Three-dimensional sorting system and method based on autonomous mobile equipment cluster

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of three-dimensional sorting, and particularly discloses a three-dimensional sorting system and method for an autonomous mobile device cluster, and the three-dimensional sorting system for the autonomous mobile device cluster comprises a sorting platform which is provided with a plurality of unloading outlets; the self-guided vehicles can run on the sorting platform and unload the cargoes borne by the self-guided vehicles at the unloading outlets; each three-dimensional goods shelf comprises a plurality of goods cabinets capable of bearing goods; each unloading device is arranged close to one side of the corresponding three-dimensional goods shelf, and the unloading devices are used for receiving the goods unloaded by the self-guided trolleys and unloading the goods into preset containers; a waiting platform opposite to the unloading outlet is arranged between each three-dimensional goods shelf and the unloading device and provided with a waiting area, and the waiting areas are used for parking the self-navigation trolleys and waiting for the unloading device to receive goods. The method has the effect of reducing congestion caused by the fact that the self-guided vehicle waits for the unloading device at the unloading outlet.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of stereoscopic sorting, and in particular to a stereoscopic sorting system and method based on a cluster of autonomous mobile devices. BACKGROUND

[0002] At present, the technology of realizing stereoscopic sorting by a cluster of autonomous mobile devices cooperating with stereoscopic shelves has been widely applied.

[0003] In the related art, a stereoscopic sorting system includes a sorting platform, multiple self-navigation trolleys, stereoscopic shelves, and unloading devices. The sorting platform is provided with multiple unloading outlets, and the multiple self-navigation trolleys can travel on the sorting platform and unload the goods carried thereby at predetermined unloading outlets. The stereoscopic shelves are provided in multiple numbers, and the multiple stereoscopic shelves and the multiple unloading outlets are in one-to-one correspondence, and the stereoscopic shelves are installed at positions close to the unloading outlets. Each stereoscopic shelf is composed of multiple cabinets, and each cabinet can store goods. Each stereoscopic shelf is provided with an unloading device on one side, and the unloading device is used to receive the goods unloaded by the self-navigation trolley at the unloading outlet, and then moves to a predetermined cabinet to unload the goods in the cabinet.

[0004] However, after the goods on the self-navigation trolley are received by the unloading device at the predetermined unloading outlet, the unloading device needs to unload the received goods to the predetermined cabinet before receiving the goods of the self-navigation trolley behind. This results in that, during the process of moving the goods on the previous self-navigation trolley to the predetermined cabinet by the unloading device, if the self-navigation trolley behind also needs to hand over the goods to the unloading device at the unloading outlet, the self-navigation trolley behind needs to stop at the unloading outlet and wait for the unloading device to receive the goods, thereby causing congestion of the self-navigation trolley behind. SUMMARY

[0005] In order to reduce the congestion of the self-navigation trolley caused by waiting for the unloading device at the unloading outlet, the present application provides a stereoscopic sorting system and method of a cluster of autonomous mobile devices.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides a stereoscopic sorting system of a cluster of autonomous mobile devices, which adopts the following technical solution: The three-dimensional sorting system of the autonomous mobile device cluster comprises a sorting platform provided with a plurality of unloading outlets; a plurality of self-navigating trolleys capable of driving on the sorting platform and capable of unloading the goods carried thereby at the unloading outlets; a plurality of three-dimensional shelves, the plurality of three-dimensional shelves and the plurality of unloading outlets correspond one-to-one, each three-dimensional shelf is arranged close to the corresponding unloading outlet, and each three-dimensional shelf comprises a plurality of goods cabinets capable of carrying goods; a plurality of unloading devices, the plurality of unloading devices and the plurality of three-dimensional shelves correspond one-to-one, each unloading device is arranged close to one side of the corresponding three-dimensional shelf, and the unloading device is used for receiving the goods unloaded by the self-navigating trolley and unloading the goods in a predetermined goods cabinet; and a waiting platform opposite to the unloading outlet is arranged between each three-dimensional shelf and the unloading device, and the waiting platform is provided with a waiting area used for parking and waiting of the self-navigating trolley.

[0007] By adopting the technical scheme, after the goods of the front self-navigating trolley are received by the unloading device, the front self-navigating trolley leaves the unloading outlet, and the unloading device moves to the predetermined goods cabinet with the received goods. Before the unloading device returns to the unloading outlet, if the rear self-navigating trolley also needs to hand over the goods at the unloading outlet, the rear self-navigating trolley drives to the waiting area to wait for the unloading device to receive the goods, so as to leave a space at the unloading outlet. Then, the self-navigating trolleys behind can continue to drive forward, thereby reducing the congestion of the self-navigating trolleys at the unloading outlet caused by the waiting of the unloading device.

[0008] In some embodiments, the unloading device is provided with a just-in-place identifier, and the self-navigating trolley is provided with a just-in-place detection device. When the self-navigating trolley detects the just-in-place identifier at the unloading outlet through the just-in-place detection device, the unloading device receives the goods carried by the self-navigating trolley at the unloading outlet. When the self-navigating trolley does not detect the just-in-place identifier at the unloading outlet through the just-in-place detection device, the self-navigating trolley drives to the waiting area.

[0009] In some embodiments, the waiting area is provided with a positioning identifier and two magnetic blocks spaced apart along the extension direction of the waiting area, and the positioning identifier is located between the two magnetic blocks. The self-navigating trolley is provided with a positioning recognition module and two magnetic detection modules spaced apart along the forward direction of the self-navigating trolley, and the positioning recognition module is located between the two magnetic detection modules. The positioning recognition module is used for recognizing the information of the positioning identifier, and the magnetic detection modules are used for detecting the magnetic strength. When the two magnetic detection modules are respectively aligned with the two magnetic blocks, the positioning recognition module is aligned with the positioning identifier.

