JP7022802B2 - Transport system, controller and transport method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a technique of a transport system, a controller, and a transport method for supporting work in a warehouse or the like.

In a warehouse or a factory, there is a picking operation in which a worker takes out an article from a shelf according to an order. In order to take out an article from a shelf in which a large number of articles are stored, for example, there is a method of taking out a tray or the like in which a predetermined article is stored by a stacker crane and transporting the taken out tray or the like to an operator by another device. The stacker crane is reciprocated along a shelf in which articles are stored, and is provided with a slide fork that can be raised and lowered. As a technique related to this method, there is a technique described in Patent Document 1 and the like.

In Patent Document 1, "when receiving a plurality of operation instructions for an article carrier, a specific operation instruction is selected from a plurality of operation instructions based on a predetermined allocation process, and the selected specific operation instruction is basically selected. Set as an operation instruction, combine at least one of the unselected operation instructions and the basic operation instruction to make a compound operation instruction, set multiple compound operation instructions, and predict the operation of the goods carrier based on each compound operation instruction. Each time is calculated, the compound operation instruction with the shortest predicted operation time is selected, and the article transfer machine is operated based on the selected compound operation instruction. " (See summary).

In addition, there is a method in which the transport vehicle lifts the shelves in which the articles are stored together with the shelves and transports them to the operator. As a technique related to this method, there is a technique described in Patent Document 2 and the like.
Patent Document 2 describes "a method of retrieving an inventory item in an inventory system, at the stage of receiving an retrieval request specifying the inventory item; any inventory station that satisfies the retrieval request from a plurality of inventory stations. The stage of selecting an inventory holder; the stage of selecting an inventory holder from multiple inventory holders for storing the inventory item, and the stage of selecting an inventory holder from multiple self-powered mobile drive units, freely selecting the inventory holder in the workspace. A method and system for retrieving an inventory item is disclosed, which comprises the step of selecting any mobile drive unit to be moved and moved to the selected inventory station (see claim 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-206272 Japanese Patent No. 05377961

In the technique described in Patent Document 1, a rail is installed along the shelf for storing the article, and when the rail rises or moves left and right, the stacker crane moves on the rail and conveys the article. Taken out. Then, the taken-out articles are sequentially transported to the worker. Therefore, when the articles are stored in the trays and the stacker crane transports the trays, the operator must take out the articles in order from one tray. Therefore, the worker cannot collectively take out the articles from a plurality of trays. That is, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, only one tray can be transported one by one, and when the picking work is completed from one tray, the waiting time of the worker until the next tray is transported is long. It will occur.

Further, in the technique described in Patent Document 2, since the shelves are transported to the operator, the products stored in the same shelf that are not necessary for picking are also transported at the same time, which causes waste in the transportation. Therefore, there is a problem that the transport efficiency is deteriorated.

The present invention has been made in view of such a background, and it is an object of the present invention to improve the work efficiency of article transportation.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention has a moving shelf located in the lower space of the fixed shelf and storing a plurality of first storage units, and a plurality of second storage units above the moving shelf. A plurality of transport devices including the fixed shelf for storage, a first transport device capable of transporting the mobile shelf, and a second transport device capable of transporting the second storage unit, and a plurality of the first transport devices. A storage device for storing information on articles stored in each storage unit and information on the position of each storage unit for each storage unit of one storage unit and a plurality of the second storage units, and at least the above. The processing unit includes information on the articles stored in each storage unit and a processing unit that acquires the position of the storage unit in which the articles to be picked are stored based on the information regarding the position of each storage unit. When the storage unit in which the article to be picked is stored is stored in the moving shelf, the moving shelf is conveyed to the first transport device, and the article to be picked is stored. When the storage unit is stored on the fixed shelf, the second storage unit is characterized by transporting the second storage unit.
Other solutions will be described as appropriate in the embodiments.

According to the present invention, the work efficiency of article transportation can be improved.

It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the article transport system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the hardware configuration example of the article transport system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the appearance example of the tray transport vehicle which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows one of the specific structural examples of an extraction device. It is a figure which shows one of the specific structural examples of the tray which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the order data which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the shelf data which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the tray data which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the article data which concerns on this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the process in the picking system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the path generated by the process which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the other modification of the take-out apparatus in 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows one of the other modification of the storage part in 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows one of the structural examples of the tray transport vehicle which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows one of the other structural examples of the tray transport vehicle which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows another configuration example of the tray transport vehicle which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the tray transport vehicle which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the process which concerns on the route generation of the picking system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the patrol route generated by the route generation processing which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the article transport system which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the transport vehicle selection process of the controller which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the hardware configuration example of the article transport system which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the processing at the time of the traffic jam of the controller which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the article transport system which concerns on 6th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the hardware configuration example of the article transport system which concerns on 6th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the shelf data which concerns on 6th Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the process in the picking system which concerns on 6th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the article transport system which concerns on 7th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the schematic structure example of the article transport system which concerns on 8th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the hardware configuration example of the article transport system which concerns on 8th Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the processing in the article management system which concerns on 8th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the traveling prohibition area which concerns on 8th Embodiment.

Next, an embodiment (referred to as “embodiment”) for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate.

[First Embodiment]
In the present embodiment, in a warehouse in which a plurality of articles are stored, an operation of taking out an article corresponding to an order and sorting the articles to a delivery destination will be described as an example. It should be noted that the present embodiment is applied not only to warehouses but also to factories and the like.

(Outline configuration of the system)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an article transport system according to the first embodiment.
In the article transport system Z installed in the warehouse, a plurality of fixed shelves 6 in which trays (storage units) 11 for storing articles are stored are installed.

The tray transport vehicle (conveyor) 2 circulates between the plurality of fixed shelves 6, takes out the tray 11, and sequentially loads and holds the taken out tray 11 on the tray transport vehicle 2. Then, the tray carrier 2 moves to the work station P when all the predetermined trays 11 are taken out and loaded. The detailed configuration of the tray carrier 2 will be described later.
The worker Op is waiting at the work station P, and when the tray transport vehicle 2 loads and transports a plurality of trays 11, a predetermined number from a predetermined tray 11 according to an instruction transmitted from the controller 1. Carry out picking work to take out the goods. The worker Op performs the picking work by referring to the contents displayed on the station terminal 3 installed in the work station P, for example.

The worker Op notifies the controller 1 of the end of the work when all the instructed picking work is completed. For example, the worker Op notifies the controller 1 of the end of work by pressing the work end button (not shown) provided in the station terminal 3. Further, even if the worker Op does not notify the work end, the work end timing may be automatically detected from the sensor or the like installed in the work station P and notified to the controller 12. Here, the sensor is a bar code reader (not shown) or the like, and the operator Op holds the bar code attached to the article over the bar code reader, so that the bar code reader can determine which article was picked. judge. Then, when all the articles to be picked are picked, the bar code reader may notify the controller 1 of the end of work.

The tray carrier 2 receives the picking work completion notification from the controller 1 and returns the trays 11 one by one to the positions of the predetermined fixed shelves 6. The position for returning the tray 11 may be returned to the position where the tray 11 is taken out, or the position for returning the tray 11 may be determined according to the frequency of use of the tray 11 from the order situation. Further, the tray carrier 2 may lower the loaded tray 11 as it is at a predetermined position. That is, the tray carrier 2 may lower the tray 11 to a predetermined position without returning the tray 11 to the fixed shelf 6.

(Hardware configuration diagram)
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration example of the article transport system according to the first embodiment. Refer to FIG. 1 as appropriate.
The article transport system Z includes WMS (Warehouse Management System) 4 and controller 1.
, Has a tray carrier 2 and a station terminal 3.
<WMS>
WMS4 manages data on goods and data on work in a warehouse or factory. The data related to the article includes, for example, the identification information of the article, the identification information of the tray 11 in which the article is stored, the article storage data in which the position information of the fixed shelf 6 and the like are registered. Further, the data related to the work includes, for example, an order in which the relationship between the delivery destination and the identification information of the article delivered to the delivery destination is registered. WMS4 generates order data 151 based on the order input via an input device (not shown) and transmits the order data 151 to the controller 1. Further, the article storage data is transmitted to the controller 1.

<Controller>
The controller 1 manages the order transmitted from the WMS 4, and instructs the tray transport vehicle 2 to load and transport the tray 11.
The controller 1 is a general computer and includes a memory 101, a transmission / reception device 102, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 103, an input / output device 104, and a storage device 105.
The memory 101, the input / output device 104, the transmission / reception device 102, the CPU 103, and the storage device 105 are connected to each other via a bus.
The CPU 103 executes various arithmetic processes.
The storage device 105 is a non-volatile non-temporary storage medium for storing various programs and various data.
The memory 101 is a volatile temporary storage medium. Various programs and various data stored in the storage device 105 are loaded into the memory 101. Then, the CPU 103 executes various programs loaded in the memory 101, and reads / writes various data loaded in the memory 101. As a result, in the memory 101, the processing unit 110, the data reception processing unit 111 constituting the processing unit 110, the order selection processing unit 112, the tray search unit (storage unit search unit) 113, and the transport vehicle selection unit (transport device selection unit). 114, a route generation unit 115, a transmission processing unit 116, and an instruction processing unit 117 are embodied.

The data reception processing unit 111 receives the order data 151 from the WMS 4, and stores the received order data 151 in the storage device 105. Further, the data reception processing unit 111 receives the article storage data from the WMS 4, and stores the received article storage rating data as the shelf data 152, the tray data 153, and the article data 154 of the storage device 105. The data reception processing unit 111 also receives information transmitted from the tray carrier 2 and the station terminal 3.

