Method for providing packaging information, and system therefor

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method for providing packaging information, and an apparatus therefor. The method for providing packaging information, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, may comprise the steps of: acquiring order information about a plurality of items; determining whether the plurality of items can be packaged together by means of one first packaging material; if it is determined that the plurality of items cannot be packaged together by means of the one first packaging material, comparing the number of first parcels expected to be generated when packaging the plurality of items with a plurality of first packaging materials to the number of second parcels expected to be generated when packaging the plurality of items with one or more second packaging materials; and generating packaging information about the plurality of items on the basis of the comparison result.

Description

Method and system for providing packaging information

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method and system for providing packaging information, and more particularly, to a method and system for providing information that helps reduce costs in the shipping process of multiple items.

[0002] As internet use becomes more widespread, the e-commerce market is expanding. Items purchased through e-commerce can be delivered to a customer-specified shipping address through a logistics processing process. Specifically, items sold through e-commerce are received at a logistics center, shipped through a shipping process based on customer order information, and then delivered to the customer's designated shipping address.

[0003] Recently, various methods have been introduced to improve the efficiency of the shipping process. For example, to improve the efficiency of the packaging process, a method has been applied that packages specific items according to a pre-defined packaging method. Specifically, items are grouped according to their attributes, and items within the same group are packaged using a pre-defined packaging material.

[0004] According to this method, if multiple items exceed the capacity of a specific packaging material, the items are divided into two or more parcels for packaging. This means that even if a single parcel could be packaged using other packaging materials, the items may be divided into two or more parcels for packaging.

[0005] Meanwhile, since shipping costs are calculated based on the number of parcels, there is a problem that shipping costs increase when something that can be packaged as a single parcel is divided into two or more parcels and packaged.

[0006] A technical problem to be solved through embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide a method for reducing shipping costs when packaging multiple items and a system for performing the method.

[0007] A technical problem to be solved through other embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide a method and system for determining a type of packaging material that reduces the number of parcels when packaging a plurality of items and providing information thereon.

[0008] The technical problem to be solved through other embodiments of the present disclosure relates to a method and system for providing information that can improve work efficiency in the shipping process for multiple items.

[0009] The technical problems of the present disclosure are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art of the present disclosure from the description below.

[0010] A method for providing packaging information according to embodiments of the present disclosure for solving the above-described technical problem may include the steps of: obtaining order information for a plurality of items; determining whether the plurality of items can be packaged together using one first packaging material; comparing the number of first parcels expected to be generated when packaging the plurality of items using a plurality of first packaging materials with the number of second parcels expected to be generated when packaging the plurality of items using one or more second packaging materials when it is determined that packaging together using one first packaging material is not possible; and generating packaging information for the plurality of items based on the comparison result. Here, the first packaging material and the second packaging material may be made of different materials.

[0011] In one embodiment, the plurality of items may be items classified into the same SKU (Stock Keeping Unit).

[0012] In one embodiment, the step of obtaining the order information may include the step of obtaining two or more order information by the same customer.

[0013] In one embodiment, the step of determining whether the combined packaging is possible may include the step of determining whether the weight of the plurality of items exceeds a first reference value and the step of determining whether the size of the plurality of items exceeds a second reference value.

[0014] In one embodiment, the step of determining whether the first reference value is exceeded may include the step of determining whether the weight of each of the plurality of items is less than the first reference value, and if the weight of each of the plurality of items is less than the first reference value, the step of determining whether the total weight of the plurality of items exceeds the first reference value.

[0015] In one embodiment, the step of determining whether the second reference value is exceeded may include the step of determining whether the size of each of the plurality of items is less than the second reference value, and if the size of each of the plurality of items is less than the second reference value, the step of determining whether the total size of the plurality of items exceeds the second reference value.

[0016] In one embodiment, the step of generating packaging information may include the step of determining the packaging type for the plurality of items as the second packaging material when the number of the first parcels is greater than the number of the second parcels, and the step of determining the packaging type for the plurality of items as the first packaging material when the number of the first parcels is less than or equal to the number of the second parcels.

[0017] In one embodiment, the first packaging material may be a bag made of vinyl material, and the second packaging material may be a box made of paper material.

