JP7160070B2 - Sorting machine control method, control device, and computer program - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a control method, a control device, and a computer program for a sorting machine that sorts input articles by destination.

2. Description of the Related Art In order to transport articles, a distribution center carries out a picking operation for sorting and arranging the articles according to their destinations. Patent Literature 1 discloses a sorting line for picking a specified number of delivered items delivered from a manufacturer at a distribution center, and a sorting line for putting the picked items into packing materials to the destination. A method is disclosed for improving the efficiency of sorting and arranging work by dividing into two lines.

Patent Literature 1 discloses that the type and number of items to be picked are displayed by instructions from a management computer for a worker who picks delivered items stored in a picking shelf into an empty packing material. ing.

At the stage of putting the articles into the packing material by the picking operator, there is a possibility that mistakes such as wrong packing materials to put the articles in or mixing of the packing materials may occur. In order to reduce such mistakes, Patent Literature 2 discloses that an indicator equipped with a switch is provided in the packing material into which the picked articles are thrown, and the indicator indicates that the packing material is in charge of the operator. , discloses that a switch is pressed when the discharge to the packing material is finished.

In order to reduce the burden on picking workers, distribution centers use sorting machines that automatically sort and sort packages. The sorting machine identifies the articles put into the sorting machine by reading the article identification code attached to the articles by the worker using a reader. Discharge items according to the sorting and sorting plan into the chutes where they are located. With this sorting machine, it is possible to suppress errors in sorting and arranging packages while reducing the burden on workers.

JP 2009-298554 A JP 2012-229092 A

By using a sorting machine, it is possible to improve efficiency by suppressing picking errors in sorting by destination based on a sorting plan. However, during special times such as when new items are introduced, different types of items are not simply sorted by destination. , can be automatically sorted so that similar items are grouped together. In this case, items of the same type, the same item number, or requested items are housed together in the same packing material, so that the work at the time of displaying the items on the item shelf can be made more efficient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a control method, a control device, and a computer program for a sorting machine capable of sorting items desired by the destination.

A control method for a sorting machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a control method for a sorting machine that includes a reader that reads an identification code that identifies an item, and conveys and sorts the item to different sorting destinations based on the identification code, Based on the stored sorting plan data, the sorting machine is instructed with the identification codes and the number of articles to be discharged for each of the different sorting destinations, and the instructed number of the instructed articles for each of the different sorting destinations. Discharge of other items to said sorting destination is prohibited until only one item has been discharged.

A control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a reader that reads an identification code that identifies an article, is connected to a sorting machine that transports and sorts the article to different sorting destinations based on the identification code, and operates the sorting machine. A control device for controlling, comprising a storage unit for storing data of a sorting plan using the sorting machine, and a processing unit for processing control data for the sorting machine, the processing unit performing the sorting of the storage unit Based on the data of the plan, for each of the different sorting destinations, control data is transmitted to the sorting machine to instruct the identification data and the number of articles to be discharged, and for each of the different sorting destinations, the instructed number of the instructed articles is transmitted. Discharge of other items to said sorting destination is prohibited until only one item has been discharged.

A computer program according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a reader that reads an identification code for identifying an article, and a computer connected to a sorting machine that transports and sorts the article to different sorting destinations based on the identification code; A computer program for executing processing for controlling a sorting machine, wherein the computer stores identification data and the number of articles to be discharged for each of the different sorting destinations based on stored sorting plan data. to execute the process of disabling the delivery of other articles to the sorting destination until the specified number of the specified articles are delivered to each of the different sorting destinations.

According to the sorting machine control method, control device, and computer program of the present disclosure, an identification code and the number of articles to be discharged are instructed to a sorting machine that sorts articles to different sorting destinations for each sorting destination. The control device prohibits the discharge of other articles scheduled to be discharged to the same sorting destination until the sorting machine completes the discharge of the number of articles to be discharged. As a result, the same articles are clumped together at the sorting destination and are not mixed with other articles. Goods of the same type (same SKU unit and/or product number) are housed together in the same packing material.

A control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure receives a notification sent from a sorting machine to each sorting destination each time an article is discharged to the sorting destination, and instructs the same type of article for each sorting destination. When the notification of release is received for the number of items, the release of other articles is instructed.

In the control method of the sorting machine of the present disclosure, the control device receives a notification each time the sorting machine discharges the articles to the sorting destination, and may be stored in the same packing material only after the instructed number of articles are discharged. Direct the release of other items. Even in the case of sorting such that different types of articles are housed in the same packing material, the same type of articles are automatically grouped together.

A control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure calculates the remaining number of articles of the same type to be released to the sorting destination each time the notification is received for each of the sorting destinations, and for each of the sorting destinations, the calculated remaining number to output

In the control method of the sorting machine of the present disclosure, each time an article is discharged to the sorting destination by the sorting machine and a notification is received, the remaining number of articles of the same type is output to the sorting destination. Since the number of remaining items can be recognized by the operator or robot responsible for unloading at the sorting destination, it is possible to work so that the same type of items do not straddle different packing materials.

A control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure associates a set of different types of articles with each sorting destination, and for each sorting destination, each time the notification is received, the total number of different types of articles included in the set is determined. The number of remaining items is calculated, and the number of remaining items of the same kind and the total number of remaining items are output for each sorting destination.

In the control method of the sorting machine of the present disclosure, each time the sorting machine discharges the articles to the sorting destination and the notification is received, the remaining number of the same type of articles and the total remaining number including the different types of articles to be set are determined. Output to destination. Since the operator or robot responsible for unloading at the sorting destination can recognize the remaining number of each item type and the total remaining number of sets, it is possible to work so that the items to be set do not straddle different packing materials. be possible.

