Handcart management system

Abstract

In a system for managing a handcart, work efficiency is improved. The cart management system includes a picking cart, a display panel that shows work instruction information provided to the picking cart, and a server. The picking trolley is an article moved by a worker in a plurality of work areas, and carries and conveys goods. The product is taken out by an operator from the product group arranged in the work area. The server creates job instruction information based on the order information. The server determines a degree of congestion in each work area on the basis of a plurality of candidates of work instruction information that has been provided to the trolley and work instruction information that has been provided to the trolley from now, and thereafter selects work instruction information to be provided to the picking trolley from among the plurality of candidates on the basis of the degree of congestion in each work area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a trolley management system. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in stores such as supermarkets and drug stores, information on ordered goods is sent to a delivery sensor, and the ordered goods are delivered from a delivery center. In the delivery center, workers use a cart to pick up goods from a group of goods arranged in a plurality of work areas and collect the ordered goods. For example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-269858) discloses a picking system for a delivery center.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-269858 Summary of the invention

[0004] Technical problem to be solved by the invention

[0005] In the picking operation of goods in the distribution center, multiple carts are used, and there is a situation where the operator using the cart must take out the goods in the same place as other carts. In such a situation, the carts are crowded in the same place, so the work efficiency sometimes decreases. In addition, in other systems that classify goods in multiple areas, the same situation sometimes occurs.

[0006] The technical problem of the present invention is to improve the working efficiency in a system for managing carts such as a picking system and a sorting system.

[0007] Technical solutions to solve problems

[0008] The cart management system of the first viewpoint comprises a plurality of carts, a display unit and a cart management unit. The plurality of carts are moved by operators in a plurality of work areas, respectively. The plurality of carts are loaded and transported respectively. The goods transported by the carts are goods taken out by the operators from the group of goods arranged in the work area. The display unit displays the work instruction information to the operator. The work instruction information is information provided to the carts, respectively. In addition, the work instruction information is information about work instructions related to the removal of goods. The cart management unit prepares the work instruction information provided to the carts based on the ordering information of the goods. The cart management unit determines the degree of congestion based on one or more work instruction information already provided to one or more carts and multiple candidates for work instruction information provided to the carts from now on. The congestion degree is the degree of congestion in the work area when multiple candidates are provided to the carts, respectively. After determining the congestion degree, the cart management unit selects the work instruction information provided to the carts from the multiple candidates based on the congestion degree of the multiple work areas.

[0009] In the cart management system, selection of work instruction information based on the congestion degree of a plurality of work areas is performed, thereby preventing a situation in which carts are concentrated in a predetermined work area and work efficiency is reduced.

[0010] The commodities placed in the work area include commodities located in the work area as well as commodities that are located at a place where an operator stops a cart in the work area and performs a take-out operation.

[0011] The cart management system of the second viewpoint is the cart management system of the first viewpoint, and the cart management unit calculates the total number of goods (goods corresponding to each work area) contained in one or more work instruction information that have been provided to the cart and the total number of goods (goods corresponding to each work area) contained in a candidate work instruction information, and determines it as the congestion degree of each work area.

[0012] Here, based on a plurality of pieces of work instruction information of the object, the cart management unit calculates the total number of commodities corresponding to each work area and determines it as the congestion degree of each work area. This method of determining the congestion degree is one of the preferred determination methods.

[0013] The trolley management system of the third viewpoint is the trolley management system of the first viewpoint. A shelf having a space for placing goods is provided in the work area. The trolley management unit calculates the total number of goods (goods corresponding to each shelf or space) included in one or more work instruction information provided to the trolley and the total number of goods (goods corresponding to each shelf or space) included in a candidate work instruction information, and determines it as the congestion degree of each work area.

[0014] Here, based on the plurality of work instruction information of the object, the cart management unit calculates the total number of commodities corresponding to each shelf or each space and determines it as the congestion degree of the work area where the shelf is set. This method of determining the congestion degree is one of the preferred determination methods.

