Improved intelligent material rack system for stock goods shelf and control method

Abstract

The invention provides a stock goods shelf transformation type intelligent material shelf system and a control method. The control method comprises the steps that an original goods shelf support is reserved, and a plane layer plate is replaced with a storage position mesh piece assembly with the adjustable hole distance so as to form a plurality of independent storage positions; each storage position is provided with a two-dimensional code label which is in one-to-one correspondence with the addressable indicator light module; a lighting instruction issued by the controller realizes lighting guidance of loading, unloading and checking; the handheld terminal scans the material code and the storage position code for re-checking confirmation, and when re-checking is inconsistent, an alarm is triggered and binding updating is forbidden; and network parameter / IP configuration and a test lamp mode are supported, and low-cost upgrading, rapid positioning, mistake proofing and traceable management of stock shelves are realized. According to the invention, the low-cost structure and electric control transformation is carried out on the stock shelf, and independent storage position management of lighting guidance and code scanning recheck is realized, so that the material warehouse-in and warehouse-out and sorting efficiency is obviously improved, misplacement and misplacement are reduced, and the stock traceability is realized.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of intelligent material management, in particular to a stock shelf transformation type intelligent rack system and a control method. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the SMT electronic manufacturing, electronic tray (such as capacitor chip tray) warehousing and spare material scene, the warehouse usually needs to store a large number of different specifications, batches of materials, and the warehouse needs to be put on the shelf, taken off the shelf, spare material distribution, returned to the warehouse and inventory management. With the increase of the number of material SKUs, frequent turnover and the improvement of the control requirements such as first-in-first-out, the dependence of warehouse operation on "fast positioning, fast picking, accurate review, traceable record and real-time inventory" is significantly enhanced.

[0003] A large number of traditional stock shelves are used in existing warehouses as basic bearing equipment. The shelves are mainly flat and the materials are often positioned and taken out by manual experience or paper documents. The deviation between the location information and the actual placement state is easy to occur, which leads to time-consuming material searching, taking and placing errors, and inventory difficulties. In view of the above problems, the industry also has a warehouse transformation idea with "electronic shelf / light picking / barcode or two-dimensional code identification" as the core, which is used to improve the efficiency of shelving, unshelving and spare material, and to realize error-proofing and traceability management.

[0004] However, in the context of a large number of existing stock shelves, directly replacing the old shelves with new intelligent shelves not only involves high procurement costs, but also causes the old shelves to be idle and wasted. Therefore, how to retain the original shelf bracket and realize "single location storage + light guidance + code review + network management" through the transformation of the structure and electrical control module has become an important direction for the intelligent upgrading of stock shelves.

[0005] Disadvantages of the prior art: 1. The traditional stock shelf is mainly flat and cannot realize single tray storage and fast positioning Traditional shelves usually adopt a flat panel structure. Trays on the panel are prone to side-by-side dense, stacked or mixed placement. There is a lack of physical isolation and positioning reference for single tray material, which leads to "difficulty in searching, low efficiency in taking and placing, and easy misplacement". The traditional flat structure needs to be transformed into "a metal mesh structure / inserting a mesh into a hole long strip and fixing it through the hole distance to adapt to different trays". This essentially reflects the problem that the existing flat panel cannot accommodate different specifications of trays.

[0006] 2. On-site management relies on manual and paper documents, the informatization level is low, and the inventory accuracy and traceability are insufficient The existing warehouse management often uses the operation mode of "paper document circulation, manual checking, manual picking / finding", which increases the management difficulty; at the same time, when the information management or digital mapping of the warehouse location is not established, it is difficult to grasp the inventory information in real time, and the inventory is time-consuming and difficult.

[0007] 3. Lack of intuitive operation guidance and foolproof mechanism, easy to take wrong, miss, and put wrong in and out of the warehouse and prepare materials In the traditional shelf or simple identification scheme, the operator needs to rely on memory or list to find the location by himself / herself, the picking path and sequence are not intuitive, and there is a lack of closed-loop control of "error alarm and confirmation after review", which is easy to take wrong and put wrong. In contrast, the existing improvement idea emphasizes the realization of error proofing through "shelf lighting prompt, scanning review, alarm for picking error and return to the original location to cancel the alarm", which shows that the traditional way lacks effective foolproofing.