A control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a display for displaying designated numbers or characters for each of the sorting destinations, and the display displays the output remaining number.

In the control method of the sorting machine of the present disclosure, the number of remaining items to the sorting machine is displayed by the indicator provided for each sorting destination. An operator in charge of unloading can recognize the remaining number by visually recognizing the indicator.

In the control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the reader is composed of a plurality of readers, acquires an identification code read by one of the plurality of readers, and is identified by the acquired identification code. A sorting plan relating to the article is extracted from the data of the sorting plan, and other articles not included in the extracted sorting plan are output as being unsortable.

In the sorting machine control method of the present disclosure, the sorting machine is provided with a plurality of readers, and articles are thrown in from each of the plurality of readers. In this case, when the identification code is read by one of the readers, sorting based on the sorting plan including the article with the read identification code is started, and the other articles are put in first. Sorting is not allowed until the input of the specified items is completed, and the items are excluded from the sorting target. As a result, packing of articles of the same type can be efficiently realized.

A control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure switches whether to execute control that prohibits the discharge of the other articles to the sorting destination.

In the sorting machine control method of the present disclosure, it is possible to switch the sorting machine between control in which other articles cannot be sorted until the sorting of one article is completed, and control in which other articles are sequentially sorted. . To enable control of both sorting that requires packing of articles of the same kind together and sorting according to other appropriate needs according to a plan.

According to the present disclosure, the sorting machine sorts the desired number, color, shape, quantity, and size of the articles so that they are contained in the packing material together when necessary. As a result, the work efficiency is improved when the articles are displayed on the article shelf from the same packing material at the destination.

1 is a schematic diagram of a sorting machine in this embodiment; FIG. It is a schematic diagram of the control method of the sorting machine in this embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a sorting machine and a control apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the processing procedure by the control apparatus with respect to a sorting machine. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the processing procedure by the control apparatus with respect to a sorting machine. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the processing procedure by the control apparatus with respect to a sorting machine. It is a schematic diagram which shows the progress of sorting accompanied by item arrangement. It is a schematic diagram which shows the progress of sorting accompanied by item arrangement. It is a schematic diagram which shows the progress of sorting accompanied by item arrangement. It is a schematic diagram which shows the progress of sorting accompanied by item arrangement. It is a schematic diagram which shows the progress of sorting without item arrangement. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a display example on the input terminal device;

The present disclosure will be specifically described with reference to the drawings showing the embodiments thereof.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a sorting machine 100 according to this embodiment. The sorting machine 100 is divided into an input section 11 for receiving articles, a sorting section 13 for sorting the articles input into the sorting machine 100 into packing materials, and a transport section 12 for transporting the input articles to the sorting section 13 . As shown in FIG. 1, the sorting section 13 has a plurality of chutes 131 so as to sort articles into, for example, 100 packing materials. The conveying unit 12 conveys articles using a plurality of trays 121 that travel in series on an endless loop track, and tilts the tray 121 at a position corresponding to one of the chutes 131 according to instructions from the control unit 10 . Release the item. The conveying section 12 does not release the loaded article until it is instructed, and functions as a buffer. Note that the transport section 12 may transport articles to the sorting section 13 by a transport conveyor (rollers, slats, etc.). In the following description, the tray-type sorting machine 100 using the tray 121 will be described.

In each of the chutes 131 in the sorting machine 100 of the present disclosure, the articles discharged by the tilting of each tray 121 are accumulated until the articles to be packed in the same packing material are complete. In the sorting machine 100 shown in FIG. 1, the chute 131 uses a flat steel plate to deliver articles to the packaging material like a slide. An aspect of the chute 131 may be a roller conveyor. In the sorting section 13 , when the articles are accommodated in the packing materials on each of the chutes 131 , the packing operator moves the accommodated packing materials to the next stage. Indicators 132 corresponding to a plurality of chutes 131 are provided. Indicator 132 uses a 7-segment display to display the remaining number of articles to be discharged toward that chute 131 .

In the sorting machine 100 , the conveying section 12 operates according to instructions from the control section 10 . The control unit 10 instructs the transport unit 12 which tray 121 to tilt at which position.

The input unit 11 and the sorting unit 13 are connected to a control device 2 that supplies control information based on the sorting plan to the control unit 10 . The control device 2 includes a control unit 10, an input terminal device 113 to which a reader 112 for identifying articles to be input to the input unit 11 is connected, and a sorting terminal device 133 to which a display 132 of the sorting unit 13 is connected. It is connected. The control device 2 comprises a storage device 22 that stores data corresponding to the sorting plan. The data corresponding to the sorting plan in the storage device 22 is updated based on the data obtained from the management device 5 managed by the manufacturer of the article and the destination of the article.

The control device 2 detects through the input terminal device 113 when the identification code of the article is read by the reader 112 for each unit of sorting work. The control device 2 extracts a plan for collectively storing the detected articles in a packing material for the same destination. The control device 2 inputs/outputs control information for discharging articles to the corresponding chute 131 for each set of articles (hereinafter referred to as a set) included in the extracted plan, to/from the control unit 10 .

