Autonomous mobile device cluster based stereoscopic sorting system and method

Abstract

The application relates to the field of stereoscopic sorting, and specifically discloses a stereoscopic sorting system and method of a cluster of autonomous mobile devices. The stereoscopic sorting system of the cluster of autonomous mobile devices comprises a sorting platform provided with multiple unloading outlets; multiple self-navigation trolleys capable of traveling on the sorting platform and unloading goods carried thereby at the unloading outlets; multiple stereoscopic shelves, each of which comprises multiple goods cabinets capable of carrying goods; and multiple unloading devices, each of which is arranged close to one side of a corresponding stereoscopic shelf, and used for receiving the goods unloaded by the self-navigation trolleys and unloading the goods in predetermined goods cabinets. A waiting platform opposite to the unloading outlets is arranged between each stereoscopic shelf and the unloading device, and the waiting platform is provided with a waiting area used for parking the self-navigation trolleys and waiting for the unloading devices to receive the goods. The application has the effect of reducing the congestion caused by the self-navigation trolleys waiting for the unloading devices at the unloading outlets.

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, a plurality of self-navigation trolleys, stereoscopic shelves and unloading devices. The sorting platform is provided with a plurality of unloading outlets, and the plurality of 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 plurality, and the plurality of stereoscopic shelves and the plurality of 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 a plurality of 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 the 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 it can receive the goods of the following self-navigation trolley. This results in that, during the process of moving the goods of the previous self-navigation trolley to the predetermined cabinet by the unloading device, if the following self-navigation trolley also needs to hand over the goods at the unloading outlet and the unloading device, it needs to stay at the unloading outlet to wait for the unloading device to receive the goods, thereby causing congestion to the following self-navigation trolley. SUMMARY

[0005] In order to reduce the congestion caused by the self-navigation trolley 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:

[0007] 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.

[0008] 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, the unloading device moves to the predetermined goods cabinet with the received goods, and 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 caused by the waiting of the unloading device at the unloading outlet.

[0009] 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; and 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.

[0010] In some embodiments, the waiting area is provided with a positioning identifier and two magnetic blocks at intervals 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 at intervals 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, and when the two magnetic detection modules are respectively aligned with the two magnetic blocks, the positioning recognition module is aligned with the positioning identifier.

[0011] 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 abut against two of the magnetic blocks, and two ends of the second half ring respectively abut against the other 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.

[0012] In some embodiments, the waiting platform is provided with a magnetic guide strip, a length direction of the magnetic guide strip passes through a line connecting the midpoints of the two magnetic blocks, and the magnetic guide strip extends from the unloading outlet to the magnetic block close to the unloading outlet.

[0013] In some embodiments, the waiting platform is provided with a plurality of waiting areas, the plurality of waiting areas are arranged at intervals along an extension direction of the waiting platform; when the self-navigation trolley and the unloading device perform cargo handover on the waiting platform, the self-navigation trolley and the unloading device are respectively located in two adjacent waiting areas.

[0014] 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.

[0015] 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.

[0016] In the 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 arrives at 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 arrive at 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.

[0017] In some embodiments, the waiting platform is provided with a plurality of waiting areas, the plurality of waiting areas are arranged at intervals along an extension direction of the waiting platform;

[0018] The step also includes: a plurality of self-navigation trolleys travel to waiting platforms in sequence, each self-navigation trolley is located in a waiting area, there is no empty waiting area between two adjacent self-navigation trolleys, and at least one waiting area is downstream of the frontmost self-navigation trolley; the unloading device receives the goods on the self-navigation trolleys from front to back according to the sequence in which the self-navigation trolleys enter the waiting areas, the self-navigation trolley whose goods are received travels forward to be separated from the rear self-navigation trolley by at least one waiting area, and the unloading device receives the goods on the rear self-navigation trolley in the waiting area until all the goods are received.

