Method for monitoring a product flow

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for monitoring a product stream for detecting a loading process, comprising at least the following steps: detecting the reception of a product by a conveyor device by reading out a product label assigned to the product by means of a reader assigned to the conveyor device; monitoring the loading state of the product on the conveying device by repeatedly or continuously reading out the product labels assigned to the product by means of a reader assigned to the conveying device; detecting the entry of the transport device transporting the product into the loading area of the product receiving unit by detecting an override of the geo-fencing area defining the loading area by means of a transport device label assigned to the transport device and / or by means of a product receiving unit label assigned to the product receiving unit; detecting the storage of the product by the transport device by means of a reader assigned to the transport device no longer being able to read out the product label assigned to the product; and detecting when the conveyor no longer conveying the product leaves the loading area by detecting an override of the geo-fenced area defining the loading area by means of the conveyor label and / or by means of the product receiving unit label.

Description

Background Art

[0001] The present application relates to a method according to the preamble of claim 1 , to an apparatus according to claim 14 and to a system according to claim 15 .

[0002] A method for monitoring a product flow has been proposed, the method having at least one product receiving unit, and at least one conveying device, the at least one product receiving unit providing a storage space for temporarily accommodating products, the at least one conveying device being movable at least within a warehouse and being configured to at least convey products within the warehouse and / or to perform a process of loading products into the product receiving unit and / or to perform a process of unloading products from the product receiving unit. However, known methods for monitoring a product flow in a warehouse require manual intervention by an operator at multiple points, for example for reading out a barcode to identify a currently moving product or for manually confirming by an operator that a certain product has been unloaded or received.

[0003] The object of the present application is in particular to provide a method with advantageous properties for monitoring loading and / or unloading processes, in particular in a warehouse. This object is achieved by the features of patent claims 1, 2, 14 and 15, while advantageous realizations and developments of the present application can be collected in the dependent claims.

[0004] Advantages of this application The present application is based on a method for monitoring a product flow, in particular at least within a warehouse, the method comprising at least one product receiving unit and at least one conveying device, the at least one product receiving unit providing a storage space for temporarily accommodating products, the at least one conveying device being movable at least within the warehouse and being configured for conveying products at least within the warehouse and / or performing a process of loading products into the product receiving unit and / or performing a process of unloading products from the product receiving unit.

[0005] It is proposed to perform at least the following steps to detect the completed loading process: detecting when a product is received by the conveying device by reading a product tag assigned to the product by a reader assigned to the conveying device; monitoring the loading status of the products on the conveying device by repeatedly or continuously reading the product tags assigned to the products by a reader assigned to the conveying device; detecting when a conveying device conveying products enters a loading zone of a product receiving unit by knowing, via a conveying device tag assigned to the conveying device and / or via a product receiving unit tag assigned to the product receiving unit, when a geo-fenced area delimiting the loading zone has been exceeded, in particular within the geo-fenced area; detecting when a product has been deposited by the conveying device by virtue of the fact that the product label assigned to the product can no longer be read by a reader assigned to the conveying device; and By knowing when a geo-fenced area delimiting the loading area is exceeded, in particular to the outside of the geo-fenced area, it is detected when a conveyor device that is no longer conveying products leaves the loading area.

[0006] Thus, the monitoring of the product flow can advantageously be improved, in particular making it more reliable and / or safer, in particular by being able to reliably detect when a product, in particular an identified product, is loaded. Thus, the product flow monitoring can advantageously be at least largely automated, preferably fully automated. The efficiency of the product flow can advantageously be increased. Advantageously, misorientation of the products can be avoided as far as possible. In particular by being able to carry out manual working steps, a high level of user-friendliness can advantageously be achieved, in particular redundant error sources can be indicated. The order of the steps of the method according to the present application does not need to correspond to the order of the features mentioned in the claims, but can also deviate from the order of the features mentioned and / or can include additional steps or intermediate steps.

[0007] For example, the product flow can include the route of the product / goods from the manufacturer to the end user, or the route between the manufacturer, supplier, distributor and the route within the company. Preferably, the method according to the present application is configured to monitor at least the product flow in the warehouse, the product flow from the warehouse to the outside, and the product flow from the outside to the warehouse. The product can be implemented as a package (with standardized, non-standardized or random size), a pallet, etc. In particular, the product receiving unit is configured to accommodate a large number or a plurality of similar or different products. In particular, the storage space of the product receiving unit can simultaneously receive a large number or a plurality of similar or different products. In particular, the product receiving unit is mobile, or can be connected to a mobile traction vehicle, or can be loaded onto a mobile traction vehicle. In particular, the product receiving unit is configured to accommodate the product and / or transport the product between different locations only in the time period when the product is transported between different locations. The conveying device is preferably implemented as a floor conveying device, such as a (forklift), a pallet truck, a tractor, etc. However, alternatively, the conveying device can also be implemented as an overhead conveying device, such as an overhead track, a track conveying system, etc. In particular, the conveying device is designed to be unmanned or at least partially guided by an operator.

[0008] The product tag can be implemented, for example, as an RFID tag, a photoelectric code (such as a barcode, a data matrix code, a QR code, etc.) or another tag that can be read by a reader in close proximity. In particular, the product tag is attached (e.g., adhered or attached) to the product. In particular, the reader is moved into the readout area of ​​the product tag by the movement of the conveying device when acquiring the product, in which the reader of the conveying device can read the product tag. The readout area depends on the product tag and the reader, but is usually not more than 2m, preferably not more than 1m, preferably not more than 0.5m, and particularly preferably not more than 0.25m. In particular, the reader is mounted on the conveying device. In particular, the reader constantly or repeatedly monitors the loading area of ​​the conveying device, in which the product is located when the conveying device is loaded. In particular, once the product tag is in the readout area of ​​the reader, the acquisition of the product is detected with certainty. In particular, the reader is designed to be different from a handheld scanner. In particular, the reader functions and / or can operate independently of operator intervention. Alternatively, however, provision may also be made for the operator of the conveying device to activate the reader as soon as the product has been taken up with the conveying device.Preferably, the loading state of the product on the conveying device is also monitored automatically / autonomously.

