Picking path planning method and system

Abstract

The invention provides a planning method and a planning system for a goods picking path, and solves or improves the technical problem of low goods picking efficiency caused by unreasonable goods picking path planning in a goods transfer process in the prior art. According to the order picking path planning method provided by the invention, when the order picking path of the to-be-picked goods is determined, the historical order picking table and the warehouse data table are combined to determine the specific order picking path, the historical order picking table is fully utilized, and the order picking path is reasonably planned, so that order picking can be completed more quickly and more accurately; and the picking efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of logistics technology, and more specifically to a method and system for planning picking routes. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, with the rapid development of e-commerce, the logistics industry has faced increasing management pressure. Large warehouses handle a massive number of logistics orders daily, making the transshipment of goods within warehouses increasingly important. Picking is a crucial part of this process. Picking operations during transshipment include inbound picking and outbound picking. Inbound picking refers to placing items that need to be transshipped into the warehouse on the picking table, while outbound picking refers to removing items that need to be transshipped out of the warehouse from the picking table.

[0003] However, during the picking process in the transit phase, items are often sent out as long as they are stored or sent into the warehouse as long as there is space available. The picking routes for inbound and outbound operations are not properly planned, resulting in low picking efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention provides a picking route planning method and system, which solves or improves the technical problem of low picking efficiency caused by unreasonable picking route planning in the transit process of goods in the prior art.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present invention, this application provides a method for planning picking routes, comprising: acquiring a historical picking table, the historical picking table including multiple sets of historical picking data, each set of historical picking data including: item information of historically picked items and historical picking information corresponding to the historically picked items; acquiring a warehouse data table, the warehouse data table including location information of multiple locations in the warehouse and storage information corresponding to the locations, wherein the location information includes location codes and location size information; extracting item information of items to be picked; and determining the picking route of the items to be picked based on the item information of the items to be picked, the historical picking table, and the warehouse data table.

[0006] In one embodiment of this application, the picking path includes an inbound path, and the historical picking information includes: historical picking locations and the number of picking operations corresponding to the historical picking locations; wherein, determining the picking path of the goods to be picked based on the item information of the goods to be picked, the historical picking table, and the warehouse data table includes: when a first historical picking item matching the goods to be picked is found in the historical picking table based on the item information of the goods to be picked, determining the historical picking location corresponding to the second historical picking item with the most picking operations among the first historical picking items as the effective picking location of the goods to be picked; and determining the picking path of the goods to be picked based on the effective picking location and the location of the picking station.

[0007] In one embodiment of this application, determining the picking path of the goods to be picked based on the item information of the goods to be picked, the historical picking table, and the warehouse data table further includes: when no first historical picking item matching the goods to be picked is found in the historical picking table based on the item information of the goods to be picked, determining the effective picking location of the goods to be picked based on the item information of the goods to be picked and the warehouse data table.

[0008] In one embodiment of this application, the historical picking information further includes: historical storage time; wherein, determining the picking path of the goods to be picked based on the item information of the goods to be picked, the historical picking table and the warehouse data table further includes: when the number of historical picking locations corresponding to the second historical picking item is greater than 1, determining the historical picking location corresponding to the historical storage time closest to the current time as the valid picking location.

[0009] In one embodiment of this application, the item information of the goods to be picked includes: item name, item size, and storage duration; wherein, determining the picking path of the goods to be picked based on the item information and the warehouse data table includes: querying the warehouse data table for a picking location that matches the item size based on the item size of the goods to be picked; calculating the distance between the picking location and the picking station based on the location code corresponding to the picking location; and determining the effective picking location of the goods to be picked based on the storage time of the goods to be picked and the distance between the picking location and the picking station.

[0010] In one embodiment of this application, determining the effective picking location of the goods to be picked based on the storage time of the goods to be picked and the distance between the picking location and the picking station includes: when the storage time of the goods to be picked is greater than a first preset time, determining the picking location farthest from the picking station as the effective picking location of the goods to be picked; or when the storage time of the goods to be picked is less than a second preset time, determining the picking location closest to the picking station as the effective picking location of the goods to be picked, wherein the second preset time is less than the first preset time.

[0011] In one embodiment of this application, the picking route planning method further includes updating the historical picking table based on the goods to be picked and the picking route of the goods to be picked.

[0012] In one embodiment of this application, the picking route planning method further includes: updating the historical picking table according to the items to be picked and the picking routes of the items to be picked within the preset time after the current time.

