Container Position Determination Method and Device

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a method and apparatus for determining a container position, wherein the method comprises: obtaining a first position of a first container; determining a target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, and the third position of each container to be operated; and controlling a handling device carrying the first container to move to a second position corresponding to the target empty container position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of logistics and warehousing technology, and in particular to a method and device for determining a container position. Background Art

[0002] The robotic picking system (hereafter referred to as the system) is an intelligent picking system that includes robots, mobile container units, and workstations. It can handle warehouse warehousing, outbound delivery, order picking, and inventory management. Generally, after a workstation has performed operations such as picking and shelving a container, the system can control the robot to return it—that is, it can randomly move the container to any available location in the warehouse and then control the robot to pick up the next container.

[0003] However, the above method is highly random, that is, there is no correlation between the task of returning a container and the task of transporting the next container. As the warehouse area expands, the average transport distance required for the robot to complete each order task will gradually become longer, resulting in lower work efficiency of the robot. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present disclosure at least provide a method and device for determining the position of a container.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for determining a container position, comprising:

[0006] Get a first position of a first container;

[0007] determining a target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, and the third position of each container to be operated;

[0008] Controlling the transport equipment carrying the first container to move to a second position corresponding to the target empty container position.

[0009] In an optional embodiment, determining a target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, and the third position of each container to be operated includes:

[0010] A target empty container position is selected from the at least one candidate empty container position based on a first path length between each of the first positions and the second positions, and a second path length between each of the second positions and the third position.

[0011] In an optional embodiment, determining a target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, and the third position of each container to be operated includes:

[0012] A target empty container location is selected from the at least one candidate empty container location based on a first time taken for the transport device to move from the first location to the second location, and a second time taken for the transport device to move from each of the second locations to the third location.

[0013] In an optional implementation, at least one candidate empty container position is obtained according to the following steps:

[0014] Determining heat information corresponding to the first container;

[0015] An empty space in the storage area that matches the heat information and where no container is placed is determined as the candidate empty container space.

[0016] In an optional embodiment, after determining the heat information corresponding to the first container, the method further includes:

[0017] If there is no empty space without a container in the storage area matching the heat information, an empty space in an adjacent area corresponding to the storage area matching the heat information is determined as the candidate empty container space.

[0018] In an optional implementation, determining the heat information corresponding to the first container includes:

[0019] The heat information corresponding to the first container is determined according to at least one of the type of goods, the quantity of goods, and the historical frequency of goods entering and leaving the warehouse corresponding to the first container.

[0020] In an optional embodiment, determining a target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, and the third position of each container to be operated includes:

[0021] Based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, the third position of each container to be operated, and the fourth position of each workstation, a target empty container position is determined from at least one candidate empty container position; wherein the fourth position is the same position as the first position, or is a different position.

[0022] In an optional embodiment, determining a target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, the third position of each container to be operated, and the fourth position of each workstation includes:

[0023] Based on the first path lengths between the first position and the second position, the second path lengths between each second position and the third position, and the third path lengths between each third position and the fourth position, the total length of each total transport path from the first position to the fourth position is determined, and a target total transport path with the shortest total length is selected; the candidate empty container position included in the target total transport path is determined as the target empty container position; or

[0024] Based on the first time taken by the transport equipment to move from the first position to the second position, the second time taken by the transport equipment to move from each of the second positions to the third position, and the third time taken by the transport equipment to move from each of the third positions to the fourth position, the total time of each total transport path from the first position to the fourth position is determined, and a target total transport path with the shortest total time is selected; and the candidate empty container position included in the target total transport path is determined as the target empty container position.

[0025] In an optional embodiment, after controlling the transport device carrying the first container to move to the second position corresponding to the target empty container position, the method further includes:

[0026] The transport device is controlled to move to a third position of the container to be operated in the target total transport path, and the container to be operated is transported to a fourth position in the target total transport path.

[0027] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a container position determination device, comprising:

[0028] The acquisition module is configured to acquire a first position of the first container;

[0029] The selection module is configured to determine a target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, and the third position of each container to be operated;

[0030] The first control module is configured to control the transport device carrying the first container to move to a second position corresponding to the target empty container position.

[0031] In an optional embodiment, the selection module, when determining a target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, and the third position of each container to be operated, is configured to:

[0032] A target empty container position is selected from the at least one candidate empty container position based on a first path length between each of the first positions and the second positions, and a second path length between each of the second positions and the third position.

[0033] In an optional embodiment, the selection module, when determining a target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, and the third position of each container to be operated, is configured to:

[0034] A target empty container location is selected from the at least one candidate empty container location based on a first time taken for the transport device to move from the first location to the second location, and a second time taken for the transport device to move from each of the second locations to the third location.

