Container delivery method and device, electronic equipment and storage medium

Abstract

The invention provides a container ex-warehouse method and device, electronic equipment and a storage medium, and relates to the technical field of intelligent warehousing. According to the specific implementation scheme, a to-be-processed task corresponding to a workstation is obtained; according to the sorting sequence of the multiple to-be-delivered cargoes in the to-be-processed task, the container station entering sequence of all the to-be-delivered containers is determined; and the robot is controlled to carry the multiple to-be-delivered containers to the work station based on the container entering sequence of the to-be-delivered containers. According to the technical scheme, the container entering sequence of the to-be-delivered containers can be designed according to the sorting sequence of the to-be-delivered cargoes in the to-be-processed tasks of the work station, scheduling planning is conducted on the entering process of the robot carrying the containers based on the container entering sequence, the execution accuracy of the containers arriving at the station in sequence is improved, and the working efficiency is improved. And invalid occupation of resources in the warehousing system in the ex-warehouse process is reduced, and the sorting efficiency and the overall efficiency of the warehousing system are guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of intelligent warehousing technology, and in particular to a container outbound method, apparatus, electronic device, and storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] In a goods-to-person scenario in a warehousing system, robots and other handling equipment can move containers containing goods to be picked from the storage area to a designated workstation. However, based on warehousing configuration or outbound order requirements, the goods to be picked often have a picking order requirement during the outbound picking process. The goods to be picked in the same container may also have a discontinuous picking order. If the outbound handling scheduling of the containers is not reasonable, the picking task at the workstation may be interrupted, affecting the operational efficiency of the workstation and even the entire warehousing system. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a container outbound method, apparatus, electronic device, and storage medium, which designs the arrival sequence of containers to be outbound based on the picking order of the goods to be outbound, and improves the outbound picking efficiency of the warehousing system by controlling the containers to be outbound to arrive at the workstation in sequence.

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a container outbound method, including:

[0005] Obtain the pending tasks corresponding to the workstation; among them, the pending tasks include multiple goods to be shipped, multiple containers to be shipped, and the picking order of multiple goods to be shipped, and the containers to be shipped are used to place the goods to be shipped.

[0006] Determine the container entry order of each container to be shipped based on the picking order of multiple outbound goods in the pending task.

[0007] Based on the container arrival sequence of each container to be shipped, the robot is controlled to transport multiple containers to the workstation.

[0008] In some embodiments, determining the container entry order of each outbound container based on the picking order of multiple outbound goods in the pending task includes: determining the earliest picking order corresponding to each outbound container based on the picking order of at least one outbound goods on each outbound container; wherein, the earliest picking order corresponding to the outbound container is the picking order of the outbound goods with the earliest picking order on the outbound container; and sorting the multiple outbound containers according to the earliest picking order corresponding to each outbound container to obtain the container entry order of each outbound container.

[0009] In some embodiments, controlling a robot to transport multiple containers to be shipped to a workstation based on the container entry order of each container to be shipped includes: when the robot transports a first container to be shipped to the inventory area, obtaining the shipping progress of a second container to be shipped; wherein the second container to be shipped is the container to be shipped whose container entry order is one position higher than the first container to be shipped; and controlling the robot to transport the first container to be shipped to the workstation according to the container entry order of the first container to be shipped, based on the shipping progress of the second container to be shipped and the queuing situation at the workstation.

[0010] In some embodiments, based on the outbound progress of the second container to be outbound and the queuing status of the workstation, the robot is controlled to move the first container to be outbound to the workstation according to the container entry order of the first container to be outbound, including: if the second container to be outbound is in the queuing position or picking position of the workstation and there is an empty queuing position in the workstation, the robot is controlled to move the first container to be outbound to the empty queuing position in the workstation.

[0011] In some embodiments, based on the outbound progress of the second container to be outbound and the queuing status of the workstation, the control robot moves the first container to be outbound to the workstation according to the container entry order of the first container to be outbound, and further includes: if the second container to be outbound has not arrived at the workstation or the second container to be outbound is in the queue of the workstation but there is no free queue position in the workstation, the control robot moves the first container to be outbound to the buffer area; in response to detecting that there is a free queue position in the workstation, the control robot moves the first container to be outbound from the buffer area to the free queue position in the workstation.

[0012] In some embodiments, the task to be processed further includes multiple outbound storage surfaces, each with at least one outbound item placed on it, and each outbound container having at least one outbound storage surface. The process involves determining the container entry order of each outbound container based on the picking order of the multiple outbound items in the task, including: determining the earliest picking order corresponding to each outbound storage surface based on the picking order of at least one item on each outbound storage surface; wherein the earliest picking order corresponding to the outbound storage surface is the picking order of the outbound item with the earliest picking order on that outbound storage surface; sorting the multiple outbound storage surfaces according to the earliest picking order to obtain the entry order of each outbound storage surface; and determining the container entry order of each outbound container based on the entry order of each outbound storage surface; wherein the container entry order of the outbound container includes the entry order of each outbound storage surface possessed by that outbound container.

[0013] In some embodiments, controlling a robot to transport multiple containers to a workstation based on the container entry sequence of each container to be shipped includes: if a third container to be shipped has multiple storage surfaces, determining a first storage surface to be shipped from among the multiple storage surfaces of the third container to be shipped, wherein the first storage surface to be shipped is the earliest storage surface to be shipped in the entry sequence of the third container to be shipped; when the robot transports the third container to be shipped to the storage area, acquiring the container code image information of the third container to be shipped scanned by the robot; determining a first placement orientation of the first storage surface to be shipped on the robot based on the container code image information of the third container to be shipped; and controlling the robot to transport the third container to be shipped to the workstation based on the first placement orientation.

[0014] In some embodiments, controlling the robot to transport a third container to be shipped to the workstation based on a first placement orientation includes: detecting the robot's current entry orientation before the robot enters the workstation; if the current entry orientation is consistent with the first placement orientation, controlling the transport robot to transport the third container to be shipped to the workstation with the current entry orientation.

[0015] In some embodiments, controlling the robot to transport the third container to be shipped to the workstation based on the first placement orientation further includes: if the current entry orientation is inconsistent with the first placement orientation, controlling the robot to adjust the current entry orientation to the first placement orientation, and controlling the robot to transport the third container to be shipped to the workstation with the adjusted current entry orientation.

[0016] In some embodiments, controlling the robot to adjust its current entry direction to a first placement orientation and controlling the robot to transport a third container to be shipped to the workstation with the adjusted current entry orientation includes: controlling the robot to travel to a turning area; adjusting the robot's current entry direction to the first placement orientation in the turning area and controlling the robot to transport the third container to be shipped from the turning area to the workstation with the adjusted current entry orientation.

[0017] In some embodiments, controlling the robot to transport multiple outbound containers to the workstation based on the container entry sequence of each outbound container further includes: if the third outbound container has multiple outbound storage surfaces, after the outbound goods on the first outbound storage surface are picked in the workstation, determining the second outbound storage surface among the remaining outbound storage surfaces of the third outbound container, and obtaining the second placement direction of the second outbound storage surface on the robot; wherein, the second outbound storage surface is the outbound storage surface with the earliest entry sequence among the remaining outbound storage surfaces of the third outbound container; controlling the robot to transport the third outbound container out of the station, and obtaining the outbound progress of the third outbound storage surface, wherein the third outbound storage surface is the outbound storage surface with an entry sequence one position earlier than the second outbound storage surface; according to the outbound progress of the third outbound storage surface and the queuing situation of the workstation, controlling the robot to re-transport the third outbound container into the station based on the second placement direction.

[0018] In some embodiments, based on the outbound progress of the third outbound storage surface and the queuing situation of the workstation, the robot is controlled to re-carry the third outbound container into the station based on the second placement orientation, including: if the outbound goods on the third outbound storage surface have been picked, the robot's current entry orientation is adjusted to the second placement orientation, and the robot is controlled to carry the third outbound container to the workstation with the adjusted current entry orientation.

[0019] In some embodiments, based on the outbound progress of the third outbound storage surface and the queuing status of the workstation, the robot is controlled to re-carry the third outbound container into the station based on the second placement orientation, including: if the third outbound storage surface is in the queuing or picking position of the workstation and there is an empty queuing position in the workstation, the robot's current entry orientation is adjusted to the second placement orientation, and the robot is controlled to carry the third outbound container to the empty queuing position of the workstation with the adjusted current entry orientation.

