Item picking system

Abstract

The article picking system of the present application includes: a storage system; an article warehousing and out-of-warehouse system; a first transport system for transporting each first carrier loaded with articles with preset article attributes; at least one picking unit, which is arranged at the passing position of the first transport system, and picks articles with article attributes that meet the order information from the arriving first carrier, and places them on one or more corresponding second carriers; a second transport system, which is used to transport the second carrier that has completed loading the currently picked articles to the corresponding position of the next process; to realize the automated execution of article picking, the picking unit can obtain part or all of the article requirements that meet the requirements of multiple orders during the picking process of each first carrier, and place them in the second carrier related to the order information, so as to form a second carrier loaded with articles that meet the requirements of each order and can directly execute subsequent processes such as packaging, which can effectively improve the picking efficiency and reduce the probability of erroneous operations.

Description

[0001] Description of the case

[0002] This application is a divisional application of invention patent application CN201910266648.6, entitled “Article Picking System, Related Methods, Devices and Readable Storage Medium”, filed on April 3, 2019. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the technical field of logistics warehousing management, and in particular to an item picking system, related methods, devices and readable storage media. Background Art

[0004] In warehouse systems, especially e-commerce warehouse systems, the throughput of goods outbound is large and the variety of goods is large. Currently, the picking of goods for different orders is completely dependent on manpower. The work content is simple and highly repetitive, which consumes a lot of manpower and has high labor intensity.

[0005] Currently, there are two main ways to pick goods for different orders:

[0006] The first picking method is to pick for each order (i.e. each customer). The personnel or equipment that performs the picking of goods will patrol each storage location and take out the required goods, which is similar to picking fruits. Its characteristics are that each person only handles one order or one customer at a time. It is simple and easy to operate and is suitable for scenarios with few varieties and large order volumes.

[0007] The second picking method is to group multiple orders (i.e., the demand for goods from multiple customers) into one batch, first summarize the quantity of each type of goods, and then distribute the goods to all customers one by one, which can also be called "commodity category aggregation and distribution". Its feature is that it can handle multiple orders or multiple customers at a time, but its disadvantage is that the operation is complicated and the difficulty coefficient is high. It is suitable for picking orders with a large number of orders and quantities.

[0008] Regardless of which of the above methods is used, the existing technology is basically based on inefficient human execution. In contrast, the first picking method has a faster response speed to a single order, but the personnel have to walk a long distance, make many movements, take a long time, and have a high error rate.

[0009] The second picking method can efficiently process batch orders, and the average time to complete an order is less than the first picking method. However, the second picking method also has its inherent defects:

[0010] Firstly, the operation is difficult and labor-intensive. Since multiple orders need to be processed simultaneously and there are various differences between the orders, frequent switching between material frames in different positions will make the operators very tired. Therefore, the overall operation of the sorting process is difficult.

[0011] Secondly, the management of the process is very difficult. The first picking method may only affect a single customer, but the second picking method will affect a group of customers. Therefore, the second picking method has higher requirements for process management, management information systems, personnel, and rules and regulations.

[0012] The current commodity picking is based on the manual operation of the above two methods, which has many disadvantages.

[0013] Therefore, how to find an intelligent warehouse picking solution to solve the problems in the existing technology has become a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently in the industry. Summary of the invention

[0014] In view of the above-mentioned shortcomings of the prior art, the purpose of the present application is to provide an item picking system, related methods, devices and readable storage media, aiming to solve the problems of the prior art by implementing a picking automation system.

[0015] Another object of the present application is to provide a picking automation system with an efficient execution mechanism that integrates the advantages of various existing picking methods.

[0016] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives and other related objectives, in a first aspect, the present application provides an item picking system, comprising: a storage system, an item warehousing and out-of-warehouse system, a first transport system, and at least one picking unit; the storage system is used to store each of the first carriers for handing over the first carriers to the first transport system; the item warehousing and out-of-warehouse system is used to transport each of the first carriers between the storage system and the first transport system; the first transport system is used to transport each first carrier loaded with items with preset item attributes; the at least one picking unit is connected to the first transport system, and is used to pick items that meet the item attributes required by the order information from the incoming first carriers, and place them on one or more second carriers corresponding to the order information.

[0017] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the article storage and retrieval system is used to collect the first carriers according to the identified locations of the articles loaded on each first carrier, or paths related to the locations.

[0018] In an embodiment of the first aspect, each of the first carriers is transported sequentially in the first transport system.

[0019] In one embodiment of the first aspect, the delivery order of each of the first carriers in the first transport system is determined based on any one or more of the following information: 1) sorting based on the demand for items with various item attributes determined by the order information; 2) scheduling and allocation based on external instructions; 3) sorting based on the number of first carriers stored in a temporary storage area connected to the first transport system.

[0020] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the order information is counted from multiple orders; and each second carrier is used to load the items required for one of the orders.

[0021] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the first transport system is connected to a temporary storage area for storing and accessing the first carrier.

[0022] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the first carrier in the temporary storage area is used to perform one or more operations of temporary storage, replenishment, inventory counting, and storage of hot-selling products.

[0023] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the article picking system includes: a picking area for receiving the first carrier from the first conveying system for a picking unit to perform a picking operation, and for outputting the first carrier to the first conveying system.

[0024] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the article picking system includes: a fixing device for fixing the first carrier in the picking area.

[0025] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the first transport system comprises: a group of first transport components and second transport components corresponding to each picking unit, respectively used to transport the first carrier for entering or leaving the picking unit.

[0026] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the first conveying component and the second conveying component are arranged in layers.

[0027] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the picking unit comprises: a transfer device for transferring the first carrier between the first conveying component and the second conveying component.

[0028] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the transfer device is provided with a picking area for receiving the first carrier from the first transport system for performing a picking operation, and for outputting the first carrier to the first transport system.

[0029] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the picking unit is used to pick the objects according to the identified locations of the objects loaded on each first carrier, or paths related to the locations.

[0030] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the picking unit is used to obtain item attribute information and / or order information through a collection / receiving method.

[0031] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the article picking system includes: a second transport system, used to transport a second carrier loaded with the currently picked articles to a corresponding position of a next process.

[0032] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the article picking system includes: a prompt device, which communicates with the picking unit and is used to display a prompt operation to the second transport system indicating that at least one second carrier has completed loading the required picking articles.

[0033] In an embodiment of the first aspect, one or more second carriers are accommodated by a third carrier; the prompting device is provided on the third carrier, and is used to prompt part or all of the second carriers on which it is located to complete loading the required picking items.

[0034] In an embodiment of the first aspect, one or more second carriers are received by a third carrier; the third carrier is movable for use with the second transport system.

[0035] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the corresponding position of the next process transported by the second transport system includes one or more of the following: 1) a packing area for performing packing operations on the items in each second carrier; 2) a picking area of ​​other picking units other than the picking unit where the second carrier is currently located; 3) a temporary storage area for temporarily storing the items in each second carrier.