[0035] In an optional implementation, the acquisition module, when acquiring at least one candidate empty container position, is configured to:

[0036] Determining heat information corresponding to the first container;

[0037] An empty space in the storage area that matches the heat information and where no container is placed is determined as the candidate empty container space.

[0038] In an optional embodiment, after determining the heat information corresponding to the first container, the acquisition module is further configured to:

[0039] If there is no empty space without a container in the storage area matching the heat information, an empty space in an adjacent area corresponding to the storage area matching the heat information is determined as the candidate empty container space.

[0040] In an optional embodiment, the acquisition module, when determining the heat information corresponding to the first container, is configured to:

[0041] The heat information corresponding to the first container is determined according to at least one of the type of goods, the quantity of goods, and the historical frequency of goods entering and leaving the warehouse corresponding to the first container.

[0042] In an optional embodiment, the selection module, when determining a target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, and the third position of each container to be operated, is configured to:

[0043] Based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, the third position of each container to be operated, and the fourth position of each workstation, a target empty container position is determined from at least one candidate empty container position; wherein the fourth position is the same position as the first position, or is a different position.

[0044] In an optional embodiment, the selection module, when determining a target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, the third position of each container to be operated, and the fourth position of each workstation, is configured to:

[0045] Based on the first path lengths between the first position and the second position, the second path lengths between each second position and the third position, and the third path lengths between each third position and the fourth position, the total length of each total transport path from the first position to the fourth position is determined, and a target total transport path with the shortest total length is selected; the candidate empty container position included in the target total transport path is determined as the target empty container position; or

[0046] Based on the first time taken by the transport equipment to move from the first position to the second position, the second time taken by the transport equipment to move from each of the second positions to the third position, and the third time taken by the transport equipment to move from each of the third positions to the fourth position, the total time of each total transport path from the first position to the fourth position is determined, and a target total transport path with the shortest total time is selected; and the candidate empty container position included in the target total transport path is determined as the target empty container position.

[0047] In an optional embodiment, after controlling the transport device carrying the first container to move to the second position corresponding to the target empty container position, the method further includes:

[0048] The second control module is configured to control the transport device to move to a third position of the container to be operated in the target total transport path, and transport the container to be operated to a fourth position in the target total transport path.

[0049] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an electronic device comprising: a processor, a memory and a bus, wherein the memory stores machine-readable instructions executable by the processor, and when the electronic device is running, the processor and the memory communicate via the bus, and when the machine-readable instructions are executed by the processor, the steps of the above-mentioned first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect are performed.

[0050] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a computer-readable storage medium, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the above-mentioned first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect are executed.

[0051] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method and apparatus for determining a container position, which determines a target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, and the third position of each container to be operated, and controls a handling device carrying the first container to move to the second position corresponding to the target empty container position to complete a handling task; because the embodiments of the present disclosure comprehensively consider the first position of the first container, the second position of the candidate empty container position, and the third position of the container to be operated when determining the second position corresponding to the first container in this handling task, for example, the position with the smallest total distance between the first position and the second position, and between the second position and the third position, can be selected from multiple second positions as the second position corresponding to the first container, which can reduce the handling distance or handling time of the handling device in performing the handling task as a whole, thereby improving the working efficiency of the handling equipment.

[0052] In order to make the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of the present disclosure more obvious and easy to understand, preferred embodiments are given below and described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0053] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments. The drawings herein are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification. These drawings illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure and, together with the specification, are used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present disclosure. It should be understood that the following drawings only illustrate certain embodiments of the present disclosure and should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other relevant drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without inventive effort.

[0054] Figure 1 A flow chart of a method for determining a container position provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0055] Figure 2A schematic diagram of a container storage area provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0056] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a container position determination device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0057] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of an electronic device 400 provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0058] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, not all of the embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present disclosure generally described and shown in the drawings herein can be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present disclosure provided in the drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure for which protection is sought, but merely represents selected embodiments of the present disclosure. Based on the embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0059] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters denote similar items in the following drawings, and therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined or explained in subsequent drawings.

[0060] The robotic picking system (hereinafter referred to as the system) is an intelligent picking system that includes robots, movable container units, and workstations. It can meet warehouse needs such as warehousing, outbound delivery, order picking, and inventory. For example, after receiving an order, the system can determine the containers corresponding to the goods included in the order, control the robots to transport the corresponding containers to the workstations in sequence according to the order requirements, complete the container picking operation at the workstation, control the handling equipment to randomly transport the picked containers to an empty space in the warehouse, and then control the handling equipment to continue to transport the container corresponding to the next goods.

[0061] It can be seen that in the above method, there is no correlation between the task of returning the container and the task of transporting the next container, and the randomness is relatively high. However, as the warehouse area expands, the average transport distance required for the transport equipment to complete each order task will gradually become longer, making the working efficiency of the transport equipment lower.

