CN109264283A - Sorting system and container method for sorting - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a kind of sorting system and container method for sorting, is related to logistics field, which includes piler and transfer robot；Transfer robot carries container between picking area and shelf area；Piler moves in the tunnel in shelf area, to realize carrying of the container between the shelf in shelf area and the front end in tunnel.Through the invention, the technical issues of alleviating the at high cost of existing sorting system, poor expandability.

Description

Sorting system and container sorting method

Technical Field

The invention relates to the field of logistics, in particular to a sorting system and a container sorting method.

Background

Automatic stereoscopic warehouse, also called automatic stereoscopic warehouse is the new concept that appears in the logistics storage, utilizes stereoscopic warehouse equipment can realize that the warehouse high level arranges rationalization, and the access is automatic, and easy and simple to handle changes: an automatic stereoscopic warehouse is a form with higher technical level at present.

At present, a stacker or a high-level forklift with a track laid in advance is commonly adopted in a stereoscopic warehouse, and goods are stored and taken by a conveying line laid in advance. The conveying line needs to be laid in advance, so that the initial cost is high. Meanwhile, the position of the conveying line is fixed, so that the expandability of a warehouse shelf area is poor, and the flexibility is poor.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention aims to provide a sorting system and a container sorting method, which are used for solving the technical problems of high cost, poor expandability and poor flexibility caused by the fact that a conveying rail needs to be laid in advance in an existing warehouse.

A first aspect of the invention provides a sorting system comprising: a stacker and a transfer robot; the carrying robot carries the containers between the goods taking area and the goods shelf area; the stacker moves in the roadway of the goods shelf area to realize the carrying of the containers between the goods shelves of the goods shelf area and the front end of the roadway.

Furthermore, the sorting system also comprises a rail paved in the roadway, and the stacker moves along the rail.

Furthermore, a first travel switch in communication connection with the stacker is arranged along the extension direction of the track, and the stacker judges whether the stacker reaches a specified position through the first travel switch.

Further, the stacker comprises a first controller, a first travelling mechanism and a lifting platform which are respectively in communication connection with the first controller; the lifting platform is arranged on the first travelling mechanism, and the first fork is arranged on the lifting platform; the first controller is used for controlling the first walking mechanism to operate so as to enable the stacker to move in the roadway; the first controller is used for controlling the lifting platform to lift; the lifting platform comprises a first fork, and the lifting platform is used for driving the first fork to lift under the control of the first controller.

Furthermore, first fork is configured with the first sensor of being connected with first controller, and first sensor is used for scanning the position code on the goods shelves and the goods sign indicating number of packing box, sends the position code and the goods sign indicating number that will scan and obtains to first controller to make first controller check.

Further, the first fork is configured with an infrared sensor for aligning a prong of the first fork with a prong aperture of the cargo box.

Furthermore, the stacker also comprises a second travel switch arranged on the moving track of the lifting platform, and the lifting platform judges whether the stacker reaches the designated position through the second travel switch.

Further, a goods shelf is arranged on the carrying robot; the goods shelves array arranges a plurality of check mouths, and every check mouth all has the horizontal bar, is provided with the position code that corresponds with the check mouth on every horizontal bar.

Further, the handling machine comprises a second controller, and a second traveling mechanism and a second sensor which are in communication connection with the second controller; the second controller is used for controlling the second walking mechanism to move; the second sensor is used for scanning the position code at the front end of the roadway and sending the scanned position code to the second controller; and after the second controller receives the position code, stopping controlling the second travelling mechanism to move.

Furthermore, the second controller is also used for receiving the navigation route of the server and outputting a control signal corresponding to the navigation route to the second travelling mechanism.

Further, the sorting system further comprises a carrying device, wherein the carrying device is in communication connection with the server and used for carrying the containers on the carrying robot to the temporary storage area or carrying the containers from the temporary storage area to the carrying robot under the control of the server.

Further, the carrying device comprises a third controller and a third sensor connected with the third controller, wherein the third sensor is used for scanning the position codes on the goods shelves of the carrying robot and the goods codes of the goods containers and sending the scanned position codes and the goods codes to the third controller so as to verify the third controller;

further, the handling equipment also comprises a second fork which is in communication connection with a third controller, and a third sensor is arranged on the second fork.

Further, the sorting system further comprises: and the server is in communication connection with the stacker and the carrying robot and is used for scheduling the stacker and the carrying robot to carry out container carrying.

The invention provides a container sorting method in a second aspect, which comprises the following steps: receiving a container sorting request; and respectively issuing a first instruction to the carrying robot and a second instruction to the stacker according to the request, wherein the first instruction instructs the carrying robot to carry the container between the goods taking area and the goods shelf area, and the second instruction instructs the stacker to move in the tunnel of the goods shelf area so as to carry the container between the goods shelf of the goods shelf area and the front end of the tunnel.

Further, the second instruction instructs the stacker to carry the first container from the goods shelf to the front end of the roadway, and the first instruction instructs the transfer robot to carry the first container from the front end of the roadway to the goods taking area; or the first instruction instructs the transfer robot to transfer the second container from the goods taking area to the front end of the roadway, and the second instruction instructs the stacker to transfer the second container from the front end of the roadway to the goods shelf.

Further, the step of issuing the first instruction to the transfer robot and the second instruction to the stacker respectively according to the request includes: if the received request is a goods taking request, searching a stacker corresponding to the goods taking request, and issuing a second instruction to the searched stacker; and searching the transfer robot corresponding to the front end of the roadway, and issuing a first instruction to the searched transfer robot.

Further, the step of issuing the first instruction to the transfer robot and the second instruction to the stacker respectively according to the request includes: if the received request is an inventory request, searching a corresponding transfer robot, and sending a first instruction to the searched transfer robot; and searching the piler corresponding to the tunnel, and issuing a second instruction to the searched piler.

Further, the method further comprises: and sending a third instruction to the carrying equipment, wherein the third instruction instructs the carrying equipment to carry the container on the carrying robot to the temporary storage area, or the container is carried to the carrying robot from the temporary storage area, and the temporary storage area is positioned at the front end of the roadway.

In a third aspect, the present invention provides a container sorting method, including: receiving a second instruction issued by the server; and carrying the container between the goods shelf of the goods shelf area and the front end of the roadway according to the second instruction.

Further, the step of moving within the lane of the shelf area according to the second instruction includes: carrying the first container indicated by the second instruction from the goods shelf to the front end of the roadway; or the second container indicated by the second instruction is conveyed to the goods shelf from the front end of the roadway.