The order selection processing unit 112 selects one or a plurality of orders to be used for the work from the order data 151 received by the data reception processing unit 111. Orders may be selected in the order in which they are received, or may be selected based on some criteria.
The tray search unit 113 searches for the position of the tray 11 in which the article corresponding to the order selected by the order selection processing unit 112 is stored by searching the tray data 153 and the shelf data 152.

The route generation unit 115 takes out the tray 11 to be transported and generates a patrol route (appropriately referred to as a route) of the tray transport vehicle 2 toward the work station P. The route is searched and managed using the map coordinates of the target area where the tray carrier 2 stored in the map data 155 moves. It should be noted that the route may use node, link ID, or the like instead of such map coordinates. As for the route, the tray carrier 2 accesses all the tray 11 storage positions to be picked and finds the shortest route. Such a shortest route can be obtained, for example, by using a combinatorial optimization method for solving the traveling salesman problem.
The transmission processing unit 116 creates a route based on the transport order created by the route generation unit 115 and information about the tray 11 to be transported as an instruction, and transmits the information to the tray transport vehicle 2.
The transmission processing unit 116 also transmits information to the WMS 4 and the station terminal 3.
When the controller 1 receives the arrival notification transmitted when the tray carrier 2 arrives at the work station P, the instruction processing unit 117 generates picking instruction data including order identification information, tray 11 identification information, and the like. The picking instruction data is transmitted to the station terminal 3 by the transmission processing unit 116.

The storage device 105 stores order data 151, shelf data (storage unit) 152, tray data 153, article data 154, map data 155, and the like.
The order data 151 is data related to the picking order generated and transmitted by WMS4, and the identification information of the delivered goods, the number of delivered goods, the information regarding the delivery destination, and the like are registered.
In the shelf data 152, data regarding the position of the fixed shelf 6 in the warehouse, the position where the tray 11 is stored, and the like are registered.
In the tray data 153, the structure of each tray 11 and data related to the articles stored in the tray 11 are registered.
In the article data 154, data and the like related to individual articles are registered.
The map data 155 is data related to a map of an area (here, a warehouse) in which the tray carrier 2 travels.

The order data 151, the shelf data 152, the tray data 153, and the article data 154 will be described later.
Further, in the present embodiment, the order data 151, the shelf data 152, the tray data 153, and the article data 154 are generated based on the article storage data transmitted from the WMS 4, but these data are preliminarily generated by the controller. It may be stored in the storage device 105 of 1.

The transmission / reception device 102 has an interface for communicating data with the WMS 4, an interface for communicating data with the station terminal 3, and the like. Further, the transmission / reception device 102 also has an interface for communicating data with the tray carrier 2. The controller 1, the WMS 4, and the station terminal 3 may be connected by wire or wirelessly. It is assumed that the controller 1 and the tray carrier 2 are wirelessly connected.

<Tray carrier>
The tray transport vehicle 2 moves according to an instruction received from the controller 1, takes out a predetermined tray 11 from the fixed shelf 6, loads the tray 11 and transports the tray 11. When the tray carrier 2 finishes taking out all the designated trays 11, it moves to the work station P. When the tray carrier 2 arrives at the work station P, the tray carrier 2 transmits an arrival notification to the controller 1.

The tray carrier 2 has a memory 201, a transmission / reception device 202, a CPU 203, and a storage device 204. The memory 201, the transmission / reception device 202, the CPU 203, and the storage device 204 are connected to each other via a bus.
The CPU 203 executes various arithmetic processes.
The storage device 204 is a non-volatile non-temporary storage medium and stores various data.
Memory 201 is a volatile temporary storage medium. In the memory 201, various programs are executed by the CPU 203, and various data are read / written. As a result, in the memory 201, the movement control unit 211, the arrival notification unit 212, the take-out control unit 213, and the rotation control unit 214 that constitute the processing unit 210 and the processing unit 210 are embodied.

The movement control unit 211 moves the tray carrier 2 according to the instruction (route) transmitted from the controller 1.
When the tray transport vehicle 2 arrives at the work station P, the arrival notification unit 212 transmits an arrival notification to the controller 1, which is information that the tray transport vehicle 2 has reached the work station P.
The take-out control unit 213 controls the take-out device 22 (FIG. 3) described later.
The rotation control unit 214 controls the rotation unit 271 (FIG. 14) described later. If the tray carrier 2 does not have the rotation unit 271, the rotation control unit 214 may be omitted.

The storage device 204 has the route data 241 included in the instruction transmitted from the controller 1 and the map data 242 for matching the route data 241 with the self-position.

<Station terminal>
The station terminal 3 displays an instruction to take out a predetermined number of articles from the position of the corresponding tray 11 on the display device 304 based on the picking instruction data received from the instruction processing unit 117. The worker Op performs the picking work of the article based on the instruction displayed on the display device 304. When the picking work is completed, the station terminal 3 sends a work end notification to the controller 1.

The station terminal 3 has a memory 301, a transmission / reception device 302, a CPU 303, a display device 304, and a reading device 305. The memory 301, the transmission / reception device 302, the CPU 303, the display device 304, and the reading device 305 are connected to each other via a bus.
The CPU 303 executes various arithmetic processes.
The memory 301 is a volatile temporary storage medium. In the memory 301, various programs are executed by the CPU 303, and various data are read and written. As a result, the display processing unit 311, the work monitoring unit 312, and the notification unit 313 that constitute the processing unit 310 and the processing unit 310 are embodied.

The display processing unit 311 causes the display device 304 to display the picking instruction based on the picking instruction data transmitted from the controller 1.
The work monitoring unit 312 monitors the progress of the picking work based on the information read by the reading device 305.
When the picking work is completed, the notification unit 313 sends a work completion notification to the controller 1.

The display device 304 displays a picking instruction for the worker Op.
The reading device 305 is a barcode reader, an RFID reader, or the like, and reads information on a barcode or RFID tag attached to an article.

<Detailed configuration of tray carrier>
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of the tray carrier according to the present embodiment.
The tray carrier 2 has a main body 21, an extraction device 22, and a storage unit 23. Wheels are installed at the lower part of the main body 21, and it is possible to move forward, backward, change direction, and the like.
The take-out device 22 takes out the tray 11 from the fixed shelf 6 and stores the taken-out tray 11 in the storage unit 23 installed in the main body unit 21. Details of the extraction device 22 will be described later.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing one of specific configuration examples of the take-out device.
As shown in FIG. 4, the take-out device 22 has a vertical expansion / contraction portion 251, an arm portion 252, and a catcher portion 253.
As shown in FIG. 4, the vertical expansion / contraction portion 251 is rotatably installed in the main body portion 21 of the tray transport vehicle 2, and is, for example, a multi-stage expansion / contraction cylinder that expands and contracts with a multi-stage hydraulic cylinder provided inside. It can be expanded and contracted in the vertical direction (Z direction in the figure). The vertical expansion / contraction portion 251 is not limited to this configuration.
The arm portion 252 is installed above the vertical expansion / contraction portion 251 and can be expanded / contracted in the horizontal direction (X direction in the drawing) by a mechanism as shown in FIG. 4, for example. The expansion / contraction mechanism of the arm portion 252 is not limited to the mechanism shown in FIG. 4, and a linear motion guide rail mechanism or the like may be used.
A fork-type catcher portion 253 is attached to the tip of the arm portion 252.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing one of specific configuration examples of the tray according to the present embodiment.
The tray 11 is provided with claws 602 on the left and right surfaces of the storage portion 601. Then, the tray 11 is realized by hooking the claw 602 on the tip of the robot hand described above by the fork-type catcher portion 253.
Further, the tray 11 is provided with hooks 603 on the front surface and the back surface (in FIG. 5, the hook 603 on the back surface is hidden). Further, a concave dent portion 604 is provided at the bottom of the tray 11. The uses of the hook 603 and the dent portion 604 will be described later.
It is not necessary for the tray 11 to be provided with all the hooks 603, claws 602, and dents 604, and it is possible to adopt a configuration having one or a plurality of each configuration.
Although it is assumed that the tray 11 does not have a lid on the upper portion, the tray 11 may have a lid.

The surface 611 of the tray 11 can be opened and closed in the direction of the arrow 612, and the operator Op opens the surface 611 to take out the article contained in the tray 11. The surface 613 facing the surface 611 can be opened and closed in the same manner. Incidentally, in FIG. 1 and the like, in order to avoid complicating the figure, the structure in which the surface 611 can be opened and closed is not shown.

Next, the transportation of the tray 11 by the extraction device 22 shown in FIG. 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.
As shown in FIG. 4, a fork-type catcher portion 253 is attached to the tip of the arm portion 252. In the take-out device 22, the catcher portion 253 is provided on the left and right surfaces of the tray 11 by the rotation of the vertical expansion / contraction portion 251 in the Y direction in the drawing and the expansion / contraction of the vertical expansion / contraction portion 251 and the arm portion 252 (described later). ) Is inserted at the bottom. After that, the take-out device 22 lifts the tray 11 by extending the vertical expansion / contraction portion 251 and then retracts the arm portion 252, so that the tray 11 is pulled out from the fixed shelf 6. When the pulled out tray 11 is stored in the storage unit 23 of the tray transport vehicle 2, the operation opposite to the operation when the tray 11 is pulled out is performed.

