Conveying line sorting control method and system and storage medium

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of logistics sorting, in particular to a conveying line sorting control method and system.The conveying line sorting control method comprises the steps that target point information is obtained, and target points comprise the two end points of a main line and the intersection points of all branch lines and the main line; acquiring flow section information, wherein a flow section is represented as a conveying area between adjacent target points; order information issued by the WMS is acquired to determine task traffic and a task path, a starting point, an ending point and a path point are selected from a plurality of target points based on the task path, and segment traffic corresponding to each traffic segment in the task path is calculated based on the task traffic and the flow direction of the target points; and the maximum bearing flow of each branch line and the main line is obtained, the congestion position is analyzed by combining the segmented flow, upstream and downstream control decisions corresponding to the congestion position are generated, and the upstream and downstream control decisions are sent to a PLC to achieve sorting control. According to the invention, the control decision effect when flow congestion occurs in a complex transmission line can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of logistics sorting, and in particular to a sorting control method and system for a conveyor line. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, some factories with large production capacity and large-scale logistics centers often build increasingly complex conveyor line structures due to the large volume of materials stored and transported. At the same time, the more complex the conveyor line structure, the more difficult it is to manage and control the overall conveyor line.

[0003] Large-scale conveyor lines often include main lines, branch lines, merging lines, rotary lines, etc. When the material pressure is high and the flow is unbalanced in multiple areas, material accumulation is likely to occur. Each time material accumulation occurs, the machine usually needs to be stopped for processing, and the conveying operation can only be resumed after the accumulated material is cleared.

[0004] Currently, conveyor systems use visual inspection equipment to detect real-time flow on the conveyor line and determine whether congestion has occurred based on the detection results, and promptly control the PLC to shut down the system. However, each shutdown of a large conveyor line will cause the conveying operation to be suspended, which will greatly affect the overall conveying efficiency. There is currently no method in the technology to achieve reasonable flow control without stopping the system when managing the flow of large and complex conveyor lines in order to solve the problem of goods accumulation. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To improve the control decision-making effect when flow congestion occurs in complex conveyor lines, this application provides a conveyor line sorting control method, system and storage medium.

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides a sorting control method for a conveyor line, which adopts the following technical solution: A sorting control method for a conveyor line includes the following steps: Obtain target point information, wherein the target points include the two ends of the main line and the intersection points of all branches with the main line; Obtain flow segment information, wherein the flow segment is characterized as the transport area between each adjacent target point; Obtain order information issued by WMS to determine task traffic and task path; select start point, end point and way point from several target points based on the task path; calculate segmented traffic corresponding to each traffic segment in the task path based on the task traffic and the flow direction of the target points. The maximum carrying capacity of each branch line and the main line is obtained. The congestion location is analyzed in combination with the segmented flow and the upstream and downstream control decisions corresponding to the congestion location are generated. The upstream and downstream control decisions are sent to the PLC to realize sorting control.

[0007] In some embodiments, the following steps are also included: Obtain the flow direction of the main line and define it as the mainstream direction, which corresponds to the downstream direction and the opposite direction of the mainstream direction corresponds to the upstream direction; Obtain the flow direction of each branch line and determine whether it is towards the main line. If yes, the branch line is an inflow line and the flow direction is identified as the confluence direction. If no, the branch line is an outflow line and the flow direction is identified as the branch direction.

[0008] In some embodiments, obtaining order information issued by the WMS to determine the task path, and selecting a start point, end point, and waypoint from several target points based on the task path, includes the following steps: Based on the order information, the material dispatch location and receiving location are obtained to select the corresponding target point as the starting point and end point; Based on the order information, determine whether there are transit conditions; If not, then draw the shortest transport route between the starting point and the ending point based on the flow direction, and locate all the target points passed through in the shortest transport route as waypoints; If so, the corresponding branch line is selected as a special branch line based on the transit conditions, and the shortest transport route between the starting point and the ending point through the special branch line is drawn. All the target points passed through in the shortest transport route are located as waypoints.

[0009] In some embodiments, order information issued by the WMS is obtained to determine task traffic, and segmented traffic corresponding to each traffic segment in the task path is calculated based on the task traffic and the flow direction of the target point, including the following steps: In the task path, if the path point corresponds to a confluence direction, an addition operation is configured at the path point; if the path point corresponds to a branch direction, a subtraction operation is configured at the path point. Obtain the total delivery volume of the order information, and configure the total delivery volume in the first segment of the traffic flow that conforms to the flow direction in the task path as the segmented traffic; Based on the order information, determine whether there is a flow adjustment instruction at each path point. If there is, activate the addition or subtraction operation and obtain the corresponding adjustment amount to add to the path point. If there is no, deactivate the addition or subtraction operation. Each traffic segment on the task path obtains the segmented traffic of the adjacent traffic segments in the upstream direction, and adjusts the adjustment amount to the segmented traffic based on the addition or subtraction operation activated in the adjacent path points in the upstream direction, and uses the adjusted segmented traffic as its own segmented traffic.

[0010] In some embodiments, the maximum carrying capacity of each branch line and the main line is obtained, and the congestion location is analyzed in conjunction with the segmented flow rate, including the following steps: If the target point corresponds to the merging line, then determine whether the segment flow corresponding to the downstream flow segment of the merging line is greater than the maximum carrying capacity flow corresponding to the main line. If so, then define the flow segment as the congestion location. If the target point corresponds to the outflow line, then the upstream flow segment of the outflow line is selected, and the adjustment component of the outflow line corresponding to all the corresponding addition operations upstream of the flow segment is calculated. The adjustment component is added to the adjustment of the outflow line itself to obtain the equivalent adjustment. It is determined whether the equivalent adjustment is greater than the maximum carrying capacity of the branch line. If so, the flow segment is defined as the congestion location.

