Task allocation method and device, electronic equipment and storage medium

Abstract

This application relates to the field of warehouse management technology and discloses a task allocation method, device, electronic device and storage medium. The task allocation method selects at least two candidate inventories that meet the requirements of a first task, determines the distance cost and heat cost of each work area corresponding to each candidate inventory, calculates the total cost based on the heat cost and distance cost, and allocates the first task to the work area with the lowest total cost, thereby achieving dynamic load balancing of tasks and improving the resource utilization rate of the warehouse system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of warehouse management technology, and in particular to a task allocation method, apparatus, electronic device and storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] In modern automated warehousing systems employing Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), no-difference operation decouples orders from specific workstations, allowing the system to flexibly assign any order task to any available, functionally identical workstation, thereby improving system flexibility and workstation utilization. However, no-difference operation only addresses allocation balance at the workstation level. After a workstation is assigned a task, the system still needs to decide from which physical location in the warehouse (i.e., which bin) to pick inventory and dispatch the AGV to transport it.

[0003] Currently, under the indiscriminate allocation model based on insensitivity, although the system achieves indiscriminate allocation at the workstation level (e.g., evenly distributing orders to 20 available workstations through simple polling, randomization, or hashing algorithms), it remains blind at the inventory picking level. For example, when a workstation (e.g., station 5) receives a task (order A), it selects one from all available inventory. Due to the lack of a global load perspective in the selection logic, the system may always choose the first-in, first-out (FIFO) inventory or select one randomly. When 100 workstations concurrently execute 100 completely different tasks, the system is unaware that these 100 independent locally optimal decisions (such as selecting the earliest received bin) are highly overlapping in physical space, thus causing catastrophic congestion at the AGV level.

[0004] Because the system only ensures the balance of orders received by workstations, but cannot perceive or control the distribution balance of AGV tasks that are ultimately converted from these orders in the warehouse aisles, it is easy for the aisles closest to the workstations to become congested, while AGV resources and inventory resources farther away from the workstations are largely idle, resulting in insufficient resource utilization. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a task allocation method, apparatus, electronic device, and storage medium that can achieve dynamic load balancing of tasks and improve the resource utilization rate of the warehousing system.

[0006] The embodiments of this application provide the following technical solutions: On one hand, embodiments of this application provide a task allocation method, the method including: Obtain the first task; Select at least two candidate inventories that satisfy the first task, and determine the first working area corresponding to each candidate inventory; Determine the distance cost for each first working area, and determine the heat cost for each first working area; Calculate the total cost of each first working area based on the distance cost and heat cost of each first working area; Based on the total cost of each first work area, the task area is determined, where the task area is the first work area with the lowest total cost. Assign the first task to the candidate inventory corresponding to the task area.

[0007] In some embodiments, determining the heat cost for each first working area includes: Obtain a heatmap, which is used to store the heat cost of each first working area; Query the heatmap to obtain the heat cost for each first work area.

[0008] In some embodiments, the method further includes, before obtaining the heatmap: Create a heatmap; Constructing a heatmap includes: Obtain the coordinate range of multiple predefined work areas in the warehouse system; Calculate the heat cost for each work area, where the heat cost for each work area = the total number of tasks in each work area / the total number of active tasks globally; A heatmap is constructed based on the coordinate range and heat cost of each work area.

[0009] In some embodiments, obtaining the coordinate range of multiple predefined work areas of the warehousing system includes: Obtain the location coordinates of the warehouse where the warehousing system is located; Based on the location coordinate range, the warehouse is divided into N work areas, and the coordinate range of each work area is determined, where N is a positive integer and N≥2.

[0010] In some embodiments, the method further includes: The heat map is updated in real time; Real-time updates to the heat map, including: Real-time collection of all active tasks in the warehousing system to determine the total number of global active tasks. Active tasks include tasks currently being executed and tasks about to be dispatched. Real-time collection of the total number of tasks in each work area; Calculate the real-time heat cost for each work area based on the total number of tasks in each work area and the total number of active tasks globally. The heat map is updated in real time based on the real-time heat cost of each work area.

[0011] In some embodiments, after assigning the first task to the candidate inventory corresponding to the task region, the method further includes: The first task is designated as the active task.

[0012] In some embodiments, the total cost of each first working area is calculated based on the distance cost and heat cost of each first working area, including: Obtain the first weight corresponding to distance cost, and the second weight corresponding to popularity cost; Calculate the total cost of the first working area based on distance cost, first weight, heat cost, and second weight; The total cost of the first working area is calculated as follows: First weight * Distance cost + Second weight * Popularity cost.

[0013] In some embodiments, at least two candidate inventories that satisfy the first task are selected, and a first working area corresponding to each candidate inventory is determined, including: Based on the inventory units required for the first task, select at least two candidate inventory units that meet the inventory unit requirements; Based on the coordinate information of each candidate inventory, a first working area is determined for each candidate inventory, wherein the coordinate information of the candidate inventory is within the coordinate range of the first working area.