[0008] 4. The existing electronic shelf / smart rack scheme often relies on the purchase of a new shelf, which is costly and wastes existing assets For a large number of existing shelves, if the "purchase of smart racks for the entire shelf" is used for modification, it usually requires high procurement investment and may result in the idle of old shelves. The scheme data compares the cost difference between "modification of smart racks" and "purchase of smart racks", and points out that the modification method can significantly save costs and avoid the waste of idle old racks, which reflects the shortcomings of the existing "replacement" path in terms of cost and asset utilization.

[0009] 5. The power / network / wiring and address management of the modification implementation lack standardization, affecting the deployment speed and system stability In the multi-shelf networking scenario, the power and network wiring, channel and personnel route, and IP address uniqueness management of controller communication need to be considered comprehensively; otherwise, problems such as messy wiring, communication conflicts, and difficult maintenance may occur. The pre-preparation data clearly points out that the layout needs to consider power and network wiring, fixed racks are suggested to have wired communication with switches / servers, and the "MAC address binding IP" method is suggested to manage IP uniqueness, which reflects the practical pain points of existing schemes in terms of implementation standardization and address management.

[0010] 6. Electronic trays are sensitive to ESD and other environmental requirements, and traditional shelves / temporary modifications may ignore static protection In electronic material storage, static protection is an important factor affecting material quality. The pre-preparation data suggests that "all shelves are connected to ESD static lines", which shows that in traditional shelves or lack of standardized modification, ESD grounding measures are easily missing or not uniform, which poses a quality risk.

[0011] 7. If the power supply and connection method of the light strip, wire harness, and controller are not standardized, it may lead to difficult maintenance and reduced reliability Traditional methods of temporarily adding indicator lights / light strips can lead to problems such as exposed cables, loose connections, and unclear grouping, affecting long-term operation. The document proposes using cable trays to secure power cables / network cables / light strip connections to ensure "aesthetics, neatness, and stable operation," and provides methods such as bundled wiring and connecting control lines to the controller output according to the light group's location. This indirectly reflects the insufficient reliability of wiring and connections in existing technologies.

[0012] Therefore, existing technologies have shortcomings and need further improvement. Summary of the Invention

[0013] To address the problems existing in the prior art, this invention provides an intelligent material rack system and control method for retrofitting existing shelving.

[0014] To achieve the above objectives, the specific solution of the present invention is as follows: This invention provides an intelligent shelving system for retrofitting existing shelving, comprising: Cloud server, client computer, handheld terminal, and at least one set of smart shelving units converted from existing shelving; The intelligent rack includes a rack support, an adjustable interval load-bearing component, light strips corresponding to each storage location, QR code labels for each storage location, and a controller. The adjustable interval bearing component is used to replace the flat pallet of the existing shelving. The spacing of the metal mesh wires is fixed by the adjustable hole spacing limiting structure to form multiple single-pallet independent storage positions. The controller is electrically connected to the light strip and communicates with the client computer or cloud server to illuminate the light corresponding to the target storage location according to the task. Its features also include: the controller includes an instruction verification unit, which performs digital signature verification on the lighting control instructions from the cloud server or client computer, and drives the light strip to perform the lighting / extinguishing / alarm actions only when the signature verification is successful and the anti-replay condition is met.

[0015] Furthermore, the lighting control command includes at least a controller identifier, a task identifier, a target storage location identifier, a lighting action, color parameters, a timestamp, and a random number, and includes a digital signature calculated from the aforementioned fields; the anti-replay conditions include: a monotonic counter increment check and / or a check that the random number does not repeat within a preset window.

[0016] Furthermore, the controller is configured with an event chain recording unit, which is used to generate event records for events such as listing and binding, delisting and unbinding, review failure, exception resolution, inventory confirmation, and mode switching. The controller calculates a chain hash value according to the "previous event hash and current event digest hash", writes the chain hash value into the event record, and sends it back to the cloud server for audit verification.

[0017] Furthermore, the controller is configured with an offline fault-tolerant unit, which is used to enter offline mode when an interruption in communication with the cloud server is detected; in offline mode, the verified and confirmed task instructions and / or event records are written to the local cache, and the cached content is reported to the cloud server to perform reconciliation and consolidation after communication is restored.

[0018] Furthermore, the reconciliation and consolidation includes at least: matching the server-side final results with task identifiers and material identifiers; and generating a review task and requiring rescanning of the storage location QR code and pallet barcode to form a decision event when the controller-side cached event conflicts with the server-side result.

