Conveyor Routing by Destination Weight for Flexible Item Placement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Distribution centers face inefficiencies in product placement due to the manual distribution of items, even when automated systems are used, leading to increased time and resource consumption.

Innovation Solution

A method and electronic apparatus for controlling a conveyor that acquires information about destinations, identifies weights based on this information, and determines the optimal destination for an item based on its characteristics, allowing the conveyor to transport the item efficiently to the designated location.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If manual distribution of products is used in the distribution center, then flexibility in product placement is improved, but time consumption and operational efficiency deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflexibility in product placementVSAvoidoperational efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables automatic self-service distribution where the conveyor system autonomously determines and executes product routing decisions based on destination weights and item characteristics, eliminating the need for manual intervention while maintaining adaptive placement capabilities

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts routing parameters based on destination weights and item properties, changing the distribution parameters automatically to achieve both flexibility and efficiency without manual reconfiguration

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If automated conveyor system is used for product distribution, then operational efficiency is improved, but time consumption for product placement deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational efficiencyVSAvoidtime consumption for product placement

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary calculation of destination weights and optimal routing paths before actual product transport, allowing the conveyor to move products directly to predetermined destinations without intermediate stopping or manual decision-making during transport

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from destination weight information and item characteristics to continuously optimize routing decisions, ensuring that products are transported along the most efficient paths while adapting to changing distribution requirements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Device complexity

If uniform automated distribution is applied to all destinations, then system simplicity is improved, but adaptability to different destination requirements deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem simplicityVSAvoidadaptability to destination requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies local quality by assigning different destination weights to different destinations based on their specific requirements, allowing each destination to receive appropriate attention while maintaining a unified conveyor system architecture

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The conveyor system serves multiple destinations with different requirements through a single unified platform that automatically adjusts routing based on destination weights, achieving both system simplicity and adaptability to diverse distribution needs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11745222B2Method of controlling conveyer and electronic apparatus therefor

Publication Date: 2023.09.05 COUPANG CORP

AI summary

Provided is a method of controlling a conveyor for item transportation and an electronic apparatus therefor, the method including acquiring information associated with a plurality of destinations, identifying a weight for each of the plurality of destinations based on the acquired information, determining, in response to an item being identified, a destination among the plurality of destinations based on the identified weight, wherein the item is placed in the determined destination, and controlling the conveyor to transport the item to the determined destination.