[0011] In some embodiments, generating the upstream and downstream control decisions corresponding to the congested location includes the following steps: The upstream control decision includes reducing the line speed of one or more of the incoming lines upstream of the congestion location via PLC control, reducing the adjustment amount, adjusting the position and quantity of the incoming lines and the flow direction adjustment instructions in the order information; The downstream control decision includes increasing the linear speed of one or more outflow lines downstream of the congestion location via PLC control, adjusting the position and quantity of outflow lines and the flow direction adjustment instructions in the order information.

[0012] In some embodiments, adjusting the position, quantity, and flow direction adjustment instruction of the inflow line or outflow line in the order information includes the following steps: Adjust the merging line that is adjacent to the upstream of the congested location and has the flow direction adjustment command to the downstream of the congested location, or reduce the merging line that is adjacent to the upstream of the congested location and has the flow direction adjustment command and increase the adjustment amount corresponding to the merging line to the merging line downstream of the congested location; Adjust the outflow line adjacent to the downstream of the congested location that has the flow direction adjustment command to the upstream of the congested location, or add the outflow line upstream of the congested location and split the adjustment amount of the outflow line downstream of the congested location to allocate it to the newly added outflow line.

[0013] In some embodiments, adjusting the position, quantity, and flow direction adjustment instruction of the inflow line or outflow line in the order information further includes the following steps: Determine whether there is a connecting branch between two adjacent merging lines or two adjacent outflow lines upstream and downstream of the congestion location. The connecting branch is characterized as a path set between the two branches to enable one-way or two-way flow between the two branches. If so, a path activation command is generated for the congested location and sent to the connection branch; When the upstream of the congested location is the merging line, the adjustment amount of the merging line is distributed in whole or in part to the merging line downstream of the congested location through the connecting branch. When the downstream of the congested location is the outflow line, the adjustment amount of the outflow line is distributed in whole or in part to the outflow line upstream of the congested location through the connecting branch. Specifically, when the connection branch corresponds to the inlet line, the flow input terminal of the adjustment amount is unique; when the connection branch corresponds to the outlet line, the flow output terminal of the adjustment amount is unique.

[0014] Secondly, this application provides a conveyor line sorting control system, which adopts the following technical solution: A conveyor line sorting control system for implementing the above method.

[0015] Thirdly, this application provides a computer storage medium, which adopts the following technical solution: A computer storage medium storing a program, which, when executed by a processor, is used to implement the method described above.

[0016] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this application have the following technical effects: By leveraging the coordination between the main line and branch lines, the main line is meticulously segmented, with each segment serving as a separate section for traffic analysis. Based on the traffic paths determined by order information and the traffic volume undertaken by each branch line, a comprehensive assessment is made to determine whether there are potential congestion risks in each traffic segment. Subsequent congestion control decisions are also based on specific segment optimizations. The optimization decisions are comprehensively formulated based on the specific circumstances upstream and downstream of the congestion location, enabling more targeted and accurate congestion warning, analysis, and decision-making control for complex conveyor systems. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the steps of a conveyor line sorting control method provided in this embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0018] To better understand the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of this application, it has been described and illustrated below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. However, those skilled in the art should understand that this application can be implemented without these details. In some cases, to avoid obscuring various aspects of this application due to unnecessary description, well-known methods, processes, systems, components, and / or circuits already described at a higher level will not be elaborated upon. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to the embodiments disclosed in this application, and the general principles defined in this application can be applied to other embodiments and application scenarios without departing from the principles and scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the illustrated embodiments, but conforms to the broadest scope consistent with the scope of protection claimed in this application.

[0019] It should be noted that the descriptions of these embodiments are for the purpose of aiding understanding the present invention, but do not constitute a limitation thereof. Furthermore, the technical features involved in the various embodiments of the present invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0020] In the description of this application, "several" means one or more, "more than" means two or more, "greater than," "less than," and "exceeding" are understood to exclude the stated number, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the stated number. The use of "first" and "second" in the description is merely for distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features, or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0021] In the description of this application, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0022] like Figure 1 As shown in the figure, this application discloses a sorting control method for a conveyor line, including the following steps: S100, Obtain target point information. Target points include the two ends of the main line and all intersections of the branch lines with the main line.

[0023] The target point is represented by the connection position between all branches and the main line. The connection here does not only refer to the physical mechanical connection, but also to the connection in the transportation relationship between two conveyor lines. For example, if there is no physical connection between conveyor line a and conveyor line b, but the material on line a can be moved to line b through sorting equipment or conveyor line settings, then it is also represented as having a connection relationship.

[0024] The target points also include the positions of the two ends of the main line. During normal conveying, the two ends of the main line correspond to the inlet and outlet of the conveyed material, respectively.

[0025] The main line is the line in the conveyor system that undertakes the main conveying task. When there are no branch lines, a straight, U-shaped or irregular main line undertakes the sole task of conveying materials from one input port to another.

[0026] Branch lines are defined as lines that correspond to the main line and undertake secondary or special transportation tasks. The types of transportation tasks undertaken by branch lines include: transshipment outbound, replenishment, U-picking, merging, and less-than-container load (LCL) shipments, etc. In other words, goods transported on the main line can be dispatched to different locations via branch lines, undergo intermediate processing, and be replenished when out of stock. Materials on the main line can be dispatched or reinbound from some branch lines as needed.