Further, the second instruction comprises a container mark and a container position mark; the step of carrying the first container indicated by the second instruction from the goods shelf to the front end of the roadway comprises the following steps: moving to a goods shelf position corresponding to the goods shelf position identification according to a second instruction, and scanning a position code of the current position; verifying the position code and the container position identification, and if the verification is passed, carrying the first container indicated by the second instruction to the front end of the roadway from the goods shelf; or the step of transporting the second container indicated by the second instruction from the front end of the roadway to the goods shelf comprises the following steps: moving to a container position mark corresponding to a container temporary storage area or a carrying robot goods shelf area at the front end of the roadway according to a second instruction, and scanning a position code at the current position; and checking the position code and the container position identification, and if the checking is passed, carrying the second container indicated by the second instruction to a goods shelf of the roadway from the front end of the roadway.

Further, the method further comprises: before scanning the position code of the current position, the height is adjusted to reach the current position.

The first instructions include a pickup instruction instructing the transfer robot to pick up a good and an inventory instruction instructing the transfer robot to inventory; the second instructions include a pick instruction to instruct the stacker to pick up goods and an inventory instruction to instruct the stacker to inventory goods.

According to the sorting system and method, the server is used for dispatching the carrying robot to carry the containers between the goods taking area and the goods shelf area, and the stacker is dispatched to move in the roadway of the goods shelf area, so that the containers are carried between the goods shelves in the goods shelf area and the front end of the roadway. In the mode, the stacker moves in the roadway of the goods shelf area, the carrying robot moves between the goods taking area and the goods shelf area, a conveying line does not need to be additionally laid between the goods taking area and the goods shelf area, on one hand, the cost can be greatly reduced, on the other hand, the position relation between the conveying line and the roadway does not need to be considered, the goods shelf of the goods shelf area can be changed and arranged according to specific conditions, and the flexibility is strong.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly described below, and it is obvious that the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present invention, and other drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative efforts.

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a stacker in a sorting system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a transfer robot in a sorting system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a conveying apparatus in a sorting system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a three-dimensional shelf in a sorting system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the operation of a first sorting system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of the operation of a second sorting system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Icon: 100-a stacker; 110-a first travel mechanism; 120-column; 130-a lifting platform; 140-a first fork; 141-a prong; 200-a transfer robot; 210-a shelf; 220-a second running gear; 300-a shelf; 310-a grid; 320-rail; 321-a position code; 600-a cargo box; 610-goods code; 500-handling equipment; 510-a third travel mechanism; 520-a mechanical arm; 530-a second fork; 400-roadway; 700-goods taking area; 800-temporary storage area.

Detailed Description

The technical solutions of the present invention will be described clearly and completely with reference to the accompanying drawings, and it should be understood that the described embodiments are some, but not all embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments given herein without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for convenience of description and simplicity of description, but do not indicate or imply that the device or element being referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and thus, should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" are to be construed broadly, e.g., as meaning either a fixed connection, a removable connection, or an integral connection; can be mechanically or electrically connected; they may be connected directly or indirectly through intervening media, or they may be interconnected between two elements. The specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood in specific cases to those skilled in the art.

At present, guide rails paved in a roadway in advance, a stacker moving on the guide rails in the roadway or a high-level forklift are commonly adopted in a stereoscopic warehouse to cooperate with a conveying line paved between a goods taking area and the roadway in advance to store and take containers. The conveying line is laid between the goods taking area and the roadway and used for conveying the containers between the goods taking area and the roadway. The conveyor line may be a roller-type guide rail or a belt-type guide rail, with the containers being placed directly on rollers or belts. Since the transportation line needs to be laid in advance, the initial cost is high. And, because the transfer chain is just fixed in place once laid, the goods shelves in warehouse goods shelves district can only arrange the goods shelves around the region of laying the transfer chain, causes the scalability in warehouse goods shelves district poor, and the flexibility is poor. Based on this, the embodiment of the invention provides a sorting system and a container sorting method, the system and the method realize cargo handling through a stacker moving in a roadway of a goods shelf area and a handling robot moving between the goods taking area and the goods shelf area without laying a cargo conveying line, thereby reducing the investment cost and improving the flexibility of goods shelf arrangement, and the specific implementation mode of the system and the method is shown in the following embodiment.

Example 1

The present embodiment provides a sorting system, such as the working schematic diagram of the first sorting system shown in fig. 5; the sorting system includes a stacker 100 and a carrier robot 200, and a server (not shown) communicatively connected to the stacker 100 and the carrier robot 200; the server is used for scheduling the stacker 100 and the handling robot 200 to carry out the handling of the containers 600; the transfer robot 200 transfers the containers 600 between the pick area 700 and the racking area under the server scheduling; the stacker 100 moves within the lane 400 of the racking area under server scheduling to effect the transfer of containers 600 between the racks 300 of the racking area and the front end of the lane 400.

This letter sorting system is through the handling robot 200 that the stacker 100 that sets up in tunnel 400 and set up between getting goods district 700 and tunnel 400 transport in coordination together, need not to lay the transfer chain between getting goods district and goods shelves district, has alleviated the technical problem that goods shelves district scalability difference and flexibility are poor that leads to because transfer chain rigidity in some technologies.

When a storage area in the logistics field adopts the sorting system provided by the embodiment of the invention to pick goods, the carrying robot 200 carries the containers 600 from the front end of the roadway 400 to the goods picking area 700; when stocking, the transfer robot 200 transfers the container 600 from the pick area 700 to the front end of the tunnel 400. The transfer robot 200 of the embodiment of the invention replaces the original transfer line laid between the goods taking area 700 and the front end of the tunnel 400, and no additional transfer line is required to be laid, so that on one hand, the cost can be greatly reduced, on the other hand, the position relation between the transfer line and the tunnel 400 is not required to be considered, the arrangement of the goods shelves 300 of the goods shelves can be changed according to specific conditions, and the flexibility is strong.

The stacker is used for moving and carrying the containers between the goods shelf and the front end of the roadway. Referring to fig. 1, fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a stacker in a sorting system according to an embodiment of the present invention; the stacker 100 comprises a first controller, a first walking mechanism 110 and a lifting platform 130 which are respectively in communication connection with the first controller; the lifting platform 130 is mounted on the first traveling mechanism 110, and the first forks 140 are mounted on the lifting platform 130; the first controller is used for controlling the first walking mechanism 110 to operate so as to enable the stacker 100 to move in the roadway 400; the first controller is used for controlling the lifting platform 130 to lift; the lifting platform 130 includes a first fork 140, and the lifting platform 130 is configured to drive the first fork 140 to lift under the control of the first controller.