[0015] The trolley management system of the fourth aspect is the trolley management system of the second aspect or the third aspect. The number of commodities included in one or more operation instruction information provided to the trolley is the number obtained by subtracting the number of commodities already taken out by the operator from the number of commodities included in the operation instruction information provided to the trolley at the time.

[0016] Here, the congestion degree of each work area can be determined more appropriately.

[0017] The cart management system of the fifth aspect is the cart management system of any one of the second to fourth aspects, and the cart management unit preferentially selects candidates including only commodities corresponding to work areas with low congestion as work instruction information to be provided to the cart next.

[0018] Here, a simple selection method is used to quickly provide the work instruction information to the cart.

[0019] The cart management system of the sixth aspect comprises a plurality of carts, a display unit, and a cart management unit. The plurality of carts enable an operator to classify commodities in a plurality of work areas, load and transport the commodities. The display unit displays work instruction information to the operator. The work instruction information is information related to the classification of commodities provided to the cart. The cart management unit produces work instruction information provided to the cart. The cart management unit determines the degree of congestion in the work area when the plurality of candidates are provided to the cart respectively, based on one or more work instruction information already provided to the cart and a plurality of candidates for work instruction information provided to the cart from now on. The cart management unit selects work instruction information provided to the cart from a plurality of candidates based on the degree of congestion in the plurality of work areas.

[0020] In the cart management system, selection of work instruction information based on the congestion degree of a plurality of work areas is performed, thereby preventing a situation in which carts are concentrated in a predetermined work area and work efficiency is reduced.

[0021] According to the cart management system according to the present invention, it is possible to suppress a situation in which carts are concentrated in a predetermined work area and work efficiency is reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 This is a block diagram showing an example of a network configuration of a cart management system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 2 It is a three-dimensional diagram of a sorting cart.

[0024] Figure 3 It is the control block diagram of the picking trolley and trolley management system.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a plan view of the shelves in the distribution center and the transportation paths (aisles) for picking carts.

[0026] Figure 5 This is the main view of the menu screen displayed on the display panel.

[0027] Fig. 6A It is a control flow chart for the creation, selection, and sending of job instruction information performed by the server.

[0028] Figure 6B It is a control flow chart for the creation, selection, and sending of job instruction information performed by the server.

[0029] Description of Reference Numerals

[0030] 10: Picking trolley (trolley); 60: Display panel (display unit); 90: Server (trolley management unit); 200: Trolley management system; A11~A54: Operation area number; R11~R98: Shelf number. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, the following embodiments are specific examples of the present invention and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[0032] (1) Overview of the cart management system 200

[0033] Figure 1 This is a block diagram showing an example of a network configuration of a cart management system 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The cart management system 200 is a picking system using a plurality of picking carts 10, and is a system for picking ordered goods (ordered goods) at a distribution center such as a supermarket, a convenience store, or a drug store.

[0034] In the cart management system 200, a network is constructed that enables information to be sent and received between the server 90 and the picking cart 10 via a wireless communication device. In the server 90, one ID number is registered for each picking cart.

[0035] The server 90 receives order information related to orders of goods from the terminals 100 of multiple stores and stores them. In addition, the server 90 stores information that can determine the shelf location where the goods are displayed. Furthermore, the server 90 links the information of the ordered goods and the goods location information and provides them to the picking cart 10.

[0036] like Figure 2 As shown, the picking cart 10 includes: a plurality of loading parts 21, 22, 23, a plurality of weighing devices 31, 32, 33, a communication unit 40, a control unit 50, a display panel 60, a label printer 70 and a scanner 80 (including Figure 3 A fixed scanner 81 and a handheld scanner 83 are shown). A weighing machine is mounted on each of the loading parts 21, 22, 23, and a cargo box 9 is mounted on each of the weighing machines 31, 32, 33 (see Figure 1 ).

[0037] The control unit 50 receives the order product information and the product location information linked thereto from the server 90 via the communication unit 40. The control unit 50 stores the information in the memory 53. In addition, the control unit 50 causes the label printer 70 that issues the shipping label or the receipt printer (not shown) to print the required order information. The receipt printer prints the details of the order product.