[0009] In particular, a geo-fenced area should be understood to mean an area (partially closed) whose boundaries are not visible to the human eye and / or whose boundaries are predefined only by digital boundaries in digital space. In particular, the geo-fenced area surrounds a product receiving unit, preferably at least one area around a loading opening of the product receiving unit. In particular, the conveying device tag and the product receiving unit tag communicate with each other or with a common central system or a decentralized system for determining the geo-fenced area and / or determining when the boundaries defining the geo-fenced area are exceeded inwardly and / or outwardly. In particular, the conveying device tag is permanently mounted on the conveying device. Alternatively, the conveying device tag can also be assigned to an operator of the conveying device. The product receiving unit tag is in particular permanently fastened to the product receiving unit, for example centered above the loading opening. The ability to no longer read the product tag occurs in particular when the product tag has been removed from the reading area of ​​the reader of the conveying device, for example after the conveying device has unloaded the product with the product tag and moved away from the product receiving unit. The confirmation that the conveyor device has left the loading area, which is obtained in a manner closely related in time to when the tags can no longer be read, advantageously makes it possible to determine with a very high degree of certainty that the conveyor device has actually also loaded the products into the product receiving unit. In addition, a further reader can be provided which is assigned to the product receiving unit and reads from the corresponding product tags which products are currently located in the product receiving unit.

[0010] In another aspect of the present application that can be considered alone, or in combination with at least one aspect, in particular in combination with one aspect, in particular in combination with any number of other aspects of the present application, it is proposed to perform at least the following steps to detect the completed unloading process: detecting the availability of a loading area of ​​the conveyor device by means of a reader assigned to the conveyor device by means of the absence of a readable product label in a reading area of ​​the reader assigned to the conveyor device, in particular by means of an inability to read a product label; detecting when the conveying device enters a loading zone of the product receiving unit by knowing, via a conveying device tag assigned to the conveying device and / or via a product receiving unit tag assigned to the product receiving unit, when a geo-fenced area delimiting the loading zone has been exceeded, in particular within the geo-fenced area; detecting when a product has been picked up by the conveying device by reading a product tag assigned to the product by a reader assigned to the conveying device; By knowing when a geofenced area delimiting the loading area is exceeded, in particular to the outside of the geofenced area, by means of a conveyor device tag assigned to the conveyor device and / or by means of a product receiving unit tag assigned to the product receiving unit, it is detected when the conveyor device conveying the products leaves the loading area. Thus, the monitoring of the product flow can advantageously be improved, in particular making it more reliable and / or safer, in particular by being able to reliably detect when products, in particular identified products, are unloaded.

[0011] If a conveyor device tag (in particular a conveyor device tag of a conveyor device) and a product receiving unit tag (in particular a product receiving unit tag of a product receiving unit) communicate with each other (in particular at least during loading and / or unloading, and preferably at least immediately before and / or immediately after loading and / or unloading) using ultra-wideband (UWB) radio technology, a particularly accurate and / or reliable and / or external influence-insensitive method (such as contamination) for setting and monitoring geofences (in particular geofence areas) can advantageously be obtained. Ultra-wideband radio technology advantageously enables distances and / or directions to be determined in a particularly precise manner. In particular, the conveyor device tag and / or the product receiving unit tag comprises a UWB transceiver. In particular, the UWB transceiver is implemented as a sensor that transmits and receives electromagnetic waves (in particular wave packets), wherein the emitted electromagnetic waves (in particular emitted wave packets) and the received electromagnetic waves (in particular received wave packets) cover a particularly large bandwidth, preferably a bandwidth greater than 500 MHz. In particular, the wave packets emitted and received by the UWB transceiver include a plurality of electromagnetic waves of different frequencies, which preferably have a fixed phase relationship with each other. In particular, the UWB transceiver detects electromagnetic waves (ultra-wideband signals), in particular wave packets, which are emitted by the opposing conveyor device tags and / or product receiving unit tags, so as to evaluate the position and / or distance of the opposing conveyor device tags and / or product receiving unit tags relative to the conveyor device tags and / or product receiving unit tags. The distance is determined in particular by measuring the propagation time of the UWB signal, which is exchanged (back and forth) between the two conveyor device tags and / or product receiving unit tags involved in each case. The direction can be detected by each of the conveyor device tags and / or product receiving unit tags having a plurality of antennas at a certain distance from each other and the time delay of the arrival of the UWB signal between two or more of these antennas is evaluated. Preferably, the transmitter and / or receiver of the UWB transceiver are operated continuously. However, alternatively, it is also conceivable that the transmitter and / or receiver of the UWB transceiver are operated intermittently and / or in a pulsed manner. Advantageously, the use of ultra-wideband sensor technology can prevent the influence and / or interference of other radio transmission methods, in particular other narrowband radio transmission methods, such as LoRa, 5G or WLAN (in particular 802.11p). In particular, the receiver of the UWB transceiver is configured to register and process a plurality of ultra-wideband signals from different multifunctional tags, in particular received simultaneously. It is conceivable that the identifier signal is integrated in the ultra-wideband signal or separated, and the identifier signal allows the respective individual conveyor device tag and / or product receiving unit tag that sends the identifier signal to be recognized by other relative conveyor device tags and / or product receiving unit tags, the identifier signal also being transmitted via the ultra-wideband signal.In particular, it is conceivable that the conveyor device tag or the product receiving unit tag is realized as a multifunctional tag, as described in the German patent application with application number 102021118998.5, the disclosure content of which is intended to be incorporated in its entirety into the present application by reference.

