Method for controlling a carrier to transport goods, device for controlling an inter-aisle robot to transport a container

Abstract

The application provides a method, device and storage medium for controlling a carrier to carry goods, and relates to the technical fields of intelligent logistics, Internet of Things, intelligent supply chain and the like. The method comprises: acquiring a plurality of specified storage positions related to a carrying task, the specified storage positions corresponding to specified storage spaces in a storage structure for storing target goods; dividing a work channel into a plurality of work areas based on a work travel direction and the plurality of specified storage positions, and determining the plurality of work areas, wherein the quantity difference between the specified storage positions related to each of the plurality of work areas satisfies a preset difference condition; and issuing a target carrying task to a plurality of specified carriers based on the target storage positions corresponding to each of the plurality of work areas, the target carrying task being used to control the specified carriers to carry the target goods in the work channel in a work channel interval corresponding to the work area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical fields of smart logistics, Internet of Things, and smart supply chain, and more specifically, to a method, apparatus, and storage medium for controlling the transportation of goods by a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of the cargo logistics industry, warehouse environments use high-density shelving and other structures to store goods, and intelligent handling robots and other vehicles can be assigned tasks to control the handling of goods, thereby improving logistics efficiency.

[0003] In the process of realizing the concept of this application, it was found that the relevant technology has at least the following problems: vehicles operating in the warehousing environment have difficulty completing their tasks efficiently in a relatively narrow driving space; when allocating tasks to a large number of vehicles to control the handling of goods, multiple vehicles may interfere with each other, resulting in a reduction in the overall logistics operation efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, this application provides a method, apparatus and storage medium for controlling the transport of goods by a vehicle.

[0005] One aspect of this application provides a method for controlling a vehicle to transport goods, comprising: acquiring a plurality of designated storage locations related to a transport task, the designated storage locations corresponding to designated storage spaces in a storage structure for storing target goods; a designated vehicle performing the transport task by traveling in a transport channel near the storage structure in a direction of travel; dividing the transport channel into transport areas based on the direction of travel and the plurality of designated storage locations to determine a plurality of transport areas, the transport areas being related to the designated storage locations, and the number difference between the designated storage locations associated with each of the plurality of transport areas satisfying a preset difference condition; and issuing target transport tasks to the plurality of designated vehicles based on the target storage locations corresponding to each of the plurality of transport areas, the target transport tasks being used to control the designated vehicles to transport the target goods in the transport channel within the transport channel corresponding to the transport area.

[0006] According to an embodiment of this application, the above-mentioned division of the work channel into work areas based on the above-mentioned work driving direction and multiple above-mentioned designated storage locations includes: sorting multiple above-mentioned designated storage locations according to a designated direction determined according to the above-mentioned work driving direction to obtain a storage location sequence; determining boundary positions for the above-mentioned storage location sequence based on a preset number of designated vehicles, wherein the number of sub-sequences obtained by dividing the above-mentioned storage location sequence based on the above-mentioned boundary positions matches the preset number of vehicles, and the difference in the number of designated storage locations between different above-mentioned sub-sequences satisfies the above-mentioned preset difference condition; and dividing the channel area representing the above-mentioned work channel based on the area boundary determined according to the above-mentioned boundary positions to obtain multiple above-mentioned work areas.

[0007] According to an embodiment of this application, the above-mentioned division of the channel region representing the operation channel based on the area boundary determined according to the boundary position to obtain multiple operation areas includes: dividing the channel region according to the area boundary to obtain multiple initial operation areas; in response to at least one of the initial operation areas being unrelated to the current vehicle positions of multiple designated vehicles, adjusting the position of at least one of the area boundaries according to a first positional relationship between the current vehicle position and the initial operation area to obtain multiple operation areas.

[0008] According to an embodiment of this application, adjusting the position of at least one of the area boundaries based on the first positional relationship between the current vehicle position and the initial work area to obtain multiple work areas includes: adjusting the position of at least one of the area boundaries based on the first positional relationship between the current vehicle position and the initial work area to obtain multiple intermediate work areas; determining a buffer boundary whose boundary distance with the area boundary of the intermediate work area satisfies a preset buffer distance condition based on the vehicle size of the specified vehicle, wherein the preset buffer distance condition is determined based on the vehicle size; and determining the buffer sub-region from the intermediate work areas based on the area boundary of the intermediate work area and the buffer boundary to obtain a work area including the buffer sub-region.

[0009] According to an embodiment of this application, the above-mentioned division of the channel region representing the operation channel based on the area boundary determined according to the boundary position to obtain multiple operation regions includes: dividing the channel region according to the area boundary to obtain multiple initial operation regions, wherein the designated vehicle includes a target designated vehicle located in the first initial operation region, the assigned task related to the target designated vehicle is in an incomplete state, and the projection coordinates of the assigned storage location indicated by the assigned task in the channel region are located in the second initial operation region; adjusting the position of the area boundary of the first initial operation region to obtain multiple operation regions, wherein the projection coordinates are located in the first operation region among the multiple operation regions, and the first operation region is related to the first initial operation region.

[0010] According to an embodiment of this application, the above-mentioned determination of the buffer sub-region from the intermediate work area based on the area boundary of the intermediate work area and the vehicle size to obtain a work area including the buffer sub-region includes: determining a buffer boundary whose boundary distance with the area boundary of the intermediate work area satisfies a preset buffer distance condition, wherein the preset buffer distance condition is determined based on the vehicle size; and determining the buffer sub-region from the intermediate work area based on the area boundary and the buffer boundary to obtain a work area including the buffer sub-region.

[0011] According to an embodiment of this application, the target handling task includes at least one of the following: an outbound task representing the handling of the target goods from the storage space to a temporary storage space in the storage structure; a return task representing the handling of the target goods from the temporary storage space to the storage space; wherein, an associated vehicle different from the designated vehicle is used to retrieve the target goods from the temporary storage space and transport the target goods to the designated outbound location; the associated vehicle is also used to place the target goods from the designated location into the temporary storage space to facilitate the return of the target goods to the warehouse.

[0012] According to an embodiment of this application, the above-mentioned work area satisfies the following work conditions: the above-mentioned work area includes at least one idle temporary storage projection, the above-mentioned idle temporary storage projection is the projection of the location of the temporary storage space in an idle state onto the channel area representing the above-mentioned work channel; at least one of the above-mentioned target goods is stored in a projection storage space or a projection temporary storage space, and the projection of the location of the projection storage space or the projection temporary storage space onto the channel area is located in the above-mentioned work area.

[0013] According to an embodiment of this application, the method for controlling a vehicle to transport goods further includes: during the execution of the target transport task by a plurality of designated vehicles, in response to detecting that any of the designated vehicles is in a fault state, controlling at least one designated vehicle in a working state to perform the target transport task in the work area corresponding to the faulty vehicle, wherein the faulty vehicle is a vehicle in a fault state.

[0014] According to an embodiment of this application, the aforementioned work channel is a passageway between multiple aforementioned storage structures; and / or the aforementioned work channel is a crawling track arranged along the height direction of the aforementioned storage structures.

[0015] Another aspect of this application provides an apparatus for controlling a vehicle to transport goods, comprising: an acquisition module for acquiring multiple designated storage locations related to a transport task, wherein the designated storage locations correspond to designated storage spaces in a storage structure for storing target goods, and a designated vehicle performs the transport task by traveling in a work channel close to the storage structure in a working direction; a division module for dividing the work channel into work areas based on the working direction and the multiple designated storage locations, determining multiple work areas, wherein the work areas are related to the designated storage locations, and the number difference between the designated storage locations associated with each of the multiple work areas satisfies a preset difference condition; and a task issuance module for issuing target transport tasks to the multiple designated vehicles based on the target storage locations of each of the multiple work areas, wherein the target transport tasks are used to control the designated vehicles to transport the target goods in the work channel within the work channel corresponding to the work area.

[0016] Another aspect of this application provides an electronic device comprising: one or more processors; and a memory for storing one or more programs, wherein, when the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to implement a method for controlling a vehicle to transport goods.

[0017] Another aspect of this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions, which, when executed, are used to implement a method for controlling a vehicle to transport goods.

[0018] Another aspect of this application provides a computer program product including computer-executable instructions that, when executed, implement a method for controlling a vehicle to transport goods.