[0014] On the other hand, embodiments of this application provide a task allocation device, which includes: The task acquisition module is used to acquire the first task; The work area determination module is used to select at least two candidate inventories that meet the first task and determine the first work area corresponding to each candidate inventory. The cost determination module is used to determine the distance cost of each first working area and the heat cost of each first working area; based on the distance cost and heat cost of each first working area, the total cost of each first working area is calculated. The task area determination module is used to determine the task area based on the total cost of each first work area, wherein the task area is the first work area with the lowest total cost. The allocation module is used to assign the first task to the candidate inventory corresponding to the task area.

[0015] On the other hand, embodiments of this application provide an electronic device, including: At least one processor; At least one memory for storing at least one program; When at least one program is executed by at least one processor, the at least one processor performs the method described above.

[0016] On the other hand, embodiments of this application provide a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium storing a processor-executable program, characterized in that the processor-executable program is used to perform the above-described method when executed by a processor.

[0017] Unlike existing technologies, this application provides a task allocation method, which includes: obtaining a first task; selecting at least two candidate inventories that satisfy the first task, and determining a first working area corresponding to each candidate inventory; determining the distance cost of each first working area, and determining the popularity cost of each first working area; calculating the total cost of each first working area based on the distance cost and popularity cost; determining a task area based on the total cost of each first working area, wherein the task area is the first working area with the lowest total cost; and allocating the first task to the candidate inventory corresponding to the task area.

[0018] By selecting at least two candidate inventories that meet the first task, the distance cost and heat cost of each work area corresponding to each candidate inventory are determined. The total cost is calculated based on the heat cost and distance cost, so that the first task is assigned to the work area with the lowest total cost, thereby achieving dynamic load balancing of tasks and improving the resource utilization rate of the warehousing system. Attached Figure Description

[0019] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. These illustrations do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements having the same reference numerals in the drawings are denoted as similar elements. Unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings are not to be limited by scale.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a warehouse provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a task allocation method provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A detailed flowchart of step S202 in the process; Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A detailed flowchart of step S203 in the process; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a process for constructing a heatmap provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a real-time updated heatmap provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 7 yes Figure 2 A detailed flowchart of step S204 in the process; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the overall process of a task allocation method provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a task allocation device provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0021] Explanation of icon numbers: Detailed Implementation

[0022] To facilitate understanding of this application, a more detailed description is provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that when an element is described as "fixed to" another element, it can be directly on the other element, or one or more intermediate elements may exist between them. When an element is described as "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element, or one or more intermediate elements may exist between them. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this specification are for illustrative purposes only.

[0023] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this specification have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this application. The term "and / or" as used in this specification includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0024] Before providing a detailed description of this application, the nouns and terms used in the embodiments of this application are explained, and the nouns and terms used in the embodiments of this application shall be interpreted as follows: (1) Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) refers to a unique identifier used to identify and manage each unique item or product in inventory. It is the smallest available unit for inventory management in a warehousing system. Each SKU is usually associated with specific product information, such as brand, model, color, size, etc. Stock keeping units make inventory management more efficient and systematic in warehousing and retail management.

[0025] (2) Heat map refers to a chart that divides the physical plane of a warehouse into several work areas and uses different indicators (such as density) to represent the real-time task busyness of each work area. Heat map is used to store the heat cost of each work area in the warehouse.

[0026] (3) Heat cost refers to the extra time or efficiency loss caused by AGV queuing and waiting due to tasks being concentrated in a certain work area. For example, the heat cost can be quantified by the ratio of the total number of tasks in the work area to the total number of active tasks in the warehouse. In the embodiments of this application, heat cost is used to characterize the congestion level of the work area. Therefore, heat cost can also be regarded as congestion cost.

[0027] (4) Active tasks refer to tasks for which orders have not been completed, such as picking tasks that are already on the wall and being executed; or newly generated picking tasks that are about to be dispatched.

[0028] (5) Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) refers to a robot that automatically moves and transports goods (such as bins) in a warehouse according to navigation instructions.

[0029] (6) A bin is a container used to store goods in a warehouse.

[0030] Currently, based on the indiscriminate allocation model, the system only guarantees the balance of order acceptance at workstations, but it is completely unable to perceive or control the balanced distribution of the AGV tasks ultimately converted from these orders in the physical space (aisles) of the warehouse. This leads to blind decision-making. Due to the inability to perceive the cumulative load caused by concurrent tasks, it is very easy to trigger an emergent bottleneck, that is, countless locally optimal solutions eventually accumulate into a globally worst catastrophic result, for example: 1. Causes Hotspot Congestion (Stampede): In a warehouse, the aisles closest to the workstations (e.g., aisles 1-10) are typically considered hotspot aisles. Current strategies indiscriminately prioritize inventory allocation to these hotspot aisles. When the system concurrently processes 100 completely different orders, it's highly likely that each of these 100 orders requires a different StockKeeping Unit (SKU), which is also available in aisles 1-10. This strategy blindly dispatches all 100 AGV tasks to this small area, instantly paralyzing AGV traffic in that area and causing severe queues at aisle entrances.

