Order processing method, task scheduling method, device and electronic equipment

Abstract

This application provides an order processing method, a task scheduling method, an apparatus, and an electronic device. In this embodiment, workstations in the warehouse are grouped together, with workstations that are close to each other or whose orders have the same business attributes being processed grouped together. When determining the shelf for a target order, it is first determined whether the shelf corresponding to the current workstation meets the requirements of the target order. If not, it is further determined whether the shelf corresponding to the current workstation group meets the requirements of the target order. This enriches the priority of shelf matching. Compared with determining the shelf solely based on the distance between the shelf and the current workstation, it can reduce the shelf handling distance, speed up order processing efficiency, and improve material outbound efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of robotics, and in particular to order processing methods, task scheduling methods, devices, and electronic devices. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, in logistics applications, the distance between workstations and shelves is often used to assign orders to the appropriate shelf. However, in logistics applications, there are many workstations, and due to space constraints or business needs, some workstations are concentrated while others are scattered. Therefore, using the distance between a single workstation and a shelf is not the optimal solution. For example, a shelf might be queued at the workstation closest to the current workstation, meaning the absolute distance between the shelf and the current workstation is short. However, due to space constraints, the actual distance between the shelf and the current workstation might be relatively long, making this shelf less than ideal. This could directly impact the processing efficiency of subsequent orders. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide an order processing method, a task scheduling method, an apparatus, and an electronic device, which, by setting up workstation groups, enrich the priority of shelf matching, reduce shelf handling distance, speed up order processing efficiency, and improve material outbound efficiency.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the embodiments of this application, an order processing method is provided, including:

[0005] For the target order to be processed, if it is found that the shelf corresponding to the current workstation does not meet the target order, then the current workstation group is determined; the current workstation group includes the current workstation and at least one other workstation; the distance between each workstation in the same workstation group meets the set distance requirement and the working passage between each workstation supports robot passage, and / or, the shelves corresponding to each workstation in the same workstation group support the same order business attributes;

[0006] In the current workstation group, at least one target shelf that matches the target order is identified, so that the materials required by the target order can be picked from the target shelf.

[0007] According to a second aspect of the embodiments of this application, a task scheduling method is provided, the method being applied to a scheduling device, the method comprising:

[0008] When the management device sends the shelf tasks and weight coefficients of each shelf to be moved, the priority of the shelf task corresponding to each shelf to be moved is determined according to the weight coefficient of each shelf to be moved. The shelf task includes the matching relationship between the shelf to be moved and each candidate order. For each shelf to be moved, the weight coefficient is determined according to the sum of the number of order lines corresponding to the materials required in each candidate order corresponding to the shelf to be moved, and the number of orders to be released corresponding to the shelf to be moved. If the shelf to be moved meets all the materials required by a candidate order, then the candidate order is the order to be released corresponding to the shelf to be moved. If the shelf to be moved does not meet all the materials required by a candidate order but meets at least one of the materials, then the candidate order is the order to be released corresponding to the shelf to be moved. The shelf to be moved is determined from the designated shelf storage area when the shelf corresponding to the current workstation does not meet the target order and the shelf corresponding to the current workstation group does not match the target order. The candidate order includes at least the target order.

[0009] Each shelf task corresponding to a shelf to be moved is processed according to its priority.

[0010] According to a third aspect of the embodiments of this application, an order processing apparatus is provided, comprising:

[0011] The order confirmation module is used to determine the current workstation group if the shelf corresponding to the current workstation does not meet the target order for the current pending order. The current workstation group includes the current workstation and at least one other workstation. The distance between the workstations in the same workstation group meets the set distance requirements and the working passage between the workstations supports robot passage. And / or, the shelves corresponding to the workstations in the same workstation group support the same order business attributes.

[0012] The order processing module is used to identify at least one target shelf that matches the target order in the shelf currently corresponding to the current workstation group, so that the materials required by the target order can be picked from the target shelf.

[0013] According to a fourth aspect of the embodiments of this application, a task scheduling apparatus is provided, the apparatus being applied to a scheduling device, the apparatus comprising:

[0014] The priority determination module is used to determine the priority of the shelf tasks corresponding to each shelf to be moved based on the weight coefficient of each shelf to be moved when receiving the shelf tasks and weight coefficients of each shelf to be moved sent by the management device. The shelf tasks include the matching relationship between the shelf to be moved and each candidate order. For each shelf to be moved, the weight coefficient is determined based on the sum of the number of order lines corresponding to the materials required in each candidate order corresponding to the shelf to be moved, and the number of orders to be released corresponding to the shelf to be moved. If the shelf to be moved meets all the materials required by a candidate order, then the candidate order is the order to be released corresponding to the shelf to be moved. If the shelf to be moved does not meet all the materials required by a candidate order but meets at least one of the materials, then the candidate order is the order to be released corresponding to the shelf to be moved. The shelf to be moved is determined from the designated shelf storage area when the shelf corresponding to the current workstation does not meet the target order and the shelf corresponding to the current workstation group does not match the target order. The candidate order includes at least the target order.

[0015] The shelving task processing module is used to process the shelving tasks corresponding to each shelving to be moved according to their priority.

[0016] According to a fifth aspect of the embodiments of this application, an electronic device is provided, the electronic device including a machine-readable storage medium and a processor;

[0017] The machine-readable storage medium stores machine-executable instructions that can be executed by a processor;

[0018] The processor is used to read the machine-executable instructions to implement the steps of the order processing method as described in the first aspect or to execute the steps of the task scheduling method as described in the second aspect.

[0019] The technical solutions provided in this application embodiment may include the following beneficial effects:

[0020] In this embodiment, workstations in the warehouse are grouped together, with those that are close to each other or have the same business attributes for the orders they process grouped together. When determining the shelf for a target order, it is first determined whether the shelf corresponding to the current workstation meets the target order. If not, it is further determined whether the shelf corresponding to the current workstation group meets the target order. This enriches the priority of shelf matching. Compared with determining the shelf based solely on the distance between the shelf and the current workstation, it can reduce the shelf handling distance, speed up order processing efficiency, and improve material outbound efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating an order processing method according to an embodiment of this application.

