Automatic distribution system and distribution vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to an automatic distribution system and distribution vehicles, the automatic distribution system comprises a plurality of distribution vehicles, a distribution scheduling server and a container, the container is arranged on the distribution vehicle and is used for loading goods; the distribution scheduling server is used for distributing a first target distribution vehicle for the to-be-distributed order from a plurality of distribution vehicles according to the transport capacity resource state information, and sending a distribution task to the first target distribution vehicle; the first target delivery vehicle is used for executing a delivery task, and the delivery task comprises that the first target delivery vehicle runs to a loading place corresponding to the to-be-delivered order and loads a container of to-be-delivered goods associated with the to-be-delivered order; and driving to a delivery site corresponding to the order to be delivered, and transferring the container loaded with the goods to be delivered to a preset position of the delivery site, so that a pick-up party obtains the goods to be delivered from the container. By adopting the automatic distribution system, the unmanned degree of the unmanned distribution system is improved, and the labor cost of the unmanned distribution system is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of logistics distribution, and in particular, to an automatic distribution system and a distribution vehicle. Background Art

[0002] In the related technologies, the automatic delivery vehicles in the unmanned delivery system realize automatic driving in the middle of the road. At the front end, the staff loads the goods on the delivery vehicles in sequence. At the back end, taking the takeaway scene as an example, the rider puts the takeaway in the agreed location such as the food collection cabinet, shelf or table, and the user picks up the food at the designated location. It can be seen that the unmanned delivery system in the related technology has a low degree of unmanned operation and high labor costs. Summary of the invention

[0003] The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide an automatic delivery system and a delivery vehicle, which allocates a first target delivery vehicle through a delivery scheduling server, and automatically loads goods at the front end and / or unloads goods at the rear end of the first target delivery vehicle, thereby realizing full-stage unmanned delivery of the unmanned delivery system and reducing the labor cost of the unmanned delivery system.

[0004] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the first aspect of the present disclosure provides an automatic delivery system, including a plurality of delivery vehicles, a delivery scheduling server and a container, wherein:

[0005] The cargo container is placed on the delivery vehicle and is used to load cargo;

[0006] The delivery scheduling server is used to allocate a first target delivery vehicle for the order to be delivered from the multiple delivery vehicles according to the transportation resource status information, and send a delivery task to the first target delivery vehicle;

[0007] The first target delivery vehicle is used to perform the delivery task, which includes: driving to the loading place corresponding to the order to be delivered, and loading the container of the goods to be delivered associated with the order to be delivered; driving to the delivery location corresponding to the order to be delivered, and transferring the container loaded with the goods to be delivered to a preset position at the delivery location, so that the pickup party can obtain the goods to be delivered from the container.

[0008] Optionally, the transport resource status information includes one or more of the following information:

[0009] The location information of the delivery vehicle;

[0010] Status information of the container loaded by the delivery vehicle;

[0011] The container recovery task information of the delivery vehicle;

[0012] The delivery task information of the delivery vehicle;

[0013] Charging plan information for the delivery vehicle.

[0014] Optionally, the delivery vehicle is configured with a first human-machine operation interface, and / or the container is configured with a second human-machine operation interface;

[0015] The first human-machine operation interface or the second human-machine operation interface is used to control the container to open in response to a storage operation initiated by the delivery party to load the goods to be delivered corresponding to the order to be delivered;

[0016] The second human-machine operation interface is also used to control the opening of the container in response to a pickup operation initiated by the pickup party;

[0017] The delivery vehicle or the container is further used to send pickup information to the pickup party in response to the delivery vehicle driving to the delivery location, so that the pickup party opens the container according to the pickup information.

[0018] Optionally, a detection element is provided at the compartment of the container, and when the detection element determines that the container changes from a loaded state to an idle state, the container is further used to send a recycling request to the delivery scheduling server, and the recycling request carries information of a recycling location;

[0019] The delivery scheduling server is further used to respond to the recovery request and determine a second target delivery vehicle corresponding to the container to be recovered according to the transportation resource status information, wherein the container to be recovered is the container that sends the recovery request;

[0020] The second target delivery vehicle is used to travel to the recycling location, automatically load the container to be recycled located at the recycling location, and send information to the delivery scheduling server to update the transportation resource status information.

[0021] A second aspect of the present disclosure provides a delivery vehicle, which is provided with a motion mechanism for driving a container to move along the length, width and height directions of the delivery vehicle, and the motion mechanism is used to automatically transfer the container on the delivery vehicle to a preset position at the delivery location when the delivery vehicle travels to the delivery location, or to automatically transfer the container at the preset position to the delivery vehicle.

[0022] Optionally, a frame structure is provided on the delivery vehicle, wherein the frame structure has a receiving cavity for receiving the container and a locking member for locking the container in the receiving cavity.

[0023] Optionally, the container includes a plurality of container units arranged side by side, the frame structure has a plurality of accommodating cavities, each of the accommodating cavities is used to accommodate one of the container units, and each of the accommodating cavities is provided with a fifth guiding portion for guiding the container unit to enter and exit the accommodating cavity.

[0024] Optionally, the motion mechanism is specifically used to move the container from the container placement position of the delivery vehicle to the middle position, move the container from the middle position to the unloading position of the delivery vehicle, and transfer the container from the unloading position to the preset position;

[0025] The motion mechanism is also specifically used to transfer the container from the preset position to the unloading position, move the container from the unloading position to the intermediate position, and move the container from the intermediate position to the container placement position;

[0026] Among them, the container placement position and the middle position are spaced apart in the width direction, and / or the middle position and the unloading position are spaced apart in the length direction, and / or the unloading position and the preset position are located in different horizontal planes.

[0027] Optionally, the movement mechanism comprises a load-bearing portion and a grabbing mechanism for grabbing the container onto the load-bearing portion;

[0028] The bearing portion is used to drive the container to move in different directions so as to transfer the container from the delivery vehicle to the bottom of the delivery vehicle;

[0029] The grabbing mechanism comprises a grabbing portion which can extend into a grabbing hole of the container, the grabbing portion is movable relative to the carrying portion, and is used for grabbing the container and driving the container to move onto the carrying portion.

