Method for operating a self-moving device and self-moving device

Abstract

The application provides a working method of a self-moving device and the self-moving device. The method comprises the following steps: obtaining commodity information on a target shelf; determining whether the target shelf is out of stock according to the commodity information; and in the case that the target shelf is out of stock, executing different replenishment strategies based on the passenger flow in a preset area of a shopping mall. The method in the application embodiment can reduce the security risks brought to customers when the self-moving device is working.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of electric tools, in particular to a working method of a self-moving device and the self-moving device. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the development of social economy, the quality of people's life is continuously improved, and the cost of labor is also continuously improved. More and more industries realize machine automation. Taking supermarkets as an example, many supermarkets currently begin to use replenishment robots to replenish goods. However, when the replenishment robot performs a replenishment operation, it may bring a safety hazard to customers shopping in the supermarket. SUMMARY

[0003] Therefore, the embodiments of the present application aim to provide a working method of a self-moving device and the self-moving device, to solve the problem that the self-moving device may bring a safety hazard to customers when working in the prior art.

[0004] In a first aspect, a working method of a self-moving device is provided, which includes: obtaining commodity information on a target shelf; determining whether the target shelf is out of stock according to the commodity information; and in the case that the target shelf is out of stock, performing different replenishment strategies based on customer flow in a preset area of a shopping mall.

[0005] In the embodiments of the present application, the self-moving device performs different replenishment strategies based on customer flow in a preset area of a shopping mall in the case that the target shelf is out of stock, which can effectively reduce the safety hazard brought to customers when the self-moving device works.

[0006] Further, before performing the different replenishment strategies based on customer flow in the preset area of the shopping mall, the method further includes: going to a warehouse to take goods and returning to the target shelf.

[0007] Further, the replenishment strategies include: performing a replenishment operation on the target shelf, placing goods to be replenished on a temporary shelf, and parking the self-moving device itself as a temporary shelf beside the target shelf.

[0008] In the embodiments of the present application, a suitable strategy can be selected from the replenishment strategies according to customer flow in the preset area, thereby helping to improve the working efficiency of the self-moving device while reducing the safety hazard.

[0009] Further, performing the different replenishment strategies based on customer flow in the preset area of the shopping mall includes: parking the self-moving device itself as a temporary shelf beside the target shelf in the case that the preset area is in a large customer flow scenario.

[0010] In the embodiment of the present application, in the case that the preset area is in a large passenger flow scenario, the self-moving device itself is parked as a temporary shelf beside the target shelf, which can reduce the security risks and enable customers to conveniently select and purchase the goods carried by the self-moving device, thereby improving the working efficiency of the self-moving device.

[0011] Further, different restocking strategies are executed based on the passenger flow in the preset area of the shopping mall, including: in the case that the preset area is in a small passenger flow scenario, performing a restocking operation on the target shelf.

[0012] In the embodiment of the present application, in the case that the preset area is in a small passenger flow scenario, the target shelf is normally restocked, which can improve the working efficiency of the self-moving device without affecting the customers (or causing too much impact on the customers).

[0013] Further, the target shelf is one of a plurality of shelves in the shopping mall, and the self-moving device is one of a plurality of self-moving devices, and the plurality of self-moving devices respectively restock the plurality of shelves.

[0014] In the embodiment of the present application, the types of goods placed on the plurality of shelves in the shopping mall can be different, at this time, the plurality of self-moving devices are used to respectively restock the plurality of shelves according to the types of goods placed on the plurality of shelves, which can improve the working efficiency of the self-moving device.

[0015] Further, the method further comprises: determining whether to use the current self-moving device to execute the restocking strategy according to the goods information on the target shelf, and if not, calling another self-moving device to execute the restocking strategy.

[0016] Further, the self-moving device comprises a working module for performing a restocking operation, and the method further comprises: using different types of working modules to perform the restocking operation according to the goods type information of the target shelf.

[0017] Further, the shopping mall is provided with an information management system, and the determination of whether the target shelf is out of stock according to the goods information comprises: in the case that the information management system performs an out-of-stock warning on the target shelf, determining whether the target shelf is out of stock according to the goods information.

[0018] In the embodiment of the present application, in the case that the information management system performs an out-of-stock warning on the target shelf, the determination of whether the target shelf is out of stock according to the goods information can timely determine the shelves that are out of stock in the shopping mall, thereby helping to improve the working efficiency of the self-moving device.

[0019] Further, the self-moving device comprises a patrol camera, and the obtaining of the commodity information on the target shelf comprises: obtaining the commodity information on the target shelf based on a patrol image captured by the patrol camera.

[0020] Further, the self-moving device comprises a patrol camera, and the method further comprises: determining whether a human body exists within a preset distance according to a patrol image captured by the patrol camera, and prohibiting the replenishment operation on the target shelf if it is determined that the human body exists.

[0021] Further, the self-moving device comprises a patrol camera, and the method further comprises: planning a replenishment path according to a patrol image captured by the patrol camera.

[0022] Further, the self-moving device comprises a communication module, and the method further comprises: sending, by the communication module, information about the out-of-stock target shelf, and / or receiving information about the flow of people in a preset area of the shopping mall.

[0023] Further, the flow of people in the preset area is determined according to a monitoring image captured by a monitoring camera of the shopping mall.

[0024] In the embodiments of the present application, the flow of people in the preset area can be accurately determined according to the monitoring image captured by the monitoring camera of the shopping mall. At this time, different replenishment strategies are executed based on the flow of people in the preset area, which can effectively reduce the security risks brought to customers by the self-moving device when it is working.

