JP7308322B2 - Conveyor system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to transport systems.

A distribution center exists as one of the infrastructure facilities for quickly delivering goods related to customer transactions. A distribution center receives goods from a manufacturer or the like and temporarily stores the received goods. After that, when the distribution center receives the order, it takes out the ordered article, packs it, and ships it to the customer.

The distribution center has an area for executing each process (receiving, storing, taking out, packing, shipping) of the series of flows described above. Therefore, efficient movement of goods between areas is an important management strategy for companies operating distribution centers. Recently, such movement of articles is often automated and mechanized. As the quantity of goods handled by the distribution center increases, the area of each process area expands. However, there is a limit to land suitable for physical distribution (around highway interchanges, etc.), and there are cases where the site area cannot be expanded sufficiently. In such a case, the distribution center will gradually become multi-layered.

The production facility of Patent Document 1 has a production line floor, a parts storage floor, elevators connecting the floors, and an automatic guided vehicle for transporting a pallet storing parts. On the production line floor, there are a production line on which unfinished automobiles (bodies) are conveyed by a conveyor, and a plurality of stations arranged along the production line. The parts storage floor stores many types of parts to be attached to the vehicle body. The automated guided vehicle loads a pallet storing parts on the parts storage floor, gets on the elevator, and moves to the production line floor. The AGV then unloads the parts required by that station at the destination station. After that, the automatic guided vehicle transports the empty pallet to the parts storage floor.

JP-A-8-155761

The production facility of Patent Document 1 is exclusively aimed at improving the efficiency of automobile production. For example, it is assumed that there is a process of first attaching an engine to a vehicle body, then attaching a battery, and finally attaching a wire harness connecting the engine and the battery. The order among such multiple steps is generally fixed. As a matter of course, the wiring harness attachment cannot come first in the process. Then, the automatic guided vehicle transports the wire harness to the downstream station of the production line and the engine to the upstream station, and the route and the combination of parts are fixed, while the return route is always empty. This wastefulness also occurs.

In the production facility of Patent Document 1, the role of the floor is fixed to two, the "production line floor" and the "parts storage floor", and these are replaced with each other, and the floor with existing functions is added. It is not assumed that floors with other functions will be added. Furthermore, the articles carried out from the production facility of Patent Document 1 are complete vehicles equipped with similar parts, which is far from the idea of picking out a plurality of different articles according to the customer's order.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to efficiently move articles between multiple floors having different functions for each individual order.

The transportation system of the present invention includes a storage device that stores floor information that associates floor classifications with floor attributes, and refers to the floor information so that the frequency of picking on the first floor whose floor attribute is a work floor is equal to or greater than a threshold. is placed on a second floor whose floor attribute is a warehouse floor, the transport robot and inter-floor transport transport the container from the second floor to the first floor and a control device for controlling a device , wherein the second floor is a floor different from the first floor .
Other means are described in the detailed description.

According to the present invention, the movement of goods between multiple floors having different functions can be efficiently performed for each individual order.

1 is a plan view of a distribution center; FIG. 1 is a side view of a distribution center; FIG. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a shelf; It is a side view of a shelf. (a) is a plan view of a transport vehicle. (b) is a side view of a state in which the transport vehicle lifts the cargo handling platform. (c) is a side view of the transport vehicle with the loading platform lowered. It is a figure explaining the structure of a conveyance management apparatus. It is a figure explaining floor information. It is a figure explaining shelf information. It is a figure explaining conveyance vehicle information. It is a figure explaining elevator information. It is a figure explaining article information. It is a figure explaining order information. It is a figure explaining instruction information. It is a figure explaining the content of instruction|indication. It is a flow chart of a receipt processing procedure. It is a flowchart of a picking processing procedure. FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a first shelf arrangement review processing procedure; FIG. FIG. 11 is a flow chart of a second shelf arrangement review processing procedure; FIG.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the form (it is called "this embodiment") for implementing this invention is demonstrated in detail, referring drawings. In the present embodiment, an example will be described in which a distribution center for mail order receives goods from a manufacturer or the like and ships the goods according to a customer's order. However, the present invention can also be applied, for example, when a manufacturer or the like stores and manages parts in-house. It should be noted that the "goods" in the present embodiment is a concept that includes commodities to be traded, other products, parts, and the like.

(Distribution center)
FIG. 1 is a plan view of the layout of a distribution center. The distribution center in FIG. 1 is a three-story building. The first floor portion is the receiving floor 8c. The receiving floor 8 c has a receiving area 43 and a temporary storage area 44 . An empty shelf 7 is arranged in the temporary storage area 44 . Individual shelves 7 store various items (details below). The shelves 7 form "islands" of 2 rows and 6 columns, and the islands are arranged in 3 rows and 1 column. A transport vehicle 2 capable of lifting and transporting the shelf 7 is moving in the passage between the islands (details will be described later). When the truck 9 loaded with the goods arrives at the receiving area 43 from the manufacturer or the like, the cargo handling worker 47 (or the cargo handling robot) stores the goods in the empty shelf 7 .

The second floor portion is the work floor 8b. The work floor 8 b has a picking area 41 and a temporary storage area 42 . A shelf 7 is arranged in the temporary storage area 42 . The shelves 7 constitute "islands" of 2 rows and 6 columns, and the islands are arranged in 3 rows and 1 column. A transport vehicle 2 is moving in the passage between the islands. The transport vehicle 2 transports the shelf 7 to a position adjacent to the picking area 41 in the temporary storage area 42 . Then, in the picking area 41 , a picking worker 46 (or a robot) picks up a predetermined item from the shelf 7 , packs the picked item into a package, and stores it in the sorting shelf 45 . This package contains one or more items ordered by the customer and is sent to the customer. In this way, the work floor 8b has a picking area 41 (first area) on one side of the floor where people work, and a primary storage area 42 on the other side of the floor where the carrier 2 travels and works. (Second area) are separated from each other.

The third floor portion is a warehouse floor 8a. The entire warehouse floor 8a serves as a long-term storage area 8a. A shelf 7 is arranged on the warehouse floor 8a. The shelves 7 constitute "islands" of 2 rows and 6 columns, and the islands are arranged in 3 rows and 2 columns. A transport vehicle 2 is moving in the passage between the islands.

An elevator 3 passes through the first, second and third floors. The elevator 3 vertically transports the transport vehicle 2 with the rack 7 lifted across a plurality of floors. The scales (1, 2, 3, . . . ) marked on the third floor of FIG. 1 will be described later. On the work floor 8 b , the elevator 3 is arranged so that the doorway through which the carrier 2 gets on and off the elevator 3 faces the primary storage area 42 . Further, the elevator 3 may be arranged so that the entrance/exit is located within the primary storage area 42 .

FIG. 2 is a side view of the distribution center layout. Although detailed description is omitted, in FIG. 2, the work floor 8b has two layers. The elevator 3 transports the transport vehicle 2 with the shelf 7 lifted between the floors.

