A warehouse and a control method thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a warehouse and a control method thereof, wherein the warehouse comprises at least one target warehouse, a first robot and a controller, the target warehouse comprises a first identification grid and a plurality of first storage grids, and the first identification grid is used for identifying first information of first materials carried from a feeding opening to the first identification grid; the controller is in communication connection with the first robot and the first identification grid respectively, and is used for generating a first instruction when the identified first information is target material information; the first robot is used for receiving and executing the first instruction; the first instruction is to carry the first material in the first identification grid to a target storage grid, and the target storage grid is a grid in a waiting state among the plurality of first storage grids; when there is no first storage grid in the waiting state, the controller is further used for switching an identification attribute of the first identification grid to a storage attribute, so as to solve the problem that carrying is prone to stagnation in the prior art, and improve the carrying efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor processing technology, and in particular to a warehouse and its control method. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of semiconductor processing equipment, warehouses can be used to store and retrieve materials.

[0003] In related technologies, various materials are used in different semiconductor processing steps. These materials can be stored in a material storage warehouse and transported from the material storage warehouse to the processing step warehouse that requires the material in an automated handling operation. During the processing of the corresponding processing step warehouse, the material is retrieved from the processing step warehouse.

[0004] However, a problem exists: when the frequency of material transfers from the processing warehouse is less than the frequency of material transfers into the processing warehouse, multiple storage spaces in the processing warehouse become fully occupied, causing the material handling process to stall. Based on this issue, the transfer frequency can be set to be the same as the transfer frequency, or the transfer frequency can be greater than the transfer frequency. However, a transfer frequency greater than the transfer frequency may lead to supply shortages and material scarcity. Therefore, it is generally set that the transfer frequency is the same as the transfer frequency, but even so, due to factors such as time errors before and after the instructions, the material handling process may occasionally stall. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides a warehouse and its control method to solve the problem of easy stagnation in handling in related technologies, thereby improving handling efficiency.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, one embodiment of the present invention provides a warehouse, comprising:

[0007] At least one target warehouse, the target warehouse including a first identification cell with identification attributes and a plurality of first storage cells with storage attributes, the first identification cell being used to identify first information of a first material transported from the loading port into itself;

[0008] A first robot and a controller, wherein the controller is communicatively connected to the first robot and the first identification grid respectively, and is used to generate a first instruction when the identified first information is target material information, and the first robot is used to receive and execute the first instruction; the first instruction is to transport the first material in the first identification grid to the target storage grid, wherein the target storage grid is a grid in the first storage grid that is in a waiting state;

[0009] When there is no first storage cell in the waiting state, the controller is further configured to switch the identification attribute of the first identification cell to the storage attribute, so that the first robot can identify the first identification cell as the target storage cell.

[0010] Optionally, the first robot includes a first receiving unit, the first storage cell includes a first transmitting unit, and the first identification cell includes a first transmitting unit and a second transmitting unit.

[0011] The first receiving unit communicates with the first sending unit to enable the first robot to identify a cell with storage attributes, and the first receiving unit communicates with the second sending unit to enable the first robot to identify a cell with identification attributes.

[0012] When there is no first storage cell in the waiting state, the controller is used to stop the second sending unit on the first identification cell from working, and the first sending unit enters the working state.

[0013] Optionally, the first transmitting unit and the second transmitting unit are used to transmit radio frequency signals of different frequencies;

[0014] Alternatively, the first transmitting unit and the second transmitting unit may be used to display different colors.

[0015] Optionally, the first robot includes a third sending unit and a second receiving unit, the first storage cell includes a first reflector, and the first identification cell includes a second reflector.

[0016] The third transmitting unit is capable of transmitting optical signals, the first reflector is capable of reflecting the optical signals to form a first reflected signal, the second reflector is capable of reflecting the optical signals to form a second reflected signal, and the reflection angle of the second reflector is adjustable;

[0017] When there is no first storage cell in the waiting state, the controller is used to control the reflection angle of the second reflector on the first identification cell to be the same as the reflection angle of the first reflector.

[0018] Optionally, the warehouse further includes: a material warehouse, which includes a plurality of second storage cells with storage attributes and at least one discharge port;

[0019] The second robot is communicatively connected to the controller and is used to receive and execute the second instruction issued by the controller. The second instruction is to transport the second material stored in the second storage cell to the target discharge port. The target discharge port is connected to the loading port of the target warehouse. Different types of materials in the material warehouse correspond to different types of target warehouses.