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the control method of the sorting machine 100 in this embodiment. Articles put into the sorting machine 100 are delivered from the manufacturer to the distribution center where the sorting machine 100 is placed. The delivered articles are transported to the sorting machine 100 according to the sorting work. The sorting plan data stored in the storage device 22 for the sorting work to be started includes, for example, articles A, B, C, and D to be shipped to 30 stores X01 to X30, starting with the store X01. , Store X01 has 7 items of A, 2 items of B, 8 items of C, 2 items of D, and so on, and store X02 has 6 items of A, 2 items of B, and so on. It is included. Here, the symbols A, B, C, and D attached to the articles are distinguished by SKU (Stock Keeping Unit minimum storage unit).

In this case, when the identification code for identifying the article A is read by the reader 112 , the control device 2 extracts the sorting plan data from the storage device 22 . Based on the sorting plan, the control device 2 instructs the control unit 10 seven times to discharge the article A to the chute 131 corresponding to the packing material for the store X01. Each time the article A is discharged from the tray 121 on which the article A is placed to the target chute 131, the control section 10 informs the control section that the tray 121 on which the article A is placed is tilted and released to the target chute 131. 10 to the control device 2 . Every time the control device 2 receives notification that the article A has been discharged, it indicates the article A to be discharged next. The controller 10 is instructed to release the required number of 121.

For example, in the example of FIG. 2, 7 items A, 2 items B, 8 items C, and 2 items D are sent to store X01, totaling 19 items. should be transported separately. Assume that articles A, B, and C are simultaneously thrown in from different throwing units 11, respectively. In this case, there is 1 item A in the first packing material, 5 items in the second packing material, 1 item in the third packing material, 2 items B in the first packing material, and 2 items in the first packing material. The sorting as indicated by the dashed rectangle in FIG. should be avoided. When the same article, for example, article A, is mixed with other articles B, C, and D and stored across a plurality of packing materials as long as it does not overflow from one packing material, in the work of displaying articles, multiple This is because it is inefficient because it has to be found from the packaging material of the product.

In the exchange of control information between the control device 2 and the control unit 10 of the present disclosure, the articles A and B are sorted so that they are not accommodated across multiple packing materials (hereinafter referred to as item alignment). In the example of FIG. 2, the first packing material contains 7 items A and 2 items B, and the second packing material contains 8 items C and 2 items D. controlled. After detecting that the article A has been thrown in, the control device 2 prevents other articles B from being put in the same packing material unless all the articles A to the same destination (store X01) are accommodated. , or control so that the article B is not thrown. The control device 2 further controls the input terminal device 113 of the input unit 11 to notify that the input of the articles C, D, etc. is on standby.

Furthermore, since control is performed on the control device 2 side based on the sorting plan data, it is possible to switch for each sorting work unit whether or not the item sorting as shown in FIG. 2 is carried out.

A detailed configuration and processing procedure for realizing control of the sorting machine 100 as shown in FIG. 2 will be described. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the sorting machine 100 and the control device 2. As shown in FIG. The control unit 10 of the sorting machine 100 controls the sorting machine 100 according to a program stored using a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller). In the sorting machine 100 of the present embodiment, the control section 10 is connected to the conveying section 12 and controls the conveying section 12 by exchanging data with the control device 2 .

A tray 121 of the transport section 12 is provided with a sensor 123 for detecting that an article has been loaded. One example of the sensor 123 is a weight sensor attached to each of the trays 121 . In another example, the sensor 123 may use a photoelectric sensor or a variation sensor to determine that an article has been placed on the tray 121 and the size of the article. In another example, the sensor 123 may be an image sensor that captures an image of the tray 121 and may determine whether or not it is empty by comparing it with an image of an empty state.

The encoder 124 of the conveying section 12 is attached to the motor of the driving section that causes the tray 121 to travel. By receiving the pulse signal output from the encoder 124 and counting the number of pulses, the control unit 10 can detect the position of a specific tray 121 on the transport rail. Based on a specific tray 121, the control unit 10 can determine whether the tray 121 on which the article to be discharged is placed is at the position of the chute 131 of the discharge destination for all the trays 121. FIG.

The reader 112 of the input unit 11 is a barcode reader, a two-dimensional code reader, or an RFID (Radio Frequency IDentifier) reader. Reader 112 may be a reader using near field communication. The identification code is, for example, an EAN (JAN) code. Alternatively, the identification code may be a code that identifies a book or magazine. The identification code may also be CODE128, NW-7, CODE39, ITF.

Input terminal device 113 is connected to reader 112 . The input terminal device 113 is, for example, a personal computer. The input terminal device 113 can exchange data with the control device 2 in a client/server relationship via a network module (not shown). The input terminal device 113 acquires the identification code read by the reader 112 and notifies the control device 2 of it. The input terminal device 113 has a display, and the input unit 11 performs the task of inputting the articles delivered by the manufacturer into the sorting machine 100 based on the data obtained from the control device 2. A screen is displayed showing whether or not the items have been sorted, the progress of the sorting work, and the like.

Display 132 uses a 7-segment display. One indicator 132 is provided for each chute 131 . A plurality of displays 132 are connected to the sorting terminal device 133 . The sorting terminal device 133 receives numerical data from the control device 2 via the network N and displays the received numerical data on the corresponding display 132 .

The control device 2 includes a processing section 20 , a memory 21 , a storage device 22 , an input/output section 23 and a communication section 24 . The processing unit 20 uses a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) and executes processing based on the control program 2P stored in the memory 21, thereby cooperating with the control unit 10 of the sorting machine 100. to control this. The memory 21 is a nonvolatile storage medium such as a hard disk, SSD (Solid State Drive), flash memory, or the like. In addition to storing the control program 2P, the memory 21 stores setting data referred to by the processing unit 20, screen information based on the control program 2P, and the like. It may be integrated with the storage device 22 . The control program 2P may be the control program 9P stored in the computer-readable storage medium 9 read by the CPU and stored in the memory.