[0018] A method for providing packaging information according to other embodiments of the present disclosure for solving the above-described technical problem may include the steps of: obtaining order information for a plurality of items; determining whether the plurality of items can be packaged together using one first packaging material; selecting, when it is determined that the plurality of items cannot be packaged together using the first packaging material, remaining items excluding some items to be packaged using a second packaging material made of a different material from the first packaging material among the plurality of items; comparing the number of first parcels expected to be generated when the selected remaining items are packaged using one or more of the first packaging materials with the number of second parcels expected to be generated when the selected remaining items are packaged using the second packaging material; and generating packaging information for the selected remaining items based on the comparison result.

[0019] In one embodiment, the step of generating the packaging information may include the step of determining the packaging material type for the remaining selected items as the second packaging material when the number of the first parcels is greater than the number of the second parcels, and the step of determining the packaging material type for the remaining selected items as the first packaging material when the number of the first parcels is less than or equal to the number of the second parcels.

[0020] According to other embodiments of the present disclosure for solving the above-described technical problem, a computing device includes a processor and a memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the following operations: obtaining order information for a plurality of items; determining whether the plurality of items can be packaged together using one first packaging material; comparing the number of first parcels expected to be created when packaging the plurality of items with a plurality of first packaging materials with the number of second parcels expected to be created when packaging the plurality of items with one or more second packaging materials when packaging the plurality of items with one or more second packaging materials; and generating packaging information for the plurality of items based on the comparison result, wherein the first packaging material and the second packaging material may be made of different materials.

[0021] In one embodiment, the operation of generating the packaging information may include an operation of determining the packaging type for the plurality of items as the second packaging material when the number of the first parcels is greater than the number of the second parcels, and an operation of determining the packaging type for the plurality of items as the first packaging material when the number of the first parcels is less than or equal to the number of the second parcels.

[0022] According to other embodiments of the present disclosure for solving the above-described technical problem, a computing device may include a processor and a memory storing instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the following operations: obtaining order information for a plurality of items; determining whether the plurality of items can be packaged together using a first packaging material; selecting, when it is determined that the plurality of items cannot be packaged together using the first packaging material, remaining items excluding some items to be packaged using a second packaging material made of a different material from the first packaging material among the plurality of items; comparing the number of first parcels expected to be generated when the selected remaining items are packaged using one or more of the first packaging materials with the number of second parcels expected to be generated when the selected remaining items are packaged using the second packaging material; and generating packaging information for the selected remaining items based on a result of the comparison.

[0023] In one embodiment, the operation of generating the packaging information may include an operation of determining the packaging material type for the remaining selected items as the second packaging material when the number of the first parcels is greater than the number of the second parcels, and an operation of determining the packaging material type for the remaining selected items as the first packaging material when the number of the first parcels is less than or equal to the number of the second parcels.

[0024] FIG. 1 is a diagram exemplarily showing the configuration of an entire system in which a shipment information management system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure operates.

[0025] FIG. 2 is a drawing for explaining a shipping process that may be referenced in some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 3 is a flowchart exemplarily showing a method for providing packaging information according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figures 4 to 6 are exemplary diagrams for explaining the steps for determining whether or not the combined packaging shown in Figure 3 is possible.

[0028] FIG. 7 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a step of comparing the number of parcels shown in FIG. 3 and a step of generating packaging information.

[0029] FIG. 8 is a flowchart exemplarily showing a method for providing packaging information according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 9 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a step of comparing the number of parcels shown in FIG. 8 and a step of generating packaging information.

[0031] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a computing device for providing packaging information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The advantages and features of the present disclosure, and methods for achieving them, will become clear with reference to the embodiments described in detail below together with the attached drawings. However, the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments and may be implemented in various different forms. The following embodiments are provided only to complete the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the present disclosure of the scope of the present disclosure, and the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure is defined only by the scope of the claims.

[0033] In describing various embodiments of the present disclosure, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known configuration or function may obscure the gist of the present disclosure, the detailed description will be omitted.

[0034] Unless otherwise defined, the terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in the following examples may be used with meanings commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains; however, this may vary depending on the intentions of engineers working in the relevant field, precedents, the emergence of new technologies, etc. The terminology used in this disclosure is for the purpose of describing the embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0035] In the following examples, singular expressions include plural concepts unless the context clearly specifies that they are singular. Furthermore, plural expressions include singular concepts unless the context clearly specifies that they are plural.

