Cargo handling methods, warehouse management equipment, storage systems, media and products

Abstract

The present application provides a cargo handling method, warehouse management equipment, warehousing system, medium, and product provided herein, the method comprising: controlling a first robot carrying cargo to move to a first entrance among M entrances; controlling the first robot to place a first quantity of cargo at the first entrance, the first quantity being less than or equal to a second quantity. During the process of the robot placing the cargo, the warehouse management equipment can control the quantity of cargo placed by the robot, that is, the warehouse management equipment can control the first robot to place all or part of the cargo it carries, so that the first robot can place different quantities of cargo at different first entrances, balancing the cargo carrying capacity on the conveying path corresponding to each entrance, thereby preventing robot congestion and preventing the conveyor line from being locked.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with application number 202011642137.9 submitted to the China Patent Office, application date December 31, 2020, and the invention name is "Cargo handling method, warehouse management equipment, storage system, medium and product". Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of intelligent warehousing technology, and in particular to a cargo handling method, warehouse management equipment, warehousing system, medium and product. Background Art

[0003] Warehouses where goods are stored are usually equipped with conveyor lines for transporting goods, which can move the goods so that workbenches located in different locations in the warehouse can handle the goods.

[0004] In the prior art, conveyor lines are typically equipped with one or more entrances and one or more exits, depending on the direction of cargo transport. Robots can proceed to the entrances to place cargo (taking cargo from shelves onto the conveyor line) or to the exits to retrieve cargo (taking cargo from the conveyor line and returning it to shelves). The robot's movement path is typically configured to enter the conveyor line area from the entrance and exit the area from the exit.

[0005] Under existing control logic, when robots reach the entrance to place cargo, they typically place all the cargo they are handling onto the conveyor line at once. However, if all the cargo placed by all robots exceeds the conveyor line's capacity, the robots will be unable to place the cargo. In this situation, the robots must wait for other robots to remove cargo from the conveyor line and secure new locations before they can place more cargo. During this waiting period, robots can easily become blocked, reducing their cargo handling efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present application provides a cargo handling method, warehouse management equipment, storage system, medium and product, which can form a good cycle of smooth placement and removal of goods by robots, prevent robot blockage and avoid conveyor line locking.

[0007] In a first aspect, the present application provides a cargo handling method, which is applied to a warehouse management device, wherein a conveyor line includes M entrances and N exits, where M ≥ 1, N ≥ 1, and M and N are both integers; the method comprises:

[0008] Controlling a first robot carrying cargo to move to a first entrance among the M entrances, where the first entrance is an entrance in an idle state among the M entrances;

[0009] The first robot is controlled to place a first quantity of goods at the first entrance, where the first quantity is less than or equal to a second quantity, and the second quantity is the total number of goods to be placed on the conveyor line by the first robot.

[0010] In some embodiments, when the conveying line includes at least two inlets, the method further comprises:

[0011] The first quantity is determined.

[0012] In some embodiments, determining the first number includes:

[0013] When the first entrance is the entrance closest to the workbench, determining that the first number is equal to the second number;

[0014] When the first entrance is an entrance other than the entrance closest to the workbench among the M entrances, the first number is determined according to the third number, the fourth number, and the fifth number;

[0015] The third number is the number of goods to be placed by the robot at a second entrance other than the first entrance among the M entrances, and the distance between the second entrance and the workbench is smaller than the distance between the first entrance and the workbench;

[0016] The fourth quantity is the quantity of goods that can currently be placed on the conveyor line;

[0017] The fifth quantity is the total quantity of goods that can currently be taken out by the robots located at the N exits.

[0018] In some embodiments, determining the first quantity according to the third quantity, the fourth quantity, and the fifth quantity includes:

[0019] The first quantity is obtained by the following formula:

[0020] N1=N4+N5-N3

[0021] Among them, N1 represents the first number, N3 represents the third number, N4 represents the fourth number, and N5 represents the fifth number.

[0022] In some embodiments, when the delivery line includes one inlet, the first number is equal to the second number.

[0023] In some embodiments, controlling the first robot carrying the cargo to move to the first entrance among the M entrances includes:

[0024] When the M entrances include at least two idle entrances, determining the idle entrance closest to the workbench among the at least two idle entrances as the first entrance;

[0025] The first robot is controlled to move to the first entrance.

[0026] In some embodiments, further comprising:

[0027] Before the first robot completes placing all the goods to be placed on the conveyor line, if there is a third entrance, controlling the first robot to move to the third entrance, and placing the remaining goods to be placed at the third entrance;

[0028] The third entrance is an entrance in an idle state among the M entrances, and a distance between the third entrance and the workbench is smaller than a distance between the first entrance and the workbench.

[0029] In some embodiments, the method further comprises:

[0030] When the first robot completes placing all the goods to be placed on the conveyor line, controlling the first robot to move to a first exit among the N exits, where the first exit is an idle exit among the N exits;

[0031] The first robot is controlled to take out the goods processed by the workbench from the conveyor line at the first exit position.

[0032] In some embodiments, controlling the first robot to move to a first exit among the N exits includes:

[0033] When the N exits include at least two idle exits, determining the idle exit farthest from the workbench among the at least two idle exits as the first exit;

[0034] Control the first robot to move to the first exit.

[0035] In some embodiments, controlling the first robot to move to a first exit among the N exits includes:

[0036] When there are second robots at all of the N exits, controlling the second robots to leave the corresponding exits to obtain the first exit;

[0037] Control the first robot to move to the first exit.

[0038] In some embodiments, controlling the second robot to leave the corresponding exit to obtain the first exit includes:

[0039] The second robot located at the exit farthest from the workbench is controlled to leave to obtain the first exit.

[0040] In some embodiments, further comprising:

[0041] When the number of goods taken out by the first robot at the first exit position does not reach the maximum number of goods that can be stored by the first robot, if a second exit exists, controlling the first robot to move to the second exit, and taking out the goods processed by the workbench at the second exit position;

[0042] The second exit is an idle exit among the N exits, and the distance between the second exit and the workbench is greater than the distance between the first exit and the workbench.

[0043] In some embodiments, when the conveying line includes at least two inlets, it further includes:

[0044] The conveyor line is controlled to preferentially convey goods placed by the first robot located at the entrance closest to the workbench.

[0045] In some embodiments, controlling the conveyor line to preferentially convey goods placed by a first robot located at an entrance closest to a workbench comprises:

[0046] controlling the conveyor line to convey the goods on the first conveying path to the workbench; and,

[0047] In the process of controlling the conveyor line to convey the goods on the first conveying path to the workbench, controlling the conveyor line to suspend conveying the goods on the second conveying path until there are no goods on the first conveying path or the number of goods on the first conveying path is less than the maximum number of goods to be conveyed on the first conveying path;

[0048] Wherein, the first conveying path is the path for the conveying line to convey the goods placed by the first robot at the entrance closest to the workbench to the workbench;

[0049] The second conveying path is the path along which the conveying line conveys the goods placed by the first robot at an entrance among the M entrances except the entrance closest to the workbench to the workbench.

[0050] In some embodiments, controlling the conveyor line to preferentially convey goods placed by a first robot located at an entrance closest to a workbench comprises:

[0051] controlling the conveyor line to convey the goods on the third conveying path to the workbench; and

[0052] controlling the conveyor line to convey a sixth quantity of goods on the fourth conveying path to the workbench, wherein the sixth quantity is less than the total number of goods on the fourth conveying path, and the sixth quantity is determined based on the seventh quantity, the eighth quantity, and the ninth quantity;

[0053] The third conveying path is the path along which the conveying line conveys the goods placed by the first robot at the entrance closest to the workbench to the exit;

[0054] The fourth conveying path is a path for the conveying line to convey the goods placed by the first robot at an entrance among the M entrances except the entrance closest to the workbench to the exit;

[0055] The seventh quantity is the total number of goods on the third conveying path;

[0056] The eighth quantity is the quantity of goods that can currently be placed on the third conveying path;

[0057] The ninth quantity is the total quantity of goods that can currently be taken out by the robots located at the N exits.

