be changed by the pallet load replanning 185). It should be noted that some of the case units at the time of transfer can be placed by the robot 110 at a buffered position such as on the buffer shelf BS or the transfer station TS according to the ordering of the original pallet load plan 184 in a way that maximizes the delivery rate of the case units (e.g., optimizes the processing capacity). Here, the controller 120 and its pallet load generators 164, 164' are configured to maintain an optimized delivery rate with the pallet load replanning 185 that may be brought about to eliminate the missing case units.

[0039] Referring to FIGS. 4A, 6A, and 6B, and as also described herein, in the pallet load replanning 185, a measure of stability is optimized considering the void VCUV formed by the missing case unit. The measure of stability (or degree of stability) for any given case unit within the pallet load can be defined as being at least partially proportional to a containment radius 610 disposed around the center of gravity of the case unit CU4, and all points within this containment radius 610 belong to the boundary polygon (e.g., convex hull 615) of the support of the case unit CU4 formed by the underlying case units CU1 - CU3 on which the case unit CU4 is seated. The containment radius 610 is the minimum distance from the projection of the center of gravity of the case unit to the edge of the convex hull 615. FIGS. 6A and 6B show (in top views of the case units) the static stability of the case unit CU4 supported / seated on the other case units CU1 - CU3. The arrangement of the case units in FIGS. 6A and 6B is merely exemplary, and in other embodiments, the case units may have any suitable arrangement. Here, the case unit CU4 is placed on top of the case units CU1 - CU3 such that the bottom surface of the case unit CU4 is substantially horizontal (e.g., lies within a horizontal plane). For static stability, the center of gravity of the case unit CU4 projected onto the bottom surface of the case unit CU4 needs to be disposed inside all convex hulls 615 of the support surface of the case unit CU4 (e.g., the support surface is the overlap between the bottom surface of the case unit CU4 and the top surfaces of the supporting case units CU1 - CU3). The convex hull 615 is a convex polygon that encloses all points of the support surface. It is noted that since the shape of each case unit may not be perfectly rectangular and the arrangement of each case unit may not exactly match the pallet load plan, the center of the projection of the center of gravity of the case unit CU4 needs to be substantially inside the convex hull 615. Here, the larger the containment radius 610, the more stable the arrangement of the case unit CU4.As can be seen in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the case unit CU4 in FIG. 6B is shifted in the horizontal plane so that the case unit CU4 has a larger support surface area compared to FIG. 6A, whereby the convex hull 615 and thus the containment radius 610 are larger, resulting in a more stable case arrangement. The pallet load generators 164, 164' are configured to maximize the containment radius of the case unit CU whose position / orientation has been changed in the pallet load replanning so that the resulting pallet load is stable during pallet construction and conveyance. As can be appreciated, the measure of stability also corresponds to the resistance to tipping or dropping of the case unit / stack due to the predicted forces received during pallet construction and conveyance, as described herein (e.g., determined empirically in any suitable manner), and may include metrics.

[0040] Exemplary pallet replanning and stability determination are illustrated and described herein with respect to FIGS. 8A - 13B, where the pose of one or more case units within a pallet layer is changed and / or one or more case units within a pallet layer (or subsequent layer) are swapped with missing case units. It is noted that the rearrangement and swapping of case units are not limited to those shown herein and may be utilized by the pallet load generators 164, 164' in any suitable combination.

[0041] Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 7, to effect the generation of the pallet load re-planning 185, the pallet load generators 164, 164' (of the controller 120) are configured with a minimum change re-planning algorithm 700, at least a part of which may be included in the metapause package resolver 164R. However, the minimum change re-planning algorithm 700 is of increasing complexity (these algorithms may be referred to as re-planning or change variations), and includes, but is not limited to, an algorithm 701 for moving / rotating / centering adjacent case units, an algorithm 702 for moving one or more cases or stacks within the same layer, an algorithm 703 for moving one or more upper cases of adjacent stacks, and an algorithm 704 for replacing one or more missing cases with one or more cases of the upper layer / moving the void upward. The minimum change re-planning algorithm 700 is executed by the pallet load generators 164, 164' in order of complexity such that the containment radius 610 for the case units in the pallet load plan is maximized with the minimum complexity of the minimum change re-planning algorithm 700 that generates a stable constructible pallet load re-planning (for example, minimizing the movement of case units in the pallet load plan to maximize the containment radius). In a state where one or more case units are missing from the initial pallet load plan 184, the pallet load generators 164, 164' are configured to execute the minimum change re-planning algorithm 700 in order (for example, from less complex to more complex) until one of the minimum change re-planning algorithms 700 succeeds in generating a stable constructible re-planned pallet load 185. By the determination of the minimum change re-planning algorithm 700 that has succeeded in generating a stable constructible re-planned pallet load 185, the pallet load generators 164, 165 select the re-planned pallet load 185 of the successful minimum change algorithm 700 and cancel the execution of the remaining minimum change re-planning algorithms 700.

[0042] As an example, pallet load generators 164, 164' are configured to initiate a replanned pallet load determination process by executing an algorithm 701 of minimal complexity, e.g., an algorithm that performs movement / rotation / centering of adjacent case units (an example of which is provided below with respect to FIGS. 8A - 10C, where the (possible) poses resulting from the movement, rotation, and / or centering of case units may be collectively referred to as meta - poses, from which the pallet load generators 164, 165' heuristically optimize a measure of the stability of the corresponding pallet layer via a meta - pose package resolver 164R). For example, with reference also to FIGS. 8A and 8B, an exemplary pallet load replanning 185 for layer L is described. Here, the initial pallet load plan 184 is modified such that the corresponding void VCUV of the missing case unit 800 is placed adjacent to case unit 810. Case units 810, 800 have a similar height 815 and are both part of a stack 820 of case units within layer L that have a substantially similar stack height 825. In this example, the stability of layer L and stack 820 in pallet load replanning 185 is effected by shifting / repositioning case unit 810 in the direction 890 towards the void VCUV in a horizontal (e.g., X - Y) plane (e.g., changing its pose) such that case unit 810 at least partially closes (e.g., intrudes into) the corresponding void VCUV (e.g., the repose of at least one adjacent case unit 810 includes a horizontal translation of at least one adjacent case unit 810 into the corresponding void VCUV). As seen in FIG. 8B, case unit 810 is shifted in the direction 890 substantially towards the center of stack 820 to generate a stable replanned pallet load. Pallet load generators 164, 164' are configured to generate a pallet load replanning 185 for palletizer 160PB defined by the resolution of the (respective) corresponding voids for each missing / excluded case unit in the initial pallet load plan 184 (e.g., resolved void RVCUV).

[0043] The case unit 810 has been described above as being horizontally translated to the center of the stack 820, but in the pallet load generators 164, 164', the case unit 810 (e.g., at least one adjacent package) is configured to be horizontally translated in a series of incremental pose translations, where such translations can occur between the initial position of the case unit 810 (as shown in FIG. 8A) and any position within the corresponding void VCUV. The pallet load generators 164, 164' determine a measure of stability for each of the incremental pose translations of the case unit 810 and select, with respect to the pallet load replanning 185, the pose of the case unit 810 corresponding to the incremental pose translation with the highest measure of stability (in this example, the selected pose is at the center of the stack 820).