[0013] In one embodiment of this application, the picking path includes an outbound path; wherein, determining the picking path of the goods to be picked based on the item information of the goods to be picked, the historical picking table, and the warehouse data table includes: determining a first quantity of goods to be picked based on the item information of the goods to be picked; traversing the warehouse data table and querying the warehouse data table for storage items that match the goods to be picked based on the item information of the goods to be picked; calculating the distance between each storage item and the picking station based on the location code of the storage location corresponding to the storage item, and generating a distance table, the distance table being arranged in ascending order of distance; selecting the first first quantity of storage locations in the distance table to construct a list of valid picking locations for the goods to be picked; and determining the picking path for each goods to be picked based on the picking station and the list of valid picking locations.

[0014] As a second aspect of this application, this application also provides a picking route planning system, comprising: an acquisition unit for acquiring a historical picking table, the historical picking table including multiple sets of historical picking data, each set of historical picking data including: item information of historical picked items and historical picker identity information and historical picking information corresponding to the historical picked item information; and an acquisition warehouse data table, the warehouse data table including location information of multiple locations in the warehouse and storage information corresponding to the locations, wherein the location information includes location code and location size information; an information extraction unit for extracting item information of the items to be picked; and a picking route determination unit for determining the picking route of the items to be picked based on the item information of the items to be picked, the historical picking table, and the warehouse data table.

[0015] This application provides a picking route planning method that combines historical picking tables and warehouse data tables to determine the specific picking route for the items to be picked. By making full use of historical picking tables and rationally planning the picking route, picking can be completed faster and more accurately, thus improving picking efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the more detailed description of the embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings are provided to further illustrate the embodiments of the invention and form part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of the invention to explain the invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings, the same reference numerals generally represent the same parts or steps.

[0017] Figure 1 The diagram shown is a flowchart illustrating a picking route planning method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 The diagram shown is a flowchart illustrating a picking route planning method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 The diagram shown is a flowchart illustrating a picking route planning method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 4 The diagram shown is a flowchart illustrating a picking route planning method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 5 The diagram shown is a flowchart illustrating a picking route planning method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 6The diagram shown is a flowchart illustrating a picking route planning method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 7 The diagram shown is a flowchart illustrating a picking route planning method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 8 The diagram shown is a flowchart illustrating a picking route planning method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 9 The diagram shown illustrates the working principle of a picking route planning system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 10 The diagram shown is a schematic diagram of the working principle of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0027] In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified. All directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, top, bottom, etc.) in the embodiments of this invention are only used to explain the relative positional relationships and movement of the components in a specific orientation (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific orientation changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices.

[0028] Furthermore, the reference to "embodiment" herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0029] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0030] Exemplary methods

[0031] As a first aspect of the present invention, this application provides a method for planning picking routes. Figure 1 The diagram shown is a flowchart illustrating a picking route planning method according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 As shown, this method for planning picking routes includes the following steps:

[0032] S1: Obtain the historical picking table. The historical picking table includes multiple sets of historical picking data. Each set of historical picking data includes: item information of the historical picked items and historical picking information related to the historical picked items.

[0033] Specifically, the historical picking list can be in the form of an Excel spreadsheet. The historical picking list includes multiple sets of historical picking data. Each set of historical picking data includes item information for the historically picked items, as well as the corresponding historical picking information for each item. The item information includes, but is not limited to, the following: item name, item production information (manufacturer, production date, shelf life, etc.), item specification information (e.g., item size information, item attribute information (e.g., fragile items, non-fragile items, clothing, etc.)).

[0034] Historical picking information for items includes, but is not limited to, the following: historical picking location, the historical picking time corresponding to the historical picking location, and the number of historical pickings. For a more detailed explanation of the historical picking table, the file format and included content of the historical picking table are shown in Table 1 or Table 2 below:

[0035] Table 1: Historical Picking Table

[0036]

[0037]

[0038] Table 2: Historical Picking Table

[0039]

[0040] It should be noted that the historical picking list includes the item information and historical picking information as described above. The contents of the item information and historical picking information may be as shown in Table 1 and Table 2 above, or may include other contents. This application does not limit the specific contents included in the historical picking list.

[0041] S2: Obtain the warehouse data table, which includes location information for multiple locations in the warehouse and the corresponding storage information. The location information includes location code and location size information.