[0058] In some embodiments, when the conveying line includes at least two outlets, it further includes:

[0059] The conveyor line is controlled to preferentially transport the goods processed by the workbench to the exit farthest from the workbench.

[0060] In a second aspect, the present application provides a warehouse management device, comprising:

[0061] at least one processor; and

[0062] a memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor;

[0063] The memory stores instructions that can be executed by the at least one processor, and the instructions are executed by the at least one processor to enable the warehouse management device to perform the above method.

[0064] In a third aspect, the present application provides a warehousing system comprising the above-mentioned warehouse management device and a robot controlled by the warehouse management device;

[0065] The robots include a first robot and a second robot;

[0066] The first robot is used to carry the cargo containing goods to the conveyor line;

[0067] The second robot is used to take out the goods from the conveyor line after the goods processing is completed by the workbench.

[0068] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores computer-executable instructions, and the computer-executable instructions are used to implement the above-mentioned cargo handling method when executed by a processor.

[0069] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product, comprising a computer program, which implements the above-mentioned cargo handling method when executed by a processor.

[0070] The present application provides a cargo handling method, warehouse management equipment, storage system, medium, and product, the method comprising: controlling a first robot carrying cargo to move to a first entrance among M entrances, the first entrance being an entrance that is idle among the M entrances; controlling the first robot to place a first quantity of cargo at the first entrance, the first quantity being less than or equal to a second quantity, the second quantity being the total quantity of cargo to be placed on the conveyor line by the first robot. During the process of the robot placing cargo, the warehouse management equipment can control the quantity of cargo placed by the robot, that is, the warehouse management equipment can control the first robot to place all or part of the cargo it carries, so that the first robot can place different quantities of cargo at different first entrances, balancing the cargo carrying capacity on the conveyor path corresponding to each entrance, thereby forming a good cycle in which the robot can smoothly place and pick up cargo, preventing robot congestion and preventing conveyor line lockup. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0071] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present application.

[0072] Figure 1 A diagram of an application scenario of the cargo handling method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0073] Figure 2A A schematic diagram of the structure of a robot provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0074] Figure 2B For this application Figure 2A A schematic structural diagram of a transport device in the illustrated embodiment;

[0075] Figure 2C This is a schematic structural diagram of a robot and a handling device thereof in the embodiment shown in this application;

[0076] Figure 2D For this application Figure 2A A schematic structural diagram of a transport device in the illustrated embodiment;

[0077] Figure 2E For this application Figure 2AA schematic structural diagram of another transport device in the illustrated embodiment;

[0078] Figure 2F For this application Figure 2A A schematic structural diagram of another transport device according to the illustrated embodiment;

[0079] Figure 2G For this application Figure 2A A schematic structural diagram of another transport device according to the illustrated embodiment;

[0080] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a specific application scenario of the solution of this application;

[0081] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a cargo handling method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0082] Figure 5 Another schematic diagram of the cargo handling method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0083] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a warehouse management device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0084] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a warehousing system provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0085] The above drawings illustrate specific embodiments of the present application, which will be described in more detail below. These drawings and the textual description are not intended to limit the scope of the present application in any way, but rather to illustrate the concepts of the present application to those skilled in the art by reference to specific embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0086] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, with examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, when referring to the drawings, identical numerals in different figures represent identical or similar elements, unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments are not intended to represent all embodiments consistent with the present application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatus and methods consistent with certain aspects of the present application, as detailed in the appended claims.

[0087] The following explains the application scenarios of the embodiments of the present application:

[0088] Figure 1 This is an application scenario diagram of the cargo handling method provided in the embodiment of the present application, such as Figure 1As shown, the cargo handling method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be run on electronic devices, such as computers, servers, etc., and can also be executed by warehouse management equipment or by other equipment in the warehousing system. The intelligent warehousing system 100 uses a robot 110 to extract and / or store goods on the shelf 120, and uses a warehouse management device 130 to perform path planning, status monitoring and scheduling on the robot 110, so that the robot 110 moves to a set position to extract or store goods. The warehouse management device 130 also stores the storage information of each storage location of the shelf 120 and the basic information of the goods to facilitate warehouse management. When there is an order task in the warehousing system 100, the robot 110 transports one or more goods 121 corresponding to the order task on the shelf 120 to the conveyor line area 140 to complete the order task.

[0089] Figure 2A A schematic diagram of the structure of a robot provided in one embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. Figure 2A As shown, the robot 80 includes a mobile chassis 83, a storage shelf 82, a handling device 84, and a lifting assembly 81. The storage shelf 82, the handling device 84, and the lifting assembly 81 are all mounted on the mobile chassis 83, and a plurality of storage units are arranged on the storage shelf 82. The lifting assembly 81 is used to drive the handling device 84 to move up and down so that the handling device 84 is aligned with any storage unit on the storage shelf 82, or aligned with the shelf and / or the goods. The handling device 84 can be rotated with the vertical direction as the axis to adjust its direction so as to align with the storage unit, or with the shelf and / or the goods. The handling device 84 is used to perform loading or unloading of goods so as to carry out the transportation of goods between the shelf and the storage unit.

[0090] Exemplarily, the storage shelf 82 can be selectively configured or not configured. When the storage shelf 82 is not configured, the robot 80 stores the goods in the accommodating space of the transport device 84 while the goods are being transported.

[0091] The robot 80 in the above embodiment can execute the steps related to cargo handling in the cargo handling method provided in any embodiment of the present application to realize cargo handling between the shelf and the workbench.

[0092] When the robot 80 performs the task of storing goods, the robot 80 moves to the position of the storage space where the goods are designated, and through adjusting components such as a rotating mechanism, cooperates with the transport device 84 to transport the target object from the storage unit of the robot body 81 to the shelf.

[0093] For example, Figure 2B For this application Figure 2A A schematic structural diagram of a transport device in the illustrated embodiment.

[0094] Exemplarily, the transport device 84 is mounted to a bracket 86 via a rotating mechanism 85. The rotating mechanism 85 is configured to rotate the transport device 84 relative to the bracket 86 about a vertical axis to align the transport device 84 with the storage unit, or with the shelf and / or cargo. The transport device 84 is configured to transport cargo between the storage unit and the shelf. If the transport device 84 is misaligned with the shelf and / or cargo, the rotating mechanism 85 can be used to rotate the transport device 84 relative to the bracket 86 to ensure that the transport device 84 is aligned with the shelf and / or cargo.

[0095] Figure 2C This is a structure of a robot and its handling device in the embodiment shown in this application. Figure 2A and Figure 2B It is understandable that, depending on actual conditions, the rotating mechanism 85 can be omitted. For example, the transport robot 80 moves along a fixed track. After moving near the shelf, the transport device 84 is always aligned with the shelf and / or goods, and the goods are arranged in the picking direction of the transport device 84.