(typical goods flow)
Return to FIG. Shelves 7 storing articles are first stored in a temporary storage area 44 on the receiving floor 8c. After that, the shelf 7 is transported to the warehouse floor 8a and awaits an order from the customer. Upon receiving an order from a customer, the shelf 7 is transported to the temporary storage area 42 on the work floor 8b. Immediately after that, the picking worker 46 takes out the ordered items from the shelf 7 , packs them into arbitrary packages, and places the packages on the sorting shelf 45 .

The packages placed on the sorting shelf 45 are eventually shipped by truck or the like. The receiving floor may double as the shipping floor (not shown). As long as there is no order, the shelf 7 storing the goods continues to be stored on the warehouse floor 8a. In this sense, the warehouse floor 8a is used for long-term storage and has more shelves 7 than other floors. The "storage floor" corresponds to the warehouse floor (for long-term storage) here.

3 is a perspective view of the shelf 7. FIG. Shelf 7 has a square plane and four legs 51 . In FIG. 3, one of them is hidden. The shelf 7 has an upper stage, a middle stage and a lower stage. Each tier has left, center and right storage spaces. After all, the shelf 7 has nine storage spaces. The upper, middle and lower rows are labeled U, M and L, respectively, and the left, center and right are labeled L, C and R, respectively. Then, for example, the upper left storage space is written as "UL".

4 is a side view of the shelf 7. FIG. The shelf 7 has a space under the lower stage. The transport vehicle 2 can enter the space. Further, the carrier 2 can be carried with the shelf 7 raised. Note that the “container” is a concept that includes shelves. Containers include pallets, tanks, baskets, storages, etc., in addition to shelves.

FIG. 5(a) is a plan view of the transport vehicle 2. FIG. The carrier 2 has a square plane. The transport vehicle 2 has a disk-shaped loading platform 55 in the center of its upper surface.
FIG. 5(b) is a side view of the transport vehicle 2 with the loading platform 55 lifted. The transport vehicle 2 lifts the loading platform 55 by adjusting the height (length) of the shaft 58 . The transport vehicle 2 has drive wheels 56 and auxiliary wheels 57 . The driving wheels 56 are rotated by their own power. The auxiliary wheels 57 do not have power and exclusively support the transport vehicle 2 . The number and position of drive wheels 56 are arbitrary. The number and position of the auxiliary wheels 57 are arbitrary.
Note that "holding" is a concept that includes "lifting". "Holding" includes actions such as pulling up a container from above with a crane or the like, pulling or propelling a container or the like attached with wheels or the like.

FIG. 5(c) is a side view of the transport vehicle 2 with the loading platform 55 lowered. The upper surface of the loading platform 55 is aligned with the upper surface of the carrier 2 . When the transport vehicle 2 does not transport the shelf 7, the loading platform 55 is lowered as shown in FIG. 5(c). The height of the upper surface of the carrier 2 from the floor is lower than the height of the space below the shelf 7 from the floor. Therefore, the transport vehicle 2 can enter or pass through the space below the shelf 7 in the state of FIG. 5(c). In other words, the shelf 7 and the island formed by the shelf 7 do not pose any obstacles to the transport vehicle 2 in the state of FIG. 5(c).

The configuration of the transport management device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The transportation management apparatus 1 is a general computer, and has a central control unit 11 , an input device 12 such as a keyboard, an output device 13 such as a display, a main storage device 14 , an auxiliary storage device 15 and a communication device 16 . These devices are interconnected by a bus. The auxiliary storage device 1 stores floor information 31, shelf information 32, transport vehicle information 33, elevator information 34, article information 35, order information 36, and instruction information 37 (all of which will be described later in detail). The article management unit 21, the transportation management unit 22, and the floor management unit 23 in the main storage device 14 are programs. In the following, when the subject of action is described as "○○ part," it means that the central control unit 11 reads each program from the auxiliary storage device 15, loads it into the main storage device 14, and then performs the function of each program (details (described later).

The transportation management device 1 communicates with one or more transportation vehicles 2, one or more elevators 3, a transportation vehicle control device 4, and an elevator control device 5 via a wired or wireless network 6 (including a private line). connected as possible.

In addition to the configuration described in FIGS. 5A to 5C, the transport vehicle 2 includes an electric motor that rotates the drive wheel 56, an electric motor that adjusts the length of the shaft 58, a storage battery that supplies power to these electric motors, sensors, and an on-board computer.

The sensor acquires its current position by reading floor markers placed on the floor. The vehicle-mounted computer transmits various data including the current position to the vehicle control device 4 and receives instructions from the vehicle control device 4 in real time. The in-vehicle computer adjusts the direction and speed of rotation of the driving wheels 56 and adjusts the length of the shaft 58 by operating the electric motor based on the received instructions. The sensor can also read a shelf ID (described in detail later) written anywhere on the shelf 7 . The transport vehicle 2 may operate based on map information based on surrounding environment information, etc., without using floor markers.

Elevators 3 are suspended on drive ropes within an elevator shaft passing through each floor. An electric motor installed in a rooftop machine room or the like adjusts the vertical position of the elevator 3 by winding up or releasing the drive rope. The elevator has sensors and an on-board computer. The sensor obtains its current position (floor number) by reading shaft markers located inside the elevator shaft. The on-board computer transmits various data, including the current position, to the elevator controller 5 and receives instructions from the elevator controller 5 in real time. The on-board computer adjusts the current position of the elevator by operating the motor based on the received instructions.

All of the above instructions are generated by the transportation management device 1 . The carrier control device 4 and the elevator control device 5 may be integrated with the carrier management device 1 . For simplification of explanation, the transportation management device 1 is hereinafter assumed to have the functions of both the transportation vehicle control device 4 and the elevator control device 5 . On the other hand, the auxiliary storage device 15 of the transport management device 1 may be configured independently from the transport management device 1 .

The transport robot is a concept including the transport vehicle 2 described above. In addition to the wheels, the transport robot may have caterpillars, human-shaped legs, or the like. The inter-floor transfer device is a concept that includes the above-described elevator. Inter-floor transfer devices include escalators, cranes, etc., as well as elevators that move in a vertical manner. The transport robot, the inter-floor transport device, and the transport management device 1 constitute a transport system.

(location information)
Return to FIG. A virtual grid is drawn on each floor of the distribution center. The above-described floor markers are attached or embedded in each of the squares of the grid so as not to hinder the movement of the transport vehicle 2 . The vertical and horizontal lengths of the squares are the same as the vertical and horizontal lengths of the shelf 7 . On the floor marker, coordinate values on the horizontal axis, coordinate values on the vertical axis, and the number of floors are written as indicated by "3rd floor" in FIG. For example, a floor marker with three-dimensional positional information “[16, 4, 3]” is attached to the square directly below the shelf 7 indicated by reference numeral 7a in FIG. "16" indicates the position on the horizontal axis, "4" indicates the position on the vertical axis, and "3" indicates the floor number.