[0062] To address the aforementioned issues, the present disclosure provides a container location determination method and apparatus. Taking container picking as an example, the container location determination method provided by the present disclosure is described. In specific implementation, the system can, based on a received order, determine at least one item to be picked, the container to be picked that stores the item, and the workstation to execute the order. The system then generates at least one handling task based on the location of each container to be picked and controls the handling equipment to execute the task.

[0063] Specifically, a handling device can be controlled to move to the location of a container to be picked, and the container to be picked can be transported to a corresponding workstation to complete a handling task. A picking operation can be performed on the container to be picked at the workstation. After detecting that the picking operation (target operation) has been performed on the container to be picked (i.e., the first container), the first position of the first container, the second position of at least one candidate empty container position, and the third position of each container to be operated are obtained. Based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, and the third position of each container to be operated, a target empty container position is determined from the at least one candidate empty container position. The handling device carrying the first container can then be controlled to move to the second position corresponding to the target empty container position. Furthermore, while determining the target empty container position, the position of the container to be operated corresponding to the next handling task can also be determined from the third position of the at least one container to be operated. After the handling device places the first container at the target empty container position, the handling device can be controlled to move to the location of the next container to be operated, and the next handling task can be performed, i.e., the next container to be operated can be transported to the corresponding workstation.

[0064] It can be seen that the determination of the target empty container position is related to the next container to be operated. By combining the first position, the second position of at least one candidate empty container position, and the third position of at least one container to be operated, the target empty container position is comprehensively determined. When the transport equipment transports the first container to the target empty container position and performs the next transport task, the average transport distance or transport time required for the transport equipment to perform each transport task can be reduced, thereby improving the working efficiency of the transport equipment.

[0065] To facilitate understanding of this embodiment, a container location determination method disclosed in an embodiment of the present disclosure is first described in detail. The execution subject of the container location determination method provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure is generally a computer device with certain computing capabilities. The computer device includes, for example, a terminal device or a server or other processing device. The terminal device can be a user equipment (UE), a mobile device, a user terminal, a terminal, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a handheld device, a computing device, an in-vehicle device, a wearable device, etc. In some possible implementations, the container location determination method can be implemented by a processor calling computer-readable instructions stored in a memory.

[0066] The container location determination method provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure is described below by taking a server as an example.

[0067] See also Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a method for determining a container position according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the method includes steps S101 to S103, wherein:

[0068] S101, obtaining a first position of a first container.

[0069] S102: Determine a target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, and the third position of each container to be operated.

[0070] S103: Control the transport device carrying the first container to move to a second position corresponding to the target empty container position.

[0071] In the above method, a target empty container position is determined from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, and the third position of each container to be operated, and the handling equipment carrying the first container is controlled to move to the second position corresponding to the target empty container position to complete a handling task; since the embodiment of the present disclosure comprehensively considers the first position of the first container, the second position of the candidate empty container position, and the third position of the container to be operated, for example, the position with the smallest total distance between the first position and the second position, and between the second position and the third position, can be selected from multiple second positions as the second position corresponding to the first container, which can reduce the handling distance or handling time of the handling equipment in performing the handling task as a whole, thereby improving the working efficiency of the handling equipment.

[0072] For S101:

[0073] Here, the container can be any container for storing goods, such as a shelf or bin. The first container can be any container to be placed in an empty container location. For example, a target operation can be performed on the first container. After detecting that the target operation has been performed on the first container, the first position of the first container is obtained. The target operation can be an operation such as picking, shelving, or inventory. That is, after detecting that the first container has performed a picking, shelving, or inventory operation at the workstation, the first position of the first container is obtained. Simultaneously, the second position of each candidate empty container location and the third position of each container to be operated can also be obtained.

[0074] The first position of the first container may also be the real-time position of the first container, for example, the first position of the first container may be the position of the workstation where the first container is located. The third position of the at least one container to be operated may be the position of the container to be operated corresponding to each handling task included in the system.

[0075] At least one candidate empty container position may be obtained according to the following steps:

[0076] A1: Determine the heat information corresponding to the first container.

[0077] A2 determines the empty spaces in the storage area that match the heat information and where no container is placed as candidate empty container spaces.

[0078] In step A1, determining the heat information corresponding to the first container may include: determining the heat information corresponding to the first container according to at least one of the type of goods corresponding to the first container, the quantity of goods, and the historical frequency of goods entering and leaving the warehouse.