[0022] Figure 2 This is an example diagram illustrating workstation grouping in an embodiment of this application.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a task scheduling method in an embodiment of this application.

[0024] Figure 4 This is an example diagram of a task scheduling interaction system shown in an embodiment of this application.

[0025] Figure 5 This is a block diagram of the order processing apparatus provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0026] Figure 6 This is a block diagram of the task scheduling device provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0027] Figure 7 Block diagrams of electronic devices shown in embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0028] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this application as detailed in the appended claims.

[0029] The terminology used in this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. The singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” used in this application and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used herein refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0030] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used in this application to describe various information, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from one another. For example, without departing from the scope of this application, first information may also be referred to as second information, and similarly, second information may also be referred to as first information. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "when," "when," or "in response to determination."

[0031] The embodiments described in this specification will now be described in detail.

[0032] See Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating an order processing method provided in an embodiment of this application. The method is applied to a management device. As an example, in a logistics scenario, this management device can be a warehouse management system. This system manages warehouse inventory, configures basic warehouse information, and is responsible for processing tasks and data generated from warehouse inbound and outbound operations.

[0033] like Figure 1 As shown, the order processing method may include the following steps:

[0034] S110: For the target order to be processed, if it is found that the shelf corresponding to the current workstation does not meet the target order, then determine the current workstation group to which the current workstation belongs; the current workstation group includes the current workstation and at least one other workstation; the distance between each workstation in the same workstation group meets the set distance requirement and the working passage between each workstation supports robot passage, and / or, the shelf corresponding to each workstation in the same workstation group supports the same order business attributes.

[0035] For example, in this embodiment, the target order to be processed is assigned by the management device according to the order request sent by the current workstation. Here, the workstation is the location used to process each order. The workstation has unique identification information, which can be a number, such as workstation number 5; it can also be English letters, such as workstation A; it can also be a combination of numbers and English letters, or other identifiers. This embodiment does not specifically limit the identification information, and those skilled in the art can determine it according to the actual situation.

[0036] In this embodiment, the workstation can be equipped with shelves. When the shelves are moved to the workstation, the staff can pick the corresponding materials from the shelves according to the material information in the order.

[0037] In this embodiment, each workstation can process a preset number of orders (e.g., 10) simultaneously. Once an order is completed, the processor in the workstation will release the order task. At this time, an order request can be sent to the management device via a wired or wireless network. The order request can carry the order quantity, workstation identification information, etc.

[0038] In this embodiment, the management device stores many orders to be processed. These orders can be submitted by users after placing an order through a third-party terminal's mini-program, APP, webpage, etc., or they can be created directly by users in the operation interface of the management device. This embodiment of the application is not specifically limited.

[0039] The method by which the management device determines at least one target order corresponding to an order request can specifically be to randomly match from the pending orders, or to match from front to back according to the order in which the pending orders arrived. This application's embodiments are not specifically limited to this method.

[0040] In this embodiment, in step S110, the shelf corresponding to the current workstation may include: the shelf that has been moved to the current workstation and the shelf that has been moved to the queuing area of ​​the current workstation. This embodiment of the application is not specifically limited.

[0041] Corresponding to the shelf corresponding to the current workstation, in this embodiment, the shelf corresponding to the current workstation not meeting the target order means that the shelf that has been moved to the current workstation and the shelf that has been moved to the queuing area of ​​the current workstation do not contain all the material types required by the target order, or contain all the material types required by the target order, but the number of materials contained is less than the number of materials required by the target order.

[0042] For example, in this embodiment, the workstation groups are pre-configured, and each workstation group includes at least two workstations. The workstations can be grouped according to the business attributes of the orders processed by the workstations, that is, workstations that process orders with the same or similar business attributes are grouped together; or they can be grouped according to the distance between the workstations, that is, workstations that are less than or equal to a set distance requirement (e.g., 5 meters) are grouped together. The working passage between the workstations in the same workstation group supports robot passage. Here, "supports robot passage" means that there are no obstacles on the working passage that affect the robot's movement.

[0043] In this embodiment, the business attribute of an order refers to the material category to which the materials on the order belong. Here, the material category may include, for example, daily chemical products, tobacco and alcohol, clothing, etc. This embodiment of the application does not specifically limit it.

[0044] It should be noted that when grouping workstations, they can also be divided based on the business attribute information of the orders being processed and distance. This application's embodiments are not specifically limited.

[0045] like Figure 2 As shown, Figure 2 An example diagram showing workstation groupings. In the diagram, completely black boxes represent the location of shelves in the warehouse, circles indicate designated transfer locations, partially black boxes represent the location of workstations, and boxes with white diagonal stripes represent queuing areas. Figure 2 As shown, workstation group 1 consists of 5 workstations, workstation group 2 consists of 4 workstations, the queuing area inside the workstation group is the queuing area of ​​the workstation, and the queuing area outside the workstation group is the queuing area of ​​the workstation group.

[0046] In this embodiment of the application, in step S110, when it is found that the shelf corresponding to the current workstation does not meet the target order, the current workstation group to which the current workstation belongs is determined. Specifically, the current workstation group to which the current workstation belongs is determined based on the configured workstation group.

[0047] S120: In the current workstation group, identify at least one target shelf that matches the target order, so that the materials required by the target order can be picked from the target shelf.

[0048] For example, in this embodiment, the shelves currently corresponding to the current workstation group may include: shelves that have been moved to each workstation in the current workstation group, shelves that have been moved to the queuing area of ​​each workstation in the current workstation group, and shelves that have been moved to the queuing area of ​​the current workstation group, etc. This application embodiment is not specifically limited.

[0049] In this embodiment, the specific process of determining at least one target shelf that matches the target order in the current shelf corresponding to the current workstation group can be found in the example description of the following embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0050] In this embodiment, picking materials from the target shelf based on the materials required by the target order can specifically be as follows: when the target shelf is moved to the current workstation, staff, robotic arms, or robots can pick the corresponding materials from the target shelf according to the material information in the target order.

