A control method, device and equipment of a shelf

Abstract

The application provides a control method, device and equipment of a rack, the method comprising: after controlling a robot to move a target rack to a target side buffer position of a production device, when a new idle use position appears on the target side, selecting a target rack with the earliest trigger time based on the trigger time of each target rack on the target side; if the target rack is an abnormal rack, and based on the material identifier corresponding to the target rack, there is a non-abnormal rack corresponding to the material identifier on the target side buffer position, and the non-abnormal rack arrives the buffer position earlier than the target rack, determining the trigger time of the target rack based on the trigger time of the non-abnormal rack, so that the target rack and the non-abnormal rack are continuously moved to the idle use position on the target side; controlling the robot to move the selected target rack from the buffer position to the idle use position on the target side. Through the application scheme, the waiting time of the robot is reduced, and the use efficiency of the robot is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of warehousing and logistics technology, and in particular to a method, apparatus and equipment for controlling shelves. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, various types of robots (such as autonomous mobile robots) have developed rapidly in terms of technology and the market. Robots are automated machines that perform tasks, relying on their own power and control capabilities to achieve various functions. Robots can be commanded by humans, run pre-programmed routines, and act according to strategies developed using artificial intelligence. For example, a user can use a manual remote control to control a robot to perform related operations. The remote control can wirelessly send commands to the robot, which then executes the specified actions to complete the relevant function.

[0003] With the rapid development of robotics technology, robots are being used more and more widely in logistics, warehousing, and factory production. For example, in factory production, robots can be used to transport assembly parts for products.

[0004] However, when using robots to transport product assembly parts (i.e. materials), there are problems such as low transportation efficiency and inability to effectively transport product assembly parts, which affects the factory production process. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a method for controlling a shelf, the method comprising:

[0006] After the robot moves the target shelf to the buffer position on the target side of the production equipment, when a new vacant position appears on the target side, the target shelf with the earliest trigger time is selected based on the trigger time corresponding to the target shelf in each buffer position on the target side. If the target shelf is an abnormal shelf, and based on the material identifier corresponding to the target shelf, there is a non-abnormal shelf corresponding to the material identifier in the buffer position on the target side, and the non-abnormal shelf arrived at the buffer position earlier than the target shelf, then the trigger time corresponding to the target shelf is determined based on the trigger time corresponding to the non-abnormal shelf, so that the target shelf and the non-abnormal shelf move continuously to the vacant position on the target side. The abnormal shelf is a shelf that has been manually moved or added in a queue, and the material identifier is a unique identifier for materials transported through the target shelf.

[0007] The robot is controlled to move the selected target shelf from the cache position to an available position on the target side.

[0008] This application provides a control device for a shelf, the device comprising:

[0009] The acquisition module is used to select the target shelf with the earliest trigger time based on the trigger time corresponding to the target shelf in each cache position on the target side after the control robot moves the target shelf to the cache position on the target side of the production equipment. Specifically, if the target shelf is an abnormal shelf, and based on the material identifier corresponding to the target shelf, there is a non-abnormal shelf corresponding to the material identifier in the cache position on the target side, and the non-abnormal shelf arrived at the cache position earlier than the target shelf, then the trigger time corresponding to the target shelf is determined based on the trigger time corresponding to the non-abnormal shelf, so that the target shelf and the non-abnormal shelf can be moved continuously to the cache position on the target side. The abnormal shelf is a shelf that has been manually moved or added in a queue, and the material identifier is a unique identifier for materials transported through the target shelf.

[0010] The control module is used to control the robot to move the selected target shelf from the cache position to the vacant position on the target side.

[0011] This application provides an electronic device, including: a processor and a machine-readable storage medium, the machine-readable storage medium storing machine-executable instructions that can be executed by the processor; the processor is used to execute the machine-executable instructions to implement the shelf control method of the above example of this application.

[0012] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, the embodiments of this application can significantly reduce the downtime of production equipment caused by mobile robot malfunctions, thereby reducing downtime losses. It can effectively solve the problem of buffer area shelf malfunctions, ensuring that empty shelves are replenished to usable positions as needed, preventing disordered operation. Attached Figure Description

[0013] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments of this application or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings of the embodiments of this application.

[0014] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating a shelf control method according to one embodiment of this application;

[0015] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a production equipment producing parts according to one embodiment of this application;

[0016] Figure 3A , Figure 3B and Figure 3C This is a schematic diagram of two planned routes in one embodiment of this application;

[0017] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a shelf control method according to one embodiment of this application;

[0018] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the usage bits and cache bits in one embodiment of this application;

[0019] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating a shelf control method according to one embodiment of this application;

[0020] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the control device for the shelf in one embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 8 This is a hardware structure diagram of an electronic device according to one embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The terminology used in the embodiments of this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the application. The singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” as used in this application and 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 any and all possible combinations comprising one or more of the associated listed items.

[0023] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used to describe various information in embodiments of this application, 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" may also be interpreted as "when," "when," or "in response to a determination."

[0024] This application proposes a shelf control method, which can be applied to robots (such as mobile robots), such as AMRs (Autonomous Mobile Robots). This method can also be applied to the control equipment of the mobile robot, i.e., the control equipment controls various operations of the mobile robot. See also... Figure 1 The diagram shown is a flowchart of the control method for this shelf, which may include:

[0025] Step 101: After the robot moves the target shelf to the buffer position on the target side of the production equipment, when a new vacant position appears on the target side, the target shelf with the earliest trigger time is selected based on the trigger time corresponding to the target shelf in each buffer position on the target side. If the target shelf is an abnormal shelf, and based on the material identifier corresponding to the target shelf, there is a non-abnormal shelf corresponding to the same material identifier in the buffer position on the target side, and the non-abnormal shelf arrived at the buffer position earlier than the target shelf, then the trigger time corresponding to the target shelf is determined based on the trigger time corresponding to the non-abnormal shelf, so that the target shelf and the non-abnormal shelf move continuously to the vacant position on the target side. The abnormal shelf is a shelf that has been manually moved or added in a queue, and the material identifier is a unique identifier for materials transported through the target shelf.

[0026] Step 102: Control the robot to move the selected target shelf (i.e. the target shelf with the earliest trigger time) from the cache position to the idle position on the target side.

[0027] For example, before the robot moves the target shelf to the buffer position on the target side of the production equipment, when the target shelf needs to be moved from the waiting area to the usage position of the production equipment, the number of idle positions on both sides of the production equipment is counted, and the side with the larger number of idle positions is taken as the target side; wherein, each side of the production equipment includes usage positions and buffer positions, and the number of idle positions is the sum of the number of idle usage positions and the number of idle buffer positions.

[0028] Among them, a used position is a position that can interact with production equipment to exchange materials, an idle used position is a used position that is not occupied by the shelf, and a non-idle used position is a used position that has been occupied by the shelf.

[0029] If there is an available shelf space on the target side and all cached spaces are available, the robot will move the target shelf to an available shelf space on that side. Alternatively, if there is no available shelf space on the target side but there is an available cached space, the robot will move the target shelf to an available cached space on that side. When a new available shelf space appears on the target side, the robot will move the target shelf from an available cached space to an available shelf space on that side.

[0030] For example, after the target shelf reaches an available space on the target side, the material produced by the production equipment can be loaded into the target shelf (i.e., the target shelf is used to transport the material from the production equipment to the waiting area), or the material carried by the target shelf can be provided to the production equipment (i.e., the target shelf is used to transport the material from the waiting area to the production equipment) so that the production equipment can produce based on the material.

