JP2021071826A - Work management device and work management program and work management method - Google Patents

Abstract

To grasp progress of a work easily.SOLUTION: A picking system 10 includes a work management server 12, the work management server manages a working state of a picking work using AGV16 by generating and updating a working state table for each customer (delivery destination) who is an orderer. In addition, the work management server generates display image data of a working state screen in which squares (102) that show a remaining workload of the picking work for each delivery destination are arranged in a row based on the received order information, and changes a background color of each square according to a working state of the picking work by referring to the working state table. Also, the squares are sorted according to a predetermined rule so that background colors of the same color are lined up. Thus, a region for each color is formed, and the difference in size or distribution of the regions indicates a work state and progress of the overall picking work.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a work management device, a work management program and a work management method, and more particularly to a work management device, a work management program and a work management method for managing the progress of picking work.

An example of the background technique is disclosed in Patent Document 1. In the progress management table disclosed in Patent Document 1, one axis is a time axis, the other axis is a work target axis indicating a work target or type item, and a plurality of work targets or type items are set on the work target axis. In addition to displaying them side by side, the current items are displayed in a line parallel to the work target axis, and the work results are displayed on one side and the work schedule is displayed on the other side. The state of slowness in the progress of work is classified by color and identified and displayed on the strip-shaped line that extends.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-96225

In such a progress management table disclosed in Patent Document 1, the late state in the progress of work is classified by color and identified and displayed on a band-shaped line extending from the work target axis along the time axis. Since the work results and work schedules are shown along the time axis across the current time line that displays the time, there is a lot of information about one work target or type item. For this reason, the number of work targets or type items displayed on the monitor screen at one time becomes relatively small, and if the size of the monitor screen is small, scroll the monitor screen to perform the entire work. You need to keep track of your progress. In order to avoid this, it is possible to increase the size of the monitor screen, but it is difficult to grasp the progress of the entire work because there is a lot of information about the target or type item of each work.

Therefore, a main object of the present invention is to provide a novel work management device, work management program and work management method.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a work management device, a work management program, and a work management method capable of easily grasping the progress of work.

The first invention is a work management device for arranging and displaying a display object describing a delivery destination of an article to be picked and a remaining work amount on a display device, wherein the remaining work amount and picking of the current picking work are performed. It is a work management device including an output unit that outputs display data for changing and displaying the arrangement order and display state of the display objects according to the work state of the work.

The second invention is subordinate to the first invention, and the output unit displays the display objects by changing the order of the arrangement of the display objects according to the remaining amount of the picking work.

The third invention is subordinate to the first or second invention, and the output unit changes and displays the display state of the display object according to the work state of the picking operation.

The fourth invention is subordinate to the third invention, and the output unit changes and displays the display state of the display object according to whether the picking operation has not been started or has been started.

The fifth invention is subordinate to the fourth invention, and the output unit of the display object, when the picking work has been started, further depending on whether the picking work is in progress or the work is completed. Change the display status to display.

The sixth invention is subordinate to the fifth invention, and further, when the picking work is in progress, further determines the progress state of the picking work indicating whether the picking work is proceeding smoothly or delayed. When the picking work is in progress, the output unit further changes and displays the display state of the display object according to the progress state of the picking work.

The seventh invention is subordinate to the sixth invention, and further, the picking is based on the remaining amount of the picking work and the processing capacity of the worker in response to the worker starting the picking work. A target value calculation unit for calculating a target value of the remaining work amount corresponding to the elapsed time from the start to the end of the work is provided, and the judgment unit includes the remaining work amount of the current picking work and the start of the picking work. The progress of the picking work is determined based on the target value corresponding to the elapsed time from to the present.

The eighth invention is subordinate to any of the first to seventh inventions, and is based on an article registration unit for registering an article to be picked and a type of the article to be picked registered by the article registration unit. Further, a work amount calculation unit for calculating the work amount of the picking work is further provided.

The ninth invention is subordinate to any of the first to eighth inventions, and the amount of work is the total number of types of articles to be picked.

The tenth invention is dependent on any of the first to ninth inventions, and the amount of work is the total number of articles to be picked and / or the total weight of the articles to be picked.

The eleventh invention is subordinate to any of the first to tenth inventions, and the confirmation unit confirms the completion of the picking work of the picking target article, and the confirmation unit confirms the completion of the picking work of the picking target article. The output unit further includes an update unit that updates the current remaining work amount of the picking work and the work state of the picking work according to what has been done, and the output unit is the remaining work of the picking work updated by the update unit. The display data for displaying by changing the order and display state of the arrangement of the display objects is updated and output to the display device according to the amount and the work state of the picking operation.

A twelfth invention is a work management program executed by a computer that arranges and displays a display object that describes a delivery destination of an article to be picked and a remaining work amount on a display device, and is currently used in a computer processor. In a work management program that causes the display device to output display data for changing the arrangement order and display state of the display objects according to the remaining work amount of the picking work and the work state of the picking work. is there.

A thirteenth invention is a work management method for displaying a display object describing a delivery destination of an article to be picked and a remaining work amount on a display device, wherein the remaining work amount of the current picking work and the work of the picking work are performed. It is a work management method including a step of outputting display data for displaying by changing the order of arrangement of the display objects and the display state according to the state to the display device.

According to the present invention, the progress of the work can be easily grasped.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of a picking system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of the work management server shown in FIG. FIG. 3A is a diagram showing an example of the right side surface of the appearance configuration of the AGV shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3B is a diagram showing an example of the lower surface of the appearance configuration of the AGV shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of the AGV shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a working state table. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a first example of a work state screen displayed on the display device shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a second example of a work state screen displayed on the display device shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a third example of a work state screen displayed on the display device shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a fourth example of a work state screen displayed on the display device shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a fifth example of a work state screen displayed on the display device shown in FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a sixth example of a work state screen displayed on the display device shown in FIG. FIG. 12 is an example of a judgment straight line for judging whether or not the picking work is delayed and a graph showing the progress of the actual work. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a memory map of the memory shown in FIG. FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing an example of the sticker printing process of the CPU of the order receiving device shown in FIG. FIG. 15 is a flow chart showing an example of order management processing of the CPU of the order management server shown in FIG. FIG. 16 is a flow chart showing an example of pre-work processing of the CPU of the tablet terminal shown in FIG. FIG. 17 is a flow chart showing an example of pre-work processing of the CPU of the work management server shown in FIG. FIG. 18 is a flow chart showing an example of picking work processing of the CPU of the tablet terminal shown in FIG. FIG. 19 is a flow chart showing an example of picking work processing of the CPU of the work management server shown in FIG. FIG. 20 is a flow chart showing an example of screen display processing of the CPU of the work management server shown in FIG. FIG. 21 is a diagram showing another example of the work state screen displayed on the display device shown in FIG.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the picking system 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The picking system 10 is applied to a company that picks goods or goods (hereinafter, simply referred to as "goods") stored in a warehouse, such as Internet shopping and TV shopping.

As shown in FIG. 1, the picking system 10 includes a work management server 12, and the work management server 12 is connected to the display device 14 by wire or wirelessly.

Further, the work management server 12 is wirelessly connected to each of the plurality of autonomous transfer devices (hereinafter referred to as “AGV”) 16 and the tablet terminal 16a mounted on the AGV 16. However, a plurality of access points are provided in a place such as a warehouse where the AGV 16 autonomously travels, and each AGV 16 and each tablet terminal 16a communicate with the work management server 12 (transmission and / /) via a network including the access point. Or receive). In this embodiment, the work management server 12 stores a table in which which tablet terminal 16a is mounted on which AGV 16 is stored, and is based on the data (information) or notification received from the tablet terminal 16a. Data (information) or instructions are transmitted to the AGV 16 on which the tablet terminal 16a is mounted, or data (information) is sent to the tablet terminal 16a mounted on the AGV 16 based on the data (information) or notification received from the AGV 16. Can be sent.

Further, the work management server 12 is connected to the order management server 18 by wire or wirelessly. The order management server 18 is connected to the order receiving device 20 by wire or wirelessly. The order receiving device 20 is connected to the sticker printing device 22 by wire or wirelessly. Further, the order receiving device 20 is connected to a plurality of customer terminals 24 via a network such as the Internet.