[0051] This concludes the process. Figure 1 The process is shown below.

[0052] pass Figure 1 As can be seen from the process shown, in this embodiment, by grouping the workstations in the warehouse, workstations that are close to each other or have the same business attributes for the orders they process are grouped together. When determining the shelf for a target order, it is first determined whether the shelf corresponding to the current workstation meets the target order. If not, it is further determined whether the shelf corresponding to the current workstation group meets the target order. This enriches the priority of shelf matching. Compared with determining the shelf based solely on the distance between the shelf and the current workstation, it can reduce the shelf handling distance, speed up order processing efficiency, and improve material outbound efficiency.

[0053] As an optional implementation of this application embodiment, the above-mentioned detection that the shelf corresponding to the current workstation does not meet the target order includes:

[0054] If the check shows that the shelves already moved to the current workstation do not meet the requirement of at least one material for the target order, then further check whether the shelves already moved to the queuing area of ​​the current workstation meet the requirement of at least one material for the target order. If not, determine that the shelves corresponding to the current workstation do not meet the requirement of the target order.

[0055] For example, in this embodiment, each target order includes at least one piece of material information, which includes a one-to-one corresponding material name and required quantity. For instance, in an e-commerce application scenario, if a user places an order for 2 bottles of facial cleanser and 1 bottle of toner through a shopping app, then the target order includes two pieces of material information: 1. Facial cleanser - 2 bottles; 2. Toner - 1 bottle.

[0056] If the shelves already moved to the current workstation do not meet the requirement of at least one material for the target order, then further check whether the shelves already moved to the queuing area of ​​the current workstation meet the requirement of at least one material for the target order. If not, determine that the shelves corresponding to the current workstation do not meet the requirement of the target order.

[0057] As an optional implementation of this application, determining at least one target shelf that matches the target order among the shelves currently corresponding to the current workstation group includes:

[0058] If a shelf that has been moved to a candidate workstation meets at least one material required by the target order, where a candidate workstation is at least one workstation in the current workstation group other than the current workstation, then at least one target shelf matching the target order is determined from the shelves that have been moved to the candidate workstation; otherwise, at least one target shelf matching the target order is determined from the shelves that have been moved to the candidate workstation queuing area; the target shelf meets at least one material required by the target order.

[0059] For example, in this embodiment of the application, various materials are stored on the shelves in the warehouse. The same material can be stored on the same shelf or on different shelves. In this embodiment, in this step, determining at least one target shelf matching the target order from the shelves currently corresponding to the current workstation group specifically involves: if the shelves that have been moved to at least one workstation in the current workstation group other than the current workstation meet the requirements of at least one material for the target order, then at least one target shelf matching the target order is determined from the shelves that have been moved to at least one workstation in the current workstation group other than the current workstation; otherwise, at least one target shelf matching the target order is determined from the shelves that have been moved to the candidate workstation queuing area; the target shelf meets the requirements of at least one material for the target order.

[0060] In this embodiment of the application, for each target order, target shelves can be matched in the following order: shelves that have been moved to the current workstation, shelves that have been moved to the queuing area of ​​the current workstation, shelves that have been moved to the workstation group to which the current workstation belongs, shelves that have been moved to the queuing area of ​​the workstation group to which the current workstation belongs, shelves that have been matched by other target orders processed by the current workstation but have not yet been moved to the workstation, shelves that have been matched by target orders processed by other workstations in the workstation group to which the current workstation belongs but have not yet been moved to the workstation group, and shelves that have not been matched by target orders processed by any workstation in the workstation group to which the current workstation belongs.

[0061] It should be noted that the order of matching the target shelves is merely an example and is not intended to limit this application.

[0062] As an optional embodiment of this application, if the shelf corresponding to the current workstation group does not match the target order; or if the shelf corresponding to the current workstation group and the shelf corresponding to the workstation group that is less than a preset distance threshold (e.g., 20m) do not match the target order, then the following method steps are executed.

[0063] The order processing method further includes:

[0064] First, identify the shelf to be moved that matches the target order from the designated shelf storage area.

[0065] For example, in this embodiment, the designated shelf storage area refers to the area in the warehouse where each shelf is placed. In this step, the shelf to be moved that matches the target order is determined from the designated shelf storage area. Specifically, it can be: based on the material information on the target order, candidate shelves that meet the material information on the target order are determined from the designated shelf storage area, and then the shelf to be moved that matches the target order is determined from the determined candidate shelves.

[0066] In this embodiment, determining the shelf to be transported that matches the target order from the candidate shelves can specifically be as follows: for each material in the target order, if there is only one candidate shelf that matches the material, the candidate shelf is directly used as the shelf to be transported for the material. If there are multiple candidate shelves that match the material, a candidate shelf can be randomly matched for the material, or a candidate shelf can be matched for the material according to the set matching rules. This embodiment of the application is not specifically limited.

[0067] There are many kinds of matching rules set here, such as first-in-first-out principle, clear priority principle, efficiency priority principle, etc. Of course, the matching rules set can also be a combination of the above principles. This application embodiment does not specifically limit them.

[0068] The first-in, first-out (FIFO) principle means prioritizing matching the candidate shelf corresponding to the material that was first put into storage; the emptying priority principle means matching the candidate shelf with the smallest quantity of the material as the shelf to be matched for the material; and the efficiency priority principle means matching the candidate shelf that meets the material's quantity requirements.

[0069] Secondly, for each shelf to be moved, determine the corresponding shelf task and weight coefficient.

[0070] For example, in this embodiment, the shelving task includes the matching relationship between the shelving to be moved and each candidate order, and the candidate orders include at least the target order.

[0071] In this embodiment, for each shelf to be moved, if it is matched with a candidate order, the shelf to be moved is considered to have a matching relationship with the candidate order. Specifically, this matching relationship can be determined based on the identification information of the shelf to be moved and the identification information of the candidate order. In this embodiment, the candidate order includes at least the target order. Each shelf to be moved can be matched with one candidate order (i.e., the target order) or multiple candidate orders. The identification information of the aforementioned candidate order can be a unique order number.