<Data structure>
(Order data)
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of order data according to the present embodiment.
The order data 151 has columns for an order ID, an article ID, a picking quantity, a delivery destination, and the like.
The order ID is the identification information of the order given by WMS4 when the order is generated.
The article ID is identification information given to each article.
The number of picks is the number of picks.
The delivery destination is the delivery destination of the picked goods.

(Shelf data)
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of shelf data according to the present embodiment.
The shelf data 152 has columns for a shelf ID, a shelf position ID, a tray position, and a tray ID. The tray position and the tray ID are paired information, and a plurality of the paired information are stored for the shelf ID.
The shelf ID is identification information given to each fixed shelf 6.
The shelf position ID is identification information indicating the position of the fixed shelf 6 in the warehouse. Since the shelf position ID is associated with the coordinates on a one-to-one basis with shelf position data (not shown) or the like, once the shelf position ID is determined, the position of the fixed shelf 6 in the warehouse is also determined. The coordinates associated with the shelf position ID may be the coordinates of the central portion of the fixed shelf 6, but the coordinates of other portions may be used.

The tray position indicates the position of the frontage on the fixed shelf 6 in which the tray 11 is stored, and the tray ID is the identification information given to each tray 11. For example, the tray position of the tray 11 having the tray ID “tr11” is stored in the first frontage from the bottom of the fixed shelf 6 having the shelf ID “A1” and the first from the left (tray position). "1-1"). Similarly, the tray position of the tray 11 having the tray ID “tr23” is stored in the first stage from the bottom of the fixed shelf 6 having the shelf ID “A1” and the second frontage from the left (tray). Position "1-2").

(Tray data)
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of tray data according to the present embodiment.
The tray data 153 has columns for tray ID, tray weight, vertical size, horizontal size, depth size, article ID, and number of items.
The tray ID is identification information given to each tray 11.
The tray weight is the weight of the tray 11 (not including the weight of the goods stored therein).
The vertical size is the length of the tray 11 in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction in FIG. 5).
The horizontal size is the length of the tray 11 in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction in FIG. 5).
The depth size is the length of the tray 11 in the depth direction (Y-axis direction in FIG. 5).
The article ID is identification information indicating an article stored in the corresponding tray 11.
The number is the number of articles stored in the corresponding tray 11.
For example, the tray 11 having the tray ID "tr1" stores 55 articles represented by the article ID "st34".

(Goods data)
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of article data according to the present embodiment.
The article data 154 has columns for an article ID, which is identification information given to the article, and a weight of the article.
In the first embodiment, the tray weight, vertical size, horizontal size, and depth size columns of the tray data 153 and the article data 154 may be omitted.

(flowchart)
FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in the picking system according to the first embodiment. Refer to FIGS. 1 to 9 as appropriate.
First, the WMS 4 transmits the order data 151 (S101), and the data reception processing unit 111 of the controller 1 receives the order data 151 (S102). The data reception processing unit 111 stores the received order data 151 in the storage device 105. The article storage data is transmitted from WMS4 in advance and is stored as shelf data 152, tray data 153, and article data 154.
Next, the order selection processing unit 112 selects one order from the order data 151 (S103). Specifically, the order selection processing unit 112 acquires one or more unprocessed order records from the order data 151 of the storage device 105. As mentioned above, the orders may be selected in the order in which they are received, or may be selected based on some criteria. The number of orders selected is the number of shelves in the storage unit 23 and the like.
Next, the tray search unit 113 searches the tray data 153 and the shelf data 152 to search for the position (tray position) of the tray 11 to be picked (S104).

Extraction of the tray position is performed by the following procedure.
(A1) First, the tray search unit 113 acquires the picking target article ID from the order (order record) selected in step S103.
(A2) Next, the tray search unit 113 searches the tray data 153 using the article ID acquired in (A1) as a key, and obtains the tray ID of the tray 11 containing the articles to be picked. get.
(A3) Then, the tray search unit 113 searches the shelf data 152 using the tray ID acquired in (A2) as a key, and acquires the shelf position ID and the tray position.
At this time, when one type of article is separately stored in a plurality of trays 11, the target tray search unit 113 obtains the positions of all the trays 11 in which the corresponding articles are stored and the identification information of the trays 11. Search for.

Next, the order selection processing unit 112 determines whether or not the search for the tray position has been completed for all the orders (S105).
As a result of step S105, if the search for the tray position has not been completed for all the orders (S105 → No), the order selection processing unit 112 returns the processing to step S103.

As a result of step S105, when the tray position search is completed for all orders (S105 → Yes), the transport vehicle selection unit 114 selects the tray transport vehicle 2 based on the acquired shelf position ID (S105 → Yes). S111). The tray transport vehicle 2 selected at this time is a tray transport vehicle 2 that travels closest to the acquired tray position and is not transporting the fixed shelf 6. The controller 1 always keeps track of the position of the tray carrier 2.

Next, the route generation unit 115 generates a route based on the position, the shelf position ID, and the tray position of the tray carrier 2 selected in step S111 (S112). At this time, the route generation unit 115 patrols all the trays 11 to be picked and generates a route so that the route distance is the shortest.
Then, the transmission processing unit 116 transmits the route data 241 to the tray transport vehicle 2 selected in step S111, and also transmits the transport vehicle control information in which the order ID, the shelf position, and the tray position are set (S113). The shelf position is acquired by searching for shelf position data (not shown) using the shelf position ID as a key as described above.
The movement control unit 211 of the tray transport vehicle 2 that has received the route data 241 and the transport vehicle control information is traveling according to the route data 241 while loading the tray 11 at the shelf position and the tray position included in the transport vehicle control information. , Move to work station P (S114).

The movement control unit 211 of the tray carrier 2 determines whether or not it has arrived at the work station P (S115). Since the processing of step S115 is a known technique, detailed description thereof will be omitted here.
If the work station P has not arrived as a result of step S115 (S115 → No), the movement control unit 211 returns the process to step S114, and the tray carrier 2 continues to move.

When the work station P arrives as a result of step S115 (S115 → Yes), the arrival notification unit 212 transmits an arrival notification to the controller 1 (S121). The arrival notification includes an order ID and the like.
The instruction processing unit 117 of the controller 1 that has received the arrival notification searches the order data 151 and the tray data 153 using the order ID included in the arrival notification as a key, and searches for the order data 151, the tray ID, the article ID, the number of picks, and the like. Generates a set of picking instruction data (S122).
Then, the transmission processing unit 116 transmits the generated picking instruction data to the station terminal 3 (S123).

The display processing unit 311 of the station terminal 3 that has received the picking instruction data displays picking information such as a tray ID, an article ID, and the number of picks on the display device 304 (S124). In step S124, the display processing unit 311 may display the position of the tray 11 to be picked in the storage unit 23 on the display device 304. Such information can be managed as follows. That is, identification information is attached in advance to each frontage of the storage unit 23 of the tray carrier 2. The processing unit 110 of the controller 1 determines which tray 11 is stored in which frontage in the storage unit 23 of the tray carrier 2. That is, the processing unit 110 stores the tray ID and the identification information of the frontage of the storage unit 23 by associating them with each other. By sending this information to the station terminal 3, the display processing unit 311 of the station terminal 3 can display the position of the tray 11 to be picked in the storage unit 23 on the display device 304.
The worker Op performs picking according to the display of the display device 304.

The work monitoring unit 312 of the station terminal 3 determines whether or not all picking has been completed (S125).
For example, the work monitoring unit 312 monitors the work according to the following procedure. As shown in FIG. 2, the station terminal 3 is provided with a reading device 305 such as a barcode reader and an RFID reader. Each time the worker Op picks the article to be picked, the operator Op applies the barcode attached to the article or the RFID tag to the reading device 305. The work monitoring unit 312 manages which article was picked by how many based on the transmitted information about the article.

As a result of step S125, if all picking is not completed (S125 → No), the work monitoring unit 312 returns the process to step S125.
As a result of step S125, when all picking is completed (S125 → Yes), the notification unit 313 of the station terminal 3 transmits a work completion notification to the controller 1 (S131). The work completion notification includes the order ID and the like of the order for which the work has been completed.

Upon receiving the work end notification, the transmission processing unit 116 of the controller 1 transmits the work end notification to the WMS 4 (S132). Upon receiving the work completion notification, WMS4 returns to step S101 and receives new order data 151 from WMS4.

The processes of steps S112 and S113 may be performed at predetermined time intervals. Further, the order selection processing unit 112 may select an order so that the weight of the tray 11 to be conveyed does not exceed a predetermined weight by referring to the tray data 153 and the article data 154 in step S103.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a route generated by the process of FIG.
The tray carrier 2 includes a tray 11A stored in the fixed shelf 6a, a tray 11B stored in the fixed shelf 6b, a tray 11C stored in the fixed shelf 6c, and a tray 11D and a tray stored in the storage 6d. Take out 11E in order. After that, the removed trays 11A to 11E are loaded and transported to the work station P. Here, the controller 1 first takes out the tray 11A closest to the waiting tray carrier 2, and then sets the tray 11B closest to the tray 11A (the shortest distance) as the next patrol destination. do. Then, similarly, the controller 1 targets the tray 11C having a short distance from the tray 11B, and similarly, generates the path 901 so that the tray transport vehicle 2 circulates in the order of the tray 11C → the tray 11D → the tray 11E.