[0010] In some embodiments, the waiting area is further provided with a first half ring and a second half ring respectively located on two sides of the positioning mark, two ends of the first half ring respectively abutting against two of the magnetic blocks, and two ends of the second half ring respectively abutting against two of the magnetic blocks; the first half ring and the second half ring are both magnetic, the magnetic of the first half ring is smaller than that of the second half ring, and the magnetic of the first half ring and the second half ring are both smaller than that of the magnetic blocks.

[0011] In some embodiments, the waiting platform is provided with a magnetic guide strip, a length direction of the magnetic guide strip passing through a line connecting the midpoints of the two magnetic blocks, and the magnetic guide strip extending from the unloading outlet to the magnetic block close to the unloading outlet.

[0012] In some embodiments, the waiting platform is provided with a plurality of waiting areas, the plurality of waiting areas being arranged at intervals along an extension direction of the waiting platform; when the self-navigation trolley and the unloading device perform the cargo handover on the waiting platform, the self-navigation trolley and the unloading device are respectively located in two adjacent waiting areas.

[0013] In some embodiments, when the waiting platform parks a plurality of self-navigation trolleys, each self-navigation trolley is located in a waiting area; the number of the waiting areas is greater than the number of the self-navigation trolleys on the waiting platform.

[0014] In some embodiments, a magnetic guide strip is arranged between two adjacent waiting areas, and a length direction of the magnetic guide strip is along the extension direction of the waiting platform.

[0015] In a second aspect, the application further discloses a sorting method, which comprises the following steps: the self-navigation trolley transports the cargo to the unloading outlet; when the unloading device reaches the unloading outlet within a preset time, the unloading device receives the cargo on the self-navigation trolley at the unloading outlet, and the unloading device unloads the received cargo to a predetermined container; when the unloading device does not reach the unloading outlet within the preset time, the self-navigation trolley travels to the waiting area, the unloading device receives the cargo on the self-navigation trolley at the waiting area, and the unloading device unloads the received cargo to a predetermined container; and the self-navigation trolley drives out of the waiting platform and travels to a sorting platform.

[0016] In some embodiments, the waiting platform is provided with a plurality of waiting areas, the plurality of waiting areas being arranged at intervals along an extension direction of the waiting platform; The step also includes: a plurality of self-guided trolleys travel to the waiting platform in sequence, each self-guided trolley is located in one waiting area, there is no empty waiting area between two adjacent self-guided trolleys, and at least one waiting area is downstream of the frontmost self-guided trolley; the unloading device receives the goods on the self-guided trolleys from front to back according to the sequence in which the self-guided trolleys enter the waiting area, the self-guided trolley whose goods are received travels forward to be separated from the rear self-guided trolley by at least one waiting area, and the unloading device receives the goods on the rear self-guided trolley in the waiting area until all the goods are received.

[0017] In summary, the present application has the following beneficial technical effects: After the goods of the front self-guided trolley are received by the unloading device, the front self-guided trolley leaves the unloading outlet, the unloading device moves to the predetermined container with the received goods, and before the unloading device returns to the unloading outlet, if the rear self-guided trolley also needs to hand over goods at the unloading outlet, the rear self-guided trolley travels to the waiting area to wait for the unloading device to receive the goods, thereby leaving a space at the unloading outlet. The self-guided trolley behind can continue to travel forward, thereby reducing the congestion of the self-guided trolleys at the unloading outlet caused by waiting for the unloading device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following will briefly introduce the drawings needed in the embodiment description. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present application, and other drawings can also be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor.

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure in the embodiments of the present application; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of communication and control of the system; Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the connection between the communication module and the self-guided trolley; Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the AP structure; Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the communication connection between the self-guided trolley and the AP under wired network; Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the communication connection between the self-guided trolley and the AP under wireless network; Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the communication connection between the self-guided trolley and the AP under wireless network; Figure 8is a schematic diagram of the communication connection mode between multiple self-navigation trolleys and multiple APs; Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the unloading device, horizontal moving device and vertical moving device; Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the cooperation between the self-navigation trolley and the unloading device; Figure 11 is a positioning schematic diagram of the waiting area; Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of one form of deviation of the self-navigation trolley from the positioning in the waiting area; Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of one form of deviation of the self-navigation trolley from the positioning in the waiting area; Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of one form of deviation of the self-navigation trolley from the positioning in the waiting area; Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of one form of deviation of the self-navigation trolley from the positioning in the waiting area; Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of one form of deviation of the self-navigation trolley from the positioning in the waiting area; Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of one form of deviation of the self-navigation trolley from the positioning in the waiting area; Figure 18 is a schematic diagram of one form of deviation of the self-navigation trolley from the positioning in the waiting area; Figure 19 is a schematic diagram of one form of deviation of the self-navigation trolley from the positioning in the waiting area; Figure 20 is a schematic diagram of the magnetic guide strip arranged on the waiting platform; Figure 21 is a schematic diagram of two self-navigation trolleys entering the waiting platform; Figure 22 is a schematic diagram of the cargo handover between the unloading device and the front self-navigation trolley; Figure 23 is a schematic diagram after the cargo handover between the front self-navigation trolley is completed; Figure 24 is a schematic diagram of the cargo handover between the unloading device and the rear self-navigation trolley.

[0020] Reference signs: 1, sorting platform; 11, unloading outlet; 2, self-navigation trolley; 21, in-place detection device; 22, positioning recognition module; 23, magnetic detection module; 3, stereoscopic shelf; 4, unloading device; 41, in-place identifier; 5, waiting platform; 51, waiting area; 52, positioning identifier; 53, magnetic block; 54, first half ring; 55, second half ring; 56, magnetic guide strip; 6, horizontal moving device; 7, vertical moving device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The technical solutions of the present application will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work fall within the protection scope of the present application.

[0022] The technical solutions of the present application will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work fall within the protection scope of the present application. Figures 1-24 The present application will be further described in detail.