[0044] Still referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B, the case unit 810 and the corresponding void VCUV are disposed at the top of the stack 820. When the stacked layers LS within the initial pallet load plan 184 include, in addition to the case unit 810 and the case units interlocked with the corresponding void VCUV, another stacked layer LS1, the shift of the case unit 810 as described above to close the void VCUV can result in instability of one or more of the layers LS, LS1. Here, the pallet load replanning 185 can modify the layer L to swap the case unit 810 with one or more case units (e.g., case unit 830) below the case unit 810 within the stack 820 such that the central case unit 810 no longer exists at the top of the stack 820 within the layer L. Another modification to the layer L can include changing the pose of the case unit 810 (as described herein with respect to FIGS. 9A and 9B), such as by rotating the case unit 810 90 degrees (or other suitable rotation angle) about its center point CP to a re-planned position shown in FIG. 8B, provided that such rotation does not result in a spatial intersection with adjacent stacks of the same layer L, and as a result, the position of the case unit CU directly above the case unit 810 and supported by the case unit 810 is more stable (e.g., the value of the containment radius is larger - see FIGS. 6A and 6B).

[0045] Referring to FIGS. 9A and 9B, an example of changing the pose of the case units to generate a stable re-planned pallet load is described. FIGS. 9A and 9B show layer L9 or a portion of layer L9 in which the case units have substantially the same height 915, where the initial pallet load distribution plan for layer L9 is shown in FIG. 9A and the pallet load re-planning is shown in FIG. 9B. The case units within layer L9 are shown as having the same height, but the pose change of one or more cases described with respect to FIGS. 9A and 9B can equally apply to a stack of case units (such as those shown in FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 11A - 13B) where each case unit can be different, but the stack has substantially the same height, provided that it is noted that this assumes that the missing case unit itself has the height of the entire stack within the layer or that all case units within the stack are missing / excluded.

[0046] In this example, the case unit 901 is missing, and there is a void VCUV remaining in the pallet layer L9. To eliminate the void VCUV and make it a resolved void RVCUV, the pallet load generators 164, 164' arrange the adjacent case unit 902 substantially centered within the void VCUV (at least partially closing the void VCUV to become a resolved void RVCUV), while shifting the adjacent case unit 902 in the direction 990 (for example, translating horizontally) around its center point CP so that the adjacent case has a rotated and shifted position within the pallet load replanning 195 (for example, the re-pose of at least one adjacent case unit 902 includes the rotation of at least one adjacent case unit 902 around the center CP from the initial rotation pose (shown in FIG. 9A) to the translated rotation pose (shown in FIG. 9B)). The adjacent case unit 902 is shown as being rotated around its center point CP in FIG. 9B, but the pallet load generators 164, 164' are such that the pose of the case unit selected / selected for the pallet load replanning 185 by the pallet load generators 164, 164' creates the maximum stability (for example, having a larger value of the containment radius) of the case unit placed on top of the case unit 902 within the overlapped layer L9S, and is configured to determine the measure of stability of the pallet load replanning 185 in a state where the case unit 902 is in both the non-rotated orientation (as in FIG. 9A) and the rotated orientation (as in FIG. 9B) to create a spatial overlap with the adjacent case unit in the same layer L9 (for example, the pallet load generators 164, 164' determine the measure of stability for at least one package in both the initial rotation pose and the translated rotation pose).Although it is repetitive, as described above, the pallet load generators 164, 164' are configured to generate a pallet load replanning 185 for the palletizer 160PB defined by the elimination of the corresponding voids (e.g., resolved voids RVCUV) for each missing / excluded case unit in the initial pallet load plan 184.

[0047] Figures 10A, 10B, and 10C show another example of the pallet load replanning 185 for layer L10, where the initial pallet load distribution plan for layer L10 is shown in Figure 10A and the pallet load replanning is shown in Figures 10B and 10C. In this example, the pallet load generators 164, 164' generate the pallet load replanning 185 by rearranging more than one adjacent case unit to eliminate the void VCUV left by the missing case unit 1001. Figures 10A, 10B, and 10C show layer L10 or a portion of layer L10 where the case units have a substantially the same height 1015. The case units within layer L10 are shown as having the same height, but the pose change of one or more cases described with respect to Figures 10A, 10B, and 10C can equally apply to stacked case unit layers (such as those shown in Figures 8A, 8B, and 11A - 13B) where each case unit can be different, but the stack has a substantially the same height, provided that the missing case unit itself has the height of the entire stack within the layer or all case units within the stack are missing / excluded.

[0048] In this example, the case unit 1001 is missing, and a void VCUV remains in the pallet layer L10. To eliminate the void VCUV and make it a resolved void RVCUV, the pallet load generators 164, 164' shift (e.g., change their pose) one or more adjacent case units 1002, 1003 (e.g., adjacent to the void VCUV). In this example, both case units 1002, 1003 invade the void VCUV and at least partially close the void VCUV, and the case unit 1002 is shifted in the direction 1090 and the case unit 1003 is shifted in the direction 1091 so that it becomes a resolved void RVCUV in the pallet load replanning 185. In this example, the pallet load generators 164, 164' incrementally shift one or more adjacent case units 1002, 1003 into the void VCUV (e.g., compare FIGS. 10B and 10C) until the adjacent case units 1002, 1003 spatially overlap each other or other case units in the layer L10, and are configured to repeatedly determine a measure of the stability of the pallet load replanning 185. For each position shift of one or more of the case units 1002, 1003, the pallet load generators 164, 164' determine a measure of stability and generate the maximum stability (e.g., having a larger value of the containment radius) of the case units placed on the case units 1002, 1003 in the superimposed layer L10S, and select a position shift for each of the respective case units 1002, 1003 that does not create a spatial overlap with adjacent case units in the same layer L10. Repeating, as described above, the pallet load generators 164, 164' are configured to generate a pallet load replanning 185 for the palletizer 160PB defined by the elimination (e.g., resolved void RVCUV) of the corresponding voids for each missing / excluded case unit in the initial pallet load plan 184.

[0049] In a manner similar to the above method, the pallet load generators 164, 164' are configured to translate horizontally one or more of at least one adjacent case unit (e.g., case units 1002, 1003) in the order of respective incremental pose translations (e.g., case unit 1002 is translated in direction 1090 in the order of respective incremental pose translations, and / or case unit 1003 is translated in direction 1091 in the order of respective incremental pose translations). The pallet load generators 164, 164' determine a measure of stability for each combination of the respective incremental pose translations of case units 1002, 1003 and select the respective poses of case units 1002, 1003 for pallet load replanning 185 corresponding to the combination of respective incremental pose translations having the maximum measure of stability.

[0050] If the algorithm 701 for performing the above movement / rotation / centering adjustment of adjacent cases succeeds in creating a stable and constructible pallet load replanning 185 (Figure 7, block 720), the remaining more complex algorithms 702 - 704 are cancelled and the pallet load is replanned (Figure 7, block 730).

[0051] If the algorithm 701 for performing the above-described movement / rotation / centering adjustment of adjacent cases fails, the pallet load generators 164, 164' are configured to determine whether an algorithm 702 for moving cases / stacks within the same layer generates a stable and constructible replanned pallet load 185. For example, referring also to FIGS. 11A and 11B, another example of a pallet load replanning 185 is shown with respect to pallet layer L11, where the initial pallet load distribution plan for layer L11 is shown in FIG. 11A and the pallet load replanning is shown in FIG. 11B. Here, the pallet layer L11 has a height 1115 and includes stacks of case units, where each stack has a substantially height 1115 and has one or more case units therein. In this example, the missing case unit 1101 is large compared to the other case units within layer L11, and the rearrangement of the adjacent case units 1104, 1105, 1106 does not lead to a stable configuration of the case units within the superimposed layer L11S. Here, the pallet load generators 164, 164' are configured to effect a swapping of at least another case unit by placing at least another case unit within a corresponding void VCUV, where the at least another case unit and the missing / excluded case unit belong to the same / common pallet load layer, such as pallet load layer L11. For example, the pallet load generators 164, 164' are configured to determine whether there is one or more case units within the same layer L11 that are smaller in length and width than the missing case unit 1101 and have a height (or combined height) substantially equal to the missing case unit 1101.When one or more such case units exist (in this example, case unit 1102 has a length and width smaller than those of case unit 1101 and has a height 1115), the pallet load generators 164, 164' create a pallet load replanning 185 that relocates / swaps case unit 1102 to the center of the void VCUV left by the missing case unit 1101 to eliminate the void VCUV and make it a resolved void RVCUV. This is done when such a movement results in a stable configuration (e.g., having a larger value of the confinement radius) of the case units above the resolved void RVCUV within the stacked layer L11S.