[0027] Whenever goods on the main line pass through the connection point between the branch line and the main line, there may be an increase or decrease in the amount of material on the main line. This could lead to material accumulation due to excessive increases or decreases. Therefore, the main line locations on both sides of each target point are key areas prone to congestion. Thus, in this embodiment, the target points are marked to provide a basis for subsequent congestion determination.

[0028] S200, acquire flow segment information, where the flow segment is represented as the transport area between adjacent target points.

[0029] As can be seen from the above description, the areas on both sides of the target point are the main areas where congestion is likely to occur. Therefore, in order to accurately identify the specific areas of congestion, this application divides the main line into multiple independent conveying areas based on adjacent target points, and uses these areas as the key flow segments for material conveying analysis.

[0030] S300 obtains order information from WMS to determine task traffic and task path. Based on the task path, it selects the start point, end point, and waypoint from several target points. Based on the task traffic and the flow direction of the target points, it calculates the segmented traffic corresponding to each traffic segment in the task path.

[0031] WMS stands for Warehouse Management System. It is responsible for optimizing inventory management and order processing processes. It receives and processes orders, arranges the entry and exit of goods according to orders, tracks the order execution progress, and determines the flow control and designated conveyor paths on the conveyor system based on order information.

[0032] Flow rate is characterized by information about the composition of goods on the line, including basic information such as flow rate and velocity. The more goods on the conveyor line and the faster the transportation speed, the greater the unit flow rate of the conveyor line.

[0033] The task path can determine the locations along the path of material flow and the corresponding target points. This often includes entry from the main line inlet, exit from the main line outlet, replenishment on branch lines, merging, or transfer output, etc. Therefore, the task path can determine the starting point, ending point, and path points of the flow under a given task.

[0034] At the same time, based on the task flow (the flow rate corresponding to the amount of goods to be transported in this task and the flow rate corresponding to the specified time to be transported in this task) and whether the branch line corresponding to each target point increases or decreases the flow on the main line (determined according to the flow direction), the segment flow corresponding to each flow segment on the task path can be calculated.

[0035] Segmented flow is characterized by the flow data carried in each flow segment, which is related to whether there will be congestion caused by the accumulation of goods in that segment.

[0036] S400 obtains the maximum carrying capacity of each branch line and main line, analyzes the congestion location based on segmented flow, generates upstream and downstream control decisions corresponding to the congestion location, and sends the upstream and downstream control decisions to the PLC to realize sorting control.

[0037] Obtain the maximum carrying capacity of the main line and each branch line. The maximum carrying capacity is represented by the calculation of the maximum carrying capacity based on the basic information such as the length and width of the main line and the branch line, combined with the maximum speed of the equipment or the specified maximum speed. Theoretically, the longer the line length, the wider the line width, and the faster the maximum speed of the main line and the branch line, the greater the corresponding maximum carrying capacity.

[0038] The reason for considering the maximum capacity of both the main line and branch lines is that congestion on the main line can occur for two reasons: first, the volume of traffic the main line needs to handle exceeds its maximum capacity; second, for example, if traffic 'a' contains traffic 'b' which needs to be diverted to branch line 'c', but the maximum capacity of branch line 'c' is less than that of traffic 'b', traffic 'b' cannot be smoothly and promptly diverted through branch line 'c'. This results in a mismatch between the main and branch flows at the connection point between branch line 'c' and the main line, leading to congestion in the upstream section. Therefore, to differentiate and accurately determine the actual causes of congestion, this application analyzes the flow capacity of both the main line and branch lines.

[0039] By comparing the analyzed traffic flow of each segment with the maximum carrying capacity, it can be determined whether there will be congestion caused by the traffic flow exceeding the carrying capacity. Furthermore, based on the segment comparison, the location of the congestion can be determined by identifying which segment the problem occurs in.

[0040] Once the congestion location is identified, the cause of the congestion can be analyzed based on the branch line conditions before and after the congestion location, and corresponding upstream and downstream control decisions can be generated. The upstream and downstream control decisions are characterized by adjusting the transmission parameters of the branch lines upstream and / or downstream of the congestion location to alleviate or resolve the congestion. At the same time, the decision information is sent to the PLC, and the PLC generates control instructions based on the decision to control the branch lines to adjust the parameters.

[0041] Through the above steps, the main line is segmented in detail based on the coordination between the main line and the branch lines. Each segment is used as a segment for traffic analysis. Based on the traffic path determined by order information and traffic information, combined with the workload of each branch line, it is comprehensively judged whether there is a risk of congestion in each traffic segment. When generating control decisions for congestion, it is also based on specific segments for targeted optimization. The optimization decision is comprehensively specified by the specific situation of the upstream and downstream of the congestion location, so that congestion warning, analysis and decision control can be carried out more targetedly and accurately for complex conveyor line systems.

[0042] In other embodiments, the following steps are also included: S110, obtain the flow direction of the main line and define it as the mainstream direction. The mainstream direction corresponds to the downstream direction, and the reverse of the mainstream direction corresponds to the upstream direction.

[0043] The direction of the main line is determined based on the transport direction of the main line and defined as the main flow direction. The direction of the main flow direction corresponds to the downstream direction, while the opposite direction of the main flow direction corresponds to the upstream direction.

[0044] Determining the upstream and downstream directions helps in subsequent analysis of the impact of upstream and downstream branch line transport volume on the main line flow.