[0019] According to embodiments of this application, the work channel is divided into work areas according to the work travel direction and multiple designated storage locations related to the handling task. This ensures that the number of designated storage locations corresponding to multiple work areas meets preset difference conditions, enabling multiple designated vehicles to evenly execute multiple target handling tasks with small differences in quantity according to their respective work areas. Simultaneously, the work areas control the vehicle's travel range to avoid collisions between different designated vehicles during operation or to reduce waiting times. Thus, multiple target handling tasks can be assigned to multiple designated vehicles based on the target storage locations corresponding to each work area. This allows multiple designated vehicles to automatically execute handling tasks in the work channel, reducing collision risks and waiting times, thereby improving the efficiency of handling operations for target goods. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The above and other objects, features and advantages of this application will become clearer from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0021] Figure 1 An exemplary system architecture for a method and apparatus for controlling the transport of goods by a vehicle, according to embodiments of this application, is shown;

[0022] Figure 2 A flowchart of a method for controlling a vehicle to transport goods according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0023] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a work scenario according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0024] Figure 4 A schematic diagram illustrating an application scenario of a method for controlling a vehicle to transport goods, according to an embodiment of this application, is shown.

[0025] Figure 5A A schematic diagram illustrating the principle of a method for controlling a vehicle to transport goods, according to an embodiment of this application, is shown.

[0026] Figure 5B A schematic diagram of a method for controlling a vehicle to transport goods, according to another embodiment of this application, is shown.

[0027] Figure 6A A schematic diagram illustrating the principle of a method for controlling a vehicle to transport goods, according to yet another embodiment of this application, is shown.

[0028] Figure 6B A schematic diagram illustrating the principle of a method for controlling a vehicle to transport goods, according to another embodiment of this application, is shown.

[0029] Figure 6CA schematic diagram illustrating the principle of a method for controlling a vehicle to transport goods, according to another embodiment of this application, is shown.

[0030] Figure 7 A block diagram of an apparatus for controlling a vehicle to transport goods, according to an embodiment of this application, is shown.

[0031] Figure 8 A block diagram of an electronic device suitable for implementing a method for controlling the transport of goods by a vehicle, according to an embodiment of this application, is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that these descriptions are exemplary only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of this application for ease of explanation. However, it will be apparent that one or more embodiments may be implemented without these specific details. Furthermore, descriptions of well-known structures and technologies are omitted in the following description to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the concepts of this application.

[0033] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this application. The terms “comprising,” “including,” etc., as used herein indicate the presence of the stated features, steps, operations, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, or components.

[0034] All terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art, unless otherwise defined. It should be noted that the terms used herein are to be interpreted in a manner consistent with the context of this specification, and not in an idealized or overly rigid way.

[0035] When using expressions such as "at least one of A, B and C", they should generally be interpreted in accordance with the meaning that is commonly understood by those skilled in the art (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B and C" should include, but is not limited to, a system having A alone, a system having B alone, a system having C alone, a system having A and B, a system having A and C, a system having B and C, and / or a system having A, B and C, etc.).

[0036] In the embodiments of this application, the collection, updating, analysis, processing, use, transmission, provision, disclosure, and storage of data (e.g., including but not limited to user personal information) comply with relevant laws and regulations, are used for legitimate purposes, and do not violate public order and good morals. In particular, necessary measures have been taken to prevent unauthorized access to user personal information data and to safeguard user personal information security and network security.

[0037] In the embodiments of this application, the user's authorization or consent was obtained before obtaining or collecting the user's personal information.

[0038] In logistics operations, intelligent robots can navigate aisles between multiple rows of shelves to move goods from shelves to designated temporary storage or picking locations, enabling rapid outbound shipments. Similarly, intelligent robots can move goods from designated temporary storage or picking locations back to shelves according to task instructions, thus returning goods to the warehouse. However, aisles are typically narrow, making it difficult to simultaneously schedule multiple intelligent robots to perform goods handling tasks within the same aisle. For example, when multiple intelligent robots are handling goods in the same row of shelves, one robot might wait for another to finish its task and leave its position before proceeding with its own task. This reduces overall logistics efficiency, slows down outbound or return shipments, and may even create a risk of collisions between multiple intelligent robots in the aisle.

[0039] Embodiments of this application provide a method, apparatus, and storage medium for controlling a vehicle to transport goods. The method for controlling a vehicle to transport goods includes: acquiring multiple designated storage locations related to a transport task, each designated storage location corresponding to a designated storage space in a storage structure for storing target goods; a designated vehicle performing the transport task by traveling in a transport channel near the storage structure according to the operating direction; dividing the transport channel into transport areas based on the operating direction and the multiple designated storage locations, determining multiple transport areas, each transport area being related to a designated storage location, and the quantity difference between the designated storage locations associated with each of the multiple transport areas satisfying a preset difference condition; and issuing target transport tasks to multiple designated vehicles based on the target storage locations corresponding to each of the multiple transport areas, the target transport tasks being used to control the designated vehicles to transport target goods within the transport channel interval corresponding to the transport area.

[0040] Figure 1 An exemplary system architecture for a method and apparatus for controlling the transport of goods by a vehicle, according to embodiments of this application, is shown. It should be noted that... Figure 1 The examples shown are merely examples of system architectures that can be applied to the embodiments of this application, in order to help those skilled in the art understand the technical content of this application, but do not mean that the embodiments of this application cannot be used in other devices, systems, environments or scenarios.

[0041] like Figure 1As shown, the system architecture 100 according to this embodiment may include a first terminal device 101, a second terminal device 102, a third terminal device 103, a network 104, a server 105, and a carrier 106. The network 104 serves as a medium for providing communication links between the first terminal device 101, the second terminal device 102, the third terminal device 103, and the server 105. The network 104 may include various connection types, such as wired and / or wireless communication links, etc.

[0042] Users can use the first terminal device 101, the second terminal device 102, and the third terminal device 103 to interact with the server 105 via the network 104 to receive or send messages, etc. Various communication client applications can be installed on the first terminal device 101, the second terminal device 102, and the third terminal device 103, such as shopping applications, web browser applications, search applications, instant messaging tools, email clients, and / or social media platform software, etc. (for example only).

[0043] The first terminal device 101, the second terminal device 102, and the third terminal device 103 can be various electronic devices with displays and support web browsing, including but not limited to smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers.

[0044] Server 105 can be a server that provides various services, such as a backend management server that supports websites browsed by users using the first terminal device 101, the second terminal device 102, and the third terminal device 103 (this is just an example). The backend management server can analyze and process data such as received user requests, and feed back the processing results (such as web pages, information, or data obtained or generated according to user requests) to the terminal devices.

[0045] The vehicle 106 can be any tool capable of transporting goods, such as a vehicle or intelligent robot. For example, the vehicle can be an automated guided vehicle (AGV) or other transport robot. The vehicle 106 can transport the target goods based on a route planned according to the assigned task.

[0046] It should be noted that the method for controlling the transport of goods by a vehicle provided in this application embodiment can generally be executed by server 105. Correspondingly, the device for controlling the transport of goods by a vehicle provided in this application embodiment can generally be located in server 105. The method for controlling the transport of goods by a vehicle provided in this application embodiment can also be executed by a server or server cluster that is different from server 105 and capable of communicating with the first terminal device 101, the second terminal device 102, the third terminal device 103, and / or server 105. Correspondingly, the device for controlling the transport of goods by a vehicle provided in this application embodiment can also be located in a server or server cluster that is different from server 105 and capable of communicating with the first terminal device 101, the second terminal device 102, the third terminal device 103, and / or server 105. Alternatively, the method for controlling the transport of goods by a vehicle provided in this application embodiment can also be executed by the first terminal device 101, the second terminal device 102, or the third terminal device 103, or by other terminal devices different from the first terminal device 101, the second terminal device 102, or the third terminal device 103. Accordingly, the device for controlling the transport of goods by a vehicle provided in the embodiments of this application may also be installed in the first terminal device 101, the second terminal device 102 or the third terminal device 103, or in other terminal devices different from the first terminal device 101, the second terminal device 102 or the third terminal device 103.

[0047] It should be understood that Figure 1 The number of terminal devices, networks, and servers shown is merely illustrative. Depending on implementation needs, any number of terminal devices, networks, and servers can be included.

[0048] Figure 2 A flowchart of a method for controlling a vehicle to transport goods according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0049] like Figure 2 As shown, the method for controlling the transport of goods by a vehicle includes operations S210 to S230.

[0050] In operation S210, multiple specified storage locations related to the transport task are obtained.

[0051] According to an embodiment of this application, the designated storage location corresponds to the designated storage space in the storage structure used to store the target goods, and the designated vehicle performs the handling task by traveling in the working channel close to the storage structure in the direction of operation.

[0052] In some embodiments, the storage structure may be a shelf for storing goods, and multiple storage positions within the shelf are multiple storage spaces for storing goods. Target goods may be stored in designated storage positions on the shelf. For example, multiple target goods of the same category may be stored in designated storage positions using containers, so that a designated vehicle can travel to the location corresponding to the designated storage position to perform a handling task by transporting the containers.

[0053] According to embodiments of this application, the designated vehicle may be an intelligent robot, but is not limited to this; it may also be a forklift, ground truck, or other vehicle capable of transporting goods with autonomous driving capabilities. Embodiments of this application do not limit the specific type of the designated vehicle.