[0030] Optionally, the gripping part is arranged in cooperation with the gripping hole, and an electromagnet is arranged inside the gripping part, so that the gripping part can absorb the container when the power is on, and the gripping part can release the container when the power is off;

[0031] The delivery vehicle is provided with a first guide portion extending along the length direction and a second guide portion extending along the height direction, the bearing portion has a bottom plate slidably matched with the first guide portion and a vertical plate slidably matched with the second guide portion, and the second guide portion can move along the length direction with the bearing portion;

[0032] The first guide portion and the second guide portion are located in the same straight line in the length direction and are arranged on one side of the container. The unloading end of the delivery vehicle is provided with a third guide portion extending along the height direction, and the third guide portion can be connected with the second guide portion when the load-bearing portion moves to the unloading end;

[0033] The bottom plate is provided with a fourth guide portion extending along the width direction, the grabbing mechanism is provided with a connecting portion connected to the grabbing portion, and the connecting portion is slidably mounted in the fourth guide portion.

[0034] Through the above technical solution, the delivery scheduling server allocates the first target delivery vehicle to the order to be delivered according to the transportation resource status information of the delivery vehicle, and the front-end automatic loading and / or rear-end automatic unloading of the first target delivery vehicle are used to improve the unmanned degree of the unmanned delivery system and reduce the labor cost of the unmanned delivery system.

[0035] Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be described in detail in the following detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the following specific embodiments, they are used to explain the present disclosure but do not constitute a limitation of the present disclosure. In the accompanying drawings:

[0037] Figures 1 to 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a delivery vehicle from different perspectives provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figures 4 to 9 It is a schematic diagram of an automatic unloading process at the rear end of a delivery vehicle provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] Fig.10 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a delivery vehicle provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] Fig.11 and Fig.12 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a cargo container in a delivery vehicle provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] Fig.13 It is a structural schematic diagram of an automatic distribution system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] Description of Reference Numerals

[0043] 1-delivery vehicle; 11-carrying part; 111-bottom plate; 112-vertical plate; 12-grabbing mechanism; 101-first guide part; 102-second guide part; 103-third guide part; 104-fourth guide part; 13-frame structure; 131-fifth guide part; 132-locking member; 2-container; 20-container unit; 21-grabbing hole; 201-cabinet door; 202-castor; 203-handle; 3-delivery scheduling server. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] The specific implementation of the present disclosure is described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific implementation described herein is only used to illustrate and explain the present disclosure, and is not used to limit the present disclosure.

[0045] It should be noted that all actions of acquiring signals, information or data in the present disclosure are carried out in compliance with the relevant data protection laws and policies of the country where the device is located and with the authorization given by the owner of the corresponding device.

[0046] In the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified, directional words such as "front", "rear", "left" and "right" are generally defined under the condition that the delivery vehicle provided by the present disclosure is driving normally. "Front" refers to the side where the front of the vehicle is located, "rear" refers to the side away from the front of the vehicle, "width direction" refers to the left and right direction of the delivery vehicle, "height direction" refers to the up and down direction of the delivery vehicle, "inside" and "outside" refer to the inside and outside of the contours of the corresponding components, and the terms "first" and "second" are used for the purpose of distinguishing different components and do not have order and importance. In addition, in the following description, when referring to the drawings, unless otherwise explained, the same figure numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements.

[0047] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the present disclosure provides a delivery vehicle, which is provided with a motion mechanism for driving a container 2 to move along the length direction, height direction and width direction. The motion mechanism is used to automatically transfer the container 2 on the delivery vehicle 1 to a preset position of the delivery location when the delivery vehicle 1 drives to the delivery location, or automatically transfer the container 2 at the preset position to the delivery vehicle 1.

[0048] In some embodiments, container 2 can be placed at a designated location of the delivery location corresponding to the order information. In this way, according to the address of the order information, delivery vehicle 1 automatically drives to the delivery location and automatically unloads the container on delivery vehicle 1 to the designated location. After receiving the message reminder, the user can take away the goods in container 2 to realize automatic delivery at the end, completely eliminating manual labor, or directly load container 2 at the designated location onto delivery vehicle 1, which also does not require manual participation and greatly improves the degree of automation.

[0049] Further, the motion mechanism is used to sequentially move the container 2 out of the container placement position of the delivery vehicle in the width direction, move the container 2 to the unloading position of the delivery vehicle 1 in the length direction, and transfer the container 2 from the delivery vehicle 1 to a preset position under the delivery vehicle in the height direction;

[0050] Furthermore, the motion mechanism is also used to sequentially transfer the container 2 located at a preset position to the delivery vehicle 1 in the height direction, move the container 2 in the length direction to be horizontally aligned with the container placement position on the delivery vehicle 1, and move the container 2 in the width direction to the container placement position for placement.

[0051] Furthermore, the motion mechanism is specifically used to move the container 2 from the container placement position of the delivery vehicle 1 to the middle position, move the container 2 from the middle position to the unloading position of the delivery vehicle 1, and transfer the container 2 from the unloading position to a preset position.

[0052] Furthermore, the motion mechanism is specifically used to transfer the container 2 from the preset position to the unloading position, to move the container 2 from the unloading position to the middle position, and to move the container 2 from the middle position to the container placement position;

[0053] Among them, the container placement position and the middle position are spaced apart in the width direction, and / or the middle position and the unloading position are spaced apart in the length direction, and / or the unloading position and the preset position are located in different horizontal planes.