[0045] S120: Obtain the flow direction of each branch line and determine whether it is towards the main line. If so, the branch line is the merging line and the flow direction is the merging direction. If not, the branch line is the outflow line and the flow direction is the branching direction.

[0046] After determining the main line flow rate, the flow direction of each branch line is determined based on the transport direction of each branch line.

[0047] If the conveying direction of the branch line is towards the main line, it indicates that the function of the branch line is to transport materials to the main line. It corresponds to the merging line, and its tasks include merging and replenishment. If the conveying direction of the branch line is away from the main line, it corresponds to the outgoing line, and its tasks include cargo diversion, U-picking, transfer, and intermediate processes.

[0048] In other embodiments, obtaining order information issued by the WMS to determine the task path, and selecting the start point, end point, and waypoints from several target points based on the task path, includes the following steps: S311, based on order information, obtain the material dispatch location and receiving location to select the corresponding target point as the starting point and end point.

[0049] The location where the material is issued and the location where the material is received correspond to the order information to the start and end points, respectively. The start and end points can both correspond to the main line, both to the branch line, or part to the main line and part to the branch line.

[0050] S312, determine whether transit conditions exist based on order information.

[0051] The transit condition is characterized by the need for the entire flow of materials to be switched at a certain node and then return to the original line. It mainly applies to situations in some production lines where materials need to be switched to the corresponding line of the processing point during transportation and then return to the original line after processing. When a transit requirement occurs, the flow of materials needs to be transited.

[0052] S313, if not, then draw the shortest transport route between the starting point and the ending point based on the flow direction, and locate all target points passed through in the shortest transport route as waypoints.

[0053] If there are no transit points, then the mission path corresponds to the shortest transport route from the starting point to the end point, and all the target points along the route correspond to waypoints.

[0054] S314, if any, select the corresponding branch line based on the transfer conditions and define it as a special branch line, draw the shortest transport route between the starting point and the ending point through the special branch line, and locate all target points passed through in the shortest transport route as waypoints.

[0055] If a transfer condition exists, it is necessary to further determine the location of the branch line that needs to be transferred and define this branch line or more as special branch lines. Then, draw the shortest transport path between the starting point and the ending point that guarantees passing through these special branch lines, and define all target points passed through in the shortest transport path as waypoints.

[0056] Under transit conditions, because the flow needs to be transited to some branch lines, some target points on the main line will not actually pass through. Therefore, the number of transit points under transit conditions is generally less than that under non-transit conditions.

[0057] In other embodiments, order information issued by the WMS is obtained to determine task traffic, and segmented traffic corresponding to each traffic segment in the task path is calculated based on the task traffic and the flow direction of the target point, including the following steps: S320, in the task path, if the path point corresponds to the confluence direction, then configure an addition operation in that path point; if the path point corresponds to the branch direction, then configure a subtraction operation in that path point.

[0058] When calculating segmented flow, it is first necessary to determine whether there will be changes in the main flow at each path point. These changes mainly include two types: one is an increase in the main flow, and the other is a decrease in the main flow.

[0059] The increase in mainline flow corresponds to some flow being transferred from branch lines to mainline. The flow direction of this branch line corresponds to the flow direction, and the path nodes between the branch line and the mainline correspond to the addition operation. This indicates that after the flow of the branch line passes through the path node, the flow direction data is added to the flow direction data of the mainline based on the addition operation.

[0060] A decrease in mainline traffic corresponds to some traffic being transferred from the mainline to the branch line. The direction of this branch line corresponds to the branch direction, and the path nodes between the branch line and the mainline correspond to the subtraction operation. This means that after the mainline's traffic passes through the path node, the traffic data is added to the branch line's direction data based on the component operation to achieve its own traffic reduction.

[0061] In this way, the entire conveyor line can be equivalent to a logical computer control program through the addition and subtraction operation structure of different combined nodes in the flow direction. The flow rate change of each segment is calculated by combining addition of confluence and subtraction of divergence.

[0062] S321, obtain the total delivery volume of the order information, and configure the total delivery volume as the segmented flow in the first flow segment that conforms to the flow direction in the task path.

[0063] Obtain the total conveying volume corresponding to the order information, and select the first flow segment in the correct flow direction and add segmented flow based on the flow rate of the conveyor line.

[0064] The segmented flow rate of the first flow segment is represented by the baseline flow rate when the material enters the conveyor line before passing through any path points. Subsequent addition and subtraction operations when passing through path points are all performed based on this baseline flow rate.

[0065] S322: Based on the order information, determine whether there is a flow adjustment instruction at each path point. If there is, activate the addition or subtraction operation and obtain the corresponding adjustment amount to add to the path point. If there is no, deactivate the addition or subtraction operation.

[0066] Meanwhile, whether each path point activates the corresponding addition or subtraction operation to adjust the segmented traffic depends on whether there is a flow direction adjustment instruction in the order information. A flow direction adjustment instruction indicates that part of the traffic on the main line will be changed from the flow direction of the main line to the flow direction of the branch line, or the traffic on the branch line will be changed from the flow direction of the branch line to the flow direction of the main line.

[0067] The order information can be the order corresponding to this delivery task or the order of other delivery tasks.

[0068] If the order information indicates that some materials will flow from branch line A to the main line for replenishment, it means that some flow will be changed from being transported on the branch line to being transported on the main line. Therefore, the flow on the main line will change. At this time, the addition operation corresponding to branch line A will be activated to increase the flow on the branch line to the main line.