[0052] As can be understood, by replacing or swapping the case unit 1102 with the missing case unit 1101, another void in the initial pallet load plan 184 remains at the pallet layer position designated for the case unit 1102. This other void is eliminated by one of the methods described herein, such as shifting or changing the pose of the adjacent case unit 1103 so as to position the adjacent case unit at the center of the other void, eliminating the other void and creating another eliminated void RVCUV2. In other embodiments, the other void may also be eliminated by moving / swapping another case unit in the same / common layer that is smaller in length and width than the case unit 1102 to the pallet layer position designated for the case unit 1102 to fill the void left by the case unit 1102, provided that such movement results in a stable configuration of the case units (e.g., having a larger value of the confinement radius) above the eliminated void RVCUV2 in the stacked layer L11S. When resolving the pallet load replanning 195, the pallet load generators 164, 164' may also determine the stability of the case units in the pallet load replanning 185 in which one or more of the cases 1102, 1103, 1104, 1105, 1106 are rotated, and if such rotation results in a stable configuration of the case units (e.g., having a larger value of the confinement radius) above the eliminated void RVCUV2 in the stacked layer L11S, such rotation may be implemented in the pallet load replanning. As described above, the pallet load generators 164, 164' are configured to generate a pallet load replanning 185 for the palletizer 160PB defined by the elimination of each corresponding void (e.g., eliminated voids RVCUV and RVCUV2) for each missing / excluded case unit and / or each repositioned case unit in the initial pallet load plan 184.

[0053] If the algorithm 702 for moving the (one or more) cases / stacks within the same layer as described above succeeds in creating a stable and constructible pallet load replanning 185 (Figure 7, block 720), the remaining more complex algorithms 703-704 are cancelled and the pallet load is replanned (Figure 7, block 730).

[0054] If the algorithm 702 for moving the (one or more) cases / stacks within the same layer described above fails, the pallet load generators 164, 164’ are configured to determine whether the algorithm 703 for moving the (one or more) upper cases of an adjacent stack generates a stable and constructible replanned pallet load 185. For example, also referring to FIGS. 12A and 12B, a pallet load replanning 185 is shown with respect to pallet layer L12, where the initial pallet load distribution plan (and general pallet load) for layer L12 is shown in FIG. 12A and the pallet load replanning is shown in FIG. 12B. Here, the pallet layer L12 includes stacks of case units, each of the stacks having a height approximately equal to the height 1215 of the pallet layer L12. In this example, the missing case unit 1201 is part of a stack in layer L12, but the stack has other case units 1202, 1204 present in the pallet load replanning 185 (for example, case unit 1204 is disposed below the void VCUV left by the missing case unit 1201 and case unit 1202 is disposed above the void VCUV left by the missing case unit 1201). To eliminate the void VCUV, the pallet load generators 164, 164’ are configured to effect a swapping of at least another case unit by lowering at least another case unit within a common stack of case units into the corresponding void VCUV. For example, to eliminate the void VCUV and make it a resolved void RVCUV, the pallet load generators 164, 164’ move the case unit 1202 disposed above (for example, at the top of each stack) the void VCUV (when there is no spatial overlap of cases within layer L12 due to the movement of the case units) downward (i.e., in direction 1290) into the void VCUV so as to close the void VCUV and seat on the adjacent case unit 1204. Here, by swapping the case unit 1202 (for example, at least another case unit), the corresponding void VCUV is at least partially closed and another void corresponding to the initial position of the case unit 1202 is created.

[0055] The pallet load generators 164, 164' are configured to at least partially close another void created with the movement of the case unit 1202 in the direction 1290, by at least one of the re-poses and the swapping (as described herein) of at least another package of the initial pallet load plan 184 into another void for the swapped package 1202 and for at least one adjacent case unit 1203 adjacent to another void within the initial pallet load plan 184. In this example, the pallet load generators 164, 164' move (e.g., translate horizontally) the case unit 1203 (at the top of an adjacent stack of the same layer) at least partially in the direction 1291 into another void created within a common stack by the movement of the case unit 1202, whereby the case units within the layer L12S that are superposed and seated on the case unit 1290 are stabilized (e.g., having a larger value of the confinement radius as described herein). As described above, the measure of the stability of the pallet load replanning 185 is determined for multiple repetitions of the placement of the case unit 1203, and the case unit is moved by different amounts in the direction 1291 (without spatial overlap with adjacent case units) relative to its initial position in the initial pallet load plan 184, where the pallet load generators 164, 164' select a position shift for the case unit 1203 that results in the maximum stability (e.g., having a larger value of the confinement radius) of the case units placed on the case unit 1203.

[0056] If the algorithm 703 for moving the (one or more) upper cases of the adjacent stack is successful in creating a stable and constructible pallet load replanning 185 (FIG. 7, block 720), the remaining more complex algorithm 704 is cancelled and the pallet load is replanned (FIG. 7, block 730).

[0057] If the algorithm 703 for moving the (one or more) upper cases of the adjacent stacks above fails, the pallet load generators 164, 164' are configured to determine whether a stable constructible replanned pallet load 185 is generated by an algorithm 704 that replaces the (one or more) missing cases with (one or more) cases from the upper layer and / or moves the voids upward. For example, referring also to FIG. 13A (showing the initial pallet load plan) and FIG. 13B (showing the pallet load replanning), an example of a pallet load replanning 185 for the pallet layer L13 is shown, where the layer L13 includes a stack of case units, each stack having a height approximately equal to the height 1315 of the pallet layer L13. In this example, the pallet load generators 164, 164' are configured to effect a swapping of at least another case unit by placing at least another case unit into the corresponding void VCUV from the superposed pallet load layer with respect to the pallet load layer of the missing / excluded case unit. For example, the pallet load generators 164, 164' are configured to at least partially close the void VCUV left by the missing case unit 1301 in the initial pallet load plan 184 with a case unit 1302 from another layer L13S in the initial pallet load plan 194, where the case unit layer L13S is superposed on the layer L13 and the case unit 1302 has a higher placement sequence number than the case unit 1301 (i.e., is ordered to be placed after the case unit 1301). Here, the case unit 1302 is selected by the pallet load generators 134, 164' based on the similarity of the case unit characteristics (e.g., length, width, and / or height) compared to the missing case unit 1301. In this example, the height of the case unit 1302 substantially matches the height of the missing case unit 1301 and the length and width of the case unit 1302 are equal to or less than the length and width of the missing case unit 1301 such that the case unit 1302 fits within the void VCUV without substantially protruding outside the pallet-based boundary.

[0058] As can be understood, by the movement of the case unit 1302 to fill the void VCUV, another void VCUV2 (e.g., higher in the case arrangement order of the pallet load) can be created that can be at least partially closed in any suitable way, such as the methods described herein with respect to FIGS. 7 - 12B. Here, the pallet load generators 164, 164 reach the top of the pallet load and resolve all missing cases, and recursively execute the replanning algorithm 700 with minimal changes to fill the blanks in the pallet load plan from the bottommost missing case (e.g., the missing case with the lowest sequence number) until the pallet load (or at least a portion of the pallet load not ordered for palletization as described herein) is replanned.