[0038] In addition, the control unit 50 causes the display panel 60 to prompt the information of the ordered product and the shelf position where the product is displayed (the position number of the shelf that determines the space where the product is placed), and the operator picks the ordered product from the specified shelf position and uses the scanner 80 to read the barcode of the picked product. The information of the ordered product and the shelf position where the product is displayed are included in the operation instruction information received from the server 90 via the communication unit 40. In addition, the operation instruction information also includes information such as the product code, the average value of the unit weight described later, and its error rate. The product code is compared with the barcode obtained by the scanner 80. In this way, it is checked whether the product taken out is the ordered product. In addition, the average value and error rate of the unit weight are used to determine whether the weight of the product loaded on the scale 31, 32, and 33 is within the weight range corresponding to the specified number of the product. For example, if the measured weight is within the weight range of the specified number, it is considered that the specified number of the specified product has been taken out, and the following product operation instruction information is displayed on the display panel 60.

[0039] The control unit 50 determines whether the order product information and the picked product information match based on the read information from the scanner 80, and if they match, displays a message of match on the display panel 60. On the other hand, if they do not match, displays an error message on the display panel 60.

[0040] The operator checks the display on the display panel 60 and puts the commodity into the cargo box 9 of the picking cart 10. A first weighing meter 31, a second weighing meter 32, and a third weighing meter 33 are respectively installed at the bottom of each cargo box 9. Therefore, the control unit 50 can grasp the weight of the commodity put into the cargo box 9.

[0041] The control unit 50 determines whether the weight value provided by the scales 31, 32, 33 matches the weight of the ordered product, and if so, displays a message of agreement on the display panel 60. On the other hand, if not, displays a message of error on the display panel 60.

[0042] (2) Structure of the sorting cart 10

[0043] like Figure 2As shown, the trolley body 11 of the picking trolley 10 has a lower cargo deck 13, an upper cargo deck 15, a frame 17, a work platform 18 and a handle 19. The lower cargo deck 13 is provided with four wheels on the side opposite to the ground so as to be able to travel on the conveying path. Two loading portions 22 and 23 are provided on the upper surface of the lower cargo deck 13.

[0044] The upper loading platform 15 is horizontally supported at a height near the waist of the operator above the lower loading platform 13. A loading portion 21 is provided on the upper surface of the upper loading platform 15. In addition, a middle platform 14 is arranged at a middle position between the lower loading platform 13 and the upper loading platform 15.

[0045] The frame 17 is composed of four prisms extending upward from the area sandwiched between the two loading parts 22 and 23 of the lower loading platform 13. The prisms are bent obliquely backward before reaching the lower surface of the upper loading platform 15 to support the rear end of the upper loading platform 15. Furthermore, a workbench 18 is arranged near the terminal end of the prism. In addition, a handle 19 protrudes from the side surface of the workbench 18 on the backward direction side. In addition, in the above embodiment, a total of three measuring devices 31, 32, and 33 are arranged on the upper and lower layers, but four or more measuring devices may also be arranged.

[0046] The operator moves along the conveying path ( Figure 4 The trolley body 11 is driven by the channel 1 to channel M shown in the figure, while the goods are transported from the shelves ( Figure 4 In the distribution center, aisles 1 to M between groups of shelves are located along the Figure 4 The conveying path formed by channels 1 to M is divided into multiple working areas ( Figure 4 The work area numbers A11 to A54 are shown in the figure, and the division of the work area and the shelf number are stored in the memory of the server 90. The picking cart 10 is moved by the operator in the plurality of work areas, and the ordered goods taken out from the shelf by the operator are loaded and transported. In addition, each of the plurality of picking carts 10 is transported and used by one operator.

[0047] Barcodes 21a, 22a, 23a are attached to the upper surfaces or side surfaces of the three loading portions 21, 22, 23. Display LEDs 21b, 22b, 23b are provided on the side surfaces of the three loading portions 21, 22, 23. This is to indicate the destination of the goods when they are put into the cargo box 9.