[0054] In some embodiments, the working channel can be aisles in two rows of storage structures, and designated vehicles can travel in the aisles to stop at the position corresponding to the column of the designated storage space in the aisle to transport target goods.

[0055] It should be noted that the work channel can be a surface for free passage of vehicles, or it can be any type of area that allows vehicles to move, such as a track or zipline. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific type of work channel. The work channel can be an area parallel to the ground, or it can be a planar or curved area that forms a preset angle with the ground.

[0056] According to embodiments of this application, the operating direction can be the direction in which the designated vehicle can travel in the operating channel. For example, the operating direction can point to two different directions at the two ends of the channel. The operating vehicle performs the task of moving the target goods out of the designated storage space or placing the target goods into the designated storage space by traveling in the operating direction in the operating channel and stopping there.

[0057] According to the embodiments of this application, the specified storage location bit represents the data of the coordinates of the specified storage space in the preset coordinate system. For example, the specified storage location can be a three-dimensional coordinate, a two-dimensional coordinate, or a one-dimensional coordinate related to the specified coordinate axis.

[0058] When operating S220, the work channel is divided into work areas based on the work travel direction and multiple designated storage locations.

[0059] According to an embodiment of this application, the work area is a region in a preset coordinate system that represents the area in which a specified vehicle can travel in the work channel. For example, two different work areas respectively represent the same work channel interval on both sides of the centerline of the work channel.

[0060] According to an embodiment of this application, the work area is associated with a designated storage location, and multiple work areas are respectively applicable to different designated vehicles. This allows different work areas to be assigned to multiple designated vehicles so that the designated vehicles can perform transport tasks to the designated storage location associated with the work area in the work channel section corresponding to their respective work areas.

[0061] According to embodiments of this application, the quantity differences between designated storage locations associated with each of multiple work areas satisfy preset difference conditions. A designated storage location associated with a work area indicates that the projection of that location in a preset direction lies within that work area. The associated work areas and designated storage locations indicate that a designated vehicle in the work environment can perform a transport task on the designated storage space indicated by the associated designated storage location by traveling along the passageway position indicated by the work area. This allows multiple designated vehicles to perform transport tasks with minimal quantity differences at the passageway positions indicated by their respective work areas, avoiding an imbalance in the number of work tasks assigned to different designated vehicles, which would reduce the overall execution efficiency of multiple transport tasks, decrease the idle waiting time of designated vehicles, and improve the utilization rate of designated vehicles.

[0062] In operation S230, target transport tasks are issued to multiple designated vehicles based on the target storage locations corresponding to each of the multiple work areas.

[0063] According to embodiments of this application, a target transport task is used to control a designated vehicle to transport target goods within a transport channel corresponding to a work area. For example, a target transport task can be sent to a designated vehicle to instruct it to travel to a column position corresponding to a designated storage space, thereby removing or placing the target goods from or into the designated storage space. The target transport task may include a designated storage location corresponding to the designated storage space, whereby the designated storage location may represent the source or destination location of the target goods in the target transport task.

[0064] In some embodiments, the target transport task may further include a buffer sub-area in the work area, thereby controlling the designated vehicle not to travel into the channel range indicated by the buffer sub-area during the execution of the target transport task by the actual position indicated by the buffer sub-area in the target transport task, so as to avoid collision.

[0065] According to the embodiments of this application, by assigning designated vehicles corresponding to different work areas to designated storage locations in each work area to perform corresponding target transportation tasks, multiple designated vehicles can perform target transportation tasks in the passageway intervals corresponding to their respective work areas. This can reduce the risk of collisions between designated vehicles in relatively narrow work passages and reduce the waiting time between designated vehicles. At the same time, it can also avoid the communication and computing overhead caused by temporarily changing the designated target transportation tasks for designated vehicles or adjusting the execution order between multiple target transportation tasks, thereby improving logistics operation efficiency.

[0066] In some embodiments, the designated vehicle has a communication module that can be used to receive a target handling task, travel in the work channel section to the position corresponding to the designated storage space according to the designated storage location associated in the target handling task, and place the target goods into the designated storage space by raising or lowering the robotic arm.

[0067] In some embodiments, the work channel is a crawling track arranged along the height direction of the storage structure.

[0068] For example, the work aisle is a crawling track installed on the vertical support columns of the shelf. The crawling robot can travel to the row position corresponding to the designated storage location by moving within the work aisle interval indicated by the work area. Then, the target goods can be retrieved from the storage location by the robotic arm of the crawling robot to perform the handling task. At the same time, the designated carriers corresponding to different work areas will not travel into the aisle range indicated by the buffer sub-area to avoid collisions.

[0069] In some embodiments, the work area further includes a buffer sub-area, and the target transport task is used to control the designated vehicle to be prohibited from entering the channel range corresponding to the buffer sub-area in the work channel during the transport of the target goods.

[0070] In one example, the working channel is a passageway between multiple storage structures. The target transportation task may also include a buffer sub-region within the working area. The buffer sub-region within the working area indicates the channel range in which a designated part of the designated vehicle is prohibited from entering. Thus, by using the actual position indicated by the buffer sub-region in the target transportation task, the designated vehicle can be controlled to avoid traveling into the channel range indicated by the buffer sub-region during the execution of the target transportation task, thereby avoiding collisions.

[0071] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a work scenario according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0072] like Figure 3As shown, the storage structure in this work scenario 300 is a shelf, and the work aisle is the lane between different shelves. Work scenario 300 may include multiple rows of shelves, and one row of shelves may include multiple storage positions as multiple storage spaces. Target goods can be stored in designated storage positions on the shelves. The lane between two different rows of shelves is the lane for the robot 301 to move through; for example, the lane between the first row of shelves 311 and the second row of shelves 312 serves as the robot 301's work aisle.

[0073] It should be noted that the robot 301, as a designated carrier, can perform target transport tasks on designated storage spaces of shelves on the same side of the aisle, or it can perform target transport tasks on shelves on both sides of the aisle by rotation or multiple robotic arms of the robot. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific range of the designated storage space for the designated carrier to perform target transport tasks, as long as it can satisfy the requirement that the designated carrier traveling in the corresponding aisle section can transport the target goods.

[0074] In some embodiments, the operating channel is a passageway between multiple storage structures and a crawling track set in the height direction of the storage structures. By dividing the diverse three-dimensional operating channel into multiple operating areas, multiple designated vehicles can perform target transportation tasks in the channel intervals corresponding to their respective operating areas. This can reduce the risk of collisions between designated vehicles in relatively narrow operating channels, reduce the waiting time between designated vehicles, and avoid communication and computing overhead caused by temporarily changing the target transportation task for a designated vehicle or adjusting the execution order between multiple target transportation tasks, thereby improving logistics operation efficiency.

[0075] In some embodiments, the target handling task includes at least one of an outbound task and a return task.

[0076] Outbound tasks represent the movement of target goods from storage space to temporary storage space within the storage structure; return tasks represent the movement of target goods from temporary storage space to storage space.

[0077] Figure 4 A schematic diagram illustrating an application scenario of a method for controlling a vehicle to transport goods, according to an embodiment of this application, is shown.

[0078] like Figure 4 As shown, the storage structure in this application scenario includes a storage location area 410 and a temporary storage location area 420. The storage location area 410 and the temporary storage location area 420 each include multiple storage spaces and multiple temporary storage spaces. The black-filled boxes represent designated storage spaces or temporary storage spaces where the target goods are placed. It should be noted that in any embodiment of this disclosure, the storage space can be exemplified by a storage location, and the temporary storage space can be exemplified by a temporary storage location.

[0079] The target transport task represents outbound and return tasks. An outbound task, for example, can represent using a first designated vehicle V401 to travel to the position corresponding to the column of the first designated storage space 411 and move the target goods from the first designated storage space 411 to the first temporary storage space 421. A return task, for example, can be represented by a second designated vehicle V402 moving the target goods from the second temporary storage space 422 to the second designated storage space 412.

[0080] like Figure 4 As shown, the first designated vehicle V401 and the second designated vehicle V402 can travel in the positive and negative X-axis directions within the work channel 430 to reach the designated target transport task position. The work channel 430 may include area boundaries of different work areas, dividing the first work area and the second work area into a first work channel interval 4310 and a second work channel interval 4320 corresponding to each of the first and second work areas. The first work channel interval 4310 and the second work channel interval 4320 each include an adjacent first buffer space 4311 and a second buffer space 4321. The first buffer space 4311 and the second buffer space 4321 are separated by the area boundary line 4311, and the first buffer space 4311 and the second buffer space 4321 correspond to the respective buffer sub-areas of the first and second work areas.

[0081] like Figure 4 As shown, the multiple designated storage locations located to the left of the area boundary line 4311 are designated storage locations related to the first work area, and the multiple designated storage locations to the right of the area boundary line 4311 are designated storage locations related to the second work area.