[0031] 2. This leads to uneven resource utilization: While popular lanes become congested, less popular lanes that store the same SKUs but are physically farther away (e.g., lanes 30-40) are completely idle, resulting in a large amount of AGV resources and inventory resources being left idle.

[0032] Specifically, the core assumption of strategies based on an indiscriminate, non-discriminatory allocation model is that proximity equals time. However, this assumption is flawed in a congested warehouse. A 50-meter pickup route that requires a 10-minute queue has a much longer total time than a 100-meter route that requires no queue. Therefore, existing strategies cannot quantify queuing costs or congestion costs.

[0033] For example: Suppose a warehouse has 40 workstations, divided into a popular area at the near end (Area A, lanes 1-10) and a less popular area at the far end (Area B, lanes 31-40).

[0034] Assume that at time T=0 (when the allocation begins): the system receives 100 new orders and needs to allocate 100 different picking tasks (involving 80 different SKUs).

[0035] Currently, the decision-making process based on the shortest distance is as follows: Processing Task 1 (Order 1, SKU-A): The inventory in Lane 1 of Area A is the closest. Decision: Assign to Area A.

[0036] Processing Task 2 (Order 2, SKU-B): The nearest stock is found in Lane 3 of Area A. Decision: Assign to Area A. ... ... Processing Task 90 (Order 90, SKU-X): The closest inventory was found in Alley 2 of Area A. Decision: Assign to Area A.

[0038] T = 1 minute (disaster occurs): The system made 100 locally optimal decisions in milliseconds, resulting in all 90 AGV tasks being dispatched to area A (lanes 1-10).

[0039] It can be seen that the entrance to the alley in area A was instantly blocked by AGVs, causing traffic paralysis. The AGVs began to wait for and avoid each other, and the actual execution efficiency approached zero.

[0040] Meanwhile, although Zone B (Lane 31-40) also had inventory of these 80 SKUs, it was not selected in the decision-making process because of its distance, resulting in the area being completely idle and resources being wasted.

[0041] Based on this, this application provides a task allocation method, which selects at least two candidate inventories that meet the first task, determines the distance cost and heat cost of each work area corresponding to each candidate inventory, calculates the total cost based on the heat cost and distance cost, and allocates the first task to the work area with the lowest total cost, thereby achieving dynamic load balancing of tasks and improving the resource utilization rate of the warehousing system.

[0042] The technical solution of this application is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings: Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a warehouse provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0043] like Figure 1 As shown, the warehouse includes multiple work areas. Specifically, the warehouse includes a location coordinate range, and based on the location coordinate range, the warehouse is divided into multiple work areas, each of which includes aisles.

[0044] Each work area contains multiple active containers, and each active container corresponds to one active task.

[0045] Example 1 Please see Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a task allocation method provided in an embodiment of this application. The task allocation method is applied to an electronic device; specifically, the execution entity of the task allocation method is one or at least two processors of the electronic device.

[0046] like Figure 2 As shown, the task allocation method includes the following steps S201-S206: Step S201: Obtain the first task.

[0047] Specifically, the first task is an unassigned task, which corresponds to the first container. After the first task is obtained, the first container is constructed. The first container is used to load stock keeping units (SKUs), and the first container corresponds to at least one SKU.

[0048] It's important to note that a Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) is a unique identifier used to identify and manage each unique item or product in inventory. Each SKU is typically associated with specific product information, such as brand, model, color, and size. Stock keeping units make inventory management more efficient and systematic in warehousing and retail operations.

[0049] Step S202: Select at least two candidate inventories that satisfy the first task, and determine the first working area corresponding to each candidate inventory.

[0050] Please refer to the following: Figure 3 , Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A detailed flowchart of step S202 in the process.

[0051] like Figure 3 As shown, step S202 involves selecting at least two candidate inventories that satisfy the first task and determining the first working area corresponding to each candidate inventory, including the following steps S221-S222: Step S221: Select at least two candidate inventories that meet the inventory requirements of the first task.

[0052] Specifically, the first task corresponds to several stock keeping units (SKUs). For example, if the first task is a picking task that requires sorting N SKUs, then the required stock keeping units for the first task are N, where N is a positive integer. In this case, candidate stock that meets the requirement of N stock keeping units is selected from the candidate stock. The candidate stock is the bins of the warehousing system, that is, bins that include at least N stock keeping units are selected as candidate stock.

[0053] Step S222: Based on the coordinate information of each candidate inventory, determine the first working area corresponding to each candidate inventory, wherein the coordinate information of the candidate inventory is within the coordinate range of the first working area.