[0036] In addition, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. used in the following embodiments are only used to distinguish certain components from other components, and the nature, order, or sequence of the components are not limited by the terms.

[0037] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0038] FIG. 1 is a diagram exemplarily illustrating the configuration of an entire system in which a shipment information management system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure operates. As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the entire system (10) may include a service server (100), a shipment information management system (200), and a worker terminal (300).

[0039] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the service server (100) may be a computing device or system that provides a shopping service. For example, the service server (200) may be a computing device / system that provides an online shopping site to a customer's terminal (not shown). The service server (200) may receive an order request for an item from a customer and provide order information based on the order request to the shipping information management system (200).

[0040] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the service server (100) may be implemented by at least one computing device. For example, all functions of the service server (100) may be implemented on a single computing device, or a first function of the service server (100) may be implemented on a first computing device, and a second function may be implemented on a second computing device. Alternatively, specific functions of the service server (100) may be implemented on multiple computing devices. For example, the computing devices may include any type of device equipped with a computing means and a communication means.

[0041] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the shipment information management system (200) can obtain order information for multiple items from the service server (100). In one embodiment, the multiple items may be classified into the same Stock Keeping Unit (SKU). In this case, a flag (hereinafter, "SKU flag") may be set to enable combined packaging using a first packaging material for multiple items belonging to the same SKU to enhance packaging process efficiency.

[0042] Meanwhile, when the SKU flag is set, packaging using the primary packaging material can be given priority for multiple items classified under the same SKU. Specifically, if multiple items can be combined using a single primary packaging material, the multiple items can be combined using a single primary packaging material to create a single parcel. If multiple items cannot be combined using a single primary packaging material, the multiple items can be divided and packaged using multiple primary packaging materials to create multiple parcels. In other words, the application of a packaging material different from the primary packaging material is not considered for multiple items belonging to the same SKU. Consequently, when a packaging material different from the primary packaging material is applied, a situation may arise where items are divided and packaged into multiple parcels even though they could be packaged using only a single packaging material, which can increase shipping costs.

[0043] Accordingly, the shipment information management system (200) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can determine the type of packaging material that can reduce shipping costs through an additional process and provide information on the type of packaging material when multiple items cannot be packaged together using a single primary packaging material. Below, the functions and operations of the shipment information management system (200) related to this additional process are described in detail.

[0044] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when order information regarding multiple items classified under the same SKU is received, the shipment information management system (200) can determine whether the multiple items can be packaged together using a single first packaging material. In this case, whether the multiple items can be packaged together using a single first packaging material can be determined based on whether the weight or size of the multiple items exceeds a threshold corresponding to the maximum capacity of the first packaging material.

[0045] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, if combined packaging is not possible for multiple items, the shipment information management system (200) may generate packaging information for multiple items through an additional process. Specifically, the shipment information management system (200) may compare the number of first parcels expected to be generated when multiple items are packaged with multiple first packaging materials with the number of second parcels expected to be generated when multiple items are packaged with one or more second packaging materials, and may generate packaging information for the multiple items based on the comparison results. Here, the packaging information may include information regarding the type of packaging material, items requiring combined packaging, etc.

[0046] More specifically, if the number of first parcels expected to be generated when packaging multiple items with multiple first packaging materials is greater than the number of second parcels expected to be generated when packaging multiple items with one or more second packaging materials, the shipment information management system (200) may determine the type of packaging material for the multiple items as the second packaging material and generate packaging information therefor. On the other hand, if the number of first parcels expected to be generated when packaging multiple items with multiple first packaging materials is less than or equal to the number of second parcels expected to be generated when packaging multiple items with one or more second packaging materials, the shipment information management system (200) may determine the type of packaging material for the multiple items as the first packaging material and generate packaging information therefor.

[0047] In other words, if the number of parcels decreases when multiple items are packed with the second packaging material compared to when they are packed with the first packaging material, the SKU flag set for the multiple items may be removed, and packaging information recommending the second packaging material as the packaging material type for the multiple items may be generated. On the other hand, if the number of parcels does not change (or rather increases) compared to when multiple items are packed with the first packaging material even when the multiple items are packed with the second packaging material, the SKU flag set for the multiple items may be maintained, and packaging information recommending the first packaging material as the packaging material type for the multiple items may be generated. That is, in the present embodiment, the operation of determining the packaging material type as the second packaging material may include the operation of removing the SKU flag set for the multiple items, and the operation of determining the packaging material type as the first packaging material may include the operation of maintaining the SKU flag set for the multiple items.