[0072] As one embodiment, the shelving task also includes: a shelving orientation adjustment indicator, which indicates whether the orientation of the shelving needs to be adjusted when it is moved to a specified transition position.

[0073] For example, in this embodiment, the above-mentioned shelf to be transported can be a double-sided storage shelf or a multi-sided storage shelf. After determining the shelf to be transported based on the material information in the candidate order, the position of storing the material on the shelf to be transported is determined, and whether the direction of the shelf to be transported needs to be adjusted is determined based on the position of storing the material on the shelf to be transported.

[0074] In this embodiment, the designated conversion position can be set at the workstation, or at any position between the location of the shelf to be moved and the workstation, or at the location of the shelf to be moved. This embodiment does not specifically limit the designated conversion position.

[0075] Specifically, a converter can be set at the designated conversion location to convert the shelf to ensure that the direction of the shelf to be transported is convenient for workers to pick goods when it arrives at the workstation. The converter can be a turntable.

[0076] The aforementioned weighting coefficients can be determined based on the sum of the number of order lines corresponding to the materials required in each candidate order currently corresponding to the rack to be moved, and the number of orders to be released currently corresponding to the rack to be moved. As for how to determine the weighting coefficients based on the sum of the number of order lines corresponding to the materials required in each candidate order currently corresponding to the rack to be moved, and the number of orders to be released currently corresponding to the rack to be moved, the following examples illustrate this, and will not be elaborated here.

[0077] Next, the shelf tasks and weight coefficients are sent to the scheduling equipment, which then determines the priority of the shelf tasks corresponding to each shelf to be moved based on the weight coefficients of each shelf to be moved, and processes the shelf tasks corresponding to each shelf to be moved according to the priority of the shelf tasks corresponding to each shelf to be moved.

[0078] For example, in this embodiment, in a logistics application scenario, the scheduling device may include a task scheduling system and a robot control system. The task scheduling system is responsible for managing the map and shelf information within the warehouse, as well as parsing received shelf tasks. The robot control system is used to select mobile robots for each shelf task and send scheduling instructions to the mobile robots. In this embodiment, the mobile robot may be an automated guided vehicle (AGV), which is used to transport the shelves to be moved to the corresponding workstation.

[0079] In this embodiment, after receiving the shelf task and weight coefficient, the task scheduling system parses the shelf task and sends the parsed shelf task and weight coefficient together to the robot control system. The robot control system determines the priority of the shelf task corresponding to each shelf to be transported based on the weight coefficient of each shelf. For example, the larger the weight coefficient, the higher the priority of the shelf task for each shelf to be transported. Then, according to the priority, AGVs are scheduled for each shelf to be transported from high to low. The AGV scheduling method is to schedule the AGV closest to each shelf from the available AGVs.

[0080] As an optional real-time method in this application embodiment, the weight coefficient corresponding to the shelf to be moved is determined through the following steps:

[0081] First, for each rack to be moved, determine each candidate order corresponding to that rack from all the candidate orders to be processed that have been obtained; and determine each release order currently corresponding to that rack from the orders to be released that have been obtained.

[0082] For example, in this embodiment, all candidate orders that have been obtained and are pending processing refer to all orders that have been hit by all workstations.

[0083] For example, in this embodiment, if the rack to be moved meets all the materials required by a candidate order, then the candidate order is the order to be released corresponding to the rack to be moved. If the rack to be moved does not meet all the materials required by a candidate order but meets at least one of them, then the candidate order is the target order corresponding to the rack to be moved.

[0084] Secondly, based on the sum of the number of order lines corresponding to the materials required in each candidate order corresponding to the rack to be moved, and the number of orders to be released corresponding to the rack to be moved, the weight coefficient corresponding to the rack to be moved is determined.

[0085] For example, in this embodiment, each order line in the candidate order corresponds to a material and a quantity of the material. The material types corresponding to different order lines may be the same or different.

[0086] In this embodiment, in this step, the weight coefficient corresponding to the shelf to be moved is determined based on the sum of the number of order lines corresponding to the materials required in each candidate order corresponding to the shelf to be moved, and the number of orders to be released corresponding to the shelf to be moved. Specifically, it can be: the product of the sum of the number of order lines corresponding to the materials required in each candidate order corresponding to the shelf to be moved and the first preset weight, plus the product of the number of orders to be released corresponding to the shelf to be moved and the second preset weight. The first preset weight and the second preset weight are both pre-set positive numbers. This embodiment of the application does not specifically limit the first preset weight and the second preset weight, and can determine them according to the actual situation.

[0087] As an optional implementation of this application, the obtained target orders to be processed are determined based on the order requests initiated by the current workstation, specifically through the following steps:

[0088] If the number M of orders of type 1 currently pending processing is greater than or equal to N, then select N orders of type 1, where type 1 indicates expedited processing; N refers to the number of orders carried in the order request.

[0089] If the number M of orders of type 1 currently pending is less than N, then select those M orders of type 1, and select NM orders of type 2 from the orders of type 2 currently pending. The NM orders received earlier than the remaining orders of type 2 pending. Type 2 indicates non-urgent.

[0090] For example, when the number M of expedited orders currently pending is greater than or equal to the number N of orders required in the order request, N expedited orders are matched in order of order receipt time from front to back. When the number M of expedited orders currently unprocessed is less than the number N of orders required in the order request, all expedited orders are matched first, and then NM non-expedited orders are matched in order of non-expedited order receipt time from front to back.

[0091] As an optional implementation of this application, when the time difference between the receipt time of a non-urgent order and the current time is greater than a preset time threshold (e.g., 30 days), the non-urgent order is matched first, and then the order type of urgent order is matched.

[0092] It should be noted that if the sum of the number of expedited orders and the number of non-expedited orders is less than the required number of orders N, then all expedited and non-expedited orders should be matched for that order request.

