Job scheduling method, automated warehouse and computer readable storage medium

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of job scheduling method, automated stereoscopic warehouse and computer readable storage medium, method includes: when warehouse distribution location, if there is first warehouse condition, i.e., far cargo location is in the occupied state and the cargo attribute is consistent with the attribute of the goods to be warehoused, the cargo grid of near cargo location is in idle state;Find out the cargo grid of far warehouse location goods warehousing time and the cargo grid closest to current time in these available cargo grids, and the near cargo location in this cargo grid is assigned to the warehousing task.The method provided by the application can effectively schedule tasks for double-stretch-position stackers, while avoiding "putting deep and shallow" and "taking deep and shallow" abnormalities, it can effectively improve the utilization rate of stereoscopic warehouse and the efficiency of warehouse.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of stacker crane automation, and in particular to a job scheduling method, an automated storage and retrieval system, and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] Automated storage and retrieval systems (AS / RS) using double-reach stacker cranes allow for parallel installation of racks within the warehouse due to the longer fork extension stroke of the cranes. This means one stacker crane can handle the loading and unloading of goods across four rows of racks. This not only reduces aisle space requirements but also the number of stacker cranes needed, significantly improving floor space utilization and retrieval efficiency within the same footprint, saving users operating costs and increasing production efficiency. However, if the upper-level control system logic of the double-reach stacker crane is flawed or the scheduling is unreasonable, anomalies can easily occur, such as goods needing to be placed in the inner storage location but the outer storage location already has stock (i.e., "deep-shallow-available") or goods needing to be retrieved from the inner storage location but the outer storage location already has stock (i.e., "deep-shallow-available"), leading to stacker crane alarms and disrupting the normal operation of the AS / RS. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In order to solve the technical problem of low storage and retrieval efficiency of double-extension stacker crane automated storage and retrieval systems in the prior art, this invention proposes a job scheduling method, an automated storage and retrieval system, and a computer-readable storage medium.

[0004] The technical solution adopted in this invention is:

[0005] This invention proposes a method for scheduling operations in an automated warehouse, comprising the following steps:

[0006] When allocating storage locations for inbound goods, if there is a first inbound condition, namely, the distant storage location is occupied and the attributes of the goods to be inbound are consistent with the attributes of the goods to be inbound, and the nearby storage location is vacant; find the storage location among these available storage locations where the inbound time of the goods in the distant storage location is closest to the current time, and allocate the nearby storage location in that storage location to the inbound task.

[0007] When allocating storage locations for outbound shipments, the system searches for all goods and their corresponding storage cells that match the outbound information, whose storage locations are occupied, and whose entry time is the earliest. If available inventory exists, the outbound shipment is processed according to the preset outbound rules. If no available inventory exists, the outbound shipment task is terminated.

[0008] When allocating storage locations for inbound goods, if the first inbound condition does not exist, but the second inbound condition exists (i.e., the distant storage location is vacant and the nearby storage location is vacant), find the storage location closest to the inbound entrance among these available storage locations and assign the distant storage location of that storage location to the inbound task.

[0009] When allocating storage locations for inbound goods, if there are no first or second inbound conditions, but there is a third inbound condition, namely, a storage location with a remote location locked and a nearby location vacant, the nearby location of that storage location is locked first, and the inbound task for the remote location of that storage location is executed simultaneously.

[0010] When allocating storage locations for inbound goods, if the first, second, and third inbound conditions do not exist, determine if the fourth inbound condition exists, i.e., a storage space where the distant storage location is occupied and the nearby storage location is vacant. If it exists, find the storage space among these available storage spaces where the inbound time of the goods in the distant storage location is closest to the current time, and allocate the nearby storage space in that storage space to the inbound task. If it does not exist, determine that there are no available storage locations in the automated warehouse, and inbound goods cannot be stored.

