Item allocation method and electronic device therefor

Abstract

The present disclosure may provide an item allocation method comprising the steps of: acquiring stock keeping unit (SKU) identification information corresponding to an item; confirming, on the basis of the SKU identification information, information about a box type for packing the item; and, on the basis of SKU attribute information including the information about the box type, allocating the item to at least one from among a plurality of fulfillment centers.

Description

Method of allocating items and electronic devices thereof

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for allocating items and an electronic device thereof, and more particularly, to a method for allocating items to fulfillment centers by taking into account the type of box in which the items are to be packed, and an electronic device thereof.

[0002] As internet use becomes more widespread, the e-commerce market is expanding. While the proportion of people visiting offline stores to purchase products is declining, the proportion of people purchasing products through e-commerce platforms using computers or smartphones is rapidly increasing.

[0003] One of the most critical challenges in the e-commerce market is efficiently processing customer orders and delivering them promptly. To achieve this, efficiently distributing customer-ordered items or existing inventory to fulfillment centers is crucial. In particular, items handled in e-commerce markets typically come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Therefore, it can be more efficient to centralize distribution of items requiring a single box type to fulfillment centers capable of such packaging. However, in the past, items were distributed to fulfillment centers without sufficient consideration of the appropriate box type, resulting in difficulties in providing prompt and accurate service to customers.

[0004] Accordingly, there is a growing need for a method to allocate items based on the type of box they are packaged in, to maximize system efficiency, reduce transportation costs, and improve customer experience.

[0005] In this regard, reference may be made to prior literature such as KR 10-0788187 or KR 10-2015-0098059.

[0006] The object of the embodiment of the present specification is to provide a method and an electronic device for identifying information about a box type for packaging an item based on SKU identification information and allocating an item to at least one fulfillment center among a plurality of fulfillment centers based on SKU attribute information including information about the box type, in order to solve the above-described problem.

[0007] The technical tasks to be achieved by this embodiment are not limited to the technical tasks described above, and other technical tasks can be inferred from the following embodiments.

[0008] A method for allocating items in an electronic device according to one embodiment may be provided, comprising: obtaining SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) identification information corresponding to an item; confirming information on a box type for packaging the item based on the SKU identification information; and allocating the item to at least one fulfillment center among a plurality of fulfillment centers based on SKU attribute information including information on the box type.

[0009] A method for allocating items in an electronic device according to one embodiment may be provided, wherein the step of checking information about a box type includes: determining a first fulfillment center among a plurality of fulfillment centers; and checking information about the box type based on information about a box type determination algorithm of the first fulfillment center.

[0010] As a method for allocating items in an electronic device according to one embodiment, a method may be provided in which the step of determining a first fulfillment center includes a step of determining the first fulfillment center among a plurality of fulfillment centers based on at least one of information regarding the capacity of the fulfillment center and information regarding the type of boxes held by the fulfillment center.

[0011] As an item allocation method of an electronic device according to one embodiment, a box type determination algorithm of a first fulfillment center may be provided for determining a box type for packaging an item based on at least one of information on the type of box held by the first fulfillment center, information on the category of the item, information on the expiration date of the item, information on the size of the item, information on the durability of the item, and information on the storage temperature of the item.

[0012] A method for allocating items in an electronic device according to one embodiment may be provided, wherein the step of checking information about a box type includes: creating a database about the box type of an SKU based on predetermined SKU identification information and information about a box type determination algorithm of a first fulfillment center; and checking information about the box type for packaging an item based on the database.

[0013] A method for allocating items in an electronic device according to one embodiment may be provided, wherein predetermined SKU identification information includes SKU identification information corresponding to an item registered on a service provided by the electronic device, and the step of creating a database includes a step of creating a database by checking and storing a box type corresponding to the predetermined SKU identification information at a preset period of time using a box type determination algorithm of a first fulfillment center.

[0014] A method for allocating items in an electronic device according to one embodiment may further include a step of updating a database based on information about a first box type confirmed when a first item is actually shipped from a fulfillment center during a preset period of time and information about a second box type included in SKU attribute information corresponding to the first item, wherein the update is performed at preset periodic intervals.

[0015] A method for allocating items in an electronic device according to one embodiment may be provided, further comprising: a step of confirming registration of a new item in a service provided by the electronic device; a step of confirming information about a box type corresponding to SKU identification information of the new item using a box type determination algorithm of a first fulfillment center; and a step of adding information about a box type corresponding to SKU identification information of the new item to a database.

[0016] A method for allocating items in an electronic device according to one embodiment may be provided, wherein the updating step includes: comparing information about a first box type and information about a second box type to determine whether the first box type and the second box type are different; and, based on the determination result, if the number of first items in which the first box type and the second box type are different is equal to or greater than a preset number, updating the database by changing the box type included in SKU attribute information corresponding to the first item from the second box type to the first box type.

[0017] As a method for allocating items in an electronic device according to one embodiment, a method may be provided in which SKU attribute information further includes at least one of information regarding a category of the item, information regarding an expiration date of the item, information regarding the durability of the item, information regarding a storage temperature of the item, and information regarding a size of the item.