[0096] For example, Figure 2D For this application Figure 2A Please refer to the structural diagram of a transport device in the embodiment shown in the figure. Figure 2B Facilitates understanding. Figure 2DAs shown, the handling device 84 includes a pallet 841 and a telescopic arm assembly. Pallet 841 is used to place cargo and can be a horizontally arranged flat plate. The telescopic arm assembly is used to push cargo placed on pallet 841 off pallet 841 or to pull cargo onto pallet 841. The telescopic arm assembly includes a telescopic arm 843, a fixed push rod 842, and a movable push rod 844. Telescopic arm 843 includes a left telescopic arm and a right telescopic arm. Telescopic arm 843 can be extended horizontally. In a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of telescopic arm 843 and parallel to pallet 841, telescopic arm 843 is located on one side of pallet 841. Telescopic arm 843 is powered by a motor, which transmits power via a sprocket mechanism. Depending on the actual situation, the sprocket mechanism can be replaced with a pulley mechanism, a screw mechanism, or other transmission mechanism. The fixed push rod 842 and the movable push rod 844 are both mounted on the telescopic arm 843 and can be extended together with the telescopic arm 843. Fixed push rod 842 and pallet 841 are located on the same side of telescopic arm 843. When telescopic arm 843 is extended, fixed push rod 842 is used to push cargo off pallet 841. A movable push rod 844 can be retracted into telescopic arm 843. When the movable push rod 844 is not retracted into telescopic arm 843, movable push rod 844, fixed push rod 842, and pallet 841 are all located on the same side of telescopic arm 843, and movable push rod 844 is located in the direction of extension of fixed push rod 842 along telescopic arm 843. The movable push rod 844 can be driven directly by a motor, or, depending on the actual situation, can be driven by a transmission mechanism such as a gear train or connecting rod mechanism. When the movable push rod 844 is not retracted into the telescopic arm and telescopic arm 843 is retracted, the movable push rod 844 is used to pull cargo onto pallet 841.

[0097] For example, the fixed push rod 842 of the transport device 84 can be designed as a finger rod structure similar to the movable push rod 844 .

[0098] Exemplarily, the handling device 84 can be designed as a structure in which the spacing width of the telescopic arm assembly is adjustable. When storing / retrieving goods, the spacing width of the telescopic arm assembly can be adjusted according to the size of the goods.

[0099] Exemplarily, the transport device 84 may further include a steering structure, such as a turntable, which may be used to change the orientation of the goods placed on its pallet 841 . Figure 2E For this application Figure 2A A schematic diagram of another transport device in the embodiment shown, combined with Figure 2E and Figure 2D It can be seen that the transport device 84 can also include a steering structure, that is, Figure 2E The turntable 845 in the tray is used to change the orientation of the goods placed on its pallet 841.

[0100] For example, Figure 2F For this application Figure 2AA schematic structural diagram of another transport device according to the embodiment shown in FIG. Figure 2F As shown, the transport device 84a includes one or more suction cups 846 mounted on a fixed push rod 842, which can be rod-shaped or plate-shaped. When storing or retrieving goods, the fixed push rod 842 can be driven to move in a forward or reverse direction toward the goods and / or the shelf. The suction cups 846 absorb the goods, coordinating with the movement of the fixed push rod 842 to transport the goods to the shelf or to the pallet 841.

[0101] For example, Figure 2G For this application Figure 2A A schematic diagram of the structure of another transport device according to the embodiment shown. Figure 2G As shown, the handling device 84b includes one or more robotic arms 847, which are positioned appropriately on the fixed push rod 842 and / or the handling device 84b. When storing or retrieving goods, the fixed push rod 842 can be driven to move in a forward or reverse direction toward the goods and / or the shelf. The robotic arms 847 grab or hook the goods, coordinating with the displacement of the fixed push rod 842 to move the goods to the shelf or to the pallet 841.

[0102] Exemplarily, the transport device (84a, 84b) may further include a steering structure, such as Figure 2E 、 Figure 2F The turntable 845 in the tray is used to change the orientation of the goods placed on its pallet 841.

[0103] The transport device structure of the embodiment shown in the present application may include one or more combinations of the above examples.

[0104] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a specific application scenario of the solution of this application. Figure 3 Can be applied to Figure 1 The intelligent warehousing system shown in Figure 3 As shown, a warehouse for storing goods is typically equipped with shelves for storing goods, conveyor lines for transporting goods, and robots for handling goods. The robots can move goods from the shelves to the conveyor lines, which can then move the goods so that workbenches located on the conveyor lines can process the goods. After the workbenches have completed the goods processing, the robots move the goods back to the shelves or other destinations. Warehouse management equipment can send control commands to the robots and conveyor lines to control their operating status.

[0105] refer to Figure 3, the movement path of the robot for carrying goods on the conveyor line in the warehouse can be roughly divided into three areas, namely the first area P1, the second area P2 and the third area P3. Specifically, after taking the goods from the shelf, the robot enters the first area P1. When the number of robots is large, it can queue up in the first area P1. In addition, the robot can move in the second area P2 to go to different positions of the conveyor line. It can be understood that the second area P2 can be set according to the entrance and exit positions of the conveyor line to facilitate the movement of the robot to different positions of the conveyor line; the first area P1 can partially surround the second area P2 to reduce the floor space. At the same time, it can also avoid the robots waiting in line in the first area P1 from affecting the movement paths of other robots performing other tasks (such as blocking the movement of other robots, etc.). In addition, the robot can leave from the third area P3 (surrounded by the first area P1, the robot cannot leave directly from the second area P2) to carry the goods back to the shelf or other destination.

[0106] refer to Figure 3 According to the direction of cargo transportation on the conveyor line, the conveyor line is usually equipped with one or more entrances and one or more exits. The robot can go to the entrance through the first area P1 to place cargo (place cargo taken from the shelf on the conveyor line), or go to other entrances through the second area P2 to place cargo, or go to the exit through the second area P2 to pick up cargo (take cargo from the conveyor line and put it back on the shelf), and then leave through the third area P3. For example, Figure 3 The conveying line includes two inlets (A inlet and B inlet) and two outlets (C outlet and D outlet).

[0107] The robot's moving direction is as follows Figure 3 As shown by the dashed arrows in the figure. After entering the first area P1, the robot can place goods at entrance A or move to another entrance (such as entrance B) in the second area P2 to place goods. The robot can also move to an exit (such as exit C or exit D) in the second area P2 to remove goods from the conveyor line and then leave the third area P3.

[0108] It should be noted that in this application, the paths for the robot to go to the entrance position and from the entrance position to the exit position are all one-way movement paths to ensure the smoothness and orderliness of the robot's movement. In addition, the path for the robot to move between different exits can be set as a two-way movement path. For example, the path between exit C and exit D can be set as a two-way movement to cope with special circumstances. For example: when there is only a robot picking up goods at exit D on the conveyor line, and no subsequent robots on the entire conveyor line come to carry out cargo handling, that is, exit D is the last robot, however, at this time there is still cargo to be picked up at exit C. Therefore, the robot at exit D can return to exit C to pick up the goods after picking up the goods at exit D.

[0109] In addition, there are multiple cargo placement positions on the conveyor line ( Figure 3 Each cargo placement position can hold one cargo, and the robot can place the cargo at the entrance (e.g. Figure 3 The goods are placed on the A entrance and B entrance in the conveyor line, and then the conveyor line transports the goods to the workbench for goods processing. For example, Figure 3 The conveyor line shown is provided with 14 cargo placement positions in total, that is, 14 pieces of cargo can be placed on the conveyor line at the same time.

[0110] Optionally, the robot can be divided into a first robot and a second robot.

[0111] Among them, the first robot is mainly used to take goods from the shelf and transport them to the conveyor line through the first area P1, that is, the working logic of the first robot includes: picking up goods from the shelf - transporting goods to the conveyor line entrance through the first area P1 - placing goods at the entrance - leaving the conveyor line through the second area P2 and the third area P3.

[0112] The second robot is mainly used to take the goods processed by the workbench from the conveyor line and move them back to the shelves or other destinations. That is, the working logic of the first robot includes: going to the conveyor line exit through the first area P1 and the second area P2 - taking out the goods at the exit position - leaving the conveyor line through the third area P3 - moving the taken out goods back to the shelves or other destinations.

[0113] Under existing control logic, when robots reach the entrance to place cargo, they typically place all the cargo they are handling onto the conveyor line at once. However, if all the cargo placed by all robots exceeds the conveyor line's capacity, the robots will be unable to place the cargo. In this situation, the robots must wait for other robots to remove cargo from the conveyor line and secure new locations before they can place more cargo. During this waiting period, robots can easily become blocked, reducing their cargo handling efficiency.

