JP2020528390A - Entry / exit control method and transfer system for shelf arrays - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is based on receiving a warehousing task for a target shelf and the position of the target shelf in the shelf array, if there is no carry-out obstruction shelf or obstacle in at least one direction of the target shelf. , Otherwise, determine the carry-out route of the target shelf, and if the target shelf has a plurality of carry-out routes, select one carry-out route from among them and use the carry-out route on the carry-out route. Loading and unloading for a shelf array that includes determining a transport policy that includes unloading the target shelf after unloading the unloading obstruction shelf, and executing the transport policy to unload the target shelf. Provides a control method.

Description

The present invention relates to the field of smart warehouses, and in particular to warehousing / delivery control methods, transport systems and storage media for densely arranged shelf arrays.

With the rapid development of e-commerce in China, various needs have arisen at each stage of logistics, and a parcel sorting system consisting of sorting robots has appeared, which guarantees efficient parcel sorting and is immediate. It has responsiveness and flexibility due to dispersion. In the field of distribution warehouses today, automatic guided vehicles (AGVs) are often used instead of or in addition to manual labor. The automatic guided vehicle automatically receives the goods transport task, reaches the first position to receive the goods, and then travels to the second position to unload the goods under the control of the program, and the other tasks. Execution can be continued.

In addition, land is becoming increasingly scarce as a resource, and especially as the price of land in cities rises, the land cost of warehouses has become an important cost indicator that affects the economic effects of companies and logistics companies. The current warehouse management mode is far from meeting the actual demand for smart warehousing and delivery.

The content of the background technology is only the technology known to the inventor, and of course, it does not represent the conventional technology in this field.

In view of this, the present invention is free of carry-out obstruction shelves or obstacles in at least one direction of the target shelf based on receiving the issue task for the target shelf and the position of the target shelf in the shelf array. In the case, the target shelf is directly carried out, otherwise, the carry-out route of the target shelf is determined, and if the target shelf has a plurality of carry-out routes, one carry-out route is selected from among them. A shelf that includes determining a transport policy that includes carrying out the target shelf after carrying out the carry-out obstruction shelf on the carry-out route, and executing the carry policy to carry out the target shelf. A warehousing / delivery control method for an array is provided.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the step of carrying out the target shelf includes carrying out the target shelf using an automatic guided vehicle.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the warehousing / delivery control method determines a target position of the carry-out obstruction shelf on the carry-out route and conveys the carry-out obstruction shelf on the carry-out route to the corresponding target position. Including further.

According to one aspect of the present invention, determining the target position of the carry-out obstruction shelf on the carry-out route includes a condition that the target position does not interfere with the delivery task and a condition that the empty storage position having the maximum depth is selected. , The condition of selecting an empty storage position closest to the carry-out obstruction shelf itself, and selecting a target position of the carry-out obstruction shelf based on one or more of them.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the step of selecting the one carry-out route calculates the total carry-out load of each carry-out obstruction shelf on each carry-out route, and determines the carry-out route that minimizes the carry-out load as a whole. Includes selection.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the carry-out load includes a weighted sum of the number of carry-out obstruction shelves, the moving distance and the number of cornering times.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the warehousing / delivery control method further includes taking out one warehousing task from the task queue in a certain order, and the factors that determine the order of the tasks are the priority of the warehousing task and the warehousing / delivery. Includes task latency, target shelf location and / or execution complexity corresponding to the issue task.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the warehousing / delivery control method generates a task group including the unloading of the unloading obstruction shelf on the unloading route and the unloading of the target shelf after determining the transport policy. It further includes assigning automatic guided vehicles based on the task group.

According to one aspect of the present invention, when the target positions of at least two carry-out obstruction shelves are in one one-way aisle, the target positions of the at least two carry-out obstruction shelves are set at the entrance of the one-way aisle. According to the order of reaching the entrance, it is put in the innermost position of the one-way passage.

The present invention further relates to a target shelf determination unit that receives an issue task for the target shelf and determines the position of the target shelf in the shelf array, and at least the target shelf based on the position of the target shelf in the shelf array. If there is no carry-out obstruction shelf or obstacle in one direction, the target shelf is carried out directly, otherwise the carry-out route of the target shelf is determined, and if the target shelf has multiple carry-out routes. A transport policy creation unit that selects one carry-out route from among them and determines a transport policy including carrying out the carry-out obstruction shelf on the carry-out route, and a transport policy creation unit that is combined with the transport policy creation unit to carry out the transport policy. With respect to a scheduling device for a shelf array, including an execution unit configured to control an unmanned carrier based on.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the transport policy creation unit determines the carry-out position of the carry-out obstruction shelf on the carry-out route, and transports the carry-out obstruction shelf on the carry-out route to the corresponding carry-out position. The step of selecting the one carry-out route configured includes calculating the sum of the carry-out loads of each carry-out obstruction shelf on each carry-out route and selecting the carry-out route that minimizes the carry-out load overall. The carry-out load includes a weighted sum of the travel distance and the number of cornering times.

The present invention further receives a shelf array containing a plurality of shelves and an issue task for the target shelf, determines the position of the target shelf in the shelf array, and based on the position of the target shelf in the shelf array. If there is no carry-out obstruction shelf or obstacle in one direction of the target shelf, the target shelf is carried out directly from that direction, otherwise the carry-out route of the target shelf is determined and the target shelves are plural. If it has a carry-out route, it is combined with a control system that selects one of the most suitable carry-out routes and determines a carry-out policy that includes carrying out the carry-out obstruction shelf on the carry-out route. The present invention relates to a transport system including one or more unmanned transport vehicles that receive the transport policy and execute a transport task based on the transport policy.

The present invention further relates to a computer-readable storage medium in which a computer program that realizes the warehousing / delivery control method as described above is stored when executed by a processor.

The present invention further relates to the target position of the target shelf based on receiving a goods receipt task for the target shelf, acquiring an available storage position in the shelf array, and the type of available storage position. The warehousing / delivery control method for the shelf array includes determining the target shelf and transporting the target shelf to the target position.

According to one aspect of the invention, the available storage position types include a first type of available storage position with shelves and / or obstacles on three sides and shelves and / or obstacles on both sides. There is a second type of available storage position, a third type of available storage position with shelves and / or obstacles on one side, and a fourth type of storage position without shelves and / or obstacles around it. Includes available storage locations.

According to one aspect of the invention, the steps of determining the target position of the target shelf are available according to the priority of the first type, the second type, the third type, the fourth type. This includes selecting a position and, if there are multiple available storage positions of the same type, selecting the available storage position with the shortest distance as the target position on the target shelf.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the step of transporting the target shelf to the target position includes controlling an automatic guided vehicle to transport the target shelf to the target position.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the warehousing / delivery control method further includes selecting an automatic guided vehicle closest to the target shelf and transporting the target shelf to the target position.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the warehousing / delivery control method further includes taking out one warehousing task from the task queue according to a certain priority, and the factor for determining the priority of the task is the task itself. Includes priority, task creation time and / or latency, and execution complexity.

The present invention further obtains a receipt task receiving unit that receives a receipt task for a target shelf and an available storage position in the shelf array, and the target shelf is based on the type of available storage position. The present invention relates to a warehousing / delivery control device for a shelf array, which includes a transport policy creation unit configured to determine a target position and an automated guided vehicle configured to transport the target shelf to the target position.

According to one aspect of the invention, the available storage position types include a first type of available storage position with shelves and / or obstacles on three sides and shelves and / or obstacles on both sides. There is a second type of available storage position, a third type of available storage position with shelves and / or obstacles on one side, and a fourth type of storage position without shelves and / or obstacles around it. Includes available storage locations.