[0020] In some embodiments, based on the outbound progress of the third outbound storage surface and the queuing status of the workstation, the robot is controlled to re-carry the third outbound container into the workstation based on the second placement orientation, including: if the third outbound storage surface has not reached the workstation or the third outbound storage surface is in the queue position of the workstation but there is no free queue position in the workstation, the robot is controlled to carry the third outbound container to the buffer area; in response to detecting that a free queue position has appeared in the workstation, the robot's current entry orientation is adjusted to the second placement orientation, and the robot is controlled to carry the third outbound container from the buffer area to the free queue position of the workstation with the adjusted current entry orientation.

[0021] In some embodiments, the method further includes: adjusting the picking order of each outbound item in the task to be processed according to the container entry order corresponding to each outbound container; and sending the adjusted task to be processed to the workstation.

[0022] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a container dispensing device, comprising:

[0023] The task acquisition module is used to acquire the tasks to be processed corresponding to the workstation; among them, the tasks to be processed include multiple goods to be shipped, multiple containers to be shipped, and the picking order of multiple goods to be shipped. The containers to be shipped are used to place the goods to be shipped.

[0024] The sequence determination module is used to determine the container entry order of each container to be shipped out based on the picking order of multiple goods to be shipped out in the task to be processed.

[0025] The inbound control module is used to control the robot to transport multiple containers to the workstation based on the container inbound sequence of each container to be shipped out.

[0026] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide an electronic device, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory, wherein the processor implements any of the methods of embodiments of this application when executing the computer program.

[0027] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the method of any one of the embodiments of this application.

[0028] Fifthly, embodiments of this application also provide a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements any of the implementation methods in the first aspect described above.

[0029] Based on the method of this application embodiment, the container entry sequence of the outbound containers can be designed according to the picking order of each outbound item in the pending tasks of the workstation, and the entry process of the robot that transports the containers can be scheduled and planned based on the container entry sequence, thereby improving the execution accuracy of the containers arriving in sequence, reducing the ineffective occupation of resources in the warehousing system during the outbound process, and ensuring picking efficiency and the overall efficiency of the warehousing system.

[0030] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of this application. In order to better understand the technical means of this application, it can be implemented according to the contents of the specification. In order to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this application more obvious and understandable, specific embodiments of this application are given below. Attached Figure Description

[0031] The accompanying drawings are provided for a better understanding of this solution and do not constitute a limitation of this application. Wherein:

[0032] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a warehousing system provided for an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a scenario where containers to be picked out are processed at a workstation, according to an exemplary embodiment of this application.

[0034] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a container outbound method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. Figure 1 ;

[0035] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a container outbound method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. Figure 2 ;

[0036] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a container outbound method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. Figure 3 ;

[0037] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating a container outbound method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. Figure 4 ;

[0038] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the handling flow during the container outbound handling process provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating a container outbound method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. Figure 5 ;

[0040] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating a container outbound method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. Figure 6 ;

[0041] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of a container dispensing device provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a robot provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of an electronic device provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0044] In the following description, only certain exemplary embodiments are briefly described. As those skilled in the art will recognize, the described embodiments can be modified in various ways without departing from the concept or scope of this application. Therefore, the drawings and description are considered to be exemplary in nature and not restrictive.

[0045] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the relevant technologies of the embodiments of this application are described below. The following relevant technologies are optional solutions and can be combined with the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application in any way, and all of them fall within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application.

[0046] Application scenarios

[0047] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a warehousing system provided for an exemplary embodiment of this application, as shown below. Figure 1 As shown, the warehousing system 100 includes a storage area 10, multiple handling devices 20, at least one workstation 30, and a control device 40.

[0048] For example, a plurality of containers 11 may be stored in the storage area 10, and the containers 11 are placed in a vehicle in the storage area 10. Figure 1 (Not shown in the image) includes, but is not limited to, containers, boxes, pallets, parcels, cage carts, and original boxes containing goods.

[0049] In some embodiments, container 11 may also be a mobile carrier, such as a mobile shelf. The mobile shelf may include at least one partition that divides the mobile shelf into at least two layers. At least one storage space is provided on the partition of the mobile shelf. Each storage space can accommodate at least one container. The container placed in each storage space may be a box or a pallet. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0050] It should be noted that movable carriers include, but are not limited to, partitioned shelves, container shelves, picking shelves, and mobile shelves. The movable carriers provided in this application embodiment can refer to any carrier used to place containers.

[0051] For example, the handling equipment 20, also known as an automated handling equipment or a carrier handling equipment, is used to handle the container 11. For instance, when the container 11 is a mobile carrier, the handling equipment 20 can handle the mobile carrier between the storage area 10 and the workstation 30 in the warehousing system.

[0052] In some embodiments, the handling device 20 may be a handling robot, such as an Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV). For example, the handling robot may move under the mobile carrier and then lift the mobile carrier off the ground, thereby carrying the mobile carrier to move.

[0053] In some embodiments, the number of workstations 30 in the warehousing system 100 may be one or more, and this application embodiment does not limit this. The following embodiments are exemplified by the warehousing system 100 including multiple workstations 30.

[0054] For example, each workstation 30 in the warehousing system 100 may be equipped with one or more queuing positions 31 and multiple picking points 32. The queuing positions 31 are used to dock handling equipment 20 carrying containers 11. The picking points can be understood as picking windows, and each picking point may be configured with one or more operators. The handling equipment 20 can move the containers 11 from the storage area 10 to the corresponding picking point 32 in the workstation 30, so that the operators or machines at the picking point 32 can take out the containers 10 or the goods in the containers 10 for picking.

[0055] In some embodiments, when a handling device 20 moves a container 10 into a workstation 30, if the corresponding picking point 32 is occupied by other handling devices (i.e., the picking point 32 is in operation), the handling device 20 can first stop at the queue position 31 in the workstation 30, and wait for the picking point 32 to finish its operation. Then, the handling device 20 can enter the picking point 32 from the queue position 31, so that the operators and machines in the picking point 32 can pick and place the container 10 or the goods in the container 10 on the handling device 20.

[0056] In some embodiments, workstation 30 may include one or more queue positions 31. For example, one workstation 30 may correspond to one queue position, or one workstation 30 may correspond to multiple queue positions. This application does not limit this.

[0057] For example, the control device 40 can communicate with the workstation 30 and the handling equipment 20 via a local area network (LAN), wireless local area network (WLAN), and other networks to control the operation of the workstation 30 and the handling equipment 20. For instance, the control device 40 can control the movement operation of the handling equipment 20 and the handling operation of the container 11, and can also control the workstation 30 to perform goods picking operations, etc.

[0058] In some embodiments, the control device 40 can generate a corresponding handling instruction based on the acquired order to be processed, and send the handling instruction to the handling device 20; the handling device 20 obtains the handling instruction and moves the container 10 matched by the order to be processed to the workstation 30 according to the handling instruction.

[0059] In some embodiments, the control device 40 can also, according to the goods required in the outbound order, perform a hit on the goods to be shipped and the containers to be shipped in the inventory area, and generate picking tasks and handling tasks accordingly based on the hit situation, and send the handling tasks to the handling equipment 20 so that the handling equipment 20 can move the containers storing the goods to be shipped in the handling tasks to the corresponding workstation 30; the control device 40 also sends picking tasks to the workstation 30, so that the workstation 30 can pick the goods to be shipped from the containers to be shipped that have been moved to the workstation based on the picking order specified in the picking task.

[0060] In some embodiments, the control device 40 may be a server or a terminal device, or a device deployed with a warehouse management system (WMS) and a robot management system (RMS). The terminal device may include at least one of a personal computer, laptop computer, smartphone, tablet computer, and portable wearable device; the server may include a standalone server or a server cluster consisting of multiple servers, and this embodiment of the application does not limit this.

[0061] In current warehousing systems, due to the diverse types of goods and the different types of containers used to hold them, the inventory areas of the warehousing system also have corresponding storage areas for different types of goods (each type of storage area centrally stores the corresponding type of containers). Therefore, the layout of storage space in the warehousing system is relatively complex. Congestion may occur when robots move containers from the inventory area to the workstation. Therefore, if the handling of each container to be picked is performed directly according to the picking order, if the container to be picked is not brought into the station in time due to congestion, it may cause the picking task to be interrupted and cannot affect the picking progress. However, if the container to be picked later is brought into the station too early, it cannot be processed immediately and will occupy the queuing space of the workstation, affecting the entry of other containers to be picked earlier.