[0011] Furthermore, the specific steps for issuing goods according to preset outbound rules include:

[0012] If the first outbound condition exists, that is, there is a storage cell with an vacant near storage location; select the storage cell closest to the outbound exit and take the goods in the far storage location of that storage cell as the outbound goods.

[0013] If the first outbound condition does not exist, but the second outbound condition is met, that is, there is a cell with an occupied storage location and the goods in the adjacent storage location have the same attributes; select the cell closest to the outbound exit and take the goods in the adjacent storage location of that cell as the outbound goods.

[0014] If neither the first nor the second outbound conditions exist, select the available inventory cell whose distant storage location is occupied, has the same cargo attributes as the distant storage location, and is closest to the outbound exit. Take the cargo in the distant storage location of this cell as the outbound cargo and generate a transfer task with higher priority than the outbound task of the distant storage location to move the cargo in the nearby storage location.

[0015] Furthermore, when executing the transfer task, if there is a first transfer condition, namely, there are cells with the same attributes in the far storage location and the nearby storage location in the idle location, the cell closest to the starting storage location of the transfer is selected, and the nearby storage location of the cell is assigned to the transfer task.

[0016] When executing the transfer task, if there is no first transfer condition but there is a second transfer task, that is, there are cells with both the far storage location and the near storage location in an idle state, select the cell that is closest to the starting storage location of the transfer and assign the far storage location of that cell to the transfer task.

[0017] When executing the transfer task, if the first transfer condition and the second transfer condition do not exist, determine whether there is a third transfer task, that is, whether there is a cell where the far storage location is occupied and the near storage location is vacant; if so, select the cell that is closest to the starting storage location of the transfer and assign the near storage location of the cell to the transfer task; if not, determine that there is no available storage location in the automated warehouse and the transfer cannot be performed.

[0018] The present invention also proposes an automated three-dimensional warehouse with a double-extension stacker crane, which uses the above-mentioned operation scheduling method for scheduling.

[0019] The present invention also proposes a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program, wherein the computer program executes the above-described job scheduling method when it runs.

[0020] Compared with existing technologies, the method provided by this invention can effectively schedule tasks for double-reach stacker cranes, avoiding anomalies such as "deep placement, shallow availability" and "deep retrieval, shallow availability," while effectively improving the utilization rate and inbound / outbound efficiency of automated warehouses. During inbound operations, goods of similar attributes are grouped together to reduce the number of transfers and improve warehouse space utilization. During outbound operations, a first-in, first-out (FIFO) principle with days as the smallest unit is followed to reduce the number of transfers. Transfers are similar to inbound operations, primarily aiming to minimize the possibility of transfers while considering maximizing warehouse space utilization. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a flowchart from an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of the data entry process in a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of the outbound process in a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of a database transfer process in a specific embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To make the technical problems to be solved, the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0028] The principles and structure of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0029] Automated storage and retrieval systems (AS / RS) using double-reach stacker cranes benefit from the longer fork extension stroke of the cranes, allowing for parallel installation of racks within the warehouse. This means one stacker crane can handle the retrieval and loading / unloading of goods across four racks. This not only reduces aisle space requirements but also the number of stacker cranes needed, significantly improving floor space utilization and retrieval efficiency within the same footprint, saving users operating costs and increasing production efficiency. However, if the upper-level control system for the double-reach stacker crane has flawed logic or improper scheduling, anomalies can easily occur, such as goods needing to be placed in inner racks when outer racks are already occupied (i.e., "place deep, shallow available") or goods needing to be retrieved from inner racks when outer racks are already occupied (i.e., "retrieve deep, shallow available"). These anomalies can trigger stacker crane alarms and disrupt the normal operation of the AS / RS. Therefore, improving the retrieval efficiency of double-reach stacker cranes in AS / RS, avoiding excessively long operation times, and maximizing space utilization are also issues that the upper-level system's scheduling needs to address. To address this issue, this invention proposes an automated warehouse operation scheduling method. This method includes methods for allocating storage locations for inbound, outbound, and transfer operations using a double-reach stacker crane. For inbound operations, the primary principle is to group goods of similar attributes together to reduce the number of transfers and improve the utilization rate of the automated warehouse space. For outbound operations, a first-in, first-out (FIFO) principle is followed, with the smallest unit being the day, to minimize the number of transfers. Transfer operations are similar to inbound operations, primarily aiming to minimize the possibility of transfers while also considering maximizing storage space utilization.