[0054] Specifically, each candidate inventory corresponds to a material bin, and the coordinate information of each candidate inventory is obtained by acquiring the coordinate information of each material bin.

[0055] Based on the coordinate information of each candidate inventory, determine the first working area corresponding to each candidate inventory, including: Based on the coordinate information of each candidate inventory, if the coordinate information of a candidate inventory is within the coordinate range of a certain first working area, then the candidate inventory is determined to correspond to the first working area.

[0056] Step S203: Determine the distance cost of each first working area, and determine the heat cost of each first working area; Specifically, determining the distance cost for each first working area includes the following steps (1) - (2): Step (1): Obtain the location information of the workstations in the warehousing system.

[0057] Step (2): Determine the distance cost of each first working area based on the distance from each first working area to the workstation. For example, take the workstation as the origin and use the horizontal axis distance from the horizontal axis coordinate of each first working area to the horizontal axis distance of the workstation as the distance cost of the first working area.

[0058] Understandably, the closer the first work area is to the workstation, the lower the cost of performing the task in the first work area, and thus the lower the distance cost.

[0059] It should be noted that the workstations of the warehousing system in this application embodiment may include multiple workstations. Since the location of each workstation is different, the distance cost of the work area corresponding to each workstation is different.

[0060] For details, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 4 , Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A detailed flowchart of step S203 is shown.

[0061] like Figure 4 As shown, step S203: determining the heat cost for each first working area includes the following steps S231-S232: Step S231: Obtain a heatmap, wherein the heatmap is used to store the heat cost of the working area.

[0062] Before obtaining the heatmap, the method also includes: constructing the heatmap.

[0063] Please refer to the following: Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a process for constructing a heatmap provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0064] like Figure 5 As shown, the process of constructing a heatmap includes the following steps S501-S503: Step S501: Obtain the coordinate range of multiple predefined work areas in the warehousing system.

[0065] Specifically, obtaining the coordinate range of multiple predefined work areas in the warehousing system includes the following steps (1)-(2): Step (1): Obtain the location coordinates of the warehouse where the warehousing system is located.

[0066] Specifically, the warehouse where the warehousing system is located corresponds to a location coordinate range, which includes a horizontal coordinate range and a vertical coordinate range. For example, the horizontal coordinate range is (X0-X...). n The vertical coordinate range is (Y0-Y). n ).

[0067] Step (2): Divide the warehouse into N work areas according to the location coordinate range, and determine the coordinate range of each work area. N is a positive integer and N≥2.

[0068] For example: with Figure 1 For example, each working area corresponds to a horizontal coordinate range and a vertical coordinate range. By obtaining the horizontal coordinate range and vertical coordinate range of each working area, the coordinate range of the working area is determined. The coordinate range of the working area includes the horizontal coordinate range and the vertical coordinate range.

[0069] Assume the x-coordinate range of the warehouse is (X0-X). n Divide the warehouse into N areas using the x-coordinate range. Following the x-coordinate order from left to right, the first work area corresponds to the x-coordinate range (X0-X1), the second work area to (X1-X2), the third work area to (X2-X3), and so on, until the Nth work area corresponds to the x-coordinate range (X0-X1). n-1 -X n For example: N=10, the x-coordinate range of the warehouse is (X0-X). n The x-axis range is (0, 100000), in millimeters (mm). The x-axis range is divided into 10 equal regions to obtain 10 working regions, which are: Region 0: [0, 10000); Region 1: [10000, 20000); ...... Region 9: [90000, 100000).

[0070] Step S502: Calculate the heat cost for each work area, where the heat cost for each work area = the total number of tasks in each work area / the total number of active tasks globally.

[0071] Specifically, obtain the total number of global active tasks, that is, obtain the number of all active tasks in the warehouse system. Active tasks include picking tasks that are already on the wall and are being executed; or newly generated picking tasks that are about to be dispatched.

[0072] Furthermore, obtain the total number of tasks in each work area, that is, obtain the total number of active tasks in each work area. Based on the ratio of the total number of active tasks in each work area to the total number of active tasks in the warehouse system, calculate the heat cost of each work area, where the heat cost of each work area = the total number of tasks in each work area / the total number of active tasks globally.

[0073] In this embodiment of the application, the number of tasks is equivalent to the number of containers. By obtaining the number of containers in each work area, the total number of tasks in each work area can be obtained. Similarly, by obtaining the number of containers in the warehousing system, the total number of active tasks globally can be obtained.

[0074] Step S503: Construct a heatmap based on the coordinate range and heat cost of each work area.

[0075] Specifically, after calculating the heat cost of each work area, a mapping relationship between the coordinate range and heat cost of each work area is constructed based on the coordinate range and heat cost of each work area to generate a heat map. The heat map includes the mapping relationship between the coordinate range and heat cost of each work area.

[0076] Step S232: Query the heatmap to obtain the heat cost for each first working area.