(Modification example of each mechanism in the tray carrier)
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing another modification of the take-out device according to the first embodiment.
The take-out device 22b in FIG. 12 has a vertical expansion / contraction portion 251 and a telescopic arm 252b.
Since the vertical expansion / contraction portion 251 is the same as the mechanism shown in FIG. 4, the description thereof is omitted here.
The telescopic arm 252b has arms 281A, 281B, and 281C, respectively. Of these, for example, a pinion gear is provided on the upper portion of the arms 281A and 281B, and a rack gear (not shown) that meshes with the pinion gear is provided on the lower portion of the arms 281B and 281C. Then, as the pinion gear rotates, the telescopic arm 252b expands and contracts linearly in the X direction in the figure. Here, the telescopic arm 252b has a structure having three stages of arms 281A, 281B, and 281C, but the structure is not limited to three stages.

Next, the transportation of the tray 11 by the extraction device 22b in FIG. 12 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 12.
As shown in FIG. 5, the tray 11 is provided with hooks 603 on the front surface and the back surface (in FIG. 5, the hook 603 on the back surface is hidden).
The telescopic arm 252b shown in FIG. 12 is inserted into the dented portion 604 provided at the lower part of the tray 11 shown in FIG. 5 by moving it up and down and back and forth. After that, the vertical expansion / contraction portion 251 is extended to lift the tray 11, and then the telescopic arm 252b is retracted to pull out the tray 11 from the fixed shelf 6. When the pulled out tray 11 is stored in the storage unit 23 of the tray transport vehicle 2, the operation opposite to the operation when the tray 11 is pulled out is performed.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing one of the other modifications of the storage unit according to the first embodiment.
In the storage portion 23A shown in FIG. 13, a plurality of claw portions 261 are provided in two frames provided in the width of the fixed shelf 6 toward the inside of the frame. The claw portion 261 supports the claw 602 of the tray 11 shown in FIG. 5, so that the storage portion 23A stores the tray 11.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing one of the configuration examples of the tray transport vehicle according to the first embodiment.
In FIG. 14, the same components as those in FIG. 3 are designated by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.
The tray carrier 2A shown in FIG. 14 is provided with a rotating portion 271 at the lower portion of the storage portion 23B of FIG. When the tray carrier 2A arrives at the work station P (FIG. 1), the rotating portion 271 rotates so that the take-out port of the storage portion 23B is directed toward the worker Op. Since it is easy for the processing unit 210 of the tray carrier 2A to detect which direction it is facing, it is easy to calculate how much the rotation control unit 214 rotates the rotating unit 271. ..
The hook 603 of the tray 11 also serves as a handle for opening and closing the surface 611 as shown in FIG.

With the configuration shown in FIG. 14, when the tray carrier 2A arrives at the work station P, the take-out port of the tray 11 can be directed in the direction in which the worker Op is located, so that the efficiency of the picking work is improved. be able to.

Further, in the tray carrier 2A shown in FIG. 14, the storage portion 23B has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the outlet of the tray 11 is provided on each side surface thereof. When the take-out device 22 stores the tray 11 in the storage unit 23B, the rotating unit 271 rotates the storage unit 23B to sequentially store the tray 11 in the take-out outlets provided on the respective side surfaces. Further, when the worker Op takes out the tray 11, the rotating unit 271 rotates the storage unit 23B, so that the tray 11 is sequentially taken out from the outlets provided on the respective side surfaces.
By doing so, the tray transport vehicle 2A can transport more trays 11 than the tray transport vehicle 2 shown in FIG.
In addition, in FIG. 14, the shape of the storage portion 23B has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the outlet of the tray 11 is provided on each side surface thereof, but the shape is not limited to this, as shown in FIG. It may have a storage unit 23.

As described above, by attaching identification information to each frontage of the storage unit 23B in advance, it is possible to manage which tray 11 is stored in which frontage. By transmitting this information to the tray transport vehicle 2, the rotation control unit 214 (FIG. 2) of the tray transport vehicle 2 can determine how much the rotation unit 271 is rotated.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing one of another configuration examples of the tray transport vehicle according to the first embodiment.
The storage unit 23C of the tray carrier 2B shown in FIG. 15 is provided with, for example, a plurality of two-stage telescopic arms 264 in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) with respect to the pole 267. The tray 11 taken out from the fixed shelf 6 is placed on each telescopic arm 264 in the degenerate state. With the tray 11 mounted on the telescopic arm 264, the tray carrier 2B heads for the work station P. When the tray carrier 2B reaches the work station P, the telescopic arm 264 extends in the direction in which the worker Op is present, so that the tray 11 is presented to the worker Op.
The place where the tray 11 is placed may not be the telescopic arm 264 as shown in FIG. 15, but may be a simple plate shape.

With the configuration shown in FIG. 15, when the tray carrier 2B arrives at the work station P, the tray 11 is presented to the worker Op, so that the efficiency of the picking work can be improved.
The pole 267 is rotatably provided so that when the tray carrier 2D arrives at the work station P, the pole 267 rotates so that the outlet of the tray 11 on the telescopic arm 264 faces the operator Op. .. FIG. 15 shows a state in which the pole 267 is rotated and the take-out port of the tray 11 is facing the operator Op.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing another configuration example of the tray transport vehicle according to the first embodiment.
The take-out device 22a in the tray transport vehicle 2C shown in FIG. 16 has a vertical expansion / contraction portion 251, an arm portion 252a, and a catcher portion 253a.
Since the vertical expansion / contraction portion 251 is the same as the mechanism shown in FIG. 4, the description thereof is omitted here.
The arm portion 252a has a rod-like shape, and the arm portion 252a expands and contracts linearly in the X-axis direction in the drawing by a stepping motor or the like installed inside the upper portion of the vertical expansion / contraction portion 251. The arm portion 252a is not limited to the structure shown in FIG. 16, and may be a mechanism or the like as shown in FIG.
The catcher portion 253a attached to the tip of the arm portion 252a is a hook.
Further, the storage unit 23D has a configuration in which a plurality of hooks 262 are provided on the pole 263.

Here, the operation of the extraction device 22a shown in FIG. 16 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 16.
After the hook of the catcher portion 253a shown in FIG. 16 is hooked on the hook 603 of the tray 11 shown in FIG. 5, the vertical expansion / contraction portion 251 extends to lift the tray 11. After that, the tray 11 is pulled out from the fixed shelf 6 by retracting the arm portion 252a. When the pulled out tray 11 is stored in the storage unit 23D of the tray carrier 2C, the operation opposite to the operation when the tray 11 is pulled out is performed.
Further, the pole 263 is rotatably provided, and when the tray carrier 2C arrives at the work station P, the pole 263 rotates so that the tray 11 to be picked faces the worker Op.

By attaching identification information to each hook 262 of the storage unit 23D in advance, it is possible to manage which tray 11 is stored in which frontage. By transmitting this information to the tray transport vehicle 2, the rotation control unit 214 (FIG. 2) of the tray transport vehicle 2 can determine how much the pole 263 is rotated.

With the configuration shown in FIG. 16, when the tray carrier 2C arrives at the work station P, the tray 11 to be picked is directed in the direction in which the worker Op is located, so that the efficiency of the picking work can be improved.
Further, as shown in FIG. 16, hooks 262 are provided in various directions in the circumferential direction of the pole 263. By doing so, when the tray carrier 2C moves to the work station P, the pole 263 is rotated to facilitate the worker Op to pick the products in the tray 11.

According to the first embodiment, the tray transport vehicle 2 takes out a plurality of trays 11 from the fixed shelf 6 according to the instruction of the controller 1, and transports the trays 11 together to the work station P. As a result, in the work station P, the worker Op can take out a large number of the corresponding articles from the tray 11 which has been conveyed in one time, and the picking efficiency of the worker Op can be improved.

According to the article transport system Z according to the first embodiment, since only the tray 11 necessary for the picking operation can be transported, it is not necessary to transport the waste tray 11 as in the technique described in Patent Document 2. Therefore, the overall moving distance of the tray transport vehicle 2 can be reduced, and the operating efficiency of the tray transport vehicle 2 can be improved. Further, the number of tray transport vehicles 2 can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced.

Further, with the technique of Patent Document 1, it is difficult to change the layout such as changing the position of the initially designed shelves or the number of shelves. On the other hand, according to the article transport system Z according to the first embodiment, the position and the fixed position of the fixed shelf 6 initially designed can be obtained only by changing the data of the shelf data 152, the tray data 153, and the article data 154. The layout can be easily changed, such as changing the number of shelves 6.

Further, according to the article transport system Z according to the first embodiment, only the tray 11 necessary for picking can be transported, so that the system for transporting each shelf as in the technique described in Patent Document 2 is 1 The amount of picking that can be carried in one transfer can be increased. Therefore, the article transport system Z according to the first embodiment can improve the work efficiency.

[Second Embodiment]
(Tray carrier)
FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the tray transport vehicle according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 17, the same reference numerals are given to the same configurations as those in FIG. 3, and the description thereof will be omitted.
In the second embodiment, the case where the tray 11 has a lid and the trays 11 can be stacked will be described.
The tray carrier 2F does not have the storage unit 23 in FIG. 3, but instead has a stacking unit 291 for stacking the tray 11.
The catcher portion 253 in the take-out device 22 of the tray carrier 2F can change the width of the fork according to the width of the tray 11, but the illustration and specific description of the mechanism are omitted here. ..