[0018] As a method for allocating items in an electronic device according to one embodiment, a method may be provided in which the allocating step includes a step of comparing information about a box type and information about the types of boxes held by a plurality of fulfillment centers to allocate the item to at least one fulfillment center.

[0019] A method for allocating items in an electronic device according to one embodiment may be provided, wherein the allocating step includes: comparing information about a box type and information about the types of boxes held by a plurality of fulfillment centers to identify a first candidate fulfillment center; and determining a second fulfillment center among the first candidate fulfillment centers based on SKU attribute information and attribute information of the first candidate fulfillment center, and allocating the item to the second fulfillment center.

[0020] As a method for allocating items in an electronic device according to one embodiment, a method may be provided in which attribute information of a first candidate fulfillment center includes at least one of information regarding the capacity of the first candidate fulfillment center and location information of the first candidate fulfillment center.

[0021] A method for allocating items in an electronic device according to one embodiment may be provided, further comprising: a step of confirming first SKU identification information corresponding to an item to be packed as a first type among SKU identification information; wherein the step of confirming information about a box type includes a step of confirming information about a box type for packing a first item corresponding to SKU identification information excluding the first SKU identification information among the SKU identification information; and wherein the step of allocating includes a step of allocating the first item to at least one fulfillment center among a plurality of fulfillment centers.

[0022] An electronic device for allocating an item according to one embodiment may be provided, comprising: a memory having at least one program stored therein; and a processor for executing at least one program to obtain SKU identification information corresponding to an item, determine information about a box type for packaging the item based on the SKU identification information, and allocate the item to at least one fulfillment center among a plurality of fulfillment centers based on SKU attribute information including information about the box type.

[0023] A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing an item allocation method according to one embodiment of the present invention on a computer may be provided.

[0024] According to the present disclosure, the electronic device allocates items to fulfillment centers by considering the type of box in which the items are to be packed, so that items can be distributed to the fulfillment centers more efficiently, enabling faster delivery of items to customers, and increasing picking and packing efficiency at the fulfillment center, thereby more effectively shortening the item shipping time.

[0025] Additionally, the electronic device builds a database of box types, determines the box types using the built database, and continuously updates the database through information exchange with the fulfillment center, thereby reducing the overall load on the system and allocating items to the fulfillment center more efficiently.

[0026] The effects of the invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

[0027] FIG. 1 illustrates an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an item allocation method according to one embodiment.

[0029] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a method for determining a reference FC according to one embodiment.

[0030] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an item allocation method according to another embodiment.

[0031] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining SKU attribute information according to one embodiment.

[0032] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining database-related operations regarding a box type according to one embodiment.

[0033] Figure 7 is a flowchart for explaining an operating method of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0034] The terms used in the examples have been selected from widely used, current terms, taking into account the functions of the present disclosure. However, these terms may vary depending on the intentions of those skilled in the art, precedents, the emergence of new technologies, etc. Furthermore, in certain cases, terms may be arbitrarily selected by the applicant, in which case their meanings will be described in detail in the relevant description. Therefore, the terms used in this disclosure should not be defined simply as names, but rather based on the meanings of the terms and the overall content of the present disclosure.

[0035] When a part of the specification is said to "include" a component, this does not exclude other components, but rather implies the inclusion of other components, unless otherwise specifically stated. Furthermore, terms such as "part" and "module" used in the specification mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0036] The expression "at least one of a, b, and c" described throughout the specification may encompass 'a alone', 'b alone', 'c alone', 'a and b', 'a and c', 'b and c', or 'all of a, b, and c'.

[0037] Below, embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the attached drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0038] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0039] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an electronic device for item allocation according to the present disclosure. The electronic device (100) may include a transceiver (110), a processor (120), and a memory (130). Only components related to the present embodiments are illustrated in the electronic device (100) illustrated in FIG. 1. Therefore, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the electronic device (100) may further include other general-purpose components in addition to the components illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0040] The transceiver (110) can communicate with other devices. Accordingly, the electronic device (100) can transmit and receive information with other devices via the transceiver (110). For example, the electronic device (100) can assign an item to a fulfillment center (hereinafter, also referred to as "FC") and communicate with a device of the FC via the transceiver to provide information related to the assigned item.

[0041] Here, communication, i.e., transmission and reception of data, can be performed wired or wirelessly. To this end, the transceiver (110) may include a wired communication module that connects to the Internet, etc., via a LAN (Local Area Network), a mobile communication module that connects to a mobile communication network via a mobile communication base station to transmit and receive data, a short-range communication module that uses a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) series communication method such as Wi-Fi or a WPAN (Wireless Personal Area Network) series communication method such as Bluetooth or Zigbee, a satellite communication module that uses a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) such as a GPS (Global Positioning System), or a combination thereof.

[0042] The processor (120) controls the overall functions for allocating items and providing information related to allocated items in the electronic device (100). For example, the processor (120) controls the electronic device (100) overall by executing programs stored in the memory (120) within the electronic device (100). The processor (120) may be implemented as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an application processor (AP), etc., provided within the electronic device (100), but is not limited thereto.

