Robot scheduling system, method and storage medium

Abstract

This application discloses a robot scheduling system, method, and storage medium, relating to the field of logistics technology, and is used to solve the problem of low logistics efficiency in warehousing systems. The system includes: a scheduling device, a shelf, and multiple handling robots corresponding to the shelf; the scheduling device is communicatively connected to the multiple handling robots; the scheduling device is configured to control the handling robot corresponding to the target shelf area to work when it receives an order instruction instructing the handling of goods on a target shelf area; the target shelf area is one of multiple shelf areas obtained by dividing the shelf along its length based on the shelf's attribute information and / or the placement rules of the goods on the shelf; each shelf area corresponds to at least one handling robot.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of logistics technology, and in particular to a robot scheduling system, method and storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] With the rise of e-commerce and other emerging industries, companies often adopt warehousing systems to automate the handling and storage of goods through robots in order to build highly efficient and fluid automated logistics. Existing robotic handling solutions in warehousing systems include: carton transfer unit (CTU) solutions, four-way shuttle solutions, and single sky transfer unit (STU) solutions. However, these solutions all have certain drawbacks that can affect overall logistics efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a robot scheduling system, method, and storage medium to solve the problem of low logistics efficiency in warehousing systems.

[0004] To achieve the above technical objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a robot scheduling system, including a scheduling device, a shelf, and multiple handling robots corresponding to the shelf; the scheduling device is communicatively connected to the multiple handling robots; each handling robot includes: a column mast, a handling mechanism, and a guide rail; wherein the column mast is installed along the vertical direction of the shelf; the handling mechanism is disposed on the column mast and is used to move vertically on the column mast to handle goods at different heights on the shelf; the column mast and the guide rail are movably connected so that the column mast and the handling mechanism move horizontally along the guide rail to handle goods on the shelf in the length direction; the scheduling device is configured to control the handling robot corresponding to the target shelf area to work when it receives an order instruction indicating that goods on the target shelf area are to be handled; the target shelf area is one of multiple shelf areas obtained by dividing the shelf along the length direction of the shelf according to the attribute information of the shelf and / or the placement rules of the goods on the shelf; each shelf area corresponds to at least one handling robot.

[0006] The technical solution provided in this application offers at least the following advantages: In the robot scheduling system adopted in this application, the shelves are divided into multiple shelf areas based on the shelf attribute information and / or the placement rules of the goods on the shelves, with each shelf area corresponding to at least one handling robot. In this way, when performing handling operations, the handling robots can move within their respective shelf areas, ensuring that multiple handling robots work collaboratively on a single shelf while avoiding conflicts. Therefore, the technical solution of this application can guarantee the concurrency of tasks in the warehousing system and improve the logistics efficiency of the warehousing system.

[0007] In one possible implementation, the scheduling device is specifically configured to, upon receiving an order instruction instructing the handling of goods in a target shelf area, determine the position of the goods on the shelf; based on the position of the goods on the shelf, determine the horizontal and vertical movement distances of the handling robot corresponding to the target shelf area; the horizontal movement distance does not exceed the length of the target shelf area; and send movement instructions to the handling robot corresponding to the target shelf area to control the handling robot to perform its work; the movement instructions include the horizontal and vertical movement distances.

[0008] In one possible implementation, attribute information is used to characterize the storage capacity of the shelving and / or whether the shelving carries cache space.

[0009] In one possible implementation, where attribute information is used to characterize the storage capacity of the shelving, multiple shelving areas are divided according to the storage capacity of the shelving and the number of multiple handling robots.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the storage capacity of the shelving includes the dimensions of the target shelving in the length, height, and depth directions; different shelving areas have the same storage capacity, or different shelving areas have the same length dimension.

[0011] In one possible implementation, when the attribute information is used to characterize whether a shelf carries a cache space, the portion of the shelf carrying a cache space is designated as the first shelf area, and the portion of the shelf not carrying a cache space is designated as the second shelf area.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the attribute information includes the height of each point on the bottom shelf from the ground; when the height of each point on the bottom shelf from the ground is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, the shelf does not carry a cache bit; when the height of each point on the bottom shelf from the ground is less than the preset threshold, the shelf carries a cache bit.

[0013] In one possible implementation, placement rules are used to characterize the attribute conditions that goods in each area of ​​the shelf meet, including: the category of goods and / or the frequency of access to goods.

[0014] In one possible implementation, where the attribute condition includes the category of goods, multiple shelf areas are divided according to the type of goods.