[0054] Here, it should be noted that the goods in the container 2 can be logistics and transportation goods such as express delivery and take-out. The form of the container 2 is not limited in any way and can be a food collection cabinet, an express delivery cabinet, etc. The structural form of the motion mechanism can be various, and the mechanism that can achieve three-directional movement belongs to the protection scope of the present disclosure. For example, in the embodiment provided by the present disclosure, the opening of the main body of the delivery vehicle 1 is set at the rear, and the container 2 is arranged on the left side along the length direction. The container 2 can be driven to move to the right first, then move backward, and move downward, and automatically transfer the container 2 from the delivery vehicle 1 to the ground to complete automatic unloading.

[0055] In the delivery vehicle 1 provided by the present disclosure, during automatic unloading, the container 2 can be removed from the delivery vehicle as a whole and placed on the ground to complete automatic delivery. The delivery vehicle 1 can then automatically drive away, and the user can find the container 2 of their order at the predetermined location and take out the goods in the container 2. It has few requirements for the back-end site and does not require any fixed facilities. It can match delivery scenarios with different order volumes and different peak values, and realize automatic delivery of goods after the delivery vehicle 1 arrives at the destination, completely eliminating manual labor. During automatic loading at the front end, the container 2 can be automatically placed at a designated position on the vehicle, reducing the labor intensity of the operator while not affecting the user experience of the user who picks up the goods.

[0056] The delivery vehicle 1 can realize automatic container dumping at the rear end, that is, automatically transfer the container 2 on the delivery vehicle 1 to under the delivery vehicle, for example, to the ground, and complete the automatic delivery operation at the rear end. In the present disclosure, the motion mechanism includes a load-bearing portion 11 and a grabbing mechanism 12 for grabbing the container 2 onto the load-bearing portion 11, and the load-bearing portion 11 is used to drive the container 2 to move in different directions to transfer the container 2 from the delivery vehicle 1 to under the delivery vehicle 1 to complete the container dumping operation.

[0057] Furthermore, in order to grab the container 2 onto the load-bearing portion 11, the grabbing mechanism 12 includes a grabbing portion that can be inserted into the grabbing hole 21 of the container 2, and the grabbing portion is movable relative to the load-bearing portion 11. The grabbing portion is used to grab the container 2 and drive the container 2 to move onto the load-bearing portion 11. In this embodiment, the grabbing portion is designed to be movable, and the grabbing portion moves toward the container 2, extends into the grabbing hole to grab the container 2, and drives the container 2 to move in the opposite direction to pull it onto the load-bearing portion 11. In other embodiments, the grabbing portion can also be fixedly arranged, and a retractable manner is used to complete the action of grabbing and pulling the container.

[0058] In order to complete the grabbing action, the grabbing part can use a mechanical clamp to grab the container 2 onto the load-bearing part 11. In the present disclosure, the grabbing part is arranged in conjunction with the grabbing hole 21, and an electromagnet is provided in the grabbing part so that the grabbing part can suck the container 2 when the power is on, and release the container 2 when the power is off. By controlling the on and off of the electromagnet, the grabbing action of the grabbing part can be effectively controlled, and in the case of power failure, the grabbing part can be moved to an avoidance position without affecting the container 2 leaving the load-bearing part 11.

[0059] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the load-bearing portion 11 can move in the length direction and the height direction relative to the main body of the delivery vehicle 1; the grabbing mechanism 12 can drive the container 2 to move in the width direction relative to the load-bearing portion 11; wherein, the delivery vehicle 1 provided by the present disclosure is configured as follows: when automatically unloading is performed at the rear end, the grabbing mechanism 12 moves in the width direction, grabs the container 2 and grabs the container 2 onto the load-bearing portion 11, and through the movement of the load-bearing portion 11 in the length direction and the width direction, the container 2 is transferred to leave the delivery vehicle 1 and placed at a designated position; or when automatically loading is performed at the front end, the container 2 is placed on the load-bearing portion 11 (at this time, the delivery vehicle 1 is similar to a forklift, and the bottom of the container 2 can be supported and placed on the load-bearing portion 11), the container 2 is driven to move to an appropriate position by the load-bearing portion 11, and the grabbing mechanism 12 moves in the width direction to push the container 2 away from the load-bearing portion 11 to transfer it to a predetermined position of the delivery vehicle 1, and the container on the ground is automatically placed on the delivery vehicle 1 to complete the automatic loading process. In other embodiments, the motion mechanism may also be a linear module, a mechanical gripper, etc.

[0060] like Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, in order to realize the transfer operation of the load-bearing part 11 to the container 2, the delivery vehicle 1 is provided with a first guide part 101 extending in the length direction and a second guide part 102 extending in the up-down direction. The load-bearing part 11 has a bottom plate 111 that slides with the first guide part 101 and a vertical plate 112 that slides with the second guide part 102. The second guide part 102 can move along the length direction with the load-bearing part 11. The first guide part 101 can be a slide groove directly opened on the vehicle body. The bottom plate 111 can be installed in the slide groove to slide back and forth. The second guide part 102 can be a fixed plate that slides with the vertical plate 112. The fixed plate is provided with a slide rail extending in the height direction. The vertical plate 112 has a slide groove that slides with the slide rail. While ensuring that the vertical plate 112 moves up and down relative to the fixed plate, the connection between the vertical plate 112 and the fixed plate is achieved to prevent the two from being disengaged. As shown Figure 7 As shown, the load-bearing part 11 drives the container 2 to move backward to the rear of the delivery vehicle 1. By setting a limiting structure, the load-bearing part 11 is prevented from falling out of the slide slot and the load-bearing part 11 is kept in this position. Figure 8 As shown, when it moves to the rear opening, it drives the container 2 to move downward. When it moves to the ground, the delivery vehicle 1 drives forward to separate the container 2 and the load-bearing part 11, leaving the container 2 on the ground to complete automatic unloading.

[0061] The first guide portion 101 and the second guide portion 102 are located in the same straight line in the length direction and are arranged on one side of the container 2. Considering that the delivery vehicle 1 is at a certain height from the ground, in order to ensure the stability of the downward movement process, in the present disclosure, the unloading end of the delivery vehicle 1 is provided with a third guide portion 103 extending along the height direction. The third guide portion 103 can be connected with the second guide portion 102 when the load-bearing portion 11 moves to the unloading end, so that the vertical plate 112 can smoothly transport the container 2 to the ground along the second guide portion 102 and the third guide portion 103.