[0025] In a second aspect, a self-moving device is provided, comprising: a shell, a moving module, and a working module, wherein the self-moving device moves and works in a shopping mall, and further comprising: an obtaining module configured to obtain commodity information on a target shelf; a first determining module configured to determine whether the target shelf is out of stock based on the commodity information; and an executing module configured to execute different replenishment strategies based on the flow of people in a preset area of the shopping mall in the case that the target shelf is out of stock.

[0026] In the embodiments of the present application, different replenishment strategies are executed based on the flow of people in the preset area of the shopping mall in the case that the target shelf is out of stock, which can effectively reduce the security risks brought to customers by the self-moving device when it is working.

[0027] Further, the moving module is further configured to control the self-moving device to go to a warehouse to take goods and return to the target shelf.

[0028] Further, the replenishment strategies comprise: performing a replenishment operation on the target shelf, placing the goods to be replenished on a temporary shelf, and parking the self-moving device as a temporary shelf beside the target shelf.

[0029] In the embodiment of the present application, a suitable strategy can be selected from the restocking strategies according to the passenger flow in the preset area, thereby helping to improve the working efficiency of the self-moving device while reducing the security risks.

[0030] Further, the execution module is specifically configured to: in the case that the preset area is in a large passenger flow scenario, park the self-moving device itself as a temporary shelf next to the target shelf.

[0031] In the embodiment of the present application, in the case that the preset area is in a large passenger flow scenario, the self-moving device is parked itself as a temporary shelf next to the target shelf, which can make customers conveniently select and purchase the goods carried by the self-moving device while reducing security risks, thereby improving the working efficiency of the self-moving device.

[0032] Further, the execution module is specifically configured to: in the case that the preset area is in a small passenger flow scenario, restock the target shelf.

[0033] In the embodiment of the present application, in the case that the preset area is in a small passenger flow scenario, the target shelf is normally restocked, which can improve the working efficiency of the self-moving device without affecting customers (or causing too much impact on customers).

[0034] Further, the target shelf is one of a plurality of shelves in the shopping mall, and the self-moving device is one of a plurality of self-moving devices, and the plurality of self-moving devices respectively restock the plurality of shelves.

[0035] In the embodiment of the present application, the types of goods placed on the plurality of shelves in the shopping mall can be different, at this time, the plurality of self-moving devices are used to respectively restock the plurality of shelves according to the types of goods placed on the plurality of shelves, which can improve the working efficiency of the self-moving device.

[0036] Further, the self-moving device further comprises a second determination module configured to: determine whether to use the current self-moving device to execute the restocking strategy according to the goods information on the target shelf, and if not, call another self-moving device to execute the restocking strategy.

[0037] Further, the working module is configured to execute a restocking operation; and the execution module is further configured to: use different types of working modules to execute the restocking operation according to the goods type information of the target shelf.

[0038] Further, the mall is provided with an information management system, and the first determining module is specifically configured to: in a case where the information management system performs out-of-stock early warning on the target shelf, determine whether the target shelf is out of stock according to the commodity information.

[0039] In the embodiments of the present application, in a case where the information management system performs out-of-stock early warning on the target shelf, the target shelf is determined to be out of stock according to the commodity information, so that the shelf out of stock in the mall can be determined in a timely manner, thereby helping to improve the working efficiency of the self-moving device.

[0040] Further, the self-moving device further comprises a patrol camera, and the acquisition module is specifically configured to: acquire the commodity information on the target shelf based on a patrol image captured by the patrol camera.

[0041] Further, the self-moving device further comprises a patrol camera, and the self-moving device further comprises a third determining module configured to: determine whether a human body exists within a preset distance according to the patrol image captured by the patrol camera, and prohibit the execution of the restocking operation on the target shelf if it is determined that the human body exists.

[0042] Further, the self-moving device further comprises a patrol camera, and the self-moving device further comprises a path planning module configured to: plan a restocking path according to the patrol image captured by the patrol camera.

[0043] Further, the self-moving device further comprises a communication module configured to: send information about the out-of-stock target shelf, and / or receive the passenger flow information of a preset area of the mall.

[0044] Further, the passenger flow in the preset area is determined according to a monitoring image captured by a monitoring camera of the mall.

[0045] In the embodiments of the present application, the passenger flow in the preset area can be accurately determined according to the monitoring image captured by the monitoring camera of the mall, and at this time, different restocking strategies are executed based on the passenger flow in the preset area, which can effectively reduce the security risks brought to customers by the self-moving device when working.

[0046] In a third aspect, a self-moving device is provided, comprising a transceiver, a processor and a memory. The processor is configured to control the transceiver to transceive signals, the memory is configured to store a computer program, and the processor is configured to call and run the computer program from the memory, so that the self-moving device executes the method in the first aspect.

[0047] In a fourth aspect, a device for controlling a self-moving device is provided, which has the functions of the device designed to implement the method of the first aspect. These functions can be implemented by hardware, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more units corresponding to the above functions. Alternatively, the device can be a server or a controller arranged in a shopping mall.

[0048] In a fifth aspect, a device for controlling a self-moving device is provided, which includes a transceiver, a processor and a memory. The processor is configured to control the transceiver to transceive signals, and the memory is configured to store a computer program. The processor is configured to call and run the computer program from the memory, so that the device executes the method in the first aspect. Alternatively, the device can be a server or a controller arranged in a shopping mall.

[0049] In a sixth aspect, a chip is provided, which includes a processor and a data interface. The processor reads instructions stored on a memory through the data interface, and executes the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first aspect.