[0077] In this embodiment of the application, the heat map is queried by the coordinate range of each first working area, and the heat cost of each first working area is obtained according to the mapping relationship between the coordinate range of each first working area and the heat cost in the heat map.

[0078] Furthermore, each work area corresponds to a unique number. The heatmap includes the mapping relationship between the number, coordinate range, and heat cost of each work area. By obtaining the number of each first work area, the heatmap can be queried to obtain the heat cost of each first work area.

[0079] In some embodiments, the method further includes: The heat map is updated in real time.

[0080] For details, please refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a real-time updated heatmap provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0081] like Figure 6 As shown, the process of updating the heat map in real time includes the following steps S601-S604: Step S601: Collect all active tasks of the warehousing system in real time and determine the total number of global active tasks.

[0082] Specifically, all active tasks in the warehousing system are collected periodically, for example, every minute. Active tasks include tasks that are currently being executed and tasks that are about to be dispatched.

[0083] Understandably, if a task is completed, it will be classified as an inactive task.

[0084] Step S602: Collect the total number of tasks in each work area in real time.

[0085] Specifically, the total number of active tasks in each work area is collected periodically.

[0086] Step S603: Calculate the real-time heat cost for each work area based on the total number of tasks in each work area and the total number of active tasks globally.

[0087] Specifically, the real-time heat cost of a work area = the total number of tasks in the work area / the total number of active tasks globally.

[0088] Step S604: Update the heat map in real time based on the real-time heat cost of each work area.

[0089] Specifically, after periodically collecting all active tasks in the warehousing system to determine the total number of global active tasks, and periodically collecting the total number of active tasks in each work area, the real-time heat cost of each work area is calculated to update the heat map.

[0090] It should be noted that after the first task is obtained, it is considered an inactive task because it has not yet been assigned. However, after the first task is assigned to the candidate inventory corresponding to the task area, it becomes an active task and is thus identified as an active task.

[0091] In this embodiment, the heat map is dynamically updated based on real-time tasks. When the congestion in a certain work area is relieved, its heat cost will automatically decrease, and the system will automatically start to redistribute tasks to that work area, realizing fully automatic and adaptive load balancing without manual intervention, which is conducive to improving the resource utilization rate of the warehousing system.

[0092] Step S204: Calculate the total cost of each first working area based on the distance cost and heat cost of each first working area.

[0093] For details, please refer to Figure 7 , Figure 7 yes Figure 2 A detailed flowchart of step S204 is shown.

[0094] like Figure 7 As shown, step S204: Calculate the total cost of each first working area based on the distance cost and heat cost of each first working area, including the following steps S241-S242: Step S241: Obtain the first weight corresponding to the distance cost and the second weight corresponding to the popularity cost.

[0095] Specifically, distance cost corresponds to the first weight, and popularity cost corresponds to the second weight. The first and second weights are preset weight coefficients.

[0096] Step S242: Calculate the total cost of the first working area based on the distance cost, the first weight, the heat cost, and the second weight.

[0097] It is understandable that the total cost of the first working area is positively correlated with the distance cost and inversely correlated with the heat cost. That is, the higher the distance cost, the higher the total cost; the higher the heat cost, the lower the total cost.

[0098] Specifically, the total cost of the first working area = first weight * distance cost + second weight * popularity cost.

[0099] In the embodiments of this application, the first weight and the second weight can be set according to specific needs, for example, the first weight is 1 and the second weight is 0.3, which is not limited here.

[0100] In this embodiment, a heatmap is constructed, and distance cost and heat cost are weighted and calculated. The heat cost reflects the congestion situation, so when allocating new tasks, it can automatically avoid currently overheated areas and intelligently guide tasks to the area with the lowest total cost. This solves the blindness of adopting the shortest distance strategy. Furthermore, the real-time heatmap provides the decision-making system with a global view, so that when selecting candidate inventory, it no longer only considers distance cost, but comprehensively considers distance cost and heat cost, thereby making a globally optimal decision. This achieves dynamic load balancing of all warehouse AGV tasks and maximizes the overall order processing throughput of the system.

[0101] Step S205: Determine the task area based on the total cost of each first work area, wherein the task area is the first work area with the lowest total cost.

[0102] Specifically, after calculating the total cost of at least two first work areas, the first work area with the lowest total cost is determined and identified as the task area.

[0103] For example: A first task requires 10 SKU001 orders, and there are two containers to hold SKU001. The inventory quantity of each container is greater than 10. In this case, the system selects two candidate inventories that meet the first task requirements, namely Inventory 1 and Inventory 2. Inventory 1 is a nearby hot spot, and Inventory 2 is a distant cold spot. The information of Inventory 1 and Inventory 2 is as follows: Inventory 1: Located at X=15000 (Region 1). Distance cost: 1, and the heat map shows that the heat of this region is 0.3.

[0104] Inventory 2: Located at X=85000 (Region 8). Distance cost: 1.1. The heat map shows the region's heat level to be 0.05.

