Stock bin indexing method and device and electronic equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a stock bin indexing method and device and electronic equipment, and relates to the technical field of warehouse management.The method comprises the steps that a camera is controlled to conduct image collection on preset positioning marks on stock bins on the side faces, coordinates of each stock bin are automatically determined, autonomous construction of a stock bin indexing database is achieved, and the stock bin indexing efficiency is improved. And accurate alignment of the stacker to each stock bin is ensured. After the equipment is moved, replaced or locally maintained, the stock bin index database can be quickly reconstructed by re-executing the step S102, reprogramming or physical debugging is not needed, and the self-adaptive capacity and operation and maintenance convenience of the system are greatly improved. Moreover, before the storage / taking operation of the articles is executed, the stock bin operation instruction issued by the upper computer needs to be subjected to analysis and data verification, so that the stacking machine is prevented from moving to an invalid or wrong stock bin due to coordinate change, safety accidents such as mechanical collision and fork jamming are avoided, and the system stability and the operation safety are remarkably improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of warehouse management technology, and in particular to a warehouse indexing method, apparatus and electronic equipment. Background Technology

[0002] In the semiconductor industry, chip storage and management are crucial to production efficiency and product quality. Rectangular chip storage cabinets are widely used in smart chip warehouses due to their high space utilization, compact layout, and ease of integration into automated production lines. These cabinets can have multiple storage bins evenly distributed on up to four sides, with each side consisting of a two-dimensional array of bins arranged in multiple rows and columns to store individual chip carriers (such as cassettes or pallets). Storage and retrieval operations are completed using a stacker crane that moves along guide rails and employs forks. The stacker crane positions itself to the target storage bin according to control system instructions and performs the fork extension and retrieval actions. However, in practical applications, accurately and reliably indexing and locating massive numbers of storage bins has become a key technical challenge affecting the system's operational efficiency and stability.

[0003] In existing technologies, most chip storage systems rely on manually measuring and inputting coordinates into the control system to establish bin location information. For example, during the initial installation or after bin location adjustments, technicians must use measuring tools to determine the physical coordinates of each bin relative to the stacker crane's motion coordinate system (XY axis) and manually configure them into the control software. This method is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, but also highly susceptible to positioning errors due to human error, leading to problems such as fork collisions and loading / unloading failures. Furthermore, once minor mechanical deformation, equipment relocation, or layout restructuring occurs, the original coordinate data becomes invalid, requiring comprehensive manual recalibration, resulting in high maintenance costs and severely limiting the system's intelligence and scalability.

[0004] In summary, existing bin indexing methods suffer from drawbacks such as cumbersome calibration processes, difficult maintenance, and high dependence on manual labor, which cannot guarantee the positioning accuracy of the stacker crane and the reliability of system operation. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a bin indexing method, device, and electronic device to alleviate the technical problems in the prior art that cannot guarantee the positioning accuracy of the stacker crane and the reliability of system operation.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a silo indexing method applied to an item storage cabinet, wherein multiple rows and columns of silos are evenly distributed on each side of the item storage cabinet. The method includes the following steps: Step S102, controlling a camera installed on a stacker crane to acquire images of preset positioning marks of each silo on each side of the item storage cabinet, and determining the coordinates of each silo based on the image acquisition results to construct a silo index database; the silo index database stores the mapping relationship between the coordinates of each silo and the orientation mark, row number, and column number of its side; Step S104, receiving silo operation instructions from a host computer; the silo operation instructions include: the orientation mark, row number, column number, and storage / retrieval action instructions of the side where the target silo is located; Step S106, parsing the silo operation instructions, and verifying the data of the silo index database based on the parsing results. If the verification result indicates that the index data is normal, determining the coordinates of the target silo based on the parsing results and the silo index database to obtain the target coordinates; Step S108, controlling the stacker crane to move along the guide rail to the target coordinates, and driving the forks to extend in a specified direction to complete the storage / retrieval operation of the item.

[0007] In an optional implementation, for each side of the storage cabinet, the coordinates of each hopper are determined based on the image acquisition results, including: obtaining the pixel difference corresponding to the horizontal and vertical movement of the stacker crane by a preset unit length, and obtaining a first reference pixel difference and a second reference pixel difference; determining the pixel coordinates of the preset positioning mark of each hopper based on the image acquisition results of each hopper; determining whether the theoretical coordinates of the specified hopper are less than a preset error threshold based on the first pixel coordinates of the preset positioning mark of the reference hopper, the second pixel coordinates of the preset positioning mark of the specified hopper, the first reference pixel difference, and the second reference pixel difference; the reference hopper refers to any hopper located at the top corner on the target side; the target side refers to any side of the storage cabinet; the specified hopper refers to any hopper on the target side other than the reference hopper; if yes, the theoretical coordinates of the specified hopper are stored in the hopper index database; if no, the theoretical coordinates of the specified hopper are corrected based on the first pixel coordinates, the second pixel coordinates, the first reference pixel difference, the second reference pixel difference, and the preset error threshold, so as to store the corrected coordinates in the hopper index database.