[0012] Furthermore, particularly accurate and / or reliable geo-fence monitoring can advantageously be achieved if ultra-wideband radio technology is used to at least determine the relative position between the conveying device and the product receiving unit, so that in particular the geo-fence area is monitored. This can advantageously exclude sources of error, such as erroneous identification caused by adjacent loading or unloading processes. In addition, it is conceivable that the product receiving unit tag, in particular by ultra-wideband radio technology and via communication with an anchor station permanently installed in the warehouse, can be configured to determine the position of the associated product receiving unit within the warehouse and, in particular relative to the product receiving unit and / or the conveying device and / or the carrier vehicle, preferably transmit it to an external system, such as an enterprise resource planning system. The term "configured" refers in particular to specially programmed, designed and / or equipped. The fact that an object is configured for a specific function refers in particular to the fact that the object operates and / or performs this specific function in at least one application and / or operating state.

[0013] It is further proposed that when the product tag is read by a reader of the conveying device, the product is bijectively identified and, in particular, at least one item of product information relating to the product is read. Thus, the monitoring of the product flow can advantageously be improved, in particular making it more reliable and / or safer, in particular by being able to reliably detect when a product, in particular an identified product, is loaded. In particular, the product tag comprises at least one code, which can be read directly from the product tag or which is also transmitted to the reader when the product tag is read, and which comprises product information and / or a unique product ID. For example, the product information can comprise a description of the product, a destination of the product, a quantity of the product, etc.

[0014] Furthermore, it is proposed that at least during the loading process, product information related to the loaded product identified by the reader and / or the product ID of the loaded product identified by the reader is transmitted to a product receiving unit and / or an external system (in particular related to the product receiving unit and / or the conveying device and / or the carrier vehicle), such as an enterprise resource planning system, using ultra-wideband radio technology or via a further interface (in particular an interface of a conveying device tag or a radio unit connected to the conveying device tag, which uses a radio technology different from ultra-wideband radio technology). As a result, the monitoring of the product flow, in particular the output product flow, can be advantageously improved, in particular making it more reliable and / or safer. In particular, a particularly comprehensive and particularly up-to-date data record of the products in the warehouse or company can be obtained. The further radio technology of the conveying device tag or the radio unit can be based on, for example, known radio protocols such as WLAN, Bluetooth, etc.

[0015] Furthermore, if, at least during the unloading process, product information items stored by the product receiving unit relating to the unloaded product and / or the product ID of the unloaded product are transmitted to the conveying device and / or to an external system (in particular related to the product receiving unit and / or the conveying device and / or the carrier vehicle), such as an enterprise resource planning system, using ultra-wideband radio technology or via a further interface (in particular of the product receiving unit tag or a further radio unit connected to the product receiving unit tag, which uses a radio technology different from ultra-wideband radio technology), the monitoring of the product flow, in particular the incoming product flow, can be advantageously improved, in particular made more reliable and / or safer. In particular, a particularly comprehensive and particularly up-to-date data record of the products in the warehouse or company can be obtained. The further radio technology of the product receiving unit tag or the further radio unit can be based on, for example, known radio protocols such as WLAN, Bluetooth, etc.

[0016] It is further proposed that the process of loading the product receiving unit by the conveying device and / or the process of unloading the product receiving unit by the conveying device is distinguished from the conveying device (especially another conveying device) passing through the product receiving unit by identifying the orientation of the conveying device relative to the product receiving unit by ultra-wideband radio technology. This can advantageously achieve particularly accurate and / or reliable product flow monitoring. This can advantageously exclude error sources, such as erroneous identification caused by only passing through the conveying device close to the product receiving unit. In order to distinguish the process of loading the product receiving unit by the conveying device and / or the process of unloading the product receiving unit by the conveying device from the passing of the conveying device, the degree of rotation of the conveying device as a whole in the geo-fenced area or in the vicinity of the geo-fenced area can be used. A rotation of more than 80° in the geo-fenced area or in the vicinity of the geo-fenced area (and outside all other geo-fenced areas of the warehouse) can be used as a positive indicator of the loading or unloading process. A rotation of less than 80° in the geo-fenced area or in the vicinity of the geo-fenced area (and outside all other geo-fenced areas of the warehouse) can be used as a positive indicator of the loading or unloading process. Thus, if the rotation of the conveyor device is determined by the ultra-wideband radio technology to be more than 80°, in particular at least 90°, the presence of the conveyor device in the geofenced area is registered as a loading process or an unloading process. Thus, if the rotation of the conveyor device is determined by the ultra-wideband radio technology to be less than 80°, in particular less than 90°, the presence of the conveyor device in the geofenced area is registered neither as a loading process nor as an unloading process.

[0017] Furthermore, it is proposed that the product receiving unit is implemented as a transversely loadable transport container, in particular as a swap body. This can advantageously improve the organization of warehouses served by large transport containers. Advantageously, the swap body can be optimally organized, in particular loaded and / or unloaded. As an alternative to a swap body, the transversely loadable transport container can also be implemented as a semitrailer with a sliding sheet or with a transversely openable flap or the like. As an alternative to a swap body, the transversely loadable transport container can also be formed solely by an open loading area, for example a truck.

[0018] Furthermore, it is proposed that the reader of the conveying device is implemented as an RFID reader or an optical scanner, such as a 1D code scanner, a 2D code scanner or a camera. This advantageously enables ensuring that the product label is implemented cost-effectively, scalably and can be easily placed on the product.