[0030] like Figure 1 As shown, the middle lane of the double-reach stacker crane is the crane's travel aisle, with multiple storage compartments arranged along both sides of the aisle. Each storage compartment is divided into a remote storage location and a near storage location. The storage location furthest from the stacker crane is defined as a "remote storage location," and the storage location closest to the stacker crane is defined as a "near storage location." Remote and near storage locations exist in pairs within the automated warehouse, together forming a set of storage compartments. Furthermore, each storage location is defined with four states: idle, inbound locked, occupied, and outbound locked. "Idle" means the storage location is empty and can be used; "Inbound locked" means the storage location is empty but has been reserved by an inbound task, preventing other tasks from using it; "Occupied" means the storage location contains goods that have not been reserved and can be retrieved at any time; "Outbound locked" means the storage location contains goods but has been reserved by an outbound or transfer task, preventing other tasks from using it.

[0031] like Figure 2 As shown, the operation scheduling method for the above-mentioned automated storage and retrieval system (AS / RS) with double-reach stacker crane proposed in this invention specifically includes the following steps:

[0032] When allocating storage locations for inbound goods, if there is a first inbound condition, namely, the distant storage location is occupied and the attributes of the goods to be inbound are consistent with the attributes of the goods to be inbound, and the nearby storage location is vacant; find the storage location among these available storage locations where the inbound time of the goods in the distant storage location is closest to the current time, and allocate the nearby storage location in that storage location to the inbound task.

[0033] When allocating storage locations for outbound shipments, the system searches for all goods and their corresponding storage cells that match the outbound information, whose storage locations are occupied, and whose entry time is the earliest. If available inventory exists, the outbound shipment is processed according to the preset outbound rules. If no available inventory exists, the outbound shipment task is terminated.

[0034] This invention reduces the need for manual movement during outbound shipments and conserves storage space in automated warehouses by storing similar goods in the same storage compartment as much as possible. Furthermore, goods with similar attributes that entered the warehouse on the same day (the duration of which can be customized) can be grouped together, achieving a first-in, first-out (FIFO) system with days as the minimum time unit during outbound shipments. During outbound shipments, the system directly locates all goods and their corresponding storage compartments that match the outbound information, whose storage compartments are occupied, and whose entry time is calculated in days. The goods in that compartment are then designated as outbound goods.

[0035] like Figure 3 As shown, in a specific embodiment, if a first entry condition exists, an entry task is assigned according to the first entry condition. If the first entry condition does not exist, but a second entry condition exists, i.e., the far storage location is idle and the near storage location is idle, the corresponding entry method is: find the storage location closest to the entry point among these available storage locations, and assign the far storage location of that storage location to the entry task.

[0036] This involves directly finding new storage cells where both the near and far storage locations are vacant, then identifying the storage cell closest to the inbound entrance from among these available cells to reduce the inbound distance, and finally assigning the far storage location of that cell to the inbound task.

[0037] In a specific embodiment, if there is no first entry condition or second entry condition, but there is a third entry condition, namely, a storage cell whose distant storage location is in an entry-locked state and whose nearby storage location is in an idle state, the corresponding entry method is: first, the nearby storage location of the storage cell is locked for entry, and at the same time, the entry task of the distant storage location of the storage cell is executed.

[0038] When using the warehousing method corresponding to the third warehousing condition, it is necessary to ensure that the task assigned to the far storage location is executed first. Only after the warehousing task of the far storage location is completed can the warehousing task of the near storage location be executed. This is to avoid the "deep storage, shallow storage" anomaly, that is, to lock the warehousing of the near storage location of the storage cell.