According to one aspect of the invention, the steps of determining the target position of the target shelf are available according to the priority of the first type, the second type, the third type, the fourth type. This includes selecting a position and, if there are multiple available storage positions of the same type, selecting the available storage position with the shortest distance as the target position on the target shelf.

The present invention further receives a shelf array containing a plurality of shelves and a warehousing task for the target shelf, obtains available storage positions in the shelf array, and is based on the type of storage position available. The present invention relates to a transport system including a control system for determining a target position of the target shelf and one or more unmanned transport vehicles coupled to the control system and configured to transport the target shelf to the target position. ..

The present invention further relates to a computer-readable storage medium in which a computer program that realizes the warehousing / delivery control method as described above is stored when executed by a processor.

The present invention further receives at least two scheduling tasks including shelf information and priority, determines whether the scheduling task is an issuing task or a warehousing task, and the at least two scheduling tasks. On the other hand, assigning an automatic guided vehicle, planning an execution route of the at least two scheduling tasks, executing the at least two scheduling tasks using the automatic guided vehicle, and prioritizing the warehousing scheduling task. If the issue scheduling task has a higher priority than the above, the target position of the warehousing task is saved from the execution path of the warehousing task, and the warehousing / delivery scheduling method for the shelf array including.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the step of planning the execution path of the at least two scheduling tasks includes selecting an available storage position for the warehousing task according to the principle of maximum depth.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the warehousing / delivery scheduling method determines whether or not there is an available storage position with a greater depth around the target position after the automatic guided vehicle completes the warehousing task. It further includes transporting the shelves corresponding to the warehousing task to available storage locations of greater depth, if detected, using the automated guided vehicle.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the step of planning the execution path of the at least two scheduling tasks is described when there is no carry-out obstruction shelf or obstacle in at least one direction of the target shelf for the warehousing task. The target shelf is directly carried out, otherwise, the carry-out route of the target shelf is determined, and if the target shelf has a plurality of carry-out routes, one carry-out route is selected from the carry-out routes and the carry-out route is selected. Includes determining a transport policy that includes unloading the above unloading obstruction shelf.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the step of planning the execution route of the at least two scheduling tasks determines the carry-out position of the carry-out obstruction shelf on the carry-out route and corresponds to the carry-out obstruction shelf on the carry-out route. Further includes transporting to the carry-out position.

According to one aspect of the present invention, determining the carry-out position of the carry-out obstruction shelf on the carry-out route is a condition that the empty storage position that obstructs the carry-out route of the carry-out obstruction shelf itself is not selected, and the maximum depth is free. The unloading position is selected based on the condition that the storage position is preferentially selected and the vacant storage position closest to the unloading obstruction shelf itself is preferentially selected.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the step of selecting the one carry-out route calculates the total carry-out load of each carry-out obstruction shelf on each carry-out route, and determines the carry-out route that minimizes the carry-out load as a whole. Includes selection.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the carry-out load includes a weighted sum of the moving distance and the number of cornering times.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the warehousing / delivery scheduling method further includes fetching a scheduling task from a task queue according to a certain priority, and a factor for determining the priority of the task is the priority of the task itself. Includes task creation time and / or previous latency, shelf location, and execution complexity.

The present invention further receives a shelf array containing a plurality of shelves, one or more unmanned carriers, and at least two scheduling tasks including shelf information and priorities, and whether the scheduling task is a warehousing task. , It is determined whether it is a warehousing task, an unmanned carrier is assigned to the at least two scheduling tasks, an execution route of the at least two scheduling tasks is planned, and the at least two of the two scheduling tasks are used. The control system includes a control system that executes a scheduling task and, if the priority of the warehousing scheduling task is higher than the priority of the warehousing scheduling task, the target position of the warehousing task cannot be located in the execution path of the warehousing task. Is coupled to the unmanned transport vehicle, the unmanned transport vehicle receives the transport policy, and executes a transport task based on the transport policy.

The present invention further relates to a computer-readable storage medium in which a computer program that realizes the warehousing / delivery scheduling method as described above is stored when executed by a processor.

The drawings that are part of the present invention are for the purpose of providing a further understanding of the present invention, and although schematic examples and explanations thereof of the present invention are used for interpreting the present invention, the present invention Is not unreasonably limited.

A frame of a warehouse system configuration and an application scene according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The array arrangement system of the shelf / pallet which concerns on the Example of this invention is shown. The warehousing / delivery control method for a shelf array according to the first aspect of the present invention is shown. An warehousing / delivery control method according to a preferred embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention is shown. An example of a method for determining a transport policy according to the first aspect of the present invention. An example of calculating the target point of the carry-out obstruction shelf is shown. A scheduling device for a shelf array according to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention is shown. The warehousing / delivery control method for a shelf array according to the second aspect of the present invention is shown. A warehousing / delivery control method according to a preferred embodiment is shown. The warehousing / delivery control device for a shelf array according to an embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention is shown. The warehousing / delivery scheduling method for a shelf array according to the third aspect of the present invention is shown. A preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown.

Hereinafter, some exemplary embodiments will be briefly described. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the described embodiments may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the drawings and descriptions are considered as exemplary rather than restrictive.

In the description of the present invention, the terms "center", "vertical", "horizontal", "length", "width", "thickness", "top", "bottom", "front", "rear" , "Left", "Right", "Vertical", "Horizontal", "Top", "Bottom", "Inside", "Outside", "Clockwise", "Counterclockwise", etc. Is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings and is merely for the purpose of easily explaining the present invention and simplifying the description, and the indicated device or component has a specific orientation and is specific. It should not be understood as limiting the present invention as it should be understood that it does not indicate or suggest that it must be configured and operated in orientation. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for explanatory purposes only and indicate or suggest relative importance or imply the quantity of technical features shown. It should not be understood as a thing. Thereby, the features limited by "first" and "second" can explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the above features. In the description of the present invention, "plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise specified and specified.

In the description of the present invention, the terms "mounting", "connecting", "connecting" should be understood in a broad sense, unless otherwise specified and limited, eg, fixed connection, detachable connection, The two elements may be an integral connection, a mechanical connection, an electrical connection or a communicable connection, a direct connection, or a connection via an intermediate medium. It may be a communication between the two elements or an interaction relationship between the two elements. A person skilled in the art can understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention depending on the specific circumstances.

In the present invention, unless otherwise specified and limited, the fact that the first feature is "above" or "below" the second feature means that the first feature and the second feature are direct. The first feature and the second feature may not be in direct contact with each other, but may be in contact with each other through other features between them. Further, the fact that the first feature is "above", "above" or "upper surface" of the second feature may include that the first feature is directly above and diagonally above the second feature. , It may simply indicate that the horizontal height of the first feature is higher than that of the second feature. The fact that the first feature is "below", "below" or "bottom surface" of the second feature may include that the first feature is directly below and diagonally below the second feature, simply the first. It may only represent that the horizontal height of feature 1 is lower than that of feature 2.

The following disclosures provide many different embodiments or examples to realize the different structures of the invention. In order to simplify the disclosure of the present invention, the members and installation of specific examples will be described below. Of course, these are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the invention. The present invention may also repeat the same reference numbers and / or reference alphabets in different examples, such repetitions for the purpose of simplification and clarity, and in various embodiments described by themselves. / Or does not show the relationship between installations. The present invention also provides examples of various specific processes and materials, but those skilled in the art can be aware of the application of other processes and / or the use of other materials.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, but the preferred embodiments described here are merely for explaining and interpreting the present invention, and do not limit the present invention. Should be understood.