[0079] Here, the heat information can be a set heat level, such as heat level one, heat level two, heat level three, etc. The heat level of heat level one is higher than heat level two, and the heat level of heat level two is higher than heat level three. Among them, the division of heat levels can be set as needed. For example, the storage area of the warehouse can be divided into multiple local storage areas (the number of local storage areas can be consistent with the number of heat levels), and a corresponding heat level is set for each local storage area according to the distance of the local storage area from the workstation. For example, the heat level of the local storage area farther away from the workstation is set to a lower level, and the heat level of the local storage area closer to the workstation is set to a higher level.

[0080] In a specific implementation, the popularity information corresponding to the first container can be determined based on at least one of the following information: the types of goods included in the first container, the quantity of each type of goods, and the historical frequency of goods entering and leaving the warehouse for each type of goods. For example, the more types of goods, the greater the quantity of goods, and the higher the historical frequency of goods entering and leaving the warehouse, the higher the popularity level of the first container.

[0081] In step A2, after determining the heat information of the first container, a storage area matching the heat information can be determined based on the heat information, and it can be judged whether there is an empty space in the storage area matching the heat information where no container is placed. If so, the empty space in the storage area matching the heat information where no container is placed will be determined as a candidate empty container position.

[0082] As an optional implementation, after determining the heat information corresponding to the first container, the method further includes: if there is no empty space without a container in the storage area matching the heat information, then the empty space in the adjacent area corresponding to the storage area matching the heat information is determined as a candidate empty container position.

[0083] Exemplarily, if the heat level corresponding to the first container A is heat level one, it is determined whether there is a vacant space in the storage area corresponding to heat level one where no container is placed. If so, the vacant space in the storage area corresponding to heat level one is determined as a candidate empty container position; if not, it is further determined whether there is a vacant space in the storage area corresponding to heat level two (i.e., the adjacent area corresponding to the storage area matching the heat information) where no container is placed. If so, the vacant space in the storage area corresponding to heat level two is determined as a candidate empty container position corresponding to the first container A.

[0084] For S102:

[0085] Here, the target empty container position can be determined from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, and the third position of each container to be operated in the following two ways:

[0086] Method 1: Select a target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first path length between each first position and the second position, and the second path length between each second position and the third position.

[0087] Method 2: Based on the first time taken by the transport device to move from the first position to the second position, and the second time taken by the transport device to move from each second position to the third position, a target empty container position is selected from at least one candidate empty container position.

[0088] In method 1, based on the determined first position of the first container, the second position of at least one candidate empty container position, and the third position of at least one container to be operated, the first path length between the first position and each second position, and the second path length between each second position and the third position can be determined. Then, based on the determined first path length and second path length, a target empty container position can be selected from the at least one candidate empty container position. For example, a target path with the shortest first path length and second path length can be selected, and the candidate empty container position included in the target path can be determined as the target empty container position.

[0089] In the second method, the first time taken by the transport device to move from the first position to the second position, and the second time taken by the transport device to move from each second position to the third position can be determined based on the determined first position of the first container, the second position of at least one candidate empty container position, and the third position of at least one container to be operated; and then, based on the determined first time and second time, a target empty container position can be selected from the at least one candidate empty container position. For example, a target path with the shortest first time and second time can be selected, and the candidate empty container position included in the target path can be determined as the target empty container position.

[0090] In an optional embodiment, determining a target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, and the third position of each container to be operated may include: determining the target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, the third position of each container to be operated, and the fourth position of each workstation; wherein the fourth position is the same position as the first position, or is a different position.

[0091] Determining a target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on a first position of the first container, a second position of each candidate empty container position, a third position of each container to be operated, and a fourth position of each workstation includes:

[0092] Method 1: Based on the first path length between each first position and the second position, the second path length between each second position and the third position, and the third path length between each second position and the fourth position, the total length of each total transport path from the first position to the fourth position is determined, and a target total transport path with the shortest total length is selected; and the candidate empty container position included in the target total transport path is determined as the target empty container position.

[0093] Method 2: Based on the first time taken by the transport equipment to move from the first position to the second position, the second time taken by the transport equipment to move from each second position to the third position, and the third time taken by the transport equipment to move from each third position to the fourth position, the total time of each total transport path from the first position to the fourth position is determined, and the target total transport path with the shortest total time is selected; and the candidate empty container position included in the target total transport path is determined as the target empty container position.

[0094] In the first method, during specific implementation, multiple total transport paths from the first position to the fourth position can be generated based on the first paths between the first position and the second position, the second paths between each second position and the third position, and the third paths between each third position and the fourth position. A target total transport path with the shortest sum of path distances among the multiple total transport paths is determined (i.e., the target total transport path with the shortest sum of path distances is determined based on the first path length, the second path length, and the third path length). The candidate empty container position included in the target total transport path with the shortest sum of path distances is determined as the target empty container position. Simultaneously, the container to be operated included in the target total transport path with the shortest sum of path distances can also be determined as the first container indicated by the next transport task of the transport equipment.