[0059] Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 3A, and 6A - 13B, an exemplary method for handling packages and placing packages on a pallet for an order store is described in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. In this method, a storage space 130S for storing case units CU therein is provided in a storage array of a material handling system 100 (FIG. 14, block 1400). A multi - level conveyor system 190 stores case units in the storage space 1308 of the storage array and retrieves them therefrom (FIG. 14, block 1410). An automated palletizer 160PB places a mixed case unit on a pallet (FIG. 14, block 1420) to form a pallet load PAL of mixed packages (see FIG. 3A), where the automated palletizer 160PB is communicatively connected to the multi - level conveyor system 190, whereby individual case units (see FIGS. 2, 4, and 5) are provided from the storage array to the automated palletizer 160PB to form a pallet load PAL of mixed case units, where the pallet load PAL of mixed packages includes multiple composite layers L121 - L125, L12T (see FIG. 3A) of more than one mixed package. As described herein, the controller 120 is programmed with pallet load generators 164, 164' having an initial pallet load plan 184, and the controller 120 completely and stably forms a pallet load PAL of mixed case units within a mixed case unit layer with an initial planned pallet load distribution (FIG. 14, block 1430) as described herein.

[0060] As noted again, a pallet load replanning 185 can be effected for any portion of the initial pallet load 184 that has not yet been sequenced for palletization. The controller 120, as also described herein, registers at least one exclusion / missing package from at least one of the storage array and the multi-level conveyor system 190, and using the pallet load generators 164, 164', identifies the corresponding pallet layer of the exclusion / missing case units within the initial pallet load plan 184 (FIG. 14, block 1440), and determines the corresponding void CVUV formed by the exclusion / missing case units within the corresponding pallet layer. The pallet load generators 164, 164' determine a measure of stability resulting from the corresponding void CVUV within the corresponding pallet layer (FIG. 14, block 1450), and based on optimizing the measure of stability to be the same as or exceed a predetermined threshold from at least one of the repositioning of at least one adjacent case unit adjacent to the corresponding void CVUV within the initial pallet load plan 184 (as described herein) and the swapping of at least one other case unit of the initial pallet load plan 184 into the corresponding void CVUV for the exclusion / missing case unit (as described herein), heuristically resolves the corresponding void CVUV (FIG. 14, block 1460). The pallet load generators 164, 164' generate a pallet load replanning 185 (as described herein) for the automated palletizer 160PB defined by the resolution of each corresponding void CVUV for each exclusion / missing case unit within the initial pallet load plan 184 (FIG. 14, block 1470). As described herein, the pallet load generators 164, 164' are programmed with a meta-pose package resolver 164R (see FIG. 1) for at least one adjacent case unit or package CU adjacent to the corresponding void VCUV to heuristically optimize the measure of stability of the corresponding pallet layer L from the meta-pose of at least one adjacent package such that the measure of stability is the same as or exceeds the predetermined threshold and the corresponding void VCUV is resolved.The pallet load generators 164, 164' are configured to optimize a measure of the stability of the corresponding pallet layer L from both a heuristic optimization via a metapause package resolver 164R and a swapping of at least another package into the corresponding void VCUV for the missing case unit (i.e., the excluded package) 800 of the initial pallet load plan 184. The pallet load generators 164, 164' are also configured to generate a pallet load replan 185 for the automated palletizer 160PB defined by the resolution of each corresponding void VCUV for each missing case unit 800 in the initial pallet load plan 184. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, aspects of the present disclosure have been described above with respect to constructing a pallet load PAL using a single articulated arm 161 of an automated palletizer 160PB, but in some aspects, the automated palletizer 160PB may have more than one articulated arm 161, 162 that operate in cooperation to construct the pallet load PAL (see FIG. 2). The more than one articulated arm 161, 162 has overlapping access to the pallet load PAL, and this overlapping access extends over at least a portion of the pallet-based footprint. As seen in FIG. 2, each of the articulated arms 161, 162 of the automated palletizer 160PB has its own conveyor 160CB from which case units are picked in the order of placement in the pallet load PAL. The pallet load generators 164, 164' are such that the initial pallet load plan 184 heuristically resolves the corresponding void VCUV only from the case units assigned to the first articulated arm among the articulated arms 161, 162 of the automated palletizer 160PB (in the manner described herein) by assigning the missing / excluded case units to the first articulated arm, and the initial pallet load plan 184 heuristically resolves the corresponding void VCUV only from the case units assigned to the second articulated arm among the articulated arms 161, 162 of the automated palletizer 160PB (in the manner described herein) by assigning the missing / excluded case units to the second articulated arm.

[0061] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a material handling system is provided for handling packages and placing the packages on a pallet for an order store. The material handling system includes a storage array having a storage space for holding packages therein, an automated package conveying system communicatively connected to the storage array for storing a package in and retrieving the package from the storage space of the storage array, an automated palletizer for placing mixed packages on a pallet to form a pallet load of the mixed packages, the automated palletizer being communicatively connected to the automated package conveying system, the automated package conveying system providing individual packages from the storage array to the automated palletizer to form a pallet load of the mixed packages, the pallet load of the mixed packages including a composite layer of more than one of the mixed packages, a controller operably connected to the automated palletizer, the controller being programmed with a pallet load generator having an initial pallet load plan for fully and stably forming a pallet load of the mixed packages within a mixed package layer with an initial planned pallet load distribution, the controller being communicatively connected to register at least one excluded package from at least one of the storage array and the automated package conveying system, the pallet load generator being arranged to identify a corresponding pallet layer of the excluded package within the initial pallet load plan and determine a corresponding void formed by the excluded package within the corresponding pallet layer, the pallet load generator being configured to determine a measure of stability resulting from the corresponding void within the corresponding pallet layer, the pallet load generator a repositioning of at least one adjacent package adjacent to the corresponding void within the initial pallet load plan relative to the corresponding void, and Swapping of at least another package into the corresponding void for the exclusion package, from at least one of, optimizing a measure of stability to be the same as or exceed a predetermined threshold, and configured to heuristically resolve the corresponding void, The pallet load generator is configured to generate a pallet load replanning for an automated palletizer defined by the resolution of each corresponding void for each exclusion case unit in the initial pallet load plan.

[0062] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, repositioning of at least one adjacent package at least partially closes the corresponding void.

[0063] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a predetermined threshold of a measure of stability characterizes the corresponding pallet layer having a resolved void as being stable for automatic palletization.

[0064] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a predetermined threshold of a measure of stability characterizes resolving the corresponding void into a resolved void and reforming the corresponding pallet layer destabilized by the corresponding void into a stable layer stabilized by the resolved void.

[0065] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a stable layer defines a corresponding stable support for each other stable layer of the pallet load replanning for automatic palletization of all stacked layers on the stable layer.

[0066] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the measure of stability is proportional to a confinement radius arranged around the center of gravity of the package, within which confinement radius all points belong to the boundary polygon of the support of the package formed by the underlying package on which the package is seated.

[0067] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the repose of at least one adjacent package includes a horizontal translation of the at least one adjacent package into at least a partially corresponding void.

[0068] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a pallet load generator is configured to horizontally translate at least one adjacent package in a series of incremental pose translations, determine a measure of stability for each of the incremental pose translations of the at least one adjacent package, and select a pose of at least one package for pallet load replanning corresponding to the incremental pose translation having the greatest measure of stability.

[0069] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a pallet load generator is configured to horizontally translate more than one of at least one adjacent package in respective series of incremental pose translations, determine a measure of stability for each combination of the respective incremental pose translations of more than one of at least one adjacent package, and select a pose of each of more than one of at least one package for pallet load replanning corresponding to the combination of respective incremental pose translations having the greatest measure of stability.

[0070] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the repose of at least one adjacent package includes a rotation of the at least one adjacent package about the center of the at least one adjacent package from an initial rotational pose to a translated rotational pose.