[0043] Meanwhile, unless otherwise specified in the following description, the operation of the electronic device may be interpreted as being performed under the control of the processor (120). That is, when modules for implementing the item allocation method of the present disclosure, which will be described below, are executed, the modules may be interpreted as controlling the processor (120) to perform the operations of the electronic device.

[0044] The memory (130) is a hardware that stores various data processed within the electronic device (100), and the memory (130) can store data processed and data to be processed in the electronic device (100). In addition, the memory (130) can store applications, drivers, etc. to be driven by the electronic device (100). The memory (130) can include a random access memory (RAM) such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a CD-ROM, a Blu-ray or other optical disk storage, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a flash memory.

[0045] In one embodiment, the electronic device (100) may be included in a service server that provides an e-commerce service. In one embodiment, the electronic device (100) may obtain SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) identification information corresponding to an item, determine information about a box type for packaging the item based on the SKU identification information, and assign the item to at least one FC among a plurality of FCs based on SKU attribute information including information about the box type.

[0046] E-commerce services, which facilitate product transactions between consumers (i.e., customers) and manufacturers over networks like the Internet, require efficient distribution of customer-ordered items or corresponding inventory items to FCs to ensure prompt and accurate delivery. This is particularly true when FCs lack the boxes for all types of items due to limited resources. Therefore, it is crucial to prioritize the allocation of items requiring specific box types to FCs that possess them. Furthermore, if FCs possess equipment, such as box packaging devices, that can automatically package items into a single box type, the processing efficiency of the box packaging device can be improved by prioritizing the allocation of items corresponding to the box types available to the FCs equipped with such devices. The box types for packaging items can be designated by specific numbers (e.g., 3, 4, 5, etc.) based on their size, and the box types can be preset based on the types of items handled by the service. For efficient inventory management of items, items can be managed by SKU (Stock Keeping Unit). SKU may refer to an inventory management code, and may also be referred to as SKU identification information hereinafter. FIG. 2 below describes the overall method by which an electronic device (100) assigns items to FCs.

[0047] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an item allocation method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 2, an electronic device (200) for item allocation, a plurality of FCs (210) including a first FC (211) and a second FC (212) are schematically illustrated. In FIG. 2, for convenience of explanation, the plurality of FCs (210) are illustrated as including only two FCs, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the plurality of FCs (210) may include at least three FCs, and the electronic device (200) may allocate items to at least three FCs. Since the electronic device (200) of FIG. 2 may be included in the electronic device (100) of FIG. 1, descriptions of overlapping content with FIG. 1 will be omitted.

[0048] Referring to FIG. 2, the electronic device (200) may obtain SKU identification information. Specifically, the electronic device (200) may obtain SKU identification information corresponding to a given item. Here, the given item may be an item included in the customer's order information or inventory information. The customer's order information may refer to information regarding an order placed by a customer for specific items through a service provided by the electronic device. The inventory information may refer to information regarding the inventory of at least one item registered on the service provided by the electronic device in preparation for a customer's order. The order information may include at least one order information based on the number of customer orders. For example, the order information may include first order information and second order information. Similarly, the inventory information may include at least one inventory information depending on the time of stocking the item. For example, the inventory information may include first inventory information, which is the inventory of items stocked at a first time point, and second inventory information, which is the inventory of items stocked at a second time point after the first time point. When a customer places a first order and a second order, the electronic device (200) can check the first order information and the second order information, and check the first SKU identification information corresponding to the first item included in the first order information and the second SKU identification information corresponding to the second item included in the second order information. When the electronic device (200) prepares the first inventory and the second inventory in preparation for the customer's order, the electronic device (200) can check the first inventory information and the second inventory information, and check the first SKU identification information corresponding to the first item included in the first inventory information and the second SKU identification information corresponding to the second item included in the second inventory information.In the above examples, for convenience of explanation, it is assumed that only one item is included in one stock or one order. However, one stock or order may include multiple items, and in such a case, it is obvious to a person skilled in the art that the electronic device (200) can identify multiple SKU identification information through the corresponding stock information or order information.

[0049] In an embodiment, the electronic device (200) may check information regarding the type of box for packaging an item. In the example described above, the electronic device (200) may check information regarding the type of the first box for packaging a first item based on the first SKU identification information, and may check information regarding the type of the second box for packaging a second item based on the second SKU identification information. The type of box for packaging an item may be preset based on the type of item handled by the service, and the type of the box may be represented by a predetermined numerical value, for example, 3, 4, and 5. The numerical values ​​of the boxes may be preset based on the properties of the boxes, and may be set in ascending or descending order in proportion to the size order of the boxes, for example. The numerical values ​​of adjacent boxes may indicate the types of boxes having similar properties, for example, box type 3 may be more similar to box type 4 than to box type 5.