[0095] For example, see Figure 2 As shown, the figure includes workstation one 201, workstation two 202, and workstation three 203; it also includes storage areas corresponding to different heat information, containers 22 placed in the corresponding storage areas, and empty spaces 23 in the storage areas. For example, storage area one 211 corresponds to heat level one (i.e., heat information), storage area two 212 corresponds to heat level two, storage area three 213 corresponds to heat level three, storage area four 214 corresponds to heat level four, and storage area five 215 corresponds to heat level five.

[0096] During specific implementation, if it is determined that the position of the first container 24 is near workstation 1 201, and it is determined that the heat information of the first container 24 after performing the target operation is heat level 2, then the candidate empty container positions corresponding to the first container 24 are determined to include candidate empty container position 1 251 and candidate empty container position 2 252, and the positions of the containers to be operated are determined to include container 1 to be operated 261 and container 2 to be operated 262, among which container 1 to be operated 261 corresponds to workstation 1 (that is, the target operation is performed on container 1 to be operated 261 at a workstation), and container 2 to be operated 262 corresponds to workstation 2.

[0097] Furthermore, the generated total transport path includes:

[0098] 1. A first overall transport path from the first position of the first container 24 to the candidate empty container position 1 251 , to the container 1 to be operated 261 , and then to the container 1 to be operated 261 to the workstation 1 201 ;

[0099] 2. A second overall transport path from the first position of the first container 24 to the candidate empty container position 1 251 , the candidate empty container position 1 251 to the second container to be operated 262 , and the second container to be operated 262 to the second workstation 202 ;

[0100] 3. A third overall transport path from the first position of the first container 24 to the second candidate empty container position 252, to the first container to be operated 261, and to the first container to be operated 261 to the first workstation 201;

[0101] 4. A fourth overall transport path from the first position of the first container 24 to the second candidate empty container position 252 , from the second candidate empty container position 252 to the second container to be operated 262 , and from the second container to be operated 262 to the second workstation 202 .

[0102] Furthermore, the path distances of the first, second, third, and fourth total transport paths are determined respectively, and the total transport path with the shortest path distance is selected as the target total transport path. For example, if the path distance of the second total transport path is the shortest, then the second total transport path is the target total transport path, and the candidate empty container position 251 included in the second total transport path is the target empty container position.

[0103] During specific implementation, after determining the target empty container position, the transport equipment is controlled to move to the position of the first container 24, and the first container 24 is transported to the target empty container position (i.e., candidate empty container position one 251). The transport equipment is controlled to move to the position of the container to be operated (i.e., container two to be operated 262) included in the target total transport path, and the container to be operated is transported to the corresponding workstation two 202 position, and the target operation is performed on the container to be operated at workstation two 202.

[0104] For S103:

[0105] After determining the target empty container position of the first container, the transport equipment can be controlled to transport the first container to the target empty container position, and then the transport equipment can be controlled to continue to perform the next transport task, wherein the next transport task to be performed can be the container to be operated included in the total transport path of the transport target.

[0106] As an optional embodiment, after controlling the transport equipment carrying the first container to move to the second position corresponding to the target empty container position, it also includes: controlling the transport equipment to move to the third position of the container to be operated in the target total transport path, and transporting the container to be operated to the fourth position in the target total transport path.

[0107] Here, the workstation corresponding to the container to be operated and the workstation corresponding to the first container can be the same workstation or different workstations. That is, the first position and the fourth position can be the same location or different locations. For example, if the first position of the first container is the location corresponding to workstation 1, the workstation corresponding to the container to be operated included in the target overall transport path can be workstation 2.

[0108] Continuing with the above example, after controlling the transport device to transport the first container to candidate empty container position 1 (i.e., the target empty container position), the transport device is controlled to move to the position of the second container to be operated (i.e., the container to be operated) located in the second overall transport path (i.e., the target overall transport path), and transport the second container to be operated to the corresponding workstation 2. The transport device that transports the container to be operated and the transport device that transports the first container are the same transport device. The transport device can be a transport robot, a lifting robot, a forklift, etc.

[0109] Furthermore, the second container to be operated is used as the first container. After detecting that the second container to be operated has completed the target operation, the target empty container position corresponding to the second container to be operated is determined using the container position determination method provided by the present disclosure.

[0110] Those skilled in the art will understand that in the above-mentioned method of the specific implementation method, the writing order of each step does not mean a strict execution order and does not constitute any limitation on the implementation process. The specific execution order of each step should be determined by its function and possible internal logic.

[0111] Based on the same inventive concept, the embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a container position determination device corresponding to the container position determination method. Since the principle of solving the problem by the device in the embodiment of the present disclosure is similar to the above-mentioned container position determination method in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the implementation of the device can refer to the implementation of the method, and the repeated parts will not be repeated.