In order to facilitate the up-and-down movement of the lifting platform 130, please refer to fig. 1, the stacker 100 further includes a vertical column 120, the vertical column 120 is vertically disposed on the first traveling mechanism 110, the lifting platform 130 is mounted on the vertical column 120, the first fork 140 is mounted on the lifting platform 130, and the lifting platform 130 can drive the first fork 140 to move up and down along the vertical column 120. The first travel mechanism 110 may be any travel mechanism having a built-in driving device. The first traveling mechanism 110 can travel along a pre-laid guide rail whose function is limited to guiding the traveling path of the first traveling mechanism 110 and does not assume the function of conveying the containers 600 like the existing conveyor line, and thus the guide rail is fundamentally different from the existing conveyor line. In addition, the guide rail for guiding the first traveling mechanism 110 to travel may be arranged in a different path as needed, and has good flexibility and expandability, for example, a guide rail may be laid independently between the lanes 400, or may be removed and re-laid when the position of the shelf 300 is changed. In order to increase the frequency of use of the stacker and increase the flexibility of movement of the stacker, the guide rails may be arranged in a serpentine shape so as to be connected to form a whole, and the stacker 100 may move between the galleries 400 along the integrated guide rails, thereby increasing the flexibility of the stacker 100.

Because the stacker 100 moves in the roadway, the roadway is arranged between two adjacent goods shelves, in order to realize that the stacker 100 can fork the goods boxes to the goods shelves on both sides of the roadway in the roadway, the first goods fork 140 is provided with two sets of fork heads 141 arranged in opposite directions, please continue to refer to fig. 1, the fork heads 141 are preferably in a pointed shape, and the fork holes of each set of fork heads 141 correspond to the fork holes of the goods boxes 600 one by one. The bi-directional fork 141 is preferably capable of bi-directionally extending and retracting to allow bi-directional access to the cargo box 600. Alternatively, the first forks 140 may be configured as rotatable forks that may be rotated in response to a direction of rotation, thereby allowing for bi-directional access to the cargo box 600.

In real operations, there may be cases where the positioning of the stacker 100 itself is inaccurate, and the cases where the positioning is not accurate enough include the case where the stacker 100 is not accurately positioned in the horizontal position reaching the pallet 300 while moving in the tunnel, the case where the first fork 140 is not accurately positioned in the longitudinal position on the pillar when picking up and placing the container 600, and the like. Therefore, in order to achieve accurate horizontal positioning, in this embodiment, the sorting system further includes a rail laid in the roadway, and the stacker moves along the rail. And a first travel switch in communication connection with the stacker is arranged along the extension direction of the track, and the stacker judges whether the stacker reaches a specified position through the first travel switch. When the stacker 100 moves horizontally to trigger the first travel switch, the stacker 100 stops moving to realize horizontal positioning. Since a plurality of parking positions are provided at different positions corresponding to the shelf 300 in the length direction of the tunnel 400, a first travel switch is provided at each parking position, and the start/stop state of each first travel switch is controlled by the server. In addition, in order to achieve vertical positioning, the stacker 100 further includes a second travel switch disposed along the moving track of the lifting platform, and the lifting platform determines whether the lifting platform reaches a designated position through the second travel switch. The moving track of the lifting platform is provided as, for example, a column 120 in the present embodiment. Since different goods taking positions are arranged along the height direction of the shelf 300, a plurality of second travel switches are also arranged at different goods taking positions of the upright post 120 in the corresponding height direction, and the start/stop state of each second travel switch is controlled by the server.

Some sortation systems have stacker machines 100 that sometimes experience inaccuracies in the containers 600 being handled during handling of the containers 600. In order to improve the above problem, the sorting system according to the present embodiment is configured with a first sensor connected to the first controller on the first fork 140, the first sensor is used for scanning the position code 321 on the shelf 300 and the goods code 610 of the container 600, and the first sensor sends the scanned position code 321 and goods code 610 to the first controller so that the first controller can verify. Referring to fig. 4, the shelf 300 is arranged with a plurality of cells 310 in an array, each cell 310 has a bar 320, and the position code 321 is disposed on the bar 320, wherein the position code 321 records the spatial position information of the shelf 300. For example, if shelves 300 are numbered in spatial locations, N rows and M columns, the location information may cover the specific location information of the N rows and M columns of shelves where containers are or will be placed. By confirming the positional information of the pallet 300, the accuracy of arrival of the stacker 100 at the designated position can be verified. Alternatively, the position code 321 may be provided on a longitudinal rail of the pallet 300, a pallet carrying the container 600, or the like. The container 600 has attached thereto an article code 610 in which article information is written in advance. The goods information includes information on the model number, the place of production, the date of production, the lot number, the serial number of production, and the like of the goods. By checking the container information, the accuracy of the stacker 100 in forking the container 600 can be ensured. When the position information obtained by the sensor scanning the position code 321 is consistent with the position identifier pre-stored in the first controller, it indicates that the position pointed by the first fork 140 is correct, and when the goods information obtained by the sensor scanning the goods code 610 is consistent with the goods identifier pre-stored in the first controller, it indicates that the goods information of the container 600 pointed by the first fork 140 is correct.

Although the forks are already facing the container to be forked, difficulties in forking the container still arise. In view of this, in the present embodiment, the first fork 140 is provided with an infrared sensor for aligning the fork head 141 of the first fork 140 with the fork hole of the cargo box 600. For example, when the infrared light from the infrared sensor is directed at the fork holes in the lower portion of the cargo box 600, indicating that the first fork 140 is positioned in alignment, a pickup operation may be performed.

The specific structure of the stacker 100 has been described in detail above, and the transfer robot 200 will be further described below.

The transfer robot 200 is a robot that is engaged with the stacker 100 to transfer containers between the pickup area 700 and the front end of the roadway. Specifically, referring to fig. 2, the transfer robot 200 carries a plurality of pallets 210 for placing a plurality of containers 600; the transfer robot 200 receives the containers 600 taken out from the racks 300 by the stacker 100 and transfers the taken-out containers 600 to the pick-up area 700, or transfers the containers 600 to be stored from the pick-up area 700 to the front end of the roadway and delivers them to the stacker 100, and the stacker 100 transfers the containers 600 to the corresponding racks 300.

The transfer robot 200 includes a second controller, and a second traveling mechanism 220 and a second sensor that are communicatively connected to the second controller; the second controller is used for controlling the second walking mechanism 220 to move; the second sensor is used for scanning the position code at the front end of the roadway and sending the scanned position code to the second controller; after receiving the position code, the second controller stops controlling the second traveling mechanism 220 to move.