[0062] There are many ways to place the container 2 on the load-bearing portion 11. In the present disclosure, for example, Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, a fourth guide portion 104 extending in the width direction is provided on the bottom plate 111, and the grabbing mechanism 12 is provided with a grabbing portion and a connecting portion. The grabbing portion is arranged in cooperation with the grabbing hole 21 on the container 2, and the connecting portion is slidably installed in the fourth guide portion 104. The grabbing portion can be a long strip that cooperates with the rectangular hole on the container 2. The grabbing portion can be a magnetic attraction part that can be magnetically attracted to the container 2, such as an electromagnet. When powered on, it is magnetically attracted to attract the container 2 and move along the fourth guide portion 104 to pull the container 2 onto the load-bearing portion 11. After moving into place, the power is turned off and released, which will not affect the downward movement of the container 2. The specific process of the transfer of the container 2 on the delivery vehicle 1 can be referred to. Figures 4 to 9The process shown in the figure completes the automatic unloading at the rear end and performs automatic delivery. The process of automatic loading at the front end is similar, the only difference is that the movement direction is opposite.

[0063] Furthermore, in the present disclosure, during the transportation process of the delivery vehicle 1, in order to prevent the container 2 from shaking on the delivery vehicle 1, the delivery vehicle 1 also includes a locking mechanism for fixing the container 2. The locking mechanism can be a fixing frame, a containing box, a clamping structure, etc., which plays a role in fixing the container 2 during transportation to prevent the container 2 from being thrown out of the vehicle; after arriving at the destination, it can be unlocked without affecting the movement of the container 2. The above different types of locking mechanisms all belong to the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0064] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig.10 As shown, the locking mechanism can be a frame structure 13 installed on the delivery vehicle 1, and the frame structure 13 has a receiving cavity for receiving the container 2. The frame structure 13 frames the container 2 from the outside, and can resist external impact when the delivery vehicle is driving. The container 2 is placed in the receiving cavity and will not move at will. The container 2 includes a plurality of container units 20 arranged side by side. The frame structure 13 can have a plurality of receiving cavities, each of which is used to receive a container unit 20. The specific design can be made according to needs, and the plurality of container units 20 are respectively located in the corresponding receiving cavities.

[0065] The frame structure 13 is provided with a fifth guide portion 131 for guiding the container unit 2 in and out of the accommodating cavity. When the grabbing mechanism 12 pushes the container 2 into the accommodating cavity, the fifth guide portion 131 can play a guiding role, facilitating the container 2 to be pushed into the frame structure 13 within a certain deviation range. The fifth guide portion 131 can be a guide rod connected between two opposite cross bars of the frame structure 13, which plays the role of a guide rail. The top and bottom of the frame structure 13 are respectively provided with the fifth guide portion 131. The bottom of the container 2 is provided with slidable casters, which can also reduce the friction between the bottom of the container 2 and the delivery vehicle, and quickly slide in or out of the frame structure 13.

[0066] In order to stably fix the container 2 in the frame structure 13, the frame structure 13 includes a locking member 132 for locking the container 2 in the accommodating cavity. The locking member 132 may be an electromagnet, a mechanical locking mechanism, etc. The locking member 132 may be disposed on a side of the frame structure 13 away from the load-bearing portion 11 to avoid interference with the movement of the load-bearing portion 11.

[0067] The delivery vehicle 1 provided by the present disclosure includes a controller, a first power member for driving the bearing portion 11 to move, a second power member for driving the gripping mechanism 12 to move, and a third power member for driving the container 2 to enter the accommodating cavity of the frame structure 13. The first power member, the second power member, and the third power member are respectively connected to the controller. The first power member, the second power member, and the third power member can be linear motion components such as linear motors and ball screws. Through the driving action of the above power members, the automatic unloading and automatic loading processes can be completed.

[0068] The container 2 is placed on the delivery vehicle 1 as a whole during the driving process of the delivery vehicle 1. The container 2 is placed in the frame structure 13 as a whole during the driving process of the delivery vehicle 1 and locked by the locking member 132 to prevent the container 2 from being thrown out during the transportation process. After driving to the destination, the locking member 132 is unlocked, the grabbing mechanism 12 moves toward the container 2 and extends into the grabbing hole 21, and the container 2 is pulled out of the frame structure 13 along the fifth guide portion 131, and the container 2 is pulled onto the load-bearing portion 11 along the fourth guide portion 104. The load-bearing portion 11 drives the container 2 to move backward along the first guide portion 101, and when the second guide portion 102 and the third guide portion 103 are connected, the load-bearing portion 11 drives the container 2 to move downward to the ground. At this time, the delivery vehicle 1 drives forward, and the load-bearing portion 11 is separated from the container 2, completing the automatic unloading process.

[0069] In the present disclosure, a charging port is provided at the bottom of the container 2. When the container 2 is placed on the delivery vehicle 1, the charging port is connected to the power supply on the delivery vehicle 1, and the container 2 can be charged. At the same time, the container 2 itself is powered by a battery to ensure that the container 2 has sufficient power. The user can interact to open the container 2 by scanning a code. At the same time, the compartment of the container 2 is provided with a detection element for detecting goods to determine whether the goods in the container 2 have been taken away. Fig.11 and Fig.12 As shown, each container unit 20 includes two compartments, each compartment is provided with an openable cabinet door 201, and the cabinet door 201 is provided with a handle 203, so that the user can open the cabinet door 201 to take the goods.