[0048] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the shipment information management system (200) may provide information supporting the shipment process to a worker terminal (300) performing the shipment process for items associated with order information. For example, the shipment information management system (200) may provide packaging information for multiple items associated with the order information, and the packing process for the items may be performed based on the packaging information. Meanwhile, the shipment information management system (200) may provide an application to the worker terminal (300) for providing information supporting the shipment process.

[0049] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the shipment information management system (200) may be implemented with at least one computing device. For example, all functions of the shipment information management system (200) may be implemented in a single computing device, or a first function of the shipment information management system (200) may be implemented in a first computing device and a second function may be implemented in a second computing device. Alternatively, specific functions of the shipment information management system (200) may be implemented in multiple computing devices. Here, the computing devices may include any device having computing capabilities, and an example of such a device is illustrated in FIG. 11. Since the computing device is a collection of interacting components (e.g., memory, processor, etc.), it may also be referred to as a "computing system" in some cases. Of course, the term "computing system" may also encompass the concept of a collection of interacting computing devices.

[0050] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the worker terminal (300) may be a terminal used by a worker performing the shipping process. For example, the worker can check information supporting the shipping process through the worker terminal (300) and perform tasks accordingly. Meanwhile, the worker terminal (300) may be implemented as various types of computing devices, such as a smartphone, laptop, or desktop, and may be implemented as any device.

[0051] Meanwhile, the components illustrated in Fig. 1 can communicate via a network. Here, the network can be implemented as any type of wired / wireless network, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a mobile radio communication network, or Wibro (Wireless Broadband Internet).

[0052] In summary, the shipping process management system (200) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can generate information supporting the shipping process of items associated with order information acquired through the service server (100) and provide the generated information to the worker terminal (300). This will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 2.

[0053] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a shipping process that may be referenced in some embodiments of the present disclosure. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the shipping process (20) performed at a logistics center may be comprised of a picking process (21), a rebining process (22), and a packing process (230).

[0054] The picking process (21) refers to the process of finding items based on customer order information at a logistics center. Specifically, it refers to the process of placing items corresponding to the customer's order information among items stored (or displayed) within the logistics center into a tote (or cart). In one embodiment, the shipment information management system (200) may provide information instructing the picking of multiple items into packaging units using packaging information for multiple items.

[0055] The rebin process (22) refers to the process of rearranging assembled items into packaging units or transport units. In one embodiment, the shipment information management system (200) can use packaging information for multiple items to provide information instructing rearrangement of assembled items requiring combined packaging.

[0056] The packing process (23) refers to the process of packaging items with packaging materials after the picking process (21) and the rebinding process (22). In one embodiment, the shipment information management system (200) may provide information indicating packaging for multiple items using packaging information. Here, the information indicating packaging may include information on items requiring combined packaging and information regarding the type of packaging material for each item.

[0057] The configuration and operation of the shipment information management system (200) according to the present embodiment have been described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The embodiments described above may be understood in more detail with reference to other embodiments described below. Furthermore, the technical concepts understood through the above-described embodiments may be applied to other embodiments described below, even if not specifically stated otherwise.

[0058] Hereinafter, a packaging information provision method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 through 8. Unless otherwise noted, the steps described in the flowcharts below can be understood as being performed by the shipment information management system (200) described with reference to FIG. 1. However, for convenience of explanation, the operating entities of each step may be omitted.

[0059] Figure 3 is a flowchart exemplifying a packaging information provision method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. However, this is merely a preferred embodiment for achieving the purpose of the present disclosure, and it is understood that some steps may be added or deleted as needed.

[0060] As illustrated in FIG. 3, a method for providing packaging information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may begin with step S100 of acquiring order information for a plurality of items. As described with reference to FIG. 1, the shipment information management system (200) may acquire order information from a service server (100) according to a customer's order request. Here, the order information may include customer information (e.g., customer identification information, customer rating information, etc.), item information (e.g., type of item, quantity of item, SKU information corresponding to the item, etc.), delivery information (e.g., delivery address information, delivery possible time information, delivery type information, etc.), etc. In one embodiment, the plurality of items may be items classified into the same SKU (Stock Keeping Unit), and the plurality of items may have a flag set to perform combined packaging.