[0071] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the pallet load generator determines a measure of stability for at least one package in both an initial rotational pose and a translationally moved rotational pose, and selects a pose of at least one package for pallet load replanning corresponding to one initial rotational pose and one translationally moved rotational pose having the greatest measure of stability.

[0072] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, by swapping at least another package, a corresponding void is at least partially closed and another void corresponding to the initial position of at least another package is created.

[0073] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the pallet load generator optimizes a measure of stability from at least one of a re-pose of at least one adjacent package adjacent to another void in the initial pallet load plan with respect to the other void and a swapping of at least another package in the initial pallet load plan into another void for the swapped package to be the same as or exceed a predetermined threshold, and is configured to eliminate the other void.

[0074] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the pallet load generator is configured to effect a swap of at least another package by placing the at least another package into a corresponding void, and the at least another package and the excluded package belong to a common pallet load layer.

[0075] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the pallet load generator is configured to effect a swap of at least another package by placing the at least another package into a corresponding void from a superposed pallet load layer with respect to the pallet load layer of the excluded package.

[0076] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, an exclusion package and at least one other package are disposed within a common stack of packages, and a pallet load generator is configured to effect swapping of at least the other package by lowering at least the other package within the common stack of packages into a corresponding void.

[0077] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the pallet load generator is further configured to horizontally translate at least one adjacent package within an adjacent stack of packages at least partially into another void created within the common stack of packages by lowering at least the other package.

[0078] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a material handling system further comprises another automated palletizer for placing a mixed package on a pallet to form a pallet load of the mixed package, the another automated palletizer and the automated palletizer having overlapping access over at least a portion of the footprint of the pallet, and the pallet load generator is configured to heuristically resolve corresponding voids only from the packages assigned to the automated palletizer in an initial pallet load plan by the initial pallet load plan assigning the exclusion package to the automated palletizer, and to heuristically resolve corresponding voids only from the packages assigned to the another automated palletizer in the initial pallet load plan by the initial pallet load plan assigning the exclusion package to the another automated palletizer.

[0079] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a method is provided for handling packages and placing the packages on a pallet for an order store. The method comprises providing a storage space within a storage array of a material handling system for holding packages therein; Using an automated package conveying system of a material handling system communicably connected to a storage array, storing a package in a storage space of the storage array and taking out the package from the storage space of the storage array; Using an automated palletizer of a material handling system to place mixed packages on a pallet to form a pallet load of the mixed packages, wherein the automated palletizer is communicably connected to the automated package conveying system, and the automated package conveying system provides individual packages from the storage array to the automated palletizer to form a pallet load of the mixed packages, and the pallet load of the mixed packages includes more than one composite layer of the mixed packages; Using a controller of a material handling system operably connected to the automated palletizer and programmed with an initial pallet load plan to completely and stably form a pallet load of the mixed packages in the mixed package layer with an initial planned pallet load distribution. Here, the controller is communicably connected to register at least one excluded package from at least one of the storage array and the automated package conveying system, the pallet load generator identifies a corresponding pallet layer of the excluded package in the initial pallet load plan, and is arranged to determine a corresponding void formed by the excluded package in the corresponding pallet layer; the pallet load generator determines a measure of stability resulting from the corresponding void in the corresponding pallet layer; the pallet load generator reposes at least one adjacent package adjacent to the corresponding void in the initial pallet load plan with respect to the corresponding void, and swaps at least another package in the initial pallet load plan into the corresponding void for the excluded package, and heuristically resolves the corresponding void based on optimizing the measure of stability to be the same as or exceed a predetermined threshold from at least one of the above. The pallet load generator generates a pallet load replanning for an automated palletizer, defined by the resolution of each corresponding void for each exclusion case unit in the initial pallet load plan.

[0080] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the repositioning of at least one adjacent package at least partially closes the corresponding void.

[0081] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a predetermined threshold of a measure of stability characterizes a corresponding pallet layer having resolved voids as being stable for automatic palletization.

[0082] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a predetermined threshold of a measure of stability characterizes the resolution of the corresponding voids into resolved voids and the reformation of the corresponding pallet layer destabilized by the corresponding voids into a stable layer stabilized by the resolved voids.

[0083] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a stable layer defines a corresponding stable support for each other stable layer of the pallet load replanning for the automatic palletization of all stacked layers on the stable layer.

[0084] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the measure of stability is proportional to a confinement radius disposed around the center of gravity of the package, within which confinement radius all points belong to the boundary polygon of the support of the package formed by the underlying package on which the package is seated.

[0085] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the repositioning of at least one adjacent package includes at least a horizontal translation of at least one adjacent package into the corresponding void.

[0086] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the method further includes using a pallet load generator to translate at least one adjacent package horizontally in a series of incremental pose translations, determining a measure of stability for each of the incremental pose translations of the at least one adjacent package, and selecting a pose of at least one package for pallet load replanning corresponding to the incremental pose translation having the greatest measure of stability.

[0087] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the method further includes using a pallet load generator to translate more than one of the at least one adjacent package horizontally in respective series of incremental pose translations, determining a measure of stability for each combination of the respective incremental pose translations of more than one of the at least one adjacent package, and selecting a pose of more than one of the at least one package for pallet load replanning corresponding to each combination of the incremental pose translations having the greatest measure of stability.

[0088] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the repose of at least one adjacent package includes rotation of the at least one adjacent package about the center of the at least one adjacent package from an initial rotational pose to a translated rotational pose.

[0089] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the method further includes determining a measure of stability for at least one package in both an initial rotational pose and a translated rotational pose using a pallet load generator, and selecting a pose of at least one package for pallet load replanning corresponding to one initial rotational pose and one translated rotational pose having the greatest measure of stability.

[0090] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, at least by swapping another package, the corresponding void is at least partially closed, and another void corresponding to the initial position of at least another package is created.

[0091] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the method further includes eliminating another void based on optimizing a measure of stability to be the same as or exceed a predetermined threshold from at least one of repositioning at least one adjacent package adjacent to another void in an initial pallet load plan with respect to the another void and swapping at least another package of the initial pallet load plan into another void for the swapped package using a pallet load generator.

[0092] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the pallet load generator effects swapping of at least another package by placing at least another package into the corresponding void, and the at least another package and the excluded package belong to a common pallet load layer.

[0093] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the pallet load generator effects swapping of at least another package by placing at least another package into the corresponding void from a superposed pallet load layer with respect to the pallet load layer of the excluded package.

[0094] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the excluded package and the at least another package are arranged in a common stack of packages, and the pallet load generator effects swapping of at least another package by lowering at least another package in the common stack of packages into the corresponding void.

[0095] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a pallet load generator horizontally translates at least one adjacent package in an adjacent stack of packages at least partially into another void created within a common stack of packages by lowering at least another package.

[0096] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the method includes forming a pallet load of mixed packages on a pallet using another automated palletizer, wherein the another automated palletizer and the automated palletizer have overlapping access covering at least a portion of the footprint of the pallet, further including heuristically resolving corresponding voids only from the packages assigned to the automated palletizer in an initial pallet load plan by the pallet load generator by the initial pallet load plan assigning excluded packages to the automated palletizer, and heuristically resolving corresponding voids only from the packages assigned to the another automated palletizer in the initial pallet load plan by the pallet load generator by the initial pallet load plan assigning excluded packages to the another automated palletizer.

