Transfer robot scheduling method, device and equipment and storage medium

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a transfer robot scheduling method and device, equipment and a storage medium. The method comprises the steps that the empty bin distribution condition on a goods shelf is determined, then the target type of a carrying robot used for carrying a to-be-returned material box is determined on the basis of the empty bin distribution condition on the goods shelf, and then the target carrying robot used for carrying the to-be-returned material box is determined on the basis of the target type of the carrying robot; and first indication information is sent to the target transfer robot. According to the technical scheme, the problem that the carrying task allocated to the carrying robot cannot be completed easily in the related technology is solved, it is guaranteed that the workbin can be returned to the warehouse smoothly, the situation that the carrying robot cannot complete the workbin returning task is avoided, and the workbin returning efficiency is guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of warehousing and logistics, and in particular to a method, device, equipment and storage medium for dispatching a handling robot. Background Art

[0002] In warehouse logistics, a handling robot is needed to take out the material boxes from the shelf, transport them to the workstation, and then the workstation will pick the materials in the material box. After picking, the scheduling system will re-determine the shelf where the material box should be stored and allocate the storage space on the shelf. The handling robot will then be dispatched to move the material box to the corresponding storage space on the determined shelf, thus completing the circulation of the material box.

[0003] In the related art, many warehouses store materials of different sizes. In order to further save costs and make full use of space, the shelves are more often designed with different heights of different layers of storage. For example, the lower layer has a lower height and can store smaller boxes, while the upper layer has a higher height and can store larger boxes. The opposite can also be true. At the same time, due to differences in robot hardware and manufacturers, the heights at which the handling robots used to carry boxes can pick up and put down boxes are different. For example, some handling robots can only take boxes on the lower layer, while some handling robots can only take boxes on the higher layer. As a result, the handling tasks assigned to the handling robots are prone to being unable to be completed. Summary of the invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method, device, equipment and storage medium for scheduling a transport robot to solve the problem in the related art that transport tasks assigned to transport robots are apt to fail to be completed.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for scheduling a transport robot, the method comprising:

[0006] Determine the distribution of empty bins on the shelf, wherein the distribution of empty bins includes the number of empty bins and the locations of the empty bins, the shelf includes bins, the bins include first-class bins and second-class bins, the first-class bins are used to place bins with a maximum height lower than a first height, the second-class bins are used to place bins with a maximum height lower than a second height, and the first height is greater than the second height;

[0007] Based on the distribution of empty bins on the shelves, the target type of the handling robot used to carry the material boxes to be returned to the warehouse is determined, wherein the handling robots include a first type of handling robot and a second type of handling robot, the first type of handling robot is used to carry material boxes in a first height range, the second type of handling robot is used to carry material boxes in a second height range, the highest value of the first height range is greater than the highest value of the second height range, and the lowest value of the first height range is greater than the lowest value of the second height range;

[0008] Based on the target type of the transport robot, a target transport robot for transporting the material box to be returned to the warehouse is determined, and first instruction information is sent to the target transport robot, wherein the first instruction information is used to instruct the target transport robot to transport the material box to be returned to the warehouse to the storage location of the shelf.

[0009] Optionally, the shelf includes at least three layers, each layer on the shelf includes at least one storage location, the first height range includes the first set layer to the top layer on the shelf, the second height range includes the bottom layer to the second set layer on the shelf, the first set layer is the shelf layer above the bottom layer of the shelf, the second set layer is the shelf layer below the highest layer of the shelf, and the first set layer is lower than the second set layer.

[0010] Optionally, based on the distribution of empty warehouses on the shelves, the target type of the handling robot used to transport the boxes to be returned to the warehouse is determined, including: determining the number and height of first-class warehouses in the empty warehouses of the shelves; based on the number and height of first-class warehouses and the number of backpacks of the handling robot, determining the target type of the handling robot corresponding to the boxes to be returned to the warehouse.

[0011] Optionally, based on the number of first-class storage locations, their heights, and the number of backpacks of the transport robot, the target type of the transport robot corresponding to the material boxes to be returned to the warehouse is determined, including: if the number of empty storage locations in the first-class storage locations below the second set layer on the shelf is less than the number of backpacks of the transport robot, and the number of empty storage locations in all first-class storage locations on the shelf is greater than or equal to the number of backpacks of the transport robot, the target type of the transport robot is determined to be a first-class transport robot; if the number of empty storage locations in all first-class storage locations on the shelf is less than the number of backpacks of the transport robot, the target type of the transport robot is determined to be a second-class transport robot.

[0012] Optionally, after determining the number and height of first-class bins in the empty warehouse of the shelf, the method further includes: determining the number and height of second-class bins in the empty warehouse of the shelf; if the number of first-class bins and the number of second-class bins between the first set layer and the second set layer on the shelf are both greater than the number of backpacks of the transport robot, determining the target type of the transport robot to be a first-class transport robot or a second-class transport robot; if the number of second-class bins above the first set layer on the shelf is less than the number of backpacks of the transport robot, and the total number of second-class bins on the shelf is greater than the number of backpacks of the transport robot, determining the target type of the transport robot to be a second-class transport robot.

[0013] Optionally, before determining the distribution of empty warehouses on the shelves, it also includes: in response to the received first notification information, determining the corresponding shelf for placing the material box to be returned, wherein the first notification information is used to indicate that the material box to be returned has arrived at the to-be-allocated position, and the first notification information includes size information of the material box to be returned.

[0014] Optionally, based on the target type of the handling robot, a target handling robot for handling the material box to be returned to the warehouse is determined, and a first indication message is sent to the target handling robot, including: a handling robot whose type is the target type, is in a working state and whose backpack is empty is defined as the target handling robot; and the first indication message is sent to the target handling robot, wherein the first indication message is used to instruct the target handling robot to move to a docking position for receiving the material box to be returned to the warehouse, so as to handle the material box to be returned to the warehouse and transfer it to the storage location of the target shelf.