[0082] In some embodiments, an associated vehicle, different from the designated vehicle, is used to retrieve the target goods from the temporary storage space and transport them to the designated outbound location. Thus, the outbound task of the target goods can be performed by cooperating between the designated vehicle and the associated vehicle.

[0083] In some embodiments, the associated vehicle is also used to place the target goods from a designated location into a temporary storage space, so that the designated vehicle can return the target goods to the warehouse by moving the target goods in the temporary storage space to the designated storage space.

[0084] It should be noted that the buffer sub-regions within the work area can be determined based on preset rules, such as dividing the work area into buffer sub-regions based on the boundaries of the work area and preset distances. Alternatively, the buffer sub-regions within the work area can also be dynamically adjusted, for example, the size of the buffer sub-regions can be dynamically adjusted based on the dimensions of specified vehicles, so that the buffer sub-regions in the target transportation task can control multiple specified vehicles to prevent them from traveling to positions prone to collision during operation, thereby improving the operational stability and safety of the transportation task.

[0085] In some embodiments, the work area in a target transport task may not include a buffer sub-area. Obstacle detection devices, such as infrared ranging sensors mounted on designated vehicles, can be used to detect the safe distance between designated vehicles and other vehicles to avoid collisions. Alternatively, based on the positional relationship between the designated storage locations of multiple work areas, multiple designated vehicles can be scheduled to perform transport tasks on distant targets at the same time period to improve the operational safety of the transport task.

[0086] In some embodiments, the work area meets the following first work conditions and second work conditions.

[0087] The first operating condition indicates that the driving sub-region in the operating area includes at least one idle temporary storage projection, which is the projection of the temporary storage space in an idle state onto the channel area representing the operating channel.

[0088] In one example, the work area includes a driving sub-area, and the idle temporary storage projection is located in the driving sub-area. The idle temporary storage projection is the projection of the location of the temporary storage space in an idle state onto the channel area that represents the work channel. The driving sub-area is the area in the work area that the driving position of the specified vehicle is allowed to reach. For example, the driving sub-area can be the area in the work area other than the buffer sub-area.

[0089] The location of an idle temporary storage space represents an idle temporary storage space. An idle temporary storage space can be a temporary storage space without any goods stored there. The projection of the location of the idle temporary storage space onto the channel area representing the work channel can be, for example, the projection of the location of the temporary storage space onto a preset coordinate axis set in the channel area. When the travel sub-area includes an idle temporary storage projection, it can indicate that by controlling the designated vehicle to travel within the channel section corresponding to the travel sub-area, it has reached the position corresponding to the temporary storage projection and placed the goods retrieved from the designated storage space into the idle temporary storage space. This avoids the designated vehicle being unable to travel to the channel section corresponding to the buffer sub-area, making it difficult to place or retrieve the target goods, thereby improving the automation attributes of the designated vehicle in performing the target handling task.

[0090] Figure 5A A schematic diagram illustrating the principle of a method for controlling a vehicle to transport goods, according to an embodiment of this application, is shown.

[0091] like Figure 5A As shown, the first working area Z501 and the second working area Z502 in the preset coordinate system are obtained by dividing the channel area Z500, which represents the working channel, through the area boundary B501. The area between the area boundary B501 and the first buffer boundary BH501 is the first buffer sub-region, and the area between the area boundary B501 and the second buffer boundary BH502 is the second buffer sub-region. The projection of the idle temporary storage space position W521 onto the channel area Z500 is the idle temporary storage projection T521, which is located within the first working area Z501. Figure 5A The X-axis can be the horizontal coordinate axis in a preset coordinate system.

[0092] According to an embodiment of this application, the second operating condition indicates that at least one target cargo is stored in a projection storage space or a projection temporary storage space, and the projection of the respective location of the projection storage space or projection temporary storage space onto the passage area is located in the driving sub-area. (Projection storage space or projection temporary storage space)

[0093] like Figure 5A As shown, for example, the second operating condition can be expressed as: the target goods are stored in the designated storage location W512 corresponding to the projected storage space, and the projection of the designated storage location W512 of the projected storage space in the passage area Z500 is located in the second driving sub-area in the second operating area Z502. The second driving sub-area is the area in the second operating area Z502 other than the second buffer sub-area between the area boundary B501 and the second buffer boundary BH502. Another example is that the second operating condition can be expressed as: the projection of the temporary storage location W522 of the projected temporary storage space in the passage area Z500 is located in the second driving sub-area, which can be understood as the projection of the temporary storage location W522 of the projected temporary storage space in the passage area Z500 being located in the second operating area Z502 and outside the second buffer sub-area between the area boundary B501 and the second buffer boundary BH502.

[0094] It should be noted that the specified storage location can be related to either a return-to-warehouse task or an outbound task. For the sake of detailed explanation, this application embodiment specifically describes the method for controlling the transport of goods by a vehicle based on an outbound task, and is not intended to limit the task type of the target transport task.

[0095] According to an embodiment of this application, dividing a work channel into work areas based on the work driving direction and multiple designated storage locations may include: sorting multiple designated storage locations according to a designated direction determined by the work driving direction to obtain a storage location sequence; determining boundary positions for the storage location sequence based on a preset number of designated vehicles; and dividing the channel area representing the work channel based on the area boundary determined by the boundary positions to obtain multiple work areas.

[0096] According to embodiments of this application, the specified direction can be a direction related to the operating travel direction in a preset coordinate system. For example, the specified direction can be the positive X-axis in the preset coordinate system, where the positive X-axis represents a first direction in the operating channel from the first channel end to the second channel end. Specifying the operating travel direction of the vehicle can include a first direction from the first channel end to the second channel end, and a second direction from the second channel end to the first channel end.

[0097] In some embodiments, sorting multiple specified storage locations according to a specified direction may include determining the mapped coordinate points of the specified storage locations on a preset coordinate axis representing the specified direction, and then determining the sorted multiple specified storage locations based on the sorted positions of the multiple mapped coordinate points on the preset axis. Thus, a storage location sequence is determined based on the sorted multiple specified storage locations.

[0098] In some embodiments, the preset number of vehicles refers to the number of designated vehicles that need to perform target transport tasks in a designated channel. The number of boundary positions can be determined based on the preset number of vehicles. For example, the preset number of vehicles can be 2, and the number of boundary positions can be 1; or the preset number of vehicles can be 3, and the number of boundary positions can be 2. The preset number of vehicles can be the number of multiple work areas, and the number of boundary positions can be the number of area boundaries between multiple work areas. When the number of boundary positions is determined, the storage position sequence can be divided into N+1 subsequences according to the principle of equal division. Thus, N boundary positions can be determined based on the first and last designated storage positions in the subsequences.

[0099] For example, the storage location sequence consists of multiple specified storage locations mapped to the X-axis in a preset coordinate system, with coordinates [1,3,3,5,7,9] and a boundary position of 1. The storage location sequence [1,3,3,5,7,9] is divided based on the principle of equal division, resulting in two sequentially arranged subsequences with the last and first positions being 3 and 5 respectively. Therefore, the boundary position can be determined by the average of coordinates 3 and 5, which is coordinate 4 on the X-axis.

[0100] In some embodiments, any one of the adjacent specified storage locations among a plurality of sequentially arranged subsequences can be used as the boundary location.

[0101] For example, the storage location sequence consists of multiple specified storage locations mapped to the X-axis in a preset coordinate system, with coordinates [1,3,3,5,5,7,9], and one boundary position. Based on the principle of equal division, the storage location sequence [1,3,3,5,5,7,9] is divided into two sequentially arranged subsequences: [1,3,3] and [5,5,7,9]. Therefore, coordinate 5 (out of coordinates 3 and 5) can be used as the boundary position.

[0102] According to an embodiment of this application, the number of subsequences obtained by dividing the storage location sequence based on boundary positions matches the preset number of vehicles. The boundary positions can represent the position coordinates of the storage location sequence divided into N equal parts according to the preset number of vehicles N. The difference in the number of specified storage locations between different subsequences satisfies a preset difference condition. For example, the number of specified storage locations between multiple subsequences can be 0, or the difference between the specified storage locations between multiple subsequences can be 1 or other values ​​less than or equal to a preset number difference threshold.

[0103] According to an embodiment of this application, determining the region boundary based on the boundary location may include dividing the channel region along a direction perpendicular to a specified direction based on the boundary location to obtain the region boundary.

[0104] For example, such as Figure 5A The coordinates of the first boundary position x01 shown are used to determine the region boundary B501 based on the direction perpendicular to the specified direction, which is perpendicular to the X-axis.

[0105] In some embodiments, dividing the channel area representing the work channel based on the area boundary determined according to the boundary position and the vehicle size may include: dividing the channel area based on the area boundary to obtain multiple initial work areas. If the difference between the number of designated storage locations associated with each of the multiple initial work areas meets a preset difference threshold, a buffer sub-region is determined from the initial work areas based on the buffer distance determined by the vehicle size, thereby obtaining multiple work areas.