[0042] Specifically, the warehouse data table refers to the specific information of each storage location in the current warehouse. The warehouse data table can include: the location information of each location in the warehouse used to store items and the storage information corresponding to that location.

[0043] For example, location information may include: the location code of the stored item within the overall warehouse layout, such as the 3rd row, 3rd column, 3rd item. Location information may also include the location dimension information of the stored item, such as length:width:height.

[0044] Storage information can include status information. For example, if an item has already been stored at the location where the item is stored, then the status information of that location is the item information of the stored item. If no item has been stored at that location, then the status information of that location is empty.

[0045] S3: Extract item information for goods to be picked;

[0046] Specifically, the item information for items to be picked can also include: item name, item production information (manufacturer, production date, shelf life, etc.), item specification information (such as item size information, item attribute information (such as fragile items, non-fragile items, clothing, etc.)).

[0047] The specific method for retrieving item information of goods to be picked can be as follows: directly retrieve it from the inbound or outbound order.

[0048] S4: Determine the picking path for the items to be picked based on the item information, historical picking list, and warehouse data table.

[0049] S3 determines the item information of the goods to be picked. Based on the item information of the goods to be picked, the historical picking table and warehouse data table are traversed to determine the storage location or the location to be stored of the goods to be picked. Then, the picking route is determined based on the storage location or the location to be stored.

[0050] Specifically, once S4 determines the picking path for the items to be picked, it sends the picking path to the corresponding picking entity. The picking entity then travels to the corresponding picking location according to the picking path to complete the picking. The picking entity can be a human worker or a picking robot.

[0051] This application provides a picking route planning method that combines historical picking tables and warehouse data tables to determine the specific picking route for the items to be picked. By making full use of historical picking tables and rationally planning the picking route, picking can be completed faster and more accurately, thus improving picking efficiency.

[0052] During the transfer of goods, picking operations include inbound picking and outbound picking. Inbound picking refers to placing items that need to be transferred into the warehouse and are placed on the picking table, while outbound picking refers to taking items that need to be transferred out of the warehouse from the warehouse to the picking table. Therefore, inbound picking corresponds to an inbound picking path, and outbound picking corresponds to an outbound picking path. Thus, the specific methods for determining picking paths are described in detail below based on inbound and outbound picking paths, respectively.

[0053] In one possible implementation of this application, such as Figure 2 As shown, the picking path includes the inbound path, which is the inbound picking process during the transit of goods. This process involves moving items from the picking platform to the warehouse. Historical picking information includes historical picking locations and the number of picking operations corresponding to those locations, as shown in Tables 1 and 2. The specific method for determining the inbound path, S4 (determining the picking path of the items to be picked based on their information, historical picking data, and warehouse data), includes the following steps:

[0054] S40: Based on the item information of the item to be picked, query the historical picking table and determine whether a first historical picking item matching the item to be picked is found in the historical picking table;

[0055] When receiving goods to be picked, the system first checks the historical picking table to see if a matching historical picking item exists. This means determining if the same item has already been picked in the historical picking table. Since the historical picking table includes both item information and picking information, it's possible to find out if the item to be picked has been picked before based on its item information.

[0056] Specifically, when searching the historical picking table for the first historical picking item that matches the item to be picked based on the item information, the specific methods for determining whether a match exists include, but are not limited to, the following:

[0057] (1) Traverse all historical picking items in the historical picking table, query the historical item information of the historical picking items that are the same as the item information of the item to be picked, and when the historical item information that is the same as the item information of the item to be picked is found, then the historical picking item corresponding to the historical item information is the first historical picking item.

[0058] (2) Traverse all historical picking items in the historical picking table and query the historical item information of the item to be picked that is the same as the item information of the item to be picked (e.g., different product names, but the same or very different specifications (e.g., size information); or different product names, different specifications, but the same manufacturer). When the historical item information that is the same as the item to be picked is found, the historical item corresponding to the historical item information is the first historical picking item.

[0059] However, if the result of S40 is yes, that is, if a first historical picking item matching the item to be picked is found in the historical picking table based on the item information of the item to be picked, then the historical picking location corresponding to the first historical picking item with the most historical picking times among the first historical picking items is determined as the valid picking location of the item to be picked, i.e., S41 is executed. However, if the result of S40 is no, that is, if a first historical picking item matching the item to be picked is not found in the historical picking table based on the item information of the item to be picked, then the valid picking location of the item to be picked is determined directly based on the item information of the item to be picked and the warehouse data table, i.e., S42 is executed.