[0008] In an optional implementation, data verification is performed on the silo index database based on the parsing results, including: extracting the coordinates of the target silo and the coordinates of the reference silo on the side where the target silo is located from the silo index database to obtain the first coordinate and the second coordinate; calculating the theoretical row number and theoretical column number of the target silo based on the first coordinate, the second coordinate, and the preset row and column spacing of the silos on the side where the target silo is located; if the theoretical row number and theoretical column number of the target silo match the row number and column number in the parsing results, the verification result is determined to be that the index data is normal; otherwise, the verification result is determined to be that the index data is abnormal.

[0009] In an optional implementation, the method further includes: under the condition of meeting a preset triggering condition, controlling the camera to acquire images of the preset positioning marks of all reference hoppers on the item storage cabinet, and determining the current coordinates of each reference hopper based on the image acquisition results; the preset triggering conditions include: triggering at a preset time period, triggering after the stacker crane completes a preset number of storage and retrieval actions, and triggering when an external calibration command is received; comparing the current coordinates of each reference hopper with the coordinates stored in the hopper index database, and if there is a hopper whose coordinate deviation value exceeds a preset threshold, then returning to step S102 to update the hopper index database.

[0010] In an optional implementation, after the stacker crane moves to the target coordinates and before the forks are extended in a specified direction to complete the storage / retrieval operation of the items, the method further includes: collecting the actual position data of the stacker crane in real time through the position sensors deployed on the stacker crane; comparing the actual position data with the target coordinates; and if the position deviation exceeds a preset threshold, triggering an alarm and pausing the storage / retrieval operation of the items.

[0011] In an optional implementation, the preset positioning mark is a QR code or a high-contrast geometric mark, which is fixedly set at the entrance of each hopper or on the support structure, and its arrangement meets the requirement that the camera can clearly identify it at a predetermined distance and angle.

[0012] In an optional implementation, the silo index database also records the status information of each silo, including: idle / occupied status, temperature and humidity monitoring data, and the most recent operation time.

[0013] Secondly, the present invention provides a hopper indexing device applied to an item storage cabinet. Each side of the item storage cabinet has multiple rows and columns of hoppers evenly distributed. The device includes: a first control module, used to control a camera mounted on a stacker crane to capture images of preset positioning markers for each hopper on each side of the item storage cabinet, and to determine the coordinates of each hopper based on the image capture results to construct a hopper index database; the hopper index database stores the mapping relationship between the coordinates of each hopper and the orientation markers, row numbers, and column numbers of its side; a receiving module, used to receive hopper operation instructions from a host computer; the hopper operation instructions include: the orientation markers, row numbers, column numbers, and storage / retrieval action instructions of the target hopper's side; a parsing and verification module, used to parse the hopper operation instructions and verify the data in the hopper index database based on the parsing results. If the verification result indicates that the index data is normal, the device determines the coordinates of the target hopper based on the parsing results and the hopper index database to obtain the target coordinates; and a second control module, used to control the stacker crane to move along the guide rail to the target coordinates and drive the forks to extend in a specified direction to complete the storage / retrieval operation of the item.

[0014] Thirdly, the present invention provides an electronic device, including a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program that can run on the processor, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the silo indexing method described in any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0015] Fourthly, the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the silo indexing method described in any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0016] This invention provides a silo indexing method. This method uses a camera to capture images of preset positioning markers on each side of the silo and automatically determines the coordinates of each silo, enabling the autonomous construction of a silo index database and ensuring precise alignment of the stacker crane with each silo. After equipment relocation, replacement, or partial repair, the silo index database can be quickly rebuilt by re-executing step S102 without reprogramming or physical debugging, significantly improving the system's adaptability and ease of maintenance. Furthermore, before performing item storage / retrieval operations, the silo operation instructions issued by the host computer must be parsed and data verified to prevent the stacker crane from moving to invalid or incorrect silos due to coordinate changes, thereby avoiding safety accidents such as mechanical collisions and fork jamming, significantly improving system stability and operational safety. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 A flowchart illustrating a silo indexing method provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a cuboid storage cabinet provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 A functional block diagram of a silo indexing device provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0020] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the invention.

[0021] The following detailed description of some embodiments of the present invention is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other.