[0061] Meanwhile, order information for multiple items may be obtained based on two or more order requests from the same customer. For example, order information may be obtained based on a first order request for some items and a second order request for the remaining items, which is different from the first order request.

[0062] In step S200, it can be determined whether multiple items can be packaged together using a single first packaging material. This is to determine whether multiple items are packaged in multiple parcels.

[0063] Figures 4 to 6 are exemplary diagrams illustrating the steps for determining whether combined packaging is possible, as illustrated in Figure 3. More specifically, they are detailed flowcharts for a method for determining whether combined packaging using a single first packaging material is possible for multiple items.

[0064] First, referring to FIG. 4, in step S210, it is determined whether the weight of a plurality of items exceeds a first reference value, and then in step S220, it is determined whether the size of the plurality of items exceeds a second reference value. Here, the first reference value and the second reference value may be determined based on the capacity of the first packaging material. Specifically, the first reference value may be a value corresponding to the maximum weight that the first packaging material can accommodate, and the second reference value may be a value corresponding to the maximum size that the first packaging material can accommodate.

[0065] Referring to FIG. 5, in step S210 of determining whether the weight of a plurality of items exceeds a first reference value, after determining whether the weight of each item is less than the first reference value (S211), if it is determined to be less than the first reference value (YES), determining whether the total weight of the plurality of items exceeds a second reference value is performed (S212). That is, if the weight of one item exceeds the first reference value, the process described below is not performed. This is because, if the weight of each item exceeds the first reference value, packaging using the first packaging material is impossible, and in such a case, performing the process described below is meaningless.

[0066] Referring to FIG. 6, in step S220 of determining whether the size of a plurality of items exceeds a second criterion, after determining whether the size of each item is less than the second criterion (S211), if it is determined to be less than the second criterion (YES), determining whether the total size of the plurality of items exceeds the second criterion is performed (S212). That is, if the size of one item exceeds the second criterion, the process described below is not performed. This is because, if the size of each item exceeds the second criterion, packaging using the first packaging material is impossible, and in such a case, performing the process described below is meaningless.

[0067] Meanwhile, in this embodiment, it has been described that whether or not combined packaging using the first packaging material is determined based on a standard value determined based on the capacity of the first packaging material, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, whether or not combined packaging using the first packaging material is possible may be determined using the number of order numbers generated based on order information. Specifically, when the shipment information management system (200) obtains order information for multiple items, it can generate order numbers according to packaging units using the order information, and when two or more order numbers are generated for one order request, it can be determined that combined packaging using the first packaging material is not possible for multiple items.

[0068] Referring back to FIG. 3, if it is determined in step S300 that packaging by the first packaging material is not possible, a process may be performed to compare the number of first parcels expected to be created when packaging multiple items by the first packaging material with the number of second parcels expected to be created when packaging multiple items by the second packaging material different from the first packaging material.

[0069] In step S400, packaging information for multiple items may be generated based on the comparison results. The packaging information may include information regarding packaging material types, information regarding combined packaging items, and the like.

[0070] FIG. 7 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a step of comparing the number of parcels shown in FIG. 3 and a step of generating packaging information.

[0071] Referring to FIG. 7, first, the number of first parcels expected to be generated when multiple items are packaged with a first packaging material and the number of second parcels expected to be generated when multiple items are packaged with a second packaging material different from the first packaging material can be calculated (S310). At this time, the number of first parcels and the number of second parcels can be determined based on the capacity of the first packaging material and the capacity of the second packaging material, respectively. In one embodiment, the number of parcels (the number of first parcels, the number of second parcels) can be calculated by further considering the material of the first packaging material and the material of the second packaging material. Specifically, the first packaging material and the second packaging material may be packaging materials of different materials, and depending on the material, each packaging material may accommodate more or fewer items than the capacity specified for each. Accordingly, the number of parcels expected to be generated when packaging multiple items can be calculated by considering the materials of the first packaging material and the second packaging material.