The hardware configuration of the article transport system Z in the second embodiment is the same as the hardware configuration diagram shown in FIG. 2 except that the route generation unit 115 performs the following processing.
In the second embodiment, the route generation unit 115 determines whether or not the height is equal to or less than the height that can be mounted on the tray carrier 2 when a plurality of trays 11 searched by the tray search unit 113 are stacked. In addition, the order in which the route generation units 115 trays 11 can be stacked is determined. For example, it is based on a predetermined rule that a large tray 11 cannot be stacked on the top of a small tray 11. The route generation unit 115 determines the stacking order of the tray 11, but if there are a plurality of stacking patterns, all of them are listed. Then, the route generation unit 115 selects an appropriate pattern from the listed stacking patterns. If a plurality of trays 11 having the same size are included, any tray 11 having the same size may be placed up or down, so all the stacking orders are listed. As described above, in the second embodiment, the route generation unit 115 generates a route so as to calculate and stack the tray 11 take-out order.
Hereinafter, specific processing of the route generation unit 115 will be described with reference to FIG.

(flowchart)
FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing a procedure of processing related to route generation of the picking system according to the second embodiment. Note that FIG. 18 describes in detail the process of step S112 in FIG. Refer to FIGS. 2 and 7 to 9 as appropriate.
First, the route generation unit 115 adds a priority to the tray 11 to be picked (S201). At this time, the route generation unit 115 raises the priority of the large tray 11 and lowers the priority of the small tray 11. Alternatively, the route generation unit 115 raises the priority of the heavy tray 11 and lowers the priority of the small tray 11. The administrator or the like can set which of the tray 11 size and the tray 11 weight to be prioritized, but here, the tray 11 size is prioritized higher than the weight. .. Further, the route generation unit 115 may set the priority of the tray 11 to a value obtained by multiplying the priority of the size of the tray 11 and the priority of the weight.

Then, the route generation unit 115 generates a route based on the priority (S202). Here, the route generation unit 115 uses the fixed shelf 6 (the storage location of the tray 11) in which each tray 11 is stored as a relay point. Then, a route to be patrolled is created in order from the storage location of the tray 11 having the highest priority.
At this time, the route generation unit 115 refers to the tray data 153, and each time the tray 11 is selected in descending order of priority, the height of the selected tray 11 is cumulatively added. Then, when the result of the cumulative addition exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the route generation unit 115 sets the tray 11 selected before the tray 11 currently selected as a stacking target. By doing so, the route generation unit 115 can prevent overloading.

When the trays 11 having the same priority exist, the route generation unit 115 creates all the routes as follows. For example, if there are trays 11 "A", "B", and "C" having the same priority and trays 11 "D" having a lower priority than trays 11 "A" to "C" exist, the following six ways are available. Create a route for.
(1) A → B → C → D (2) A → C → B → D (3) B → C → A → D (4) B → A → C → D (5) C → A → B → D (6) C → B → A → D

After that, the route generation unit 115 determines the route (S203). Here, when a plurality of routes are generated as in the above (1) to (6), the route generation unit 115 determines the route by selecting the route having the shortest distance to the work station P. Here, it is assumed that the trays 11 are stacked in the order of size, but even when the trays 11 are stacked in the order of weight, a route can be generated by the same process.

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a patrol route generated by the route generation process according to the second embodiment.
The largest tray 11F is stored in the fixed shelf 6a. Further, the tray 11J having the smallest size is stored in the fixed shelf 6b. The fixed shelf 6c stores the tray 11G, which has the next largest size after the tray 11F. The fixed shelf 6d stores the tray 11I having the smallest size and the tray 11H having the next smallest size after the tray 11I. That is, the size of each tray 11 is in the order of tray 11F> tray 11G> tray 11H> tray 11I = tray 11J.

The route generation unit 115 compares the sizes of the trays 11F to 11J with reference to the vertical size, horizontal size, and depth size columns of the tray data 153, and sets the route so as to take out from the largest tray 11F. Next, the route generation unit 115 sets the route so as to take out the tray 11G having the next largest size after the tray 11F. Then, the route generation unit 115 sets the route so as to take out the tray 11H having the next largest size after the tray 11G. Since the sizes of the tray 11I and the tray 11J are the same, the route generation unit 115 generates both the route of the tray 11I → the tray 11J and the route of the tray 11J → the tray 11I. Then, the route generation unit 115 is a tray 11 for taking out the tray 11I having the shortest route distance to the work station P first. That is, the route generation unit 115 selects the route from the tray 11I to the tray 11J.
As a result, the route 902 is generated by the route generation unit 115.

In the second embodiment, the weight of the tray 11 is obtained from the tray weight stored in the tray data 153 and the total weight of the articles calculated from the tray data 153 and the article data 154. Not limited to this. For example, a weight detector may be provided at each frontage of the fixed shelf 6 to measure the weight of the tray 11.

When stacking trays 11, it is difficult to install a large tray 11 on top of a small tray 11 from the viewpoint of balance. According to the second embodiment, the order of taking out from the fixed shelf 6 is determined by the size of the tray 11, and the plurality of trays 11 are stacked to improve the efficiency of movement.
That is, when the tray transport vehicle 2F transports the tray 11 by stacking the trays instead of storing the tray 11 in the storage unit 23 as shown in FIG. 3, the tray 11 transports the tray 11 during transport. It becomes necessary to stack the trays 11 so as not to collapse. According to the article transport system Z according to the present embodiment, the trays 11 are stacked in descending order or heavier order, so that it is possible to prevent the tray 11 from collapsing during transport.

[Third Embodiment]
FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an article transport system according to a third embodiment.
The third embodiment aims to improve work efficiency by using a transport unit 7 that does not have a take-out device 22.
In FIG. 20, the same components as those in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.
In the article transport system Za, the tray transport vehicle 2 connects one or a plurality of transport units 7. The tray transport vehicle 2 may move independently without connecting the transport unit 7. The transport unit 7 does not have a take-out device 22, but has a storage unit 23 on which the tray 11 can be mounted. That is, the transport unit 7 has the same configuration as the tray transport vehicle 2 except that it does not have the take-out device 22. The transport unit 7 can be physically connected to the tray transport vehicle 2 by a coupler or the like (not shown). When the tray transport vehicle 2 and the transport unit 7 are physically connected, the power shall be possessed by the tray transport vehicle 2.
When the tray 11 is taken out from the fixed shelf 6, the tray transport vehicle 2 loads the tray 11 in the storage unit 23 of each transport unit 7. The loading method is the same as that of the first embodiment. That is, the tray transport vehicle 2 loads the tray 11 on the transport unit 7 and the tray transport vehicle 2 by using the take-out device 22.

As described above, according to the third embodiment, the tray transport vehicle 2 and the transport unit 7 cooperate with each other to transport a large number of trays 11 at a time from the article transport system Z shown in the first embodiment. It will be possible.
Further, the transport unit 7 may have a drive device independently, and may move following the tray transport vehicle 2. In this case, the transport unit 7 may or may not be physically connected to the tray transport vehicle 2.

According to the third embodiment, the work efficiency can be improved as compared with the article transport system Z of the first embodiment. That is, since more trays 11 can be transported at one time than the article transport system Z shown in the first embodiment, the waiting time of the total worker Op can be reduced, and the article transport system Z of the first embodiment can be transported. The work efficiency can be further improved.
Further, since it is not necessary to install the take-out device 22 in the transport unit 7, the cost can be reduced as compared with the tray transport vehicle 2 provided with all the take-out devices 22.

If the tray 11 has a lid so that it can be stacked, the transport unit 7 may be configured by removing the take-out device 22 from the tray transport vehicle 2F of the second embodiment. In this case, the controller 1 generates the same route as in the second embodiment, and by stacking the trays 11 on the tray transport vehicle 2F and the transport unit 7 in order, it is possible to stack and transport the trays in order of size. Become.
For example, the route generation unit 115 of the controller 1 first generates a route so that the tray 11 having a high priority such as a large size is stacked on the transport unit 7 and the tray transport vehicle 2F. Then, a route is generated so that the tray 11 having a medium size is stacked on the transport unit 7 and the tray transport vehicle 2F. Finally, the route generation unit 115 generates a route so that the tray 11 having the smallest size is stacked on the transport unit 7 and the tray transport vehicle 2F. Further, the route generation unit 115 refers to the tray data 153 so that the height of the tray 11 stacked on the transport unit 7 and the tray transport vehicle 2F is equal to or less than a predetermined height.

[Fourth Embodiment]
In the fourth embodiment, the selection of the transport vehicle and the measures to be taken when the tray transport vehicle 2 is congested will be described. Since the hardware configuration of the article transport system Z in the fourth embodiment is the same as the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 2, the illustration and description thereof are omitted here.
In the fourth embodiment, the transport vehicle selection unit 114 determines the most suitable tray transport vehicle 2 for transporting the tray 11 among the plurality of tray transport vehicles 2 existing in the warehouse.

(flowchart)
FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the transport vehicle selection process of the controller according to the fourth embodiment. The process of FIG. 21 is a process performed at the timing of step S121 of FIG. Refer to FIG. 2 as appropriate.
First, the transport vehicle selection unit 114 identifies the position of each tray transport vehicle 2 existing in the warehouse (S301). Since the position identification of the tray carrier 2 existing in the warehouse is a known technique, detailed description thereof will be omitted here.
Next, the transport vehicle selection unit 114 searches for the tray transport vehicle 2 that is not performing the transport operation among the plurality of tray transport vehicles 2 that exist (S302). Whether or not the tray transport vehicle 2 is performing the transport operation can be easily determined, for example, by setting a flag on the tray transport vehicle 2 being transported in the list of the tray transport vehicles 2 (not shown).