[0070] Fig.13 is a structural diagram of an automatic distribution system shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, such as Fig.13 As shown, the automatic distribution system includes: multiple distribution vehicles 1, a distribution scheduling server 3 and a container 2, wherein:

[0071] Container 2, placed on the delivery vehicle, for loading goods;

[0072] The delivery dispatch server 3 is used to allocate a first target delivery vehicle for the order to be delivered from multiple delivery vehicles according to the transportation resource status information, and send a delivery task to the first target delivery vehicle;

[0073] The first target delivery vehicle is used to perform delivery tasks, which include: driving to the loading place corresponding to the order to be delivered, and loading the container 2 with the goods to be delivered associated with the order to be delivered; driving to the delivery location corresponding to the order to be delivered, and transferring the container 2 loaded with the goods to be delivered to the preset position of the delivery location, so that the pickup party can obtain the goods to be delivered from the container 2.

[0074] In the present disclosure, the delivery vehicle may be the delivery vehicle described in the above embodiments. The container may be the container described in the above embodiments.

[0075] In the present disclosure, the delivery scheduling server can receive orders to be delivered, and the orders to be delivered can be sent by the delivery party (also known as the merchant party) to the delivery scheduling server. Taking the take-out scenario as an example, after the delivery party serves the food, the delivery party can send the corresponding orders to be delivered to the delivery scheduling server through the delivery party terminal.

[0076] In the present disclosure, after receiving an order to be delivered, the delivery scheduling server can allocate a delivery vehicle for delivering the order to be delivered from multiple delivery vehicles based on the transportation resource status information of each delivery vehicle in the automatic delivery system, that is, a first target delivery vehicle. After determining the first target delivery vehicle, the delivery scheduling server can send a delivery task to the first target delivery vehicle.

[0077] In the present disclosure, the first target delivery vehicle can receive and execute the delivery task sent by the delivery scheduling server. Specifically, the first target delivery vehicle can drive to the loading place corresponding to the delivery order according to the delivery task, then load the container of the goods to be delivered associated with the delivery order, then drive to the delivery location corresponding to the delivery order, and transfer the container loaded with the goods to be delivered to the preset position of the delivery location, so that the goods to be delivered can be obtained from the container for subsequent pickup.

[0078] There may be many situations in which the first target delivery vehicle loads the container of the goods to be delivered associated with the order to be delivered.

[0079] Optionally, for some delivery parties, empty containers are configured at the loading site. In this case, the delivery party can first load the goods to be delivered associated with the delivery order into the empty container. After the first target delivery vehicle arrives at the loading site, it can automatically load the container already loaded with goods onto the vehicle, thereby realizing the process of loading the container with the goods to be delivered associated with the delivery order.

[0080] Optionally, for some delivery parties, there are no empty containers at the loading location. At this time, after waiting for the first target delivery vehicle to arrive at the loading location, the delivery party can load the goods to be delivered associated with the delivery order into the empty container of the first target delivery vehicle, thereby also realizing the process of loading the container with the goods to be delivered associated with the delivery order.

[0081] By adopting the above-mentioned automatic delivery system, the delivery scheduling server allocates the first target delivery vehicle to the order to be delivered according to the transportation resource status information, and the first target delivery vehicle automatically loads goods at the front end and / or unloads goods at the back end, thereby improving the unmanned degree of the unmanned delivery system and reducing the labor cost of the unmanned delivery system.

[0082] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the delivery scheduling server is used to: screen, from multiple delivery vehicles, candidate delivery vehicles that have the ability to complete the delivery of orders to be delivered based on transportation resource status information; when there are multiple candidate delivery vehicles, obtain a first target delivery vehicle by balancing the delivery pressure of the multiple candidate delivery vehicles based on the transportation resource status information.

[0083] In the present disclosure, the delivery scheduling server can obtain the transportation resource status information of the delivery vehicles in the automatic delivery system, and then the delivery scheduling server can screen candidate delivery vehicles with the ability to complete the delivery of orders to be delivered from multiple delivery vehicles based on the transportation resource status information.

[0084] It is understandable that the number of candidate delivery vehicles screened out may be in various situations. Optionally, when delivery is tight, the number of candidate delivery vehicles may be 0, that is, there is currently no delivery vehicle that can deliver the goods to be delivered associated with the order to be delivered. Optionally, the number of candidate delivery vehicles may also be one or more.

[0085] When there is only one candidate delivery vehicle, the candidate delivery vehicle can be directly determined as the first target delivery vehicle. When there are multiple candidate delivery vehicles, the delivery scheduling server can balance the delivery pressure of multiple candidate delivery vehicles according to the transportation resource status information, and determine the first target delivery vehicle according to the delivery pressure balance result.

[0086] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the transport resource status information includes one or more of the following information:

[0087] The location information of the delivery vehicle;

[0088] Status information of containers loaded by delivery vehicles;

[0089] Container recovery task information of the delivery vehicle;

[0090] Delivery task information of the delivery vehicle;

[0091] Charging plan information for delivery vehicles.

[0092] In the present disclosure, the status information of the container loaded on the delivery vehicle may include whether there is a container placement position and whether there is an idle container, etc. When there is a container placement position on the delivery vehicle, the container can be placed. When there is only an idle container, it means that the corresponding container placement position has been placed with an empty container and no more containers can be placed, but goods can be loaded in the idle container.

[0093] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, when the transport resource status information of a delivery vehicle includes the status information of a container loaded by the delivery vehicle, the delivery scheduling server can select candidate delivery vehicles from multiple delivery vehicles based on the status information of the container loaded by the delivery vehicle. In this case, the delivery scheduling server can determine whether the delivery vehicle has the ability to complete the delivery of the order to be delivered based on whether the delivery vehicle can load the goods.

[0094] For example, when it is determined that a certain delivery vehicle has an idle container based on the status information of the container loaded on the delivery vehicle, the delivery scheduling server may determine the delivery vehicle as a candidate delivery vehicle.

[0095] Exemplarily, when it is determined based on the status information of the container loaded on the delivery vehicle that a certain delivery vehicle has a container placement position, and the delivery party is equipped with an empty container that can be loaded with the goods to be delivered associated with the delivery order, the delivery scheduling server can determine the delivery vehicle as a candidate delivery vehicle.