[0114] For example, Robot A and Robot B each carry 8 pieces of cargo. Robot A and Robot B go to Entrance A and Entrance B, respectively, to place the cargo. Robot A can place the cargo at position 1, which is then transported by the conveyor line to positions 2-5 and 7-14. Robot B can place the cargo at position 6, which is then transported by the conveyor line to positions 5-14. Only after Robot B has placed all 8 pieces of cargo can it proceed to Exit C or Exit D to pick up the cargo. However, if Robot A places all 8 pieces of cargo first, there will be fewer than 8 available cargo placement slots on the conveyor line. That is, Robot B cannot place all 8 pieces of cargo it has loaded. Therefore, before Robot B has completely placed the cargo, Robot B cannot proceed to the exit position. At this time, since there is no robot to pick up the cargo, the cargo on the conveyor line cannot be removed. Moreover, the two entrances are already occupied by Robot A and Robot B, and new robots cannot enter. This causes the robots to block each other, resulting in a "locked" conveyor line.

[0115] The cargo handling method, warehouse management equipment, storage system, medium and products provided in this application are intended to solve the above technical problems of the prior art.

[0116] The existing technology causes robots to block each other. The main reason is that the number of goods that can be placed on the conveyor line at the same time is limited, and the robot's cargo placement logic is to place all the goods it carries on the conveyor line. When the number of entrances is large (greater than or equal to two), if the number of goods placed by the robot exceeds the number of cargo placement positions on the conveyor line, the robots will be blocked.

[0117] Based on this, the main idea of ​​this application is: during the process of the robot placing goods, the warehouse management device can control the amount of goods placed by the robot, that is, the warehouse management device can control the first robot to place all or part of the goods it carries, so that the first robot can place different amounts of goods at different first entrances, balancing the cargo carrying capacity on the conveying path corresponding to each entrance. Thus, a good cycle is formed in which the robot can smoothly place and pick up goods, preventing the robot from being blocked and the conveyor line from being locked. For example: during the process of the robot placing goods, the warehouse management device can control the robot to place all or part of the goods it carries based on the specific position of the first entrance on the conveyor line and the current cargo placement situation of the conveyor line.

[0118] The following specific embodiments describe in detail the technical solution of the present application and how the technical solution of the present application solves the above-mentioned technical problems. The following specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be repeated in some embodiments. The embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0119] It is understood that the processing steps of the cargo handling method in this application can be Figure 3 The warehouse management equipment shown is implemented.

[0120] In some embodiments, a cargo handling method is provided for use in warehouse management equipment, wherein a conveyor line includes M entrances and N exits, where M ≥ 1, N ≥ 1, and both M and N are integers. The M entrances can be located upstream of corresponding positions of a workbench on the conveyor line, and the N exits can be located downstream of corresponding positions of the workbench on the conveyor line. Thus, the conveyor line can transport cargo placed by a robot at the entrance to the workbench for processing, and transport cargo processed by the workbench to the exit for easy removal by the robot.

[0121] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a cargo handling method provided in an embodiment of the present application, such as Figure 4 As shown, the method mainly includes the following steps:

[0122] S110, controlling a first robot carrying cargo to move to a first entrance among the M entrances, where the first entrance is an idle entrance among the M entrances;

[0123] S130. Control the first robot to place a first quantity of goods at the first entrance, where the first quantity is less than or equal to a second quantity, and the second quantity is the total number of goods to be placed on the conveyor line by the first robot.

[0124] Among them, the first robot refers to a robot used to transport goods from the shelf to the conveyor line. During the process of transporting goods, the goods can be packaged or stored in a specific form, for example, they can be stored in a material box or other structure, so that the robot can perform the goods handling operation.

[0125] The conveyor line includes M entrances and N exits, specifically, it can include 1 entrance and 1 exit, that is, the conveyor line has a single-input and single-output structure; it can also include 1 entrance and multiple exits, that is, the conveyor line has a single-input and multiple-output structure; it can also include multiple entrances and 1 exit, that is, the conveyor line has a multiple-input and single-output structure; it can also include multiple entrances and multiple exits, that is, the conveyor line has a multiple-input and multiple-output structure.

[0126] For ease of understanding, the embodiments of this application are specifically described as follows: Figure 3The dual-input dual-output structure shown is taken as an example to explain the technical solution of the present application. It can be understood that the specific solutions of each embodiment can also be extended to a single-input single-output structure, other single-input multiple-output structures (such as single-input three-output, etc.), other multiple-input single-output structures (such as three-input single-output, etc.) and other multiple-input multiple-output structures (such as three-input four-output, etc.).

[0127] When cargo needs to be moved, the warehouse management system first determines a first entrance—that is, an entrance that is currently idle among the M entrances—and then controls a first robot carrying cargo to move to the first entrance. After the first robot arrives at the first entrance, the warehouse management system controls the first robot to place the cargo.

[0128] The difference between this embodiment and the prior art is that, during the process of placing goods, the quantity of goods placed by the first robot is a first quantity, and the first quantity is less than or equal to the second quantity, that is, the quantity of goods placed by the robot is less than or equal to the total number of goods to be placed by the first robot on the conveyor line (that is, the total number of goods loaded by the first robot). In other words, this embodiment controls the first robot to place all or part of the goods.

[0129] For example, if the total number of goods to be placed on the conveyor line by the first robot is 8 pieces, the warehouse management equipment can control the first robot to place only part of the goods at the first entrance, such as 2 pieces of goods (the remaining goods will be placed at the first entrance or at other entrances at other times in the future); or control the first robot to place all 8 pieces of goods at the first entrance in sequence.

[0130] Optionally, the warehouse management equipment can determine the specific quantity of goods placed by the first robot based on the specific position of the first entrance on the conveyor line and the current placement of goods on the conveyor line. For example, if the number of goods currently placed on the conveyor line is large and the cargo carrying capacity is large, the warehouse management equipment can control the first robot to place part of the goods; if the number of goods currently placed on the conveyor line is small and the cargo carrying capacity is small, the warehouse management equipment can control the first robot to place all the goods, etc.

[0131] In this embodiment, during the process of the robot placing goods, the warehouse management equipment can control the quantity of goods placed by the robot, that is, the warehouse management equipment can control the first robot to place all or part of the goods it is carrying, so that the first robot can place different quantities of goods at different first entrances, and balance the cargo carrying capacity on the conveying path corresponding to each entrance, thereby forming a good cycle in which the robot can smoothly place and pick up goods, preventing the robot from being blocked and avoiding the conveyor line from being locked.

[0132] In some embodiments, when the delivery line includes one inlet, the first number is equal to the second number.

[0133] Specifically, when the conveyor line includes only one entrance (i.e., M=1), the first robots loaded with goods all go to the entrance to place the goods. Therefore, the warehouse management equipment controls the first robots to place all the goods on the conveyor line. Thus, after the current first robot places all the goods and leaves the entrance, the following first robots can also go to the entrance to place the goods. In this way, all the first robots can place the goods smoothly, avoiding congestion of robots at the entrance.

[0134] Figure 5 Another schematic diagram of the cargo handling method provided in the embodiment of the present application is as follows Figure 5 As shown, when the conveying line includes at least two inlets, the method further includes:

[0135] S120: Determine a first quantity.

[0136] Specifically, the action of the first robot placing the goods is controlled by the warehouse management device. Therefore, before the first robot performs the action of placing the goods, the warehouse management device needs to first determine the first quantity, and then control the first robot to perform the action of placing the goods, that is, control the first robot to place part of the goods or all of the goods.