[0015] In one possible implementation, when the attribute condition includes the storage frequency of goods, multiple shelf areas are divided according to the access frequency of goods, and one shelf area corresponds to a preset numerical range of access frequency.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the scheduling device is further configured to determine, in the case of overlapping areas between two adjacent shelf areas, to have a first handling robot responsible for the overlapping area based on task completion time and / or distance priority; the first handling robot is one of two handling robots corresponding to the two adjacent shelf areas.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the scheduling device is further configured to control a third transport robot to work in the shelf area corresponding to the second transport robot when a malfunction of the second transport robot is detected; the third transport robot is located in a shelf area adjacent to the shelf area of ​​the second transport robot.

[0018] Secondly, this application provides a robot scheduling method, the method comprising: receiving an order instruction; and, when the order instruction instructs the handling of goods in a target shelf area, controlling a handling robot corresponding to the target shelf area to perform work; the target shelf area is one of a plurality of shelf areas obtained by dividing the shelf along the length direction of the shelf according to the attribute information of the shelf and / or the placement rules of the goods on the shelf; and each shelf area corresponds to at least one handling robot.

[0019] Thirdly, this application provides a computing device, including: one or more processors; one or more memories; wherein the one or more memories are used to store computer program code, the computer program code including computer instructions, and when the one or more processors execute the computer instructions, the computing device executes any of the robot scheduling methods provided in the second aspect above.

[0020] Fourthly, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform any of the robot scheduling methods provided in the second aspect above.

[0021] Fifthly, this application provides a computer program product including computer instructions that, when executed on a computing device, cause the computing device to perform the robot scheduling method as described in the second aspect and any possible design thereof.

[0022] For a detailed description of the second to fifth aspects and their various implementations in this application, please refer to the detailed description in the first aspect and its various implementations; and for a detailed analysis of the beneficial effects of the second to fifth aspects and their various implementations in the first aspect and its various implementations, please refer to the beneficial effect analysis in the first aspect and its various implementations, which will not be repeated here.

[0023] These or other aspects of this application will become more readily apparent in the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the composition of a robot scheduling system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating a robot scheduling method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a shelving area provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of scenario 1 provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of scenario 2 provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of scenario 3 provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of scenario 4 provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of scenario 5 provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the composition of a robot scheduling device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the composition of a computing device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0035] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of this application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design scheme described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner. The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0036] To facilitate understanding, we will first provide a brief introduction and explanation of some terms or basic concepts of technology involved in the embodiments of this application.

[0037] Lurking robot: An automated guided robot that can carry transport boxes.

[0038] Turnover boxes: also known as logistics boxes or material boxes, can be used to hold goods and are easy to stack and manage.

[0039] CTU Robot: A fully automated unmanned picking and handling robot, consisting of a chassis, shelf layers and picking mechanism, which can handle multiple goods at once, improving picking efficiency and warehouse capacity.

[0040] Four-way shuttle: A type of transport robot that is an automated transport device capable of moving freely in four directions (front, back, left, and right) in a plane.

[0041] STU Robot: A track-mounted bin handling robot, comprising: a column mast, a handling mechanism, and a guide rail. The column mast is installed vertically along the shelf; the handling mechanism is mounted on the column mast and is used to move vertically along the column mast to handle goods at different heights on the shelf. The column mast and the guide rail are movably connected, allowing the column mast and the handling mechanism to move horizontally along the guide rail to handle goods along the shelf's length.

[0042] Elevator: It is an important piece of equipment for realizing vertical movement. Its main purpose is to realize the vertical transportation of goods across floors and the changing of floors for four-way shuttle cars.

[0043] Cache location: A reserved space at the bottom of the shelf for temporary storage of turnover boxes. STU robots can select goods to be shipped from the shelf and place them in the cache location for transport by stealth robots and other robots. Stealth robots can also place incoming goods in the cache location for STU robots to shelv and store.

[0044] The above is an introduction to some of the concepts involved in the embodiments of this application, which will not be repeated below.

[0045] Currently, robotic handling solutions in warehousing systems include: CTU handling solutions, four-way shuttle handling solutions, and single STU handling solutions.

[0046] The CTU handling solution involves CTU robots moving linearly within the aisle using a chassis, and then using a lifting device to perform the inbound and outbound operations of the turnover boxes. Typically, one CTU robot is responsible for one CTU warehouse area (usually one aisle), and CTU robots are allowed to operate across warehouse areas.

[0047] Four-way shuttle handling solution: The four-way shuttle uses a lift to store or pick various types of goods from warehouse orders using multi-layer shelves or pallets.

[0048] Single STU robot handling solution: The STU robot moves left and right on a three-dimensional plane using guide rails and moves up and down using its own lifting mechanism, thereby picking up and placing turnover boxes at designated locations on a three-dimensional shelf. After a box is de-shelved and placed in a buffer position, a box is picked up from the nearest buffer position and put back on the shelf.

