JP2000309408A - Automatic warehouse system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently operate a system by providing shelves, conveying devices and stations, controlling the operation with a control means, and providing a means for displaying the three-dimensional images of the layout of the system and the states of various system sections. SOLUTION: A computer controlling an automatic warehouse system is provided with an in/out setting section and a graphic process section, and a synthetic process section storing the layout of the automatic warehouse system as a fixed frame and synthesizing the images showing the states of various system sections on the fixed frame is provided as the sub-system of the graphic process section. A regenerative process section showing the images on the past states of the automatic warehouse system frame by frame or retrieving proper specified record positions is provided. The layout of the automatic warehouse system and the states of various sections are three-dimensionally displayed on a monitor as a bird's eye view, for example, and an explanatory display of an abnormal state is made when an abnormality occurs.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic warehousing system, and more particularly to a display of a system operation status.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an automatic warehouse, articles are transported between a shelf and a loading / unloading station by a transport device such as a crane. In an automatic warehouse system, one or more of such automatic warehouses are combined and controlled by control means such as a warehouse computer. The automatic warehouse system is provided in a factory, a distribution center, or the like.

[0003] Automatic warehouses are operated by operators, but this operation is not always easy. In the operation of an automated warehouse, how much goods are stored in each shelf, how much outgoing reservations are made for each shelf, or how the status of each transport equipment and loading / unloading station is It is necessary to understand whether or not it is. In addition, it is necessary to understand whether there is no abnormality in the system, how to recover if there is an abnormality, and how to continue work in the part where no abnormality has occurred. Is done. And surely understand these things,
It is not easy for an operator to respond quickly to each situation.

[0004]

A basic object of the present invention is to clearly display the operation status of an automatic warehouse system and to facilitate its operation (claims 1 to 3). An additional object of the invention according to claims 2 and 3 is to make it possible to later find out the cause of the restored abnormality.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided a system having at least a shelf, a transport device and a station, and having control means for controlling the transport device and the station and a terminal thereof.
An automatic warehouse system is provided with means for displaying a two-dimensional image on the terminal. The layout preferably includes, for example, a shelf, a transport device, a station such as an entrance / exit, and an automatic guided vehicle, an electric bogie, an overhead traveling vehicle, and the like, in addition to the above. The three-dimensional image may be literally a three-dimensional image, but since it is difficult to create an image, a three-dimensional image such as a bird's-eye view is preferably used. For example, the status of each part of the system is, for example, at least the number of stocks on the shelf, preferably the number of stocks and the number of reservations for delivery, and two types of display, for example, waiting and transporting, on the transport device, preferably during the waiting and delivery work. , Three types of display during the storage operation. For the station,
For example, two types of display, i.e., vacant and present, are provided. Preferably, three types of display are provided, i.e., vacant, stored item present, and outgoing item present. More preferably, it is preferable to display normal / abnormal discrimination for each part of the system.

Preferably, there are provided means for storing a plurality of past images in association with the recording time, and means for reproducing the image selected by searching the stored image on the terminal. The preferred association between image and recording time is
That is, the image is stored every predetermined time. However, in this method, for example, a relatively small number of images, such as one image per hour, are stored as they are on the entire screen, and only the differences from the previous image are stored in the other cases. For example, a method of storing only when the operation status changes) may be used.
The method of storing the image is to store the image literally on a video tape or digital video disk, etc., or to convert the image into operation status data and store the meaningful part in the image (data of the status of each part of the system) To do, etc.

[0007] More preferably, there is provided means for storing a past abnormal situation in association with time and displaying an explanation display of the abnormal situation on the terminal at a time corresponding to the recording time in the stored image. .