[0019] Furthermore, the cloud server is configured with a rack twin model unit to construct a topology graph model with storage locations as nodes, and to record the hierarchy, column position and spatial coordinate information of the nodes for use in picking sequence calculation.

[0020] Furthermore, the cloud server is configured with a task scheduling optimization unit, which is used to calculate the picking sequence and lighting cycle time for the picking task set based on the topology graph model. The lighting cycle time is used to define the lighting order and lighting window duration of the lights in each target storage location. The picking sequence satisfies the first-in-first-out (FIFO) constraint and / or the material station table order constraint, and the minimum walking distance or walking time is one of the optimization objectives.

[0021] This invention also provides a method for controlling intelligent shelving systems that retrofit existing shelving units. Based on the above system, the method is characterized by comprising: S1, Establish storage location master data: Generate storage location codes for each storage location and create storage location QR code identifiers, and establish a mapping relationship of "storage location code - light address - controller identifier"; S2, Command Issuance: The cloud server or client computer generates a lighting control command containing a digital signature and sends it to the controller; S3, Command Verification: The controller verifies the signature and anti-replay of the light control command. If the verification is successful, the controller will perform the light-on / light-off / alarm action. S4, Scan and verify: The handheld terminal scans the barcode of the material tray and the QR code of the storage location to complete the binding of the shelf or the unbinding of the shelf, and sends the operation results back to the cloud server to form an event record; S5, Event Chain Record: The controller or cloud server generates a chain hash for the event record and uses it for audit verification.

[0022] Furthermore, when the controller detects a communication interruption and enters offline mode, it writes the verified and confirmed task instructions and event records into the local cache; after communication is restored, it reports to the cache and performs reconciliation and merging. When a conflict occurs, a review task is generated and a decision event is formed by scanning the code again.

[0023] Furthermore, the cloud server performs multi-objective optimization on the picking task set based on the rack twin model, outputs the picking sequence and lighting rhythm, and generates lighting control instructions to make the warehouse lights light up sequentially or in groups according to the picking sequence.

[0024] The technical solution of this invention has the following beneficial effects: 1. Low-cost intelligent upgrade of existing shelving to avoid asset waste. By retaining the original shelf supports and replacing the original flat shelves with a wire mesh structure for storing SMT trays, the existing shelves can be upgraded, thereby achieving intelligent management while significantly reducing the cost of the upgrade and avoiding the waste of old shelves.

[0025] 2. Implement "individual storage for each disk" to shorten the time for searching and retrieving. The mesh structure creates clear physical boundaries for each storage location, enabling each tray of material to be stored in its own location, reducing the difficulty of finding items caused by mixed or stacked storage, and improving retrieval efficiency.

[0026] 3. Adjustable hole spacing, compatible with different sized trays and improving versatility for modification. By using the method of "inserting wires into perforated strips for fixation and adjusting the spacing between wires / metal strips with different hole spacings", different sizes / specifications of material trays can be quickly adapted, improving the versatility and scalability of the same modified structure in different material tray scenarios.

[0027] 4. Precise lighting guidance reduces reliance on human experience and walking time. Each storage location is equipped with RGB lights that illuminate as needed, transforming tasks such as warehousing, material preparation, and material replacement from "manual searching" to "light-guided positioning," thereby significantly shortening the path for finding and picking materials.

[0028] 5. A closed-loop system of "light-on + QR code verification + alarm" prevents mistaken placement, incorrect retrieval, or omission. Each storage location is equipped with a unique QR code, and PDA scanning completes the confirmation of putting / taking off the shelf; if the material is picked up incorrectly, an alarm can be triggered and the material can be returned to its original location to clear the alarm, thus forming a closed loop of error prevention at the process level and reducing the rate of human error.

[0029] 6. Inventory is available in real time and fully traceable, supporting FIFO and inventory aging management. The system can record material placement time, storage location binding relationship, operation content and frequency, generate detailed inbound and outbound records, realize real-time inventory query and accurate traceability, and support FIFO strategy and inventory age management to reduce the risk of obsolete materials.

[0030] 7. Can integrate with MES / ERP systems, reducing the cost of switching between multiple systems. It supports integration with ERP / MES to achieve data interconnection; and can complete guidance by calling the "material finding light interface" of the existing material loading PDA program, avoiding employees having to switch repeatedly between multiple software programs.