[0019] In summary, the present application has the following beneficial technical effects:

[0020] After the goods of the front self-navigation trolley are received by the unloading device, the front self-navigation 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-navigation trolley also needs to hand over goods at the unloading outlet, the rear self-navigation trolley travels to the waiting area to wait for the unloading device to receive the goods, thereby leaving a vacancy at the unloading outlet. The self-navigation trolleys behind can continue to travel forward, thereby reducing the congestion of the self-navigation trolleys behind caused by waiting for the unloading device at the unloading outlet. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0021] 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.

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure in the embodiments of the present application;

[0023] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of communication and control of the system;

[0024] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the connection between the communication module and the self-navigation trolley;

[0025] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the AP structure;

[0026] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the communication connection between the self-navigation trolley and the AP under wired network;

[0027] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the communication connection between the self-navigation trolley and the AP under wireless network;

[0028] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the communication connection between the plurality of self-navigation trolleys and the APs;

[0029] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the communication connection between the plurality of self-navigation trolleys and the plurality of APs;

[0030] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the unloading device, horizontal moving device and vertical moving device;

[0031] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the cooperation between the self-navigation trolley and the unloading device;

[0032] Figure 11 is a positioning schematic diagram of the waiting area;

[0033] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of one form of deviation of the self-navigation trolley from the positioning in the waiting area;

[0034] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of one form of deviation of the self-navigation trolley from the positioning in the waiting area;

[0035] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of one form of deviation of the self-navigation trolley from the positioning in the waiting area;

[0036] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of one form of deviation of the self-navigation trolley from the positioning in the waiting area;

[0037] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of one form of deviation of the self-navigation trolley from the positioning in the waiting area;

[0038] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of one form of deviation of the self-navigation trolley from the positioning in the waiting area;

[0039] Figure 18 is a schematic diagram of one form of deviation of the self-navigation trolley from the positioning in the waiting area;

[0040] Figure 19 is a schematic diagram of one form of deviation of the self-navigation trolley from the positioning in the waiting area;

[0041] Figure 20 is a schematic diagram of the magnetic guide strip arranged on the waiting platform;

[0042] Figure 21 is a schematic diagram of two self-navigation trolleys entering the waiting platform;

[0043] Figure 22 is a schematic diagram of the handover of goods between the unloading device and the front self-navigation trolley;

[0044] Figure 23 This is a diagram illustrating the completion of cargo handover by the previous self-navigating vehicle;

[0045] Figure 24 This is a schematic diagram showing the handover of goods between the unloading device and the subsequent self-navigating trolley.

[0046] Figure label:

[0047] 1. Sorting platform; 11. Unloading exit; 2. Self-navigating trolley; 21. Positioning detection device; 22. Positioning identification module; 23. Magnetic detection module; 3. Automated shelving; 4. Unloading device; 41. Positioning marker; 5. Waiting platform; 51. Waiting area; 52. Positioning marker; 53. Magnetic block; 54. First half-ring; 55. Second half-ring; 56. Magnetic guide bar; 6. Horizontal moving device; 7. Vertical moving device. Detailed Implementation

[0048] The technical solution of the present invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0049] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figures 1-24 This application will be described in further detail.

[0050] Reference Figure 1 This application discloses an embodiment of a three-dimensional sorting system for an autonomous mobile device cluster, comprising a sorting platform 1, multiple self-navigating trolleys 2, multiple three-dimensional racks 3, and multiple unloading devices 4. The sorting platform 1 is provided with multiple unloading exits 11, and the self-navigating trolleys 2 can travel on the sorting platform 1 and unload their cargo at predetermined unloading exits 11. The multiple three-dimensional racks 3 correspond one-to-one with the multiple unloading exits 11, each three-dimensional rack 3 being positioned near its corresponding unloading exit 11, and each three-dimensional rack 3 including multiple containers capable of carrying goods. The multiple unloading devices 4 correspond one-to-one with the multiple three-dimensional racks 3, each unloading device 4 being positioned near one side of its corresponding three-dimensional rack 3, and the unloading device 4 is used to receive the cargo unloaded by the self-navigating trolleys 2 and unload the cargo into predetermined containers. A waiting platform 5 is provided between each three-dimensional rack 3 and unloading device 4, opposite to the unloading exit 11. The waiting platform 5 is provided with a waiting area 51, where the self-navigating trolleys 2 can park and wait for the unloading devices 4 to receive their cargo.