[0008]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the layout of the system and its status are three-dimensionally displayed on the terminal. For this reason, the system configuration is clear at a glance, and the status of each part of the system is immediately understood. Therefore, even an unskilled operator can easily operate the automatic warehouse system. For example, it is possible to immediately know how much room is on the shelves, and what is the status of the transport device or station. In particular, when the presence or absence of an abnormality is displayed for each part of the system, it is possible to immediately find out where the abnormality is in the system, how to determine that there is an abnormality, how to continue the work in the remaining part, and the like.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, a past image is stored, retrieved, and reproduced. Therefore, the status of the system at the time of the abnormality can be displayed on the terminal after the recovery from the abnormality. When an abnormality occurs, it is necessary to first restore the automatic warehouse system before recording the cause or the like. Therefore, according to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to first recover and then confirm the cause of the abnormality later.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, after displaying the screen of the system status at the time of the abnormality, a description screen of the abnormal status can be displayed. Therefore, it is easy to grasp the cause of the abnormality.

[0011]

1 to 6 show an embodiment. FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an automatic warehouse system. 2 is a warehouse computer as an example of a control means, 4 is an entry / exit setting section, and 6 is a graphic processing section. As a subsystem of the graphic processing unit 6, there is a synthesizing processing unit 7 for storing the layout of the automatic warehouse system as a fixed frame and synthesizing the fixed frame with an image indicating the current state of each part of the system.
Further, as a subsystem of the graphic processing unit 6, search and playback are performed by frame-by-frame advance of a screen relating to the status of the automatic warehouse system in the past or search by specifying an appropriate recording position. There is a reproduction processing unit 8 for performing the processing. Graphic processing unit 6
Describes the layout of the automated warehouse system and the status of each part.
Dimensionally, here, a bird's eye view is displayed.

Reference numeral 9 denotes a recovery processing unit which manages recovery when an abnormality occurs in a part of the automatic warehouse system. The automatic warehouse system has a large number of files. The main files are an inventory file 10 that stores inventory items for each product number, and a shelf file that stores the presence or absence of inventory items and their product numbers for each shelf address of the automatic warehouse system. 12, and a recorded file 14 storing a bird's-eye view of the status of the past automatic warehouse system. In the embodiment, the recording file 14 is an image of the past system in which any one of three types, ie, every 2 seconds, every 4 seconds, and every 6 seconds, is selected and stored. Use a disk or the like.

Reference numeral 16 denotes a system history file which stores the past history of the automatic warehouse system, and particularly stores the history of the transportation, the cause and time of occurrence of the abnormality, and the presence or absence of recovery for them. Reference numeral 18 denotes a current status file which stores data to be displayed via the graphic processing unit 6 in the current status of the automatic warehouse system. That is, the stock file 10 and the shelf file 12
The main data is stored among the data such as. 2
Reference numeral 0 denotes other files, which store other data necessary for the operation of the automatic warehouse system.

The automatic warehouse system includes one or more setting terminals 22.
In addition, the data of the warehouse computer 2 can be called from the host computer 23, and particularly, image data on the current state of the system can be called, and an instruction can be input to the warehouse computer 2. Reference numeral 24 denotes a crane control unit which controls a crane 25 such as a stacker crane of an automatic warehouse system, and 26 denotes a station control unit which controls stations 27 to 29 and the like. In the automatic warehouse system of the embodiment, the electric bogie 31 is connected to the stations 27 to 29 and the like, and the entrance 32 and the exit 33 are connected to the electric bogie. Reference numeral 30 denotes a control unit of the electric bogie.

FIG. 2 shows a current status file in the automatic warehouse system. This file contains shelves for the first crane,
Each shelf is an item such as a shelf for the second crane, a shelf for the third crane, and the like. The stock number for each shelf is, for example, 300 shelves at the shelf address, and the shelves reserved for delivery are 5 at the shelf address. Data such as the existence of a shelf and that each shelf is normal are stored. Similarly, Unit 1 ~
For each of the cranes such as the No. 3 machine, the current state (waiting, entering work, leaving work), the presence / absence of an abnormality, and the like are stored. For each entry / exit station, for example, data on the number of articles on the station (for example, in pallets), data on distinction between entry and exit, and data on normal / abnormal are also stored. Similarly, for the electric bogie and the like, states such as during the warehousing work, during the warehousing work, waiting, and the like, and in addition to this, the distinction between normal and abnormal is also stored.