[0097] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a material handling system is provided for handling packages and placing the packages on a pallet for an order store. The material handling system includes a storage array having a storage space for holding packages therein, an automated package conveyance system communicatively connected to the storage array for storing packages in the storage space of the storage array and retrieving packages from the storage space of the storage array, and an automated palletizer for placing mixed packages on a pallet to form a pallet load of the mixed packages, wherein the automated palletizer is communicatively connected to the automated package conveyance system, and the automated package conveyance system provides individual packages from the storage array to the automated palletizer to form a pallet load of the mixed packages, and the pallet load of the mixed packages includes a composite layer of more than one of the mixed packages, and an automated palletizer, and a controller operably connected to the automated palletizer, the controller being programmed with a pallet load generator having an initial pallet load plan for fully and stably forming a pallet load of the mixed packages in the mixed package layer with an initial planned pallet load distribution. The controller is communicatively connected to register at least one excluded package from at least one of the storage array and the automated package conveyance system, and the pallet load generator is arranged to identify a corresponding pallet layer of the excluded package in the initial pallet load plan and determine a corresponding void formed by the excluded package in the corresponding pallet layer, and the pallet load generator is programmed with a metapose package resolver for at least one adjacent package adjacent to the corresponding void, and the metapose package resolver heuristically optimizes a measure of stability of the corresponding pallet layer from the metapose of at least one adjacent package such that a measure of stability is the same as or exceeds a predetermined threshold and the corresponding void is eliminated.

[0098] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the pallet load generator is configured to optimize a measure of the stability of the corresponding pallet layer from both a heuristic optimization via a metapose package resolver and a swapping of at least another package into a corresponding void for an excluded package, and the pallet load generator is configured to generate a pallet load replanning for an automated palletizer defined by the resolution of each corresponding void for each excluded package within an initial pallet load plan.

[0099] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the metapose package resolver effects a repose of at least one adjacent package adjacent to a corresponding void within an initial pallet load plan with respect to the corresponding void.

[0100] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the repose of at least one adjacent package at least partially closes the corresponding void.

[0101] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the repose of at least one adjacent package includes a horizontal translational movement of at least one adjacent package into the corresponding void at least partially.

[0102] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the repose of at least one adjacent package includes a rotation of at least one adjacent package about the center of at least one adjacent package from an initial rotation pose to a rotation pose translated from the translational movement.

[0103] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the pallet load generator is configured to effect a swapping of at least another package by placing at least another package into the corresponding void, where the at least another package and the excluded package belong to a common pallet load layer.

[0104] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a pallet load generator is configured to effect swapping of at least another package by placing at least another package into a corresponding void within an overlaid pallet load layer relative to a pallet load layer of an excluded package.

[0105] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the excluded package and at least another package are disposed within a common stack of packages, and the pallet load generator is configured to effect swapping of at least another package by lowering at least another package within the common stack of packages into a corresponding void.

[0106] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the pallet load generator is further configured to horizontally translate at least one adjacent package within an adjacent stack of packages at least partially into another void created within a common stack of packages by lowering at least another package.

[0107] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, swapping of at least another package at least partially closes a corresponding void and creates another void corresponding to an initial position of at least another package.

[0108] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the pallet load generator is configured to eliminate another void based on optimizing a measure of stability from at least one of a repositioning of at least one adjacent package adjacent to another void within an initial pallet load plan and a swapping of at least another package within the initial pallet load plan into another void for the swapped package to be the same as or exceed a predetermined threshold.

[0109] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a predetermined threshold of a measure of stability characterizes a corresponding pallet layer having resolved voids as being stable for automatic palletization.

[0110] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a predetermined threshold of a measure of stability characterizes resolving a corresponding void into a resolved void and reforming a corresponding pallet layer destabilized by the corresponding void into a stable layer stabilized by the resolved void.

[0111] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a stable layer defines a stable support corresponding to each other stable layer of a pallet load re-planning for automatic palletization of all stacked layers on the stable layer.

[0112] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a measure of stability is proportional to a confinement radius disposed around the center of gravity of a package, within which confinement radius all points belong to a boundary polygon of a support of the package formed by a lower package on which the package is seated.

[0113] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a pallet load generator is configured to translate at least one adjacent package horizontally in a series of incremental pose translations, determine a measure of stability for each of the incremental pose translations of the at least one adjacent package, and select a pose of the at least one package for pallet load re-planning corresponding to the incremental pose translation having the greatest measure of stability.

[0114] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a pallet load generator is configured to horizontally translate more than one of at least one adjacent package by respective incremental pose translations, determine a measure of stability for each combination of respective incremental pose translations of more than one of at least one adjacent package, and select the respective pose of more than one of at least one package for pallet load replanning corresponding to each combination of respective incremental pose translations having the greatest measure of stability.

[0115] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a pallet load generator is configured to determine a measure of stability for at least one package in both an initial rotational pose and a translated rotational pose, and select the pose of at least one package for pallet load replanning corresponding to one initial rotational pose and one translated rotational pose having the greatest measure of stability.

[0116] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a material handling system further includes another automated palletizer for placing mixed packages on a pallet to form a pallet load of the mixed packages, the another automated palletizer and the automated palletizer having overlapping access over at least a portion of the footprint of the pallet, and the pallet load generator is configured to heuristically resolve corresponding voids only from packages assigned to the automated palletizer in an initial pallet load plan by the initial pallet load plan assigning excluded packages to the automated palletizer, and heuristically resolve corresponding voids only from packages assigned to the another automated palletizer in the initial pallet load plan by the initial pallet load plan assigning excluded packages to the another automated palletizer.

[0117] It should be understood that the foregoing description is only illustrative of examples of aspects of the present disclosure. Various alternatives and modifications can be contemplated by those skilled in the art without departing from the aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, aspects of the present disclosure are intended to encompass all such alternatives, modifications, and variations that fall within the scope of any of the appended claims herein. Further, the mere fact that different features are recited in mutually different dependent or independent claims does not indicate that a combination of these features cannot be advantageously used and does not indicate that such a combination remains within the scope of aspects of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A material handling system for handling packages and placing the packages on a pallet for an order store, wherein the material handling system includes a storage array having a storage space for holding packages therein, an automated package conveyance system communicatively connected to the storage array for storing a package in the storage space of the storage array and removing a package from the storage space of the storage array, an automated palletizer for placing mixed packages on a pallet to form a pallet load of the mixed packages, wherein the automated palletizer is communicatively connected to the automated package conveyance system, and the automated package conveyance system provides individual packages from the storage array to the automated palletizer to form the pallet load of the mixed packages, and the pallet load of the mixed packages includes a composite layer of more than one mixed package, an automated palletizer; a controller operably connected to the automated palletizer, the controller being programmed with a pallet load generator having an initial pallet load plan for completely and stably forming the pallet load of the mixed packages in the mixed package layer with an initial planned pallet load distribution, a controller; the controller is communicatively connected to register at least one excluded package from at least one of the storage array and the automated package conveyance system, and the pallet load generator identifies a corresponding pallet layer of the excluded package in the initial pallet load plan and is arranged to determine a corresponding void formed by the excluded package within the corresponding pallet layer; the pallet load generator is configured to determine a measure of stability resulting from the corresponding void in the corresponding pallet layer; the pallet load generator the repositioning of at least one adjacent package adjacent to the corresponding void in the initial pallet load plan with respect to the corresponding void, and the swapping of at least another package of the initial pallet load plan into the corresponding void for the excluded package; Based on optimizing the measure of stability to be the same as or exceed a predetermined threshold from at least one of them, the corresponding void is configured to be heuristically resolved, A material handling system, wherein the pallet load generator is configured to generate a pallet load replanning for the automated palletizer, which is defined by the resolution of each corresponding void for each exclusion case unit in the initial pallet load plan. **Claim 2** The material handling system according to claim 1, wherein the repositioning of the at least one adjacent package at least partially closes the corresponding void. **Claim 3** The material handling system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined threshold of the measure of stability characterizes the corresponding pallet layer having resolved voids as being stable against automatic palletization. **Claim 4** The material handling system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined threshold of the measure of stability is characterized by resolving the corresponding void into a resolved void and reforming the corresponding pallet layer destabilized by the corresponding void into a stable layer stabilized by the resolved void. **Claim 5** The material handling system according to claim 4, wherein the stable layer defines a stable support corresponding to each other stable layer of the pallet load replanning for the automatic palletization of all stacked layers on the stable layer. **Claim 6** The material handling system according to claim 1, wherein the measure of stability is proportional to a confinement radius arranged around the center of gravity of the package, and within the confinement radius, all points belong to the boundary polygon of the support of the package formed by the lower packages on which the package is seated. **Claim 7** The material handling system according to claim 1, wherein the repositioning of the at least one adjacent package includes a horizontal translational movement of the at least one adjacent package at least partially into the corresponding void. **Claim 8** The pallet load generator horizontally translates the at least one adjacent package by a series of incremental pose translational movements, determines a measure of stability for each of the incremental pose translational movements of the at least one adjacent package, Selecting the pose of at least one package for the pallet load replanning corresponding to the incremental pose translation having the greatest measure of stability The material handling system according to claim 1, configured to be like this.