[0072] Next, in step S320, it may be determined whether the number of second parcels expected to be generated when packaging multiple items with one or more second packaging materials decreases compared to the number of first parcels expected to be generated when packaging multiple items with multiple first packaging materials. If the number of first parcels is greater than the number of second parcels, i.e., if the number of second parcels decreases compared to the number of first parcels (YES), the second packaging material may be determined as the packaging material type for the multiple items (S410). Here, the step of determining the second packaging material as the packaging material type may include an operation of deleting a SKU flag set for the multiple items. On the other hand, if the number of first parcels is not greater than the number of second parcels, i.e., if the number of second parcels does not decrease compared to the number of first parcels (NO), the first packaging material may be determined as the packaging material type for the multiple items (S410). Here, the step of determining the first packaging material as the packaging material type may include an operation in which a SKU flag set for a plurality of items is maintained.

[0073] In this way, according to the present embodiment, by comparing the expected number of parcels when packaging multiple items with the first packaging material and the second packaging material, and determining the type of packaging material in a direction that can reduce the number of parcels, the shipping cost can be reduced.

[0074] Meanwhile, if a second packaging material is determined as the packaging type for multiple items and multiple items are packaged using the second packaging material, some of the second packaging materials may only accommodate items significantly smaller than the capacity of the second packaging material. For example, if five items are to be packaged and the second packaging material can accommodate a maximum of two items, two of the second packaging materials may each accommodate and package two items, while the remaining first packaging material may only accommodate one item. In this case, packaging the remaining item using the first packaging material may reduce costs. Accordingly, the present disclosure may perform a process of generating packaging information for the remaining items, excluding some of the items to be packaged using the second packaging material, among the multiple items.

[0075] This will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9.

[0076] Figure 8 is a flowchart exemplifying a packaging information provision method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. However, this is merely a preferred embodiment for achieving the purpose of the present disclosure, and it is understood that some steps may be added or deleted as needed.

[0077] First, order information for multiple items can be obtained in step S1000, and whether multiple items can be packaged together using a single first packaging material can be determined in step S2000. Since details related to this have been described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7, a description of any overlapping details will be omitted.

[0078] Next, in step S3000, among the plurality of items, the remaining items excluding some items to be packed by the second packaging material may be selected. Here, the remaining items excluding some items to be packed by the second packaging material refer to some items that fall short of the maximum capacity of the second packaging material when packing the plurality of items by dividing them into the second packaging materials. For example, assuming that N pieces of second packaging material are required to pack all of the plurality of items, the 1st to N-1th second packaging materials are filled with items to the maximum extent according to the capacity of the second packaging material, but the Nth second packaging material may be filled with a smaller amount of items than the 1st to N-1th second packaging materials. At this time, the some items to be packed by the second packaging material may refer to items accommodated in the 1st to N-1th second packaging materials, and the remaining items excluding some items to be packed by the second packaging material may refer to items accommodated in the Nth second packaging material.

[0079] In step S4000, a process may be performed to compare the number of first parcels expected to be created when the remaining selected items are packaged using the first packaging material with the number of second parcels expected to be created when the remaining selected items are packaged using the second packaging material. Here, the second packaging material may be a packaging material made of a different material than the first packaging material. For example, the first packaging material may be a plastic bag, and the second packaging material may be a paper box.

[0080] In step S5000, packaging information for the remaining items selected based on the comparison results in step S4000 can be generated.

[0081] FIG. 9 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a step of comparing the number of parcels shown in FIG. 8 and a step of generating packaging information.

[0082] First, as illustrated in FIG. 9, in step S4100, the number of first parcels expected to be created when the remaining selected items are packaged with the first packaging material and the number of second parcels expected to be created when the remaining selected items are packaged with the second packaging material different from the first packaging material can be calculated.

[0083] Next, a process of comparing the number of first parcels expected to be created when the remaining items selected in step S4200 are packaged with a plurality of first packaging materials with the number of second parcels expected to be created when the remaining items selected are packaged with one or more second packaging materials may be performed.

[0084] As a result of comparing the number of parcels in step S4200, if the number of first parcels expected to be created when the remaining selected items are packed with a plurality of first packaging materials is greater than the number of second parcels expected to be created when the remaining selected items are packed with one or more second packaging materials (YES), the second packaging material may be determined as the packaging material type for the remaining selected items, and packaging information for the same may be generated (S5100). On the other hand, if the number of first parcels expected to be created when the remaining selected items are packed with a plurality of first packaging materials is not greater than the number of second parcels expected to be created when the remaining selected items are packed with one or more second packaging materials (NO), the first packaging material may be determined as the packaging material type for the remaining selected items, and packaging information for the same may be generated (S5200).