[0050] In a seventh aspect, a computer program product is provided, which includes computer program code. When the computer program code is run on a computer, the computer program code causes the computer to execute the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first aspect.

[0051] In an eighth aspect, a computer readable medium is provided, which stores program code. When the computer program code is run on a computer, the computer program code causes the computer to execute the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first aspect.

[0052] In the embodiments of the present application, the self-moving device executes different restocking strategies based on the passenger flow in the preset area of the shopping mall in the case that the target shelf is out of stock, which can effectively reduce the security risks brought to customers by the self-moving device when working. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0053] Figure 1 A schematic block diagram of a restocking system of a shopping mall according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0054] Figure 2 A schematic block diagram of a working method of a self-moving device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0055] Figure 3 A structural schematic diagram of a self-moving device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0056] Figure 4 A structural schematic diagram of a self-moving device according to another embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all the other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0058] With the development of social economy, the quality of people's life is continuously improved, and the cost of labor is continuously increased. Many industries have begun to gradually realize machine automation, for example, a replenishment robot can be used in a shopping mall to replace manual replenishment operation. For example, a replenishment robot can be used to determine a shelf with out-of-stock goods, and then the replenishment robot can also move to a warehouse to take goods and return to the shelf with out-of-stock goods to perform a replenishment operation. However, when customers are shopping in the shopping mall, the working replenishment robot can bring safety hazards to the customers, especially when the customer flow is relatively large, the risk can be higher.

[0059] Based on the above technical problem, the embodiments of the present application provide a working method of a self-moving device and a self-moving device, which can improve the safety of the self-moving device.

[0060] Referring to Figure 1 The embodiments of the present application provide a replenishment system 100 of a shopping mall, which can include a warehouse 110, a shopping mall 120 and a self-moving device 130. The warehouse 110 can include at least one shelf (for example, five shelves, i.e., shelf 112 to shelf 116) and a transfer station 111. The at least one shelf can be used to store goods, and the transfer station 111 can be used to place goods to be shipped out. For example, a warehouse administrator can place goods to be shipped out on the transfer station 111, so that the self-moving device 130 moves to the warehouse 110 (at the transfer station 111) to take the goods away; or the self-moving device 130 can also directly take goods from the warehouse. Figure 1 The shopping mall 120 can include at least one shelf (for example, five shelves, i.e., shelf 121 to shelf 125) and at least one monitoring camera (for example, five monitoring cameras, i.e., monitoring camera 121 to monitoring camera 125).

[0061] Figure 1 The shopping mall 120 can include at least one shelf (for example, five shelves, i.e., shelf 121 to shelf 125) and at least one monitoring camera (for example, five monitoring cameras, i.e., monitoring camera 121 to monitoring camera 125). Figure 1 ​Taking four cameras as an example (cameras 126-129), the at least one shelf can be used to display goods for sale. The at least one surveillance camera may include a communication module to facilitate communication with the self-moving device 130, the server 140, and the warehouse manager. The warehouse manager can communicate through a portable terminal device with communication capabilities, a communication device located at the relay station 111, or other communication devices; however, this embodiment is not limited to these methods.

[0062] The self-moving device 130 may include a housing, a moving module, a working module, a communication module, sensors, a battery, and other modules. The self-moving device 130 can be an intelligent robot that patrols and performs replenishment operations in a shopping mall. The self-moving device 130 may include multiple self-moving devices, for example... Figure 1 The image shows self-operated device 130a performing a restocking operation in store 120, while self-operated devices 130b, 130c, and 130d are waiting in waiting area 150. It should be noted that... Figure 1 The self-moving devices 130a-130d in this application are merely examples and not limitations. The number of self-moving devices 130 is not limited in this application embodiment.

[0063] Figure 1 System 100 may also include stops ( Figure 1 (not shown in the image), where the docking station can be a charging station. For example, the self-moving device 130 can automatically return to the charging station for charging when it stops working or needs to be charged.

[0064] The self-moving device 130 can patrol the shopping mall 120. During the patrol, it can acquire information about the goods on each shelf in the shopping mall 120 through sensors (e.g., a patrol camera installed on the self-moving device) to determine whether each shelf is out of stock. If a shelf is found to be out of stock, it can send a shortage information to the warehouse manager, informing them of the target shelf, the missing goods, and the quantity of the missing goods. After receiving the shortage information, the warehouse manager can place the corresponding goods on the transfer station 111. The self-moving device moves to the transfer station 111 to receive the goods and returns to the target shelf to perform a replenishment operation. Optionally, during the patrol of the shopping mall 120, the self-moving device 130 can also use sensors to identify and correct incorrectly placed or mispositioned goods.

[0065] The self-moving device 130 can communicate with the monitoring camera in the shopping mall 120, obtain a monitoring image captured by the monitoring camera, determine the passenger flow in a preset area of the shopping mall 120 according to the monitoring image, and execute different restocking strategies based on the passenger flow in the preset area. The preset area herein can refer to the entire shopping mall (i.e., the shopping mall 120) or a part of the shopping mall 120, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. In the embodiments of the present application, the passenger flow in the preset area can be accurately determined according to the monitoring image captured by the monitoring camera of the shopping mall, and different restocking strategies can be executed based on the passenger flow in the preset area, which can effectively reduce the security risks brought to customers by the self-moving device when it is working.