(Floor information)
The floor information 31 will be explained along FIG. In the floor information 31, the floor attributes are stored in the floor attribute column 102, the floor usage is stored in the floor use column 103, and the position is stored in the position column 104 in association with the categories stored in the category column 101.
The classification in the classification column 101 is a management classification of the floors of the distribution center, and here, it is a character string obtained by adding "east side" or "west side" to the number of floors.
The floor attribute of the floor attribute column 102 is one of the aforementioned "warehouse floor", "work floor" and "receiving floor".

The floor usage in the floor usage column 103 is the usage for each category, and is one of "long-term storage", "picking", "temporary storage" and "arrival". Picking and temporary storage correspond to the work floor. Receiving and temporary storage correspond to the receiving floor. Only long-term storage is available for warehouse floors.
The position of the position column 104 is the above-described three-dimensional position information, and here, in particular, position information specifying all cells included in the section is stored. Note that "#" abbreviates different values (hereinafter, the same applies to FIG. 8 and the like).

The user of the transportation management apparatus 1 inputs data after review via the input device 12 each time the floor attribute or floor usage of the distribution center is reviewed, or the delineation between sections is reviewed. The transport management device 1 stores the input data in the auxiliary storage device 15 as the floor information 31 .

(Shelf information)
The shelf information 32 will be described with reference to FIG. In the shelf information 32, in association with the shelf ID stored in the shelf ID column 111, the storage position is stored in the storage position column 112, the item ID is in the item ID column 113, the quantity is in the quantity column 114, and the storage start The storage start date is stored in the date column 115 and the shelf position is stored in the shelf position column 116 .
A shelf ID in the shelf ID column 111 is an identifier that uniquely identifies the shelf 7 .
The storage position in the storage position column 112 is the position of the storage space on the shelf, and is a combination of one of upper U, middle M and lower L and one of left L, center C and right R. .

The item ID in the item ID column 113 is an identifier that uniquely identifies the type of item (not the individual item). For simplicity of explanation, in this embodiment, only one type of article is stored in one storage space.
The quantity in the quantity column 114 is the quantity of items stored.
The storage start date in the storage start date column 115 is the date when the item was received at the distribution center. For simplification of explanation, it is assumed that goods are received in a predetermined number of lots. The storage start date here is the date when the lot was received.

The shelf position in the shelf position column 116 is the three-dimensional coordinate value of the square on the floor where the shelf 7 is currently arranged.
If no article is stored in a certain storage space, the article ID column 113, quantity column 114, and storage start date column 115 of the record (row) for that storage location are blank. Such a storage space is called an "empty storage space".

The item ID, quantity, and storage start date are updated each time items are received for each lot. The shelf position is updated each time the position where the shelf 7 is arranged changes. The quantity is updated (decreased) each time an item is taken out (picked). The transport management device 1 obtains this information from a terminal device (not shown) carried by the cargo handling worker 47 or from the transport vehicle 2, and maintains the shelf information 32 in the latest state.

(Transportation vehicle information)
The transport vehicle information 33 will be described with reference to FIG. In the guided vehicle information 33, in association with the guided vehicle ID stored in the guided vehicle ID column 121, the guided vehicle position column 122 indicates the guided vehicle position, the status column 123 indicates the state flag, and the operation column 124 indicates the operating status. A flag is stored in the shelf ID column 125, and a shelf ID is stored.
The transport vehicle ID in the transport vehicle ID column 121 is an identifier that uniquely identifies the transport vehicle 2 .
The transport vehicle position in the transport vehicle position column 122 is the three-dimensional coordinate value of the square on the floor where the transport vehicle is currently moving or stopped.

The state flag in the state column 123 is either "actual vehicle" or "empty vehicle". “Actual vehicle” indicates that the transport vehicle is transporting the shelf 7 . "Empty vehicle" indicates that the transport vehicle is not transporting the shelf 7.
The operation flag in the operation column 124 is one of "in operation", "standby", and "out of order". “In operation” indicates that the transport vehicle is performing transport/operations according to instructions received from the transport management apparatus 1 . "Waiting" indicates that the vehicle is waiting to receive the next instruction after completing an instruction. "Broken" indicates that the transport vehicle is stopped due to the occurrence of a failure.

The shelf ID in the shelf ID column 125 is the same as the shelf ID in FIG. 8, but here in particular specifies the shelf 7 currently being transported by the carrier.
The position of the transport vehicle is updated every time the transport vehicle passes the boundary line of the squares on the floor. Each time the transport vehicle raises or lowers the shelf, the state flag transitions between "actual vehicle" and "empty vehicle". The transport management device 1 obtains these pieces of information from the transport vehicle and maintains the transport vehicle information 33 in the latest state.

(elevator information)
The elevator information 34 will be described with reference to FIG. In the elevator information 34, in association with the elevator ID stored in the elevator ID column 131, the capacity column 122 stores the capacity, the plane position column 133 stores the plane position, and the vertical position column 134 stores the vertical position. there is
The elevator ID in the elevator ID column 131 is an identifier that uniquely identifies the elevator.
The capacity in the capacity column 132 is the maximum number of transport vehicles that can be loaded on the elevator at one time.

The plane position of the plane position column 133 is the two-dimensional coordinate value (other than the floor number) of the square adjacent to the opening of the elevator shaft among the squares on the floor surface of each floor. On each floor, the carrier 2 passes through the plane position to get on and off the elevator. If the plane position of an elevator is, for example, [18, 9] on the first floor, the plane position of the elevator is also [18, 9] on other floors (see FIG. 1).
The vertical position in the vertical position column 134 is the floor number at which the elevator is currently located.
The vertical position is updated each time the elevator moves up and down. The transport management device 1 obtains this information from each elevator and keeps the elevator information 34 up-to-date.

(article information)
The article information 35 will be described with reference to FIG. In the article information 35, in association with the article ID stored in the article ID column 141, the article name column 142 contains the product name, the manufacturer name column 143 contains the manufacturer name, the size column 144 contains the size, and the color column. 145 stores colors.
The article IDs in the article ID column 141 are the same as the article IDs in FIG.
The product name in the product name column 142 is the name of the type of product.
The maker name in the maker name column 143 is the name of the maker of the article.

The size of the size column 144 is the size of the article.
The color of the color column 145 is the color of the article.
The article information 35 in FIG. 11 is an example in which the article is clothing. The data in each column is appropriately selected by the user according to the characteristics of the article, such as the model of the machine part and the production area of the food. The user of the transport management apparatus 1 inputs such data about the article that he or she handles through the input device 12 at appropriate timing. The transport management device 1 stores the input data in the auxiliary storage device 15 as the article information 35 .

(order information)
The order information 36 will be described with reference to FIG. In the order information 36, in association with the order ID stored in the order ID column 151, the customer name column 152 contains the customer name, the product ID column 153 contains the product ID, the quantity column 154 contains the quantity, and the time column. 155 stores the time.
The order ID in the order ID column 151 is an identifier that uniquely identifies the order from the customer. An order is an offer to purchase goods. The distribution center picks up the ordered articles and then ships them.

