Assigning warehouse resources to an inbound truck to maximize warehouse throughput

Abstract

In general, the subject matter described in this disclosure can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products for routing items in a warehouse. A computing system receives a request to assign an inbound truck to a transport bay and determines an available subset of unloading paths, by removing any unloading path directed from a transport bay or inbound storage area that is currently occupied/assigned. The computing system determines an available subset of loading paths, by removing any loading path directed to a transport bay or outbound staging area that is currently occupied/assigned. The computing system identifies multiple available path combinations that each include an unloading path from the available subset of unloading paths and a loading path from the available subset of loading paths. The computing system determines a selected path combination based on the selected path combination having a most favorable score.

1 .- 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A warehouse system, comprising:
 multiple transport bays at a warehouse that are structured to dock trucks;   multiple inbound storage areas in the warehouse that are arranged to temporarily store physical items unloaded from trucks docked at various of the transport bays;   multiple outbound staging areas being areas in the warehouse that are arranged to stage physical items that are to be loaded onto trucks docked at various of the transport bays;   a warehouse transport system that is configured to move physical items between locations in the warehouse, the locations including at least one of the multiple transport bays, the multiple inbound storage areas, and the multiple outbound staging areas; and   a computing system that includes one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable devices including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing system to perform operations that comprise:
 receiving a request to assign an inbound truck arriving at the warehouse to a transport bay from among the multiple transport bays at the warehouse; 
 accessing information that identifies a collection of paths in the warehouse, the collection of paths including (i) unloading paths being directed from the multiple transport bays to the multiple inbound storage areas in the warehouse and (ii) loading paths being directed from the multiple outbound staging areas in the warehouse to the multiple transport bays; 
 determining, based on first criteria, an available subset of paths from among the unloading paths and the loading paths, wherein the available subset of paths include at least one unloading path and at least one loading path that are available for assignment to the inbound truck; 
 identifying, based on second criteria, multiple available path combinations that each include an unloading path from the available subset of paths and a loading path from among the available subset of paths; 
 determining, based on third criteria, a selected path combination from among the multiple available path combinations; 
 generating assignment information that assigns the inbound truck to: (a) a selected transport bay used by the selected path combination, (b) a selected unloading path of the selected path combination that is directed from the selected transport bay to a selected inbound storage area, and (c) a selected loading path of the selected path combination that is directed from a selected outbound staging area to the selected transport bay; and 
 operating, based on the assignment information, the warehouse transport system to transport physical items along at least a portion of the selected path combination. 
   
     
     
         15 . The warehouse system of  claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise: removing any path from among the collection of paths that satisfies removal criteria. 
     
     
         16 . The warehouse system of  claim 15 , wherein the removal criteria identifies, for removal, any unloading path directed from a transport bay that is currently occupied by a truck. 
     
     
         17 . The warehouse system of  claim 15 , wherein the removal criteria identifies, for removal, any path directed to an inbound storage area to which a truck at any of the multiple transport bays is assigned. 
     
     
         18 . The warehouse system of  claim 15 , wherein the removal criteria identifies, for removal, any loading path directed to a transport bay that is currently occupied by a truck. 
     
     
         19 . The warehouse system of  claim 15 , wherein the removal criteria identifies, for removal, any loading path directed from an outbound staging area to which a truck at any of the multiple transport bays is assigned. 
     
     
         20 . The warehouse system of  claim 14 , wherein the second criteria is satisfied when an unloading path and a loading path in an available path combination of the multiple available path combinations use a same transport bay in the warehouse. 
     
     
         21 . The warehouse system of  claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 determining a score for each of the unloading paths and the loading paths; and   determining, for each available path combination of the multiple available path combinations, a score based on respective scores of an unloading path and a loading path in the available path combination, wherein the third criteria is satisfied based on the selected path combination having a highest score from among scores of the multiple available path combinations.   
     
     
         22 . The warehouse system of  claim 21 , wherein the score for each of the unloading paths and the loading paths is determined before receiving the request to assign the inbound truck arriving at the warehouse to a transport bay. 
     
     
         23 . The warehouse system of  claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise: operating, based on the assignment information, the warehouse transport system to transport the physical items in the selected transport bay. 
     
     
         24 . The warehouse system of  claim 14 , wherein the warehouse transport system includes a conveyance system. 
     
     
         25 . The warehouse system of  claim 14 , wherein the warehouse transport system includes a shuttling system. 
     
     
         26 . The warehouse system of  claim 14 , wherein the at least a portion of the selected path combination includes the selected unloading path. 
     
     
         27 . The warehouse system of  claim 14 , wherein the at least a portion of the selected path combination includes the selected loading path. 
     
     
         28 . The warehouse system of  claim 14 , wherein the at least a portion of the selected path combination includes a portion of the selected unloading path. 
     
     
         29 . The warehouse system of  claim 14 , wherein the at least a portion of the selected path combination includes a portion of the selected loading path. 
     
     
         30 . The warehouse system of  claim 14 , wherein the at least a portion of the selected path combination includes the selected unloading path and the selected loading path. 
     
     
         31 . The warehouse system of  claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise: operating, based on the assignment information, the warehouse transport system to transport the physical items at the selected inbound storage area based in part on the selected unloading path. 
     
     
         32 . The warehouse system of  claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise: operating, based on the assignment information, the warehouse transport system to transport the physical items at the selected outbound staging area based in part on the selected loading path. 
     
     
         33 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a computing system, a request to assign an inbound truck arriving at a warehouse to a transport bay from among multiple transport bays at the warehouse, wherein the multiple transport bars are structured to dock trucks;   accessing, by the computing system, information that identifies a collection of paths in the warehouse, the collection of paths including (i) unloading paths being directed from the multiple transport bays to multiple inbound storage areas in the warehouse and (ii) loading paths being directed from multiple outbound staging areas in the warehouse to the multiple transport bays, wherein the multiple inbound storage areas are arranged to temporarily store physical items unloaded from trucks docked at various of the transport bays and the multiple outbound staging areas are arranged to stage physical items that are to be loaded onto trucks docked at various of the transport bays;   determining, by the computing system and based on first criteria, an available subset of paths from among the unloading paths and the loading paths, wherein the available subset of paths include at least one unloading path and at least one loading path that are available for assignment to the inbound truck;   identifying, by the computing system and based on second criteria, multiple available path combinations that each include an unloading path from the available subset of paths and a loading path from among the available subset of paths;   determining, by the computing system and based on third criteria, a selected path combination from among the multiple available path combinations;   generating, by the computing system, assignment information that assigns the inbound truck to: (a) a selected transport bay used by the selected path combination, (b) a selected unloading path of the selected path combination that is directed from the selected transport bay to a selected inbound storage area, and (c) a selected loading path of the selected path combination that is directed from a selected outbound staging area to the selected transport bay; and   operating, by the computing system and based on the assignment information, a warehouse transport system to transport physical items along at least a portion of the selected path combination, wherein the warehouse transport system is configured to move physical items between locations in the warehouse, the locations including at least one of the multiple transport bays, the multiple inbound storage areas, and the multiple outbound staging areas.