[0031] For example, when a new vacant shelf becomes available on the target side, the robot moves the target shelf from an vacant cache position to an vacant shelf on the target side. This can include, but is not limited to: if a cache position on the target side contains a target shelf, the robot moves the target shelf from that cache position to an vacant shelf on the target side. Alternatively, if at least two cache positions on the target side contain target shelves, the robot selects the target shelf with the earliest trigger time based on the trigger time corresponding to the target shelf in each cache position on the target side; the robot then moves the selected target shelf from the cache position to an vacant shelf on the target side.

[0032] For example, for each target shelf, if the target shelf is a non-abnormal shelf, the trigger time for the target shelf in the waiting area (i.e., the time the target shelf departs from the waiting area) can be determined as the trigger time for the target shelf. Alternatively, if the target shelf is an abnormal shelf, the material identifier corresponding to the target shelf can be obtained; wherein, the abnormal shelf can be a shelf that has been moved or added in line by human intervention, and the material identifier is a unique identifier of the material transported through the target shelf. If there is also a non-abnormal shelf corresponding to the material identifier in the buffer position on the target side, and the non-abnormal shelf arrives at the buffer position earlier than the target shelf, the trigger time corresponding to the target shelf can be determined based on the trigger time corresponding to the non-abnormal shelf, such as using the trigger time corresponding to the non-abnormal shelf as the trigger time corresponding to the target shelf.

[0033] For example, if there is only one non-abnormal shelf (i.e., only one non-abnormal shelf has the same material identifier as the abnormal shelf, and this non-abnormal shelf arrives at the buffer position earlier than the target shelf), then the trigger time corresponding to the non-abnormal shelf is taken as the trigger time corresponding to the target shelf.

[0034] If there are at least two non-abnormal shelves (i.e., the material identifiers of at least two non-abnormal shelves are the same as those of abnormal shelves, and these non-abnormal shelves all arrive at the buffer position earlier than the target shelf), based on the trigger time corresponding to each non-abnormal shelf, the latest trigger time can be used as the trigger time corresponding to the target shelf, the earliest trigger time can be used as the trigger time corresponding to the target shelf, or any trigger time can be used as the trigger time corresponding to the target shelf, taking the latest trigger time as an example.

[0035] By using the trigger time corresponding to the non-abnormal shelf as the trigger time corresponding to the target shelf, both the target shelf and the non-abnormal shelf can be continuously moved to available spaces on the target side. For example, when a new available space appears on the target side, the target shelf can be moved to that space first. When another new available space appears on the target side, the non-abnormal shelf can be moved to that space, allowing both the target shelf and the non-abnormal shelf to continuously move to available spaces on the target side.

[0036] Alternatively, when a new vacant space appears on the target side, the non-abnormal shelf can be moved to that vacant space. Then, when another new vacant space appears on the target side, the target shelf can be moved to that vacant space. Alternatively, when a new vacant space appears on the target side, based on the distances between the non-abnormal shelf and the vacant space on the target side, and the distance between the target shelf and the vacant space on the target side, the shelf with the shorter distance is moved to the vacant space on the target side. Then, when another new vacant space appears on the target side, the other shelf is moved to that vacant space.

[0037] For example, controlling the robot to move a target shelf to an available space on the target side, or controlling the robot to move a target shelf to an available buffer space on the target side, may include, but is not limited to: determining whether a shelf already exists in the buffer space on the target side; if so, selecting an available buffer space from the target side and controlling the robot to move the target shelf to that available buffer space; if not, continuing to determine whether a shelf exists in any of the available spaces on the target side. If at least one available space does not have a shelf, selecting an available space from the target side and controlling the robot to move the target shelf to that available space; if all available spaces have shelves, selecting an available buffer space from the target side and controlling the robot to move the target shelf to that available buffer space.

[0038] For example, when a target shelf needs to be moved from a usage position on the production equipment to the waiting area, the number of shelves at each processing position in the waiting area can be counted. Each processing position supports placing one shelf to be processed and multiple queued shelves. Here, a processing position is the location where a shelf is placed when exchanging full or empty shelves. If the minimum number of shelves is one, the processing position corresponding to the minimum number of shelves can be used as the target processing position; or, if the minimum number of shelves is at least two, the processing position corresponding to the minimum distance between the processing position and the usage position corresponding to each minimum number of shelves can be used as the target processing position. The robot is then controlled to move the target shelf from the usage position on the production equipment to the target processing position.

[0039] For example, counting the number of available spaces on both sides of the production equipment and selecting the side with the larger number of available spaces as the target side can include, but is not limited to: during the process of controlling the robot to move the target shelf from the waiting area to the usage position of the production equipment, when the target shelf moves to the first judgment point, counting the number of available spaces on both sides of the production equipment and selecting the side with the larger number of available spaces as the target side. The first judgment point is located on the travel route between the waiting area and the usage position of the production equipment, and the first judgment point represents the starting point for finding an available usage position.

[0040] The counting of shelves at each processing position in the waiting area can include, but is not limited to: during the process of controlling the robot to move the target shelf from the usage position of the production equipment to the waiting area, counting the number of shelves at each processing position in the waiting area when the target shelf moves to the second judgment point. The second judgment point is located on the travel route between the usage position of the production equipment and the waiting area, and the second judgment point represents the starting point for finding the target processing position.

[0041] For example, controlling the robot to move the target shelf to an available space on the target side may include, but is not limited to: if there are at least two logistics channels between the waiting area and the available space of the production equipment, the robot moves the target shelf along one logistics channel; if there are no obstacles in the logistics channel, the robot moves the target shelf to an available space on the target side; if there are obstacles in the logistics channel, the robot moves the target shelf along the other logistics channel to an available space on the target side to avoid the obstacles.

[0042] For example, controlling the robot to move the target shelf from the usage position of the production equipment to the target processing position may include, but is not limited to: if there are at least two logistics channels between the usage position of the production equipment and the waiting area, the robot moves the target shelf along one logistics channel; if there are no obstacles in the logistics channel, the robot moves the target shelf to the target processing position; if there are obstacles in the logistics channel, the robot moves the target shelf along another logistics channel to the target processing position to avoid the obstacles.

[0043] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, this application proposes a material balancing and distribution method for balanced production output scenarios. This method allows the movement path of mobile robots to be dynamically planned and adjusted according to the actual scenario, ensuring that the shelves at the usage positions of production equipment are replenished evenly and on time, and that empty shelves on different sides of the production equipment are replenished evenly according to the first-in, first-out (FIFO) order. This significantly reduces the waiting time of mobile robots, improves their utilization efficiency, and reduces the number of mobile robots required. It also significantly reduces the downtime of production equipment caused by mobile robot malfunctions, reducing downtime losses. Furthermore, it improves the transportation efficiency of mobile robots, effectively transporting assembly parts for products, thereby increasing factory production efficiency, preventing disruptions to the factory production process, and enhancing operational efficiency and intelligence.

[0044] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be described below in conjunction with specific application scenarios.

[0045] With the development of automation and intelligent technologies, more material distribution is adopting automated equipment and intelligent scheduling systems to achieve intelligent management of the distribution process, improving the efficiency and accuracy of distribution operations. For example, in factory production (such as stamping press production in the automotive industry), in scenarios where parts are produced evenly on both sides, the intelligent scheduling system dispatches mobile robots to deliver empty racks and transport full racks off the production line according to fixed routes and fixed stopping points. That is, the mobile robot moves the rack along a set fixed route, stops at the set fixed point, puts down the rack, and waits in place until the production equipment processes the material. When the rack is full, a trigger signal is sent, and the mobile robot moves the rack to the next step.