[0020] Optionally, the material warehouse further includes a second identification cell with identification attributes;

[0021] The second identification grid is used to identify the second information of the second material. The second instruction includes a second first sub-instruction and a second second sub-instruction. The second first sub-instruction is to move the second material in the second storage grid to the second identification grid for identification. The second second sub-instruction is to move the second material to the target discharge port.

[0022] When the second information of the second material identified by the second identification grid is the target material information, the controller is used to generate the second sub-instruction.

[0023] Optionally, when the first information and / or the second information do not match the target material information, the controller is further configured to generate a handling return instruction, which is received and executed by the corresponding robot.

[0024] To achieve the above objectives, a second aspect of the present invention provides a warehouse control method, based on the warehouse implementation described in any embodiment of the present invention, the warehouse control method comprising the following steps:

[0025] After scheduling the first material to be located in the first identification grid according to the overall scheduling requirement instruction, the first identification grid is controlled to identify the first material to form first information;

[0026] When the first information is obtained and it is determined that the first information is target material information, it is determined whether there is a first storage cell in the target warehouse that is currently in a waiting state;

[0027] If the target warehouse currently has a first storage cell in a waiting state, a first instruction is generated to move the first material to the first storage cell in a waiting state; if the target warehouse currently does not have a first storage cell in a waiting state, the identification attribute of the first identification cell is switched to the storage attribute, and a first instruction is generated to move the first material to the first identification cell that has been switched to have the storage attribute.

[0028] Control the first robot to execute the first instruction.

[0029] Optionally, after obtaining the first information, the method further includes: when it is determined that the first information does not match the target material information, generating a transport return instruction to transport the first material in the first identification grid back to the loading port;

[0030] Control the first robot to execute the transport retraction command.

[0031] Optionally, before scheduling the first material to be located in the first identification cell according to the overall scheduling demand instruction, the method further includes:

[0032] Receive a general scheduling request instruction, which includes target material information and target warehouse type information;

[0033] Based on the target material information, determine the second storage cell in the material warehouse where the target material is stored; based on the type information of the target warehouse, determine the target discharge port of the material warehouse; generate a second instruction based on the second storage cell and the target discharge port, and control the second robot to transport the second material in the second storage cell to the target discharge port.

[0034] When the second material is located at the target discharge port, a transport instruction is triggered on the first robot to move the second material from the target discharge port to the first identification grid, so as to schedule the second material to be located in the first identification grid as the first material.

[0035] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a warehouse and its control method are provided, wherein the warehouse includes at least one target warehouse, a first robot, and a controller. The target warehouse includes a first identification cell with identification attributes and multiple first storage cells with storage attributes. The first identification cell is used to identify first information of a first material transported from the loading port into itself. The controller is communicatively connected to the first robot and the first identification cell, and is used to generate a first instruction when the identified first information is target material information. The first robot is used to receive and execute the first instruction. The first instruction is to transport the first material in the first identification cell to the target storage cell, and the target storage cell is one of the multiple first storage cells. The first identification cell is in a waiting state. When there is no first storage cell in a waiting state, the controller is also used to switch the identification attribute of the first identification cell to the storage attribute, so that the first robot can identify the first identification cell as the target storage cell. Thus, when all the first storage cells in the target warehouse are occupied, the first identification cell can be temporarily used as the first storage cell. When there is an unoccupied first storage cell in the target warehouse, the material is then transported from the first identification cell to the first storage cell. This can alleviate the time error between the execution and issuance of instructions by the machine and other equipment, solve the problem of easy stagnation in the handling in related technologies, and improve the handling efficiency.

[0036] It should be understood that the description in this section is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of the present invention, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the invention. Other features of the invention will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0037] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0038] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of the warehouse proposed in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the target warehouse proposed in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the interaction between the first robot in the warehouse and the grid in the target warehouse, as proposed in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the interaction between a first robot in a warehouse and a grid in a target warehouse, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 5 This is a block diagram of a warehouse according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a warehouse proposed in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 7 This is a block diagram of a warehouse proposed in another embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a warehouse proposed in another embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 9 This is a flowchart of the warehouse control method proposed in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0047] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0048] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this invention are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of the invention described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0049] In related technologies, different types of materials can be stored in a material warehouse, and then sorted from the material warehouse to different target warehouses. Each target warehouse may correspond to the same processing step or different processing steps, and then the relevant materials are used in the corresponding processing steps.