[0039] In a specific embodiment, if neither the first, second, nor third entry conditions exist, then it is determined whether a fourth entry condition exists. This involves finding a storage space where the distant storage location is occupied and the nearby storage location is available. If such a space exists, the nearby storage location is assigned to the entry task. Executing this step will result in inconsistencies between the goods stored in the distant and nearby storage locations. When goods in the distant storage location need to be removed, the goods in the nearby storage location must be moved first. If no such condition exists, it indicates that there are currently no available storage locations in the automated warehouse, and the entry task cannot continue.

[0040] like Figure 4 As shown in the specific embodiment, when allocating storage locations for outbound shipments, the first-in, first-out (FIFO) principle is generally followed. However, according to the aforementioned method for allocating storage locations for inbound shipments, if the same goods are stored in both near and far storage locations within the same warehouse, the goods in the far storage location were stored earlier than those in the near storage location. This results in the violation of the FIFO principle if goods in the near storage location are shipped out, and the need for a transfer operation if goods in the far storage location are shipped out, thus affecting outbound efficiency. Therefore, in step one of the aforementioned method for allocating storage locations for inbound shipments, goods with the same attributes that were stored on the same day (the duration of which can be customized) can be grouped together. In this way, when shipping outbound shipments, the FIFO principle can be achieved with the day as the smallest time unit.

[0041] Based on the above principles, the steps for selecting a storage location when issuing goods are as follows:

[0042] When allocating storage locations for outbound shipments, the system searches for all goods and their corresponding storage cells that match the outbound information, whose storage locations are occupied, and whose entry time is the earliest. If available inventory exists, the outbound shipment is processed according to the preset outbound rules. If no available inventory exists, the outbound shipment task is terminated.

[0043] Specifically, outbound shipments based on preset outbound rules include:

[0044] If the first outbound condition exists, that is, there is a storage cell with an vacant location nearby, the outbound method is: select the storage cell closest to the outbound exit and take the goods in the far storage cell as the outbound goods.

[0045] If the first outbound condition does not exist, but the second outbound condition is met, that is, there is a storage cell with an occupied storage location and the goods in the storage cell have the same attributes, the outbound method is: select the storage cell closest to the outbound exit and take the goods in the storage cell with the closest storage location as the outbound goods.

[0046] If neither the first nor the second outbound conditions exist, directly select the available inventory cell whose distant storage location is occupied, has the same cargo attributes as the distant storage location, and is closest to the outbound exit. Take the cargo in the distant storage location of that cell as the outbound cargo and generate a transfer task with higher priority than the distant storage location outbound task to move the cargo in the nearby storage location away.

[0047] When processing goods out of the warehouse, the warehouse first selects warehouses with goods that meet the requirements in the far warehouses and warehouses with empty warehouses in the near warehouses for shipment. This achieves the first-in, first-out principle with the smallest time unit being the day.

[0048] like Figure 5 As shown, when different goods are stored in the same storage location, if the option is to remove goods from the distant storage location, a task to move the goods to the nearest storage location (i.e., a transfer task) must be automatically generated first. The transfer task has a higher priority than the outbound task, and its execution steps are as follows:

[0049] When performing the transfer task, if there is a first transfer condition, that is, there are cells with the same attributes and the distant storage location is occupied, and the nearby storage location is idle, select the cell that is closest to the starting storage location of the transfer and assign the nearby storage location of the cell to the transfer task.

[0050] If the first transfer condition does not exist, but the second transfer task exists, that is, there are cells with both the distant and near storage locations available, select the cell that is closest to the starting location of the transfer and assign the distant storage location of that cell to the transfer task.