[0015] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a transport robot scheduling device, the transport robot scheduling device comprising:

[0016] A receiving module is used to determine the distribution of empty bins on the shelf, wherein the distribution of the empty bins includes the number of empty bins and the locations of the empty bins, the shelf includes bins, the bins include first-class bins and second-class bins, the first-class bins are used to place bins with a maximum height lower than a first height, the second-class bins are used to place bins with a maximum height lower than a second height, and the first height is greater than the second height;

[0017] A determination module is used to determine the target type of a handling robot used to carry boxes to be returned to the warehouse based on the distribution of empty warehouses on the shelves, wherein the handling robots include a first type of handling robot and a second type of handling robot, the first type of handling robot is used to carry boxes within a first height range, the second type of handling robot is used to carry boxes within a second height range, the highest value of the first height range is greater than the highest value of the second height range, and the lowest value of the first height range is greater than the lowest value of the second height range;

[0018] The scheduling module is used to determine the target transport robot for transporting the material box to be returned to the warehouse based on the target type of the transport robot, and send a first indication message to the target transport robot, wherein the first indication message is used to instruct the target transport robot to transport the material box to be returned to the warehouse to the storage location of the shelf.

[0019] Optionally, the receiving module specifically includes: the shelf includes at least three layers, each layer on the shelf includes at least one storage location, the first height range includes the first set layer to the top layer on the shelf, the second height range includes the bottom layer to the second set layer on the shelf, the first set layer is the shelf layer above the bottom layer of the shelf, the second set layer is the shelf layer below the highest layer of the shelf, and the first set layer is lower than the second set layer.

[0020] Optionally, the determination module is specifically used to determine the number and height of first-class storage locations in the empty warehouse of the shelf; based on the number and height of the first-class storage locations and the number of backpacks of the transport robot, determine the target type of the transport robot corresponding to the material box to be returned to the warehouse.

[0021] Optionally, the determination module is specifically used to determine that the target type of the transport robot is a first-class transport robot if the number of empty bins in first-class bins below the second set layer on the shelf is less than the number of backpacks of the transport robot, and the number of empty bins in all first-class bins on the shelf is greater than or equal to the number of backpacks of the transport robot; and if the number of empty bins in all first-class bins on the shelf is less than the number of backpacks of the transport robot, determine the target type of the transport robot is a second-class transport robot.

[0022] Optionally, the determination module is also used to determine the number and height of second-class locations in the empty warehouse of the shelf after determining the number and height of first-class locations in the empty warehouse of the shelf; if the number of first-class locations and the number of second-class locations between the first set layer and the second set layer on the shelf are both greater than the number of backpacks of the transport robot, the target type of the transport robot is determined to be a first-class transport robot or a second-class transport robot; if the number of second-class locations above the first set layer on the shelf is less than the number of backpacks of the transport robot, and the total number of second-class locations on the shelf is greater than the number of backpacks of the transport robot, the target type of the transport robot is determined to be a second-class transport robot.

[0023] Optionally, the receiving module is also used to, before determining the distribution of empty warehouses on the shelves, determine the corresponding shelves for placing the material boxes to be returned in response to a received first notification message, wherein the first notification message is used to indicate that the material boxes to be returned have arrived at the to-be-allocated position, and the first notification message includes size information of the material boxes to be returned.

[0024] Optionally, the scheduling module is specifically used to set a transport robot of the target type, which is in working state and has an empty backpack as a target transport robot; and send a first indication message to the target transport robot, wherein the first indication message is used to instruct the target transport robot to move to a docking position for receiving a material box to be returned to the warehouse, so as to transport the material box to be returned to the warehouse to a storage location of the target shelf.

[0025] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a control device, the control device comprising:

[0026] at least one processor;

[0027] and a memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor;

[0028] The memory stores instructions that can be executed by at least one processor, and the instructions are executed by at least one processor to enable the control device to execute the handling robot scheduling method as described in the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0029] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a transport robot scheduling system, the transport robot scheduling system comprising: a server, a transport robot, and a shelf;

[0030] The shelf includes at least one bin, which is used to place the bin;

[0031] The handling robot is used to carry boxes from the storage location;

[0032] The server is used to execute the transport robot scheduling method according to the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0033] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which computer execution instructions are stored. When the computer execution instructions are executed by a processor, they are used to implement the transport robot scheduling method as in the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0034] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a computer program product, which includes computer execution instructions, and when the computer execution instructions are executed by a processor, they are used to implement the handling robot scheduling method as in the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0035] The method, device, equipment and storage medium for dispatching a handling robot provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure determine the distribution of empty bins on the shelves, and then determine the target type of handling robots used to transport the boxes to be returned based on the distribution of empty bins on the shelves, and then determine the target handling robots used to transport the boxes to be returned based on the target type of handling robots, and send the first instruction information to the target handling robots. In this way, in the complex situation where there are different types of bins on the shelves, different numbers of free bins of different types of bins, different handling capabilities of handling robots, and different sizes of boxes, it is possible to effectively ensure that the dispatched storage robots can meet the handling requirements of the corresponding shelves and the boxes to be returned, ensure that the boxes can be returned to the warehouse smoothly, avoid the situation where the handling robots cannot complete the task of returning the boxes to the warehouse, and ensure the efficiency of returning the boxes to the warehouse. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 1 A diagram of an application scenario of the handling robot scheduling method provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0038] Figure 2 A flowchart of a method for scheduling a transport robot provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0039] Figure 3a A flowchart of a method for scheduling a transport robot provided by yet another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0040] Figure 3b for Figure 3aThe illustrated embodiment provides a flow chart of a method for determining a shelf corresponding to a material box to be returned to the warehouse;

[0041] Figure 3c for Figure 3a A flow chart of a method for determining a target type of a handling robot based on a first type of storage bin provided in the illustrated embodiment;

[0042] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a transport robot scheduling device provided by yet another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0043] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a control device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0044] Figure 6 A schematic structural diagram of a transport robot scheduling system provided in yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] The above drawings have shown clear embodiments of the present disclosure, which will be described in more detail below. These drawings and text descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way, but to illustrate the concepts of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art by referring to specific embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present disclosure. Instead, they are merely examples of devices and methods consistent with some aspects of the present disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.