The customer name in the customer name column 152 is the name of the customer.
The article IDs in the article ID column 153 are the same as the article IDs in FIG.
The quantity in the quantity column 154 is the quantity of the ordered item.
The time in the time column 155 is the year, month, day, hour, minute, and second when the transport management apparatus 1 received the order.

As can be seen from FIG. 12, an order covers one or more types of goods in one or more quantities. Then, the picking worker packs the articles related to one order into one package and arranges them on the sorting shelf 45 (FIG. 1). A new record of order information 36 is created each time an order is placed. The transportation management device 1 receives such records from, for example, the server of the operator of the product sales site, and stores them in the auxiliary storage device 15 as the order information 36 .

(instruction information)
The instruction information 37 will be described with reference to FIG. In the instruction information 37, in association with the instruction ID stored in the instruction ID column 161, the instruction ID is stored in the instruction ID column 162, the instruction is stored in the instruction column 163, and the time is stored in the time column 164. there is
The instruction ID in the instruction ID column 161 is an identifier that uniquely identifies the instruction. An instruction is a command that the transportation management device 1 transmits to the transportation vehicle 2 or the elevator 3 .

The indicated destination ID in the indicated destination ID column 162 is a guided vehicle ID or an elevator ID that specifies the guided vehicle or elevator that receives the instruction.
The instructions in the instruction column 163 are the instructions described above. The details of the instructions will be described later.
The time in the time column 164 is the year, month, day, hour, minute, and second when the transport management device 1 sent the instruction to the transport vehicle 2 or the elevator 3 .

(instructions sent to transport vehicle)
Note the record 165 a of the instruction information 37 . This record is an instruction sent from the transport management apparatus 1 to the transport vehicle "C001". A directive consists of multiple "clauses" separated by ",". Each node has three-dimensional coordinate values. Some clauses have character strings other than three-dimensional coordinate values. The contents of the instruction (meaning of each section) will be described below in order from the left with reference to FIG. The instruction, which consists of 11 sections, is an instruction indicating the route and operation for transporting the shelf on which the transport vehicle "C001" is located from the warehouse floor on the third floor to the work floor on the second floor.

[1, 3, 3] start: Transport vehicle “C001” starts moving from ● 61 in FIG. In addition, in FIG. 14, the squares are represented by “●” for easy understanding. In addition, ● 61 is a square where the transport vehicle “C001” was waiting with an empty vehicle immediately before receiving the instruction. A square marked with "start" is called a "starting point".

[1,8,3]: Transport vehicle “C001” moves to ●62.
[6, 8, 3] up: Transport vehicle “C001” moves to ● 63 . At this time, the transport vehicle "C001" passes through the space under the shelf that constitutes the island. After that, lift the shelf located at ● 63 . After that, the transport vehicle “C001” maintains the state in which the shelf is lifted. A square marked with "up" is called a "shelve-up point".

[6,9,3]: Transport vehicle “C001” moves to ●64.
[18, 9, 3] in: Transport vehicle “C001” moves to ●65. ● 65 is adjacent to the opening of the elevator shaft. After that, the carrier "C001" gets into the elevator. Then, the elevator moves from the 3rd floor to the 2nd floor based on the separately received instructions. A square marked with "in" is called an "elevator entry point".

[18, 9, 2] out: Transport vehicle “C001” gets off the elevator and moves to ● 66 . A square marked with "out" is called an "elevator exit point".

[18,5,2]: Transport vehicle “C001” moves to ●67.
[9, 5, 2] pause: The transport vehicle “C001” moves to ● 68 and stops with the open surface of the shelf facing the left side of the drawing. Here, the picking worker 46 takes out the target article from the shelf. The carrier "C001" is stopped on the spot while the picking worker is working. A square marked with "pause" is called a "work point".
[9,3,2]: Transport vehicle “C001” moves to ●69.

[11,3,2]down: Transport vehicle “C001” moves to ●70 and lowers the shelf to the floor. It is assumed that no other shelf has been placed in this square. A square marked with "down" is called a "shelf point".

[11, 1, 2] wait: Transport vehicle “C001” moves to ● 71 and waits until the next instruction is received. A square marked with "wait" is called an "end point".
It should be noted that the path is a collection of vertical, horizontal and vertical line segments, i.e. the vehicle does not move diagonally.

(instructions sent to the elevator)
Note the record 165 b of the instruction information 37 . This record is an instruction sent from the transport management device 1 to the elevator "D001". A directive consists of multiple "clauses" separated by ",". Each clause has a rank and a string. The contents of the instruction (meaning of each section) are explained below in order from the left. The instruction, which consists of three clauses, is an instruction indicating the path and operation for an elevator to transport a certain shelf from the receiving floor on the first floor to the warehouse floor on the third floor.

[2nd floor] start: Elevator “D001” starts from the 2nd floor. It should be noted that the "2nd floor" is the number of floors on standby immediately before the elevator "D001" receives the instruction.
[1st floor] charge: Elevator “D001” moves to the 1st floor and loads a shelf. Actually, the transport vehicle runs by itself and gets into the elevator.
[3rd floor] discharge and wait: Elevator “D001” moves to the 3rd floor, where the transport vehicle is lowered. Actually, the transport vehicle runs by itself and leaves the elevator. Elevator "D001" then waits at the third floor until it receives the next instruction.
An example in which the transport management device determines the route of the transport vehicle via the inter-floor transport device has been described above. may be configured to determine the route based on.

(Processing procedure)
The processing procedure will be described below. There are four processing procedures, which are a receipt processing procedure, a picking processing procedure, a first shelf arrangement review processing procedure, and a second shelf arrangement review processing procedure.

(Receipt processing procedure)
The procedure for receiving goods will be described with reference to FIG. 15 .
In step S101, the article management unit 21 of the transport management apparatus 1 recognizes arrival of articles. Specifically, the goods management unit 21 receives a receipt signal indicating that goods have been received from the terminal device carried by the cargo handling worker 47 . The arrival signal includes the article ID and the quantity of articles (the number of lots×the number of individuals per lot).

In step S102, the article management unit 21 determines a shelf for storing articles. Specifically, the article management unit 21 refers to the shelf information 32 and determines a shelf that satisfies all of the following conditions 1 to 3, for example. A square in which such a shelf is arranged is a shelving point. It is assumed that incoming goods are packed in packages for each lot, and after the packages are opened, the packages are stored in the empty storage space. Application of condition 4 is arbitrary (optional).

<Condition 1> The shelf must have at least one empty storage space.
<Condition 2> The empty storage space of the shelf must be able to store more than the number of items with the item ID included in the arrival signal. Information indicating the correspondence relationship between the article ID and the maximum number of articles that can be stored in one storage space is stored in the auxiliary storage device 15 (not shown). You can refer to it.
<Condition 3> The shelf must be located on the floor closest to the receiving floor.
<Condition 4> The shelf already stores an article with the same article ID.
For simplicity of explanation, it is assumed here that one shelf is determined.