[0019] It is also proposed that, in particular after the completion of the loading process or the unloading process, the connection of the product receiving unit to the carrier vehicle (e.g., a semi-trailer tractor) is detected by communication between the product receiving unit tag and the carrier vehicle tag (in particular, using ultra-wideband radio technology). Thus, the monitoring of the product flow can be advantageously improved, in particular, made more reliable and / or safer, and can be particularly extended outside the warehouse. In particular, it is conceivable that the carrier vehicle tag is implemented as a multifunctional tag, as described in the German patent application with application number 102021118998.5. In particular, the conveying device tag, the product receiving unit tag and / or the carrier vehicle tag can be at least substantially identical to each other. In particular, the ultra-wideband radio technology is used to at least determine the relative position between the carrier vehicle and the product receiving unit. For example, when entering the warehouse, the carrier vehicle tag can be permanently installed in the carrier vehicle or assigned to the driver of the carrier vehicle. In particular, the carrier vehicle tag and / or the product receiving unit tag detects the connection between the product receiving unit and the carrier vehicle by the maximum distance between the two tags being insufficient. To do this, the positions of both tags in the carrier vehicle and the product receiving unit must be known as accurately as possible. Alternatively, the connection between the product receiving unit and the carrier vehicle can be detected by knowing the common relative motion to a fixed known point (e.g., a UWB anchor station or a unique spatial feature).

[0020] If, in particular using ultra-wideband radio technology or another radio technology, such as WLAN, Bluetooth, etc., or using a separate radio protocol in the frequency range intended for this, the product ID of the product currently present in the product receiving unit and / or at least one item of product information related to the product currently present in the product receiving unit, which is stored by the product receiving unit, is transmitted from the product receiving unit, in particular from the product receiving unit tag to the carrier vehicle, in particular to the carrier vehicle tag. Incorrect deliveries can advantageously be excluded with great probability. In particular, whenever the content of the product receiving unit changes, for example as a result of loading or unloading, an updated overview is transmitted from the product receiving unit tag to the carrier vehicle tag.

[0021] Furthermore, it is proposed that when a conveying device conveying a product enters a loading zone, a product receiving unit ID identifying a product receiving unit bi-radio is transmitted to the conveying device, whereby the conveying device queries an internal or external database to check whether a product (in particular a product previously identified by a reader of the conveying device) is intended to be loaded into a product receiving unit having this product receiving unit ID. As a result, it is likely that incorrect deliveries will be advantageously excluded. For example, the external database can be provided by an enterprise resource planning system. The conveying device can query the external database, for example using ultra-wideband radio technology or via another interface (in particular a conveying device tag or a radio unit connected to a conveying device tag, which uses a radio technology different from ultra-wideband radio technology).

[0022] A device for carrying out the above method is also proposed, comprising at least one reader and at least one conveyor device tag, each tag being intended to be mounted on a conveyor device, and the device comprising at least one product receiving unit tag for mounting on a product receiving unit and a system having the device, the system having at least one conveyor device and having at least one product receiving unit, in particular an exchange box. Thus, the monitoring of the product flow can advantageously be improved, in particular making it more reliable and / or safer, in particular by being able to reliably detect when products, in particular identified products, are loaded. Thus, the product flow monitoring can advantageously be automated at least to a large extent, preferably fully automated. The efficiency of the product flow can advantageously be increased. Advantageously, misorientation of products can be avoided as much as possible.

[0023] The method according to the present application, the device according to the present application, and the system according to the present application are not limited to the above-mentioned applications and embodiments. In particular, the method according to the present application, the device according to the present application, and the system according to the present application may have a plurality of individual method steps, elements, components, and units that deviate from the numbers mentioned herein to comply with the operating methods described herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Further advantages emerge from the following description of the drawings. The drawings show exemplary embodiments of the present application. The drawings, the specification and the claims combine to contain many features. A person skilled in the art will also readily consider these features individually and combine them into useful further combinations.

[0025] In the attached picture: Figure 1 Schematically shows a warehouse with a system including an apparatus for performing a method for monitoring a product flow; Figure 2 schematically shows a portion of a system including a conveying device, a product receiving unit and a carrier vehicle; Figure 3A conveying device and a product receiving unit with a part of the apparatus are schematically shown; Figure 4 schematically showing a carrier vehicle and a product receiving unit with another part of the apparatus; and Figure 5 A schematic flow chart of a method for monitoring a product flow within a warehouse is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Figure 1 A warehouse 10 is schematically shown. The warehouse 10 comprises storage locations 46 for products 16 that are delivered to the warehouse 10 and / or shipped from the warehouse 10. The warehouse 10 comprises a system 44 for organizing deliveries and shipments. The system 44 comprises a conveyor device 18 (see also Figure 3 ). The conveying device 18 is implemented as a floor conveying device. The conveying device 18 is implemented as a forklift. The system 44 includes product receiving units 12. The product receiving units 12 each provide a storage space 14 for temporarily accommodating products 16. The product receiving units 12 are configured to store products 16 during the conveying of products 16 between two locations. The product receiving units 12 form a conveying container for the products 16. In the exemplary embodiment shown in the figure, the product receiving unit 12 is implemented as an exchange box. Alternatively or additionally, the product receiving unit 12 or a separate product receiving unit 12 can also be implemented as a different transversely loadable conveying container, such as a semi-trailer with a sliding sheet, etc. The conveying device 18 can be moved within the warehouse 10. The conveying device 18 is configured for conveying products 16 within the warehouse 10. The conveying device 18 is configured to perform a process of loading the products 16 into the product receiving unit 12. The conveying device 18 is configured to perform a process of unloading the products 16 from the product receiving unit 12. In the warehouse 10, empty product receiving units 12' and full product receiving units 12 are arranged and loaded and / or unloaded by the conveying device 18. The product receiving units 12 implemented as exchange boxes are delivered and / or collected by the carrier vehicle 38. The exchange boxes can be detached from the carrier vehicle 38 and parked. The exchange boxes can be loaded onto the carrier vehicle 38 or onto the trailer 48 of the carrier vehicle 38 and carried by the carrier vehicle 38. The carrier vehicle 38 can be implemented as a semitrailer tractor (see also Figure 4 ).