[0049] However, these robotic handling solutions all have certain drawbacks: in the CTU handling solution, the lifting speed of the CTU robot is relatively slower than that of the STU robot. Additionally, the CTU robot has a limited lifting height, requiring the use of a secondary gantry to extend the lifting height when storing or retrieving high-level tote boxes, which affects the efficiency of loading and unloading goods.

[0050] In the four-way shuttle transport solution, since the four-way shuttle itself does not have the ability to operate at high altitudes, it is necessary to rely on the hoist when storing and retrieving goods at high altitudes, which will affect the efficiency of the operation.

[0051] In a single STU robot handling solution, the operating efficiency of a single device is relatively low, making it difficult to meet high throughput requirements. Furthermore, since STU robots rely on guide rails for operation, if multiple STU robots are set up to operate simultaneously, they must run on the same guide rail, which can cause conflicts and affect operational efficiency.

[0052] In conclusion, current robotic handling solutions all have certain shortcomings, which can affect logistics efficiency.

[0053] To address this issue, this application provides a robot scheduling system. In this system, a shelf can be divided into multiple shelf areas based on its attribute information and / or the placement rules of the goods on the shelf. Each shelf area corresponds to at least one handling robot. This allows the handling robots to move within their respective shelf areas during handling operations, ensuring collaborative work among multiple robots on a single shelf while avoiding conflicts. Therefore, the technical solution of this application guarantees the concurrency of tasks in the warehousing system and improves its logistics efficiency.

[0054] Please refer to Figure 1 This diagram illustrates the composition of the robot scheduling system (also known as a warehousing system) provided in this application. Figure 1 As shown, the robot scheduling system includes: a shelf 101 and multiple handling robots 102 corresponding to the shelf (the specific number can be determined according to the specific scenario). Figure 1 (Two transport robots are used as an example).

[0055] The shelving unit 101 can be a fixed shelving unit or a mobile shelving unit. The shelving unit 101 has multiple layers, each layer has multiple storage compartments, and each storage compartment can be used to store turnover boxes loaded with goods.

[0056] The handling robot includes: a column gantry 102a, a handling mechanism 102b, and a guide rail 102c.

[0057] The upright mast 102a is installed vertically along the shelf 101. A handling mechanism 102b is mounted on the upright mast 102a and moves vertically along it to handle goods at different heights on the shelf. The upright mast 102a is movably connected to a guide rail 102c, allowing both the upright mast 102a and the handling mechanism 102b to move horizontally along the guide rail 102c to handle goods along the shelf's length.

[0058] It should be noted that a handling robot can be configured with at least one guide rail (such as one or two guide rails). For example... Figure 1 Guide rails are installed above and below the middle rack, allowing the upper part of the robot's column mast to be movably connected to the upper guide rail, and the lower part of the robot's column mast to be movably connected to the lower guide rail, thus ensuring the stability of the column mast when it moves horizontally along the guide rails.

[0059] In one implementation, a guide rail can be fixedly installed on two opposite shelves at the same time, meaning that a handling robot on one guide rail can be responsible for the operation tasks on two shelves at the same time.

[0060] In some embodiments, the guide rail can be fixedly installed on a shelf, or it can be fixedly installed on the ground or ceiling. This application embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0061] In some embodiments, multiple handling robots responsible for the same shelf can share a single guide rail, or they can each use different guide rails. Figure 1 (This is illustrated using an example of multiple handling robots sharing a single guide rail.) It should be understood that when multiple handling robots share a single guide rail, the aisles between the shelves can be narrower, thereby effectively reducing the distance between shelves in the warehousing system and thus increasing the storage capacity of the warehousing system. This application's embodiment uses the example of multiple handling robots responsible for the same shelf sharing a single guide rail for illustration.

[0062] For ease of description, the handling robot used in this application will be referred to as the STU robot in the following text.

[0063] In addition, the robot scheduling system also includes scheduling equipment 103 ( Figure 1 (Not shown in the diagram), the scheduling device 103 is used to control the operation of the entire warehousing system. For example, the scheduling device 103 can be connected to the STU robot via wired or wireless means to send instructions to the STU robot to perform cargo handling operations. The scheduling device can be a server or other devices with data processing and communication capabilities. The server mentioned here can be a server cluster consisting of multiple servers, a single server, or a computer. Specifically, the scheduling device can be a processor or processing module within a server. This application embodiment does not limit the specific device form of the server described above.

[0064] The embodiments of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0065] The robot scheduling method provided in this application embodiment can be executed by the scheduling device in the robot scheduling system described above.