The work management server 12 is a server for managing picking work, and a general-purpose server can be used. The AGV 16 is a trolley capable of autonomous traveling, and transports a product picked by an operator to a predetermined place (for example, a product loading / unloading place or a waiting place). Further, each AGV 16 is equipped with or mounted on a tablet terminal 16a and a barcode reader 16b. The tablet terminal 16a is a general-purpose tablet terminal, and includes components such as a CPU, a memory, a communication device, and a touch display.

In this embodiment, the tablet terminal 16a is used to display a guide image for assisting the operator performing the picking operation and to input information or instructions necessary for the picking operation. The guide image is an image of the product to be picked, a map image for showing the position of the shelf where the product to be picked is stored in the warehouse, an illustration image showing the position in the shelf where the product to be picked is stored, and the like. is there. The information required for the picking operation is the identification information (worker ID) of the worker and the information about one or more kinds of products to be picked. Further, the instructions required in the picking work are instructions for starting the movement of the AGV 16, specifically, an instruction for starting the picking work and an instruction for moving to the picking work for the next product. However, before the start of the picking work, the tablet terminal 16a acquires the worker information and receives the reading instruction (reading start instruction) of the barcode printed on the sticker. As will be described later, the sticker is printed with information about the product to be picked.

In this embodiment, the work management server 12, the AGV 16, the tablet terminal 16a, and the bar code reader 16b constitute a work management system 10a that manages the picking work.

The tablet terminal 16a transmits a barcode reading instruction to the barcode reader 16b, and acquires the barcode data read by the barcode reader 16b. The barcode reader 16b is a general-purpose barcode reader, and in this embodiment, it is printed on the barcode printed on the sticker by the sticker printing device 22 and on the packing material of the product or the label attached to the packing material. It is used to read the barcode that is printed. However, when the worker information (worker ID) is printed on the worker's name tag with a barcode, it may also be used when reading this barcode.

The order management server 18 is a server for generating and updating (or adding) order information based on the print record information received (or received) from the order receiving device 20 and transmitting the order information to the work management server 12. , A general-purpose server can be used. Although a specific configuration is omitted, the order management server 18 has the same configuration as the work management server 12, and includes components such as a CPU, a memory, and a communication device (see FIG. 2).

Although not shown, a plurality of work management servers 12 may be connected to the order management server 18, and in that case, work management of a destination for transmitting order information according to the product to be picked. The server 12 is determined. For example, when a plurality of warehouses are provided or a plurality of floors are provided in the warehouse, a work management server 12 is provided for each warehouse or each floor. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, when one work management server 12 is provided, the order management server 18 can be omitted.

The order receiving device 20 is a general-purpose personal computer for receiving an order from a customer. Although a specific configuration is omitted, the order receiving device 20 includes components such as a CPU, a memory, and a communication device. The order receiving device 20 generates data (that is, print data) for printing the order contents on the sticker in a predetermined format according to the instruction of the CPU, and the generated print data is transmitted to the sticker printing device 22.

Further, the order receiving device 20 prints the order contents corresponding to the print data on the sticker printing device 22, and transmits the print result information to the order management server 18. The print record information is the information printed on the sticker and is substantially the same as the order details. That is, the print record information includes the shelf number, product number, product name, standard, quantity, customer name, customer number, and bar code information printed on the sticker, as will be described later. However, information about one type of product is printed on one sticker. Therefore, when a customer orders a plurality of types of products at one time, the same number of stickers as the number of types of products are printed.

In this embodiment, the sticker is printed with a shelf number, a product number, a product name, a standard, a quantity, a customer name, and a customer number, and a bar code encoding these pieces of information is printed. However, the shelf number is an identification number or identification information assigned to the shelf in which the ordered product is stored, and indicates the position on the map where the shelf is arranged. In this embodiment, the shelf numbers are represented using alphanumeric characters, and when a plurality of shelf numbers are sorted according to a predetermined rule and the positions of the shelves are traced in the order of the sorted shelf numbers, the AGV 16 is picked. It is attached to each shelf so that it moves from the starting position of the work to the unloading place of the product.

In this embodiment, the alphanumeric characters are 9 numbers from 1 to 9 and 26 alphabets from A to Z, and the predetermined rule is the order from the smallest number to the largest number and the order of the alphabet. Yes, numbers are prioritized (before) over alphabets. However, if the shelf number is 2 digits, the order is determined based on the alphanumeric characters on the left digit, and if the left digit is the same alphanumeric character, the order is based on the alphanumeric characters on the right digit. It is determined. If the shelf number is 3 digits, the order is determined based on the alphanumeric characters of the left digit, and if the left digit is the same alphanumeric character, the order is determined based on the alphanumeric characters of the middle digit. Is determined, and if the middle digit is the same alphanumeric character, the order is determined based on the alphanumeric character of the right digit. These are all the same for the "predetermined rules" described herein.

The product number is an identification number or identification information given to the ordered product. The product name is the name of the ordered product. A standard is a measure of technical matters such as the material, weight, and dimensions of an ordered product. The quantity is the number of products ordered. The customer name is the name of the customer (or the delivery destination of the product to be picked), that is, the name of the orderer of the product (for example, company name or personal name). The customer number is an identification number or identification information attached to the customer. In this embodiment, the customer number is represented by two-digit alphanumeric characters.

The sticker printing device 22 is a printing device for printing the order contents corresponding to the print data on the sticker, and the printing process is executed a plurality of times (for example, three times) a day according to the instruction from the order receiving device 20. To print. In this embodiment, the order details are printed at 12:00, 14:00 and 15:00. The order receiving device 20 seals the print data for all the orders received from the end of the previous printing process (in the case of the first time, the start of receiving the order) to the start (or instruction) of the current printing process. It is transmitted to the printing device 22.

However, the number of times of printing and the time of printing are examples, and need not be limited, and can be arbitrarily determined by a company or the like to which the picking system 10 is applied. Further, it is not necessary to print at a predetermined number of times and at a predetermined time, and in another embodiment, the printing process may be executed every time an order is received from a predetermined number of customers.

The customer terminal 24 is a general-purpose computer or terminal such as a PC, a smartphone, or a tablet used by the customer. Since Internet shopping is already well known, a detailed description thereof will be omitted, but the customer can open an order-dedicated Web page on the customer terminal 24 and order a desired product. However, the customer can also place an order by e-mail using the customer terminal 24.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, the customer is shown to place an order using the customer terminal 24, but the present invention is not limited to this. Customers can also order by phone or fax. In this case, the person in charge of receiving the telephone or facsimile registers the order contents in the order receiving device 20.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of the work management server 12 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the work management server 12 includes a CPU 30, and the CPU 30 is connected to the memory 32, the display control circuit 34, the first communication device 36, and the second communication device 38 via a bus.

The CPU 30 is a general-purpose processor that controls the entire work management server 12. The memory 32 includes, for example, an HDD, a ROM, and a RAM. The HDD is a non-volatile memory and stores various application programs executed by the work management server 12 and data used in the processing of each application program. The ROM is a non-volatile memory and stores programs such as a boot program and a BIOS. The RAM is a volatile memory and is used as a work area and a buffer area of the CPU 30.

The display control circuit 34 includes a GPU, a VRAM, and the like, and under the instruction of the CPU 30, the GPU displays various screens on the display device 14 using the image generation data 504a (see FIG. 13) stored in the RAM of the memory 32. Display image data for display is generated in VRAM, and the generated display image data is output (or transmitted) to the display device 14.

The first communication device 36 is a communication module for wirelessly communicating with other devices (here, the AGV 16 and the tablet terminal 16a). The first communication device 36 is a wireless communication module that can be connected to a LAN, and the communication method of this communication module is, for example, Wi-Fi or ZigBee (registered trademark).

The second communication device 38 is a communication module for communicating with another device (here, the order management server 18) by wire or wirelessly. The second communication device 38 is a wired or wireless communication module that can be connected to a LAN, and the communication method for wired communication is, for example, Ethernet (registered trademark), and the communication method for wireless communication is. For example, Wi-Fi.

FIG. 3 (A) is a view of the external configuration of the AGV 16 shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the right side, and FIG. 3 (B) is a view of the external configuration of the AGV 16 shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the bottom surface. Here, the mechanical configuration of the AGV 16 of the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 (A) and 3 (B).

As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the AGV 16 includes a loading platform 160, and the loading platform 160 is formed in an L shape when the AGV 16 is viewed from the right side surface. The loading platform 160 is composed of a pedestal 160a on which a container 162 for loading (or loading) picked products is placed, and a wall portion 160b connected to the pedestal 160a and extending in the vertical direction. The tablet terminal 16a and the barcode reader 16b described above are placed (or fixed) on the upper surface of the wall portion 160b.

