WO2024033417A1

WO2024033417A1 - Method for operating an automated warehouse, control unit for controlling an automated warehouse and automated warehouse

Info

Publication number: WO2024033417A1
Application number: PCT/EP2023/072061
Authority: WO
Inventors: Rupert Koch; Leopold Meirer; Maximilian DHOM; Dieter BÜCHL
Original assignee: Advastore Se
Priority date: 2022-08-11
Filing date: 2023-08-09
Publication date: 2024-02-15
Also published as: DE102022002934A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating an automated warehouse (1) for the storage and processing of product containers. The warehouse comprises a process region (8) and a rack region (9). The method comprises a) processing at least one product container in the process region (8) in order to obtain at least one individual product (10), b) determining or obtaining product information of the at least one product (10), and c) storing the product (10) in the rack region (9) based on the product information. The invention also relates to a control unit for executing the method and to an automated warehouse (1).

Description

Method for operating an automated warehouse, control unit for controlling an automated warehouse and automated warehouse

The present invention relates to a method for operating an automated warehouse for storing and processing containers of goods, a control unit for controlling an automated warehouse for storing and processing containers of goods and an automated warehouse for storing and processing containers of goods.

Warehouses are known in the prior art and serve as intermediate storage for containers of goods. Goods containers can be transport units that can be transported, for example, on trucks, trains or other means of transport. A goods container, for example, is a pallet full of goods. Furthermore, a package of goods can be a container or transport box that contains different or identical goods. In conventional warehouses, these goods are stored in the form of containers. If necessary, individual goods are removed from the container and removed from storage. Alternatively, the containers are broken down in the warehouse and then stored in other storage boxes or other containers. This often requires manual work. These processing processes require a high level of manual work, so storing individual goods is expensive and time-consuming. In particular, it is time-consuming to store goods individually.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method and a device which enable efficient storage and automated handling of individual goods.

The task is solved by a method for operating an automated warehouse with the features of claim 1, by a control unit with the features of claim 28 and by an automated warehouse with the features of claim 29. Furthermore, the problem is solved by using the bearing with the features of claim 30.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is a method of operating an automated warehouse for storing and processing containers of goods. The warehouse may have a process area and a rack area. The method can include a) processing at least one package of goods in the process area in order to obtain at least one individual product. Furthermore, method b) can include determining or obtaining product information for the at least one product. In addition, method c) can include storing the goods in the shelf area based on the goods information.

Compared to the known state of the art, with the present method, the container of goods can be processed in such a way that only individual goods have to be stored. In other words, the container delivered to the warehouse can be processed in the process area in such a way that only a single product can be stored in the storage area. Furthermore, the individual goods can be stored in the shelf area based on goods information. For this purpose, the present method can individually obtain the goods information based on the individual goods and thus ensure that the individual goods can be stored efficiently and safely in the shelf area. In other words, particularly efficient storage of the goods can be realized based on the goods information for the at least one goods. This can be such that goods can be stored in certain positions in the warehouse more efficiently than others due to specific properties and/or requirements. Furthermore, the method can be used in an automated warehouse without a user (i.e. people) having to directly process the goods in any way. In other words, a warehouse can be provided where the goods can be processed (i.e. stored and retrieved) without the direct intervention of humans.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, goods are stored individually in their smallest packaging form (ie not several goods in one package). In order to be able to provide individual storage, goods information about the goods to be stored may be required. For this purpose, the method can include determining the goods information. It is often the case that only the containers are provided with relevant information, but the individual goods are not. In the present invention, the bearing itself can determine or obtain this goods information and store the goods individually based on this. This means that a completely automated warehouse can be provided, which can accommodate multiple goods as incoming goods and can provide individual goods as outgoing goods.

The warehouse can be located in a building or enclosed area. The process area and the shelf area can directly adjoin one another. In other words, the warehouse can be designed as a black box system, which accommodates goods containers on an input side and can make individual goods available on an output side. The process area can be the area in which step a) is carried out. The shelf area can be the area in which step c) is carried out. Furthermore, the warehouse can have a control unit which can carry out step b) (more information on this below).