[0060] S41: Identify the second historical picking item that has been picked the most times in the first historical picking item;

[0061] Specifically, the second historical picking item is one or more of the first historical picking items, and for ease of understanding, it is referred to as the second historical picking item.

[0062] S42: Determine the historical picking location corresponding to the second historical picking item as the valid picking location for the item to be picked;

[0063] Specifically, in S40, the first historical picking item that matches the item to be picked may be found in the historical picking table. The first historical picking item may correspond to multiple historical picking information, and each historical picking information includes the number of pickings. Then, the historical picking location corresponding to the item with the most pickings is directly determined as the valid picking location of the item to be picked.

[0064] This means that the effective picking location of the goods to be picked is determined by referring to the historical picking locations corresponding to the picking count in the historical picking table. Especially for larger items, the complex process of matching the size of the goods to be picked with the size of the picking location is not required. The picking location of the goods to be picked can be quickly matched directly based on the historical picking information (i.e., the picking count), which further improves the picking efficiency.

[0065] S43: Determine the effective picking location of the goods to be picked based on the item information and warehouse data table.

[0066] If no matching historical picking item is found in the historical picking table, it means that the item is being picked for the first time. Therefore, the warehouse data table is queried directly based on the item information of the item to be picked to find a valid picking location where the item can be stored.

[0067] Specifically, you can query the warehouse data table for the size-matching picking location based on the size information of the goods to be picked, which is the valid picking location for that goods.

[0068] Regardless of whether the items to be picked are being picked for the first time, the corresponding valid picking location can be found based on the historical picking list and the warehouse data table.

[0069] Once the valid picking location of the goods to be picked is determined, the picking route can be determined based on the valid picking location and the location of the picking station. That is, execute S44.

[0070] S44: Determine the picking path for the items to be picked based on the available picking locations and the location of the picking station.

[0071] Specifically, once the valid picking location is determined, its spatial location within the warehouse can be found in the warehouse data table, for example, the 5th item in the 3rd row, 3rd column. The picking route can then be determined based on this spatial location information and the spatial location information corresponding to the picking station's position.

[0072] Optional, such as Figure 3 As shown, historical picking information also includes historical storage time, that is, the storage time when the item was stored in the corresponding location, i.e., the picking and warehousing time of the historical picked items, as shown in Tables 1 and 2. When determining the picking path of the items to be picked, there are multiple historical picking locations determined based on the number of picking operations. In this case, after determining the historical picking location with the most picking operations, i.e. after S41, S4 (determining the picking path of the items to be picked based on the item information, historical picking table, and warehouse data table) also includes the following steps:

[0073] S45: Determine whether the number of historical picking locations corresponding to the second historical picking item is greater than 1;

[0074] Since the number of historical picking locations corresponding to the second historical picking item may be multiple or only one, the first step is to determine whether the number of historical picking locations corresponding to the second historical picking item is greater than one. If the number of historical picking locations corresponding to the second historical picking item is greater than one, that is, if the result of S44 is yes, then the historical storage time corresponding to each historical picking location is traversed, and the historical picking location corresponding to the most recent historical storage time is taken as the valid picking location for the item to be picked, i.e., S46 is executed. If the result of S45 is no, that is, if the number of historical picking locations corresponding to the second historical picking item is one, then the historical picking location corresponding to the second historical picking item can be determined as the valid picking location for the item to be picked, i.e., S42 is executed.

[0075] S46: Determine the historical picking location corresponding to the historical storage time closest to the current time as the valid picking location.

[0076] When the number of historical picking locations corresponding to the second historical picking item is greater than 1, it means that there may be multiple historical picking locations. In this case, the historical picking location corresponding to the historical storage time closest to the current time is determined as the valid picking location, that is, the most recent historical storage time is determined as the valid picking location.

[0077] Optionally, as shown in Tables 1 and 2, the item information for the goods to be picked includes: item name, item size, and storage duration; such as Figure 4 As shown, if a valid picking location cannot be determined based on historical picking information in the historical picking table, then the method for determining the picking path of the goods to be picked based on the item information and warehouse data table is as follows: S43 (Determine the picking path of the goods to be picked based on the item information and warehouse data table) specifically includes the following steps:

[0078] S431: Based on the dimensions of the items to be picked, query the warehouse data table for the location of the items to be picked that match the dimensions of the items;

[0079] Specifically, the item information for the goods to be picked includes the item size, and the warehouse data table also includes the size information of each storage location in the warehouse as well as the location code of the storage location.