[0051] When the goods of the front self-navigation trolley 2 are received by the unloading device 4, the front self-navigation trolley 2 leaves the unloading outlet 11, and the unloading device 4 moves to the predetermined container with the received goods. Before the unloading device 4 returns to the unloading outlet 11, if the rear self-navigation trolley 2 also needs to receive goods at the unloading outlet 11, the rear self-navigation trolley 2 drives to the waiting area 51 to wait for the unloading device 4 to receive goods, so as to leave a space at the unloading outlet 11. Then, the self-navigation trolley 2 behind can continue to drive forward, thereby reducing the congestion of the self-navigation trolleys 2 behind caused by the self-navigation trolley 2 waiting for the unloading device 4 at the unloading outlet 11.

[0052] In addition, after the self-navigation trolley 2 drives to the waiting area 51, the self-navigation trolley 2 is closer to the container far away from the unloading outlet 11 on the three-dimensional shelf 3. Therefore, after the unloading device 4 and the self-navigation trolley 2 complete the goods receiving at the waiting area 51, the distance between the unloading device 4 and the container far away from the unloading outlet 11 is shortened, thereby shortening the overall time of the unloading device 4 unloading goods and further improving the sorting efficiency of the goods.

[0053] In the embodiment of the present application, the sorting platform 1 is also provided with a loading inlet, and a package recognition device is arranged at the loading inlet, which can recognize the goods manually or robotically installed on the self-navigation trolley 2. Referring to Figure 2 The system further comprises a 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.

[0054] 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).

[0055] For the communication module of the self-navigation trolley 2, such as Figure 3As shown, a wireless communication module based on Si4463 radio frequency chip (model: HPD-04A-C-915MHz) is displayed, which actually works in 863~870MHz frequency band. A stable clock frequency is provided by a 30MHz crystal oscillator to ensure accurate modulation and demodulation of radio frequency signals. The wireless communication module is connected to the self-navigation car 2 control mainboard through SPI (serial peripheral interface) to realize command receiving and state feedback. The control mainboard of the self-navigation car 2 sends data to the Si4463 chip through SPI, which modulates the data into radio frequency signals and transmits them through the antenna. The radio frequency signals received by the antenna are 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.

[0056] The traditional wireless communication network usually adopts a point-to-multipoint direct communication mode, and the data line and the power line are separated, which has the disadvantages of poor expansibility, small number of client load, complex engineering installation, high maintenance cost, etc. Figure 4 As shown, the system uses a POE wireless AP product, which has the advantages of sharing data lines and power supply lines, easy installation, and using Ethernet interface, which is convenient for expansion and flexible networking. Specifically, the system takes a 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.

[0057] The MCU manages the data exchange with the three communication submodules through three independent SPI serial peripheral interface buses.

[0058] Dual wireless communication subsystem: The system includes two radio frequency communication units with the same structure, i.e. radio transceiver_1 and radio transceiver_2. The core of each unit is a Si4463 radio frequency transceiver chip, which is equipped with a 30MHz crystal oscillator. The chip is integrated in the HPD-04A-C-915MHz module, which actually works in 863~870MHz frequency band. Each module is connected to an independent ANT antenna. The MCU configures the parameters and transmits data to each SI4463 chip through a dedicated SPI channel, so that the two radio frequency units can work in parallel to realize communication redundancy, load balancing or multi-channel operation.

[0059] Wired network subsystem: This system contains a network chip of model W5500, which has a built-in hardware TCP / IP protocol stack and is driven by an 8 MHz crystal oscillator. The W5500 is connected to the MCU through an SPI bus and has its physical uplink interface connected to an RJ45 Ethernet interface. The RJ45 interface has dual functions of data and PoE power input, realizing single-cable network access and power supply.

[0060] 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. During operation, 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.

[0061] Wireless data flow: The robot's local sensor data or status information can be modulated and transmitted by the MCU through either or both SI4463 radio frequency units; conversely, control instructions or collaborative device data from the outside are received through the antenna, demodulated by the corresponding SI4463 chip, and transmitted to the MCU through SPI for processing.