[0050] For example, warehouse A (hereinafter referred to as Warehouse A) stores two types of materials. One type of material is used for processing in target warehouse B (hereinafter referred to as Warehouse B), and the other type of material is used for processing in target warehouse C (hereinafter referred to as Warehouse C). Taking the material transfer from Warehouse A to Warehouse B as an example, when it is necessary to transfer target material from Warehouse A to Warehouse B, the system can control the robot in Warehouse A to take the target material out of the shelf type (storage attribute) cell in Warehouse A, then move the target material to the interface between the discharge port of Warehouse A and the loading port of Warehouse B, and then control the robot in Warehouse B to move the target material from the loading port of Warehouse B to the MP port cell (identification attribute) in Warehouse B, identify the target material, then take the target material out of the MP port cell and store it in the destination shelf type (storage attribute) cell in Warehouse B, thus completing the transfer and storage of the target goods. Furthermore, when all shelf type cells in Warehouse B are full, the system cannot execute the transfer command, causing the entire warehouse operation to stop, and it must wait for the destination shelf in Warehouse B to become empty before restarting. It should be noted that MP port cells only have identification attributes; robots cannot use MP port cells to perform storage functions.

[0051] Therefore, this invention proposes a warehouse and its control method, which temporarily uses MP port cells with only identification attributes as shelf cells after all shelf type cells in warehouse B are full, in order to alleviate the problem of material handling stagnation caused by time errors, etc.

[0052] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of the warehouse proposed in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the target warehouse proposed in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 and 2 As shown, the warehouse includes:

[0053] At least one target warehouse 100, the target warehouse 100 includes a first identification cell 101 with identification attributes and a plurality of first storage cells 102 with storage attributes, the first identification cell 101 is used to identify first information of the first material 001 transported from the loading port into itself;

[0054] A first robot 200 and a controller 300 are connected to the first robot 200 and the first identification grid 101 respectively. The controller 300 is used to generate a first instruction when the first identified information is target material information. The first robot 200 is used to receive and execute the first instruction. The first instruction is to move the first material 001 in the first identification grid 101 to the target storage grid. The target storage grid is a grid in the multiple first storage grids 102 that is in a waiting state.

[0055] When there is no first storage cell 102 in the waiting state, the controller 300 is also used to switch the identification attribute of the first identification cell 101 to the storage attribute, so that the first robot 200 can identify the first identification cell 101 as the target storage cell.

[0056] It is understood that an identification component can be installed in the first identification grid 101, such as a camera or a barcode scanner. This identification component can be located on the top of the first identification grid 101. When the identification component is a camera, and a first material is moved into the first identification grid 101, the camera can acquire an image of the first material. The controller 300 can communicate with the identification component in the first identification grid 101 and obtain the material information (such as size and type) of the first material through the image identified by the identification component. Alternatively, the identification component can be a barcode scanner. An electronic code can be pre-attached to the first material. When a first material is moved into the first identification grid 101, the barcode scanner can acquire the electronic code of the first material. The controller 300 can communicate with the identification component in the first identification grid 101 and obtain the material information (such as size and type) of the first material through the electronic code acquired by the identification component.

[0057] Therefore, when materials enter the target warehouse 100, they can be identified through the first identification grid 101 to confirm whether the material information matches the material information of the target material to be transported to the target warehouse 100, thus preventing errors in material handling. After confirming the material information, the controller 300 can issue a first instruction to transport the first material whose material information has been identified in the first identification grid 101 to a storage grid in the target warehouse 100.

[0058] The first identification grid 101 is usually set up in the warehouse, near the discharge port.

[0059] Before the controller 300 issues the first instruction, the location information of the target storage cell needs to be written into the first instruction so that the first robot 200 can track it. That is, the controller 300 also needs to determine whether there is a first storage cell 102 in the target warehouse 100 that can store the first material 001, and if there is a first storage cell 102 that can store the first material 001, confirm the location information of the first storage cell 102.

[0060] In one embodiment, a weight sensor can be installed in each first storage cell 102. The reading of the weight sensor differs when there is material stored in the first storage cell 102 and when there is no material stored in the first storage cell 102. Therefore, the presence or absence of material stored in the first storage cell 102 can be monitored from the background. Thus, the controller 300 determines the location of the first storage cell 102 without material stored in the target warehouse 100 based on the readings of the weight sensors in the multiple first storage cells 102 in the target warehouse 100. Then, the controller writes the location information of the first storage cell 102 without material stored, i.e., the first storage cell 102 in the waiting state, into a first instruction to instruct the first robot 200 to move the first material 001 from the first identification cell 101 to the first storage cell 102.