[0080] Therefore, the storage location (i.e., the picking location) that can be stored can be found based on the size of the item to be picked. The number of storage locations may be one or more.

[0081] S432: Calculate the distance between the picking location and the picking station based on the location code corresponding to the picking location;

[0082] Since there may be multiple picking locations matched based on size information, the distance between the picking location and the picking station is calculated based on the location code of the picking location (e.g., the 5th item in the 3rd row, 3rd column).

[0083] S433: Determine the effective picking location of the goods to be picked based on the storage time of the goods to be picked and the distance between the picking location and the picking station.

[0084] Once the distance between the picking location and the picking station is calculated, one picking location can be determined as the valid picking location for the item to be picked based on the distance.

[0085] Specifically, such as Figure 5 As shown, the specific method for determining the effective picking location of goods based on the distance between the picking location and the picking table, namely S433 (determining the effective picking location of goods based on the storage time of the goods to be picked and the distance between the picking location and the picking table), specifically includes the following steps:

[0086] S4331: Determine whether the storage time of the goods to be picked is greater than the first preset time;

[0087] Specifically, the item information for items to be picked includes the storage duration of the items. For example, the storage duration for item A is 10 days, meaning that the item may be stored in the warehouse for 10 days. Determining whether the storage duration of the item to be picked is greater than a first preset duration determines whether the item to be picked is stored for a short or long period.

[0088] The first preset duration can be determined according to the specific scenario, such as based on the historical storage data of the goods to be picked in the warehouse. For example, if the average historical storage duration of goods A to be picked in the warehouse is t1, then the first preset duration can be set to t1. Goods to be picked with a storage duration exceeding the first preset duration can be determined to have a longer storage time, and goods to be picked with a storage duration shorter than the first preset duration can be determined to have a shorter storage time.

[0089] When the judgment result of S4331 is yes, it means that the storage time of the goods to be picked is longer than the first preset time, which means that the goods to be picked need to be stored in the warehouse for a longer period of time. Therefore, the goods to be picked can be stored in a picking location that is far away from the picking station, i.e., S4332 is executed.

[0090] When the judgment result of S4331 is negative, it means that the storage time of the goods to be picked is less than or equal to the first preset time. This means that the storage time of the goods to be picked in the warehouse is relatively short. Therefore, the goods to be picked can be stored in a picking location closer to the picking station, i.e., S4333-S4334 are executed.

[0091] S4332: Determine the picking location that is furthest from the picking station as the valid picking location for the items to be picked;

[0092] If the goods to be picked need to be stored in the warehouse for a long period of time, they can be stored in a location farther away from the picking station. This allows goods to be picked closer to the picking station for shorter periods of storage, making them easier to pick.

[0093] Specifically, the algorithm for finding the furthest distance from the picking station is as follows: Based on the location code of each picking location and the warehouse layout information, calculate the shortest distance between each picking location and the picking station; then iterate through the shortest distances corresponding to each picking location, and determine the largest shortest distance as the furthest distance from the picking station, and select the picking location corresponding to the largest shortest distance as the valid picking location.

[0094] S4333: Determine whether the storage time of the goods to be picked is less than the second preset time.

[0095] Specifically, the second preset duration is less than the first preset duration. For example, if the first preset duration is t1 and the second preset duration is t2, then t2 < t1;

[0096] If the judgment result of S4333 is negative, it means that the storage time of the goods to be picked is greater than the second preset time, and the storage time of the goods to be picked is moderate. If the judgment result of S4333 is positive, it means that the storage time of the goods to be picked is less than the second preset time, and the storage time of the goods to be picked is short. That is, the goods to be picked are stored in a picking position closer to the picking station, i.e., S4334 is executed.

[0097] S4334: Determine the location of the item to be picked that is closest to the warehouse picking station as the effective picking location for the item to be picked.

[0098] The items to be picked are stored in a location close to the picking station so that they can be picked as quickly as possible when the item is picked.

[0099] Similarly, the specific algorithm for finding the shortest distance between a location and the picking station is as follows: Based on the location code of each location to be picked and the layout information of the warehouse, calculate the shortest distance between each location to be picked and the picking station; then iterate through the shortest distances corresponding to each location to be picked, and determine the location with the smallest shortest distance as the location closest to the picking station, and then select the location to be picked corresponding to the smallest shortest distance as the valid picking location.