[0027] Figure 2 At least a portion of a system 44 is schematically shown. The system 44 has a device 42. The device 42 is configured to perform Figure 5The method shown. The device 42 comprises a product tag 20. The product tag 20 is assigned to the product 16. An individual product tag 20 is assigned to each product unit (e.g., each Euro pallet) in the warehouse 10. For example, the product tag 20 is implemented as an RFID chip. The device 42 has a reader 22. The reader 22 is assigned to the conveyor 18. The reader 22 is permanently installed in the conveyor 18. The reader 22 is configured to read the product tag 20 when the product tag 20 is located in a read area 34 of the reader 22. The reader 22 is configured to read the product tag 20 when the product tag 20 is located in the loading area 32 of the conveyor 18. The read area 34 of the reader 22 (completely) overlaps with the loading area 32 of the conveyor 18. The reader 22 is mounted on the conveyor 18 in such a way that it has / can monitor the loading area 32 of the conveyor 18 in its field of view. For example, the reader 22 is implemented as an RFID reader. The reader 22 is configured to monitor the loading status of the products 16 on the conveyor 18 by repeatedly or continuously reading the product tags 20 assigned to the products 16. The reader 22 is configured to bijectively identify the products 16 by reading the product tags 20. The reader 22 is configured to read at least one item of product information related to the products 16 by reading the product tags 20.

[0028] The device 42 includes a conveyor tag 28. The conveyor tag 28 is assigned to the conveyor 18. A separate conveyor tag 28 is assigned to each conveyor 18. The conveyor tag 28 is designed to be mounted on the conveyor 18. The conveyor tag 28 is permanently mounted on the conveyor 18. The conveyor tag 28 is configured to communicate using ultra-wideband radio technology. The conveyor tag 28 is configured to monitor the environment of the conveyor 18 using ultra-wideband technology. The conveyor tag 28 is configured to detect other tags of the device 42 that communicate using ultra-wideband radio technology and / or to communicate with the other tags. In addition, the conveyor tag 28 can also be configured to communicate with an anchor station 50 permanently installed in the warehouse 10 for ultra-wideband communication, in particular for locating the conveyor 18 within the warehouse 10. Alternatively or additionally, the conveyor tag 28 can also be configured to communicate with the anchor station 50 permanently installed in the warehouse 10 or with a mobile radio (e.g., LTE or 5G) of the back end 58. The warehouse 10 includes a product flow control system 66 having a back end 58, an interface database 60, and an enterprise resource planning system 62. The conveyor tag 28 can be configured to communicate directly with the product flow control system 66 via a mobile radio connection (e.g., LTE or 5G), or to communicate indirectly with the product flow control system 66 through UWB data exchange with the anchor station 50. Alternatively or additionally, the conveyor tag 28 can also be configured to receive signals from the satellite navigation system 56. The conveyor 18 has a control device 52, which has a front end 54 and an interface (GUI) 64. The conveyor tag 28 transmits data to the front end 54 for display to a user via the interface 64. The conveyor tag 28 transmits data to the product flow control system 66. These data can include location data related to the conveyor 18, data related to the interaction with other tags of the device 42, or data related to entering / leaving the geo-fenced area 26, respectively. The reader 22 can also communicate data to the front end 54 for display to the user via the interface 64. These data may be product information, a product ID or delivery information / specifications for delivering the product 16 .

[0029] The device 42 has a product receiving unit tag 30. The product receiving unit tag 30 is assigned to the product receiving unit 12. Each product receiving unit 12 in the warehouse 10 is assigned a separate product receiving unit tag 30. The product receiving unit tag 30 is designed to be installed on the product receiving unit 12. The product receiving unit tag 30 is permanently installed on the product receiving unit 12. The product receiving unit tag 30 is configured to communicate using ultra-wideband radio technology. The product receiving unit tag 30 is configured to monitor the environment of the product receiving unit 12 using ultra-wideband technology. The product receiving unit tag 30 is configured to detect other tags of the device 42 that communicate using ultra-wideband radio technology (such as the conveyor tag 28), and / or to communicate with the other tags. In addition, the product receiving unit tag 30 can also be configured to perform ultra-wideband communication with an anchor station 50 permanently installed in the warehouse 10, in particular for locating the product receiving unit 12 within the warehouse 10. The product receiving unit tag 30 can be configured for direct communication with the product flow control system 66 via a mobile radio connection (e.g., LTE or 5G), or for indirect communication with the product flow control system 66 via UWB data exchange with the anchor station 50. Alternatively or additionally, the product receiving unit tag 30 can also be configured for alternative radio communication 106 (e.g., IEEE802.15.4) with the anchor station 50 permanently installed in the warehouse 10. Alternatively or additionally, the product receiving unit tag 30 can also be configured for receiving signals from the satellite navigation system 56. The product receiving unit tag 30 transmits data to the product flow control system 66. Such data may include location data related to the product receiving unit 12, data related to the interaction with other tags of the device 42, the loading level of the product 16 loaded in the product receiving unit 12, or data related to other tags entering / leaving the geo-fenced area 26 of the product receiving unit tag 30.

[0030] The product receiving unit tag 30 is configured to define a geo-fenced area 26. The product receiving unit tag 30 is configured to monitor the geo-fenced area 26. The product receiving unit tag 30 is configured to transmit the geo-fenced area 26 to other tags of the device 42, for example to the conveyor tag 28. The geo-fenced area 26 forms a loading zone 24 of the product receiving unit 12 having the product receiving unit tag 30. The geo-fenced area 26 surrounds at least one (transverse) loading opening 68 of the product receiving unit 12. The geo-fenced area 26 does not extend or only negligibly extends beyond the longitudinal extent of the product receiving unit 12. For example, the geo-fenced area 26 can be limited to all points at a distance of less than 2 m, preferably less than 1.5 mm, and preferably less than 1 m from the loading opening 68 of the product receiving unit 12.