[0048] The first weighing device 31 , the second weighing device 32 , and the third weighing device 33 are weighing devices each having a load cell type weight sensor and located below the weighing tables 31 a , 32 a , and 33 a .

[0049] The communication unit 40 is housed in an electrical component box 55 disposed in the center of the unloading platform 13. The communication unit 40 can wirelessly communicate with the server 90 via the communication device 3 installed in the delivery center. In addition, a wireless antenna 40a is installed on the upper outer side of the electrical component box 55.

[0050] The control unit 50 is housed in an electrical component box 55. Figure 3 As shown, the control unit 50 has a built-in microcomputer 51 and a memory 53. Signals from the first meter 31, the second meter 32, the third meter 33, the communication unit 40, the display panel 60, the label printer 70, and the scanner 80 are input to the microcomputer 51.

[0051] Furthermore, the microcomputer 51 performs display control of the display panel 60 , ON-OFF control of the display LEDs 21 b , 22 b , and 23 b , and print control of the label printer 70 .

[0052] The display panel 60 is provided on the workbench 18. The display panel 60 is a touch panel type liquid crystal display screen, and displays input keys and selection buttons for making various functions work. In addition, the display panel 60 plays a role in showing the operator the work instruction information related to picking sent from the server 90.

[0053] The label printer 70 is mounted on the middle stand 14. The label printer 70 is provided with an outlet 70a for discharging the printed shipping label. The shipping label discharged from the outlet 70a is printed with a label / barcode for specifying the shipping destination, and the operator usually affixes the discharged shipping label to the cargo box 9.

[0054] The picking cart 10 is provided with a fixed scanner 81 and a handheld scanner 83. The operator uses the fixed scanner 81 to read the barcode of a simple product, and uses the handheld scanner 83 to read the barcode of a large product, the label / barcode of a shipping label, and the frontage barcode.

[0055] (3) Application example of cart management system 200

[0056] An example of application of the cart management system 200 is described in detail in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-218318.

[0057] (4) Creation of work instruction information by server 90

[0058] In the cart management system 200, the operator who operates the picking cart 10 enters his / her ID code from the login screen of the display panel 60 and logs in, and the Figure 5 Menu screen 602 is shown.

[0059] exist Figure 5 In the embodiment, a plurality of function selection buttons are displayed on the menu screen 602, and the plurality of function selection buttons include a [Picking] button 602a for giving an instruction to perform a picking operation.

[0060] In the menu screen 602, if the operator presses the [Pick] button 602a, a request signal is sent from the communication unit 40 of the picking cart 10 to the server 90, and the server 90 creates operation instruction information for the picking cart 10 and sends the operation instruction information to the communication unit 40. The control unit 50 of the picking cart 10 displays the shelf position (position number) of the commodity to be first taken out and the number of taken out on the display panel 60 based on the received operation instruction information. The operator enters the operation area and starts the picking operation from the designated shelf position while observing the displayed content. In this way, multiple picking carts 10 move to the operation area in sequence and start the picking operation.

[0061] The server 90 is implemented by a computer, and plays a role as a cart management unit that manages the picking carts 10 in the cart management system 200. The server 90 includes a control operation device 90a and a storage device 90b. The control operation device 90a can use a processor such as a CPU or a GPU. The control operation device 90a reads out a program stored in the storage device 90b, and performs predetermined image processing and operation processing according to the program. Furthermore, the control operation device 90a can write the operation result to the storage device 90b according to the program, or read out the information stored in the storage device 90b.

[0062] When the server 90 receives order information from each store, it stores the order information in the storage device 90b, extracts a group of commodities that can be picked by one picking cart 10, and creates candidates for operation instruction information to be provided to the picking cart 10. Thus, the server 90 usually holds a plurality of candidates for operation instruction information (temporarily stores a plurality of candidates in the storage device 90b). When there is a request from the picking cart 10, the server 90 selects appropriate operation instruction information from the plurality of candidates and sends it to the picking cart 10. Operation instruction information is information provided to each picking cart 10, and is information on operation instructions related to the removal of ordered commodities. The server 90 determines the degree of congestion based on one or more operation instruction information that has been sent to one or more picking carts 10 and a plurality of candidates for operation instruction information to be provided to the picking cart 10 from now on. The degree of congestion is the degree of congestion in the work area when a plurality of candidates are provided to the picking cart 10 respectively. After determining the degree of congestion, the server 90 selects the operation instruction information to be provided to the picking cart 10 from the plurality of candidates based on the congestion of the plurality of work areas.