[0066] The passenger flow in the preset area can include a large passenger flow scenario and a small passenger flow scenario, and the restocking strategy can include performing a restocking operation on the target shelf, placing the goods to be restocked on a temporary shelf, and parking the self-moving device itself as a temporary shelf beside the target shelf. In the embodiments of the present application, a suitable strategy can be selected from the restocking strategies according to the passenger flow in the preset area, thereby helping to improve the working efficiency of the self-moving device while reducing security risks.

[0067] For example, assuming that the shelf 123 is the target shelf, in the case that the preset area is in a large passenger flow scenario, the self-moving device 130 can park itself as a temporary shelf beside the shelf 123 (i.e., the target shelf), which can make customers easily select and purchase the goods carried by the self-moving device while reducing security risks, thereby improving the working efficiency of the self-moving device; in the case that the preset area is in a small passenger flow scenario, the self-moving device can normally perform a restocking operation on the target shelf, which can improve the working efficiency of the self-moving device without affecting customers (or without causing too much impact on customers).

[0068] Alternatively, assuming that the shelf 121 is a temporary shelf, in the case that the preset area is in a large passenger flow scenario, the self-moving device 130 can also place the goods to be restocked on the shelf 121 (i.e., the temporary shelf); or the self-moving device 130 can directly stop at the original position (i.e., temporarily stop the restocking operation), and then continue to perform a restocking operation on the target shelf when the passenger flow in the preset area becomes small.

[0069] It should be noted that the above several restocking strategies are only examples and are not limited, and the self-moving device 130 can also execute other restocking strategies based on the passenger flow in the preset area, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0070] The self-moving device 130 can communicate with the monitoring camera in the shopping mall 120, obtain a monitoring image captured by the monitoring camera, determine the passenger flow in a preset area of the shopping mall 120 according to the monitoring image, and execute different restocking strategies based on the passenger flow in the preset area. The preset area herein can refer to the entire shopping mall (i.e., the shopping mall 120) or a part of the shopping mall 120, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. In the embodiments of the present application, the passenger flow in the preset area can be accurately determined according to the monitoring image captured by the monitoring camera of the shopping mall, and different restocking strategies can be executed based on the passenger flow in the preset area, which can effectively reduce the security risks brought to customers by the self-moving device when it is working.Figure 1 The self-moving devices (130a-130d) in the system can each be responsible for multiple different areas. The types of goods displayed on the various shelves in these areas can be different. Correspondingly, the working modules of the self-moving devices operating in these different areas can be different, or the self-moving devices operating in these different areas can be different. In this embodiment, the types of goods displayed on the various shelves in the shopping mall can be different. In this case, using multiple self-moving devices to replenish the various shelves according to the types of goods displayed on them can improve the working efficiency of the self-moving devices.

[0071] For example, such as Figure 1 As shown, the self-moving device 130b can operate in areas with light to medium weight and regular-shaped goods. The working module of self-moving device 130b may include grippers, allowing the self-moving device in this area to grasp the light to medium weight and regular-shaped goods. Self-moving device 130c can operate in areas with light to medium weight and irregular-shaped goods. The working module of self-moving device 130c may include a suction module, allowing the self-moving device in this area to suction the light to medium weight and irregular-shaped goods. Self-moving device 130d can operate in areas with heavy goods. The working module of self-moving device 130d may include a fork arm, allowing the self-moving device 130d to move via a guide rail, allowing the self-moving device in this area to lift the heavy goods using the fork arm. It should be noted that the above embodiments are merely examples and not limitations. The specific division of labor and structure of the multiple self-moving devices can be set according to actual conditions, and are not limited in the embodiments of this application.

[0072] Alternatively, in system 100, the self-moving device 130a patrols the shopping mall 120 and determines whether there are any out-of-stock shelves. If a target shelf is found to be out of stock, the self-moving device 130a can first determine whether the current self-moving device (i.e., self-moving device 130a) should perform the replenishment operation. If so, the self-moving device 130a will perform the replenishment operation; otherwise, the self-moving device 130a can call other self-moving devices (e.g., self-moving devices 130b, 130c, or 130d in waiting area 150) based on the products on the target shelf.

[0073] For example, if the target shelf is located in a small or medium weight, regular appearance commodity area, the working module of the self-moving device 130b is a gripper, the self-moving device 130a can call the self-moving device 130b to perform a restocking operation on the target shelf; if the target shelf is located in a small or medium weight, irregular appearance commodity area, the working module of the self-moving device 130c is a suction module, the self-moving device 130a can call the self-moving device 130c to perform a restocking operation on the target shelf; if the target shelf is located in a heavy commodity area, the working module of the self-moving device 130d is a fork arm, and the self-moving device 130d moves through a guide rail, the self-moving device 130a can call the self-moving device 130d to perform a restocking operation on the target shelf.

[0074] The small or medium weight, regular appearance commodity can include bottled commodities, canned commodities, and small box packaged commodities, etc., the small or medium weight, irregular appearance commodity can include small articles, plastic packaged commodities, and scattered piece commodities, etc., and the heavy commodity can include boxed beverages, bagged rice, and medium or large-sized electrical appliances, etc. Of course, the system 100 can also include other commodity areas and other types of self-moving devices, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0075] Figure 1 The system 100 in the embodiments of the present application can also include a management information system (MIS). The MIS system can determine the quantity of each commodity stored on each shelf in the shopping mall according to the delivery information of each commodity in the warehouse and the sales information of each commodity in the shopping mall, so as to determine the target shelf with a shortage of commodities, and issue a warning information (for example, the warning information can indicate the target shelf with a shortage of commodities, and various information of the commodity with a shortage, etc.). The specific working mode of the MIS system can refer to the prior art, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0076] In the embodiments of the present application, the self-moving device can determine whether the target shelf is short of commodities according to the commodity information in the case that the MIS system issues a warning for the target shelf with a shortage of commodities, so as to timely determine the shelf with a shortage of commodities in the shopping mall, thereby helping to improve the working efficiency of the self-moving device.

