JP2024048704A - Transport system, control device and control method - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To link objects between conveying devices and inter-area conveyors so that the efficiency of conveying objects between different areas does not decrease. [Solution] There are first and second inter-area conveyors capable of conveying objects between a first area where a plurality of conveying devices run and a second area different from the first area. The first area includes a third area. The third area includes an area where objects are handed over between the first inter-area conveyor and the plurality of conveying devices, and an area where objects are handed over between the second inter-area conveyor and the plurality of conveying devices. A control device preferentially assigns a conveying task of conveying objects within the first area that have been conveyed from the second area to the first area by the second inter-area conveyor to a second conveying device that is conveying objects to the first inter-area conveyor, from a first conveying device that is in an area of the first area other than the third area and has not been assigned a conveying task. [Selected Figure] FIG. 1

Description

The present invention generally relates to technology for transporting objects by running a transport device.

The background technology in this technical field includes technology related to AGVs (Automatic Guided Vehicles) that transport shelves to their destinations, such as the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1.

WO2015/097736

In order to improve the storage efficiency of the transported goods in a storage space (e.g., a warehouse) for the transported goods (or for other purposes), it is conceivable that multiple areas are provided in the space, and the transported goods are placed in each area. Specifically, for example, it is conceivable that a mezzanine is installed in the warehouse, and the transported goods are placed in both the area above the mezzanine and the floor area of the warehouse, including the area below the mezzanine.

A multi-tiered area is an example of a multiple area, and multiple areas may exist at the same height.

The multiple areas include a first area in which multiple conveying devices run, and a second area different from the first area. A first inter-area conveying device and a second inter-area conveying device capable of transporting objects between these areas are provided.

If the connection between the inter-area conveyor and the conveying device becomes a bottleneck, the conveying efficiency will decrease, which may result in a decrease in the efficiency of work such as picking.

Therefore, we provide a transport system, control device, and control method that link objects between the transport device and the inter-area transport machine so that the efficiency of transporting objects between different areas does not decrease.

There are first and second inter-area conveyors capable of conveying objects between a first area where the multiple conveying devices run and a second area different from the first area. The first area includes a third area. The third area includes an area where objects are handed over between the first inter-area conveyor and the multiple conveying devices, and an area where objects are handed over between the second inter-area conveyor and the multiple conveying devices. A control device that controls the multiple conveying devices, the first inter-area conveyor, and the second inter-area conveyor preferentially assigns a conveying task of conveying objects, which have been conveyed from the second area to the first area by the second inter-area conveyor, within the first area to a second conveying device that is conveying objects to the first inter-area conveyor from a first conveying device that is in an area of the first area other than the third area and has no conveying task assigned thereto.

According to the present invention, it is possible to link objects between the conveying device and the inter-area conveying machine so that the efficiency of conveying objects between different areas does not decrease. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become clear from the following description of the embodiment of the invention.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a transport system according to an embodiment; FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of the first stage area. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of a transport device. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the bottom configuration of the transport device. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining transportation of shelves. 13 is a diagram for explaining the transportation of shelves from the second-tier area to the first-tier area. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a part of a specific configuration example of elements in a transport system. 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating the remaining specific configuration examples of elements in the transport system. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an order table. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an inventory table. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a shelf table. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an equipment transport table. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a floor table. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a vertical conveying table. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a picking table. 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of a transport control process. 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of a transport device allocation process.

In the following description, an "interface unit" may refer to one or more interface devices. The one or more interface devices may be at least one of the following:
One or more I/O (Input/Output) interface devices. The I/O (Input/Output) interface devices are interface devices to at least one of the I/O devices and a remote display computer. The I/O interface device to the display computer may be a communications interface device. The at least one I/O device may be a user interface device, for example, either an input device such as a keyboard and a pointing device, or an output device such as a display device.
One or more communication interface devices. The one or more communication interface devices may be one or more homogeneous communication interface devices (e.g., one or more NICs (Network Interface Cards)) or two or more heterogeneous communication interface devices (e.g., a NIC and an HBA (Host Bus Adapter)).

In the following description, "memory" refers to one or more memory devices, which are an example of one or more storage devices, and may typically be a primary storage device. At least one memory device in the memory may be a volatile memory device or a non-volatile memory device.

In the following description, a "persistent storage device" may be one or more persistent storage devices, which are an example of one or more storage devices. A persistent storage device may typically be a non-volatile storage device (e.g., an auxiliary storage device), and more specifically, may be, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a non-volatile memory express (NVME) drive, or a storage class memory (SCM).

In the following description, "storage device" may refer to at least one memory, including memory and persistent storage device.

In the following description, a "processor" may be one or more processor devices. The at least one processor device may typically be a microprocessor device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), but may also be other types of processor devices such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The at least one processor device may be a single core or a multi-core. The at least one processor device may be a processor core. At least one processor device may be a broad processor device such as a circuit that is a collection of gate arrays written in a hardware description language that performs some or all of the processing (e.g., an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), a CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit)).

In the following explanation, information that gives an output for an input may be described using expressions such as "xxx table", but the information may be data of any structure (for example, it may be structured or unstructured data), or it may be a neural network that generates an output for an input, or a learning model such as a genetic algorithm or random forest. Therefore, a "xxx table" can be called "xxx information". In the following explanation, the structure of each table is an example, and one table may be divided into two or more tables, or all or part of two or more tables may be one table.

In the following description, the processing may be described with the "program" as the subject, but since the program is executed by a processor to perform a defined process using a storage device and/or an interface device as appropriate, the subject of the processing may also be the processor (or a device or system having the processor). The program may be installed in a device such as a computer from a program source. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution server or a computer-readable recording medium (e.g., a non-transitory recording medium). In the following description, two or more programs may be realized as one program, and one program may be realized as two or more programs.

In addition, any information (e.g., at least one of "ID", "name", and "number") may be used as information for identifying an element (identification information, identifier).

In the following description, common reference symbols will be used when describing elements of the same type without distinguishing between them, and reference symbols will be used when describing elements of the same type with distinction between them.

In the following explanation, the unit of "date and time" may be a coarser or finer unit than the year, month, day, hour, and minute.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a conveying system according to an embodiment. For convenience, the two-dimensional directions are the x direction and the y direction perpendicular to the x direction.

The transport system includes a plurality of transport devices 3 that travel within a warehouse 2 (an example of a storage space) and a control device 4 (e.g., a Warehouse Control System (WCS)) that remotely controls the movement of each transport device 3. In this embodiment, the "movement" of the transport device 3 refers to the movement of the transport device 3 in general, regardless of whether or not the device has a shelf 5. The "movement" of the transport device 3 may also be referred to as the "travel" of the transport device 3. The "movement" of the transport device 3 when the device has a shelf 5 is specifically referred to as "transportation." The shelf 5 is an example of an object that can be transported by the transport device 3. Instead of or in addition to the shelf 5, an object such as a tray, pallet, or container may be an example of an object.

Warehouse 2 is a storage facility used by companies such as online retailers to store goods. The goods stored in warehouse 2 may be products or parts. In this embodiment, an example of goods stored in warehouse 2 will be described. Warehouse 2 is provided with a multi-tier area 122 and multiple vertical conveyors 202 (in the example shown in FIG. 1, a first vertical conveyor 202A and a second vertical conveyor 202B).

The multi-tier area 122 is an example of an area with multiple tiers, each of which is located at a different height. The multi-tier area 122 has a first tier area 200A and a second tier area 200B. In each of the multiple areas 200A and 200B that make up the multi-tier area 122, multiple shelves 5 are installed in a movable state. Note that it is not necessary for the same type of transported goods to be placed in all of the areas 200. For example, a shelf 5 may be placed in the first tier area 200A and a pallet may be placed in the second tier area 200B. Each shelf 5 stores one or multiple items (e.g., products to be sold) in a predetermined position. The shelves 5 are sometimes called movable shelves.

The first-tier area 200A is an example of a first area, and an example of a main area through which the conveying device 3 travels. The conveying device 3 travels through the first-tier area 200A, thereby enabling the shelf 5 to be transported to the picking station 6 (an example of a working station). The first-tier area 200A is an area that is the entire or part of the floor surface of the warehouse 2. Picking is performed at the picking station 6, which is an example of a predetermined task related to the transported items. For example, the picking station 6 may also be used for warehousing tasks such as replenishing the shelves 5 with goods, or for ancillary tasks such as inventory, and may simply be called a station.

When the transport device 3 transports to the picking station 6, the destination (destination position) may be a predetermined position at the picking station 6 where the worker or the picking device can pick (for example, the section in front of the picking station 6), or it may be another predetermined position related to the picking station 6. Examples of other predetermined positions include a waiting position in front of or near the picking station 6 if there is another shelf 5 in the section in front of the picking station 6, or a location where the shelf 5 is handed over to the transport equipment (such as a conveyor) for the shelf 5 if there is such transport equipment in the section in front of the picking station 6.

Similarly, when the conveying device 3 conveys from the picking station 6, the origin (starting position) of the conveying may be a predetermined position at the picking station 6 where the worker or the picking device can pick (for example, the section in front of the picking station 6), or it may be another predetermined position related to the picking station 6. An example of another predetermined position may be the location where the shelf 5 is received from the conveying equipment (conveyor, etc.) for the shelf 5 if the section in front of the picking station 6 has such equipment.

The second tier area 200B is an example of a second area, and an example of a sub-area in which the conveying device 3 runs. In this embodiment, the second tier area 200B is an area on a mezzanine. A wall or fence 191 may be provided surrounding the second tier area 200B. In addition, the second tier area 200B may be provided with a conveyor as an example of a conveying machine that conveys the shelves 5 arranged in the second tier area 200B.

The vertical conveyor 202 is an example of an inter-area conveyor. The vertical conveyor 202 is a conveyor that moves up and down vertically. Specifically, the second vertical conveyor 202B conveys the shelf 5 from the second-level area 200B to the first-level area 200A by descending. Meanwhile, the first vertical conveyor 202A conveys the shelf 5 from the first-level area 200A to the second-level area 200B by ascending. The vertical conveyor 202 may be, for example, an elevator or a cage in an elevator. The vertical conveyor 202 can also be replaced by other inter-area conveyors, such as a forklift capable of transporting the shelf 5 vertically. In this embodiment, the first vertical conveyor 202A is a dedicated machine (upward dedicated machine) for conveying the shelf 5 to the second-tier area 200B, and the second vertical conveyor 202B is a dedicated machine (downward dedicated machine) for conveying the shelf 5 to the first-tier area 200A, but each vertical conveyor 202 may be capable of conveying the shelf 5 to the second-tier area 200B or the first-tier area 200A. That is, when conveying the shelf 5 to the second-tier area 200B, the vertical conveyor 202 may play the role of the first vertical conveyor, and when conveying the shelf 5 to the first-tier area 200A, the vertical conveyor 202 may play the role of the second vertical conveyor.