[0046] However, in the above methods, the mobile robots follow fixed routes and stop at fixed points, resulting in low efficiency and requiring a large number of robots. When obstacles appear in the route, the mobile robots need to stop and wait, unable to intelligently select the optimal path, which significantly impacts production. When a mobile robot malfunctions, the material racks cannot be delivered to the production positions on time. Because the production equipment aims for balanced production output on both sides, when an anomaly occurs on one side (such as a mobile robot malfunctioning on the route or encountering an obstacle), there will be no empty material racks to replenish on that side, while the other side will be full of material racks queuing up. The material racks cannot be evenly replenished on both sides of the production equipment, causing the production equipment to stop and wait.

[0047] In response to the above findings, this application proposes a shelf control method. This method is an intelligent, flexible, and balanced delivery method for shelves (shelves are material racks, which are devices used to carry materials) in a balanced production output scenario. It improves the utilization rate of mobile robots, ensures that the shelves at the usage positions are delivered evenly and on time, and significantly reduces the downtime of production equipment caused by mobile robot malfunctions.

[0048] See Figure 2 The diagram illustrates a scenario where production equipment is manufacturing parts. For example, in a factory production setting, the equipment used is a stamping press, and the type of equipment is not limited. In a scenario where stamped parts are produced and rolled off the production line, the stamping press simultaneously and evenly distributes the parts across both sides of the line. The empty racks on both sides need to be replenished in a strictly balanced manner. Furthermore, during part changeovers, because the part racks are dedicated to specific parts, they must be replenished sequentially according to the order of parts being shipped from the waiting area.

[0049] Each side of the production equipment includes used bits and cache bits, and these two types of bits need to be evenly distributed. For example, taking a production equipment with a top and a bottom side as an example, the top side of the production equipment can include top used bits (also called top used bits) and top cache bits (also called top cache bits). The bottom side of the production equipment can include bottom used bits (also called bottom used bits) and bottom cache bits (also called bottom cache bits). It is important to note that, in order to achieve a balanced distribution of used bits and cache bits, the number of used bits on the top side is the same as the number of used bits on the bottom side, and the number of cache bits on the top side is the same as the number of cache bits on the bottom side. This ensures a balanced distribution of used bits and cache bits. Figure 2 Taking 4 upper-side used bits, 4 lower-side used bits, 4 upper-side cache bits, and 4 lower-side cache bits as an example.

[0050] The "use position" refers to the location on either side of the production equipment where shelves are placed. This position allows for material exchange with the production equipment; when a shelf is placed in a use position, the materials it holds can be supplied to the production equipment for processing. Additionally, materials produced by the production equipment can be loaded into the shelf. The "buffer position" is a location near the use position where shelves are placed. This means that when a shelf is placed in the buffer position, if an available use position becomes available, the shelf can be quickly moved from the buffer position to the use position. It's important to note that shelves in the upper buffer position can only be moved to the upper use position, and shelves in the lower buffer position can only be moved to the lower use position.

[0051] See Figure 2As shown, the production output scenario of the production equipment can also include a waiting area, which refers to the location where shelves are placed when exchanging full or empty shelves. For example, the waiting area may include multiple processing positions, such as processing position D1, processing position D2, and processing position D3. A processing position is the location where shelves are placed when exchanging full or empty shelves. When supplying materials carried in the shelves to the production equipment, the shelves start from the processing position in the waiting area, i.e., the materials are placed into the shelves at the processing position. Then, the shelves travel through the aisle to the usage position of the production equipment. When the shelves are placed at the usage position, the materials carried in the shelves can be supplied to the production equipment for production based on the materials. After the materials produced by the production equipment are loaded into the shelves, the shelves start from the usage position of the production equipment, travel through the aisle to the processing position in the waiting area, and the materials are unloaded from the shelves at the processing position.

[0052] For example, to achieve path replanning in obstacle-prone scenarios, in this embodiment, at least two logistics channels can be planned between the waiting area and the usage position of the production equipment, and at least two logistics channels can be planned between the waiting area and the buffer position of the production equipment. For example, see... Figure 3A As shown, at least two logistics channels are set up for the running route between the waiting area and the usage position (buffer position) of the production equipment. The logistics channels are bidirectional routes, meaning that the mobile robot can move in one direction and the opposite direction within the same route. In this way, if the mobile robot encounters an obstacle during operation, the path can be replanned, ensuring the intelligence and flexibility of the mobile robot's movement route.

[0053] For example, see Figure 3A As shown, both logistics channels are dual-path routes, allowing the mobile robot to move both upwards and downwards within them. (See also...) Figure 3B The diagram shows a planned upward path for the mobile robot. When the mobile robot moves upward along the logistics channel, see... Figure 3C As shown, if a mobile robot encounters an obstacle during operation, it can replan its path, that is, replan its route according to the optimal path principle, and travel to another logistics channel to avoid the obstacle.

[0054] When planning at least two logistics lanes, each lane is planned according to the largest shelf size; that is, the logistics lane needs to meet the size requirements of the largest shelf. For example, if there are 10 different sizes of shelves that may pass through the logistics lane, then the largest shelf size among the 10 sizes is determined, and the width of the logistics lane needs to be greater than the largest shelf size to ensure that all shelves passing through the logistics lane can pass safely.

[0055] In the above application scenario, this application proposes a shelf control method. In this embodiment, the example is to move the shelf (hereinafter referred to as the target shelf) from the waiting area to the usage position of the production equipment.

[0056] See Figure 4 The diagram shown is a flowchart of a shelf control method, which may include:

[0057] Step 401: Control the robot to move the target shelf from the waiting area to the usage position of the production equipment.

[0058] For example, the target shelf can be placed on a mobile robot, and the robot's route can be planned so that it can move from the waiting area to the usage position of the production equipment. Then, the robot can be controlled to move the target shelf from the waiting area to the usage position of the production equipment without any restrictions on the process.

[0059] Step 402: During the process of controlling the robot to move the target shelf from the waiting area to the usage position of the production equipment, determine whether the target shelf has moved to the first judgment point. If so, proceed to step 403.

[0060] If not, continue to determine (i.e., determine in real time) whether the target shelf has moved to the first determination point, and so on, until the target shelf moves to the first determination point, and then execute step 403.

[0061] For example, the first determination point is located on the travel route between the waiting area and the usage position of the production equipment, and the first determination point represents the starting point for searching for an available usage position. For example, see... Figure 2 As shown, judgment point a and judgment point b represent the first judgment point, meaning that the first judgment point exists on both driving routes.

[0062] The first judgment point can be a location point configured based on experience. The first judgment point can be a location point close to the waiting area, such as when the distance between the first judgment point and the waiting area is less than a threshold. The first judgment point can also be a location point close to the usage position of the production equipment, such as when the distance between the first judgment point and the usage position of the production equipment is less than a threshold. There are no restrictions on the location of the first judgment point, and it can be configured based on experience.

[0063] For example, a first judgment point can be set on the necessary path between the waiting area and the usage position of the production equipment. As the target shelf moves from the waiting area to the usage position of the production equipment, it will reach the first judgment point. Therefore, it can be determined whether the target shelf has moved to the first judgment point. For example, see... Figure 2As shown, judgment points a and b are set on the necessary path between the waiting area and the usage position of the production equipment. During the process of the target shelf moving from the waiting area to the usage position of the production equipment, it will reach judgment point a or judgment point b. Therefore, it can be determined whether the target shelf has moved to judgment point a or judgment point b.

[0064] Step 403: When the target shelf moves to the first judgment point, count the number of idle spaces on both sides of the production equipment, and select the side with the larger number of idle spaces as the target side. Each side of the production equipment includes used spaces and buffer spaces, and the number of idle spaces is the sum of the number of idle used spaces and the number of idle buffer spaces.

[0065] For example, when the target shelf moves to the first judgment point, the optimal path is planned, which means that the target side of the production equipment needs to be determined and the path between the first judgment point and the target side is taken as the optimal path.