First, with reference to FIG. 1, the configuration of the warehouse system and the frame of the application scene according to the embodiment of the present invention will be briefly described. As shown in FIG. 1, the warehouse system includes a customer upper management system 1, a shelf / pallet scheduling system 2, a robot control system 3, message middleware, a warehouse shelf / pallet 4, an automatic guided vehicle 5, and a database server 6.

Various articles or containers can be placed on the warehouse shelf / pallet 4. A typical shelf / pallet may include, for example, a plurality of partition layers and support legs on which an article or container (generally a packing box) may be placed. There is a gap between the support legs at the bottom, through which the automatic guided vehicle 5 can carry the vehicle. The shelves / pallets 4 can generally be arranged in an array, for example as shown in FIG.

The automatic guided vehicle (AGV) 5 is a robot that can move autonomously, and can perform autonomous navigation on the floor of the warehouse in response to an operation or a transport command. A battery, a motor, and wheels are arranged on the automatic guided vehicle, and various movement operations such as forward / backward movement and cornering are possible. The automatic guided vehicle 5 has a lift-up mechanism, travels to the bottom of the shelf / pallet 4, lifts up the entire shelf / pallet 4 by the lift-up mechanism, and then moves to a desired position (for example, the work in FIG. 1). It is possible to carry the vehicle to point 7) and perform an appropriate operation, for example, an operation such as sorting. According to one embodiment, the automatic guided vehicle 5 has a camera and can perform a navigation operation by capturing a texture or a two-dimensional code on the floor surface. The robot control system 3 in FIG. 1 is a system for controlling the automatic guided vehicle 5, and for example, it transmits information such as specific operation commands and route plans to the automatic guided vehicle 5. It is understood by those skilled in the art that the robot control system 3 may be a system independent of the automatic guided vehicle 5 or may be integrated in the automatic guided vehicle 5.

The operation method of the warehouse system will be briefly described below. The user generates an issue task by the management system 1 and issues it to the scheduling system 2, the scheduling system 2 receives the task and puts it in the task pool, and the scheduling system reconfigures the task according to the task priority and schedules it. Then, a shelf / pallet scheduling sequence is generated and transmitted to the robot control system 3, the unmanned carrier 5 is driven to execute the shelf / pallet 4 sequence, and a task to be delivered to the work point 7 is generated. After reaching the work point 7, the unmanned carrier used in the warehousing task is released. After completing the task work at the work point, the user generates a warehousing task by the management system 1, the scheduling system starts scheduling after receiving the task, sends it to the robot control system 3, and the robot control system is an automatic guided vehicle. Is driven to execute a warehousing operation on the shelf / pallet 4 to be warehousing, and the automatic guided vehicle used in the task is released after warehousing.

In the shelf / pallet scheduling system, different transport policies can be set according to the service scene. Message middleware communicates between the shelf / pallet scheduling system and the robot control system to realize message production and consumption.

The basic data of the warehouse and the operation data of the scheduling system and the robot control system are all stored in the database server 6 to achieve the purpose of data persistence and prevent the loss of data during system operation.

FIG. 2 is an array layout of warehouse shelves as an example. As shown in FIG. 2, the warehouse is divided into storage areas, in which shelves are placed, for example, in a tight arrangement (eg, including two or more rows and / or vertical arrangements). In addition to the storage area, it has a work point area and a traveling area of the shelf transfer robot. By arranging the warehouse shelves closely, the storage rate of the goods in the warehouse is improved, and the cost of wasting the used area of the warehouse is saved. At the same time, the normal operation of warehousing and unloading of the warehouse can be satisfied.

For ease of understanding, in the present invention, "delivery" refers to unloading the shelf from the position to which it belongs in the shelf array, and "receipt" refers to unloading the shelf to a position in the shelf array. Point to that.

(First aspect)
A first aspect of the present invention relates to a warehousing / delivery control method 100 for a shelf array. As shown in FIG. 3, the warehousing / delivery control method 100 includes steps S101 to S103.

In step S101, the issue task for the target shelf is received. The issuing task may be a task issued directly from the upper management system, or may be an issuing task selected from the task pool of the scheduling system. All of these are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

In step S102, the transport policy is determined based on the position of the target shelf in the shelf array. The transport policy determines the carry-out route of the target shelf if there is no carry-out obstruction shelf or obstacle in at least one direction of the target shelf, and otherwise determines the carry-out route of the target shelf and the target. When the shelf has a plurality of carry-out routes, one carry-out route is selected from the shelves, the carry-out obstruction shelf on the carry-out route is carried out, and then the target shelf is carried out.

Taking FIG. 5 as an example, in shelves 1-48, shelves 1-8 and shelves 9, 17, 25, 33, 41 are unloading obstruction shelves or obstacles (eg, warehouse boundaries, walls) in at least one direction. , Or other types of obstacles). Therefore, if the target shelf is any of 1-8, 9, 17, 25, 33, 41, the transport policy may be direct transport. On the other hand, if the target shelf is another shelf, it cannot be directly transported, and it is necessary to determine the carry-out route. If necessary, it is necessary to determine one optimum carry-out route from a plurality of carry-out routes. At this time, the transport policy includes carrying out the target shelf after carrying out the carry-out obstruction shelf on the adopted carry-out route. In addition, when determining whether or not the target shelf can be directly carried out, it is not necessary to judge the four diagonal directions, and whether there are carry-out obstruction shelves or obstacles in the four directions of the front, back, left, and right of the target shelf. You just have to decide whether or not. The scheduling system can query the distribution status or distribution map of the current shelf position in the warehouse in real time to make a corresponding decision, and the description thereof is omitted here.

In the present invention, the “target shelf” refers to a shelf that directly corresponds to one transport task, and the “unloading obstruction shelf” refers to a shelf that obstructs the export of the target shelf.

In step S103, the transport policy is executed to carry out the target shelf, and for example, the automatic guided vehicle AGV5 carries out the target shelf. As a matter of course, in the above transport policy, when the carry-out obstruction shelf is involved in the carry-out, the automatic guided vehicle AGV may carry out the carry-out obstruction shelf.

Hereinafter, the warehousing / delivery control method 200 according to a preferred embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4, in step S201, when the host system (for example, the customer management system 1 in FIG. 1) needs to transport the target shelf from the shelf array to the work point for loading and unloading work, the host system , It is necessary to send to the scheduling system 2 by the task method (delivery scheduling task), and the scheduling system puts the tasks together in the task pool after receiving them, which is convenient for subsequent scheduling. One task may include, for example, information such as a task number, shelf code, priority, and may increase other information as needed.

In step S202, the scheduling system comprehensively calculates the priority of the task based on the specific information of the task, extracts an appropriate task from the task pool, and performs scheduling. For example, a scheduling system may use a task pool depending on factors such as task priority, task creation time or latency, shelf location (eg, obtained from a query to the shelf code), and execution complexity. You can sort the tasks within, or select one of them to perform scheduling.

Specifically, the scheduling system can select the next task to be executed from the task pool according to the priority, and a high priority generally means that the task is executed first. Also, if some priorities mean that the task needs to be executed immediately, the task with that priority must be immediately detected and executed from the task pool. Alternatively, the scheduling system can refer to the waiting time so far to select the next task to be executed from the task pool, for example, selecting the task having the longest waiting time from the task pool. By executing it next time, it is possible to prevent a task from being stored in the task pool for a long time and not being executed. Alternatively, the scheduling system can determine the next task to perform, depending on the location of the shelf and / or the complexity of the execution. For example, for the issue scheduling task, the task corresponding to the directly transportable shelf can be executed first. As shown in FIG. 5, for example, when it is necessary to perform a warehousing operation on both shelves 5 and 21, the position and / or warehousing complexity of the shelves (whether or not there is a unloading obstruction shelf and unloading obstruction). Depending on the number of shelves (which can be evaluated by the number of shelves), it may be decided to perform the warehousing of the shelf 5 first and then the warehousing task of the shelf 21. As a matter of course, a person skilled in the art may consider combining the above factors to select the next task to be executed from the task pool under certain constraint conditions.