When each transport device 3 receives a movement instruction associated with a transport task assigned to that transport device 3, the transport device 3 transports the shelf 5 present in the first-tier area 200A or the second-tier area 200B in accordance with the movement instruction. According to the example shown in FIG. 1, the process is as follows.
The transport device 3A, which has finished transporting the shelf 5A to the picking station 6, waits for the completion of picking of the products on the shelf 5A. After the picking by the worker or the picking device is completed at the picking station 6, the transport device 3A transports the shelf 5A from the picking station 6 to the storage position of the shelf 5A.
The transport device 3B transports the shelf 5B to the first vertical transport device 202A. After transporting the shelf 5B to the first vertical transport device 202A, the transport device 3B becomes vacant. In accordance with the transport task assigned to the transport device 3B (or a transport task newly assigned to the transport device 3B after the shelf 5B is transported to the first vertical transport device 202A), the transport device 3B transports the shelf 5C, which has been transported to the first-tier area 200A by the second vertical transport device 202B, in the first-tier area 200A.
The transport device 3D is moving to transport the shelf 5D, whose placement position is the first-tier area 200A.
The transport device 3E is traveling in the second tier area 200B. A transport device 3 other than the transport device 3E may be present in the second tier area 200B.
The height of each of the transport devices 3 is lower than the height of the stand 192, and each of the transport devices 3 can pass under the stand 192.
In the movement of the transport device 3 in the second stage area 200B, both the destination position and the starting position are on the second stage area 200B. Similarly, in the movement of the transport device 3 in the first stage area 200A, both the destination position and the starting position are on the first stage area 200A.

In the second-tier area 200B, a stand 192 is provided in front of the entrance/exit of the shelf 5 for the vertical conveyor 202. The shelf 5 is placed on the stand 192. Note that in the first-tier area 200A, a stand 192 is also provided in a position where the shelf 5 is placed (for example, in front of the entrance/exit of the shelf 5 for the vertical conveyor 202 and at the storage position of the shelf 5).

In this embodiment, for example, at least one of the following may be adopted.
The shelf 5 and the stand 192 may be integrated. The transported object (including the shelf 5) may be an object with legs (an object with legs) or an object without legs (an object without legs). An object without legs is stored on the stand 192. An object with legs may be stored in a storage position without the stand 192. Whether the object has legs or is an object without legs stored on the stand 192, the transport device 3 can enter under the object and lift it up for transport. If all the objects have legs and the transport device 3 can enter under the object and lift it up for transport, the stand 192 does not need to be provided.
In addition, the platform 192 may be any structure that supports the transported object so that there is space under the transported object for the transport device 3 to enter and lift the transported object, and is not limited to the structure illustrated in Fig. 1. The platform 192 may be called a support section, a transported object storage facility, or a transported object support facility.

Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of the first-tier area 200A. According to the example shown in Figures 1 and 2, the first-tier area 200A and the second-tier area 200B overlap in a planar view, but they do not necessarily have to overlap. Also, Figure 2 shows a schematic example of the first-tier area 200A, and the first-tier area 200A illustrated in Figure 2 does not completely match the first-tier area 200A illustrated in Figure 1.

The first tier area 200A is divided into a number of rectangular sections 201 of a predetermined size and managed. Hereinafter, the sections 201 may be referred to as sections (α, β, γ). α is the x coordinate (section position along the x direction), β is the y coordinate (section position along the y direction), and γ is the z coordinate (area position in the height direction). In this embodiment, the value of γ is "1" (first tier area) or "2" (second tier area).

A marker (not shown) indicating the position of each section 201 may be written in each section 201. The marker may include information for identifying the position of the section, and may be, for example, the position information of the section, or information associated with the position information of the section (for example, identification information of the section 201). The marker is information that can be read by the sensor 14 of the conveying device 3, and may be, for example, a one-dimensional code, a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark), or an RFID (radio frequency identifier) tag. In this embodiment, an example of a QR code (registered trademark) will be described as an example of a marker. For example, when the conveying device 3 passes through each section 201, it reads the marker in that section 201. Each conveying device 3 transmits the information of the read marker together with the identification information of the conveying device 3 to the control device 4. The control device 4 identifies the position of each conveying device 3 based on the identification information of the conveying device 3 and the marker information received from each conveying device 3. There are plate-like members throughout the entire compartment 201, and movement from the compartment 201 to another adjacent compartment 201 is possible, and the conveying device 3 may be able to rotate within the compartment 201.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, one first vertical conveyor 202A and one second vertical conveyor 202B are shown, but in the example shown in FIG. 2, there are two groups each consisting of a first vertical conveyor and a second vertical conveyor. In other words, there are four vertical conveyors 202. Hereinafter, the first vertical conveyor 202A shown in both FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 may be referred to as the "first first vertical conveyor 202A," and the first vertical conveyor not shown in FIG. 1 may be referred to as the "second first vertical conveyor." Similarly, the second vertical conveyor 202B shown in both FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 may be referred to as the "first second vertical conveyor 202B," and the second vertical conveyor not shown in FIG. 1 may be referred to as the "second second vertical conveyor." In addition, the group consisting of the first and second vertical conveyors may be referred to as the "lift group."

The first tier area 200A has, for example, the following sections in a plan view:
- Section (1, 13, 1) in which the first vertical conveyor 202A is located.
- Section (1, 11, 1) in which the first second vertical conveyor 202B is located.
A section (17, 13, 1) in which a second first vertical conveyor is present.
A section (17, 11, 1) in which a second vertical conveyor is present.
- Sections (2, 13, 1), (2, 11, 1), (16, 13, 1), and (16, 11, 1) where the shelves 5 transported by the vertical conveyor 202 are temporarily placed.
Shelf storage sections (3, 3, 1), (3, 4, 1), etc., which are sections in which shelves 5 are stored (placed) (sections with the same pattern in Figure 2).
- Section (1, 1, 1) where the battery station is located.
- Sections (6, 15, 1) and (12, 15, 1) in which picking station 6 is located.

Hereinafter, the section where the shelves 5 are temporarily placed may be referred to as a "buffer section". In this embodiment, there is one buffer section for each vertical conveyor 202, but there may be two or more buffer sections for at least one vertical conveyor 202. In other words, the number of buffer sections (the number of shelves 5 that can be buffered (temporarily placed) in the first-stage area 200A) for each vertical conveyor 202 may be a predetermined number M (M is a natural number). The shelves 5 may be, for example, approximately the same size as one section 201, or may be smaller than one section 201. Note that there may be various variations in the way sections are set. In addition, a section into which the conveyor device 3 must not enter (for example, section (3,1,1)) may be provided.

The first tier area 200A and the second tier area 200B each have a lift area 260 (an example of a third area) for each lift group as part of the area. Specifically, there is a first lift area 260-1 corresponding to the first lift group (a group consisting of a first first vertical conveyor 202A and a first second vertical conveyor 202B) and a second lift area 260-2 corresponding to the second lift group (a group consisting of a second first vertical conveyor and a second second vertical conveyor). The lift area 260 includes an area where shelves 5 are transferred between the first vertical conveyor and the multiple conveyor devices 3, and an area where transported items are transferred between the second vertical conveyor and the multiple conveyor devices 3.

For each section 201 in the first-tier area 200A, as shown by the arrows in FIG. 2, the direction in which the conveying device 3 can move in that section 201 may not be limited (for example, the +x direction, -x direction, +y direction, and -y direction may all be directions in which the conveying device 3 can move). Between shelf storage sections, the conveying device 3 without a shelf 5 loaded can move in the direction of the arrow. Note that, to prevent collisions with shelves stored in the shelf storage sections, the conveying device 3 with a shelf 5 loaded may be prevented by the control device 4 from traveling between shelf storage sections.

The sections 201 may be set to be movable in both directions, or may be set to be movable in only one direction. For example, by setting some sections 201 to be movable in only one direction, it is expected that congestion of the conveying device 3 can be suppressed or reduced, and overall conveying efficiency can be improved. In addition, if there are many sections 201 between which movement can only be made in one direction, the movement path of the conveying device 3 may become long. Therefore, the direction in which the conveying device 3 can move may be set in advance depending on the number of conveying devices 3 in the first-stage area 200A or the position or type of each section 201, or such a direction may be dynamically set or changed by the control device 4.

Although not shown, the second tier area 200B is divided into a number of rectangular sections of a predetermined size for management (at least one of the sections may have a marker). Like the first tier area 200A, the second tier area 200B has a section in which the vertical conveyor 202 is located in a plan view, a buffer section, a shelf storage section, and the like.

When installing a mezzanine, it is necessary to comply with the matters stipulated by the laws and regulations of the installation location (e.g., country and region). Examples of laws and regulations here are the Building Standards Act and Fire Service Act in Japan, and depending on the specifications, various applications may be required or the installation of fire protection equipment may be required. In addition to laws and regulations, there may also be standards and guidelines that must be complied with. Furthermore, the specifications of the mezzanine that can be installed may differ from the perspective of compliance with these laws and regulations, in addition to the specifications of the logistics center or warehouse where the mezzanine is installed, time costs, financial costs, and customer needs.

Refer to FIG. 1 again. The conveying device 3 is a device that moves according to a movement instruction from the control device 4, and may typically be an AGV (Automatic Guided Vehicle). The transported object is, for example, a shelf 5 or a pallet. When the transported object is capable of carrying one or more items (for example, a shelf 5 or a pallet), the transported object may be called a storage unit (storage device) or a loading platform. In this embodiment, the case of a shelf 5 will be described as an example of the transported object of the conveying device 3. For example, the conveying device 3 lifts the shelf 5 specified in the movement instruction according to the movement instruction from the control device 4, and transports the shelf 5 to the picking station 6 specified in the movement instruction. The shelf 5 transported to the picking station 6 is returned to the original shelf storage section (or another shelf storage section) by the conveying device 3 after the required product is taken out by the worker at the picking station 6 (i.e., after picking).