The goods container can be a packaging unit in which one or more goods can be transported. The container of goods can ensure that the individual goods or goods are not damaged or slipped during transport. Furthermore, a package of goods can contain identical goods or different goods. A container of goods can be, for example, a pallet with goods. Furthermore, a goods container can be a transport box or the like, which is filled with goods. The container of goods can be delivered to the warehouse, for example, by means of a truck. In step a), the package of goods can be processed in such a way that individual goods are obtained. In other words, processing can include unpacking the container of goods. The processing of the goods container can be done automatically or manually. After the package of goods has been processed, the individual goods can be moved to an analysis area or the like. Step b) can be carried out there to analyze the individual goods. This means that each product can be assigned product information. This can be used to check whether the product is a known product or an unknown product. In the case of a known product, the product information for the product can be retrieved from a database and assigned to the respective product. At a For unknown goods, the goods information can be obtained individually through an analysis process of the goods. Once step b) has been completed, the individual goods can be stored in the shelf area in step c). The storage can take place based on the previously determined or obtained goods information. In other words, individual properties and/or requirements of the goods can be taken into account by an individual depositor. For example, particularly sensitive goods can be stored in a specially designated storage location. For this purpose, the insert can be an individual storage in which the goods can be placed anywhere on shelves or the like without special subdivisions or storage compartments being provided. In other words, the shelf area can be a non-divided or continuously extending storage area that can be individually loaded with goods to be stored. This means that goods can be stored individually only (ie exclusively) based on the goods information, without having to pay attention to special requirements of the shelf area. The product information can include a product attribute or a product property. The product information can be computer-readable data. For example, the product information can include a text and/or a table. Such files contain displayable characters. These can be subdivided by control characters such as line and page breaks. Furthermore, the goods information can also be available as a binary file. With a binary file, any other interpretation of the content is possible (for example by computers).

Preferably, the individual goods can be shifted or transported back and forth between the process area and the shelf area using a shuttle (also referred to as a storage and retrieval machine). In other words, the individual goods can be brought individually to the shelf area by the shuttle. The shuttle can move along a section of rail. The shuttle can be designed to deposit the goods in their smallest packaging unit individually at a predetermined storage location. The storage location can be determined before the goods are stored based on the goods information. Preferably, step a) comprises receiving advance goods information and marking the goods container based on the advance goods information and wherein the advance goods information preferably includes an identity of the supplier. The advance goods information can be obtained before processing the at least one container of goods. Furthermore, the advance goods information can be known before the goods arrive in the warehouse. For example, the supplier who delivers the container of goods to the warehouse can transmit the advance goods information to the warehouse. The advance goods information can, for example, include information about a quantity and/or type of goods. Furthermore, the advance goods information can define the supplier. Based on the advance goods information, the warehouse can send an unloading instruction to the supplier. This ensures that the supplier unloads the container of goods at the correct location in the warehouse. For example, it is conceivable that the warehouse has a large number of goods receipts (for example in the form of gates) at which goods containers can be unloaded. With the unloading instructions, the supplier can drive directly to the correct gate, which can increase the efficiency of the entire process. Once the container of goods has been unloaded and thus transferred to an entrance area of the warehouse, the container can be directly marked (for example a label or the like) so that the container can be clearly assigned. The marking can, for example, include information about how the container of goods is packaged. It can also include information about the individual goods in the goods container. Based on the marking or the advance goods information, the container can be fed to a first process step in the process area. By labeling the containers of goods at an early stage, an efficient process can be ensured.

Preferably, step a) includes separating the containers of goods in order to obtain individual goods. The separation is preferably carried out based on marking the containers of goods. Through the marking, the container of goods can be fed to a special isolation area, which is designed to separate the special containers of goods. For example, a separation station can be specifically designed for refrigerated goods. Another separation station can be designed specifically for goods delivered in containers. Through The previous marking allows the suitable separation stations to be specifically supplied with goods containers, which can prevent the goods containers from having to be moved around unnecessarily in the process area. This can make the overall process more efficient. Furthermore, automated separation is possible because the goods containers have previously been assigned or identified.

Preferably, step b) includes checking the goods to determine whether the goods are known goods or unknown goods. In other words, after step a), an automated check or analysis of the goods obtained in this way can be carried out. Checking the goods can be, for example, scanning a marking, such as a barcode, or visually recognizing the goods, for example based on their external appearance (e.g. shape, color, etc.). It is also conceivable that the goods are photographed and the image is compared with images in a database. This makes it possible to determine whether the product is a known product or an unknown product. A known product can be defined by the fact that product information for the product is available in a database. Goods can also have already been processed in another warehouse (e.g. at another location), then the goods information is also available. In such a case it may be a well-known product. The goods information can even be synchronized across different locations. An unknown product, on the other hand, may be new to the system and being processed in the warehouse for the first time. In other words, no product information may be available in a database for an unknown product.

Preferably, obtaining product information includes querying a database to obtain product information for a known product. If a comparison of the goods with a database results in a hit (ie the goods in the warehouse are known), the corresponding goods information for this goods can be automatically retrieved from a database without this goods information having to be collected again. This means that the goods can be processed particularly effectively. The database can, for example, contain a large number of entries include, each of which is assigned to a product. By checking the goods, a comparator unit can, for example, determine whether the goods are available in the database. If this is answered in the affirmative, then, for example, the product information assigned to the respective entry in the database can be assigned to this specific product. This means that the goods can be processed quickly.