The inventor found that in the process of docking the stacker 100 of some sorting systems with the transfer robot 200, the case where the stacker 100 has not accurately picked up the container 600 from the rack 210 of the transfer robot 200, or the case where the stacker 100 has not accurately placed the container 600 at a specific position on the rack 210 of the transfer robot 200, is found, and in order to improve the above problem, the present embodiment sets up a verification process of the container 600. Specifically, the transfer robot 200 is provided with a plurality of shelves 210 for placing a plurality of containers 600; the shelf 210 is provided with a plurality of grids in an array, each grid is provided with a bar, and each bar is provided with a position code written with grid position information in advance. When the information obtained from the position code scanned by the sensor provided on the stacker 100 coincides with the position identification stored in advance in the first controller of the stacker 100, it indicates that the position of the slot to which the transfer robot 200 points is correct. At this time, the stacker 100 can perform the loading and unloading work.

The verification process in the docking process of the stacker 100 with the transfer robot 200 is described above, and the navigation function of the transfer robot 200 is described next. In this embodiment, the second controller is further configured to receive the navigation route of the server, and output a control signal corresponding to the navigation route to the second traveling mechanism 220. For example, the transfer robot 200 includes a navigation device, and the navigation device employs a SLAM navigation system. The SLAM navigation mode is that the robot starts to move from an unknown position in an unknown environment, self-positioning is carried out according to position estimation and a map in the moving process, and meanwhile, an incremental map is built on the basis of self-positioning, so that autonomous positioning and navigation of the robot are realized. In addition, the navigation device can also adopt a two-dimensional code navigation mode.

As described above, the sorting system based on the stacker 100 and the transfer robot 200 can realize the basic flexible cooperation, and the specific working principle is shown in fig. 5, however, the inventor also finds that, in the actual use process, the transfer robot 200 needs to wait for the stacker 100 to arrive at the front end of the roadway, or the stacker 100 needs to wait for the transfer robot 200 to arrive, and in order to further improve the picking efficiency, the inventor has developed the transfer device 500, and as shown in fig. 3, the sorting system further includes the transfer device 500 arranged at the front end of the roadway 400, and the transfer device 500 is in communication connection with the server, and is used for transferring the container 600 on the transfer robot 200 to the temporary storage area 800 or transferring the container 600 from the temporary storage area 800 to the transfer robot 200 under the control of the server. Specifically, the carrier apparatus 500 includes a third travel mechanism 510, a robot arm 520, and a second fork 530, the robot arm 520 being provided on the third travel mechanism 510, the second fork 530 being mounted on the robot arm 520. Further, the third traveling mechanism 510 may be an intelligent mobile cart, the robot 520 may be a six-degree-of-freedom robot 520, which may realize free rotation with six degrees of freedom, and the fork mechanism may be a fork, for example, which is driven by the robot 520 to freely fork the container 600, for example, to fork the container 600 from the temporary storage area 800 to the transfer robot 200, or to fork the container 600 from the temporary storage area 800 to the stacker 100.

After the handling device 500 is provided in the sorting system of this embodiment, the stacker 100 reaches the port of the roadway 400 to place the container 600 in the temporary storage area 800, and the handling device 500 operates the container 600 to the handling robot 200, so that the stacker 100 can directly perform the next operation without waiting. Similarly, after the transfer robot 200 reaches the port of the roadway 400, the container 600 is transferred to the temporary storage area 800 by the transfer device 500, and the next operation can be directly performed without waiting, so that the working efficiency of the system can be remarkably improved.

The transfer apparatus 500 also relates to the verification process, and in particular, the transfer apparatus 500 includes a third controller and a third sensor connected to the third controller for scanning the position code on the rack 210 of the transfer robot 200 and the goods code 610 of the container 600, and transmitting the scanned position code and the goods code 610 to the third controller to verify the third controller. Still further, the handling apparatus 500 further comprises a second fork 530 communicatively coupled to a third controller, and a third sensor is disposed on the second fork 530.

During the picking process, the stacker 100 carries the containers 600 to the buffer 800 at the front end of the roadway 400. When the transfer robot 200 reaches the front end of the roadway, the third sensor scans the goods codes 610 placed on the containers 600 of the temporary storage area 800, and when the goods information obtained by the third sensor scanning the goods codes 610 is identical to the goods information stored in the third controller, it indicates that the container 600 pointed by the transfer device 500 is correct. The handling device 500 then forks the container 600 and places the container 600 on the rack 210 of the handling robot 200. In the process of placing the container 600 on the shelf 210 of the transfer robot 200 by the transfer apparatus 500, the position verification process is involved, and specifically, the third sensor scans the position code on the shelf 210 of the transfer robot 200, and when the position information obtained by scanning the position code 321 by the third sensor matches the position information stored in the third controller, it indicates that the position of the shelf 210 pointed by the transfer robot 200 is correct, and at this time, the transfer apparatus 500 may place the container 600 on the shelf 210 of the transfer robot 200, and then the transfer robot 200 may transport the container 600 to the pick-up area 700.

In the inventory process, the transfer robot 200 transports the container 600 from the pick-up area 700 to the front end of the lane 400, and the third sensor scans the position code on the rack 210 of the transfer robot 200, and when the position information obtained by the third sensor scanning the position code 321 matches the position information stored in the third controller, it indicates that the position of the rack 210 pointed by the transfer robot 200 is correct. In addition, the third sensor also scans the goods codes 610 of the containers 600 on the shelves 210, and when the goods information obtained by the third sensor scanning the goods codes 610 is consistent with the goods information stored in the third controller, it indicates that the container 600 pointed by the carrier 500 is correct. At this time, the carrier device 500 takes the container 600 off the pallet 210 of the transfer robot 200 and places the container 600 in the buffer area 800, the server schedules the stacker 100 to move to the front end of the lane 400, the carrier device 500 carries the container 600 placed in the buffer area 800 to the stacker 100, and the stacker 100 carries the container 600 to the pallet 300.

The picking and stocking processes of the sorting system are described next.

The goods taking process comprises the following steps:

when receiving a goods taking instruction of a user, the server determines a stacker 100 corresponding to the goods taking instruction and sends the goods taking instruction to the stacker 100; the stacker 100 takes down the designated container 600 from the goods taking instruction indicating shelf, and reports the goods taking completed message to the server when the container is carried to the front end of the roadway 400 from the shelf; when receiving the information of finished goods taking reported by the stacker 100, the server determines the transfer robot 200 corresponding to the front end of the tunnel 400 and issues a goods taking instruction to the transfer robot 200; the transfer robot 200 receives the pickup instruction and moves to the front end of the lane 400.