[0112] Reference Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a container position determination device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the device includes: an acquisition module 301, a selection module 302, a first control module 303, and a second control module 304; wherein,

[0113] The acquisition module 301 is configured to acquire a first position of the first container;

[0114] The selection module 302 is configured to determine a target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, and the third position of each container to be operated;

[0115] The first control module 303 is configured to control the transport device carrying the first container to move to a second position corresponding to the target empty container position.

[0116] In an optional embodiment, the selection module 302, when determining a target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, and the third position of each container to be operated, is configured to:

[0117] A target empty container position is selected from the at least one candidate empty container position based on a first path length between each of the first positions and the second positions, and a second path length between each of the second positions and the third position.

[0118] In an optional embodiment, the selection module 302, when determining a target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, and the third position of each container to be operated, is configured to:

[0119] A target empty container location is selected from the at least one candidate empty container location based on a first time taken for the transport device to move from the first location to the second location, and a second time taken for the transport device to move from each of the second locations to the third location.

[0120] In an optional implementation, the acquisition module 301, when acquiring at least one candidate empty container position, is configured to:

[0121] Determining heat information corresponding to the first container;

[0122] An empty space in the storage area that matches the heat information and where no container is placed is determined as the candidate empty container space.

[0123] In an optional implementation, after determining the heat information corresponding to the first container, the acquisition module 301 is further configured to:

[0124] If there is no empty space without a container in the storage area matching the heat information, an empty space in an adjacent area corresponding to the storage area matching the heat information is determined as the candidate empty container space.

[0125] In an optional implementation, the acquisition module 301, when determining the heat information corresponding to the first container, is configured to:

[0126] The heat information corresponding to the first container is determined according to at least one of the type of goods, the quantity of goods, and the historical frequency of goods entering and leaving the warehouse corresponding to the first container.

[0127] In an optional embodiment, the selection module 302, when determining a target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, and the third position of each container to be operated, is configured to:

[0128] Based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, the third position of each container to be operated, and the fourth position of each workstation, a target empty container position is determined from at least one candidate empty container position; wherein the fourth position is the same position as the first position, or is a different position.

[0129] In an optional embodiment, the selection module 302, when determining a target empty container location from at least one candidate empty container location based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container location, the third position of each container to be operated, and the fourth position of each workstation, is configured to:

[0130] Based on the first path lengths between the first position and the second position, the second path lengths between each second position and the third position, and the third path lengths between each third position and the fourth position, the total length of each total transport path from the first position to the fourth position is determined, and a target total transport path with the shortest total length is selected; the candidate empty container position included in the target total transport path is determined as the target empty container position; or

[0131] Based on the first time taken by the transport equipment to move from the first position to the second position, the second time taken by the transport equipment to move from each of the second positions to the third position, and the third time taken by the transport equipment to move from each of the third positions to the fourth position, the total time of each total transport path from the first position to the fourth position is determined, and a target total transport path with the shortest total time is selected; and the candidate empty container position included in the target total transport path is determined as the target empty container position.

[0132] In an optional embodiment, after controlling the transport device carrying the first container to move to the second position corresponding to the target empty container position, the method further includes:

[0133] The second control module 304 is configured to control the transport device to move to the third position of the container to be operated in the target total transport path, and transport the container to be operated to the fourth position in the target total transport path.

[0134] For descriptions of the processing flow of each module in the device and the interaction flow between each module, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions in the above method embodiment, which will not be described in detail here.

[0135] Based on the same technical concept, the embodiment of the present disclosure also provides an electronic device. Figure 4 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device 400 provided in an embodiment of the present application, including a processor 401, a memory 402, and a bus 403. Among them, the memory 402 is used to store execution instructions, including a memory 4021 and an external memory 4022; the memory 4021 here is also called an internal memory, which is used to temporarily store the operation data in the processor 401 and the data exchanged with the external memory 4022 such as a hard disk. The processor 401 exchanges data with the external memory 4022 through the memory 4021. When the electronic device 400 is running, the processor 401 and the memory 402 communicate through the bus 403, so that the processor 401 executes the following instructions:

[0136] Get a first position of a first container;

[0137] determining a target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, and the third position of each container to be operated;

[0138] Controlling the transport equipment carrying the first container to move to a second position corresponding to the target empty container position.

[0139] In one possible implementation, the instructions executed by the processor 401 include determining a target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, and the third position of each container to be operated, including:

[0140] A target empty container position is selected from the at least one candidate empty container position based on a first path length between each of the first positions and the second positions, and a second path length between each of the second positions and the third position.

[0141] In one possible implementation, the instructions executed by the processor 401 include determining a target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, and the third position of each container to be operated, including:

[0142] A target empty container location is selected from the at least one candidate empty container location based on a first time taken for the transport device to move from the first location to the second location, and a second time taken for the transport device to move from each of the second locations to the third location.