[0093] This application embodiment matches orders by simultaneously considering both order type and order receipt time, resulting in a more reasonable matching method and avoiding situations where orders remain unprocessed for extended periods.

[0094] See Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a task scheduling method provided in an embodiment of this application. The method is applied to a scheduling device. As an example, in a logistics scenario, the scheduling device may include a task scheduling system and a robot control system. The task scheduling system is responsible for managing the warehouse map, shelf information, and parsing received shelf tasks. The robot control system is used to select mobile robots for each shelf task and send scheduling instructions to the mobile robots.

[0095] like Figure 3 As shown, the task scheduling method may include the following steps:

[0096] S310: When the management device sends the shelf task and weight coefficient of each shelf to be moved, the priority of the shelf task corresponding to each shelf to be moved is determined according to the weight coefficient of each shelf to be moved.

[0097] For example, in this embodiment, in a logistics scenario, the management device can be a warehouse management system, which is used to manage warehouse inventory, configure basic warehouse information, and handle tasks and data generated by warehouse inbound and outbound operations.

[0098] For example, in this embodiment, the shelf task includes the matching relationship between the shelf to be transported and each candidate order, and the direction adjustment instruction of the shelf to be transported. Here, the direction adjustment instruction of the shelf to be transported is used to indicate whether the direction of the shelf to be transported needs to be adjusted when the shelf to be transported is moved to the specified conversion position.

[0099] In this embodiment, for each rack to be moved, the weighting coefficient is determined based on the sum of the number of order lines corresponding to the materials required in each candidate order corresponding to the rack to be moved, and the number of orders to be released corresponding to the rack to be moved. For the specific determination method, please refer to the description of the above embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0100] Specifically, if the shelf to be moved meets all the materials required by a candidate order, then the candidate order is the current release order corresponding to the shelf to be moved. If the shelf to be moved does not meet all the materials required by a candidate order but meets at least one of them, then the candidate order is the current candidate order corresponding to the shelf to be moved. The shelf to be moved is a shelf that matches the target order, determined from a designated shelf storage area, when the shelf corresponding to the current workstation does not meet the target order and the shelf corresponding to the current workstation group does not match the target order. For detailed implementation methods, please refer to the specific description of the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0101] For example, in this embodiment, there are many ways to determine the priority of the shelf task corresponding to each shelf to be moved based on the weight coefficient of each shelf to be moved. For example, the weight coefficient of each shelf to be moved is positively correlated with the priority of the shelf task corresponding to each shelf to be moved, that is, the higher the weight coefficient, the higher the priority of the shelf task.

[0102] S320: Process the shelf tasks corresponding to each shelf to be moved according to the priority of each shelf task.

[0103] For example, in this embodiment, processing the shelf tasks corresponding to each shelf to be moved according to their priority can specifically be done by processing the shelf tasks corresponding to each shelf to be moved from front to back according to their priority order.

[0104] This concludes the process. Figure 3 The process is shown below.

[0105] pass Figure 3As can be seen from the process shown, in this embodiment, the priority of the shelf task corresponding to each shelf to be moved is determined according to the weight coefficient of each received shelf to be moved, and the shelf task corresponding to each shelf to be moved is processed according to the priority of the shelf task corresponding to each shelf to be moved, thereby controlling the order of each shelf to be moved arriving at the workstation, improving order processing speed, accelerating order task release, and improving outbound efficiency.

[0106] As an optional implementation of this application, the priority of the shelf task corresponding to each shelf to be moved is determined based on the weight coefficient of each shelf to be moved, including:

[0107] First, obtain the handling value of each shelf to be moved.

[0108] For example, in this embodiment, the handling cost is used to represent the contribution of handling the shelves to the release of orders. This handling cost can be determined based on the distance from each shelf to its corresponding workstation, the number of shelves already moved to the queuing area of ​​the workstation corresponding to each shelf, the order type in each candidate order corresponding to each shelf, or any two or three of the above simultaneously. This embodiment does not specifically limit the method for determining the handling cost; it can be determined according to the actual situation.

[0109] As a specific embodiment of this application, the distance from the shelf to be moved to the corresponding workstation is multiplied by a preset distance weight, the number of shelves already moved to the queuing area of ​​the workstation corresponding to the shelf to be moved is multiplied by a preset quantity weight, and the order type of each target order corresponding to the shelf to be moved is multiplied by a preset type weight.

[0110] In this embodiment, the preset distance weight is a preset positive number, the preset quantity weight is a preset positive number, and the preset type weight is a preset negative number. These values ​​are not limited in this application embodiment and can be determined according to actual needs. For order types, the first type can be 1, and the second type can be 0. This application embodiment does not specifically limit the quantification of order types and can be determined according to actual circumstances.

[0111] Secondly, the priority of the shelf tasks corresponding to each shelf to be moved is determined based on the weight coefficient of each shelf to be moved and the handling cost of each shelf to be moved.

[0112] For example, determining the priority of each racking task corresponding to a rack to be moved based on a weighting coefficient and the handling cost can be achieved by the smaller the sum of the opposite of the weighting coefficient and the handling cost; the higher the priority of the racking task. This application does not specifically limit the method for determining the priority of racking tasks; those skilled in the art can determine it according to actual circumstances.

[0113] like Figure 4 As shown, Figure 4 This is an example diagram of a task scheduling interaction system shown in an embodiment of this application. The task scheduling interaction system includes: a workstation, a warehouse management system, a task scheduling system, a robot control system, and an AGV. The specific interaction process is as follows:

[0114] 1. The workstation sends an order request to the warehouse management system;

[0115] 2. The warehouse management system matches target orders for the current workstation based on the order quantity carried in the order request sent by the current workstation;

[0116] 3. For each target order, the warehouse management system matches at least one target shelf for that target order;

[0117] 4. For each shelf to be moved in the target shelving, the warehouse management system calculates the shelf task and weight coefficient for each shelf to be moved;

[0118] 5. The warehouse management system sends the shelving tasks and weight coefficients of each shelving unit to the task scheduling system;

[0119] 6. The task scheduling system parses the tasks for each shelf and sends the parsed tasks along with their weight coefficients to the robot control system;

[0120] 7. The robot control system prioritizes the tasks on each shelf according to each weight coefficient, and assigns AGVs to each shelf to be moved in descending order of priority;

[0121] 8. The AGV moves the shelves to be moved according to the received instructions.