[0063] Next, Figure 4 For example, the distribution center operation area numbers A11 to A54 are shown in the figure. Fig. 6A as well as Figure 6B The illustrated processing flow explains the processing flow of creating, selecting, and transmitting the work instruction information performed by the server 90.

[0064] The server 90 determines whether order information is received from the store in step S11. If received, the server 90 generates work instruction information to be provided to the picking cart 10 based on the order information in step S12, and stores and accumulates the information in the storage device 90b.

[0065] In step S13, the server 90 determines whether there is an update of the work progress information from the picking cart 10 that has provided (sent) the work instruction information. In the picking cart 10, when the operator takes out (picks) a specified number of commodities from the shelves in each work area according to the work instruction information, the communication unit 40 sends the server 90 the information that the picking of the commodities is completed. After receiving the information that the picking of the commodities is completed, the server 90 updates the work instruction information that has been provided to the picking cart 10 and completed in step S14. The information of each commodity included in the work instruction information includes information before picking and information that has been picked as attribute information. For example, a mark is set for the picked commodities.

[0066] As described above, if the operator presses the [Pick] button 602a (see Figure 5), a signal is sent from the communication unit 40 of the picking cart 10 to the server 90. This signal is equivalent to a request from the picking cart 10 to provide the server 90 with work instruction information. In step S15, it is determined whether the signal (request) is received. If it is determined in step S15 that the request is received, the process moves to steps S16 to S19, and the server 90 calculates the congestion of each work area. In step S16, N is set to 1, and the server 90 uses the initial candidate of the work instruction information as the object of congestion calculation. In step S17, the server 90 extracts the goods that become the object of picking from the candidates N of the unsent work instruction information that are the object of congestion calculation and one or more sent work instruction information that have been provided to the picking cart 10 and ended. Then, the server 90 grasps the work area where the shelf corresponding to the extracted goods is located, and calculates the total number of goods for each work area, and uses it as the congestion of the work area. For example, according to

[0067] Job instructions for candidate N:

[0068] The sixth product (operation area number A33),

[0069] The ninth product (operation area number A41),

[0070] Product No. 11 (Operation Area No. A42),

[0071] The 18th commodity (operation area number A53),

[0072] The first job instruction information sent:

[0073] Second product (operation area number A11),

[0074] Fifth commodity (operation area number A31),

[0075] The sixth product (operation area number A33),

[0076] The second job instruction information sent:

[0077] The third product (operation area number A12),

[0078] Fifth commodity (operation area number A31),

[0079] Thirteenth commodity (operation area number A44),

[0080] The third job instruction information sent:

[0081] Second product (operation area number A11),

[0082] The ninth product (operation area number A41),

[0083] The fifteenth commodity (operation area number A52),

[0084] The nineteenth product (operation area number A54)

[0085] For such an object's task instruction information group, the server 90 determines the following contents:

[0086] The congestion level of the work area number A11 is 2

[0087] The congestion level of the work area number A12 is 1

[0088] The congestion level of the work area number A31 is 2

[0089] The congestion level of the work area number A33 is 2

[0090] The congestion level of the work area number A41 is 2

[0091] The congestion level of the work area number A42 is 1

[0092] The congestion level of the work area number A52 is 1

[0093] The congestion level of the work area number A53 is 1

[0094] and the degree of congestion in each work area.

[0095] In step S18, 1 is added to the current N to obtain a new N.