[0137] In this embodiment, the warehouse management equipment can determine the specific value of the first quantity based on the specific position of the first entrance on the conveyor line and the current placement of goods on the conveyor line, so that after the first robot places the first quantity of goods, it will not affect the normal operation of other robots, thereby preventing the robot from being blocked and avoiding the conveyor line from being locked.

[0138] In some embodiments, determining the first quantity includes: when the first entrance is the entrance closest to the workbench, determining that the first quantity is equal to the second quantity; when the first entrance is an entrance among the M entrances other than the entrance closest to the workbench, determining the first quantity based on the third quantity, the fourth quantity, and the fifth quantity.

[0139] Among them, the third quantity is the number of goods to be placed by the robot at the second entrance other than the first entrance among the M entrances, and the distance between the second entrance and the workbench is smaller than the distance between the first entrance and the workbench; the fourth quantity is the number of goods that can currently be placed on the conveyor line; the fifth quantity is the total number of goods that can currently be taken out by the robots located at the N exits.

[0140] Specifically, when the first entrance is the entrance closest to the workbench, for example Figure 3At the entrance B shown, at this time, the first robot needs to place all the goods on the conveyor line to go to the exit position. Therefore, the warehouse management equipment determines that the first quantity is equal to the second quantity, that is, the warehouse management equipment controls the first robot to place all the goods on the conveyor line.

[0141] When the first entrance is an entrance other than the entrance closest to the workbench among the M entrances, for example Figure 3 The A entrance shown in the figure, at this time, the second entrance in the M entrances except the first entrance is the B entrance, and the second entrance (B entrance) is the entrance closest to the workbench. If there are other robots parked at the second entrance, that is, at this time Figure 3 There is also a first robot placing goods at the entrance B shown. Since the first robot located at the entrance B places all the goods on the conveyor line, the warehouse management equipment needs to determine the quantity of goods that can be placed by the first robot located at the entrance A based on the third quantity, the fourth quantity and the fifth quantity, so as to prevent the situation where the first robot located at the entrance B cannot place all the goods on the conveyor line due to the excessive quantity of goods placed by the first robot located at the entrance A, thereby avoiding robot congestion.

[0142] In some embodiments, determining the first quantity based on the third quantity, the fourth quantity, and the fifth quantity includes: obtaining the first quantity by the following formula:

[0143] N1=N4+N5-N3

[0144] Among them, N1 represents the first number, N3 represents the third number, N4 represents the fourth number, and N5 represents the fifth number.

[0145] refer to Figure 3 The first quantity N1 can specifically represent the quantity of goods placed by the first robot located at entrance A, the third quantity N3 can specifically represent the quantity of goods placed by the first robot located at entrance B, the fourth quantity N4 can specifically represent the number of available goods placement positions currently idle on the conveyor line, and the fifth quantity N5 can specifically represent the total quantity of goods that can currently be taken out by the robots located at exits C and D.

[0146] Among them, when there is no robot picking up goods parked at Exit C and Exit D, the value of the fifth quantity N5 is 0; when there is a robot picking up goods parked at Exit C and / or Exit D, the value of the fifth quantity N5 can be determined based on the cargo loading capacity of the robots parked at Exit C and / or Exit D (for example, the number of empty storage units of the robots, etc.).

[0147] For example, reference Figure 3, assuming that robot A places goods at entrance A, and robot A is loaded with 8 pieces of goods; robot B places goods at entrance B, and robot B is loaded with 9 pieces of goods; there is no robot parked at exit C; robot D takes goods out at exit D, and the total number of goods that robot D can currently load is 2 pieces; the number of goods that can currently be placed on the conveyor line is 14 pieces, that is, the third number N3=9, the fourth number N4=14, and the fifth number N5=2, then the first number N1=N4+N5-N3=14+2-9=7, which means that robot A at entrance A can currently only place 7 pieces of goods, and robot A cannot place all the goods (8 pieces) on the conveyor line, otherwise it may cause robot congestion.

[0148] In some embodiments, controlling a first robot carrying goods to move to a first entrance among M entrances includes: when the M entrances include at least two idle entrances, determining the idle entrance closest to the workbench among the at least two idle entrances as the first entrance; and controlling the first robot to move to the first entrance.

[0149] Specifically, when there are at least two idle entrances, the warehouse management device can control the first robot to go to the idle entrance closest to the workbench. On the one hand, it can ensure that other first robots that subsequently move to the conveyor line position can smoothly go to other entrances to place goods; on the other hand, after the first robot completes placing the goods, it can go directly to the exit position, so as not to cause obstruction to other first robots.

[0150] For example, reference Figure 3 If both entrances A and B are currently idle, and entrance B is closest to the workbench, the warehouse management device controls the current first robot to go to entrance B to release the goods. Subsequent first robots can go to entrance A to release the goods without being blocked by the current first robot. Moreover, after the current first robot completes the release, it can go directly to exit C or exit D.

[0151] In some embodiments, it also includes: before the first robot places all the goods to be placed on the conveyor line, if there is a third entrance, controlling the first robot to move to the third entrance, and placing the remaining goods to be placed at the third entrance position; wherein the third entrance is an idle entrance among the M entrances, and the distance between the third entrance and the workbench is less than the distance between the first entrance and the workbench.

[0152] Specifically, in order to ensure that the first robot currently placing goods does not block subsequent robots, the warehouse management device can update the entrance where the first robot currently placing goods places goods in real time according to the status of each entrance of the conveyor line.

[0153] For example, reference Figure 3 In this scenario, robot R1 places cargo at entrance A, while robot R2 places cargo at entrance B. After robot R2 has finished placing cargo, it moves to exit C or exit D, leaving entrance B as an empty entrance. At this point, if robot R3 needs to place cargo while robot R1 is still placing cargo at entrance A, it will be blocked by robot R1 and unable to proceed directly to entrance B, causing robot congestion.

[0154] In this embodiment, when the warehouse management device determines that Entrance B has become an empty entrance and the distance between Entrance B and the workbench is less than the distance between Entrance A and the workbench, it can determine that Entrance B is now the third entrance that meets the conditions. Therefore, the warehouse management device can control the first robot R1 to move to Entrance B and place the remaining goods at Entrance B. Therefore, when the first robot R3 needs to place goods, it can smoothly move to Entrance A without being blocked by the first robot R1.

[0155] In this embodiment, the warehouse management equipment can update the entrance of the first robot that is placing goods in real time according to the status of each entrance of the conveyor line, thereby ensuring that the first robot currently placing goods will not block subsequent robots and avoid robot congestion.

[0156] In some embodiments, the method also includes: when the first robot has placed all the goods to be placed on the conveyor line, controlling the first robot to move to the first exit among N exits, the first exit being the exit that is in an idle state among the N exits; controlling the first robot to take out the goods after the workbench has completed the goods processing from the conveyor line at the first exit position.

[0157] Specifically, after the first robot completes the placement of all goods, the first robot has not left the conveyor line. At this time, if there is no second robot at the exit to pick up the goods, generally speaking, the existing technology is that the warehouse management equipment needs to first control the first robot to leave the conveyor line, and then control the second robot to go to the exit to pick up the goods.

[0158] However, in actual scenarios, the following situations may occur: Figure 3 The first robot R1 places the goods at entrance A, and the first robot R2 places the goods at entrance B. After the first robot R1 places the goods, there is no vacant goods placement position available on the conveyor line, and the goods of the first robot R2 have not been placed yet. At this time, due to the obstruction of the first robot R2, the second robot cannot go directly to exit C or exit D to pick up the goods, resulting in robot congestion.

[0159] In the above situation, in this embodiment, after the first robot R1 places the goods, the warehouse management device controls the first robot R1 to go to exit C or exit D to perform a pickup operation, thereby creating a new vacant cargo placement position on the conveyor line, allowing the first robot R2 to continue placing goods. After the first robot R2 places the goods, the warehouse management device can also control the first robot R2 to go to exit C or exit D to perform a pickup operation, thereby creating a new vacant cargo placement position on the conveyor line, allowing subsequent first robots to continue placing goods. Therefore, by controlling the first robot to perform the pickup operation, the warehouse management device can avoid robot congestion.