Optionally, the server may further determine the stacker 100 and the transfer robot 200 corresponding to the pickup instruction when receiving the pickup instruction of the user, and issue the pickup instruction to the stacker 100 and the transfer robot 200, respectively. It is to be understood that the present disclosure does not limit the order in which the server issues the pickup instruction to the stacker 100 and the transfer robot 200. For example, the server issues a pickup instruction to the stacker 100 and the carrier robot 200, respectively, at the same time; alternatively, the delivery instruction may be issued to the stacker 100 and then to the transfer robot 200.

(II) inventory process:

after receiving the inventory instruction of the user, the server determines the transfer robot 200 corresponding to the inventory instruction and sends the inventory instruction to the transfer robot 200; the transfer robot 200 transfers the corresponding container 600 from the pick-up area 700 to the front end of the tunnel 400 according to the inventory instruction, and reports a completed inventory message to the server; when the server receives the completed inventory message reported by the transfer robot 200, it determines the stacker 100 corresponding to the lane 400 and issues an inventory instruction to the stacker 100; after the stacker 100 receives the stock instruction, the container 600 is carried to the corresponding shelf and placed at the designated position of the shelf.

Alternatively, the server may also determine the carrier robot 200 and the stacker 100 to which the inventory instruction corresponds after receiving the inventory instruction of the user, and issue the inventory instruction to the carrier robot 200 and the stacker 100, respectively. It is also understood that the present disclosure does not limit the order in which the server issues the inventory instructions to the stacker 100 and the transfer robot 200. For example, the server issues inventory instructions to the stacker 100 and the carrier robot 200, respectively, at the same time; alternatively, the stock instruction may be issued to the stacker 100 after issuing the stock instruction to the transfer robot 200.

In some embodiments, the transfer robot 200 is provided with a sensor for scanning a position code at the front end of the lane 400, and when the position code is scanned, reports a message to the server that the front end of the lane 400 has been reached. In other real-time modes, the positioning function of the transfer robot 200 may be implemented by a GPS. Or, the transfer robot 200 may also move according to a movement trajectory on a prestored SLAM map, and stop moving and report that the server has reached the end point when moving to the end point of the movement trajectory. The positioning function of the transfer robot 200 can not only realize the in-place reporting function of the transfer robot 200, but also accurately check whether the whole moving track of the transfer robot 200 has deviation or not, and accurately control the position of each time period.

The following describes a cooperation manner between the stacker 100 and the transfer robot 200:

in the first embodiment, the stacker 100 moves to the front end of the lane under the control of the server, and places the container 600 on the rack of the transfer robot 200, or carries the container 600 out of the rack of the transfer robot 200 and conveys it to a predetermined position of the corresponding rack.

In the second mode, after the stacker 100 has reached the front end of the roadway 400, the transfer robot 200 may not reach the front end of the roadway 400, and the stacker 100 needs to wait; or when the transfer robot 200 has reached the front end of the tunnel 400, the stacker 100 may not have reached the front end of the tunnel 400, and the transfer robot 200 needs to wait. In order to shorten the waiting time of the stacker 100 and the transfer robot 200 and improve the work efficiency of the stacker 100 and the transfer robot 200, referring to fig. 6, a temporary storage area 800 for a container 600 and a transfer apparatus 500 provided at the front end of the tunnel 400 are provided at the front end of the tunnel 400. Wherein the container 600 temporary storage area 800 is used for temporarily storing the containers 600, that is, the containers 600 unloaded from the stacker 100 and the containers 600 unloaded from the moving racks of the transfer robot 200; the handling apparatus 500 is used to carry the container 600 of the container 600 buffer 800 onto the rack of the handling robot 200 or unload the container 600 on the rack of the handling robot 200 to the container 600 buffer 800 under the control of the server.

Example 2

The embodiment provides a container sorting method, which is executed by the server and specifically comprises the following steps:

step S201, receiving a container sorting request; the container sort request may be an inventory request and/or a pick request. The container sorting request may include position information and container information of the container to be sorted, etc. The position information of the container comprises the current position and the destination of the container, and the container information comprises container identification and/or goods information in the container.

And S202, respectively issuing a first instruction to the carrying robot and a second instruction to the stacker according to the requests, wherein the first instruction instructs the carrying robot to carry the containers between the goods taking area and the goods shelf area, and the second instruction instructs the stacker to move in the tunnel of the goods shelf area so as to carry the containers between the goods shelves of the goods shelf area and the front end of the tunnel.

By adopting the container sorting method provided by the embodiment of the invention, the server issues the container sorting instruction and divides the container sorting instruction into two instructions, namely the first instruction corresponding to the sorting robot and the second instruction corresponding to the stacker, the server realizes the matching of the carrying robot and the stacker through the matching of the issued first instruction and the second instruction, and the containers are carried between the goods taking area and the goods shelf in a coordinated manner without laying other tracks, so that the flexibility and the expandability of the goods shelf area are improved.

The specific situation that the server issues the first instruction and the second instruction to cooperatively complete the container carrying is as follows: when goods are taken, when the second instruction instructs the stacker to carry the first container from the goods shelf to the front end of the roadway, the first instruction instructs the carrying robot to carry the first container from the front end of the roadway to the goods taking area; or when the goods are stored, the first instruction instructs the transfer robot to transfer the second container from the goods taking area to the front end of the roadway, and the second instruction instructs the stacker to transfer the second container from the front end of the roadway to the goods shelf.

(1) The step of respectively issuing a first instruction to the handling robot and a second instruction to the stacker according to the request comprises the following steps: if the received request is a goods taking request, searching a stacker corresponding to the goods taking request, and issuing a second instruction to the searched stacker; and searching the transfer robot corresponding to the front end of the roadway, and issuing a first instruction to the searched transfer robot.

In this embodiment, the order of searching for the stacker and searching for the transfer robot is not limited, for example, the server may search for the stacker and the transfer robot corresponding to the request at the same time; or the service can also search a stacker corresponding to the request firstly, and then search the transfer robot after finishing searching the stacker; or the server can also search the transfer robot firstly and then search the stacker after finishing searching the transfer robot.

Preferably, the server firstly searches the stacker corresponding to the goods taking request, issues a second instruction to the searched stacker, and if the server receives the completed goods taking information reported by the stacker, then the server searches the transfer robot corresponding to the goods taking request, and issues a first instruction to the searched transfer robot.

(2) The step of respectively issuing a first instruction to the handling robot and a second instruction to the stacker according to the request comprises the following steps: if the received request is an inventory request, searching a corresponding transfer robot, and sending the first instruction to the searched transfer robot; and searching the piler corresponding to the roadway, and issuing the second instruction to the searched piler.