Wheels are provided at the four corners of the lower surface of the loading platform 160 (or the pedestal 160a). In this embodiment, left and right front wheels 16FL and 16FR and left and right rear wheels 16RL and 16RR are provided. The left and right front wheels 16FL and 16FR are auxiliary wheels and are rotatably provided with respect to the pedestal 160a. The left and right rear wheels 16RL and 16RR are driving wheels and are fixedly provided with respect to the pedestal 160a.

Therefore, by making the rotation speeds of the left and right rear wheels 160RL and 16RR different, the moving direction of the loading platform 160 (or AGV16) can be changed. For example, when the rotation of the left rear wheel 160RL is stopped (rotation speed is set to 0) and the right rear wheel 160RR is rotated (rotation speed is made larger than 0), the AGV 16 turns to the left. Further, when the rotation of the right rear wheel 160RR is stopped (rotation speed is set to 0) and the left rear wheel 160RL is rotated (rotation speed is made larger than 0), the AGV 16 turns to the right.

Further, an electrical configuration (see FIG. 4), which will be described later, is housed inside the pedestal 160a. However, a part of the wheel motor 58 (58L, 58R) protrudes from the pedestal 160a.

Further, a line sensor 60 and an RF tag reader 62 are provided on the lower surface of the AGV 16 (loading platform 160). In this embodiment, the line sensor 60 is the front end of the AGV 16 and is centrally located in the left-right direction. Further, in this embodiment, the RF tag reader 62 is arranged from the center to the front in the front-rear direction of the AGV 16 and from the center to the left in the left-right direction. The arrangement positions of the line sensor 60 and the RF tag reader 62 are examples, and need not be limited.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of the AGV 16 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the AGV 16 includes a CPU 50, and the CPU 50 is connected to a memory 52, a communication device 54, a wheel drive circuit 56, a line sensor 60, and an RF tag reader 62 via a bus. Further, the wheel drive circuit 56 is connected to the wheel motor 58.

The CPU 50 is a general-purpose processor that controls the entire AGV 16. The memory 52 includes an HDD, a ROM, and a RAM as an example. The HDD is a non-volatile memory and stores a control program for controlling the movement or running of the AGV 16 and data used in the processing of the control program. The ROM is a non-volatile memory and stores programs such as a boot program and a BIOS. The RAM is a volatile memory and is used as a work area and a buffer area of the CPU 50.

The communication device 54 is a communication module for wirelessly communicating with another device (here, the work management server 12). For example, the communication device 54 is a wireless communication module that can be connected to a LAN. The communication device 54 is a communication module having the same communication method (for example, Wi-Fi or ZigBee®) as the first communication device 36 of the work management server 12.

The wheel drive circuit 56 is a drive circuit for generating a drive voltage of the wheel motor 58 and applying the generated drive voltage to the wheel motor 58 under the instruction of the CPU 50. The wheel motor 58 is a motor for rotating the wheels of the AGV 16. Although omitted in FIG. 4, the wheel motor 58 is a left wheel motor 58L that drives the left rear wheel 16RF of the two front wheels (16FL, 16FR) and two rear wheels (16RL, 16RR) provided in the AGV 16. And the right wheel motor 58R that drives the right rear wheel 16RR. The wheel motor 58L and the wheel motor 58R are driven separately, and the AGV 16 is straight forward, left turn, right turn, acceleration, deceleration and stop.

The line sensor 60 detects a moving line installed (or pasted) on the floor in the warehouse. In this embodiment, the line is constructed of magnetic tape and is provided on the route on which the AGV 16 travels (or travels). Therefore, the AGV 16 moves along the line. Further, the line is provided on the floor surface along the course in which the AGV 16 moves with the reference width.

The RF tag reader 62 reads the tag information of the RFID tag installed (or pasted) on the floor surface in the warehouse. In this embodiment, the RFID tag is located near the line and at a position where the AGV 16 is desired to perform a predetermined operation different from the normal movement. The positions where the predetermined operation is desired are, for example, the picking work start position, the picking work position (that is, in front of the shelf where the product to be picked is stored), the product loading / unloading place, the AGV16 standby place, and the turning. The position where you want to move (turn left, turn right) and the position where you want to change the moving speed (acceleration, deceleration) are applicable. However, the picking work start position is the initial position of the AGV 16 when the picking work is started. The product picking operation position, the product loading / unloading location, and the AGV 16 standby location are the stop positions of the AGV 16.

Therefore, the AGV 16 reads the tag information of the RFID tag by the RF tag reader 62 and exchanges with the work management server 12 based on the read tag information. The work management server 12 grasps the position of each AGV 16 and transmits a movement instruction to each AGV 16, and causes each AGV 16 to execute a predetermined operation at a predetermined position.

In the picking system 10 having such a configuration, the order receiving device 20 receives orders from a plurality of customer terminals 24, and prints the order contents on the sticker by using the sticker printing device 22 at predetermined time intervals. .. In this embodiment, the order details are printed on the sticker at 12:00, 14:00 and 15:00 of the day. That is, the printing process is executed three times a day.

The sticker is printed for each customer, and when the customer orders a plurality of types of products, the sticker is printed for each product. The contents printed on the sticker are as described above.

Further, the order receiving device 20 controls the printing of the sticker and transmits the printing result information to the order management server 18. When the order management server 18 receives the print record information from the order receiving device 20, the order management server 18 updates the order information and transmits the added order information to the work management server 12. In this embodiment, the order information is substantially the same information as the print record information, and is information of a shelf number, a product number, a product name, a standard, a quantity, a customer name, a customer number, and a barcode. However, as will be described later, the work management server 12 adds the number of times (how many times) the order information is added in addition to the above-mentioned information in order to display the progress status of the picking work on the display device 14. The information of (was done) is added. This number of times corresponds to the number of times that the printing process of the sticker is executed.

As described above, the work management server 12 controls the movement of the AGV 16, manages the picking work status (or work status) and progress status, and further blocks the picking work status and progress status. ) Is displayed on the display device 14.

Further, in this embodiment, the worker performs the picking work on a customer-by-customer basis. Therefore, the worker prepares one or more stickers on which a certain customer number is printed, registers the worker ID using the tablet terminal 16a, and picks the sticker prior to the picking work. Register the information of the product to be used. For example, the worker ID is touch-input to the tablet terminal 16a. Further, the information of the product to be picked is input to the tablet terminal 16a by sequentially reading the barcodes printed on all the prepared stickers with the barcode reader 16b. The tablet terminal 16a transmits the worker ID to the work management server 12 and also transmits the barcode data read by the barcode reader 16b to the work management server 12. Therefore, the worker ID and the information of the product to be picked are registered in the work management server 12.

The work management server 12 refers to order information based on the barcode data received from the tablet terminal 16a, and picking work information, that is, product information corresponding to the barcode (that is, product number, product name, standard). , Acquire the location information and delivery destination information (that is, customer number) of the shelf on which the goods are placed. In this embodiment, the shelf position information is stored in the database managed by the work management server 12. In the shelf position information, for each product, the position on the map of the shelf on which the product indicated by this product information is stored (or placed) and the position in the shelf (the number of shelves) correspond to the product information. ) Is described. However, the map is a two-dimensional map in which the environment in which the AGV 16 moves (a predetermined area such as in a warehouse) is viewed from above, and the arrangement of shelves and lines is described. Information about this map (hereinafter, “map information”) is also stored in a database managed by the work management server 12. The same applies to the map and map information below. Although not shown, the database is provided in the memory 32 (for example, HDD) of the work management server 12 or is provided on the network so as to be able to communicate with the work management server 12.

Then, the work management server 12 registers the picking work information in a list (hereinafter, referred to as "picking work list") as a work target of the worker indicated by the worker state. Registration to the list of picking operations is performed for the number of seals.

When the work management server 12 generates a picking work list, the work management server 12 sorts the picking work information registered in the picking work list in the order of the shelf number. Therefore, when the AGV 16 is moved from the current position (movement start position) to the loading / unloading position, the picking work information is rearranged so that the products can be picked in order from the movement start position.

The picking work list in which the picking work information is sorted in the order of the shelf number is transmitted to the tablet terminal 16a used by the worker performing the picking work. The tablet terminal 16a stores the picking work list, and when the picking work is started, the tablet terminal 16a uses the picking work list for displaying the guide image and the picking work.