The setting data stored in the memory 21 includes identification data (for example, numbers) for identifying each of the chutes 131 . The setting data includes identification data (addresses) of the output destinations of the indicators 132 corresponding to each of the chutes 131 . The setting data includes identification data (for example, a number) of the input unit 11, and the identification data of the reader 112 and the identification data and address of the input terminal device 113 correspond to the identification data of the input unit 11. attached.

The storage device 22 is a non-volatile storage medium such as a hard disk or SSD, and has a relatively larger capacity than the memory 21 . The storage device 22 stores sorting plan data including a sorting work schedule and sorting plan data for each store, together with sorting completion data.

The input/output unit 23 is an interface connected to the sorting machine 100 . The processing unit 20 can acquire the identification code read by the reader 112 from the sorting machine 100 by the input/output unit 23 . The input/output unit 23 allows the processing unit 20 to acquire data from the sensor 123 for specifying the tray 121 into which the articles have been placed. The processing unit 20 can acquire data for detecting the position of the target tray 121 through the input/output unit 23 . As shown in FIG. 2, the input/output unit 23 is preferably connected to the sorting machine 100 via different signal lines for each signal acquired from the sorting machine 100 .

The communication unit 24 realizes transmission and reception of data with the input terminal device 113 and the sorting terminal device 133 via the network N, which is a local network. The communication unit 24 is, for example, a network card or a wireless communication module. The network N may be the Internet, carrier networks, leased lines.

A method of controlling the sorting machine 100 by the control device 2 configured in this way will be described below with reference to a flow chart. 4 to 6 are flowcharts showing an example of the processing procedure by the control device 2 for the sorting machine 100. FIG. The processing unit 20 executes the following processing for each sorting work unit.

The processing unit 20 starts processing in a state in which it is unknown which articles will be started to be put into each inserting unit 11 . The processing unit 20 detects that an identification code has been read for an article that is input in an unknown state in each input unit 11 by acquiring the identification code (step S101). The processing unit 20 may acquire the identification code through the input/output unit 23 via the control unit 10 or through the input terminal device 113 .

The processing unit 20 refers to the sorting plan including the identification code of the first article acquired in step S101 from the sorting plan data in the storage device 22 (step S102). The processing unit 20 extracts a plurality of article lists for the same destination from the sorting plan for the articles acquired in step S101 for each input unit 11 (step S103).

The processing unit 20 determines whether or not an item list including the first read item has been extracted in step S103 from the state in which it is unknown which item will be thrown in first (step S104). If it is determined in step S104 that extraction is not possible (S104: NO), the processing unit 20 causes the input terminal device 113 of each input terminal device 113 to display an image or text indicating that the input is not possible (step S105), and the processing is continued. Return to step S101.

If it is determined that the item can be extracted in step S104 (S104: YES), the processing unit 20 determines an item that can be input to each input unit 11 (step S106). In step S106, the processing unit 20 determines an item by SKU, item number, or item number and SKU, and temporarily stores the identification code of the item that can be thrown. When it is determined that an item that can be input in SKU units, for example, only the item A can be input, the processing unit 20 stores only one identification code. When it is determined that articles that can be thrown in by product number, for example, articles A and B, the processing unit 20 stores the identification codes of the articles A and B. FIG. After that, it is not allowed to insert an article having an identification code different from the identification code of the stored article in any of the input sections 11 .

The processing unit 20 assigns identification data of the plurality of chutes 131 to each input unit 11 (step S107). In step S<b>106 , the processing unit 20 allocates ten chutes 131 to one input unit 11 , for example. The processing unit 20 may determine the number of chutes 131 to be allocated according to the number of items extracted from the list of articles.

The processing unit 20 causes the input terminal device 113 of the corresponding input unit 11 to display an image or text indicating that the item with the identification code acquired in step S101 can be input (step S108).

Through the processing from step S101 to step S108, the sorting machine 100 as a whole determines articles that can be put in from a state in which the articles to be put in are unknown.

The processing unit 20 acquires the identification code read by the reader 112 at each input unit 11 (step S109). The processing unit 20 determines whether or not the acquired identification code is an item that can be thrown in, based on the determination made in step S105 (step S110).

If it is determined that the article cannot be inserted (S110: NO), the processing unit 20 causes the input terminal device 113 of the corresponding input unit 11 to display an image or text indicating that the input is not possible (step S111), and the process is started. Return to step S109.

After that, the processing unit 20 displays an image or text indicating that the input is not allowed each time an identification code other than an item that can be input is read by the input unit 11 . Since the processing unit 20 has already executed steps S101 and S104 for the input unit 11 into which the articles included in the sorting plan were first input among the plurality of input units 11, the processing of steps S110 and S111 is performed. omitted. Regarding the processing of steps S110 and S111, the number and type of articles that can be put in are received by the control device 2 via the input terminal device 113, the sorting terminal device 133, etc., and stored in the memory 21 or the storage device 22. However, it may be omitted depending on the storage contents.

If it is determined that the article can be thrown in (S110: YES), the processing unit 20 causes each throwing unit 11 to carry out the same transportation including the item with the identification code acquired in step S110 (the beginning of the throwing unit 11). A plurality of forward article lists are determined from the extracted article list (step S112). In step S<b>112 , the processing unit 20 determines items other than the first item in the sorting work unit from the list of destinations already associated with the chute 131 .