[0061] However, when the controller 300 determines, based on the readings of the weight sensors in the multiple first storage cells 102 in the target warehouse 100, that there is no first storage cell 102 without stored material at any location in the target warehouse 100, i.e., there is no first storage cell 102 in a waiting state, then in order to prevent the handling process from stopping, the controller 300 can modify the attribute of the first identification cell 101 that only has the identification attribute, so that the first robot 200 considers the first identification cell 101 to have the storage function, and writes the position information of the first identification cell 101 into the first instruction, so that the first robot 200 can track to the first identification cell 101 and place and store the first material 001 in the first identification cell 101. This solves the problem that when multiple first storage cells 102 are full of material, the first identification cell 101 is empty and cannot store material, but the handling stops.

[0062] It should be noted that the inbound and outbound frequencies of the target warehouse 100 are almost identical. The storage time of the first material 001 in the first identification cell 101 is generally the error time, which will not be very long (the error time is the time it takes for the goods to be removed from the first storage cell 102). Therefore, when multiple first storage cells 102 in the target warehouse 100 have a waiting state, the controller 300 can continue to issue instructions to the first robot 200 to move the first material 001 from the first identification cell 101 with storage attributes to the first storage cell 102 in the waiting state, and at the same time control the storage attribute of the first identification cell 101 to switch to the identification attribute so that the material can be identified when it enters the first identification cell 101 next time.

[0063] Optionally, Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the interaction between the first robot in the warehouse and the cells in the target warehouse, as proposed in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 As shown, the first robot 200 includes a first receiving unit 201, the first storage cell 102 includes a first sending unit 202, and the first identification cell 101 includes a first sending unit 202 and a second sending unit 203.

[0064] The first receiving unit 201 communicates with the first sending unit 202 to enable the first robot 200 to identify the cell with storage attributes, and the first receiving unit 201 communicates with the second sending unit 203 to enable the first robot 200 to identify the cell with identification attributes.

[0065] When there is no first storage cell 102 in the waiting state, the controller 300 controls the second sending unit 203 on the first identification cell 101 to stop working, and the first sending unit 202 enters the working state.

[0066] It is understood that each first storage cell 102 in the target warehouse 100 is provided with a first sending unit 202, and the first identification cell 101 is provided with a first sending unit 202 and a second sending unit 203.

[0067] The first robot 200 is equipped with a first receiving unit 201. When the first robot 200 moves to the position of the first storage cell 102, the first sending unit 202 in the first storage cell 102 sends a first signal to the first receiving unit 201. When the first robot 200 receives the first signal, it determines that the cell at the current position is the first storage cell 102. Then, it can store the material it is transporting into the cell. The transport process of the material ends, and then it goes to the loading port of the target warehouse 100 to transport other materials (in this example, the position information of the first storage cell 102 can be distinguished from the position information of the first identification cell 101 when it is the first storage cell 102).

[0068] When the first robot 200 moves to the position of the first identification grid 101, the second sending unit 203 in the first identification grid 101 sends a second signal to the first receiving unit 201. When the first robot 200 receives the second signal, it determines that the grid at the current position is the first identification grid 101 with identification function. Then, it can place the material it is transporting in the grid and wait for identification. After that, it takes the material out of the grid and transports it to the first storage grid 102. The material transport process ends, and then it goes to the loading port of the target warehouse 100 to transport other materials.

[0069] When the first robot 200 moves to the position of the first identification grid 101, the first sending unit 202 in the first identification grid 101 sends a first signal to the first receiving unit 201. When the first robot 200 receives the first signal, it determines that the grid at the current position is the first identification grid 101 and has a storage function. Then, it can place the material it is transporting into the grid. When the first storage grid 102 is empty, it takes the material out of the grid and transports it into the first storage grid 102. The material transport process ends, and then it goes to the loading port of the target warehouse 100 to transport other materials.

[0070] Therefore, the controller 300 can reasonably configure the execution instructions of the first robot 200 according to the situation that the first storage cell 102 in the target warehouse 100 is in a waiting state, so that the transportation process can proceed in an orderly manner and avoid the first robot 200 taking the material out of the first identification cell 101 and having nowhere to put it, thus being unable to execute other transportation instructions (for example, if there is an instruction to move other materials from the first storage cell 102 to the discharge port of the target warehouse 100, it cannot be executed), causing the transportation process to stagnate.

[0071] Optionally, the first transmitting unit 202 and the second transmitting unit 203 are used to transmit radio frequency signals of different frequencies;

[0072] Alternatively, the first transmitting unit 202 and the second transmitting unit 203 can be used to display different colors.