[0062] Therefore, it is necessary to plan the container entry sequence of each container based on the picking order of the goods to be picked in each container, and design a corresponding scheduling scheme so that each container can enter the station in the order of container entry, while reducing the resource occupation of the warehousing system, and taking into account the picking efficiency of the workstation and the overall operating efficiency of the warehousing system.

[0063] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a scenario where containers to be shipped are picked out of a workstation, as provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application.

[0064] like Figure 2As shown, the workstation includes multiple picking points 32. The picking points 32 can be semi-enclosed, that is, when the handling equipment 20 carries the container 11 into the picking point 32, the operators in the picking point 32 can only pick the goods to be shipped in the direction facing the container 11.

[0065] In some embodiments, container 11 may have multiple storage surfaces. Figure 2 The example uses four storage surfaces: storage surface 111, storage surface 112, storage surface 113, and storage surface 114. Storage surface 111 is the storage surface that the workers in the picking point 32 face. If the goods to be picked on container 11 are not placed on storage surface 111 or other storage surfaces with goods to be picked earlier in the picking order (for example, there are goods to be picked earlier in the picking order on storage surface 112), then the workers cannot pick the goods to be picked on container 11 based on storage surface 111. The handling equipment 20 needs to move container 11 out of the station (including moving it out of the workstation or moving it out of the picking point 32) and re-enter the station with storage surface 112 facing the workers.

[0066] Therefore, it can be seen that for containers waiting to be shipped with multiple storage surfaces, not all storage surfaces have containers waiting to be shipped, and the picking order of containers waiting to be shipped from each storage surface is also different. If the container cannot enter the station with the required storage surface, it may also affect the picking efficiency.

[0067] It should be noted that, Figure 2 The container with multiple storage surfaces shown is merely an example. In practical applications, the container may have two, three, or more storage surfaces, and the container may be a pallet, shelf, cage cart, etc. This application is not limited to these.

[0068] Based on this, this application proposes a container outbound method, which can design the container entry sequence of the containers to be outbound according to the picking order of each goods to be outbound in the pending tasks of the workstation, and schedule and plan the entry process of the robot that transports the containers based on the container entry sequence, thereby improving the execution accuracy of the containers arriving at the station in sequence, reducing the ineffective occupation of resources in the warehousing system during the outbound process, and ensuring picking efficiency and the overall efficiency of the warehousing system.

[0069] Furthermore, for containers with multiple storage surfaces to be shipped out, the container shipping method of this application can also use the storage surface to be shipped out as the smallest planning unit for the entry sequence. The entry sequence of each storage surface to be shipped out is planned according to the picking sequence of the goods to be picked on each storage surface to be shipped out. Based on the needs of the storage surface to be shipped out currently being operated by the workstation, the robot is controlled to enter the container to be shipped out one or more times based on the direction of each storage surface on the container being transported, thereby further improving picking efficiency.

[0070] Exemplary methods

[0071] Figure 3 This is a schematic flowchart of a container outbound method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. This embodiment can be applied to electronic devices and... Figure 1 Systems in, such as Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, the container outbound method provided in this application includes steps S310-S330:

[0072] Step S310: Obtain the tasks to be processed corresponding to the workstation;

[0073] The pending tasks include multiple outbound goods, multiple outbound containers, and the picking order of multiple outbound goods. The outbound containers are used to hold the outbound goods. It can be understood that the pending tasks are the picking tasks that the workstations need to perform. The warehouse system's inventory area can be divided into different storage areas based on the type and form of stored goods. Each storage area has one or more corresponding workstations. When a customer's outbound order is received, the warehouse management system can perform a hit and wave matching of the outbound goods and containers in the inventory area. Based on the hit and wave matching confirmation results, it generates the picking tasks that each workstation needs to perform. The picking tasks include the outbound goods that the workstation needs to pick, the container information (outbound containers) where each outbound goods are located, and the picking order of each outbound goods. This picking order is used to indicate the order in which the workstations perform picking operations on each outbound goods.

[0074] For example, the picking sequence can be characterized by task numbers, priority identifiers, or timestamps to ensure that operators or automated equipment can complete the picking of goods sequentially according to a preset logic. In practical applications, the generation of pending tasks may also take into account factors such as inventory status and order urgency, so that the picking sequence can both meet order requirements and optimize the overall workflow.

[0075] In some embodiments, the container to be shipped serves as a carrier for the goods to be shipped, and its attribute information (such as size, weight, number of storage surfaces, etc.) can also be recorded synchronously in the task to be processed, providing basic data support for subsequent container handling and inbound scheduling.

[0076] Step S320: Determine the container entry order of each container to be shipped out based on the picking order of multiple goods to be shipped out in the pending task.

[0077] The container arrival sequence is used to indicate the order in which containers awaiting shipment enter the workstation, ensuring that the workstation can process the goods in each container in the order of picking. Specifically, when multiple containers correspond to different goods awaiting shipment, if a container contains goods with an earlier picking order, its container arrival sequence will be advanced accordingly; conversely, if all goods in a container have later picking orders, its container arrival sequence will be delayed.

[0078] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, in step S320, the container entry order of each container to be shipped is determined according to the picking order of multiple goods to be shipped in the pending task, including:

[0079] Step S401: Based on the picking order of at least one item to be picked on each container to be picked, determine the earliest picking order corresponding to each container to be picked; wherein, the earliest picking order corresponding to the container to be picked is the picking order of the item to be picked with the earliest picking order on that container.

[0080] Step S402: Sort the multiple containers to be shipped out according to the earliest picking order corresponding to each container to be shipped out, and obtain the container entry order of each container to be shipped out.

[0081] For example, if the earliest picking order of the goods to be picked in container A is 1, the earliest picking order of the goods to be picked in container B is 3, and the earliest picking order of the goods to be picked in container C is 2, then the containers will be sorted from smallest to largest according to their earliest picking order, and the order in which the containers enter the station will be container A, container C, and container B.

[0082] In this way, containers containing items with earlier picking order can be prioritized for entry into the workstation, avoiding interruptions to the picking task due to prioritizing containers with later picking order.

[0083] In some embodiments, for a container containing multiple goods to be shipped and with an unevenly distributed picking order, it can be divided into multiple virtual container units. Each virtual unit corresponds to a portion of goods to be shipped with a consecutive picking order. The entry priority of each virtual unit is then determined, thereby refining the planning granularity of the container entry order and enabling the workstation to more flexibly cope with complex picking task requirements.

[0084] For example, for a container to be shipped that includes multiple storage surfaces, the storage surface on which the goods to be shipped are placed can be regarded as a storage surface to be shipped. The task to be processed in step S310 may also include multiple storage surfaces to be shipped, each storage surface to be shipped has at least one goods to be shipped, and each container to be shipped has at least one storage surface to be shipped. Using the container to be shipped as the smallest planning unit for the entry sequence cannot be applied to containers with multiple storage surfaces to be shipped. Therefore, for the container entry sequence of containers with multiple storage surfaces to be shipped, the storage surface to be shipped can be used as the smallest planning unit for the entry sequence.

[0085] Based on this, in some embodiments, such as Figure 5 As shown, in step S320, the container entry order of each container to be shipped is determined according to the picking order of multiple goods to be shipped in the pending task, including:

[0086] Step S501: Based on the picking order of at least one item on each outbound storage surface, determine the earliest picking order corresponding to each outbound storage surface; wherein, the earliest picking order corresponding to the outbound storage surface is the picking order of the outbound item with the earliest picking order on that outbound storage surface.

[0087] Step S502: Sort the multiple storage surfaces to be dispatched according to the earliest picking order corresponding to each storage surface to be dispatched, and obtain the entry order of each storage surface to be dispatched.

[0088] Step S503: Determine the container entry order of each container to be shipped based on the entry order of each storage surface to be shipped.

[0089] The container entry sequence of the container to be shipped includes the entry sequence of each storage surface to be shipped of the container. Each container to be shipped can have multiple entry sequences based on the number of storage surfaces it has.

