Item Adjacency Map for Order Filling Efficiency

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current order filling systems lack efficiency in navigating large retail spaces to accurately locate and retrieve multiple items for customer orders, often relying on manual methods that are time-consuming and prone to errors.

Innovation Solution

An order filling system comprising a central computing system and mobile scanning devices that generate item adjacency maps based on scan times, allowing for wireless transmission and display of customer orders, enabling efficient item location and retrieval by indicating adjacent items in a store.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If manual methods are used to locate and retrieve items for customer orders, then flexibility in operation is maintained, but time consumption increases and accuracy decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveorder filling speedVSAvoidtime to locate and retrieve items

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by generating item adjacency maps before orders arrive, pre-calculating optimal item locations and adjacencies. When an order is received, the system can immediately provide routing guidance without real-time searching, significantly reducing order filling time while maintaining operational flexibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces mobile scanning devices as intermediaries between the central computing system and the physical items in the store. These devices provide real-time guidance to workers, displaying item locations and adjacencies, thereby bridging the gap between centralized intelligence and distributed item retrieval operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If traditional order filling systems are used without item adjacency information, then system complexity is reduced, but item location accuracy and retrieval efficiency deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveitem location accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity for generating and using adjacency maps

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system employs self-service mechanisms where mobile scanning devices automatically scan item locations and autonomously generate adjacency information without requiring manual input from workers. The devices self-update their knowledge of item positions and automatically compute optimal retrieval paths, reducing the complexity burden on human operators while maintaining high location accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual mechanical searching and item location methods with electronic and optical systems. Mobile scanning devices use cameras, sensors, and wireless communication to detect item positions and transmit location data, substituting physical exploration with electronic measurement and information processing, thereby achieving higher precision with manageable system complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Productivity

If workers navigate large retail spaces without guidance systems, then equipment and system costs are reduced, but time consumption and error rates increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveorder filling efficiencyVSAvoidease of navigating store layout

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Mobile scanning devices serve as portable intermediaries that accompany workers throughout the store, providing real-time navigation guidance and item location information directly at the point of operation. This eliminates the need for workers to mentally map or remember store layouts, making navigation intuitive and error-free while maintaining operational simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces manual spatial navigation and memory-based location recall with electronic guidance systems. Mobile devices use GPS, RFID, camera-based recognition, or wireless signal triangulation to automatically determine worker position and provide directional guidance, substituting human cognitive effort with automated electronic navigation assistance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS20220335369A1Filling orders using item adjacency

Publication Date: 2022.10.20 FRANCIS THOMAS

AI summary

An order filling system includes a computing system and a mobile scanning device. The computing system is configured to generate an item adjacency map based on a plurality of scan times associated with a plurality of stocked items for picking from a store according to one or more electronic customer orders. The item adjacency map indicates which of the stocked items are adjacent to one another. Additionally, the computing system is configured to receive an electronic customer order including a plurality of ordered items indicating which of the stocked items are to be picked and wirelessly transmit the electronic customer order. The mobile scanning device includes a display. The mobile scanning device is configured to receive the transmitted electronic customer order and arrange at least some of the plurality of ordered items on the display based on the item adjacency map.