[0051] If neither the first nor the second relocation condition exists, determine if a third relocation task exists, i.e., if there is a storage space where the distant storage space is occupied and the nearby storage space is vacant; if so, select the storage space closest to the starting storage space of the relocation and assign the nearby storage space of that storage space to the relocation task; if not, determine that there are no available storage spaces in the automated warehouse and the relocation cannot be performed.

[0052] Specifically, such as Figures 3 to 5 As shown, the steps of a specific embodiment of the present invention are as follows:

[0053] When allocating storage locations for incoming goods, the following steps are required:

[0054] 1. Locate all storage locations where the distant storage location is occupied and the attributes of the goods to be received match the attributes of the goods to be received (attributes can be model, batch, production date, etc.), and where the nearby storage location is vacant. Find the storage location among these locations where the arrival time of the goods in the distant location is closest to the current time, and assign the nearby storage location of that location to the receiving task. The purpose of this is to store similar goods in the same storage location as much as possible, which helps reduce the number of transfers during outbound operations and saves storage space in the automated warehouse.

[0055] 2. If step one is not satisfied, continue to search for storage cells where the distant storage cell is vacant and the nearby storage cell is vacant, and assign the distant storage cell in the storage cell to the inbound task.

[0056] 3. If step two is not satisfied, continue searching for storage locations where the distant storage location is locked and the nearby storage location is vacant, and assign the nearby storage location of that location to the inbound task. If this step is adopted, it must be ensured that the task assigned to the distant storage location is executed first. Only after the inbound task of the distant storage location is completed can the inbound task of the nearby storage location be executed to avoid the "deep storage, shallow storage" anomaly.

[0057] 4. If step 3 is not satisfied, then we can only continue to look for a storage cell where the distant storage cell is occupied and the nearby storage cell is free, and assign the nearby storage cell to the inbound task. If this step is performed, it will result in the goods stored in the distant storage cell and the nearby storage cell being inconsistent. When the goods in the distant storage cell need to be removed from the warehouse, the goods in the nearby storage cell need to be moved away first.

[0058] 5. If none of the above steps can be met, it means that there are currently no available storage locations in the automated warehouse, and the inbound task cannot continue.

[0059] When allocating storage locations for outbound shipments, the first-in, first-out (FIFO) principle is generally followed. However, according to the aforementioned method of allocating storage locations for inbound shipments, if the same goods are stored in both near and far locations within the same storage area, the goods in the far location were stored earlier than those in the near location. This means that if goods in the near location are shipped out, the FIFO principle is violated; if goods in the far location are shipped out, a transfer operation is required, affecting outbound efficiency. Therefore, in step one of the aforementioned inbound storage location allocation method, goods with the same attributes that were stored on the same day (the duration of which can be customized) can be grouped together. In this way, when shipping outbound shipments, the FIFO principle can be achieved with the day as the smallest unit of time.

[0060] Based on the above principles, the steps for selecting a storage location when issuing goods are as follows:

[0061] 1. Locate all goods and their corresponding storage locations that match the outbound information, whose storage locations are occupied, and whose inbound time is the earliest. The inbound time is calculated in days.

[0062] 2. If there is no available inventory, the outbound operation will end; otherwise, proceed to step 3.

[0063] 3. Among the available inventory cells, find all cells with vacant near storage locations, and select the cell closest to the outbound exit. Use the goods in the far storage location of that cell as the outbound goods.

[0064] 4. If step 3 is not satisfied, find all storage cells that are occupied and have the same attributes as the goods in the storage cells, and select the storage cell that is closest to the outbound exit, and use the goods in the storage cell that are closest to the outbound exit as the outbound goods.

[0065] 5. If step 4 is not satisfied, select the available inventory cell that is occupied in the far storage location, has the same attributes as the goods in the far storage location, and is closest to the outbound exit. Take the goods in the far storage location of the cell as the outbound goods. At the same time, a task to move the goods in the near storage location needs to be generated. This transfer task has a higher priority than the far storage location outbound task.