[0047] The technical solution of the present invention and how the technical solution of the present invention solves the above-mentioned technical problems are described in detail below with specific embodiments. The following specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be repeated in some embodiments. The embodiments of the present invention will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0048] In warehousing logistics, a handling robot is required to take out the material boxes from the shelf, carry them to the workstation, and then the workstation will pick the materials in the material boxes. After picking, the dispatching system will re-determine the shelf where the material boxes should be stored, allocate the storage space on the shelf, and then dispatch the handling robot to carry the material boxes to the corresponding storage space on the determined shelf, thus completing the circulation of the material boxes. This process can effectively complete the circulation process of the material boxes when the storage space types on the shelves are unified, the handling capacity of the handling robots is consistent, and the size of the material boxes is consistent.

[0049] However, in the related art, there are many warehouses with different sizes of stored materials, such as large-sized boxes for large accessories (such as boxes for furniture accessories) and small-sized boxes for small materials (such as boxes for screws). In order to further save costs and make full use of space, the shelves are more often designed with different heights of different layers of warehouses. For example, the lower layer has a lower height, and the size of the boxes that can be stored is smaller (at the same height, more such warehouses can be set up to increase the number of boxes that can be stored), and the upper layer has a higher height, and the size of the boxes that can be stored is larger, or the opposite situation can also be true. At the same time, due to different robot hardware and manufacturers, the heights at which the handling robots used to carry the boxes can take and put the boxes are different. For example, some handling robots can only take the boxes at the lower layer, and some handling robots can only take the boxes at the higher layer. As a result, after sending a handling task to the handling robot, the handling robot may not be able to put the box at the corresponding height of the target warehouse, or the box cannot be put into the warehouse, making it difficult to allocate warehouses for the boxes.

[0050] In order to solve this problem, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for scheduling a handling robot. After determining the material boxes to be returned to the warehouse, a specific type of handling robot is scheduled according to the size of the material boxes to be returned, the type of materials and the status of the target shelf, to ensure that the handling robots can complete the action of placing the material boxes into the warehouse during the process of returning the material boxes, thereby improving the efficiency of returning the material boxes.

[0051] The application scenarios of the embodiments of the present disclosure are explained below:

[0052] Figure 1 This is an application scenario diagram of the handling robot scheduling method provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 1 As shown, in the process of returning the material boxes to the warehouse, the intelligent warehousing system 100 determines the corresponding target shelf 120 and target storage location 121 according to the size information of the material boxes 101 to be returned and the dispatched handling robot 110 (the target shelf 120 in the figure includes two types of storage locations, 121 corresponds to the first type of storage location, and 122 corresponds to the second type of storage location, and the two types of storage locations can accommodate different ranges of material boxes), and sends a handling task to the handling robot 110, so that the handling robot 110 transports the material boxes from the unloader 130 to the target storage location 121, completing the return of the material boxes to the warehouse.

[0053] It should be noted that Figure 1 In the scenario shown, the intelligent warehousing system, the material boxes to be returned to the warehouse, the handling robot, the unloader, the target shelf and the target storage location are illustrated by taking only one as an example, but the present disclosure is not limited to this, that is, the number of intelligent warehousing systems, the material boxes to be returned to the warehouse, the handling robot, the unloader, the target shelf and the target storage location can be arbitrary.

[0054] The handling robot scheduling method provided by the present disclosure is described in detail below through specific embodiments.

[0055] Figure 2 Flow chart of a method for dispatching a handling robot provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 As shown, the transport robot scheduling method provided in this embodiment includes the following steps:

[0056] Step S201, determining the distribution of empty bins on the shelves.

[0057] Among them, the distribution of empty warehouses includes the number of empty warehouses and the locations of the empty warehouses. The shelves include warehouses, and the warehouses include first-class warehouses and second-class warehouses. The first-class warehouses are used to place material boxes with a maximum height lower than a first height, and the second-class warehouses are used to place material boxes with a maximum height lower than a second height. The first height is greater than the second height.

[0058] Specifically, the execution subject of the embodiment of the present disclosure is a controller or a server (hereinafter referred to as the server) in the warehousing system.

[0059] In the warehousing system, the inventory area for material box handling includes multiple shelves for storing material boxes, and the material boxes contain materials for picking. When the server of the warehousing system receives an order, it will generate a handling task according to the order. The handling robot will take the material box from the shelf according to the handling task, and move the material box to the workstation specified by the handling task or the conveyor line corresponding to the workstation. The picking robot or staff at the workstation will take the material corresponding to the order from the material box (on the conveyor line), and then put the picked material box back to the conveyor line. The material box will be moved to the unloader or other unloading position under the conveyor line (for example, when the unloader fails, it can be placed at the designated unloading position on the conveyor line), and then the unloader or conveyor line sensor will notify the server (through the first notification information), so that the server will dispatch the handling robot (through the first indication information) to move the material box back to the warehouse.

[0060] Before the material box is transported back to the warehouse, the server will allocate a location on the shelf for the material box, and the location allocated at this time is usually different from the shelf and location where the material box was located before it was picked. Because usually when the material box is taken away for picking, the process of material packing and warehousing is also carried out simultaneously. The material box that is put into the warehouse may occupy the location where the picked material box is located. Therefore, the server needs to allocate a new location for the material box.

[0061] In actual applications, shelves usually have different sizes of storage spaces. For example, there are usually different restricted heights or maximum heights, such as storage spaces with restricted heights of 0.6 meters and 1.2 meters. When the height of a material box is less than 0.6 meters, placing it in the former storage space can significantly reduce the space the material box needs to occupy on the shelf. When the height of a material box is greater than 0.6 meters, placing it in the latter storage space can ensure the effective storage of the latter material box.