The transport route to the picking station 6 and the transport route from the picking station 6 to the original shelf storage section of the shelf 5 (or another shelf storage section) may be specified in one transport instruction or in separate transport instructions. As an example of this other shelf storage section, a shelf 5 that stores products that are picked many times (e.g., frequently) and is transported to the picking station 6 many times (e.g., frequently) may be installed in a shelf storage section located close to the picking station 6 or in the first tier area 200A, which is the area where the picking station 6 is located. A shelf 5 that is transported to the picking station 6 few times may be installed in a shelf storage section located far from the picking station 6 or in an area other than the area where the picking station 6 is located (e.g., the second tier area 200B). In this way, by changing the installation location of the shelf 5 depending on the number of times it is transported to the picking station 6, transport efficiency can be improved.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the conveying device 3 is formed into a rectangular parallelepiped shape overall. As shown in FIG. 3B, drive wheels 20 for turning and moving the conveying device 3 forward are arranged on the underside (bottom surface) of the conveying device 3, and auxiliary wheels 21 are arranged at the four corners of the underside of the conveying device 3. In addition, a cylindrical lifting body 22 is provided in the center of the upper surface of the conveying device 3 so that it can be raised and lowered and rotated freely. At least one of the drive wheels 20 and the auxiliary wheels 21 is the "wheel" of the conveying device 3.

As shown in FIG. 4, the transport device 3 rotates the drive wheels 20 to move to the bottom of the shelf 5 to be transported, then raises the lifting body 22 to lift the shelf 5, and transports the shelf 5 by traveling in this state within the warehouse 2. At this time, the transport device 3 can also change the orientation of the lifted shelf 5 by rotating the lifting body 22. The transport device 3 can also rotate (pivot) without rotating the lifted shelf 5 by rotating (pivoting) the main body other than the lifting body 22 relative to the lifting body 22.

For example, the transport of shelf 5 from second-tier area 200B to first-tier area 200A is as shown in FIG. 5. The transport device 3 in second-tier area 200B transports shelf 5 from the starting position (e.g., shelf storage section) in second-tier area 200B to the section immediately before second vertical transport device 202B (buffer section of second-tier area 200B). The transport equipment in second-tier area 200B transports shelf 5 from the buffer section into second vertical transport device 202B (upper left diagram in FIG. 5). Second vertical transport device 202B containing shelf 5 descends from second-tier area 200B to first-tier area 200A and transports shelf 5 to the first-tier area (upper right diagram in FIG. 5). The conveying equipment in the first-tier area 200A moves the shelf 5 from the second vertical conveyor 202B that has arrived at the first-tier area 200A to the buffer section of the first-tier area 200A (lower left diagram in FIG. 5). The shelf 5 conveyed to the buffer section is handed over to the conveying device 3 in the first-tier area 200A in the lift area 260-1 (lower right diagram in FIG. 5). The conveying device 3 conveys the shelf 5 to the destination position (for example, the picking station 6 or a shelf storage section in the first-tier area 200A).

Similarly, the transportation of the shelf 5 from the starting position in the first-tier area 200A to the destination position in the second-tier area 200B will be described. The transport device 3 in the first-tier area 200A transports the shelf 5 from the starting position in the first-tier area 200A (e.g., a shelf storage section or a picking station 6, etc.) to the section immediately before the first vertical conveyor 202A (the buffer section of the first-tier area 200A). The transport equipment in the first-tier area 200A transports the shelf 5 from the buffer section into the first vertical conveyor 202A. The first vertical conveyor 202A containing the shelf 5 rises from the first-tier area 200A to the second-tier area 200B and transports the shelf 5 to the second-tier area. The transport equipment in the second-tier area 200B moves the shelf 5 from the first vertical conveyor 202A that has arrived at the second-tier area 200B to the buffer section of the second-tier area 200B. The shelves 5 temporarily placed in the buffer section are transported by the transport device 3 to the destination position (e.g., the shelf storage section in the second-tier area 200B).

The conveying equipment (loading and unloading device) that conveys the shelves 5 between the vertical conveyor 202 and the buffer section and the vertical conveyor 202 may be an integrated conveying equipment (which may be called a vertical conveying system, vertical conveyor, or inter-area conveyor) or may be separate devices. The second-level area 200B may also have a lift area, similar to the first-level area 200A.

The transport device 3 is equipped with an automatic charging function, and when the remaining charge of the onboard battery (not shown) falls below a predetermined value, the transport device 3 moves to a battery station and automatically charges.

The control device 4 is wirelessly connected to each conveying device 3 in the warehouse 2, inter-area conveying devices such as the vertical conveying device 202, and each conveying equipment (such as the conveying equipment in the first-level area 200A and the second-level area 200B) via wireless communication lines such as a wireless LAN (Local Area Network). Movement instructions are sent from the control device 4 to the equipment (conveying device 3, vertical conveying device 202, conveying equipment, etc.) that performs the movement (including conveyance), and the equipment that receives the movement instruction moves in accordance with the movement instruction.

For example, the control device 4 identifies the shelf 5 on which the ordered product is stored in response to an order from a customer, and transmits a movement instruction (hereinafter, such an instruction regarding transportation is referred to as a movement instruction) to the transport device 3 to transport the shelf 5 to the picking station 6. If the identified shelf 5 is located in the second-tier area 200B, the control device 4 transmits a movement instruction to the transport device 3 in the second-tier area 200B to transport the shelf 5 from the arrangement position of the shelf 5 (storage position of the shelf) to the second vertical transport device 202B (or the buffer section). If the shelf 5 is transported to the buffer section, the control device 4 transmits a movement instruction to the transport equipment in the second-tier area 200B to transport the shelf 5 from the buffer section into the second vertical transport device 202B. The control device 4 causes the second vertical transport device 202B to transport the shelf 5 from the second-tier area 200B to the first-tier area 200A. When transporting the shelf 5 to the buffer section, the control device 4 transmits a movement instruction to the transport equipment in the first-level area 200A to transport the shelf 5 from the second vertical transport 202B to the buffer section. The control device 4 transmits a movement instruction to the transport device 3 to transport the shelf 5 from the shelf 5's location (vertical transport 202 or buffer section) to the picking station 6.

In addition, when the shelf 5 is transported using the vertical conveyor 202, the control device 4 may issue a transport instruction to the vertical conveyor 202 when the conveyor 3 is made to transport the shelf 5 to the vertical conveyor 202, or when the conveyor 3 is transporting the shelf 5 to the vertical conveyor 202 (for example, when the conveyor 3 approaches the vertical conveyor 202, such as when the conveyor 3 is within a predetermined distance from the vertical conveyor 202). By issuing a transport instruction in advance, the vertical conveyor 202 can be prepared for transport, improving transport efficiency. Here, as an example of transport preparation for the vertical conveyor 202, when the shelf 5 is to be transported downward, the part (elevator car) on which the shelf 5 is mounted of the second vertical conveyor 202B may be moved to the second stage area 200B, or when the shelf 5 is to be transported upward, the part on which the shelf 5 is mounted of the first vertical conveyor 202A may be moved to the first stage area 200A. The control device 4 may transmit a transport instruction to the vertical transport machine 202 when the transport device 3 has completed transporting the shelf 5 to the buffer section, or when the transport device 3 has moved out of the buffer section after transport is complete.

When there are multiple transport tasks using the same vertical conveyor 202 at the same time, the control device 4 may adjust the processing order of the transport tasks of the vertical conveyor 202 based on a predetermined criterion, such as the earliest transport task or transport instruction for the shelf 5, the earliest transport to the vertical conveyor 202, or the highest priority of the transport task, and send a movement instruction to the vertical conveyor 202 or the transport device 3. The control device 4 may reserve both or at least one of the vertical conveyor 202 and the buffer section in association with the transport task, so that they do not compete with other transport tasks while reserved.

The control device 4 also issues movement instructions to each conveying device 3, vertical conveyor 202, etc. for each of the multiple conveying tasks, and the conveying system as a whole can process multiple conveying tasks in parallel. For shelves 5 that have been moved and removed by the vertical conveyor 202, a movement instruction is sent to a conveying device 3 that is in a nearby position and can be conveyed. Furthermore, at the picking station 6, picking work may be performed in the order in which the shelves were conveyed to the picking station 6 (in the order of arrival).

The "movement instruction" sent to the transport device 3 is associated with information representing a transport task assigned to the transport device 3. The transport task is a task according to which shelf 5 is to be transported to which section, and the information representing the transport task may include, for example, the shelf ID of the shelf 5 to be transported, the movement route along which the transport device 3 moves, and the movement direction of the transport device 3. The movement route may include a route from the current section of the transport device 3 (the section to which the current position belongs) to the shelf storage section (the section in which the shelf 5 to be transported exists) and a route from the shelf storage section to the destination section (for example, the picking station 6), or may be a part of that route (for example, a route to be moved to in the near future). After the worker picks up the product from the shelf 5 at the picking station 6, the control device 4 gives the transport device 3 a "movement instruction" to the specified position in order to return the shelf 5 to the specified position. This movement route may further include a route from the picking station 6 to the specified position. For example, a section adjacent to the picking station 6 may be an example of a destination section (the section to which the destination position belongs).

6 and 7 are diagrams showing a specific example of the configuration of the elements of the transport system in this embodiment. The transport system includes a control device 4, a transport device 3, a vertical transport machine 202, a picking terminal 710, and a network 551. The transport system may further include other transport equipment (e.g., an input/output device that transports shelves 5 between the vertical transport machine 202 and the buffer section), a multi-level area 122 (e.g., a mezzanine), a rack 192, shelves 5, and all or part of a picking station 6. There may be one or more of each component of the transport system. For example, the configuration shown in FIG. 1 may be realized by introducing the transport system into the warehouse 2.

The conveying device 3, the control device 4, the vertical conveyor 202, and the picking terminal 710 can communicate with each other via the network 551. There may be multiple vertical conveyors 202 and multiple picking terminals 710.

The transport device 3 includes a drive device 11, a memory device 12, an interface device 13, multiple types of sensors 14, a battery, and a controller 10 connected to them.

The controller 10 is responsible for controlling the operation of the transport device 3 in response to movement instructions from the control device 4 and the charge state of the built-in battery. In addition to the drive wheels 20, the auxiliary wheels 21, and the lifting body 22, the drive device 11 includes an actuator such as a motor (not shown) for driving the drive wheels 20 to rotate, and an actuator such as a motor (not shown) for raising and lowering and rotating the lifting body 22.

The interface device 13 is a device for communicating with the control device 4 using a specified wireless communication method, and may be composed of, for example, a wireless LAN card.

The sensor 14 is a device for collecting information on the floor surface on which the conveying device 3 runs and various information related to the conveying device 3. For example, multiple types of sensors 14 are capable of reading information on markers on a section of the floor surface. The conveying device 3 may be equipped with sensors such as a camera for capturing images of the state of the section 201, a vibration sensor for detecting vibrations received by the conveying device 3 while moving, a speed sensor for measuring the speed of the conveying device 3, an acceleration sensor for measuring the acceleration of the conveying device 3, a weight sensor for measuring the weight of the load (conveyed object), and a gyro sensor for measuring the orientation of the conveying device 3 as the sensor 14.