[0022] Example 1 This invention provides a silo indexing method, which is applied to a storage cabinet where multiple rows and columns of silos are evenly distributed on each side of the storage cabinet. Figure 1 A flowchart of a silo indexing method provided in an embodiment of the present invention is shown below. Figure 1 As shown, the method includes the following steps: Step S102: Control the camera installed on the stacker crane to collect images of the preset positioning marks of each hopper on each side of the item storage cabinet, and determine the coordinates of each hopper based on the image acquisition results to build a hopper index database; the hopper index database stores the mapping relationship between the coordinates of each hopper and the orientation mark, row number and column number of its side.

[0023] Specifically, the hopper indexing method provided in this embodiment of the invention is applicable to storage cabinets for various types of goods, such as chips, express delivery items, and vending machines. The hoppers can be installed on the exterior of the storage cabinet. For example, a cuboid storage cabinet has four sides excluding the top and bottom, allowing users to install hoppers on up to four sides according to their actual needs. This embodiment of the invention does not limit the shape of the storage cabinet, as long as it has a flat exterior. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a cuboid storage cabinet provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] In this embodiment of the invention, multiple rows and columns of storage bins are evenly distributed on each side of the storage cabinet. The row spacing and column spacing of the storage bins are fixed. For example, the spacing between rows is 10cm and the spacing between columns is 15cm. However, the row spacing and column spacing of the storage bins on different sides can be different to suit different storage requirements. For example, the row spacing on the first side is 10cm and the row spacing on the second side is 20cm.

[0025] Because the opening directions of the hoppers differ on different sides, in order to accurately store and retrieve items from the hoppers on each side, the execution entity of this invention (specifically, the hopper management system) needs to pre-configure the fork direction (on the stacker crane) for each side accordingly. For example, two sides with hopper opening directions that are completely opposite will also have completely opposite fork directions. This invention does not specifically limit the number of stacker cranes; all sides can share one stacker crane, each side can be configured with a separate stacker crane, or one stacker crane can correspond to several sides, thus adapting to all sides of the chip storage cabinet through multiple stacker cranes. If one stacker crane corresponds to multiple sides, then the stacker crane should have a rotating mechanism that can automatically adjust its body posture after reaching the designated side, aligning its forks with the direction of the target hopper, thereby adapting to the multi-sided distributed item storage cabinet.

[0026] In this embodiment of the invention, a camera on a stacker crane is used to capture images of preset positioning markers on each hopper of the storage cabinet. The preset positioning markers are positioned consistently on each hopper; for example, they are all fixed in the center of the hopper. The image acquisition process is as follows: the stacker crane is controlled to move so that the camera faces each hopper sequentially, and then image information of each hopper is acquired. During this process, the distance the camera moves each time is determined based on the row and column spacing corresponding to the currently acquired side view.

[0027] Once image acquisition is complete, one image corresponds to one hopper, and the image includes a clear preset positioning mark. Optionally, the preset positioning mark is a QR code or a high-contrast geometric mark, fixedly installed at the entrance of each hopper or on the support structure, and its arrangement meets the requirement that the camera can clearly identify it at a predetermined distance and angle.

[0028] In this embodiment of the invention, the coordinates of each hopper on each side are two-dimensional coordinates. That is, each side only needs to maintain a two-dimensional coordinate system, which effectively reduces the data maintenance difficulty compared to the construction and calculation of a three-dimensional coordinate system. After knowing the row and column spacing between the hoppers on each side, the actual coordinates of any hopper in its coordinate system are first measured. Then, based on the positional relationship between the hoppers and the row and column spacing, the theoretical coordinates of the remaining hoppers on that side can be calculated. However, considering the influencing factors such as material production errors and installation errors, there will inevitably be some difference between the theoretical coordinates and the actual coordinates of the hoppers. If the theoretical coordinates are directly stored in the hopper index database, the index may fail due to data deviation, or even damage the forks. Therefore, this embodiment of the invention needs to further determine the coordinates of each hopper based on the image acquisition results of each hopper on the side.

[0029] Assuming the theoretical coordinates of a silo match its actual coordinates, then theoretically, the position of the preset positioning marker on the image of that silo should match the position of the preset positioning marker on the image of the initial silo on its side, which is used to determine the theoretical coordinates of the other silos. In other words, if the position of the preset positioning marker on the image of the initial silo differs from the position of the preset positioning marker on the image of a certain silo, it indicates that the theoretical coordinates of that silo are inconsistent with its actual coordinates. In this case, the theoretical coordinates of the silo can be corrected based on the difference in the positions of the preset positioning markers in the two images. Finally, the accurate coordinates of all silos are stored in the silo index database, and each coordinate corresponds to a specific side orientation marker, row number, and column number. For example, a piece of data in the silo index database might be stored in the form {P1, 2, 5, (20, 4)}, meaning this data belongs to the silo in the 2nd row and 5th column on the P1 side, and the coordinates of this silo in the coordinate system corresponding to the P1 side are (20, 4). The data units for each coordinate axis should be configured according to the actual situation.