[0062] In actual situations, there may be more than two types of storage locations on a shelf, but the principle is similar. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the case where there are only two types of storage locations on the shelf is discussed, but those skilled in the art can apply the present method to the case where there are more than two types of storage locations according to actual needs without creative work. Therefore, no further explanation is given here.

[0063] Before dispatching a transport robot, the server will first determine the distribution of empty warehouses on the shelves, determine how many vacancies there are in different types of warehouses, and the locations of different free warehouses. Then, based on the size information of the material boxes to be returned to the warehouse, it will determine the types of warehouses where they can be placed, in order to determine the type of transport robot that needs to be dispatched.

[0064] The specific empty bin distribution of each shelf will be updated in real time on the server so that the server can determine the bin corresponding to the material box to be returned to the warehouse. Therefore, the server only needs to query the records corresponding to the shelf to determine the empty bin distribution.

[0065] Step S202, based on the distribution of empty bins on the shelves, determine the target type of the transport robot used to transport the material boxes to be returned to the warehouse.

[0066] Among them, the handling robots include a first type of handling robots and a second type of handling robots. The first type of handling robots are used to carry material boxes in a first height range, and the second type of handling robots are used to carry material boxes in a second height range. The highest value of the first height range is greater than the highest value of the second height range, and the lowest value of the first height range is greater than the lowest value of the second height range.

[0067] Specifically, after determining the distribution of empty warehouses on the shelves, the type of handling robot that needs to be dispatched can be determined.

[0068] In the disclosed embodiment, the transport robots can carry boxes of all sizes, but the difference between different types of transport robots is that they can be placed in different shelf locations. For example, one type of transport robot can place boxes on the top layer of the shelf, but not on the bottom layer of the shelf, while the ability of another type of transport robot is the opposite. In actual situations, there may be other situations for the transport capacity (for example, there are transport robots that can neither place boxes on the top layer of the shelf nor on the bottom layer of the shelf), but the principle is the same and will not be described in detail here.

[0069] Since the transport robot is provided with multiple backpacks (each backpack can hold one or more material boxes), it can usually transport multiple material boxes at a time. Therefore, when scheduling the transport robot, it is usually hoped that the transport robot can place the material boxes in all the backpacks into the empty warehouse on the shelf, without the need for the transport robot to move between different shelves to complete the placement of the material boxes.

[0070] Therefore, after determining the distribution of empty warehouses, the handling robot needs to be able to handle the handling of material boxes corresponding to all empty warehouses on the shelves. That is, it is necessary to determine the type of handling robot (i.e., the target type) based on the distribution of empty warehouses (such as the height range of the empty warehouses).

[0071] Step S203: determining a target transport robot for transporting the material box to be returned to the warehouse based on the target type of the transport robot, and sending first instruction information to the target transport robot.

[0072] The first instruction information is used to instruct the target transport robot to transport the material box to be returned to the warehouse to the storage location of the shelf.

[0073] Specifically, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the number of boxes to be returned that need to be transported by the transport robot may be one or more, but their number usually does not exceed the number of backpacks in the transport robot (or the number of free backpacks), so that the transport robot can transport all the boxes to be returned to the corresponding storage locations at one time.

[0074] After determining the target type of the transport robot, the server will combine the information of the material boxes to be returned to the warehouse, and dispatch (by sending the first indication information) a transport robot of the target type that is idle and in an available state (not charging, turned off or faulty state) (usually it is also required that the number of idle backpacks on the transport robot is greater than the number of material boxes to be returned to the warehouse that need to be transported). The target transport robot will go to the docking position corresponding to the unloading position to receive the material boxes to be returned for returning to the warehouse.

[0075] Therefore, by pre-scheduling the handling robots instead of waiting for any handling robot to arrive at the docking position and then assigning tasks, it is possible to effectively ensure that the handling robots complete the handling tasks, and on the premise that the handling robots complete the handling tasks corresponding to the boxes to be returned, the same handling robot can be assigned handling tasks for multiple different boxes to be returned. Or, according to the different distribution of the warehouse locations of the boxes to be returned, multiple handling robots can be respectively assigned handling tasks for one or more boxes to be returned (e.g. each handling robot only carries one or two boxes to be returned). This can adapt to the situation where there are significant differences in the sizes and types of materials of the boxes to be returned, resulting in large differences in the areas where they need to be placed, thereby effectively ensuring the efficiency of the return of the boxes to the warehouse.

[0076] The method for dispatching a handling robot provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure determines the distribution of empty bins on the shelves, and then determines the target type of handling robots used to transport the boxes to be returned based on the distribution of empty bins on the shelves, and then determines the target handling robots used to transport the boxes to be returned based on the target type of handling robots, and sends the first instruction information to the target handling robots. In this way, in the complex situation where there are different types of bins on the shelves, different numbers of free bins of different types of bins, different handling capabilities of handling robots, and different sizes of boxes, it is possible to effectively ensure that the dispatched storage robots can meet the handling requirements of the corresponding shelves and the boxes to be returned, ensure that the boxes can be returned to the warehouse smoothly, avoid the situation where the handling robots cannot complete the task of returning the boxes to the warehouse, and ensure the efficiency of returning the boxes to the warehouse.

[0077] Figure 3a Flow chart of a method for dispatching a handling robot provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3a As shown, the transport robot scheduling method provided in this embodiment includes the following steps:

[0078] Step S301, in response to the received first notification information, determining a shelf corresponding to the material box to be returned to the warehouse.

[0079] The first notification information is used to indicate that the material box to be returned to the warehouse has arrived at the position to be allocated, and the first notification information includes size information of the material box to be returned to the warehouse.

[0080] Specifically, the server will monitor the conveyor line of the material box in real time, and when the unloading device on the conveyor line receives the material box to be returned to the warehouse, it will notify the server (i.e., the first notification information). The first notification information can only notify that there is a material box to be returned to the warehouse that needs to be processed, or it can also include multiple material boxes to be returned to the warehouse that need to be returned to the warehouse at the same time.

[0081] According to the number and size information of the boxes to be returned, the server needs to first determine the shelf for placing the boxes to be returned. The shelf can be determined by combining the number of boxes to be returned, the type of material, the type of corresponding business, and the call frequency. For example, the shelf used to store the same type of materials is determined as the target shelf, or the shelf where materials for the same type of picking business are stored is determined as the target shelf, or the shelf where materials with the same call frequency are stored is determined as the target shelf. Other determination methods can also be used, such as combining the above indicators, which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0082] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3b As shown, it is a flow chart of a method for determining a shelf corresponding to a material box to be returned to the warehouse, which includes the following steps:

[0083] Step A1, in response to the received first notification information, based on the material type information of the material box to be returned to the warehouse, determine the shelf for placing the corresponding type of material as the alternative shelf.

[0084] Specifically, the server can determine the corresponding target shelf based on the material type information of the to-be-returned material boxes in the first notification message, and then screen the potential storage locations on the target shelf where the to-be-returned material boxes can be placed based on the size information of the to-be-returned material boxes, and then based on the height of the potential storage locations, determine the types of handling robots that can handle these to-be-returned material boxes and the corresponding storage locations.

[0085] In the disclosed embodiments, as in the aforementioned embodiments, there are different types of positions on the shelves (the distinguishing feature is mainly the height limit). For the convenience of explanation, the positions on the shelves with lower layers are uniformly the positions with lower height limits (e.g., if there are 15 layers in total on the shelf, then layers 1-7 can be the positions with lower height limits, such as the height limit of 0.8 meters), and the positions on the shelves with higher layers are the positions with higher height limits (e.g., layers 8-15 are the positions with higher height limits, such as the height limit of 1.6 meters). In actual situations, the areas where these two types of positions are located can also be interchanged (e.g., the positions on the shelves with lower layers are the positions with higher height limits), or they can be crossed with each other (e.g., the positions with lower height limits are located in the middle of the shelf, and the positions with higher height limits are located at the bottom and top of the shelf). The principles of these two situations are similar and will not be described in detail here.

[0086] In some embodiments, each shelf is usually configured to store a certain type of material, such as a shelf dedicated to storing various types of furniture panels (such as desktop panels and cabinet door panels), and another shelf dedicated to storing connectors for connecting various structures (such as loose-leaf hinges and connecting pins). By comparing the type of material in the to-be-returned material box with the type of material stored on the shelf, the shelf where the material of the same type as the material in the to-be-returned material box should be stored can be determined, that is, the candidate shelf is obtained.

[0087] In some embodiments, the shelf where the boxes with the corresponding picking frequency are placed can be determined as the alternative shelf based on the picking frequency of the boxes to be returned to the warehouse. For boxes with high frequency of picking, they can be placed directly on the shelf that is close to the workstation or conveyor line and is specially used to place boxes with high frequency of picking, instead of returning them to the shelf where the same type of materials are located, so as to improve the picking efficiency.

[0088] Step A2, selecting the candidate shelves whose number of free storage spaces meets the number requirement of the material boxes to be returned, and determining the shelves for storing the material boxes to be returned.

[0089] Specifically, there are usually multiple candidate racks, and at this time, a rack for storing the material boxes to be returned to the warehouse needs to be selected from the multiple candidate racks.

[0090] The method of determining the shelf is generally to require that the number of free positions on the candidate shelf meets the number of boxes to be returned. If all the positions on a candidate shelf are occupied, it cannot actually be used to place boxes to be returned, so it cannot be used as a target shelf; since the first notification information may be sent to the server by the unloader, and the unloader can simultaneously complete the transfer of multiple (such as eight or more) boxes to be returned (to the handling robot), at this time, it is required that there are enough free positions on the candidate shelf to meet the number requirement of placing boxes to be returned (these boxes to be returned may not all be placed on the same target shelf, so the number requirement for the boxes to be returned will be less than the maximum number of boxes to be transferred by the unloader, but in special cases, it may also be the case that all boxes need to be placed on the same target shelf).

[0091] Optionally, the alternative shelf whose number of free slots is greater than the number of backpacks of the transport robot and the number of boxes to be returned is determined as the shelf for storing the boxes to be returned; or, among the alternative shelves whose number of free slots is greater than the number of backpacks of the transport robot and the number of boxes to be returned, the alternative shelf with the largest number of free slots is determined as the shelf for storing the boxes to be returned.

[0092] Specifically, in addition to considering the number of boxes to be returned (i.e., the number of boxes to be returned is determined based on the number of boxes included in the first notification information, which is usually less than the number of boxes that the unloader can transfer at the same time), it is sometimes necessary to consider the number of backpacks of the handling robot. Each backpack of the handling robot can hold one box. Sometimes, the number of backpacks of the handling robot is greater than the number of boxes to be returned. In this case, the handling robot may receive more than one return processing of the boxes to be returned corresponding to the first notification information. In actual applications, the maximum value of the number of backpacks and the number of boxes to be returned is usually selected for comparison with the number of free storage bins.

[0093] If there is more than one candidate shelf whose number of free storage spaces is greater than the number of backpacks of the handling robots and the number of material boxes to be returned to the warehouse, the candidate shelf with the largest number of free storage spaces will be selected as the target shelf.

[0094] Furthermore, each layer on the shelf includes at least one storage location (in actual situations, there may be two or more storage locations on a layer of shelf, but the disclosed embodiment is described as if there is only one storage location on each layer), the first height range includes the first set layer to the top layer on the shelf, and the second height range includes the bottom layer to the second set layer on the shelf. The first set layer is the shelf layer above the bottom layer of the shelf, and the second set layer is the shelf layer below the highest layer of the shelf, and the first set layer is lower than the second set layer.

[0095] Step S302, determining the distribution of empty bins on the shelves.

[0096] Among them, the distribution of empty warehouses includes the number of empty warehouses and the locations of the empty warehouses. The shelves include warehouses, and the warehouses include first-class warehouses and second-class warehouses. The first-class warehouses are used to place material boxes with a maximum height lower than a first height, and the second-class warehouses are used to place material boxes with a maximum height lower than a second height. The first height is greater than the second height.

[0097] Specifically, this step is the same as the corresponding step in the aforementioned embodiment and will not be described again here.

[0098] Step S303, determining the number and height of the first type of storage locations in the empty storage bins of the shelf.

[0099] Specifically, after determining the distribution of the short positions, it is necessary to make a specific judgment on the number of short positions in the first category of positions and the height of each short position.

[0100] Step S304, based on the number of first-type storage locations, their heights, and the number of backpacks of the transporting robots, determine the target type of the transporting robot corresponding to the material boxes to be returned to the warehouse.

[0101] Specifically, based on the number of empty warehouses in the first type of warehouse, the height of the empty warehouses and the number of backpacks of the transport robot (the number of backpacks in the transport robot is a fixed value, which is determined according to the type of the transport robot. Usually, the number of backpacks of different transport robots in a warehouse is the same), the server can determine the target type of the transport robot.

[0102] Furthermore, if Figure 3c As shown, it is a flow chart of a method for determining a target type of a handling robot based on a first type of storage bin, which includes the following steps:

[0103] Step B1: If the number of empty bins in the first-class bins below the second set layer on the shelf is less than the number of backpacks of the transport robot, and the number of empty bins in all the first-class bins on the shelf is greater than or equal to the number of backpacks of the transport robot, determine that the target type of the transport robot is a first-class transport robot.

[0104] Specifically, if the middle and lower layers of the shelf are mostly occupied and cannot meet the possible demand for all material boxes (that is, the number of empty bins in the first-class bins below the second set layer on the shelf is less than the number of backpacks of the handling robot), and the number of empty bins in the middle and upper layers of the shelf is sufficient (that is, the number of empty bins in all first-class bins on the shelf is greater than or equal to the number of backpacks of the handling robot), then the target type will be preferentially determined as a first-class handling robot that can handle bins at higher positions.

[0105] Step B2: If the number of empty bins in all first-class bins of the shelf is less than the number of backpacks of the transport robot, determine the target type of the transport robot to be a second-class transport robot.

[0106] Specifically, if the middle and upper layers of the shelf are mostly occupied and cannot meet the possible demand for all material boxes (that is, the number of empty warehouses in all first-class warehouses on the shelf is less than the number of backpacks of the handling robot), the target type will be prioritized to be the second-class handling robot that can handle the lower-positioned warehouses.

[0107] Step S305, determining the number and height of the second type of storage locations in the empty storage bins of the shelf.

[0108] Specifically, in addition to the above two situations, it is also necessary to consider the number and location of empty warehouses in the second type of warehouse on the shelf for further judgment.

[0109] Step S306, if the number of first-class storage locations and the number of second-class storage locations between the first set layer and the second set layer on the shelf are both greater than the number of backpacks of the transport robot, determine the target type of the transport robot to be a first-class transport robot or a second-class transport robot.

[0110] Specifically, ideally, the number of empty bins of the first and second types of bins in the middle area of ​​the shelf both meet the handling needs of the transport robot (that is, the number of first and second types of bins between the first set layer and the second set layer on the shelf are both greater than the number of backpacks of the transport robot), then you can choose either the first or second type of transport robot.

[0111] Step S307: if the number of second-type storage locations above the first set layer on the shelf is less than the number of backpacks of the transport robot, and the total number of second-type storage locations on the shelf is greater than the number of backpacks of the transport robot, determine that the target type of the transport robot is a second-type transport robot.

[0112] Specifically, in another case, if the number of empty bins in the second-class bins above the lower layer of the shelf is insufficient (i.e., the number of second-class bins above the first set layer on the shelf is less than the number of backpacks of the transport robot), but the number of empty bins in the second-class bins on the bottom layer can meet the demand (i.e., the total number of second-class bins on the shelf is greater than the number of backpacks of the transport robot), then the target type of the transport robot can be preferentially determined as a second-class transport robot that can transport bins at lower positions.

[0113] Step S308 , setting a transport robot of the target type, in working state and with an empty backpack as a target transport robot.

[0114] Specifically, after determining the type of transport robot, it is only necessary to call a transport robot of the corresponding type that can work normally (in working state, i.e. not in charging, faulty, shut down, etc.) (i.e. the target transport robot) to move to the docking position and wait for receiving the material box. Such material boxes are usually in a state where the backpack is empty, so as to ensure that the maximum number of material boxes to be returned to the warehouse is received, thereby efficiently completing the return task.

[0115] Step S309: Send first instruction information to the target transport robot.

[0116] The first instruction information is used to instruct the target transport robot to move to a docking position for receiving the material box to be returned to the warehouse, so as to transport the material box to be returned to the warehouse to the storage location of the target shelf.

[0117] Specifically, after determining the target transport robot, the server will send the first instruction information to the target transport robot, so that it moves to the docking position and waits to receive the material box to be returned to the warehouse.

[0118] The method for dispatching a handling robot provided by the disclosed embodiment determines the shelf for placing the corresponding type of material as the candidate shelf based on the material type information of the material box to be returned to the warehouse through the received first notification information, and then determines the shelf for placing the material box to be returned to the warehouse based on the candidate shelf whose number of vacant positions meets the number requirement of the material box to be returned to the warehouse, and then determines the target type of the handling robot based on the number and distribution position of the vacant positions of different types of positions on the shelf, and then determines the corresponding target handling robot. In this way, it is fully guaranteed that the dispatched handling robot can complete the return warehouse demand of the material box to be transported corresponding to the first notification information, while avoiding the problem of the handling capacity limitation of the handling robot, thereby ensuring the success rate of the return warehouse task, and thus improving the efficiency of the material box return warehouse processing.

[0119] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a handling robot scheduling device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4As shown, the handling robot scheduling device 400 includes: a receiving module 410, a determining module 420 and a scheduling module 430. Among them:

[0120] The receiving module 410 is used to determine the distribution of empty bins on the shelf, wherein the distribution of empty bins includes the number of empty bins and the location of the empty bins, the shelf includes bins, the bins include first-class bins and second-class bins, the first-class bins are used to place bins with a maximum height lower than a first height, the second-class bins are used to place bins with a maximum height lower than a second height, and the first height is greater than the second height;

[0121] The determination module 420 is used to determine the target type of the handling robot used to handle the material boxes to be returned to the warehouse based on the distribution of empty warehouses on the shelves, wherein the handling robots include a first type of handling robot and a second type of handling robot, the first type of handling robot is used to handle material boxes in a first height range, the second type of handling robot is used to handle material boxes in a second height range, the highest value of the first height range is greater than the highest value of the second height range, and the lowest value of the first height range is greater than the lowest value of the second height range;

[0122] The scheduling module 430 is used to determine the target transport robot for transporting the to-be-returned material box based on the target type of the transport robot, and send a first indication message to the target transport robot, wherein the first indication message is used to instruct the target transport robot to transport the to-be-returned material box to the storage bin of the shelf.

[0123] Optionally, the receiving module 410 specifically includes that the shelf includes at least three layers, each layer on the shelf includes at least one storage location, the first height range includes the first set layer to the top layer on the shelf, the second height range includes the bottom layer to the second set layer on the shelf, the first set layer is the shelf layer above the bottom layer of the shelf, the second set layer is the shelf layer below the highest layer of the shelf, and the first set layer is lower than the second set layer.

[0124] Optionally, the determination module 420 is specifically used to determine the number and height of first-class storage locations in the empty warehouse of the shelf; based on the number and height of first-class storage locations and the number of backpacks of the transport robot, determine the target type of the transport robot corresponding to the material box to be returned to the warehouse.

[0125] Optionally, the determination module 420 is specifically used to determine that the target type of the transport robot is a first-class transport robot if the number of empty bins in the first-class bins below the second set layer on the shelf is less than the number of backpacks of the transport robot, and the number of empty bins in all the first-class bins on the shelf is greater than or equal to the number of backpacks of the transport robot; and if the number of empty bins in all the first-class bins on the shelf is less than the number of backpacks of the transport robot, determine the target type of the transport robot is a second-class transport robot.

[0126] Optionally, the determination module 420 is also used to determine the number and height of second-class bins in the empty bin of the shelf after determining the number and height of first-class bins in the empty bin of the shelf; if the number of first-class bins and the number of second-class bins between the first set layer and the second set layer on the shelf are both greater than the number of backpacks of the transport robot, the target type of the transport robot is determined to be a first-class transport robot or a second-class transport robot; if the number of second-class bins above the first set layer on the shelf is less than the number of backpacks of the transport robot, and the total number of second-class bins on the shelf is greater than the number of backpacks of the transport robot, the target type of the transport robot is determined to be a second-class transport robot.

[0127] Optionally, the receiving module 410 is also used to, before determining the distribution of empty warehouses on the shelves, determine the corresponding shelves for placing the boxes to be returned in response to a received first notification message, wherein the first notification message is used to indicate that the boxes to be returned have arrived at the location to be allocated, and the first notification message includes size information of the boxes to be returned.

[0128] Optionally, the scheduling module 430 is specifically used to set a transport robot of the target type, which is in working state and has an empty backpack as a target transport robot; and send a first indication message to the target transport robot, wherein the first indication message is used to instruct the target transport robot to move to a docking position for receiving a material box to be returned to the warehouse, so as to transport the material box to be returned to the warehouse to the storage location of the target shelf.

[0129] In this embodiment, the handling robot scheduling device solves the problem that the handling tasks assigned to the handling robots in the related technology are easily unable to be completed through the combination of various modules, ensures that the material boxes can be returned to the warehouse smoothly, avoids the situation where the handling robot cannot complete the task of returning the material boxes to the warehouse, and ensures the efficiency of the material box returns.

[0130] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown, the control device 500 includes: a memory 510 and a processor 520 .

[0131] The memory 510 stores a computer program that can be executed by at least one processor 520. The computer program is executed by at least one processor 520 to enable the control device to implement the material removal method provided in any of the above embodiments or the handling robot scheduling method provided in any of the above embodiments.

[0132] The memory 510 and the processor 520 may be connected via a bus 530 .

[0133] The relevant instructions can be understood by referring to the relevant descriptions and effects corresponding to the method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0134] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of a handling robot scheduling system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in FIG. Figure 6 As shown, the transport robot scheduling system 600 includes: a server 610 , a transport robot 620 , and a shelf 630 .

[0135] The shelf 630 includes at least one bin 640, and the bin 640 is used to place a material box;

[0136] The transport robot 620 is used to transport the material box from the storage location 640;

[0137] The server 610 is used to execute the transport robot scheduling method according to the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0138] The relevant instructions can be understood by referring to the relevant descriptions and effects corresponding to the method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0139] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, and the computer program is executed by a processor to implement the material removal method provided in any of the above method embodiments or the handling robot scheduling method provided in any of the above embodiments.

[0140] Among them, the computer-readable storage medium may be a ROM, a random access memory (RAM), a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, an optical data storage device, and the like.

[0141] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a computer program product, which includes computer-executable instructions. When the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor, they are used to implement the material removal method in the above method embodiment or the handling robot scheduling method provided in any of the above embodiments.