[0106] According to embodiments of this application, the buffer distance can be determined based on the vehicle size and a designated vehicle part. For example, if the designated vehicle part is the center part, the buffer distance can be half the length of the vehicle. Alternatively, if the designated vehicle part is the center part and the designated vehicle is square, the buffer distance can be determined to be half the diagonal of the square representing the designated vehicle. This prevents the center parts of different designated vehicles from entering the channel interval corresponding to the buffer sub-area when the designated vehicle rotates in the work channel, thus ensuring the operational efficiency and safety of the designated vehicle.

[0107] According to embodiments of this application, the channel area representing the work channel is divided based on the area boundary determined according to the boundary position and the vehicle size. It may also include dividing the channel area according to the area boundary, the buffer distance determined based on the vehicle size, and the current vehicle position of the specified vehicle, so as to dynamically adjust the division method of the work area according to the current vehicle position, so as to save the time of the specified vehicle idling in the work channel.

[0108] In some embodiments, dividing the channel area representing the work channel based on the area boundary determined according to the boundary position and the vehicle size to obtain multiple work areas may further include: dividing the channel area according to the area boundary to obtain multiple initial work areas; in response to at least one initial work area being unrelated to the current vehicle position of multiple specified vehicles, adjusting the position of at least one area boundary according to a first positional relationship between the current vehicle position and the initial work area to obtain multiple work areas.

[0109] According to embodiments of this application, the correlation between the initial work area and the current vehicle position can be determined based on the projections of the initial work area and the vehicle position onto a preset coordinate axis. If the projection of the vehicle position onto the preset coordinate axis at least partially overlaps with the projection of the initial work area onto the preset coordinate axis, it can be determined that the initial work area and the vehicle position are related. If the projection of the vehicle position onto the preset coordinate axis does not overlap with the projection of the initial work area onto the preset coordinate axis, it can be determined that the initial work area and the vehicle position are not related. Therefore, if it is determined that at least one initial work area is not related to the current vehicle positions of multiple specified vehicles, it is necessary to control at least one specified vehicle to move to the channel section corresponding to the initial work area to perform the target transport task, thereby generating the idle travel time of the specified vehicle.

[0110] According to embodiments of this application, the first positional relationship between the current vehicle position and the initial work area may include the distance between the vehicle position and the specified initial work area, where the specified initial work area is an initial work area evenly distributed among multiple vehicle positions. Thus, based on the first positional relationship corresponding to each of the multiple vehicle positions, the specified vehicle position closest to the specified initial work area can be determined. By adjusting the position of the boundary of the specified initial work area according to the specified vehicle position until the specified initial work area is related to the specified vehicle position, the adjusted multiple work areas can be obtained.

[0111] In some embodiments, a buffer sub-region can be determined from the work area based on the area boundary of the work area and the vehicle size of the specified vehicle, resulting in a work area including the buffer sub-region. For example, the size of the buffer sub-region in the work area can be determined based on half of the projected length of the specified vehicle in the direction of travel. This allows for the prevention of collisions between multiple specified vehicles in narrow work aisles by defining buffer sub-regions in the work area related to the target transport task, thereby improving the operational safety of the specified vehicles and the execution efficiency of the target transport task.

[0112] In some embodiments, adjusting the position of at least one area boundary according to a first positional relationship between the current vehicle position and the initial work area to obtain multiple work areas may include: adjusting the position of at least one area boundary according to the first positional relationship between the current vehicle position and the initial work area to obtain multiple intermediate work areas; determining a buffer boundary whose boundary distance with the area boundary of the intermediate work area satisfies a preset buffer distance condition according to the vehicle size of a specified vehicle; and determining a buffer sub-region from the intermediate work areas based on the area boundary and the buffer boundary of the intermediate work areas to obtain a work area including the buffer sub-region.

[0113] According to embodiments of this application, the preset buffer distance condition is determined based on the vehicle size. For example, the preset buffer distance condition may indicate that the buffer distance between the area boundary and the buffer boundary is greater than or equal to a preset buffer distance threshold. The buffer distance threshold may be determined based on the vehicle size and a specified vehicle part. For example, the specified vehicle part is the geometric center of the vehicle shape. The buffer distance threshold may include half the vehicle length, half the diagonal length of a rectangular vehicle shape, or it may be determined by adding the safety redundancy distance to the vehicle size. This can improve the buffer sub-region's ability to avoid the risk of a collision with a specified vehicle.

[0114] According to an embodiment of this application, a buffer sub-region in the work area indicates the prohibited passage range for a specified part of a designated vehicle. The specified vehicle part can refer to any part of the designated vehicle, such as the center part of the vehicle body, the edge part of the vehicle body, etc. By controlling the specified vehicle part of a designated vehicle located in the corresponding work passage section of the work area to be prohibited from entering through the buffer sub-region, collisions can be avoided caused by different designated vehicles located in different work passage sections simultaneously approaching the same boundary of the work passage section.

[0115] Figure 5B A schematic diagram of a method for controlling a vehicle to transport goods, according to another embodiment of this application, is shown.

[0116] like Figure 5BAs shown, multiple specified storage locations in the preset coordinate system are represented by black-filled squares in the storage location distribution W510. Multiple specified temporary storage locations are also represented by black-filled squares in the temporary storage location distribution W520. Based on the projection of the multiple specified storage locations in the storage location distribution W510 onto the X-axis, the multiple specified storage locations are sorted to determine a storage location sequence. The first boundary position x01 is determined by specifying the number of vehicles (2) and the storage location sequence. Based on the first region boundary B511 determined by the first boundary position x01, the channel region Z500 is divided into two regions, resulting in a first initial operating region Z511 and a second initial operating region Z521.

[0117] like Figure 5B As shown, when the current first vehicle position W501 and second vehicle position W502 of the first designated vehicle and the second designated vehicle are not related to the first initial work area Z511, the designated vehicle position W501 can be determined based on the distance between each of the first vehicle position W501 and the second vehicle position W502 and the first initial work area Z511. By moving the first area boundary B511 to the second boundary position x02, the first vehicle position W501 is located in the first intermediate work area Z512, and the second vehicle position W502 is located in the second intermediate work area Z522. By determining the buffer distance based on the vehicle size of the designated vehicle, the first buffer boundary BH501 and the second buffer boundary BH502 that satisfy the preset buffer distance conditions are determined from the first intermediate work area Z512 and the second intermediate work area Z522, respectively. Thus, the first intermediate work area Z512 and the second intermediate work area Z522, which include the first buffer boundary BH501 and the second buffer boundary BH502, can be used as the first work area and the second work area. By issuing target handling tasks related to the first and second work areas to the first designated vehicle and the second designated vehicle associated with the first vehicle position W501 and the second vehicle position W502 respectively, the target goods can be handled quickly.

[0118] In some embodiments, dividing the channel area representing the operation channel based on the area boundary determined according to the boundary position to obtain multiple operation areas may further include: dividing the channel area according to the area boundary to obtain multiple initial operation areas; adjusting the position of the area boundary of the first initial operation area to obtain multiple operation areas.

[0119] According to an embodiment of this application, the designated vehicle includes a target designated vehicle located in a first initial work area, the assigned tasks associated with the target designated vehicle are in an incomplete state, and the projection coordinates of the assigned storage location indicated by the assigned tasks in the passage area are located in a second initial work area. The assigned tasks in an incomplete state can be transport tasks that have been assigned to the target designated vehicle but have not yet been completed by the target designated vehicle.

[0120] According to embodiments of this application, the first working area is related to the first initial working area. For example, multiple working areas may include the first working area obtained by adjusting the boundary of the first initial working area. The projected coordinates of the assigned storage locations in the channel area are all located in the first working area. Thus, the first working area can be used to indicate the working range of the designated target vehicle in the working channel, enabling the designated target vehicle to perform the assigned tasks and the assigned target transportation tasks. This avoids the risk of vehicle collisions caused by the designated target vehicle crossing into the second working area of ​​other designated vehicles to perform the assigned tasks. It realizes the dynamic adjustment of the working range of the designated vehicle in the working channel based on the unfinished assigned tasks of the designated vehicle, thereby improving the allocation and execution efficiency of the target transportation tasks and improving the overall operational efficiency of logistics operations.

[0121] In some embodiments, the first work area may further include a buffer sub-area. This allows the designation of a buffer sub-area within the first work area to indicate the prohibited operating range for the designated vehicle in the work channel. This enables the designated vehicle to perform its assigned tasks and target transport tasks, while avoiding collision risks and waiting times caused by the designated vehicle crossing into the second work area of ​​other designated vehicles to perform its assigned tasks. This allows for dynamic adjustment of the designated vehicle's operating range in the work channel based on unfinished assigned tasks, thereby improving the allocation and execution efficiency of target transport tasks and enhancing the overall operational efficiency of logistics.