[0062] Wired data flow: Data that requires high-speed and stable communication with remote servers or other devices in the local area network (such as high-definition video streams and large log files) is sent by the MCU to the W5500 network chip through SPI. The W5500 is responsible for completing network protocol packets and ultimately sending them to the Ethernet through the RJ45 interface.

[0063] The entire system works collaboratively through dual-wireless and single-wired communication modes, 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.

[0064] 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, etc. During testing, the connection between the server and the router is divided into wired and wireless cases. The test schematic is shown in Figure 5 and Figure 6 .

[0065] To ensure smooth operation of the robot cluster and achieve 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, etc.

[0066] The communication test between the plurality of self-navigation trolleys 2 and the AP (wireless access point) is divided into two cases: single AP (wireless access point) for the plurality of self-navigation trolleys 2 and multiple APs (wireless access points) for the plurality of self-navigation trolleys 2. Meanwhile, the communication reliability test between the plurality of self-navigation trolleys 2 and the 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 .

[0067] When running in a complex three-dimensional scene, the wireless signal cleanliness of the actual environment needs to be analyzed first, and a clean channel is selected for communication.

[0068] The low-frequency wireless communication technology is used to replace Wi-Fi to realize the real-time data instruction transceiving control of the self-navigation trolley 2 in a complex situation. The advantage is that the wireless communication stability of the system can be greatly enhanced, the data transceiving is fast and reliable, the robustness and real-time performance of the system are greatly improved, and the express sorting speed, accuracy and stability are improved.

[0069] By using high-performance wireless modules and embedded software and hardware design technology, and by using wireless signal access equipment software and hardware, the data access of the wireless network of the self-navigation trolley 2 is completed, and the coverage range and signal strength of the wireless communication network are ensured. By using multi-thread concurrent control technology and wireless access point control software, the real-time control of the entire system data flow is completed through the data transceiving of the wireless signal access equipment, the real-time and orderly data transceiving of the system is realized, the real-time, stable and efficient wireless communication of the system is ensured, and the control effect is enhanced.

[0070] In a three-dimensional scene, the self-navigation trolley 2 is coupled with the unloading device 4 to complete the plane sorting step and the multi-layer three-dimensional unloading step, and the cooperation of the plane self-navigation trolley 2 and the unloading device 4 is realized.

[0071] It should be noted that, as 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.

[0072] For the unloading of the self-navigation trolley 2 on the sorting platform 1 to the unloading outlet 11, the package identification device, the handover of the goods between the self-navigation trolley 2 and the unloading device 4 are all prior art and will not be described here.

[0073] It is mentioned in the foregoing that if the following one self-navigation trolley 2 also needs to hand over goods at the unloading outlet 11 before the unloading device 4 returns to the unloading outlet 11, the following one self-navigation trolley 2 drives to the waiting area 51 to wait for the unloading device 4 to take over 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 trolley 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 trolley 2 is provided with a just-in-place detection device 21 capable of detecting the just-in-place identifier 41. When the self-navigation trolley 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 takes over the goods carried by the self-navigation trolley 2 at the unloading outlet 11. When the self-navigation trolley 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 trolley 2 drives to the waiting area 51.

[0074] When the just-in-place detection device 21 detects the just-in-place identifier 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 drive to the waiting area 51 and can directly complete the handover of goods with the unloading device 4 at the unloading outlet 11. When the just-in-place detection device 21 does not detect the just-in-place identifier 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 drive to the waiting area 51 and complete the handover of goods with the unloading device 4 at the waiting area 51.

[0075] Through the above-mentioned embodiments, 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, improves the efficiency and reliability of the identification.

[0076] In some embodiments, the just-in-place identifier 41 can be a magnetic sheet, and the just-in-place detection device 21 can be a Hall sensor, which is connected with the controller of the self-navigation trolley 2. When the self-navigation trolley 2 arrives at the unloading outlet 11, whether the just-in-place identifier 41 exists is detected through the Hall sensor, so as to judge whether the unloading device 4 has arrived at the unloading outlet 11.