[0096] For example, when it is determined that a certain delivery vehicle has a container placement position based on the status information of the container loaded on the delivery vehicle, but the delivery party has not configured an empty container, the delivery scheduling server does not determine the delivery vehicle as a candidate delivery vehicle.

[0097] In the present disclosure, the charging plan information of the delivery vehicle can represent the power status of the delivery vehicle, and through the charging plan information, it can be reflected when the delivery vehicle needs to be charged.

[0098] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, when the transport resource status information of the delivery vehicle includes the charging plan information of the delivery vehicle, the delivery scheduling server can select candidate delivery vehicles from multiple delivery vehicles according to the charging plan information of the delivery vehicle. In this case, the delivery scheduling server can determine whether the delivery vehicle has the ability to complete the delivery of the order to be delivered based on whether the delivery vehicle can complete the delivery of the goods.

[0099] For example, assuming that the charging plan information of a delivery vehicle indicates that the delivery vehicle will be charged after 5 hours, it means that the delivery vehicle has sufficient power to support the delivery of the goods associated with the delivery order. In this case, the delivery scheduling server can determine the delivery vehicle as a candidate delivery vehicle.

[0100] For example, assuming that the charging plan information of a delivery vehicle indicates that the delivery vehicle will be charged half an hour in the future, it means that the delivery vehicle does not have sufficient power and the power may not support the delivery of the goods to be delivered associated with the delivery order. In this case, the delivery scheduling server does not determine the delivery vehicle as a candidate delivery vehicle.

[0101] It should be noted that the delivery scheduling server can also determine whether the delivery vehicle has the ability to complete the delivery of the order to be delivered from other dimensions as needed.

[0102] In the present disclosure, the container recovery task information of the delivery vehicle may include information such as the container recovery location, recovery period requirements, etc. In the case where the transportation resource status information of the delivery vehicle includes the container recovery task information of the delivery vehicle, the delivery scheduling server may balance the delivery pressure of multiple candidate delivery vehicles according to the container recovery task information of the delivery vehicle to obtain the first target delivery vehicle.

[0103] For example, when the return period requirement of the delivery vehicle is met, the delivery scheduling server may determine the candidate delivery vehicle closest to the candidate delivery vehicle as the first target delivery vehicle based on the distance between the container return position corresponding to the candidate delivery vehicle and the loading site.

[0104] In the present disclosure, the delivery task information of the delivery vehicle may include information such as the delivery location, delivery deadline requirements, etc. When the transportation resource status information of the delivery vehicle includes the delivery task information, the delivery scheduling server may balance the delivery pressure of multiple candidate delivery vehicles according to the delivery task information of the delivery vehicle to obtain the first target delivery vehicle.

[0105] Exemplarily, when the delivery deadline requirements of the delivery vehicles are met, the delivery scheduling server may determine the candidate delivery vehicle closest to the first target delivery vehicle based on the distance between the delivery location corresponding to the candidate delivery vehicles and the loading location.

[0106] In the present disclosure, the location information of the delivery vehicle may be the current location information of the delivery vehicle. When the transportation resource status information of the delivery vehicle includes the location information of the delivery vehicle, the delivery scheduling server may balance the delivery pressure of multiple candidate delivery vehicles according to the location information of the delivery vehicle to obtain the first target delivery vehicle.

[0107] For example, the delivery scheduling server may determine the candidate delivery vehicle that is closest to the first target delivery vehicle based on the location information of the candidate delivery vehicles and the distance between the loading location.

[0108] It should be noted that the delivery dispatch server can select one or more of the above-mentioned transport resource status information to determine when selecting candidate delivery vehicles with the ability to complete the delivery of the to-be-delivered order from multiple delivery vehicles according to the transport resource status information, and further balances the delivery pressure of multiple candidate delivery vehicles according to the transport resource status information to obtain the first target delivery vehicle. This disclosure will not further illustrate the combination method.

[0109] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the delivery vehicle is configured with a first human-machine operation interface, and / or the container is configured with a second human-machine operation interface;

[0110] The first human-machine operation interface or the second human-machine operation interface is used to control the container to open in response to the storage operation initiated by the delivery party to load the goods to be delivered corresponding to the delivery order;

[0111] The second human-machine operation interface is also used to control the opening of the container in response to a pickup operation initiated by the pickup party;

[0112] The delivery vehicle or container is also used to send pickup information to the pickup party in response to the delivery vehicle driving to the delivery location, so that the pickup party opens the container according to the pickup information.

[0113] In the present disclosure, a first human-machine operating interface may be configured on the delivery vehicle. In this case, the delivery staff may initiate a storage operation by operating the first human-machine operating interface. Thus, the first human-machine operating interface responds to the storage operation initiated by the delivery party and controls the opening of the container on the delivery vehicle to load the goods to be delivered corresponding to the order to be delivered.

[0114] In addition, each container can be configured with a second human-machine operation interface. In this case, the delivery staff can initiate a storage operation by operating the second human-machine operation interface. Thus, the second human-machine operation interface responds to the storage operation initiated by the delivery party and controls the corresponding container to open to load the goods to be delivered corresponding to the delivery order.

[0115] In addition, the staff of the pickup party can initiate a pickup operation by operating the second human-machine operation interface, so that the second human-machine operation interface responds to the pickup operation initiated by the pickup party and controls the corresponding container to open to take away the corresponding goods.

[0116] In the present disclosure, when a delivery vehicle loaded with a container drives to a delivery location, the delivery vehicle or container can send pickup information to the pickup party of the order to be delivered corresponding to the delivery location. Subsequently, the pickup party can open the container corresponding to the goods to be delivered according to the pickup information.

[0117] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, each container has a unique identifier, and the pick-up party or the depositor can send a container opening request including the container identifier to the delivery scheduling server, so that the delivery scheduling server can control the opening of the corresponding container in response to the container opening request.