[0122] Figure 6A A schematic diagram of a method for controlling a vehicle to transport goods is shown according to yet another embodiment of this application.

[0123] like Figure 6AAs shown, the unfinished assigned tasks related to the first designated vehicle include a first assigned storage location W611 and a second assigned storage location W612. The second assigned storage location W612's projection coordinates in the channel area Z500 are located in the second initial work area Z521. The first designated vehicle needs to move from the first vehicle position W501's projection coordinate xp1 on the X-axis to the projection coordinate xt1 corresponding to the first assigned storage location W611, and then to the projection coordinate xt2 corresponding to the second assigned storage location W612 to execute the unfinished assigned tasks. This necessitates the first executing vehicle entering the channel space corresponding to the second initial work area Z521, creating a risk of vehicle collision or vehicle waiting time.

[0124] By moving the first region boundary B511 of the first initial work area Z511 towards the direction where the projected coordinates are located in the second initial work area Z521, until the second region boundary B512 is obtained near the projected coordinates xt2 corresponding to the second allocated storage position W612, the projected coordinates xt2 can be located in the divided first intermediate work area Z512, thereby obtaining the first intermediate work area Z512 and the second intermediate work area Z522. By determining the first buffer boundary BH501 and the second buffer boundary BH502 that satisfy the preset buffer distance condition in the first intermediate work area Z512 and the second intermediate work area Z522, the first intermediate work area Z512 and the second intermediate work area Z522, which include the first buffer boundary BH501 and the second buffer boundary BH502, can be used as the first work area and the second work area.

[0125] Therefore, by issuing target transport tasks related to the first and second work areas respectively to the first designated vehicle associated with the first vehicle position W501 and the second vehicle position W502, the first designated vehicle, acting as the target designated vehicle, can complete two assigned tasks to transport the target goods corresponding to the first assigned storage location W611 and the second assigned storage location W612 to the empty temporary storage space below, and execute the target transport tasks received in this cycle. This avoids the redundant calculation overhead caused by reallocating the assigned tasks, reduces the calculation complexity and computational resource consumption for the assignment of target transport tasks, and thus quickly realizes the transport of target goods.

[0126] Figure 6B A schematic diagram of a method for controlling a vehicle to transport goods is shown according to another embodiment of this application.

[0127] like Figure 6BAs shown, the assigned tasks in an incomplete state related to the first designated vehicle include the first assigned storage location W611 and the second assigned storage location W612. The projection coordinates xt1 and xt2 of the first assigned storage location W611 and the second assigned storage location W612 in the channel area Z500 are both located in the first initial operation area Z511. By detecting the number of designated storage locations corresponding to the first initial operation area Z511 and the second initial operation area Z521, it can be determined that the difference in the number of designated storage locations corresponding to the first initial operation area Z511 and the second initial operation area Z521 meets the preset difference condition. Therefore, based on the first area boundary B511 determined according to the first boundary position x01, the first initial operation area Z511 and the second initial operation area Z521 are determined by dividing the channel area Z500, and a first buffer boundary BH501 and a second buffer boundary BH502 are set respectively to determine the first operation area and the second operation area.

[0128] Figure 6C A schematic diagram illustrating the principle of a method for controlling a vehicle to transport goods, according to another embodiment of this application, is shown.

[0129] like Figure 6C As shown, the assigned tasks in an incomplete state related to the first designated vehicle include a first assigned storage location W611 and a second assigned storage location W612. The projected coordinates xt1 and xt2 of the first assigned storage location W611 and the second assigned storage location W612 in the channel area Z500 are both located in the first initial operation area Z511 based on the left side of the first area boundary B511. The current first vehicle position W501 of the first designated vehicle and the current second vehicle position W502 of the second designated vehicle are both located in the first initial operation area Z511. By adjusting the first area boundary B511, a second area boundary B512 can be obtained so that the first vehicle position W501 is located in the first intermediate operation area Z512, and the second vehicle position W502 is located in the second intermediate operation area Z522. By using a first buffer boundary BH501 and a second buffer boundary BH502 that satisfy a preset buffer distance condition in the first intermediate work area Z512 and the second intermediate work area Z522, the first intermediate work area Z512 and the second intermediate work area Z522, which include the first buffer boundary BH501 and the second buffer boundary BH502, can be used as the first work area and the second work area.

[0130] In some embodiments, the method for controlling a vehicle to transport goods further includes: during the execution of a target transport task by a plurality of designated vehicles, in response to detecting that any designated vehicle is in a fault state, controlling at least one designated vehicle in a working state to perform the target transport task in the work area corresponding to the faulty vehicle.

[0131] According to an embodiment of this application, the faulty vehicle is a vehicle that is in a faulty state.

[0132] For example, if a first designated vehicle is detected to be malfunctioning while transporting target goods in the channel sections corresponding to the first and second work areas, respectively, then the first designated vehicle is identified as a malfunctioning vehicle. By controlling the first designated vehicle to exit the work channel and controlling the second designated vehicle, which is in operation, to perform the target transport task assigned to the first designated vehicle in the first work area, dynamic allocation of target transport tasks in the work environment can be achieved by controlling the executing vehicle in the same work channel to quickly take over the target transport task completed by the higher-level vehicle during the execution of the target transport task. This improves the efficiency of target goods leaving and returning to the warehouse, thereby enhancing the overall operational efficiency of logistics.

[0133] For example, a designated vehicle that is in operation and located in a waiting area or other work channel can be called to travel to the work area corresponding to the faulty vehicle, so as to quickly take over the target transportation task that the faulty vehicle has not yet performed, thereby improving the scheduling flexibility and execution efficiency of the target transportation task.

[0134] In some embodiments, the quantity differences of designated storage locations in each of the multiple intermediate work areas can be determined by detecting the quantity differences. If the quantity differences do not meet a preset difference condition, the number of designated vehicles can be reduced to re-divide the multiple intermediate work areas. Alternatively, based on preset rules, the same designated vehicle can be selected to perform multiple target transport tasks in the work channel to reduce the computational overhead of allocating target transport tasks.

[0135] In some embodiments, the order in which a specified vehicle performs multiple target transport tasks can be determined by setting the priority of the target transport tasks.

[0136] For example, multiple target transport tasks can be sorted based on the distance between the designated storage location of the target transport task and the current vehicle position, and the priority of the multiple target transport tasks can be determined according to the sorting result. This allows the designated vehicle to travel sequentially to the column positions corresponding to multiple designated storage locations in a preset order, thereby improving the transport efficiency of the target goods.

[0137] For example, during the transportation process on a designated vehicle, the execution order of multiple target transportation tasks can be dynamically adjusted based on the current location of the vehicle and the designated storage locations of unfinished target transportation tasks. This allows for dynamic adjustment of the execution method of multiple target transportation tasks on a designated vehicle based on its location, thereby improving logistics efficiency by dynamically controlling the designated vehicle to perform transportation tasks during the transportation of target goods.

[0138] Figure 7 A block diagram of an apparatus for controlling a vehicle to transport goods, according to an embodiment of this application, is shown.

[0139] like Figure 7 As shown, the device 700 for controlling the transport of goods by a vehicle includes an acquisition module 710, a division module 720, and a task distribution module 730.

[0140] The acquisition module 710 is used to acquire multiple designated storage locations related to the handling task. The designated storage locations correspond to designated storage spaces in the storage structure used to store the target goods. The designated vehicle performs the handling task by traveling in the working channel close to the storage structure according to the working driving direction.

[0141] The division module 720 is used to divide the work channel into work areas based on multiple designated storage locations in the work driving direction, determine multiple work areas, and the work areas are related to designated storage locations. The quantity difference between the designated storage locations related to each of the multiple work areas meets the preset difference condition.

[0142] The task assignment module 730 is used to assign target transport tasks to multiple designated vehicles based on the target storage locations of multiple work areas. The target transport tasks are used to control the designated vehicles to transport target goods in the work channel section corresponding to the work area.

[0143] According to an embodiment of this application, the partitioning module includes: a sorting submodule, a first determining submodule, and a partitioning submodule.

[0144] The sorting submodule is used to sort multiple specified storage locations based on a specified direction determined by the operation driving direction, so as to obtain a storage location sequence.

[0145] The first determining submodule is used to determine the boundary position for the storage position sequence based on the preset number of specified vehicles. The number of subsequences obtained by dividing the storage position sequence based on the boundary position matches the preset number of vehicles, and the difference in the number of specified storage positions between different subsequences satisfies the preset difference condition.

[0146] The partitioning submodule is used to divide the channel area representing the operation channel based on the area boundary determined according to the boundary position, resulting in multiple operation areas.

[0147] According to an embodiment of this application, the division submodule includes: a first division unit and a first adjustment unit.

[0148] The first division unit is used to divide the channel area according to the area boundary to obtain multiple initial working areas.