In step S103, the article management unit 21 determines floors and squares on which shelves are arranged. Specifically, first, the article management unit 21 determines, for example, a floor that satisfies all of the following conditions 11 and 12 as the floor on which the shelf determined in step S102 will be placed.
<Condition 11> If the number of ordered items of the item ID included in the arrival signal in the most recent predetermined period is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, the rack is placed on the work floor from now on. If the number of ordered items of the item ID included in the arrival signal in the most recent predetermined period is less than the predetermined threshold value, the shelf is placed on the warehouse floor from now on. The item management unit 21 can acquire the quantity by referring to the order information 36 (FIG. 12). Note that the most recent order quantities of other items already stored on the shelf have been abstracted here for the sake of simplicity.
<Condition 12> There must be an empty square on which the shelf should be placed on the floor. The article management unit 21 can know the squares (empty squares) that do not correspond to the shelf position (column 116) of the shelf information 32 (FIG. 8) and do not correspond to the aisle.

Second, the article management unit 21 determines squares that satisfy all of the following conditions 21 to 23, for example. That is, the article management unit 21 determines the shelving point.
<Condition 21> The square must be on the floor determined in "first" in step S103.
<Condition 22> The square must be an empty square.
<Condition 23> When there are a plurality of vacant squares, the distance between the squares and the elevator is the shortest. If there are multiple elevators, the distance here is the average distance from each elevator.

In step S104, the transport management unit 22 of the transport management apparatus 1 determines a transport vehicle that transports the shelf. Specifically, the transport management unit 22 refers to the transport vehicle information 33 (FIG. 9) and determines transport vehicles that satisfy all of the following conditions 31 and 32, for example. A grid in which such a transport vehicle exists is the starting point.
<Condition 31> The operation flag of the transport vehicle is "waiting".
<Condition 32> When there are a plurality of waiting transport vehicles, the "floor distance" when transporting the shelf by the transport vehicles is the shortest. The floor distance here is the sum of "the absolute value of the difference between the floor number of the starting point and the floor number of the shelving point" and the "absolute value of the difference between the floor number of the starting point and the floor number of the shelving point".

In step S105, the transport management unit 22 determines an elevator for transporting the transport vehicle. Specifically, the transportation management unit 22 refers to the elevator information 34 (FIG. 10) and determines an elevator that satisfies all of the following conditions 41 and 42, for example.
<Condition 41> The capacity of the elevator is greater than or equal to the number of shelves determined in step S102. In the above example, the number is "1", so any elevator satisfies the condition. However, when transporting multiple shelves located on the same floor at the same time, this condition must be fulfilled.
<Condition 42> The “floor distance” when the elevator transports the transport vehicle is the shortest. Here, the floor distance is the difference between the "absolute value of the difference between the floor number at which the elevator is waiting and the floor number at the shelving point" and the "absolute value of the difference between the floor number at which the elevator is waiting and the floor number at the shelving point". It is harmony.

In step S106, the transportation management unit 22 determines the route. Specifically, the transportation management unit 22 determines a route that satisfies all of the following conditions 51-56.
<Condition 51> The path must have the starting point determined in step S104.
<Condition 52> The route must have an end point in the vicinity of the shelving point designated in advance for the guided vehicle to wait.
<Condition 53> In the route, after the transport vehicle becomes the actual vehicle, it must not pass through the squares where the shelves are arranged.

<Condition 54> The path must have a shelving point, a working point, and a shelving point in this order between the start point and the end point. If the vehicle travels across multiple floors, its path has one or more combinations of elevator entry points and elevator exit points. At this work point, receiving work is performed.
<Condition 55> Among a plurality of route candidates, the length from the starting point to the end point of the route is the shortest.
<Condition 56> If there is no difference in condition 55, the number of squares in which the transport vehicle as an empty vehicle passes under the shelf should be the smallest among the plurality of route candidates.

The routes determined here include those for transport vehicles, such as those indicated by record 165a in FIG. 13, and those for elevators, such as those indicated by record 165b.

In step S107, the transportation management unit 22 transmits an instruction. Specifically, first, the transport management unit 22 assigns the route determined in step S106 to each of the transport vehicle determined in step S104 and the elevator determined in step S105 as an instruction having a plurality of "nodes". Send.
Secondly, the transportation management unit 22 stores the transmitted route as two records (a record about the transportation vehicle and a record about the elevator) of the instruction information 37 (FIG. 13). After that, the arrival processing procedure is terminated.

(Picking procedure)
The picking processing procedure will be described along FIG.
In step S201, the article management unit 21 of the transportation management device 1 receives an order.
Specifically, the article management unit 21 receives a new record of the order information 36 (FIG. 12) from, for example, the server of the operator of the article sales site. This record is called a "new order record". The new order record contains the item ID and item quantity. For simplicity of explanation, it is assumed here that the number of item IDs included in the new order record is "1".

In step S202, the article management section 21 determines the shelf storing the article. Specifically, the article management unit 21 refers to the shelf information 32 (FIG. 8) to find a shelf that satisfies all of the following conditions 61 and 62, that is, a shelf that stores the ordered article. A square in which such a shelf is arranged is a shelving point.

<Condition 61> The shelf stores the number of articles specified by the article ID of the new order record equal to or greater than the quantity of the new order record. The quantity may be distributed and stored in multiple storage spaces on the same shelf.
<Condition 62> The shelf must be located on the floor closest to the work floor for picking.
For simplicity of explanation, it is assumed here that one shelf is determined.

In step S203, the article management unit 21 determines floors and squares on which shelves are arranged. Specifically, first, the article management unit 21 determines, for example, a floor that satisfies all of the following conditions 71 and 72 as the floor on which the shelf determined in step S202 will be placed.
<Condition 71> If the quantity of items with the item ID included in the new order record ordered in the most recent predetermined period is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value, and the shelf is located on the warehouse floor, the shelf will be processed in the future. Place on floor. If the number of items with the item ID included in the new order record ordered in the most recent predetermined period is less than the predetermined threshold value and the shelf has been placed on the work floor, the shelf will be placed on the warehouse floor in the future. . Otherwise, continue to place the shelf on the floor it was placed on. The item management unit 21 can acquire the quantity by referring to the order information 36 (FIG. 12). Note that the most recent order quantities of other items already stored on the shelf have been abstracted here for the sake of simplicity.

<Condition 72> When reviewing the floor in Condition 71, there must be empty squares on which shelves should be placed on the reviewed floor. The article management unit 21 can know the squares (empty squares) that do not correspond to the shelf position (column 116) of the shelf information 32 (FIG. 8) and do not correspond to the aisle.

Second, the article management unit 21 determines squares that satisfy all of the following conditions 81 to 83, for example. That is, the article management unit 21 determines the shelving point.
<Condition 81> The square must be on the floor determined in "first" in step S203.
<Condition 82> The square must be an empty square.
<Condition 82> When there are a plurality of vacant squares, the distance between the squares and the elevator is the shortest. If there are multiple elevators, the distance here is the average distance from each elevator.