[0050] In an embodiment, the electronic device (200) may determine one of the plurality of FCs as a reference FC and check information about the box type of an item through a box type determination algorithm of the reference FC. For example, the electronic device (200) may determine the first FC (211) among the plurality of FCs (210) as a reference FC and check the box type determined through the box type determination algorithm of the first FC (211) as information about the box type of a specific item. As another example, the electronic device (200) may build a database about box types and check information about the box type of an item using the database. A specific operation of the electronic device (200) checking information about the box type using the box type determination algorithm of the reference FC or the box type database will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 below.

[0051] In an embodiment, each FC may load the corresponding item based on information about the box type included in the SKU attribute information of the item assigned to the FC. For example, if the box type included in the first SKU attribute information of the first item assigned to the first FC is 1 and the box type included in the second SKU attribute information of the second item assigned to the first FC is 1, the device of the first FC may store the first item and the second item in the same area of ​​the loading area (or storage location) of the first FC. As another example, if the box type included in the first SKU attribute information of the first item assigned to the first FC is 1 and the box type included in the second SKU attribute information of the second item assigned to the first FC is 2, the device of the first FC may store the first item and the second item in different areas of the loading area of ​​the first FC. As another example, the first FC device can check the box type information for each item, group items with similar box types based on this information, and load the items according to the group. In this way, box type information can be used not only before distributing items to FCs, but also during the loading stage after FC distribution, enabling more efficient item delivery.

[0052] In an embodiment, the electronic device (200) may exclude items that must be packaged in a specific type from performing an operation to check information about the box type. For example, the electronic device (200) may check the first SKU identification information corresponding to an item that must be packaged in the first type among the SKU identification information, and may check information about the box type using only the SKU identification information excluding the first SKU identification information. An item that must be packaged in the first type may be an item that does not require box packaging, and may be an item that must be packaged in a plastic bag, for example. In an embodiment, the SKU identification information may include predetermined flag information. The electronic device (200) may check for the presence of flag information based on the SKU identification information, and if the flag information exists, may determine the corresponding SKU identification information as SKU identification information that does not require checking the box type. In this case, the corresponding SKU identification information may be excluded when the electronic device (200) performs an operation to check information about the box type of the item. In this way, the electronic device (200) can prevent unnecessary load from being added to the system by primarily removing items that do not need to be packed in boxes from the box type confirmation target.

[0053] In an embodiment, the electronic device (200) may assign an item to at least one FC among a plurality of FCs. For example, the electronic device (200) may check information about a first box type corresponding to a first item and assign the first item to a first FC (211) that can be packaged with the first box type, and may check information about a second box type corresponding to a second item and assign the second item to a second FC (212) that can be packaged with the second box type. In the above example, it is assumed that only the first FC (211) can be packaged with the first box type, and thus the first item was assigned only to the first FC (211). However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that if the second FC (212) also can be packaged with the first box type, the first item may also be assigned to the second FC (212). Subsequently, when the assignment of the item is complete, the electronic device (200) may provide information related to the item to be assigned to the FC device corresponding to the FC. For example, if a first item is assigned to a first FC (211), the electronic device (200) can transmit first item-related information to a device of the first FC (211), and if a second item is assigned to a second FC (212), the electronic device (200) can transmit second item-related information to a device of the second FC (212). In an embodiment, the devices of the FC may include a server of the FC and a worker device assigned to the FC. The manager and worker of the FC who have received item-related information may prepare a box for packaging the item corresponding to the item-related information, thereby increasing the picking and packing efficiency in the FC and the efficiency of the box packaging device held by the FC.

[0054] In an embodiment, the electronic device (200) can update information about a previously confirmed box type through information exchange with a plurality of FCs (210). For example, if the electronic device (200) has already constructed a database about box types and has confirmed information about a box type for a specific item and assigned the item to the first FC (211), the electronic device (200) can receive information about the type of box in which the item is actually packaged when it is shipped from the plurality of FCs (210) from the devices of the plurality of FCs (210). The electronic device (200) can continuously update and manage the previously constructed database based on the received information and the previously confirmed information about the box type of the corresponding item. An embodiment in which the electronic device (200) updates information about a previously confirmed box type through information exchange with a plurality of FCs (210) will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. 6.

[0055] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a method for determining a reference FC according to an embodiment. Referring to FIG. 3, an electronic device (300) for item allocation, a database (301) regarding box types, a first FC (311) which is a reference FC, a first FC device, a second FC (312) which is not a reference FC, and a second FC device are schematically illustrated. In FIG. 3, for convenience of explanation, the first FC among two FCs is illustrated as being determined as the reference FC, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and any one FC among at least three FCs may be determined as the reference FC, and each FC may include a plurality of FC devices. Since the electronic device (300) of FIG. 3 may be included in the electronic devices (100, 200) of FIGS. 1 and 2, descriptions of overlapping content with FIGS. 1 and 2 will be omitted.