[0066] To determine the target side of the production equipment, it is necessary to count the number of idle slots on the upper side and the number of idle slots on the lower side of the production equipment. Specifically, the number of idle slots on the upper side is the sum of the number of idle used slots and the number of idle cached slots in the upper buffer slots; similarly, the number of idle slots on the lower side is the sum of the number of idle used slots and the number of idle cached slots in the lower buffer slots.

[0067] For example, see Figure 5 The diagram shows the usage bits and cache bits. On the upper side of the production equipment, there are upper usage bits S21, S22, S23, and S24. Upper usage bit S21 is occupied by a shelf and is not an idle bit. Upper usage bits S22, S23, and S24 are not occupied by shelves and are idle bits. On the upper side of the production equipment, there are upper cache bits H21, H22, H23, and H24. Upper cache bits H21, H22, H23, and H24 are not occupied by shelves and are idle cache bits. In summary, the number of idle bits on the upper side is the sum of the number of idle usage bits (3) and the number of idle cache bits (4), which is 7.

[0068] The lower side of the production equipment has four usable slots: S11, S12, S13, and S14. S11 and S12 are not idle, while S13 and S14 are idle as no shelves are placed on them. The lower side of the production equipment also has four cache slots: H11, H12, H13, and H14. These cache slots are also idle as no shelves are placed on them. In summary, the total number of idle slots on the lower side is the sum of the number of idle usable slots (2) and the number of idle cache slots (4), which is 6.

[0069] In summary, we can count the number of vacant spaces on the upper side (7 spaces) and the number of vacant spaces on the lower side (6 spaces) of the production equipment. The side with the larger number of vacant spaces can be used as the target side, such as the upper side of the production equipment. This will allow for a balanced use of the vacant spaces on either side, ensuring that the use of shelves on both sides is balanced.

[0070] For example, if the number of available spaces on both sides of the production equipment is the same, the upper side of the production equipment can be used as the target side, or the lower side of the production equipment can be used as the target side, without any restriction.

[0071] For example, to prioritize replenishing the empty storage spaces (i.e., the number of available spaces) on both sides of the production equipment, see [reference needed]. Figure 5 As shown, when a mobile robot transports a target shelf from the waiting area to the usage location, it checks the availability of storage spaces on both sides (the storage space includes usage locations on both sides and buffer locations on both sides; the buffer locations only buffer upstream target shelves moving from the waiting area to the usage location, but not downstream target shelves moving from the usage location to the waiting area). For example, the number of empty storage spaces on the upper side = S21 + S22 + S23 + S24 + H21 + H22 + H23 + H24, which is the number of available spaces on the upper side; the number of empty storage spaces on the lower side = S11 + S12 + S13 + S14 + H11 + H12 + H13 + H14, which is the number of available spaces on the lower side. Figure 5In the middle, the upper used position S21 has a shelf placed on it, and S21 is 0. The upper used positions S22, S23, S24, upper cache positions H21, H22, H23, and H24 have no shelves placed on them, and S22, S23, S24, H21, H22, H23, and H24 are all 1. Therefore, the number of empty upper storage positions is 7. The lower used positions S11 and S12 have shelves placed on them, and S11 and S12 are 0. The lower used positions S13, S14, H11, H12, H13, and H14 have no shelves placed on them, and S13, S14, H11, H12, H13, and H14 are all 1. Therefore, the number of empty lower storage positions is 6. After comparing the empty storage spaces on both sides (7 empty storage spaces on the upper side and 6 empty storage spaces on the lower side), if the number of empty storage spaces on the upper side (7) is greater than the number of empty storage spaces on the lower side (6), then the empty storage spaces on the upper side will be allocated, meaning the upper side will be the target side.

[0072] Step 404: Determine if there are any free available bits on the target side. If yes, i.e., there are free available bits on the target side, proceed to step 405. Alternatively, if no, i.e., there are no free available bits on the target side but there are free cache bits, proceed to step 406. Specifically, if a shelf is not placed on the available bit, it is a free available bit; if a shelf is placed on the available bit, it is not a free available bit. Furthermore, if a shelf is not placed on the cache bit, it is a free cache bit; if a shelf is placed on the cache bit, it is not a free cache bit. If the target side is the lower side of the production equipment, determine if there are any free available bits among all the lower available bits. If the target side is the upper side of the production equipment, determine if there are any free available bits among all the upper available bits.

[0073] For example, it can be determined whether a shelf exists for the cache slot on the target side. If yes, meaning the cache slot on the target side already exists, it indicates that there are no free slots on the target side, and step 406 is executed. If no, meaning the cache slot on the target side does not exist, it continues to determine whether any of the available slots on the target side exist. If at least one available slot does not exist, it indicates that there are free slots on the target side, and step 405 is executed. If all available slots exist, it indicates that there are no free slots on the target side, and step 406 is executed.

[0074] For example, the cache bits on the target side can be checked. If a cache bit already exists on the shelf, it means all usable bits are available, and a cache bit in the cache area is directly allocated, i.e., step 406 is executed. If all cache bits in the cache area are empty, usable bits are allocated first, i.e., step 405 is executed. See [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 5 As shown, H11, H12, H13, and H14 are all empty storage locations. When allocating empty storage locations, S13 and S14 are allocated first.

[0075] Step 405: If all cache slots are free, control the robot to move the target shelf to a free available slot on the target side. For example, if there is a free available slot on the target side and all cache slots are free, the robot can be controlled to move the target shelf to a free available slot on the target side.

[0076] For example, if there are available storage spaces on the target side, but at least one cache space is not available, the shelf in the cache space is first moved to an available storage space on the target side. Then, if there are still available storage spaces and all cache spaces are available, the robot can be controlled to move the target shelf to an available storage space on the target side. Alternatively, after moving the shelf in the cache space to an available storage space, if there are no available storage spaces, the robot can be controlled to move the target shelf to an available cache space on the target side, as described in subsequent embodiments.

[0077] Step 406: Control the robot to move the target shelf to the empty buffer position on the target side.

[0078] For example, when controlling a robot to move a target shelf to an available space on the target side, the target shelf is located on the mobile robot. By moving the mobile robot to an available space on the target side, it is possible to control the robot to move the target shelf to an available space on the target side. If there is no available space on the target side but there is an available buffer space, then the robot is controlled to move the target shelf to the available buffer space on the target side. For example, if the target shelf is located on the mobile robot, by moving the mobile robot to an available buffer space on the target side, it is possible to control the robot to move the target shelf to the available buffer space on the target side.

[0079] For example, the target shelf can be an empty shelf, meaning it is not carrying any material. After the target shelf is moved to an available space on the target side, the material produced by the production equipment can be loaded onto the target shelf. Alternatively, the target shelf can be a full shelf, meaning it carries material. After the target shelf is moved to an available space on the target side, the material carried by the target shelf can be provided to the production equipment (i.e., the target shelf is used to transport material from the waiting area to the production equipment) so that the production equipment can perform production based on the material. After the material carried by the target shelf is provided to the production equipment, the target shelf can either leave as an empty shelf or leave as a full shelf after the material produced by the production equipment is loaded onto it.

[0080] For example, in steps 404-406, it can be determined whether a shelf already exists in the cache slot on the target side. If so, an empty cache slot can be selected from the target side, and the robot can be controlled to move the target shelf to that empty cache slot. If not, it can be further determined whether a shelf exists in all the usable slots on the target side. If at least one usable slot does not have a shelf, an empty usable slot can be selected from the target side, and the robot can be controlled to move the target shelf to that empty usable slot; if all usable slots have shelves, an empty cache slot can be selected from the target side, and the robot can be controlled to move the target shelf to that empty cache slot.