[0100] In another embodiment of this application, such as Figure 6 As shown, the picking path also includes the outbound path, which is the outbound picking process during the transfer of goods. This involves picking the goods from their storage location to the picking station during the outbound picking process (moving the goods to be picked from the warehouse to the picking station). Historical picking information includes: historical picking location and historical picking time. Historical picking time refers to the historical picking moment of the item. For example, if the historical picking time of an item is t3, then t3 means that the item was picked at time t3. Historical picking location refers to the location where the item was stored and its location code.

[0101] like Figure 6 As shown, S4 (determining the picking path of the goods to be picked based on the item information, historical picking list, and warehouse data table) specifically includes the following steps:

[0102] S45: Determine the first quantity of the goods to be picked based on the item information;

[0103] Specifically, the item information mentioned above includes, but is not limited to, the following: item name, item production information (manufacturer, production date, shelf life, etc.), item specification information (e.g., item size information, item attribute information (e.g., fragile, non-fragile, clothing, etc.)).

[0104] The quantity of the same type of item to be picked can then be determined as the first quantity based on the item name and production information in the item information. For example, if 5 items need to be picked, then the first quantity is 5.

[0105] S46: Traverse the warehouse data table and query the storage items that match the items to be picked in the warehouse data table based on the item information of the items to be picked;

[0106] Iterate through the warehouse data table and query the warehouse data table for the item to be picked.

[0107] S47: Calculate the distance between each stored item and the picking station based on the location code of the storage location corresponding to the stored item, and generate a distance table, which is arranged in ascending order of distance;

[0108] When the item to be picked is found, the location code of the storage location of the item is determined. Based on the location code, the shortest distance between each stored item and the picking station can be calculated. Then, the items are arranged in ascending order of the shortest distance to form a distance table.

[0109] For example, as shown in Table 3, the distance table shows that there are 10 storage items in the warehouse that match the items to be picked. The location code of each storage item is used to calculate the shortest distance between each storage item and the picking station, and the distance table 3 is formed.

[0110] Table 3: Distance Table

[0111] Storage location Distance to picking station Position 1 3 meters Position 2 4 meters Position 3 5 meters Position 4 6 meters Position 5 7 meters …… …… Position 10 15 meters

[0112] S48: Select the first number of storage locations in the distance table to construct a list of valid picking locations for the goods to be picked;

[0113] Since the required quantity of the goods to be picked is the first quantity, the first quantity of storage locations in the distance table are selected as the list of valid picking locations for the goods to be picked.

[0114] For example, if the required quantity of the item to be picked is 5 (i.e., the initial quantity is 5), and 10 matching storage items are found in the warehouse, the location code of each storage item is used to calculate the shortest distance between each storage item and the picking station, resulting in a distance table as shown in Table 3. Therefore, the list of valid picking locations consists of the first 5 storage locations in Table 3.

[0115] S49: Determine the picking path for each item to be picked based on the picking station and the list of valid picking locations.

[0116] Once the list of valid picking locations is determined, the picking route can be determined based on the valid picking locations, and then the picking route can be pushed to the picking entity so that the picking entity can pick the goods according to the picking route.

[0117] In one embodiment of this application, as Figure 7 as well as Figure 8 As shown, the historical picking table can be updated after the current picking is performed.

[0118] Specifically, such as Figure 7 As shown, after S4, the picking route planning method also includes the following steps:

[0119] S5: Update the historical picking table based on the items to be picked and their picking paths.

[0120] That is, the historical picking table is updated in real time after the items to be picked are picked.

[0121] For example, such as Figure 8 As shown, after S4, the picking route planning method also includes the following steps:

[0122] S6: After a preset time following the current time, update the historical picking table based on the items to be picked and their picking paths within the preset time.

[0123] The historical picking list is updated at a certain period, that is, it is updated once every preset time interval.

[0124] Exemplary System

[0125] As a second aspect of this application, this application also provides a picking route planning system, such as... Figure 9 As shown, the picking route planning system 1 includes:

[0126] The acquisition unit 11 is used to acquire a historical picking list, which includes multiple sets of historical picking data. Each set of historical picking data includes: item information of historical picked items and the identity information of the historical picker and historical picking information corresponding to the historical picked item information; and to acquire a warehouse data table, which includes location information of multiple locations in the warehouse and storage information corresponding to the locations. The location information includes location code and location size information.

[0127] That is, the acquisition unit 11 is used to execute S1 and S2 in the picking route planning method described above.