Then, the transport vehicle selection unit 114 selects the tray transport vehicle 2 for transporting the tray 11 from the tray transport vehicles 2 searched in step S302 (S303), and the processing unit 110a processes the process to step S122 in FIG. Return.
When there are a plurality of tray transport vehicles 2 that have not been operated in step S303, the transport vehicle selection unit 114 stores the tray 11 to be transported based on the position of each tray transport vehicle 2 specified in step S301. Select the tray carrier 2 closest to the position. Further, the transport vehicle selection unit 114 may select the tray transport vehicle 2 having the shortest total mileage on the patrol route among the tray transport vehicles 2 that have not been transported. In this case, the route generation unit 115 generates a patrol route for each of the tray transport vehicles 2 that have not been transported.

Further, when all the tray transport vehicles 2 are in operation, the transport vehicle selection unit 114 may perform the following processing. That is, the transport vehicle selection unit 114 compares the work end time of the tray transport vehicle 2 to be processed with the time for another tray transport vehicle 2 to reach the position of the tray 11 to be transported. .. Then, when the transport vehicle selection unit 114 determines that it is faster to allocate the next work after the work of the tray transport vehicle 2 to be processed is completed than to allocate the work to the other tray transport vehicle 2. The tray carrier 2 being worked on may be selected. In this case, the transport vehicle selection unit 114 estimates the work end time of the tray transport vehicle 2 from the position and speed of each tray transport vehicle 2, the estimated work time input in advance, and the like.

According to the fourth embodiment, when a plurality of tray transport vehicles 2 exist, work can be allocated to an appropriate tray transport vehicle 2 from the position and working state of the tray transport vehicles 2.
Further, according to the fourth embodiment, when there are a plurality of tray transport vehicles 2 that have not been operated, the transport vehicle selection unit 114 selects the tray transport vehicle 2 closest to the position where the target tray 11 is stored. By selecting, the distance that the tray carrier 2 moves to the storage position of the tray 11 can be shortened. As a result, the article transport system Zb can shorten the moving time of the tray transport vehicle 2. Further, the article transport system Zb can reduce the bias in the transport work of the tray transport vehicle 2.
When the tray transport vehicle 2 to be worked is determined by the transport vehicle selection unit 114, the route generation unit 115 considers the position of each tray 11 from the current position of the tray transport vehicle 2 and takes out the tray 11. To create. This process is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[Fifth Embodiment]
(Hardware configuration diagram)
FIG. 22 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration example of the article transport system according to the fifth embodiment.
The article transport system Zb shown in the fifth embodiment moves while the tray transport vehicle 2 is transporting while reducing the influence of the other tray transport vehicles 2.
In particular, the measures to be taken when the tray carrier 2 is congested will be described.
In FIG. 22, the same components as those in FIG. 2 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.
In FIG. 22, the difference from FIG. 2 is that the processing unit 110a of the controller 1a has a congestion processing unit (route changing unit) 119.
The congestion processing unit 119 determines whether or not the tray transport vehicle 2 is congested in the warehouse, and if there is a congestion, instructs the tray transport vehicle 2 to change the route.
Since the tray carrier 2 and the station terminal 3 are the same as those in FIG. 2, the detailed configuration thereof will be omitted.

(flowchart)
FIG. 23 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure when the controller according to the fifth embodiment is congested. The process of FIG. 23 is a process performed at an appropriate timing. Refer to FIG. 22 as appropriate.
First, the traffic jam processing unit 119 determines whether or not a traffic jam has occurred (S401). When the traffic jam processing unit 119 is notified from the controller 1a that the route cannot be reserved, or detects the tray carrier 2 in which the speed of the tray carrier 2 is equal to or less than the threshold value for a predetermined time. , Judge that traffic jam has occurred. The tray transport vehicle 2 reserves a route among the routes created by the route generation unit 115 at a fixed section or at regular time intervals, and when the reservation is completed, the tray transport vehicle 2 proceeds in the section, but is reserved by another tray transport vehicle 2. When the section to be used is occupied, the tray carrier 2 notifies the controller 1a that the route cannot be reserved.

If there is no congestion as a result of step S401 (S401 → No), the congestion processing unit 119 of the controller 1a ends the process.
When a traffic jam occurs as a result of step S401 (S401 → Yes), the traffic jam processing unit 119 identifies the tray carrier 2 that cannot proceed due to the traffic jam (S402).
Then, the traffic jam processing unit 119 instructs the specified tray transport vehicle 2 to stop loading (S403), and the route generation unit 115 instructs the work station P to go to the work station P. Specifically, the route generation unit 115 generates a route from the current position of the tray transport vehicle 2 to the work station P, and the transmission processing unit 116 transmits the route generated to the tray transport vehicle 2. At this time, the traffic jam processing unit 119 identifies, for example, which tray 11 the tray transport vehicle 2 is currently taking out from the position of the tray transport vehicle 2 and the route generated first, and further determines the remaining tray ID. Send to WMS4. WMS4 newly generates order data 151 based on the transmitted tray ID.
By doing so, even if there is a tray 11 that was planned to be worked but could not be completed due to the influence of the other tray transport vehicle 2, the work can be carried over to the next transport. can.

Then, the movement control unit 211 of the tray transport vehicle 2 moves the tray transport vehicle 2 to the work station P (S404).
The process of FIG. 24 may be omitted.

As described above, in the fifth embodiment, when it is determined that the tray transport vehicle 2 is congested, the removal work of the tray 11 is stopped and the tray transport vehicle 2 is directed to the work station P.
By doing so, even if the tray transport vehicle 2 is congested, the loaded tray 11 can be transported to the work station P for the time being, so that the time can be shortened.
That is, even if there is interference from another tray transport vehicle 2, efficient transport can be performed by changing the transport route and transport work according to the situation.

When a plurality of tray transport vehicles 2 are operating in the same area, the controller 1a changes the instructed route from the positions and working conditions of the other tray transport vehicles 2 and moves in the shortest time at that time. You may change to a possible route.

Further, in the fifth embodiment, the congestion is detected depending on whether or not the route reservation is impossible, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the tray transport vehicles 2 notify each other of their positions and there are a predetermined number or more of tray transport vehicles 2 in a predetermined range, the processing unit 210 of the tray transport vehicles 2 determines that congestion has occurred. You may. Alternatively, when the speed of the tray carrier 2 becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined speed, the congestion processing unit 119 may determine that congestion has occurred.
Further, the controller 1a predicts the movement and working state of the other tray transport vehicle 2 at the time of route determination, and when the presence of the other tray transport vehicle 2 causes congestion or waiting, the other tray transport vehicle 2 is used. The route may be determined to detour.

[Sixth Embodiment]
FIG. 24 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an article transport system according to a sixth embodiment. In FIG. 24, the same components as those in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.
FIG. 24 describes a case where the fixed shelf 6 and the moving shelf 61 coexist.
In the article transport system Zc, the tray 11 stored in the fixed shelf 6 is transported by the tray transport vehicle 2. The transport method is based on the method of the first to fifth embodiments.
The moving shelf 61 stores a tray 11 or an article, and is transported by a shelf transport vehicle (shelf transport device) 62.
The moving shelf 61 has a space under the floor for the shelf transport vehicle 62 to enter. The shelf transport vehicle 62 enters under the moving shelf 61, and lifts and transports the moving shelf 61 itself.
Since the transfer of the moving shelf 61 by the shelf transfer vehicle 62 is a known technique, the detailed processing of the shelf transfer vehicle 62 will be omitted.
The tray 11 or an article is stored in the moving shelf 61.

Since the moving shelf 61 can transport a plurality of types of articles once lifted by the tray carrier 2, for example, frequently-used items are mainly stored. On the other hand, in the fixed shelf 6, for example, low-frequency products can be stored and only the necessary tray 11 can be conveyed. As described above, according to the sixth embodiment, it is possible to flexibly store the article, such as changing the storage destination of the article according to the frequency of use. The storage destination may be selected based on other criteria rather than the frequency of use.

(Hardware configuration diagram)
FIG. 25 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration example of the article transport system according to the sixth embodiment.
In FIG. 25, the same components as those in FIG. 2 are designated by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.
In FIG. 25, the difference from FIG. 2 is that the article transport system Zc has a shelf transport vehicle 62. Further, in FIG. 25, the difference from FIG. 2 is that the processing unit 110b of the controller 1b has a transport vehicle type selection unit (transport device type selection unit) 120. Further, in FIG. 25, the difference from FIG. 2 is that the storage device 105 of the controller 1b has the shelf data 152a.
The transport vehicle type selection unit 120 selects the type of transport vehicle (tray transport vehicle 2, shelf transport vehicle 62) according to the type of shelf to be picked.
The shelf data 152a will be described later.
Since the tray carrier 2 and the station terminal 3 are the same as those in FIG. 2, the detailed configuration thereof will be omitted.
Further, since the shelf transport vehicle 62 is a known technique, illustration and description thereof will be omitted for its detailed configuration.

(Shelf data)
FIG. 26 is a diagram showing an example of shelf data according to the sixth embodiment.
The difference between the shelf data 152a shown in FIG. 26 and the shelf data 152 shown in FIG. 7 is that the shelf data 152a has a column for the shelf type.
As the shelf type, the corresponding shelf type (“fixed” indicating the fixed shelf 6 and “moving” indicating the moving shelf 61) is stored.

(flowchart)
FIG. 27 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in the picking system according to the sixth embodiment. FIG. 27 is a process performed in step S111 of FIG. Refer to FIGS. 25 and 26 as appropriate.
First, the transport vehicle type selection unit 120 acquires the shelf type information with reference to the shelf data 152a (S501).
Specifically, the shelf type information is acquired by referring to the shelf type column of the shelf data 152a using the shelf ID acquired in the step S104 of FIG. 10 as a key.