[0030] Step S104: Receive the hopper operation instruction issued by the host computer; the hopper operation instruction includes: the orientation mark on the side of the target hopper, row number, column number, and storage / retrieval action instruction.

[0031] After constructing the silo index database corresponding to the item storage cabinet, the user can issue operation instructions to any silo through the host computer. The operation instructions should specify the orientation mark, row number, and column number of the side of the silo to be operated (i.e., the target silo), and specify whether to store items in the silo or retrieve items from it.

[0032] Step S106: Parse the silo operation command and verify the silo index database based on the parsing result. If the verification result indicates that the index data is normal, determine the coordinates of the target silo based on the parsing result and the silo index database to obtain the target coordinates.

[0033] In step S108, control the stacker crane to move along the guide rail to the target coordinates, and drive the forks to extend in the specified direction to complete the storage / retrieval operation of the items.

[0034] Upon receiving the hopper operation command, the system first parses the command to obtain its content, namely the location marker, row number, column number, and access / retrieval instructions for the target hopper. Next, the hopper management system does not directly drive the stacker crane to move according to the parsed command. Instead, it verifies the coordinates of the target hopper in the hopper index database. This verification ensures that the coordinates of the target hopper in the database correctly correspond to the row and column numbers in the command. If an operational error causes the coordinates in the hopper index database to be incorrect, the stacker crane will not be able to correctly guide itself to the hopper specified in the command.

[0035] If the row and column numbers of the coordinates obtained by reverse engineering match those in the hopper operation command, the verification result indicates that the index data is normal. At this point, the coordinates of the target hopper in the hopper index database can be used as the target coordinates of the stacker crane. The stacker crane is then controlled to move to the target hopper location, and the forks are driven to extend in the opposite direction to the opening of the target hopper to complete the storage / retrieval operation of the items in the target hopper. After the operation is completed, the command issued by the host computer is cleared, and a completion signal is simultaneously fed back to the host computer.

[0036] This invention provides a bin indexing method. This method uses a camera to capture images of preset positioning markers on each side of the bins and automatically determines the coordinates of each bin, enabling the autonomous construction of a bin index database and ensuring precise alignment of the stacker crane with each bin. After equipment relocation, replacement, or partial repair, the bin index database can be quickly rebuilt by re-executing step S102 without reprogramming or physical debugging, significantly improving the system's adaptability and ease of maintenance. Furthermore, before performing item storage / retrieval operations, the bin operation instructions issued by the host computer must be parsed and data verified to prevent the stacker crane from moving to invalid or incorrect bins due to coordinate changes, thereby avoiding safety accidents such as mechanical collisions and fork jamming, significantly improving system stability and operational safety.

[0037] In an optional implementation, for each side of the storage cabinet, step S102 above, determining the coordinates of each hopper based on the image acquisition results, specifically includes the following steps: Step S1021: Obtain the pixel difference corresponding to the preset unit length of horizontal and vertical movement of the stacker, and obtain the first reference pixel difference and the second reference pixel difference.

[0038] As described above, in this embodiment of the invention, the coordinates of the material bins on each side of the storage cabinet are two-dimensional coordinates. That is, it is only necessary to record the coordinates of the bins in both the horizontal and vertical directions. To help determine whether the theoretical coordinates of each bin are accurate, this embodiment of the invention needs to determine the pixel difference corresponding to a preset unit length of horizontal movement of the stacker crane, denoted as the first reference pixel difference, and determine the pixel difference corresponding to a preset unit length of vertical movement of the stacker crane, denoted as the second reference pixel difference. This embodiment of the invention does not specifically limit the preset unit length; optionally, the preset unit length is 1 mm.

[0039] Taking the process of determining the difference of the first reference pixel as an example: First, control the stacker to move to Position, then move the stacker 1mm laterally to reach the desired location. Location, The pixel coordinates of the preset positioning marker are: , The pixel coordinates of the preset positioning marker are: Then the difference between the first reference pixels is: Following the above process, the difference between the second reference pixels can be obtained: .

[0040] Step S1022: Determine the pixel coordinates of the preset positioning mark for each hopper based on the image acquisition results.