Since the processing in the tablet terminal 16a is not the essential content of the present invention, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Further, the work management server 12 uses the picking work list to generate route information for the AGV 16 to move. The work management server 12 acquires the position information of the shelf (that is, the position information of the target shelf) of the product listed in the picking work list and stores the next picked product from the database, and also obtains the database. The route information from the current position to the target shelf is generated by referring to the map information obtained from. The route information includes information on the position of the target shelf (that is, the next stop position) and the position (one or more locations) of turning left or right from the current position to the target shelf. The generated route information is transmitted to AGV16. The AGV 16 stores the route information in the memory 52 and uses the route information stored in the memory 52 to autonomously move to the target shelf. However, when the picking work is completed, the work management server 12 generates route information from the current position to the loading / unloading place of the product. Further, when the product is loaded and unloaded, the work management server 12 generates route information from the product loading / unloading place to the waiting place.

Since the movement of the AGV 16 is not an essential content of the present invention, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

When the pre-processing of the picking work as described above is completed, the processing of the picking work is started on the tablet terminal 16a, and a start button for instructing the start of the picking work is displayed on the touch display.

In this embodiment, the software start button is provided, but the hardware start button may be provided on the loading platform 160 of the AGV 16. In such a case, when the start button is turned on, the CPU 50 of the AGV 16 starts the picking work and notifies the work management server 12 of the start of the picking work by using the communication device 54.

When the worker turns on the start button, the picking operation is started. When the picking operation is started, the AGV 16 starts moving according to the route information and moves to the shelf where the first picked product is stored. Further, in the tablet terminal 16, a photograph or an illustration of a product to be picked first is displayed on the touch display, or a route to a shelf in which the product is stored is displayed on the map on the touch display.

The operator moves following the AGV 16, and when the AGV 16 is stopped, the worker picks the products to be picked first (that is, the products to be picked) from the shelf in the number to be picked. In addition, the operator reads the barcode printed on the sticker and the barcode of the picked product. The tablet terminal 16a determines whether or not the product number included in the barcode data printed on the sticker matches the product number indicated by the barcode data of the picked product. That is, it is confirmed whether the picked product is the correct product.

If they do not match, you will be notified by text and / or sound (or voice) that you should confirm that the item is correct and that you are reading the correct barcode, and that you will be picking and / or barcode. The reading is redone.

If the two match, the worker attaches the sticker to the picked product and puts it in the container 162. However, when a plurality of products are picked, a sticker is attached to any one of the products. If the two match, the software completion button is displayed on the touch display of the tablet terminal 16a. When the completion button is turned on, it is registered (or confirmed) that the picking of the corresponding product listed in the picking work list is completed. That is, the list of picking tasks is updated. At this time, in order to pick the next product, the work management server 12 is notified of the movement to the target shelf in which the product is stored. At this time, the work management server 12 is also notified of information about the product for which picking has been completed. Then, the picking work for the next picking target product is started.

However, when all the products to be picked are picked, the work management server 12 is notified of the movement to the loading / unloading place in order to load / unload the picked products.

The work management server 12 updates the picking work table and the work status table (see FIG. 5) when notified of the move to the target shelf or the move to the loading / unloading place. That is, in the picking work table for the corresponding worker ID, it is registered (or confirmed) that the picked product has been picked. Further, in the work status table, the remaining number of sheets corresponding to the corresponding worker ID is subtracted by 1, that is, the work status table is updated, and the AGV 16 is instructed to start moving to the target shelf or loading / unloading location.

In this way, the worker performs the preliminary work and the picking work for the picking work.

Further, the work management server 12 manages the work state of the picking worker. The work state is the progress of picking work for each worker. Specifically, the work management server 12 creates and updates the work status table, and manages the work status. Further, the work management server 12 generates display image data of the work state screen 100, which will be described later, based on the work state table.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a working state table. In the work status table, information on the customer number, the number of remaining sheets, the status, and the delay is described corresponding to the worker ID. As described above, the worker ID is the identification information of the worker. However, in the work status table, each information about the worker who has registered to perform the picking work is registered before the picking work is started.

As described above, the customer number is an identification number or identification information assigned to the customer. The remaining number of sheets is the number of stickers for products for which the worker has not finished picking, as indicated by the worker ID. The state is information indicating the working state of the picking work, and is information indicating whether the picking work is in progress, the picking work is completed, or the picking work has not been started. The delay is information indicating the progress of the picking work of the worker indicated by the worker ID, and in this embodiment, it is information indicating whether or not the picking work is delayed.

In the example of the work state table shown in FIG. 5, the worker whose worker ID is AAA is or is performing the picking work of the product ordered by the customer with the customer number 2S, and the remaining number of stickers in the picking work. It is shown that there is only one sheet, that the picking work is in progress, and that there is no delay in the picking work.

Although the description is omitted, the same applies to other workers. Further, a method of determining whether or not there is a delay in the picking operation will be described in detail later.

In the work status table, information is updated for each worker, and when the worker starts picking work, the status information corresponding to the worker ID of this worker is changed from unstarted to during work. Also, every time a worker picks one type of product, the information on the remaining number of sheets corresponding to the worker ID indicating this worker is subtracted by 1, and when the remaining number of sheets becomes 0, the worker ID indicating this worker is obtained. The information of the state corresponding to is changed from the work in progress to the unstarted. Further, when it is determined that a delay has occurred in the picking work of the worker, the delay information corresponding to the worker ID indicating the worker is changed from nothing to present.

6 to 11 are examples of screens 100 for displaying the work state of the picking work (hereinafter, referred to as “work state screen”), and show how the work state screen 100 changes with the passage of time. Hereinafter, how to control the display of the work state screen 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 11.

The work status screen 100 shown in FIG. 6 is displayed based on the added order information when the first order information is added (or registered) to the work management server 12. However, the work state screen 100 shown in FIG. 6 shows a state before the picking work is started. In addition, information on the number of times of registration indicating how many times it has been registered is added to the order information.

On the work status screen 100, a plurality of squares 102 are displayed. In the square 102, the customer number and the remaining work amount are described in text characters. That is, one square 102 is an object (corresponding to a "display object") corresponding to picking work for one (one company) customer (or delivery destination). The remaining amount of work is the remaining number of seals. However, for the square 102 that has completed the picking operation, the number of completed seals is described instead of the remaining number of seals (see FIGS. 8 to 11). Further, the completed number of stickers is the same as the remaining number of stickers displayed in the square 102 when the picking operation has not been started.

Further, the background color of the square 102 is determined (or changed) according to the working state of the picking work, or according to the working state and progress of the picking work. Before starting the picking operation (that is, when the picking operation has not been started), the background color of the square 102 is gray. When the picking operation is completed, the background color of the square 102 is changed to white. That is, the background color of the square 102 is determined according to the working state of the picking operation.

Regarding the square 102 corresponding to the customer whose worker is picking, there is a delay in the picking work when the picking work is smooth (hereinafter, may be referred to as "working and smooth") (hereinafter, it may be referred to as "working and smooth"). Hereinafter, it is color-coded by "working and delay occurrence"). That is, the background color of the square 102 is determined according to the work state and progress of the picking work. If the picking operation is smooth, that is, if there is no delay in the picking operation, the background color of the square 102 is set to blue. If there is a delay in the picking operation, the background color of the square 102 is red. However, in the work state screen 100 shown in FIGS. 7 to 10, blue is indicated by diagonal lines and red is indicated by shading.

That is, the background color of the square 102 is changed (or changed) according to the working state of the corresponding picking work. As described above, the background color of the square 102 is changed from gray to blue depending on whether the working state of the picking operation is unstarted or started (working or completed in this embodiment). If there is a delay in the picking operation, the color changes from blue to red. Further, the background color of the square 102 is changed from blue or red to white when the picking operation is completed.

Further, in this embodiment, the plurality of squares 102 are arranged (or arranged) so that the upper left is the head and the lower right is the end on the work state screen 100. That is, in the left-right direction, the order is earlier as it goes to the left, and in the vertical direction, the order is earlier as it goes up. Further, in this embodiment, the square 102 corresponding to the completed picking work is displayed above the work state screen 100, and the square 102 corresponding to the unstarted picking work and the picking work in which the delay has occurred is the work state screen. Displayed below 100.

Further, with respect to the squares 102 during the picking operation and which have not been started, the remaining number of sheets is prioritized and arranged in ascending order of the remaining number of sheets. However, if the picking work is in the same working state and the remaining number of squares is the same in the picking work and the unstarted squares 102, the order of the squares 102 is determined according to a predetermined rule. To.