[0160] In some embodiments, controlling the first robot to move to the first exit among N exits includes: when the N exits include at least two idle exits, determining the idle exit farthest from the workbench among the at least two idle exits as the first exit; and controlling the first robot to move to the first exit.

[0161] Specifically, when there are at least two idle exits, the warehouse management device can control the current first robot to go to the idle exit farthest from the workbench. On the one hand, it can ensure that other first robots that subsequently move to the exit position can smoothly go to other exits to perform picking operations without being blocked by the current first robot; on the other hand, after the current first robot completes picking up the goods, it can leave directly from the exit position, so as not to cause obstruction to other first robots.

[0162] For example, reference Figure 3 If both Exit C and Exit D are currently idle, since Exit D is the farthest from the workbench, after the first robot R1 has finished putting the goods away, the warehouse management device controls the current first robot R1 to go to Exit D to pick up the goods. Subsequently, after the first robot R2 has finished putting the goods away, it can smoothly go to Exit C to pick up the goods without being blocked by the first robot R1. Moreover, after the first robot R1 has finished picking up the goods, it can directly leave through Exit D.

[0163] In some embodiments, controlling the first robot to move to the first exit among N exits includes: when there are second robots at all N exits, controlling the second robot to leave the corresponding exit to obtain the first exit; and controlling the first robot to move to the first exit.

[0164] Specifically, after the first robot places the goods at the entrance, if there is a second robot performing a picking operation at all exits at this time, the warehouse management device can force the second robot to leave to obtain the first exit, and control the first robot that has placed the goods to go to the first exit to perform a picking operation to avoid robot congestion.

[0165] In some embodiments, when the number of exits is one (ie, N=1), the warehouse management device directly controls the second robot at the exit to leave, thereby making the only exit the first exit, facilitating the first robot to go to the first exit to pick up goods.

[0166] In some embodiments, controlling the second robot to leave the corresponding exit to obtain the first exit includes: controlling the second robot located at the exit farthest from the workbench to leave to obtain the first exit.

[0167] Specifically, when there are multiple exits, since the second robot located at the exit farthest from the workbench can directly leave the conveyor line area, the warehouse management device can control the second robot located at the exit farthest from the workbench to directly leave. At this time, the exit farthest from the workbench becomes idle. At this time, when there are other robots at all the N exits except the exit farthest from the workbench, the first robot that has placed the goods cannot directly go to the exit farthest from the workbench due to the obstruction of the other robots. Therefore, the warehouse management device also includes a process of controlling the other robots to move, specifically, moving the other robots located at each exit position one exit position in a direction farther away from the workbench, so that the exit closest to the workbench becomes an idle exit.

[0168] For example, reference Figure 3 , assuming that the first robot R1 places the goods at entrance B, the second robot R2 picks up the goods at exit C, and the second robot R3 picks up the goods at exit D. After the first robot R1 completes the goods placement process, the first robot R1 needs to go to the exit to pick up the goods, but at this time there are second robots at both exits C and D, causing robot congestion.

[0169] For the above situation, in this embodiment, the warehouse management device can force the second robot R3 located at exit D to leave, so that exit D becomes idle; then, the warehouse management device controls the second robot R2 to move to exit D, so that exit C becomes idle, so that the first robot R1 can go to exit C to pick up goods, thereby solving the problem of robot congestion.

[0170] In some embodiments, it also includes: when the number of goods taken out by the first robot at the first exit position does not reach the maximum cargo storage quantity of the first robot, if there is a second exit, controlling the first robot to move to the second exit, and taking out the goods after the goods processing by the workbench at the second exit position; wherein the second exit is an idle exit among the N exits, and the distance between the second exit and the workbench is greater than the distance between the first exit and the workbench.

[0171] Specifically, in order to ensure that the first robot currently picking up goods does not block subsequent robots, the warehouse management device can update the pickup exit position of the first robot currently picking up goods in real time according to the status of each exit of the conveyor line.

[0172] For example, reference Figure 3 In this scenario, the first robot R1 picks up a package at Exit C, and the first robot R2 picks up a package at Exit D. After the first robot R2 meets the conditions for completing the package removal (e.g., it is fully loaded), the first robot R2 leaves Exit D, and Exit D becomes an empty exit. At this point, if the first robot R3 needs to pick up a package while the first robot R1 is still picking up a package at Exit C, the first robot R3 cannot go directly to Exit D due to the obstruction of the first robot R1, thus causing robot congestion.

[0173] In this embodiment, when the warehouse management device determines that Exit D has become an empty exit and the distance between Exit D and the workbench is greater than the distance between Exit C and the workbench, it can determine that Exit D is now the second exit that meets the conditions. Therefore, the warehouse management device can control the first robot R1 to move to Exit D and continue to pick up goods at Exit D. Therefore, when the first robot R3 needs to pick up goods, the first robot R3 can smoothly move to Exit C without being blocked by the first robot R1.

[0174] In this embodiment, the warehouse management equipment can update the exit of the first robot that is picking up goods in real time according to the status of each exit of the conveyor line, thereby ensuring that the first robot currently picking up goods will not block subsequent robots and avoid robot congestion.

[0175] In some embodiments, when the conveyor line includes at least two entrances, the method further includes: controlling the conveyor line to preferentially convey goods placed by the first robot located at the entrance closest to the workbench.

[0176] Specifically, when controlling the robot to transport goods, the warehouse management equipment may also control the working state of the conveyor line, that is, control the state of the conveyor line in transporting goods.

[0177] For example, reference Figure 3 The conveying path of the goods is represented by the number of the goods placement position. For the goods placed by the robot at entrance A, the conveying path on the conveyor line is 1-2-3-4-5-7-8-9-10 or 1-2-3-4-5-7-8-9-11-12-13-14; for the goods placed by the robot at entrance B, the conveying path on the conveyor line is 6-5-7-8-9-10 or 6-5-7-8-9-11-12-13-14.

[0178] To ensure that the robots at Entrance B can place all goods as quickly as possible before heading to the exit (to leave or pick up goods), the warehouse management equipment can control the conveyor line to prioritize the goods at Entrance B (i.e., position 6) and deliver them to the workbench according to the 6-5-7-8 conveying route for processing. After ensuring that the first robot at the entrance closest to the workbench (Entrance B) can place all goods, it will then deliver the goods placed by the first robots at other entrances (Entrance A). This allows the first robot at Entrance B to proceed to Exit C or Exit D to pick up goods after placing the goods, thus avoiding robot congestion.

[0179] In some embodiments, the conveyor line is controlled to preferentially convey goods placed by the first robot at the entrance closest to the workbench, including: controlling the conveyor line to convey the goods on the first conveying path to the workbench; and, in the process of controlling the conveyor line to convey the goods on the first conveying path to the workbench, controlling the conveyor line to suspend conveying the goods on the second conveying path until there are no goods on the first conveying path or the number of goods on the first conveying path is less than the maximum number of goods to be conveyed on the first conveying path.

[0180] The first conveying path is the path along which the conveyor line transports goods placed by the first robot at the entrance closest to the workbench. The second conveying path is the path along which the conveyor line transports goods placed by the first robot at any of the M entrances, excluding the one closest to the workbench. The first and second conveying paths specifically convey goods to the workbench.

[0181] Specifically, while the warehouse management equipment controls the conveyor line to prioritize transporting the goods on the first conveying path to the workbench, it can control the conveyor line to temporarily stop transporting the goods on the second conveying path, that is, control the conveyor line to only transport the goods placed by the first robot at the entrance closest to the workbench, thereby achieving the purpose of priority transportation.