[0105] Assuming the first weight is 1 and the second weight is 0.3, the total costs of inventory 1 and inventory 2 are calculated as follows: The total cost of inventory 1 = 1 * 1 + 0.3 * 0.5 = 1.15; The total cost of inventory 2 = 1.1 * 1 + 0.05 * 0.5 = 1.125.

[0106] As can be seen, although inventory 1 has a lower distance cost, its total cost is higher because it is located in a high-demand area. Therefore, inventory 2 is selected, and the system automatically selects the area corresponding to inventory 2 as the task area and assigns the task to that area to achieve load balancing.

[0107] In this embodiment, by actively guiding tasks from hot spots to cold spots, queuing and congestion of AGVs at alley entrances are effectively avoided, reducing the average waiting time of tasks. Furthermore, the AGV resources of the entire system are utilized more fully in parallel, greatly improving the overall order processing throughput and overall efficiency of the warehouse.

[0108] In this embodiment of the application, by determining the first working area with the lowest total cost as the task area, the total cost of executing the first task in the task area is minimized, thereby achieving task load balancing and improving the resource utilization rate of the warehousing system.

[0109] Step S206: Assign the first task to the candidate inventory corresponding to the task area.

[0110] Specifically, after determining the task area, the first task is assigned to the candidate inventory corresponding to the task area, so that the warehousing system can perform the first task in the candidate inventory, for example, picking the goods in the bin corresponding to the candidate inventory.

[0111] Please refer to the following: Figure 8 , Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the overall process of a task allocation method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0112] like Figure 8 As shown, the overall flow of this task allocation method includes the following steps S801-S808: Step S801: Collect the total number of tasks in each work area in real time to determine the total number of active tasks globally.

[0113] Specifically, the processor of the electronic device periodically collects the total number of tasks in each work area and calculates the sum of the total number of tasks in all work areas to obtain the total number of globally active tasks.

[0114] Step S802: Calculate the real-time heat cost for each work area.

[0115] Specifically, the heat cost for each work area = the total number of tasks in each work area / the total number of active tasks globally.

[0116] Step S803: Update and cache the heat map in real time.

[0117] Specifically, based on the calculated real-time heat cost of each working area, the heat map is updated in real time and cached in the memory of the electronic device. Each working area corresponds to a unique number, and the heat map includes a mapping relationship between the number, coordinate range, and heat cost of each working area.

[0118] Step S804: Obtain the first task to be assigned.

[0119] Step S805: Select at least two candidate inventories that satisfy the first task.

[0120] Step S806: Based on the heat map, calculate the total cost corresponding to each candidate inventory.

[0121] Specifically, the total cost of each first working area is calculated based on the distance cost and popularity cost of the first working area corresponding to the candidate inventory.

[0122] Step S807: Determine the candidate inventory with the lowest total cost.

[0123] Step S808: Assign the first task.

[0124] Specifically, the first work area with the lowest total cost is identified as the task area, and the first task is assigned to the candidate inventory corresponding to the task area.

[0125] After the first task is assigned, it is identified as an active task. At this point, the total number of tasks in the first work area corresponding to the first task is updated. Then, the real-time heat cost of the first work area corresponding to the first task is updated, and the heat map is updated and cached.

[0126] In this embodiment of the application, by selecting at least two candidate inventories that meet the first task, the distance cost and heat cost of each work area corresponding to each candidate inventory are determined, and the total cost is calculated based on the heat cost and distance cost, so that the first task is allocated to the work area with the lowest total cost, thereby achieving dynamic load balancing of tasks and improving the resource utilization rate of the warehousing system.

[0127] Example 2 Please see Figure 9 , Figure 9This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a task allocation device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0128] like Figure 9 As shown, the task allocation device 90 includes: Task acquisition module 901 is used to acquire the first task; The work area determination module 902 is used to select at least two candidate inventories that satisfy the first task and determine the first work area corresponding to each candidate inventory. The cost determination module 903 is used to determine the distance cost of each first working area and the heat cost of each first working area; and to calculate the total cost of each first working area based on the distance cost and heat cost of each first working area. The task area determination module 904 is used to determine the task area based on the total cost of each first work area, wherein the task area is the first work area with the lowest total cost. The allocation module 905 is used to allocate the first task to the candidate inventory corresponding to the task area.

[0129] In this embodiment, the task allocation device 90 can also be constructed from hardware devices. For example, the task allocation device 90 can be constructed from one or more chips, and the chips can work together to complete the task allocation method described in the above embodiments. Furthermore, the task allocation device 90 can also be constructed from various logic devices, such as general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), microcontrollers, ARM (Acorn RISC Machine) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination of these components.