The storage device 12 stores, for example, a route table 23, a device table 24, a map table 25, a measurement table 27, and a performance table 28. The controller 10 stores a communication program 29, a movement control program 30, a measurement program 31, and a position estimation program 32. The communication program 29, the movement control program 30, the measurement program 31, and the position estimation program 32 are executed by the controller 10 to realize a communication unit, a driving control unit, a measurement unit, and a position estimation unit.

The route table 23 is a table in which the above-mentioned movement instruction received from the control device 4 and information representing the movement route specified by the movement instruction are stored (the information representing the movement route may include information on the section of the movement route, etc.). The device table 24 is a table in which the ID of the transport device 3, the current position (section), and the status (e.g., "waiting", "moving", or "transporting") are stored. The map table 25 is a table in which information representing the position and attributes (e.g., which area it belongs to) of each section is stored. The map table 25 may include information such as that illustrated in FIG. 2. The measurement table 27 is a table in which values measured by multiple types of sensors 14 (e.g., speed, acceleration, rotation, weight, position (values read from two-dimensional barcodes), photographed images of the section, etc.) are stored. The performance table 28 is a table in which information representing the movement performance including the route and date and time traveled by the transport device 3 is stored.

The communication program 29 is a program that has the function of exchanging commands and information with the control device 4 via the interface device 13. For example, the communication program 29 transmits at least some of the information in tables 23 to 25, 27, and 28 to the control device 4 in response to a request from the control device 4 (or without a request). The communication program of each transport device 3 may transmit each of these pieces of information to the control device 4 at regular or irregular intervals.

The movement control program 30 is a program that controls the movement of the transport device 3 in response to a movement instruction received from the control device 4 via the communication program 29. For example, the movement control program 30 controls the drive device 11 to lift a specified shelf 5 and move it to the picking station 6 via a specified movement path in accordance with a movement instruction from the control device 4, or controls the drive device 11 to return the shelf 5 to its original position (or another position) via the specified movement path.

The measurement program 31 registers the output (measurement results) of each sensor 14 in the measurement table 27. The position estimation program 32 estimates the position of the transport device 3 based on the markers (markers in the sections of the first tier area 200A and the second tier area 200B) detected through the sensors 14 of the transport device 3.

The control device 4 may be one or more physical computers having hardware such as a processor 40, a memory 41, a storage device 42, an input device 43, an output device 44, and an interface device 45, or may be a system (e.g., a cloud computing system) realized on one or more physical computers (e.g., a cloud platform). Each device of the control device 4 may be arranged on one physical computer, or may be arranged on multiple physical computers in a distributed manner. Each program and each piece of information held by the storage device 42 may be stored in one storage device, or may be stored separately in multiple storage devices in a distributed manner. Instead of the input device 43 and the output device 44, information may be input and output via a client system that can communicate through the interface device 45.

The processor 40 is a device that controls the operation of the entire control device 4. The memory 41 is used as a work memory for the processor 40. The storage device 42 stores programs and tables. The input device 43 is composed of, for example, a mouse or a keyboard, and is used by the operator to input necessary information and instructions to the control device 4. The output device 44 may be a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display. The interface device 45 is a device for communicating with the conveying device 3, the vertical conveyor 202, and the picking terminal 710 by a predetermined wireless communication method, and may be composed of, for example, a wireless LAN card.

The storage device 42 stores, for example, an equipment transport table 53, an inventory table 54, a shelf table 57, a map table 56, a vertical transport table 61, an order table 55, a picking table 58, and a floor table 60. The map table 56 is a table that stores information representing the maps of each of the first-stage area 200A and the second-stage area 200B (for example, information representing the position (coordinates) and attributes (for example, whether each of the areas 200A and 200B corresponds to a shelf storage section, a picking station 6, a battery station, a vertical transport machine 202, a lift area 260, or a buffer section) for each section) (this table 56 may be distributed to each transport device 3 and stored as a map table 25 in each transport device 3). The map table 56 may include information as shown in FIG. 2.

A storage program 50 and a processing program 51 are stored in the storage device 42. The storage program 50 and the processing program 51 are executed by the processor 40 to realize a storage unit and a processing unit. The storage program 50 stores these tables 53 to 58 and 60 to 61 in the storage device 42.

The vertical conveyor 202 has an interface device 711, a memory device 713, a drive device 714, a sensor 715, and a processor 712 connected to them.

The interface device 711 is a device for communicating with the control device 4 by a predetermined wireless communication method, and may be composed of, for example, a wireless LAN card. The drive device 714 is a device that drives the vertical conveyor 202 to raise and lower it or to wait. The sensor 715 may be a sensor that detects the position of the vertical conveyor 202, etc.

The memory device 713 stores a vertical conveying table 760. The vertical conveying table 760 may be a table that contains at least a portion of the same information as the vertical conveying table 61 of the control device 4. The processor 712 executes a program in the memory device 713 to control the operation of the entire vertical conveyor 202, for example, based on the vertical conveying table 760.

The picking terminal 710 is an information processing terminal for managing the picking work in the picking station 6. The picking terminal 710 has an interface device 731, a storage device 732, and a processor 733 connected to them.

The interface device 731 is a device for communicating with the control device 4 by a predetermined wireless communication method, and may be composed of, for example, a wireless LAN card. The memory device 732 stores a picking table 770. The picking table 770 may be a table containing at least a portion of the same information as the picking table 58 held by the control device 4 (for example, a table showing information for identifying the order to be processed, the planned work time, and the actual progress status). The processor 733 executes a program in the memory device 732 to control the operation of the entire picking terminal 710, for example, based on the picking table 770.

The picking terminal 710 may include an input device and an output device. The input device may accept input of information related to the picking work by the worker, such as the completion of the picking work. The output device may output instructions related to the picking work to the worker.

Figure 8 shows an example of the configuration of order table 55.

Order table 55 is a table that stores various information related to orders from customers. Order table 55 has a record for each order. Each record holds information such as a processing ID 601, slip number 602, store name 603, store code 604, product name 605, product ID 606, quantity 607, delivery date 608, receipt date and time 609, and work date and time 610. Take one order as an example ("order of interest" in the explanation of Figure 8). According to the example shown in Figure 8, even if the slip number 602 is the same, if the product type (for example, product name 605 and product ID 606) is different, it is treated as a different order. One order may be managed separately into two or more orders, or two or more orders may be managed as one order.

The process ID 601 indicates the ID of the order of interest. The invoice number 602 indicates the invoice number.

Store name 603 indicates the name of the store to which the product specified in the target order will be shipped, and store code 604 indicates the code of that store.

Product name 605 indicates the name of the product specified in the target order, product ID 606 indicates the ID of the product, and quantity 607 indicates the number of the product.

The delivery date 608 indicates the deadline for the product specified in the target order to be delivered to the order recipient (typically a customer). The processing program 51 may calculate the deadline for the product to actually be picked at the picking station by working backwards from the delivery date 608. The processing program 51 may determine the timing for sending a movement instruction to the transport device 3 based on the calculated deadline, or may specify in the movement instruction the date and time that the transport device 3 should arrive at the picking station.

The reception date and time 609 indicates the date and time when the order of interest was received. The operation date and time 610 indicates the date and time when the operation of transporting the shelf 5 on which the product specified in the order of interest is placed to the picking station 6 is performed.

Figure 9 shows an example of the configuration of inventory table 54.

The inventory table 54 is a table in which information about products is stored. The inventory table 54 has a record for each product. Each record holds information such as the product name 701, product ID 702, quantity in stock 703, shelf ID 704, product position 705, and number of pickings 706. Take one product as an example ("product of interest" in the explanation of Figure 9). Note that if the same product is stored on different shelves, multiple records exist for the same product. Similarly, if the same product is stored in different product positions on the same shelf, multiple records exist for the same product.

Product name 701 indicates the name of the product of interest. Product ID 702 indicates the ID of the product of interest. Stock quantity 703 indicates the stock quantity of the product of interest. Shelf ID 704 indicates the ID of the shelf 5 on which the product of interest is placed. Product position 705 indicates the position of the product of interest on the shelf 5. For example, "U3R2" means "third from the top (U) and second from the right (R)."

The number of pickings 706 indicates the number of times the product of interest has been picked. The number of pickings 706 may be counted by shelf, or may be the number of products picked. The number of pickings 706 may be used to rearrange the shelves 5, or to replace products within the shelves 5. The number of pickings 706 may also be reset or updated at regular intervals, and may represent, for example, the number of pickings in a specified period, and may therefore be called the "picking frequency."

Figure 10 shows an example of the configuration of shelf table 57.

Shelf table 57 is a table in which information about shelves 5 is stored. Shelf table 57 has a record for each shelf 5. Each record holds a shelf ID 801, a storage location 802, shelf weight 803 (for example, in units of [Kg]), product weight 804 (for example, in units of [Kg]), and number of transports 805. Take one shelf 5 as an example ("shelf of interest 5" in the explanation of Figure 10).

The shelf ID 801 represents the ID of the shelf 5 of interest. The storage position 802 represents the section and area height in which the shelf 5 of interest is located. Specifically, the storage position 802 is expressed as "(column number, row number, tier number)". For example, (3, 3, 1) means tier (3, 3) in the first tier area 200A. If the shelf 5 of interest is in a buffer tier, the storage position 802 represents the position of the buffer tier. If the shelf 5 of interest is in the middle of being transported, the storage position 802 may represent the status of the shelf 5 of interest being "transported". If the shelf 5 of interest is in the middle of being picked, the storage position 802 may represent the status of the shelf 5 of interest being "picked".

Shelf weight 803 represents the weight of the noted shelf 5. Product weight 804 represents the total weight of all products placed on the noted shelf 5. Product weight 804 may be calculated by the processing program 51, for example, based on the inventory quantity 703 of the product corresponding to the shelf ID 704 of the noted shelf 5 and the weight of the product alone.

The number of transports 805 is information that indicates the number of times the transport task of the target shelf 5 is executed. Each time the transport task of the target shelf 5 is executed, the number of transports 805 corresponding to the target shelf 5 is updated, for example, by the storage program 50. For example, the shelf 5 with shelf ID "S634" has a low number of transports 805 and is therefore stored in a section with high transport costs. The number of transports 805 may be incremented each time the target shelf 5 is transported regardless of the destination section, or the number of transports 805 may not be incremented even if the target shelf 5 is transported depending on the destination section. For example, the number of transports 805 corresponding to the target shelf 5 may be updated each time a transport task to the picking station 6 as the destination section is executed. Note that the "number of transports" may be reset or updated at regular intervals, and may be the number of transports in a specified period, for example, and may therefore be called the "transport frequency."