[0036] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the item picking system includes: a control system for performing any one or more of the following operations: 1) for communicating with the picking unit to generate notification information indicating that a first carrier has been delivered to a picking unit and sending it to the picking unit to trigger its picking operation; 2) for communicating with the second transport system to generate prompt information indicating that at least one second carrier has completed loading the required picking items and sending it to the second transport system to trigger its operation of collecting the second carrier; 3) for communicating with the item entry and exit system to trigger the item entry and exit system to perform the operation of transporting each of the first carriers between the storage system and the first transport system; 4) for communicating with the storage system to inform the storage system of the attribute information of the items that need to be shipped out; 5) collecting and presenting the flow information collected by each collection component from one or more of the first carrier, the second carrier, and the items through a communication connection.

[0037] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the structure of the storage system is any one of the following: 1) a ring-shaped warehouse arranged around the article storage and retrieval system; 2) a three-dimensional warehouse.

[0038] To achieve the above objectives and other related objectives, in a second aspect, the present application provides an item picking method, which is applied to an action device; the method includes: obtaining information about the arrival of a first carrier loaded with items with preset item attributes; picking items that meet the item attributes required by the order information from the arriving first carrier, and placing them on one or more second carriers corresponding to the order information.

[0039] In an embodiment of the second aspect, the method of picking items from the first carrier includes: picking items based on the identification results of the locations of each incoming first carrier and / or the items loaded thereon, or the paths related to the locations.

[0040] In an embodiment of the second aspect, the method includes: acquiring item attribute information and order information and performing picking operations accordingly, or performing picking operations according to acquired picking instructions.

[0041] In an embodiment of the second aspect, the method includes: obtaining information about the arrival of the first vehicle through an information collection / receiving method.

[0042] In an embodiment of the second aspect, the method includes: generating and sending a prompt message indicating that at least one second carrier has completed loading the required picking items to trigger a collection operation for the second carrier.

[0043] To achieve the above objectives and other related objectives, in a third aspect, the present application provides an article picking control method, which is applied to an article picking system, wherein the article picking system includes: a storage system, an article storage and retrieval system, a first transport system, and at least one picking unit; the storage system is used to store each of the first carriers for handing over the first carriers to the first transport system; the article storage and retrieval system is used to transport each of the first carriers between the storage system and the first transport system; the first transport system is used to transport each of the first carriers loaded with articles with preset article attributes; the at least one picking unit is connected to the first transport system, and is used to pick articles that meet the article attributes required by order information from the arriving first carrier, and place them on one or more second carriers corresponding to the order information; the method includes: communicating with the picking unit to generate a notification message indicating that a first carrier is delivered to a picking unit and sending it to the picking unit to trigger its picking operation; communicating with the second transport system to generate a prompt message indicating that at least one second carrier has completed loading the required picking articles and sending it to the second transport system to trigger its operation of collecting the second carrier.

[0044] In an embodiment of the third aspect, the method further includes: communicating with an item warehousing and unloading system to trigger the item warehousing and unloading system to perform an operation of transporting each of the first carriers between the storage system and the first transport system.

[0045] To achieve the above objectives and other related objectives, in a fourth aspect, the present application provides an action device, comprising: an action component and a control component; the control component comprises: one or more memories, and one or more processors; the one or more memories are used to store computer-readable instructions; the one or more processors are used to run the computer-readable instructions to control the action component to execute any one of the methods described in the second aspect.

[0046] To achieve the above objectives and other related objectives, in the fifth aspect, the present application provides a control device, comprising: one or more memories, and one or more processors; the one or more memories are used to store computer-readable instructions; the one or more processors are used to run the computer-readable instructions to execute the method described in any one of the third aspects.

[0047] To achieve the above objectives and other related objectives, in the sixth aspect, the present application provides a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium that stores computer-readable instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors, enable the one or more processors to execute the method as described in any one of the second aspects.

[0048] To achieve the above objectives and other related objectives, in the seventh aspect, the present application provides a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium that stores computer-readable instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors, enable the one or more processors to execute the method as described in any one of the third aspects.

[0049] As described above, the article picking system, related methods, devices and readable storage media of the present application, the system includes: a storage system; an article warehousing and out-of-warehouse system; a first transport system, which transports each first carrier loaded with articles with preset article attributes; at least one picking unit, which is arranged at the passing position of the first transport system, picks articles with article attributes that meet the order information from the arriving first carrier, and places them on one or more corresponding second carriers; a second transport system, which is used to transport the second carrier that has completed loading the currently picked articles to the corresponding position of the next process; to realize the automated execution of article picking, the picking unit can obtain part or all of the article requirements that meet the requirements of multiple orders during the picking process of each first carrier, and place them in the second carrier related to the order information, forming a second carrier loaded with articles that meet the requirements of each order and can directly execute subsequent processes such as packaging, which can effectively improve the picking efficiency and reduce the probability of erroneous operations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0050] Figure 1 Shown is a structural schematic diagram of an item picking system in one embodiment of the present application.

[0051] Figure 2Shown is a structural schematic diagram of an item picking system in one embodiment of the present application.

[0052] Figure 3A Shown is a structural diagram of a specific implementation of a storage system and a corresponding article warehousing and retrieval system in an embodiment of the present application.

[0053] Figure 3B Shown is a structural diagram of a specific implementation of a storage system and a corresponding article warehousing and retrieval system in an embodiment of the present application.

[0054] Figure 3C Shown is a structural diagram of a specific implementation of a storage system and a corresponding article warehousing and retrieval system in an embodiment of the present application.

[0055] Figure 4 Shown is a structural schematic diagram of an item picking system in one embodiment of the present application.

[0056] Figure 5A It is a schematic structural diagram of the cooperation between the first transport system, the picking unit and the second transport system in one embodiment.

[0057] Figure 5B It is a schematic structural diagram of the cooperation between the first transport system, the picking unit and the second transport system in one embodiment.

[0058] Figure 5C It is a schematic structural diagram of the cooperation between the first transport system, the picking unit and the second transport system in one embodiment.

[0059] Figure 6 Shown is a structural schematic diagram of an item picking system in one embodiment of the present application.

[0060] Figure 7 Shown is a structural schematic diagram of an item picking system in one embodiment of the present application.

[0061] Figure 8 Shown is a flow chart of an item picking method in one embodiment of the present application.

[0062] Fig. 9 Shown is a flow chart of an item picking control method in one embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0063] The following describes the implementation methods of the present application through specific examples, and those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present application from the contents disclosed in this specification. The present application can also be implemented or applied through other different specific implementation methods, and the details in this specification can also be modified or changed in various ways based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present application. It should be noted that the embodiments in the present application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0064] The following is a detailed description of the embodiments of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present application. The present application can be embodied in a variety of different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0065] In order to clearly describe the present application, parts not related to the description are omitted, and the same reference numerals are given to the same or similar components throughout the specification.