9. The pallet load generator Translating horizontally, by a respective series of incremental pose translations, more than one of said at least one adjacent package Determining a measure of stability for each combination of respective incremental pose translations of more than one of said at least one adjacent package Selecting the respective pose of more than one of said at least one package for the pallet load replanning corresponding to each combination of respective incremental pose translations having the greatest measure of stability The material handling system according to claim 1, configured to be like this.

10. The material handling system according to claim 1, wherein the re - posing of said at least one adjacent package includes rotation of said at least one adjacent package about the center of said at least one adjacent package from an initial rotational pose to a rotational pose translated by a translation

11. The pallet load generator Determining a measure of stability for at least one package in both the initial rotational pose and the translated rotational pose Selecting the pose of said at least one package for the pallet load replanning corresponding to one of said initial rotational pose and said translated rotational pose having the greatest measure of stability The material handling system according to claim 1, configured to be like this.

12. The material handling system according to claim 1, wherein the corresponding void is at least partially closed by swapping of said at least another package and another void corresponding to the initial position of said at least another package is created

13. The pallet load generator The re - posing of at least one adjacent package adjacent to said another void within the initial pallet load plan, with respect to said another void, and The swapping of at least another package of the initial pallet load plan into said another void for the swapped package configured to eliminate said another void based on optimizing said measure of stability to be the same as or exceed a predetermined threshold from at least one of them, the material handling system according to claim 12.

14. The pallet load generator is configured to effect swapping of said at least another package by placing at least another package into said corresponding void, and said at least another package and said excluded package belong to a common pallet load layer, the material handling system according to claim 1.

15. The pallet load generator is configured to effect swapping of said at least another package by placing said at least another package into said corresponding void from a superposed pallet load layer with respect to the pallet load layer of said excluded package, the material handling system according to claim 1.

16. Said excluded package and said at least another package are arranged in a common stack of packages, and the pallet load generator is configured to effect swapping of said at least another package by lowering said at least another package in the common stack of packages into said corresponding void, the material handling system according to claim 1.

17. The pallet load generator is further configured to horizontally translate at least one adjacent package in an adjacent stack of packages at least partially into another void created in the common stack of packages by lowering said at least another package, the material handling system according to claim 16.

18. The automated palletizer has a first arm and a second arm configured to place a mixed package on a pallet to form a pallet load of the mixed package, and the first arm and the second arm have overlapping access covering at least a part of the footprint of the pallet, comprising the first arm and the second arm, the pallet load generator is By the initial pallet loading plan assigning the exclusion package to the first arm, the corresponding voids are heuristically resolved only from the packages assigned to the first arm in the initial pallet loading plan, and by the initial pallet loading plan assigning the exclusion package to the second arm, the corresponding voids are heuristically resolved only from the packages assigned to the second arm in the initial pallet loading plan. The material handling system according to claim 1, which is configured as described above.

19. A method for handling packages and placing the packages on a pallet for an order store, the method comprising: providing a storage space for holding packages in a storage array of a material handling system; storing packages in and retrieving packages from the storage space of the storage array using an automated package transfer system of the material handling system communicatively connected to the storage array; forming a pallet load of mixed packages by placing the mixed packages on a pallet using an automated palletizer of the material handling system, the automated palletizer being communicatively connected to the automated package transfer system, the automated package transfer system providing individual packages from the storage array to the automated palletizer to form the pallet load of the mixed packages, the pallet load of the mixed packages including multiple composite layers of more than one mixed package; forming the pallet load of the mixed packages completely and stably within the mixed package layer in an initial planned pallet load distribution using a controller of the material handling system operably connected to the automated palletizer and programmed with an initial pallet loading plan. The controller is communicatively connected to register at least one exclusion package from at least one of the storage array and the automated package transport system, and the pallet load generator is configured to identify a corresponding pallet layer of the exclusion package within the initial pallet load plan and determine a corresponding void formed by the exclusion package within the corresponding pallet layer. The pallet load generator determines a measure of stability resulting from the corresponding void within the corresponding pallet layer. The pallet load generator reposes at least one adjacent package adjacent to the corresponding void within the initial pallet load plan with respect to the corresponding void, and swaps at least another package of the initial pallet load plan into the corresponding void for the exclusion package, Based on optimizing the measure of stability to be the same as or exceed a predetermined threshold from at least one of the foregoing, the corresponding void is heuristically resolved. A method in which the pallet load generator generates a pallet load replan for the automated palletizer defined by the resolution of each corresponding void for each exclusion case unit in the initial pallet load plan.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the reposing of the at least one adjacent package at least partially closes the corresponding void.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the predetermined threshold of the measure of stability characterizes the corresponding pallet layer having resolved voids as being stable for automatic palletization.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein the predetermined threshold of the measure of stability is characterized by resolving the corresponding void into a resolved void and reforming the corresponding pallet layer destabilized by the corresponding void into a stable layer stabilized by the resolved void.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the stable layer defines a stable support corresponding to each other stable layer of the pallet load replan for the automatic palletization of all superimposed layers on the stable layer.

24. The method according to claim 19, wherein the measure of stability is proportional to the confinement radius arranged around the center of gravity of the package, and within the confinement radius, all points belong to the boundary polygon of the support of the package formed by the lower package on which the package is seated.

25. The method according to claim 19, wherein the repositioning of the at least one adjacent package includes a horizontal translational movement of the at least one adjacent package at least partially into the corresponding void.

26. Using the pallet load generator, horizontally translating the at least one adjacent package by a series of incremental pose translations; determining a measure of stability for each of the incremental pose translations of the at least one adjacent package; selecting a pose of at least one package for the pallet load replanning corresponding to the incremental pose translation having the greatest measure of stability. The method according to claim 19, further comprising.

27. Using the pallet load generator, horizontally translating more than one of the at least one adjacent package by respective series of incremental pose translations; determining a measure of stability for each combination of the respective incremental pose translations of more than one of the at least one adjacent package; selecting a pose of each of more than one of the at least one package for the pallet load replanning corresponding to each combination of incremental pose translations having the greatest measure of stability. The method according to claim 19, further comprising.

28. The method according to claim 19, wherein the repositioning of the at least one adjacent package includes a rotation of the at least one adjacent package about the center of the at least one adjacent package from an initial rotational pose to a rotational pose translated by a translational movement.

29. Using the pallet load generator, determining a measure of stability for at least one package at both the initial rotational pose and the rotational pose translated by a translational movement; Selecting, for the pallet load re-planning, the pose of the at least one package corresponding to one of the initial rotational poses and the translationally moved rotational pose having the greatest stability measure, the method of claim 19, further comprising.

30. The method of claim 19, wherein by swapping the at least another package, the corresponding void is at least partially closed and another void corresponding to the initial position of the at least another package is created.