[0066] like Figure 2 As shown in the figure, this application provides a robot scheduling method, which includes the following steps:

[0067] S201, Receive order instructions.

[0068] Order instructions are used to indicate whether a certain item needs to be shipped out or received.

[0069] S202. When an order instruction instructs the handling of goods in a target shelf area, control the handling robot corresponding to the target shelf area to perform the task.

[0070] The target shelf area is one of multiple shelf areas obtained by dividing the shelf along its length based on the shelf's attribute information and / or the rules for placing goods on the shelf. Each shelf area corresponds to at least one handling robot.

[0071] As mentioned earlier, due to the limitations of the guide rails, a single STU robot typically handles the tasks on a single shelf. To improve efficiency, multiple STU robots can be deployed simultaneously to handle the same tasks (transfer tasks). To avoid conflicts arising from multiple STU robots running on the same guide rail, the shelf can be divided into different shelf areas, allowing each STU robot to perform its tasks within its designated area, thus preventing conflicts.

[0072] In the process of dividing shelving areas, shelving can be divided according to the shelf's attribute information and / or the rules for placing goods on the shelves, thus adapting to various scenarios. See Scenario 1-Scenario 5 below for specific instructions.

[0073] For example, Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a shelving area provided as an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 As shown in the diagram, the shelf is divided into two equal sections (section A and section B) along its length. Each section has the same height as the shelf and a length that is a portion of the shelf's length. This division allows STU robots to complete tasks within a specific section of the guide rail without interfering with other STU robots. Figure 3 STU Robot 1 can move in section A to complete the relevant tasks in area A, while STU Robot 2 can move in section B to complete the relevant tasks in area B. As shown in the diagram, the movable areas of STU Robot 1 and STU Robot 2 do not overlap, and they will not work together or encounter any conflicts.

[0074] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned S202 can be implemented as follows:

[0075] S202a. When receiving an order instruction to move goods to the target shelf area, determine the location of the goods on the shelf.

[0076] S202b: Based on the position of the goods on the shelf, determine the horizontal and vertical movement distances of the handling robot corresponding to the target shelf area. The horizontal movement distance shall not exceed the length of the target shelf area.

[0077] S202c: Send movement commands to the handling robot corresponding to the target shelf area to control the handling robot in the target shelf area to perform its work. The movement commands include horizontal and vertical movement distances.

[0078] As can be seen from the technical solution of this application, when the scheduling system receives an order instruction, it first determines the shelf area to which the goods indicated in the order belong, and then determines the STU robot corresponding to that shelf area according to the pre-configured correspondence. Then, based on the current position of the STU robot and the shelf position, it determines the horizontal and vertical movement distances, and then sends the movement distance information to the STU robot via wired or wireless means, thereby controlling the STU robot to move in both horizontal and vertical dimensions to realize the handling of goods into the warehouse or the picking and unloading of goods.

[0079] It should be understood that since the horizontal movement distance of the STU robot does not exceed the length of its corresponding shelf area, the STU robot can move within a limited range, avoiding the problem of cross-conflict when multiple STU robots move.

[0080] It should be noted that S202a-S202c described above are only one specific implementation of S202, and S202 can also be implemented in other ways. For example, the scheduling device first configures a responsible shelf area for each STU robot. When the scheduling device receives an order instruction, it determines the location of the goods and then sends the location of the goods to each STU robot. Each STU robot determines whether the location of the goods is within its assigned shelf area. If so, the STU robot performs a handling operation based on the location of the goods; otherwise, it does not perform any action. It should be understood that the implementation of S202 includes, but is not limited to, the two implementation methods described above, and other feasible implementation methods can also be used, which will not be elaborated here.

[0081] The following detailed description of the shelving area division method, in conjunction with specific embodiments and accompanying drawings, is provided.

[0082] In some embodiments, during the partitioning process, the scheduling device can divide the shelf into multiple shelf areas along the length of the shelf based on the shelf's attribute information and / or the placement rules of the goods on the shelf.

[0083] In one possible implementation, attribute information is used to characterize the storage capacity of the shelving and / or whether the shelving carries cache space.

[0084] The storage capacity mentioned here includes the dimensions of the target shelving in the length, height, and depth directions; different shelving areas have the same storage capacity, or different shelving areas have the same length dimension.

[0085] Whether or not a buffer is included can, in one possible implementation, be determined based on the height of the bottom layer of the shelf from the ground. If the height of the bottom layer of the shelf from the ground is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, the shelf does not include a buffer. If the height of the bottom layer of the shelf from the ground is less than the preset threshold, the shelf includes a buffer. No specific limitation is made.