[0118] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a detection element is provided at the compartment of the container. When the detection element determines that the container changes from a loaded state to an idle state, the container is further used to send a recycling request to the distribution scheduling server, and the recycling request carries information of a recycling location;

[0119] The delivery dispatch server is further used to respond to the recovery request and determine the second target delivery vehicle corresponding to the container to be recovered according to the transportation resource status information, where the container to be recovered is the container that sent the recovery request;

[0120] The second target delivery vehicle is used to travel to the recycling location, automatically load the container to be recycled located at the recycling location, and send information to the distribution scheduling server to update the transportation resource status information.

[0121] In the present disclosure, in order to realize automatic recycling of containers, a detection element for detecting goods can be set at the grid of each container. The state of the container can be detected by the detection element. In this way, when the container is taken away by the pickup party, the container determines that it has changed from a loaded state to an idle state through the detection element. At this time, the container can send a recycling request carrying information about the recycling location to the distribution scheduling server to request the delivery vehicle to recycle itself.

[0122] In the present disclosure, after receiving the recycling request, the delivery scheduling server can respond to the recycling request and determine the second target delivery vehicle corresponding to the container to be recycled according to the transportation resource status information. After determining the second target delivery vehicle, the delivery scheduling server can send a recycling task to the second target delivery vehicle.

[0123] Exemplarily, the transportation resource status information includes the status information of the containers loaded on the delivery vehicle, and the status information of the containers loaded on the delivery vehicle includes whether there is a container placement position. In this case, when it is determined that a certain delivery vehicle has a container placement position according to the status information of the containers loaded on the delivery vehicle, the delivery scheduling server can determine the delivery vehicle as a candidate delivery vehicle, and further determine a second target delivery vehicle from the candidate delivery vehicles.

[0124] Exemplarily, the delivery scheduling server may also determine a second target delivery vehicle corresponding to the container to be recovered based on the charging plan information of the delivery vehicle.

[0125] In the present disclosure, the second target delivery vehicle can receive and execute the recycling task sent by the delivery scheduling server. Specifically, the second target delivery vehicle can drive to the recycling location according to the recycling task, then automatically load the container to be recycled at the recycling location, and then send information to the delivery scheduling server to update the transportation resource status information.

[0126] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, Example 1 provides an automatic delivery vehicle, wherein the delivery vehicle (1) is provided with a motion mechanism for driving a container (2) to move in a front-to-back direction, a height direction, and a width direction, so that when the delivery vehicle (1) travels to a delivery location, the container (2) on the delivery vehicle (1) is automatically transferred to a preset position of the delivery location, or the container (2) at a preset position is automatically transferred to the delivery vehicle;

[0127] The container (2) is configured to carry order information and is placed at a preset location of a delivery location corresponding to the order information.

[0128] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, Example 2 provides the automatic delivery vehicle of Example 1, wherein the motion mechanism includes a load-bearing portion (11) and a grabbing mechanism (12) for grabbing a container (2) onto the load-bearing portion (11), and the load-bearing portion (11) drives the container (2) to move in different directions to automatically transfer the container (2) from the delivery vehicle to the bottom of the delivery vehicle.

[0129] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, Example 3 provides the automatic delivery vehicle of Example 2, wherein the grabbing mechanism (12) includes a grabbing portion capable of extending into a grabbing hole (21) of a container (2), the grabbing portion being movable relative to the load-bearing portion (11), the grabbing portion moving toward the container (2) to perform a grabbing action, and driving the container (2) to move and be pulled onto the load-bearing portion (11).

[0130] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, Example 4 provides the automatic delivery vehicle of Example 3, wherein the gripping portion matches the shape of the gripping hole (21), an electromagnet is provided inside the gripping portion, and the gripping portion sucks the container (2) when power is on, and releases the container (2) when power is off.

[0131] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, Example 5 provides the automatic delivery vehicle of Example 3, wherein the delivery vehicle (1) is provided with a first guide portion (101) extending in the front-to-back direction and a second guide portion (102) extending in the height direction, and the bearing portion (11) has a bottom plate (111) that slides with the first guide portion (101) and a vertical plate (112) that slides with the second guide portion (102), and the second guide portion (102) can move forward and backward with the bearing portion (11).

[0132] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, Example 6 provides the automatic delivery vehicle of Example 5, wherein the first guide portion (101) and the second guide portion (102) are located on the same straight line in the front-to-rear direction and are arranged on one side of the container (2), and the rear portion of the delivery vehicle (1) is provided with a third guide portion (103) extending in the height direction, and the third guide portion (103) can be connected with the second guide portion (102) when the carrying portion (11) moves to the rear end.

[0133] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, Example 7 provides the automatic delivery vehicle of Example 5, wherein the base plate (111) is provided with a fourth guide portion (104) extending in the width direction, and the gripping mechanism (12) has a connecting portion connected to the gripping portion, and the connecting portion can be slidably installed in the fourth guide portion (104).

[0134] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, Example 8 provides an automatic delivery vehicle of any one of Examples 1 to 7, wherein the delivery vehicle (1) is provided with a frame structure (13), wherein the frame structure (13) has a accommodating cavity for accommodating a container (2) and a locking member (132) for locking the container (2) in the accommodating cavity, and when unloading is required, the locking member (132) can be automatically unlocked.

[0135] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, Example 9 provides the automatic delivery vehicle of Example 8, wherein the container (2) includes a plurality of container units (20) arranged side by side, and the frame structure (13) has a plurality of accommodating cavities, each of which is used to accommodate a container unit (20), and each of the accommodating cavities is provided with a fifth guide portion (131) for guiding the container unit (20) in and out of the accommodating cavity.

[0136] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, Example 10 provides the automatic delivery vehicle of Example 1, wherein a charging port is provided at the bottom of the container (2), and when the container (2) is placed on the delivery vehicle (1), the charging port is connected to the power supply of the delivery vehicle (1).

[0137] It should be noted that in the above examples 1 to 10, the front-to-back direction can be Figure 1 The length direction of .

