How Warehouses Plan Pallet Stacks for Incoming Shipments
This patent describes an automated warehouse system that plans how to stack incoming items onto pallets to perfectly fit available storage racks, and automatically sorts out incorrect items.
Original patent title: “Warehousing systems and methods”
This patent describes an automated warehouse system that plans how to stack incoming items onto pallets to perfectly fit available storage racks, and automatically sorts out incorrect items. Granted to Target Brands in 2023 with 22 claims and 1 forward citation, and it is expected to expire in 2040.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This system automates how warehouses handle incoming shipments. It uses an automated conveyance system, which includes a main conveyor, multiple branch conveyors, and a reject conveyor, to move items. An automated scanning system checks items as they move. A control system, acting like the brain, receives information about future shipments, including item types (like an SKU or barcode), quantities, and sizes. Crucially, it also knows the target heights for pallet loads, which are determined by the available warehouse rack storage spaces. Before the shipment even arrives, the control system uses all this information to create a detailed plan for assembling the pallet loads. If the scanning system identifies items that are not part of the expected shipment, the control system directs the conveyance system to move these "rejected items" to a dedicated reject conveyor.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover manual sorting of items onto pallets without automated guidance or pre-planning.
- Does not cover general warehouse storage optimization beyond planning pallet build heights to fit specific rack spaces.
- Does not cover systems that only sort items without also pre-planning the assembly of pallet loads based on future rack availability.
- Does not cover planning for outgoing shipments or order fulfillment processes, focusing specifically on incoming goods.
- Does not cover systems that determine pallet assembly plans only after the entire shipment has arrived and been physically processed.
- Does not cover the use of robots or automated guided vehicles for the physical stacking of items onto pallets, only the planning and instruction delivery.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The truly clever part is the system's ability to plan the exact build-height of pallet loads for incoming items *before* they even arrive. This pre-planning uses information about available warehouse rack space, ensuring that every pallet is built to maximize storage density and minimize wasted space, while also automatically rejecting unexpected items.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Target distribution centers
Amazon fulfillment centers
Walmart warehouses
Automated logistics hubs
Large-scale retail supply chain operations
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This technology helps large warehouses, especially those of major retailers, become much more efficient. By planning pallet loads in advance and optimizing their height to perfectly fit storage racks, it maximizes storage space and speeds up the process of receiving goods. This reduces operational costs and ensures products can be quickly moved from delivery trucks to store shelves or customer fulfillment centers.
Filed
October 29, 2020
Granted
September 26, 2023
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Target Brands Inc., the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, is actively implementing and refining such systems within its own extensive supply chain network. Other major retailers like Amazon and Walmart, along with logistics and automation companies such as Dematic, Honeywell Intelligrated, and Kion Group, are continuously developing and deploying advanced warehouse automation solutions that build upon similar principles of optimizing material flow and storage density.
Market impact
This type of warehouse automation has significantly transformed the logistics and retail industries by enabling faster, more accurate, and more space-efficient handling of goods. It has allowed companies to manage larger volumes of inventory with reduced labor costs and improved throughput, directly supporting the rapid growth of e-commerce and the demand for quicker delivery times. The focus on pre-planning and automated sorting has become a standard for modern, high-volume distribution centers.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This system automates how warehouses handle incoming shipments. It uses an automated conveyance system, which includes a main conveyor, multiple branch conveyors, and a reject conveyor, to move items. An automated scanning system checks items as they move. A control system, acting like the brain, receives information about future shipments, including item types (like an SKU or barcode), quantities, and sizes. Crucially, it also knows the target heights for pallet loads, which are determined by the available warehouse rack storage spaces. Before the shipment even arrives, the control system uses all this information to create a detailed plan for assembling the pallet loads. If the scanning system identifies items that are not part of the expected shipment, the control system directs the conveyance system to move these "rejected items" to a dedicated reject conveyor.
The clever bit
The truly clever part is the system's ability to plan the exact build-height of pallet loads for incoming items *before* they even arrive. This pre-planning uses information about available warehouse rack space, ensuring that every pallet is built to maximize storage density and minimize wasted space, while also automatically rejecting unexpected items.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover manual sorting of items onto pallets without automated guidance or pre-planning.
- Does not cover general warehouse storage optimization beyond planning pallet build heights to fit specific rack spaces.
- Does not cover systems that only sort items without also pre-planning the assembly of pallet loads based on future rack availability.
- Does not cover planning for outgoing shipments or order fulfillment processes, focusing specifically on incoming goods.