That is, the plurality of squares 102 determine or change the order and display state (or display mode) of the arrangement according to the remaining number of picking operations (remaining amount of work) and the work state of the picking operation. , Is displayed on the display device 14.

In this embodiment, the process of updating the background color of the squares 102 and the order of the squares 102 is executed every predetermined time (for example, 1 minute). Further, in this embodiment, after the picking work is started, until all (one day's worth) picking work is completed, the order of the squares 102 is the unit of each time when the squares 102 are added. Will be executed. When all the picking operations are completed, the order of all the squares 102 is updated according to a predetermined rule.

However, in this embodiment, on the work state screen 100, the square 102 is added based on the order information, the remaining number of sheets described in the square 102 is updated based on the work state table, and the completed number is displayed. Be changed.

In another embodiment, the rearrangement order update process (that is, the rearrangement of the squares 102) is performed at least one square by completing the picking work during the work instead of executing it at predetermined time intervals. It may be executed at the timing when the background color of 102 is changed to white.

As described above, since the picking work corresponding to the plurality of (20 in FIG. 6) squares 102 displayed on the work state screen 100 shown in FIG. 6 has not been started, the background color is grayed out in each case. To. Further, the 20 squares 102 shown in FIG. 6 are arranged from the beginning in ascending order of the remaining number of squares and in the order of following a predetermined rule for the squares 102 having the same remaining number of sheets.

FIG. 7 shows an example of the work state screen 100 when the time has advanced slightly from the time when the work state screen 100 shown in FIG. 6 is displayed. As shown in FIG. 7, the picking work corresponding to the first to third squares 102 has been completed. Therefore, in these squares 102, the completed number is described instead of the remaining number, and the background color is white. Be made.

Further, on the work state screen 100 shown in FIG. 7, the picking work corresponding to the 6th to 11th, 15th, 17th, and 19th squares 102 from the beginning is in progress, and the work is proceeding smoothly. The background color of those squares 102 is blue.

Further, in the work state screen 100 shown in FIG. 7, the picking work corresponding to the 5th, 12th to 14th, 16th, 18th, and 20th squares 102 from the beginning has not been started, and the picking work corresponding to the squares 102 has not been started. The background color remains gray.

The work status screen 100 shown in FIG. 8 is displayed based on all the order information including the order information added this time when the second order information is added to the work management server 12. In the work state screen 100 shown in FIG. 8, by adding the order information for the second time, the 21st square 102 from the beginning (that is, the square 102 of the customer number “8A”) to the 59th square 102 (that is, the customer number “8A”) 39 squares 102 up to the squares 102) of "3H" are added.

By referring to the work state screen 100 shown in FIG. 8, it can be seen that all the picking operations corresponding to the 20 squares 102 added last time (first time) have been completed. In addition, it can be seen that the picking work corresponding to the 39 squares 102 added this time has not been started.

However, this is only an example, and in this embodiment, the sticker is printed at a predetermined time. Therefore, when there are many orders, it corresponds to the already added square 102 by the time the square 102 is added. Some of the picking work may not be completed.

In this embodiment, until all the picking operations in one day (all times) are completed, the order of the squares 102 is updated by the number of times the squares 102 are added.

As described above, all the picking operations corresponding to the 20 squares 102 added for the first time have been completed, and the 20 squares 102 are arranged so that the customer numbers are lined up according to a predetermined rule. It has been replaced.

However, since all the picking work corresponding to the 39 squares 102 added this time has not been started, the first time is in the order of the smallest remaining number and in the order of following the predetermined rule for the squares 102 having the same remaining number of sheets. It is arranged following the last square 102 added (or registered) to.

FIG. 9 shows an example of the work state screen 100 when the time has advanced slightly from the time when the work state screen 100 shown in FIG. 8 is displayed. As described above, all the picking operations corresponding to the first square 102, that is, the 20th square 102 from the beginning have been completed, and since they are lined up according to a predetermined rule, the 20th square from the beginning. The squares 102 up to this point are the same as those shown in FIG. 8 on the work state screen 100 of FIG.

Further, in the work state screen 100 shown in FIG. 9, the picking work corresponding to the 21st to 31st, 33rd, 37th, 39th, 45th, 46th, 49th, and 51st squares 102 is in progress. Yes, and the work is going well, the background color of those squares 102 is blue.

Further, in the work state screen 100 shown in FIG. 9, the picking work corresponding to the 41st, 42nd, 44th, 52nd, and 54th squares 102 is in progress, and the work is delayed. , The background color of those squares 102 is red.

Furthermore, in the work state screen 100 shown in FIG. 9, the 32nd, 34th to 36th, 38th, 40th, 43rd surface, 47th, 48th, 50th, 53rd and 55th to 59th. The picking work corresponding to the squares 102 has not been started, and the background color of those squares 102 remains gray.

The work state screen 100 shown in FIG. 10 shows an example of the work state screen 100 when a little time has passed since the third order information was added to the work management server 12. In the work state screen 100 shown in FIG. 10, by adding the order information for the third time, the 60th square 102 from the beginning (that is, the square 102 of the customer number “42”) to the 83rd square 102 (that is, the customer number “42”) Twenty-four squares 102 up to the square 102) of "44" have been added.

By referring to the work state screen 100 shown in FIG. 10, it can be seen that not only the picking work corresponding to the 39 squares 102 added in the previous time (second time) but also the picking work corresponding to the 39 squares 102 added in the previous time (second time) has been completed. ..

However, this is only an example, and as described above, since the sticker is printed at a predetermined time in this embodiment, if there are many orders, it has already been added by the time the square 102 is added. A part of the picking work corresponding to the square 102 may not be completed.

As described above, all the picking work corresponding to the 39 squares 102 added the second time has been completed, and these 39 squares 102 also have the 20 squares 102 added the first time. Similarly, the customer numbers are sorted so that they are lined up according to a predetermined rule.

Although not shown, the picking work corresponding to the 24 squares 102 added this time has not been started at the time of addition, so the remaining number of squares 102 is in ascending order and the remaining number of squares 102 is the same. Are arranged following the last square 102 added (or registered) for the second time in the order according to a predetermined rule.

As described above, all the picking operations corresponding to the second square 102, that is, the 21st square 102 to the 59th square 102 from the beginning have been completed, and the picking operations are arranged according to a predetermined rule. ..

However, until the picking work is completed for all the squares 102 in the day, the squares 102 are rearranged in a group for each time, so that the squares 102 added for the first time are in the state shown in FIG. Remains.

Further, on the work state screen 100 shown in FIG. 10, the picking work corresponding to the 60th to 65th, 68th to 71st, 74th, and 77th squares 102 is in progress, and the work is proceeding smoothly. , The background color of those squares 102 is blue.

Further, in the work state screen 100 shown in FIG. 10, the picking work corresponding to the 75th, 76th, and 78th squares 102 is in progress, and the work is delayed, so that the squares 102 The background color is red.

Furthermore, in the work state screen 100 shown in FIG. 10, the picking work corresponding to the 66th, 67th, 72nd, 73rd, and 79th to 83rd squares 102 has not been started, and the background of those squares 102 has not been started. The color remains gray.

FIG. 11 shows an example of the work state screen 100 when the time has further advanced from the time when the work state screen 100 shown in FIG. 10 is displayed and the picking work corresponding to all the squares 102 of the day is completed.

As described above, in the work state screen 100 of FIG. 11, since the picking work corresponding to all the squares 102 of the day is completed, the background color of all the squares 102 is white, and all of them are completed. The display has changed. Further, since the picking work corresponding to all the squares in the day is completed, all the squares 102 are rearranged according to a predetermined rule regardless of the number of times the squares 102 are added.

As can be seen with reference to the work state screens 100 of FIGS. 6 to 11, in this embodiment, the background color of each square 102 and / and the customer number and the remaining number of sheets (or the number of sheets remaining) described in each square 102 are completed. From the number of sheets), it is possible to know the work status and progress of the picking work for each customer.

In addition, each square 102 has a different background color according to the classification of unstarted, working and smooth, working and delayed occurrence, and completed, and the order in the work status screen 100 is determined, so that picking is performed. As the work progresses, the squares 102 are gathered for each classification, areas for each color are formed, and the work state and progress of the entire picking work can be known from the difference in size or distribution of the areas.