Preferably, step b) includes validation to determine whether the acquired product information matches the known product. In other words, following the comparison between the goods and the database, an additional validation or check can take place as to whether the goods actually correspond to the entry in the database. For this purpose, depending on the previously carried out test, a further test of the goods can be carried out. For example, if the external appearance was checked by means of a visual inspection during the previous inspection, the goods can be weighed during the validation and it can be checked whether the weight recorded in the database under the entry used corresponds to the weight of the real goods. Furthermore, other properties of the product information retrieved from the database can be compared with the real product. For example, a dimension can be measured in a certain direction and compared to see whether it corresponds to the database entry. By validating the goods after testing, it can be ensured that goods that have been identified as known goods are actually known goods. This can prevent a malfunction or incorrect operation of the warehouse. It can also prevent goods from being damaged due to incorrect storage or processing. If the validation of the goods produces the same result as the previous test, the goods can be fed to a distribution device following the validation.

The validation preferably includes a visual inspection of the goods and/or weighing of the goods. An additional checking mechanism can thus be provided that avoids misinterpretations of the goods. More precisely, during validation Some or all of the information contained in the goods information can be verified against the actual goods. For this purpose, a sensor system can be provided in the process area, which is designed to determine the product information.

Preferably, determining the product information includes an analysis of the product. In particular, in the case where it is not established that the product in question is a known product, the product can be analyzed individually. Through the analysis, the product information assigned to the product can be obtained. The product information can be a product attribute and characterize the product. Compared to the known state of the art, this analysis of the goods offers the advantage that any type of goods can be treated individually based on the analysis results (i.e. stored, processed, processed, etc.). In addition, it is not necessary to rely on external information such as delivery notes or other data provided by third parties, but rather the characteristic properties of the goods can be analyzed to ensure their correct storage and/or processing. Furthermore, it is possible to provide a large number of different goods at a goods receipt of the warehouse, since the individual goods information can be determined or obtained individually for each goods. This means that the warehouse itself can be integrated into diverse and complicated supply chains and function efficiently there.

The analysis of the goods preferably includes an optical detection and/or weighing of the goods. For example, the goods can be visually recorded by one or more cameras. The image information obtained in this way can be evaluated to determine the properties of the goods. Visual recording can be used, for example, to determine the dimension (ie dimensions) of the goods and their shape. Furthermore, the surface quality of the goods can be determined. It is conceivable that the goods are irradiated with a light source and the reflection of the goods is measured. This makes it possible, for example, to determine what the surface of the goods is like. Additionally or alternatively, the goods can be weighed to determine their weight. Especially if If both the external shape and the weight of the goods are taken into account, a detailed characterization of the goods can be carried out. In particular, the density of the goods can be determined in this way. It can therefore be recognized, for example, that a product which has a relatively large dimension is, however, only light in weight. From this it can be concluded that the goods are sensitive. The conclusion can then be stored in the product information. In addition, in step b), the advance goods information can be used to obtain further goods information together with the individual analysis of the goods. It is also conceivable that a preselection is made based on the product analysis, which can then be selected by a human. In this way, it is possible to provide a learning algorithm that recognizes the type of goods based on the specific properties of the goods (e.g. size and/or weight). For example, the learning algorithm can view the acquired physical quantities as input data and view the products later selected by a human user as desired output data. The more such training data sets the learning algorithm runs through, the more precisely it can make a statement about the product in question. It is also conceivable to use a neural network for this purpose, which constantly learns and thus improves its recognition accuracy.