- Does not cover systems that determine pallet assembly plans only after the entire shipment has arrived and been physically processed.
- Does not cover the use of robots or automated guided vehicles for the physical stacking of items onto pallets, only the planning and instruction delivery.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Strong
Citation count
6/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
15/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
20/20
Major company or institution
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$42K – $135K
Midpoint $84K · 14.2 yr remaining · industry ×0.9
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Patent Claims
0 independent claims · 1 dependent
Claims are the legal boundaries of the patent. An independent claim stands alone. A dependent claim adds limitations to its parent, narrowing — but not broadening — the scope.
The original legal language
Original claims
22 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Keyser, A., Ericson, B., Crowe, A., & Anderson, M. (2023). How Warehouses Plan Pallet Stacks for Incoming Shipments (U.S. Patent No. 11,767,169). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11767169/warehousing-systems-and-methods
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
Embed
Add this patent to your site
Drop this plain-English patent card into any blog post or article — free, no signup. It always links back to the full breakdown here.
<div data-patentlens-widget data-patent-number="US11767169"></div> <script src="https://patentbrief.org/embed.js" async></script>
Stay in the loop
Get a weekly digest of new patents.
One email per week. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Keep exploring
Related patents you should know
US 4683195 · 1987
How to Make Billions of Copies of a DNA Segment
This patent describes the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), a method to rapidly create many copies of a specific piece of DNA or RNA, enabling its detection and analysis.
Cetus Corp
US 8697359 · 2014
How to Edit Genes in Human Cells Using an Engineered CRISPR System
This patent describes an engineered CRISPR-Cas9 system for precisely cutting DNA in eukaryotic cells to change how genes work, opening the door for gene editing in complex organisms.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
US 7657849 · 2010
How the iPhone's Slide-to-Unlock Gesture Works
Apple's 2010 patent describes unlocking a device by dragging a specific graphical image across the touchscreen along a predefined path, a gesture that became iconic with the original iPhone.
Apple Inc
US 4733665 · 1988
How Doctors Implant a Permanent Stent Using a Balloon
This patent describes the method for placing a permanent, expandable wire mesh tube inside a blood vessel or other body tube using a balloon-tipped catheter to widen it and keep it open.
Expandable Grafts Partnership
US 4965188 · 1990
How to Make Many Copies of a DNA Piece with Heat
This patent describes the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method, a technique to make millions of copies of a specific DNA segment using a heat-resistant enzyme and repeated temperature changes.
Cetus Corp
US 4235871 · 1980
How to Encapsulate Active Materials in Lipid Bubbles Efficiently
This patent describes a method for trapping biologically active substances inside tiny, multi-layered fat bubbles called liposomes, using a specific water-in-oil emulsion and gel-forming process to improve how much material gets captured.
Individual
Semantically similar
You might also find these interesting
US 10947045 · 2021 · Target Brands
How Robots and Mobile Shelves Fulfill Orders in Warehouses
US 12077385 · 2024 · Target Brands
How Warehouses Sort Items with Magnetic Levitation Shuttles
US 11648589 · 2023 · Target Brands
Automated System for Emptying and Sorting Items from Shipping Containers
US 8732039 · 2014 · Amazon Technologies Inc
How Amazon Optimizes Where to Store Products to Avoid Stockouts
More to explore
More in Consumer Electronics
US 7657849 · 2010 · Apple Inc
How the iPhone's Slide-to-Unlock Gesture Works
US 7479949 · 2009 · Apple Inc
How Touchscreens Understand Your Finger Swipes and Scrolls
US 4528643 · 1985 · FPDC Inc
How Stores Make Custom Products On-Demand with Remote Approval
US 7469381 · 2008 · Apple Inc
How Touchscreens Show and Snap Back When You Scroll Past an Edge
New to patents?
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Warehouses Plan Pallet Stacks for Incoming Shipments cover?
This patent describes an automated warehouse system that plans how to stack incoming items onto pallets to perfectly fit available storage racks, and automatically sorts out incorrect items.
Who owns patent US 11767169?
Target Brands owns this patent, granted in 2023.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on October 29, 2040, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 11767169 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 1 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This technology helps large warehouses, especially those of major retailers, become much more efficient. By planning pallet loads in advance and optimizing their height to perfectly fit storage racks, it maximizes storage space and speeds up the process of receiving goods. This reduces operational costs and ensures products can be quickly moved from delivery trucks to store shelves or customer fulfillment centers.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover manual sorting of items onto pallets without automated guidance or pre-planning.
Same assignee
More from Target Brands
Patent monitoring