In step S<b>112 , the processing unit 20 may select the article list by the number of chutes 131 assigned to the corresponding input unit 11 . The processing unit 20 stores the surplus product list that is not selected as a waiting product list (step S113).

The processing unit 20 stores the identification data (which may be the identification data of the transport destination) for identifying the determined article list in association with one of the assigned chutes 131 (step S114). When determining an item other than the first item in the sorting work unit as an item that can be put in (S114 after the second time), the processing unit 20 already associates the identification data of the item list with the identification data of the chute 131. already remembered.

The processing unit 20 assigns an item number to the item with the identification code acquired in step S110 and the required number thereof among the items included in the item list (step S115). The processing unit 20 stores the numbered item number in association with the identification data of the item list (identification data of the destination) (step S116).

An item number is assigned to each of the articles that can be thrown in at the timing when the identification code of the first article among the articles that can be thrown in is read by the throwing unit 11 . If only the item A among the items A, B, C, and D can be input in SKU units, an item number is assigned to the item A among the items included in the item list. If item A and item B among items A, B, C, and D can be put in by item number, an item number is assigned to each item A and item B in the items included in the item list. .

The processing unit 20 associates the numbered item number with the chute 131 associated with the identification data of the article list (step S117). In step S117, the processing unit 20 stores the item number in association with the shot identification data.

For each chute 131, the processing unit 20 instructs the control unit 10 of the sorting machine 100 about the item number associated with the chute 131, the identification code of the target article, and the number of target articles (step S118). The processing unit 20 can determine the number of target items from the item list associated with the chute 131 . In step S<b>117 , the processing unit 20 outputs the item number, the item identification code, and the number of items to the control unit 10 by the number of chutes 131 in association with the identification data of the target chute 131 . By the processing of step S117, the processing section 20 instructs the sorting machine 100 to release the articles identified by the identification code to the corresponding chute by the number thereof, and does not instruct the release one by one.

The control unit 10 of the sorting machine 100 receives the identification code and number of articles to be sorted and the identification data of the chute 131 in association with the item number. The control unit 10 acquires the identification data of the placed tray 121 from the sensor 123 every time the reader 112 reads the identification code of the article, and stores the identification code and the identification data of the tray 121 in association with each other. . The control unit 10 selects one of the trays 121 associated with the received article identification code, and controls the selected tray 121 to be discharged from the chute 131 of the corresponding identification data. Each time an item is released, the control unit 10 notifies the control device 2 of the item number corresponding to the released chute 131 and the identification code of the released item.

The processing unit 20 receives notification from the control unit 10 of the sorting machine 100 that the target articles instructed in step S113 have been discharged for each chute 131 (step S119), and calculates the remaining number of target articles. is calculated (step S120). The processing unit 20 causes the display 132 to display the calculated remaining number (step S121). In step S121, the processing unit 20 calculates the remaining number of articles that have not been sorted among all the articles included in the article list associated with the target chute 131, that is, the total remaining number of articles for the same destination, may be displayed together.

For each chute 131, the processing unit 20 determines whether or not all the articles corresponding to the item numbers have been released (step S122). If it is determined that all of them have not been released (S122: NO), the processing unit 20 returns the process to step S119.

In step S122, when it is determined that all the items for which the item number has been released (S122: YES), the processing section 20 cancels the correspondence between the item number and the chute 131 (step S123). The processing unit 20 stores the resolved item number as sorted (step S124).

The processing unit 20 determines whether or not the article list associated with each chute 131 includes other articles that have not been sorted yet (step S125).

If it is determined that other items remain (S125: YES), the processing section 20 returns to the state where it is unknown which of the other items will be thrown in next. The processing unit 20 returns the processing to step S101.

If it is determined that no other articles remain (S125: NO), the processing unit 20 completes the sorting of the articles included in the article list of the same destination associated with the target chute 131. Confirm (step S126). The display 132 is provided with a STOP button, and the processor 20 can confirm the completion of sorting by pressing the STOP button.

The processing unit 20 cancels the association of the article list with the target chute 131 (step S127). The article list is stored as having been sorted (step S128). After this, the chute 131 can be used for sorting to different destinations.

In the example shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6, the correspondence between the article list and the chute 131 is maintained until it is determined that no other article remains (S125: NO). Conversely, even if it is determined that other articles remain (S125: YES), the processing section 20 cancels the correspondence between the chute 131 and the article list when the completion of sorting is confirmed (S127). , may be used for packing to other destinations. When the remaining number of items to the same destination is zero, or when the packing material is full even if there are items to the same destination, the chute 131 is stopped by the operator pressing the STOP button. A standby state can be avoided.

The processing unit 20 determines whether or not the waiting article list remains for the input unit 11 to which the chute 131 is assigned (step S129). If it is determined that the article will remain (S129: YES), the processing unit 20 determines that the next article is unknown and returns the process to step S101.

If it is determined in step S129 that the waiting item list does not remain (S129: NO), the processing section 20 determines whether or not the current sorting work unit has been completed (step S130). If it is determined that the current sorting work unit has not been completed (S130: NO), the process returns to step S101 assuming that the next item is in an unknown state.

If the processing unit 20 determines that the current sorting work unit has been completed (S130: YES), it ends the sorting process.

Note that in a situation where it is determined that all items included in the item number or item list associated with the chute 131 have not been released for a predetermined period of time or longer (S122: NO or S125: YES), the processing unit 20 Store the identification code of the missing item. The processing unit 20 can cause the input terminal device 113 to display the identification code of the missing item. If the item remains stored as a missing item for a predetermined period of time or longer, the processing unit 20 determines that the item is missing and that the target item number is not complete, cancels the correspondence between the item numbers, and proceeds with the process. good.