[0023] With reference to the drawings Figure 1 The present application discloses an embodiment of a three-dimensional sorting system of a cluster of autonomous mobile devices, which includes a sorting platform 1, multiple self-navigating trolleys 2, multiple three-dimensional shelves 3 and multiple unloading devices 4. The sorting platform 1 is provided with multiple unloading outlets 11, the self-navigating trolleys 2 can travel on the sorting platform 1 and unload the goods carried thereby at the predetermined unloading outlets 11. The multiple three-dimensional shelves 3 and the multiple unloading outlets 11 correspond one-to-one, each three-dimensional shelf 3 is arranged close to its corresponding unloading outlet 11, and each three-dimensional shelf 3 includes multiple goods cabinets capable of carrying goods. The multiple unloading devices 4 and the multiple three-dimensional shelves 3 correspond one-to-one, each unloading device 4 is arranged close to one side of its corresponding three-dimensional shelf 3, and the unloading device 4 is used to receive the goods unloaded by the self-navigating trolley 2 and unload the goods into the predetermined goods cabinet. A waiting platform 5 opposite the unloading outlet 11 is arranged between each three-dimensional shelf 3 and the unloading device 4, the waiting platform 5 is provided with a waiting area 51, the self-navigating trolley 2 can be parked in the waiting area 51 and wait for the unloading device 4 to receive the goods in the waiting area 51. After the goods of the front self-navigating trolley 2 are received by the unloading device 4, the front self-navigating trolley 2 leaves the unloading outlet 11, and the unloading device 4 moves with the received goods to the predetermined goods cabinet. Before the unloading device 4 returns to the unloading outlet 11, if the rear self-navigating trolley 2 also needs to hand over goods at the unloading outlet 11, the rear self-navigating trolley 2 travels to the waiting area 51 to wait for the unloading device 4 to receive the goods, thereby leaving a vacancy at the unloading outlet 11. Then the more rear self-navigating trolley 2 can continue to travel forward, thereby reducing the congestion of the rear self-navigating trolleys 2 caused by the waiting of the unloading device 4 at the unloading outlet 11.

[0024] In addition, after the self-navigating trolley 2 travels to the waiting area 51, it is closer to the goods cabinet on the three-dimensional shelf 3 that is farther away from the unloading outlet 11. Therefore, after the unloading device 4 completes the handover of goods with the self-navigating trolley 2 in the waiting area 51, the distance between the unloading device 4 and the far distance goods cabinet is shortened, thereby shortening the overall time of unloading by the unloading device 4 and further improving the sorting efficiency of the goods.

[0025] In the embodiment of the present application, the sorting platform 1 is also provided with a loading entrance, and a package identification device is arranged at the loading entrance to identify the goods installed on the self-navigation trolley 2 by a person or a robot. Referring to Figure 2 The system also comprises an address scanner, a self-navigation trolley 2 control system (RCS) and a warehouse control system (WCS). The address scanner and the self-navigation trolley 2 control system are signal connected, the self-navigation trolley 2 control system and the warehouse control system are signal connected, and the warehouse control system and the unloading device are signal connected. The address scanner is installed on the self-navigation trolley 2 and used for scanning the address. The self-navigation trolley 2 control system can control the movement of the self-navigation trolley 2, the warehouse control system and the self-navigation trolley 2 control system can realize information intercommunication, the warehouse control system can control the self-navigation trolley 2 through the self-navigation trolley 2 control system, and the warehouse control system can control the unloading device 4.

[0026] In order to ensure efficient and stable communication between the self-navigation trolley 2, the unloading device 4 and the warehouse control system, and ensure reliable operation of the control, the communication and control between the self-navigation trolleys 2 and between the self-navigation trolleys 2 and the server are the key to the stable and efficient operation of the whole system. Therefore, the system is designed to have an efficient communication module and a server communication peripheral (AP device).

[0027] For the communication module of the self-navigation trolley 2, as shown in Figure 3 a wireless communication module (model: HPD-04A-C-915MHz) based on a Si4463 radio frequency chip is shown, which actually works in the 863-870MHz frequency band. A stable clock frequency is provided by a 30MHz crystal oscillator to ensure accurate modulation and demodulation of the radio frequency signal. The self-navigation trolley 2 connects the wireless communication module and the self-navigation trolley 2 control mainboard through SPI (serial peripheral interface) to realize instruction receiving and state feedback. The self-navigation trolley 2 control mainboard sends data to the Si4463 chip through SPI, which modulates the data into a radio frequency signal and transmits it through an antenna. The radio frequency signal received by the antenna is demodulated by the Si4463 and transmitted to the main control program through SPI for processing. The communication module adopts a single antenna mode, and the AP adopts a double antenna mode, so that the communication success rate can be fully guaranteed.

[0028] Traditional wireless communication networks usually adopt a point-to-multipoint direct communication mode, the data line and the power line are separated, and there are disadvantages such as poor expandability, small number of client load, complex engineering installation, high maintenance cost, etc. Figure 4As shown, the system uses POE wireless AP products, which has the advantages of data line and power supply line sharing, easy to install, and using Ethernet interface, easy to expand, flexible networking. Specifically, the system takes the microcontroller unit (MCU) STM32F103C876 as the core processing and coordination center, and the MCU is provided with a reference clock by an 8MHz crystal oscillator. The power supply module of the system adopts a dual-redundancy design: one supports receiving 44~57V / 150mA Ethernet power supply (PoE) through the RJ45 Ethernet interface, and the other supports receiving 5V / 500mA power supply through the Type-A USB interface. After being processed by the internal power management circuit, the two power supplies provide stable working voltage for each component of the system. The system also has a RESET reset button for manual restart.

[0029] The MCU manages the data exchange with the three communication submodules through three independent SPI serial peripheral interface buses: Dual wireless communication subsystem: The system contains two radio frequency communication units with the same structure, i.e. radio transceiver_1 and radio transceiver_2. The core of each unit is the Si4463 radio frequency transceiver chip, which is equipped with a 30MHz crystal oscillator. The chip is integrated in the HPD-04A-C-915MHz module and actually works in the 863~870MHz frequency band. Each module is connected to an independent ANT antenna. The MCU configures and transmits data to each SI4463 chip through a dedicated SPI channel, so that the two radio frequency units can work in parallel, realize communication redundancy, load balancing or multi-channel operation.