31. Using the pallet load generator, For at least one adjacent package adjacent to the other void in the initial pallet load plan, re-posing with respect to the other void, and Swapping at least another package of the initial pallet load plan into the other void for the swapped package, The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of eliminating the other void based on optimizing the measure of stability to be the same as or exceed a predetermined threshold from at least one of.

32. The method of claim 19, wherein the pallet load generator effects swapping of the at least another package by placing the at least another package into the corresponding void, and the at least another package and the excluded package belong to a common pallet load layer.

33. The method of claim 19, wherein the pallet load generator effects swapping of the at least another package by placing the at least another package into the corresponding void from a pallet load layer superimposed on the pallet load layer of the excluded package.

34. The method of claim 19, wherein the excluded package and the at least another package are arranged in a common stack of packages, and the pallet load generator effects swapping of the at least another package by lowering the at least another package in the common stack of packages into the corresponding void.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the pallet load generator horizontally translates at least one adjacent package in an adjacent stack of packages at least partially into another void created within a common stack of packages by lowering the at least another package.

36. The method further includes a step of forming a pallet load of the mixed packages by placing the mixed packages on the pallet using a second arm of the automated palletizer, wherein the second arm of the automated palletizer and a first arm of the automated palletizer have overlapping access covering at least a part of the footprint of the pallet. a step of heuristically resolving the corresponding voids only from the packages assigned to the first arm in the initial pallet load plan by using the pallet load generator, wherein the initial pallet load plan assigns the excluded packages to the first arm; a step of heuristically resolving the corresponding voids only from the packages assigned to the second arm in the initial pallet load plan by using the pallet load generator, wherein the initial pallet load plan assigns the excluded packages to the second arm, the method according to claim 19.

37. A material handling system for handling packages and placing the packages on a pallet for an order store, the material handling system including a storage array having storage spaces for holding packages therein; an automated package conveying system communicatively connected to the storage array for storing packages in and retrieving packages from the storage spaces of the storage array; an automated palletizer for placing mixed packages on a pallet to form a pallet load of the mixed packages, the automated palletizer being communicatively connected to the automated package conveying system, the automated package conveying system providing individual packages from the storage array to the automated palletizer to form the pallet load of the mixed packages, the pallet load of the mixed packages including more than one composite layer of the mixed packages. A controller operably connected to the automated palletizer, the controller being programmed with a pallet load generator having an initial pallet load plan for completely and stably forming a pallet load of the mixed packages in a mixed package layer with an initial planned pallet load distribution, a controller, comprising: The controller is communicably connected to register at least one excluded package from at least one of the storage array and the automated package transport system, and the pallet load generator identifies a corresponding pallet layer of the excluded package in the initial pallet load plan and is arranged to determine a corresponding void formed by the excluded package within the corresponding pallet layer. The pallet load generator is programmed with a metapose package resolver for at least one adjacent package adjacent to the corresponding void, the metapose package resolver heuristically optimizing a measure of stability of the corresponding pallet layer from a metapose of the at least one adjacent package such that the measure of stability is the same as or exceeds a predetermined threshold and the corresponding void is eliminated. A material handling system.

38. The pallet load generator is configured to optimize the measure of stability of the corresponding pallet layer from both heuristic optimization via the metapose package resolver and swapping of at least another package of the initial pallet load plan into the corresponding void for the excluded package. The material handling system according to claim 37, wherein the pallet load generator is configured to generate a pallet load replan for the automated palletizer defined by elimination of each corresponding void for each excluded case unit in the initial pallet load plan.

39. The material handling system according to claim 38, wherein the metapose package resolver effects a repose of at least one adjacent package adjacent to the corresponding void in the initial pallet load plan relative to the corresponding void.

40. The material handling system according to claim 39, wherein the repose of the at least one adjacent package at least partially closes the corresponding void.

41. The material handling system according to claim 39, wherein the repose of the at least one adjacent package includes a horizontal translational movement of the at least one adjacent package into the corresponding void at least partially.

42. The material handling system according to claim 39, wherein the repose of the at least one adjacent package includes a rotation of the at least one adjacent package about the center of the at least one adjacent package from an initial rotational pose to a translational rotational pose.

43. The pallet load generator is configured to effect a swapping of the at least another package by placing the at least another package into the corresponding void, and the at least another package and the excluded package belong to a common pallet load layer, according to claim 38 of the material handling system.

44. The pallet load generator is configured to effect a swapping of the at least another package by placing the at least another package into the corresponding void from a superposed pallet load layer with respect to the pallet load layer of the excluded package, according to claim 38 of the material handling system.

45. The excluded package and the at least another package are arranged in a common stack of packages, and the pallet load generator is configured to effect a swapping of the at least another package by lowering the at least another package in the common stack of packages into the corresponding void, according to claim 38 of the material handling system.

46. The material handling system according to claim 45, wherein the pallet load generator is further configured to horizontally translate at least one adjacent package in an adjacent stack of packages at least partially into another void created in the common stack of packages by lowering the at least another package.

47. The material handling system according to claim 38, wherein at least another swapping of the packages at least partially closes the corresponding void, and creates another void corresponding to the initial position of the at least another package.

48. The pallet load generator for at least one adjacent package adjacent to the another void in the initial pallet load plan, a re-pose with respect to the another void, and swapping of at least another package of the initial pallet load plan into the another void for the swapped package, configured to eliminate the another void based on optimizing the measure of stability from at least one of the above to be the same as or exceed a predetermined threshold. The material handling system according to claim 47.

49. The material handling system according to claim 37, wherein the predetermined threshold of the measure of stability characterizes the corresponding pallet layer having a void that has been eliminated as being stable against automatic palletization.

50. The material handling system according to claim 37, wherein the predetermined threshold of the measure of stability is characterized by eliminating the corresponding void to a void that has been eliminated, and reforming the corresponding pallet layer destabilized by the corresponding void into a stable layer stabilized by the void that has been eliminated.

51. The material handling system according to claim 50, wherein the stable layer defines a stable support corresponding to each other stable layer of the pallet load replanning for automatic palletization of all superimposed layers on the stable layer.

52. The material handling system according to claim 37, wherein the measure of stability is proportional to a confinement radius arranged around the center of gravity of the package, and within the confinement radius, all points belong to the boundary polygon of the support of the package formed by the lower package on which the package is seated.

53. The pallet load generator translates the at least one adjacent package horizontally in a series of incremental pose translations, determines a measure of stability for each of the incremental pose translations of the at least one adjacent package, Selecting the pose of at least one package for said pallet load replanning corresponding to said incremental pose translation having the greatest stability measure The material handling system according to claim 37, configured as such.

54. Said pallet load generator Translating horizontally, by respective series of incremental pose translations, more than one of said at least one adjacent package Determining a measure of stability for each combination of respective incremental pose translations of more than one of said at least one adjacent package Selecting the pose of more than one of said at least one package for said pallet load replanning corresponding to each combination of respective incremental pose translations having the greatest stability measure The material handling system according to claim 37, configured as such.

55. Said pallet load generator Determining a measure of stability for at least one package in both the initial rotational pose and the translated rotational pose Selecting the pose of said at least one package for said pallet load replanning corresponding to one of said initial rotational pose and said translated rotational pose having the greatest stability measure The material handling system according to claim 37, configured as such.

56. Said automated palletizer Comprising a first arm and a second arm configured to place a mixed package on a pallet to form a pallet load of said mixed package, wherein said first arm and said second arm have overlapping access covering at least a part of the footprint of said pallet Said pallet load generator When said initial pallet load plan assigns said excluded package to said first arm, heuristically resolving said corresponding void only from the packages assigned to said first arm in said initial pallet load plan When said initial pallet load plan assigns said excluded package to said second arm, heuristically resolving said corresponding void only from the packages assigned to said second arm in said initial pallet load plan The material handling system according to claim 37, configured as described.

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