That is, the progress status of the picking work is displayed by changing the order and display state of the arrangement of each square 102 and displaying it on the display device 14 according to the remaining work amount of the current picking work and the work state of the picking work. It can be easily grasped.

Therefore, for example, when the red area is large, it is considered that the picking work is delayed as a whole, so that measures such as increasing the number of workers can be taken.

Furthermore, when all the picking work of the day is completed, all the squares 102 are arranged according to a predetermined rule. Therefore, when checking whether or not there is a gap in the picking work, the missing square 102 is detected. easy.

FIG. 12 shows a linear function (hereinafter referred to as “judgment straight line”) for determining whether or not a delay has occurred in the picking operation, and a picking operation according to a change in time when the operator actually performs the picking operation. It is a graph which shows the change of the remaining amount (here, the remaining number of seals) of. In FIG. 12, the judgment straight line is shown by a chain line, and the change in the remaining amount of the picking work according to the change in time when the worker actually performs the picking work is shown by the solid line.

The judgment straight line is determined by the total amount of work for the picking work this time and the work speed of the worker. In this embodiment, the working speed is set for each worker. Work speed (total work amount / total work) based on the total amount of picking work when the worker performed the picking work in the past and the time (total work time) required to complete all the total work amount. Time) is calculated. Further, when the worker performs the picking work a plurality of times, the work speed for each picking work is calculated, and the average of them is calculated. However, for a worker who has no record of picking work in the past or a beginner worker, a predetermined work speed for beginners is set. However, the work speed for beginners may be calculated based on the total work time of the picking work and the total work time set approximately.

In this embodiment, the total amount of work for the picking work is the number of remaining seals (that is, the number of product types) before the picking work is started. However, this is just an example and should not be limited. This is because even if the number of stickers is the same, the time required for the picking operation varies depending on the difference in the number of products to be picked and / or the difference in the weight of the products to be picked. Therefore, in another example, the working speed may be adjusted according to the number (total number) of products to be picked and / and the weight of the products to be picked. For example, as the number of products to be picked increases, the working speed decreases. In addition, as the weight of the product to be picked increases, the working speed decreases. The weight of the goods is included in the standard.

In addition, for the total amount of work for picking work, as described above, in order for the worker to start the picking work, the worker's own identification information is registered and the bar code for all the stickers for the picking work is read. Obtained when finishing and starting picking work. Then, the judgment straight line is calculated from the acquired total work amount and the work speed of the worker. The time at which the judgment straight line intersects the horizontal axis (X-axis) is the end time of the work based on the calculation (hereinafter, referred to as "target end time").

As shown in FIG. 12, from the start time when the worker starts the picking work to the time T1, the remaining number of the picking work is less than the remaining number indicated by the judgment straight line, so that the picking work is not delayed. Is judged. In other words, it can be said that the picking work is being carried out smoothly.

On the other hand, from the time T1 to the target time, since the remaining number of picking operations is larger than the remaining number indicated by the determination straight line, it is determined that the picking operation is delayed. However, since the time at which the solid line touches the horizontal axis coincides with the target end time, there is no delay in the picking work in the end.

When it is determined that the picking operation is delayed, the background color of the square corresponding to the customer during the picking operation is changed from blue to red as described above.

In addition, in order to explain the method of determining whether or not a delay has occurred, a judgment straight line and a graph of the time change of the remaining number of picking operations are described, but in reality, the judgment straight line and the graph are drawn. The calculation determines if there is a delay.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a memory map 500 of the memory 32 (here, RAM) included in the work management server 12 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 13, the RAM includes a program storage area 502 and a data storage area 504.

The program storage area 502 stores a program (work management program) executed by the CPU 30 of the work management server 12, and the work management programs include a main processing program 502a, a communication program 502b, an image generation program 502c, and an image display program 502d. It includes a square addition program 502e, a list generation program 502f, a route generation program 502g, a work state management program 502h, a delay determination program 502i, and the like.

The main processing program 502a is an operating system that executes the overall processing of the work management server 12. The communication program 502b is a program for communicating with other devices or computers such as the AGV 16 and the tablet terminal 16a by using the first communication device 36. However, it may communicate via an access point.

The image generation program 502c is a program for generating display image data corresponding to various screens (work state screen 100, etc.) to be displayed on the display device 14. The image display program 502d is a program for outputting the display image data set according to the image generation program 502c to the display device 14.

The square addition program 502e is a program for adding an object of the square 102 based on the order information in response to receiving the order information. The list generation program 502f is a program for generating a list of picking operations for workers using the tablet terminal 16 based on the barcode data received from the tablet terminal 16 and sorting them in the order of the shelves.

The route generation program 502g generates data of the route information of the AGV 16 used by the operator performing the picking work based on the list of the picking work generated and sorted according to the list generation program 502f, and the route information is stored in the AGV16. A program for sending data. However, when transmitting the route information data, the communication program 502b is also executed.

The work state management program 502h is a program for generating and updating the work state table based on the data and the notification received from the tablet terminal 16a. The delay judgment program 502i is a program for each worker to generate a judgment straight line at the start of the picking work and to judge whether or not a delay has occurred in the picking work of the worker based on the judgment straight line. ..

The program storage area 502 also stores other programs necessary for managing the picking operation. For example, when the picking work is completed, a program for calculating the work speed of the worker for the current picking work and storing it as a history is also stored.

Image generation data 504a, order information data 504b, work state data 504c, and determination straight line data 504d are stored in the data storage area 504.

The image generation data 504a is data such as polygon data and texture data used when the display image data is generated according to the image generation program 502c. The order information data 504b is data about the order information received from the order management server 18, is read from the database, and is updated (added) each time it is received. However, the order information is identifiablely stored for each customer (or delivery destination) and product type.

The work state data 504c is data about a work state table generated and updated according to the work state management program 502h. The judgment straight line data 504d is data about the judgment straight line, is calculated for each worker, and is stored for each worker.

In the data storage area 504, other data necessary for managing the picking work is stored, and a timer (counter), a flag, and the like necessary for managing the picking work are provided. For example, the data of the picking work list generated according to the list generation program 502f and the data of the route information generated according to the route generation program 502g are temporarily stored.

FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing an example of a sticker printing process executed by a CPU built in the order receiving device 20 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 14, when the CPU of the order receiving device 20 starts the sticker printing process, in step S1, it is determined whether or not it is the printing time. Here, the CPU determines whether the current time is 12:00, 14:00, or 15:00. Although not shown, the current time is obtained from the RTC built in the order receiving device 20.

If it is "NO" in step S1, that is, if it is not the printing time, the process returns to step S1. On the other hand, if "YES" in step S1, that is, if it is the printing time, the order received from the customer is printed in step S3. Here, the CPU transmits order data for an order that has not yet been printed among the orders received from the customer to the sticker printing device 22 together with an instruction to execute printing. Therefore, the sticker printing device 22 prints the order contents corresponding to the order data on the sticker. In the following step S5, the print record information is transmitted to the order management server 18 and the process returns to step S1.

Although not shown, the order receiving device 20 executes a process of accepting an order from the customer terminal 24 in parallel with the sticker printing process, and stores the accepted order in the memory.

FIG. 15 is a flow chart showing an example of an order management process executed by a CPU built in the order management server 18 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 15, when the CPU of the order management server 18 starts the order management process, it is determined in step S11 whether or not the print record information has been received.

If it is "NO" in step S11, that is, if the print record information has not been received, the process returns to step S11. On the other hand, if "YES" in step S11, that is, if the print record information has been received, the order information is updated based on the print record information in step S13. That is, the CPU of the order management server 18 generates order information based on the print record information received from the order reception device 20, and adds the generated order information to the previous order information. That is, the order information table as shown in FIG. 12A is updated (generated at the first time). In the following step S15, the order information is transmitted to the work management server 12 and the process returns to step S11.

FIG. 16 is a flow chart showing an example of pre-work processing of the CPU built in the tablet terminal 16a. As a matter of course, the tablet terminal 16a is mounted on the AGV 16 used by the operator.

As shown in FIG. 16, when the CPU built in the tablet terminal 16a starts the pre-work processing, the worker information (worker ID) is acquired in step S31. Here, the worker ID input by the worker is acquired.

In the following step S33, it is determined whether or not there is an instruction to read the bar code of the sticker. If it is "NO" in step S33, that is, if there is no instruction to read the bar code of the sticker, the process proceeds to step S43. On the other hand, if "YES" in step S33, that is, if there is an instruction to read the bar code of the sticker, the bar code is read in step S35. That is, the CPU built in the tablet terminal 16a instructs the barcode reader 16b to read the barcode, and acquires (or receives) the barcode data detected by the barcode reader 16b.