In step S204, the transport management unit 22 of the transport management apparatus 1 determines a transport vehicle that transports the shelf. Specifically, the transport management unit 22 refers to the transport vehicle information 33 (FIG. 9) and determines a transport vehicle that satisfies all of the following conditions 91 and 92, for example. A grid in which such a transport vehicle exists is the starting point.
<Condition 91> The operation flag of the transport vehicle is "waiting".
<Condition 92> When there are a plurality of waiting transport vehicles, the "floor number distance" when transporting the shelf by the transport vehicles is the shortest. The floor distance here is the sum of "the absolute value of the difference between the floor number of the starting point and the floor number of the shelving point" and the "absolute value of the difference between the floor number of the starting point and the floor number of the shelving point".

In step S205, the transport management unit 22 determines an elevator for transporting the transport vehicle. Specifically, the transportation management unit 22 refers to the elevator information 34 (FIG. 10) and determines elevators that satisfy all of the following conditions 101 and 102, for example.
<Condition 101> The capacity of the elevator is greater than or equal to the number of shelves determined in step S202. In the above example, the number is "1", so any elevator satisfies the condition. However, when transporting multiple shelves located on the same floor at the same time, this condition must be fulfilled.
<Condition 102> The “floor distance” when the elevator transports the transport vehicle is the shortest. Here, the floor distance is the difference between the "absolute value of the difference between the floor number at which the elevator is waiting and the floor number at the shelving point" and the "absolute value of the difference between the floor number at which the elevator is waiting and the floor number at the shelving point". It is harmony.

In step S206, the transportation management unit 22 determines the route. Specifically, the transport management unit 22 determines a route that satisfies all of the following conditions 111-116.
<Condition 111> The path must have the starting point determined in step S204.
<Condition 112> The route must have an end point in the vicinity of the shelving point designated in advance for the transport vehicle to wait.
<Condition 113> In the route, after the transport vehicle becomes the actual vehicle, it must not pass through the squares where the shelves are arranged.

<Condition 114> The path must have a shelving point, a work point, and a shelving point in this order between the start point and the end point. If the vehicle travels across multiple floors, its path has one or more combinations of elevator entry points and elevator exit points. At this work point, picking work is performed.
<Condition 115> Among a plurality of route candidates, the length from the starting point to the end point of the route is the shortest.
<Condition 116> If there is no difference in condition 115, the number of squares in which the transport vehicle as an empty vehicle passes under the shelf should be the smallest among the plurality of route candidates.

In step S207, the transportation management unit 22 transmits an instruction. Specifically, first, the transport management unit 22 assigns the route determined in step S206 to each of the transport vehicle determined in step S204 and the elevator determined in step S205 as an instruction having a plurality of "nodes". Send.
Secondly, the transportation management unit 22 stores the transmitted route as two records (a record about the transportation vehicle and a record about the elevator) of the instruction information 37 (FIG. 13). After that, the picking procedure ends.

(First shelf arrangement review processing procedure)
The first shelf arrangement review processing procedure will be described with reference to FIG. 17 .
In step S301, the floor management unit 23 of the transportation management apparatus 1 determines articles with many orders. Specifically, first, the floor management unit 23 recognizes that a predetermined timing for starting the first shelf layout review processing procedure has arrived. The predetermined timing is, for example, "8:00 PM on the last day of every month".

Second, the floor management unit 23 refers to the order information 36 (FIG. 12), and determines the item ID of the item whose ordered quantity in the most recent predetermined period is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. The most recent predetermined period is, for example, the period from 8:00 pm on the last day of the previous month to 8:00 pm on the last day of the current month. Assume that "B001" is determined as such an article ID. Note that if the corresponding article ID does not exist, the floor management unit 23 proceeds to step S305 (not shown in FIG. 17).

The floor management unit 23 acquires at least one value of the number or frequency of orders for goods, or the number, quantity, or frequency of picking of goods on the work floor, in addition to the quantity of goods to be ordered, A threshold may be applied to each. Furthermore, the floor management unit 23 constantly monitors the number, quantity, or frequency of orders for goods, or the number, quantity, or frequency of picking of goods on the work floor, and acquires at least one of these values. However, when these values fall within a predetermined range, the first shelf arrangement review processing procedure may be started.

In step S302, the floor management unit 23 determines whether or not the shelf is arranged on the warehouse floor. Specifically, first, the floor management unit 23 refers to the shelf information 32 (FIG. 8) and determines the shelf ID of the shelf where the article "B001" is stored. For simplicity of explanation, it is assumed here that only one such shelf ID "A001" is determined. Then, the floor management unit 23 acquires the shelf position of "A001" (column 116 in FIG. 8).
Secondly, the floor management unit 23 searches the floor information 31 (FIG. 7) using the shelf position acquired in the "first" of step S302 as a search key, and the floor attribute corresponding to the shelf position (column in FIG. 7). 102).

Thirdly, if the floor attribute acquired in "second" of step S302 is "warehouse floor" ("Yes" in step S302), the floor management unit 23 proceeds to step S303; S302 "No"), and proceeds to step S305.

In step S303, the floor management unit 23 determines a route for conveying the shelf to the work floor. The route determination method here conforms to the method described in the arrival processing procedure and the picking processing procedure. In other words, the floor management unit 23 determines the route, transport vehicle, and elevator for transporting the shelf "A001" from the warehouse floor to the work floor.

In step S304, the floor management unit 23 transmits an instruction. Specifically, first, the floor management unit 23 transmits the route determined in step S303 to each of the guided vehicles and elevators determined in step S303 as an instruction having a plurality of "nodes".
Second, the floor management unit 23 stores the transmitted route as two records (a record for the carrier and a record for the elevator) of the instruction information 37 (FIG. 13).

In step S305, the floor management unit 23 determines articles for which there are few orders. Specifically, the floor management unit 23 refers to the order information 36 (FIG. 12) and determines the item ID of the item whose ordered quantity in the most recent predetermined period is less than a predetermined threshold. Assume that "B003" is determined as such an article ID. It should be noted that if the corresponding article ID does not exist, the floor management unit 23 terminates the first shelf arrangement review processing procedure (not shown in FIG. 17). As in step S301, the floor management unit 23, in addition to the number of items to be ordered, determines at least the number or frequency of items ordered, or the number, quantity, or frequency of item picking on the work floor. One value may be taken and a threshold applied to each.

In step S306, the floor management unit 23 determines whether or not the shelf is arranged on the work floor. Specifically, first, the floor management unit 23 refers to the shelf information 32 (FIG. 8) and determines the shelf ID of the shelf where the article "B003" is stored. For simplicity of explanation, it is assumed here that only one such shelf ID "A002" is determined. Then, the floor management unit 23 acquires the shelf position of "A002" (column 116 in FIG. 8).
Secondly, the floor management unit 23 searches the floor information 31 (FIG. 7) using the shelf position acquired in the "first" of step S306 as a search key, and the floor attribute corresponding to the shelf position (column in FIG. 7). 102).

Thirdly, if the floor attribute acquired in "second" of step S306 is "working floor" ("Yes" in step S306), the floor management unit 23 proceeds to step S307; otherwise (step S306 "No"), the first shelf arrangement review processing procedure is terminated.