[0031] The device 42 has a carrier vehicle tag 40. The carrier vehicle tag 40 is assigned to the carrier vehicle 38. Each carrier vehicle 38 in the warehouse 10 is assigned an individual carrier vehicle tag 40. The carrier vehicle tag 40 is intended to be installed on the carrier vehicle 38. The carrier vehicle tag 40 is permanently installed on the carrier vehicle 38. Alternatively, the carrier vehicle tag 40 can also be implemented as a mobile device, which is assigned to the driver of the carrier vehicle 38 and must be carried during the movement of the carrier vehicle 38. The carrier vehicle tag 40 is configured to communicate using ultra-wideband radio technology. The carrier vehicle tag 40 is configured to monitor the environment of the product receiving unit 12 using ultra-wideband technology. The carrier vehicle tag 40 is configured to detect other tags of the device 42 that communicate using ultra-wideband radio technology (such as the product receiving unit tag 30), and / or communicate with the other tags. The carrier vehicle tag 40 is configured to detect a connection between the product receiving unit 12 and the carrier vehicle 38 by causing the product receiving unit tag 30 to communicate with the carrier vehicle tag 40 using ultra-wideband radio technology. The product receiving unit tag 30 is configured to transmit the product ID of the product 16 currently present in the product receiving unit 12 to the carrier vehicle tag 40 using ultra-wideband radio technology, the product ID being stored by the product receiving unit 12 and received from the delivery vehicle tag 28. The product receiving unit tag 30 is configured to transmit items of product information related to the product 16 currently present in the product receiving unit 12 to the carrier vehicle tag 40 using ultra-wideband radio technology, the items of product information being stored by the product receiving unit 12 and received from the delivery vehicle tag 28. The carrier vehicle tag 40 may be configured to output information to the driver of the carrier vehicle 38 regarding which product receiving units 12 are to be processed and / or where certain product receiving units 12 are to be delivered.

[0032] The carrier vehicle tag 40 may also be configured for ultra-wideband communication with an anchor station 50 permanently installed in the warehouse 10, in particular for locating the carrier vehicle 38 within the warehouse 10. Alternatively or additionally, the carrier vehicle tag 40 may also be configured for alternative radio communication 106 (e.g., IEEE 802.15.4) with an anchor station 50 permanently installed in the warehouse 10. The carrier vehicle tag 40 can be configured for direct communication with the product flow control system 66 via a mobile radio connection (e.g., LTE or 5G), or for indirect communication with the product flow control system 66 via UWB data exchange with the anchor station 50. Alternatively or additionally, the carrier vehicle tag 40 may also be configured for receiving signals from a satellite navigation system 56. The carrier vehicle tag 40 transmits data to the product flow control system 66. These data may include location data related to the carrier vehicle 38 or data related to the interaction with other tags of the device 42.

[0033] Figure 5 A schematic flow chart of a method for monitoring a product flow in a warehouse 10 is shown. The method comprises a first method part 70, in which a series of method steps 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84 are performed in order to detect a completed loading process. In at least one method step 72, it is detected when a product 16 is picked up by a conveying device 18. It is detected when a product 16 is picked up by a conveying device 18 by reading a product tag 20 assigned to the product 16 by a reader 22 assigned to the conveying device 18. In method step 72, when the product tag 20 is read by the reader 22, the product 16 is bijectively identified. In method step 72, when the reader 22 reads the product tag 20, product information related to the product 16 is read. In at least one further method step 74, product information relating to the product 16 to be loaded identified by the reader 22 and / or the product ID of the product 16 to be loaded identified by the reader 22 is transmitted to the product receiving unit 12 and / or the enterprise resource planning system 62 using ultra-wideband radio technology or via another interface using a radio technology different from ultra-wideband radio technology. In at least one further method step 76, information is displayed to the operator via the interface 64 of the conveyor device 18, which indicates where the operator of the conveyor device 18 should take the product 16, in particular into which product receiving unit 12 the operator should load the product 16.

[0034] In at least one further method step 78, the loading status of the products 16 on the conveyor 18 is monitored by repeatedly or continuously reading out the product tags 20 assigned to the products 16 by the reader 22. In at least one further method step 80, when the conveyor 18 approaches the product receiving unit 12 in the warehouse 10, a check is performed by communication between the product receiving unit tag 30 and the conveyor tag 28 to determine whether the product receiving unit 12 corresponds to the product receiving unit 12 to which the product 16 that has been identified and is currently being loaded by the conveyor 18 is to be loaded. The conveyor tag 28 and the product receiving unit tag 30 communicate with each other using ultra-wideband radio technology. In addition, it is checked, for example, whether the product tag 20 currently located in the readout area 34 of the reader 22 is part of the boundary of this product receiving unit 12. In this method step 80, when the conveying device 18 conveying the product 16 enters the loading area 24, the product receiving unit ID biradical identifying the product receiving unit 12 is transmitted to the conveying device 18, whereby the conveying device 18 queries an internal or external database to check whether the product 16 previously identified by the reader 22 is intended to be loaded precisely into this product receiving unit 12 with this product receiving unit ID.