[0122] For details on the specific implementation methods and effects, please refer to the implementation process of the corresponding steps in the above methods, which will not be repeated here.

[0123] The methods provided in the embodiments of this application have been described above. The apparatus provided in the embodiments of this application is described below:

[0124] See Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of an order processing device provided in an embodiment of this application. The device is applied to a management device and may include:

[0125] The order confirmation module is used to determine the current workstation group if the shelf corresponding to the current workstation does not meet the target order for the current pending order. The current workstation group includes the current workstation and at least one other workstation. The distance between the workstations in the same workstation group meets the set distance requirements and the working aisles between the workstations support robot passage. And / or, the shelves corresponding to the workstations in the same workstation group support the same order business attributes.

[0126] The order processing module is used to identify at least one target shelf that matches the target order in the current shelf corresponding to the current workstation group, so that the materials required by the target order can be picked from the target shelf.

[0127] As an optional implementation of this application, the order confirmation module is specifically used for:

[0128] If the check shows that the shelves already moved to the current workstation do not meet the requirement of at least one material for the target order, then further check whether the shelves already moved to the queuing area of ​​the current workstation meet the requirement of at least one material for the target order. If not, determine that the shelves corresponding to the current workstation do not meet the requirement of the target order.

[0129] As an optional implementation of this application embodiment, the above-mentioned order processing module is specifically used for:

[0130] If a shelf that has been moved to a candidate workstation meets at least one material required by the target order, where a candidate workstation is at least one workstation in the current workstation group other than the current workstation, then at least one target shelf matching the target order is determined from the shelves that have been moved to the candidate workstation; otherwise, at least one target shelf matching the target order is determined from the shelves that have been moved to the candidate workstation queuing area; the target shelf meets at least one material required by the target order.

[0131] As an optional implementation of this application, if the shelf currently corresponding to the current workstation group does not match the target order, the device further includes:

[0132] The shelving to be moved module is used to determine the shelving to be moved that matches the target order from the specified shelving storage area;

[0133] The shelf task and weight coefficient determination module is used to determine the shelf task and weight coefficient corresponding to each shelf to be moved; wherein, the shelf task includes the matching relationship between the shelf to be moved and each candidate order, and the candidate orders include at least the target order;

[0134] The shelving processing module is used to send shelving tasks and weight coefficients to the scheduling device, so that the scheduling device can determine the priority of the shelving tasks corresponding to each shelving to be moved based on the weight coefficient of each shelving to be moved, and process the shelving tasks corresponding to each shelving to be moved according to the priority of the shelving tasks corresponding to each shelving to be moved.

[0135] As an optional implementation of this application, the weighting coefficient corresponding to the above-mentioned shelving to be moved is determined through the following steps:

[0136] For each rack to be moved, each candidate order corresponding to the rack to be moved is determined from all the candidate orders to be processed that have been obtained; and each release order currently corresponding to the rack to be moved is determined from the release orders that have been obtained; wherein, if the rack to be moved meets all the materials required by a candidate order, then the candidate order is the release order currently corresponding to the rack to be moved; if the rack to be moved does not meet all the materials required by a candidate order but meets at least one of the materials, then the candidate order is the target order currently corresponding to the rack to be moved.

[0137] The weighting coefficient corresponding to the rack to be moved is determined based on the sum of the number of order lines corresponding to the materials required in each candidate order corresponding to the rack to be moved, and the number of orders to be released corresponding to the rack to be moved.

[0138] As an optional implementation of this application, the shelf task further includes: a shelf orientation adjustment indicator; the shelf orientation adjustment indicator is used to indicate whether the orientation of the shelf to be transported needs to be adjusted when the shelf to be transported is moved to a specified conversion position, so that the orientation of the shelf to be transported meets the material requirements of the target order when the shelf to be transported is moved to the workstation.

[0139] As an optional implementation of this application, the obtained target orders to be processed are determined based on the order requests initiated by the current workstation, specifically through the following steps:

[0140] If the number M of orders of type 1 currently pending processing is greater than or equal to N, then select N orders of type 1, where type 1 indicates expedited processing; N refers to the number of orders carried in the order request.

[0141] If the number M of orders of type 1 currently pending is less than N, then select those M orders of type 1, and select NM orders of type 2 from the orders of type 2 currently pending. The NM orders received earlier than the remaining orders of type 2 pending. Type 2 indicates non-urgent.

[0142] The specific implementation process of the functions and roles of each unit in the above device can be found in the implementation process of the corresponding steps in the above method, and will not be repeated here.

[0143] This concludes the process. Figure 5 Structural description of the device shown.

[0144] See Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of a task scheduling device provided in an embodiment of this application. The device is applied to a scheduling equipment and may include:

[0145] The priority determination module is used to determine the priority of each shelf task corresponding to a shelf to be moved based on the weight coefficient of each shelf to be moved when it receives the shelf task and weight coefficient of each shelf to be moved from the management device. The shelf task includes the matching relationship between the shelf to be moved and each candidate order. For each shelf to be moved, the weight coefficient is determined based on the sum of the number of order lines corresponding to the materials required in each candidate order corresponding to the shelf to be moved, and the number of orders to be released corresponding to the shelf to be moved. If the shelf to be moved meets all the materials required by a candidate order, then the candidate order is the order to be released corresponding to the shelf to be moved. If the shelf to be moved does not meet all the materials required by a candidate order but meets at least one of the materials, then the candidate order is the order to be released corresponding to the shelf to be moved. The shelf to be moved is a shelf that matches the target order determined from the specified shelf storage area when the shelf corresponding to the current workstation does not meet the target order and the shelf corresponding to the current workstation group does not match the target order. The candidate order includes at least the target order.