[0066] Throughout the specification, when a component is said to be "connected" to another component, this includes not only the case of "direct connection" but also the case of "indirect connection" by placing other elements therebetween. In addition, when a component is said to "include" a certain constituent element, unless otherwise stated, it does not exclude other constituent elements, but means that other constituent elements may be included.

[0067] When a component is said to be "on" another component, it may be directly on the other component, but other components may also be present between it. In contrast, when a component is said to be "directly" "on" another component, no other components are present between it.

[0068] Although the terms first, second, etc. are used to describe various elements in this article in some examples, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. For example, the first interface and the second interface are described. Moreover, as used in this article, the singular forms "one", "one" and "the" are intended to also include plural forms, unless there is an opposite indication in the context. It should be further understood that the terms "comprising" and "including" indicate that there are the described features, steps, operations, elements, components, projects, kinds, and / or groups, but do not exclude the existence, occurrence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, projects, kinds, and / or groups. The terms "or" and "and / or" used herein are interpreted as inclusive, or mean any one or any combination. Therefore, "A, B or C" or "A, B and / or C" means "any of the following: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B and C". Only when the combination of elements, functions, steps or operations is inherently mutually exclusive in some way, will there be an exception to this definition.

[0069] The technical terms used herein are only used to refer to specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present application. The singular form used herein also includes the plural form unless the sentence clearly indicates the contrary meaning. The meaning of "including" used in the specification is to specify specific characteristics, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, and does not exclude the existence or addition of other characteristics, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components.

[0070] Relative spatial terms such as "below" and "above" may be used to more easily describe the relationship of one component to another component illustrated in the drawings. Such terms are intended to include not only the meaning indicated in the drawings, but also other meanings or operations of the device in use. For example, if the device in the drawings is turned over, a component that was previously described as being "below" other components is described as being "above" the other components. Therefore, the exemplary term "below" includes both above and below. The device may be rotated 90° or other angles, and the relative spatial terms may be interpreted accordingly.

[0071] Although not defined differently, all terms, including technical and scientific terms used herein, have the same meaning as those generally understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries are additionally interpreted as having meanings consistent with the relevant technical literature and the contents of the current disclosure, and unless defined, shall not be overly interpreted as ideal or very formal meanings.

[0072] The technical solution involved in this application can be applied to warehousing logistics, industrial manufacturing or any other scenarios that require item picking functions.

[0073] In some examples, the items vary according to the above scenarios. For example, in the scenario of warehousing and logistics, the items may be commodities or goods; in the scenario of industrial manufacturing, the items may be manufacturing-related materials, semi-finished products, finished products or tools, etc. Of course, the types of the above items are only examples and may be changed in actual situations, and are not limited to the above.

[0074] In view of the various defects of the inefficient solutions in the prior art that rely on manpower to complete item picking, the present application aims to provide an item picking system solution that is efficient and has low errors to fill the gaps in the prior art.

[0075] like Figure 1 As shown, a schematic diagram of the structure of an item picking system in one embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0076] In this embodiment, the article picking system includes: a first transport system 101 and at least one picking unit 102 .

[0077] The first transport system 101 is used to transport each first carrier 103 carrying objects with preset object attributes.

[0078] In one or more embodiments, the first carrier 103 can be a carrying device in various forms such as a frame, a tray, a box, a basket, a cabinet, a shelf, or a mobile vehicle. The structure is not limited. Any carrier that has a carrying capacity and is suitable for the application scenario can be used as the first carrier 103.

[0079] Each first carrier 103 can be loaded with one or more items of preset item attributes. Specifically, each first carrier 103 can be loaded with one item of preset item attribute, and multiple first carriers 103 can be loaded with items of different preset item attributes, or, there are more than two of the multiple first carriers 103 that are loaded with items of the same preset item attribute; or, each first carrier 103 can be loaded with more than two items of preset item attributes.

[0080] In one or more embodiments, the item attributes include: one or more information of item type and item quantity. The item type refers to the classification based on the common factors contained in the item information. Simply put, in scenarios where the classification requirements are not strict, a broader item attribute can be used, such as fruits and vegetables and meat; in relatively strict scenarios, additional requirements are required for classification, such as oranges and bananas; further, in e-commerce scenarios, the preset classification defined according to the order information is more strict, and various conditions such as brand, merchant, etc. can be added, such as oranges of brand B of merchant A, oranges of brand B of merchant C, etc., and each preset classification can be distinguished by a unique identification code within a certain range (such as used within the logistics system), and the composition of the identification code can be realized by various combinations of numbers, letters, symbols, and text.

[0081] In one or more embodiments, the first transport system 101 may be implemented by a conveyor belt / line, a mobile robot, a human push / pull cart, or other devices with similar transport functions. Specifically, the conveyor belt / line may be a roller conveyor belt / line, or a belt conveyor belt / line, etc.; the mobile robot may be an AGV, RGV, etc.; the human push / pull cart may be, for example, a push cart or a pull cart, etc.

[0082] It should be noted that AGV is the abbreviation of Automated Guided Vehicle, which means "automatic guided transport vehicle". AGV is a transport vehicle equipped with electromagnetic or optical automatic guidance devices, which can travel along a specified guidance path and has safety protection and various transfer functions; RGV is the abbreviation of Rail Guided Vehicle, also called rail shuttle vehicle, which moves between preset locations and stores items via preset tracks.

[0083] One or more picking units 102 can be provided according to actual needs. Each picking unit 102 is connected to the first transport system 101 and is used to pick items that meet the item attributes required by the order information from the incoming first carrier 103 and place them on one or more second carriers 104 corresponding to the order information.

[0084] In one or more embodiments, reference may be made to Figure 5A~5C The picking unit 102 may include one or more action devices, including an industrial robot, such as a robotic arm, which may be equipped with, for example, a suction cup, a clamp or any other gripper with the same function to grasp objects; the driving mode of the robotic arm may be hydraulic, pneumatic, electric, or mechanical; and the robotic arm may be programmable to achieve multiple degrees of freedom of movement, and robotic arms with different degrees of freedom may be selected, such as 4-axis (degrees of freedom), 5-axis (degrees of freedom), 6-axis (degrees of freedom), 7-axis (degrees of freedom), etc.

[0085] When a picking unit 102 includes multiple action devices, the multiple action devices can grab items in the same first carrier 103, or grab items in different first carriers 103 respectively, and the structure of the first transport system 101 will also change accordingly. For example, transmission channels that operate in parallel with each other are configured corresponding to each action device.

[0086] The first transport system 101 delivers the items carrying the first carrier 103 to the picking unit 102 for picking. After the picking is completed, the first transport system 101 needs to receive and transport the picked first carrier 103. The first transport system 101 includes: at least one set of first conveying components and second conveying components, which are respectively used to transport the first carrier 103 entering or leaving the picking unit 102. In some examples, if the first transport system 101 is implemented as a conveyor belt / line, the first conveying component and the second conveying component are both conveyor belts / lines, and they can be integrated or separated from each other.