[0096] In step S19, the server 90 compares the number of unsent work instruction information (the number of candidates) that has not been sent to the picking cart 10 and is stored in the storage device 90b with N, and determines whether N exceeds the number of candidates. When N exceeds the number of candidates, it is determined that the congestion degree of each work area has been determined for all candidates, and the server 90 moves to the next step S20. On the other hand, when N is the number of candidates or is smaller than the number of candidates, the server 90 moves to step S17 in order to determine the congestion degree of each work area for the following candidate N.

[0097] In step S20, the server 90 extracts candidates that do not include commodities placed in a work area whose congestion degree is greater than the allowed threshold value as candidates to be sent to the picking cart 10 from now on. For example, when the threshold value is set to 3, the server 90 extracts candidates whose congestion degrees of each work area are less than 3 from a plurality of candidates, and determines the operation instruction information of the candidate as the operation instruction information to be provided to the picking cart 10 next in step S21. In addition, when there are candidates whose congestion degrees of a certain work area are all above the threshold value, and there are no candidates whose congestion degrees of all work areas are less than the threshold value, the server 90 determines the candidate whose maximum congestion degree is smaller than that of other candidates as the operation instruction information to be provided to the picking cart 10. In other words, the server 90 preferentially includes candidates that only include commodities corresponding to work areas with small congestion degrees, and determines the operation instruction information to be provided to the picking cart 10 next.

[0098] Then, the server 90 transmits the determined candidate (work instruction information) to the sorting cart 10 in step S22 .

[0099] (5) Characteristics

[0100] (5-1)

[0101] In the cart management system 200, the server 90 selects the work instruction information based on the congestion degree of the plurality of work areas. This can prevent the occurrence of a situation where the picking carts 10 are concentrated in a predetermined work area and the work efficiency is reduced. Figure 4 In the distribution center shown, multiple picking trolleys 10 simultaneously receive work instruction information to pick goods placed on shelves in the work area A31. If multiple picking trolleys 10 enter the work area A31, congestion of the picking trolleys 10 will occur, and the work efficiency of the operators will be reduced. However, such congestion will hardly occur in the trolley management system 200 of this embodiment.

[0102] (5-2)

[0103] In the cart management system 200, the server 90 calculates the total number of commodities corresponding to each work area based on the multiple work instruction information of the object, and determines it as the congestion degree of the work area. The method for determining the congestion degree is simple, and the work instruction information can be quickly provided to the picking cart 10.

[0104] In addition, the server 90 may determine the operation instruction information provided to the picking cart 10 by considering parameters such as the congestion level of each operation area, such as the shipping priority, the operation start position, the duplication of commodities, the difficulty of picking, etc. In this case, which parameter is given priority is consistent with the requirements of the distribution center and the store.

[0105] (5-3)

[0106] In the cart management system 200, in the above-mentioned step S14, based on the information of picking completion sent from the picking cart 10, the server 90 updates the operation instruction information that has been provided to the picking cart 10 and completed. Therefore, the congestion degree of each operation area in step S17 is the congestion degree obtained by subtracting the number of commodities that the operator has taken out from the shelf in each operation area. In other words, the server 90 uses the number obtained by subtracting the number of commodities that the operator has taken out from the number of commodities included in the operation instruction information provided to the picking cart 10 at the time as the number of commodities included in one or more operation instruction information provided to the picking cart 10 in each operation area. Using this as the number of commodities included in the sent operation instruction information in each operation area, the server 90 calculates the total number of commodities for each operation area. Therefore, in the cart management system 200, the congestion degree of each operation area can be determined more appropriately.

[0107] (5-4)

[0108] In the cart management system 200, in step S20, the server 90 extracts candidates that do not include commodities placed in the work area where the congestion degree is greater than the allowed threshold as candidates to be sent to the picking cart 10 from now on. In other words, the server 90 preferentially selects candidates that include only commodities corresponding to the work area with a small congestion degree as the work instruction information to be provided to the picking cart 10 next. In this way, in the cart management system 200, the work instruction information can be selected by a simple selection method, and the work instruction information can be quickly provided to the picking cart 10.