[0090] For example, if the container D to be shipped contains storage surfaces D1 and D2 to be shipped, where the earliest picking order of D1 is 2 and the earliest picking order of D2 is 5, and the container E to be shipped contains storage surface E1 to be shipped (the earliest picking order is 3), then the entry order of each storage surface to be shipped is D1(2), E1(3), D2(5). At this time, the container entry order of the container D to be shipped will correspond to the entry order of D1 and D2. That is, D needs to enter the station with D1 facing the workstation first, and after completing the picking of the relevant goods on D1, it will enter the station again at the entry order node corresponding to D2 (the container entry facing needs to be adjusted to D2). The container E to be shipped will enter the station separately at the entry order node of E1.

[0091] This storage-face-based planning method can avoid problems such as containers not being able to be picked or insufficient picking capacity caused by containers entering the station without distinguishing storage faces. It is especially suitable for scenarios with multiple storage faces and different picking orders for each storage face, and can significantly reduce the number of invalid container entries and queuing time.

[0092] In some embodiments, after determining the entry sequence of the storage surfaces to be dispatched, the entry sequence of different storage surfaces in the same container can be locally optimized by taking into account the physical distribution of the storage surfaces on the container (such as the difficulty of switching adjacent storage surfaces, rotation angle, etc.). For example, when two storage surfaces are adjacent and the switching time is short, the interval of their entry sequence can be appropriately adjusted to improve the turnover efficiency of the handling equipment.

[0093] In some embodiments, the container outbound method of this application further includes: adjusting the picking order of each outbound item in the task to be processed according to the container entry order corresponding to each outbound container; and sending the adjusted task to be processed to the workstation.

[0094] For example, when a container awaiting shipment has a higher pick order because of the goods in the container that are picked earlier, the pick order of other goods in the container can also be advanced accordingly to match the actual workstation's operating rhythm and avoid occupying workstation resources due to long waiting times for picking after the containers enter the station.

[0095] For example, during the adjustment process, the system will comprehensively consider the original picking order priority of each item to be shipped, the container arrival time, and the current processing capacity of the workstation to ensure that the adjusted picking order meets the timeliness requirements of the order while minimizing resource waste.

[0096] For example, if the container F to be shipped has an earlier arrival order due to the arrival of shipment a1, and the original picking order of shipment a2 within it is relatively later, the system can appropriately advance the picking order of shipment a2 since container F has already arrived. This allows for the centralized picking of multiple shipments within container F after its arrival, reducing the container's dwell time at the workstation. Furthermore, the adjusted picking order will be synchronized to the workstation's operating terminal as an updated task list, enabling operators or automated picking equipment to receive the latest work instructions in real time, ensuring the accuracy and efficiency of the picking process.

[0097] For example, consider a container G with outbound storage surfaces G1 and G2, and a container H with outbound storage surface H1. Storage surface G1 has outbound goods a1 and a2 with picking order 1 and 2, storage surface G2 has outbound goods a3 and a5 with picking order 3 and 5, and storage surface H1 has outbound goods a4 with picking order 4. Through... Figure 5 The embodiment shown can determine the entry sequence of the outbound storage surface G1 as 1, the entry sequence of the outbound storage surface G2 as 2, and the entry sequence of the outbound storage surface H1 as 3. That is, the container entry sequence of the outbound container G includes 1 and 2, and the container entry sequence of the outbound container H is 3. Therefore, in actual operation, after determining the container entry sequence of the outbound containers G and H, the picking sequence of the outbound goods a2 on the outbound storage surface G2 can be changed from 5 to 4, and the picking sequence of the outbound goods a4 on the outbound storage surface H1 can be adjusted to 5, thereby supporting the continuous picking of outbound goods a3 and a5 when container G is on the outbound storage surface G2.

[0098] This dynamic adjustment mechanism enables a closed-loop coordination between the picking sequence and the container arrival sequence, further reducing the risk of operational interruptions due to information asynchrony. The adjusted pending tasks will include the updated picking sequence, container arrival sequence, and relevant container attribute information. Upon receiving the task, the workstation can directly arrange the operation process for personnel or automated equipment based on the adjustment results, without requiring additional data adaptation processing. In practical applications, the picking sequence adjustment can also be combined with the workstation's current real-time load. For example, when a picking point on the workstation experiences a brief period of idle time, goods awaiting shipment with relatively flexible picking sequences can be appropriately inserted to fully utilize workstation resources and improve overall picking throughput.

[0099] Step S330: Based on the container entry sequence of each container to be shipped out, control the robot to transport multiple containers to be shipped out to the workstation.

[0100] Specifically, the robot will sequentially navigate to the storage area and locate the corresponding container to be shipped out, based on the order in which the containers entered the station. Upon acquiring a container, the system will further confirm its current status, such as whether the container is in a handleable state and whether the goods inside are intact. During the handling process, the robot will use a pre-set path planning algorithm to avoid obstacles in the warehousing system (such as other handling equipment, temporarily stacked goods, etc.) and transport the container to the workstation via the optimal path.

[0101] For containers with multiple outbound storage surfaces and requiring multiple entry points, after picking goods for the current storage surface, the robot will temporarily move the container to a buffer area near the workstation or return it to a designated storage location to wait, according to the entry sequence requirements of the next outbound storage surface. When it is the next storage surface's turn to enter, the robot will readjust the container's orientation and move it to the corresponding picking point at the workstation. Simultaneously, the system monitors the operating status and location information of each robot in real time. In case of robot malfunctions, path congestion, or other anomalies, the system can dynamically adjust the robot's handling task allocation to ensure that the container entry sequence is not significantly affected.

[0102] To ensure that containers awaiting shipment arrive at the workstation in the order determined in step S320, the following describes the specific scheduling strategy for controlling the robot to move multiple containers to the workstation based on the container entry order of each container in step S330, using two scenarios: container as the smallest planning unit for entry order and storage surface as the smallest planning unit for entry order.

[0103] The smallest planning unit for the order of container entry is:

[0104] like Figure 6 As shown, in step S330, the robot is controlled to move multiple containers to the workstation based on the container entry sequence of each container to be shipped out, including:

[0105] Step S601: When the robot moves the first container to be shipped out in the inventory area, the shipping progress of the second container to be shipped out is obtained; wherein, the second container to be shipped out is the container to be shipped out that is one position earlier than the first container to be shipped out in the container entry order.

[0106] The outbound progress of the second container to be outbound can include whether the second container to be outbound has been moved by the robot, its current outbound stage (e.g., it has been taken out of the storage location, is being transported, has arrived at the workstation queue, has arrived at the workstation picking location, etc.), and the estimated time of arrival at the workstation.

[0107] By acquiring real-time information on the outbound progress of the second container, the robot can dynamically adjust its speed and path priority. For example, if the second container is approaching the workstation and its estimated arrival time is short, the robot corresponding to the first container can appropriately reduce its speed or choose an alternate route to avoid congestion at the workstation entrance. If the second container has not yet started moving or is in the early stages of moving, the robot can move at its normal speed to ensure a quick transition to the inbound process after the second container arrives.

[0108] Step S602: Based on the outbound progress of the second container to be outbound and the queuing situation at the workstation, control the robot to transport the first container to be outbound to the workstation in the order of the first container to be outbound entering the station.

[0109] The queuing status at a workstation includes the number of containers currently waiting in the queue, the estimated processing time for each queued container, and the number of available picking points at the workstation. For example, if a second container awaiting dispatch is in a queue or picking position at the workstation, and there is an available queue, the robot will move the first container to be dispatched to an available queue. Conversely, if the second container has not yet arrived at the workstation, or if it is in a queue but there is no available queue, the robot will move the first container to be dispatched to the buffer area. In response to detecting an available queue at the workstation, the robot will move the first container to be dispatched from the buffer area to an available queue at the workstation.

[0110] It should be noted that the situation where the second container to be shipped is at the picking position and there are no available queue positions at the workstation is not described here. The reason is that according to the configuration of each container to be shipped arriving in order according to the order of container entry, it is generally not possible for containers with a later entry order to enter the station in advance. Therefore, it is only necessary to set the number of queue positions in the workstation reasonably to avoid the situation where the workstation needs to pick the first container to be shipped quickly but there are no available queue positions to support the entry of the first container to be shipped, thereby ensuring the orderliness of the entire entry process.