[0087] Optionally, the first conveying component and the second conveying component are arranged in layers, such as upper and lower layers, which is beneficial to reducing the space required for system layout; in other embodiments, the first conveying component and the second conveying component can also be implemented in the same layer, such as being arranged on the left and the right.

[0088] A picking area may be provided for receiving the first carrier 103 from the first transport system 101 for a picking unit 102 to perform a picking operation, and for outputting the first carrier 103 to the first transport system 101. Since the first carrier 103 can only be conveniently performed for picking operation when it is stationary, the picking area should not move together with the first transport system 101, so that the picking operation performed by the picking unit 102 and the transport of the first carrier 103 by the first transport system 101 will not affect each other.

[0089] To ensure that the first carrier 103 remains stationary when being picked, a fixing device for fixing the first carrier 103 in the picking area may be optionally provided. In some examples, the fixing device is, for example, a clamp, a press, etc., which may be pneumatically, electrically or mechanically driven.

[0090] Optionally, a transfer device may be provided to transfer the first carrier 103 between the first conveying member and the second conveying member. When the first conveying member and the second conveying member are arranged in layers, the transfer device may be, for example, a lifter, a robot, etc. Further, optionally, the picking area may also be provided on the transfer device.

[0091] In one or more embodiments, the second carrier 104 can be a frame, tray, box, basket, cabinet, shelf, or mobile vehicle, etc., such as a material box, material frame, carton, or net bag, etc.; its structure is not limited, and any carrier with carrying capacity and suitable for the application scenario can be used as the second carrier 104.

[0092] The second carrier 104 is related to order information. The order information may be counted from multiple orders, for example, the quantity of goods of various item attributes in a batch of orders is counted, as shown in Table 1 below:

[0093]

[0094] Table 1

[0095] In one or more embodiments, the related information of the second carrier 104 and the order information can be expressed as, for example, each second carrier 104 can correspond to an order. According to the above table, for example, the second carrier X corresponds to the above order 1, and 1 type A item, 3 type B items, and 2 type C items corresponding to order 1 are all picked and placed in X.

[0096] In the example corresponding to Table 1, it is assumed that there are a batch of orders 1, 2, and 3, which correspond to the second carriers X, Y, and Z, respectively, and require a total of 5 copies of type A items, 8 copies of type B items, and 6 copies of type C items; when the first carrier 103 carrying type A items arrives, the action device of the picking unit 102 can extract 5 copies of type A items from the first carrier 103, and put 1 copy into X, 3 copies into Y, and 1 copy into Z respectively.

[0097] It should be noted that the above list is only used to illustrate the principle more vividly, and is not intended to limit the list as a basis for selection; moreover, the form of the list can be changed according to actual needs, such as exchanging the labels of rows and columns, etc., which are not limited to the above description.

[0098] In one or more embodiments, each of the first carriers 103 is transported sequentially in the first transport system 101. For example, each of the first carriers 103 is transported sequentially on a conveyor belt / line; or, each of the first carriers 103 is transported sequentially by a plurality of AGVs or RGVs.

[0099] The following examples illustrate the methods for determining the transport order of the first carrier 103 in the first transport system 101:

[0100] Optionally, in the first mode, the transportation order of each of the first carriers 103 in the first transportation system 101 is sorted according to the demand for items of various item attributes determined by the order information, for example, the items are sorted and transported in descending order of demand. According to the above Table 1, for example, in a batch of orders 1, 2, and 3, it can be seen that the demand for type B items is 8, the largest, the demand for type C items is 6, and the demand for type A items is 5. The smallest, then the order of placing each of the first carriers 103 in the first transportation system 101 is to place the first carrier D carrying type B items first, then the first carrier E carrying type C items, and finally the first carrier F carrying type A items.

[0101] Optionally, in the second method, the delivery order of the first carrier 103 in the first delivery system 101 can also be scheduled and allocated according to external instructions, and the source of the external instructions includes but is not limited to a warehouse management system (WMS), a warehouse control system (WCS), a remote monitoring system (PLC), a server, or manual input, etc.

[0102] Optionally, in the third manner, the transportation order of the first carriers 103 in the first transportation system 101 may also be sorted according to the number of first carriers temporarily stored in the temporary storage area 105 connected to the first transportation system.

[0103] Optionally, in other methods, the first, second and third methods mentioned above may be arbitrarily combined to determine the transportation order of the first carrier 103 in the first transportation system 101 .

[0104] Optionally, the first transport system 101 is connected to a temporary storage area 105 for storing and accessing the first carrier 103. The temporary storage area 105 does not move with the transport action of the first transport system 101, and the number of the temporary storage area 105 can be one or more; the temporary storage area 105 and the first transport system 101 can have only one entrance and exit, or multiple entrances and exits can be set to improve efficiency.

[0105] The first carrier 103 is transported to the temporary storage area 105 for performing one or more operations of temporary storage, replenishment, inventory, and storage of hot products. The first carrier 103 carrying hot products can be stored in the temporary storage area 105 when the picking unit 102 does not need to be picked, and then enter the first transport system 101 and be sent to the picking unit 102 for picking when it needs to be picked, thereby reducing the movement time of the hot products in the first transport system 101 and reducing the risk of danger.

[0106] The picking unit 102 is used to pick up items according to the locations of the items loaded on each of the identified first carriers 103, or the paths related to the locations. Specifically, in some examples, the picking unit 102 can be equipped with one or more cameras (which can also be used in conjunction with a depth sensor), a barcode scanner, etc., so as to obtain the location of the item through 3D vision, 2D vision, barcode scanning, manual input, etc. The location can be represented by the calculated two-dimensional or three-dimensional coordinates in the space, and the item can be picked up through the planned path to the location of the item, or the preset fixed path corresponding to the location.

[0107] In order to realize the above-mentioned picking operation, the picking unit 102 may have a certain data processing capability, so that the action device can execute the picking of the corresponding items according to the order information; or, the picking unit 102 may have a certain communication capability, so that it can receive the picking instructions generated by the external device according to the task assigned to it according to the order information, and perform the picking operation according to the picking method pre-associated with the picking instruction; or, the picking unit 102 may have both data processing capability and communication capability, so as to cooperate with the external device to complete the picking task.

[0108] In some examples, the first carrier 103 and / or the item may be provided with an information identification pattern, such as a one-dimensional code, a two-dimensional code, an RFID tag, etc., which may contain item attribute information (such as one or more of the item attributes, brand, origin, size, etc. of the item) and / or order information. The picking unit 102 may be equipped with a camera, a barcode scanner, or an RFID reader, etc., to collect the item attribute information / order information from the information identification pattern through 3D vision, 2D, barcode scanning, or RFID information reading.