[0109] (6) Modification

[0110] (6-1) First Modification

[0111] In the above embodiment, if Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 1 , the conveying path is divided into a plurality of work areas numbered A11 to A54, but the division of the work areas may also be changed according to the size of each distribution center, the configuration of the shelves, etc. For example, when each of the aisles 1 to M is set as a work area, the server 90 determines the congestion of each aisle and selects the work instruction information provided to the picking cart 10 from a plurality of candidates according to their congestion.

[0112] (6-2) Second Modification

[0113] In the above embodiment, the degree of congestion of each work area is determined, and the work instruction information to be sent to the picking cart 10 is selected based on the degree of congestion, but instead of this method, the degree of congestion of each shelf may be determined, and the work instruction information to be sent to the picking cart 10 may be selected based on the degree of congestion. In this case, the server 90 calculates the total number of the number of commodities (commodities corresponding to each shelf) included in one or more work instruction information already provided to the picking cart 10 and the number of commodities (commodities corresponding to each shelf) included in one candidate, and determines it as the degree of congestion of each work area.

[0114] In addition, the degree of congestion of each space may be determined in units of a plurality of spaces provided on each shelf instead of in units of the work area or shelf. In this case, the server 90 calculates the total number of commodities (commodities corresponding to each space) included in one or more work instruction information provided to the picking cart 10 and the number of commodities (commodities corresponding to each space) included in one candidate, and determines it as the degree of congestion of each work area.

[0115] (6-3) Third Modification

[0116] The cart management system 200 involved in the above-mentioned embodiment is a system for picking ordered goods in a distribution center, but the present invention can also be applied to a system for classifying goods in each work area. The cart management system involved in this variant example includes multiple classification carts, a display unit, and a server. Multiple classification carts are respectively used to load and transport goods in order for operators to classify goods in multiple work areas. The display unit displays work instruction information to the operator. The work instruction information is information related to the classification of goods provided to the classification cart. The server prepares the work instruction information provided to the classification cart. Based on one or more work instruction information that has been provided to the classification cart and multiple candidates for work instruction information to be provided to the classification cart from now on, the server determines the congestion in the work area when multiple candidates are provided to the classification cart respectively. The server selects the work instruction information provided to the classification cart from multiple candidates based on the congestion of the multiple work areas.

[0117] In the cart management system according to this modification, selection of work instruction information is performed based on the congestion levels of a plurality of work areas, thereby preventing the occurrence of a situation where the sorting carts are concentrated in a predetermined work area and work efficiency is reduced.

[0118] (6-4) Fourth Modification

[0119] In the above embodiment, various information is presented to the operator via the display panel 60 of the picking cart 10. Alternatively or in addition, various information may be presented to the operator using a wireless device such as a tablet terminal or a handheld terminal carried by the operator.

[0120] (6-5) Fifth Modification

[0121] In the above-mentioned embodiment, although detailed description is omitted, it is determined whether the weight value provided from the weighing devices 31, 32, and 33 is consistent with the weight of the ordered product. In this weight check, in order to calculate the optimal error rate considering the deviation caused by weight for each product for each packaging shape (loose, spherical), the control unit 50 of the picking cart 10 obtains the weight range of the indicated number of products based on the average value and error rate of the unit weight in units of loose, spherical, etc. included in the operation instruction information, and if the actual weight value received from the weighing devices 31, 32, and 33 falls within the obtained weight range, it is determined that the number of products loaded on the weighing devices is the indicated number. In this case, the average value of the unit weight used and its error rate are sent from each picking cart 10 to the server 90 during the weight check, and are calculated based on the indicated number of products and the measured weight accumulated in the storage device 90b. That is, for example, when a day's work is finished, the server 90 calculates the unit weight at each inspection based on the number of instructions and the measured weight at each weight inspection stored in the storage device 90b, and calculates the error rate by calculating the average value of the obtained multiple unit weights and the average value (standard deviation) of the difference between each unit weight. The calculation formula is: Scattered weight error rate (%) = (Standard deviation of scattered weight / average value of scattered weight) × 100.

[0122] This makes it possible to set an optimal weight error rate for each commodity, thereby contributing to improving the accuracy of weight inspection.