[0056] Referring to FIG. 3, the electronic device (300) may determine one of the plurality of FCs (310) as a reference FC. Specifically, the electronic device (300) may determine one of the plurality of FCs as a reference FC based on at least one of information regarding the capacity of the FC and information regarding the type of boxes held by the FC. Here, the capacity of the FC may refer to evaluation information regarding the item processing capacity of the FC determined comprehensively considering the size of the FC, equipment, system, number of workers, etc. For example, the faster an FC ships out distributed items without delaying a set schedule, the higher the capacity of the FC may be determined to be. For example, the electronic device (300) may set the FC with the higher capacity among the first FC (311) and the second FC (312) as the reference FC. As another example, the electronic device (300) may set the FC with the more types of boxes held by the first FC (311) and the second FC (312) as the reference FC.

[0057] In an embodiment, the electronic device (300) may determine information about the box type for packaging an item using the box type determination algorithm of the reference FC. Each FC device may store information about a preset box type determination algorithm. The box type determination algorithms stored in each FC device may be different from each other. In an embodiment, the box type determination algorithm of the FC may be an algorithm that determines the box type for packaging the corresponding item using at least one of the following as input information: information about the box type held by the FC, information about the category of the item, information about the expiration date of the item, information about the size of the item, information about the durability of the item, and information about the storage temperature of the item. For example, in the case of a toy item, the box type determination algorithm may determine a toy item packaging box as the box type for the item; in the case of an item with a short shelf life, a packaging box for an item sensitive to the shelf life (e.g., a compression box, etc.) may be determined as the box type for the item; in the case of an item that requires care in handling, such as glass, a more durable box may be determined as the packaging box; and in the case of an item that is sensitive to storage temperature, such as an item that requires refrigeration, a packaging box that retains heat well may be determined as the box type for the item. In an embodiment, the electronic device (300) may check information about the box type based on information about the box type determination algorithm of the reference FC. For example, the electronic device (300) can call the API of the box type algorithm of the first FC for a specific item as the first FC device of the first FC (311) determined as the reference FC, and in response to the call, receive information about the box type for the corresponding item from the first FC device.

[0058] In an embodiment, the electronic device (300) can build a database (301) regarding box types and use the built database (301) to check information regarding the box type for packaging an item. For example, the electronic device (300) can build the database (301) based on all SKU identification information registered on a service provided by the electronic device (300) and information regarding the box type determination algorithm of the first FC (311), which is a reference FC, and can check information regarding the box type of a specific item through the built database (301). Through this, the electronic device (300) can quickly check information regarding the box type using the built database without having to continuously exchange information with FCs, thereby distributing items more quickly.

[0059] In an embodiment, the electronic device (300) may use the box type determination algorithm of the reference FC to check the box type corresponding to the SKU identification information at a preset period of time and store the box type, thereby generating a database (301). For example, the electronic device (300) may divide all SKU identification information registered on the service into a preset number of groups, and may check information on the box type of each group through an API call and response with the device of the first FC (311) for each group once a week, and may store information on the box type of the corresponding group to build a database (301). In this way, the electronic device (300) may reduce the load on the system by dividing a huge amount of information registered on the service into groups and time units to build a database.

[0060] In an embodiment, the electronic device (300) can continuously manage the database (301). For example, when a new item is registered on a service provided by the electronic device (300), the electronic device (300) can add information about the box type corresponding to the new item to the database (301). The addition of information about the box type corresponding to the new item to the database (301) can be performed in real time. As another example, the electronic device (300) can update information about the box type already stored in the database (301). Even if the database (301) about the box type has already been established, continuous updates of the database (301) may be required when the box type determination algorithm of the reference FC is changed, the size of the box is changed, etc. To this end, the electronic device (300) can update the database (301) by comparing the box type of the item actually shipped from all FCs within a preset period, for example, from a specific date to a preset period, with the box type of the corresponding item stored in the database (301). An embodiment in which an electronic device (300) continuously manages a database (301) will be described in detail in FIG. 6 below.

[0061] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an item allocation method according to another embodiment. Referring to FIG. 4, an electronic device (400) for item allocation, a database (401) regarding box types, a second FC device (410), a third FC device (420), and a fourth FC device (430) to which items corresponding to a first SKU are to be allocated are schematically illustrated. In FIG. 4, the second FC may be an FC capable of packaging box types 1, 2, and 3, the third FC may be an FC capable of packaging box types 3, 4, and 5, and the fourth FC may be an FC capable of packaging box types 3, 5, and 7. Since the electronic device (400) of FIG. 4 may be included in the electronic devices (100, 200, and 300) of FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, descriptions of overlapping content will be omitted.

[0062] In an embodiment, the electronic device (400) may obtain SKU identification information corresponding to an item. For example, the electronic device (400) may obtain first SKU identification information corresponding to a first item included in inventory information. As another example, the electronic device (400) may obtain first SKU identification information corresponding to a first item included in customer order information. The electronic device (400) may identify information regarding a box type for packaging the item based on the SKU identification information. For example, the electronic device (400) may identify box type 3, which is information regarding a box type corresponding to the first SKU identification information, using a database (401) regarding pre-built box types.

[0063] In an embodiment, the electronic device (400) may assign an item to at least one FC among a plurality of FCs based on SKU attribute information including information regarding a box type. An embodiment of assigning an item to at least one FC based on SKU attribute information will be described in detail below in FIG. 5.