[0077] In some embodiments, the self-navigation trolley 2 can also identify whether the unloading device 4 has arrived at the unloading outlet 11 through other ways. For example, when the unloading device 4 arrives at the unloading outlet 11, the unloading device 4 sends a just-in-place signal 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 just-in-place signal of the unloading device 4 to the self-navigation trolley 2, it proves that the unloading device 4 has arrived at the unloading outlet 11, otherwise not.

[0078] After the self-navigation trolley 2 is parked to the waiting area 51, the parking position needs to be accurate, so as to realize the handover of goods with the unloading device 4.

[0079] To this end, 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 its advancing direction, 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 intensity. 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.

[0080] The positioning mark 52 can be a bar code, a two-dimensional code, or an RFID, etc., which 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.

[0081] In the process of walking 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 respectively opposite to the two magnetic blocks 53, 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, so that the self-navigation trolley 2 can smoothly realize the handover of goods with the unloading device 4.

[0082] 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 respectively aligned with the centers of the two magnetic blocks 53, when the two magnetic detection modules 23 are respectively close to the two magnetic blocks 53, the self-navigation trolley 2 needs to be continuously moved, so that the two magnetic detection modules 23 can be respectively aligned with the centers of the two magnetic blocks 53, so that the position adjustment efficiency of the self-navigation trolley 2 is low.

[0083] In order to make the position adjustment of the self-navigation trolley 2 more efficient, with reference to Figure 1 、 Figure 10 、 Figure 11The waiting area 51 is further provided with a first half ring 54 and a second half ring 55 located on two sides of the positioning mark 52 respectively, two ends of the first half ring 54 abut against the two magnetic blocks 53 respectively, and two ends of the second half ring 55 abut against the two magnetic blocks 53 respectively, that is, the first half ring 54 and the second half ring 55 are spliced to form 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.

[0084] The magnetic strength of the first half ring 54 is a first magnetic strength, the magnetic strength of the second half ring 55 is a second magnetic strength, the magnetic strength of the magnetic block 53 is a third magnetic strength, and the first magnetic strength < the second magnetic strength < the third magnetic strength. Figures 12-19 The working principle of the position adjustment of the self-navigation vehicle 2 is described in combination with FIG. 4. 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.

[0085] Referring to FIG. 4, Figure 12 When the self-navigation vehicle 2 drives into a certain waiting area 51, the magnetic detection module 23 in front and the magnetic detection module 23 at the back detect that the magnetic strength is close to the first magnetic strength, which proves that the magnetic detection module 23 in front is located above the first half ring 54, and the position of the self-navigation vehicle 2 is left, so the self-navigation vehicle 2 needs to be adjusted as a whole to the right to adjust the self-navigation vehicle 2 to the correct coordinate and posture.

[0086] Referring to FIG. 4, Figure 13 When the self-navigation vehicle 2 drives into a certain waiting area 51, the magnetic detection module 23 in front detects that the magnetic strength is close to the first magnetic strength, and the magnetic detection module 23 at the back detects that the magnetic strength is close to the third magnetic strength. This proves that the magnetic detection module 23 in front is located above the first half ring 54, and the magnetic detection module 23 at the back is located above the magnetic block 53 at the back. 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 be moved to the right to adjust the self-navigation vehicle 2 to the correct coordinate and posture.

[0087] Referring to FIG. 4, Figure 14When 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 first 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 first half ring 54, 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 left, and the rear side is right. The front side of the self-navigation vehicle 2 needs to be adjusted to the right, and the rear side needs to be adjusted to the left, so that the self-navigation vehicle 2 is adjusted to the correct coordinate and posture.

[0088] Referring to Figure 15 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 third 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 front magnetic block 53, 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 in place, and the rear side is left. The rear side of the self-navigation vehicle 2 needs to be adjusted to the right, so that the self-navigation vehicle 2 is adjusted to the correct coordinate and posture.