Figure 11 shows an example of the configuration of the device transport table 53.

The device transport table 53 is a table that stores information acquired from each transport device 3. The device transport table 53 has a record for each transport device 3. Each record holds information such as device ID 1101, shelf flag 1102, position 1103, remaining battery charge 1104, device status 1105, shelf ID 1106, destination position 1107, and expected arrival date and time 1108. Take one transport device 3 as an example ("target transport device 3" in the explanation of Figure 11).

The device ID 1101 indicates the ID of the target transport device 3. The shelf flag 1102 indicates whether the target transport device 3 is loaded with a shelf. The position 1103 indicates the coordinates of the section in which the target transport device 3 is located (i.e., the current section). The battery remaining capacity 1104 indicates the remaining capacity of the battery of the target transport device 3.

The device status 1105 indicates the state of the target transport device 3. "Moving" means that the target transport device 3 is moving. "Free" means that the target transport device 3 is not assigned a shelf ID (specifically, a transport task including a shelf ID). The shelf ID 1106 indicates the shelf ID included in the transport task assigned to the target transport device 3 (i.e., the ID of the shelf 5 to be transported specified in the transport task). The destination position 1107 indicates the destination position of the shelf 5 to be transported by the target transport device 3, and may be information (ID) that identifies the destination section, such as location information such as the address (coordinates) of the destination, or the ID of the destination that can identify the destination position. For example, the destination of the transport device 3 in the first stage area 200A may be the ID of the picking station 6 (which may be a position (coordinates) corresponding to the picking station 6), the storage position of the shelf 5, or the ID (or coordinates) of the vertical transport machine 202 (or the buffer section of the first stage area 200A). Also, for example, the destination of the conveying device 3 in the second-tier area 200B may be the storage position of the shelf 5 or the ID (or coordinates) of the vertical conveying machine 202 (or the buffer section of the second-tier area 200B).

The expected arrival date and time 1108 is the expected date and time when the target transportation device 3 arrives at the destination (e.g., picking station 6). The expected arrival date and time 1108 may be, for example, a date and time calculated by the processing program 51 based on the movement route of the target transportation device 3 to the destination.

The processing program 51 of the control device 4 refers to the device transport table 53 and assigns a transport task to a transport device 3 whose device status 1105 is "free". However, even if the transport device 3 currently has the device status 1105 of "in motion", if the expected arrival date and time 1108 is close and the destination position 1107 is close to the position to which the next transport task will be moved, the transport of the next transport task may be executed earlier than other transport devices 3. In that case, the processing program 51 may refer to the device transport table 53 and assign (or reserve or manage) the next transport task to the "in motion" transport device 3.

According to the table 53 illustrated in FIG. 11, for example, the following can be seen.
The transport device 3 with the shelf flag 1102 set to “present” and the device status 1105 set to “moving” is transporting the shelf 5 indicated by the shelf ID 1106 to a destination position 1107 (for example, the picking station 6).
A transport device 3 with a shelf flag 1102 of "absent" and a device status 1105 of "moving" is moving to acquire (e.g., load) a shelf 5 represented by a shelf ID 1106. After acquiring the shelf 5, the shelf flag 1102 is updated to "present", and the transport device 3 transports the shelf 5 to a destination position 1107 (e.g., a picking station 6).

Figure 12 shows an example configuration of the floor table 60.

The floor table 60 holds information for each section in the first tier area 200A and the second tier area 200B. The floor table 60 has a record for each section. Each record holds information such as the address 1201, section setting 1202, lift area 1203, lift group 1204, lift direction 1205, unavailable flag 1206, rotation possible/not possible flag 1207, direction (no shelf) 1208, and direction (shelf present) 1209. Take one section as an example ("section of interest" in the explanation of Figure 12).

The address 1201 indicates the address (location information) of the section of interest. The section setting 1202 indicates what type of section the section of interest is set as. For example, the "shelf storage section" is a section where the shelves 5 are stored (placed). The "transport section" is a section where the transport device 3 travels to transport the shelves 5. The sections that make up the transport path may mainly be transport sections. "Vertical conveyor A" is a section to which the first first vertical conveyor 202A belongs. "Vertical conveyor B" is a section to which the first second vertical conveyor 202B belongs. "Vertical conveyor C" is a section to which the second first vertical conveyor belongs. "Vertical conveyor D" is a section to which the second second vertical conveyor belongs.

Lift area 1203 indicates the ID of lift area 260 when the section of interest belongs to lift area 260. "LA1" means the ID of lift area 260-1, and "LA2" means the ID of lift area 260-2.

Lift group 1204 indicates the ID of the lift group to which the vertical conveyor 202 belongs when the section of interest belongs to the vertical conveyor 202. "G1" means the ID of the first lift group, and "G2" means the ID of the second lift group.

The lift direction 1205 indicates the direction in which the vertical conveyor 202 can move when the section of interest belongs to the vertical conveyor 202. "Up" means only the upward direction, "down" means only the downward direction, and "both directions" means that either the upward or downward direction is possible. According to the example shown in FIG. 12, the first first vertical conveyor 202A is a machine dedicated to the upward lift, and the first second vertical conveyor 202B is a machine dedicated to the downward lift. On the other hand, the second first vertical conveyor and the second second vertical conveyor are both vertical conveyors that can be either an upward lift or a downward lift (when the vertical conveyor is in the first stage area 200A, it is an upward lift, and when the vertical conveyor is in the second stage area 200B, it is a downward lift).

The unusable flag 1206 is a flag that indicates whether the target section is unusable (cannot be a component of a transport route).

The rotation possibility flag 1207 indicates whether the transportation device 3 can rotate in the target area. The direction (no shelf) 1208 indicates the direction in which the transportation device 3, which is present in the target area and does not have a shelf 5, can move. The direction (with shelf) 1209 indicates the direction in which the transportation device 3, which is present in the target area and has a shelf 5, can move.

Figure 13 shows an example of the configuration of the vertical conveying table 61.

The vertical conveying table 61 is a table that stores information about conveyance by the vertical conveyor 202. The vertical conveying table 61 has a record for each vertical conveyance. Each record holds information such as a vertical ID 1301, a conveying mode 1302, a shelf ID 1303, a shelf state 1304, a conveyance start date and time 1305, and a buffering start date and time 1306. Take one vertical conveyance as an example ("target vertical conveyance" in the explanation of FIG. 13). Note that "vertical conveyance" is an example of an inter-area conveyance, and in this embodiment, it is either a conveyance from the second-tier area 200B to the first-tier area 200A, or a conveyance from the first-tier area 200A to the second-tier area 200B. When the multiple areas are three or more areas, a conveyance from a source area to a destination area may be an example of an inter-area conveyance. There are zero or more areas between the source area and the destination area.

The vertical ID 1301 indicates the ID of the vertical conveyor 202 that performs the vertical conveyance of interest. Note that the vertical ID 1301 does not have to be present, and a vertical conveyor table 61 may exist for each vertical conveyor 202.

The transport mode 1302 indicates the transport direction of the vertical transport machine 202 carrying the shelf 5. "Up" means that the vertical transport machine 202 transports the shelf 5 from the first-tier area 200A to the second-tier area 200B. "Down" means that the vertical transport machine 202 transports the shelf 5 from the second-tier area 200B to the first-tier area 200A. Records corresponding to the vertical transport machine 202 moving to the first-tier area 200A or the second-tier area 200B without a shelf 5 (for example, moving to receive the shelf 5 to be transported at the first-tier area 200A or the second-tier area 200B) may not be present in this table 61.

Shelf ID 1303 indicates the ID of the shelf 5 to be transported by the target vertical transport. Shelf status 1304 indicates the status of the shelf 5 to be vertically transported. "Raising or lowering" means that the shelf 5 is being transported by the vertical transport machine 202. "Waiting" means that the shelf 5 is waiting to be vertically transported at a waiting position (buffer section) in front of the vertical transport machine 202. "Moving" means that the shelf 5 is in the process of moving to the vertical transport machine 202. "Before moving" means that the shelf 5 is waiting at its current location (e.g., the shelf storage section) to be transported to the vertical transport machine 202.

The transfer start date and time 1305 represents the date and time when the target vertical transfer started or is scheduled to start. For example, the transfer start date and time 1305 may be calculated by the processing program 51 based on information on the transfer status of the vertical transfer machine 202 and information on the date and time when the shelf 5 arrives at the vertical transfer machine 202. The date and time when the shelf 5 arrives at the vertical transfer machine 202 may be calculated by the processing program 51 based on the storage position of the shelf 5, the standard transfer time (or standard transfer speed) of the transfer device 3, and information on the transfer of another shelf 5 that is transferred first. In addition, the transfer completion date and time (date and time when the vertical transfer is scheduled to be completed) may be calculated by the processing program 51 based on the transfer start date and time 1305 and the standard transfer time (or standard transfer speed) of the vertical transfer machine 202, and the vertical transfer table 61 may hold this information.

The buffering start date and time 1306 is the date and time when the shelf 5 targeted for the vertical transport of interest is placed in a buffer section in the area of the vertical transport destination, and indicates the date and time when the shelf 5 starts waiting for transport to the destination position in the buffer section, or the date and time when the shelf 5 is scheduled to start waiting. Specifically, for example, the shelf 5 that has arrived at the first-stage area 200A by the vertical transport machine 202 is transported by the transport equipment (for example, placed on a platform conveyor, not shown, and transported to the buffer section by the platform conveyor), and the buffering start date and time 1306 is the date and time when the shelf 5 is transported to the buffer section by the transport equipment. For example, the buffering start date and time 1306 may be calculated by the processing program 51 based on the transport start date and time 1305, the standard transport time (or standard transport speed) of the vertical transport machine 202, the time required for delivery from the vertical transport machine 202 to the transport equipment (for example, the platform conveyor), and the time required for transport by the transport equipment.

For example, when a shelf 5 is to be transported from a buffer section to a destination position (e.g., picking station 6), the control device 4 refers to the device transport table 53, assigns a transport task to a nearby transport device 3 with an "empty" device status 1105 that is in the same area as the buffer section, and transmits a movement instruction. For example, the control device 4 may refer to the vertical transport table 61 and instruct the transport device 3 to wait in advance near the buffer section or to start moving to the buffer section in advance so that the shelf 5 can be transported immediately from the buffering start date and time 1306. Also, when there are multiple shelves 5 in the buffer section, the control device 4 may control (instruct to move) the transport task with a higher priority to be transported first, and may also instruct to transport in order of the earliest buffering start date and time 1306. This prevents the shelf 5 from being stuck in the buffer section and enables efficient transport.