[0149] The first adjustment unit is used to adjust the position of at least one area boundary according to a first positional relationship between the current vehicle position and the initial work area in response to the fact that at least one initial work area and the current vehicle position of multiple designated vehicles are not related, thereby obtaining multiple work areas.

[0150] According to an embodiment of this application, the first adjustment unit includes: an adjustment subunit, a first determination subunit, and a second determination subunit.

[0151] An adjustment subunit is used to adjust the position of at least one area boundary according to the first positional relationship between the current vehicle position and the initial work area, so as to obtain multiple intermediate work areas.

[0152] The first determining subunit is used to determine, based on the vehicle size of the specified vehicle, a buffer boundary that satisfies a preset buffer distance condition between the boundary distance of the specified vehicle and the boundary of the intermediate working area. The preset buffer distance condition is determined based on the vehicle size.

[0153] The second determining sub-unit is used to determine the buffer sub-region from the intermediate work area based on the area boundary and buffer boundary of the intermediate work area, so as to obtain the work area including the buffer sub-region.

[0154] According to an embodiment of this application, the partitioning submodule includes: a second partitioning unit and a second adjustment unit.

[0155] The second division unit is used to divide the channel area according to the area boundary to obtain multiple initial operation areas. The designated vehicle includes the target designated vehicle located in the first initial operation area. The assigned tasks related to the target designated vehicle are in an incomplete state. The projection coordinates of the assigned storage location indicated by the assigned task in the channel area are located in the second initial operation area.

[0156] The second adjustment unit is used to adjust the position of the boundary of the first initial work area to obtain multiple work areas, wherein the first work area is located in the multiple work areas and the first work area is related to the first initial work area.

[0157] According to embodiments of this application, a target handling task includes at least one of the following: an outbound task representing the movement of target goods from a storage space to a temporary storage space in a storage structure; and a return task representing the movement of target goods from the temporary storage space to the storage space; wherein an associated vehicle, different from the designated vehicle, is used to retrieve the target goods from the temporary storage space and transport the target goods to the designated outbound location; the associated vehicle is also used to place the target goods from the designated location into the temporary storage space to facilitate the return of the target goods to the warehouse.

[0158] According to an embodiment of this application, the work area satisfies the following work conditions: the work area includes at least one idle temporary storage projection, which is the projection of the location of the temporary storage space in an idle state onto the channel area representing the work channel; at least one target cargo is stored in the projection storage space or the projection temporary storage space, and the projection of the location of the projection storage space or the projection temporary storage space onto the channel area is located in the driving sub-area.

[0159] According to an embodiment of this application, the device for controlling the transport of goods by a vehicle further includes a control module.

[0160] The control module is used to control at least one designated vehicle in operation to perform the target transport task in the work area corresponding to the faulty vehicle in response to detecting that any designated vehicle is in a faulty state during the execution of a target transport task by multiple designated vehicles. The faulty vehicle is the vehicle in a faulty state.

[0161] According to embodiments of this application, the working channel is a passageway between multiple storage structures; and / or the working channel is a crawling track arranged along the height direction of the storage structure.

[0162] According to an embodiment of this application, the work area further includes a buffer sub-area, and the target transport task is used to control the designated vehicle to prohibit it from entering the channel range corresponding to the buffer sub-area in the work channel during the transport of the target goods.

[0163] Any one or more of the modules, submodules, units, and subunits according to the embodiments of this application, or at least part of the functions of any one or more of them, can be implemented in one module. Any one or more of the modules, submodules, units, and subunits according to the embodiments of this application can be implemented by dividing them into multiple modules. Any one or more of the modules, submodules, units, and subunits according to the embodiments of this application can be at least partially implemented as hardware circuits, such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic arrays (PLAs), systems-on-a-chip, systems-on-a-substrate, systems-on-package, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or implemented by hardware or firmware in any other reasonable manner by integrating or packaging circuits, or implemented in any one of software, hardware, and firmware, or in a suitable combination of any of these. Alternatively, one or more of the modules, submodules, units, and subunits according to the embodiments of this application can be at least partially implemented as computer program modules, which, when run, can perform corresponding functions.

[0164] For example, any multiple of the acquisition module 710, partitioning module 720, and task assignment module 730 can be combined into one module / unit / subunit, or any one of these modules / units / subunits can be split into multiple modules / units / subunits. Alternatively, at least part of the functionality of one or more of these modules / units / subunits can be combined with at least part of the functionality of other modules / units / subunits and implemented in one module / unit / subunit. According to embodiments of this application, at least one of the acquisition module 710, partitioning module 720, and task assignment module 730 can be at least partially implemented as hardware circuitry, such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic array (PLA), a system-on-a-chip, a system-on-a-substrate, a system-on-package, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or any other reasonable means of integrating or packaging circuitry, or implemented in software, hardware, or firmware, or in any suitable combination of any of these three implementation methods. Alternatively, at least one of the acquisition module 710, the partitioning module 720, and the task distribution module 730 can be implemented at least partially as a computer program module, which can perform corresponding functions when the computer program module is run.

[0165] It should be noted that the device part for controlling the transport of goods by a vehicle in the embodiments of this application corresponds to the method part for controlling the transport of goods by a vehicle in the embodiments of this application. The description of the device part for controlling the transport of goods by a vehicle is specifically referred to in the method part for controlling the transport of goods by a vehicle, and will not be repeated here.

[0166] Figure 8A block diagram of an electronic device suitable for implementing a method for controlling the transport of goods by a vehicle, according to an embodiment of this application, is shown. Figure 8 The electronic device shown is merely an example and should not impose any limitation on the functionality and scope of use of the embodiments of this application.

[0167] like Figure 8 As shown, an electronic device 800 according to an embodiment of this application includes a processor 801, which can perform various appropriate actions and processes according to a program stored in a read-only memory (ROM) 802 or a program loaded from a storage portion 808 into a random access memory (RAM) 803. The processor 801 may include, for example, a general-purpose microprocessor (e.g., a CPU), an instruction set processor and / or an associated chipset and / or a special-purpose microprocessor (e.g., an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)), etc. The processor 801 may also include onboard memory for caching purposes. The processor 801 may include a single processing unit or multiple processing units for performing different actions of the method flow according to an embodiment of this application.

[0168] RAM 803 stores various programs and data required for the operation of electronic device 800. Processor 801, ROM 802, and RAM 803 are interconnected via bus 804. Processor 801 executes various operations of the method flow according to embodiments of this application by executing programs in ROM 802 and / or RAM 803. It should be noted that the programs may also be stored in one or more memories other than ROM 802 and RAM 803. Processor 801 may also execute various operations of the method flow according to embodiments of this application by executing programs stored in said one or more memories.

[0169] According to embodiments of this application, the electronic device 800 may further include an input / output (I / O) interface 805, which is also connected to a bus 804. The electronic device 800 may also include one or more of the following components connected to the input / output (I / O) interface 805: an input section 806 including a keyboard, mouse, etc.; an output section 807 including a cathode ray tube (CRT), liquid crystal display (LCD), etc., and a speaker, etc.; a storage section 808 including a hard disk, etc.; and a communication section 809 including a network interface card such as a LAN card, modem, etc. The communication section 809 performs communication processing via a network such as the Internet. A drive 810 is also connected to the input / output (I / O) interface 805 as needed. A removable medium 811, such as a disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, semiconductor memory, etc., is installed on the drive 810 as needed so that computer programs read from it can be installed into the storage section 808 as needed.

[0170] According to embodiments of this application, the method flow according to embodiments of this application can be implemented as a computer software program. For example, embodiments of this application include a computer program product comprising a computer program carried on a computer-readable storage medium, the computer program containing program code for performing the method shown in the flowchart. In such embodiments, the computer program can be downloaded and installed from a network via communication section 809, and / or installed from removable medium 811. When the computer program is executed by processor 801, it performs the functions defined in the system of embodiments of this application. According to embodiments of this application, the systems, devices, apparatuses, modules, units, etc., described above can be implemented by computer program modules.

[0171] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which may be included in the device / apparatus / system described in the above embodiments; or it may exist independently and not assembled into the device / apparatus / system. The computer-readable storage medium carries one or more programs, which, when executed, implement the method according to the embodiments of this application.

[0172] According to embodiments of this application, the computer-readable storage medium can be a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium. Examples include, but are not limited to: portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof. In this application, the computer-readable storage medium can be any tangible medium containing or storing a program that can be used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0173] For example, according to embodiments of this application, a computer-readable storage medium may include the ROM 802 and / or RAM 803 described above and / or one or more memories other than ROM 802 and RAM 803.