[0085] In this way, the present embodiment can reduce packaging costs by inducing packaging to be performed by mixing the first packaging material and the second packaging material when packaging using the first packaging material is possible for some of the plurality of items.

[0086] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a computing device for providing packaging information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0087] Referring to FIG. 10, a computing device (500) may include one or more processors (510), a bus (530), a communication interface (540), a memory (520) for loading a computer program executed by the processor (510), and a storage (550) for storing a computer program (560). However, only components related to the embodiment of the present disclosure are illustrated in FIG. 10. Therefore, a person skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains will appreciate that other general components may be included in addition to the components illustrated in FIG. 10. That is, the computing device (500) may further include various components in addition to the components illustrated in FIG. 10. In addition, in some cases, the computing device (500) may be configured in a form in which some of the components illustrated in FIG. 9 are omitted. Hereinafter, each component of the computing device (500) will be described.

[0088] The processor (510) can control the overall operation of each component of the computing device (500). The processor (510) can be configured to include at least one of a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Micro Processor Unit (MPU), a Micro Controller Unit (MCU), a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), or any other type of processor well known in the art of the present disclosure. In addition, the processor (510) can perform operations for at least one application or program for executing operations / methods according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The computing device (500) can include one or more processors.

[0089] Next, the memory (520) can store various data, commands, and / or information. The memory (520) can load a computer program (560) from the storage (550) to execute operations / methods according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The memory (520) may be implemented as a volatile memory such as RAM, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0090] Next, the bus (530) can provide communication functions between components of the computing device (500). The bus (530) can be implemented as various types of buses, such as an address bus, a data bus, and a control bus.

[0091] Next, the communication interface (540) can support wired and wireless Internet communication of the computing device (500). Furthermore, the communication interface (540) can also support various communication methods other than Internet communication. To this end, the communication interface (540) can be configured to include a communication module well known in the technical field of the present disclosure.

[0092] Next, the storage (550) can non-temporarily store one or more computer programs (560). The storage (550) can be configured to include non-volatile memory such as Read Only Memory (ROM), Erasable Programmable ROM (EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, a hard disk, a removable disk, or any form of computer-readable recording medium well known in the art to which the present disclosure pertains.

[0093] Next, the computer program (560) may include one or more instructions that, when loaded into the memory (520), cause the processor (510) to perform operations / methods according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. That is, the processor (510) may perform operations / methods according to various embodiments of the present disclosure by executing the loaded one or more instructions.

[0094] Various embodiments of the present disclosure and effects according to the embodiments have been described with reference to FIGS. 1 through 9. The effects according to the technical concept of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects described above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0095] Furthermore, even though the above embodiments have described multiple components as being combined or operating in combination, the technical concept of the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to these embodiments. That is, within the scope of the technical concept of the present disclosure, all of the components may be selectively combined and operated one or more times.

[0096] The technical concepts of the present disclosure described so far can be implemented as computer-readable code on a computer-readable recording medium. A computer program recorded on the computer-readable recording medium can be transmitted to another computing device via a network such as the Internet, installed on the device, and used therein.

[0097] Although the operations are depicted in a specific order in the drawings, it should not be understood that the operations must be performed in the specific order depicted, or in a sequential order, or that all depicted operations must be performed to achieve the desired result. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Although various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above with reference to the attached drawings, those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains will understand that the technical concepts of the present disclosure can be implemented in other specific forms without changing the technical concepts or essential characteristics thereof. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of protection of the present disclosure should be interpreted by the claims below, and all technical ideas within a scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the technical ideas defined by the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method performed on a computing device, A step of obtaining order information for multiple items; A step of determining whether the above multiple items can be packaged together using one first packaging material; In a case where it is determined that the combined packaging by the above one first packaging material is impossible, a step of comparing the number of first parcels expected to be created when the plurality of items are packaged by the plurality of first packaging materials with the number of second parcels expected to be created when the plurality of items are packaged by one or more second packaging materials; and A step of generating packaging information for the plurality of items based on the comparison results, The first packaging material and the second packaging material are made of different materials. How to provide packaging information.

2. In paragraph 1, The above multiple items are classified as the same SKU (Stock Keeping Unit). How to provide packaging information.