[0073] In other words, in one embodiment, the first receiving unit 201 and the transmitting unit can be radio frequency modules. The first receiving unit 201 and the first transmitting unit 202 can communicate through a first radio frequency signal, and the first robot 200 can identify the cell with storage attributes. The first receiving unit 201 and the second transmitting unit 203 can communicate through a second radio frequency signal, and the first robot 200 can identify the cell with identification attributes.

[0074] Here, the first radio frequency signal is the first signal mentioned above, and the second radio frequency signal is the second signal mentioned above.

[0075] In one embodiment, the first transmitting unit 202 and the second transmitting unit 203 can be displays that display different colors respectively. For example, the first transmitting unit 202 displays red and the second transmitting unit 203 displays blue. The first receiving unit 201 can be a colorimeter, thereby distinguishing between red and blue.

[0076] Here, the red wavelength signal is the first signal mentioned above, and the blue wavelength signal is the second signal mentioned above.

[0077] The first transmitting unit 202 and the second transmitting unit 203 on the first identification grid 101 can switch their working states through the controller 300.

[0078] Optionally, Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the interaction between a first robot in a warehouse and a cell in a target warehouse, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 As shown, the first robot 200 includes a third sending unit 204 and a second receiving unit 207, the first storage cell 102 includes a first reflector 205, and the first identification cell 101 includes a second reflector 206.

[0079] The third transmitting unit 204 can transmit light signals, the first reflector 205 can reflect light signals to form a first reflected signal, the second reflector 206 can reflect light signals to form a second reflected signal, and the reflection angle of the second reflector 206 is adjustable.

[0080] When there is no first storage cell 102 in the waiting state, the controller 300 controls the reflection angle of the second reflector 206 on the first identification cell 101 to be the same as the reflection angle of the first reflector 205.

[0081] The reflection angle of the second reflector 206 on the first identification grid 101 is adjustable. The reflection angle of the second reflector 206 can be controlled by the controller 300.

[0082] It is understandable that the third transmitting unit 204 can be a laser transmitter, and the second receiving unit 207 can be a laser receiver. When the laser transmitter emits a laser beam to the first reflector 205 on the first storage cell 102, the laser receiver receives the first reflected signal due to the angle setting of the first reflector 205, and calculates the optical path as the first optical path. When the laser transmitter emits a laser beam to the second reflector 206 on the first identification cell 101, the laser receiver receives the second reflected signal due to the angle setting of the second reflector 206, and calculates the optical path as the second optical path. To distinguish between the two, the reflection angles of the first reflector 205 and the second reflector 206 can be pre-set to be different, thus distinguishing them based on the final first and second optical paths.

[0083] When there is no first storage cell 102 in the waiting state, the reflection angle of the second reflector 206 on the first identification cell 101 is controlled to be the same as the reflection angle of the first reflector 205, so that the first optical path and the second optical path are the same.

[0084] In other embodiments, the first robot 200 may also be equipped with an image acquisition device, and the second reflector 206 on the first recognition grid 101 may be set with different patterns on the front and back. The controller 300 may control the second reflector 206 to flip the front and back through a mechanical structure (electric push rod, etc.), thereby switching the attributes of the first recognition grid 101.

[0085] Optionally, Figure 5 This is a block diagram of a warehouse proposed in one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a warehouse according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the warehouse also includes: a material warehouse 400, which includes a plurality of second storage cells 401 with storage attributes and at least one discharge port 402;

[0086] The second robot 500 is connected to the controller 300 and is used to receive and execute the second instruction issued by the controller 300. The second instruction is to transport the second material 002 stored in the second storage cell 401 to the target discharge port. The target discharge port is connected to the loading port of the target warehouse 100. Different types of materials in the material warehouse 400 correspond to different types of target warehouses 100.

[0087] It is understandable that the material warehouse 400 can store different types of materials. For example, the material warehouse stores two types of materials: material A and material B. Material A can be moved to target warehouse A, which is used in the processing steps of material A, and material B can be moved to target warehouse B, which is used in the processing steps of material B. Material A and material B can be of the same type but different sizes. For example, material A can be a 5.5-inch glass cover, and material B can be a 5.8-inch glass cover, thus matching different panel sizes. In this case, target warehouse A and target warehouse B belong to the same processing step, but on different production lines (glass cover attachment). Material A and material B can also be different types of materials. For example, material A is a glass cover, and material B is a display panel. In this case, target warehouse A and target warehouse B belong to different processing steps. Target warehouse A corresponds to the glass cover attachment process, and target warehouse B corresponds to the display panel inspection process, etc.