[0069] Conversely, if the order information indicates that some materials on the main line need to be shipped at branch line b, it means that some flow will be changed from the main line to the branch line. This will change the flow on the main line, and the subtraction operation corresponding to branch line b will be activated to increase the flow on the main line to the branch line.

[0070] When an addition or subtraction operation is activated, the corresponding adjustment amount of the branch or main line needs to be added to the waypoint synchronously. If a branch does not affect the flow of the main line, the addition or subtraction operation of the corresponding node will not be activated.

[0071] S323, the traffic segments on each task path obtain the segmented traffic of the adjacent traffic segments in the upstream direction, and adjust the adjustment amount to the segmented traffic based on the addition or subtraction operation activated in the adjacent path points in the upstream direction, and use the adjusted segmented traffic as its own segmented traffic.

[0072] For each traffic segment on a task path, the segmented traffic of the upstream adjacent traffic segment is first obtained as the base traffic to be inherited. Then, based on whether the upstream adjacent path point is activated by addition or subtraction, it is further determined whether the inherited base traffic needs to be changed.

[0073] If the upstream path point does not activate the addition or subtraction operation, it means that the segment needs to completely inherit the segmented flow of the previous segment, and the intermediate path points will not adjust the transmission flow. However, when the upstream path point is activated, the adjustment amount on the path point needs to be synchronously increased or decreased into the inherited base flow based on the activated addition or subtraction operation, and the flow after the operation is used as its own segmented flow.

[0074] Based on the transportation flow, the segmented flow corresponding to each flow segment divided by the target point is calculated. Each segmented flow consists of the flow direction that needs to be inherited from the previous segment and the adjustment amount corresponding to the activated node. The flow data of each flow segment is clearer and more independent, which makes it easier to reflect the flow situation of each segment area and realize subsequent accurate congestion analysis.

[0075] For example, if the system includes a main line a, a merging line b, an outflow line c, and a merging line d along the transport direction, then the main line a is divided into several branches into flow segment 1 (between the inlet of the main line a and the target point of the merging line b), flow segment 2 (between the target point of the merging line b and the target point of the outflow line c), flow segment 3 (between the target point of the outflow line c and the target point of the merging line d), and flow segment 4 (between the target point of the merging line d and the outlet of the main line).

[0076] The task path runs from the entrance to the exit of the main line a. The target points corresponding to the inflow line b, outflow line c, and inflow line d are all path points. Among them, the operation is activated at the target points of the inflow line b and outflow line c, and the adjustment amounts are x2 and x3 respectively, while the equivalent flow of the total order delivery volume is x1.

[0077] First, flow segment 1 is the first segment of the transport path, with a segment flow of x1. The segment flow to segment 2 is x1+x2 (triggered by addition), and the segment flow to segment 3 is x1+x2-x3 (triggered by subtraction). Since the target point of the merging line d is not activated, flow segment 4 still inherits the segment flow of flow segment 3, which is x1+x2-x3.

[0078] In other embodiments, the maximum carrying capacity of each branch line and the main line is obtained, and the congestion location is analyzed in combination with the segmented flow rate, including the following steps: S410 If the target point corresponds to the merging line, determine whether the segment flow corresponding to the downstream flow segment of the merging line is greater than the maximum carrying capacity of the main line. If so, define the flow segment as a congested location.

[0079] When conducting congestion location analysis, as described above, there are two reasons for congestion. The first is that the transport flow that the main line needs to handle exceeds the maximum flow that the main line can handle.

[0080] This situation mainly occurs when the main line is operating normally, and some additional or supplementary materials are added to the main line through the merging line, such as replenishment or materials corresponding to other orders being gathered through the merging branch line.

[0081] To determine whether the above situation occurs, when the target point is an inflow line, determine whether the segmented flow of the downstream flow segment corresponding to the target point of the inflow line is greater than the maximum carrying capacity of the main line.

[0082] The upstream of the merging line corresponds to the original transport flow of the main line, while the downstream corresponds to the cargo congestion caused by the transport of additional goods to the main line through the merging line, which has already occurred or may occur. Therefore, when the target point corresponds to the merging line, it is only necessary to analyze the segmented flow of the flow segment downstream of the target point.

[0083] S411, if the target point corresponds to the outflow line, select the upstream flow segment of the outflow line, and calculate the adjustment component of the outflow line corresponding to all the corresponding addition operations upstream of the flow segment. Add the adjustment component to the adjustment of the outflow line itself to obtain the equivalent adjustment. Determine whether the equivalent adjustment is greater than the maximum carrying capacity of the branch line. If so, define the flow segment as a congested location.

[0084] Another reason for congestion is that some traffic on the main line needs to be diverted through branch lines. However, the branch lines have to handle more traffic than they can handle, resulting in an imbalance in traffic diversion between the main line and the branch lines. This causes some traffic that should theoretically be diverted from the branch lines to be unable or temporarily unable to flow out of the branch lines, resulting in undiverted goods accumulating upstream of the branch lines and causing congestion.

[0085] In this situation, when the target point is an outflow line, the segmented flow of the flow segment upstream of the target point is obtained, and it is determined how much of the flow needs to be borne by the entity itself.