The product information preferably includes a fragility, a load-bearing capacity, a dimensional stability, a surface quality, a porosity, a sensitivity, possible dangers posed by the product, a cooling requirement, intolerances, an aggregate state, a shelf life, odor information and/or a serial number of the at least one product . Furthermore, the goods information may include batch and/or manufacturing batch information. This makes it easy to implement a recall of certain goods, for example. The product information can therefore reflect a variety of different properties of the product. This allows the goods to be processed and stored in an optimal manner to ensure that the goods or other facilities are not damaged. For example, the fragility of the goods may mean that heavy objects cannot be placed on top of the goods. The carrying capacity of a product can define the weight of a specific item Goods can be charged. This is important, for example, when it comes to whether goods can be stacked and, if so, which goods can be placed on top of another good. The dimensional stability of a product can define how resistant a product is to unwanted deformation. The surface texture can define how porous or how wrinkled or fissured etc. a goods surface is. This can be important, for example, for the further processing of the goods, as it can be used to determine whether the goods can be grasped with a suction cup or not. The sensitivity of a product can generally define the environment in which the product can be located without being damaged. In contrast, dangers posed by the goods can define possible dangers for nearby goods. It may therefore be necessary, for example, to transport and/or store the goods at a certain distance from other goods. The cooling requirement of a product can define which climatic environment the product can stay in and for how long. Incompatibilities can be, for example, an intolerance to magnetic vibrations. This can ensure that electrical devices, for example, are not damaged. An aggregate state can primarily mean that the product is a solid product or a liquid product. Based on this, the further processing or storage of the goods can be based. The shelf life of the goods can mean how long the goods can be stored. This can be important when it comes to the order in which goods are stored and/or removed from a shelf area. Odor information can mean whether the goods emit unpleasant odors or not. This can, for example, be decisive for where or with which other goods the specific goods are stored or transported. The serial number can be a serial number applied by the manufacturer in the form of a barcode or QR code. This can be used to further identify the goods. Furthermore, to identify the goods, an OCR system can additionally or alternatively be provided, which is designed to recognize and read characters (numbers and/or letters) affixed to the goods. This means that goods can be identified even if they do not have a standardized barcode or the like. Preferably, step c) includes individual storage of the goods in the shelf area. In this case, individual insertion means that each product is transported individually to the shelf area. The goods information can be used as a basis to determine transport and storage location for the goods. The individual handling or processing of the goods can ensure particularly efficient operation of the warehouse.

Preferably, step c) comprises determining a storage location and location information about the storage location, wherein the location information preferably identifies the storage location in the shelf area where the goods are stored or are to be stored. The storage location can be determined based on the goods information. This means that the above-mentioned properties of the goods can be taken into account and a storage location can be determined accordingly. Furthermore, the storage location of the goods in the shelf area can be determined with regard to the efficiency of the overall system. For example, a storage location can be determined at a low position (in the direction of gravity) of the shelf area in the case where the goods are particularly heavy goods. This prevents the heavy goods from having to be transported far against the direction of gravity, which saves energy. Furthermore, storage locations can have certain properties, such as cooling or isolation from the rest of the storage area. Furthermore, the storage area can have an EX area in which particularly dangerous goods can be stored. This can be used as a basis for determining a storage location. The location information can identify the storage location in the shelf area. For example, the location information can be X, Y, Z coordinates that define a point in space. Furthermore, it is conceivable that the location information includes a level and a row of shelves as well as a distance in the direction of extension of the row of shelves in order to clearly identify a storage location. In other words, the location information enables the goods to be stored individually in the shelf area. As already indicated above, the shelf area cannot have any subdivisions, so that the goods can be stored individually in the shelf area. Therefore, the shelf area can be replenished particularly efficiently because the goods can be arranged next to each other based on your respective product information (such as their dimensions) and no prefabricated storage areas need to be filled.

Preferably, step c) includes placing the goods in the shelf area using a shuttle. The shuttle can be an automated vehicle, in particular an automated storage and retrieval device, which can enter the rack area. The shuttle can have a transport area on which the goods can be transported. The shuttle can travel back and forth between the process area and the storage area. The shuttle can pick up the goods at a pick-up point in the process area and automatically drive to the storage location in the rack area and deposit the goods there automatically. The shuttle can have a conveyor device that is designed to grab the goods and transport them to the transport area of the shuttle. The goods information can be used as a basis for this so that the goods can be grabbed reliably. For example, a dimension of the goods can be known and the conveyor device can be used in a targeted manner to grab and transport the goods. Furthermore, the conveying device can be designed to grab the goods that are to be stored or removed from the shuttle based on the goods information of the goods. This means that the goods can be handled particularly carefully.

Preferably, step c) includes determining the shortest route of the shuttle from a goods pickup point to a storage location for the goods. The route can extend along a rail system (e.g. rail sections) on which the shuttle can travel. Alternatively, the route can also be a free route between the goods pickup point and the storage location (ie without a rail, so that the shuttle can move freely on a driving surface or through the air). In other words, the shortest route does not mean the direct connection using a straight line in the space between the goods pickup point and the storage location, but rather the shortest possible route of the shuttle along a driving surface. This means that even with very large shelf areas with a large number of shelves and shelf levels, it can be ensured that the shuttle is not unnecessarily long on the move, but rather brings the goods to the desired storage location in a targeted and efficient manner. Preferably, determining the shortest route is carried out before the shuttle begins its journey. As a result, the shuttle can be told which route the shuttle should take before it sets off. This is particularly advantageous if communication with the shuttle is not possible or is only possible with difficulty in the storage area. This can be the case, for example, if the storage area is specially shielded to protect goods. Furthermore, contact-based data transmission can be provided with the shuttle, which can increase transmission security. For example, the storage location can be communicated to the shuttle at the goods pickup point via an electronic contact. This means that no wireless data exchange with the shuttle is necessary while the shuttle is traveling.