Next, the transport vehicle type selection unit 120 determines whether the shelf type is the fixed shelf 6 or the moving shelf 61 (S502).
As a result of step S502, when the shelf type is the fixed shelf 6 (S502 → fixed shelf), the transport vehicle type selection unit 120 selects the tray transport vehicle 2 as the transport vehicle (S503), and the process of step S112 in FIG. Return to.
Further, as a result of step S502, when the shelf type is the moving shelf 61 (S502 → moving shelf), the transport vehicle type selection unit 120 selects the shelf transport vehicle 62 (S504), and the route generation unit 115 is the shelf transport vehicle 62. Generate a route for transmission to (S505). Since the route of the shelf carrier 62 is a known technique, the description thereof is omitted here.

In the sixth embodiment, the processing related to the tray transport vehicle 2 is the same as the processing shown in the first embodiment, and the processing related to the shelf transport vehicle 62 is a known technique, so that a specific description thereof will be omitted.
According to the sixth embodiment, a picking station is used by properly using a shelf (fixed shelf 6 and a moving shelf 61) and a transport vehicle (tray transport vehicle 2, shelf transport vehicle 62) according to a state such as the frequency of use of articles. It is possible to improve the transport efficiency to and the picking efficiency.

[7th Embodiment]
Prior to the description of the seventh embodiment, the problems and purposes of the article transport system Zd according to the seventh embodiment will be described. In the normal fixed shelf 6 and the moving shelf 61, the fixed shelf 6 and the moving shelf 61 at a height within the reach of the worker Op are used. Therefore, a wasteful space is created above the fixed shelf 6 and the moving shelf 61. Further, even when the moving shelf 61 by the shelf transport vehicle 62 as shown in the sixth embodiment is used, the weight and height of the mobile shelf 61 that can be lifted by the shelf transport vehicle 62 can be limited. , A useless space is created above the moving shelf 61.
The seventh embodiment aims to make effective use of the upper part of the shelf while improving the efficiency of picking work.

(Outline configuration of the system)
FIG. 28 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an article transport system according to a seventh embodiment. In FIG. 28, the same components as those in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.
In the article transport system Zd, the fixed shelf 6a has a space at the lower part. A tray 11 in which articles are stored is stored in the shelf stage of the fixed shelf 6a, or articles are directly stored in the shelves. The tray transport vehicle 2 in the article transport system Zd takes out the tray 11 stored in the fixed shelf 6a by the take-out device 22 of the tray transport vehicle 2 having the same configuration as that of the first to fourth embodiments.
The moving shelf 61 is a shelf having a certain height. Similar to the sixth embodiment, the moving shelf 61 has a space below which the shelf carrier 62 can enter. Similar to the sixth embodiment, the shelf transport vehicle 62 enters the lower space of the moving shelf 61, and the moving shelf 61 is transported by lifting and transporting the moving shelf 61.
The moving shelf 61 is installed in the lower space of the fixed shelf 6a.

By locating the fixed shelf 6a and the moving shelf 61 in the vertical direction in this way, the upper space of the warehouse (the space above the moving shelf 61) can be utilized, and the storage efficiency in the warehouse can be improved.
Further, when the tray carrier 2 has time to take out the fixed shelf 6a located above, the fixed shelf 6a stores low-frequency products. As a result, the number of times of access to the upper fixed shelf 6a, which takes time, can be reduced, and the efficiency of the entire picking work can be improved.

In the seventh embodiment, the processing related to the tray transport vehicle 2 is the same as the processing shown in the first embodiment, and the processing related to the shelf transport vehicle 62 is a known technique, so that a specific description thereof will be omitted.

[Eighth Embodiment]
In the eighth embodiment, a case where a machine operated by a person and an autonomous device such as a tray transport vehicle 2 and a shelf transport vehicle 62 coexist will be described.
(Outline configuration of the system)
FIG. 29 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration example of the article transport system according to the eighth embodiment. In FIG. 29, the same configurations as those in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.
In the article transport system Ze shown in FIG. 29, the fixed shelf 6a and the moving shelf 61 have the same configuration as that of the sixth embodiment.
That is, as in the sixth embodiment, the moving shelf 61 is installed in the lower space of the fixed shelf 6a. The articles on the fixed shelves 6a are taken out by the tray carrier 2 and the forklift (non-autonomous moving device) 80 operated by the operator Op. The operator Op operates the forklift 80 according to the instructions of the supervisor and the controller 1d (FIG. 30) to take out and store the article.

In the eighth embodiment, the position of the forklift 80 is notified to the controller 1d so that the forklift 80 operated by a person and the tray carrier 2 and the shelf carrier 62 move without colliding with each other.
The forklift 80 is equipped with a detachable attachment device (position notification device) 8 that can acquire and transmit a self-position that can be attached as an accessory.

(Hardware configuration diagram)
FIG. 30 is a hardware configuration example of the article transport system according to the eighth embodiment.
The article transfer system Ze shown in FIG. 30 has an article transfer device 8 installed in the forklift 80 (FIG. 29) in addition to the controller 1d, the tray transfer vehicle 2, and the station terminal 3. It is different from the transport system Z.

The attachment device 8 has a memory 801 and a transmission / reception device 802, and a CPU 803. The memory 801, the transmission / reception device 802, and the CPU 803 are connected to each other via a bus.
The CPU 803 executes various arithmetic processes.
Memory 801 is a volatile temporary storage medium. In the memory 801, various programs are executed by the CPU 803, and various data are read / written. As a result, in the memory 801 the processing unit 810, the position specifying unit 811 constituting the processing unit 810, and the position notification unit 812 are embodied.

The position specifying unit 811 estimates the position of the attachment device 8 in the warehouse. To estimate the position, a camera (not shown) built in the attachment device 8 acquires its own position by reading a marker attached to the floor surface or the like. Alternatively, the self-position may be estimated by collating the shape recognition of the surrounding area with a map by a laser scanner (not shown) built in the attachment device 8. Alternatively, the self-position may be estimated from the transmission information such as a beacon installed in the warehouse. The self-position estimation method is not limited to these methods.
The position notification unit 812 notifies the controller 1d of the position of the attachment device 8 (the position of the forklift 80) estimated by the position identification unit 811.

Further, the controller 1d is different from the controller 1 shown in FIG. 2 in that the processing unit 110d has a position management unit (prohibited area setting unit) 121.
The position management unit 121 manages the position of the forklift 80 (the position of the attachment device 8) received from the attachment device 8 based on the map data 155. Then, the position management unit 121 is set so that the tray carrier 2 does not run on the link of the map where the forklift 80 is located. That is, the position management unit 121 sets a predetermined range around the forklift 80 as a traveling prohibited area of the tray carrier 2.

(flowchart)
FIG. 31 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in the article management system according to the eighth embodiment. The process of FIG. 31 is a process performed at predetermined intervals in the picking system. Refer to FIG. 30 as appropriate.
The position management unit 121 acquires the position of the forklift 80 from the position notification unit 812 attached to the forklift 80 (S601).
Next, the position management unit 121 sets the traveling prohibition area of the tray transport vehicle 2 and the shelf transport vehicle 62 based on the acquired position of the forklift 80 (S602).
Then, the position management unit 121 notifies the tray transport vehicle 2 and the shelf transport vehicle 62 of the traveling prohibited area via the transmission processing unit 116.

Hereinafter, the processing in the tray transport vehicle 2 will be described, but the same processing is also performed in the shelf transport vehicle 62.
The movement control unit 211 of the tray carrier 2 determines whether or not the route to be reserved from now on passes through the travel prohibited area (S603).
As a result of step S603, when the route to be reserved from now on does not pass through the traveling prohibited area (S603 → No), the movement control unit 211 of the tray carrier 2 ends the process.
As a result of step S603, when the route to be reserved from now on passes through the traveling prohibited area (S603 → Yes), the movement control unit 211 of the tray carrier 2 sets a detour route (S604).
In the present embodiment, the tray transport vehicle 2 sets a detour route, but the movement control unit 211 of the tray transport vehicle 2 detects that the route to be reserved from now on passes through the travel prohibited area. The route generation unit 115 of the controller 1d may generate a detour route by transmitting to the controller 1d that the vehicle passes through the prohibited area and its own position.

FIG. 32 is a diagram showing an example of a traveling prohibited area according to the eighth embodiment.
A shelf 702 is installed inside the warehouse 701. Here, the shelves 702 are fixed shelves 6a and moving shelves 61. When the forklift 80 is present at the position shown in FIG. 32, the area around a predetermined range from this position becomes the traveling prohibited area 711.

According to the eighth embodiment, when a device operated by a person such as a forklift 80 and an autonomously moving device such as a tray carrier 2 or a shelf carrier 62 coexist, the position of the forklift 80 is set to the tray carrier. 2. The general-purpose forklift 80 can be used by using the detachable attachment device 8 without introducing a new forklift 80 for notifying the shelf carrier 62. As a result, convenience can be improved and costs can be suppressed.
Further, by setting the periphery of the position of the forklift 80 as a travel prohibited area, the tray carrier 2 and the shelf carrier 62 are set so as to prevent the forklift 80 from colliding with the tray carrier 2 and the shelf carrier 62. Can be controlled. From this, safety can be improved.