[0081] For example, in step 405, when the robot moves the target shelf to an available space on the target side, if there are at least two logistics channels between the waiting area and the available space on the production equipment, the robot moves the target shelf along one of these channels. If there are no obstacles in the logistics channel, the robot moves the target shelf along that channel to an available space on the target side. If there are obstacles in the logistics channel, the robot moves the target shelf along the other logistics channel to an available space on the target side, thereby avoiding the obstacles.

[0082] For example, in step 406, when the robot moves the target shelf to an empty buffer position on the target side, if there are at least two logistics channels between the waiting area and the buffer position of the production equipment, the robot moves the target shelf along one logistics channel. If there are no obstacles in the logistics channel, the robot moves the target shelf along that logistics channel to an empty buffer position on the target side. If there are obstacles in the logistics channel, the robot moves the target shelf along another logistics channel to an empty buffer position on the target side.

[0083] Step 407: After the robot moves the target shelf to an empty buffer position on the target side, when a new empty usage position appears on the target side, the robot moves the target shelf from the empty buffer position to the empty usage position on the target side.

[0084] For example, when a new vacant shelf becomes available on the target side, if a target shelf is present in one of the cached shelves on the target side, the robot is controlled to move the target shelf from that cached shelf to the vacant shelf on the target side. Alternatively, if only one cached shelf contains a target shelf, and the remaining cached shelves do not, the robot is directly controlled to move the target shelf from that cached shelf to the vacant shelf on the target side.

[0085] For example, when a new vacant shelf becomes available on the target side, if at least two cached shelves on the target side contain target shelves (i.e., multiple target shelves exist in the cached shelves), the trigger time corresponding to each target shelf can be obtained. Based on the trigger time corresponding to each target shelf, the target shelf with the earliest trigger time is selected, and the robot is controlled to move the target shelf with the earliest trigger time from the cached shelf to the vacant shelf on the target side.

[0086] For example, when replenishing the target shelves in the cache slots to the available slots, the shelves can be automatically replenished to the available slots on the target side according to the order in which they were triggered in the waiting area, thus ensuring that the target shelves can be replenished to the available slots on the target side in the order they were triggered.

[0087] For example, for each target shelf, if the target shelf is not abnormal, the trigger time for that target shelf in the waiting area (i.e., the time when the target shelf departs from the waiting area) can be determined as the trigger time for that target shelf. For instance, if the target shelf does not experience any abnormalities during its movement from the waiting area to an empty buffer slot on the target side, then the target shelf is not abnormal, and the trigger time for that target shelf in the waiting area can be used as the trigger time for that target shelf.

[0088] For example, for each target shelf, if the target shelf is an abnormal shelf, the material identifier corresponding to the target shelf can be obtained. The abnormal shelf can be a shelf that has been moved manually or a shelf added in advance, and the material identifier can be a unique identifier of the material transported through the target shelf. Then, if there is a non-abnormal shelf corresponding to the material identifier in the target-side buffer, the trigger time corresponding to the target shelf can be determined based on the trigger time corresponding to the non-abnormal shelf. For example, the trigger time corresponding to the non-abnormal shelf can be used as the trigger time corresponding to the target shelf.

[0089] For example, the production equipment produces part A first, then part B, and part A leaves the usage position before part B. The lower buffer position H11 holds the target shelf x1 for part A, the lower buffer position H12 holds the target shelf x2 for part A, the lower buffer position H13 holds the target shelf x3 for part B, and the lower buffer position H14 holds the target shelf x4 for part B.

[0090] Assuming that at time y1, the robot moves the target shelf x1 from the waiting area to the buffer position H11, and the target shelf x1 does not experience any abnormalities, the time y1 when the target shelf x1 is triggered in the waiting area is taken as the trigger time corresponding to the target shelf x1. That is, the trigger time corresponding to the target shelf x1 can be time y1.

[0091] Suppose that at time y2, which is later than time y1, the robot controls the target shelf x0 (which is used to carry part A) to move from the waiting area to the buffer position. However, due to a malfunction of the mobile robot, the target shelf x0 fails to move to the buffer position, resulting in an abnormality of the target shelf x0.

[0092] Assuming that at time y3, which is later than time y2, the robot moves the target shelf x3 from the waiting area to the buffer position H13, and the target shelf x3 does not experience any abnormalities, the time y3 when the target shelf x3 is triggered in the waiting area is taken as the trigger time corresponding to the target shelf x3, that is, the trigger time can be time y3.

[0093] Assuming that at time y4, which is later than time y3, the robot moves the target shelf x4 from the waiting area to the buffer position H14, and the target shelf x4 does not experience any abnormalities, the time y4 when the target shelf x4 is triggered in the waiting area is taken as the trigger time corresponding to the target shelf x4, that is, the trigger time can be time y4.

[0094] Since target shelf x0 failed to move to the buffer position, a new target shelf x2 needs to be added in the queue. Target shelf x2 carries the same parts as target shelf x0; that is, target shelf x2 is used to carry part A. For example, at time y5, which is later than time y4, the robot moves target shelf x2 from the waiting area to buffer position H12. Because target shelf x2 is a newly added shelf, i.e., an abnormal shelf, the trigger time y5 when target shelf x2 is in the waiting area is not used as the trigger time for target shelf x2. Instead, the trigger time for target shelf x2 is determined as follows:

[0095] Obtain the material identifier corresponding to target shelf x2. This material identifier can be a unique identifier for the material (i.e., part A) transported via target shelf x2; that is, this material identifier is the unique identifier for part A. Since there is a non-abnormal shelf (i.e., target shelf x1, which is also used to carry part A) corresponding to the material identifier in the target-side buffer H11, the trigger time y1 corresponding to target shelf x1 is used as the trigger time corresponding to target shelf x2. That is, the trigger time corresponding to target shelf x2 is time y1. In summary, the trigger time corresponding to target shelf x2 is time y1, not time y5.

[0096] After the above processing, the order of trigger times for the target shelves is: target shelf x1 (time y1), target shelf x2 (time y1), target shelf x3 (time y3), target shelf x4 (time y4). That is, the order of trigger times for the target shelves is not: target shelf x1 (time y1), target shelf x3 (time y3), target shelf x4 (time y4), target shelf x2 (time y5).

[0097] In this way, the target shelves can be moved from the buffer position to the usage position in the order of target shelf x1, target shelf x2, target shelf x3, and target shelf x4. When the production equipment sequentially produces part A, part B, and part B, target shelf x1 carries part A, target shelf x2 carries part A, target shelf x3 carries part B, and target shelf x4 carries part B, thus correctly matching the relationship between the target shelves and the parts. Conversely, if the target shelves are moved from the buffer position to the usage position in the order of target shelf x1, target shelf x3, target shelf x4, and target shelf x2, then target shelf x1 carries part A, target shelf x3 carries part A, target shelf x4 carries part B, and target shelf x2 carries part B, resulting in an incorrect matching of the relationship between the target shelves and the parts, i.e., an anomaly occurs in the production process.

[0098] It is important to note that if the target shelf is an abnormal shelf, and there are multiple non-abnormal shelves with corresponding material identifiers in the buffer position on the target side, then the latest trigger time will be used as the trigger time for the target shelf based on the trigger time of these non-abnormal shelves. This ensures that when production materials are switched, the target shelf in the buffer area is also replenished on demand even if the shelf is manually moved or added in line. That is, the target shelf that is triggered later needs to be automatically replenished to the usage position with priority along with the target shelf that arrives earlier, so as to avoid abnormalities in the production process.

[0099] This application provides a method for controlling a shelf, taking the movement of a target shelf from its usage position on a production device to a waiting area as an example. See also... Figure 6 The diagram shown is a flowchart of the method, which includes:

[0100] Step 601: Control the robot to move the target shelf from the usage position of the production equipment to the waiting area.