[0086] In one possible implementation, the placement rules represent the attribute conditions that goods in each area of ​​the shelf meet, including: the category of goods and / or the frequency of access to goods.

[0087] In this application, a certain type of goods and its related or principal / accessory goods can be referred to as a class of goods, that is, belonging to a category of goods. Examples include alcoholic beverages and cosmetics. The frequency of goods storage and retrieval can reflect, for example, the quantity of goods shipped or received per unit of time, and can indicate whether the goods are best-selling items.

[0088] It should be understood that the database of the scheduling equipment stores relevant information about the shelves and goods, and constantly records information about the flow of goods (outbound / inbound). Therefore, the scheduling equipment can obtain this information from the database to rationally divide the shelves into shelf areas to adapt to various operating scenarios, as described in scenarios 1-5 below.

[0089] Scene 1

[0090] When attribute information is used to characterize the storage capacity of the shelving, multiple shelving areas are divided according to the storage capacity of the shelving and the number of multiple handling robots.

[0091] The storage capacity of the target shelving includes its dimensions in the length, height, and depth directions. Different shelving areas may have the same storage capacity, or different shelving areas may have the same length dimension.

[0092] For example, if the shelf is pre-configured with two STU robots, then taking the example that different shelf areas have the same length, the target shelf can be divided into two shelf areas of equal length (equal within a certain error range), and the storage capacity of the two shelf areas obtained in this way is close.

[0093] For example, Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of scenario 1 provided in an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 4 As shown, taking the case of two STU robots as an example, the shelf is divided into two shelf areas of equal length, namely area A and area B. One STU robot is responsible for the operation tasks in area A, and the other STU robot is responsible for the operation tasks in area B.

[0094] When an inbound task is in progress, a stealthy robot will transport the goods to the buffer location. Figure 4 (As shown in the bottom bold box), the STU robot then moves the goods from the cache location to the shelf for storage. When an outbound task is available, the STU robot transports the goods on the shelf to the bottom cache location, and then a stealth robot removes the goods from the cache location for outbound processing.

[0095] It should be understood that Scenario 1 is applicable when tasks are evenly distributed on the shelves. Each STU robot is responsible for tasks within an equal area of ​​the shelf, avoiding repetitive work and interference between multiple STU robots. Furthermore, it prevents individual STU robots from being overloaded, ensuring load balance. Moreover, planning the movement range of the STU robots within a fixed area improves their familiarity with the shelves, resulting in higher accuracy in task execution.

[0096] Scene 2

[0097] When the attribute information is used to characterize whether a shelf carries a buffer space, the portion of the shelf carrying a buffer space is designated as the first shelf area, and the portion of the shelf not carrying a buffer space is designated as the second shelf area.

[0098] It should be understood that for shelves without buffer positions, the height of all points on the bottom layer from the ground is greater than or equal to a preset threshold. This allows stealth robots to move laterally under the shelves without being obstructed. This way, stealth robots do not need to go around the shelves when moving goods, thus improving handling efficiency.

[0099] For example, Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of scenario 2 provided in an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 5 As described, shelf area A has no buffer space at its bottom (i.e., the height of each point on the bottom layer of the shelf from the ground is greater than or equal to a preset threshold), and is therefore designated as the first shelf area. Shelf area B has buffer spaces at its bottom (i.e., the height of each point on the bottom layer of the shelf from the ground is less than a preset threshold), and is therefore designated as the second shelf area. The STU robot responsible for the tasks in area A can be called a buffer-less STU robot. When performing handling tasks, the buffer-less STU robot moves the goods from area A to area B. The other STU robots can perform their tasks normally in area B, such as moving goods to buffer spaces or moving goods from buffer spaces to the shelf.

[0100] By dividing the work area, multiple STU robots can perform tasks separately, effectively improving operational efficiency. Furthermore, in current warehousing systems, buffer positions are located at the bottom of shelves. When moving goods, stealth robots need to go around the shelves to move laterally due to the obstruction of these buffer positions. However, in this embodiment, there is no buffer position at the bottom of area A, allowing stealth robots to move laterally unimpeded below area A, thereby improving the efficiency of goods handling.

[0101] It should be understood that Scenario 2 is suitable for scenarios with a large number of warehouses and numerous operational tasks. By dividing the area without buffer space into a shelving area, the hidden machines can directly pass under the area without buffer space during the entire logistics process, avoiding detours and thus improving logistics efficiency.

[0102] Scene 3

[0103] When the attribute conditions include the category of goods, the multiple shelf areas are divided according to the category of goods. That is, this application can divide the shelf areas according to the principle of placing goods of the same category (or similar goods) in the same shelf area.