[0064] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining SKU attribute information according to one embodiment.

[0065] In an embodiment, the SKU attribute information may include at least one of information regarding the category of an item corresponding to the SKU, information regarding the expiration date of the item, information regarding the durability of the item, information regarding the storage temperature of the item, and information regarding the size of the item. Referring to FIG. 5, identification number 501 may be SKU identification information, identification number 502 may be a box type corresponding to the SKU, identification number 503 may be information regarding the category of an item corresponding to the SKU, identification number 504 may be information regarding the expiration date of the item, identification number 505 may be information regarding the storage temperature of the item, identification number 506 may be information regarding whether the manufacturing date and period of the item are subject to management, identification number 507 may be information regarding the durability of the item, and identification number 508 may be information regarding the minimum purchase quantity of the item. In this way, SKU attribute information may include various information in addition to information about the box type corresponding to the SKU identification information.

[0066] In an embodiment, the electronic device (400) may compare information regarding the box type of the item included in the SKU attribute information with information regarding the box types held by each of the plurality of FCs to assign the item to at least one FC. For example, if the box type of the item included in the SKU attribute information is 3, the electronic device (400) may assign the item to at least one FC capable of packaging with box type 3.

[0067] In another embodiment, the electronic device (400) can check the priority of information included in the SKU attribute information and assign the item to at least one FC based on the priority. For example, if information regarding the box type of the item is given the highest priority, the electronic device (400) can compare the information regarding the box type of the item with information regarding the types of boxes held by each of the plurality of FCs to identify a first candidate FC to which the item can be assigned. Then, the electronic device (400) can determine a second FC among the first candidate FCs to which the item will be ultimately assigned based on the SKU attribute information excluding the information regarding the box type of the item and the attribute information of the first candidate FC, and assign the item to the second FC. Here, the attribute information of the FC can include at least one of information regarding the capacity of the FC and location information of the FC. For example, if there are a first FC, a second FC, and a third FC capable of packaging box type 3, and the box type of the first item is confirmed to be 3, the electronic device (400) can determine the first FC, the second FC, and the third FC as first candidate FCs. Then, if the electronic device (400) determines that expiration date management is necessary through the SKU attribute information of the first item, the electronic device (400) can determine the second FC, which is closest among the first candidate FCs, the second FC, and the third FC, and is easy to manage expiration date, as the FC to which the first item will be finally assigned, and can transmit information related to the first item to the device of the second FC.

[0068] Referring back to FIG. 4, the electronic device (400) can compare information about the box type of the SKU with information about the box types held by multiple FCs to assign an item to at least one FC. For example, if the box type of the first SKU is identified as 3, the second FC can be packaged with box types 1, 2, and 3, the third FC can be packaged with box types 3, 4, and 5, and the fourth FC can be packaged with box types 3, 5, and 7, the electronic device (400) can assign the item corresponding to the first SKU to the second FC, the third FC, and the fourth FC, which can be packaged with box type 3, which is the box type of the first SKU. In other words, the electronic device (400) can transmit the first SKU assignment information to the second FC device (410), the third FC device (420), and the fourth FC device (430). Each FC device to which an item is assigned can check the SKU assignment information received and the box type held by the FC, and use the box type determination algorithm of the FC to determine the box type to pack the item corresponding to the SKU.

[0069] However, even if the electronic device (400) checks the information about the box type of the SKU using the database (401) and allocates the item corresponding to the SKU to a FC capable of packaging the corresponding box type using this, the box type determination algorithm of each FC may be different from the box type determination algorithm of the reference FC, and therefore, the type of packaging box used when the actual item is shipped from the FC may be different from the box type corresponding to the item stored in the database (401). For example, in FIG. 4, the electronic device (400) checks the box type of the first SKU as 3, but since the box type determined using the box type determination algorithm of the actual third FC is 4, the third FC device (420) can pack and ship the item corresponding to the first SKU with box type 4. Similarly, if the box type determined using the box type determination algorithm of the actual fourth FC is 5, the fourth FC device (430) can pack and ship the item corresponding to the first SKU with box type 5.

[0070] In this way, if the information regarding the box type included in the attribute information of the SKU is different from the information regarding the box type confirmed at the time of actual shipment of the SKU, the electronic device (400) can update the database (401) by synthesizing the number of items shipped with different box types. A specific embodiment of the electronic device (400) updating the database (401) will be described in detail in FIG. 6 below.

[0071] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating database-related operations regarding a box type according to an embodiment. Identification number 600 may be an electronic device, identification number 610 may be a first FC device corresponding to a reference FC, and identification numbers 620 and 630 may be FCs to which items are assigned. The electronic device (600) of FIG. 6 may be included in the electronic devices (100, 200, 300, 400) of FIGS. 1 to 4, and therefore, descriptions of overlapping content will be omitted.

[0072] Referring to FIG. 6, steps S610 to S613 represent an operation in which the electronic device (600) adds information about a box type corresponding to a specific item to a database.