FIG. 3 shows a current display screen of the automatic warehouse at the setting terminal 22. The layout such as the positions of shelves, stacker cranes, and the location of loading / unloading stations is a fixed frame. The automatic warehouse system of the embodiment has an automatic warehouse for three units.
There are three units of Unit 3. Therefore, the display corresponding to these is displayed. As for the loading / unloading station, the left side with respect to each unit is the loading station, and the right side is the unloading station. Further, in front of the screens of the six stations, the tracks of the tracked trucks are displayed, and the tracked trucks that are transporting the stored articles are displayed. In addition, the entrance and exit ports are displayed facing the track of the tracked truck, and it is displayed that one entry item and one exit item exist, and that one exit port is empty. Although it is not clear in FIG. 3 whether the product is inbound or outbound, the actual setting terminal uses color coding or the like.
It can be clearly displayed. Also, the distinction between normal and abnormal can be easily displayed by color coding, and if the cause of the abnormality is color-coded, several kinds of abnormalities can be distinguished and displayed. Furthermore, the mast of the crane is fixed and displayed for the stacker crane, and the position of the elevator is displayed movable. The elevator is not displayed for the second crane, which indicates that the second crane is in a waiting state.

Important concepts for the shelves are the number of shelves on the shelf (how many in-stock items on each shelf are at the shelves) and the number of shelves reserved for shelving (the items for which shelves are reserved are shelving addresses). How many shelves
It is. In addition to the above, there is a concept of the number of reserved shelves, but the number of reserved shelves is more important because the retrieval generally takes precedence over the retrieval. In order to allow the operator to grasp the status of the shelves, the number of shelves in the shelves and the number of shelves reserved for retrieval are displayed in addition to normal / abnormal.
It is determined that the bar graph for the cells is 25% of the total number of shelves or 25% of the upper limit outgoing reserved shelves. In the shelf for the first crane, for example, the number of shelves is 400 shelves (the total number of shelves) × 7.
Since 5% is about 300 shelves and the upper limit of the number of shelving reservation shelves is 60 shelves, the number of shelves for the first crane is about 1/3 of 15 shelves, or about 5 shelves. By displaying the number of shelves on the shelf and the number of shelving reservations in a bar graph in this way, it is easy to see at a glance how many items are in stock on each shelf and how many shipping orders have been set for each shelf. Become. In the embodiment, the bar graph is displayed. For example, for each automatic warehouse unit, the shelf on the left side of the crane is assigned to the display of the number of shelves, and the right side is assigned to the display of the number of reserved shelves. Each of the shelves divided in the form of a block may be displayed in a 3D color-coded manner as 20% for one block.

For each crane and each station, as well as for the electric trolley, the entrance and the exit, the distinction of normal / abnormal is indicated by color, and three types of display for the crane during entry, waiting, and exit. do. Further, for the receiving station, the normal / abnormal discrimination and the number of articles in the station (for example, two received items in the case of FIG. 5) are displayed. Similarly, normal / abnormal discrimination and the number of articles on the station are displayed for the retrieval station. For electric bogies,
The normal / abnormal discrimination and whether the work is in the outgoing operation or in the incoming operation is indicated by the color of the transfer data. Also for the entrance and exit, identification of normal / abnormal and indication of exiting or entering are displayed.

On each screen, the current time and whether the vehicle is operating normally or abnormally are identified, and the recording interval can be selected every 2 seconds, every 4 seconds, or every 6 seconds. When the user selects the display of the transport item detailed data, details of the transport data for each transport device are listed and displayed on the screen. If you select the data error detail display, the status display screen (the status display screen displaying the error and its code under the current time in the upper right of the screen) indicates whether there is a data error, The time of occurrence, the time during which the abnormality continues, the method of coping with the abnormality, the name of the abnormality, the code of the abnormality, and the like are displayed. However, in the state of FIG. 3, normal operation is being performed, and even if a request to display details of a data abnormality is requested at this time, the display shows “no data abnormality”.