In this embodiment, the order of searching for the stacker and searching for the transfer robot is not limited, for example, the server may search for the stacker and the transfer robot corresponding to the request at the same time; or the service can also search a stacker corresponding to the request firstly, and then search the transfer robot after finishing searching the stacker; or the server can also search the transfer robot firstly and then search the stacker after finishing searching the transfer robot.

In some cases, when the stacker has reached the front end of the roadway, the transfer robot has not yet reached and the stacker is required to wait; or, when the transfer robot has reached the front end of the roadway, the stacker has not yet reached, and the transfer robot is required to wait, which greatly reduces the work efficiency of the transfer robot and the stacker. Therefore, a conveyance device is provided in the buffer area at the front end of the roadway. And sending a third instruction to the carrying equipment, wherein the third instruction instructs the carrying equipment to carry the container on the carrying robot to the temporary storage area, or the container is carried to the carrying robot from the temporary storage area, and the temporary storage area is positioned at the front end of the roadway. Therefore, waiting of the transfer robot or the stacker is avoided, and the working efficiency of the transfer robot or the stacker is greatly improved.

In this embodiment, in order to make it easier for the transfer robot to distinguish the pick instruction from the stock instruction, the first instruction may include a pick instruction or a stock instruction, and when the pick instruction is issued to the transfer robot, the transfer robot is instructed to transfer the first container indicated by the pick instruction from the front end of the roadway to the pick area. When an inventory command is issued to the transfer robot, the transfer robot is instructed to transfer the second container indicated by the inventory command from the pick-up area to the front end of the roadway. The second instruction can also comprise a goods taking instruction or an inventory instruction, and when the goods taking instruction is sent to the stacker, the stacker is instructed to convey the first container indicated by the goods taking instruction from the goods shelf to the front end of the roadway; when an inventory command is issued to the stacker, the stacker is instructed to carry a second container indicated by the inventory command from the front end of the roadway to the rack. It should be understood that the pick and stock instructions issued by the server may each include location information and identification information indicative of the container being handled, where the location information of the container may include the location where the container is currently located and the destination of the container. Optionally, the pick and stock instructions may also include information indicating the goods within the container being handled, and the container identification may be a two-dimensional code, a numeric code, or the like.

Example 3

The embodiment provides a container sorting method, which is executed by a stacker and specifically comprises the following steps:

step S301, receiving a second instruction issued by a server; the second instructions include container position identification, container identification, and the like.

And S302, conveying the container between the shelf of the shelf area and the front end of the roadway according to the second instruction. And when the second instruction is a goods taking instruction, the stacker carries the first container indicated by the second instruction to the front end of the roadway from the goods shelf. When the second instruction is an inventory instruction, the stacker carries a second container indicated by the second instruction from the front end of the roadway to the goods shelf. The first container and the second container are described in relation to example 2.

Since the situation of a wrong forked container often occurs during the process of forking the container by a specific stacker, in order to alleviate this problem, the second instructions include a container identification and a container position identification: the step of carrying the first container indicated by the second instruction from the goods shelf to the front end of the roadway comprises the following steps: moving to a goods shelf position corresponding to the goods shelf position identification according to a second instruction, and scanning a position code of the current position; verifying the position code and the container position identification, and if the verification is passed, carrying the first container indicated by the second instruction to the front end of the roadway from the goods shelf; or the step of transporting the second container indicated by the second instruction from the front end of the roadway to the goods shelf comprises the following steps: moving to a container position mark corresponding to a container temporary storage area or a carrying robot goods shelf area at the front end of the roadway according to a second instruction, and scanning a position code at the current position; and checking the position code and the container position identification, and if the checking is passed, carrying the second container indicated by the second instruction to a goods shelf of the roadway from the front end of the roadway. Through verification, the accuracy of the fork-taking container can be improved, and the fork-taking task can be accurately completed by the stacker.

Since the position code is usually arranged on the rail of the shelf, the height of the lifting platform needs to be adjusted to realize that the fork is aligned with the position code, and therefore, before the position code of the current position is scanned, the height of the lifting platform is adjusted to reach the current position.

Example 4

The application of the stacker 100 and the transfer robot 200 to the pick-up scene and the stock scene will be described in detail below.

First pick scenario

And S1, when one or more containers 600 need to be taken out from the stereoscopic warehouse, the server sends a goods taking instruction to the stacker 100 in the roadway 400 corresponding to the target container 600 in a wireless mode.

And S2, after receiving the goods taking instruction, the stacker 100 moves to the specific position of the target container 600 indicated by the goods taking instruction and finishes the goods taking.

S2-1, the stacker 100 controller controls the stacker 100 to move to the horizontal position corresponding to the stereoscopic shelf where the target container 600 is located along the roadway 400, and when a first travel switch corresponding to the horizontal position is triggered, the stacker 100 stops in place. The stacker controller controls the lifting platform 130 of the stacker 100 to adjust the height to trigger a second travel switch corresponding to the vertical position, and the lifting platform 130 stops at the corresponding height;

s2-2, the stacker 100 scans the position code right opposite to the position code through a sensor, identifies the position code, and when the position information obtained by identifying the position code is consistent with the position mark issued by the server, the position is verified to be passed, and the stacker 100 reaches the specified position;

s2-3, after the position of the container 600 is verified, the sensor scans and identifies the goods code 610 of the target container 600, the goods information obtained by identification is verified with the container mark issued by the server, and if the goods information is not verified, the goods information is reported to the server;

s2-4, after the goods information is verified to be qualified, detecting whether the fork of the stacker 100 is aligned with the fork hole below the container 600 by the infrared sensor, and when the fork is aligned with the fork hole by the infrared sensor, controlling the fork to extend into the fork hole and lifting and pulling the container 600 to the lifting platform 130 by the stacker 100 controller;

s2-5, after the target container 600 is pulled into the lifting platform 130 by the fork, the stacker 100 moves to the front end of the roadway 400;

and S2-6, reporting the stacker 100 to a server after the stacker reaches the front end of the roadway 400.

And S3, the server dispatches the nearest idle carrying robot 200 to the front goods receiving position of the tunnel 400, and scans the position code at the front end of the tunnel 400 to confirm whether the carrying robot reaches the goods receiving position.

S4: after the arrival of the carrier robot 200 is confirmed, the sensor on the stacker 100 scans the position code attached to the shelf of the carrier robot 200 to obtain the position information corresponding to the position code, and verifies the position information and the position identifier issued by the server, after the verification is passed, the stacker 100 places the target container 600 on the shelf corresponding to the position code, and then the stacker 100 reports that the picking is completed.

S5, the server receives the information reported by the stacker 100;

if other containers 600 do not need to be taken, the server dispatches the transfer robot 200 to the goods taking area 700 in an automatic navigation mode according to the optimal path in a wireless mode.