[0104] In some scenarios, goods on shelves are typically stored according to their categories, with goods of the same (or similar) category stored on the same or adjacent shelves. Therefore, shelf areas can be divided according to the category of goods, meaning one shelf area corresponds to one or more categories of goods.

[0105] This application's embodiment uses the example of dividing a type of goods into a single shelf area, for example, Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating scenario 3 provided in an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 6 As shown, the shelves store three categories of goods: beverages, daily necessities, and cosmetics. Therefore, the shelves are divided into three shelving areas (the lengths of these areas can be the same or different). Figure 6 (Taking different lengths as an example), each STU robot corresponds to one shelf area.

[0106] It should be understood that an order may correspond to the purchase of a large number of goods of the same (or similar) category. The division method in Scenario 3 can enable one STU robot to complete the delivery task of one order, which can reduce the scheduling complexity when multiple STU robots are scheduled to complete an order at the same time.

[0107] Scene 4

[0108] When the storage frequency of goods is included as an attribute condition, multiple shelf areas are divided according to the access frequency of the goods, with each shelf area corresponding to a preset range of access frequencies. In other words, this application can divide shelf areas based on the principle of placing goods with similar access frequencies in the same shelf area.

[0109] In some scenarios, high-demand goods may be placed in the same shelf area, while low-demand goods may be placed in the same shelf area. The warehouse system's scheduling equipment records the historical access frequency of each item on the shelf, thus allowing the shelf areas to be divided based on the access frequency of the goods.

[0110] For example, using a first access frequency threshold as a dividing line, areas with access frequencies greater than or equal to the first access frequency threshold are classified as one shelf area, while areas with access frequencies less than the first access frequency threshold are classified as another shelf area. As another example, using a second access frequency threshold and a third access frequency threshold as dividing lines (the second access frequency threshold being greater than the third access frequency threshold), areas with access frequencies greater than or equal to the second access frequency threshold are classified as shelf area 1, areas with access frequencies less than the second access frequency threshold but greater than or equal to the third access frequency threshold are classified as shelf area 2, and areas with access frequencies less than the third access frequency threshold are classified as shelf area 3.

[0111] For example, Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of scenario 4 provided in an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 7 As shown, goods are stored in hot and cold zones. Goods A, due to their high demand and high temperature, require high speed and efficiency in and out of the warehouse. Therefore, the area storing goods A is designated as a shelving area, and STU robots are specifically assigned to handle the tasks related to goods A. This ensures that the STU robots can move within a limited range, achieve rapid response, and reduce waiting time for goods handling.

[0112] Scene 5

[0113] When two adjacent shelving areas overlap, the scheduling device determines that the first handling robot is responsible for the overlapping area based on task completion time and / or distance priority. The first handling robot is one of the two handling robots corresponding to the two adjacent shelving areas.

[0114] In other words, in this scenario, the shelf areas managed by adjacent STU robots may overlap. In this case, the scheduling method of the STU robots needs to be adjusted for the overlapping areas to avoid two STU robots working in the overlapping areas at the same time and causing conflicts.

[0115] For example, Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of scenario 5 provided in an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 8As shown, taking the presence of two STU robots as an example, the shelf is divided into two areas, A and B, each occupying 60%. Areas A and B have overlapping areas (e.g., 20%). The 40% portion of area A is the default shelf area for STU robot 1, and the 40% portion of area B is the default shelf area for STU robot 2.

[0116] Since the overlapping area is shared by two STU robots, to avoid conflicts, when there is a task in the overlapping area, if STU robot 1's current task completion time is earlier, then the task will be assigned to STU robot 1. Alternatively, if STU robot 1's current position is closer to the overlapping area, then the task will be assigned to STU robot 1. Alternatively, a weighted sum can be calculated by considering both task completion time and distance priority to determine the weighted result, and then the task allocation can be based on the weighted result.

[0117] It should be understood that Scenario 5 avoids situations where an STU robot has to move to a distant location to perform operations, and it also prevents situations where two STU robots are working on the same side simultaneously, or where one STU robot is obstructing the work of another. Moreover, Scenario 5 allows a smaller number of STU robots to handle a larger number of shelving areas simultaneously, reducing the investment cost of STU robots.

[0118] It should be noted that, for overlapping areas, since STU robots are allocated based on task completion time and / or distance priority, overlapping areas may correspond to different STU robots at different times. However, at any given moment, an overlapping area will correspond to at least one STU robot.

[0119] In some embodiments, the scheduling device also performs the following function: in the event of a malfunction of the second handling robot, it controls a third handling robot to work in the shelf area corresponding to the second handling robot; the third handling robot is located in a shelf area adjacent to the shelf area of ​​the second handling robot.