[0174] Embodiments of this application also include a computer program product comprising a computer program containing program code for performing the methods provided in the embodiments of this application. When the computer program product is run on an electronic device, the program code is used to enable the electronic device to implement the method for controlling a vehicle to transport goods provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0175] When the computer program is executed by the processor 801, it performs the functions defined in the system / apparatus of this application embodiment. According to the embodiments of this application, the systems, apparatuses, modules, units, etc. described above can be implemented by computer program modules.

[0176] In one embodiment, the computer program may rely on a tangible storage medium such as an optical storage device or a magnetic storage device. In another embodiment, the computer program may also be transmitted and distributed in the form of signals over a network medium, and may be downloaded and installed via the communication section 809, and / or installed from a removable medium 811. The program code contained in the computer program can be transmitted using any suitable network medium, including but not limited to: wireless, wired, etc., or any suitable combination thereof.

[0177] According to embodiments of this application, program code for executing the computer programs provided in the embodiments of this application can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. Specifically, these computational programs can be implemented using high-level procedural and / or object-oriented programming languages, and / or assembly / machine languages. Programming languages ​​include, but are not limited to, languages ​​such as Java, C++, Python, "C", or similar programming languages. The program code can be executed entirely on the user's computing device, partially on the user's device, partially on a remote computing device, or entirely on a remote computing device or server. In cases involving remote computing devices, the remote computing device can be connected to the user's computing device via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or it can be connected to an external computing device (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0178] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of this application. In this regard, each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of code containing one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions indicated in the blocks may occur in a different order than those indicated in the drawings. For example, two consecutively indicated blocks may actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each block in a block diagram or flowchart, and combinations of blocks in a block diagram or flowchart, may be implemented using a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or operation, or using a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions. Those skilled in the art will understand that the features described in the various embodiments of this application can be combined and / or combined in various ways, even if such combinations are not explicitly described in this application. In particular, without departing from the spirit and teachings of this application, the features described in the various embodiments of this application can be combined and / or combined in various ways. All such combinations and / or combinations fall within the scope of this application.

[0179] The embodiments of this application have been described above. However, these embodiments are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application. Although various embodiments have been described above, this does not mean that the measures in the various embodiments cannot be used advantageously in combination. Without departing from the scope of this application, those skilled in the art can make various substitutions and modifications, all of which should fall within the scope of this application.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a vehicle carrying a cargo, characterized by, The method comprises: obtaining a plurality of specified storage locations related to a carrying task, the specified storage locations corresponding to specified storage spaces in a storage structure for storing target goods, and a specified carrier performing the carrying task by driving in a work channel close to the storage structure according to a work driving direction; sequencing the plurality of specified storage locations based on a specified direction determined according to the work driving direction to obtain a storage location sequence; determining a boundary position for the storage location sequence based on a preset carrier quantity of the specified carrier, wherein the number of subsequences obtained by dividing the storage location sequence based on the boundary position matches the preset carrier quantity, and the number difference of specified storage locations between different subsequences satisfies a preset difference condition; and dividing a channel region representing the work channel based on a region boundary determined according to the boundary position to obtain a plurality of work regions, the work regions being related to the specified storage locations, and the number difference between the specified storage locations related to each of the plurality of work regions satisfying the preset difference condition; issuing target carrying tasks to the plurality of specified carriers based on the target storage locations corresponding to the plurality of work regions, the target carrying tasks being used to control the specified carriers to carry the target goods in a work channel interval corresponding to the work regions in the work channel; dividing a channel region representing the work channel based on a region boundary determined according to the boundary position, comprising: regionally dividing the channel region according to the region boundary to obtain a plurality of initial work regions; in response to at least one of the initial work regions being irrelevant to the current carrier positions of the plurality of specified carriers, adjusting the positions of at least one of the region boundaries according to a first positional relationship between the current carrier positions and the initial work regions to obtain the plurality of work regions; or dividing a channel region representing the work channel based on a region boundary determined according to the boundary position, comprising: regionally dividing the channel region according to the region boundary to obtain a plurality of initial work regions, wherein the specified carrier includes a target specified carrier located in a first initial work region, an assigned task related to the target specified carrier is in an uncompleted state, and a projection coordinate of an assigned storage location indicated by the assigned task in the channel region is located in a second initial work region; adjusting the position of the region boundary of the first initial work region to obtain the plurality of work regions, wherein the projection coordinate is located in a first work region of the plurality of work regions, and the first work region is related to the first initial work region.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, adjusting the positions of at least one of the region boundaries according to a first positional relationship between the current carrier positions and the initial work regions to obtain the plurality of work regions, comprising: adjusting the positions of at least one of the region boundaries according to a first positional relationship between the current carrier positions and the initial work regions to obtain a plurality of intermediate work regions; determine a buffer boundary satisfying a preset buffer distance condition with a boundary distance between a region boundary of the intermediate operation area and the buffer boundary, wherein the preset buffer distance condition is determined based on the vehicle size of the specified vehicle; and determine a buffer sub-region from the intermediate operation area based on the region boundary of the intermediate operation area and the buffer boundary, to obtain an operation area including the buffer sub-region.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, The target carrying task includes at least one of: a delivery task representing carrying the target goods from the storage space to a temporary storage space in the storage structure; a return task representing carrying the target goods in the temporary storage space to the storage space; wherein an associated vehicle different from the specified vehicle is used to take the target goods from the temporary storage space and transport the target goods to a specified delivery location; the associated vehicle is also used to place the target goods from the specified location to the temporary storage space to facilitate the return of the target goods.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The operation area satisfies the following operation conditions: The operation area includes at least one idle temporary storage projection, which is a projection of a temporary storage space in an idle state in a channel region representing the operation channel; At least one of the target goods is stored in a projection storage space or a projection temporary storage space, and the position of each of the projection storage space or the projection temporary storage space in the projection of the channel region is located in the operation area.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, The method further comprises: In the process of executing the target carrying task by a plurality of specified vehicles, in response to detecting that any of the specified vehicles is in a fault state, controlling at least one specified vehicle in a working state to execute the target carrying task in an operation area corresponding to the fault vehicle, the fault vehicle being the vehicle in the fault state.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein: The operation channel is a lane between a plurality of storage structures; and / or The operation channel is a climbing track arranged along the height direction of the storage structure.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein, The operation area further includes a buffer sub-region, and the target carrying task is used to control the specified vehicle to be prohibited from driving into a channel range in the operation channel corresponding to the buffer sub-region in the process of carrying the target goods.

8. An apparatus for controlling a vehicle to carry a cargo, characterized by, Comprise: an acquisition module configured to acquire a plurality of specified storage positions related to a carrying task, the specified storage positions corresponding to specified storage spaces in a storage structure for storing target goods, and a specified vehicle executing the carrying task by driving in an operation channel close to the storage structure in an operation driving direction; a division module configured to divide the operation channel into a plurality of operation areas based on the operation driving direction and the plurality of specified storage positions, determine a plurality of operation areas, the operation areas being related to the specified storage positions, and the quantity difference between the specified storage positions related to each of the plurality of operation areas satisfying a preset difference condition; The task issuing module is configured to issue a target carrying task to the specified carriers based on target storage positions of the multiple job areas, the target carrying task being configured to control the specified carriers to carry the target goods in the job channel in a job channel section corresponding to the job area; The division module includes: The sorting submodule is configured to sort the specified storage positions based on a specified direction determined according to the job travel direction, to obtain a storage position sequence; The first determination submodule is configured to determine a boundary position for the storage position sequence based on a preset carrier number of the specified carriers, wherein the number of subsequences obtained by dividing the storage position sequence based on the boundary position matches the preset carrier number, and the number difference of the specified storage positions between different subsequences satisfies the preset difference condition; The division submodule is configured to divide a channel area representing the job channel based on area boundaries determined according to the boundary position, to obtain the multiple job areas; The division submodule includes: The first division unit is configured to divide the channel area according to the area boundaries, to obtain multiple initial job areas; The first adjustment unit is configured to, in response to at least one of the initial job areas being irrelevant to the current carrier positions of the multiple specified carriers, adjust the positions of at least one of the area boundaries according to a first positional relationship between the current carrier positions and the initial job areas, to obtain the multiple job areas; The second division unit is configured to divide the channel area according to the area boundaries, to obtain multiple initial job areas, wherein the specified carriers include a target specified carrier located in a first initial job area, an assigned task related to the target specified carrier is in an uncompleted state, and a projection coordinate of an assigned storage position indicated by the assigned task is located in a second initial job area; The second adjustment unit is configured to adjust the position of the area boundary of the first initial job area, to obtain the multiple job areas, wherein the projection coordinate is located in a first job area of the multiple job areas, and the first job area is related to the first initial job area.

9. An electronic device, comprising: One or more processors; Memory for storing one or more programs, When the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors implement the method of any one of claims 1-7. Executable instructions are stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to implement the method of any one of claims 1-7.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, A computer program is included, which, when executed by a processor, implements the method according to any one of claims 1-7.

11. A computer program product, characterised in that, ​

Images