Figure 14 shows an example of the configuration of the picking table 58.

Picking table 58 is a table related to picking work. Picking table 58 has a record for each picking work. Each record holds information such as picking station ID 1401, process ID 1402, equipment ID 1403, shelf ID 1404, product ID 1405, quantity 1406, scheduled start date and time 1407, scheduled end date and time 1408, and picking status 1409. Take one picking work as an example ("picking work of interest" in the explanation of Figure 14).

Picking station ID 1401 indicates the ID of the picking station where the picking task of interest is performed. Picking station ID 1401 may not be required, and a picking table 58 may be provided for each picking station 6.

The process ID 1402 is the process ID of the order corresponding to the picking task of interest. The device ID 1403 is the ID of the transport device 3 that transports the shelf 5 having the product to be picked in the picking task of interest to the picking station 6.

Shelf ID 1404 indicates the ID of the shelf 5 that has the product to be picked in the picking operation of interest, product ID 1405 indicates the ID of that product, and quantity 1406 indicates the number of products to be picked. According to table 58, in which records are arranged in ascending order of scheduled start date and time 1407, when the same shelf ID 1404 is consecutive, different products corresponding to different process IDs can be consecutively picked from one shelf 5.

The scheduled start date and time 1407 indicates the scheduled start date and time of the picking task of interest. The scheduled end date and time 1408 indicates the scheduled end date and time of the picking task of interest. The scheduled start date and time 1407 may be calculated by the processing program 51 based on the scheduled date and time of arrival of the conveying device 3 at the picking station 6 along the movement path and the estimated time required for the picking task performed before the picking task of interest. The scheduled end date and time 1408 may be calculated by the processing program 51 based on the scheduled start date and time 1407 and the estimated time required for the picking task. The estimated time required for the picking task may be calculated by the processing program 51 based on at least one of the quantity of products to be picked, the average time required for the picking task, and the past picking task history of the worker performing the picking task. The picking task may be performed by a robot instead of or in addition to a worker.

The picking status 1409 indicates the status of the picking task of interest. "Before work" means that the transport device 3 carrying the shelf 5 has arrived at the picking station 6 and the picking task has not yet started. "In work" means that the picking task has started but not yet been completed. "Complete" means that the picking task has been completed. The picking status 1409 may be changed based on an input from the worker performing the picking task, or may be changed automatically based on a value automatically detected regarding the picking task. For example, when the transport device 3 that has been waiting transports the shelf 5 after the completion of the picking task of interest, the picking status 1409 corresponding to the next picking task after the picking task of interest may be changed from "before work" to "in work".

An example of the processing performed in this embodiment is described below. In this embodiment, tables 53 to 61 are stored in the storage device 42 by the storage program 50. Based on information (e.g., information including sensor measurement values) that the control device 4 receives periodically or irregularly from each conveying device 3, each vertical conveyor 202, and each picking terminal 710, the storage program 50 appropriately updates the relevant portions of tables 53 to 58 and 60 to 61.

Figure 15 is a flowchart showing the flow of the transport control process. The transport control process is performed repeatedly (e.g., periodically).

In S1501, the processing program 51 sorts the orders (records in the order table 55) in ascending order of the operation date and time 610. The orders may be sorted in an order other than ascending order of the operation date and time 610. S1502 to S1504 are performed for each sorted order. The processing program 51 may also combine multiple orders into a single order, and perform S1502 to S1504 for such combined orders. The multiple orders combined into a single order may be orders that share a certain type of element, such as orders for products on the same shelf. Here, one order is taken as an example (the order of interest in the explanation of Figure 15).

In S1502, the processing program 51 identifies the shelf 5 on which the product to be picked is located and the location of the shelf 5 based on the order of interest. Specifically, for example, the following processing is performed. Based on the order table 55, inventory table 54, and shelf table 57, the processing program 51 identifies from the inventory table 54 the shelf ID 704 corresponding to the product name 701 and product ID 702 that match the product name 605 and product ID 606 specified in the order of interest. The processing program 51 identifies from the shelf table 57 the storage location 802 corresponding to the shelf ID 801 that matches the identified shelf ID 704.

In S1503, the processing program 51 selects a transport device 3 for transporting the shelf 5 located at the shelf position (storage position 802 of the shelf 5) identified in S1502 based on the map table 56, the equipment transport table 53, the shelf table 57, the vertical transport table 61, and the floor table 60 for the order of interest, and creates a movement route for transport by the transport device 3. That is, in S1503, the transport device 3 to which the transport task according to the order of interest is assigned is determined. The transport task may be a task for transporting the shelf 5 to be transported according to the created movement route. Specifically, in S1503, for example, the processing program 51 may perform at least one of the following:
The processing program 51 selects one transport device 3 from one or more transport devices 3 that meet a predetermined condition. The "predetermined condition" referred to here may be that at least the shelf flag 1102 is "none". The selection of the transport device 3 may be performed based on the device status 1105, shelf flag 1102, position 1103, and storage position 802 (the distance between the storage position 802 and the position of the destination section) of each transport device 3. For example, the processing program 51 may refer to the device transport table 53 and select the transport device 3 that is located in the same area as the storage position 802 of the shelf 5 to be transported and has the device status 1105 of "empty" and is located in the position 1103 closest to the storage position 802 from among the transport devices 3 that are located in the same area as the storage position 802 of the shelf 5 to be transported.
The processing program 51 creates a movement route (including a movement direction) based on the position 1103 of the selected conveying device 3, the storage position 802 of the shelf 5 to be conveyed, the position of the destination section (typically the position of the picking station 6 or the vertical conveyor 202), and the records for each section on each of the multiple routes connecting the position of the selected conveying device 3 and the position of the destination section (e.g., the unusable flag 1206, the rotation possibility flag 1207, the direction (no shelf) 1208, and the direction (shelf present) 1209). The movement route may be, for example, a route from the position 1103 of the selected conveying device 3 to the storage position 802 of the shelf 5 to be conveyed, or a route from the storage position 802 of the shelf 5 to be conveyed to the position of the destination section.
When an item is transported between areas (for example, between the first-tier area 200A and the second-tier area 200B) by an inter-area transport device (for example, the vertical transport device 202), the inter-area transport device (for example, the vertical transport device 202) to perform the transport may be determined based on the position of the item to be transported (for example, the storage position 802 on the shelf 5), the transport direction of each inter-area transport device (for example, the lift direction 1205), the transport status of each inter-area transport device (for example, the task status of ``vertical transport'' on the vertical transport table 61), the position and unavailable flag 1206 of each inter-area transport device, etc.
The processing program 51 may refer to the picking table 58. For example, the processing program 51 may identify a relatively vacant picking station 6 (e.g., a picking station 6 having a relatively small number of corresponding records in the picking table 58) and determine the vacant picking station 6 as the destination section.

In S1504, the processing program 51 sends a movement instruction to the transport device 3 selected in S1503, which is associated with the transport task (the transport task according to the target order) assigned to the transport device 3.

When the shelf 5 in the second-tier area 200B is transported to the picking station 6 in the first-tier area 200A, the processing program 51 may create, for example, a path from the position 1103 of the transport device 3 in the second-tier area 200B to the storage position 802 of the shelf 5 to be transported, a path from the storage position 802 of the shelf 5 to be transported to the position of the vertical transport device 202 (or a buffer section in the second-tier area 200B), a transport path on the vertical transport device 202, and a path from the position of the vertical transport device 202 (or a buffer section in the first-tier area 200A) to the picking station 6 as the movement path in S1503. Then, in S1504, the processing program 51 transmits movement instructions for each movement path to the transport device 3 in the second-tier area 200B, the vertical transport device 202, each transport facility, and the transport device 3 in the first-tier area 200A.

In this transport control process, the transport task that is determined and assigned for each order is a task that meets the delivery date 608 of that order.

Figure 16 is a flowchart showing the flow of the transport device allocation process. The transport device allocation process is executed in S1503 of Figure 15. This transport device allocation process is particularly a process for assigning to the transport device 3 a transport task for transporting an object transported by an inter-area transport device within the destination area (floor). In the following explanation of Figure 16, a specific example may be given of a process for assigning a transport task for transporting within the first-tier area 200A a shelf 5 transported from the second-tier area 200B to the first-tier area 200A by the first second vertical transport device 202B. In the following explanation of Figure 16, for convenience, this transport task is referred to as the "target transport task."

In S1601, the processing program 51 determines whether there is an empty transport device 3 in the same lift area (for example, lift area 260-1 where the shelf 5 to be transported is located) of the destination floor (first level area 200A). This lift area is the lift area 1203 to which the buffer section where the shelf 5 is located before or after the inter-area transport device transports belongs and to which the inter-area transport device (for example, the first second vertical transport device 202B) that performs the transport belongs. The processing program 51 refers to the floor table 60 to identify the buffer section on the transport path and the lift area 1203 (for example, LA1) of the inter-area transport device. Then, the processing program 51 refers to the device status 1105 and position 1103 of the device transport table 53, the address 1201 and lift area 1203 of the floor table 60, etc., to determine whether there is an empty transport device 3 in the same lift area as the identified lift area (for example, LA1). For example, if a transport device 3 whose device status 1105 is "vacant" and whose location 1103 is the same as the address 1201 of a section belonging to the same lift area (e.g., LA1) is on the destination floor, that transport device 3 corresponds to the "vacant transport device 3" in S1601. If the determination result in S1601 is true (S1601: YES), in S1606, the processing program 51 assigns the target transport task to the "vacant transport device 3" and creates a movement route for the transport device 3.

If the judgment result of S1601 is false (S1601: NO), in S1602, the processing program 51 judges whether or not there is a conveying device 3 whose destination is the same lift group on the destination floor. This lift group is the lift group 1204 to which the inter-area conveying device (e.g., the first second vertical conveying device 202B) that performs the conveying belongs. The processing program 51 refers to the floor table 60 to identify the lift group 1204 (e.g., G1) of the inter-area conveying device on the conveying path. Then, the processing program 51 refers to the device status 1105 and destination position 1107 of the device conveying table 53, the address 1201, the section setting 1202, the lift group 1204, etc. of the floor table 60 to determine whether or not there is a conveying device 3 whose destination is the same lift group as the identified lift group (e.g., G1). Here, it may be determined whether or not there is a conveying device 3 whose destination is another inter-area conveying device (e.g., the first first vertical conveying device 202A) of the same lift group. For example, if the shelf flag 1102 is "present", the device status 1105 is "moving", and the destination position 1107 is the same as the address 1201 of the section belonging to the section setting 1202 "vertical conveyor A" (corresponding to lift group 1204 "G1"), and there is a conveying device 3 on the destination floor, that conveying device 3 corresponds to the "conveying device 3 having the same lift group as the destination" in S1601. This conveying device 3 is an example of a conveying device 3 that is conveying a shelf 5 to the first vertical conveying device 202A. If the determination result in S1602 is true (S1602: YES), in S1606, the processing program 51 assigns the target conveying task to the conveying device 3 and creates a movement path for the conveying device 3.