[0101] For example, the target shelf can be placed on a mobile robot, and the robot's route can be planned so that it can move from the usage position of the production equipment to the waiting area. Then, the robot can be controlled to move the target shelf from the usage position of the production equipment to the waiting area without any restrictions on the process.

[0102] For example, the target shelf can be empty, and the robot can be controlled to move it from the usage position of the production equipment to the waiting area. Alternatively, the target shelf can be full (i.e., the materials produced by the production equipment are loaded into the target shelf), and the robot can be controlled to move it from the usage position of the production equipment to the waiting area.

[0103] Step 602: During the process of controlling the robot to move the target shelf from the usage position of the production equipment to the waiting area, determine whether the target shelf has moved to the second judgment point. If so, proceed to step 603.

[0104] If not, continue to determine (i.e., determine in real time) whether the target shelf has moved to the second determination point, and so on, until the target shelf moves to the second determination point, and then execute step 603.

[0105] For example, the second decision point is located on the travel route between the usage position of the production equipment and the waiting area, and the second decision point represents the starting point for searching for the target processing position. See, for example, [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 2 As shown, judgment points a and b represent the second judgment points, meaning that the second judgment points exist on both driving routes. Of course, this is just an example using judgment points a and b; the second judgment points may differ from the first judgment points.

[0106] The second judgment point can be a location point configured based on experience. The second judgment point can be a location point close to the waiting area, such as if the distance between the second judgment point and the waiting area is less than a threshold. The second judgment point can also be a location point close to the usage position of the production equipment, such as if the distance between the second judgment point and the usage position of the production equipment is less than a threshold. There are no restrictions on the location of the second judgment point, and it can be configured based on experience.

[0107] Step 603: When the target shelf moves to the second judgment point, count the number of shelves in each processing position of the waiting area. Each processing position can support one shelf to be processed and multiple queue shelves.

[0108] For example, when the target shelf moves to the second judgment point, the optimal path is planned, which means that the target processing position needs to be determined and the path between the second judgment point and the target processing position is taken as the optimal path.

[0109] To determine the target processing location, it is necessary to count the number of shelves at each processing location in the waiting area. For example, see... Figure 2 or Figure 5 As shown, the waiting area contains processing bit D1, processing bit D2 and processing bit D3.

[0110] The number of shelves at processing position D1 can be counted, which is the sum of the number of shelves awaiting processing and the number of shelves in the queue. A shelf awaiting processing represents the shelf currently being processed at processing position D1; there can be at most one shelf awaiting processing. A shelf in the queue represents a shelf waiting in line behind the shelf awaiting processing. After a shelf awaiting processing is completed, a shelf in the queue can be added back to the list of shelves awaiting processing, and so on. The number of shelves awaiting processing can be multiple. Based on this, the sum of the number of shelves awaiting processing and the number of shelves in the queue can be counted, which is the total number of shelves at processing position D1.

[0111] Similarly, the number of shelves at processing position D2 and the number of shelves at processing position D3 can be counted.

[0112] Step 604: Based on the number of shelves at each processing position, if the minimum number of shelves is one, then the processing position corresponding to the minimum number of shelves is taken as the target processing position. Alternatively, based on the number of shelves at each processing position, if the minimum number of shelves is at least two, then the processing position corresponding to the minimum distance between the processing position and the usage position corresponding to each minimum number of shelves can be taken as the target processing position.

[0113] For example, if the number of shelves in processing position D1 is less than the number of shelves in processing position D2, and the number of shelves in processing position D2 is less than the number of shelves in processing position D3, then the minimum number of shelves is one, and the processing position D1 corresponding to the minimum number of shelves is taken as the target processing position, that is, the target processing position is processing position D1.

[0114] For example, if the number of shelves in processing position D1 equals the number of shelves in processing position D2, and the number of shelves in processing position D2 is less than the number of shelves in processing position D3, then the minimum number of shelves is two. Then, the distance between processing position D1 and the used position corresponding to the minimum number of shelves, and the distance between processing position D2 and the used position corresponding to the minimum number of shelves, are determined. Based on the distances between processing position D1 and the used position, and between processing position D2 and the used position, if the distance between processing position D1 and the used position is less than the distance between processing position D2 and the used position, then processing position D1 is designated as the target processing position. If the distance between processing position D2 and the used position is less than the distance between processing position D1 and the used position, then processing position D2 is designated as the target processing position.

[0115] Step 605: Control the robot to move the target shelf to the target processing position.

[0116] For example, the target shelf is located on a mobile robot. By moving the mobile robot to the target processing position, the robot can be controlled to move the target shelf to the target processing position. The target shelf can be a full shelf carrying materials or an empty shelf without materials; there are no restrictions on this.

[0117] In summary, regarding the priority allocation strategy for empty storage spaces in the waiting area, if processing positions D1, D2, and D3 have empty storage spaces, they can be allocated according to the principle of proximity. If none of the processing positions in the waiting area have empty storage spaces, priority should be given to the processing positions with fewer queued shelves. This allocation method ensures reasonable distribution of the offline shelves in the waiting area, preventing excessively long queues at some processing points.

[0118] For example, in the process of controlling the robot to move the target shelf from the use position of the production equipment to the target processing position, if there are at least two logistics channels between the use position of the production equipment and the waiting area, the robot can be controlled to move the target shelf along one logistics channel; if there are no obstacles in the logistics channel, the robot can be controlled to move the target shelf to the target processing position; if there are obstacles in the logistics channel, the robot can be controlled to move the target shelf along another logistics channel to the target processing position.

[0119] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, this application proposes an intelligent, flexible, and balanced material distribution method for balanced production output scenarios. This method allows the movement path of mobile robots to be dynamically planned and adjusted according to the actual scenario, ensuring that the shelves at the usage positions of production equipment are replenished evenly and on time, and that empty shelves on different sides of the production equipment are replenished evenly in a first-in, first-out (FIFO) order. This significantly reduces the waiting time of mobile robots, improves their utilization efficiency, and reduces the number of mobile robots required. It also significantly reduces the downtime of production equipment caused by mobile robot malfunctions, reducing downtime losses. Furthermore, it improves the transportation efficiency of mobile robots, effectively transporting assembly parts for products, thereby increasing factory production efficiency, preventing disruptions to the factory production process, and enhancing operational efficiency and intelligence. Finally, it effectively solves the problem of abnormal buffer area shelves, ensuring that empty shelves are replenished to the usage positions as needed, without disorder.

[0120] Based on the same concept as the above method, this application proposes a shelf control device, see [link]. Figure 7 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of the control device for the shelf, which includes:

[0121] The acquisition module 71 is used to select the target shelf with the earliest trigger time based on the trigger time corresponding to the target shelf in each cache position on the target side when a new vacant space appears on the target side after the robot moves the target shelf to the cache position on the target side. If the target shelf is an abnormal shelf, and based on the material identifier corresponding to the target shelf, there is also a non-abnormal shelf corresponding to the material identifier in the cache position on the target side, and the non-abnormal shelf arrived at the cache position earlier than the target shelf, then the trigger time corresponding to the target shelf is determined based on the trigger time corresponding to the non-abnormal shelf, so that the target shelf and the non-abnormal shelf move continuously to the vacant space on the target side. The abnormal shelf is a shelf that has been moved or added by human intervention, and the material identifier is a unique identifier for transporting materials through the target shelf. The control module 72 is used to control the robot to move the selected target shelf from the cache position to the vacant space on the target side.

[0122] For example, if the target shelf is a non-abnormal shelf, the time when the non-abnormal shelf is triggered in the waiting area is determined as the trigger time corresponding to the non-abnormal shelf.