[0030] Wired network subsystem: The system contains a network chip with model W5500, which has a built-in hardware TCP / IP protocol stack and is driven by an 8MHz crystal oscillator. W5500 is connected to the MCU through the SPI bus, and its physical uplink interface is connected to the RJ45 Ethernet interface. The RJ45 interface has the dual functions of data and PoE power supply input, realizing network access and power supply with a single cable.

[0031] After the system is powered on and initialized, the MCU first configures the dual wireless communication subsystem and the wired network subsystem through the SPI bus. In the running process, the MCU acts as a central dispatcher, executes the robot's main control program, and processes information from the three communication links in real time.

[0032] Wireless data flow: The robot's local sensor data or state information can be modulated and transmitted by the MCU through any one or both SI4463 radio frequency units; conversely, the control instructions or collaborative device data from the outside are received by the antenna, demodulated by the corresponding SI4463 chip, and transmitted to the MCU through the SPI for processing.

[0033] Wired data stream: the data that needs high-speed and stable communication with remote servers or other devices in the local area network (such as high-definition video stream, large log files) is sent to the W5500 network chip by the MCU through SPI. W5500 is responsible for completing network protocol packets, and finally sent to the Ethernet through the RJ45 interface.

[0034] The whole system works cooperatively through the dual-wireless and single-wire communication mode, forming a reliable and multi-channel communication network. At the same time, the dual-redundant power supply design ensures the continuous and stable operation of the system in complex industrial environments.

[0035] The communication test between a single self-navigation vehicle 2 and an AP (wireless access point) mainly focuses on response time, communication rate, error rate, communication range and other parameters. During the test, the connection between the server and the router is divided into wired and wireless cases. The test schematic diagram is shown in Figure 5 and Figure 6 .

[0036] In order to ensure the smooth operation of the robot cluster and achieve the technical indicators, it is also necessary to test the communication between multiple self-navigation vehicles 2 and APs (wireless access points). The test mainly focuses on the maximum number of supported self-navigation vehicles 2, communication rate, error rate and other parameters.

[0037] The communication test between multiple self-navigation vehicles 2 and APs (wireless access points) is divided into two cases: multiple self-navigation vehicles 2 to a single AP (wireless access point) and multiple self-navigation vehicles 2 to multiple APs (wireless access points). At the same time, the communication reliability test between multiple self-navigation vehicles 2 and multiple APs (wireless access points) needs to be implemented in a 3D complex scene. The schematic diagrams of the two cases are shown in Figure 7 and Figure 8 .

[0038] When running in a complex three-dimensional scene, it is necessary to analyze the cleanliness of the actual environment's wireless signal and select a clean channel for communication.

[0039] Using low-frequency wireless communication technology instead of Wi-Fi to realize real-time data instruction transmission control of the self-navigation vehicle 2 in complex situations has the advantages of greatly enhancing the stability of wireless communication, fast and reliable data transmission, greatly improving the robustness and real-time performance of the system, and improving the speed, accuracy and stability of express sorting.

[0040] The high-performance wireless module and embedded software and hardware design technology are used to access the data of the wireless signal access equipment software and hardware, complete the data access of the self-navigation vehicle 2 wireless network, and ensure the coverage range and signal strength of the wireless communication network. The multi-thread concurrent control technology and wireless access point control software are used to control the data transmission of the wireless signal access equipment, complete the real-time control of the entire system data flow, realize the real-time and orderly data transmission of the system, ensure the real-time, stable and efficient wireless communication of the system, and strengthen the control effect.

[0041] In the three-dimensional scene, the self-navigation vehicle 2 is coupled with the unloading device 4 to complete the planar sorting step and the multi-layer three-dimensional unloading step, and realize the cooperation of the planar self-navigation vehicle 2 and the unloading device 4.

[0042] It should be noted that, with reference to Figure 9 , in order to realize the movement of the unloading device 4, in some embodiments, the horizontal movement of the unloading device 4 is realized by the horizontal movement device 6, and the vertical movement of the unloading device 4 is realized by the vertical movement device 7. These are all prior art, and will not be described here.

[0043] For the unloading of the self-navigation vehicle 2 on the sorting platform 1 to the unloading outlet 11, the package identification device, the handover of the goods between the self-navigation vehicle 2 and the unloading device 4 are all prior art, and will not be described here.

[0044] It is mentioned in the foregoing that before the unloading device 4 returns to the unloading outlet 11, if the following self-navigation vehicle 2 also needs to hand over the goods at the unloading outlet 11, the following self-navigation vehicle 2 drives to the waiting area 51 to wait for the unloading device 4 to receive the goods. In order to synchronize the information that the unloading device 4 has not returned to the unloading outlet 11 to the self-navigation vehicle 2, with reference to Figure 1 、 10 , in some embodiments, the unloading device 4 is provided with a just-in-place identifier 41, and the self-navigation vehicle 2 is provided with a just-in-place detection device 21, which can detect the just-in-place identifier 41. When the self-navigation vehicle 2 detects the just-in-place identifier 41 at the unloading outlet 11 through the just-in-place detection device 21, the unloading device 4 receives the goods carried by the self-navigation vehicle 2 at the unloading outlet 11. When the self-navigation vehicle 2 does not detect the just-in-place identifier 41 at the unloading outlet 11 through the just-in-place detection device 21, the self-navigation vehicle 2 drives to the waiting area 51.

[0045] When the in-place detection device 21 detects the in-place mark 41 at the unloading outlet 11, it proves that the unloading device 4 has arrived at the unloading outlet 11, and the self-navigation trolley 2 does not need to travel to the waiting area 51 and can directly complete the handover of the goods with the unloading device 4 at the unloading outlet 11. When the in-place detection device 21 does not detect the in-place mark 41 at the unloading outlet 11, it proves that the unloading device 4 has not arrived at the unloading outlet 11, and the self-navigation trolley 2 needs to travel to the waiting area 51 and complete the handover of the goods with the unloading device 4 at the waiting area 51.