[0066] When different goods are stored in the same storage location, if the option is to remove goods from the distant storage location, a task to move the goods to the nearest storage location (i.e., a transfer task) must be automatically generated first. The transfer task has a higher priority than the outbound task, and its execution steps are as follows:

[0067] 1. Locate all storage cells with the same attributes but currently occupied distant storage locations and vacant nearby storage locations. Select the cell closest to the current starting position and assign its nearby storage location to the transfer task. This is to fully utilize the automated warehouse storage space, freeing up more goods for bulk shipments with the same attributes.

[0068] 2. If step one above is not satisfied, continue to search for all storage cells where the distant storage cell is idle and the nearby storage cell is idle, and select the distant storage cell that is closest to the current transfer starting location to assign the transfer task.

[0069] 3. If step 2 above is not satisfied, continue to search for all storage cells where the far storage cell is occupied and the near storage cell is vacant, and select the nearest storage cell among them that is closest to the current starting storage cell for the storage transfer task assignment.

[0070] 4. If none of the above steps are met, the transfer task cannot be carried out, and the task that needs to be dispatched from the remote storage location cannot be executed until the transfer task can be executed, in order to avoid the "deep storage has shallow storage" anomaly.

[0071] The present invention also proposes an automated three-dimensional warehouse with a double-extension stacker crane, which uses the above-mentioned operation scheduling method for scheduling.

[0072] The central aisle of the double-reach stacker crane is the crane's travel aisle, with multiple storage compartments arranged along both sides. Each storage compartment is divided into a remote location and a near location. The storage compartment furthest from the stacker crane is defined as a "remote location," and the storage compartment closest to the stacker crane is defined as a "near location." Remote and near locations exist in pairs within the automated warehouse, together forming a set of storage compartments. Furthermore, each storage compartment has four states: idle, inbound locked, occupied, and outbound locked. "Idle" means the storage compartment is empty and can be used; "Inbound locked" means the storage compartment is empty but has been reserved by an inbound task, preventing other tasks from using it; "Occupied" means the storage compartment contains goods that have not been reserved and can be retrieved at any time; "Outbound locked" means the storage compartment contains goods but has been reserved by an outbound or transfer task, preventing other tasks from using it.

[0073] The present invention also proposes a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program, which executes the above-described job scheduling method when running.

[0074] In one or more exemplary embodiments, the described functionality may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software as a computer program product, the functionality may be stored or transmitted as one or more instructions or code on or through a computer-readable medium. A computer-readable medium includes both computer storage media and communication media, encompassing any medium that facilitates the transfer of a computer program from one location to another. A storage medium may be any available medium accessible to a computer. By way of example and not limitation, such a computer-readable medium may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disc storage, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and is accessible to a computer. Any connection is also legitimately referred to as a computer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of a medium. As used in this article, disk and disc include compact discs (CDs), laser discs, optical discs, digital multi-purpose discs (DVDs), floppy disks, and Blu-ray discs. Disks typically reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically using lasers. Combinations of these should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0075] It should be noted that the terminology used above is for describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments of the present invention. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0076] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention. It should also be understood that, for ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn to actual scale. Techniques, methods, and devices known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and devices should be considered part of the specification. In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures denote similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it need not be further discussed in subsequent figures.

[0077] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by directional terms such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, horizontal" and "top, bottom" is generally based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise stated, these directional terms do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention; the directional terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0078] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "above," "on top of," "on the upper surface of," "above," etc., are used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature as shown in the figures to other devices or features. It should be understood that spatial relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations in use or operation beyond the orientation of the device as described in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures were inverted, a device described as "above" or "on top of" other devices or structures would subsequently be positioned as "below" or "under" other devices or structures. Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below." The device may also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptions used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0079] Furthermore, it should be noted that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to define components is merely for the purpose of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, the above terms have no special meaning and therefore should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this invention.