[0041] Due to dimensional errors, if the preset positioning markers are accurate, then the pixel coordinates of the preset positioning markers in each row of the hopper will be... The values ​​should be consistent; column spacing errors will cause differences in the pixel coordinates of the preset positioning markers in different silo images. The values ​​differ. For ease of description later, regarding the first... One aspect, record its first Line 1 The pixel coordinates of the preset positioning mark of the column's hopper are .

[0042] Step S1023: Based on the first pixel coordinates of the preset positioning mark of the reference hopper, the second pixel coordinates of the preset positioning mark of the specified hopper, the difference between the first reference pixel and the difference between the second reference pixel, determine whether the theoretical coordinates of the specified hopper are less than a preset error threshold; the reference hopper refers to any hopper located at the top corner on the target side; the target side refers to any side of the item storage cabinet; the specified hopper refers to any hopper on the target side other than the reference hopper.

[0043] If yes, proceed to step S1024; if no, proceed to step S1025.

[0044] Step S1024: Store the theoretical coordinates of the specified silo into the silo index database.

[0045] Step S1025: Based on the first pixel coordinates, the second pixel coordinates, the difference between the first reference pixel points, the difference between the second reference pixel points, and the preset error threshold, the theoretical coordinates of the specified silo are corrected so that the corrected coordinates are stored in the silo index database.

[0046] Using the reference silo as the target silo in the first row and first column, specify the silo as the first row and first column. Taking the silo as an example, as described above, the two... The values ​​are consistent. The values ​​may differ. Therefore, the difference between the first reference pixels should be used to determine whether the theoretical coordinates of the specified hopper are less than the preset error threshold.

[0047] Specifically, if the actual coordinates of the reference silo are... The theoretical coordinates of the specified silo are then... ,in, , This indicates the column spacing of the hopper on the target side. In this case, it is only necessary to determine... The key is whether it's correct. Specifically, first calculate the lateral error of the theoretical coordinates of the specified silo. , , This represents the difference between the first reference pixels. , If the preset error threshold is indicated, then the lateral error is determined to meet the error requirements. Therefore, the theoretical coordinates of the specified silo can be directly stored in the silo index database.

[0048] like If the lateral error does not meet the error requirements, then the theoretical coordinates should be corrected. Specifically, if... Then the corrected coordinates of the specified silo are ;like Then the corrected coordinates of the specified silo are .

[0049] The principle of using the difference between the second reference pixels to correct the vertical coordinates is the same as the principle of using the difference between the first reference pixels to correct the horizontal coordinates, and will not be repeated here.

[0050] In an optional implementation, step S106 above, which verifies the data in the silo index database based on the parsing results, specifically includes the following steps: Step S1061: Extract the coordinates of the target silo and the coordinates of the reference silo on the side of the target silo from the silo index database to obtain the first coordinate and the second coordinate.

[0051] Step S1062: Based on the first coordinate, the second coordinate, and the preset row and column spacing of the silo on the side where the target silo is located, calculate the theoretical row number and theoretical column number of the target silo.

[0052] Step S1063: If the theoretical row number and theoretical column number of the target silo match the row number and column number in the parsing result, the verification result is determined to be normal index data; otherwise, the verification result is determined to be abnormal index data.

[0053] Assuming the target silo is the first The first side Line 1 The reference silo is the first one. The hopper is located in the first row and first column of the first side. The first coordinate can be obtained by querying the hopper index database. Second coordinate .

[0054] Given the first The preset row spacing of each side feeding hopper is The preset column spacing is The theoretical row number of the target silo can then be calculated using the following formula. and theoretical column number . , .

[0055] if ,and , This indicates the column number in the parsed result. If the row number in the parsed result indicates that the index data is normal, then the verification result is determined to be that the index data is abnormal. If both of the above conditions cannot be met simultaneously, then the verification result is determined to be that the index data is abnormal.

[0056] To ensure the accuracy of the silo index, in one optional embodiment, the present invention further includes the following: Under the condition of meeting the preset triggering conditions, the camera is controlled to acquire images of the preset positioning marks of all reference bins on the item storage cabinet, and the current coordinates of each reference bin are determined based on the image acquisition results. The preset triggering conditions include: triggering at a preset time period, triggering after the stacker crane completes a preset number of storage and retrieval actions, and triggering when an external calibration command is received.

[0057] The current coordinates of each reference silo are compared with the coordinates stored in the silo index database. If there is a silo whose coordinate deviation exceeds a preset threshold, the process returns to step S102 to update the silo index database.

[0058] The above can be understood as calibrating the silo index database. During the calibration process, if the coordinate deviation of any reference silo exceeds the preset threshold, the silo index database needs to be updated to avoid the problem of deviation between the actual coordinates of the silo and the coordinates in the database caused by deformation of the storage cabinet due to external factors.