[0123] For example, the acquisition module 71 is further configured to count the number of empty spaces on both sides of the production equipment when the target shelf needs to be moved from the waiting area to a usage position of the production equipment, and take the side with the larger number of empty spaces as the target side; each side of the production equipment includes a usage position and a buffer position, and the number of empty spaces is the sum of the number of empty usage positions and the number of empty buffer positions; wherein, a usage position is a position that can interact with materials with the production equipment, an empty usage position is a usage position that is not occupied by the shelf, and a non-empty usage position is a usage position that has been occupied by the shelf; the control module 72 is further configured to control the robot to move the target shelf to an empty usage position on the target side if there is an empty usage position on the target side and all buffer positions are empty buffer positions; or, if there is no empty usage position on the target side but there is an empty buffer position, control the robot to move the target shelf to an empty buffer position on the target side;

[0124] Wherein, after the target shelf reaches an empty space on the target side, the material produced by the production equipment is loaded into the target shelf, or the material carried by the target shelf is provided to the production equipment so that the production equipment can carry out production based on the material.

[0125] For example, when the control module 72 controls the robot to move the target shelf to an available usage position on the target side, or when controlling the robot to move the target shelf to an available buffer position on the target side, it is specifically used to: determine whether a shelf already exists in the buffer position on the target side; if so, select an available buffer position from the target side and control the robot to move the target shelf to the available buffer position on the target side; if not, determine whether a shelf exists in all usage positions on the target side; if at least one usage position does not have a shelf, select an available usage position from the target side and control the robot to move the target shelf to the available usage position on the target side; if all usage positions have shelves, select an available buffer position from the target side and control the robot to move the target shelf to the available buffer position on the target side.

[0126] The acquisition module 71 is further configured to count the number of shelves at each processing position in the waiting area when the target shelf needs to be moved from the usage position of the production equipment to the waiting area. Each processing position supports placing one shelf to be processed and multiple queued shelves. The processing position is the position where the shelf is placed when exchanging full or empty shelves. If the minimum number of shelves is one, the processing position corresponding to the minimum number of shelves is taken as the target processing position. Alternatively, if the minimum number of shelves is at least two, the processing position corresponding to the minimum distance between the processing position and the usage position corresponding to each minimum number of shelves is taken as the target processing position. The control module 72 is further configured to control the robot to move the target shelf from the usage position of the production equipment to the target processing position.

[0127] The acquisition module 71, when counting the number of vacant spaces on both sides of the production equipment and selecting the side with the larger number of vacant spaces as the target side, is specifically used as follows: During the process of controlling the robot to move the target shelf from the waiting area to the usage position of the production equipment, when the target shelf moves to the first judgment point, the acquisition module 71 counts the number of vacant spaces on both sides of the production equipment and selects the side with the larger number of vacant spaces as the target side; wherein, the first judgment point is located on the travel route between the waiting area and the usage position of the production equipment, and the first judgment point represents the starting point for searching for vacant usage positions; The acquisition module 71, when counting the number of shelves at each processing position in the waiting area, is specifically used as follows: During the process of controlling the robot to move the target shelf from the usage position of the production equipment to the waiting area, when the target shelf moves to the second judgment point, the acquisition module 71 counts the number of shelves at each processing position in the waiting area; wherein, the second judgment point is located on the travel route between the usage position of the production equipment and the waiting area, and the second judgment point represents the starting point for searching for the target processing position.

[0128] When the control module 72 controls the robot to move the target shelf to an available position on the target side, it is specifically used for: if there are at least two logistics channels between the waiting area and the production equipment's usage position, the control module 72 moves the target shelf along one logistics channel; if there is an obstacle in the logistics channel, the control module 72 moves the target shelf along the other logistics channel to an available position on the target side. When the control module 72 controls the robot to move the target shelf from the production equipment's usage position to the target processing position, it is specifically used for: if there are at least two logistics channels between the production equipment's usage position and the waiting area, the control module 72 moves the target shelf along one logistics channel; if there is an obstacle in the logistics channel, the control module 72 moves the target shelf along the other logistics channel to the target processing position.

[0129] Based on the same concept as the above method, this application proposes an electronic device, see [link to previous application]. Figure 8 As shown, the electronic device includes a processor 81 and a machine-readable storage medium 82, the machine-readable storage medium 82 storing machine-executable instructions that can be executed by the processor 81; the processor 81 is used to execute the machine-executable instructions to implement the shelf control method disclosed in the above example of this application.

[0130] Based on the same concept as the above method, this application also provides a machine-readable storage medium storing a plurality of computer instructions, which, when executed by a processor, can implement the shelf control method disclosed in the above examples of this application.

[0131] The aforementioned machine-readable storage medium 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, machine-readable storage media can be: RAM (Random Access Memory), volatile memory, non-volatile 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.

[0132] The systems, devices, modules, or units described in the above embodiments can be implemented by a computer entity or by a product with a certain function. A typical implementation device is a computer, which can be a personal computer, laptop computer, cellular phone, camera phone, smartphone, personal digital assistant, media player, navigation device, email sending and receiving device, game console, tablet computer, wearable device, or any combination of these devices.

[0133] For ease of description, the above devices are described separately by function as various units. Of course, in implementing this application, the functions of each unit can be implemented in one or more software and / or hardware.

[0134] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, embodiments of this application can take the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0135] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of this application. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, generate instructions for implementing the flowchart... Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0136] Furthermore, these computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0137] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable equipment to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable equipment for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

[0138] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a shelf, characterized in that, The method includes: After the robot moves the target shelf to the buffer position on the target side of the production equipment, when a new vacant position appears on the target side, the target shelf with the earliest trigger time is selected based on the trigger time corresponding to the target shelf in each buffer position on the target side. If the target shelf is an abnormal shelf, and based on the material identifier corresponding to the target shelf, there is a non-abnormal shelf corresponding to the material identifier in the buffer position on the target side, and the non-abnormal shelf arrived at the buffer position earlier than the target shelf, then the trigger time corresponding to the target shelf is determined based on the trigger time corresponding to the non-abnormal shelf, so that the target shelf and the non-abnormal shelf move continuously to the vacant position on the target side. The abnormal shelf is a shelf that has been manually moved or added in a queue, and the material identifier is a unique identifier for materials transported through the target shelf. The robot is controlled to move the selected target shelf from the cache position to an available space on the target side; If the target shelf is a non-abnormal shelf, then the time when the non-abnormal shelf is triggered in the waiting area is determined as the trigger time corresponding to the non-abnormal shelf.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before controlling the robot to move the target shelf to the buffer position on the target side of the production equipment, the method further includes: When the target shelf needs to be moved from the waiting area to the usage position of the production equipment, the number of empty positions on both sides of the production equipment is counted, and the side with the larger number of empty positions is taken as the target side. Each side of the production equipment includes usage positions and buffer positions, and the number of empty positions is the sum of the number of empty usage positions and the number of empty buffer positions. Usage positions are positions where materials can be exchanged with the production equipment, empty usage positions are usage positions that are not occupied by the shelf, and non-empty usage positions are usage positions that are already occupied by the shelf. If there are available storage spaces on the target side and all cache spaces are available, then the robot is controlled to move the target shelf to an available storage space on the target side; or, If there is no available space on the target side but there is an available cache space, then control the robot to move the target shelf to the available cache space on the target side; Wherein, after the target shelf reaches an empty space on the target side, the material produced by the production equipment is loaded into the target shelf, or the material carried by the target shelf is provided to the production equipment so that the production equipment can carry out production based on the material.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The control robot moves the target shelf to an available space on the target side, or the control robot moves the target shelf to an available buffer space on the target side, including: Determine whether a shelf already exists in the cache space on the target side; if so, select an empty cache space from the target side and control the robot to move the target shelf to the empty cache space on the target side. If not, determine whether there are shelves in all the usage positions on the target side; If at least one usable space is not occupied by a shelf, an available usable space is selected from the target side, and the robot is controlled to move the target shelf to the available usable space on the target side; if all usable spaces are occupied by shelves, an available buffer space is selected from the target side, and the robot is controlled to move the target shelf to the available buffer space on the target side.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: When a target shelf needs to be moved from the usage position of the production equipment to the waiting area, the number of shelves at each processing position in the waiting area is counted. Each processing position supports one shelf to be processed and multiple queued shelves. The processing position is the location where the shelf is placed when exchanging full or empty shelves. If the minimum number of shelves is one, then the processing bit corresponding to the minimum number of shelves is used as the target processing bit; or, if the minimum number of shelves is at least two, then based on the distance between the processing bit corresponding to each minimum number of shelves and the usage bit, the processing bit corresponding to the minimum distance is used as the target processing bit. The robot is controlled to move the target shelf from the use position of the production equipment to the target processing position.