[0088] Therefore, the controller 300 can dispatch corresponding materials from the material warehouse 400 to each target warehouse 100 according to the actual situation of each target warehouse 100 and the material warehouse 400. Among them, the same material warehouse 400 can correspond to different target warehouses 100 through different target discharge ports.

[0089] If material 'a' needs to be moved to target warehouse 'a', the second robot 500 can first move material 'a' from material warehouse 400 to the target discharge port corresponding to target warehouse 'a', and then the first robot 200 can move material 'a' from the target discharge port (i.e., the loading port 103 of target warehouse 'a') to target warehouse 'a'. The second instruction for the second robot 500 to move the material can carry the location information of the second storage cell 401 where material 'a' is stored and the location information of the target discharge port.

[0090] Optionally, Figure 7 This is a block diagram of a warehouse proposed in another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the warehouse structure proposed in another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the material warehouse 400 also includes a second identification cell 403 with identification attributes;

[0091] The second identification grid 403 is used to identify the second information of the second material 002. The second instruction includes a second first sub-instruction and a second second sub-instruction. The second first sub-instruction is to move the second material 002 in the second storage grid 401 to the second identification grid 403 for identification. The second second sub-instruction is to move the second material 002 to the target discharge port.

[0092] When the second information of the second material 002 identified by the second identification grid 403 is the target material information, the controller 300 generates a second sub-instruction.

[0093] In this embodiment, Figure 5 and Figure 6 Based on the previous embodiment, a second identification grid 403 is added to the material warehouse 400 for identifying materials before they leave the warehouse, so as to verify and confirm the material information before the materials leave the warehouse. The second identification grid 403 can be equipped with the same identification components as the first identification grid 101, and the principle is the same as the identification principle of the first identification grid 101 described above, which will not be repeated here.

[0094] Therefore, if it is necessary to dispatch material 'a' to target warehouse 'a', the second robot 500 can first dispatch material 'a' from material warehouse 400 to the second identification grid 403, identify material 'a', and after confirming that material 'a' is indeed the target material, material 'a' is then transported from the second identification grid 403 to the target discharge port corresponding to target warehouse 'a'. Then, the first robot 200 transports material 'a' from the target discharge port (that is, the loading port 103 of target warehouse 'a') to target warehouse 'a'.

[0095] It should be noted that the second sub-instruction and the second sub-instruction are two decomposed instructions of the second instruction. Therefore, based on the previous embodiment, the second robot 500 adds a step of checking the materials before they leave the warehouse during the execution of the second instruction, so as to avoid sending the wrong materials to the target warehouse 100.

[0096] The second robot 500 typically operates in the material warehouse 400, while the first robot 200 typically operates in the target warehouse 100. In some embodiments, to save costs, the first robot 200 and the second robot 500 may be the same robot.

[0097] Optionally, when the first information and / or the second information do not match the target material information, the controller 300 is also used to generate a handling return instruction, which is received and executed by the corresponding robot.

[0098] Understandably, when materials are being issued from material warehouse 400, if the second identification grid 403 incorrectly identifies the material, the second robot 500 can, according to the handling return instruction, return the material back to the second storage grid 401, and then re-execute the second instruction to move the target material to the target discharge port. Alternatively, if no error is detected when materials are issued from material warehouse 400, then when materials are being moved from the target discharge port of material warehouse 400 to the first identification grid 101, if it is confirmed that the material transferred to target warehouse 100 is incorrect, the first robot 200 can, according to the handling return instruction, return the material back to the target discharge port, and then re-execute the instruction to move the target material to the first identification grid 101. This avoids transferring materials that are not needed in target warehouse 100 into target warehouse 100.

[0099] Figure 9 This is a flowchart of a warehouse control method proposed in an embodiment of the present invention. The method is based on a warehouse implementation of any embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figure 9 As shown, the warehouse control method includes the following steps:

[0100] S101, after scheduling the first material to be located in the first identification grid according to the overall scheduling requirement instruction, the first identification grid is controlled to identify the first material to form first information.

[0101] In this process, after the first robot carries the first material identification grid, it places the first material in the first identification grid. Then, the first identification grid identifies the first material to form first information. The first information may include the material type of the first material (such as a glass substrate or display panel, or a certain size of the glass substrate, which can be set according to specific needs in practice).

[0102] S102, when the first information is obtained and it is determined that the first information is the target material information, it is determined whether there is a first storage cell in the target warehouse that is in a waiting state.

[0103] If the first information obtained is, for example, that the material type is a 5.5-inch glass substrate, and the target material information is also a 5.5-inch glass substrate, then the information can be verified correctly, and the first material can be moved to the first storage cell of the target warehouse.