Next, in step S203, the optimum transport policy is determined. The optimum transport policy will be described below. For example, for a goods issue task, if the target shelf is not disturbed by other shelves, the transport policy is that the target shelf does not have to be taken out directly and the task's travel route does not have to be calculated. If the target shelf is obstructed by another unloading obstruction shelf, the optimal transport policy should be calculated as the optimal travel route for the task. According to one preferred embodiment, the calculation of the optimal movement path of the task mainly takes into account the number of carry-out obstruction shelves in each direction of the target shelf and exists in four directions of the target shelf in the task. The number of carry-out obstruction shelves is calculated, and the route with the smallest number of carry-out obstruction shelves is set as the optimum route.

Also, preferably, by breadth-first search, the optimum movement route can be determined by combining the number of carry-out obstruction shelves and the transport policy of the shelves. If there are a plurality of movable routes, it is necessary to evaluate each movement route and select one optimum movement route. For example, the sum of the unloading loads of each unloading obstruction shelf on each unloading route can be calculated, and the unloading route that minimizes the unloading load can be selected. The unloading load may be, for example, a weighted sum of the number of unloading obstruction shelves, the moving distance to unload the unloading obstruction shelf, and the number of cornering to unload the unloading obstruction shelf, considering only one factor or a combination of a plurality of factors. You don't have to. The corresponding evaluation index can be selected according to the demand of the specific situation. Hereinafter, an example of calculating the optimum movement route will be shown with reference to FIG.

In step S204, it is necessary to temporarily store the unloading obstruction shelf when the unloading task is executed by calculating the target point of the unloading obstruction shelf (if any) after determining the optimum movement route of the unloading task. When calculating the target point of the carry-out obstruction shelf, the condition that the transport distance from the start point of the carry-out obstruction shelf to the target point is the shortest, the condition that the target point of the carry-out obstruction shelf does not interfere with the route of the delivery task, and the shelf It is necessary to consider the condition that the depth of the target point is the largest and does not generate an air core, and the condition that the target point with the shortest distance is preferable. Hereinafter, an embodiment of calculating the target point of the carry-out obstruction shelf will be shown with reference to FIG. Preferably, the above conditions are first filtered for free storage points that do not interfere with the route of the issuing task, then the free storage point with the maximum depth is selected, and then the free storage point with the shortest distance is determined. To apply.

In the present invention, the "air core" means that in the storage area, there are shelves at positions in all four directions of a certain empty storage position that is not close to the path position. When the air core storage position is generated, the empty storage position is hardly available, so that the cargo storage density of the shelves in the warehouse is reduced. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid the generation of the air core storage position.

When calculating the transport distance, the Manhattan distance equation can be referred to, that is, the sum of the absolute values of the differences between the start point coordinates and the end point coordinates is the transport distance.

In step S205, after the target point of the carry-out obstruction shelf is determined, one optimum movement route determined in the warehousing task exists as a task group, and the task group transports the carry-out obstruction shelf to the target point of the carry-out obstruction shelf. And include carrying out the target shelf. To execute the task group, it is necessary to select one or a plurality of vacant automatic guided vehicles AGV and execute the transfer of the shelf. When selecting an automated guided vehicle AGV, factors to be considered can include the distance of the automated guided vehicle, the availability, the number of tasks in the task group, the number of running tasks, and the like.

In step S206, after determining the automatic guided vehicle of the delivery task group, the shelf is transported, the shelf is transported to the target position, and then the automatic guided vehicle used in the task group is released. At the same time, report the task completion status to the host system.

Next, when the existence of unfinished tasks is confirmed, the above flow is repeated until the target shelves for all the tasks in the task pool are transported to the target positions.

Hereinafter, a method of determining the movement route of the target shelf according to the preferred embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 5 (step S203). As shown in FIG. 5, the shelf 28 is used as a target shelf and is issued in a task manner. Calculations find that shelf 28 is disturbed by other shelves.

The cost of unloading obstruction in the four directions of the shelf 28 was calculated, and the number of unloading obstruction shelves in the four directions (up, right, bottom, left) was (3, 4, 2, 3), respectively. Is.

By calculation or map inquiry, we found that there are walls on the right and bottom, deleted the corresponding selectable routes, the remaining selectable routes are (top, left), and the cost of carrying out obstruction is , Respectively (3, 3), and after comparing the costs, select the direction with the lowest cost, i.e. up or left, and the corresponding shelf number is 20 or 27.

The cost of unloading obstruction in the four directions of the shelf 20 is calculated, and the number of unloading obstruction shelves in the four directions (up, right, bottom, left) is (2, 4, 3, 3), respectively. Is.

By calculation or map inquiry, we found that there are walls on the right and bottom, deleted the corresponding selectable routes, the remaining selectable routes are (top, left), and the cost of carrying out obstruction is , Each (2, 3), and after comparing the costs, select the direction with the lowest cost, i.e. the top, and the corresponding shelf number is 12.

The cost of unloading obstruction in the four directions of the shelf 12 is calculated, and the number of unloading obstruction shelves in the four directions (up, right, bottom, left) is (1, 4, 4, 3), respectively. Is.

By calculation or map inquiry, we found that there are walls on the right and bottom, deleted the corresponding selectable routes, the remaining selectable routes are (top, left), and the cost of carrying out obstruction is , Each (1, 3), and after comparing the costs, select the direction with the lowest cost, i.e. the top, and the corresponding shelf number is 4. Therefore, a viable route, that is, 4 → 12 → 20 → 28, is acquired.

The cost of unloading obstruction in the four directions of the shelf 27 is calculated, and the number of unloading obstruction shelves in the four directions (up, right, bottom, left) is (3, 5, 2, 2), respectively. Is.

By calculation or map inquiry, we found that there are walls on the right and bottom, deleted the corresponding selectable routes, the remaining selectable routes are (top, left), and the cost of carrying out obstruction is , Each (3, 2), and after comparing the costs, select the direction with the lowest cost, i.e. left, and the corresponding shelf number is 26.

The cost of unloading obstruction in the four directions of the shelf 26 is calculated, and the number of unloading obstruction shelves in the four directions (up, right, bottom, left) is (3, 6, 2, 1), respectively. Is.

By calculation or map inquiry, we found that there are walls on the right and bottom, deleted the corresponding selectable routes, the remaining selectable routes are (top, left), and the cost of carrying out obstruction is , Each (3, 1), and after comparing the costs, select the direction with the lowest cost, i.e. left, and the corresponding shelf number is 25. Therefore, a viable route, that is, 25 → 26 → 27 → 28, is acquired.

Evaluating the travel costs of the two routes and moving the shelves 25, 26, 27 to another storage area would result in a lower cost, which is less than the cost of moving the shelves 4, 12, 20. , 25 → 26 → 27 → 28. Here, when evaluating the movement cost of the two routes, a plurality of factors, for example, the number of cornering required for carrying out the carry-out obstruction shelf, the distance for carrying out the carry-out obstruction shelf, and the like may be considered. The description is omitted here.

FIG. 6 shows an embodiment in which a target point of the carry-out obstruction shelf is determined.