If another container 600 is needed, the server schedules the stacker 100 to continue to handle the container 600 and transfer the container 600 to the transfer robot 200.

If the container 600 still to be carried by the carrying robot 200 is in another lane 400, the server schedules the stacker 100 in the another lane 400 to carry the container 600. Meanwhile, the server dispatches the transfer robot 200 to automatically navigate to the front end of the corresponding roadway 400 to wait for receiving goods.

When the transfer robot 200 finishes picking up the goods, the server schedules the transfer robot 200 to arrive at the picking area 700.

S6, after the transfer robot 200 arrives at the pick-up area 700, the report server reports that the pick-up area 700 has been reached and waits for the container 600 to be picked up.

First inventory scenario

S1, when one or more containers 600 need to be stored, the server dispatches the nearest transfer robot 200 to automatically navigate to the goods taking area 700 in a wireless mode, and reports that the server has reached the goods taking area 700 after the transfer robot 200 reaches the goods taking area 700;

at S2, the container 600 is placed on the rack of the transfer robot 200, and the target position information of the target container 600 to be stored in the three-dimensional rack is input to the server.

S3: the transfer robot 200 moves to the front end of the roadway corresponding to the target position information and reports that the server has reached the designated position.

S4: the server dispatches the transfer robot 200 to reach the front end of the roadway 400 where the three-dimensional goods shelf corresponding to the container 600 is located in a wireless mode according to the target position information of the container 600, and completes docking and goods taking with the slave transfer robot 200:

s4-1, the server dispatches the stacker 100 corresponding to the tunnel 400 to the front end of the tunnel 400 in a wireless mode, and informs the stacker controller of the specific position information of the container 600 required to be taken out on the shelf of the transfer robot 200.

S4-2, the lift platform 130 of the stacker 100 moves to the shelf level where the target container 600 on the transfer robot 200 is located, and determines whether the container 600 to be removed is the target container 600 to be stored by scanning the position code and the goods code 610 of the container 600. And if the verification is wrong, reporting to the server. If the verification is correct, the forks of the stacker 100 are inserted into the fork holes under the container 600, lifting and pulling the container 600 into the lift platform 130.

S4-3, the position mark of the container 600 sent by the stacker 100 server moves to the position corresponding to the stereoscopic shelf, and the container 600 is pushed into the stereoscopic shelf to inform the stacker 100 that the storage of the container 600 is finished.

S4-4, if the container 600 carried by the transfer robot 200 is still in another lane 400, the stacker 100 dispatches the transfer robot 200 to another lane 400, and continues to complete the subsequent operations of storing the container 600.

S5, after the transfer robot 200 completes the task, it goes to the idle area to wait for the next task.

Second pick scenario

S1, when one or more containers 600 need to be taken out from the stereoscopic shelf, the server sends an order for taking goods to the stackers 100 in the roadway 400 corresponding to the target container 600.

S2, after receiving the goods taking instruction, the stacker 100 takes out the target container 600 and transports it to the front end of the roadway 400 (step S2 in the first goods taking scene).

S3, after the stacker 100 reaches the front end of the roadway 400, placing the container 600 in the temporary storage area 800 of the container 600 and reporting to a server;

s4, the server randomly schedules the nearest idle transfer robot 200 to arrive at the container buffer 800 of the lane 400. The transfer robot 200 reports to the server that the buffer area 800 has been reached after the arrival.

S5, the server dispatches the carrier device 500 to fork and place the container 600 at the corresponding shelf position of the carrier robot 200, which includes the following steps:

s5-1, after receiving the dispatching task of the server, the handling device 500 identifies the goods code 610 of the container 600 to be handled and acquires the information of the container 600 through the sensor, verifies the acquired information of the container 600 and the goods identifier pre-stored in the stacker 100, and when the verification is passed, the handling device 500 forks the goods into the fork hole of the container 600 and lifts the container 600;

s5-2, the server informs the carrier device 500 that the container 600 needs to be placed at the specific position of the transfer robot 200, and the carrier device 500 pushes the container 600 into the rack of the transfer robot 200 according to the specific position of the container 600 that the container 600 needs to be placed at the transfer robot 200. After pushing the container 600 into the multi-deck container 600 and the transfer robot 200, the transfer device 500 puts down and extracts the forks from the fork holes of the container 600;

s5-3, if another container 600 needs to be loaded into the transfer robot 200, the transfer device 500 repeats the above operation and sequentially loads another container 600 into the rack of the transfer robot 200. If no other task exists, the carrying equipment 500 reports that the server has completed the task, and waits for the scheduling of the next task;

s6, the server receives the information reported by the carrying equipment 500;

if other containers 600 do not need to be taken, the server dispatches the carrying robot 200 to the goods taking area 700 in an automatic navigation mode according to the optimal path in a wireless mode;

if another container 600 needs to be taken from the roadway 400, the carrying equipment 500 repeats the above actions until the task of the carrying robot 200 in the roadway 400 is finished;

if the container 600 to be carried by the transfer robot 200 is in another lane 400, the server dispatches the transfer robot 200 to automatically navigate to the front end of the corresponding lane 400, and waits for the carrying device 500 to load the container 600 onto the transfer robot 200;

when the transfer robot 200 finishes picking the cargo from the cargo box 600, the server schedules the transfer robot 200 to the picking area 700.

Second inventory scenario

And S1, when one or more containers 600 need to be stored in the stereoscopic goods shelf, the server dispatches the nearest free multi-layer container 600 to automatically navigate to the goods taking area 700 through a wireless mode and the carrying robot 200.

And S2, after the transfer robot 200 arrives at the goods taking area 700, reporting that the server has arrived at the goods taking area 700. The container 600 is placed on the rack of the transfer robot 200, and target position information to be stored in the three-dimensional rack of the target container 600 is input to the server.

And S3, the server dispatches the transfer robot 200 to the front end of the tunnel 400 corresponding to the target position in a wireless mode according to the target position information of the container 600.

S4, after the transfer robot 200 reaches the temporary storage area 800 of the container 600 at the front end of the roadway 400, the server dispatches the transfer equipment 500 in a wireless mode to take down the container 600 required to be stored in the roadway 400, and the specific steps are as follows:

after receiving the task, the transfer device 500 drives the forks to pick up the corresponding containers 600 on the shelves of the transfer robot 200 according to the information of the target containers 600 given by the server. The container 600 is forked up and placed in the container 600 buffer 800.

If the transfer robot 200 has a container 600 to be removed, the transfer device 500 repeats the above operation.

If the container 600 required to be stored in the lane 400 has been taken out, the server schedules the transfer robot 200 to the next target area.