[0111] In practice, the buffer zone is usually located close to the workstation and has the functions of temporary storage and quick retrieval. When a workstation queue becomes available, the system will immediately trigger a robot to transfer containers from the buffer zone, minimizing the waiting time for containers. In addition, the first-in, first-out (FIFO) principle can be adopted for container management in the buffer zone to avoid damage to the timeliness of goods or affect the arrival and scheduling of subsequent containers due to long-term retention.

[0112] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the handling flow during the container outbound handling process provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the inventory area can include multiple container storage areas, and the workstation can have multiple queue positions, such as queue position 1, queue position 2 and queue position 3. A buffer area can be set between the container storage area and the workstation. The buffer area can include multiple cache positions, such as cache positions 1-8. Each cache position can be used to temporarily store containers waiting to be shipped.

[0113] When the robot moves the first container to be shipped from the container storage area, if it is determined that the first container can enter the station based on the shipping progress of the second container to be shipped and the queuing situation at the workstation, the robot can be controlled to move the first container directly from the container storage area to an empty queuing space at the workstation (i.e., Figure 7 The transport flow direction in the middle is A).

[0114] When the robot moves the first container to be shipped from the container storage area, if it is determined, based on the shipping progress of the second container to be shipped and the queuing situation at the workstation, that the first container cannot immediately enter the station, the robot can be controlled to move the first container from the container storage area to an empty buffer slot in the buffer area (i.e., Figure 7 The transport flow is directed towards B).

[0115] After the first container to be shipped is placed in the buffer area, the queuing status in the workstation and the shipping progress of the second container to be shipped can be continuously monitored. If an empty queue position appears in the workstation and it is determined that the first container to be shipped can enter the station based on its container entry order, the robot can be controlled to move the first container to be shipped from the buffer area to an empty queue position in the workstation (i.e., Figure 7 The transport flow direction in the middle is C).

[0116] This scheduling strategy, which combines outbound progress with queuing status, enables dynamic matching of robot handling tasks with workstation processing capacity, avoiding workstation congestion or robot idleness caused by concentrated container arrivals. Simultaneously, the system monitors the number of containers and storage duration in the buffer zone in real time. When the buffer zone approaches saturation, it adjusts the handling rhythm of subsequent containers in advance, such as appropriately delaying the outbound instructions of some low-priority containers or prioritizing the entry of containers with longer storage times in the buffer zone, ensuring the turnover efficiency of the buffer zone. Furthermore, in case of unforeseen circumstances during handling, such as a robot malfunctioning while transporting the first container to be outbound, the system immediately triggers a backup robot to take over the handling task. The system reassesses the entry time of the first container based on the fault handling time and, if necessary, fine-tunes the entry order of subsequent containers to minimize the impact on the overall outbound process. This multi-layered scheduling mechanism ensures the orderly entry of containers while fully utilizing the robot resources and buffer space of the warehousing system, effectively improving the overall efficiency of container outbound operations.

[0117] The smallest planning unit with storage surfaces as the inbound order:

[0118] like Figure 8 As shown, in step S330, the robot is controlled to move multiple containers to the workstation based on the container entry sequence of each container to be shipped out, including steps S801-S804:

[0119] Step S801: If the third container to be shipped has multiple storage surfaces, determine the first storage surface to be shipped from among the multiple storage surfaces of the third container to be shipped.

[0120] Among them, the third container to be shipped may have one or more storage surfaces on which goods to be shipped are placed. Based on whether there are goods to be shipped on each storage surface, the third container to be shipped may have one or more storage surfaces to be shipped. The first storage surface to be shipped is the storage surface to be shipped that is earliest in the entry order of the third container to be shipped.

[0121] After determining the first storage surface to be shipped out, the system will send a handling instruction to the robot containing the information of that storage surface. The instruction clearly requires the robot to ensure that the first storage surface to be shipped out faces the workstation when carrying the third container to be shipped out into the station, so that the goods can be picked directly upon arrival at the workstation.

[0122] Step S802: When the robot moves to the third container to be shipped in the inventory area, the robot obtains the container code image information of the third container to be shipped.

[0123] Step S803: Determine the first placement direction of the first storage surface to be shipped on the robot based on the container code image information of the third container to be shipped.

[0124] By analyzing the container code image information, the system can accurately identify the identity of the third container to be shipped, its storage surface distribution data (such as the storage surface number, orientation angle, and cargo distribution coordinates), and its current status parameters (such as whether there is damage or whether some storage surfaces have been picked). For example, the container code may contain a QR code or a Radio Frequency Identification Chip (RFID). After the robot reads the code using a dedicated scanning device, the data is transmitted to the dispatch center in real time. The dispatch center, combined with the pre-stored 3D model of the container, quickly locates the physical position of the first storage surface to be shipped on the container, thereby determining the first placement direction of the first storage surface on the robot.

[0125] Step S804: Control the robot to move the third container to be shipped to the workstation based on the first placement orientation.

[0126] For example, in step S804, controlling the robot to transport the third container to be shipped to the workstation based on the first placement orientation includes: detecting the robot's current entry orientation before the robot enters the workstation; if the current entry orientation is consistent with the first placement orientation, controlling the transport robot to transport the third container to be shipped to the workstation with the current entry orientation.

[0127] If the current entry direction is inconsistent with the first placement direction, the robot will adjust the current entry direction to the first placement direction and then use the adjusted current entry direction to move the third container to be shipped to the workstation.

[0128] During the adjustment process, the robot can correct the orientation of the container using its onboard rotating mechanism to ensure that the first storage surface to be shipped out is accurately aligned with the picking operation area. For example, if the robot detects through scanning that the current orientation of the first storage surface to be shipped out is at a 90-degree angle to the workstation picking window, the system will control the robot to activate the chassis rotation module, causing the container to turn 90 degrees before entering the workstation.

[0129] In some embodiments, step S804, controlling the robot to adjust its current entry direction to the first placement orientation and controlling the robot to transport the third container to be shipped to the workstation with the adjusted current entry orientation, includes: controlling the robot to travel to the turning area; adjusting the robot's current entry direction to the first placement orientation in the turning area and controlling the robot to transport the third container to be shipped from the turning area to the workstation with the adjusted current entry orientation.

[0130] Given the complex layout of the warehousing system and the large size of the robots, it is necessary to plan the area where the robots adjust their orientation upon entering the station. Turning areas are typically located near the workstation entrance or at pre-defined nodes along the robot's path, providing sufficient space for the robot to perform 360-degree turns. The ground may also have positioning markers (such as QR codes or laser navigation markers) to assist the robot in accurately adjusting its orientation angle. For example, when a robot needs to change a container from horizontal to vertical placement, it will first travel to the positioning marker in the turning area. Using LiDAR and vision sensors, it will confirm the deviation between its position and the turning center point. Then, it will activate the differential motion of the drive wheels or the steering motor to smoothly rotate the container to the target angle, completing the turn before entering the workstation along the guide path. During the turning process, the system can monitor the robot's posture data (such as tilt angle and turning angular velocity) in real time. If a turning error or mechanical failure occurs, an alarm will be immediately triggered, and the handling task will be paused. The turning process will be restarted after the fault is resolved, ensuring that the first storage surface to be retrieved from the container is correctly oriented upon entering the station. This avoids situations where picking personnel or automated equipment cannot operate normally due to incorrect orientation, thus ensuring the picking efficiency and operational safety of the workstation.

[0131] In some embodiments, such as Figure 9 As shown, in step S330, controlling the robot to transport multiple containers to the workstation based on the container entry sequence of each container to be shipped also includes:

[0132] Step S901: If the third outbound container has multiple outbound storage surfaces, after the outbound goods on the first outbound storage surface are picked in the workstation, determine the second outbound storage surface from the remaining outbound storage surfaces of the third outbound container, and obtain the second placement surface of the second outbound storage surface on the robot; wherein, the second outbound storage surface is the outbound storage surface with the earliest entry order among the remaining outbound storage surfaces of the third outbound container.

[0133] Step S902: Control the robot to move the third container to be shipped out of the station and obtain the shipping progress of the third container to be shipped out of the station. The third container to be shipped out of the station is the container to be shipped out of the station that is one position ahead of the second container to be shipped out of the station in the order of entry.

[0134] Step S903: Based on the outbound progress of the third outbound storage surface and the queuing status of the workstation, control the robot to re-carry the third outbound container back into the station based on the second placement surface.