If the judgment result of S1602 is false (S1602: NO), in S1603, the processing program 51 judges whether or not there is an empty transport device 3 outside the same lift area (e.g., lift area 260-1) on the destination floor. The processing program 51 judges whether or not there is an empty transport device 3 outside the lift area (e.g., LA1) identified in S1601 by referring to the device status 1105 and position 1103 of the device transport table 53, the address 1201 and lift area 1203 of the floor table 60, etc. For example, if there is a transport device 3 whose device status 1105 is "empty" and whose position 1103 is the same value as the address 1201 of a section outside the lift area 260-1 (LA1) on the destination floor, that transport device 3 corresponds to the "empty transport device 3" in S1603. If the determination result of S1603 is true (S1603: YES), in S1606, the processing program 51 assigns the target transport task to the "free transport device 3" and creates a movement path for the transport device 3.

If the result of the determination in S1603 is false (S1603: NO), in S1604, the processing program 51 refers to the device transport table 53 and the floor table 60 to determine whether there is an allocatable transport device 3 on the destination floor. For example, if the shelf flag 1102 is "present", the device status 1105 is "moving", the expected arrival date and time 1108 is within a predetermined time (will become available within the predetermined time), and any transport device 3 is on the destination floor, that transport device 3 corresponds to the "allocatable transport device 3" in S1604. In other words, the "allocatable transport device 3" is a transport device 3 that is not currently available (e.g., is performing a transport task) but is expected to become available within a certain time from the current time (e.g., completes a transport task), and such a transport device 3 can be identified from management information including information indicating the status (e.g., whether the shelf 5 is being transported) for identifying whether the transport device 3 can be assigned or not and information indicating the expected task end date and time of the transport device 3 (e.g., expected arrival date and time 1108). If the determination result of S1604 is true (S1604: YES), in S1606, the processing program 51 assigns the target transport task to the transport device 3 and creates a movement route for the transport device 3. The processing program 51 may assign the target transport task to the transport device 3 after a predetermined time has elapsed or at a timing when the task can be assigned, or may reserve the task for assignment as the next transport task.

If the determination result in S1604 is false (S1604: NO), in S1605, the processing program 51 waits for a predetermined time. After that, the processing returns to S1601.

In the explanation of FIG. 16, if the vertical conveyor that conveyed the shelf 5 from the second-tier area 200B to the first-tier area 200A is a second first vertical conveyor or a second second vertical conveyor capable of conveying in both upward and downward directions, the lift area is lift area 260-2.

Although several embodiments have been described above, these are merely examples for the purpose of explaining the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not intended to be limited to these embodiments. The present invention can also be implemented in various other forms.

For example, the shape of the compartment is not limited to a square, and may be another shape. Also, compartments of different sizes or shapes may be mixed. Also, the position of the compartment may be identified by other methods instead of being identified from a two-dimensional barcode on the compartment.

For example, the storage program 50 and the processing program 51 may be executed by the transport device 3 instead of or in addition to the control device 4. The transport device 3 may also function as the control device 4.

For example, in the present embodiment, an example is shown in which the vertical conveyor 202 is used as the inter-area conveyor, but the vertical conveyor 202 can be replaced by another inter-area conveyor, such as a forklift, that can convey the shelf 5 vertically. In this case, the control device 4 may determine the position at which the forklift conveys the shelf 5 vertically.

Items transported by a forklift from an area other than the first-tier area 200A to the first-tier area 200A may be transferred directly to the conveying device 3.

The present invention can also be applied to a conveying system for conveying goods in factories, workshops, etc. other than storage facilities used by companies such as online retailers to store goods. Specifically, the goods conveyed by the conveying device 3 may be things other than the shelves 5, such as trays, boxes, pallets, or goods. In this case, the trays, boxes, and pallets may or may not contain goods (for example, when the trays, boxes, and pallets themselves are the goods conveyed). In this case, it is sufficient to replace "shelves" with "goods conveyed," so a detailed explanation is omitted. In addition, the work on such goods conveyed may be work other than picking work, such as processing, assembly, packaging, or inspection. In this case, it is sufficient to replace "picking" or "picking work" with "work," so a detailed explanation is omitted.

The above explanation can be summarized, for example, as follows. The summary below may include supplementary explanations to the above explanations and explanations of modified examples of the above embodiments.

A control device (e.g., control device 4) is constructed to control multiple conveying devices (e.g., conveying device 3) and the first inter-area conveying device and the second inter-area conveying device. The first inter-area conveying device may be, for example, the first first vertical conveying device 202A, or any of the second first vertical conveying device and the second second vertical conveying device capable of conveying in the vertical direction. The second inter-area conveying device may be, for example, the first second vertical conveying device 202B, or any of the second first vertical conveying device and the second second vertical conveying device capable of conveying in the vertical direction. The vertical conveying device may be, for example, a lift or an elevator (for example, a car thereof). At least one inter-area conveying device may be, for example, a conveyor or an autolator.

The first inter-area conveyor and the second inter-area conveyor are capable of transporting objects between a first area (e.g., first-tier area 200A) where multiple conveying devices run, and a second area (e.g., second-tier area 200B) different from the first area.

The first area has a third area (e.g., lift area 260) including an area where transported items (e.g., shelves 5) are handed over between the first inter-area transporter and a plurality of transport devices, and an area where transported items are handed over between the second inter-area transporter and the plurality of transport devices.

The control device preferentially assigns a transport task (e.g., the "target transport task" in the description of FIG. 16) of transporting an object transported from the second area to the first area by the second inter-area transport device within the first area to a second transport device (e.g., a transport device corresponding to S1602: YES) that is transporting an object to the first inter-area transport device, rather than a first transport device (e.g., a transport device corresponding to S1603: YES) that is in an area other than the third area of the first area and has not been assigned a transport task. Hereinafter, for convenience, this transport task will be referred to as the "target transport task".

The second conveying device, which is currently conveying an object to the first inter-area conveying device, becomes vacant after conveying the object to the first inter-area conveying device, and the vacant second conveying device conveys the object conveyed from the second area to the first area by the second inter-area conveying device within the first area, which contributes to improving conveying efficiency. In addition, it is expected that the first conveying device, which is in an area of the first area other than the third area and has no conveying task assigned to it, will contribute to improving conveying efficiency if it is assigned a different conveying task. For this reason, assigning the target conveying task to the second conveying task with priority over the first conveying device will link the conveying device and the inter-area conveying device so that the efficiency of conveying the object between different areas does not decrease. In addition, such linkage is expected to shorten the cumulative moving distance in the entire first area (the cumulative total moving distance of all conveying devices 3), which is expected to improve conveying efficiency as well as reduce damage to the floor surface of the first area as a whole.

Of the multiple transport devices, among those that are currently transporting an object, the control device may preferentially assign the target transport task to the second transport device rather than to a third transport device (e.g., a transport device corresponding to S1604: YES) that is currently transporting an object to an area other than the third area. This is expected to improve transport efficiency. Also, if there is no second transport device, the control device may preferentially assign the target transport task to the first transport device rather than to the third transport device.

The control device may also preferentially assign the target transport task to a fourth transport device (e.g., a transport device corresponding to S1601: YES) that is in the third area and has not been assigned a transport task, rather than to the second transport device among the multiple transport devices. This is expected to improve transport efficiency.

The first inter-area conveyor and the second inter-area conveyor may each be a vertical conveyor 202 between floors. The control device may cause the second conveyor to convey the object conveyed by the second inter-area conveyor after conveying the object to the first inter-area conveyor. This is expected to improve conveying efficiency. The first area is on the first floor, the second area is on the second floor, and the object conveyed by the second conveyor may be conveyed from the first floor to the second floor by the first inter-area conveyor. The object conveyed from the second floor to the first floor by the second inter-area conveyor may be conveyed by the second conveyor after conveying the object to the first inter-area conveyor. This is expected to improve conveying efficiency.

Of the first and second floors, a working station (e.g., a picking station) may be present only on the first floor. In addition to the multiple conveying devices traveling on the first floor (first area), two or more conveying devices may travel on the second floor (second area). The second area may have a fourth area (e.g., a lift area) including an area where the transported items are handed over between the first inter-area conveying device and the two or more conveying devices, and an area where the transported items are handed over between the second inter-area conveying device and the two or more conveying devices. The control device may preferentially assign a transport task of transporting the transported items transported from the first area to the second area by the first inter-area conveying device within the second area to a sixth conveying device that is in an area other than the fourth area in the second area and has no transport task assigned thereto, from a fifth conveying device that is transporting the transported items to the second inter-area conveying device, among the two or more conveying devices. That is, on the first floor where there is a working station, the second conveyance device corresponding to the fifth conveyance device is assigned the target conveyance task with priority over the first conveyance device corresponding to the sixth conveyance device, but on the second floor where there is no working station, a conveyance task similar to the target conveyance task is assigned with priority over the fifth conveyance device to the sixth conveyance device. That is, the control differs depending on whether or not there is a working station. In an area where there is a working station, there is conveyance between the working station and the storage area of the conveyance object, conveyance between the working station and the vertical conveyance device, and conveyance between the vertical conveyance device and the storage area of the conveyance object, but in an area where there is no working station, among these conveyances, there is only conveyance between the vertical conveyance device and the storage area of the conveyance object. By controlling as described above depending on the presence or absence of a working station, it is expected that the conveyance efficiency will be improved. In other words, if there are working stations on each of the first and second floors, the control device may assign the above-mentioned conveyance task similar to the target conveyance task to the fifth conveyance device with priority over the sixth conveyance device. The second floor may be, for example, a floor on a mezzanine provided on the first floor. This is expected to improve storage efficiency in addition to improving conveyance efficiency.