[0059] In an optional embodiment, before extending the forks in a specified direction to complete the storage / retrieval operation after the stacker crane has moved to the target coordinates, the present invention further includes the following steps: Step S201: The actual position data of the stacker is collected in real time by the position sensor deployed on the stacker.

[0060] Step S202: Compare the actual location data with the target coordinates. If the location deviation exceeds a preset threshold, trigger an alarm and suspend the storage / retrieval operation of the item.

[0061] Installing a position sensor on the stacker crane can verify the accuracy of its movement. If the stacker crane reports that it has moved to the target hopper position according to the instructions, but its actual position data is different from the target coordinates, it indicates that there is a problem with the stacker crane equipment or the track. At this time, an alarm should be triggered and the storage / retrieval operation of the items in the hopper where it is located should be suspended to avoid operational errors.

[0062] In one optional implementation, the silo index database also records the status information of each silo, including: idle / occupied status, temperature and humidity monitoring data, and the most recent operation time, to support inventory management and intelligent scheduling decisions.

[0063] Example 2 This invention also provides a silo indexing device, which is mainly used in a storage cabinet. Each side of the storage cabinet has multiple rows and columns of silos evenly distributed, and the device is used to execute the silo indexing method provided in Embodiment 1 above. The silo indexing device provided in this invention will be described in detail below.

[0064] Figure 3 A functional block diagram of a silo indexing device provided in an embodiment of the present invention is shown below. Figure 3 As shown, the device mainly includes: a first control module 10, a receiving module 20, a parsing and verification module 30, and a second control module 40, wherein: The first control module 10 is used to control the camera installed on the stacker to collect images of the preset positioning marks of each hopper on each side of the item storage cabinet, and to determine the coordinates of each hopper based on the image acquisition results in order to build a hopper index database; the hopper index database stores the mapping relationship between the coordinates of each hopper and the orientation mark, row number and column number of its side.

[0065] The receiving module 20 is used to receive the hopper operation instructions sent by the host computer. The hopper operation instructions include: the orientation mark on the side where the target hopper is located, the row number, the column number, and the storage and retrieval action instructions.

[0066] The parsing and verification module 30 is used to parse the silo operation instructions and verify the silo index database based on the parsing results. If the verification result shows that the index data is normal, the coordinates of the target silo are determined based on the parsing results and the silo index database to obtain the target coordinates.

[0067] The second control module 40 is used to control the stacker crane to move along the guide rail to the target coordinates and drive the forks to extend in the specified direction to complete the storage / retrieval operation of the items.

[0068] This invention provides a silo indexing device. This device controls a camera to capture images of preset positioning markers on each side of the silo and automatically determines the coordinates of each silo, enabling the autonomous construction of a silo index database and ensuring precise alignment of the stacker crane with each silo. After equipment relocation, replacement, or partial maintenance, the silo index database can be quickly rebuilt by re-invoking the first control module, without reprogramming or physical debugging, significantly improving the system's adaptability and ease of maintenance. Furthermore, before performing item storage / retrieval operations, the silo operation instructions issued by the host computer are parsed and verified to prevent the stacker crane from moving to invalid or incorrect silos due to coordinate changes, thereby avoiding safety accidents such as mechanical collisions and fork jamming, significantly improving system stability and operational safety.

[0069] Optionally, the first control module 10 is specifically used for: The pixel differences corresponding to the preset unit lengths of horizontal and vertical movement of the stacker are obtained to obtain the first reference pixel difference and the second reference pixel difference.

[0070] The pixel coordinates of the preset positioning marker are determined based on the image acquisition results of each hopper.

[0071] Based on the first pixel coordinates of the preset positioning mark of the reference hopper, the second pixel coordinates of the preset positioning mark of the specified hopper, the difference between the first reference pixel and the difference between the second reference pixel, it is determined whether the theoretical coordinates of the specified hopper are less than the preset error threshold; the reference hopper refers to any hopper located at the top corner on the target side; the target side refers to any side of the item storage cabinet; the specified hopper refers to any hopper on the target side other than the reference hopper.

[0072] If so, the theoretical coordinates of the specified silo will be stored in the silo index database.

[0073] If not, the theoretical coordinates of the specified silo are corrected based on the first pixel coordinates, the second pixel coordinates, the difference between the first and second reference pixels, the difference between the second and third reference pixels, and the preset error threshold, so that the corrected coordinates are stored in the silo index database.

[0074] Optionally, the parsing and verification module 30 is specifically used for: Extract the coordinates of the target silo and the coordinates of the reference silo on the side of the target silo from the silo index database to obtain the first coordinate and the second coordinate.