When the position notification unit 812 sequentially notifies the position of the forklift 80, it is possible to determine whether the forklift 80 is running or stopped on the controller 1d side from the time variation of the notified position of the forklift 80. The position management unit 121 of the controller 1d may appropriately update and set the area where the tray carrier 2 restricts the traveling from the information on the traveling and stopping states of the forklift 80. For example, in the position management unit 121, the tray transport vehicle 2 or the shelf transport vehicle 62 may travel in the travel prohibited area defined by the map data 155 in which the forklift 80 exists while the forklift 80 is stopped, but the forklift 80 is traveling. If so, it may be set that a predetermined link in the traveling direction is set as a traveling prohibited area.

In the eighth embodiment, the forklift 80 has been described as an example of a machine operated by a human, but the present invention is not limited to this. Further, although the shelf carrier 62 is used as the autonomous moving body, the present invention is not limited to this, and the tray carrier 2 may be used.
Then, in the eighth embodiment, the attachment device 8 communicates with the controller 1, but communication may be performed between the attachment device 8 and the tray transport vehicle 2 and the shelf transport vehicle 62.
Further, in each embodiment, the tray carrier 2 takes out the tray 11 from the fixed shelf 6, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the tray 11 may be taken out from the moving shelf 61.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiment has been described in detail in order to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and is not necessarily limited to those having all the described configurations. Further, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Further, it is possible to add / delete / replace a part of the configuration of each embodiment with another configuration.

In addition, each configuration, function, each part 110 to 117, 119 to 121,210 to 214,310 to 313,810 to 812, storage devices 105, 204 and the like described above are partially or all of them, for example, in an integrated circuit. It may be realized by hardware by designing. Further, as shown in FIGS. 2, 22, 25, and 30, each of the above-mentioned configurations, functions, and the like interprets and executes a program in which a processor such as a CPU 103, 203, 303, 803 realizes each function. By doing so, it may be realized by software. Information such as programs, tables, and files that realize each function is stored in the memory 10 in addition to being stored in the HD (Hard Disk).
Recording devices such as 1,201,301,801 and SSD (Solid State Drive), or I
It can be stored in a recording medium such as a C (Integrated Circuit) card, an SD (Secure Digital: registered trademark) card, or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc: registered trademark).
Further, in each embodiment, the control lines and information lines are shown as necessary for explanation, and not all the control lines and information lines are shown in the product. In practice, you can think of almost all configurations as interconnected.

1,1a, 1b, 1d controller 2,2A, 2B, 2C, 2F Tray carrier (conveyor, storage unit transport device)
3 Station terminal 4 WMS
6 Fixed shelves 7 Transport unit 8 Attachment device (position notification device)
11 Tray (storage unit)
21 Main body 22, 22a, 22b Extraction device (acquisition unit)
23, 23A, 23B, 23C, 23D Storage unit (loading unit)
61 Mobile shelves 62 Shelf transport vehicles (shelf transport equipment, transport equipment capable of transporting mobile shelves)
80 Forklift (non-autonomous mobile device)
105 Storage device 110, 110a, 110b, 110d, 210, 310, 810 Processing unit 111 Data reception processing unit 112 Order selection processing unit 113 Tray search unit (storage unit search unit)
114 Transport vehicle selection section (transport device selection section)
115 Route generation unit 116 Transmission processing unit 117 Instruction processing unit 119 Congestion processing unit (route change unit)
120 Transport vehicle type selection unit (conveyor device type selection unit)
121 Position management unit (prohibited area setting unit)
151 Order data 152, 152a Shelf data 153 Tray data 154 Article data 155, 242 Map data 211 Movement control unit 212 Arrival notification unit 213 Extraction control unit 214 Rotation control unit 241 Route data 251 Vertical expansion / contraction unit 252, 252a, 253a Arm unit 253 Catcher part 261 Claw part 262,603 Hook 264 Telescopic arm 263,267 Pole 271 Rotating part 281A-281C Arm 191 Stacking part 304 Display device 305 Reading device 311 Display processing part 312 Work monitoring part 313 Notification part 601 Storage part 602 Dent part 711 Travel prohibited area 811 Positioning part 812 Position notification part Z, Za to Ze Goods transport system

Claims (11)

A mobile shelf located in the lower space of the fixed shelf to store multiple first storage units,
Above the moving shelf, the fixed shelf for storing a plurality of second storage units, and the fixed shelf.
A plurality of transporting devices including a first transporting device capable of transporting the moving shelf and a second transporting device capable of transporting the second storage unit.
A storage device that stores information on articles stored in each of the storage units and information on the position of each storage unit for each of the plurality of storage units of the first storage unit and the plurality of second storage units. When,
A processing unit for acquiring the position of the storage unit in which the article to be picked is stored is provided, based on at least the information on the articles stored in each storage unit and the information on the position of each storage unit.
When the storage unit in which the picking target article is stored is stored in the moving shelf, the processing unit causes the first transfer device to convey the moving shelf, and the picking target article is stored in the processing unit. A transport system, characterized in that, when the storage unit is stored on the fixed shelf, the second storage unit is transported to the second storage unit. With respect to the plurality of the first storage units and the plurality of the second storage units, each storage unit stores the fixed shelf or the moving shelf based on a predetermined criterion including at least the picking frequency. The selected item is stored and
The second storage unit stored in the fixed shelf is characterized in that articles that are picked less frequently than the articles stored in the first storage unit of the moving shelf are stored. The transport system according to claim 1 . The transport system according to claim 1, wherein the second transport device transports a plurality of the second storage units taken out from the fixed shelf. The information regarding the position of each storage unit relates to information regarding the position of each storage unit stored in each of the plurality of shelves including the fixed shelf and the moving shelf, and information regarding each type of the plurality of shelves. Including information,
The processing unit
Based on the information regarding the type, the type of the shelf in which the storage unit in which the picking target article is stored is stored is determined.
As a result of the determination, when the shelf is the moving shelf, the first transport device is selected as the transport device for transporting the mobile shelf, and when the shelf is the fixed shelf, the article to be picked is stored. The transport system according to claim 1, wherein the second transport device is selected as the transport device for transporting the storage unit. The transport system according to claim 1, wherein the moving shelf is a shelf that can be lifted and transported by the first transport device. Each storage unit has a plurality of first storage units stored in a moving shelf located in the lower space of the fixed shelf and a plurality of second storage units stored in the fixed shelf at a position higher than the moving shelf. A storage device that stores information on stored items and information on the position of each storage unit.
A processing unit for acquiring the position of the storage unit in which the article to be picked is stored is provided, based on at least the information on the articles stored in each storage unit and the information on the position of each storage unit.
The processing unit
When the storage unit in which the goods to be picked are stored is stored in the moving shelf, an instruction to transfer the moving shelf to the first transfer device is transmitted.
A controller characterized in that when the storage unit in which the goods to be picked are stored is stored in the fixed shelf, an instruction to transport the storage unit is transmitted to a second transfer device. With respect to the plurality of the first storage units and the plurality of the second storage units, each storage unit has a storage destination for the fixed shelf or the moving shelf based on a predetermined criterion including at least the picking frequency. The selected items are stored and
The second storage unit stored in the fixed shelf is characterized in that articles having a lower picking frequency than the articles stored in the first storage unit of the moving shelf are stored. The controller according to claim 6 . The processing unit
The controller according to claim 6 , wherein the second transport device is instructed to transport a plurality of the second storage units taken out from the fixed shelf. The information regarding the position of each storage unit relates to information regarding the position of each storage unit stored in each of the plurality of shelves including the fixed shelf and the moving shelf, and information regarding each type of the plurality of shelves. Including information,
The processing unit
Based on the information regarding the type, the type of the shelf in which the storage unit in which the picking target article is stored is stored is determined.
As a result of the determination, when the shelf is the moving shelf, the first transport device is selected as the transport device for transporting the mobile shelf, and when the shelf is the fixed shelf, the article to be picked is stored. The controller according to claim 6 , wherein the second transfer device is selected as the transfer device for transporting the storage unit. The controller according to claim 6 , wherein the moving shelf is a shelf that can be lifted and conveyed by the first transfer device. It is a transport method performed by the transport system.
The transport system is
A mobile shelf located in the lower space of the fixed shelf to store multiple first storage units,
Above the moving shelf, the fixed shelf for storing a plurality of second storage units, and the fixed shelf.
A plurality of transport devices including a first transport device capable of transporting the mobile shelves by lifting the mobile shelves and a second transport device for transporting a plurality of the second storage units taken out from the fixed shelves. Conveyor device and
A storage device that stores information on articles stored in each of the storage units and information on the position of each storage unit for each of the plurality of storage units of the first storage unit and the plurality of second storage units. When,
A processing unit for acquiring the position of the storage unit in which the article to be picked is stored is provided, based on at least the information on the articles stored in each storage unit and the information on the position of each storage unit.
The second storage unit stored in the fixed shelf stores articles having a lower picking frequency than the articles stored in the first storage unit of the moving shelf.
The information regarding the position of each storage unit relates to information regarding the position of each storage unit stored in each of the plurality of shelves including the fixed shelf and the moving shelf, and information regarding each type of the plurality of shelves. Including information,
The processing unit
Based on the information regarding the type, the type of the shelf in which the storage unit in which the picking target article is stored is stored is determined.
As a result of the determination, when the shelf is the moving shelf, the first transport device is selected as the transport device for transporting the mobile shelf, the first transport device is made to transport the mobile shelf, and the shelf is transferred. In the case of the fixed shelf, the second transport device is selected as a transport device for transporting the storage unit in which the article to be picked is stored, and the second storage unit is transported to the second storage unit. A transport method characterized by.

Images