[0130] The task allocation device 90 in this embodiment can be a device, or a component, integrated circuit, or chip in a terminal. The device can be a mobile electronic device or a non-mobile electronic device. For example, mobile electronic devices can be mobile phones, tablets, laptops, PDAs, in-vehicle electronic devices, wearable devices, ultra-mobile personal computers (UMPCs), netbooks, or personal digital assistants (PDAs), etc., while non-mobile electronic devices can be servers, network attached storage (NAS), personal computers (PCs), televisions (TVs), ATMs, or self-service machines, etc. This embodiment does not impose specific limitations.

[0131] The task allocation device 90 in this embodiment can be a device with an operating system. This operating system can be Android, iOS, or other possible operating systems; this embodiment does not specifically limit its use.

[0132] The task allocation device 90 provided in this application embodiment can achieve Figure 2 To avoid repetition, the various processes involved will not be described in detail here.

[0133] It should be noted that the task allocation device 90 described above can execute the task allocation method provided in the embodiments of this application, and has the corresponding functional modules and beneficial effects of the method. Technical details not described in detail in the task allocation device embodiments can be found in the task allocation method provided in the above embodiments.

[0134] In this embodiment, a task allocation device is provided, comprising: a task acquisition module for acquiring a first task; a work area determination module for selecting at least two candidate inventories that satisfy the first task and determining a first work area corresponding to each candidate inventory; a cost determination module for determining the distance cost of each first work area and the popularity cost of each first work area; calculating the total cost of each first work area based on the distance cost and popularity cost; a task area determination module for determining a task area based on the total cost of each first work area, wherein the task area is the first work area with the lowest total cost; and an allocation module for allocating the first task to the candidate inventory corresponding to the task area.

[0135] By selecting at least two candidate inventories that meet the first task, the distance cost and heat cost of each work area corresponding to each candidate inventory are determined. The total cost is calculated based on the heat cost and distance cost, so that the first task is assigned to the work area with the lowest total cost, thereby achieving dynamic load balancing of tasks and improving the resource utilization rate of the warehousing system.

[0136] Example 3 Please see Figure 10 , Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0137] like Figure 10 As shown, the electronic device 100 includes one or more processors 101 and a memory 102. Wherein, Figure 10 Take a processor 101 as an example.

[0138] Processor 101 and memory 102 can be connected via a bus or other means. Figure 10 Taking a bus connection as an example, processor 101 provides computing and control capabilities to perform the above-mentioned tasks. Figure 2 The task allocation method includes: obtaining a first task; selecting at least two candidate inventories that satisfy the first task, and determining a first working area corresponding to each candidate inventory; determining the distance cost of each first working area, and determining the popularity cost of each first working area; calculating the total cost of each first working area based on the distance cost and popularity cost; determining a task area based on the total cost of each first working area, wherein the task area is the first working area with the lowest total cost; and allocating the first task to the candidate inventory corresponding to the task area.

[0139] By selecting at least two candidate inventories that meet the first task, the distance cost and heat cost of each work area corresponding to each candidate inventory are determined. The total cost is calculated based on the heat cost and distance cost, so that the first task is assigned to the work area with the lowest total cost, thereby achieving dynamic load balancing of tasks and improving the resource utilization rate of the warehousing system.

[0140] Processor 101 can be a general-purpose processor, including a central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), a hardware chip, or any combination thereof; it can also be a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a combination thereof. The aforementioned PLD can be a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a generic array logic (GAL), or any combination thereof.

[0141] Memory 102, as a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, can be used to store non-transitory software programs, non-transitory computer-executable programs, and modules, such as the program instructions / modules corresponding to the task allocation method in the embodiments of this application. Processor 101 can implement the task allocation method in any of the above method embodiments by running the non-transitory software programs, instructions, and modules stored in memory 102. Specifically, memory 102 may include volatile memory (VM), such as random access memory (RAM); memory 102 may also include non-volatile memory (NVM), such as read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, hard disk drive (HDD), solid-state drive (SSD), or other non-transitory solid-state storage devices; memory 102 may also include combinations of the above types of memory.

[0142] Memory 102 may include high-speed random access memory, and may also include non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, flash memory device, or other non-volatile solid-state storage device. In some embodiments, memory 102 may optionally include memory remotely located relative to processor 101, and these remote memories may be connected to processor 101 via a network. Examples of such networks include, but are not limited to, the Internet, intranets, local area networks, mobile communication networks, and combinations thereof.

[0143] One or more modules are stored in memory 102. When executed by one or more processors 101, they perform the task allocation method in any of the above method embodiments, for example, the method described above. Figure 2 The steps shown.

[0144] In the embodiments of this application, the electronic device 100 includes, but is not limited to, a terminal, such as a fixed terminal, like a desktop computer; or, the electronic device 100 includes a mobile terminal, such as a mobile phone, tablet computer, laptop computer, handheld computer, in-vehicle electronic device, wearable device, ultra-mobile personal computer (UMPC), netbook, or personal digital assistant (PDA) terminal.