[0135] The outbound progress of the third outbound storage surface can include whether it has completed picking, its current processing stage, and the estimated time to complete picking. By tracking the outbound progress of the third outbound storage surface in real time, the system can determine whether the second outbound storage surface meets the conditions for priority entry.

[0136] For example, in step S903, based on the outbound progress of the third outbound storage surface and the queuing situation of the workstation, the robot is controlled to re-carry the third outbound container into the station based on the second placement orientation. This includes: if the outbound goods on the third outbound storage surface have been picked, the robot's current entry orientation is adjusted to the second placement orientation, and the robot is controlled to carry the third outbound container to the workstation with the adjusted current entry orientation.

[0137] Understandably, after the first outbound storage surface of the third outbound container is picked, the third outbound storage surface, which has an entry order earlier than the second outbound storage surface, has also been picked. This means the first and third outbound storage surfaces are the same surface, and the first and second outbound storage surfaces of the third outbound container are two consecutive storage surfaces in entry order. In this case, the second outbound storage surface becomes the priority storage surface to be processed. For example, after the first outbound storage surface of the third outbound container is picked, the system automatically searches for its remaining outbound storage surfaces. If a second outbound storage surface exists and its entry order is the first among the remaining storage surfaces, the robot is immediately triggered to perform the outbound transport operation. The robot transports the container from the workstation to a preset turning area or temporary stopping point, reconfirms the position information of the second outbound storage surface by scanning the container code, and adjusts the container's orientation on the robot to ensure that the second outbound storage surface faces the workstation's picking direction. The robot then carries the adjusted third outbound container back into the workstation for picking.

[0138] For example, in step S903, based on the outbound progress of the third outbound storage surface and the queuing situation of the workstation, the robot is controlled to re-carry the third outbound container into the station based on the second placement orientation. This includes: if the third outbound storage surface is in the queuing position or picking position of the workstation, and there is an empty queuing position in the workstation, the robot's current entry orientation is adjusted to the second placement orientation, and the robot is controlled to carry the third outbound container to the empty queuing position of the workstation with the adjusted current entry orientation.

[0139] In this scenario, the system monitors the picking progress of the third outbound storage surface in real time. Once it detects that the third outbound storage surface is about to be completed (e.g., the remaining picking time is less than a preset threshold), it plans a re-entry path for the robot in advance and immediately dispatches the robot to perform the handling task when an empty queue appears at the workstation. If the picking progress of the third outbound storage surface is slow and the current queue at the workstation is long, the system dynamically compares the priority of the second outbound storage surface with the entry order of other containers waiting to enter. When the priority of the second outbound storage surface is higher than that of the subsequent queued containers, the robot is prioritized to adjust its orientation and enter an empty queue, thereby reducing the overall turnaround time of the third outbound container. In addition, for the re-entered third outbound container, the system adds a secondary entry identifier to its container code information so that the workstation can quickly identify it as a reused container when it receives it and directly call the corresponding second outbound storage surface picking task order, avoiding repeated container information entry and storage surface parsing processes, further improving the processing efficiency of the workstation.

[0140] For example, in step S903, based on the outbound progress of the third outbound storage surface and the queuing status of the workstation, the robot is controlled to re-carry the third outbound container into the station based on the second placement orientation. This includes: if the third outbound storage surface has not reached the workstation or the third outbound storage surface is in the queue position of the workstation but there is no free queue position in the workstation, the robot is controlled to carry the third outbound container to the buffer area; in response to detecting that a free queue position has appeared in the workstation, the robot's current entry orientation is adjusted to the second placement orientation, and the robot is controlled to carry the third outbound container from the buffer area to the free queue position of the workstation with the adjusted current entry orientation.

[0141] During the buffer storage period, the system continuously tracks the real-time status of the third outbound storage surface. Once the storage surface completes picking or a new vacant queuing position is released by the workstation, the robot's secondary handling process will be immediately triggered. After the robot retrieves the third outbound container from the buffer, it will first travel to the turning area to adjust the orientation of the second placement surface, ensuring that the second outbound storage surface is precisely facing the workstation picking window, and then quickly enter the workstation queuing position through a preset path.

[0142] This cyclic scheduling mechanism for multi-storage containers can maximize the utilization of container storage space and robot handling efficiency, avoid process redundancy caused by multiple entries and exits of a single container, and further balance the instantaneous processing pressure of the workstation and the continuous operation requirements of the robot through the transition buffering effect of the buffer area.

[0143] In some embodiments, the system sends an adjustment instruction to the robot containing information about the second outbound storage surface. The instruction explicitly requires the robot to adjust the orientation of the third outbound container to the second placement orientation within a preset adjustment area at or near the workstation. For example, if the first outbound storage surface is the front of the container, and the front items have been picked, the second outbound storage surface will be the side of the container. The robot will rotate the container 90 degrees according to the instruction, so that the side faces the picking area. During the adjustment process, the robot can use the positioning device equipped on the workstation or its own sensors to calibrate the container's orientation angle in real time, ensuring that the second outbound storage surface is accurately aligned with the picking position. After the items on the second outbound storage surface have been picked, the system will continue to determine the next outbound storage surface with the earliest entry sequence from the remaining outbound storage surfaces and repeat the above adjustment and handling process until all items on all outbound storage surfaces of the third outbound container have been picked.

[0144] This scheduling strategy based on the order of storage face entry ensures that goods on different storage faces of the same container are processed in a preset order, avoiding picking interruptions or errors caused by disordered storage face orientation. At the same time, by adjusting the orientation within the workstation or in a nearby area, it reduces the ineffective round trips of the robot between the inventory area and the workstation, further improving the overall outbound efficiency.

[0145] The specific settings and implementation methods of the embodiments of this application have been described above from different perspectives. Using the methods provided in the above embodiments, the execution accuracy of container entry sequence during container outbound processing can be effectively improved. Combined with the sequential picking mechanism of multiple storage surfaces and real-time adaptation of workstation queuing, and through technologies such as container code parsing, turning area planning, and buffering, the methods effectively solve problems such as low orientation switching efficiency and entry sequence conflicts for multi-storage surface containers in continuous picking scenarios. This reduces operational errors caused by manual intervention, reduces the generation of invalid robot handling paths, and thus improves the overall automation level of the warehousing system and the throughput of outbound operations. It also lays a technical foundation for the intelligent management of related processes such as inventory counting.

[0146] Exemplary device

[0147] As an implementation of the above methods, such as Figure 10 As shown in the illustration, this application also provides a container outbound device, which can be applied to a warehouse management system, including:

[0148] The task acquisition module 1001 is used to acquire the tasks to be processed corresponding to the workstation; among them, the tasks to be processed include multiple goods to be shipped out, multiple containers to be shipped out, and the picking order of multiple goods to be shipped out, and the containers to be shipped out are used to place the goods to be shipped out.

[0149] The sequence determination module 1002 is used to determine the container entry sequence of each container to be shipped out based on the picking order of multiple goods to be shipped out in the task to be processed.

[0150] The inbound control module 1003 is used to control the robot to transport multiple containers to the workstation based on the container inbound sequence of each container to be shipped out.

[0151] For example, the sequence determination module 1002 is used to: determine the earliest picking order corresponding to each container to be shipped based on the picking order of at least one item to be shipped on each container to be shipped; wherein, the earliest picking order corresponding to the container to be shipped is the picking order of the item to be shipped with the earliest picking order on the container to be shipped; and sort the multiple containers to be shipped according to the earliest picking order corresponding to each container to be shipped to obtain the container entry order of each container to be shipped.

[0152] For example, the inbound control module 1003 is used to: when the robot moves the first outbound container to the inventory area, obtain the outbound progress of the second outbound container; wherein, the second outbound container is the outbound container whose container inbound order is one position ahead of the first outbound container; according to the outbound progress of the second outbound container and the queuing situation of the workstation, control the robot to move the first outbound container to the workstation according to the container inbound order of the first outbound container.

[0153] For example, the inbound control module 1003 is used to: if the second container to be shipped is in the queue or picking position of the workstation, and there is an empty queue position in the workstation, control the robot to move the first container to be shipped to the empty queue position in the workstation.