[0143] In one possible implementation, the instructions executed by the processor 401 obtain at least one candidate empty container position according to the following steps:

[0144] Determining heat information corresponding to the first container;

[0145] An empty space in the storage area that matches the heat information and where no container is placed is determined as the candidate empty container space.

[0146] In one possible implementation, the instructions executed by the processor 401, after determining the heat information corresponding to the first container, further include:

[0147] If there is no empty space without a container in the storage area matching the heat information, an empty space in an adjacent area corresponding to the storage area matching the heat information is determined as the candidate empty container space.

[0148] In a possible implementation, the instructions executed by the processor 401 to determine the heat information corresponding to the first container include:

[0149] The heat information corresponding to the first container is determined according to at least one of the type of goods, the quantity of goods, and the historical frequency of goods entering and leaving the warehouse corresponding to the first container.

[0150] In one possible implementation, the instructions executed by the processor 401, wherein determining a target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, and the third position of each container to be operated, includes:

[0151] Based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, the third position of each container to be operated, and the fourth position of each workstation, a target empty container position is determined from at least one candidate empty container position; wherein the fourth position is the same position as the first position, or is a different position.

[0152] In one possible implementation, the instructions executed by the processor 401 include determining a target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, the third position of each container to be operated, and the fourth position of each workstation, including:

[0153] Based on the first path lengths between the first position and the second position, the second path lengths between each second position and the third position, and the third path lengths between each third position and the fourth position, the total length of each total transport path from the first position to the fourth position is determined, and a target total transport path with the shortest total length is selected; the candidate empty container position included in the target total transport path is determined as the target empty container position; or

[0154] Based on the first time taken by the transport equipment to move from the first position to the second position, the second time taken by the transport equipment to move from each of the second positions to the third position, and the third time taken by the transport equipment to move from each of the third positions to the fourth position, the total time of each total transport path from the first position to the fourth position is determined, and a target total transport path with the shortest total time is selected; and the candidate empty container position included in the target total transport path is determined as the target empty container position.

[0155] In one possible implementation, the instructions executed by the processor 401, after controlling the transport device carrying the first container to move to the second position corresponding to the target empty container position, further include:

[0156] The transport device is controlled to move to a third position of the container to be operated in the target total transport path, and the container to be operated is transported to a fourth position in the target total transport path.

[0157] The present disclosure also provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon. When executed by a processor, the computer program executes the steps of the container location determination method described in the above method embodiment. The storage medium may be a volatile or non-volatile computer-readable storage medium.

[0158] The computer program product of the container position determination method provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure includes a computer-readable storage medium storing program code. The instructions included in the program code can be used to execute the steps of the container position determination method described in the above method embodiments. For details, please refer to the above method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0159] The present disclosure also provides a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements any of the methods of the aforementioned embodiments. The computer program product can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination thereof. In one optional embodiment, the computer program product is embodied as a computer storage medium. In another optional embodiment, the computer program product is embodied as a software product, such as a software development kit (SDK).

[0160] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems and devices described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments, and will not be repeated here. In the several embodiments provided in the present disclosure, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. The device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation. For example, multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some communication interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0161] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0162] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present disclosure may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0163] If the functions are implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium that is executable by a processor. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present disclosure, or the part that contributes to the prior art or the part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present disclosure. The aforementioned storage medium includes: various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