Preferably, step c) includes determining the shortest route of the shuttle from the storage location to the goods pickup point. In other words, the return path of the shuttle from the storage location to the goods pickup point can be determined directly when the goods are inserted. This is particularly useful if one-way traffic is implemented on the rail system in the rack area and/or the process area. This means that the shuttle cannot take the same route to the goods pickup point as it took to the storage location. In this case too, it is advantageous to tell the shuttle at the beginning of the processing of an order (e.g. at the goods pickup point) which route it should take back from the shelf area. This prevents the shuttle from getting stranded in the rack area without finding the way back.

Preferably, when moving through the shelf area, the shuttle detects the shelf area and/or stored goods in order to obtain current status information of the shelf area and/or the goods, and wherein the method preferably comprises comparing the current status information with the stored status information in order to obtain change information determine. The shuttle can include sensors that are designed to detect the environment of the shuttle. The shuttle can thus travel from the goods pickup point to the storage location or from the storage location to the goods pickup point Record surroundings. This means that goods already stored in the shelf area can be recorded. The process can check in the background whether the actually measured storage locations of the goods correspond to the stored storage locations of the goods. This means that every time a shuttle passes a product, it can be checked whether the product is in the desired position. Consequently, shifts in the shelf area can be detected and corrected. For example, if a storage location for goods is determined that differs from the stored storage location, a service shuttle can be activated, for example, to bring the goods in question to the desired storage location. The change between the stored storage location of a product (ie the storage location that was previously determined for the product stored there) and the real storage location of the product that has now been recorded can be stored in change information. The change information can, for example, be a percentage deviation between the target position and the actually detected position (ie the actual position). If the percentage deviation exceeds a certain limit, the process can cause the real storage location of the goods to be corrected. This makes it possible, on the one hand, for the goods to always be arranged in the correct place in the storage area, without a gradual shift occurring. Furthermore, the limit value at which the procedure takes effect can ensure that an unnecessarily large number of service shuttle operations are not necessary.

The change information preferably includes a change in a storage location of goods and/or a change in the status of the shelf area. The change in condition of the shelf area can, for example, be damage to the shelf. For example, the shuttle can monitor certain distances in the rack area. It is conceivable that the shuttle measures a distance between two shelf supports and/or between rail sections. If such a measurement result deviates from a target value, an inspection can be ordered. This means that the condition of the rack can be monitored during every shuttle trip and even small damage can be detected at an early stage. This means that the service life of the shelf area and thus the entire warehouse can be extended. Preferably, step c) includes checking a charge status of an energy storage device of a shuttle for storing and retrieving the goods. For example, the route planned for a shuttle can be compared with the energy available in the shuttle's energy storage. Based on this, it can be determined whether the shuttle can easily bring the goods to or from the storage location without the shuttle running out of energy. The energy storage can be, for example, an accumulator. The charging status can be checked, for example, at the goods pickup point. In particular, this can happen in parallel to a wired data exchange.

Preferably, step b) includes outputting the goods information. This means that the goods information can be made available to a third party outside the warehouse. For example, an inventory list can be kept of goods that are in the process area and/or storage area. It is also conceivable that, for example, return shipments can be sent directly to the warehouse and this is noted in the goods information. This means that this information can be made available to third parties. In other words, a bidirectional flow of information into and out of the warehouse can be provided. With returns management, the manufacturer of the returned goods can be provided with the relevant goods information. The manufacturer can then decide what to do with the goods. This information can all be stored in the product information of the corresponding product. This can prevent goods from having to be processed multiple times, which can increase efficiency.

Preferably, the method further comprises: d) receiving a removal order, and e) removing the goods from the shelf area. The removal order can, for example, be an order for one or more goods. Accordingly, if the goods are present in the storage area, a shuttle can be commissioned to bring the goods from the shelf area to a goods delivery point. For example, this order can be combined with a storage order so that the shuttle goes from the goods receiving area to a storage location drives, deposits a product there and on the way back picks up another product and brings it to the goods drop-off point. Therefore, particularly efficient operation of the warehouse can be provided. Furthermore, unnecessary empty shuttle trips can be avoided. The goods delivery point can be arranged in the process area. The removal command preferably includes a storage location for at least one product. A control unit in the warehouse can convert an order into a removal order, whereby the removal order specifies the exact location of the desired goods in the shelf area.