[0077] Figure 1 The system 100 in the embodiments of the present application can also include a server 140. The server 140 can control the self-moving device 130 to patrol in the shopping mall 120, and in the process of patrolling, can control the self-moving device 130 to acquire commodity information on each shelf in the shopping mall 120 using a sensor, and can also receive the commodity information sent by the self-moving device 130, and determine whether each shelf is short of commodities according to the commodity information.

[0078] The server 140 can also communicate with the monitoring camera and the warehouse administrator in the shopping mall 120, and in the case of finding the target shelf with out-of-stock, the server 140 can send the out-of-stock information to the warehouse administrator to inform the target shelf with out-of-stock, the out-of-stock goods, and the quantity of the out-of-stock goods.

[0079] The server 140 can also communicate with the monitoring camera in the shopping mall 120 to obtain the monitoring image captured by the monitoring camera, determine the passenger flow in the preset area of the shopping mall 120 according to the monitoring image, and control the self-moving device 130 to perform different restocking strategies based on the passenger flow in the preset area.

[0080] Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram of a working method 200 of the self-moving device in an embodiment of the present application. The method 200 can be performed by the self-moving device 130 in Figure 1 , or the server 140 in Figure 1 may control the self-moving device 130 to perform, for the convenience of understanding, the following embodiments will be described by taking the self-moving device 130 performing the method 200 as an example.

[0081] Figure 2 It is shown that the method 200 includes steps 210, 220, and 230, but these steps or operations are only examples, and other operations or Figure 2 of the method 200 in the embodiment, or not all steps need to be performed, or these steps can be performed in other orders.

[0082] S210, obtaining the goods information on the target shelf.

[0083] Optionally, the self-moving device can include a shell, a moving module, a working module, a communication module, a sensor, a battery, and other modules, the self-moving device can obtain the goods information on each shelf in the shopping mall through the sensor, and the goods information can include the category of the goods, the weight of the goods, and the storage location of the goods in the warehouse (for example, the shelf location or the shelf number of the goods in the warehouse, etc.), and the like. The self-moving device can also include a working module for performing a restocking operation.

[0084] The sensor can be a camera (which can be used to identify a bar code or a two-dimensional code, etc.), a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader / writer, or other sensors for sensing objects, and the goods information can be determined through image information, a bar code, a two-dimensional code, or other sensing information (collected by other sensors for object sensing).

[0085] For example, the self-moving device can include a camera (such as a patrol camera), and during the patrol, the self-moving device can capture a patrol image by using the camera to obtain the product information on each shelf in the shopping mall, so as to determine whether each shelf is out of stock.

[0086] Optionally, the self-moving device can have an environment recognition function.

[0087] For example, the self-moving device can determine, according to the patrol image captured by the camera, whether there is a human body within a preset distance, and if there is a human body, the self-moving device can prohibit performing the restocking operation on the target shelf.

[0088] For another example, the self-moving device can also determine, according to the patrol image captured by the camera, whether there is a fallen object or an object at risk of falling in the shopping mall, and if there is, the self-moving device can perform a falling warning.

[0089] For yet another example, the self-moving device can also perform obstacle avoidance according to the patrol image captured by the camera, so as to avoid various obstacles (such as products, shelves, or other self-moving devices) in the patrol process. The self-moving device can also determine an obstacle avoidance strategy according to the patrol image captured by the camera, for example, the obstacle avoidance strategy can include passing by the side of the obstacle, or detouring through the obstacle.

[0090] Optionally, the self-moving device can perform path planning. For example, the self-moving device can plan a patrol path or a restocking path according to the patrol image captured by the camera.

[0091] In some possible implementation manners, the target shelf is one of a plurality of shelves in the shopping mall, and the self-moving device is one of a plurality of self-moving devices, and the plurality of self-moving devices perform restocking for the plurality of shelves respectively. In the embodiments of the present application, different self-moving devices are used to perform restocking for different shelves according to the types of products placed on the shelves, which can improve the work efficiency of the self-moving device.

[0092] For example, the shopping mall can be divided into a plurality of different areas, and a plurality of self-moving devices can be arranged in the shopping mall, and the plurality of self-moving devices can be responsible for the plurality of different areas respectively, and the types of products placed on the shelves in the plurality of different areas can be different, and accordingly, the self-moving devices working in the plurality of different areas can also be different.

[0093] Of course, the self-moving device can also use other methods (such as vision technology) to obtain the product information, or the self-moving device can also obtain the product information through a monitoring camera of the shopping mall, and the present application is not limited thereto.

[0094] S220, determining whether the target shelf is out of stock according to the commodity information.

[0095] Further, the warehouse administrator can communicate with the self-moving device through a terminal device with communication function carried by the warehouse administrator, a communication device arranged at the transfer station 111, or other communication devices.

[0096] For example, in the case of discovering the target shelf out of stock, the self-moving device can send the out-of-stock information to the warehouse administrator to inform the target shelf out of stock, the commodity out of stock, and the quantity of the commodity out of stock, etc. The warehouse administrator can place the corresponding goods on the transfer station after receiving the out-of-stock information, so that the self-moving device moves to the transfer station to pick up the goods and returns to the target shelf to perform the restocking operation.