[0104] S103, if there is a first storage cell in the target warehouse that is currently in a waiting state, then a first instruction is generated to move the first material to the first storage cell in the waiting state; if there is no first storage cell in the target warehouse that is currently in a waiting state, then the identification attribute of the first identification cell is switched to the storage attribute, and then a first instruction is generated to move the first material to the first identification cell that has been switched to have the storage attribute.

[0105] Before the first robot moves the first material to the first storage cell, it needs to obtain the location information of the target storage cell. Therefore, the first instruction may include the location information of a first storage cell that is in a waiting state, or the location information of a first identification cell that has been switched to have storage attributes.

[0106] S104, control the first robot to execute the first instruction.

[0107] Thus, the first robot can transport the first material to the target storage cell according to the location information of the target storage cell in the first instruction.

[0108] Optionally, after obtaining the first information, the method further includes: when it is determined that the first information does not match the target material information, generating a transport return instruction to transport the first material in the first identification grid back to the loading port;

[0109] Control the first robot to execute the transport and return command.

[0110] In other words, when the first material is moved to the first identification grid, if it is confirmed that the material to be transferred to the target warehouse is incorrect, the first robot can return the material to the target discharge port according to the handling return command, and then re-execute the command to move the first material to the first identification grid. This avoids transferring materials that are not needed in the target warehouse into the target warehouse.

[0111] Optionally, before scheduling the first material to be located in the first identification cell according to the overall scheduling demand instruction, the method further includes:

[0112] Receive the overall scheduling request instruction, which includes target material information and target warehouse type information.

[0113] Based on the target material information, determine the second storage cell in the material warehouse where the target material is stored. Based on the type information of the target warehouse, determine the target discharge port of the material warehouse. Based on the second storage cell and the target discharge port, generate a second instruction to control the second robot to transport the second material in the second storage cell to the target discharge port.

[0114] When the second material is located at the target discharge port, a transport instruction is triggered for the first robot to move the second material from the target discharge port to the first identification grid, so that the second material is scheduled to be located in the first identification grid as the first material.

[0115] It should be noted that the terms "first material" and "second material" are used only to distinguish whether the material is in the material warehouse or the target warehouse, and do not imply that the first material and the second material are two different types of materials. Under the same overall scheduling demand instruction, "first material" and "second material" refer to the same material. The target material information mentioned above may include the location information of the second storage cell where the target material to be transported is stored, the type information of the target material, etc. The target warehouse type information may include the type information of the required target material, the type information of the target discharge port of the material warehouse, etc.

[0116] The process of moving the second material from the material warehouse to the target discharge port has been described in the aforementioned warehouse embodiments, and can be referred to the above content. It will not be repeated here.

[0117] Therefore, by simply modifying the equipment, the occurrence of storage compartments being full can be reduced, and the robot's handling efficiency can be improved without affecting the handling process.

[0118] In summary, according to the embodiments of the present invention, the warehouse and its control method include at least one target warehouse, a first robot, and a controller. The target warehouse includes a first identification cell with identification attributes and multiple first storage cells with storage attributes. The first identification cell is used to identify first information of a first material transported from the loading port into itself. The controller is communicatively connected to the first robot and the first identification cell, and is used to generate a first instruction when the identified first information is target material information. The first robot is used to receive and execute the first instruction. The first instruction is to transport the first material in the first identification cell to the target storage cell, and the target storage cell is multiple first storage cells. The first storage cell is in a waiting state. When there is no first storage cell in a waiting state, the controller is also used to switch the identification attribute of the first identification cell to the storage attribute, so that the first robot can identify the first identification cell as the target storage cell. Thus, when all the first storage cells in the target warehouse are occupied, the first identification cell can be temporarily used as the first storage cell. When there is an unoccupied first storage cell in the target warehouse, the material is then transported from the first identification cell to the first storage cell. This can alleviate the time error between the execution and issuance of instructions by the machine and other equipment, solve the problem of easy stagnation in the handling in related technologies, and improve the handling efficiency.

[0119] It should be understood that the various forms of processes shown above can be used, with steps reordered, added, or deleted. For example, the steps described in this invention can be executed in parallel, sequentially, or in different orders, as long as the desired result of the technical solution of this invention can be achieved, and this is not limited herein.