[0128] Information extraction unit 12 is used to extract item information of goods to be picked;

[0129] The information extraction unit 12 is used to execute S3 in the picking route planning method described above.

[0130] The picking route determination unit 13 is used to determine the picking route of the goods to be picked based on the item information, historical picking list and warehouse data table.

[0131] The picking route determination unit 13 is used to execute S4 in the picking route planning method described above.

[0132] This application provides a picking route planning method that combines historical picking tables and warehouse data tables to determine the specific picking route for the items to be picked. By making full use of historical picking tables and rationally planning the picking route, picking can be completed faster and more accurately, thus improving picking efficiency.

[0133] Exemplary electronic devices

[0134] Below, for reference Figure 10 To describe an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0135] Figure 10 The figure shows a structural block diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0136] like Figure 10 As shown, the electronic device 100 includes one or more processors 110 and memory 120.

[0137] The processor 110 may be a central processing unit (CPU) or other form of processing unit with data processing capabilities and / or instruction execution capabilities, and may control other components in the electronic device 100 to perform desired functions.

[0138] The memory 120 may include one or more computer program products, which may include various forms of computer-readable storage media, such as volatile memory and / or non-volatile memory. The volatile memory may include, for example, random access memory (RAM) and / or cache memory. The non-volatile memory may include, for example, read-only memory (ROM), hard disk, flash memory, etc. One or more computer program instructions may be stored on the computer-readable storage medium, and the processor 11 may execute the program instructions to implement the picking path planning methods of the various embodiments of the present invention described above, and / or other desired functions.

[0139] In one example, the electronic device 100 may also include an input device 130 and an output device 140, which are interconnected via a bus system and / or other forms of connection mechanism (not shown).

[0140] When the electronic device is a standalone device, the input device 130 can be a communication network connector for receiving the acquired input signals from the first device and the second device.

[0141] In addition, the input device 130 may also include, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, etc.

[0142] The output device 140 can output various information to the outside, including determined distance information, direction information, etc. The output device 140 may include, for example, a display, a speaker, a printer, and a communication network and its connected remote output devices, etc.

[0143] Of course, for the sake of simplicity, Figure 10 Only some of the components of the electronic device 100 relevant to the present invention are shown, omitting components such as buses, input / output interfaces, etc. In addition, the electronic device 100 may include any other suitable components depending on the specific application.

[0144] This invention provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program for executing the picking route planning method and apparatus described above. In addition, embodiments of this invention may also be computer program products, including computer program information, which, when run by a processor, causes the processor to execute the steps in the picking route planning method according to various embodiments of the present invention as described in this specification.

[0145] Computer program products can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages ​​to perform the operations of the embodiments of the present invention. The programming languages ​​include object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java and C++, as well as conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as C or similar languages. The program code can be executed entirely on the user's computing device, partially on the user's computing device, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computing device and partially on a remote computing device, or entirely on a remote computing device or server.

[0146] Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention may also be computer-readable storage media storing computer program information thereon, which, when run by a processor, causes the processor to execute the steps in the picking path planning method according to various embodiments of the present invention.

[0147] Computer-readable storage media may take the form of any combination of one or more readable media. A readable medium may be a readable signal medium or a readable storage medium. A readable storage medium may, for example, include, but is not limited to, electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatuses, or devices, or any combination thereof. More specific examples of readable storage media (a non-exhaustive list) include: electrical connections having one or more wires, portable disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0148] The basic principles of the present invention have been described above with reference to specific embodiments. However, it should be noted that the advantages, benefits, and effects mentioned in the present invention are merely examples and not limitations, and should not be considered as essential features of each embodiment of the present invention. Furthermore, the specific details disclosed above are for illustrative and facilitative purposes only, and are not limitations. These details do not limit the present invention to the necessity of employing the aforementioned specific details.

[0149] The block diagrams of devices, apparatuses, devices, and systems involved in this invention are merely illustrative examples and are not intended to require or imply that they must be connected, arranged, or configured in the manner shown in the block diagrams. As those skilled in the art will recognize, these devices, apparatuses, devices, and systems can be connected, arranged, and configured in any manner. Words such as “comprising,” “including,” “having,” etc., are open-ended terms meaning “including but not limited to,” and are used interchangeably with them. The terms “or” and “and” as used herein refer to the terms “and / or,” and are used interchangeably with them unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term “such as” as used herein refers to the phrase “such as but not limited to,” and is used interchangeably with it.