[0097] For another example, the self-moving device can also go to the warehouse to pick up goods by itself and return to the target shelf to perform the restocking operation.

[0098] Optionally, the shopping mall can be provided with an MIS system, which can perform the out-of-stock early warning for the shelves in the shopping mall. For example, the MIS system can issue a warning information when the target shelf in the shopping mall is out of stock, which can indicate the target shelf out of stock and various information of the commodity out of stock, etc. The specific working mode of the MIS system can refer to the prior art, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0099] In some possible implementation manners, the self-moving device can acquire the commodity information on the target shelf when the MIS system performs the out-of-stock early warning for the target shelf, and determine whether the target shelf is out of stock according to the commodity information, so that the shelf out of stock in the shopping mall can be determined in time, thereby helping to improve the working efficiency of the self-moving device.

[0100] Optionally, the self-moving device can also determine whether to use the current self-moving device to perform the restocking strategy according to the commodity information on the target shelf, and if not, call another self-moving device to perform the restocking strategy. Optionally, the self-moving device can use different types of working modules to perform the restocking operation according to the commodity type information of the target shelf.

[0101] S230, in the case of the target shelf out of stock, different restocking strategies are performed based on the passenger flow in the preset area of the shopping mall.

[0102] In the embodiments of the present application, the self-moving device performs different restocking strategies based on the passenger flow in the preset area of the shopping mall in the case of the target shelf out of stock, which can effectively reduce the security risks brought to customers when the self-moving device is working.

[0103] The preset area herein can refer to the entire shopping mall or a partial area in the shopping mall, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0104] The replenishment strategy can include: performing a replenishment operation on the target shelf, placing the to-be-replenished goods on a temporary shelf, and parking the self-moving device as a temporary shelf beside the target shelf. In the embodiments of the present application, the self-moving device selects a suitable strategy from the replenishment strategy according to the passenger flow in the preset area, which helps to reduce safety hazards while improving the working efficiency of the self-moving device.

[0105] It should be noted that the above several replenishment strategies are only examples and are not limited. The self-moving device 130 can also perform other replenishment strategies based on the passenger flow in the preset area, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0106] Optionally, the passenger flow in the preset area can be divided into large passenger flow and small passenger flow. For example, when the passenger flow in the preset area is greater than or equal to 20 people, it can be considered that the preset area is in a large passenger flow scenario; when the passenger flow in the preset area is less than or equal to 5 people, it can be considered that the preset area is in a small passenger flow scenario. Those skilled in the art can know that the division method of the passenger flow in the preset area herein is only an example and is not limited. Other methods can also be used to divide the passenger flow in the preset area, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0107] In some possible implementation ways, when the preset area is in a large passenger flow scenario, the self-moving device can park itself as a temporary shelf beside the target shelf, which can reduce safety hazards while allowing customers to conveniently select and purchase the goods carried by the self-moving device, thereby improving the working efficiency of the self-moving device.

[0108] Alternatively, when the preset area is in a large passenger flow scenario, the self-moving device can also place the to-be-replenished goods on a temporary shelf; or the self-moving device can directly stop at the original position, and then continue to perform a replenishment operation on the target shelf when the passenger flow in the preset area becomes a small passenger flow.

[0109] In some possible implementation ways, when the preset area is in a small passenger flow scenario, the self-moving device can normally perform a replenishment operation on the target shelf, which can improve the working efficiency of the self-moving device without affecting customers (or without affecting customers too much).

[0110] Optionally, the customer flow in the preset area can be determined according to a monitoring image captured by a monitoring camera of the shopping mall. Optionally, the self-moving device can further comprise a communication module, and the self-moving device can send information about the out-of-stock target shelf through the communication module. Optionally, the self-moving device can further receive customer flow information of the preset area of the shopping mall through the communication module.

[0111] For example, the self-moving device can further communicate with a monitoring camera in the shopping mall through the communication module to obtain a monitoring image captured by the monitoring camera, determine the customer flow in the preset area of the shopping mall according to the monitoring image, and execute different restocking strategies based on the customer flow in the preset area. Alternatively, the self-moving device can directly receive customer flow information of the preset area of the shopping mall through the communication module.

[0112] In the embodiments of the present application, the customer flow in the preset area can be accurately determined according to a monitoring image captured by a monitoring camera of the shopping mall. At this time, different restocking strategies can be executed based on the customer flow in the preset area, which can effectively reduce the security risks brought to customers by the self-moving device when it is working.

[0113] Of course, the self-moving device can also move to the warehouse to pick up a plurality of to-be-restocked goods on a plurality of target shelves after determining the plurality of to-be-restocked goods, and return to the shopping mall to sequentially execute restocking operations on the plurality of target shelves. That is, the self-moving device only needs to move to the warehouse once to restock the plurality of target shelves, thereby improving the working efficiency of the self-moving device.

[0114] Optionally, in the case that the to-be-restocked goods are goods with a shelf life, the self-moving device can execute a restocking operation on the target shelf according to the principle of "first in, first out" to ensure that customers can first take the goods previously placed on the target shelf.

[0115] Optionally, the self-moving device can adjust the height of the working module or itself to enable it to execute a restocking operation on shelves at high and low places.

[0116] Optionally, when the operation space is insufficient, the self-moving device can adopt certain strategies to execute a restocking operation. For example, the self-moving device can first move the items around the target shelf or other goods on the target shelf, and then put the items around the target shelf or other goods on the target shelf back to their original positions after completing the restocking operation.