[0120] The specific embodiments described above do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations, and substitutions can be made according to design requirements and other factors. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this invention should be included within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A warehouse, characterized in that, include: At least one target warehouse, the target warehouse including a first identification cell with identification attributes and a plurality of first storage cells with storage attributes, the first identification cell being used to identify first information of a first material transported from the loading port into itself; A first robot and a controller, wherein the controller is communicatively connected to the first robot and the first identification grid respectively, and is used to generate a first instruction when the identified first information is target material information, and the first robot is used to receive and execute the first instruction; the first instruction is to transport the first material in the first identification grid to the target storage grid, wherein the target storage grid is a grid in the first storage grid that is in a waiting state; When there is no first storage cell in the waiting state, the controller is further configured to switch the identification attribute of the first identification cell to the storage attribute, so that the first robot can identify the first identification cell as the target storage cell.

2. The warehouse according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first robot includes a first receiving unit, the first storage cell includes a first transmitting unit, and the first identification cell includes a first transmitting unit and a second transmitting unit. The first receiving unit communicates with the first sending unit to enable the first robot to identify a cell with storage attributes, and the first receiving unit communicates with the second sending unit to enable the first robot to identify a cell with identification attributes. When there is no first storage cell in the waiting state, the controller controls the second sending unit on the first identification cell to stop working, and the first sending unit enters the working state.

3. The warehouse according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first transmitting unit and the second transmitting unit are used to transmit radio frequency signals of different frequencies; Alternatively, the first transmitting unit and the second transmitting unit may be used to display different colors.

4. The warehouse according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first robot includes a third sending unit and a second receiving unit, the first storage cell includes a first reflector, and the first identification cell includes a second reflector. The third transmitting unit is capable of transmitting optical signals, the first reflector is capable of reflecting the optical signals to form a first reflected signal, the second reflector is capable of reflecting the optical signals to form a second reflected signal, and the reflection angle of the second reflector is adjustable; When there is no first storage cell in the waiting state, the controller is used to control the reflection angle of the second reflector on the first identification cell to be the same as the reflection angle of the first reflector.

5. The warehouse according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A material warehouse, comprising multiple second storage cells with storage attributes and at least one discharge port; The second robot is communicatively connected to the controller and is used to receive and execute the second instruction issued by the controller. The second instruction is to transport the second material stored in the second storage cell to the target discharge port. The target discharge port is connected to the loading port of the target warehouse. Different types of materials in the material warehouse correspond to different types of target warehouses.

6. The warehouse according to claim 5, characterized in that, The material warehouse also includes a second identification grid with identification attributes; The second identification grid is used to identify the second information of the second material. The second instruction includes a second first sub-instruction and a second second sub-instruction. The second first sub-instruction is to move the second material in the second storage grid to the second identification grid for identification. The second second sub-instruction is to move the second material to the target discharge port. When the second information of the second material identified by the second identification grid is the target material information, the controller is used to generate the second sub-instruction.

7. The warehouse according to claim 6, characterized in that, When the first information and / or the second information do not match the target material information, the controller is also used to generate a handling return instruction, which is received and executed by the corresponding robot.

8. A warehouse control method, characterized in that, Based on the warehouse implementation as described in any one of claims 1-7, the warehouse control method includes the following steps: After scheduling the first material to be located in the first identification grid according to the overall scheduling requirement instruction, the first identification grid is controlled to identify the first material to form first information; When the first information is obtained and it is determined that the first information is target material information, it is determined whether there is a first storage cell in the target warehouse that is currently in a waiting state; If the target warehouse currently has a first storage cell in a waiting state, a first instruction is generated to move the first material to the first storage cell in a waiting state; if the target warehouse currently does not have a first storage cell in a waiting state, the identification attribute of the first identification cell is switched to the storage attribute, and a first instruction is generated to move the first material to the first identification cell that has been switched to have the storage attribute. Control the first robot to execute the first instruction.

9. The warehouse control method according to claim 8, characterized in that, After obtaining the first information, the method further includes: when it is determined that the first information does not match the target material information, generating a transport return instruction to transport the first material in the first identification grid back to the loading port; Control the first robot to execute the transport retraction command.

10. The warehouse control method according to claim 8, characterized in that, Before scheduling the first material to be located in the first identification grid according to the overall scheduling requirement instruction, the process also includes: Receive a general scheduling request instruction, which includes target material information and target warehouse type information; Based on the target material information, determine the second storage cell in the material warehouse where the target material is stored; based on the type information of the target warehouse, determine the target discharge port of the material warehouse; generate a second instruction based on the second storage cell and the target discharge port, and control the second robot to transport the second material in the second storage cell to the target discharge port. When the second material is located at the target discharge port, a transport instruction is triggered on the first robot to move the second material from the target discharge port to the first identification grid, so as to schedule the second material into the first identification grid as the first material.

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