[0154] For example, the inbound control module 1003 is used to: if the second container to be shipped has not arrived at the workstation or the second container to be shipped is in the queue of the workstation but there is no free queue in the workstation, control the robot to move the first container to be shipped to the buffer area; in response to detecting that there is a free queue in the workstation, control the robot to move the first container to be shipped from the buffer area to the free queue in the workstation.

[0155] For example, the task to be processed also includes multiple outbound storage surfaces, each with at least one outbound item placed on it, and each outbound container having at least one outbound storage surface. The sequence determination module 1002 is further configured to: determine the earliest picking order corresponding to each outbound storage surface based on the picking order of at least one item on each outbound storage surface; wherein, the earliest picking order corresponding to the outbound storage surface is the picking order of the outbound item with the earliest picking order on that outbound storage surface; sort the multiple outbound storage surfaces according to the earliest picking order corresponding to each outbound storage surface to obtain the entry order of each outbound storage surface; and determine the container entry order of each outbound container according to the entry order of each outbound storage surface; wherein, the container entry order of the outbound container includes the entry order of each outbound storage surface that the outbound container has.

[0156] For example, the inbound control module 1003 is configured to: if the third container to be shipped has multiple storage surfaces, determine the first storage surface to be shipped among the multiple storage surfaces of the third container to be shipped, wherein the first storage surface to be shipped is the storage surface to be shipped earliest in the inbound order of the third container to be shipped; when the robot moves to the third container to be shipped in the inventory area, acquire the container code image information of the third container to be shipped scanned by the robot; determine the first placement direction of the first storage surface to be shipped on the robot based on the container code image information of the third container to be shipped; and control the robot to move the third container to be shipped to the workstation based on the first placement direction.

[0157] For example, the inbound control module 1003 is used to: detect the robot's current inbound orientation before the robot enters the workstation; if the current inbound orientation is consistent with the first placement orientation, control the handling robot to transport the third container to be shipped out to the workstation with the current inbound orientation.

[0158] For example, the inbound control module 1003 is used to: if the current inbound orientation is inconsistent with the first placement orientation, control the robot to adjust the current inbound orientation to the first placement orientation, and control the robot to transport the third container to be shipped out to the workstation with the adjusted current inbound orientation.

[0159] For example, the entry control module 1003 is used to: control the robot to travel to the turning area; adjust the robot's current entry direction to the first placement orientation in the turning area, and control the robot to transport the third container to be shipped out from the turning area to the workstation with the adjusted current entry orientation.

[0160] For example, the inbound control module 1003 is used to: if the third outbound container has multiple outbound storage surfaces, after the outbound goods on the first outbound storage surface have been picked in the workstation, determine the second outbound storage surface among the remaining outbound storage surfaces of the third outbound container, and obtain the second placement direction of the second outbound storage surface on the robot; wherein, the second outbound storage surface is the outbound storage surface with the earliest entry order among the remaining outbound storage surfaces of the third outbound container; control the robot to transport the third outbound container out of the station, and obtain the outbound progress of the third outbound storage surface, wherein the third outbound storage surface is the outbound storage surface with the entry order one position earlier than the second outbound storage surface; according to the outbound progress of the third outbound storage surface and the queuing situation of the workstation, control the robot to re-transport the third outbound container into the station based on the second placement direction.

[0161] For example, the inbound control module 1003 is used to: if the goods to be picked on the third outbound storage surface have been picked, adjust the robot's current inbound orientation to the second placement orientation, and control the robot to transport the third outbound container to the workstation with the adjusted current inbound orientation.

[0162] For example, the inbound control module 1003 is used to: if the third outbound storage surface is in the queuing position or picking position of the workstation, and there is an empty queuing position in the workstation, adjust the robot's current inbound facing to the second placement facing, and control the robot to move the third outbound container to the empty queuing position of the workstation with the adjusted current inbound facing.

[0163] For example, the inbound control module 1003 is configured to: if the third outbound storage surface has not reached the workstation or the third outbound storage surface is in the queue position of the workstation but there is no free queue position in the workstation, control the robot to move the third outbound container to the buffer area; in response to detecting that there is a free queue position in the workstation, adjust the robot's current inbound facing to the second placement facing, and control the robot to move the third outbound container from the buffer area to the free queue position of the workstation with the adjusted current inbound facing.

[0164] For example, the sequence determination module 1002 is further configured to: adjust the picking order of each outbound item in the task to be processed according to the container entry order corresponding to each outbound container; and send the adjusted task to be processed to the workstation.

[0165] The functions of each unit, module, or sub-module in the various devices of this application embodiment can be found in the corresponding descriptions in the above method embodiments, and they have corresponding beneficial effects, which will not be repeated here.

[0166] Exemplary robots, electronic devices, and computer-readable storage media

[0167] like Figure 11 The diagram shown illustrates the internal structure of a robot according to this embodiment. This robot, also known as a handling device, includes a processor, memory, communication interface, display screen, and input device connected via a system bus. The robot's processor provides computational and control capabilities. The robot's memory includes a non-volatile storage medium and internal memory. The non-volatile storage medium stores the operating system and computer programs. The internal memory provides an environment for the operation of the operating system and computer programs in the non-volatile storage medium. The robot's communication interface is used for wired or wireless communication with external terminals. Wireless communication can be achieved through Wi-Fi, carrier networks, NFC (Near Field Communication), or other technologies. When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the method of this embodiment. The robot's display screen can be an electronic display screen, an LCD screen, or an e-ink display screen. The robot's input device can be a touch layer covering the display screen, buttons, a trackball, or a touchpad mounted on the robot's shell, or an external keyboard, touchpad, or mouse.

[0168] like Figure 12The diagram shown is a schematic representation of the internal structure of an electronic device provided in this embodiment. This electronic device can be a server. It includes a processor, memory, and a network interface connected via a system bus. The processor provides computing and control capabilities. The memory includes a non-volatile storage medium and internal memory. The non-volatile storage medium stores an operating system, computer programs, and a database. The internal memory provides an environment for the operation of the operating system and computer programs in the non-volatile storage medium. The network interface is used to communicate with external terminals via a network connection. When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the method of this embodiment.

[0169] Those skilled in the art will understand that Figure 11 and Figure 12 The structure shown is merely a block diagram of a portion of the structure related to the present application and does not constitute a limitation on the robots and electronic devices to which the present application is applied. Specific robots and electronic devices may include more or fewer components than those shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0170] In a specific implementation, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method in any of the above embodiments.

[0171] In a specific implementation, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method in any of the above embodiments.

[0172] This application also provides a chip including a processor for calling and executing instructions stored in a memory, causing a communication device with the chip installed to perform the method provided in this application.

[0173] This application also provides a chip, including: an input interface, an output interface, a processor, and a memory. The input interface, output interface, processor, and memory are connected through an internal connection path. The processor is used to execute code in the memory. When the code is executed, the processor is used to execute the method provided in this application.

[0174] It should be understood that the aforementioned processor can be a CPU, or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), FPGAs, or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. General-purpose processors can be microprocessors or any conventional processor. It is worth noting that the processor can be a processor supporting Advanced Reduced Instruction Set Machines (ARM) architecture.

[0175] Further, optionally, the aforementioned memory may include read-only memory and random access memory. The memory may be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both. Non-volatile memory may include read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory may include random access memory (RAM), which serves as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available. Examples include Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), Double Data Rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), Enhanced Synchronous DRAM (ESDRAM), Synchronous Link DRAM (SLDRAM), and Direct Rambus RAM (DR RAM).

[0176] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. A computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions according to this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another.

[0177] Computer program products can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages ​​to perform the operations of embodiments of this disclosure. 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 a user's computing device, partially on a user's computing device, as a standalone software package, partially on a user's computing device and partially on a remote computing device, or entirely on a remote computing device or server.

[0178] It should be understood that various parts of this application can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. In the above embodiments, multiple steps or methods can be implemented using software or firmware stored in memory and executed by a suitable instruction execution system. All or part of the steps of the methods in the above embodiments can be implemented by a program instructing related hardware, the program being stored in a computer-readable storage medium, which, when executed, includes one or a combination of the steps of the method embodiments.

[0179] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into a processing module, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into a module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. If the integrated module is implemented as a software functional module and sold or used as an independent product, it can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. This storage medium can be a read-only memory, a disk, or an optical disk, etc.