In the flowcharts of FIGS. 4 to 6, the processing (S118-S127) for each shoot 131 is executed independently and in parallel for each of the multiple chutes 131. FIG.

The processing procedures shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 4 to 6 will be described with specific examples. 7-10 are schematic diagrams showing the progress of sorting with item sorting.

Articles A, B, C, and D are sorted in the sorting work unit for sorting items. First, among the items A, B, C, and D, when the input of the item A is started in any one of the plurality of input units 11 as shown in the upper left part of FIG. An article list is extracted from the work target sorting plan (S103). When it is determined that an article list including article A has been extracted (S104: YES), item numbers are assigned to article A and the number thereof included in the article list (S115). In the example of FIG. 7, from the sorting plan data in the storage device 22, there are 7 items A for the store X01, 6 items A for the store X02, 11 items A for the store X03, and 8 items A for the store X04. Item numbers "00000001" to "00000005" are assigned to the article A of the store X05 and seven articles A for the store X05. These item numbers "00000001" to "00000005" are associated with the chutes 131 having identification numbers "001" to "005" (S117). The item list for stores X01 to X05 is associated with the chute 131 having the identification numbers "001" to "005" assigned to the second input unit 11 that started inputting the item A first. (S114).

In the example of FIG. 4, only the item A is judged to be an object to be put in until the sorting for the item number of the item A is completed. Even if an attempt is made to read the identification code of the article B, it is determined that the article cannot be inserted, and "NG" is displayed (FIG. 7).

The shoot 131 of "001" is associated with the item number "0000001". The processing unit 20 instructs the control unit 10 to release seven articles A from the chute 131 of "001" (S118). The processing unit 20 instructs the control unit 10 about the number of articles A to be discharged not only to the chute 131 of "001" but also to other chutes 131 (S118). In other words, the control device 2 sequentially starts controlling other item numbers after "00000002" without waiting for the completion of release of "001" to the chute 131 .

In step S118, the processing section 20 of the control device 2 does not instruct which tray 121 the article A is placed in and which tray 121 should be tilted with which chute 131 to discharge the article A. FIG. The sorting machine 100 controls which tray 121 is tilted by which chute 131 and which article is discharged. The control unit 10 of the sorting machine 100 recognizes the tray 121 into which the article A has been put by the identification code from the reader 112 and the sensor 123 . Upon receiving an instruction of the number of articles A to be delivered to each chute 131, the control unit 10 tilts the tray 121 containing the articles A by the number of times corresponding to the instructed number of times to discharge the articles A. The controller 2 is notified each time.

In the example of FIG. 7, since no articles have been discharged yet, the processing section 20 of the control device 2 determines that the remaining number of articles A to be sorted to the chute 131 of "001" is 7, and that there are no remaining items to the same destination. The number, that is, the total remaining number of articles A to D to be sorted into the chute 131 is calculated as 19 (S120) and displayed on the display 132.

On the display 132 corresponding to the shoot 131 of "003", the number of remaining items for the shoot 131 is "11", the total number of items remaining for the shoot 131 is "20", and the number of remaining items is approximately half of the total number of items remaining. is displayed in Based on the number of remaining items and the total number of remaining items, the operator of the sorting unit 13 determines that the remaining number of items for item A is " When it becomes 0 (zero), it can be recognized that packing into the packing material may be completed. If the packing material is filled with about 10 items A, B, C, and D, and if it is an item that can be stuffed in to some extent, such as clothing, if there is only one item remaining, It can be recognized that packing should be completed after waiting for the remaining one piece.

FIG. 8 shows progress after the start of loading of article A shown in FIG. In the example of FIG. 8, two to three articles A are discharged to each chute 131 of "001" to "005". 3 on shoot 131 of "001", 3 on shoot 131 of "002", 3 on shoot 131 of "003", 2 on shoot 131 of "004", 131 of shoot "005" Two of them were also released and housed in the packing material. Each time an article A is discharged to each chute 131, the processing unit 20 of the control device 2 receives a notification (S119), calculates the number of remaining items and the total number of remaining items (S120), and displays them on the display 132. (S121). Note that the processing unit 20 may cause the display 132 to display not only the number of items remaining and the total number of items remaining, but also the number identifying the destination and the remaining number of items to the destination (scheduled sorting number). .

In chute 131 of "001", a total of 7 items A should be released, so display 132 indicates that 4 remaining items A and 16 remaining items of all items will be released. The operator of the sorting section 13 can recognize that even if all the articles A are discharged to the chute 131 of "001", other items are scheduled to be discharged and the packing should not be completed.

FIG. 9 shows the progress toward the completion of the loading of all items A. FIG. In the example of FIG. 9, the processing unit 20 determines that all the item numbers have been released for the chute 131 of "001" associated with the item number "00000001" for seven articles A (S122: YES). The processing unit 20 cancels the association between the item number "00000001" and the identification data "001" of the chute 131 (S123), and the article list for the store X01 associated with the chute 131 of "001" includes It is determined that there is another article (125: YES), and the process returns to step S101. After that, it detects that the article B has been thrown in (S101), and since the article B is included in the article list associated with each chute 131, the article B is determined as an article that can be thrown in (S106). ), after that, even if the articles C and D are thrown in, it is displayed that they cannot be put in (S105, S111). The processing unit 20 assigns a new item number "00000083" to the item B and the number (2) included in the item list for the store X01 (S115), and the item list for the store X01 is already associated. The item number "000000083" is associated with the shot "001" (S117).