[0035] In at least one further method step 82, it is detected when the conveyor 18 conveying the product 16 enters the loading area 24 of the product receiving unit 12 by knowing when the geofenced area 26 delimiting the loading area 24 has been exceeded by means of the conveyor tag 28 assigned to the conveyor 18 and by means of the product receiving unit tag 30 assigned to the product receiving unit 12. In order to monitor the geofenced area 26, ultra-wideband radio technology is used to determine the relative position between the conveyor 18 and the product receiving unit 12. In at least one further method step 84, it is detected when the product 16 is deposited by the conveyor 18. The depositing of the product 16 is determined by detecting when the product 16 leaves the loading area 32 of the conveyor 18. Leaving the loading area 32 of the conveyor 18 is detected by the fact that the product tag 20 assigned to the product 16 can no longer be read by the reader 22. In addition, in method step 84, it is detected that the product has left the loading area 24 by means of the fact that the product tag 20 can no longer be read by the conveyor 18, thereby confirming that the product 16 has been deposited. Leaving the loading zone 24 is detected by knowing when the geo-fenced area 26 defining the loading zone 24 has been exceeded via a conveyor tag 28 assigned to the conveyor 18 and a product receiving unit tag 30 assigned to the product receiving unit 12. The position of the conveyor 18 relative to the product receiving unit 12 and / or all changes in the orientation of the conveyor 18 within the loading zone 24 are identified via ultra-wideband radio technology, thereby distinguishing between the process of loading the product receiving unit 12 via the conveyor 18 and the process of the conveyor 18 passing through the product receiving unit 12.

[0036] The method comprises a second method part 36, in which a series of method steps 86, 88, 90, 92 are performed to detect the completion of the unloading process. In at least one method step 86, the availability of the loading area 32 of the conveyor device 18 is detected by the absence of a readable product tag 20 in the readout area 34 of the reader 22 assigned to the conveyor device 18. In at least one further method step 88, it is detected when the conveyor device 18 enters the loading area 24 of the product receiving unit 12 by knowing when the geofenced area 26 delimiting the loading area 24 has been exceeded by the conveyor device tag 28 assigned to the conveyor device 18 and / or the product receiving unit tag 30 assigned to the product receiving unit 12.

[0037] In at least one further method step 90, it is detected when a product 16 previously stored in the product receiving unit 12 is taken by the conveying device 18 by the reader 22 reading out / to be able to read out a product tag 20 assigned to the product 16. When the product tag 20 is read out by the reader 22, the product 16 is bi-radio identified and product information related to the product 16 is read out. In the unloading process, the product information related to the unloaded product 16 stored and read out by the product receiving unit 12 and / or the product ID of the unloaded product 16 are transmitted to the conveying device 18 and / or the enterprise resource planning system 62 using ultra-wideband radio technology or via another interface using a radio technology different from ultra-wideband radio technology. In at least one further method step 92, it is detected when the conveying device 18 conveying the product 16 leaves the loading area 24 by knowing when the geo-fenced area 26 delimiting the loading area 24 is exceeded by means of the conveying device tag 28 assigned to the conveying device 18 and the product receiving unit tag 30 assigned to the product receiving unit 12. The process of unloading the product receiving unit 12 by the conveyor device 18 is distinguished from the process of the conveyor device 18 passing through the product receiving unit 12 by using ultra-wideband radio technology to identify the orientation of the conveyor device 18 relative to the product receiving unit 12 and / or identify all changes in the direction of the conveyor device 18 within the loading area 24.

[0038] The method comprises a third method part 94, in which, after completion of the loading process or the unloading process, the connection between the product receiving unit 12 and the carrier vehicle 38 is detected by means of communication between the product receiving unit tag 30 and the carrier vehicle tag 40 using ultra-wideband radio technology. In a method step 96, the proximity of the carrier vehicle 38 to the product receiving unit 12 is monitored by means of ultra-wideband communication between the carrier vehicle tag 40 and the product receiving unit tag 28. The use of ultra-wideband technology advantageously enables a particularly high accuracy of the distance measurement between the carrier vehicle tag 40 and the product receiving unit tag 28. In at least one further method step 98, a predefined limit distance 100 (see also ) between the carrier vehicle tag 40 and the product receiving unit tag 28 is detected. Figure 4 ) is insufficient. Based on this insufficiency of the limit distance 100, it is confirmed that the carrier vehicle 38 acquires the product receiving unit 12 / the carrier vehicle 38 is connected to the product receiving unit 12. In at least one further method step 102, after the connection is confirmed in method step 98, the product ID of the product 16 currently present in the product receiving unit 12 and / or the product information related to the product 16 currently present in the product receiving unit 12 stored by the product receiving unit 12 is transmitted from the product receiving unit 12 to the carrier vehicle 38 using ultra-wideband radio technology. The product receiving unit tag 30 has at least one digital storage medium, which is used to store the product ID and / or the product information. In at least one further method step 104, it is detected when a predefined limit distance 100 between the carrier vehicle tag 40 and the product receiving unit tag 28 is exceeded (see also Figure 4 Upon exceeding of the limit distance 100 , the storage of the product receiving unit 12 by the carrier vehicle 38 / the separation of the carrier vehicle 38 from the product receiving unit 12 is confirmed.

[0039] Reference numerals 10: Warehouse 12: Product receiving unit 14: Storage Space 16: Products 18: Conveying device 20: Product Label 22: Reader 24: Loading area 26: Geofence Area 28: Conveyor device label 30: Product receiving unit label 32: Loading area 34: Reading area 36: Methods 38: Carrier Vehicle 40: Carrier vehicle label 42: Equipment 44: System 46: Storage location 48: Trailer 50: Anchor Station 52: Control device 54: Front-end 56: Satellite navigation system 58: Backend 60: Interface database 62: Enterprise Resource Planning System 64: Interface 66: Product flow control system 68: Loading opening 70: Methods 72: Methods and Steps 74: Methods and Steps 76: Methods and Steps 78: Methods and Steps 80: Methods and Steps 82: Methods and Steps 84: Methods and Steps 86: Methods and Steps 88: Methods and Steps 90: Methods and Steps 92: Methods and Steps 94: Methods 96: Methods and Steps 98: Methods and Steps 100: Maximum distance 102: Methods and Steps 104: Methods and Steps 106: Radio Communications