Assuming that the shelf 40 is the target shelf to be delivered, it is necessary to transport the carry-out obstruction shelf 32 to another empty storage position in the storage area, and when the shelf 10 is moved to the work point as the target shelf, other empty storage positions in the storage area are required. It is necessary to transport the carry-out obstruction shelf 9 to an empty storage position. It is necessary to find the target point positions of the carry-out obstruction shelves 32 and 9.

First, the empty storage positions (8, 16, 24, 41, 42, 43, 44) in this area are found.

The routes (8, 16, 24) that impede the movement of the shelf 40 to the designated work point are filtered, and the remaining feasible free storage positions are (41, 42, 43, 44).

According to the maximum depth policy, the target position assigned to the shelf 32 is 44 and the target position assigned to the shelf 9 is 43.

Preferably, considering the uncertainty that the shelf 32 and the shelf 9 reach the target position, the shelf 32 and the shelf can avoid the situation where the shelf 32 cannot reach the storage position 44 if the shelf 9 reaches the target position preferentially. The target positions of 9 are all 41.

If the shelf 32 reaches the storage position 41 first, the shelf 32 continues to advance to the target position 44, and if the shelf 9 later reaches the storage position 41, the shelf 9 continues to advance to the target position 43.

If the shelf 9 reaches the storage position 41 first, the shelf 9 continues to advance to the target position 44, and when the shelf 32 later reaches the storage position 41, the shelf 32 continues to advance to the target position 43.

In other words, when the target positions of at least two carry-out obstruction shelves are in one one-way aisle, the target positions of the at least two carry-out obstruction shelves are set at the entrances of the one-way aisles, and the order of reaching the entrances is set. Depending on the situation, put them in the innermost positions of the above one-way passages. In the present invention, the "unidirectional aisle" refers to a passage in a shelf position where there is only one entrance and exit, for example, passages shown by 41, 42, 43, 44 in FIG. 6, and 8, 16, 24. Refers to the indicated passage.

FIG. 7 shows a scheduling device 300 for a shelf array according to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 7, the scheduling device 300 includes a delivery task reception unit 301, a transport policy creation unit 302, and an execution unit 303.

The issue task receiving unit 301 receives, for example, an issue task for the target shelf and determines the position of the target shelf in the shelf array.

Based on the position of the target shelf in the shelf array, the transport policy creation unit 302 directly unloads the target shelf if there are no unloading obstruction shelves or obstacles in at least one direction of the target shelf, otherwise. For example, if the carry-out route of the target shelf is determined and the target shelf has a plurality of carry-out routes, one carry-out route is selected from the carry-out routes and the carry-out obstruction shelf on the carry-out route is carried out. It is configured to determine the transport policy to include.

The execution unit 303 is coupled to the transport policy creation unit, and is configured to control the automatic guided vehicle based on the transport policy to execute the transport policy and complete the transport task.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the issuing task receiving unit 301, the transport policy creating unit 302 and the executing unit 303 can be realized in the form of software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware.

The transport policy creation unit 302 is further configured to be able to perform other steps of control methods 100 and 200 as described above. For example, the transport policy creation unit is configured to determine the carry-out position of the carry-out obstruction shelf on the carry-out route and carry the carry-out obstruction shelf on the carry-out route to the corresponding carry-out position. The step of selecting a route includes calculating the sum of the unloading loads of each unloading obstruction shelf on each unloading route and selecting the unloading route that minimizes the unloading load as a whole. Includes weighted sum of number of shelves, distance traveled and number of corners.

A first aspect of the present disclosure further receives a shelf array containing a plurality of shelves and an issue task for the target shelf, determines the position of the target shelf in the shelf array, and positions the target shelf in the shelf array. If there is no carry-out obstruction shelf or obstacle in one direction of the target shelf, the target shelf is carried out directly from that direction, otherwise the carry-out route of the target shelf is determined and the above When the target shelf has a plurality of carry-out routes, a control system that selects one optimum carry-out route from among them and determines a carry-out policy including carrying out the carry-out obstruction shelf on the carry-out route, and the control Concerning a transport system, including one or more unmanned transport vehicles coupled to the system to receive the transport policy and perform transport tasks based on the transport policy.

A first aspect of the present disclosure further relates to a computer-readable storage medium in which a computer program that implements the warehousing / delivery control method 100 or 200 as described above, when executed by a processor, is stored.

A first aspect of the present disclosure further determines a set of available storage positions in the shelf array and filters from the set of available positions the storage positions that interfere with the carry-out obstruction shelf. And, according to the depth priority policy, setting the target storage position of the plurality of unloading obstruction shelves from the set of available positions, and the transport method for the plurality of unloading obstruction shelves in the shelf array including ..

The following description of the second and third aspects are all incorporated herein by reference.

(Second aspect)
Hereinafter, the warehousing / delivery control method 400 for the shelf array according to the second aspect of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 8, in step S401, a warehousing task for the target shelf is received. The goods receipt task includes multivariate data such as (task number, priority, shelf code).

In step S402, an available storage position in the shelf array is acquired. Available storage locations in the current shelf array can be obtained by calculation or map query.

In step S403, the target position of the target shelf is determined based on the type of storage position available. Specifically, depending on the depth of the vacant storage position, a first type vacant storage position with shelves and / or obstacles on three sides and a second type vacant space with shelves and / or obstacles on both sides. It is divided into four types: a storage position, a third type of empty storage position with a shelf and / or an obstacle on one side, and a fourth type of empty storage position with no shelf and / or an obstacle around it. .. Preferably, a free storage location is selected from the first type. If there are a plurality of vacant storage positions of the first type, the vacant storage position closest to the target shelf is selected as the target position according to the principle of the shortest distance. In the first type, if there is no empty storage position satisfying the condition, a selection is made from the second type, and so on, and an appropriate target position for the warehousing task is selected.

In step S404, the target shelf is transported to the target position, and the transport operation is performed by, for example, an automatic guided vehicle.

FIG. 9 shows a warehousing scheduling flow carried out by the warehousing / delivery control method 500 according to a preferred embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 9, in step S501, when the host system tries to transport the shelf (shelf to be received) that has completed the work at the work point to the storage area of the warehouse, the task (task number, priority, shelf code) ), And it is necessary to put it in the task pool after the scheduling system receives the goods receipt task.

In step S502, the scheduling system comprehensively calculates the priority of the task based on the specific information of the warehousing task, extracts an appropriate task from the task pool, and performs scheduling. The scheduling system can determine the priority of tasks and determine one task to be executed, for example, according to the order of transmission time of tasks. Alternatively, the scheduling system sorts the tasks in the task pool according to factors such as task priority, task creation time or waiting time, target position, execution complexity, and so on. You can select one task to perform scheduling.

Specifically, the scheduling system can select the next task to be executed from the task pool according to the priority, for example, a task if some priority means that the task is executed immediately. Tasks with that priority must be immediately detected and executed from the pool. Alternatively, the scheduling system can refer to the waiting time so far to select the next task to be executed from the task pool, for example, selecting the task having the longest waiting time from the task pool. By executing it next time, it is possible to prevent a task from being stored in the task pool for a long time and not being executed. Alternatively, the scheduling system can determine the next task to be performed, depending on the target position of the shelf and / or the complexity of the execution. As a matter of course, a person skilled in the art may consider combining the above factors to select the next task to be executed from the task pool under certain constraint conditions.

In step S503, the target area of the task is calculated. The storage area is divided into a plurality of areas according to the sorting of the shelves, the shelf distribution density for each area (the number of existing shelves / the number of storage positions in the area) is calculated, and the area with a low density is selected.