It is expected that the present invention can be applied to various cases. For example, the present invention may be applied to any of the following cases:
- Applicable to transportation between multiple areas (two or more than two) including a first area and a second area. The first area and the second area may be areas of the same height or areas of different heights. In the case of areas of different heights, it may be inter-area transportation in a multi-level area of a mezzanine provided in the warehouse 2 (for example, the first level area 200A, the second level area 200B), or it may be inter-area transportation between different floors (areas) in a warehouse 2 having multiple floors. The second area may be higher or lower than the first area. Each area may or may not have a working station.
The first area may be outside the automated warehouse (an area outside the automated warehouse), and the second area may be the automated warehouse (an area inside the automated warehouse). The goods (transported goods) to be carried into the automated warehouse may be carried from outside the automated warehouse to the automated warehouse by a first inter-area conveying machine (e.g., a conveyor or a stacker crane) in response to a carry-in instruction from the control device 4. The goods (transported goods) stored in the automated warehouse may be carried out from the automated warehouse to outside the automated warehouse by a second inter-area conveying machine (e.g., a conveyor or a stacker crane) in response to a carry-out instruction from the control device 4 based on an order or the like. The transported goods carried out from the automated warehouse to outside the automated warehouse by the second inter-area conveying machine may be transported to a destination (working station, etc.) by a transport device. The transport device allocation process of FIG. 16 can be applied to the allocation of transport devices related to transport tasks to this destination. For example, the control device preferentially assigns the transport task of transporting an item that has been transported (unloaded) from the second area (automated warehouse) to the first area (outside the automated warehouse) by the second inter-area transport device to a second transport device (e.g., a transport device corresponding to S1602: YES) that is transporting an item to the first inter-area transport device, from among the multiple transport devices, a first transport device (e.g., a transport device corresponding to S1603: YES) that is in an area other than the third area in the first area (outside the automated warehouse) and has no transport task assigned to it.
The first inter-area conveying device and the second inter-area conveying device may be conveyors (e.g., a first conveyor and a second conveyor) that convey an article (transported object) between the first area and the second area. The first inter-area conveying device (first conveyor) may convey an article (transported object) from the first area to the second area in response to an instruction from the control device 4. The second inter-area conveying device (second conveyor) may convey an article (transported object) from the second area to the first area in response to an instruction from the control device 4. The transported object transported from the second area to the first area by the second inter-area conveying device (second conveyor) may be transported to a destination (such as a working station) by a transport device. The transport device allocation process of FIG. 16 can be applied to the allocation of a transport device for a transport task to this destination. For example, the control device preferentially assigns the transport task of transporting an object transported from the second area to the first area by the second inter-area transport device (second conveyor) within the first area to a second transport device (e.g., a transport device corresponding to S1602: YES) that is transporting an object to the first inter-area transport device (first conveyor) from among the multiple transport devices in the first area other than the third area and to which a transport task has not been assigned (e.g., a transport device corresponding to S1603: YES).

The control device may assign the target transport task to a transport device (e.g., the second transport device) when the second inter-area transport device transports the transported object (e.g., when the second inter-area transport device starts transporting the transported object). This is expected to shorten the residence time of the transported object (the time from when the transported object arrives at the first area to when transport of the transported object starts).

The control device may assign the target transport task to a transport device (e.g., the second transport device) when the second inter-area transport device has finished transporting the transported object to the first area. This is expected to reduce the waiting time of the transport device (the time from when the transport device becomes available to when it starts transporting the transported object).

There may be a first group (e.g., a first lift group) composed of a first inter-first area conveyor and a first inter-second area conveyor, and a second group (e.g., a second lift group) composed of a second inter-first area conveyor and a second inter-second area conveyor. The first area may have a first third area (e.g., lift area 260-1) corresponding to the first group, and a second third area (e.g., lift area 260-2) corresponding to the second group and not overlapping with the first third area. The control device may determine a conveyor to which a conveying task of the target conveyor is assigned depending on whether the target conveyor is a conveyor by the first group or the second group, and/or whether the target conveyor is a conveyor in the first third area or the second third area.

3: Conveyor device, 4: Control device, 202: Vertical conveyor

Claims (16)

A control method by a control device that controls a plurality of conveying devices, a first inter-area conveying device, and a second inter-area conveying device, comprising:
the first inter-area conveyor and the second inter-area conveyor are capable of conveying an object between a first area in which the plurality of conveying devices travel and a second area different from the first area;
the first area has a third area including an area where an article is transferred between the first inter-area conveyor and the plurality of conveying devices, and an area where an article is transferred between the second inter-area conveyor and the plurality of conveying devices,
The control method includes:
A control method in which a transport task of transporting an object transported from the second area to the first area by the second inter-area transport device is preferentially assigned from a first transport device among the plurality of transport devices that is in an area of the first area other than the third area and has no transport task assigned to it to a second transport device that is transporting an object to the first inter-area transport device. 2. The control method according to claim 1, wherein, among the plurality of conveying devices, each of which is currently transporting an object, the conveying task is preferentially assigned to the second conveying device that is currently transporting an object to the first inter-area conveying device, rather than to a third conveying device that is currently transporting an object to an area other than the third area. 3. The control method according to claim 2, wherein, among the plurality of conveying devices, the conveying task is preferentially assigned to a fourth conveying device in the third area to which a conveying task has not been assigned, rather than to the second conveying device that is currently conveying an object to the first inter-area conveying device. the first inter-area conveyor and the second inter-area conveyor are each an inter-floor vertical conveyor,
causing the second conveying device to convey the article to the first inter-area conveying device, and then conveying the article conveyed by the second inter-area conveying device;
The control method according to claim 1 . the first area is on a first floor;
the second area is on a second floor;
the object conveyed by the second conveying device is conveyed from the first floor to the second floor by the first inter-area conveying device,
the article transported from the second floor to the first floor by the second inter-area transport device is transported by the second transport device after transporting the article to the first inter-area transport device;
The control method according to claim 4. Among the first floor and the second floor, a working station is present only on the first floor;
Two or more transport devices travel on the second floor in addition to the plurality of transport devices;
the second area has a fourth area including an area where an article is handed over between the first inter-area conveyor and the two or more conveying devices, and an area where an article is handed over between the second inter-area conveyor and the two or more conveying devices,
The control method described in claim 5, wherein, among the two or more conveying devices, a fifth conveying device that is currently transporting an object to the second inter-area conveying device preferentially assigns a transport task of transporting an object transported from the first area to the second area by the first inter-area conveying device within the second area to a sixth conveying device that is in an area of the second area other than the fourth area and has no transport task assigned to it. a working station on each of the first floor and the second floor;
Two or more transport devices travel on the second floor in addition to the plurality of transport devices;
the second area has a fourth area including an area where an article is handed over between the first inter-area conveyor and the two or more conveying devices, and an area where an article is handed over between the second inter-area conveyor and the two or more conveying devices,
The control method described in claim 5, wherein a fifth conveying device, among the two or more conveying devices, which is currently transporting an object to the second inter-area conveying device, is preferentially assigned a transport task of transporting an object transported from the first area to the second area by the first inter-area conveying device within the second area, rather than a sixth conveying device which is in an area of the second area other than the fourth area and has not been assigned a transport task. The control method according to claim 5 , wherein the second floor is a floor above a mezzanine provided on the first floor. Among the first floor and the second floor, a working station is present only on the first floor;
Two or more transport devices travel on the second floor in addition to the plurality of transport devices;
the second area has a fourth area including an area where an article is handed over between the first inter-area conveyor and the two or more conveying devices, and an area where an article is handed over between the second inter-area conveyor and the two or more conveying devices,
9. The control method according to claim 8, wherein, among the two or more conveying devices, a fifth conveying device that is currently transporting an object to the second inter-area conveying device preferentially assigns a transport task of transporting an object transported from the first area to the second area by the first inter-area conveying device within the second area to a sixth conveying device that is in an area of the second area other than the fourth area and has no transport task assigned thereto. The first area is outside the automated warehouse,
The second area is the automated warehouse,
The first inter-area conveyor carries an object from outside the automated warehouse into the automated warehouse,
a transport task of transporting, within the first area, the transported object that has been carried out from the automated warehouse to outside the automated warehouse by the second inter-area transport device, assigned to the second transport device that is transporting the transported object to the first inter-area transport device;
The control method according to claim 1 . The first inter-area conveyor and the second inter-area conveyor are conveyors that convey objects between a first area and a second area,
The control method according to claim 1 . The control method according to claim 1 , wherein the transport task is assigned to the second transport device when the second inter-area transport device transports the transported object. The control method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of assigning the transport task to the second transport device when the second inter-area transport device has finished transporting the transported object to the first area. a first group including a first inter-area transport device and a first inter-area transport device, and a second group including a second inter-area transport device and a second inter-area transport device,
the first area includes a first third area corresponding to the first group and a second third area corresponding to the second group and not overlapping with the first third area;
The control method described in claim 1, further comprising determining a transport device to which a transport task for a target transport item is assigned depending on whether the target transport item is a transport item from the first group or the second group, and/or whether the target transport item is in the first third area or the second third area. A plurality of conveying devices;
a control device for controlling the plurality of conveying devices, the first inter-area conveying device, and the second inter-area conveying device;
the first inter-area conveyor and the second inter-area conveyor are capable of conveying an object between a first area in which the plurality of conveying devices travel and a second area different from the first area;
the first area has a third area including an area where an article is transferred between the first inter-area conveyor and the plurality of conveying devices, and an area where an article is transferred between the second inter-area conveyor and the plurality of conveying devices,
The control device preferentially assigns a transport task of transporting an object transported from the second area to the first area by the second inter-area transport device to a second transport device transporting an object to the first inter-area transport device from a first transport device among the multiple transport devices that is in an area of the first area other than the third area and has not been assigned a transport task, within the first area. an interface device that communicates with the plurality of conveying devices, the first inter-area conveying device, and the second inter-area conveying device;
a storage device that stores information about the plurality of conveying devices, information about the first inter-area conveying device and the second inter-area conveying device, and information about the first area and the second area;
a processor connected to the interface device and the storage device, and configured to control the plurality of transport devices, the first inter-area transport device, and the second inter-area transport device through the interface device;
the first inter-area conveyor and the second inter-area conveyor are capable of conveying an object between the first area in which the plurality of conveying devices travel and the second area different from the first area,
the first area has a third area including an area where an article is transferred between the first inter-area conveyor and the plurality of conveying devices, and an area where an article is transferred between the second inter-area conveyor and the plurality of conveying devices,
A control device in which the processor, based on information stored in the storage device, preferentially assigns a transport task of transporting an object transported from the second area to the first area by the second inter-area transport device to a second transport device that is transporting an object to the first inter-area transport device from a first transport device that is in an area of the first area other than the third area and has no transport task assigned to it, within the first area.

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