In the device error detail display, the presence / absence of an error at the time of the status display screen displayed on the screen (FIG. 5), the code of the error, the name of the error, the time at which the error occurred, the abnormal stop time, and the details of the error In addition, a coping method and the like are displayed. The device error details are also displayed from the screen at the time when the error occurred,
When the display of the device abnormality details is requested from the state of FIG. 3, "No abnormality" is displayed. The distinction between the display of the data abnormality details and the display of the equipment abnormality details is that an abnormality relating to the transfer data is a data abnormality, and a hardware abnormality such as a crane failure is an equipment abnormality.

The system status display screen shown in FIG.
Recorded every 2 seconds, recording data is recorded file 1
4 is stored. Thus, past data can be searched for and reproduced by frame advance and frame rewind (these are collectively referred to as frame advance), image search, and the like. For example, in the case of FIG. 3, since the latest data is being displayed, the image search key is placed in the latest state on the right side. If this is shifted to the left, past images are sequentially reproduced. Also, past images may be played back frame by frame using frame advance or frame rewind.

One of the problems in the automatic warehouse is to find out the cause of the past abnormality. If an error occurs in the system, it is desirable to restore the system first, and then clarify the cause. In the embodiment, the recording file 14
Recorded data on past system conditions. A past image can be reproduced by using frame advance, frame rewind, or image search. For example, FIG. 4 shows a display screen immediately before the occurrence of an abnormality about 30 minutes before the situation of FIG.

First, in the image search, the image is returned to the image about 30 minutes ago, and this is displayed in FIG. At this point, there is no abnormality in the system. Subsequently, when frames are sent one by one, as shown in FIG. 5, a screen after six seconds indicates that an abnormality has occurred in the entry station to the first crane. Comparing with the screen of FIG. 4, that is, the screen of one to a plurality of frames before, it can be understood that an abnormality has occurred when an article is transferred from the electric bogie to the storage station. Therefore, the cause of the abnormality can be estimated to some extent. On the screen of FIG. 5, it is displayed that the code of the abnormality is the equipment abnormality 0130, and the abnormality has occurred when the goods are transferred to the storage station. It is clear that this is a "sub-conveyor overload abnormality".

When the cause of the abnormality is not known, clicking on the detailed description of the device abnormality in the screen of FIG. 5 pops up and displays the explanation screen of FIG. This display can be superimposed on an appropriate part of the display of FIG.
May be displayed alone. From the display in FIG. 6, it is determined that the pallet is stuck after stopping the conveyor because of an overload abnormality of the sub-conveyor of the receiving station. If the pallet is not stuck, the maintenance is performed. It turns out that service is needed. Therefore, even an unskilled operator can immediately know the cause of the abnormality. In the embodiment, the layout of the automatic warehouse system and its status are displayed three-dimensionally, so that the current status of the system can be seen at a glance. For this reason, the operation of the automatic warehouse becomes extremely easy, including the crane and the like to which the incoming and outgoing work is assigned.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an automatic warehouse system according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a current status file in the automatic warehouse system according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a display screen of the operation status of the automatic warehouse in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a screen displaying a recorded file in a normal state in the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a screen displaying a recording file at the time of an abnormality in the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a pop-up display screen of an abnormality cause in the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 warehouse computer 4 entry / exit setting section 6 graphic processing section 7 synthesis processing section 8 playback processing section 9 restoration processing section 10 inventory file 12 shelf file 14 recording file 16 system history file 18 current status file 20 other files 22 setting terminal 24 crane control section 26 Station control unit 30 Electric bogie control unit

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A system comprising at least a shelf, a transport device and a station, and having control means for controlling the transport device and the station and a terminal thereof, wherein a system layout and a three-dimensional image of the status of each part of the system are obtained. , An automatic warehouse system provided with means for displaying on the terminal. 2. A device for storing a plurality of past images in association with a recording time, and means for reproducing an image selected by searching a stored image on the terminal. The automatic warehouse system according to claim 1, wherein 3. A means for storing a past abnormal situation in association with time and displaying an explanation display of the abnormal situation on the terminal at a time corresponding to the recording time in the stored image. 3. The automatic warehouse system according to claim 2, wherein: