Material box position determination method and device, equipment and storage medium

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a bin location determination method, device, equipment and storage medium. The method comprises: determining the type of a carrying robot used to receive a bin to be returned to the warehouse; and determining a target location of the bin to be returned to the warehouse on a shelf based on size information of the bin to be returned to the warehouse and the type of the carrying robot, so as to send a carrying task instruction to the carrying robot based on the target location. The technical solution of the embodiments of the present disclosure solves the problem that it is difficult to allocate a location for a bin in the related art, ensures that the bin can be smoothly returned to the warehouse, avoids the situation that the carrying robot cannot complete the bin return task, and ensures the bin return efficiency.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of warehouse logistics, and particularly relates to a bin location determination method and device, equipment and a storage medium. BACKGROUND

[0002] In warehouse logistics, a carrying robot is needed to take out a bin on a shelf, carry it to a work station, and then the work station picks the materials in the bin, and after picking is completed, a dispatch system re-determines the shelf where the bin should be stored, allocates a location on the shelf, and then dispatches the carrying robot to carry the bin to the corresponding location on the determined shelf, thereby completing the flow of the bin.

[0003] In related technologies, many warehouses store materials of different sizes, and in order to further save costs and fully utilize space, shelves are more designed in different styles of different layer heights of different layer locations, such as the lower layer location has a lower layer height and can store smaller bins, and the upper layer location has a higher layer height and can store larger bins, or vice versa. Meanwhile, due to different robot hardware and manufacturers, etc., the carrying robots used to carry bins have different heights for taking and placing bins, such as some carrying robots can only take lower bins, and some carrying robots can only take higher bins. Therefore, it is difficult to allocate locations for bins. SUMMARY

[0004] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a bin location determination method, device, equipment and storage medium to solve the problem of difficult bin location allocation in related technologies.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a bin location determination method, which comprises:

[0006] determining a type of a carrying robot used to receive a bin to be returned to a warehouse, wherein the type of the carrying robot comprises a first type of carrying robot and a second type of carrying robot, the first type of carrying robot is used to carry a bin in a first height range, the second type of carrying robot is used to carry a bin in a second height range, a maximum value of the first height range is greater than a maximum value of the second height range, and a minimum value of the first height range is greater than a minimum value of the second height range;

[0007] based on size information of the bin to be returned to the warehouse and the type of the carrying robot, determining a target location of the bin to be returned to the warehouse on a shelf, and sending a carrying task instruction to the carrying robot based on the target location, wherein the target location is a first type of location or a second type of location, the first type of location is used to place a bin with a maximum height less than a first height value, the second type of location is used to place a bin with a maximum height less than a second height value, the first height value is greater than the second height value, and the carrying task instruction is used to instruct the carrying robot to carry the bin to be returned to the warehouse to the target location.

[0008] Optionally, the shelf comprises at least three layers, each layer of the shelf comprises at least one bin position, the first height range comprises a first set layer to an uppermost layer of the shelf, the second height range comprises a lowermost layer to a second set layer of the shelf, the first set layer is a layer of the shelf above the lowermost layer of the shelf, the second set layer is a layer of the shelf below the uppermost layer of the shelf, and the first set layer is lower than the second set layer.

[0009] Optionally, based on the size information of the to-be-returned bin and the type of the carrying robot, the target bin position of the to-be-returned bin on the shelf is determined, comprising: based on the size information of the to-be-returned bin, determining the size type corresponding to the to-be-returned bin and at least one candidate bin position corresponding to the to-be-returned bin on the shelf; based on the type of the carrying robot and the size type corresponding to the to-be-returned bin, determining the corresponding bin position priority allocation relationship; based on the height of the at least one candidate bin position on the shelf and the bin position priority allocation relationship, determining the target bin position from the candidate bin positions.

[0010] Optionally, based on the size information of the to-be-returned bin, at least one candidate bin position corresponding to the to-be-returned bin on the target shelf is determined, comprising: based on the size information of the to-be-returned bin, determining the size type corresponding to the to-be-returned bin, wherein the size type comprises a first type of bin and a second type of bin, the size of the first type of bin is less than a first height value and greater than a second height value, and the size of the second type of bin is less than a second type of height value; based on the size type of the to-be-returned bin, at least one candidate bin position is determined from the idle bin positions on the shelf, wherein the candidate bin position is an idle bin position corresponding to the size requirement matched with the size type of the to-be-returned bin, and the idle bin position is used to represent an unoccupied candidate bin position.

[0011] Optionally, based on the category of the carrying robot and the size category corresponding to the to-be-returned bin, a corresponding storage location priority allocation relationship is determined, including: if the carrying robot is a first type of carrying robot and the to-be-returned bin is a first type of bin, it is determined that the storage location priority allocation relationship is a first type of allocation relationship, wherein the first type of allocation relationship includes that the first type of storage location above the second set layer of the rack is high priority, and the first type of storage location below the second set layer is low priority; if the carrying robot is a first type of carrying robot and the to-be-returned bin is a second type of bin, it is determined that the storage location priority allocation relationship is a second type of allocation relationship, wherein the second type of allocation relationship includes that the second type of storage location above the first set layer of the rack is high priority, the first type of storage location above the second set layer is medium priority, and the first type of storage location below the second set layer is low priority; if the carrying robot is a second type of carrying robot and the to-be-returned bin is a first type of bin, it is determined that the storage location priority allocation relationship is a third type of allocation relationship, wherein the third type of allocation relationship includes that the first type of storage location below the second set layer of the rack is high priority; if the carrying robot is a second type of carrying robot and the to-be-returned bin is a second type of bin, it is determined that the storage location priority allocation relationship is a fourth type of allocation relationship, wherein the fourth type of allocation relationship includes that the second type of storage location below the first set layer of the rack is high priority, and the second type of storage location above the first set layer is low priority.

[0012] Optionally, based on the height of the at least one alternative storage location on the rack and the storage location priority allocation relationship, a target storage location is determined from the alternative storage locations, including: based on the height of the at least one alternative storage location on the rack and the storage location priority allocation relationship, the priority corresponding to the at least one alternative storage location is determined; the alternative storage location with the highest priority among the at least one alternative storage location is determined as the target storage location.

[0013] Optionally, the category of the carrying robot for receiving the to-be-returned bin is determined, including: in response to the received first notification information, first indication information is sent to the carrying robot, wherein the first notification information is used to indicate that the to-be-returned bin reaches the to-be-allocated position, the first notification information includes the size information of the to-be-returned bin, and the first indication information is used to instruct the carrying robot to move to the docking position for receiving the to-be-returned bin; in response to the received second notification message, the category of the carrying robot for receiving the to-be-returned bin is determined, and the second notification message is used to indicate that the carrying robot reaches the docking position, and the second notification information includes the category of the carrying robot.

[0014] Optionally, in response to the received first notification information, first indication information is sent to the carrying robot, including: in response to the received first notification message, the carrying robot in the working state and with the empty backpack is determined as the target carrying robot; the target carrying robot is sent the first indication information.

[0015] In a second aspect, the present disclosure provides a bin location determination apparatus, comprising:

[0016] a determination module configured to determine a type of a handling robot for receiving the bin to be returned to the warehouse, wherein the type of the handling robot comprises a first type of handling robot and a second type of handling robot, the first type of handling robot is configured to handle bins in a first height range, the second type of handling robot is configured to handle bins in a second height range, a maximum value of the first height range is greater than a maximum value of the second height range, and a minimum value of the first height range is greater than a minimum value of the second height range;

[0017] an allocation module configured to determine a target location of the bin to be returned to the warehouse on the rack based on the size information of the bin to be returned to the warehouse and the type of the handling robot, and to send a handling task instruction to the handling robot based on the target location, wherein the target location is a first type of location or a second type of location, the first type of location is configured to place bins with a maximum height less than a first height value, the second type of location is configured to place bins with a maximum height less than a second height value, the first height value is greater than the second height value, and the handling task instruction is configured to instruct the handling robot to carry the bin to be returned to the warehouse to the target location.

[0018] Optionally, the determination module specifically comprises that the rack comprises at least three layers, each layer of the rack comprises at least one location, the first height range comprises a first set layer to an uppermost layer of the rack, the second height range comprises a bottommost layer to a second set layer of the rack, the first set layer is a layer of the rack above the bottommost layer of the rack, the second set layer is a layer of the rack below the uppermost layer of the rack, and the first set layer is lower than the second set layer.

[0019] Optionally, the allocation module is specifically configured to determine a size type corresponding to the bin to be returned to the warehouse and at least one candidate location corresponding to the bin to be returned to the warehouse on the rack based on the size information of the bin to be returned to the warehouse, determine a corresponding location priority allocation relationship based on the type of the handling robot and the size type corresponding to the bin to be returned to the warehouse, and determine the target location from the candidate locations based on the height of the at least one candidate location on the rack and the location priority allocation relationship.

[0020] Optionally, the allocation module is specifically configured to determine a size type corresponding to the bin to be returned to the warehouse based on the size information of the bin to be returned to the warehouse, wherein the size type comprises a first type of bin and a second type of bin, the size of the first type of bin is less than a first height value and greater than a second height value, and the size of the second type of bin is less than a second type of height value; and determine at least one candidate location from idle locations on the rack based on the size type of the bin to be returned to the warehouse, wherein the candidate location is an idle location corresponding to a size requirement matched with the size type of the bin to be returned to the warehouse, and the idle location is used to represent an unoccupied candidate location.

[0021] Optionally, the distribution module is specifically configured to: if the conveying robot is a first conveying robot and the to-be-returned bin is a first type of bin, determine that the bin priority distribution relationship is a first type of distribution relationship, where the first type of distribution relationship includes that a first type of bin above a second set layer of the rack is high priority, and a first type of bin below the second set layer is low priority; if the conveying robot is the first conveying robot and the to-be-returned bin is a second type of bin, determine that the bin priority distribution relationship is a second type of distribution relationship, where the second type of distribution relationship includes that a second type of bin above a first set layer of the rack is high priority, a first type of bin above the second set layer is medium priority, and a first type of bin below the second set layer is low priority; if the conveying robot is a second conveying robot and the to-be-returned bin is the first type of bin, determine that the bin priority distribution relationship is a third type of distribution relationship, where the third type of distribution relationship includes that a first type of bin below the second set layer of the rack is high priority; and if the conveying robot is the second conveying robot and the to-be-returned bin is the second type of bin, determine that the bin priority distribution relationship is a fourth type of distribution relationship, where the fourth type of distribution relationship includes that a second type of bin below the first set layer of the rack is high priority, and a second type of bin above the first set layer is low priority.

[0022] Optionally, the distribution module is specifically configured to: determine the priority corresponding to the at least one candidate bin based on the height of the at least one candidate bin on the rack and the bin priority distribution relationship; and determine the candidate bin with the highest priority in the at least one candidate bin as the target bin.

[0023] Optionally, the determination module is specifically configured to: in response to the received first notification information, send first indication information to the conveying robot, where the first notification information is used to indicate that the to-be-returned bin reaches the to-be-distributed position, the first notification information includes size information of the to-be-returned bin, and the first indication information is used to instruct the conveying robot to move to a docking position for receiving the to-be-returned bin; and in response to the received second notification message, determine the type of the conveying robot for receiving the to-be-returned bin, where the second notification message is used to indicate that the conveying robot reaches the docking position, and the second notification information includes the type of the conveying robot.

[0024] Optionally, the distribution module is specifically configured to: in response to the received first notification message, determine the conveying robot in the working state and with the empty backpack as the target conveying robot; and send the first indication information to the target conveying robot.

[0025] In a third aspect, the embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a control device, which comprises:

[0026] at least one processor;

[0027] and a memory in communication connection with the at least one processor.

[0028] The memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor, and the instructions are executed by the at least one processor to enable the control device to perform the bin location determination method according to the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0029] In a fourth aspect, the embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a bin location determination system, which comprises a server, a carrying robot, and a shelf.

[0030] The shelf comprises at least one location, and the location is used to place a bin.

[0031] The carrying robot is used to carry the bin from the location.

[0032] The server is used to perform the bin location determination method according to the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0033] In a fifth aspect, the embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a computer-readable storage medium, which stores computer-executable instructions, and the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor to implement the bin location determination method according to the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0034] In a sixth aspect, the embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a computer program product, which comprises computer-executable instructions, and the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor to implement the bin location determination method according to the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0035] The bin location determination method, device, equipment, and storage medium provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can determine the type of the carrying robot used to receive the bin to be returned to the warehouse, and then determine the target location of the bin to be returned to the warehouse on the shelf based on the size information of the bin to be returned to the warehouse and the type of the carrying robot, so as to send a carrying task instruction to the carrying robot based on the target location. Therefore, the allocation of the bin location can be effectively completed in the complex situation that the shelf has different types of locations, the carrying robot has different carrying capacities, and the bin has different sizes, so that the bin can be smoothly returned to the warehouse, the situation that the carrying robot cannot complete the bin return task is avoided, and the bin return efficiency is ensured. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

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

[0037] Figure 1 An application scenario diagram of the bin location determination method provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0038] Figure 2 A flowchart of the bin location determination method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0039] Figure 3a A flowchart of a method for determining the bin location as provided in yet another embodiment of this disclosure;

[0040] Figure 3b for Figure 3a The flowchart of the method for determining alternative warehouse locations provided in the illustrated embodiment;

[0041] Figure 3c for Figure 3a The flowchart of the method for determining the shelf corresponding to the material bin to be returned to the warehouse provided in the embodiment shown;

[0042] Figure 3d for Figure 3a The flowchart of the method for determining the priority allocation relationship of the warehouse provided in the embodiment shown;

[0043] Figure 3e for Figure 3a The flowchart of the method for determining the target position provided in the illustrated embodiment;

[0044] Figure 4a A flowchart of a method for determining the bin location as provided in yet another embodiment of this disclosure;

[0045] Figure 4b for Figure 4a The flowchart of the method for sending first instruction information to a handling robot provided in the embodiment shown is shown.

[0046] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a bin location determination device provided in yet another embodiment of this disclosure;

[0047] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a control device provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0048] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a bin location determination system provided in yet another embodiment of this disclosure.

[0049] The accompanying drawings have illustrated specific embodiments of this disclosure, which will be described in more detail below. These drawings and descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the concept in any way, but rather to illustrate the concepts of this disclosure to those skilled in the art through reference to particular embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0050] The exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein with reference to the attached drawings. The description below refers to the accompanying drawings, which show, by way of example, specific embodiments with which this disclosure can be practiced. The following description, however, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing the general principles of the exemplary embodiments. The method and apparatus disclosed herein in connection with the following description and the examples illustrate and provide a non-exclusive way of implementing the instant disclosure as claimed in the appended claims.

[0051] The technical solutions of the present disclosure and how the technical solutions of the present disclosure solve the above technical problems will be 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 can not be described again in some embodiments. The embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0052] In warehouse logistics, it is necessary for a carrying robot to take out a bin on a shelf, carry it to a work station, and then pick the materials in the bin at the work station. After picking, the dispatching system re-determines the shelf where the bin should be stored and allocates the bin to a position on the shelf. Then, the carrying robot is dispatched to carry the bin to the corresponding position on the determined shelf, thereby completing the flow of the bin. This process can effectively complete the flow of the bin when the types of positions on the shelf are uniform, the carrying capacity of the carrying robot is consistent, and the size of the bin is consistent.

[0053] However, in the related art, many warehouses store materials of different sizes, such as large-size bins for storing large parts (such as bins for storing furniture parts) and small-size bins for storing small-size materials (such as bins for storing screws). In order to further save costs and make full use of space, shelves are more designed to have different layer heights of different layer positions, such as lower layer positions with lower layer heights and smaller bin sizes (more of such positions can be provided to increase the number of bins that can be stored at the same height), and upper layer positions with higher layer heights and larger bin sizes. The opposite situation can also occur. Due to different robot hardware and manufacturers, carrying robots for carrying bins can have different heights for taking and placing bins, such as carrying robots that can only take lower bins and carrying robots that can only take higher bins. As a result, after a carrying task is sent to a carrying robot, the carrying robot can not be able to place the bin at the corresponding height of the target position or the bin can not be able to be placed in the position, making it difficult to allocate a position for the bin.

[0054] To solve this problem, the embodiment of the present disclosure provides a bin position determination method. After determining the to-be-returned bin, the handling robot is pre-scheduled, and the position of the to-be-returned bin is determined based on the size information of the to-be-returned bin and the type of the handling robot, so as to ensure that the handling robot can complete the action of placing the bin into the position during the bin returning process, thereby improving the bin returning efficiency.

[0055] The application scenario of the embodiment of the present disclosure is explained as follows:

[0056] Figure 1 An application scenario diagram of the bin position determination method provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 1. Figure 1 As shown in the figure, in the bin returning process, the intelligent warehouse system 100 determines the corresponding target shelf 120 and target position 121 (the target shelf 120 in the figure includes two types of positions, 121 corresponds to the first type of position, and 122 corresponds to the second type of position, and the size ranges of the bins that can be placed in the two types of positions are different) according to the size information of the to-be-returned bin 101 and the handling robot 110, and sends a handling task to the handling robot 110, so that the handling robot 110 carries the bin from the unloading machine 130 to the target position 121, and completes the bin returning.

[0057] It should be noted that, Figure 1 The intelligent warehouse system, the to-be-returned bin, the handling robot, the unloading machine, the target shelf and the target position in the scenario shown in the figure are only exemplarily illustrated by taking one as an example, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, that is, the number of the intelligent warehouse system, the to-be-returned bin, the handling robot, the unloading machine, the target shelf and the target position can be arbitrary.

[0058] The bin position determination method provided by the present disclosure is described in detail through specific embodiments as follows.

[0059] Figure 2 A flowchart of the bin position determination method provided by one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 2. Figure 2 As shown in the figure, the bin position determination method provided by the embodiment includes the following steps:

[0060] Step S201, determining the type of handling robot for receiving the to-be-returned bin.

[0061] The type of handling robot includes a first type of handling robot and a second type of handling robot, the first type of handling robot is used for handling bins in a first height range, the second type of handling robot is used for handling bins in a second height range, the maximum value of the first height range is greater than the maximum value of the second height range, and the minimum value of the first height range is greater than the minimum value of the second height range.

[0062] Specifically, the execution subject in the embodiments of the present disclosure is a warehouse system (a processor or a server in the warehouse system, referred to as a server for short for convenience).

[0063] In the warehouse system, the inventory area for carrying the bins contains a plurality of shelves, the shelves are used to store the bins, and the bins contain materials for picking. When the server of the warehouse system receives an order, it will generate a carrying task according to the order, and the carrying robot will take the bin from the shelf according to the carrying task and carry the bin to the workstation or the conveying line corresponding to the workstation specified by the carrying task, and the picking robot or the worker of the workstation will take the materials corresponding to the order from the bin (on the conveying line), and then put the picked bin back on the conveying line. The bin will be moved to the unloading machine or other unloading position (such as a designated unloading position on the conveying line when the unloading machine fails) under the transfer of the conveying line, and then the unloading machine or the conveying line sensor will notify the server (through first notification information), so that the server schedules the carrying robot (through first instruction information) to carry the bin back to the warehouse.

[0064] Before the bin is carried back to the warehouse, the server will allocate a position for the bin on the shelf, and the allocated position at this time is usually different from the shelf and position where the bin was before being picked, because usually when the bin is taken away for picking, the process of material packing into the warehouse will also be carried out at the same time. The bin packed into the warehouse may occupy the position of the picked bin, so the server needs to allocate a new position for the bin.

[0065] In actual application, the shelves usually have different types of positions, for example, different limit heights or maximum heights, such as positions with a limit height of 0.6 meters and positions with a limit height of 1.2 meters. When the height of the bin is less than 0.6 meters, it is placed in the former type of position, which can significantly reduce the space occupied by the bin on the shelf. For the case where the height of the bin is greater than 0.6 meters, the latter type of position is used to ensure the effective storage of the latter type of bin.

[0066] In actual situations, there may be more than two types of positions on the shelves, but the principle is similar. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, only the case where there are only two types of positions on the shelves is discussed, but those skilled in the art can apply the method to the case where there are more than two types of positions according to actual needs without creative labor. Therefore, this will not be described here.

[0067] Since the positions of different types of positions on the shelves are also different, before allocating the position of the bin, the carrying robot used to carry the bin needs to be determined.

[0068] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, all the handling robots can handle the bins of all sizes, but different types of handling robots differ in the shelf positions they can place the bins to, for example, some handling robots can place the bins to the uppermost layer of the shelf but cannot place the bins to the lowermost layer of the shelf, and some handling robots have the opposite capability. In actual situations, other situations of handling capability can exist (for example, there are also handling robots that cannot place the bins to the uppermost layer of the shelf and cannot place the bins to the lowermost layer of the shelf), but the principle is the same, which will not be described here.

[0069] In the embodiments, the types of handling robots mainly include two types, i.e., the first type of handling robots and the second type of handling robots. The height ranges that the two types of handling robots can handle differ, and when storing the bins, the positions of the positions that can be placed on the shelf also differ. At this time, the first type of handling robots can handle the bins to higher positions, and the second type of handling robots can handle the bins to lower positions.

[0070] Therefore, after the handling robot is determined, the position range of the position of the shelf position is determined, and in combination with the positions of the different types of positions on the shelf and the size of the bin, the specific position of the bin, i.e., the target position, can be determined.

[0071] The handling robot for receiving the bin to be returned to the warehouse can be directly determined from the handling robots that are close to the unloading machine or the unloading device (of the docking position) and can receive the bin to be returned to the warehouse, for example, the handling robot that is closest to the unloading machine or the unloading device (of the docking position) and can receive the bin to be returned to the warehouse is determined as the handling robot for receiving the bin to be returned to the warehouse.

[0072] Therefore, after the handling robot is determined, the type corresponding to the handling robot needs to be determined. The type information of the handling robot is recorded in the server, and therefore, the server can determine the type of the handling robot according to the stored corresponding information of the handling robot after determining the handling robot.

[0073] In step S202, based on the size information of the bin to be returned to the warehouse and the type of the handling robot, a target position of the bin to be returned to the warehouse on the shelf is determined, and a handling task instruction is sent to the handling robot based on the target position.

[0074] The target position is a first type of position or a second type of position, the first type of position is used to place the bin with a maximum height less than a first height value, the second type of position is used to place the bin with a maximum height less than a second height value, the first height value is greater than the second height value, and the handling task instruction is used to instruct the handling robot to handle the bin to be returned to the warehouse to the target position.

[0075] Specifically, when determining the to-be-returned material box, the server determines the size type of the to-be-returned material box according to the identification information (such as the identification code) of the to-be-returned material box, and determines the target bin capable of placing the to-be-returned material box in combination with the type of the carrying robot determined in the foregoing step.

[0076] The specific implementation principle is to determine the type of the bin capable of placing the to-be-returned material box according to the size of the to-be-returned material box, then determine the height of the bin capable of placing the to-be-returned material box according to the height of the idle bin in the bin of different types on the goods shelf, and finally determine the target bin in combination with the height range that can be carried by the carrying robot. In the specific determination step, the order of the foregoing steps can also be adjusted, which does not affect the determination of the target bin.

[0077] In some embodiments, if there are multiple bins (for example, two or three) determined in combination with the carrying height range of the carrying robot, the height of the idle bin, and the size of the to-be-returned material box, the server can randomly select one as the target bin.

[0078] After determining the target bin, the server can send a carrying task to the carrying robot based on the target bin, to ensure that the carrying robot can place the material box into the target bin.

[0079] By determining the bin of the material box, it is avoided that the carrying robot cannot place the to-be-returned material box at the height corresponding to the target bin, or the size of the to-be-returned material box is too large to be placed into the bin, thereby ensuring the success rate of the material box returning to the warehouse and further ensuring the efficiency of the material box returning to the warehouse.

[0080] The material box bin determination method provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure determines the type of the carrying robot for receiving the to-be-returned material box, and then determines the target bin of the to-be-returned material box on the goods shelf based on the size information of the to-be-returned material box and the type of the carrying robot, to send a carrying task instruction to the carrying robot based on the target bin. Therefore, in the complex situation that different types of bins exist on the goods shelf, different carrying capacities exist in the carrying robots, and different sizes of material boxes exist, the allocation of the bin of the material box can be effectively completed, the material box can be smoothly returned to the warehouse, the situation that the carrying robot cannot complete the task of returning the material box to the warehouse is avoided, and the efficiency of returning the material box to the warehouse is ensured.

[0081] Figure 3a A flowchart of the material box bin determination method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 1. Figure 3a As shown in FIG. 1, the material box bin determination method provided by the embodiment includes the following steps:

[0082] Step S301, determining the type of the carrying robot for receiving the to-be-returned material box.

[0083] The types of the carrying robots include a first type of carrying robot and a second type of carrying robot, the first type of carrying robot is used to carry the bins in the first height range, and the second type of carrying robot is used to carry the bins in the second height range, the maximum value of the first height range is greater than the maximum value of the second height range, and the minimum value of the first height range is greater than the minimum value of the second height range.

[0084] Specifically, the embodiment is used to further illustrate the method for determining the target bin position on the basis of the foregoing embodiment.

[0085] The method for determining the bin to be returned to the warehouse and the carrying robot has been described in the foregoing embodiment, and will not be described here again.

[0086] In step S302, based on the size information of the bin to be returned to the warehouse, the size type corresponding to the bin to be returned to the warehouse and at least one candidate bin position corresponding to the bin to be returned to the warehouse on the shelf are determined.

[0087] Specifically, after the type of the carrying robot is determined, the candidate bin position can be determined from the target shelf in combination with the size information of the bin to be returned to the warehouse, so as to determine the target bin position for placing the bin to be returned to the warehouse based on the candidate bin position.

[0088] In the embodiment, the shelf includes at least three layers, each layer of the shelf includes at least one bin position (in actual cases, there can be two or more bin positions on a layer of the shelf, and the embodiment of the present disclosure is described by taking that there is only one bin position on each layer), the first height range includes the first set layer to the uppermost layer on the shelf, the second height range includes the bottommost layer to the second set layer on the shelf, the first set layer is a layer of the shelf above the bottommost layer of the shelf, the second set layer is a layer of the shelf below the uppermost layer of the shelf, and the first set layer is lower than the second set layer. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, it is a flow chart of the method for determining the candidate bin position, which includes the following steps: Figure 3b

[0089] In step A1, based on the size information of the bin to be returned to the warehouse, the size type corresponding to the bin to be returned to the warehouse is determined.

[0090] The size type includes a first type of bin and a second type of bin, the height of the size of the first type of bin is less than the first height value and greater than the second height value, and the height of the size of the second type of bin is less than the second type of height value.

[0091] ​Specifically, the size of the to-be-returned bin may be various, such as seven or eight or more different sizes of bins in the inventory, in order to facilitate the correspondence between the type of the bin and the type of the bin, it is necessary to divide the to-be-returned bin into corresponding size categories based on the size range to which the size of the to-be-returned bin belongs. For example, the first size range is 0-0.5 meters in height, and the second size range is 0-1 meter in height. At this time, the to-be-returned bin with a height of 0.4 meters belongs to the first size range, and the to-be-returned bin with a height of 0.9 meters belongs to the second size range. At this time, the former belongs to the first type of bin, and the latter belongs to the second type of bin.

[0092] Among them, the first size range corresponds to the first type of bin, and the second size range corresponds to the second type of bin.

[0093] In some embodiments, the same type of bin is usually located at a position adjacent to the position, such as the first type of bin being located at the lower layer of the shelf, and the second type of bin being located at the upper layer of the shelf. In this embodiment, this arrangement is described, but other implementations can also achieve the technical effects of the present scheme, for example, the relative positions can also be reversed, and other arrangements can also be used, which are not limited here.

[0094] Step A2, based on the size category of the to-be-returned bin, at least one candidate bin is determined from the idle bins on the shelf.

[0095] Among them, the candidate bin is an idle bin that matches the size category of the to-be-returned bin in terms of placement size requirements, and the idle bin is used to represent an unoccupied candidate bin.

[0096] Specifically, before determining the to-be-returned bin, it is necessary to first determine the idle bin from the bins of the shelf, so as to determine the candidate bin from the idle bin.

[0097] According to the size category of the to-be-returned bin, the type of bin that can place the to-be-returned bin (i.e. the first type of bin and the second type of bin) can be determined, and according to the position of the bin type on the shelf, the candidate bin corresponding to the to-be-returned bin can be determined from the idle bins on the shelf. For example, if the size category of the to-be-returned bin is the second type, the corresponding candidate bin is the second type of bin on the shelf.

[0098] In some embodiments, the shelf corresponding to the to-be-returned bin can be allocated by the server according to the location of the idle shelf in the warehouse system, or can be selected according to the material category corresponding to the to-be-returned bin.

[0099] For example, as shown in Figure 3c The flow chart of the determination method of the shelf corresponding to the to-be-returned bin includes the following steps:

[0100] Step B1, based on the material category information of the to-be-returned bin, the shelf for placing the corresponding type of material is determined as a candidate shelf.

[0101] Specifically, there can be multiple racks corresponding to the type of material of the to-be-returned bin, and therefore, the racks need to be selected as candidate racks, and then the target rack is selected from the candidate racks.

[0102] Step B2, determining the rack for placing the to-be-returned bin based on the occupancy state of the positions on the candidate rack.

[0103] Specifically, the positions on different candidate racks can be occupied by a large number (for example, 18 out of 20 positions on a rack are occupied), or a large number of positions are not occupied (for example, only 2 out of 20 positions on a rack are occupied), and the candidate rack with the most unoccupied positions is selected as the rack for placing the to-be-returned bin.

[0104] In some embodiments, the target rack corresponding to the to-be-returned bin can also be determined based on the frequency of picking the to-be-returned bin. For bins that are picked frequently, they can be placed on racks close to the workstation to facilitate the handling of the robotic arm and improve the efficiency of picking and handling.

[0105] Step S303, determining the corresponding position priority allocation relationship based on the type of the handling robot and the size type of the to-be-returned bin.

[0106] Specifically, the candidate positions determined by the foregoing steps are usually multiple, and therefore, after determining the candidate positions, the target position is further determined from the candidate positions in combination with the type of the handling robot.

[0107] The target position can be determined from the candidate positions based on the priority allocation relationship of the positions, determining the priority of each candidate position, and then determining the target position from the candidate positions according to the priority.

[0108] The priority allocation relationship is pre-configured information in the server, which records the priority levels of the positions at different locations on the rack.

[0109] Different types of priority allocation relationships are related to the type of handling robot, the size type of the to-be-returned bin, and the like, and therefore, the corresponding priority allocation relationship needs to be determined from the inventory in the server in combination with the last two types of information, so as to determine the priority of the candidate position according to the corresponding priority allocation relationship.

[0110] Further, as shown in FIG. 8, it is a flow chart of the method for determining the priority allocation relationship of the position, which includes the following steps: Figure 3d

[0111] Step C1, if the handling robot is a first type of handling robot and the to-be-returned bin is a first type of bin, determining that the priority allocation relationship of the position is a first type of allocation relationship. ​

[0112] In the first type of allocation relationship, the first type of bin position above the second set layer of the shelf is high priority, and the first type of bin position below the second set layer is low priority.

[0113] Specifically, when the handling robot is a first type of handling robot, the height of the bin position that can be handled by the handling robot is higher, and the first type of bin can only be placed in the first type of bin position. Therefore, the first type of bin position with the highest height is set as high priority (i.e., the first type of bin position above the second set layer of the shelf is high priority), and the first type of bin position with a lower height is set as low priority (i.e., the first type of bin position below the second set layer is low priority).

[0114] Step C2, if the handling robot is a first type of handling robot and the bin to be returned to the warehouse is a second type of bin, the bin position priority allocation relationship is determined to be a second type of allocation relationship.

[0115] In the second type of allocation relationship, the second type of bin position above the first set layer of the shelf is high priority, the first type of bin position above the second set layer is medium priority, and the first type of bin position below the second set layer is low priority.

[0116] Specifically, in the case where the handling robot is a first type of handling robot and the bin to be returned to the warehouse is a second type of bin, the bin can be placed in any type of bin position. To facilitate the subsequent possible need for a first type of bin, the bin is preferentially placed in a second type of bin position (i.e., the second type of bin position above the first set layer of the shelf is high priority). In the first type of bin position, the area where the second type of handling robot is not convenient to place is preferentially placed (i.e., the first type of bin position above the second set layer is medium priority). Finally, the remaining area where the first type of handling robot can be placed is the last (i.e., the first type of bin position below the second set layer is low priority).

[0117] Step C3, if the handling robot is a second type of handling robot and the bin to be returned to the warehouse is a first type of bin, the bin position priority allocation relationship is determined to be a third type of allocation relationship.

[0118] In the third type of allocation relationship, the first type of bin position below the second set layer of the shelf is high priority.

[0119] Specifically, for the case where the handling robot is a second type of handling robot and the bin to be returned to the warehouse is a first type of bin, since the bin to be returned to the warehouse can only be placed in a first type of bin position, and the handling robot can only handle bin positions below the second set layer, it can only be selected from the first type of bin position below the second set layer of the shelf. Therefore, there is only one priority (i.e., the first type of bin position below the second set layer of the shelf is high priority), and other bin positions cannot meet the requirements.

[0120] Step C4: If the handling robot is a type 2 handling robot and the material bin to be returned to the warehouse is a type 2 material bin, determine the warehouse priority allocation relationship as a type 4 allocation relationship.

[0121] Among them, the fourth type of allocation relationship includes the second type of storage space below the first set layer of the shelf as high priority, and the second type of storage space above the first set layer as low priority.

[0122] Specifically, if the handling robot is a type II handling robot and the bin to be returned to the warehouse is also a type II bin, then the bin to be returned to the warehouse can be selected from among the various type II storage locations. Priority should be given to placing the bin to be returned to the warehouse at the bottom layer (i.e., the type II storage location below the first set layer of the shelf is of high priority), and then other type II storage locations can be selected (i.e., the type II storage location above the first set layer is of low priority).

[0123] Step S304: Based on the height of at least one candidate warehouse location on the shelf and the warehouse priority allocation relationship, determine the target warehouse location from the candidate warehouse locations.

[0124] Specifically, after determining the priority allocation relationship of the storage locations, the priority of each candidate storage location can be determined, thereby identifying the candidate storage location with the highest priority. From this, a target storage location is selected, and the handling task is assigned to the handling robot based on the target storage location.

[0125] Furthermore, such as Figure 3e The diagram shown is a flowchart of the method for determining the target position, which includes the following steps:

[0126] Step D1: Based on the height of at least one candidate warehouse location on the shelf and the warehouse priority allocation relationship, determine the priority corresponding to at least one candidate warehouse location.

[0127] Specifically, after determining the priority allocation relationship of the positions, the priority of each candidate position can be obtained by substituting the height of each candidate position.

[0128] Step D2: Select the highest priority alternative position from at least one alternative position as the target position.

[0129] Specifically, there are usually multiple alternative positions. Therefore, the highest priority alternative position is selected as the target position. If there are multiple highest priority alternative positions, any one of them can be selected.

[0130] The method for determining the bin storage position provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can determine the type of the handling robot used to receive the bin to be returned to the warehouse, and then determine at least one alternative storage position corresponding to the bin to be returned to the warehouse according to the size type corresponding to the bin to be returned to the warehouse and the bin to be returned to the warehouse on the shelf, and determine the corresponding storage position priority allocation relationship, and finally determine the target storage position from the alternative storage position according to the storage position priority allocation relationship. Therefore, the determined target storage position can fully meet the size requirements of the bin to be returned to the warehouse and the handling capacity limit of the handling robot, thereby ensuring the success rate of the return-to-warehouse task and improving the efficiency of the bin return-to-warehouse processing.

[0131] Figure 4a The flowchart of the method for determining the bin storage position provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the method for determining the bin storage position provided by the embodiment includes the following steps: Figure 4a

[0132] Step S401, in response to the received first notification information, sending first indication information to the handling robot.

[0133] The first notification information is used to indicate that the bin to be returned to the warehouse reaches the position to be allocated, and the first notification information includes the size information of the bin to be returned to the warehouse. The first indication information is used to instruct the handling robot to move to the docking position for receiving the bin to be returned to the warehouse.

[0134] Specifically, the server will receive the information transmitted by the unloading device and other equipment on the conveying line. When the unloading device and other equipment detect that the bin to be returned to the warehouse reaches, the server will send notification information to the server to call the handling robot to take away the bin to be returned to the warehouse and perform the return-to-warehouse processing.

[0135] If the unloading position is an unloading machine, since the unloading machine can store multiple (such as 8 or more) bins at the same time, and a task of dispatching a handling robot will be generated when each bin to be returned to the warehouse reaches the unloading machine, therefore, there may be multiple (such as two or more) handling robots to the docking position corresponding to the unloading machine to receive the bin to be returned to the warehouse, and the arrival time of different handling robots at the docking position is different, therefore, it is not possible to send the return-to-warehouse task to the handling robots in turn according to the order of dispatching the handling robots, and it is necessary to generate and send the corresponding handling task to the handling robots according to the information of the handling robots (i.e., the type of the handling robot) that arrive at the docking position and the information of the bin to be returned to the warehouse (such as the aforementioned size information).

[0136] ​Therefore, the flexibility between the conveying robot and the conveying task can be effectively ensured, so that the same conveying robot can perform multiple conveying tasks of different to-be-returned bins, or multiple conveying robots can perform a conveying task of one or more to-be-returned bins (for example, each conveying robot only conveys one or two to-be-returned bins), thereby adapting to the case that the size and type of the to-be-returned bin are significantly different, the to-be-returned bin needs to be placed in a large area, and the efficiency of bin returning is effectively ensured.

[0137] Further, as shown in Figure 4b which is an implementation method flowchart of sending first indication information to the conveying robot, and includes the following steps:

[0138] Step S4011, in response to the received first notification message, determining a conveying robot in a working state and with an empty backpack as a target conveying robot.

[0139] Specifically, after receiving the first notification information, the server determines that there is a to-be-returned bin that needs to be returned, at this time, the conveying robot will be dispatched to the docking position corresponding to the to-be-returned bin to receive the to-be-returned bin.

[0140] The conveying robot to be dispatched is usually a conveying robot in a working state and with an empty backpack, and the server can not distinguish the difference between other conveying robots, or can pre-screen potential storage positions that can place the to-be-returned bin according to the size information of the to-be-returned bin in the first notification message, and then dispatch the corresponding conveying robot based on the height of the potential storage position.

[0141] Step S4012, sending first indication information to the target conveying robot.

[0142] Specifically, after determining the target conveying robot, the server will send the target conveying robot first indication information to make it move to the docking position and wait to receive the to-be-returned bin.

[0143] Step S402, in response to the received second notification message, determining the type of the conveying robot for receiving the to-be-returned bin.

[0144] The second notification message is used to indicate that the conveying robot arrives at the docking position, and the second notification information includes the type of the conveying robot.

[0145] Specifically, when the conveying robot moves to the docking position according to the first indication information, the server will send the corresponding second notification information to the server, and the server can determine the type of the conveying robot after receiving the second notification message. The related principle can be referred to in the foregoing embodiments, which will not be described here.

[0146] In step S403, a target bin position of the to-be-returned bin on the shelf is determined based on the size information of the to-be-returned bin and the type of the carrying robot, so as to send a carrying task instruction to the carrying robot based on the target bin position.

[0147] The target bin position is a first type bin position or a second type bin position, the first type bin position is used to place a bin with a maximum height less than a first height value, the second type bin position is used to place a bin with a maximum height less than a second height value, the first height value is greater than the second height value, and the carrying task instruction is used to instruct the carrying robot to carry the to-be-returned bin to the target bin position.

[0148] Specifically, the present step has the same content as the corresponding step in the foregoing embodiments, which will not be described here again.

[0149] The bin position determination method provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure determines the carrying robot and instructs the carrying robot to move according to the first notification information sent by the unloading device and the like, determines the type of the carrying robot, and then determines the size information of the to-be-returned bin and the type of the carrying robot, and then determines the placement priority of the candidate bin position based on the candidate bin position corresponding to the to-be-returned bin and the type of the carrying robot, and then determines the target bin position accordingly. Therefore, when the to-be-returned bin is determined, the determination of the target bin position corresponding to the to-be-returned bin can be automatically completed, the size requirements of the to-be-returned bin and the carrying capacity of the carrying robot can be fully guaranteed, and the determination efficiency can be fully guaranteed, thereby improving the bin return efficiency.