In step S307, the floor management unit 23 determines a route for conveying the shelf to the warehouse floor. The route determination method here conforms to the method described in the arrival processing procedure and the picking processing procedure. That is, the floor management unit 23 determines the route, transport vehicle, and elevator for transporting the shelf "A002" from the work floor to the warehouse floor.

In step S308, the floor management unit 23 transmits an instruction. Specifically, first, the floor management unit 23 transmits the route determined in step S307 to each of the guided vehicles and elevators determined in step S307 as an instruction having a plurality of "nodes".
Second, the floor management unit 23 stores the transmitted route as two records (a record for the carrier and a record for the elevator) of the instruction information 37 (FIG. 13). After that, the first shelf arrangement review processing procedure is terminated.

(Second shelf arrangement review processing procedure)
The second shelf arrangement review processing procedure will be described with reference to FIG. In the second shelf arrangement review processing procedure, it is assumed that there are a plurality of work floors for picking.
In step S401, the floor management unit 23 of the transportation management device 1 determines articles that are frequently transported to the work floor. Specifically, first, the floor management unit 23 recognizes that the predetermined timing for starting the second shelf arrangement review processing procedure has arrived. The predetermined timing is, for example, "8:00 PM on the last day of every month". The work floor is a floor on which a work floor (floor with a shelving point) on which a shelf transported to the work floor is arranged (floor with a shelving point) is to be reviewed among a plurality of work floors (floors with work points). . Of the plurality of work floors, floors other than the work floor are called "other work floors."

Secondly, the floor management unit 23 refers to the instruction information 37 (FIG. 13), and determines whether the number of times (the number of records) of articles that have been transported to the work floor in the most recent predetermined period is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. Determine the item ID. The most recent predetermined period is, for example, the period from 8:00 pm on the last day of the previous month to 8:00 pm on the last day of the current month. For example, by searching the shelf information 32 (FIG. 8) using "[6, 8, 3]" of "[6, 8, 3] up" among the clauses constituting the instruction as a search key, the floor management unit 23 can know which items have been transported. Furthermore, by searching the floor information 31 (FIG. 7) using "[9,5,2]" of "[9,5,2]pause" among the clauses constituting the instruction, the floor management unit 23 can know to which floor the article has been transported. Assume that "B005" is determined as such an article ID. Note that if the corresponding article ID does not exist, the floor management unit 23 proceeds to step S405 (not shown in FIG. 18).

The floor management unit 23 may apply a threshold to the number of times an item is transported to the work floor, as well as the number of items transported to the work floor. That is, in general, the floor manager 23 can apply a predetermined threshold to the frequency with which articles are transported to the work floor. In addition, the floor management unit 23 may constantly monitor the frequency with which articles are transported to the work floor, and may start the second shelf arrangement review processing procedure when the frequency falls within a predetermined range. . Note that the floor management unit 23 acquires at least one value of the frequency at which items are transported to the work floor, or the number of times, quantity, or frequency at which items are ordered on the work floor, and sets a threshold value for each. may apply.

In step S402, the floor management unit 23 determines whether or not the shelf is arranged on another work floor. Specifically, first, the floor management unit 23 refers to the shelf information 32 (FIG. 8) and determines the shelf ID of the shelf where the item "B005" is stored. For simplicity of explanation, it is assumed here that only one such shelf ID "A003" is determined. Then, the floor management unit 23 acquires the shelf position of "A003" (column 116 in FIG. 8).
Secondly, the floor management unit 23 searches the floor information 31 (FIG. 7) using the shelf position acquired in the "first" of step S402 as a search key, and the floor attribute corresponding to the shelf position (column in FIG. 7). 102) and category (column 101).

Thirdly, if the floor attribute and classification acquired in "second" of step S402 indicates "another work floor" ("Yes" in step S402), the floor management unit 23 proceeds to step S403, and proceeds to step S403. If so (“No” at step S402), the process proceeds to step S405.

In step S403, the floor management unit 23 determines a route for conveying the shelf to the work floor. The route determination method here conforms to the method described in the arrival processing procedure and the picking processing procedure. In other words, the floor management unit 23 determines the route, transport vehicle, and elevator for transporting the shelf "A003" from another work floor to the work floor.

In step S404, the floor manager 23 transmits an instruction. Specifically, first, the floor management unit 23 transmits the route determined in step S403 as an instruction having a plurality of "nodes" to each of the transport vehicles and elevators determined in step S403.
Second, the floor management unit 23 stores the transmitted route as two records (a record for the carrier and a record for the elevator) of the instruction information 37 (FIG. 13).

In step S405, the floor management unit 23 determines articles that are transported to the work floor less frequently. The floor management unit 23 refers to the instruction information 37 (FIG. 13) and determines the article ID of the article whose number of times (the number of records) that has been transported to the work floor in the most recent predetermined period is less than a predetermined threshold. do.
Assume that "B006" is determined as such an article ID. It should be noted that if the corresponding article ID does not exist, the floor management unit 23 terminates the second shelf arrangement review processing procedure (not shown in FIG. 18). Note that the floor management unit 23 acquires at least one value of the frequency at which items are transported to the work floor, or the number of times, quantity, or frequency at which items are ordered on the work floor, and sets a threshold value for each. may apply.

In step S406, the floor management unit 23 determines whether or not a shelf is arranged on the work floor. Specifically, first, the floor management unit 23 refers to the shelf information 32 (FIG. 8) and determines the shelf ID of the shelf where the article "B006" is stored. For simplicity of explanation, it is assumed here that only one such shelf ID "A004" is determined. Then, the floor management unit 23 acquires the shelf position of "A004" (column 116 in FIG. 8).
Secondly, the floor management unit 23 searches the floor information 31 (FIG. 7) using the shelf position acquired in the "first" of step S406 as a search key, and the floor attribute corresponding to the shelf position (column in FIG. 7). 102) and category (column 101).

Thirdly, if the floor attribute and classification acquired in step S406 "second" indicate "relevant work floor" (step S406 "Yes"), the floor management unit 23 proceeds to step S407; (Step S406 "No"), the second shelf arrangement review processing procedure is terminated.

In step S407, the floor management unit 23 determines a route for conveying the shelf to another work floor. The route determination method here conforms to the method described in the arrival processing procedure and the picking processing procedure. In other words, the floor management unit 23 determines the route, transport vehicle, and elevator for transporting the shelf "A004" from the work floor to another work floor.

In step S408, the floor management unit 23 transmits an instruction. Specifically, first, the floor management unit 23 transmits the route determined in step S407 to each of the guided vehicles and elevators determined in step S407 as an instruction having a plurality of "nodes".
Second, the floor management unit 23 stores the transmitted route as two records (a record for the carrier and a record for the elevator) of the instruction information 37 (FIG. 13). After that, the second shelf arrangement review processing procedure is terminated.