[0075] Based on the first coordinate, the second coordinate, and the preset row and column spacing of the silos on the side where the target silo is located, calculate the theoretical row number and theoretical column number of the target silo.

[0076] If the theoretical row and column numbers of the target silo match the row and column numbers in the analysis results, the verification result is determined to be normal index data; otherwise, the verification result is determined to be abnormal index data.

[0077] Optionally, the device is also used for: Under the condition of meeting the preset triggering conditions, the camera is controlled to acquire images of the preset positioning marks of all reference bins on the item storage cabinet, and the current coordinates of each reference bin are determined based on the image acquisition results. The preset triggering conditions include: triggering at a preset time period, triggering after the stacker crane completes a preset number of storage and retrieval actions, and triggering when an external calibration command is received.

[0078] The current coordinates of each reference silo are compared with the coordinates stored in the silo index database. If there is a silo whose coordinate deviation exceeds a preset threshold, the process returns to step S102 to update the silo index database.

[0079] Optionally, after the stacker crane has moved to the target coordinates and before extending the forks in a specified direction to complete the storage / retrieval operation of the items, the device is also used for: The actual position data of the stacker is collected in real time by the position sensors deployed on the stacker.

[0080] The actual location data is compared with the target coordinates. If the location deviation exceeds a preset threshold, an alarm is triggered and the storage / retrieval operation of the item is suspended.

[0081] Optionally, the preset positioning mark is a QR code or a high-contrast geometric mark, which is fixedly set at the entrance of each hopper or on the support structure, and its arrangement meets the requirement that the camera can clearly identify it at a predetermined distance and angle.

[0082] Optionally, the silo index database also records the status information of each silo, including: idle / occupied status, temperature and humidity monitoring data, and the most recent operation time.

[0083] Example 3 See Figure 4 This invention provides an electronic device, which includes a processor 60, a memory 61, a bus 62, and a communication interface 63. The processor 60, the communication interface 63, and the memory 61 are connected via the bus 62. The processor 60 is used to execute executable modules, such as computer programs, stored in the memory 61.

[0084] The memory 61 may include high-speed random access memory (RAM) or non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device. Communication between this system network element and at least one other network element is achieved through at least one communication interface 63 (which can be wired or wireless), such as the Internet, wide area network, local area network, metropolitan area network, etc.

[0085] Bus 62 can be an ISA bus, PCI bus, or EISA bus, etc. The bus can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of representation, Figure 4 The symbol is represented by a single double-headed arrow, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0086] The memory 61 is used to store programs. After receiving an execution instruction, the processor 60 executes the program. The method executed by the apparatus defined by the process disclosed in any of the foregoing embodiments of the present invention can be applied to the processor 60 or implemented by the processor 60.

[0087] Processor 60 may be an integrated circuit with signal processing capabilities. In implementation, the steps of the above methods can be completed by integrated logic circuits in the hardware of processor 60 or by instructions in software form. Processor 60 can be a general-purpose processor, including a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Network Processor (NP), etc.; it can also be a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. It can implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this invention. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of this invention can be directly implemented by a hardware decoding processor, or implemented by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software modules can reside in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, or other mature storage media in the art. The storage medium is located in memory 61. Processor 60 reads the information in memory 61 and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above method.

[0088] The computer program product of the silo indexing method, apparatus and electronic device provided in the embodiments of the present invention includes a computer-readable storage medium storing non-volatile program code executable by a processor. The instructions included in the program code can be used to execute the methods described in the preceding method embodiments. For specific implementation, please refer to the method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0089] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of the present invention can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0090] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a processor-executable, non-volatile, computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this invention, essentially, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this invention. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0091] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0092] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product of this invention is in use. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this invention. In addition, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., are only used to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0093] Furthermore, terms such as "horizontal," "vertical," and "sag" do not imply that components must be absolutely horizontal or suspended, but rather that they can be slightly tilted. For example, "horizontal" simply means that its direction is more horizontal relative to "vertical," and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but can be slightly tilted.

[0094] In the description of this invention, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0095] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A bin indexing method, characterized in that, Applied to a storage cabinet, wherein multiple rows and columns of storage bins are evenly distributed on each side of the storage cabinet, the method includes the following steps: Step S102: Control the camera installed on the stacker to collect images of the preset positioning marks of each hopper on each side of the item storage cabinet, and determine the coordinates of each hopper based on the image collection results to construct a hopper index database; the hopper index database stores the mapping relationship between the coordinates of each hopper and the orientation mark, row number and column number of its side. Step S104: Receive the hopper operation instruction issued by the host computer; the hopper operation instruction includes: the orientation mark, row number, column number and storage / retrieval action instruction of the side where the target hopper is located; Step S106: Parse the silo operation command and verify the silo index database based on the parsing result. If the verification result indicates that the index data is normal, determine the coordinates of the target silo based on the parsing result and the silo index database to obtain the target coordinates. Step S108: Control the stacker crane to move along the guide rail to the target coordinates, and drive the forks to extend in the specified direction to complete the storage / retrieval operation of the items.