[0046] Through the above embodiment, the self-navigation trolley 2 can autonomously identify whether the unloading device 4 has arrived at the unloading outlet 11 without the participation of the server, reduces the resource occupation, and at the same time, the identification is more direct, which improves the efficiency and reliability of the identification.

[0047] In some embodiments, the in-place mark 41 can be a magnetic sheet, and the in-place detection device 21 can be a Hall sensor, which is connected to the controller of the self-navigation trolley 2. When the self-navigation trolley 2 arrives at the unloading outlet 11, whether the in-place mark 41 exists is detected by the Hall sensor, so as to determine whether the unloading device 4 has arrived at the unloading outlet 11.

[0048] In some embodiments, the self-navigation trolley 2 can also determine whether the unloading device 4 is in place through other ways. For example, when the unloading device 4 arrives at the unloading outlet 11, the unloading device 4 sends a signal of being in place to the server. When the self-navigation trolley 2 arrives at the unloading outlet 11, a request signal is sent to the server. If the server feeds back the signal of the unloading device 4 being in place to the self-navigation trolley 2, it proves that the unloading device 4 has arrived at the unloading outlet 11, otherwise not.

[0049] After the self-navigation trolley 2 is parked at the waiting area 51, the parking position needs to be accurate, so that the self-navigation trolley 2 can complete the handover of the goods with the unloading device 4.

[0050] Therefore, with reference to Figure 1 , Figure 10 , Figure 11 , the waiting area 51 is provided with a positioning mark 52 and two magnetic blocks 53 along the extension direction of the waiting platform 5, and the positioning mark 52 is located between the two magnetic blocks 53. The self-navigation trolley 2 is provided with a positioning recognition module 22 and two magnetic detection modules 23 along the forward direction of the self-navigation trolley 2, and the positioning recognition module 22 is located between the two magnetic detection modules 23. The positioning recognition module 22 is used to recognize the information of the positioning mark 52, and the magnetic detection module 23 is used to detect the magnetic strength. When the two magnetic detection modules 23 are respectively aligned with the two magnetic blocks 53, the positioning recognition module 22 is aligned with the positioning mark 52.

[0051] The positioning mark 52 can be a bar code, a two-dimensional code, or an RFID, etc., and contains coordinate information. Each waiting area 51 is configured with different coordinate information. The positioning recognition module 22 can recognize the coordinate information contained in the positioning mark 52. The self-navigation trolley 2 can advance, retreat, and turn to walk to the target waiting area 51 according to the instructions and the collected coordinate information.

[0052] During the walking process of the self-navigation trolley 2 on the waiting platform 5, the magnetic detection module 23 continuously detects the magnetic intensity of the walking area. When the self-navigation trolley walks to a certain waiting area 51, when the two magnetic detection modules 23 are opposite to the two magnetic blocks 53 respectively, and the magnetic detection module 23 detects the strongest magnetic intensity, it proves that the magnetic detection module 23 is aligned with the center of the magnetic block 53. Then the positioning recognition module 22 can be aligned with the positioning mark 52, so as to accurately recognize the coordinate information, and the coordinate of the self-navigation trolley 2 reaches the target coordinate, and the posture of the self-navigation trolley 2 also reaches the target posture, which can smoothly realize the handover of the goods with the unloading device 4.

[0053] However, in the actual driving process of the self-navigation trolley 2, in order to ensure that the two magnetic detection modules 23 can be aligned with the centers of the two magnetic blocks 53 respectively, when the two magnetic detection modules 23 are close to the two magnetic blocks 53 respectively, the self-navigation trolley 2 needs to be continuously moved, so that the two magnetic detection modules 23 can be aligned with the centers of the two magnetic blocks 53 respectively, so that the position adjustment efficiency of the self-navigation trolley 2 is low.

[0054] In order to make the position adjustment of the self-navigation trolley 2 more efficient, with reference to Figure 1 , Figure 10 , Figure 11 , the waiting area 51 is further provided with a first half ring 54 and a second half ring 55 located on the two sides of the positioning mark 52 respectively. The two ends of the first half ring 54 are respectively abutted with the two magnetic blocks 53, and the two ends of the second half ring 55 are respectively abutted with the two magnetic blocks 53, that is, the first half ring 54 and the second half ring 55 are spliced to become a complete ring. The first half ring 54 and the second half ring 55 both have magnetism, the magnetism of the first half ring 54 is smaller than that of the second half ring 55, and the magnetism of the first half ring 54 and the second half ring 55 is smaller than that of the magnetic block 53.

[0055] The magnetic intensity of the first half ring 54 is a first magnetic intensity, the magnetic intensity of the second half ring 55 is a second magnetic intensity, and the magnetic intensity of the magnetic block 53 is a third magnetic intensity, and the first magnetic intensity < the second magnetic intensity < the third magnetic intensity. In combination with Figures 12-19 , the working principle of the position adjustment of the self-navigation trolley 2 is described. The front-rear direction in the figure is the extension direction of the waiting platform 5, and the left-right direction is the left-right direction of the waiting platform 5.

[0056] With reference to Figure 12When the self-navigation vehicle 2 travels into a certain waiting area 51, if the front magnetic detection module 23 detects that the magnetic intensity is close to the first magnetic intensity, and the rear magnetic detection module 23 detects that the magnetic intensity is close to the third magnetic intensity. Then it is proved that the front magnetic detection module 23 is above the first half ring 54, and the rear magnetic detection module 23 is above the rear magnetic block 53. The rear side of the self-navigation vehicle 2 is in place, and the front side is left, so the front side of the self-navigation vehicle 2 needs to move right to adjust, so that the self-navigation vehicle 2 adjusts to the correct coordinates and attitude.

[0057] Referring to Figure 13 When the self-navigation vehicle 2 travels into a certain waiting area 51, if the front magnetic detection module 23 detects that the magnetic intensity is close to the first magnetic intensity, and the rear magnetic detection module 23 detects that the magnetic intensity is close to the third magnetic intensity. Then it is proved that the front magnetic detection module 23 is above the first half ring 54, and the rear magnetic detection module 23 is above the rear magnetic block 53. The rear side of the self-navigation vehicle 2 is in place, and the front side is left, so the front side of the self-navigation vehicle 2 needs to move right to adjust, so that the self-navigation vehicle 2 adjusts to the correct coordinates and attitude.