[0073] In step S610, the electronic device (600) can confirm the registration of a first item on the service provided by the electronic device (600). Here, the first item may be a new item other than an item previously registered on the service.

[0074] In step S611, the electronic device (600) may obtain first SKU identification information corresponding to the first item, transmit the first SKU identification information to the first FC device (610), and call the box type determination algorithm API of the first FC device (610). Here, the first FC device may be an FC device corresponding to a reference FC, and the electronic device (600) may determine the reference FC among a plurality of FCs before step S611.

[0075] In step S612, the electronic device (600) may receive information about the box type corresponding to the first SKU identification information from the first FC device (610) in response to step S611.

[0076] In step S613, the electronic device (600) may add information about the box type corresponding to the received first SKU identification information to a database of box types. Thus, when a customer subsequently orders a first item, the electronic device (600) may use the database to check the information about the box type corresponding to the first SKU identification information and determine at least one FC to which the first item will be assigned based on the information about the box type.

[0077] Steps S620 to S622 represent an operation in which the electronic device (600) updates a pre-built database.

[0078] In step S620, the electronic device (600) can check information about the first box type included in the SKU attribute information corresponding to the second item.

[0079] In step S621, the electronic device (600) can check all FCs that have actually shipped the second item during a preset period among all FCs linked to the electronic device (600), and can receive information about the second box type confirmed at the time of actual shipment of the second item from the corresponding FC devices. For example, if the preset period is one day, the electronic device (600) can check the FCs that have actually shipped the second item during the day, and can obtain information about the second box type confirmed at the time of actual shipment of the second item from the corresponding FC devices. In FIG. 6, since it is assumed that the second item was actually shipped from the second FC and the third FC the previous day, the electronic device (600) can receive information about the second box type confirmed at the time of actual shipment of the second item from the second FC device (620) and the third FC device (630).

[0080] In step S622, the electronic device (600) can update the database based on information about the first box type included in the SKU attribute information corresponding to the second item and information about the second box type confirmed at the time of actual shipment of the second item received from the FC device that actually shipped the second item.

[0081] More specifically, the electronic device (600) may compare information regarding the first box type with information regarding the second box type, and if the first box type and the second box type are different, update the database by changing the first box type included in the SKU attribute information corresponding to the second item to the second box type. In an embodiment, the database may be updated at preset intervals. For example, the database may be updated daily or weekly, and the electronic device (600) may check information regarding the load applied to the service and adjust the update cycle of the database based on the information regarding the load.

[0082] In an embodiment, the electronic device (600) can verify the number of second items whose information regarding the first box type and the information regarding the second box type are different, and update the database if the verified number is greater than or equal to a preset threshold number. In this way, the electronic device (600) can reduce unnecessary load on the system by updating the database based on the threshold number.

[0083] Figure 7 is a flowchart for explaining an operating method of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0084] Since the electronic device of FIG. 7 can be included in the electronic devices of FIGS. 1 to 6, descriptions of content overlapping with FIGS. 1 to 6 are omitted.

[0085] Referring to FIG. 7, at step S710, the electronic device may obtain SKU identification information. Specifically, the electronic device may obtain SKU identification information corresponding to an item, which may be information contained in inventory information or customer order information. Each of the inventory information and the customer order information may include at least one item, and in such cases, the electronic device may obtain at least one SKU identification information corresponding to each of the at least one items.

[0086] At step S720, the electronic device can determine information regarding the box type for packaging the item. Specifically, the electronic device can determine information regarding the box type for packaging the item based on the SKU identification information. The box type may be preset based on the type of item registered in the service provided by the electronic device. Each FC may have different types of boxes that can be packaged.

[0087] At step S730, the electronic device may assign the item to at least one FC among the plurality of FCs. Specifically, the electronic device may assign the item to at least one FC among the plurality of FCs based on SKU attribute information including information about the box type. The electronic device may provide information related to the assigned item to the FC to which the item was assigned.

[0088] The electronic device according to the above-described embodiments may include a processor, a memory for storing and executing program data, permanent storage such as a disk drive, a communication port for communicating with an external device, a user interface device such as a touch panel, a key, a button, etc. The methods implemented as software modules or algorithms may be stored on a computer-readable recording medium as computer-readable codes or program instructions that can be executed on the processor. Here, the computer-readable recording medium includes a magnetic storage medium (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), floppy disk, hard disk, etc.) and an optical reading medium (e.g., CD-ROM, DVD: Digital Versatile Disc)). The computer-readable recording medium may be distributed to computer systems connected to a network, so that the computer-readable code can be stored and executed in a distributed manner. The medium is readable by a computer, stored in a memory, and executed by a processor.