In the following step S37, the read barcode data is transmitted to the work management server 12. Then, in step S39, it is determined whether or not the reading of the barcode is completed. Here, the CPU of the tablet terminal 16a determines whether or not the operator has instructed the end of reading the barcode.

If it is "NO" in step S39, that is, if the barcode reading is not completed, the process returns to step S35 to execute the barcode reading process of the next sticker. On the other hand, if "YES" in step S39, that is, if the barcode reading is completed, the work management server 12 is notified of the barcode reading end in step S41, and the work management server 12 in step S43. Determine if you have a list of picking tasks.

If "NO" is obtained in step S43, that is, if the picking work list has not been acquired, the process returns to step S43. On the other hand, if "YES" in step S43, that is, if the picking work list is acquired, the acquired picking work list is stored in the memory in step S45, and the pre-work processing is terminated.

In this embodiment, every time the barcode is read, the read barcode data is transmitted to the work management server 12, but the barcode is read after all the barcodes have been read. The data of all the barcodes may be collectively transmitted to the work management server 12.

FIG. 17 is a flow chart showing an example of pre-work processing of the CPU 30 built in the work management server 12 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 17, when the CPU 30 of the work management server 12 starts the work pre-processing, it determines in step S61 whether or not the barcode data has been received.

If it is "NO" in step S61, that is, if the barcode data has not been received, the process proceeds to step S69. On the other hand, if "YES" in step S61, that is, if the barcode data is received, the product information, location information, and customer information are stored in the database (this implementation) based on the barcode data in step S63. In the example, it is acquired from the order information data 504b) read into the RAM.

In the following step S65, information on the picking work is created and registered in the picking work list as a work target. As described above, the picking work information is information including the above-mentioned product information, location information, and customer information. Although not shown, the picking work list is a list of picking work information.

Then, in step S67, the picking work information registered in the picking work list is sorted in the order of the shelf number. Therefore, when the CPU 30 moves the AGV 16 from the current position (movement start position) to the loading / unloading position, the picking work information is rearranged so that the products can be picked in the order closer to the movement start position.

Subsequently, in step S69, it is determined whether or not the reception of the barcode has been completed. Here, the CPU 30 determines whether or not the notification of the end of reading from the tablet terminal 16a has been received. If it is "NO" in step S69, that is, if the reception of the barcode is not completed, the process returns to step S61. On the other hand, if "YES" in step S69, that is, if the reception of the barcode is completed, the picking work information is transmitted to the tablet terminal 16a in step S71.

In the following step S73, the route information for moving the AGV 16 from the current position (initial position) to the target shelf (that is, the shelf in which the first product is stored) is generated, and in the step S75, the generated route information is used as the AGV 16 To finish the pre-work processing. The AGV 16 receives the route information and autonomously moves (autonomously travels) to the shelf where the first product is stored according to the route information.

FIG. 18 is a flow chart showing an example of picking work processing of the CPU built in the tablet terminal 16a shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 18, when the CPU of the tablet terminal 16a starts the picking work process, it is determined in step S91 whether or not the start button is turned on.

If "NO" in step S91, that is, if the start button is not turned on, the process returns to step S91. On the other hand, if "YES" in step S91, that is, if the start button is turned on, the work management server 12 is notified of the start of the picking work in step S93.

In the following step S95, it is determined whether or not the sticker and the barcode of the product have been read. Here, the CPU of the tablet terminal 16a determines whether or not the product number data included in the barcode read from the sticker and the product number data indicated by the barcode read from the product match.

If "NO" in step S95, that is, if the sticker and the barcode of the product have not been read, the process returns to step S95. However, although not shown, if the barcode is read from the sticker and the product, but the two read product numbers do not match, as described above, is the product correct and is the correct barcode read? You will be notified by text and / or sound (or voice) of a message to confirm, and the picking operation and / or barcode reading will be redone.

On the other hand, if "YES" in step S95, that is, if the barcode has been read from the sticker and the product, the picking work list is updated in step S97. In step S97, the remaining number of stickers corresponding to the delivery destination (customer number) is subtracted by 1.

In the next step S99, it is determined whether or not the completion button has been pressed. If "NO" in step S99, that is, if the completion button is not pressed, the process returns to step S99. However, if the time when the completion button is not turned on continues for a predetermined time or longer, a message to the effect that the completion button should be pressed may be notified by text and / or sound (or voice). Alternatively, if the time when the completion button is not turned on continues for a predetermined time or longer, the completion button may be automatically turned on.

On the other hand, if "YES" in step S99, that is, if the completion button is pressed, it is determined in step S101 whether or not all the products have been picked. Here, the CPU of the tablet terminal 16a determines whether or not the remaining number of stickers corresponding to the delivery destination is 0 in the picking work list.

If the result is "NO" in step S101, that is, if there are still unpicked products, the work management server 12 is notified of the movement to the target shelf in step S103, and the process returns to step S95. In step S103, the CPU of the tablet terminal 16a notifies the work management server 12 that the product to be picked next is moved to the shelf.

On the other hand, if "YES" in step S101, that is, if all the products are picked, the work management server 12 is notified of the movement to the loading / unloading place in step S105, and the picking work process is completed.

FIG. 19 is a flow chart showing an example of picking work processing of the CPU 30 built in the work management server 12 shown in FIG. The picking work process shown in FIG. 19 is executed for each worker who uses the tablet terminal 16a that has been notified of the start of picking.

As shown in FIG. 19, when the CPU 30 of the work management server 12 starts the picking process, in step S121, the AGV 16 of the notified worker is instructed to start moving. Then, the AGV 16 starts moving according to the route information received in advance. In addition, the AGV 16 moves toward the shelf in which the product to be picked first is stored at the beginning of the movement.

In the following step S123, the amount of work until the picking work of the notified worker is completed is calculated. In this embodiment, the CPU 30 refers to the work state table as shown in FIG. 12B and acquires the remaining number of stickers stored corresponding to the worker ID of the worker as the work amount. ..

In the next step S125, the work speed according to the ability of the worker is calculated, and further, in step S127, a linear function (that is, a judgment straight line) for judging the progress of the work is set. However, the calculation (or setting) of the working speed and the setting of the judgment straight line are as described above.

Subsequently, in step S129, the progress status of the work is determined based on the elapsed time from the start of the work and the remaining amount of work. That is, as described above, it is determined whether or not the picking operation is delayed. In the next step S131, it is determined whether or not the work is completed. Here, the CPU 30 determines whether or not the notification of the movement to the loading / unloading place has been received from the tablet terminal 16a.

If "YES" in step S131, that is, if the work is completed, the work status table is updated in step S133. Here, the CPU 30 subtracts 1 (sets to 0) the remaining number of sheets described corresponding to the corresponding worker ID and customer number in the work status table.

In the following step S135, the work speed for the current picking work is calculated, linked to the worker ID, and stored in the memory 32. In the next step S137, route information for moving the notified worker's AGV 16 to the loading / unloading location is generated, and in step S139, the generated route information is transmitted to the AGV 16 to end the picking work process. .. Therefore, the AGV 16 that has received the route information moves to the loading / unloading place according to the route information. Further, although not shown, the AGV 16 moves (or returns) to a predetermined standby place according to the instruction of the work management server 12 after the goods in the container are unloaded at the loading / unloading place.

On the other hand, if it is "NO" in step S131, that is, if the work is not completed, it is determined in step S141 whether or not the notification of the movement to the target shelf has been received. If "NO" in step S141, that is, if the notification of movement to the target shelf has not been received, the process returns to step S129.

On the other hand, if "YES" in step S141, that is, if the notification of movement to the target shelf has been received, the work status table is updated in step S143. Here, the CPU 30 subtracts 1 from the remaining number of sheets described corresponding to the corresponding worker ID and customer number in the work status table. In the following step S145, the route information for moving the notified worker's AGV16 to the target shelf is generated, and in step S147, the generated route information is transmitted to the AGV16, and the process returns to step S129. Therefore, the AGV 16 that has received the route information moves to the shelf where the next product to be picked is stored according to the route information.

FIG. 20 shows a flow chart of screen display processing of the CPU 30 built in the work management server 12 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 20, when the CPU 30 of the work management server 12 starts the screen display process, it is determined in step S161 whether or not the order information has been received from the order management server 18. If "NO" in step S161, that is, if the order information has not been received, the process proceeds to step S167.