[0138] The preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings; however, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific details in the above embodiments. Within the technical concept of the present disclosure, a variety of simple modifications can be made to the technical solution of the present disclosure, and these simple modifications all fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0139] It should also be noted that the various specific technical features described in the above specific embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner without contradiction. In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, the present disclosure will not further describe various possible combinations.

[0140] In addition, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be arbitrarily combined, and as long as they do not violate the concept of the present disclosure, they should also be regarded as the contents disclosed by the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An automatic distribution system, characterized in that: It includes multiple delivery vehicles, delivery dispatch servers and containers, including: The cargo container is placed on the delivery vehicle and is used to load cargo; The delivery scheduling server is used to allocate a first target delivery vehicle for the order to be delivered from the multiple delivery vehicles according to the transportation resource status information, and send a delivery task to the first target delivery vehicle; The first target delivery vehicle is used to perform the delivery task, which includes: driving to the loading place corresponding to the order to be delivered, and loading the container of the goods to be delivered associated with the order to be delivered; driving to the delivery location corresponding to the order to be delivered, and transferring the container loaded with the goods to be delivered to a preset position at the delivery location, so that the pickup party can obtain the goods to be delivered from the container.

2. The automatic distribution system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transport resource status information includes one or more of the following information: The location information of the delivery vehicle; Status information of the container loaded by the delivery vehicle; The container recovery task information of the delivery vehicle; The delivery task information of the delivery vehicle; Charging plan information for the delivery vehicle.

3. The automatic distribution system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The delivery vehicle is configured with a first human-machine operation interface, and / or the container is configured with a second human-machine operation interface; The first human-machine operation interface or the second human-machine operation interface is used to control the container to open in response to a storage operation initiated by the delivery party to load the goods to be delivered corresponding to the order to be delivered; The second human-machine operation interface is also used to control the opening of the container in response to a pickup operation initiated by the pickup party; The delivery vehicle or the container is further used to send pickup information to the pickup party in response to the delivery vehicle driving to the delivery location, so that the pickup party opens the container according to the pickup information.

4. The automatic distribution system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The compartment of the container is provided with a detection element. When the detection element determines that the container changes from a loaded state to an idle state, the container is further used to send a recycling request to the distribution scheduling server, and the recycling request carries information of a recycling location; The delivery scheduling server is further used to respond to the recovery request and determine a second target delivery vehicle corresponding to the container to be recovered according to the transportation resource status information, wherein the container to be recovered is the container that sends the recovery request; The second target delivery vehicle is used to travel to the recycling location, automatically load the container to be recycled located at the recycling location, and send information to the delivery scheduling server to update the transportation resource status information.

5. A delivery vehicle, characterized in that: The delivery vehicle (1) is provided with a motion mechanism for driving the container (2) to move along the length direction, width direction and height direction of the delivery vehicle (1); the motion mechanism is used to automatically transfer the container (2) located on the delivery vehicle (1) to a preset position of the delivery location when the delivery vehicle (1) travels to the delivery location, or to automatically transfer the container (2) located at the preset position to the delivery vehicle (1).

6. The delivery vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that: The delivery vehicle (1) is provided with a frame structure (13), wherein the frame structure (13) has a receiving cavity for receiving the container (2) and a locking member (132) for locking the container (2) in the receiving cavity.

7. The delivery vehicle according to claim 6, characterized in that: The container (2) comprises a plurality of container units (20) arranged side by side, the frame structure (13) comprises a plurality of accommodating cavities, each of the accommodating cavities is used to accommodate one of the container units (20), and each of the accommodating cavities is provided with a fifth guiding portion (131) for guiding the container unit (20) to enter and exit the accommodating cavity.

8. The delivery vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that: The motion mechanism is specifically used to move the container (2) from the container placement position of the delivery vehicle (1) to the middle position, to move the container (2) from the middle position to the unloading position of the delivery vehicle (1), and to transfer the container (2) from the unloading position to the preset position; The motion mechanism is specifically used to transfer the container (2) from the preset position to the unloading position, to move the container (2) from the unloading position to the intermediate position, and to move the container (2) from the intermediate position to the container placement position; Among them, the container placement position and the middle position are spaced apart in the width direction, and / or the middle position and the unloading position are spaced apart in the length direction, and / or the unloading position and the preset position are located in different horizontal planes.

9. The delivery vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that: The movement mechanism comprises a load-bearing portion (11) and a grabbing mechanism (12) for grabbing the container (2) onto the load-bearing portion (11); The carrying portion (11) is used to drive the container (2) to move in different directions so as to transfer the container (2) from the delivery vehicle (1) to the bottom of the delivery vehicle (1); The gripping mechanism (12) comprises a gripping portion capable of extending into a gripping hole (21) of the container (2), the gripping portion being movable relative to the load-bearing portion (11), and the gripping portion being used to grip the container (2) and drive the container (2) to move onto the load-bearing portion (11).

10. The delivery vehicle according to claim 9, characterized in that: The gripping part is arranged in cooperation with the gripping hole (21), and an electromagnet is arranged inside the gripping part so that the gripping part can absorb the container (2) when power is on, and the gripping part can release the container (2) when power is off; The delivery vehicle (1) is provided with a first guide portion (101) extending along the length direction and a second guide portion (102) extending along the height direction; the bearing portion (11) has a bottom plate (111) slidably matched with the first guide portion (101) and a vertical plate (112) slidably matched with the second guide portion (102); the second guide portion (102) can move along the length direction with the bearing portion (11); The first guide portion (101) and the second guide portion (102) are located in the same straight line in the length direction and are arranged on one side of the container (2); the unloading end of the delivery vehicle (1) is provided with a third guide portion (103) extending along the height direction, and the third guide portion (103) can be in contact with the second guide portion (102) when the carrying portion (11) moves to the unloading end; The bottom plate (111) is provided with a fourth guide portion (104) extending along the width direction, and the gripping mechanism (12) is provided with a connecting portion connected to the gripping portion, and the connecting portion is slidably mounted in the fourth guide portion (104).

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