(Effect of this embodiment)
The effects of the transport system of this embodiment are as follows.
(1) The transport system enables efficient picking work in a distribution center having multiple floors.
(2) The transport system can efficiently transport articles up and down between the receiving floor, the warehouse floor, and the work floor.
(3) The transport system can transport frequently picked items to the work floor.
(4) The transport system can automatically initiate the process of (3).
(5) When there are multiple work floors where picking work is performed, the transport system can transport frequently picked items to the work floor.
(6) The transport system can automatically start the process of (5).

In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail for easy understanding of the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the described configurations. In addition, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Moreover, it is possible to add, delete, or replace a part of the configuration of each embodiment with another configuration.

1 transport management device 2 transport vehicle (transport robot)
3 Elevator (Transportation device between floors)
7 Shelves 11 Central Control Device 12 Input Device 13 Output Device 14 Main Storage Device 15 Auxiliary Storage Device 16 Communication Device 21 Article Management Department 22 Transportation Management Department 23 Floor Management Department 31 Floor Information 32 Shelf Information 33 Carrier Information 34 Elevator Information 35 Articles Information 36 Order Information 37 Instruction Information

Claims (17)

a storage device that stores floor information that associates floor divisions with floor attributes;
When referring to the floor information, a container storing an article whose picking frequency is equal to or higher than the threshold on the first floor whose floor attribute is the work floor is placed on the second floor whose floor attribute is the warehouse floor. a controller for controlling a transfer robot and an inter-floor transfer device to transfer the container from the second floor to the first floor;
with
The second floor is a floor different from the first floor,
A transport system characterized by : a storage device that stores floor information that associates floor divisions with floor attributes;
With reference to the floor information, when a container storing an article whose frequency of picking on the first floor whose floor attribute is the work floor is less than a threshold is arranged on the first floor, a control device that controls a transfer robot and an inter-floor transfer device to transfer the container to a second floor whose floor attribute is a warehouse floor;
with
The second floor is a floor different from the first floor,
A transport system characterized by : a storage device that stores floor information that associates floor divisions with floor attributes;
When referring to the floor information, the container storing the goods whose quantity picked up on the first floor whose floor attribute is the work floor is equal to or greater than the threshold is placed on the second floor whose floor attribute is the warehouse floor. a controller for controlling a transfer robot and an inter-floor transfer device to transfer the container from the second floor to the first floor;
with
The second floor is a floor different from the first floor,
A transport system characterized by : a storage device that stores floor information that associates floor divisions with floor attributes;
With reference to the floor information, when a container storing an article whose quantity picked up on the first floor whose floor attribute is the work floor is less than the threshold is arranged on the first floor, from the first floor a control device that controls a transfer robot and an inter-floor transfer device to transfer the container to a second floor whose floor attribute is a warehouse floor;
with
The second floor is a floor different from the first floor,
A transport system characterized by : a storage device that stores floor information that associates floor divisions with floor attributes;
When referring to the floor information, a container storing an article whose number of times of picking on the first floor whose floor attribute is the work floor is equal to or greater than the threshold is placed on the second floor whose floor attribute is the warehouse floor. a controller for controlling a transfer robot and an inter-floor transfer device to transfer the container from the second floor to the first floor;
with
The second floor is a floor different from the first floor,
A transport system characterized by : a storage device that stores floor information that associates floor divisions with floor attributes;
With reference to the floor information, when a container storing an article whose number of pickings on the first floor whose floor attribute is the work floor is less than a threshold is arranged on the first floor, from the first floor a control device that controls a transfer robot and an inter-floor transfer device to transfer the container to a second floor whose floor attribute is a warehouse floor;
with
The second floor is a floor different from the first floor,
A transport system characterized by : a storage device that stores floor information that associates floor divisions with floor attributes;
When the floor information is referred to and the container storing the item whose order frequency is equal to or higher than the threshold is placed on the second floor whose floor attribute is the warehouse floor, the floor attribute from the second floor is the work floor. a control device for controlling the transfer robot and the inter-floor transfer device to transfer the container to the first floor;
with
The second floor is a floor different from the first floor,
A transport system characterized by : a storage device that stores floor information that associates floor divisions with floor attributes;
By referring to the floor information, when a container storing an item whose order frequency is less than the threshold is placed on the first floor whose floor attribute is the work floor, the floor attribute from the first floor is the warehouse floor. a control device for controlling the transfer robot and the inter-floor transfer device to transfer the container to the second floor;
with
The second floor is a floor different from the first floor,
A transport system characterized by : a storage device that stores floor information that associates floor divisions with floor attributes;
By referring to the floor information, when the container storing the goods whose order quantity is equal to or greater than the threshold is placed on the second floor whose floor attribute is the warehouse floor, the floor attribute from the second floor is the work floor. a control device for controlling the transfer robot and the inter-floor transfer device to transfer the container to the first floor;
with
The second floor is a floor different from the first floor,
A transport system characterized by : a storage device that stores floor information that associates floor divisions with floor attributes;
By referring to the floor information, when the container storing the goods whose ordered quantity is less than the threshold is placed on the first floor whose floor attribute is the work floor, the floor attribute from the first floor is the warehouse floor. a control device for controlling the transfer robot and the inter-floor transfer device to transfer the container to the second floor;
with
The second floor is a floor different from the first floor,
A transport system characterized by : a storage device that stores floor information that associates floor divisions with floor attributes;
When the floor information is referred to and the container storing the articles for which the number of orders is equal to or greater than the threshold is placed on the second floor whose floor attribute is the warehouse floor, the floor attribute from the second floor is the work floor. a control device for controlling the transfer robot and the inter-floor transfer device to transfer the container to the first floor;
with
The second floor is a floor different from the first floor,
A transport system characterized by : a storage device that stores floor information that associates floor divisions with floor attributes;
By referring to the floor information, when a container storing an item for which the number of orders is less than the threshold is placed on the first floor whose floor attribute is the work floor, the floor attribute from the first floor is the warehouse floor. a control device for controlling the transfer robot and the inter-floor transfer device to transfer the container to the second floor;
with
The second floor is a floor different from the first floor,
A transport system characterized by : further comprising the transfer robot and the inter-floor transfer device;
The transport system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that: The container is
A shelf for storing the article,
The transport robot is
A transport vehicle capable of lifting and transporting the shelf;
14. The transport system of claim 13, wherein: The storage device
storing shelf information that associates an identifier specifying the shelf, an identifier of the article stored on the shelf, and information on the position of the shelf;
The control device is
referring to the shelf information to obtain information on the position of the shelf storing the article;
obtaining floor attributes corresponding to the obtained shelf positions by referring to the floor information;
15. The transport system of claim 14, wherein: The control device is
Determining a route for transporting the shelf, the transport vehicle, and the inter-floor transport device,
sending instructions about the determined route to the transport vehicle and the inter-floor transport device;
16. The transport system of claim 15, wherein: The work floor is
a storage area in which the shelf can be arranged; and a picking area, which is an area where the article is taken out from the shelf by a worker or a robot,
The warehouse floor is
Having a storage area in which the shelf can be arranged;
17. The transport system of claim 16, wherein:

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