On the other hand, if "YES" in step S161, that is, if the order information has been received, the square 102 corresponding to the customer included in the order information is added in step S163. Here, the CPU 30 controls the display control circuit 34 to add an object of the square 102 in which the customer number and the remaining number of sheets are written together, which is included in the order information. In the following step S165, the working state of the added square 102 is displayed. Here, the CPU 30 controls the display control circuit 34 to paint the background color of the added square 102 object in gray.

In the next step S167, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time (for example, 1 minute) has elapsed since the previous update. Although not shown, a timer for counting a predetermined time is provided in the RAM, and is reset and started when the work status screen 100 is updated. Therefore, in step S167, the CPU 30 determines whether or not the count value of the timer has reached 1 minute. However, the timer is also reset and started when the screen display process is started.

If it is "NO" in step S167, that is, if the predetermined time has not elapsed since the last update, the process returns to step S161. On the other hand, if "YES" in step S167, that is, if a predetermined time has passed since the previous update, the squares 100 are rearranged in a group for each number of prints according to a predetermined rule in step S169. The predetermined rules are the above-mentioned tori.

In the following step S171, the work status screen 100 is displayed (updated). That is, the CPU 30 controls the display control circuit 34 to change the background color according to the work state, and generates screen data of the work state screen 100 in which the squares 102 are rearranged in a group for each number of prints according to a predetermined rule. And output to the display device 14.

Then, in step S173, it is determined whether or not all the picking operations are completed. Here, the CPU 30 refers to the order information table shown in FIG. 12 (A), describes the order information in which 3 is described in the number of times, and refers to the work state table shown in FIG. 12 (B). Then, it is determined whether or not the remaining number of sheets corresponding to all the customer numbers is 0.

If the result is "NO" in step S173, that is, if there is picking work that has not been completed, the process returns to step S161. On the other hand, if "YES" in step S173, that is, if all the picking operations are completed, all the squares 102 are rearranged according to a predetermined rule in step S175.

Then, in step S177, it is determined whether or not to end the screen display. Here, the CPU 30 determines whether or not the operator (or administrator) of the work management server 12 has instructed the end of the screen display. If it is "NO" in step S177, that is, if the screen display is not finished, the process returns to step S177. On the other hand, if "YES" in step S177, that is, if the screen display ends, the screen display process ends.

According to this embodiment, the order and display state of the arrangement of each square is changed and displayed on the display device according to the remaining amount of work of the current picking work and the work state of the picking work, so that the progress of the picking work The situation can be easily grasped.

Further, according to this embodiment, the remaining amount of work is indicated by squares for each customer, and the progress of work is only expressed by the background color of the squares, so that more work states can be shown on one screen. .. Therefore, the state and progress of individual work and the state and progress of the entire work can be easily grasped.

FIG. 21 is a diagram showing another example of the work state screen. However, in FIG. 21, the text characters described in each square are omitted. The work state screen 150 shown in FIG. 21 shows the work state of picking work for a plurality of different areas. That is, the work management server 12 manages the picking work of a plurality of different areas for each area, updates the work state for each area, and displays the work state of the picking work of the plurality of different areas on one screen. Image data is generated and displayed on the display device 14. For example, a plurality of areas are a plurality of areas divided in one warehouse, a plurality of areas having different floors in one warehouse, or a plurality of warehouses in one site.

As shown in FIG. 21, when the work state of the picking work for a plurality of areas is displayed on one screen, the relative progress of the picking work can be known. Therefore, it is possible to take measures such as allocating a large number of workers to the area where the picking work is delayed.

In the above-described embodiment, the case of picking the ordered product has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. It can also be applied when picking parts for assembling a certain product or a part thereof. That is, the items to be picked need not be limited. Therefore, the person who places an order (request) does not have to be limited to the customer. When picking the above parts, the requesting person is the worker who manufactures the parts or the manager thereof. The delivery destination (or supply destination) is a worker's workplace or the like.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the AGV is used, but a trolley that moves manually may be used. In such cases, the tablet terminal and bar code reader are possessed or worn by the operator. However, the tablet terminal and the barcode reader may be mounted on the trolley.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the work state and progress of the picking work are visually expressed by the difference in the background color of the corresponding squares, but the present invention is not limited to this. In another example, the work state screen may be divided into four areas, and the squares may be arranged in the areas classified according to the work state and progress of the picking work. Even in this way, the text characters of each square and the classified area make it easy to grasp the state and progress of individual work, and the difference in the number of squares in the area (that is, for each area). The distribution of the number of squares) makes it easy to grasp the overall work status and progress.

The specific configurations of the picking system and the AGV shown in the above-described embodiment can be appropriately changed in the actual product.

For example, in the above embodiment, the work management server 12 manages the picking work based on the order information received from the order management server 18, but the method of registering the order information in the work management server 12 is limited. It doesn't have to be. The order receiving device 20 may generate order information and register it in the work management server 12, or the person in charge of receiving the order may register the order information in the work management server 12.

Further, as described above, when the AGV is changed to a manual trolley, the work management system 10a is composed of a work management server 12, a tablet terminal 16a, and a barcode reader 16b.

10 ... Picking system 12 ... Work management server 14 ... Display device 16 ... AGV
16a ... Tablet terminal 16b ... Bar code reader 18 ... Order management server 20 ... Order reception device 22 ... Sticker printing device 24 ... Customer terminals 30, 50 ... CPU
32, 52 ... Memory 34 ... Display control circuit 36, 38, 54 ... Communication device 56 ... Wheel drive circuit 58 ... Wheel motor 60 ... Line sensor 62 ... RF tag reader

Claims (13)

A work management device that arranges display objects that describe the delivery destination of goods to be picked and the amount of remaining work and displays them on the display device.
It is provided with an output unit that outputs display data for displaying by changing the arrangement order and display state of the display objects according to the remaining work amount of the current picking work and the work state of the picking work. , Work management device. The work management device according to claim 1, wherein the output unit changes the order of the arrangement of the display objects and displays the display objects according to the remaining amount of the picking work. The work management device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the output unit changes and displays the display state of the display object according to the work state of the picking work. The work management device according to claim 3, wherein the output unit changes and displays the display state of the display object according to whether the picking operation has not been started or has been started. According to claim 4, when the picking work has been started, the output unit further changes the display state of the display object according to whether the picking work is in progress or the work is completed. The work management device described. Further, when the picking work is in progress, a determination unit for determining the progress state of the picking work indicating whether the picking work is proceeding smoothly or delayed is provided.
The work management device according to claim 5, wherein the output unit changes and displays the display state of the display object according to the progress state of the picking work when the picking work is in progress. Further, in response to the worker starting the picking work, the remaining amount corresponding to the elapsed time from the start to the end of the picking work is based on the remaining work amount of the picking work and the processing capacity of the worker. Equipped with a target value calculation unit that calculates the target value of the amount of work
6. The determination unit determines the progress of the picking work based on the remaining amount of the picking work and the target value corresponding to the elapsed time from the start of the picking work to the present. The work management device described in. An article registration unit that registers the articles to be picked, and
The work according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a work amount calculation unit for calculating the work amount of the picking work based on the type of the picking target article registered by the article registration unit. Management device. The work management device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the work amount is the total number of types of articles to be picked. The work management device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the amount of work is the total number of articles to be picked and / or the total weight of the articles to be picked. A confirmation unit that confirms the completion of picking work for the item to be picked, and
In response to the confirmation by the confirmation unit that the picking work of the article to be picked has been completed, an update unit for updating the current remaining work amount of the picking work and the work state of the picking work is further provided.
The output unit is for changing the order and display state of the arrangement of the display objects according to the remaining work amount of the picking work updated by the update unit and the work state of the picking work. The work management device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the display data is updated and output to the display device. A work management program executed by a computer that arranges display objects that describe the delivery destination of goods to be picked and the amount of remaining work and displays them on a display device.
To the processor of the computer
A work management program that causes the display device to output display data for changing the arrangement order and display state of the display objects according to the remaining work amount of the current picking work and the work state of the picking work. .. It is a work management method that displays a display object that describes the delivery destination of the item to be picked and the remaining work amount on the display device.
A step of outputting display data for displaying by changing the order and display state of the arrangement of the display objects according to the remaining amount of work of the current picking work and the work state of the picking work is included. Work management method.

Images