[0089] The present embodiment may be represented by functional block configurations and various processing steps. These functional blocks may be implemented by various hardware and / or software configurations that perform specific functions. For example, the embodiment may employ direct circuit configurations such as memory, processing, logic, look-up tables, etc., which may perform various functions under the control of one or more microprocessors or other control devices. Similarly, the present embodiment may be implemented in a programming or scripting language such as C, C++, Java, assembler, etc., including various algorithms implemented as a combination of data structures, processes, routines, or other programming configurations. Functional aspects may be implemented as algorithms that execute on one or more processors. Furthermore, the present embodiment may employ conventional techniques for electronic configuration, signal processing, and / or data processing. Terms like "mechanism," "element," "means," and "composition" can be used broadly and are not limited to mechanical or physical components. These terms can also encompass a series of software routines, such as those associated with a processor.

[0090] The above-described embodiments are merely examples, and other embodiments may be implemented within the scope of the claims set forth below.

Claims

1. In the method of allocating items of an electronic device, A step of obtaining SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) identification information corresponding to an item; A step of checking information on the box type for packaging the item based on the above SKU identification information; and A method for allocating an item, comprising the step of allocating the item to at least one fulfillment center among a plurality of fulfillment centers based on SKU attribute information including information regarding the box type.

2. In paragraph 1, The steps to check information about the above box type are: A step of determining a first fulfillment center among the plurality of fulfillment centers; and An item allocation method comprising a step of confirming information about the box type based on information about a box type determination algorithm of the first fulfillment center.

3. In paragraph 2, The step of determining the above first fulfillment center is: An item allocation method comprising the step of determining a first fulfillment center among the plurality of fulfillment centers based on at least one of information regarding the capacity of the fulfillment center and information regarding the type of boxes held by the fulfillment center.

4. In paragraph 2, The box type determination algorithm of the above first fulfillment center is: A method for allocating items, wherein the type of box for packaging the item is determined based on at least one of information on the type of box held by the first fulfillment center, information on the category of the item, information on the expiration date of the item, information on the size of the item, information on the durability of the item, and information on the storage temperature of the item.

5. In paragraph 2, The steps to check information about the above box type are: A step of creating a database regarding the box type of the SKU based on predetermined SKU identification information and information regarding the box type determination algorithm of the first fulfillment center; and An item allocation method comprising a step of checking information on a box type for packaging the item based on the database.

6. In paragraph 5, The above specified SKU identification information is: Includes SKU identification information corresponding to an item registered on a service provided by the electronic device, The steps for creating the above database are: An item allocation method comprising a step of creating the database by checking and storing the box type corresponding to the predetermined SKU identification information at a preset period of time using the box type determination algorithm of the first fulfillment center.

7. In paragraph 5, Further comprising a step of updating the database based on information about the first box type confirmed when the first item is actually shipped from the fulfillment center during a preset period, and information about the second box type included in the SKU attribute information corresponding to the first item. The above update is performed at preset intervals, and is an item allocation method.

8. In paragraph 5, A step of confirming registration of a new item on a service provided by the electronic device; A step of checking information about the box type corresponding to the SKU identification information of the new item using the box type determination algorithm of the first fulfillment center; and A method for allocating items, further comprising the step of adding information about a box type corresponding to the SKU identification information of the new item to the database.

9. In paragraph 7, The above updating steps are: A step of comparing information about the first box type and information about the second box type to determine whether the first box type and the second box type are different; and An item allocation method comprising a step of updating the database by changing the box type included in the SKU attribute information corresponding to the first item from the second box type to the first box type, if the number of the first items whose first box type and the second box type are different is greater than or equal to a preset number based on the judgment result.

10. In paragraph 1, The above SKU attribute information is: An item allocation method further comprising at least one of information regarding the category of the item, information regarding the shelf life of the item, information regarding the durability of the item, information regarding the storage temperature of the item, and information regarding the size of the item.

11. In paragraph 1, The above allocation step is, A method for allocating items, comprising the step of comparing information about the box type and information about the box types held by the plurality of fulfillment centers to allocate the items to at least one fulfillment center.

12. In paragraph 11, The above allocation step is, A step of comparing information about the above box type and information about the box types held by the plurality of fulfillment centers to identify a first candidate fulfillment center; and An item allocation method comprising a step of determining a second fulfillment center among the first candidate fulfillment centers based on the SKU attribute information and the attribute information of the first candidate fulfillment center, and allocating the item to the second fulfillment center.

13. In paragraph 12, The property information of the above first candidate fulfillment center is: An item allocation method comprising at least one of information regarding the capacity of the first candidate fulfillment center and location information of the first candidate fulfillment center.

14. In paragraph 1, Further comprising a step of checking the first SKU identification information corresponding to the item to be packaged as the first type among the above SKU identification information, The steps to check information about the above box type are: A step of checking information on a box type for packaging a first item corresponding to SKU identification information excluding the first SKU identification information among the above SKU identification information, The above allocation step is, An item allocation method comprising a step of allocating the first item to at least one fulfillment center among the plurality of fulfillment centers.

15. As an electronic device for allocating items, memory in which at least one program is stored; and By executing at least one program, SKU identification information corresponding to the item is obtained, An electronic device comprising a processor that assigns the item to at least one fulfillment center among a plurality of fulfillment centers based on SKU attribute information including information about the box type.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the item allocation method of paragraph 1 on a computer.

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