[0086] Normally, when there is only one delivery task, the flow rate that the outflow line needs to handle is the adjustment amount corresponding to the order information, which is equal to the difference between the upstream segment flow rate and the downstream segment flow rate of the outflow line. However, the delivery line often handles multiple delivery tasks simultaneously. In this case, there is some replenishment flow from the upstream inflow line. Some of this flow rate also needs to be diverted out of the warehouse through the outflow line. Therefore, in order to calculate the flow rate that the outflow line needs to handle more accurately, in this embodiment, all the adjustment amounts of the activation addition operation upstream of the outflow line are counted, and the adjustment component that it needs to handle in each adjustment amount is calculated. Then, these adjustment components are added to the adjustment amount that it needs to handle for its corresponding order to obtain the equivalent adjustment amount. The equivalent adjustment amount is compared with its maximum carrying capacity to determine whether congestion will occur. If its equivalent adjustment amount is greater than its maximum carrying capacity, it is determined that the upstream adjacent flow segment will be congested and defined as the congestion location.

[0087] If the adjustment amount that outflow line a needs to bear in the order itself is x1, and there are inflow lines b and c upstream of outflow line a, which correspond to adjustment amounts of x2 and x3 respectively, then the inflow flow in inflow line b needs to be diverted to outflow line a by a size of x4 based on the order requirements, and the inflow flow in inflow line c needs to be diverted to outflow line a by a size of x5 based on the order requirements. Then the equivalent adjustment amount that outflow line a needs to bear is x1 + x4 + x5.

[0088] The upstream of the outflow line represents the main line flow that has not yet been diverted by the branch line, while the downstream corresponds to the main line flow that has been diverted. When the branch line cannot handle the required transport volume, it will cause congestion of goods at the location between the main line and the branch line. Therefore, in this case, only the upstream of the target point will be congested. So when the target point is the outflow line, it is only necessary to analyze the segmented flow of the flow segment upstream of the target point.

[0089] In other embodiments, generating upstream and downstream control decisions corresponding to congested locations includes the following steps: S420, upstream control decisions include reducing the line speed of one or more incoming lines upstream of the congestion location via PLC control, reducing the adjustment amount, and adjusting the position, quantity, and flow direction of the incoming lines in the order information.

[0090] The upstream control decision is characterized by adjusting parameters of the target upstream of the congestion location using a PLC. In this application, this mainly includes adjusting the linear velocity of the upstream merging line, adjusting the adjustment amount of the upstream merging line, adjusting the number of activated upstream merging lines, and adjusting the corresponding flow direction adjustment command upstream.

[0091] It is important to note that congestion caused by merging lines often occurs downstream of the target point. Conversely, adjusting the upstream merging lines at the congested location can resolve the congestion at that location. Therefore, upstream control decisions mainly target congestion caused by merging lines.

[0092] S421, downstream control decisions include increasing the line speed of one or more outgoing lines downstream of the congestion location via PLC control, and adjusting the position, quantity, and flow direction of outgoing lines in the order information.

[0093] Downstream control decision-making is characterized by adjusting parameters of targets downstream of congestion locations via PLC. In this application, this mainly includes adjusting the linear velocity of downstream outflow lines and adjusting the position and quantity of downstream outflow lines. Theoretically, the more adjustment amount outflowed per unit time, the better. However, due to the limited linear velocity of the conveyor lines, when an outflow line is already congested because its current flow rate exceeds its maximum capacity, it cannot further increase the flow rate to provide adjustment. Therefore, there is no control decision to change the adjustment amount in the downstream control decision-making process.

[0094] It should be noted that congestion caused by outflow lines often leads to... In other embodiments, adjusting the position, quantity, and flow direction of inbound or outbound lines in the order information includes the following steps: S430, adjust the merging line with flow direction adjustment command adjacent to the upstream of the congested location to the downstream of the congested location, or reduce the merging line with flow direction adjustment command adjacent to the upstream of the congested location and increase the corresponding adjustment amount of the merging line to the merging line downstream of the congested location.

[0095] When making upstream control decisions, one adjustment strategy is to redirect the inflow line with flow adjustment instructions at the upstream location to the downstream of the congested location. For example, if there are two inflow lines on both sides of the congested location, including upstream inflow line a (activated plus operation) and downstream inflow line b (inactive plus operation), when material added to the main line in inflow line a causes congestion on the main line, the increased flow of this inflow line can be redirected to the downstream of the congested location. This reduces the increase in flow at the congested location and alleviates the congestion. Another adjustment decision is to split the flow x of inflow line a into x1 and x2, where x1 is still merged by inflow line a, while the remaining x2 is activated and handled by the inflow line downstream of the congested location. This reduces the amount of flow sent from upstream of the congested location and alleviates the congestion.

[0096] S431, adjust the outflow line with the flow direction adjustment command that is adjacent to the downstream of the congested position to the upstream of the congested position, or add an outflow line upstream of the congested position and split the adjustment amount of the outflow line downstream of the congested position to allocate to the newly added outflow line.

[0097] When making downstream control decisions, one adjustment strategy is to redirect the flow direction adjustment command of the downstream outflow line to the upstream of the congested location. This diverts traffic in advance, reduces the transport time of goods on the main line, and also reduces the risk of other merging lines adding traffic to the main line, thus avoiding congestion as early as possible. Another adjustment strategy is to add an outflow line upstream of the congested location and split the adjustment volume corresponding to the current congested location into two parts. One part is still borne by itself, and the other part is borne by the newly added outflow line upstream of the congested location. This can divert some of the downstream diversion tasks before they reach the congested location and further reduce the diversion pressure on the outflow line of the congested location, thus alleviating the congestion.

[0098] In other embodiments, adjusting the position, quantity, and flow direction of inbound or outbound lines in the order information includes the following steps: S440 determines whether there is a connecting branch between two adjacent merging lines or two adjacent outflow lines upstream and downstream of the congestion location. A connecting branch is characterized as a path set between two branches to enable one-way or two-way flow between the two branches.

