Dirty Picking Receptacle Processing for Inventory Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional inventory selection systems face inefficiencies in picking items from randomly stored inventory, particularly in facilities using 'random-stow' techniques, where items are co-located, leading to increased time spent searching for specific items and difficulty in identification, especially when numerous similar items are stored together.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a 'dirty picking' mechanism, where entire receptacles containing multiple items are processed as if all items are ordered, allowing for batch processing and separation of needed items from overage items at a downstream station, reducing the need for individual item processing and consolidation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of stationary object
If random-stow technique is used to co-locate items in inventory, then inventory space utilization is improved, but item identification time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual searching and identification mechanisms with an automated imaging system. Cameras capture images of receptacles, and image processing algorithms automatically identify items and their locations, substituting human visual search with automated optical recognition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates visual copies (images) of the physical inventory contents. By capturing images of receptacles and processing them to identify items, the system works with copies of the inventory data rather than physically searching for each item, enabling rapid identification without manual handling.
2Measurement precision
If individual items are picked from receptacles one at a time, then picking accuracy is improved, but picking speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary identification and location determination of all items in a receptacle before the picking process begins. The imaging system captures and processes images to create a complete map of item locations and identities, allowing pickers to efficiently retrieve items without searching during the picking process itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual item-by-item identification with automated image capture and processing. The system rapidly captures images of entire receptacles and uses algorithms to identify all items and their positions simultaneously, enabling much faster picking speeds while maintaining accuracy through automated verification.
3Volume of stationary object
If multiple similar items are stored together in a receptacle, then storage efficiency is improved, but item differentiation difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates detailed visual copies of item characteristics through imaging. The system captures images that reveal distinguishing features of similar items (such as labeling, packaging details, or physical characteristics), allowing the system to differentiate between similar items based on their visual copies rather than physical inspection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual visual differentiation with automated image processing algorithms. The system uses computational methods to analyze images and identify subtle differences between similar items, such as reading labels, recognizing packaging patterns, or detecting physical variations, making differentiation automatic and highly accurate.
4Productivity
If entire receptacles are processed as batch units, then processing efficiency is improved, but individual item control decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the receptacle processing into two distinct stages: batch identification and individual item retrieval. The imaging system processes the entire receptacle as a unit to identify all items and their locations, then enables selective picking of individual items based on this comprehensive information, combining batch efficiency with individual control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary batch processing to create a complete inventory map of the receptacle contents before individual item picking begins. This preliminary action provides comprehensive control information for all items, allowing pickers to efficiently select and retrieve specific items with full knowledge of their locations and identities.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatuses for the processing of receptacles containing heterogeneous inventory items in materials handling facilities are generally described. Dirty picking may be described as a mechanism for the “batch” processing of a receptacle which includes multiple heterogeneous inventory items with different identification codes in a materials handling facility as if all of the items in the receptacle have been ordered, even though one or more of the items may have not been ordered. Through the implementation of a dirty pick mechanism, instead of processing individual items in a receptacle, the entire receptacle may be “dirty picked” and all of the items within the receptacle may be processed “downstream” at a processing station, during which needed items for processing may be selected, and “overage” items may be put aside to be disposed, e.g. by being restocked.