[0109] In one possible implementation, the picking unit 102 can be communicatively connected with the camera, barcode scanner, or RFID reader (for example, via a wired interface connection), and the second carrier 104 to which the items in the current first carrier 103 belong can be obtained based on the comparison of the locally acquired item attribute information and the order information, thereby obtaining the location of the second carrier 104 through methods including but not limited to 3D vision, 2D vision, barcode scanning, manual input, fixed trajectory or any other method, and placing the items in the second carrier 104.

[0110] In one possible implementation, the action device of the picking unit 102 can integrate a network communication module and have network communication capabilities, such as a wired network communication module (such as a wired Ethernet card, etc.), or a wireless network communication module (such as WiFi, 2G / 3G / 4G / 5G mobile network communication module, or Internet of Things network communication module (such as NB-IOT, Zigbee, Lora module), etc.); or, the picking unit 102 includes a network communication device that is communicatively connected to the action device, such as a router, a switch, etc.

[0111] The picking unit 102 can receive item attribute information (or send out the collected item attribute information) and order information by accessing a communication network, so that the second carrier 104 to which the items in the current first carrier 103 belong can be obtained based on the comparison between the locally acquired item attribute information and the order information, so as to obtain the location of the second carrier 104 through methods including but not limited to 3D vision, 2D vision, code scanning, manual input, fixed trajectory or any other method, and place the items in the second carrier 104; or, receive a picking instruction generated according to the item attribute information and the order information, which can indicate the location of the second carrier 104 or the path to the location, so as to enable the picking unit 102 to perform the corresponding picking operation.

[0112] The sources of the information and instructions obtained from the communication network are, for example, a warehouse management system (WMS), a warehouse control system (WCS), a remote monitoring system (PLC), a server, or manual input.

[0113] The communication network may be a local area network or a wide area network, or may be an Internet network or an Internet-based Internet of Things network.

[0114] It is understandable that in order to improve picking efficiency, when the picking unit 102 performs picking operations on the current first carrier 103, it does not affect the first transportation system 101's transportation operations on the subsequent first carrier 103, and the waiting time of the subsequent first carrier 103 should be minimized. It is best that when the previous first carrier 103 is picked, the next first carrier 103 is delivered and the next wave of picking operations is carried out directly.

[0115] A deployment strategy can be generated by controlling one or more factors related to the delivery time of the first carrier 103 to achieve high efficiency. The deployment strategy can, for example, control the transmission speed of the first transport system 101, the time for each first carrier 103 to be delivered to the first transport system 101, the time for temporary storage in the temporary storage area 105, and one or more combinations of other factors.

[0116] like Figure 2 As shown, a schematic diagram of the structure of an item picking system in one embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0117] This embodiment is Figure 1 A variation based on the embodiment, in addition to the first transport system 201 and the picking unit 202 , the article picking system of this embodiment further includes a storage system 204 and an article storage and retrieval system 205 .

[0118] The storage system 204 is used to store each of the first carriers 203 for transferring the first carriers 203 to the first transport system 201 .

[0119] In one or more embodiments, the storage system 204 may be composed of, for example, shelves, each layer of which is provided with a position for placing each first carrier; the storage system 204 may have various structures, such as circular, rectangular, etc.

[0120] In one or more embodiments, the article storage and retrieval system 205 may be implemented by one or more transport robots, and corresponding to storage systems 204 with different structures, the implementation of the article storage and retrieval system 205 is also different.

[0121] See also Figure 3A~3C As shown, a structural schematic diagram showing the specific implementation of the storage system and the corresponding article storage and retrieval system in various embodiments is shown.

[0122] like Figure 3A As shown, in this embodiment, the shelves in the storage system 301A are distributed in a ring structure, and the item storage and retrieval system 302A includes a robot arm, which is arranged in the middle of the ring structure, and can take items from each shelf and put them into the first adjacent transport system (not shown) that can be reached. Optionally, the robot arm can be a 6-axis (degree of freedom), 7-axis (degree of freedom) or other robot arm.

[0123] like Figure 3B As shown, in this embodiment, the shelves in the storage system 301B are arranged in rows and columns to present a three-dimensional structure, and the item warehousing and retrieval system 302B includes a rectangular coordinate robot, which uses the rows, columns, and vertical directions of the three-dimensional structure as the three axes of the spatial rectangular coordinate system, so that it can move along the three axes to reach each storage space for accommodating the first carrier.

[0124] Optionally, the direct coordinate robot can reach the desired position by sliding along the pre-set slide rails or slideways along the three axes, and be placed in the accessible adjacent first transport system 303B.

[0125] like Figure 3CAs shown, in this embodiment, the storage system 301C can still adopt a three-dimensional structure, and the article storage and retrieval system includes a rectangular coordinate robot 302C and a mobile device 303C (such as AGV, RGV, manual push / pull cart, etc.). Since the first transportation system (not shown) is far away from the rectangular coordinate robot 302C, the rectangular coordinate robot 302C cannot directly place the first carrier to the first transportation system, and the mobile device 303C can be used to transport the first carrier.

[0126] Of course, although Figure 3B and 3C The storage system in the form of a three-dimensional warehouse used in the embodiment is presented as a rectangular structure, but this is only an example. Those skilled in the art can change it according to the teachings of this application, such as cylindrical, conical, polygonal, etc., and is not limited to the above embodiments.

[0127] exist Figure 2 In the embodiment, the article storage and retrieval system 205 is used to collect the first carriers 205 according to the identified locations of the articles loaded on each first carrier 205 or the paths related to the locations.

[0128] Optionally, the storage system 204 can receive external instructions, which indicate the attribute information of the items that need to be shipped out (such as the type and quantity of the items, etc.), and the storage system 204 selects the first carrier loaded with items with corresponding item attributes and notifies the item warehousing and outbound system 205 of its location information.

[0129] In one or more embodiments, the storage system 204 can display the location of the first carrier by means including but not limited to moving, lighting, or horn, and the item entry and exit system 205 can use collection components (such as cameras, sensors, barcode scanners), etc. to identify the location through 3D vision, 2D vision, and scanning, and collect the first carrier 205 at the corresponding position. Of course, in some embodiments, the location can also be identified manually; or, the storage system 204 can also send the location information (such as coordinates, etc.) of the first carrier 205 to the item entry and exit system 205 through a communication path, such as directly through a wired or wireless communication connection between the two; or forward the location information to the item entry and exit system 205 through an external device, etc.

[0130] Optionally, the action of the item warehousing and unloading system 205 collecting the first carrier 205 and placing it into the first transportation system may also be triggered by a received external instruction, i.e., the item warehousing and unloading system 205 is informed through an external device that the first carrier outbound action needs to be executed, and the location of the first carrier 205 that needs to be outbound is informed.

[0131] The sources of the external instructions in the above embodiments include: warehouse management system (WMS), warehouse control system (WCS), remote monitoring system (PLC), server notification, manual input, operation key trigger or any other similar instruction control method.