[0180] The above are merely exemplary embodiments of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various variations or substitutions within the technical scope described in this application, and these should all be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for issuing containers, characterized in that, include: Obtain the pending tasks corresponding to the workstation; wherein, the pending tasks include multiple goods to be shipped out, multiple containers to be shipped out, and the picking order of the multiple goods to be shipped out, and the containers to be shipped out are used to place the goods to be shipped out. Based on the picking order of the multiple outbound goods in the pending task, determine the container entry order of each outbound container; Based on the container entry sequence of each container to be shipped, the robot is controlled to transport the multiple containers to the workstation.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of determining the container entry order of each container to be shipped out based on the picking order of the multiple goods to be shipped out in the task to be processed includes: Based on the picking order of at least one item to be shipped on each of the containers to be shipped, the earliest picking order corresponding to each container to be shipped is determined; wherein, the earliest picking order corresponding to the container to be shipped is the picking order of the item to be shipped with the earliest picking order on that container. The multiple containers to be shipped are sorted according to the earliest picking order corresponding to each container to be shipped, so as to obtain the container entry order of each container to be shipped.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The robot, controlled by the container entry sequence of each container to be shipped, transports the multiple containers to the workstation, including: When the robot moves the first container to be shipped out in the inventory area, it obtains the shipping progress of the second container to be shipped out; wherein, the second container to be shipped out is the container that entered the station one position earlier than the first container to be shipped out. Based on the outbound progress of the second container to be outbound and the queuing situation at the workstation, the robot is controlled to transport the first container to be outbound to the workstation in the order in which the first container to be outbound entered the station.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The step of controlling the robot to transport the first container to be shipped to the workstation according to the container entry order of the second container to be shipped, based on the shipping progress of the second container to be shipped and the queuing situation at the workstation, includes: If the second container to be shipped is in the queue or picking position of the workstation, and there is an empty queue position in the workstation, the robot is controlled to move the first container to be shipped to the empty queue position in the workstation.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The step of controlling the robot to transport the first container to be shipped to the workstation according to the container entry order of the first container to be shipped, based on the shipping progress of the second container to be shipped and the queuing situation at the workstation, further includes: If the second container to be shipped has not arrived at the workstation, or if the second container to be shipped is in the queue at the workstation but there is no available queue at the workstation, the robot is controlled to move the first container to be shipped to the buffer area. In response to detecting an available queue position in the workstation, the robot is controlled to move the first container to be shipped from the buffer area to the available queue position in the workstation.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pending task also includes multiple outbound storage surfaces, each with at least one outbound item placed on it, and each outbound container having at least one outbound storage surface. Determining the container entry order of each outbound container based on the picking order of the multiple outbound items in the pending task includes: Based on the picking order of at least one item on each of the aforementioned storage surfaces to be shipped out, the earliest picking order corresponding to each of the aforementioned storage surfaces to be shipped out is determined; wherein, the earliest picking order corresponding to the storage surface to be shipped out is the picking order of the item to be shipped out that has the earliest picking order on that storage surface to be shipped out. The plurality of storage surfaces to be shipped out are sorted according to the earliest picking order corresponding to each of the storage surfaces to be shipped out, so as to obtain the entry order of each storage surface to be shipped out. The container entry order of each container to be shipped is determined according to the entry order of each of the storage surfaces to be shipped; wherein, the container entry order of the container to be shipped includes the entry order of each storage surface to be shipped of the container to be shipped.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The robot, controlled by the container entry sequence of each container to be shipped, transports the multiple containers to the workstation, including: If the third container to be shipped has multiple storage surfaces, the first storage surface to be shipped is determined among the multiple storage surfaces of the third container to be shipped, wherein the first storage surface to be shipped is the storage surface to be shipped that has the earliest entry order of the third container to be shipped. When the robot moves the third container to be shipped out in the inventory area, the robot acquires the container code image information of the third container to be shipped out scanned by the robot; The first placement orientation of the first storage surface to be shipped on the robot is determined based on the container code image information of the third container to be shipped. The robot is controlled to move the third container to be shipped out to the workstation based on the first placement orientation.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The control of the robot to move the third container to be shipped to the workstation based on the first placement orientation includes: Before the robot enters the workstation, the robot's current orientation for entering the workstation is detected; If the current entry orientation is consistent with the first placement orientation, then control the handling robot to move the third container to be shipped out to the workstation with the current entry orientation.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The method of controlling the robot to move the third container to be shipped to the workstation based on the first placement orientation also includes: If the current entry direction is inconsistent with the first placement direction, the robot is controlled to adjust the current entry direction to the first placement direction, and the robot is controlled to transport the third container to be shipped to the workstation with the adjusted current entry direction.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The step of controlling the robot to adjust its current entry direction to the first placement orientation, and controlling the robot to transport the third container to be shipped out to the workstation using the adjusted current entry orientation, includes: Control the robot to move to the turning area; In the turning area, the robot's current entry direction is adjusted to the first placement orientation, and the robot is controlled to move the third container to be shipped out from the turning area to the workstation with the adjusted current entry orientation.

11. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The method of controlling the robot to transport the multiple containers to the workstation based on the container entry sequence of each container to be shipped also includes: If the third outbound container has multiple outbound storage surfaces, after the outbound goods on the first outbound storage surface have been picked in the workstation, a second outbound storage surface is determined from the remaining outbound storage surfaces of the third outbound container, and the second placement surface of the second outbound storage surface on the robot is obtained; wherein, the second outbound storage surface is the outbound storage surface with the earliest entry order among the remaining outbound storage surfaces of the third outbound container; The robot is controlled to carry the third container to be shipped out of the station and the shipping progress of the third storage surface to be shipped out is obtained. The third storage surface to be shipped out is the storage surface to be shipped out that is one position earlier than the second storage surface to be shipped out in the station order. Based on the outbound progress of the third outbound storage surface and the queuing status of the workstation, the robot is controlled to re-carry the third outbound container back into the station based on the second placement surface.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The step of controlling the robot to re-carry the third container to be shipped back into the station based on the second placement surface, according to the shipping progress of the third storage surface to be shipped and the queuing situation of the workstation, includes: If all the goods to be shipped on the third outbound storage surface have been picked, then the robot's current inbound orientation is adjusted to the second placement orientation, and the robot is controlled to transport the third outbound container to the workstation with the adjusted current inbound orientation.

13. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The step of controlling the robot to re-carry the third container to be shipped back into the station based on the second placement surface, according to the shipping progress of the third storage surface to be shipped and the queuing situation of the workstation, includes: If the third outbound storage surface is in the queuing or picking position of the workstation, and there is an empty queuing position in the workstation, then the robot's current entry orientation is adjusted to the second placement orientation, and the robot is controlled to move the third outbound container to the empty queuing position in the workstation with the adjusted current entry orientation.

14. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The step of controlling the robot to re-carry the third container to be shipped back into the station based on the second placement surface, according to the shipping progress of the third storage surface to be shipped and the queuing situation of the workstation, includes: If the third outbound storage surface has not reached the workstation, or if the third outbound storage surface is in the queue of the workstation but there is no free queue space at the workstation, control the robot to move the third outbound container to the buffer area; In response to the detection of an available queue position in the workstation, the robot's current entry orientation is adjusted to the second placement orientation, and the robot is controlled to move the third container to be dispatched from the buffer area to the available queue position in the workstation with the adjusted current entry orientation.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1-14, characterized in that, Also includes: Based on the container entry order corresponding to each of the containers to be shipped, the picking order of each of the goods to be shipped in the pending task is adjusted; The adjusted task to be processed is sent to the workstation.

16. A container dispensing device, characterized in that, The device includes: The task acquisition module is used to acquire the pending tasks corresponding to the workstation; wherein, the pending tasks include multiple goods to be shipped out, multiple containers to be shipped out, and the picking order of the multiple goods to be shipped out, and the containers to be shipped out are used to place the goods to be shipped out. The sequence determination module is used to determine the container entry order of each container to be shipped out based on the picking order of the multiple goods to be shipped out in the task to be processed. The inbound control module is used to control the robot to transport the multiple containers to the workstation based on the container inbound sequence of each container to be shipped out.

17. An electronic device, characterized in that, It includes a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory, wherein the processor, when executing the computer program, implements the method of any one of claims 1-15.

18. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the method of any one of claims 1-15.

19. A computer program product, characterized in that, Includes a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the method as described in any one of claims 1-15.

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