In FIG. 9, the item C cannot be thrown. FIG. 9 shows that the total remaining number of articles to be discharged to the chute 131 of "001" is 12, but the following article B has a remaining number of 2 pieces. If there are two items, they can be accommodated in a packing material that is full of ten items, so the operator of the sorting section 13 can wait until the remaining two items of the next item B are discharged.

In FIG. 9, for the shoot 131 of "003", the processing unit 20 determines that all item numbers have been released (S122: YES). The processing unit 20 cancels the association between the item number "00000003" and the identification data "003" of the chute 131 (S123), and the article list for the store X03 associated with the chute 131 of "003" includes It is determined that there is another article (125: YES), and the process returns to step S101. Since the article B can be inserted and the article C cannot be inserted, a new item number is not assigned and associated with the chute 131 of "003". The operator of the sorting unit 13 still associates the article list for the store X03 with the chute 131 of "003".

On the display 132 of the shoot 131 of "003", the item remaining number is "0" and the total remaining number is "10". The packing material contains 11 articles A exceeding the full capacity of 10 sheets. The operator of the sorting section 13 confirms that the remaining number of items to the same destination is displayed as "10", determines that the remaining number cannot be accommodated in the currently placed packing material, and only the item A is placed. It can be judged that it may be packed with

FIG. 10 shows the progress during loading of item B; In the example of FIG. 10, the processing unit 20 instructs the control unit 10 to release two articles B with the item number "00000083" newly associated with the chute 131 "001". (S118). When one article B is discharged to the chute 131 of "001", the processing unit 20 receives this release notification from the control unit 10 (S119), and displays the remaining number of articles B "1" on the display 132. display (S1121). Since all the articles B have not been released (S122: NO), the processing unit 20 waits with the remaining number "1" displayed on the display 132 until the remaining one is released.

In the example of FIG. 10, the chute 131 of "001" has a remaining number of items of "1". It can be recognized that the packing material placed may complete the packing.

In the example of FIG. 10, new item numbers "00000085" and "00000086" are also assigned to the article B and the number from the article list corresponding to the chutes 131 of "004" and "005". For these chutes 131 as well, the operator can recognize that the packing may be completed when the article B is discharged.

In the example of FIG. 10, an empty packing material is placed on the chute 131 of "003", waiting for an item C or an item D to be thrown.

As shown in FIGS. 7 to 10, according to the sorting plan data created in advance and the processing procedure shown in the flow charts of FIGS. It is possible to arrange items so that they are displayed.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the progress of sorting without item sorting. FIG. 11 shows a comparative example to the progress overview diagrams shown in FIGS. 7-10. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the processing unit 20 controls the sorting machine 100 in units of sorting work set to not sort items.

In the example of FIG. 11, even if the sorting plan data is the same as in FIG. 7, items are not sorted, so item numbers are assigned to the items and the number of items A, B, C, and D at the same destination. It is In the example of FIG. 11, the operator of the input unit 11 sequentially inputs the articles A, B, C, and D flowing from upstream into the sorting machine 100 without judging whether or not the input unit 11 can input. The processing unit 20 of the control device 2 instructs the sorting machine 100 of the item number, the article identification code, and the number of articles to the chute 131 associated with the item number.

The sorting machine 100 discharges the articles A, B, C, and D input by the input unit 11 to the chutes corresponding to the designated item numbers in the number corresponding to the item numbers. Since the order of release does not matter, as shown in FIG. 11, the articles A, B, and A are stored in the packing material in a random manner.

In the example of FIG. 11, the display 132 displays an identification number (store number) for identifying the delivery destination and the total remaining number to the same delivery destination. Therefore, the operator of the sorting section 13 changes the packing material when the total remaining number exceeds the number that can be accommodated in the packing material and the total remaining number does not fit in the packing material. As a result, when the items are not sorted, the articles A of the same SKU may be accommodated across different packing materials. In the case of sorting of additional orders from each destination rather than new items, the number of items to the same destination is small, and there is no problem even if different SKUs are mixed in the packing material. may also perform such sorting.

The control device 2 can switch between the sorting of items shown in FIGS. 7 to 10 and the sorting of articles to the same destination shown in FIG. As a result, the same sorting machine 100 can be used for different sorting methods.

The processing procedure shown in the flow charts of FIGS. 4-6 above is performed when item assortment sorting is required, for example, items A, B, C, and D distinguished by SKU are required to be packed separately. . For example, items A and B are items with the same item number but different sizes, and items C and D are items with the same item number but different sizes. In this case, as shown in the examples of FIGS. 7 to 10, only the same product number is packed in the same packing material, and the articles of different sizes are also packed together with the article A and the article B, respectively. By assigning item numbers in units of SKUs, it is possible to arrange items with the same product numbers and SKUs. For example, when sorting based on an article list containing articles A and D with different article numbers, the processing unit 20 controls the sorting machine 100 so as to discharge each item number for one item. can be controlled so that they are clustered in the packaging material and sorted.

In addition, when the processing procedure shown in the flow charts of FIGS. 4 to 6 is executed using the product number instead of the SKU as the unit of the product, even if products with different sizes and different SKUs coexist, the same product number will be fixed. It is possible to arrange items to be packed.

In this way, it is possible to arrange different patterns of items by using the predetermined sorting plan data and the processing procedure shown in the flow charts of FIGS.