[0058] Referring to Figure 14 When the self-navigation vehicle 2 travels into a certain waiting area 51, if the front magnetic detection module 23 detects that the magnetic intensity is close to the first magnetic intensity, and the rear magnetic detection module 23 detects that the magnetic intensity is close to the third magnetic intensity. Then it is proved that the front magnetic detection module 23 is above the first half ring 54, and the rear magnetic detection module 23 is above the rear magnetic block 53. The rear side of the self-navigation vehicle 2 is in place, and the front side is left, so the front side of the self-navigation vehicle 2 needs to move right to adjust, so that the self-navigation vehicle 2 adjusts to the correct coordinates and attitude.

[0059] Referring to Figure 15 When the self-navigation vehicle 2 travels into a certain waiting area 51, if the front magnetic detection module 23 detects that the magnetic intensity is close to the first magnetic intensity, and the rear magnetic detection module 23 detects that the magnetic intensity is close to the third magnetic intensity. Then it is proved that the front magnetic detection module 23 is above the first half ring 54, and the rear magnetic detection module 23 is above the rear magnetic block 53. The rear side of the self-navigation vehicle 2 is in place, and the front side is left, so the front side of the self-navigation vehicle 2 needs to move right to adjust, so that the self-navigation vehicle 2 adjusts to the correct coordinates and attitude.

[0060] Referring to Figure 16When the self-navigation vehicle 2 drives into a certain waiting area 51, the front magnetic detection module 23 detects that the magnetic intensity is close to the third magnetic intensity, and the rear magnetic detection module 23 detects that the magnetic intensity is close to the second magnetic intensity. Then it is proved that the front magnetic detection module 23 is located above the front magnetic block 53, and the rear magnetic detection module 23 is located above the second half ring 55. The front side of the self-navigation vehicle 2 is in place, and the rear side is right, so the rear side of the self-navigation vehicle 2 needs to be adjusted to the left, so that the self-navigation vehicle 2 can be adjusted to the correct coordinate and posture.

[0061] Referring to Figure 17 When the self-navigation vehicle 2 drives into a certain waiting area 51, the front magnetic detection module 23 and the rear magnetic detection module 23 detect that the magnetic intensity is close to the second magnetic intensity. Then it is proved that the front magnetic detection module 23 and the rear magnetic detection module 23 are both located above the second half ring 55, and the position of the self-navigation vehicle 2 is right, so the self-navigation vehicle 2 needs to be adjusted as a whole to the left, so that the self-navigation vehicle 2 can be adjusted to the correct coordinate and posture.

[0062] Referring to Figure 18 When the self-navigation vehicle 2 drives into a certain waiting area 51, the front magnetic detection module 23 detects that the magnetic intensity is close to the second magnetic intensity, and the rear magnetic detection module 23 detects that the magnetic intensity is close to the third magnetic intensity. Then it is proved that the front magnetic detection module 23 is located above the second half ring 55, and the rear magnetic detection module 23 is located above the rear magnetic block 53. The rear side of the self-navigation vehicle 2 is in place, and the front side is right, so the front side of the self-navigation vehicle 2 needs to be adjusted to the left, so that the self-navigation vehicle 2 can be adjusted to the correct coordinate and posture.

[0063] Referring to Figure 19 When the self-navigation vehicle 2 drives into a certain waiting area 51, the front magnetic detection module 23 detects that the magnetic intensity is close to the second magnetic intensity, and the rear magnetic detection module 23 detects that the magnetic intensity is close to the first magnetic intensity. Then it is proved that the front magnetic detection module 23 is located above the second half ring 55, and the rear magnetic detection module 23 is located above the first half ring 54. The front side of the self-navigation vehicle 2 is right, and the rear side is left, so the front side of the self-navigation vehicle 2 needs to be adjusted to the left, and the rear side needs to be adjusted to the right, so that the self-navigation vehicle 2 can be adjusted to the correct coordinate and posture.

[0064] For the magnetic intensity of the magnetic block 53 is greater than that of the first half ring 54 and the second half ring 55, the reason is that the positioning of the self-navigation vehicle 2 in the waiting area 51 is the most important, the magnetic intensity of the magnetic block 53 is stronger, which can reduce the interference of the first half ring 54 and the second half ring 55 to the magnetic intensity of the magnetic block 53, so that the self-navigation vehicle 2 can realize more accurate positioning.

[0065] In some embodiments, with reference to Figure 20 , the waiting platform 5 is provided with a magnetic guide strip 56, the length direction of the magnetic guide strip 56 passes through the line connecting the midpoints of the two magnetic blocks 53, and the magnetic guide strip 56 extends from the unloading outlet 11 to the magnetic block 53 close to the unloading outlet 11. Through such a design, when the self-guided trolley 2 is running, as long as the front and rear two magnetic detection modules 23 are located above the magnetic guide strip 56, according to the principle of two points determining a line, the self-guided trolley 2 can move along the length direction of the magnetic guide strip 56, so as to reduce the deviation of the self-guided trolley 2 as much as possible during movement. Moreover, since the length direction of the magnetic guide strip 56 passes through the line connecting the midpoints of the two magnetic blocks 53, when the self-guided trolley 2 walks along the magnetic guide strip 56, the front magnetic detection module 23 and the magnetic block 53 close to the unloading outlet 11 are opposite to each other, and the self-guided trolley 2 continues to move in a straight line without changing direction, which can make the two magnetic detection modules 23 move above the two magnetic blocks 53 with a high probability, thereby greatly reducing the time for later attitude adjustment.