[0145] In this embodiment, the electronic device 100 may also have wired or wireless network interfaces, keyboards, and input / output interfaces for input and output. The electronic device 100 may also include other components for implementing device functions, which will not be described in detail here.

[0146] This application also provides a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium, such as a memory including program code, which can be executed by a processor to complete the task allocation method described in the above embodiments. For example, the non-volatile computer-readable storage medium may be a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a compact disc read-only memory (CDROM), magnetic tape, floppy disk, and optical data storage device, etc.

[0147] This application also provides a computer program product comprising one or more lines of program code stored in a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium. A processor of an electronic device reads the program code from the non-volatile computer-readable storage medium and executes the program code to complete the method steps of the task allocation method provided in the above embodiments.

[0148] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that each embodiment can be implemented by means of software plus a general-purpose hardware platform, and of course, it can also be implemented by hardware. Those skilled in the art can understand that all or part of the processes in the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. The program can be stored in a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, it can include the processes of the embodiments of the above methods.

[0149] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and not to limit them; under the concept of this application, the technical features of the above embodiments or different embodiments can also be combined, the steps can be implemented in any order, and there are many other variations as described above in different aspects of this application, which are not provided in detail for the sake of brevity; although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A method of task allocation, characterized by, The method includes: Obtain the first task; Select at least two candidate inventories that satisfy the first task, and determine the first working area corresponding to each candidate inventory; Determine the distance cost for each of the first working areas, and determine the heat cost for each of the first working areas; Calculate the total cost of each of the first working areas based on the distance cost and the heat cost of each of the first working areas; Based on the total cost of each of the first work areas, a task area is determined, wherein the task area is the first work area with the lowest total cost; The first task is assigned to the candidate inventory corresponding to the task area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, Determining the heat cost for each of the first working areas includes: Obtain a heatmap, wherein the heatmap is used to store the heat cost of the work area; Query the heatmap to obtain the heat cost for each of the first working areas.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, Prior to obtaining the heatmap, the method further includes: Create a heatmap; The construction of the heatmap includes: Obtain the coordinate range of multiple predefined work areas in the warehouse system; Calculate the heat cost for each of the work areas, where the heat cost for each work area = the total number of tasks in each work area / the total number of active tasks globally; The heatmap is constructed based on the coordinate range and heat cost of each work area.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The acquisition of the coordinate range of multiple predefined working areas of the warehousing system includes: Obtain the location coordinate range of the warehouse where the warehousing system is located; Based on the location coordinate range, the warehouse is divided into N work areas, and the coordinate range of each work area is determined, where N is a positive integer and N≥2.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein, The method further includes: The heat map is updated in real time; The real-time updating of the heat map includes: All active tasks of the warehousing system are collected in real time to determine the total number of global active tasks, wherein the active tasks include tasks that are being executed and tasks that are about to be dispatched; Real-time collection of the total number of tasks in each of the aforementioned work areas; Calculate the real-time heat cost for each work area based on the total number of tasks in each work area and the total number of active tasks globally; The heatmap is updated in real time based on the real-time heat cost of each of the work areas.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, After assigning the first task to the candidate inventory corresponding to the task region, the method further includes: The first task is identified as the active task.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein, The step of calculating the total cost of each of the first working areas based on the distance cost and the heat cost of each first working area includes: Obtain the first weight corresponding to the distance cost, and the second weight corresponding to the popularity cost; The total cost of the first working area is calculated based on the distance cost, the first weight, the heat cost, and the second weight. Wherein, the total cost of the first working area = the first weight * the distance cost + the second weight * the heat cost.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, The step of selecting at least two candidate inventories that satisfy the first task and determining the first working area corresponding to each candidate inventory includes: Based on the inventory units required for the first task, select at least two candidate inventories that meet the inventory units; Based on the coordinate information of each candidate inventory, the first working area corresponding to each candidate inventory is determined, wherein the coordinate information of the candidate inventory is within the coordinate range of the first working area.

9. A task allocation apparatus characterized by comprising: The task allocation device includes: The task acquisition module is used to acquire the first task; The work area determination module is used to select at least two candidate inventories that satisfy the first task and determine the first work area corresponding to each candidate inventory. A cost determination module is used to determine the distance cost of each of the first working areas and the heat cost of each of the first working areas; and to calculate the total cost of each of the first working areas based on the distance cost and the heat cost of each of the first working areas. The task area determination module is used to determine the task area based on the total cost of each of the first work areas, wherein the task area is the first work area with the lowest total cost. The allocation module is used to allocate the first task to the candidate inventory corresponding to the task area.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: At least one processor; At least one memory for storing at least one program; When at least one of the programs is executed by at least one of the processors, such that at least one of the processors implements claim 1 8. Any one of the methods described.

11. A non-volatile computer-readable storage medium storing a processor-executable program, characterized in that, The processor-executable program, when executed by the processor, is used to perform as claimed in claim 1.

8. Any one of the methods described.

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