[0142] In the several embodiments provided in the present disclosure, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic, for example, the division of modules is only a logical function division, and there may be other division methods in actual implementation, such as multiple modules or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or modules, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0143] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate other embodiments of the present disclosure after considering the specification and practicing the disclosure disclosed herein. The present disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present disclosure that follow the general principles of the present disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art that are not disclosed in the present disclosure. The description and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the present disclosure are indicated by the following claims.

[0144] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the exact structures that have been described above and shown in the drawings, and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for dispatching a handling robot, characterized in that: The handling robot scheduling method comprises: Determine the distribution of empty bins on the shelf, wherein the distribution of empty bins includes the number of empty bins and the locations of the empty bins, the shelf includes bins, the bins include first-type bins and second-type bins, the first-type bins are used to place bins with a maximum height lower than a first height, the second-type bins are used to place bins with a maximum height lower than a second height, and the first height is greater than the second height; Based on the distribution of empty bins on the shelf, determine the target type of the handling robot used to carry the material boxes to be returned to the warehouse, wherein the handling robot includes a first type of handling robot and a second type of handling robot, the first type of handling robot is used to carry material boxes in a first height range, the second type of handling robot is used to carry material boxes in a second height range, the highest value of the first height range is greater than the highest value of the second height range, and the lowest value of the first height range is greater than the lowest value of the second height range; Based on the target type of the transport robot, a target transport robot for transporting the material box to be returned to the warehouse is determined, and a first indication message is sent to the target transport robot, wherein the first indication message is used to instruct the target transport robot to transport the material box to be returned to the warehouse to the storage location of the shelf.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The shelf comprises at least three layers, and each layer of the shelf comprises at least one storage space. The first height range includes the first set layer to the top layer on the shelf, and the second height range includes the bottom layer to the second set layer on the shelf. The first set layer is the shelf layer above the bottom layer of the shelf, and the second set layer is the shelf layer below the highest layer of the shelf, and the first set layer is lower than the second set layer.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The determining of the target type of the transport robot for transporting the material boxes to be returned to the warehouse based on the distribution of empty warehouses on the shelf includes: Determine the number and height of first-class storage locations in the empty storage bins of the shelf; Based on the number of the first-type storage locations, their heights, and the number of backpacks of the transporting robots, the target type of the transporting robots corresponding to the material boxes to be returned to the warehouse is determined.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The determining of the target type of the handling robot corresponding to the to-be-returned material box based on the number of the first type of storage locations, the height of the locations, and the number of backpacks of the handling robot comprises: If the number of empty bins in the first-class bins below the second set layer on the shelf is less than the number of backpacks of the transport robot, and the number of empty bins in all the first-class bins on the shelf is greater than or equal to the number of backpacks of the transport robot, the target type of the transport robot is determined to be a first-class transport robot; If the number of empty bins in all first-category bins of the shelf is less than the number of backpacks of the transport robot, the target type of the transport robot is determined to be a second-category transport robot.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that: After determining the number and height of the first type of storage locations in the empty storage bins of the shelf, the method further includes: Determine the number and height of the second type of storage locations in the empty storage bins of the shelf; If the number of first-type bins and the number of second-type bins between the first set layer and the second set layer on the shelf are both greater than the number of backpacks of the transport robot, determining the target type of the transport robot to be a first-type transport robot or a second-type transport robot; If the number of the second-type storage locations above the first set layer on the shelf is less than the number of backpacks of the transport robot, and the total number of second-type storage locations on the shelf is greater than the number of backpacks of the transport robot, the target type of the transport robot is determined to be a second-type transport robot.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that Before determining the empty bin distribution on the shelf, the method further includes: In response to the received first notification information, a corresponding shelf for placing the material box to be returned is determined, wherein the first notification information is used to indicate that the material box to be returned has arrived at the position to be allocated, and the first notification information includes size information of the material box to be returned.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The step of determining a target transport robot for transporting the material box to be returned to the warehouse based on the target type of the transport robot, and sending first instruction information to the target transport robot includes: A transport robot of the target type, in working state and with an empty backpack is defined as a target transport robot; The first indication information is sent to the target transport robot, wherein the first indication information is used to instruct the target transport robot to move to a docking position for receiving the to-be-returned material box, so as to transport the to-be-returned material box to a storage bin of the target shelf.

8. A handling robot scheduling device, characterized in that: The handling robot scheduling device comprises: a receiving module, configured to determine the distribution of empty bins on a shelf, wherein the distribution of empty bins includes the number of empty bins and the locations of the empty bins, the shelf includes bins, the bins include first-type bins and second-type bins, the first-type bins are used to place bins with a maximum height lower than a first height, the second-type bins are used to place bins with a maximum height lower than a second height, and the first height is greater than the second height; a determination module, configured to determine a target type of a handling robot used to carry boxes to be returned to the warehouse based on the distribution of empty bins on the shelf, wherein the handling robots include a first type of handling robot and a second type of handling robot, the first type of handling robot being used to carry boxes within a first height range, the second type of handling robot being used to carry boxes within a second height range, the highest value of the first height range being greater than the highest value of the second height range, and the lowest value of the first height range being greater than the lowest value of the second height range; A scheduling module is used to determine a target transport robot for transporting the to-be-returned material box based on the target type of the transport robot, and send a first indication message to the target transport robot, wherein the first indication message is used to instruct the target transport robot to transport the to-be-returned material box to the storage bin of the shelf.

9. A control device, characterized in that: include: at least one processor; and a memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor; The memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor, and the instructions are executed by the at least one processor so that the control device executes the handling robot scheduling method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. A handling robot scheduling system, characterized in that: include: Servers, handling robots, shelves; The shelf includes at least one bin, and the bin is used to place a material box; The transport robot is used to transport the material box from the storage location; The server is used to execute the handling robot scheduling method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

11. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, are used to implement the handling robot scheduling method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

12. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product comprises computer-executable instructions, which are used to implement the handling robot scheduling method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 when executed by a processor.

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