[0117] Optionally, the self-moving device can also be associated with an elevator during the process of going to the warehouse to pick up goods and returning to the target shelf. For example, in the case where the warehouse is located on the second floor and the target shelf is located on the first floor, the self-moving device can go to the warehouse on the second floor to pick up goods through the elevator after finding the target shelf with out-of-stock goods, and then return to the target shelf through the elevator to perform a restocking operation.

[0118] The method embodiments of the present application are described in detail above in combination with Figure 1 and Figure 2 The device embodiments of the present application are described in detail below in combination with Figure 3 and Figure 4 It should be understood that the description of the method embodiments corresponds to the description of the device embodiments, and therefore, the parts not described in detail can be referred to the method embodiments described above.

[0119] Figure 3 is a schematic block diagram of the self-moving device 300 provided by an embodiment of the present application. It should be understood that Figure 3 The self-moving device 300 shown is only an example, and the self-moving device 300 of the embodiments of the present application can also include other modules or units.

[0120] It should be understood that the self-moving device 300 can perform each step in the method of Figure 2 In order to avoid repetition, the details are not described here.

[0121] In a possible implementation manner of the present application, the self-moving device 300 includes a housing, a moving module and a working module, as Figure 3 The self-moving device 300 further includes:

[0122] The acquisition module 310 is configured to acquire the commodity information on the target shelf.

[0123] The first determination module 320 is configured to determine whether the target shelf is out of stock according to the commodity information.

[0124] The execution module 330 is configured to perform different restocking strategies based on the passenger flow in the preset area of the shopping mall in the case where the target shelf is out of stock.

[0125] It should be understood that the self-moving device 300 herein is embodied in the form of functional modules. The term "module" herein can be implemented in the form of software and / or hardware, without specific limitation. For example, the "module" can be a software program, hardware circuit, or a combination of both, which implements the above functions. The hardware circuit can include an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), electronic circuit, processor (for example, a shared processor, a dedicated processor, or a group processor, etc.) and memory for executing one or more software or firmware programs, integrated logic circuit, and / or other suitable components supporting the described functions.

[0126] As an example, the self-moving device 300 provided by the embodiments of the present application can include a processor or a chip for executing the method described in the embodiments of the present application.

[0127] Figure 4 FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a self-moving device 400 according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 4 The self-moving device 400 shown includes a memory 401, a processor 402, a communication interface 403, and a bus 404. The memory 401, the processor 402, and the communication interface 403 are communicatively connected to each other through the bus 404.

[0128] The memory 401 can be a read only memory (ROM), a static storage device, a dynamic storage device, or a random access memory (RAM). The memory 401 can store a program, and when the program stored in the memory 401 is executed by the processor 402, the processor 402 is configured to perform various steps of the method of the embodiments of the present application, for example, can execute Figure 2 Various steps of the embodiments shown.

[0129] The processor 402 can be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits, for executing related programs to implement the method of the embodiments of the present application.

[0130] The processor 402 can also be an integrated circuit chip with a processing capability of signals. In the implementation process, various steps of the method of the embodiments of the present application can be completed by the integrated logic circuit of hardware in the processor 402 or the instructions in the form of software.

[0131] The processor 402 can also be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components. The methods, steps and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented or executed by the processor. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or the processor can also be any conventional processor.

[0132] The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be directly embodied as hardware code processing executed by the processor, or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the code processor. The software module can be located in the random access memory, the flash memory, the read only memory, the programmable read only memory or the electrically erasable programmable memory, the register or other mature storage medium in the art. The storage medium is located in the storage memory 401, and the processor 402 reads the information in the storage memory 401, and combines the hardware to complete the functions required by the units included in the self-moving device in the embodiments of the present application, or executes the methods of the embodiments of the present application, for example, can execute the various steps / functions of the embodiments shown in the embodiments. Figure 2 The steps / functions of the embodiments shown in the embodiments.

[0133] The communication interface 403 can use, but is not limited to, a transceiver such as a transceiver to realize the communication between the device 400 and other devices or communication networks.

[0134] The bus 404 can include a path for transmitting information between the components (for example, the storage memory 401, the processor 402, the communication interface 403) of the self-moving device 400.

[0135] It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, the processor can be a central processing unit (CPU), and the processor can also be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or the processor can also be any conventional processor, etc.

[0136] It should be understood that the term "and / or" in this document is merely used to describe associated relationship, and it is possible that three relationships exist, for example, A and / or B can mean that A exists alone, A and B exist together, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. In addition, the character " / " in this document generally indicates an "or" relationship between the front and rear associated objects, but it can also indicate an "and / or" relationship, which can be understood according to the context.

[0137] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "multiple" means two or more. "At least one of the following" or the like means any combination of the items, including any combination of single or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean a, b, c, a-b, a-c, b-c, or a-b-c, where a, b, and c can be singular or plural.

[0138] It should be understood that the order of the above processes in various embodiments of the present application does not mean the order of execution, and the execution order of the processes should be determined according to its function and inherent logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0139] In several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed system, device and method can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic, for example, the division of the units is only a logical function division, and actual implementation can have another division manner, for example, a plurality of units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection between the units shown or discussed can be indirect coupling or communication connection through some interface, device or unit, and can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0140] The units described as separate components can or can not be physically separated, and the components shown as units can or can not be physical units, that is, they can be located in one place, or can be distributed on a plurality of network units. Part or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the embodiment.