[0146] The shelving task processing module is used to process the shelving tasks corresponding to each shelving to be moved according to their priority.

[0147] As an optional implementation of this application, the shelf task further includes: a shelf orientation adjustment instruction; the shelf orientation adjustment instruction is used to indicate whether the orientation of the shelf to be transported needs to be adjusted when the shelf to be transported is moved to a specified conversion position, so that the orientation of the shelf to be transported meets the material requirements of the candidate order when the shelf to be transported is moved to the workstation.

[0148] As an optional implementation of this application, the priority determination module is specifically used to: the weight coefficient of each shelf to be moved is positively correlated with the priority of the shelf task corresponding to each shelf to be moved.

[0149] As an optional implementation of this application, the priority determination module is specifically used for:

[0150] Obtain the handling cost of each rack to be moved; the handling cost is used to represent the contribution of moving the rack to be moved to the release order;

[0151] The priority of the racking task corresponding to each rack to be moved is determined based on the weight coefficient of each rack to be moved and the moving cost of each rack to be moved.

[0152] As an optional implementation of this application, for each shelf to be moved, the moving cost is determined by a specified calculation based on the product of the distance from the shelf to be moved to the corresponding workstation and a preset distance weight, the product of the number of shelves already moved to the queuing area of ​​the workstation corresponding to the shelf to be moved and a preset quantity weight, and the product of the order type of each candidate order corresponding to the shelf to be moved and a preset type weight.

[0153] The specific implementation process of the functions and roles of each unit in the above device can be found in the implementation process of the corresponding steps in the above method, and will not be repeated here.

[0154] This concludes the process. Figure 6 Structural description of the device shown.

[0155] Correspondingly, embodiments of this application also provide Figure 5 or Figure 6 The hardware structure diagram of the device shown is as follows: Figure 7 As shown, the electronic device can be a device implementing the above-described method. Figure 7 As shown, the hardware architecture includes a processor and memory.

[0156] Among them, the memory is used to store machine-executable instructions;

[0157] A processor is configured to read and execute machine-executable instructions stored in memory to implement the order processing method embodiment shown above or the task scheduling method embodiment shown above.

[0158] As one embodiment, the memory can be any electronic, magnetic, optical, or other physical storage device that can contain or store information such as executable instructions, data, etc. For example, the memory can be volatile memory, non-volatile memory, or similar storage media. Specifically, the memory can be RAM (Random Access Memory), flash memory, storage drives (such as hard disk drives), solid-state drives, any type of storage disk (such as optical discs, DVDs, etc.), or similar storage media, or combinations thereof.

[0159] This concludes the process. Figure 7 Description of the electronic device shown.

[0160] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. An order processing method, characterized in that, include: For the target order to be processed, if it is found that the shelf corresponding to the current workstation does not meet the target order, then the current workstation group is determined; the current workstation group includes the current workstation and at least one other workstation; the distance between each workstation in the same workstation group meets the set distance requirement and the working passage between each workstation supports robot passage, and / or, the shelves corresponding to each workstation in the same workstation group support the same order business attributes; In the shelf currently corresponding to the current workstation group, at least one target shelf that matches the target order is identified, so that the materials required based on the target order are picked from the target shelf; if the shelf currently corresponding to the current workstation group does not match the target order, then the shelf task and weight coefficient corresponding to each shelf to be moved that matches the target order in the designated shelf storage area are determined, and the weight coefficient is used to determine the processing priority of each shelf task; The weighting coefficient is determined through the following steps: for each rack to be moved, each candidate order corresponding to the rack to be moved is determined from all the candidate orders to be processed that have been obtained; and, each order to be released is determined from the orders to be released that have been obtained; wherein, if the rack to be moved satisfies all the materials required by a candidate order, then the candidate order is the order to be released currently corresponding to the rack to be moved; if the rack to be moved does not satisfy all the materials required by a candidate order but satisfies at least one of the materials, then the candidate order is the order to be released currently corresponding to the rack to be moved; the weighting coefficient corresponding to the rack to be moved is determined based on the sum of the number of order lines corresponding to the materials required in each candidate order corresponding to the rack to be moved, and the number of orders to be released currently corresponding to the rack to be moved.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of checking that the shelf corresponding to the current workstation does not meet the target order includes: If the check shows that the shelves already moved to the current workstation do not meet the requirement of at least one material for the target order, then further check whether the shelves already moved to the queuing area of ​​the current workstation meet the requirement of at least one material for the target order. If not, determine that the shelves corresponding to the current workstation do not meet the requirement of the target order.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of determining at least one target shelf that matches the target order in the current shelf corresponding to the current workstation group includes: If a shelf already moved to a candidate workstation satisfies at least one material required by the target order, where a candidate workstation refers to at least one workstation in the current workstation group other than the current workstation, then at least one target shelf matching the target order is determined from the shelves already moved to the candidate workstation; otherwise, at least one target shelf matching the target order is determined from the shelves already moved to the candidate workstation queuing area; the target shelf satisfies at least one material required by the target order.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, If the shelf corresponding to the current workstation group does not match the target order, the method further includes: The shelving task includes the matching relationship between the shelving to be moved and each candidate order, wherein the candidate orders include at least the target order; The shelf tasks and weight coefficients are sent to the scheduling device, which determines the priority of the shelf tasks corresponding to each shelf to be transported based on the weight coefficient of each shelf to be transported, and processes the shelf tasks corresponding to each shelf to be transported according to the priority of the shelf tasks corresponding to each shelf to be transported.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The shelving task also includes: a shelving direction adjustment indicator; the shelving direction adjustment indicator is used to indicate whether the direction of the shelving needs to be adjusted when the shelving is moved to a specified conversion position, so that the direction of the shelving meets the material requirements of the candidate order when the shelving is moved to the workstation.