In step S504, the target position of the task is determined. After determining the target area, the vacant storage positions in the area are sorted and classified according to the depth of the vacant storage positions, for example, a first type of vacant storage position having shelves and / or obstacles on three sides. A second type of empty storage location with shelves and / or obstacles on both sides, a third type of empty storage location with shelves and / or obstacles on one side, and no shelves and / or obstacles around It is divided into four types, a fourth type of empty storage position. Preferably, a free storage location is selected from the first type. If there are multiple vacant storage locations of the first type, the vacant location closer to the target shelf is selected according to the principle of the shortest distance. In the first type, if there is no empty storage position satisfying the condition, a selection is made from the second type, and so on, and an appropriate target position for the warehousing task is selected. When it is not possible to find an empty storage position satisfying the above four types in one target area, for example, the area having the smallest shelf distribution density among the remaining target areas can be newly selected as the target area.

In step S505, after determining the target position of the warehousing task, the vacant automatic guided vehicle is selected, and the vacant automatic guided vehicle closest to the warehousing target shelf is determined according to the principle closest to the target shelf in the task.

In step S506, the automatic guided vehicle for the warehousing task is determined, and then the warehousing transport task is executed. Preferably, the running task status (shelf lift, move start, shelf lift, move complete) can be reported at the same time. After the target shelf in the warehousing task moves to the target position in the storage area, the completion of the task is reported to the host system and the automatic guided vehicle is released.

Finally, when the existence of unfinished tasks is confirmed, the above flow is repeated until the target shelves for all the tasks in the task pool are transported to the target positions.

FIG. 10 shows an entry / exit control device 600 for a shelf array according to an embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 10, the scheduling device 600 includes a warehousing task receiving unit 601, a transport policy creating unit 602, and a warehousing execution unit 603.

The warehousing task receiving unit 601 receives the warehousing task for the target shelf, and the transport policy creation unit 602 acquires the available storage positions in the shelf array and, based on the types of available storage positions, said. The target position of the target shelf is determined, and the warehousing execution unit 603 is coupled to the transfer policy creation unit 602, and is configured to transport the target shelf to the target position and complete the warehousing task.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the warehousing task receiving unit 601 and the transport policy creating unit 602 and the warehousing execution unit 603 can be realized in the form of software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware.

According to one preferred embodiment, the types of storage positions available are the first type of storage position with shelves and / or obstacles on three sides and the shelves and / or obstacles on both sides. There is a second type of available storage position, a third type of available storage position with shelves and / or obstacles on one side, and a fourth type of storage position without shelves and / or obstacles around it. Includes available storage locations.

According to one preferred embodiment, the step of determining the target position of the target shelf is the storage available according to the priority of the first type, the second type, the third type, the fourth type. This includes selecting a position and, if there are multiple available storage positions of the same type, selecting the available storage position with the shortest distance as the target position on the target shelf.

A second aspect of the present disclosure further receives a shelf array containing a plurality of shelves and a warehousing task for the target shelf to obtain available storage positions in the shelf array and of the available storage positions. A control system that determines the target position of the target shelf based on the type and one or more unmanned transport vehicles coupled to the control system and configured to transport the target shelf to the target position. Including, relating to the transport system. The control system is configured to be able to execute the warehousing / delivery control method 400 or 500.

A second aspect of the present disclosure further relates to a computer-readable storage medium in which a computer program that implements the warehousing / delivery control method 400 or 500 as described above, when executed by a processor, is stored.

The above description of the first aspect and the following description of the third aspect are all incorporated herein by reference.

(Third aspect)
Hereinafter, the warehousing / delivery scheduling method 700 for the shelf array according to the third aspect of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 11, the warehousing / delivery scheduling method 700 includes steps S701 to S704.

In step S701, at least two scheduling tasks including shelf information and priority are received, and it is determined whether the scheduling task is a warehousing task or a warehousing task.

The scheduling system comprehensively calculates the priority of the task based on the specific information of the task, extracts at least two appropriate tasks from the task pool, and performs scheduling. For example, a scheduling system may use a task pool depending on factors such as task priority, task creation time or latency, shelf location (eg, obtained from a query to the shelf code), and execution complexity. You can sort the tasks in, or select one or two tasks from them to perform scheduling.

Specifically, if the scheduling system selects the next one or two tasks to be executed from the task pool according to the priority, for example, some priorities mean that the task is executed immediately. , Tasks with that priority must be immediately detected and executed from the task pool. Alternatively, the scheduling system can refer to the waiting time so far to select the next task to be executed from the task pool, for example, selecting the task having the longest waiting time from the task pool. By executing it next time, it is possible to prevent a task from being stored in the task pool for a long time and not being executed. Alternatively, the scheduling system can determine the next task to perform, depending on the location of the shelf and / or the complexity of the execution. For example, for the issue scheduling task, the task corresponding to the directly transportable shelf can be executed first.

In step S702, an automatic guided vehicle is assigned to at least the two scheduling tasks.

In step S703, the execution path of the at least two scheduling tasks is planned. For the warehousing task, it includes determining the target position of the shelf to be warehousing, for example, as described in steps S403 and S504 of the second aspect of the present invention, the description of which is omitted here.

In step S704, at least two scheduling tasks are executed by using the automatic guided vehicle, and if the priority of the warehousing scheduling task is higher than the priority of the warehousing scheduling task, the target position of the warehousing task is the execution of the warehousing task. Ensure that it is not located on the route, that is, it is evacuated from the execution route of the issuing task.

A preferred embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. It is possible to realize hybrid work of warehousing and warehousing and avoid the generation of air cores.

The shelf 50 has a high task priority as an object of the warehousing task, and the shelf 28 has a low task priority as an object of the warehousing task.

In the scheduling flow, two tasks are received, and the shelf 50 is scheduled first according to the task priority.

Free storage positions (4, 12, 20) in the storage area are selected.

20 is determined as the target position of the shelf 50 based on the maximum depth free position selection policy.

A vacant automatic guided vehicle is selected to carry out the transportation of the shelf 50.

Since the shelf 28 does not have a carry-out obstruction shelf, an empty automatic guided vehicle is assigned to carry out the transportation.

If the shelf 50 has reached the target position 20 and execution of the shelf 28 has not started, the task of the shelf 28 is rescheduled.

When the shelf 50 reaches the target position 20 and the execution of the shelf 28 has already begun to move away from the original position, there is an empty storage position with greater depth in the four directions of the original target position with respect to the shelf 50. It is necessary to detect whether or not there is, and according to the detection, the actual target position of the shelf 50 becomes 28 because it has been found that the shelf 28 has already separated and there is an empty storage position.

In a layout where warehouse shelves / pallets are closely arranged, the hybrid work of loading and unloading shelves / pallets is a service scene that always occurs.

1. Receive a shelf / pallet warehousing or unloading task, put it in the task pool and wait for scheduling.

2. Take out one task based on the priority of the task.

3. If it is a warehousing task, calculate the warehousing area and target position.

4. Allocate an automated guided vehicle to the warehousing task and execute it.

5. If it is a warehousing task, the movement route of the warehousing task is calculated and one optimum movement route is estimated.

6. If there is a carry-out obstruction shelf / pallet in the optimum movement route, calculate the target position of the carry-out obstruction shelf / pallet.

7. Allocate an automated guided vehicle to the carry-out obstruction shelf / pallet and execute it.

8. If there is no carry-out obstruction shelf / pallet in the optimum movement route, assign an automatic guided vehicle to the delivery task and execute it.

9. After the automatic guided vehicle transports the target shelf in the task to the target position, the automatic guided vehicle resource is released and the task is completed.

10. If a service deadlock occurs in the warehousing task and the warehousing task during transportation, the deadlock is resolved by an avoidance method.