[0089] Referring to Figure 16 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 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. The rear side of the self-navigation vehicle 2 needs to be adjusted to the left, so that the self-navigation vehicle 2 is adjusted to the correct coordinate and posture.

[0090] 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 located above the second half ring 55, and the self-navigation vehicle 2 is right. The self-navigation vehicle 2 needs to be adjusted to the left as a whole, so that the self-navigation vehicle 2 is adjusted to the correct coordinate and posture.

[0091] Referring to Figure 18When the self-navigation vehicle 2 travels 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 rightwardly deviated. The front side of the self-navigation vehicle 2 needs to be adjusted to move leftward, so as to adjust the self-navigation vehicle 2 to the correct coordinate and posture.

[0092] Referring to Figure 19 When the self-navigation vehicle 2 travels 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 rightwardly deviated, and the rear side is leftwardly deviated. The front side of the self-navigation vehicle 2 needs to be adjusted to move leftward, and the rear side needs to be adjusted to move rightward, so as to adjust the self-navigation vehicle 2 to the correct coordinate and posture.

[0093] 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, and 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.

[0094] In some embodiments, referring 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 setting, when the self-navigation vehicle 2 travels, 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-navigation vehicle 2 can move along the length direction of the magnetic guide strip 56, so as to reduce the deviation of the self-navigation vehicle 2 as much as possible during movement. And 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-navigation vehicle 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 continue to travel 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, greatly reducing the time of later posture adjustment.

[0095] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 1 , 20The waiting platform 5 is provided with a plurality of waiting areas 51, which 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 the cargo handover on the waiting platform 5, the self-navigation trolley 2 and the unloading device 4 are located in two adjacent waiting areas 51 respectively. Through such an arrangement, the self-navigation trolley 2 can be accurately parked in the waiting area 51, and the unloading device 4 can also find the self-navigation trolley 2 according to the positioning of an adjacent waiting area 51, so that the self-navigation trolley 2 and the unloading device 4 can both find accurate positioning, and the cargo handover between the self-navigation trolley 2 and the unloading device 4 is more convenient and reliable.

[0096] In some embodiments, with reference to Figure 1 、 20 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, and the number of waiting areas 51 is greater than the number of self-navigation trolleys 2 on the waiting platform 5.

[0097] In some cases, there may be a plurality of consecutive self-navigation trolleys 2 that need to perform cargo 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-navigation trolleys 2 will travel to the waiting platform 5 in turn and be parked in different waiting areas 51 in the order. The number of waiting areas 51 is greater than the number of self-navigation trolleys 2 on the waiting platform 5, which can ensure that there is a waiting area 51 that can correspond to the unloading device 4, so that the unloading device 4 can sequentially receive the cargo on the plurality of self-navigation trolleys 2.

[0098] In some embodiments, with reference to Figure 1 、 20 A magnetic guide strip 56 is arranged between the 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 the two adjacent magnetic blocks 53 between the two waiting areas 51. Under the guidance of the magnetic guide strip 56, the self-navigation trolley 2 can smoothly and accurately move from one waiting area 51 to the adjacent waiting area 51.

[0099] Based on the above-mentioned three-dimensional sorting system of the self-moving device cluster, an embodiment of a sorting method is also disclosed, which includes the following steps:

[0100] S1. The self-navigation trolley 2 transports the cargo to the unloading outlet 11.

[0101] S2. When the unloading device 4 arrives at 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 cargo container.

[0102] S3. When the unloading device 4 does not arrive at the unloading exit 11 within the preset time, the self-guided vehicle 2 travels to the waiting area 51, the unloading device 4 receives the goods on the self-guided vehicle 2 at the waiting area 51, and the unloading device 4 unloads the received goods to the predetermined container.

[0103] S4. The self-guided vehicle 2 drives out of the waiting platform 5 and travels to the sorting platform 1.

[0104] The preset time in step S3 determines the time that the self-guided vehicle 2 needs to wait for the unloading device 4. The user can set it according to actual needs, such as 1s, 2s, 3s, or other preset times.