[0182] When there is no goods on the first conveying path or the number of goods on the first conveying path is less than the maximum goods conveying number of the first conveying path, it means that the goods placed by the first robot at the entrance closest to the workbench have all been conveyed or placed. At this time, there is temporarily no new goods entering the conveyor line at the entrance closest to the workbench. Therefore, the warehouse management equipment can control the conveyor line to start conveying the goods placed by the first robot at other entrances except the entrance closest to the workbench.

[0183] For example, reference Figure 3In the figure, the first conveying path is specifically 6-5-7-8, and the second conveying path is specifically 1-2-3-4-5-7-8. When the first robot places goods at both entrance A and entrance B, when the warehouse management device controls the conveyor line to suspend the conveying of goods on the second conveying path, that is, the goods in the goods storage positions 1-4 remain stationary, and the first robot can place a maximum of 4 goods at entrance A. At this time, the warehouse management device controls the conveyor line to preferentially convey the goods placed by the first robot at entrance B to the workbench according to the conveying path 6-5-7-8. After determining that there is no goods on the first conveying path or the number of goods on the first conveying path is less than the maximum number of goods to be conveyed by the first conveying path, the conveying of the goods placed by the first robot at entrance A will begin according to the conveying path 1-2-3-4-5-7-8. In this way, it can be ensured that the robot placing goods at entrance B can go to the exit position as soon as possible, avoiding robot congestion.

[0184] In some embodiments, the conveyor line is controlled to prioritize conveying goods placed by the first robot at the entrance closest to the workbench, including: controlling the conveyor line to convey the goods on the third conveying path to the workbench; and controlling the conveyor line to convey the sixth quantity of goods on the fourth conveying path, the sixth quantity is less than the total number of goods on the fourth conveying path, and the sixth quantity is determined based on the seventh quantity, the eighth quantity, and the ninth quantity.

[0185] Among them, the third conveying path is the path for the conveyor line to transport the goods placed by the first robot at the entrance closest to the workbench; the fourth conveying path is the path for the conveyor line to transport the goods placed by the first robot at the entrance among the M entrances except the entrance closest to the workbench; the third conveying path and the fourth conveying path are specifically the paths for transporting the goods to the exit.

[0186] In addition, the seventh number is the total number of goods on the third conveying path; the eighth number is the number of goods that can currently be placed on the conveyor line; and the ninth number is the total number of goods that can currently be taken out by the robots located at the N exits.

[0187] Specifically, when the warehouse management equipment controls the working status of the conveyor line, it can set a cargo release mechanism to control the quantity of cargo delivered to the workbench through the fourth conveying path, on the premise that the first robot located at the entrance closest to the workbench can place all the cargo on the conveyor line.

[0188] For example, reference Figure 3, the third conveying path includes 6-5-7-8-9-10 and 6-5-7-8-9-11-12-13-14, the fourth conveying path includes 1-2-3-4-5-7-8-9-10 and 1-2-3-4-5-7-8-9-11-12-13-14, and the cargo storage position No. 4 can be set as the release position. The sixth quantity N6 can specifically represent the number of cargo on the fourth conveying path corresponding to the first robot located at the entrance A released to the downstream of the cargo storage position No. 4. The seventh quantity N7 can specifically represent the number of cargo on the third conveying path corresponding to the first robot located at the entrance B. The eighth quantity N8 can specifically represent the number of currently idle available cargo placement positions on the third conveying path. The ninth quantity N9 can specifically represent the total number of cargo that can currently be taken out by the robots located at exits C and D.

[0189] Among them, when there is no robot picking up goods parked at Exit C and Exit D, the value of the ninth quantity N9 is 0; when there is a robot picking up goods parked at Exit C and / or Exit D, the value of the ninth quantity N9 can be determined based on the cargo loading capacity of the robots parked at Exit C and / or Exit D (for example, the number of empty storage units of the robots, etc.).

[0190] In this embodiment, the sixth number N6 can be calculated using the following formula:

[0191] N6=N8+N9-N7

[0192] For example, suppose the first robot R1 places goods at entrance A and is loaded with 10 pieces of goods. Since position 4 is the release position, before the goods are released, the first robot R1 can currently only place 4 pieces of goods. The first robot R2 places goods at entrance B and is loaded with 6 pieces of goods. There is no robot parked at exit C. The robot R3 takes out goods at exit D, and the total number of goods that the robot R3 can currently take out is 5. The number of goods that can currently be placed on the conveyor line is 3, that is, the seventh number N7=6, the eighth number N8=3, and the ninth number N9=1. Quantity N9=5, then the sixth quantity N6=N8+N9-N7=3+5-6=2, which means that although the first robot R1 located at entrance A can place 4 pieces of cargo, the release position only releases 2 pieces of cargo (after releasing the cargo, the first robot R1 can place 2 more pieces of cargo, that is, the first robot R1 can place a total of 6 pieces of cargo), to ensure that the first robot R2 can place all the cargo on the conveyor line at entrance B, thereby ensuring that the first robot R2 placing the cargo at entrance B can go to the exit position as soon as possible to avoid robot congestion.

[0193] In some embodiments, when the conveyor line includes at least two exits, the method further includes: controlling the conveyor line to preferentially transfer the goods processed by the workbench to the exit farthest from the workbench.

[0194] For example, reference Figure 3 After the workbench completes cargo processing at position 8, if cargo storage positions 9-14 are all idle, the warehouse management equipment controls the conveyor line to prioritize transporting the processed cargo to Exit D (i.e., position 14). Since the robot that has placed the cargo also prioritizes going to Exit D to pick up the cargo, this ensures that the robot going to Exit D can pick up the cargo in a timely manner.

[0195] Optionally, if the warehouse management equipment determines that cargo storage locations 11-14 currently store processed cargo, the conveyor line is controlled to transport the cargo to exit C (i.e., location 10) to ensure that there is cargo to be taken out at each exit, so that the robot at each exit position can perform the picking operation, thereby creating new idle cargo storage locations on the conveyor line, thereby facilitating normal cargo transportation on the conveyor line.

[0196] It should be understood that, although the various steps in the flowcharts of the above embodiments are shown in sequence as indicated by the arrows, these steps are not necessarily performed in the order indicated by the arrows. Unless otherwise specified herein, there is no strict order restriction on the execution of these steps, and they may be performed in other orders. Moreover, at least a portion of the steps in the figure may include multiple sub-steps or multiple stages, and these sub-steps or stages are not necessarily performed at the same time, but may be performed at different times, and their execution order is not necessarily sequential, but may be performed in turn or alternately with other steps or at least a portion of sub-steps or stages of other steps.

[0197] In some embodiments, a warehouse management device is provided. Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the warehouse management equipment provided in the embodiment of the present application is shown as follows: Figure 6 As shown, the warehouse management device 60 includes: at least one processor 61; and a memory 62 communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein the memory 62 stores instructions that can be executed by the at least one processor 61, and the instructions are executed by the at least one processor 61 so that the warehouse management device 60 executes the cargo handling method of the aforementioned embodiment.

[0198] The memory and the processor are electrically connected, directly or indirectly, to enable data transmission or interaction. For example, these elements may be electrically connected to each other via one or more communication buses or signal lines, such as a bus connection. The memory stores computer-executable instructions for implementing the data access control method, including at least one software function module that can be stored in the memory in the form of software or firmware. The processor executes various functional applications and data processing by running the software programs and modules stored in the memory.

[0199] The memory may be, but is not limited to, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), etc. The memory is used to store programs, and the processor executes the programs after receiving execution instructions. Furthermore, the software programs and modules in the above-mentioned memory may also include an operating system, which may include various software components and / or drivers for managing system tasks (such as memory management, storage device control, power management, etc.), and may communicate with various hardware or software components to provide an operating environment for other software components.