The sorting machine 100 or the control device 2 may be controlled to count the number of times the articles are circulated in the conveying section 12 and to discharge the articles that have circulated a predetermined number of times to a specific chute 131 . At this time, if the same item number continues to be associated with a certain chute 131 for a long period of time due to a shortage of items, etc., the sorting machine 100 or the control device 2 opens the chute 131 for packing, and the next item is packed. You may make it correspond to the item number of . The control device 2 preferably displays a message on the input terminal device 113 in the input unit 11 that the same SKU as the article that continues to circulate cannot be input. Further, the control device 2 may cause the display 132 to display that the item with the target item number is not available due to the shortage.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a display example on the input terminal device 113. As shown in FIG. Basically, the control device 2 causes the display of the input terminal device 113 to display the items that can be input, or displays a message indicating whether or not the input is possible based on the identification code read by the reader 112 after the input. However, the input terminal device 113 is provided with a user interface such as a touch panel built into the display, or a keyboard and a mouse. You can display the screen.

In FIG. 12 , the input terminal device 113 displays a screen showing the sorting progress in the sorting section 13 . The sorting progress is a correspondence table of the identification data (number) of the chute 131, the item number associated with the target chute 131, and the identification data (product number, size, etc.) of the remaining articles that have not been completely discharged. is represented by The control device 2 acquires the number of each item from the sorting plan data together with the identification data of the item number associated with the chute 131 (here, A and B). A correspondence table is created using the numbers and transmitted to the input terminal device 113 .

By displaying the sorting progress on the input terminal device 113, the operator of the input section 11 can recognize which chute 131 is waiting for which article to be input. The operator can recognize which article should be searched for and thrown in to open the chute 131 so that the next article can be thrown in.

Articles to be sorted by the sorting machine 100 are, for example, clothing. The item may be a drug. The article may be daily goods. Since there is a need to separate daily necessities and detergents into different packing materials, even if the sorting machine 100 itself cannot do such sorting, the control device 2 executes control so as to sort into sets and arrange items. can be sorted according to needs.

The embodiments disclosed as described above are illustrative in all respects and are not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the scope of claims, and includes all modifications within the meaning and scope of equivalence to the scope of claims.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 sorting machine 11 input unit 112 reader 113 input terminal device 13 sorting unit 131 chute 132 display device 2 control device 20 processing unit 21 memory 22 storage device 2P control program

Claims (9)

A control method for a sorting machine, which has a reader for reading an identification code for identifying an article, and transports and sorts the article to different sorting destinations based on the identification code,
Based on sorting plan data including a plan for sorting one article identified by the identification code and other articles among the stored sorting plan data to the same sorting destination in order to accommodate them in the same packing material , instructing the sorting machine the identification code and number of articles to be discharged for each of the different sorting destinations;
For each of the different sorting destinations, when the input of other articles included in the sorting plan is permitted, the other articles are released to the sorting destination until the designated number of the one article is released. Impossible Control method of sorting machine. For each sorting destination, receiving a notification sent from the sorting machine each time an article is discharged to the sorting destination,
2. The method of controlling a sorting machine according to claim 1, further comprising the step of instructing the discharge of other articles when receiving the notification of the discharge of the designated number of articles of the same type for each of the sorting destinations. calculating the remaining number of the same type of goods to be released to the sorting destination each time the notification is received for each of the sorting destinations;
The control method of the sorting machine according to claim 2, wherein the calculated remaining number is output for each of the sorting destinations. Associating a set of different types of goods with each of the sorting destinations,
calculating the total remaining number of different types of articles included in the set each time the notification is received for each of the sorting destinations;
4. The method of controlling a sorting machine according to claim 3, wherein the remaining number of articles of the same kind and the total remaining number are output for each sorting destination. A display for displaying designated numbers or characters is provided for each of the sorting destinations,
5. The method of controlling a sorting machine according to claim 3, wherein the indicator displays the output remaining number. The reader is composed of a plurality of readers,
Acquiring an identification code read by any one of the plurality of readers;
extracting a sorting plan for the article identified by the acquired identification code from the sorting plan data;
6. The method of controlling a sorting machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising the step of outputting that other articles not included in the extracted sorting plan cannot be sorted. 7. The method of controlling a sorting machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising the step of switching whether or not to perform the control that prohibits the discharge of the other articles to the sorting destination. A control device that includes a reader for reading an identification code for identifying an article, is connected to a sorting machine that transports and sorts the article to different sorting destinations based on the identification code, and controls the sorting machine,
a storage unit that stores data of a sorting plan using the sorting machine;
a processing unit that processes control data for the sorting machine,
The processing unit is
Based on the data of the sorting plan including the plan of sorting one article identified by the identification code and other articles to the same sorting destination in order to accommodate the same packing material among the sorting plans of the storage unit, transmitting control data that instructs the sorting machine to identify and number of articles to be discharged for each of the different sorting destinations;
For each of the different sorting destinations, when the input of other articles included in the sorting plan is permitted, the other articles are released to the sorting destination until the designated number of the one article is released. No control device. A computer program for causing a computer connected to a sorting machine, which includes a reader for reading an identification code for identifying an article and transports and sorts the article to different sorting destinations based on the identification code, to execute processing for controlling the sorting machine. and
to said computer;
Based on sorting plan data including a plan for sorting one article identified by the identification code and other articles among the stored sorting plan data to the same sorting destination in order to accommodate them in the same packing material , instructing the sorting machine of the identification data and the number of articles to be discharged for each of the different sorting destinations;
For each of the different sorting destinations, when the input of other articles included in the sorting plan is permitted, the other articles are released to the sorting destination until the designated number of the one article is released. A computer program that causes a disallowed process to be performed.

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