11. If the priority of the warehousing task is higher than that of the warehousing task, the position on the route of the warehousing shelf cannot be set as the target position of the warehousing shelf.

According to a preferred embodiment, the step of planning the execution path of at least two scheduling tasks includes selecting available storage locations for the warehousing task according to the principle of maximum depth. For example, assuming that there is only a warehousing task for the shelf 50, taking FIG. 12 as an example, position 20 is selected as the target position instead of position 12 according to the principle of maximum depth.

According to a preferred embodiment, the warehousing / delivery scheduling method 700 has a depth around the target position after the automatic guided vehicle completes the warehousing task, that is, after transporting the warehousing shelf to the target position. It continues to detect if there is a larger available storage position, and if so, uses the automatic guided vehicle to transport the shelf corresponding to the warehousing task to the greater available storage position. Including further.

According to one preferred embodiment, the step of planning the execution path of the at least two scheduling tasks is the goal if there is no carry-out obstruction shelf or obstacle in at least one direction of the target shelf for the issue task. The shelf is directly carried out, otherwise, the carry-out route of the target shelf is determined, and if the target shelf has a plurality of carry-out routes, one carry-out route is selected from the carry-out routes and the carry-out route is selected. Includes determining transport policies, including unloading the unloading obstruction shelf.

According to one preferred embodiment, the step of planning the execution route of at least two scheduling tasks determines the unloading position of the unloading obstruction shelf on the unloading route and corresponds to the unloading obstruction shelf on the unloading route. It further includes transporting to the carry-out position.

According to a preferred embodiment, determining the carry-out position of the carry-out obstruction shelf on the carry-out route is a condition that the empty storage position that obstructs the carry-out route of the carry-out obstruction shelf itself is not selected, and the empty storage having the maximum depth. It includes selecting the unloading position based on the condition of preferentially selecting the position and the condition of preferentially selecting the vacant storage position closest to the unloading obstruction shelf itself.

According to one preferred embodiment, the step of selecting the one unloading route calculates the total unloading load of each unloading obstruction shelf on each unloading route, and selects the unloading route that minimizes the unloading load as a whole. Including doing.

According to one preferred embodiment, the carry-out load includes a weighted sum of the distance traveled and the number of cornering times.

According to a preferred embodiment, the warehousing / delivery scheduling method 700 further includes retrieving the scheduling task from the task queue according to a certain priority, and the factor for determining the priority of the task is the priority of the task itself. Includes task depth (number of unloaded obstruction shelves), task issuance time, and task urgency (difference between issuance time and current time).

A third aspect of the present invention further receives a shelf array including a plurality of shelves, one or more unmanned carriers, and at least two scheduling tasks including shelf information and priorities, wherein the scheduling tasks. It is determined whether it is a warehousing task or a warehousing task, an unmanned carrier is assigned to the at least two scheduling tasks, an execution route of the at least two scheduling tasks is planned, and the unmanned carrier is used. If at least two scheduling tasks are executed and the issue scheduling task has a higher priority than the warehousing scheduling task, the target position of the warehousing task cannot be located in the execution path of the warehousing task. The present invention relates to a transport system in which the control system is coupled to the unmanned transport vehicle, the unmanned transport vehicle receives the transport policy, and executes a transport task based on the transport policy.

A third aspect of the present disclosure further relates to a computer-readable storage medium in which a computer program that implements the warehousing / delivery scheduling method 700 as described above, when executed by a processor, is stored.

The above description of the first aspect and the second aspect are all incorporated herein by reference.

The warehousing / delivery scheduling methods according to the first, second, and third aspects of the present disclosure will be described above, and although the first, second, and third aspects have their respective priorities, they can be combined with each other. Something is understood by those skilled in the art.

For example, the first aspect focuses on warehousing control for the shelf, the second aspect focuses on warehousing control on the shelf, and the third aspect focuses on warehousing / delivery hybrid control. However, the technical features of each of the above embodiments can be applied in combination with each other. For example, the warehousing control method or feature in the first aspect may be applied to the second and third aspects, and the warehousing control method or feature in the second aspect is applied to the first and third aspects. The warehousing / delivery hybrid feature in the third aspect may be applied to the first and second aspects.

The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the present invention. All modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the concept and principles of the present invention are the present invention. Should be included within the scope of protection of.

It should be noted that the above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the above examples, those skilled in the art still carry out the above-mentioned respective embodiments. The technical means described in the examples can be modified or equivalent replacements can be made for some of the technical features thereof. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the invention should be within the scope of the invention.

Claims (35)