[0099] In some scenarios, there are connecting branches between multiple branches with the same flow direction. These branches are mainly used for actions such as flow direction turning, sharing, and transfer, thereby connecting multiple independent branches in series. Based on the characteristics of this connecting branch, PLC can also be used for parameter control to assist in the relief of congestion on the conveyor line.

[0100] First, determine whether there are connecting branches between adjacent incoming or outgoing lines on both sides of the congestion location, i.e., upstream and downstream. It is important to note that connecting branches only exist between adjacent incoming or outgoing lines that flow in the same direction. This is because if there are branches with different flow directions between two incoming or outgoing lines, the distance between them is relatively large, and the cost of setting up connecting branches is high. On the other hand, if two branches with different flow directions are connected, the entire system will become a loop. This will cause goods to skip some waypoints during transfer to return to the main line, affecting the actual order results and transportation efficiency.

[0101] The connection branch can be set to unidirectional or bidirectional. If it is unidirectional, the connection branch can only switch the upstream flow to the downstream flow or the downstream flow to the upstream flow. If it is bidirectional, the flow direction between the upstream and downstream can be switched at will.

[0102] S441, if so, then generate a path activation command for the congested location and send it to the connecting branch.

[0103] If a connection loop exists, then when the branch corresponding to that connection loop is associated with congestion, it will assist in flow control for the branch. In this case, a path initiation command will be generated and sent to the connecting branch when congestion occurs.

[0104] S442, when the upstream of the congested location is the merging line, the adjustment amount of the merging line is distributed in whole or in part to the merging line downstream of the congested location by connecting the branch lines.

[0105] If the upstream of the congested location is a merging line, it indicates that the congestion is caused by the flow merging from the upstream into the main line, which overloads the main line's capacity. In this case, an effective approach is to distribute part or all of the flow from the merging line to the downstream of the congested location. This can be achieved by using a connecting branch that connects to the downstream merging line to move part or all of the flow to the downstream merging line.

[0106] This method offers two main advantages over directly changing the branch line location. First, it eliminates the need to change the material input location. Since the distance between different large conveyor lines is often large, or the process and material type corresponding to each branch line are fixed, directly changing the branch line would require a large amount of concentrated material transportation to different locations. However, by connecting pathways, the output location can be moved from the upstream merging line to the downstream merging line without changing the input location. Second, by connecting branch lines, the transportation time and distance of materials on the branch line can be extended. This ensures that when the main line is congested, the arrival time of newly added goods on the branch line is as late as possible, giving the main line time to prioritize the adjustment of the current conveying volume. It also allows for the slow merging of larger flows on the branch line.

[0107] S443, when the downstream of the congested location is the outflow line, the adjustment amount of the outflow line is distributed in whole or in part to the outflow line upstream of the congested location by connecting the branch lines.

[0108] When the downstream outlet line corresponds to the congestion location, the same treatment method as the inflow line applies. The downstream adjustment amount can be distributed to the upstream outlet line in whole or in part by connecting the branch line. This allows the flow to flow into the upstream outlet line before reaching the congestion location and then be transferred to the downstream outlet line through the connecting branch line. In this way, the flow is diverted before the material reaches the congestion location and then the diverted flow is transferred to the downstream location.

[0109] S444, wherein when the connection branch corresponds to the inlet line, the flow input terminal of the adjustment quantity is unique, and when the connection branch corresponds to the outlet line, the flow output terminal of the adjustment quantity is unique.

[0110] The reason for setting up connecting branches is to distribute or switch the flow direction through multiple branches in the same direction without changing the final input or output location of the flow. Therefore, if connecting branches are used for congestion adjustment, it must be ensured that when the connecting branch corresponds to an inflow line, the flow input of the adjustment quantity is unique and does not change; when the connecting branch corresponds to an outflow line, the flow output of the adjustment quantity is unique and does not change.

[0111] This application also discloses a conveyor line sorting control system for implementing the above-described method.

[0112] This application also discloses a computer storage medium on which a program is stored, which, when executed by a processor, is used to implement the above-described method.

[0113] The implementation principle is as follows: By leveraging the coordination between the main line and branch lines, the main line is meticulously segmented, with each segment serving as a separate section for traffic analysis. Based on the traffic paths determined by order information and the traffic volume undertaken by each branch line, a comprehensive assessment is made to determine whether there are potential congestion risks in each traffic segment. Subsequent congestion control decisions are also based on specific segments for targeted optimization. The optimization decisions are comprehensively specified by the upstream and downstream conditions of the congestion location, enabling more targeted and accurate congestion warning, analysis, and decision-making control for complex conveyor systems.

[0114] It should be understood that although the steps in the flowcharts in the accompanying drawings are shown sequentially as indicated by the arrows, these steps are not necessarily performed in the order indicated by the arrows. Unless otherwise expressly stated herein, there is no strict order in which these steps are performed, and they may be performed in other orders.

[0115] The above are all preferred embodiments of this application, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, all equivalent changes made in accordance with the structure, shape and principle of this application should be covered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A sorting control method for a conveyor line, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Obtain target point information, wherein the target points include the two ends of the main line and the intersection points of all branches with the main line; Obtain flow segment information, wherein the flow segment is characterized as the transport area between each adjacent target point; Obtain order information issued by WMS to determine task traffic and task path; select start point, end point and way point from several target points based on the task path; calculate segmented traffic corresponding to each traffic segment in the task path based on the task traffic and the flow direction of the target points. The maximum carrying capacity of each branch line and the main line is obtained. The congestion location is analyzed in combination with the segmented flow and the upstream and downstream control decisions corresponding to the congestion location are generated. The upstream and downstream control decisions are sent to the PLC to realize sorting control.