[0031] 8. Standardized power supply and wiring improve long-term stability and maintainability. Power cords, network cables, and LED strip connection cables are fixed in cable trays and routed in bundles. The positive and negative terminals of the LED group are directly connected to the main power supply, and the control lines are connected to the controller output terminal according to the position of the LED group. The wiring is more organized, reducing the probability of malfunctions such as loosening and misconnection, and facilitating maintenance.

[0032] 9. Supports large-scale network and address management, reducing conflict risks. The fixed racks can be connected to the switch and server via wired connection, and the PDA can access the industrial wireless network. The uniqueness of IP addresses for multiple racks is ensured by binding IP addresses to MAC addresses, and IP settings can be configured on the controller side for easy replication and deployment.

[0033] 10. Provides a test light mode for easy and quick location of LED strip / circuit faults. The controller supports switching to test light mode, which allows the light strip to run in a continuous light pattern. This can be used for installation, commissioning, and troubleshooting, reducing maintenance time and downtime.

[0034] 11. Balancing electrostatic protection for electronic materials with efficient on-site workflow. During the renovation, all shelves can be connected to ESD wires to reduce the risk of static electricity; the layout plan takes into account the power / network cabling and aisle width, and uses top indicator lights to facilitate visual positioning of shelf locations, thereby improving the overall efficiency and standardization of on-site operations. Attached Figure Description

[0035] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the present invention; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A magnified view of a portion of the image; Figure 3 This is a circuit connection diagram of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the adjustable interval bearing component of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a side view of the adjustable interval bearing assembly of the present invention; Figure 6 These are before-and-after comparison images of the present invention. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the correspondence between the LED beads on the LED strip and the positions of the inventory QR code markings in this invention; Attached image captions: 1. Adjustable interval load-bearing components; 2. LED strip lights; 3. Warehouse location QR code labels. Detailed Implementation

[0036] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely for explaining the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. It should also be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts related to the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, and not all of them.

[0037] Combination Figures 1-7 As shown, the present invention provides an intelligent shelving system for converting existing shelving into smart shelving, comprising: Cloud server, client computer, handheld terminal, and at least one set of smart shelving units converted from existing shelving; The intelligent rack includes a rack support, an adjustable interval load-bearing component, light strips corresponding to each storage location, QR code labels for each storage location, and a controller. The adjustable interval bearing component is used to replace the flat pallet of the existing shelving. The spacing of the metal mesh wires is fixed by the adjustable hole spacing limiting structure to form multiple single-pallet independent storage positions. The controller is electrically connected to the light strip and communicates with the client computer or cloud server to illuminate the light corresponding to the target storage location according to the task. Its features also include: the controller includes an instruction verification unit, which performs digital signature verification on the lighting control instructions from the cloud server or client computer, and drives the light strip to perform the lighting / extinguishing / alarm actions only when the signature verification is successful and the anti-replay condition is met.

[0038] The lighting control command includes at least a controller identifier, a task identifier, a target storage location identifier, a lighting action, color parameters, a timestamp, and a random number, and includes a digital signature calculated from the aforementioned fields; the anti-replay conditions include: a monotonic counter increment check and / or a check that the random number does not repeat within a preset window.

[0039] The controller is configured with an event chain recording unit, which is used to generate event records for events such as listing and binding, delisting and unbinding, review failure, exception resolution, inventory confirmation, and mode switching. The controller calculates a chain hash value based on the hash of the previous event and the hash of the current event summary, writes the chain hash value into the event record, and sends it back to the cloud server for audit verification.

[0040] The controller is configured with an offline fault-tolerant unit, which is used to enter offline mode when an interruption in communication with the cloud server is detected; in offline mode, the verified and confirmed task instructions and / or event records are written to the local cache, and the cached content is reported to the cloud server to perform reconciliation and consolidation after communication is restored.

[0041] The reconciliation and consolidation includes at least: matching the server-side final results with task identifiers and material identifiers; and generating a review task and requiring rescanning of the storage location QR code and pallet barcode to form a decision event when the controller-side cached event conflicts with the server-side result.

[0042] The cloud server is configured with a rack twin model unit to construct a topology graph model with storage locations as nodes, and to record the hierarchy, column position and spatial coordinate information of the nodes for use in picking sequence calculation.

[0043] The cloud server is configured with a task scheduling optimization unit, which is used to calculate the picking sequence and lighting cycle time for the picking task set based on the topology graph model. The lighting cycle time is used to define the lighting order and lighting window duration of the lights in each target storage location. The picking sequence satisfies the first-in-first-out (FIFO) constraint and / or the material station table order constraint, and the minimum walking distance or walking time is one of the optimization objectives.