5. The method according to claim 2 or 4, characterized in that, The method of counting the number of vacant spaces on both sides of the production equipment and taking the side with the larger number of vacant spaces as the target side includes: during the process of controlling the robot to move the target shelf from the waiting area to the usage position of the production equipment, when the target shelf moves to the first judgment point, counting the number of vacant spaces on both sides of the production equipment and taking the side with the larger number of vacant spaces as the target side; wherein, the first judgment point is located on the travel route between the waiting area and the usage position of the production equipment, and the first judgment point represents the starting point for starting to search for vacant usage positions. The method of counting the number of shelves at each processing position in the waiting area includes: during the process of controlling the robot to move the target shelf from the usage position of the production equipment to the waiting area, when the target shelf moves to the second judgment point, counting the number of shelves at each processing position in the waiting area; wherein, the second judgment point is located on the travel route between the usage position of the production equipment and the waiting area, and the second judgment point represents the starting point for finding the target processing position.

6. The method according to claim 2 or 4, characterized in that, The control robot moves the target shelf to an available space on the target side, including: if there are at least two logistics channels between the waiting area and the usage space of the production equipment, the control robot moves the target shelf along one logistics channel; if there is an obstacle in the logistics channel, the control robot moves the target shelf along another logistics channel to an available space on the target side. The control robot moves the target shelf from the usage position of the production equipment to the target processing position, including: if there are at least two logistics channels between the usage position of the production equipment and the waiting area, the control robot moves the target shelf along one logistics channel; if there is an obstacle in the logistics channel, the control robot moves the target shelf along another logistics channel to the target processing position.

7. A control device for a shelf, characterized in that, The device includes: The acquisition module is used to select the target shelf with the earliest trigger time based on the trigger time corresponding to the target shelf in each buffer position on the target side after the control robot moves the target shelf to the buffer position on the target side of the production equipment. Specifically, if the target shelf is an abnormal shelf, and based on the material identifier corresponding to the target shelf, there is a non-abnormal shelf corresponding to the material identifier in the buffer position on the target side, and the non-abnormal shelf arrived at the buffer position earlier than the target shelf, then the trigger time corresponding to the target shelf is determined based on the trigger time corresponding to the non-abnormal shelf, so that the target shelf and the non-abnormal shelf can be moved continuously to the buffer position on the target side. The abnormal shelf is a shelf that has been manually moved or added in a queue, and the material identifier is a unique identifier for materials transported through the target shelf. If the target shelf is a non-abnormal shelf, then the trigger time of the non-abnormal shelf in the waiting area is determined as the trigger time corresponding to the non-abnormal shelf. The control module is used to control the robot to move the selected target shelf from the cache position to the vacant position on the target side.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, Its features are, in, The acquisition module is also used to count the number of empty spaces on both sides of the production equipment when the target shelf needs to be moved from the waiting area to the usage position of the production equipment, and take the side with the larger number of empty spaces as the target side; each side of the production equipment includes a usage position and a buffer position, and the number of empty spaces is the sum of the number of empty usage positions and the number of empty buffer positions; wherein, the usage position is the position where materials can be exchanged with the production equipment, the empty usage position is the usage position that is not occupied by the shelf, and the non-empty usage position is the usage position that has been occupied by the shelf; The control module is further configured to control the robot to move the target shelf to an available space on the target side if there is an available space on the target side and all cache spaces are available; or, if there is no available space on the target side but there is an available cache space, control the robot to move the target shelf to an available cache space on the target side. Wherein, after the target shelf reaches an empty space on the target side, the material produced by the production equipment is loaded into the target shelf, or the material carried by the target shelf is provided to the production equipment so that the production equipment can carry out production based on the material; Specifically, when the control module controls the robot to move the target shelf to an available space on the target side, or to move the target shelf to an available buffer space on the target side, it is used to: determine whether a shelf already exists in the buffer space on the target side; if so, select an available buffer space from the target side and control the robot to move the target shelf to the available buffer space on the target side; if not, determine whether a shelf exists in any of the available spaces on the target side; if at least one available space does not have a shelf, select an available space from the target side and control the robot to move the target shelf to the available space on the target side; if all available spaces have shelves, select an available buffer space from the target side and control the robot to move the target shelf to the available buffer space on the target side. The acquisition module is further configured to count the number of shelves at each processing position in the waiting area when the target shelf needs to be moved from the usage position of the production equipment to the waiting area. Each processing position supports placing one shelf to be processed and multiple queued shelves. The processing position is the location where the shelf is placed when exchanging full or empty shelves. If the minimum number of shelves is one, the processing position corresponding to the minimum number of shelves is taken as the target processing position. Alternatively, if the minimum number of shelves is at least two, the processing position corresponding to the minimum distance between the processing position and the usage position corresponding to each minimum number of shelves is taken as the target processing position. The control module is further configured to control the robot to move the target shelf from the usage position of the production equipment to the target processing position. Specifically, when the acquisition module counts the number of vacant spaces on both sides of the production equipment and designates the side with the larger number of vacant spaces as the target side, it is used as follows: During the process of controlling the robot to move the target shelf from the waiting area to the usage position of the production equipment, when the target shelf moves to the first judgment point, the module counts the number of vacant spaces on both sides of the production equipment and designates the side with the larger number of vacant spaces as the target side. The first judgment point is located on the travel route between the waiting area and the usage position of the production equipment, and it represents the starting point for searching for a vacant usage position. When the acquisition module counts the number of shelves at each processing position in the waiting area, it is used as follows: During the process of controlling the robot to move the target shelf from the usage position of the production equipment to the waiting area, when the target shelf moves to the second judgment point, the module counts the number of shelves at each processing position in the waiting area. The second judgment point is located on the travel route between the usage position of the production equipment and the waiting area, and it represents the starting point for searching for a target processing position. Specifically, when the control module controls the robot to move the target shelf to an available position on the target side, it is used as follows: if there are at least two logistics channels between the waiting area and the production equipment's usage position, the robot moves the target shelf along one logistics channel; if there is an obstacle in the logistics channel, the robot moves the target shelf along another logistics channel to an available position on the target side. When the control module controls the robot to move the target shelf from the production equipment's usage position to the target processing position, it is used as follows: if there are at least two logistics channels between the production equipment's usage position and the waiting area, the robot moves the target shelf along one logistics channel; if there is an obstacle in the logistics channel, the robot moves the target shelf along another logistics channel to the target processing position.

9. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: A processor and a machine-readable storage medium, the machine-readable storage medium storing machine-executable instructions that can be executed by the processor; The processor is configured to execute machine-executable instructions to implement the method of any one of claims 1-6.

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