[0164] Finally, it should be noted that the above-described embodiments are only specific implementation methods of the present disclosure, which are used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present disclosure, rather than to limit them. The scope of protection of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Although the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the above-described embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that any person skilled in the art can modify or easily conceive of changes to the technical solutions described in the above-described embodiments within the technical scope disclosed in the present disclosure, or replace some of the technical features therein with equivalents. Such modifications, changes, or replacements do not deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and should be included in the scope of protection of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present disclosure shall be subject to the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for determining a container position, characterized in that: include: Get a first position of a first container; Determining a target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, and the third position of each container to be operated; the container to be operated is the container corresponding to the next handling task; Controlling the transport device carrying the first container to move to a second position corresponding to the target empty container position; The step of determining a target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, and the third position of each container to be operated includes: selecting a target empty container position from the at least one candidate empty container position based on a first path length between each of the first positions and the second position, and a second path length between each of the second positions and the third position; or A target empty container location is selected from the at least one candidate empty container location based on a first time taken for the transport device to move from the first location to the second location, and a second time taken for the transport device to move from each second location to the third location.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Obtain at least one candidate empty container location by following the steps below: Determining heat information corresponding to the first container; An empty space in the storage area that matches the heat information and where no container is placed is determined as the candidate empty container space.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that After determining the heat information corresponding to the first container, the method further includes: If there is no empty space without a container in the storage area matching the heat information, an empty space in an adjacent area corresponding to the storage area matching the heat information is determined as the candidate empty container space.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that Determining the heat information corresponding to the first container includes: The heat information corresponding to the first container is determined according to at least one of the type of goods, the quantity of goods, and the historical frequency of goods entering and leaving the warehouse corresponding to the first container.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The step of determining a target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, and the third position of each container to be operated includes: Based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, the third position of each container to be operated, and the fourth position of each workstation, a target empty container position is determined from at least one candidate empty container position; wherein the fourth position is the same position as the first position, or is a different position.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that Determining a target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, the third position of each container to be operated, and the fourth position of each workstation includes: Based on the first path lengths between the first position and the second position, the second path lengths between each second position and the third position, and the third path lengths between each third position and the fourth position, the total length of each total transport path from the first position to the fourth position is determined, and a target total transport path with the shortest total length is selected; the candidate empty container position included in the target total transport path is determined as the target empty container position; or Based on the first time taken by the transport equipment to move from the first position to the second position, the second time taken by the transport equipment to move from each of the second positions to the third position, and the third time taken by the transport equipment to move from each of the third positions to the fourth position, the total time of each total transport path from the first position to the fourth position is determined, and a target total transport path with the shortest total time is selected; and the candidate empty container position included in the target total transport path is determined as the target empty container position.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that After controlling the transport device carrying the first container to move to a second position corresponding to the target empty container position, the method further includes: The transport device is controlled to move to a third position of the container to be operated in the target total transport path, and the container to be operated is transported to a fourth position in the target total transport path.

8. A container position determination device, characterized in that: include: The acquisition module is configured to acquire a first position of the first container; The selection module is configured to determine a target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, and the third position of each container to be operated; the container to be operated is the container corresponding to the next handling task; The first control module is configured to control the transport device carrying the first container to move to a second position corresponding to the target empty container position; The step of determining a target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, and the third position of each container to be operated includes: selecting a target empty container position from the at least one candidate empty container position based on a first path length between each of the first positions and the second position, and a second path length between each of the second positions and the third position; or A target empty container location is selected from the at least one candidate empty container location based on a first time taken for the transport device to move from the first location to the second location, and a second time taken for the transport device to move from each second location to the third location.

9. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that The acquisition module is configured to: Determining heat information corresponding to the first container; An empty space in the storage area that matches the heat information and where no container is placed is determined as the candidate empty container space.

10. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that After determining the heat information corresponding to the first container, the acquisition module is further configured to: If there is no empty space without a container in the storage area matching the heat information, an empty space in an adjacent area corresponding to the storage area matching the heat information is determined as the candidate empty container space.

11. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that The acquisition module, when determining the heat information corresponding to the first container, is configured to: The heat information corresponding to the first container is determined according to at least one of the type of goods, the quantity of goods, and the historical frequency of goods entering and leaving the warehouse corresponding to the first container.

12. The device according to any one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that: The selection module is configured to, when determining a target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, and the third position of each container to be operated,: Based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, the third position of each container to be operated, and the fourth position of each workstation, a target empty container position is determined from at least one candidate empty container position; wherein the fourth position is the same position as the first position, or is a different position.

13. The device according to claim 12, characterized in that The selection module is configured to, when determining a target empty container position from at least one candidate empty container position based on the first position of the first container, the second position of each candidate empty container position, the third position of each container to be operated, and the fourth position of each workstation,: determining a total length of each total transport path from the first position to the fourth position based on a first path length between each of the first positions and the second position, a second path length between each of the second positions and the third position, and a third path length between each of the third positions and the fourth position, and selecting a target total transport path with the shortest total length; Determine the candidate empty container position included in the target total transport path as the target empty container position; or determining a total time of each total transport path from the first position to the fourth position based on a first time taken by the transport device to move from the first position to the second position, a second time taken by the transport device to move from each of the second positions to the third position, and a third time taken by the transport device to move from each of the third positions to the fourth position, and selecting a target total transport path with the shortest total time; The candidate empty container position included in the target overall transport path is determined as the target empty container position.

14. The device according to claim 13, characterized in that After controlling the transport device carrying the first container to move to a second position corresponding to the target empty container position, the method further includes: The second control module is configured to control the transport device to move to a third position of the container to be operated in the target total transport path, and transport the container to be operated to a fourth position in the target total transport path.

15. An electronic device, characterized in that: include: A processor, a memory and a bus, wherein the memory stores machine-readable instructions executable by the processor, and when the electronic device is running, the processor and the memory communicate via the bus, and when the machine-readable instructions are executed by the processor, the steps of the container position determination method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 are performed.

16. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, executes the steps of the container position determination method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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