[0105] In some cases, there may be multiple consecutive self-guided vehicles 2 that need to perform goods handover at the same unloading exit 11. At this time, if the unloading device 4 does not return to the unloading exit 11 in time, multiple self-guided vehicles 2 will drive to the waiting platform 5 in turn and be parked in different waiting areas 51 according to the order. Therefore, for multiple self-guided vehicles 2 moving to the waiting platform 5, step S3 further includes the following steps:

[0106] S31. Multiple self-guided vehicles 2 travel to the waiting platform 5 in order, with each self-guided vehicle 2 located in a waiting area 51, and no empty waiting area 51 between adjacent self-guided vehicles 2, and at least one waiting area 51 downstream of the frontmost self-guided vehicle 2.

[0107] S32. The unloading device 4 receives the goods on the self-guided vehicles 2 from front to back according to the order in which the self-guided vehicles 2 enter the waiting areas 51. The self-guided vehicle 2 whose goods have been received travels forward to be separated from the rear self-guided vehicle 2 by at least one waiting area 51, and the unloading device 4 receives the goods on the rear self-guided vehicle 2 in this waiting area 51 until all the goods are received.

[0108] Taking two self-guided vehicles 2 as an example, the process of goods handover between the unloading device 4 and the two self-guided vehicles 2 is described in combination with Figures 21-24 .

[0109] Referring to Figure 21 , the two self-guided vehicles 2 move to the waiting platform 5 and are parked in two adjacent waiting areas 51, and there are two waiting areas 51 in front of the front self-guided vehicle 2.

[0110] Referring to Figure 22 , the unloading device 4 moves to one of the waiting areas 51 adjacent to the front self-guided vehicle 2 and performs goods handover with the front self-guided vehicle 2.

[0111] Referring to Figure 23When the front self-guided vehicle 2 moves forward by one waiting area 51, the rear self-guided vehicle 2 does not move, and the front self-guided vehicle 2 and the rear self-guided vehicle 2 are separated by one waiting area 51.

[0112] With reference to Figure 24 The unloading device 4 moves to the waiting area 51 between the two self-guided vehicles 2, and the rear self-guided vehicle 2 is used for the handover of the goods.

[0113] Finally, it should be pointed out that after the goods of the plurality of self-guided vehicles 2 are all received, the plurality of self-guided vehicles 2 leave the waiting area 51 from back to front according to the order of entering the waiting area 51, and then drive to the sorting platform 1 again.

[0114] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, and are not limited thereto; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments can still be modified, or some or all of the technical features can be replaced by equivalents; 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 based on an autonomous mobile device cluster, characterized in that, include: The sorting platform (1) is equipped with multiple unloading outlets (11); Multiple self-navigating vehicles (2) are able to drive on the sorting platform (1) and unload the goods they carry at the unloading outlet (11); Multiple three-dimensional racks (3), the multiple three-dimensional racks (3) and the multiple unloading outlets (11) correspond one-to-one, each three-dimensional rack (3) is set close to its corresponding unloading outlet (11), each three-dimensional rack (3) includes multiple containers that can carry goods; Multiple unloading devices (4), each of the multiple unloading devices (4) and multiple three-dimensional racks (3) correspond one-to-one. Each unloading device (4) is set on one side close to its corresponding three-dimensional rack (3). The unloading device (4) is used to receive the goods unloaded by the self-guided trolley (2) and unload the goods into the predetermined container. A waiting platform (5) is provided between each of the three-dimensional racks (3) and the unloading device (4) and opposite to the unloading outlet (11). The waiting platform (5) is provided with a waiting area (51) for the self-navigating trolley (2) to park and wait for the unloading device (4) to receive the goods. 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-navigating vehicle (2) is provided with a positioning identification module (22) and two magnetic detection modules (23) at intervals along its forward direction. The positioning identification module (22) is located between the two magnetic detection modules (23). The positioning identification module (22) is used to identify 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 identification module (22) is aligned with the positioning mark (52). The waiting area (51) is also provided with a first half ring (54) and a second half ring (55) located on both sides of the positioning mark (52). The two ends of the first half ring (54) abut against the two magnetic blocks (53) respectively, and the two ends of the second half ring (55) abut against the two magnetic blocks (53) respectively. Both the first half-ring (54) and the second half-ring (55) are magnetic. The magnetic properties of the first half-ring (54) are less than those of the second half-ring (55), and the magnetic properties of both the first half-ring (54) and the second half-ring (55) are less than those of the magnetic block (53).