3. In paragraph 1, The steps for obtaining the above order information are: Comprising a step of obtaining information on two or more orders by the same customer, How to provide packaging information.

4. In paragraph 1, The step for determining whether the above packaging is possible is: A step of determining whether the weight of the above multiple items exceeds the first criterion; and Comprising a step of determining whether the size of the plurality of items exceeds a second criterion, How to provide packaging information.

5. In paragraph 4, The step of determining whether the above first criterion is exceeded is: A step of determining whether the weight of each of the plurality of items is less than the first reference value; and A step of determining whether the total weight of the plurality of items exceeds the first criterion if the weight of each of the plurality of items is less than the first criterion, How to provide packaging information.

6. In paragraph 4, The step of determining whether the above second criterion is exceeded is: a step of determining whether the size of each of the plurality of items is less than the second criterion; and A step of determining whether the total size of the plurality of items exceeds the second criterion if the size of each of the plurality of items is less than the second criterion, How to provide packaging information.

7. In paragraph 1, The steps for generating the above packaging information are: If the number of the first parcels is greater than the number of the second parcels, a step of determining the packaging type for the plurality of items as the second packaging material; and Including a step of determining the packaging material type for the plurality of items as the first packaging material, when the number of the first parcels is less than or equal to the number of the second parcels. How to provide packaging information.

8. In paragraph 1, The first packaging material is a bag made of vinyl material, and the second packaging material is a box made of paper material. How to provide packaging information.

9. In a method performed on a computing device, A step of obtaining order information for multiple items; A step of determining whether the above multiple items can be packaged together using one first packaging material; In a case where it is determined that combined packaging using the first packaging material is impossible, a step of selecting the remaining items, excluding some items to be packaged using a second packaging material of a different material from the first packaging material among the plurality of items; A step of comparing the number of first parcels expected to be generated when the selected remaining items are packaged with one or more of the first packaging materials and the number of second parcels expected to be generated when the selected remaining items are packaged with the second packaging materials; and A step of generating packaging information for the remaining selected items based on the comparison results, How to provide packaging information.

10. In paragraph 9, The steps for generating the above packaging information are: If the number of the first parcels is greater than the number of the second parcels, a step of determining the packaging type for the remaining selected items as the second packaging material; and Including a step of determining the packaging material type for the selected remaining items as the first packaging material, if the number of the first parcels is less than or equal to the number of the second parcels. How to provide packaging information.

11. Processor; and Contains memory that stores instructions, The above instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: An action to obtain order information for multiple items; An action for determining whether the above multiple items can be packaged together using one first packaging material; In a case where it is determined that the combined packaging by the above one first packaging material is impossible, an operation of comparing the number of first parcels expected to be created when the plurality of items are packaged by the plurality of first packaging materials with the number of second parcels expected to be created when the plurality of items are packaged by one or more second packaging materials; and An operation is performed to generate packaging information for the plurality of items based on the comparison results. The first packaging material and the second packaging material are made of different materials. Computing device.

12. In paragraph 11, The action of generating the above packaging information is: If the number of the first parcels is greater than the number of the second parcels, an operation of determining the packaging type for the plurality of items as the second packaging material; and Including an operation of determining the packaging material type for the plurality of items as the first packaging material, when the number of the first parcels is less than or equal to the number of the second parcels. Computing device.

13. Processor; and Contains memory that stores instructions, The above instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: An action to obtain order information for multiple items; An action for determining whether the above multiple items can be packaged together using one first packaging material; In a case where it is determined that combined packaging using the first packaging material is impossible, an operation of selecting the remaining items, excluding some items to be packaged using a second packaging material of a different material from the first packaging material, among the plurality of items; An operation of comparing the number of first parcels expected to be generated when the selected remaining items are packed with one or more of the first packaging materials with the number of second parcels expected to be generated when the selected remaining items are packed with the second packaging materials; and An operation is performed to generate packaging information for the remaining selected items based on the results of the above comparison. Computing device.

14. In paragraph 13, The action of generating the above packaging information is: If the number of the first parcels is greater than the number of the second parcels, an operation of determining the packaging type for the remaining selected items as the second packaging material; and If the number of the first parcels is less than or equal to the number of the second parcels, the operation of determining the packaging type for the selected remaining items as the first packaging material is included. Computing device.

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