[0132] It should be noted that in other embodiments, the item storage and retrieval system 205 can also be replaced by manual means, so it is not necessary.

[0133] In this embodiment, the picking unit 202 places the picked objects into the second carrier 206 .

[0134] like Figure 4 As shown, a schematic diagram of the structure of an item picking system in one embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0135] This embodiment is Figure 1 Example of changes based on Figure 1 In the embodiment, the article picking system of this embodiment includes not only the first conveying system 401 and the picking unit 402, but also a second conveying system 403.

[0136] The picking unit 402 picks the required items from the first carrier 404 and puts them into the second carrier 405 ; the second transport system 403 is used to transport the second carrier 405 loaded with the currently picked items to the corresponding position of the next process.

[0137] In one or more embodiments, the second transport system 403 includes: a conveyor belt / line, an AGV, an RGV, a transfer cart, a mobile shelf, or one or more combinations of devices having similar docking functions.

[0138] In one or more embodiments, the second carrier 405 can be used as the second transport system 403 in the present application, that is, the second carrier 405 is a device having moving parts (such as rollers, sliders, slide rails or pulleys, etc.) and a loading space, such as a cart, or a mobile shelf with multiple compartments, etc.

[0139] In one or more embodiments, the second carrier 405 does not need to be movable, and the second transport system 403 may also include one or more third carriers (such as mobile shelves) loaded with the second carriers 405, and arranged at the picking unit 402 for the picking unit 402 to place the picked items; when some or all of the second carriers 405 on the third carrier complete the placement of the picked items (i.e., the above-mentioned completion of loading of sufficient items with the required item attributes determined by the order information), the third carrier or its loaded second carrier 405 that has completed the placement of the picked items can be sent to the position corresponding to the next process by manpower or by machine (such as AGV, RGV).

[0140] Among them, the next process can be further warehousing, caching or other processes, and the area to which the mobile shelves can be sent can be a storage system within the storage system, a temporary storage area in the conveying system, the mobile shelves can be transferred within the site to other picking units 402, an area on the downstream conveyor belt / line, a storage area in the factory, etc. As long as the spatial area has the same function, it can be deemed to fall within the scope of protection of this patent.

[0141] Correspondingly, the completion of loading the currently picked items by the second carrier 405 means that the second carrier 405 has been loaded with all the items specified in the corresponding order and can be sent to the packaging area; or, it has only been loaded with part of the items specified in the order and needs to be sent to other picking units 402 to continue placing the picked items; or, the second carrier 405 is sent to certain predetermined areas for temporary storage as required.

[0142] In an e-commerce scenario, if the second carrier 405 corresponding to an order completes the item picking required by the order, the package it packs corresponds to the order requirements and can be shipped to the customer corresponding to the order.

[0143] In addition, when there are multiple picking units 402, the attributes of the items in the first carrier 404 performing the picking operation may be different; therefore, the second transport system 403 may also transfer the second carrier 405 between the picking units 402 to quickly obtain the various required items, which is much more efficient than picking at only a single picking unit 402.

[0144] Taking Table 1 as an example, it is assumed that the second carrier X corresponds to order 1, and order 1 corresponds to 1 type A item, 3 type B items, and 2 type C items; X is initially located at picking unit 1.

[0145] The first carrier D loaded with type A items arrives at picking unit 1, and picking unit 1 picks one item from it and puts it into X. Soon after, the first carrier E loaded with type B items arrives at picking unit 2, and the second transport system 403 transports X to picking unit 2 again to load two type B items. It should be noted that this example does not limit the order in which type A, B, and C items are picked.

[0146] Alternatively, the first carrier D loaded with type A items arrives at the picking unit 1, and the picking unit 1 picks items from it and puts in X, but it is less than 1 portion; and the first carrier E loaded with type A items will soon arrive at the picking unit 2, then the second transport system 403 will transport X to the picking unit 2 to load enough type A items for 1 portion.

[0147] It can be understood that, for the circulation of the above-mentioned second carrier 405 between the picking units 402, a circulation strategy can be designed based on one or more of various factors such as the arrival of the first carrier 404 of each picking unit 402, the transportation speed of the second transportation system 403, the transportation time required by the second transportation system 403 between different picking units 402, the queuing time of the circulating second carrier 405 in each picking unit 402 that can be visited, and the competitive relationship between the second carriers 405, so as to efficiently complete the loading of items on each second carrier 405 required by the order information.

[0148] In one or more embodiments, the picking unit 402 or the second transport system 403 may be provided with a prompt device, such as an alarm light, a horn, a display screen or any other prompt device, for displaying to the second transport system 403 a prompt operation indicating that at least one second carrier 405 has completed loading the required picked items for transport to the next process. The second transport system 403 may be replaced by a human worker, who performs the transport of the second carrier 405 after seeing or hearing the prompt of the prompt device; optionally, the second transport system 403 may also be equipped with visual or auditory related components to locate the location of the second carrier 405 to be transported through image or voiceprint analysis.

[0149] More precisely, the second transport system 403 can execute transport according to external instructions, and the sources of external instructions include: warehouse management system (WMS), warehouse control system (WCS), remote monitoring system (PLC), server notification, manual input, operation key trigger or any other similar instruction control method.

[0150] like Figures 5A to 5C As shown, a schematic diagram of the structure of the cooperation between the first conveying system, the picking unit and the second conveying system in multiple embodiments is shown. It should be noted that these embodiments are only examples, and any embodiments with similar or identical functions can be replaced.

[0151] like Figure 5A As shown, in this embodiment, a cross-line picking solution is presented. The first transport system 501A can be implemented by a conveyor belt / line, with upper and lower double-layer entry and exit methods. The picking unit 502A is implemented by an action device (robot, such as a robotic arm) installed across the conveyor belt / line; the second transport system 503A can be implemented by a shelf (mobile or fixed).

[0152] like Figure 5BAs shown, in this embodiment, a dual-channel cross-line picking solution is demonstrated, the first transport system 501B can be implemented by two conveyor belts / lines, which are upper and lower double-layer entry and exit methods, and the picking unit 502B is implemented by a motion device (robot, such as a robotic arm) installed across the two conveyor belts / lines; the second transport system 503B can be implemented by a shelf (mobile or fixed).

[0153] like Figure 5C As shown, in this embodiment, a side-mounted picking solution is presented, wherein the first transport system 501C may be implemented as a conveyor belt / line, and the picking unit 502C and the second transport system 503C are respectively located on both sides of the first transport system 501C.

[0154] like Figure 6 As shown, the structure of a logistics picking system in an embodiment is shown.

[0155] In this embodiment, the solutions in the previous embodiments can be integrated, and the logistics picking system includes: a storage system 601, an item storage and retrieval system 602, a first transportation system 603, at least one picking unit 604, and a second transportation system 605.