[0066] In some embodiments, with reference to Figure 1 , 20 , the waiting platform 5 is provided with a plurality of waiting areas 51, and the plurality of waiting areas 51 are arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the waiting platform 5. When the self-guided trolley 2 and the unloading device 4 perform the goods handover on the waiting platform 5, the self-guided trolley 2 and the unloading device 4 are located in adjacent two waiting areas 51, respectively. Through such a design, the self-guided trolley 2 can be accurately parked in the waiting area 51, and the unloading device 4 can also search for the self-guided trolley 2 according to the positioning of the adjacent waiting area 51, so that the self-guided trolley 2 and the unloading device 4 can both find accurate positioning, and the goods handover between the self-guided trolley 2 and the unloading device 4 is more convenient and reliable.

[0067] In some embodiments, with reference to Figure 1 , 20 , when the waiting platform 5 parks a plurality of self-guided trolleys 2, each self-guided trolley 2 is located in a waiting area 51, and the number of waiting areas 51 is greater than the number of self-guided trolleys 2 on the waiting platform 5.

[0068] In some cases, there may be a plurality of continuous self-guided trolleys 2 that need to perform goods handover at the same unloading outlet 11. At this time, if the unloading device 4 does not return to the unloading outlet 11 in time, the plurality of self-guided trolleys 2 will in turn travel to the waiting platform 5 and be parked in different waiting areas 51 in the order of priority. The number of waiting areas 51 is greater than the number of self-guided trolleys 2 on the waiting platform 5, which can ensure that finally there is a waiting area 51 that can correspond to the unloading device 4, so that the unloading device 4 can in turn receive the goods on the plurality of self-guided trolleys 2.

[0069] In some embodiments, with reference to Figure 1 ,20 A magnetic guide strip 56 is arranged between two adjacent waiting areas 51, the length direction of the magnetic guide strip 56 is along the extension direction of the waiting platform 5, and the two ends of the magnetic guide strip 56 respectively extend to two adjacent magnetic blocks 53 between the two waiting areas 51. Under the guidance of the magnetic guide strip 56, the self-navigation can smoothly and accurately move from one waiting area 51 to the adjacent waiting area 51.

[0070] Based on the above-mentioned three-dimensional sorting system of the autonomous mobile device cluster, an embodiment of a sorting method is also disclosed, which comprises the following steps: S1. The self-navigation trolley 2 transports the goods to the unloading outlet 11.

[0071] S2. When the unloading device 4 reaches the unloading outlet 11 within a preset time, the unloading device 4 receives the goods on the self-navigation trolley 2 at the unloading outlet 11, and the unloading device 4 unloads the received goods to the predetermined container.

[0072] S3. When the unloading device 4 does not reach the unloading outlet 11 beyond the preset time, the self-navigation trolley 2 travels to the waiting area 51, the unloading device 4 receives the goods on the self-navigation trolley 2 at the waiting area 51, and the unloading device 4 unloads the received goods to the predetermined container.

[0073] S4. The self-navigation trolley 2 drives out of the waiting platform 5 and travels to the sorting platform 1.

[0074] For the preset time in step S3, the self-navigation trolley 2 needs to wait for the unloading device 4, which can be set by the user according to actual needs, such as 1s, 2s, 3s, and other preset times.

[0075] In some cases, there may be multiple consecutive self-navigation trolleys 2 that need to perform goods handover at the same unloading outlet 11. At this time, if the unloading device 4 does not return to the unloading outlet 11 in time, multiple self-navigation trolleys 2 will travel to the waiting platform 5 in turn and be parked in different waiting areas 51 according to the order. Therefore, for multiple self-navigation trolleys 2 moving to the waiting platform 5, step S3 further comprises the following steps: S31. Multiple self-navigation trolleys 2 travel to the waiting platform 5 in order, each self-navigation trolley 2 is located in a waiting area 51, there is no empty waiting area 51 between two adjacent self-navigation trolleys 2, and the last self-navigation trolley 2 has at least one waiting area 51 downstream.

[0076] S32. The unloading device 4 receives the goods on the self-guided trolley 2 from front to back according to the order of the self-guided trolleys 2 entering the waiting area 51, and the self-guided trolley 2 on which the goods are received completely moves forward to be spaced apart from the self-guided trolley 2 behind it by at least one waiting area 51, and the unloading device 4 receives the goods on the self-guided trolley 2 behind it in the waiting area 51 until all the goods are received completely.

[0077] The process of the unloading device 4 and the two self-guided trolleys 2 receiving the goods will be described by taking two self-guided trolleys 2 as an example in combination with Figures 21-24

[0078] Figure 21 The two self-guided trolleys 2 move to the waiting platform 5 and are parked in the two adjacent waiting areas 51 respectively, and there are two waiting areas 51 in front of the self-guided trolley 2 in front.

[0079] Figure 22 The unloading device 4 moves to the waiting area 51 adjacent to the self-guided trolley 2 in front and receives the goods from the self-guided trolley 2 in front.

[0080] Figure 23 The self-guided trolley 2 in front moves forward by one waiting area 51, and the self-guided trolley 2 behind it does not move, and the self-guided trolley 2 in front is spaced apart from the self-guided trolley 2 behind it by one waiting area 51.

[0081] Figure 24 The unloading device 4 moves to the waiting area 51 between the two self-guided trolleys 2 and receives the goods from the self-guided trolley 2 behind.

[0082] Finally, it should be pointed out that after the goods of the plurality of self-guided trolleys 2 are received completely, the plurality of self-guided trolleys 2 leave the waiting area 51 from back to front according to the order of entering the waiting area 51 and re-drive to the sorting platform 1.

