Determining stowability based on item-size categories

摘要

Methods, systems and apparatus for determining stowability based on item-size categories are described. Embodiments may select a storage module for a stow operation based on accessing stowability information. Stowability information, in various embodiments may include stowability information for each storage module in a materials handling system. Stowability information may indicate a capacity to hold additional items in a storage module. The capacity may be determined according an item-size category descriptor, describing the quantity of items in each category of a storage module, and a storage module capacity module characterizing item descriptors of fully-stowed storage modules. In some embodiments the storage module capacity model is a function fitted to data points representing the values of item-size descriptors of fully-stowed storage modules. Embodiments may update the stowability information for a storage module in response to the removal of an item from the storage module.

主权项

1. A system, comprising:
a plurality of storage modules at a materials handling facility, wherein each storage module comprises one or more locations for storing one or more items; a control system is configured to:
generate a storage module capacity model that characterizes item-size category descriptors for fully-stowed storage modules;select one of the plurality of storage modules for a stow operation, wherein to select the storage module the control system is configured to:
access stowability information for the plurality of storage modules, wherein the stowability information for each respective storage module indicates a capacity of the storage module to hold additional items, wherein the capacity of the storage module to hold additional items is determined according to the storage module capacity model applied to one or more item-size category descriptors for items currently held in the storage module;select the storage module for the stow operation based on the accessed stowability information; anddirect performance of a stow operation for stowing items received at the materials handling facility into the selected storage module.