[0156] In a specific example, the article in-and-out system 602 can put a first carrier 606 loaded with articles into the storage system 601, and upon receiving an external instruction, identify the location of the first carrier 606 as the target, take it out of the warehouse and send it to the first transport system 603; the first transport system 603 transports each first carrier 606 to one or more picking units 604; when the first carrier 606 arrives at the picking unit 604, the picking unit 604 can select the first carrier 606 according to an external notification message (for example, from a warehouse management system (WMS), a warehouse control system (WCS), a remote monitoring system (PLC), a server notification, a manual input, etc.). When the second transport system 605 obtains an external notification message (for example, from a warehouse management system (WMS), a warehouse control system (WCS), a remote monitoring system (PLC), a server notification, manual input, an operation key trigger, etc.) or a trigger signal (for example, a sensing signal from a sensor, information collected and recognized by a camera, for example, prompt information that all second carriers 607 on a mobile shelf have been loaded) to perform a transport operation, the second carrier 607 is transported to the position corresponding to the next process.

[0157] In addition, in actual scenarios, the storage system 601, the first transport system 603 and the picking unit 604 are reasonably arranged, for example, according to the scenario selection Figure 3A~3C A suitable storage system 601 structure is provided, Figure 5A~5CThe suitable structure of the picking unit 604 and the conveying system can make full use of the vertical space, and compared with the traditional method, the efficiency per unit area is greatly improved.

[0158] like Figure 7 As shown, a schematic diagram of the structure of an article picking system with an additional control system in an embodiment is shown.

[0159] In combination with the above, it can be seen that in order to improve the automated operation of the entire item picking system, the control system 708 can be configured to automatically coordinate the work of each other unit. The control system 708 can be applied, for example Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 4 , Figure 6 In the embodiment of Figure 6 The structure of the item picking system in the embodiment is taken as an example, but is not limited thereto.

[0160] In one or more embodiments, the control system 708 can be implemented through a service terminal in a centralized network, or through various electronic terminals with processing capabilities that collaborate in a distributed network. The service terminal and electronic terminal can be implemented by one or more servers, PCs, mobile terminals (smartphones or tablets) or other computer devices; the service terminal / electronic terminal in the control system 708 can be used to run software to implement a warehouse management system (WMS), a warehouse control system 708 (WCS), and / or a remote monitoring system (PLC).

[0161] The control system 708 and the item picking system are connected via a local area network, and the control system 708 is connected to the wide area network through a gateway device to communicate with the cloud; alternatively, the control system 708 is located in the wide area network and communicates with the item picking system by accessing the local area network through a gateway device.

[0162] In one or more embodiments, in order to obtain the situation of the item picking system, a collection component 709 such as a camera or a sensor may be set at one or more locations in the item picking system, such as the item outbound system 702, the picking unit 704, etc., to collect corresponding data and send it to the control system 708 for situation analysis (such as the aforementioned 3D vision, 2D vision, various perception algorithms of the Internet of Things, etc.), so as to generate instructions for controlling the units to perform corresponding actions based on the analyzed situation; of course, in other embodiments, each unit may also communicate with the cameras and sensors, analyze the situation by itself, and control itself to perform corresponding actions.

[0163] For example, optional but not required:

[0164] In one example, the 708 can be used to communicate with the first transport system 703 to adjust parameters such as its operating speed.

[0165] In one example, the control system 708 may be used to communicate with the picking unit 704 to generate notification information indicating that a first carrier 706 has been delivered to a picking unit 704 and send the notification information to the picking unit 704 to trigger its picking operation.

[0166] In one example, the control system 708 can be used to communicate with the second transport system 705 to generate a prompt message indicating that at least one second carrier 707 has completed loading the required picking items and send it to the second transport system 705 to trigger it to collect the second carrier 707.

[0167] In one example, the control system 708 can be used to communicate with the storage system 701 to inform the storage system 701 of the property information of the items to be taken out (such as the property and quantity of the items), and the storage system 701 selects the location information of the first carrier 706 loaded with the corresponding property of the items to notify the item entry and exit system 702. Optionally, the storage system 701 can display the location of the first carrier 706 by means including but not limited to movement, lighting, or speakers, and the item entry and exit system 702 can identify the location through a collection component 709 (such as a camera, a sensor, a barcode scanner), etc., and collect it; the storage system 701 can also send the location information (such as coordinates, etc.) of the first carrier 706 to the item entry and exit system 702 through a communication path, such as directly through a wired or wireless communication connection between the two, or through the control system 708.

[0168] In one example, the control system 708 can be used to communicate with the item storage and retrieval system 702 to trigger the item storage and retrieval system 702 to perform the operation of transporting each first carrier 706 between the storage system 701 and the first transport system 703. In a possible implementation, a camera or a sensor can be provided at the picking unit 704 to sense the arrival of the first carrier 706 and generate a corresponding trigger signal, and the camera or the sensor is in communication with the control system 708. After receiving the trigger signal, the control system 708 generates a corresponding notification and sends it to the picking unit 704 to trigger its picking operation.

[0169] In one example, optionally, each of the first carriers 706 may also be provided with an Internet of Things node, which includes a sensor and an Internet of Things network communication module, wherein the sensor includes, for example, one or more of an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a pressure sensor, an acceleration sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and a wireless positioning module (such as GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth), etc., to collect data and report it to the control system 708, and the control system 708 may analyze, for example, whether there is a shortage of material in the first carrier 706 (for example, the pressure sensor data shows that the pressure on the bottom of the carrier is too small, such as the infrared sensor or the ultrasonic sensor cannot detect the object due to the shortage of material, or due to the detection The distance changes and the signal value changes significantly compared to the initial value, etc.; of course, the camera can also be used to capture images to identify whether there is a shortage of materials), whether the first carrier 706 is working abnormally (for example, according to the wireless positioning module data, the first carrier 706 is stagnant in the temporary storage area), and whether there is a risk of explosive products in the first carrier 706 (for example, the temperature sensor data shows that the temperature is high), etc. One or more of the circulation information about the first carrier 706; similarly, the second carrier 707 and the third carrier can also be set with the above-mentioned Internet of Things nodes to provide their circulation information in the item picking system, so that the control system 708 can supervise and control the entire item picking system.

[0170] like Figure 8 , which is a schematic diagram showing the flow of the method for picking items in the embodiment of the present application. The method in this embodiment can be applied to the action device of the picking unit in the above-mentioned embodiment, that is, for example, a robotic arm.

[0171] The method specifically comprises:

[0172] Step S801: Acquire the arrival information of the first vehicle carrying items with preset item attributes.

[0173] In one or more embodiments, the source of the information on the arrival of the first vehicle may be a warehouse management system (WMS), a warehouse control system (WCS), a remote monitoring system (PLC), a server notification, manual input, an operation key trigger, etc.; of course, the information on the arrival of the first vehicle may also come from collection components such as cameras and sensors that are communicatively connected to the action device.