[0141] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application can be integrated into a processing unit, or each unit can exist physically, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0142] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented by software, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are generated. The computer can be a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer readable storage medium to another computer readable storage medium, for example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center through wired (such as coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (such as infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) mode. The computer readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be read by a computer or a data storage device such as a server, data center and the like integrated with one or more available media sets. The available media can be magnetic media (for example, floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), optical media (for example, digital video disc (DVD)) or semiconductor media (for example, solid state disk (SSD)) and the like.

[0143] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily think of changes or replacements within the technical range disclosed in the present application, which should be covered within the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for operating a self-moving device, characterized in that, include: Obtain product information on the target shelf; Determine whether the target shelf is out of stock based on the product information; When the shopping mall is open for business and the target shelf is out of stock, different replenishment strategies are implemented based on the customer traffic in the mall's preset area. The different replenishment strategies implemented based on customer traffic within a preset area of ​​the shopping mall include: In the case of a high-traffic area, the self-moving device itself can be used as a temporary shelf and parked next to the target shelf, or the goods to be restocked can be placed on the temporary shelf or parked directly in place. When the preset area is in a low-traffic scenario, a replenishment operation is performed on the target shelf.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before implementing different replenishment strategies based on customer traffic within a preset area of ​​the shopping mall, the process also includes: retrieving goods from the warehouse and returning to the target shelf.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The target shelf is one of a variety of shelves in the mall, and the self-moving device is one of a variety of self-moving devices, which replenish the various shelves respectively.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, Also includes: Based on the product information on the target shelf, determine whether to use the current self-moving device to execute the replenishment strategy. If not, call another self-moving device to execute the replenishment strategy.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The self-moving device includes a working module for performing replenishment operations; the method further includes: using different types of working modules to perform replenishment operations based on the product type information of the target shelf.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shopping mall is equipped with an information management system. Determining whether the target shelf is out of stock based on the product information includes: When the information management system issues a stockout warning for the target shelf, it determines whether the target shelf is out of stock based on the product information.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The self-moving device includes a patrol camera, and the acquisition of product information on the target shelf includes: acquiring product information on the target shelf by capturing patrol images based on the patrol camera.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The self-moving device includes a patrol camera, and the method further includes: determining whether there is a human body within a preset distance based on the patrol images captured by the patrol camera; if a human body is determined to be present, then restocking operations on the target shelf are prohibited.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The self-moving device includes a patrol camera, and the method further includes: planning a replenishment route based on the patrol images captured by the patrol camera.

10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The self-moving device includes a communication module, and the method further includes: sending information about the target shelf being out of stock through the communication module, and / or receiving customer flow information of a preset area of ​​the shopping mall.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The customer flow within the preset area is determined based on surveillance images captured by the mall's security cameras.

12. A self-moving device, comprising: The self-moving device comprises a housing, a moving module, and a working module, wherein the self-moving device moves and operates within a shopping mall, characterized in that the self-moving device further includes: The acquisition module is used to acquire product information on the target shelf; The first determining module is used to determine whether the target shelf is out of stock based on the product information; The execution module is used to execute different replenishment strategies based on the customer flow in a preset area of ​​the shopping mall when the mall is in operation and the target shelf is out of stock. The implementation of different replenishment strategies based on customer traffic within a preset area of ​​the shopping mall includes: In the case of a high-traffic area, the self-moving device itself can be used as a temporary shelf and parked next to the target shelf, or the goods to be restocked can be placed on the temporary shelf or parked directly in place. When the preset area is in a low-traffic scenario, a replenishment operation is performed on the target shelf.

13. The self-moving device according to claim 12, characterized in that, The mobile module is also used to control the self-moving device to go to the warehouse to pick up goods and return to the target shelf.

14. The self-moving device according to claim 12, characterized in that, The target shelf is one of a variety of shelves in the mall, and the self-moving device is one of a variety of self-moving devices, which replenish the various shelves respectively.

15. The self-moving device according to claim 14, characterized in that, The self-moving device further includes a second determining module, used to: determine whether to use the current self-moving device to execute a replenishment strategy based on the product information on the target shelf; if not, call another self-moving device to execute the replenishment strategy.

16. The self-moving device according to claim 12, characterized in that, The working module is used to perform replenishment operations; the execution module is also used to: perform replenishment operations using different types of working modules based on the product type information of the target shelf.

17. The self-moving device according to claim 12, characterized in that, The shopping mall is equipped with an information management system, and the first determining module is specifically used for: When the information management system issues a stockout warning for the target shelf, it determines whether the target shelf is out of stock based on the product information.

18. The self-moving device according to claim 12, characterized in that, The self-moving device also includes a patrol camera, and the acquisition module is specifically used to: acquire product information on the target shelf by capturing patrol images based on the patrol camera.

19. The self-moving device according to claim 12, characterized in that, The self-moving device also includes a patrol camera, and the self-moving device also includes a third determining module, used to: determine whether there is a human body within a preset distance based on the patrol images captured by the patrol camera, and if it is determined that there is a human body, then the replenishment operation on the target shelf is prohibited.

20. The self-moving device according to claim 12, characterized in that, The self-moving device also includes a patrol camera, and the self-moving device also includes a path planning module for: planning a replenishment route based on the patrol images captured by the patrol camera.

21. The self-moving device according to claim 12, characterized in that, The self-moving device also includes a communication module for: sending information about the target shelf being out of stock, and / or receiving customer flow information for a preset area of ​​the shopping mall.

22. The self-moving device according to any one of claims 12 to 21, characterized in that, The customer flow within the preset area is determined based on surveillance images captured by the mall's security cameras.

Images