It is a warehousing / delivery control method for shelf arrays.
Receiving issue tasks for the target shelf and
Based on the position of the target shelf in the shelf array, if there is no unloading obstruction shelf or obstacle in at least one direction of the target shelf, the target shelf is directly unloaded, otherwise the target shelf is unloaded. When a route is determined and the target shelf has a plurality of carry-out routes, one carry-out route is selected from among them, the carry-out obstruction shelf on the carry-out route is carried out, and then the target shelf is carried out. Determining the transport policy, including
A warehousing / delivery control method comprising executing the transport policy and unloading the target shelf. The warehousing / delivery control method according to claim 1, wherein the step of carrying out the target shelf includes carrying out the target shelf using an automatic guided vehicle. The first or second aspect of claim 1 or 2, further comprising determining a target position of the carry-out obstruction shelf on the carry-out route and transporting the carry-out obstruction shelf on the carry-out route to the corresponding target position. Entry / exit control method. Determining the target position of the carry-out obstruction shelf on the carry-out route is based on the condition that the target position does not interfere with the delivery task, the condition that the empty storage position having the maximum depth is selected, and the space closest to the carry-out obstruction shelf itself. The warehousing / delivery control method according to claim 3, further comprising selecting a target position of the carry-out obstruction shelf based on a condition of selecting a storage position and one or more of them. The step of selecting one unloading route is characterized by calculating the total unloading load of each unloading obstruction shelf on each unloading route and selecting the unloading route that minimizes the overall unloading load. The warehousing / delivery control method according to claim 3. The warehousing / delivery control method according to claim 5, wherein the unloading load includes a weighted sum of the number of unloading obstruction shelves, the moving distance, and the number of cornering times. Further including retrieving one issue task from the task queue in a fixed order, the factors that determine the order of the tasks are the priority of the issue task, the waiting time of the issue task, the position of the target shelf corresponding to the issue task, and /. Alternatively, the warehousing / delivery control method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the complexity of execution is included. After determining the transport policy, it further includes generating a task group including unloading of the unloading obstruction shelf on the unloading route and unloading of the target shelf, and allocating an automatic guided vehicle based on the task group. The warehousing / delivery control method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that. When the target positions of at least two carry-out obstruction shelves are in one one-way aisle, the target positions of the at least two carry-out obstruction shelves are set at the entrances of the one-way aisles, depending on the order of reaching the entrances. The warehousing / delivery control method according to claim 3, wherein the warehousing / delivery control method is performed at the innermost position of the one-way passage. Scheduling device for shelf arrays
A target shelf determination unit that receives delivery tasks for the target shelf and determines the position of the target shelf in the shelf array.
Based on the position of the target shelf in the shelf array, if there is no unloading obstruction shelf or obstacle in at least one direction of the target shelf, the target shelf is directly unloaded, otherwise the target shelf is unloaded. Transport to determine a route and, if the target shelf has multiple unloading routes, select one unloading route from among them to determine a transport policy including unloading the unloading obstruction shelf on the unloading route. Policy creation unit and
A device including an execution unit coupled to the transport policy creation unit and configured to control an automated guided vehicle based on the transport policy. The transport policy creation unit is configured to determine the carry-out position of the carry-out obstruction shelf on the carry-out route and carry the carry-out obstruction shelf on the carry-out route to the corresponding carry-out position, and transfers the one carry-out route. The step of selection includes calculating the sum of the unloading loads of each unloading obstruction shelf on each unloading route and selecting the unloading route that minimizes the overall unloading load, the unloading load being the travel distance and cornering. The device of claim 10, comprising a weighted sum of times. A shelf array containing multiple shelves and
Receives exit tasks for the target shelf and determines the position of the target shelf in the shelf array, and based on the position of the target shelf in the shelf array, there are no unloading obstruction shelves or obstacles in one direction of the target shelf. In the case, the target shelf is directly carried out from the direction, otherwise the carry-out route of the target shelf is determined, and if the target shelf has a plurality of carry-out routes, one of the optimum carry-out routes is selected. To determine the transport policy, including unloading the unloading obstruction shelf on the unloading route, and the control system.
A transport system that is coupled to the control system and includes one or more automatic guided vehicles that receive the transport policy and perform transport tasks based on the transport policy. A computer-readable storage medium in which a computer program that realizes the warehousing / delivery control method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is stored when executed by a processor. It is a warehousing / delivery control method for shelf arrays.
Receiving goods receipt tasks for the target shelf and
Acquiring available storage locations in the shelf array
Determining the target position of the target shelf based on the type of storage position available, and
A warehousing / delivery control method including transporting the target shelf to the target position. The available storage position types are the available storage position of the first type with shelves and / or obstacles on three sides and the available storage position of the second type with shelves and / or obstacles on both sides. Includes storage locations, a third type of available storage location with shelves and / or obstacles on one side, and a fourth type of available storage location with no shelves and / or obstacles around. The warehousing / delivery control method according to claim 14. The step of determining the target position of the target shelf selects available storage positions according to the priority of the first type, the second type, the third type, and the fourth type, and uses the same type. The warehousing / delivery control method according to claim 15, wherein when there are a plurality of possible storage positions, the available storage position having the shortest distance is selected as the target position of the target shelf. The warehousing / delivery control method according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the step of transporting the target shelf to the target position includes controlling an automatic guided vehicle to transport the target shelf to the target position. The warehousing / delivery control method according to claim 14 or 15, further comprising selecting an automatic guided vehicle closest to the target shelf and transporting the target shelf to the target position. Further including retrieving one warehousing task from the task queue according to a certain priority, the factors that determine the priority of the task are the priority of the task itself, the task creation time and / or the waiting time so far. The warehousing / delivery control method according to claim 14 or 15, which comprises complexity of execution. It is a warehousing / delivery control device for shelf arrays.
A goods receipt task receiving unit that receives goods receipt tasks for the target shelf, and
A transport policy creation unit configured to acquire the available storage positions in the shelf array and determine the target position of the target shelf based on the type of available storage position.
An warehousing / delivery control device including an automatic guided vehicle configured to transport the target shelf to the target position. The available storage position types are the available storage position of the first type with shelves and / or obstacles on three sides and the available storage position of the second type with shelves and / or obstacles on both sides. Includes storage locations, a third type of available storage location with shelves and / or obstacles on one side, and a fourth type of available storage location with no shelves and / or obstacles around. The warehousing / delivery control device according to claim 20. The step of determining the target position of the target shelf selects available storage positions according to the priority of the first type, the second type, the third type, and the fourth type, and uses the same type. 21. The warehousing / delivery control device according to claim 21, wherein when there are a plurality of possible storage positions, the available storage position having the shortest distance is selected as the target position of the target shelf. A shelf array containing multiple shelves and
A control system that receives a goods receipt task for a target shelf, obtains available storage positions in the shelf array, and determines a target position for the target shelf based on the type of available storage position.
A transport system comprising one or more automated guided vehicles coupled to the control system and configured to transport the target shelf to the target position. A computer-readable storage medium in which a computer program that realizes the warehousing / delivery control method according to any one of claims 14 to 19 is stored when executed by a processor. A warehousing / delivery scheduling method for shelf arrays,
Receiving at least two scheduling tasks, including shelf information and priorities, to determine if the scheduling task is an issuing task or a warehousing task.
Assigning automatic guided vehicles to at least the two scheduling tasks
Planning the execution route of at least two scheduling tasks and
When the at least two scheduling tasks are executed by using the automatic guided vehicle and the priority of the warehousing scheduling task is higher than the priority of the warehousing scheduling task, the target position of the warehousing task is evacuated from the execution route of the warehousing task. That and the warehousing / delivery scheduling method including. The warehousing / delivery scheduling method according to claim 25, wherein the step of planning the execution route of at least two scheduling tasks includes selecting an available storage position for the warehousing task according to the principle of maximum depth. .. After the automatic guided vehicle completes the warehousing task, it detects if there is an available storage position with a greater depth around the target position, and if so, the automated guided vehicle is used for the warehousing task. 26. The warehousing / delivery scheduling method according to claim 26, further comprising transporting the corresponding shelf to an available storage position having a greater depth. The step of planning the execution route of the at least two scheduling tasks is to directly unload the target shelf if there is no unloading obstruction shelf or obstacle in at least one direction of the target shelf for the warehousing task. If not, the carry-out route of the target shelf is determined, and if the target shelf has a plurality of carry-out routes, one carry-out route is selected from among them and the carry-out obstruction shelf on the carry-out route is carried out. 27. The warehousing / delivery scheduling method according to claim 27, which comprises determining a transport policy comprising. The step of planning the execution route of the at least two scheduling tasks further determines the carry-out position of the carry-out obstruction shelf on the carry-out route and transports the carry-out obstruction shelf on the carry-out route to the corresponding carry-out position. 28. The warehousing / delivery scheduling method according to claim 28. Determining the carry-out position of the carry-out obstruction shelf on the carry-out route is to preferentially select the empty storage position having the maximum depth and the condition that the empty storage position that obstructs the carry-out route of the carry-out obstruction shelf itself is not selected. The warehousing / delivery scheduling method according to claim 29, wherein the unloading position is selected based on the condition and the condition that the vacant storage position closest to the unloading obstruction shelf itself is preferentially selected. .. The step of selecting one unloading route is characterized by calculating the total unloading load of each unloading obstruction shelf on each unloading route and selecting the unloading route that minimizes the unloading load as a whole. The warehousing / delivery scheduling method according to claim 29. The warehousing / delivery scheduling method according to claim 31, wherein the unloading load includes a weighted sum of the moving distance and the number of cornering times. Further including retrieving the scheduling task from the task queue according to a certain priority, the factors that determine the priority of the task are the priority of the task itself, the task creation time and / or the waiting time so far, and the shelf. The warehousing / delivery scheduling method according to claim 25 or 26, which comprises the complexity of location and execution. A shelf array containing multiple shelves and
With one or more automatic guided vehicles,
Receives at least two scheduling tasks including shelf information and priority, determines whether the scheduling task is a warehousing task or a warehousing task, and assigns an unmanned carrier to the at least two scheduling tasks. If the execution route of at least two scheduling tasks is planned, the at least two scheduling tasks are executed by using the unmanned carrier, and the priority of the warehousing scheduling task is higher than the priority of the warehousing scheduling task, Including a control system in which the target position of the warehousing task cannot be located in the execution path of the warehousing task.
A transfer system in which the control system is coupled to the automatic guided vehicle, the automatic guided vehicle receives the transfer policy, and executes a transfer task based on the transfer policy. A computer-readable storage medium in which a computer program that implements the warehousing / delivery scheduling method according to any one of claims 25 to 33, when executed by a processor, is stored.