Preferably, the method further comprises: f) packaging of the outsourced goods based on the goods information of the outsourced goods. In other words, the outsourced goods can be packaged from the goods delivery point in order to be shipped, for example. The packaging can be carried out based on the product information. For example, a characteristic of the outsourced goods may require certain packaging. For example, particularly fragile goods can be packed with additional padding to ensure the goods are shipped safely. It is also conceivable that several goods are to be removed from storage and packed in the same package. It is important that fragile or sensitive goods are not placed too small in one package. Therefore, the packaging of the outsourced goods is preferably carried out based on the goods information of the respective goods in order to ensure particularly careful packaging of the goods. It may also happen that certain goods require refrigeration and require appropriate packaging. Since the goods information is available, all requirements for packaging the goods can be met.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, a control unit for controlling an automated warehouse for storing and processing containers of goods is provided, the warehouse having a process area and a shelf area, the control unit preferably being designed to carry out the above method. The control unit may be a computer-like device capable of receiving signals, processing them and outputting signals. Preferably, the control unit can control commands output that can control individual units in the warehouse. In particular, the control unit can control the shuttles that move between the process area and the rack area. Furthermore, the control unit can record and process goods information.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, an automated warehouse for storing and processing containers of goods is provided, wherein the warehouse preferably comprises a process area with a goods receipt and a shelf area with a plurality of storage locations. Furthermore, the automated warehouse can include a rail system which extends between the process area and the rack area and is designed so that a shuttle can travel on it. Preferably, at least one shuttle is provided in the warehouse, which is designed to transport goods between the process area and the shelf area. Furthermore, the bearing preferably has the above control unit.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, use of a control unit according to the above embodiment for controlling an automated warehouse is provided.

Individual features or embodiments can be combined with other features or other embodiments to form new embodiments. The configurations and advantages mentioned in connection with the features or embodiments also apply analogously to the new embodiments. Refinements and advantages that were mentioned in connection with the method also apply analogously to the devices and vice versa.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying figures. The same features are designated with the same reference numerals throughout.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic and perspective view of a bearing according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 shows a schematic top view of a bearing according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a schematic flowchart of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 1 is a perspective and schematic view of a bearing 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The warehouse 1 is divided into a process area 8 and a shelf area 9. Shelves 2 with shelves 3 located therein are arranged in the shelf area. The shelves 3 each define different shelf levels in the vertical direction V. Rail sections 4 (not shown in FIG. 1) run between the shelves 2 and on which a shuttle 5 can travel. So that the shuttle 5 can reach the different shelf levels in the vertical direction V, the shelf area 9 includes a riser area 6. With the help of this riser area 6, the shuttle 5 can independently reach different shelf levels of the shelf area 9. Furthermore, the bearing 1 has a rail system 7, which is formed from a plurality of rail sections 4. The rail system 7 connects the process area 8 with the rack area 9. A large number of shuttles 5 (also referred to as stacker cranes) can travel on the rail system 7. In the process area 8, containers of goods can be delivered and the individual goods 10 can be made available. The individual goods 10 provided can then be picked up by the shuttle 5 and brought individually to the shelf area 9. More specifically, the goods 10 can be placed on the shelves 3 without any structurally predefined storage locations being defined in the shelf area. In other words, the goods 10 can be stored individually next to one another and/or one above the other on the shelf 2 of the shelf area 9. If a product 10 is queried from the warehouse 1, a shuttle 5 or several shuttles 5 can drive into the shelf area 9 and individually pick up the relevant choice and transport it to a product storage location (not shown in FIG. 1) and store it there. From there the goods 10 can be packed and transported away from warehouse 1. In addition, the goods 10 can be collected and packaged together with other goods 10. This means that bearing 1 realize a picking of several goods 10.

Fig. 2 is a schematic top view of a bearing 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 2, the process area 8 can be seen on the left side and the shelf area 9 on the right side. Containers of goods can be delivered to the warehouse as input products. In the present embodiment, goods containers are fed to the warehouse 1 at a large number of goods receiving stations 11. After the goods containers are delivered, they are labeled based on the suppliers or dealers. Depending on the labels, the goods containers are fed to a specific processing station 12. There the containers are separated (ie unpacked) so that a large number of individual goods 10 (ie the smallest possible packaging unit of a goods) are obtained. The individual goods 10 are then recognized and it is defined whether the goods are known or unknown goods. In the case where the product 10 is a known product, product information from a database is assigned to the product 10. In the other case, in which the product 10 is an unknown product, product information is determined directly in the processing station 12. Alternatively or additionally, the goods information is then recorded at another station specially equipped for this purpose (ie not at the storage station or goods receiving station 13). The goods information obtained may include attributes of the goods 10. The goods information of the goods 10 includes a fragility, a load-bearing capacity, a dimensional stability, a surface quality (for example porosity), a sensitivity, a cooling requirement, an intolerance, an aggregate state, a shelf life, an odor property and/or a serial number of the goods. For the goods defined as known, a validation is also carried out to check whether the goods are really the known goods 10. If it is determined during validation that the product 10 initially defined as known product 10 is an unknown product, this product is sent to the product information capture system. The goods to which goods information has been assigned or for which goods information has been determined are then fed to a goods receptacle 13. From this goods receptacle 13, the goods 10 are picked up by one or more shuttles 5 and brought to the shelf area. The goods are individual based on the product information of the respective product in the shelf area 9. If goods 10 are requested, the goods 10 are picked up from the shelf area 9 by a shuttle 5 and delivered to a goods issue 14. At the goods issue 14, several goods can also be collected and then packaged together. In other words, the goods issue 14 can provide picking of various goods. This is particularly advantageous when multiple goods are ordered. The packaged goods are then brought from the goods issue 14 to the removal terminal 15. From the removal terminals, the goods can be picked up by external third parties and transported further.