2. The three-dimensional sorting system based on autonomous mobile device clusters according to claim 1, characterized in that, The unloading device (4) is equipped with a positioning mark (41), and the self-navigating trolley (2) is equipped with a positioning detection device (21); When the self-navigating trolley (2) detects the positioning mark (41) at the unloading outlet (11) by the positioning detection device (21), the unloading device (4) receives the goods carried by the self-navigating trolley (2) at the unloading outlet (11); When the self-navigating vehicle (2) fails to detect the positioning mark (41) at the unloading outlet (11) by the positioning detection device (21), the self-navigating vehicle (2) travels to the waiting area (51).

3. The three-dimensional sorting system based on autonomous mobile device clusters according to claim 1, characterized in that, The waiting platform (5) is provided with a magnetic guide bar (56), the length direction of which passes through the line connecting the midpoints of the two magnetic blocks (53), and the magnetic guide bar (56) extends from the unloading outlet (11) to the magnetic block (53) near the unloading outlet (11).

4. The three-dimensional sorting system based on autonomous mobile device clusters according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The waiting platform (5) is provided with multiple waiting areas (51), and the multiple waiting areas (51) are spaced apart along the extension direction of the waiting platform (5); When the self-navigating trolley (2) and the unloading device (4) are exchanging goods on the waiting platform (5), the self-navigating trolley (2) and the unloading device (4) are respectively located in two adjacent waiting areas (51).

5. The three-dimensional sorting system based on autonomous mobile device clusters according to claim 4, characterized in that, When the waiting platform (5) has multiple self-navigating vehicles (2) parked, each self-navigating vehicle (2) is located in a waiting area (51); The number of waiting areas (51) is greater than the number of self-navigating vehicles (2) on the waiting platform (5).

6. The three-dimensional sorting system based on autonomous mobile device clusters according to claim 4, characterized in that, A magnetic guide strip (56) is provided between two adjacent waiting areas (51), and the length direction of the magnetic guide strip (56) is along the extension direction of the waiting platform (5).

7. A sorting method based on the three-dimensional sorting system based on an autonomous mobile device cluster as described in any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: The self-navigating trolley (2) transports the goods to the unloading outlet (11); When the unloading device (4) arrives at the unloading outlet (11) within a preset time, the unloading device (4) receives the goods on the self-navigating trolley (2) at the unloading outlet (11), and the unloading device (4) unloads the received goods into a predetermined container. When the unloading device (4) fails to reach the unloading outlet (11) within the preset time, the self-navigating trolley (2) moves to the waiting area (51), the unloading device (4) receives the goods on the self-navigating trolley (2) at the waiting area (51), and the unloading device (4) unloads the received goods into the predetermined container. The self-navigating vehicle (2) leaves the waiting platform (5) and travels to the sorting platform (1).

8. The method for a three-dimensional sorting system based on an autonomous mobile device cluster according to claim 7, characterized in that, The waiting platform (5) is provided with multiple waiting areas (51), and the multiple waiting areas (51) are spaced apart along the extension direction of the waiting platform (5); The steps also include: Multiple self-navigating vehicles (2) proceed to the waiting platform (5) in sequence. Each self-navigating vehicle (2) is located in a waiting area (51). There is no empty waiting area (51) between two adjacent self-navigating vehicles (2). There is at least one waiting area (51) downstream of the foremost self-navigating vehicle (2). The unloading device (4) receives the goods on the self-navigating trolleys (2) from front to back in the order in which the multiple self-navigating trolleys (2) enter the waiting area (51). The self-navigating trolley (2) after the goods have been received moves forward, so that there is at least one waiting area (51) between it and the self-navigating trolley (2) behind it. The unloading device (4) receives the goods on the self-navigating trolley (2) behind it in the waiting area (51) until all the goods have been received.

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