[0174] Step S802: Picking items that meet the item attributes required by the order information from the incoming first carrier and placing them in one or more second carriers corresponding to the order information.

[0175] Specifically, in some examples, the picking unit can be equipped with one or more cameras (which may also be used in conjunction with a depth sensor), a barcode scanner, etc., so that the action device of the picking unit can obtain the location of the item through 3D vision, 2D vision, barcode scanning, manual input, etc. The location can be represented by the calculated two-dimensional or three-dimensional coordinates in the space, and the item can be picked up through the planned path to the location of the item, or the preset fixed path corresponding to the location.

[0176] In some examples, the first carrier and / or the item may be provided with an information identification pattern, such as a one-dimensional code, a two-dimensional code, an RFID tag, etc., which may contain item attribute information (such as one or more of the item attributes, brand, origin, size, etc.) and / or order information. The picking unit may be equipped with a camera, a barcode scanner, or an RFID reader, etc., to collect the item attribute information / order information from the information identification pattern through 3D vision, 2D, barcode scanning, or RFID information reading.

[0177] In one possible implementation, the action device can be connected to the camera, barcode scanner, or RFID reader (for example, through a wired interface connection), and the second carrier to which the item in the current first carrier belongs can be obtained based on the comparison of the locally acquired item attribute information and the order information, so as to obtain the location of the second carrier through including but not limited to 3D vision, 2D vision, barcode scanning, manual input, fixed trajectory or any other method, and place the item in the second carrier.

[0178] In one possible implementation, the action device can integrate a network communication module and have network communication capabilities, such as a wired network communication module (such as a wired Ethernet card, etc.), or a wireless network communication module (such as WiFi, 2G / 3G / 4G / 5G mobile network communication module, or Internet of Things network communication module (such as NB-IOT, Zigbee, Lora module), etc.); or, the action device is communicatively connected to a network communication device, such as a router, a switch, etc.

[0179] Furthermore, the action device can receive item attribute information (or send out the collected item attribute information) and order information by accessing a communication network, so that the second carrier to which the item in the current first carrier belongs can be obtained based on the comparison of the locally acquired item attribute information and the order information, thereby obtaining the location of the second carrier through methods including but not limited to 3D vision, 2D vision, code scanning, manual input, fixed trajectory or any other method, and placing the item in the second carrier; or, receiving a picking instruction generated according to the item attribute information and the order information, which can indicate the location of the second carrier or the path to the location, so as to instruct the picking unit to perform the corresponding picking operation.

[0180] The sources of the information and instructions obtained from the communication network are, for example, a warehouse management system (WMS), a warehouse control system (WCS), a remote monitoring system (PLC), a server, or manual input.

[0181] like Fig. 9 As shown, a flow chart of the item picking control method in an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0182] The method can be applied to Figure 6 The control system in the embodiment can communicate with one or more of the item warehousing and retrieval system, the first transport system, the picking unit, the third transport system, and the collection component in the item picking system of the aforementioned embodiment to control them to operate in coordination.

[0183] Among them, although Fig. 9 What is shown is the coordinated control process of multiple units; however, if it is applied Figure 1 In the embodiment, the control system may also only send a notification message to inform the picking unit that the first carrier has arrived, instead of sending a notification message to the picking unit. Fig. 9 are limited to examples.

[0184] The method comprises:

[0185] Step S901: Communicate with the item warehousing and unloading system to enable it to identify the location of the first carrier as the target, remove it from the warehouse and send it to the first transportation system.

[0186] Step S902: When obtaining information that the first carrier has arrived at the picking unit, communicating with the picking unit to instruct it to perform a picking operation;

[0187] Step S903: When the second carrier is acquired to complete loading of the currently picked items, the second carrier is communicated with the second transport system to instruct it to transport the second carrier to a corresponding position of the next process.

[0188] It should be noted that, optionally, if a third carrier is loaded with multiple second carriers, then the third carrier can be transported to the corresponding position of the next process after all the second carriers in the third carrier are loaded; in other embodiments, there may be no third carrier, and the second carriers can move directly by themselves, which has been explained in the aforementioned embodiments. In this case, the second carrier can move directly to the corresponding position of the next process.

[0189] Optionally, the method may further include: when the first carrier loaded with items arrives at the item access system, communicating with the item access system to instruct it to place the first carrier into the storage system.

[0190] Alternatively, the method may further include: coordinating the action times among the item in-and-out storage system, the first transport system (which may include a buffer zone), and the picking unit to improve efficiency and reduce waiting time.

[0191] The specific implementation of the above steps has been described in the previous embodiments (for example Figure 7 The above is clearly described in the text of the embodiment, and therefore, it will not be repeated in this embodiment.

Claims

1. An article picking system, characterized in that: include: A storage system, an article storage and retrieval system, a first transport system, at least two picking units, a picking area, and a second transport system; The storage system is used to store each first carrier for transferring the first carrier to the first transport system; The article storage and retrieval system is used to transport each of the first carriers between the storage system and the first transport system; The first transport system is used to transport each first carrier carrying items with preset item attributes, and the first transport system is connected to a temporary storage area for storing and accessing the first carrier; The at least two picking units are connected to the first transport system, and are used to pick items that meet the item attributes required by the order information from the incoming first carriers, and place them on one or more second carriers corresponding to the order information. The picking units include one or more action devices, and the action devices include industrial robots. The picking units are used to pick items according to the locations of the items loaded on each of the identified first carriers, or the paths related to the locations; the picking area is used to receive the first carriers from the first transport system for a picking unit to perform a picking operation, and is used to output the first carriers to the first transport system, so that the picking operation performed by the picking unit and the operation of transporting the first carrier by the first transport system do not affect each other; The second transport system can transfer the second carrier between the picking units to quickly obtain various required items, and transport the second carrier that has completed loading the currently picked items to the corresponding position of the next process; for the transfer of the above-mentioned second carrier between the picking units, the transfer speed of the second transport system, the time required for the second transport system to transfer between different picking units, the queue time of the transferred second carrier in each picking unit that can be reached, and the competition relationship between the second carriers, the transfer strategy is designed; the first transport system includes a group of first conveying components and second conveying components corresponding to each picking unit, which are respectively used to transport the first carrier for entering or leaving the picking unit, and the picking unit includes a transfer device, which is used to transfer the first carrier between the first conveying component and the second conveying component, and the picking area is set on the transfer device; The article picking system further includes a fixing device for fixing the first carrier in the picking area; The article picking system further comprises a prompting device, which communicates with the picking unit and is used to display a prompting operation indicating that at least one second carrier has completed loading the required articles to be picked to the second transport system.

2. The article picking system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The order information is counted from multiple orders; each second carrier is used to load the items required for one of the orders.

3. The article picking system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first conveying member and the second conveying member are arranged in layers.

4. The article picking system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first conveying component and the second conveying component are arranged in parallel.

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