[0200] The processor can be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. The above-mentioned processor can be a general-purpose processor, including a central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), etc. It can implement or execute the various methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0201] In some embodiments, a warehousing system is provided. Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a storage system provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown, the warehousing system 70 includes the warehouse management equipment 71 of the aforementioned embodiment and a robot 72 controlled by the warehouse management equipment; wherein, the robot 72 includes a first robot and a second robot; the first robot is used to transport the goods loaded with goods to the conveyor line; the second robot is used to take the goods out of the conveyor line after the goods processing is completed by the workbench.

[0202] In some embodiments, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, in which computer-executable instructions are stored. When the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor, they are used to implement the cargo handling method of the aforementioned embodiment.

[0203] In some embodiments, a computer program product is provided, comprising a computer program, which implements the cargo handling method of the aforementioned embodiment when executed by a processor.

[0204] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that all or part of the processes in the above-mentioned embodiments can be implemented by instructing the relevant hardware through a computer program. The computer program can be stored in a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium. When the computer program is executed, it can include the processes of the embodiments of the above-mentioned methods. Among them, any reference to memory, storage, database or other media used in the embodiments provided in this application can include non-volatile and / or volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can include read-only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), electrically programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM) or flash memory. Volatile memory can include random access memory (RAM) or external cache memory. By way of illustration and not limitation, RAM is available in various forms, such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDRSDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), synchronous link (Synchlink) DRAM (SLDRAM), memory bus (Rambus) direct RAM (RDRAM), direct memory bus dynamic RAM (DRDRAM), and memory bus dynamic RAM (RDRAM).

[0205] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate other embodiments of the present application after considering the specification and practicing the application disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present application that follow the general principles of the present application and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The description and examples are to be considered as exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the present application are indicated by the following claims.

[0206] It should be understood that the present application is not limited to the exact structure described above and shown in the drawings, and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present application is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A cargo handling method, applied to warehouse management equipment, characterized in that: The conveying line includes M inlets and N outlets, where: , , and M and N are both integers; the method comprises: Controlling a first robot carrying cargo to move to a first entrance among the M entrances, where the first entrance is an idle entrance among the M entrances, and the N exits of the conveyor line are all located downstream of the M entrances in a cargo transport direction of the conveyor line; When the first entrance is the entrance closest to the workbench, determining that the first number is equal to the second number; When the first entrance is an entrance other than the entrance closest to the workbench among the M entrances, the first number is determined according to the third number, the fourth number, and the fifth number; Control the first robot to place the first quantity of goods at the first entrance, where the first quantity is less than or equal to the second quantity, the second quantity is the total number of goods to be placed on the conveyor line by the first robot, the third quantity is the number of goods to be placed by the robot at the second entrance other than the first entrance among the M entrances, and the distance between the second entrance and the workbench is less than the distance between the first entrance and the workbench; the fourth quantity is the number of goods that can currently be placed on the conveyor line; and the fifth quantity is the total number of goods that can currently be taken out by the robots at the N exits.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The determining the first quantity according to the third quantity, the fourth quantity, and the fifth quantity includes: The first quantity is obtained by the following formula: N1=N4+N5-N3 Among them, N1 represents the first number, N3 represents the third number, N4 represents the fourth number, and N5 represents the fifth number.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that When the conveying line comprises one inlet, the first number is equal to the second number.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that The controlling the first robot carrying the cargo to move to the first entrance among the M entrances includes: When the M entrances include at least two idle entrances, determining the idle entrance closest to the workbench among the at least two idle entrances as the first entrance; The first robot is controlled to move to the first entrance.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that Also includes: Before the first robot completes placing all the goods to be placed on the conveyor line, if there is a third entrance, controlling the first robot to move to the third entrance, and placing the remaining goods to be placed at the third entrance; The third entrance is an entrance in an idle state among the M entrances, and a distance between the third entrance and the workbench is smaller than a distance between the first entrance and the workbench.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that The method further comprises: When the first robot completes placing all the goods to be placed on the conveyor line, controlling the first robot to move to a first exit among the N exits, where the first exit is an idle exit among the N exits; The first robot is controlled to take out the goods processed by the workbench from the conveyor line at the first exit position.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The controlling the first robot to move to the first exit among the N exits includes: When the N exits include at least two idle exits, determining the idle exit farthest from the workbench among the at least two idle exits as the first exit; Control the first robot to move to the first exit.

8. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The controlling the first robot to move to the first exit among the N exits includes: When there are second robots at all of the N exits, controlling the second robots to leave the corresponding exits to obtain the first exit; Control the first robot to move to the first exit.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The controlling the second robot to leave the corresponding exit to obtain the first exit includes: The second robot located at the exit farthest from the workbench is controlled to leave to obtain the first exit.

10. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that Also includes: When the number of goods taken out by the first robot at the first exit position does not reach the maximum number of goods that can be stored by the first robot, if a second exit exists, controlling the first robot to move to the second exit, and taking out the goods processed by the workbench at the second exit position; The second exit is an idle exit among the N exits, and the distance between the second exit and the workbench is greater than the distance between the first exit and the workbench.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein When the conveying line includes at least two inlets, it also includes: The conveyor line is controlled to preferentially convey goods placed by the first robot located at the entrance closest to the workbench.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The controlling the conveyor line to preferentially convey goods placed by the first robot located at the entrance closest to the workbench comprises: controlling the conveyor line to convey the goods on the first conveying path to the workbench; and, In the process of controlling the conveyor line to convey the goods on the first conveying path to the workbench, controlling the conveyor line to suspend conveying the goods on the second conveying path until there are no goods on the first conveying path or the number of goods on the first conveying path is less than the maximum number of goods to be conveyed on the first conveying path; Wherein, the first conveying path is the path for the conveying line to convey the goods placed by the first robot at the entrance closest to the workbench to the workbench; The second conveying path is the path along which the conveying line conveys the goods placed by the first robot at an entrance among the M entrances except the entrance closest to the workbench to the workbench.

13. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The controlling the conveyor line to preferentially convey goods placed by the first robot located at the entrance closest to the workbench comprises: controlling the conveyor line to convey the goods on the third conveying path to the workbench; and controlling the conveyor line to convey a sixth quantity of goods on the fourth conveying path to the workbench, wherein the sixth quantity is less than the total number of goods on the fourth conveying path, and the sixth quantity is determined based on the seventh quantity, the eighth quantity, and the ninth quantity; The third conveying path is the path along which the conveying line conveys the goods placed by the first robot at the entrance closest to the workbench to the exit; The fourth conveying path is a path for the conveying line to convey the goods placed by the first robot at an entrance among the M entrances except the entrance closest to the workbench to the exit; The seventh quantity is the total number of goods on the third conveying path; The eighth quantity is the quantity of goods that can currently be placed on the third conveying path; The ninth quantity is the total quantity of goods that the robots located at the N exits can currently take out; The sixth quantity is obtained by the following formula: N6=N8+N9-N7 Among them, N6 represents the sixth number, N7 represents the seventh number, N8 represents the eighth number, and N9 represents the ninth number.

14. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that When the conveying line includes at least two outlets, it further includes: The conveyor line is controlled to preferentially transport the goods processed by the workbench to the exit farthest from the workbench.

15. A warehouse management device, characterized in that: include: at least one processor; as well as a memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor; The memory stores instructions that can be executed by the at least one processor, and the instructions are executed by the at least one processor to enable the warehouse management device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. A storage system, characterized in that: comprising the warehouse management device according to claim 15 and a robot controlled by the warehouse management device; The robots include a first robot and a second robot; The first robot is used to carry the cargo containing goods to the conveyor line; The second robot is used to take out the goods from the conveyor line after the goods processing is completed by the workbench.

17. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium stores computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, are used to implement the cargo handling method according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

18. A computer program product comprising a computer program, characterized in that When the computer program is executed by a processor, the cargo handling method according to any one of claims 1 to 14 is implemented.

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