[0150] Figure 5 A structural schematic diagram of a bin position determination device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 5. Figure 5 As shown in the figure, the bin position determination device 500 includes a determination module 510 and an allocation module 520. Wherein:

[0151] The determination module 510 is configured to determine the type of the carrying robot used to receive the to-be-returned bin, wherein the type of the carrying robot includes a first type carrying robot and a second type carrying robot, the first type carrying robot is used to carry a bin in a first height range, the second type carrying robot is used to carry a bin in a second height range, the maximum value of the first height range is greater than the maximum value of the second height range, and the minimum value of the first height range is greater than the minimum value of the second height range.

[0152] The distribution module 520 is configured to determine a target bin position of the to-be-returned bin on the rack based on the size information of the to-be-returned bin and the type of the carrying robot, and to send a carrying task instruction to the carrying robot based on the target bin position, where the target bin position is a first type bin position or a second type bin position, the first type bin position is used to place bins with a maximum height less than a first height value, the second type bin position is used to place bins with a maximum height less than a second height value, the first height value is greater than the second height value, and the carrying task instruction is used to instruct the carrying robot to carry the to-be-returned bin to the target bin position.

[0153] Optionally, the determination module 510 specifically includes that the rack includes at least three layers, each layer of the rack includes at least one bin position, the first height range includes a first set layer to an uppermost layer of the rack, the second height range includes a lowermost layer to a second set layer of the rack, the first set layer is a layer of the rack above the lowermost layer of the rack, the second set layer is a layer of the rack below the uppermost layer of the rack, and the first set layer is lower than the second set layer.

[0154] Optionally, the distribution module 520 is specifically configured to determine a size type corresponding to the to-be-returned bin and at least one candidate bin position corresponding to the to-be-returned bin on the rack based on the size information of the to-be-returned bin, determine a corresponding bin position priority allocation relationship based on the type of the carrying robot and the size type corresponding to the to-be-returned bin, and determine the target bin position from the candidate bin positions based on the height of the at least one candidate bin position on the rack and the bin position priority allocation relationship.

[0155] Optionally, the distribution module 520 is specifically configured to determine a size type corresponding to the to-be-returned bin based on the size information of the to-be-returned bin, where the size type includes a first type bin and a second type bin, the size of the first type bin has a height less than a first height value and greater than a second height value, and the size of the second type bin has a height less than a second type height value, and to determine at least one candidate bin position from the idle bin positions on the rack based on the size type of the to-be-returned bin, where the candidate bin position is an idle bin position corresponding to a size requirement matched with the size type of the to-be-returned bin, and the idle bin position is used to represent an unoccupied candidate bin position.

[0156] Optionally, the distribution module 520 is specifically configured to: if the carrying robot is a first type of carrying robot and the to-be-returned bin is a first type of bin, determine that the bin position priority distribution relationship is a first type of distribution relationship, where the first type of distribution relationship includes that a first type of bin above a second set layer of the rack is high priority, and a first type of bin below the second set layer is low priority; if the carrying robot is the first type of carrying robot and the to-be-returned bin is a second type of bin, determine that the bin position priority distribution relationship is a second type of distribution relationship, where the second type of distribution relationship includes that a second type of bin above a first set layer of the rack is high priority, a first type of bin above the second set layer is medium priority, and a first type of bin below the second set layer is low priority; if the carrying robot is a second type of carrying robot and the to-be-returned bin is the first type of bin, determine that the bin position priority distribution relationship is a third type of distribution relationship, where the third type of distribution relationship includes that a first type of bin below the second set layer of the rack is high priority; and if the carrying robot is the second type of carrying robot and the to-be-returned bin is the second type of bin, determine that the bin position priority distribution relationship is a fourth type of distribution relationship, where the fourth type of distribution relationship includes that a second type of bin below the first set layer of the rack is high priority, and a second type of bin above the first set layer is low priority.

[0157] Optionally, the distribution module 520 is specifically configured to: determine the priority corresponding to the at least one candidate bin based on the height of the at least one candidate bin on the rack and the bin position priority distribution relationship; and determine the candidate bin with the highest priority in the at least one candidate bin as the target bin.

[0158] Optionally, the determination module 510 is specifically configured to: in response to the received first notification information, send first indication information to the carrying robot, where the first notification information is used to indicate that the to-be-returned bin reaches the to-be-distributed position, the first notification information includes size information of the to-be-returned bin, and the first indication information is used to instruct the carrying robot to move to a docking position for receiving the to-be-returned bin; and in response to the received second notification message, determine the type of the carrying robot for receiving the to-be-returned bin, where the second notification message is used to indicate that the carrying robot reaches the docking position, and the second notification information includes the type of the carrying robot.

[0159] Optionally, the distribution module 520 is specifically configured to: in response to the received first notification message, determine that the carrying robot in the working state and with the empty backpack is the target carrying robot; and send the first indication information to the target carrying robot.

[0160] In this embodiment, the bin position determination apparatus solves the problem in the related art that it is difficult to distribute a bin position, ensures that the bin can be returned to the warehouse smoothly, avoids the situation that the carrying robot cannot complete the bin returning task, and ensures the bin returning efficiency.

[0161] Figure 6 A structural schematic diagram of a control device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 6, the control device 600 includes a memory 610 and a processor 620. Figure 6

[0162] The memory 610 stores a computer program executable by the at least one processor 620. The computer program is executed by the at least one processor 620 to enable the control device to implement the material taking method provided in any of the above embodiments or the bin location determination method provided in any of the above embodiments.

[0163] The memory 610 and the processor 620 can be connected through a bus 630.

[0164] The relevant description can be understood in correspondence with the relevant description and effects of the method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0165] Figure 7 A structural schematic diagram of a bin location determination system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 7, the bin location determination system 700 includes a server 710, a carrying robot 720, and a shelf 730. Figure 7

[0166] The shelf 730 includes at least one location 740, and the location 740 is used to place a bin.

[0167] The carrying robot 720 is used to carry the bin from the location 740.

[0168] The server 710 is used to execute the bin location determination method of the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0169] The relevant description can be understood in correspondence with the relevant description and effects of the method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0170] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a computer readable storage medium, which stores a computer program. The computer program is executed by a processor to implement the material taking method provided in any of the above method embodiments or the bin location determination method provided in any of the above embodiments.

[0171] The computer readable storage medium can be a ROM, a random access memory (RAM), a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, and an optical data storage device, etc.

[0172] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a computer program product, which contains computer execution instructions. When the computer execution instructions are executed by a processor, the computer execution instructions are used to implement the material taking method in the above method embodiments or the bin location determination method provided in any of the above embodiments. ​​

[0173] In several embodiments provided by the present disclosure, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and method can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely schematic, and the division of the modules is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, another division manner can be adopted, for example, a plurality of modules or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection between the displayed or discussed modules can be indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, apparatuses or modules, and can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0174] Other embodiments of the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art with the disclosure herein. The present disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses or adaptive changes of the present disclosure along with their general principles disclosed herein and common knowledge or conventional technical means in the art not disclosed in the present disclosure. The specification and embodiments are only considered as exemplary, and the true scope and spirit of the present disclosure are indicated by the following claims.