[0080] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for scheduling operations in an automated warehouse, characterized in that, Including the following steps: When allocating storage locations for inbound goods, if there is a first inbound condition, namely, the distant storage location is occupied and the attributes of the goods to be inbound are consistent with the attributes of the goods to be inbound, and the nearby storage location is vacant; find the storage location among these available storage locations where the inbound time of the goods in the distant storage location is closest to the current time, and allocate the nearby storage location in that storage location to the inbound task. When allocating storage locations for outbound shipments, the system searches for all goods and their corresponding storage cells that match the outbound information, whose storage locations are occupied, and whose entry time is the earliest. If available inventory exists, the outbound shipment is processed according to the preset outbound rules. If no available inventory exists, the outbound shipment task is terminated. If neither the first nor the second outbound conditions exist, select the available inventory cell whose distant storage location is occupied, has the same cargo attributes, and is closest to the outbound exit. Take the cargo in the distant storage location of this cell as the outbound cargo and generate a transfer task with higher priority than the outbound task of the distant storage location to move the cargo in the nearby storage location away. The specific steps for issuing goods according to the preset outbound rules include: If the first outbound condition exists, that is, there is a storage cell with an vacant near storage location, select the storage cell closest to the outbound exit and take the goods in the far storage location of that storage cell as the outbound goods. If the first outbound condition does not exist, but the second outbound condition is met (i.e., there are cells where all nearby storage locations are occupied and the goods in those cells have the same attributes), select the cell closest to the outbound exit and use the goods in that cell as the outbound goods.

2. The automated warehouse operation scheduling method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, When allocating storage locations for inbound goods, if the first inbound condition does not exist, but the second inbound condition exists (i.e., the distant storage location is vacant and the nearby storage location is vacant), find the storage location closest to the inbound entrance among these available storage locations and assign the distant storage location of that storage location to the inbound task.

3. The automated warehouse operation scheduling method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, When allocating storage locations for inbound goods, if there are no first or second inbound conditions, but there is a third inbound condition, namely, a storage location with a remote location locked and a nearby location vacant, the nearby location of that storage location is locked first, and the inbound task for the remote location of that storage location is executed simultaneously.

4. The automated warehouse operation scheduling method as described in claim 3, characterized in that, When allocating storage locations for inbound goods, if the first, second, and third inbound conditions do not exist, determine if the fourth inbound condition exists, i.e., a storage space where the distant storage location is occupied and the nearby storage location is vacant. If it exists, find the storage space among these available storage spaces where the inbound time of the goods in the distant storage location is closest to the current time, and allocate the nearby storage space in that storage space to the inbound task. If it does not exist, determine that there are no available storage locations in the automated warehouse, and inbound goods cannot be stored.

5. The automated warehouse operation scheduling method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, When performing the transfer task, if there is a first transfer condition, that is, there are cells with the same attributes and the distant storage location is occupied, and the nearby storage location is idle, select the cell that is closest to the starting storage location of the transfer and assign the nearby storage location of the cell to the transfer task.

6. The automated warehouse operation scheduling method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, When executing the transfer task, if there is no first transfer condition but there is a second transfer task, that is, there are cells with both the far storage location and the near storage location in an idle state, select the cell that is closest to the starting storage location of the transfer and assign the far storage location of that cell to the transfer task.

7. The automated warehouse operation scheduling method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, When executing the transfer task, if the first transfer condition and the second transfer condition do not exist, determine whether there is a third transfer task, that is, whether there is a cell where the far storage location is occupied and the near storage location is vacant; if so, select the cell that is closest to the starting storage location of the transfer and assign the near storage location of the cell to the transfer task; if not, determine that there is no available storage location in the automated warehouse and the transfer cannot be performed.

8. An automated storage and retrieval system (AS / RS) with a double-extension stacker crane, characterized in that, The job scheduling method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is used for scheduling.

9. A computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program, characterized in that, The computer program executes the job scheduling method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 when it runs.

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