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a product flow, in particular at least within a warehouse (10), the method comprising at least one product receiving unit (12, 12') providing a storage space (14) for temporarily accommodating a product (16), the at least one conveying device (18) being in particular a floor conveying device, the at least one conveying device (18) being at least movable within the warehouse (10) and being configured for conveying the product (16) at least within the warehouse (10) and / or for carrying out a process of loading the product (16) into the product receiving unit (12, 12') and / or for carrying out a process of unloading the product (16) from the product receiving unit (12, 12'), characterized in that Perform at least the following steps to test the completed loading process: detecting when the product (16) is picked up by the conveying device (18) by reading a product tag (20) assigned to the product (16) by a reader (22) assigned to the conveying device (18); Monitoring the loading status of the product (16) on the conveying device (18) by repeatedly or continuously reading the product tag (20) assigned to the product (16) by the reader (22) assigned to the conveying device (18); detecting when the conveyor device (18) conveying the product (16) enters the loading zone (24) of the product receiving unit (12, 12') by knowing when a geo-fenced area (26) defining the loading zone (24) has been exceeded via a conveyor device tag (28) assigned to the conveyor device (18) and / or a product receiving unit tag (30) assigned to the product receiving unit (12, 12'); detecting when the product (16) has been deposited by the conveying device (18) by virtue of the fact that the product label (20) assigned to the product (16) can no longer be read by the reader (22) assigned to the conveying device (18); as well as When the conveying device (18) no longer conveying the product (16) leaves the loading area (24) is detected by knowing when the geo-fenced area (26) defining the loading area (24) has been exceeded via the conveying device tag (28) assigned to the conveying device (18) and / or the product receiving unit tag (30) assigned to the product receiving unit (12, 12').

2. The method according to the preamble of claim 1, in particular the method according to claim 1, characterized in that Perform at least the following steps to detect the completed uninstall process: detecting the availability of a loading area (32) of the conveying device (18) by means of the absence of a readable product label (20) in a readout area (34) of the reader (22) assigned to the conveying device (18); detecting when the conveying device (18) enters the loading zone (24) of the product receiving unit (12, 12') by knowing when the geo-fenced area (26) defining the loading zone (24) has been exceeded via the conveying device tag (28) assigned to the conveying device (18) and / or the product receiving unit tag (30) assigned to the product receiving unit (12, 12'); detecting when the product (16) is picked up by the conveying device (18) by reading the product tag (20) assigned to the product (16) by means of the reader (22) assigned to the conveying device (18); as well as Detecting when the conveying device (18) conveying the product (16) leaves the loading area (24) by knowing when the geo-fenced area (26) defining the loading area (24) has been exceeded via the conveying device tag (28) assigned to the conveying device (18) and / or the product receiving unit tag (30) assigned to the product receiving unit (12, 12').

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The conveyor tag (28) and the product receiving unit tag (30) communicate with each other via ultra-wideband radio technology.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The ultra-wideband radio technology is used to determine at least the relative position between the conveying device (18) and the product receiving unit (12, 12'), in particular to monitor the geo-fenced area (26).

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that When the product tag (20) is read by the reader (22) of the conveying device (18), the product (16) is bijectively identified and, in particular, at least one item of product information related to the product (16) is read.

6. A method according to at least claims 3 and 5, characterized in that At least during the loading process, product information related to the loaded product (16) identified by the reader (22) and / or the product ID of the loaded product (16) identified by the reader (22) is transmitted to the product receiving unit (12, 12') and / or an external system, such as an enterprise resource planning system (62), using ultra-wideband radio technology or via another interface using different ultra-wideband radio technology.

7. The method according to at least claims 2 and 3, characterized in that At least during the unloading process, product information items related to the unloaded product (16) and / or the product ID of the unloaded product (16) stored by the product receiving unit (12, 12') are transmitted to the conveying device (18) and / or an external system, such as the enterprise resource planning system (62), using the ultra-wideband radio technology or via another interface using a radio technology different from the ultra-wideband radio technology.

8. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The ultra-wideband radio technology is used to identify the position of the conveying device (18) relative to the product receiving unit (12, 12') to distinguish the process of loading the product receiving unit (12, 12') through the conveying device (18) and / or the process of unloading the product receiving unit (12, 12') through the conveying device (18) from the process of the conveying device (18) passing through the product receiving unit (12, 12').

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The product receiving unit (12, 12') is realized as a transversely loadable transport container, in particular as an exchange box.

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The reader (22) of the conveying device (18) is implemented as a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader or an optical scanner, such as a one-dimensional code scanner, a two-dimensional code scanner or a camera.

11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that In particular, after the loading process or the unloading process is completed, the connection of the product receiving unit (12, 12') to a carrier vehicle (38), such as a semitrailer tractor, is detected by communication between the product receiving unit tag (30) and the carrier vehicle tag (40), in particular using ultra-wideband radio technology.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that In particular, using ultra-wideband radio technology, a product ID of the product (16) currently present in the product receiving unit (12, 12') and / or at least one item of product information related to the product (16) currently present in the product receiving unit (12, 12') stored by the product receiving unit (12, 12') is transmitted from the product receiving unit (12, 12') to the carrier vehicle (38).

13. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that When the conveying device (18) conveying the product (16) enters the loading area (24), the product receiving unit ID bijectively identifying the product receiving unit (12, 12') is transmitted to the conveying device (18), and then the conveying device (18) queries an internal or external database to check whether the product (16), in particular the product (16) previously identified by the reader (22) of the conveying device (18), is to be loaded into the product receiving unit (12, 12') having the product receiving unit ID.

14. An apparatus (42) for performing the method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising: at least one reader (22); Conveyor device tags (28), each of the conveyor device tags (28) is used to be mounted on the conveyor device (18); and At least one product receiving unit tag (30) for installation on the product receiving unit (12, 12').

15. A system (44) having the device (42) according to claim 14, the system (44) having at least one of the conveying devices (18) and at least one of the product receiving units (12, 12'), in particular an exchange box.

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