S5, the container 600 is removed by the handling device 500, and the server is informed that the container 600 has been removed. The server dispatches the stacker 100 to the front end of the roadway 400 and the handling device 500 forks the container 600 to be stored and places it on the lifting platform 130 of the stacker 100 in the roadway 400.

And S6, the stacker 100 places the container 600 at the corresponding position of the stereoscopic shelf according to the position identification of the container 600 sent by the server. (the detailed procedure is the same as step S4 in the direct docking method).

Finally, it should be noted that: the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, and not to limit the same; while the invention has been described in detail and with reference to the foregoing embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that: the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments may still be modified, or some or all of the technical features may be equivalently replaced; and the modifications or the substitutions do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions depart from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims (23)

1. A sorting system, comprising: a stacker and a transfer robot;

the carrying robot carries the containers between the goods taking area and the goods shelf area;

the stacker moves in the tunnel of the goods shelf area to realize the carrying of the goods shelves of the goods shelf area and the front end of the tunnel.

2. The sortation system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a track laid within said roadway along which said stacker moves.

3. The sorting system according to claim 2, wherein a first travel switch is disposed along the extension direction of the track, and the stacker is communicatively connected to the stacker, and the stacker determines whether a specified position is reached by the first travel switch.

4. The sortation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said stacker comprises a first controller, a first travel mechanism and a lift platform in respective communicative connection with said first controller;

the lifting platform is mounted on the first travelling mechanism, and the first fork is mounted on the lifting platform;

the first controller is used for controlling the first walking mechanism to operate so as to enable the stacker to move in the roadway;

the first controller is used for controlling the lifting platform to lift;

the lifting platform comprises a first fork, and the lifting platform is used for driving the first fork to lift under the control of a first controller.

5. A sorting system according to claim 4, characterised in that the first fork is provided with a first sensor connected to the first controller, the first sensor being arranged to scan a position code on a pallet and an item code of a container and to send the scanned position code and item code to the first controller for verification by the first controller.

6. A sorting system according to claim 4, characterised in that the first pallet fork is provided with an infrared sensor for aligning the prongs of the first pallet fork with the fork apertures of a container.

7. The sortation system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said stacker further comprises a second travel switch disposed along the travel path of said lift platform, said lift platform determining whether a designated location has been reached by said second travel switch.

8. The sortation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said transfer robot is provided with a shelf; the goods shelf is characterized in that a plurality of grids are arranged in the goods shelf array, each grid is provided with a horizontal bar, and each horizontal bar is provided with a position code corresponding to the grid.

9. The sortation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said handling machine includes a second controller, and a second travel mechanism and a second sensor communicatively connected to said second controller;

the second controller is used for controlling the second walking mechanism to move;

the second sensor is used for scanning a position code at the front end of the roadway and sending the scanned position code to the second controller;

and after the second controller receives the position code, stopping controlling the second travelling mechanism to move.

10. The sortation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second controller is further configured to receive a server navigation route and output a control signal corresponding to said navigation route to said second travel mechanism.

11. The sortation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sortation system further includes a handling apparatus communicatively connected to a server for handling containers on said transfer robot to or from a buffer to said transfer robot under control of said server.

12. The sorting system according to claim 11, wherein the transfer apparatus includes a third controller and a third sensor connected to the third controller, the third sensor being configured to scan a position code on a rack of the transfer robot and an item code of a container, and to send the scanned position code and the item code to the third controller for verification by the third controller.

13. The sortation system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said handling apparatus further comprises a second fork communicatively connected to said third controller, said third sensor being disposed on said second fork.

14. The sortation system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

and the server is in communication connection with the stacker and the transfer robot and is used for scheduling the stacker and the transfer robot to carry out container transfer.

15. A method of sorting containers, the method comprising:

receiving a container sorting request;

and respectively issuing a first instruction to a carrying robot and a second instruction to a stacker according to the request, wherein the first instruction instructs the carrying robot to carry the containers between a goods taking area and a goods shelf area, and the second instruction instructs the stacker to move in a tunnel of the goods shelf area so as to carry the containers between the goods shelves of the goods shelf area and the front end of the tunnel.

16. The method of claim 15,

the second instruction instructs the stacker to carry the first container from the goods shelf to the front end of the roadway, and the first instruction instructs the carrying robot to carry the first container from the front end of the roadway to the goods taking area; or,

the first instruction instructs the carrying robot to carry a second container from the goods taking area to the front end of the roadway, and the second instruction instructs the stacker to carry the second container from the front end of the roadway to the goods shelf.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the step of issuing the first instruction to the handling robot and the second instruction to the stacker, respectively, according to the request comprises:

if the received request is a goods taking request, searching a stacker corresponding to the goods taking request, and issuing the second instruction to the searched stacker;

and searching the transfer robot corresponding to the front end of the roadway, and issuing the first instruction to the searched transfer robot.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the step of issuing the first instruction to the handling robot and the second instruction to the stacker, respectively, according to the request comprises:

if the received request is an inventory request, searching a corresponding transfer robot, and sending the first instruction to the searched transfer robot;

and searching the piler corresponding to the roadway, and issuing the second instruction to the searched piler.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

and sending a third instruction to a carrying device, wherein the third instruction instructs the carrying device to carry the container on the carrying robot to a temporary storage area, or the container is carried to the carrying robot from the temporary storage area, and the temporary storage area is positioned at the front end of the roadway.

20. A method of sorting containers, the method comprising:

receiving a second instruction issued by the server;

and carrying the container between the goods shelf of the goods shelf area and the front end of the roadway according to the second instruction.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of moving within a lane of the shelf area in accordance with the second instructions comprises: carrying the first container indicated by the second instruction from the goods shelf to the front end of the roadway; or the second container indicated by the second instruction is conveyed to the goods shelf from the front end of the roadway.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the second instructions include a container identification and a container position identification;

the step of conveying the first container indicated by the second instruction from the rack to the front end of the roadway comprises the following steps: moving to a goods shelf position corresponding to the container position identification according to the second instruction, and scanning a position code of the current position; verifying the position code and the container position identification, and if the position code and the container position identification pass the verification, carrying the first container indicated by the second instruction from the goods shelf to the front end of the roadway; or,

the step of transporting the second container indicated by the second instruction from the front end of the roadway to the shelf comprises the following steps: moving to a container temporary storage area or a carrying robot goods shelf area at the front end of the corresponding roadway according to the second instruction, and scanning a position code at the current position; and verifying the position code and the container position identification, and if the verification is passed, carrying the second container indicated by the second instruction to a goods shelf of the roadway from the front end of the roadway.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

adjusting a height to reach a current location before scanning a location code of the current location.