[0083] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, but not to limit it; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments, or make equivalent replacement for part or all of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.​​​​​

Claims

1. A three-dimensional sorting system of a cluster of autonomous mobile devices, characterized in that, The application relates to a sorting platform (1) provided with a plurality of unloading outlets (11); a plurality of self-guided trolleys (2) capable of driving on the sorting platform (1) and capable of unloading the goods carried thereby at the unloading outlets (11); a plurality of stereoscopic shelves (3), the plurality of stereoscopic shelves (3) and the plurality of unloading outlets (11) corresponding one by one, each stereoscopic shelf (3) being arranged close to the corresponding unloading outlet (11), and each stereoscopic shelf (3) comprising a plurality of goods cabinets capable of carrying goods; a plurality of unloading devices (4), the plurality of unloading devices (4) and the plurality of stereoscopic shelves (3) corresponding one by one, each unloading device (4) being arranged close to one side of the corresponding stereoscopic shelf (3), and the unloading device (4) being used for receiving the goods unloaded by the self-guided trolley (2) and unloading the goods in a predetermined goods cabinet; and a waiting platform (5) arranged between each stereoscopic shelf (3) and the unloading device (4) and opposite to the unloading outlet (11), the waiting platform (5) being provided with a waiting area (51) used for parking and waiting of the self-guided trolley (2) by the unloading device (4). The unloading device (4) is provided with a just-in-place mark (41), and the self-guided trolley (2) is provided with a just-in-place detection device (21). When the just-in-place mark (41) is detected by the just-in-place detection device (21) of the self-guided trolley (2) at the unloading outlet (11), the unloading device (4) receives the goods carried by the self-guided trolley (2) at the unloading outlet (11). When the just-in-place mark (41) is not detected by the just-in-place detection device (21) of the self-guided trolley (2) at the unloading outlet (11), the self-guided trolley (2) drives to the waiting area (51). The waiting area (51) is provided with a positioning mark (52) and two magnetic blocks (53) at intervals along the extension direction of the waiting area (51), and the positioning mark (52) is located between the two magnetic blocks (53). The self-guided trolley (2) is provided with a positioning recognition module (22) and two magnetic detection modules (23) at intervals along the advancing direction of the self-guided trolley (2), and the positioning recognition module (22) is located between the two magnetic detection modules (23); the positioning recognition module (22) is used for recognizing the information of the positioning mark (52), and the magnetic detection modules (23) are used for detecting the magnetic intensity, and when the two magnetic detection modules (23) are respectively aligned with the two magnetic blocks (53), the positioning recognition module (22) is aligned with the positioning mark (52).

2. The three-dimensional sorting system of a swarm of autonomous mobile devices according to claim 1, wherein, The waiting area (51) is further provided with a first half ring (54) and a second half ring (55) located on the two sides of the positioning mark (52) respectively, two ends of the first half ring (54) are respectively abutted against the two magnetic blocks (53), and two ends of the second half ring (55) are respectively abutted against the two magnetic blocks (53). ​ ​ 3. The three-dimensional sorting system of a swarm of autonomous mobile devices according to claim 1, wherein, ​ ​ 4. The three-dimensional sorting system of a swarm of autonomous mobile devices according to claim 3, wherein, ​ The first half ring (54) and the second half ring (55) are both magnetic, the magnetism of the first half ring (54) is smaller than that of the second half ring (55), and the magnetism of the first half ring (54) and the second half ring (55) is smaller than that of the magnetic block (53).

5. The three-dimensional sorting system of a swarm of autonomous mobile devices according to claim 3, wherein, The waiting platform (5) is provided with a magnetic guide strip (56), the length direction of the magnetic guide strip (56) passes through the line connecting the midpoints of the two magnetic blocks (53), and the magnetic guide strip (56) extends from the unloading outlet (11) to the magnetic block (53) close to the unloading outlet (11).

6. The three-dimensional sorting system of a swarm of autonomous mobile devices according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein, The waiting platform (5) is provided with a plurality of waiting areas (51), and the plurality of waiting areas (51) are arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the waiting platform (5). When the self-navigation trolley (2) and the unloading device (4) perform cargo handover on the waiting platform (5), the self-navigation trolley (2) and the unloading device (4) are located in adjacent two waiting areas (51) respectively.

7. The three-dimensional sorting system of a swarm of autonomous mobile devices according to claim 6, wherein, When the waiting platform (5) parks a plurality of self-navigation trolleys (2), each self-navigation trolley (2) is located in a waiting area (51); The number of the waiting areas (51) is greater than the number of the self-navigation trolleys (2) on the waiting platform (5).

8. The three-dimensional sorting system of a swarm of autonomous mobile devices according to claim 6, wherein, Adjacent two waiting areas (51) are provided with a magnetic guide strip (56), and the length direction of the magnetic guide strip (56) is along the extension direction of the waiting platform (5).

9. A sorting method for a stereoscopic sorting system of a cluster of autonomous mobile devices according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The steps include: The self-navigation trolley (2) transports the cargo to the unloading outlet (11); When the unloading device (4) reaches the unloading outlet (11) within a preset time, the unloading device (4) receives the cargo on the self-navigation trolley (2) at the unloading outlet (11), and the unloading device (4) unloads the received cargo to a predetermined container; When the unloading device (4) does not reach the unloading outlet (11) beyond the preset time, the self-navigation trolley (2) travels to the waiting area (51), the unloading device (4) receives the cargo on the self-navigation trolley (2) at the waiting area (51), and the unloading device (4) unloads the received cargo to a predetermined container; The self-navigation trolley (2) drives out of the waiting platform (5) and drives to the sorting platform (1).

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, The waiting platform (5) is provided with a plurality of waiting areas (51), and the plurality of waiting areas (51) are arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the waiting platform (5). The steps further include: A plurality of self-navigation trolleys (2) travel to the waiting platform (5) in sequence, each self-navigation trolley (2) is located in a waiting area (51), there is no empty waiting area (51) between adjacent two self-navigation trolleys (2), and there is at least one waiting area (51) downstream of the frontmost self-navigation trolley (2); The waiting platform (5) is provided with a plurality of waiting areas (51), and the plurality of waiting areas (51) are arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the waiting platform (5). The unloading device (4) receives the goods on the self-guided trolley (2) from front to back according to the order of the self-guided trolleys (2) entering the waiting area (51), and the self-guided trolley (2) whose goods are received completely moves forward to be spaced apart from the self-guided trolley (2) behind by at least one waiting area (51), and the unloading device (4) receives the goods on the self-guided trolley (2) behind in the waiting area (51) until all the goods are received completely.

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