[0120] For example, in Figure 4 If the STU robot in zone A malfunctions, the STU robot in zone B can take over the tasks of the malfunctioning robot; that is, the STU robot in zone B will then be responsible for the entire shelf's operations. For example, in... Figure 6 If the STU robot in the daily necessities area malfunctions, the STU robot corresponding to the beverage and cosmetics categories can be randomly selected to take over the work tasks in the daily necessities area. Alternatively, based on the workload of the two STU robots, the STU robot with the smaller workload can be selected to take over the new work tasks.

[0121] It should be understood that the above-mentioned fault detection-related operational strategies can ensure that even if one STU robot malfunctions, other STU robots can still operate normally, ensuring the continuity of the overall operation process and reducing the impact of STU robot malfunctions on the logistics efficiency of the entire warehousing system.

[0122] It should be noted that in a failure scenario, if one STU robot fails, another STU robot will take over the shelf area corresponding to the failed robot. In this case, two adjacent shelf areas will correspond to the same STU robot (i.e., one STU robot is responsible for two shelf areas simultaneously), still satisfying the description that each shelf area corresponds to at least one STU robot.

[0123] It should be noted that in some scenarios, the operational strategies described above can be combined. For example, in Scenario 4, the shelf areas (Goods A storage area) are divided according to the frequency of goods access. Due to the large number of tasks, one STU robot is insufficient to meet the efficiency requirements. Therefore, Scenario 1 can be combined with this strategy, further dividing Goods A storage area into two sub-areas and setting up two STU robots to work simultaneously in each sub-area to improve efficiency. As another example, the three shelf areas in Scenario 3, divided according to goods category, can be combined with the operational strategy of Scenario 5, setting up overlapping areas for daily necessities. In this way, two STU robots can handle the operational tasks of all three shelf areas, ensuring operational efficiency while reducing the investment cost of STU robots.

[0124] It should be understood that the foregoing scenarios are merely illustrative examples, and any changes or combinations made based on the situations described in the foregoing examples should be covered within the scope of protection of this application.

[0125] Figure 2 The technical solution presented offers at least the following advantages: In the robot scheduling system adopted in this application, the shelves can be divided into multiple shelf areas based on the shelf attribute information and / or the placement rules of the goods on the shelves, with each shelf area corresponding to at least one handling robot. This allows the handling robots to move within their respective shelf areas during handling operations, ensuring collaborative operation of multiple handling robots on a single shelf while avoiding conflicts. Therefore, the technical solution of this application can guarantee the concurrency of tasks in the warehousing system and improve the logistics efficiency of the warehousing system.

[0126] This application utilizes an STU robot, which enables vertical movement of tote boxes without the need for additional lifting mechanisms, reducing investment costs while improving handling efficiency. Furthermore, the STU robot is smaller than CTUs and four-way shuttles, reducing the spacing between shelves in the warehousing system and increasing the floor space. Moreover, the STU robot is not limited by shelf height, increasing the height of the automated storage and retrieval system, allowing for the storage of more tote boxes and improving the overall cargo capacity of the warehousing system.

[0127] In addition, STU robots operate on fixed shelves, eliminating the need to move pallets and shelves. They can select the nearest unloading location without occupying their own storage space, greatly reducing unloading time.

[0128] This application has a wide range of applications and can formulate different operation strategies for different scenarios, thereby meeting the needs of inbound and outbound operations under various conditions.

[0129] The foregoing primarily describes the solutions provided by the embodiments of this application from a methodological perspective. To achieve the aforementioned functions, it includes corresponding hardware structures and / or software modules for executing each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, in conjunction with the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in the embodiments disclosed herein, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art may use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0130] like Figure 9 As shown in the illustration, this application also provides a robot scheduling device for the robot scheduling method shown in the above method embodiments. The robot scheduling device includes:

[0131] The receiving module 901 is used to receive order instructions;

[0132] The control module 902 is used to control the handling robot corresponding to the target shelf area to work when the order instruction indicates that goods on the target shelf area should be handled; the target shelf area is one of multiple shelf areas obtained by dividing the shelf along the length of the shelf according to the attribute information of the shelf and / or the placement rules of the goods on the shelf; each shelf area corresponds to at least one handling robot.

[0133] Another embodiment of this application also provides a computing device, such as... Figure 10As shown, the computing device 1000 includes a memory 1001 and a processor 1002; the memory 1001 and the processor 1002 are coupled; the memory 1001 is used to store computer program code, which includes computer instructions. When the processor 1002 executes the computer instructions, the computing device 1000 performs each step of the method flow shown in the above method embodiment.

[0134] In actual implementation, the receiving module 901 and the control module 902 can be composed of... Figure 10 The processor 1002 shown calls the computer program code in memory 1001 to implement this. The specific execution process can be found in the description of the robot scheduling method section above, and will not be repeated here.