6. The method according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that, The target orders that have been obtained and are pending processing are determined based on the order requests initiated by the current workstation, specifically through the following steps: If the number M of orders of type 1 currently pending processing is greater than or equal to N, then N orders of type 1 will be selected. Type 1 indicates expedited processing; N refers to the number of orders carried in the order request. If the number M of orders of type 1 currently pending is less than N, then select those M orders of type 1 and select NM orders of type 2 currently pending. The NM orders received earlier than the remaining orders of type 2 pending. Type 2 indicates non-urgent.

7. A task scheduling method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a scheduling device, and the method includes: When the management device sends the shelf tasks and weight coefficients for each shelf to be moved, the priority of the shelf task corresponding to each shelf is determined based on the weight coefficient of each shelf to be moved. The shelf task includes the matching relationship between the shelf to be moved and each candidate order. For each shelf to be moved, the weight coefficient is determined based on the sum of the number of order lines corresponding to the materials required in each candidate order corresponding to that shelf to be moved, and the number of orders to be released currently corresponding to that shelf to be moved. If the shelf to be moved satisfies all the materials required by a candidate order, then that candidate order is the order to be released currently corresponding to that shelf to be moved. If a candidate order does not meet all the requirements of a candidate order but meets at least one of the requirements, then the candidate order is the current candidate order corresponding to the rack to be moved. The rack to be moved is a rack that matches the target order, determined from a designated rack storage area when the rack corresponding to the current workstation does not meet the target order and the rack corresponding to the current workstation group does not match the target order. The candidate order includes at least the target order. The distance between workstations in the same workstation group meets the set distance requirement and the working passage between workstations supports robot passage. And / or, the racks corresponding to each workstation in the same workstation group support the same order business attributes. Each shelf task corresponding to a shelf to be moved is processed according to its priority.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The shelving task also includes: a shelving direction adjustment indicator; the shelving direction adjustment indicator is used to indicate whether the direction of the shelving needs to be adjusted when the shelving is moved to a specified conversion position, so that the direction of the shelving meets the material requirements of the candidate order when the shelving is moved to the workstation.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The process of determining the priority of each rack task based on its weight coefficient includes: The weight coefficient of each shelf to be moved is positively correlated with the priority of the shelf task corresponding to each shelf to be moved.

10. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The process of determining the priority of each rack task based on its weight coefficient includes: Obtain the handling cost of each rack to be moved; the handling cost is used to represent the contribution of moving the rack to be moved to the release order; The priority of the shelf task corresponding to each shelf to be moved is determined based on the weight coefficient of each shelf to be moved and the moving cost of each shelf to be moved.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, For each rack to be moved, the moving cost is determined by a specified calculation based on the product of the distance from the rack to the corresponding workstation and a preset distance weight, the product of the number of racks already moved to the queue area of ​​the workstation corresponding to the rack and a preset quantity weight, and the product of the order type of each candidate order corresponding to the rack and a preset type weight.

12. An order processing device, characterized in that, include: The order confirmation module is used to determine the current workstation group if the shelf corresponding to the current workstation does not meet the target order for the current pending order. The current workstation group includes the current workstation and at least one other workstation. The distance between the workstations in the same workstation group meets the set distance requirements and the working passage between the workstations supports robot passage. And / or, the shelves corresponding to the workstations in the same workstation group support the same order business attributes. The order processing module is used to determine at least one target shelf that matches the target order in the shelf currently corresponding to the current workstation group, so that the materials required by the target order can be picked from the target shelf; if the shelf currently corresponding to the current workstation group does not match the target order, the module determines the shelf task and weight coefficient corresponding to each shelf to be transported that matches the target order in the specified shelf storage area, and the weight coefficient is used to determine the processing priority of each shelf task; The weighting coefficient is determined through the following steps: for each rack to be moved, each candidate order corresponding to the rack to be moved is determined from all the candidate orders to be processed that have been obtained; and, each order to be released is determined from the orders to be released that have been obtained; wherein, if the rack to be moved satisfies all the materials required by a candidate order, then the candidate order is the order to be released currently corresponding to the rack to be moved; if the rack to be moved does not satisfy all the materials required by a candidate order but satisfies at least one of the materials, then the candidate order is the order to be released currently corresponding to the rack to be moved; the weighting coefficient corresponding to the rack to be moved is determined based on the sum of the number of order lines corresponding to the materials required in each candidate order corresponding to the rack to be moved, and the number of orders to be released currently corresponding to the rack to be moved.

13. A task scheduling device, characterized in that, The device is used in a scheduling device, and the device includes: The priority determination module is used to determine the priority of the shelf tasks corresponding to each shelf to be moved based on the weight coefficient of each shelf to be moved when it receives the shelf tasks and weight coefficients of each shelf to be moved from the management device. The shelf tasks include the matching relationship between the shelf to be moved and each candidate order. For each shelf to be moved, the weight coefficient is determined based on the sum of the number of order lines corresponding to the materials required in each candidate order corresponding to the shelf to be moved, and the number of orders to be released corresponding to the shelf to be moved. If the shelf to be moved meets all the materials required by a candidate order, then the candidate order is the order to be released corresponding to the shelf to be moved. If the shelf to be moved does not meet all the materials required by a candidate order but meets at least one of them, then the candidate order is the current candidate order corresponding to the shelf to be moved; the shelf to be moved is determined from the designated shelf storage area when the shelf corresponding to the current workstation does not meet the target order and the shelf corresponding to the current workstation group does not match the target order, and the candidate order includes at least: the target order; the distance between each workstation in the same workstation group meets the set distance requirement and the working passage between each workstation supports robot passage, and / or, the shelves corresponding to each workstation in the same workstation group support the same order business attributes; The shelving task processing module is used to process the shelving tasks corresponding to each shelving to be moved according to their priority.

14. An electronic device, characterized in that, Electronic devices include machine-readable storage media and processors; The machine-readable storage medium stores machine-executable instructions that can be executed by a processor; The processor is used to read the machine-executable instructions to implement the steps of the order processing method as described in any one of claims 1-6 or to execute the steps of the task scheduling method as described in any one of claims 7-11.

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