Fig. 3 is a schematic flow diagram which schematically illustrates the flow of the method according to an embodiment of the present invention. In a first step S1, a supplier of goods containers registers the goods at warehouse 1. The information is saved in the same step. In a further embodiment, the warehouse sends information to the supplier as to which unloading terminal 11 the supplier should unload the goods container at. In a second step S2, the containers are taken into storage 1 and provided with a marking. The marking (also known as a label) is assigned to a container. This means that advance goods information can be assigned to the container. The advance goods information identifies the retailer, for example. The container is then fed to a processing station 12 in step S3. Here, the processing station 12 depends on the marking that is assigned to the container. This makes it possible to ensure that the container is always processed by the same dealers at the same processing station 12. This allows the processes to be simplified because the goods or containers of goods are always packaged in the same way.

In step S4, the goods containers are unpacked and the goods are separated. The individual goods are therefore available. Furthermore, in step S4 it is determined whether the individual product is a known or unknown product. The unknown goods are sent to a goods attribute recording or goods information recording. This is where the properties of the goods are determined. According to one In another embodiment, the individual goods can be assigned to specific product classes with the same product attributes or product information. If the product is known, it is checked in step S4 whether it is really a known product or whether the first determination is incorrect. For this purpose, validation is carried out in step S4. For this purpose, for example, an optical recording of the goods can be used, which is compared with stored information about the goods. If there are any deviations, the goods are sent to attribute recording. If the validation of the goods matches the stored properties of the goods, the goods are fed to a goods receipt 13 in a step S5. Likewise, in step S5, the goods to which goods information is assigned are also fed to goods receipt 13. Furthermore, in step S5 it is determined where the goods in the shelf area 9 should be stored. In other words, a storage location is determined that meets the requirements of the goods. Furthermore, the storage location is defined in such a way that the warehouse can be operated as efficiently as possible (ie heavy items tend to be further down in the warehouse and light items tend to be further up in the warehouse). In a step S6, the shuttle 5 is given an order to pick up a specific product from the entrance area 13 and bring it to a specific storage location in the shelf area 9. For this purpose, the shortest possible route is directly assigned to the shuttle, so that no communication with the shuttle is necessary while the shuttle is traveling in the rack area 9. Furthermore, the shuttle is given a direct return route so that it can travel back to the process area 8 of the warehouse 1 as quickly and efficiently as possible. For example, the shuttle is controlled in such a way that it carries out a removal order when it returns from the shelf area 9. This means that the shuttle can remove goods from shelf area 9 when returning from a storage order. If the shuttle 5 reaches the specific storage location, it is checked in step S6 whether the storage location is an empty or occupied storage area. If the storage area is empty, the shuttle places the goods there. If the storage area is occupied by other goods or other objects, the shuttle reports an error to the control unit and moves the goods to a replacement storage location. Furthermore, a service operation of a service shuttle is triggered in order to check the incorrectly determined storage position in the shelf area 9. In step S7, the shuttle checks when passing the shelves 2 whether the Shelves are empty or occupied. For this purpose, the shuttle 5 can scan the shelf surfaces as it passes along the shelves 2 and thus create a kind of shelf map. It can then be seen where which goods are located and how they are located on the shelves 2. This can be compared with the database and it can be checked whether the real occupancy of the shelf area 9 matches the saved occupancy.

In step S8, the shuttle checks a state of an internal energy storage device (i.e. in the shuttle) and decides based on this whether the shuttle is ready for deployment or is moving to a battery change. This means it can be actively ensured that the shuttle can process new orders efficiently and reliably.

According to a further embodiment, the shuttle constantly checks whether goods are in a loading area of the shuttle or not using a sensor system mounted on it. This makes it possible to ensure that goods are arranged correctly on the shuttle and not beyond the external dimensions of the shuttle. Furthermore, goods remaining unintentionally in the loading area of the shuttle can be detected and thus a malfunction of the warehouse 1 can be avoided.