2. The conveyor line sorting control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes the following steps: Obtain the flow direction of the main line and define it as the mainstream direction, which corresponds to the downstream direction and the opposite direction of the mainstream direction corresponds to the upstream direction; Obtain the flow direction of each branch line and determine whether it is towards the main line. If yes, the branch line is an inflow line and the flow direction is identified as the confluence direction. If no, the branch line is an outflow line and the flow direction is identified as the branch direction.

3. The conveyor line sorting control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Obtaining order information from WMS to determine the task path, and selecting the start point, end point, and waypoints from several target points based on the task path, includes the following steps: Based on the order information, the material dispatch location and receiving location are obtained to select the corresponding target point as the starting point and end point; Based on the order information, determine whether there are transit conditions; If not, then draw the shortest transport route between the starting point and the ending point based on the flow direction, and locate all the target points passed through in the shortest transport route as waypoints; If so, the corresponding branch line is selected as a special branch line based on the transit conditions, and the shortest transport route between the starting point and the ending point through the special branch line is drawn. All the target points passed through in the shortest transport route are located as waypoints.

4. The conveyor line sorting control method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Obtain order information issued by WMS to determine task traffic, and calculate segmented traffic corresponding to each traffic segment in the task path based on the task traffic and the flow direction of the target point, including the following steps: In the task path, if the path point corresponds to a confluence direction, an addition operation is configured at the path point; if the path point corresponds to a branch direction, a subtraction operation is configured at the path point. Obtain the total delivery volume of the order information, and configure the total delivery volume in the first segment of the traffic flow that conforms to the flow direction in the task path as the segmented traffic; Based on the order information, determine whether there is a flow adjustment instruction at each path point. If there is, activate the addition or subtraction operation and obtain the corresponding adjustment amount to add to the path point. If there is no, deactivate the addition or subtraction operation. Each traffic segment on the task path obtains the segmented traffic of the adjacent traffic segments in the upstream direction, and adjusts the adjustment amount to the segmented traffic based on the addition or subtraction operation activated in the adjacent path points in the upstream direction, and uses the adjusted segmented traffic as its own segmented traffic.

5. The conveyor line sorting control method according to claim 4, characterized in that, Obtain the maximum carrying capacity of each branch line and the main line, and analyze the congestion location based on the segmented flow, including the following steps: If the target point corresponds to the merging line, then determine whether the segment flow corresponding to the downstream flow segment of the merging line is greater than the maximum carrying capacity flow corresponding to the main line. If so, then define the flow segment as the congestion location. If the target point corresponds to the outflow line, then the upstream flow segment of the outflow line is selected, and the adjustment component of the outflow line corresponding to all the corresponding addition operations upstream of the flow segment is calculated. The adjustment component is added to the adjustment of the outflow line itself to obtain the equivalent adjustment. It is determined whether the equivalent adjustment is greater than the maximum carrying capacity of the branch line. If so, the flow segment is defined as the congestion location.

6. The conveyor line sorting control method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The process of generating upstream and downstream control decisions corresponding to the congested location includes the following steps: The upstream control decision includes reducing the line speed of one or more of the incoming lines upstream of the congestion location via PLC control, reducing the adjustment amount, adjusting the position and quantity of the incoming lines and the flow direction adjustment instructions in the order information; The downstream control decision includes increasing the linear speed of one or more outflow lines downstream of the congestion location via PLC control, adjusting the position and quantity of outflow lines and the flow direction adjustment instructions in the order information.

7. The conveyor line sorting control method according to claim 6, characterized in that, Adjusting the position, quantity, and flow direction of the inflow line or outflow line in the order information includes the following steps: Adjust the merging line that is adjacent to the upstream of the congested location and has the flow direction adjustment command to the downstream of the congested location, or reduce the merging line that is adjacent to the upstream of the congested location and has the flow direction adjustment command and increase the adjustment amount corresponding to the merging line to the merging line downstream of the congested location; Adjust the outflow line adjacent to the downstream of the congested location that has the flow direction adjustment command to the upstream of the congested location, or add the outflow line upstream of the congested location and split the adjustment amount of the outflow line downstream of the congested location to allocate it to the newly added outflow line.

8. The conveyor line sorting control method according to claim 6, characterized in that, Adjusting the position, quantity, and flow direction adjustment instruction of the inbound or outbound line in the order information further includes the following steps: Determine whether there is a connecting branch between two adjacent merging lines or two adjacent outflow lines upstream and downstream of the congestion location. The connecting branch is characterized as a path set between the two branches to enable one-way or two-way flow between the two branches. If so, a path activation command is generated for the congested location and sent to the connection branch; When the upstream of the congested location is the merging line, the adjustment amount of the merging line is distributed in whole or in part to the merging line downstream of the congested location through the connecting branch. When the downstream of the congested location is the outflow line, the adjustment amount of the outflow line is distributed in whole or in part to the outflow line upstream of the congested location through the connecting branch. Specifically, when the connection branch corresponds to the inlet line, the flow input terminal of the adjustment amount is unique; when the connection branch corresponds to the outlet line, the flow output terminal of the adjustment amount is unique.

9. A conveyor line sorting control system, characterized in that, Used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-8.

10. A computer storage medium, characterized in that, The computer storage medium stores a program, which, when executed by a processor, is used to implement the method of any one of claims 1-8.

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