[0123] (6-6) Sixth Modification

[0124] In the above-mentioned embodiment, detailed description is omitted, but the optimum number of pickings may be obtained as follows.

[0125] Since there is a deviation in the weight of each product in the form of scattered or spherical items, if this is not taken into account, if the number of products placed on the weighing machine increases, one or more errors may occur. Therefore, as a method of calculating the maximum number (optimal number of picks) that does not cause errors, the server 90 uses the following calculation formula to find the optimal number of picks. Optimal number of picks = (average value of unit weight × weight error rate) / (|(standard deviation of unit weight × rate of upward fluctuation compared to the average value of unit weight) - (standard deviation of unit weight × rate of downward fluctuation compared to the average value of unit weight) |)

[0126] Here, the rate of upward fluctuation compared to the average value of the unit weight is: the number of times the measured unit weight exceeds the average value of the unit weight / the total number of measurements × (average value of the unit weight - the measured unit weight), and the rate of downward fluctuation compared to the average value of the unit weight is: the number of times the measured unit weight is lower than the average value of the unit weight / the total number of measurements × (average value of the unit weight - the measured unit weight).

[0127] Thus, the optimum number of items that can be picked at one time is set with the number exceeding the unit weight as the upper limit.

[0128] In this way, if the deviation caused by weight is taken into account for each commodity and the optimal number of picks that can be picked at one time is calculated, the indicated number can be divided according to each calculated number of picks for picking. Therefore, the difference between the actual number put in and the calculated number based on measurement disappears, and visual inspection can be eliminated.

Claims

1. A trolley management system, characterized in that: have: a communication unit that communicates with a plurality of carts, respectively, the plurality of carts moving in a plurality of work areas, carrying and conveying commodities taken out by operators from a commodity group arranged in the work areas; as well as The cart management unit generates operation instruction information to be provided to the cart based on the order information of the product, and transmits the operation instruction information to the target cart via the communication unit. The cart management unit determines the congestion in the work area when the multiple candidates are provided to the cart respectively based on one or more of the work instruction information that have been provided to the cart and the multiple candidates of the work instruction information to be provided to the cart from now on, and selects the work instruction information to be provided to the cart from the multiple candidates based on the congestion of each of the work areas.

2. The trolley management system according to claim 1, wherein: The cart management unit determines the congestion degree as the total number of commodities included in one or more of the work instruction information already provided to the cart and the number of commodities included in one of the candidate work instruction information corresponding to each of the work areas.

3. The trolley management system according to claim 1, wherein: A shelf having a space for placing the goods is provided in the work area. The cart management unit determines the degree of congestion as the total number of commodities included in one or more of the work instruction information provided to the cart corresponding to each of the shelves or the space and the number of commodities included in one of the candidate work instruction information.

4. The trolley management system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: The number of commodities included in the one or more work instruction information provided to the cart is a number obtained by subtracting the number of commodities already taken out by the operator from the number of commodities included in the work instruction information at the time of providing the cart.

5. The trolley management system according to claim 1, wherein: The cart management unit preferentially selects the candidate including only the products corresponding to the work area with a low degree of congestion as the work instruction information to be provided to the cart.

6. A trolley management system, characterized in that: have: A plurality of carts for carrying and transporting commodities to enable operators to sort commodities in a plurality of work areas; a display unit for showing the operator work instruction information related to the classification of the commodities provided to the cart; as well as The trolley management unit generates the operation instruction information provided to the trolley, The cart management unit determines the congestion in the work area when the multiple candidates are provided to the cart respectively based on one or more of the work instruction information that have been provided to the cart and the multiple candidates of the work instruction information to be provided to the cart from now on, and selects the work instruction information to be provided to the cart from the multiple candidates based on the congestion of the multiple work areas.

7. A trolley, linked to the trolley management system according to claim 1 or 6, characterized in that: have: A communication unit, communicating various information with the trolley management system; a display unit that displays the information received by the communication unit to an operator; and The control unit causes the display unit to display the work instruction information when receiving the work instruction information via the communication unit.

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