Reference character list:

1 warehouse

2 shelves

3 shelves 4 rail section

5 shuttles

6 riser area

7 rail system

8 Process area 9 Shelf area

10 goods

11 goods receipts

12 processing station

13 Goods receipt 14 Goods issue

15 transport time inal

V vertical direction

Claims

Patent claims

1 . Method for operating an automated warehouse (1) for storing and processing containers of goods, the warehouse having a process area (8) and a shelf area (9), the method comprising: a) processing at least one container of goods in the process area (8), in order to obtain at least one individual product (10), b) determining or obtaining product information for the at least one product (10), c) depositing the product (10) in the shelf area (9) based on the product information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the individual goods (10) are shifted or transported back and forth between the process area (8) and the shelf area (9) by means of a shuttle (5).

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein step a) comprises receiving advance goods information and marking the goods package based on the advance goods information, and wherein the advance goods information includes an identity of the supplier.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein step a) comprises separating the containers of goods in order to obtain individual goods (10), and wherein the separating is preferably carried out based on a marking of the containers of goods.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein step b) comprises checking the product (10) to determine whether the product (10) is a known product (10) or an unknown product (10 ) acts.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein step b) comprises validation to determine whether the acquired goods information matches the known goods (10).

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein determining or obtaining product information comprises querying a database to obtain the product information of a known product.

8. Method according to one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the validation comprises a visual inspection of the goods and/or weighing of the goods.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein determining the product information comprises an analysis of the product (10).

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the analysis of the goods (10) comprises optical detection and/or weighing of the goods, the goods (10) preferably being visually recorded by one or more cameras.

11. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the goods information includes a fragility, a load-bearing capacity, a dimensional stability, a surface quality, a porosity, a sensitivity, possible dangers posed by the goods (10), a cooling requirement, intolerances, an aggregate state, a shelf life, odor information and/or a serial number which includes at least one item (10).

12. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein step c) comprises individually inserting the goods (10) into the shelf area (9).

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein in the case of individual deposits, each product (10) is transported individually into the control area (9).

14. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the goods information can be used as a basis to determine transport and a storage location of the goods (10).

15. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein step c) comprises determining a storage location and location information of the storage location, the location information preferably identifying the storage location in the shelf area (9) at which the goods (10) are stored or are to be stored .

16. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a storage location of the goods (10) in the shelf area (9) is determined with regard to the efficiency of the overall system.

17. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein step c) comprises inserting the goods (10) into the shelf area (9) using a shuttle (5).

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein step c) comprises determining the shortest route of the shuttle (5) from a goods pickup point to a storage location for the goods.

19. The method according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the determination of the shortest route is carried out before the shuttle (5) begins its journey and the shuttle (5) is informed before it sets off which route the shuttle (5) should take.

20. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 19, wherein step c) comprises determining the shortest route of the shuttle (5) from the storage location to the goods pickup point.

21. Method according to one of claims 17 to 20, wherein the shuttle (5) has a conveyor device which is designed to grab the goods (10) and transport them to the transport area of the shuttle (5), the goods information being used as a basis, so that the goods (10) can be gripped reliably.

22. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 20, wherein the shuttle (5) scans the shelf area (9) and / or stored goods (10) when moving through the shelf area (9) in order to obtain current status information of the shelf area (9) and / or the goods (10), and wherein the method preferably comprises comparing the current status information with the stored status information in order to determine change information.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the change information comprises a change in a storage location of goods and/or a change in the state of the shelf area (9).

24. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 23, wherein step c) comprises checking a charge status of an energy storage device of a shuttle (5) for storing and retrieving the goods.

25. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein step b) further comprises outputting the product information.

26. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the method further comprises: d) receiving a removal command, and e) removing the goods (10) from the shelf area (9).

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the method further comprises: f) packaging the outsourced goods (10) based on the goods information of the outsourced goods (10).

28. Control unit for controlling an automated warehouse (1) for storing and processing containers of goods, the warehouse (1) having a process area (8) and a shelf area (9), the control unit being designed to carry out the method according to one of the preceding to carry out claims.

29. Automated warehouse (1) for storing and processing containers of goods, the warehouse (1) comprising: a process area (8) with a goods receipt (13) and a shelf area (9) with a large number of storage locations, a rail system (7) , which extends between the process area (8) and the shelf area (9) and is designed so that a shuttle (5) can travel on it, at least one shuttle (5) which is designed to transport goods (10) between the process area (8) and the shelf area (9), and a control unit according to claim 27.

30. Use of a control unit according to claim 27 for controlling an automated warehouse.