2. The silo indexing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, For each side of the storage cabinet, the coordinates of each hopper are determined based on the image acquisition results, including: The pixel difference corresponding to the preset unit length of horizontal and vertical movement of the stacker is obtained to obtain the first reference pixel difference and the second reference pixel difference; The pixel coordinates of the preset positioning marker are determined based on the image acquisition results of each hopper; Based on the first pixel coordinates of the preset positioning mark of the reference hopper, the second pixel coordinates of the preset positioning mark of the specified hopper, the difference between the first reference pixel and the difference between the second reference pixel, it is determined whether the theoretical coordinates of the specified hopper are less than a preset error threshold; the reference hopper refers to any hopper located at the top corner on the target side; the target side refers to any side of the item storage cabinet; the specified hopper refers to any hopper on the target side other than the reference hopper; If so, the theoretical coordinates of the specified silo are stored in the silo index database; If not, the theoretical coordinates of the specified silo are corrected based on the first pixel coordinates, the second pixel coordinates, the difference between the first and second reference pixels, the difference between the second and third reference pixels, and the preset error threshold, so that the corrected coordinates are stored in the silo index database.

3. The silo indexing method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Based on the parsing results, data verification is performed on the silo index database, including: The coordinates of the target silo and the coordinates of the reference silo on the side of the target silo are extracted from the silo index database to obtain the first coordinate and the second coordinate. Based on the first coordinate, the second coordinate, and the preset row and column spacing of the silos on the side where the target silo is located, calculate the theoretical row number and theoretical column number of the target silo; If the theoretical row number and theoretical column number of the target silo match the row number and column number in the parsing result, the verification result is determined to be normal index data; otherwise, the verification result is determined to be abnormal index data.

4. The silo indexing method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Also includes: When the preset triggering conditions are met, the camera is controlled to acquire images of the preset positioning marks of all reference bins on the item storage cabinet, and the current coordinates of each reference bin are determined based on the image acquisition results. The preset triggering conditions include: triggering during a preset time period, triggering after the stacker completes a preset number of storage and retrieval operations, and triggering when an external calibration command is received. The current coordinates of each reference silo are compared with the coordinates stored in the silo index database. If there is a silo whose coordinate deviation value exceeds a preset threshold, the process returns to step S102 to update the silo index database.

5. The silo indexing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, After the stacker crane moves to the target coordinates and before the forks extend in the specified direction to complete the storage / retrieval operation of the items, the procedure also includes: The actual position data of the stacker is collected in real time by the position sensors deployed on the stacker. The actual location data is compared with the target coordinates. If the location deviation exceeds a preset threshold, an alarm is triggered and the storage / retrieval operation of the item is suspended.

6. The bin indexing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The preset positioning mark is a QR code or a high-contrast geometric mark, which is fixedly set at the entrance of each silo or on the support structure, and its arrangement meets the requirement that the camera can clearly identify it at a predetermined distance and angle.

7. The bin indexing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The silo index database also records the status information of each silo, including: idle / occupied status, temperature and humidity monitoring data, and the most recent operation time.

8. A silo indexing device, characterized in that, Applied to a storage cabinet, wherein each side of the storage cabinet has multiple rows and columns of hoppers evenly distributed, including: The first control module is used to control the camera installed on the stacker crane to acquire images of the preset positioning marks of each hopper on each side of the item storage cabinet, and to determine the coordinates of each hopper based on the image acquisition results in order to construct a hopper index database; the hopper index database stores the mapping relationship between the coordinates of each hopper and the orientation mark, row number and column number of its side. The receiving module is used to receive hopper operation instructions issued by the host computer; the hopper operation instructions include: the orientation mark on the side where the target hopper is located, the row number, the column number, and the storage / retrieval action instructions; The parsing and verification module is used to parse the silo operation instructions and verify the data in the silo index database based on the parsing results. If the verification result indicates that the index data is normal, the module determines the coordinates of the target silo based on the parsing results and the silo index database to obtain the target coordinates. The second control module is used to control the stacker crane to move along the guide rail to the target coordinates and drive the forks to extend in a specified direction to complete the storage / retrieval operation of the items.

9. An electronic device comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program executable on the processor, characterized in that, When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the silo indexing method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the silo indexing method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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