[0150] It should also be noted that in the apparatus, device, and method of the present invention, the components or steps can be disassembled and / or recombined. These disassemblies and / or recombinations should be considered as equivalent solutions of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for planning picking routes, characterized in that, include: Obtain the historical picking table, which includes multiple sets of historical picking data. Each set of historical picking data includes: item information of the historical picked items and historical picking information corresponding to the historical picked items. Obtain a warehouse data table, which includes location information of multiple locations in the warehouse and storage information corresponding to those locations. The location information includes location codes and location size information. Extract item information for goods to be picked; The picking path for the goods to be picked is determined based on the item information, the historical picking list, and the warehouse data table.

2. The picking route planning method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The picking path includes the inbound path, and the historical picking information includes: historical picking locations and the number of historical pickings corresponding to the historical picking locations; The step of determining the picking path of the goods to be picked based on the item information, the historical picking table, and the warehouse data table includes: When a first historical picking item matching the item to be picked is found in the historical picking table based on the item information of the item to be picked, the historical picking location corresponding to the second historical picking item with the most historical picking times among the first historical picking items is determined as the effective picking location of the item to be picked. The picking path for the goods to be picked is determined based on the effective picking location and the location of the picking station.

3. The picking route planning method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Based on the item information of the goods to be picked, the historical picking list, and the warehouse data table, the picking path of the goods to be picked is determined, which also includes: When no matching historical picking item is found in the historical picking table based on the item information of the item to be picked, the effective picking location of the item to be picked is determined based on the item information of the item to be picked and the warehouse data table.

4. The picking route planning method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The historical picking information also includes: historical storage time; The process of determining the picking path for the goods to be picked, based on the item information, the historical picking table, and the warehouse data table, further includes: When the number of historical picking locations corresponding to the second historical picking item is greater than 1, the historical picking location corresponding to the historical storage time closest to the current time is determined as the valid picking location.

5. The picking route planning method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The item information of the goods to be picked includes: item name, item size, and storage duration; The process of determining the picking route for the goods to be picked, based on the item information and the warehouse data table, includes: Based on the dimensions of the items to be picked, query the warehouse data table for the location of the items that match the dimensions of the items to be picked; Calculate the distance between the picking location and the picking station based on the location code corresponding to the picking location; The effective picking location of the goods to be picked is determined based on the storage time of the goods to be picked and the distance between the location of the goods to be picked and the picking station.

6. The picking route planning method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The effective picking location of the goods to be picked is determined based on the storage time of the goods to be picked and the distance between the location of the goods to be picked and the picking station, including: When the storage time of the goods to be picked exceeds a first preset time, the location furthest from the picking station is determined as the effective picking location of the goods to be picked; or When the storage time of the goods to be picked is less than the second preset time, the location of the goods to be picked that is closest to the picking station is determined as the effective picking location of the goods to be picked, wherein the second preset time is less than the first preset time.

7. The picking route planning method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The historical picking table is updated based on the items to be picked and their picking paths.

8. The picking route planning method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: After a preset time following the current time, the historical picking table is updated based on the items to be picked and their picking paths within the preset time.

9. The picking route planning method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The picking route includes the outbound route; Specifically, determining the picking path for the goods to be picked, based on the item information, the historical picking table, and the warehouse data table, includes: Based on the item information of the items to be picked, determine the first quantity of the items to be picked; Traverse the warehouse data table and query the warehouse data table for stored items that match the goods to be picked, based on the item information of the goods to be picked. The distance between each stored item and the picking station is calculated based on the location code of the storage location corresponding to the stored item, and a distance table is generated, which is arranged in ascending order of distance. Select the first number of storage locations in the distance table to construct a list of valid picking locations for the goods to be picked. Based on the picking station and the list of valid picking locations, determine the picking path for each item to be picked.

10. A picking route planning system, characterized in that, include: The acquisition unit is used to acquire a historical picking table, which includes multiple sets of historical picking data. Each set of historical picking data includes: item information of historical picked items and historical picker identity information and historical picking information corresponding to the historical picked item information; and to acquire a warehouse data table, which includes location information of multiple locations in the warehouse and storage information corresponding to the locations. The location information includes location code and location size information. The information extraction unit is used to extract the item information of the goods to be picked; The picking route determination unit is used to determine the picking route of the goods to be picked based on the item information of the goods to be picked, the historical picking table, and the warehouse data table.

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