[0135] Another embodiment of this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions that, when executed on a computing device, cause the computing device to perform each step of the method flow shown in the above method embodiment.

[0136] In another embodiment of this application, a computer program product is also provided, which includes computer instructions that, when executed on a computing device, cause the computing device to perform each step of the method flow shown in the above method embodiment.

[0137] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software programs, implementation can be, in whole or in part, in the form of a computer program product. This computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When these computer instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the flow or function according to the embodiments of this application is generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device containing one or more servers, data centers, etc., that can be integrated with the medium. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), etc.

[0138] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application. Any variations or substitutions conceived by those skilled in the art based on the specific embodiments provided in this application should be covered within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A robot scheduling system, characterized in that, The system includes a scheduling device, a shelf, and multiple handling robots corresponding to the shelf; the scheduling device is communicatively connected to the multiple handling robots. The transport robot includes: a column gantry, a transport mechanism, and a guide rail; The upright mast is installed along the vertical direction of the shelf; the handling mechanism is disposed on the upright mast and is used to move vertically on the upright mast to handle goods of different heights on the shelf; the upright mast is movably connected to the guide rail so that the upright mast and the handling mechanism can move horizontally along the guide rail to handle goods on the shelf in the length direction. The scheduling device is configured to control the handling robot corresponding to the target shelf area to work when it receives an order instruction that instructs the handling of goods on the target shelf area; the target shelf area is one of a plurality of shelf areas obtained by dividing the shelf along the length of the shelf according to the attribute information of the shelf and / or the placement rules of the goods on the shelf; each shelf area corresponds to at least one handling robot.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The scheduling device is specifically configured as follows: Upon receiving an order instruction to move goods to a target shelf area, determine the location of the goods on the shelf; Based on the position of the goods on the shelf, determine the horizontal and vertical movement distances of the handling robot corresponding to the target shelf area; the horizontal movement distance shall not exceed the length of the target shelf area. A movement command is sent to the handling robot corresponding to the target shelf area to control the handling robot to work; the movement command includes the horizontal movement distance and the vertical movement distance.

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The attribute information is used to characterize the storage capacity of the shelf and / or whether the shelf carries a buffer space.

4. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the attribute information is used to characterize the storage capacity of the shelf, the plurality of shelf areas are divided according to the storage capacity of the shelf and the number of the plurality of handling robots.

5. The system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The storage capacity of the shelving includes the dimensions of the target shelving in the length, height, and depth directions; different shelving areas have the same storage capacity, or different shelving areas have the same length dimension.

6. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the attribute information is used to characterize whether the shelf carries a buffer space, the portion of the shelf carrying a buffer space is designated as a first shelf area, and the portion of the shelf not carrying a buffer space is designated as a second shelf area.

7. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The attribute information includes the height of each point on the bottom layer of the shelf from the ground; When the height of each point on the bottom layer of the shelf from the ground is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, the shelf does not carry a buffer space; When the height of each point on the bottom layer of the shelf from the ground is less than a preset threshold, the shelf carries a buffer space.

8. The system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The placement rules are used to characterize the attribute conditions that the goods in each area of ​​the shelf meet, including: the category of goods and / or the frequency of access to goods.

9. The system according to claim 8, characterized in that, When the attribute conditions include the category of goods, the multiple shelf areas are divided according to the category of goods.

10. The system according to claim 8, characterized in that, When the attribute conditions include the storage frequency of goods, the multiple shelf areas are divided according to the access frequency of the goods, and one shelf area corresponds to a preset numerical range of access frequency.

11. The system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The scheduling device is further configured to, in the case of overlapping areas between two adjacent shelf areas, determine a first handling robot to be responsible for the overlapping area based on task completion time and / or distance priority; the first handling robot is one of two handling robots corresponding to the two adjacent shelf areas.

12. The system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The scheduling device is also configured to control a third transport robot to work in the shelf area corresponding to the second transport robot when a malfunction of the second transport robot is detected; the third transport robot is located in a shelf area adjacent to the shelf area of ​​the second transport robot.

13. A robot scheduling method, characterized in that, The method, applied in a scheduling device of any one of claims 1-12, comprises: Receive order instructions; When the order instruction instructs the handling of goods on a target shelf area, the handling robot corresponding to the target shelf area is controlled to work; the target shelf area is one of a plurality of shelf areas obtained by dividing the shelf along the length of the shelf according to the attribute information of the shelf and / or the placement rules of the goods on the shelf; each shelf area corresponds to at least one handling robot.

14. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the robot scheduling method of claim 13.

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