[0175] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the drawings and that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the claims appended hereto.

Claims

1. A magazine bin location determination method, characterized by, The bin position determination method comprises: determining the type of a carrying robot for receiving the to-be-returned bin, wherein the type of the carrying robot comprises a first type of carrying robot and a second type of carrying robot, the first type of carrying robot is used for carrying bins in a first height range, the second type of carrying robot is used for carrying bins in a second height range, the maximum value of the first height range is greater than the maximum value of the second height range, and the minimum value of the first height range is greater than the minimum value of the second height range; based on the size information of the to-be-returned bin and the type of the carrying robot, determining a target position of the to-be-returned bin on the shelf, so as to send a carrying task instruction to the carrying robot based on the target position, wherein the target position is a first type of position or a second type of position, the first type of position is used for placing bins with a maximum height less than a first height value, the second type of position is used for placing bins with a maximum height less than a second height value, the first height value is greater than the second height value, and the carrying task instruction is used to instruct the carrying robot to carry the to-be-returned bin to the target position; based on the size information of the to-be-returned bin and the type of the carrying robot, determining a target position of the to-be-returned bin on the shelf, comprising: based on the size information of the to-be-returned bin, determining the size type corresponding to the to-be-returned bin and at least one candidate position corresponding to the to-be-returned bin on the shelf; based on the type of the carrying robot and the size type corresponding to the to-be-returned bin, determining a corresponding position priority allocation relationship; based on the height of the at least one candidate position on the shelf and the position priority allocation relationship, determining the target position from the candidate positions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The shelf comprises at least three layers, each layer of the shelf comprises at least one position, the first height range comprises a first set of layers to the uppermost layer of the shelf, the second height range comprises the bottom layer to a second set of layers of the shelf, the first set of layers is a layer of the shelf above the bottom layer of the shelf, the second set of layers is a layer of the shelf below the uppermost layer of the shelf, and the first set of layers is lower than the second set of layers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, The method comprises: based on the size information of the to-be-returned bin, determining the size type corresponding to the to-be-returned bin, wherein the size type comprises a first type of bin and a second type of bin, the size of the first type of bin is less than a first height value and greater than a second height value, and the size of the second type of bin is less than the second height value; based on the size type of the to-be-returned bin, determining the at least one candidate position from the idle positions on the shelf, wherein the candidate position is an idle position corresponding to a size requirement matched with the size type of the to-be-returned bin, and the idle position is used to represent an unoccupied position.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The method comprises: based on the type of the carrying robot and the size type corresponding to the to-be-returned bin, determining a corresponding position priority allocation relationship, comprising: If the transport robot is a first type of transport robot and the to-be-returned bin is a first type of bin, the bin priority allocation relationship is determined as a first type of allocation relationship, wherein the first type of allocation relationship includes that a first type of bin above a second set layer of the rack is high priority, and a first type of bin below the second set layer is low priority; If the transport robot is a first type of transport robot and the to-be-returned bin is a second type of bin, the bin priority allocation relationship is determined as a second type of allocation relationship, wherein the second type of allocation relationship includes that a second type of bin above a first set layer of the rack is high priority, a first type of bin above a second set layer is medium priority, and a first type of bin below the second set layer is low priority; If the transport robot is a second type of transport robot and the to-be-returned bin is a first type of bin, the bin priority allocation relationship is determined as a third type of allocation relationship, wherein the third type of allocation relationship includes that a first type of bin below a second set layer of the rack is high priority; If the transport robot is a second type of transport robot and the to-be-returned bin is a second type of bin, the bin priority allocation relationship is determined as a fourth type of allocation relationship, wherein the fourth type of allocation relationship includes that a second type of bin below a first set layer of the rack is high priority, and a second type of bin above the first set layer is low priority.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein, Based on the height of the at least one alternative bin on the rack and the bin priority allocation relationship, the target bin is determined from the alternative bins, which includes: Based on the height of the at least one alternative bin on the rack and the bin priority allocation relationship, the priority corresponding to the at least one alternative bin is determined; The alternative bin with the highest priority among the at least one alternative bin is determined as the target bin.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The determination of the type of the transport robot for receiving the to-be-returned bin includes: in response to the received first notification information, sending first indication information to the transport robot, wherein the first notification information is used to indicate that the to-be-returned bin arrives at a to-be-allocated position, the first notification information includes size information of the to-be-returned bin, and the first indication information is used to instruct the transport robot to move to a docking position for receiving the to-be-returned bin; In response to the received second notification message, the type of the transport robot for receiving the to-be-returned bin is determined, and the second notification message is used to indicate that the transport robot arrives at the docking position, and the second notification message includes the type of the transport robot.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, The response to the received first notification information includes: In response to the received first notification information, the transport robot in the working state and with the empty backpack is determined as the target transport robot; The first indication information is sent to the target transport robot.

8. A magazine position determining device characterized by, The bin position determination device includes: determining a type of a handling robot for receiving the to-be-put-away tote, wherein the type of 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 for handling a tote in a first height range, the second type of handling robot is used for handling a tote in a second height range, a maximum value of the first height range is greater than a maximum value of the second height range, and a minimum value of the first height range is greater than a minimum value of the second height range; determining a target bin of the to-be-put-away tote on a rack based on the size information of the to-be-put-away tote and the type of the handling robot, and sending a handling task instruction to the handling robot based on the target bin, wherein the target bin is a first type of bin or a second type of bin, the first type of bin is used for placing a tote with a maximum height less than a first height value, the second type of bin is used for placing a tote with a maximum height less than a second height value, the first height value is greater than the second height value, and the handling task instruction is used for instructing the handling robot to carry the to-be-put-away tote to the target bin; determining a target bin of the to-be-put-away tote on a rack based on the size information of the to-be-put-away tote and the type of the handling robot, includes: determining a size type corresponding to the to-be-put-away tote and at least one candidate bin corresponding to the to-be-put-away tote on the rack based on the size information of the to-be-put-away tote; determining a corresponding bin priority allocation relationship based on the type of the handling robot and the size type corresponding to the to-be-put-away tote; determining the target bin from the candidate bins based on a height of the at least one candidate bin on the rack and the bin priority allocation relationship.

9. A control device, characterized by includes: at least one processor; and a memory connected to the at least one processor in communication; wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor, and the instructions are executed by the at least one processor to cause the control device to perform the tote bin determination method of any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. A magazine position determination system characterized by, includes: a server, a handling robot, and a rack; the rack includes at least one bin for placing a tote; the handling robot is used for carrying a tote from the bin; the server is used to perform the tote bin determination method of 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, and the computer-executable instructions are executed by the processor to implement the tote bin determination method of any one of claims 1 to 7.

12. A computer program product, characterised in that, The computer program product contains computer-executable instructions, and the computer-executable instructions are executed by the processor to implement the tote bin determination method of any one of claims 1 to 7.

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