[0044] This invention also provides a method for controlling intelligent shelving systems that retrofit existing shelving units, based on the aforementioned system, comprising: S1, Establish storage location master data: Generate storage location codes for each storage location and create storage location QR code identifiers, and establish a mapping relationship of "storage location code - light address - controller identifier"; S2, Command Issuance: The cloud server or client computer generates a lighting control command containing a digital signature and sends it to the controller; S3, Command Verification: The controller verifies the signature and anti-replay of the light control command. If the verification is successful, the controller will perform the light-on / light-off / alarm action. S4, Scan and verify: The handheld terminal scans the barcode of the material tray and the QR code of the storage location to complete the binding of the shelf or the unbinding of the shelf, and sends the operation results back to the cloud server to form an event record; S5, Event Chain Record: The controller or cloud server generates a chain hash for the event record and uses it for audit verification.

[0045] When the controller detects a communication interruption and enters offline mode, it writes the verified and confirmed task instructions and event records to the local cache. After communication is restored, it reports to the cache and performs reconciliation and merging. When a conflict occurs, a review task is generated and a decision event is formed by scanning the code again.

[0046] The cloud server performs multi-objective optimization on the picking task set based on the rack twin model, outputs the picking sequence and lighting rhythm, and generates lighting control instructions to make the warehouse lights light up sequentially or in groups according to the picking sequence.

[0047] Working principle: I. Overall Working Principle (Structural Modification + Electrical Control Guidance + QR Code Verification Closed Loop) This invention takes the existing shelving support as a premise and modifies the load-bearing structure of each layer: the original flat shelf is replaced with a storage mesh structure formed by spaced metal mesh / metal strips. The mesh wires (or metal strips) are inserted into the perforated strips and the spacing is adjusted by different hole spacing, thereby forming multiple independent storage spaces and adapting to different specifications of trays.

[0048] Each floor has an indicator light module (light strip / light bar) on its side to achieve "one light, one storage location"; a corresponding QR code label is set next to each light for unique identification of the storage location.

[0049] A controller is installed on the top of the shelf. The controller is connected to the light strip and receives the light-on / alarm / off commands issued by the host computer. The controller communicates with the client computer, which in turn communicates with the cloud server (server side). The handheld terminal communicates with the cloud server via WiFi, thus forming a closed-loop operation link of "server decision-making - controller execution - light guidance - barcode verification - data write-back".

[0050] II. Power Supply and Wiring Principles (Stable Power Supply + Group Control) The system uses mains power and outputs DC power (5V / 10A in the example) through the power control module to power the lamps. The material rack uses a bundled wiring method. The positive and negative terminals of the lamps are directly connected to the main power supply. The control lines are connected to the corresponding output terminals of the controller according to the position of the lamps. The negative terminal of the controller input terminal is connected to the negative terminal of the main power supply to ensure that the power supply and signal reference are consistent and the operation is stable.

[0051] For ease of implementation and maintenance, power cords, network cables, and LED strip connection cables can be fixed via cable trays; the fixed material rack is preferably connected to a wired switch for communication with the server, and the PDA is connected to the industrial wireless network.

[0052] III. Communication and Address Management Principles (Multi-rack Parallel and Scalable) When deploying multiple racks, to avoid address conflicts and facilitate operation and maintenance management, the uniqueness of the smart rack IP is managed by binding the MAC address to the IP. The controller provides an IP address setting entry, and on-site personnel can press a button to enter the network settings and complete the IP writing and saving.

[0053] IV. Warehouse Storage and Shelving Operation Principles (Recommended Storage Location / Light-up Guidance / Bar Scan Binding) When materials are received and put into storage, the handheld terminal scans the barcode of the pallet / material and interacts with the server. The server recommends an empty storage location that meets the criteria based on the storage strategy (such as region, attribute, size, etc.) and sends a lighting command to the controller to make the indicator light corresponding to the target storage location light up. After the operator puts the pallet in according to the light prompt, he scans the QR code of the storage location with the handheld terminal to confirm. After the verification is consistent, the server writes the "material-storage location" binding relationship and updates the inventory status.

[0054] For continuous shelving scenarios, the system can scan the QR code of the starting storage location only for the first pallet, and then automatically recommend subsequent storage locations and light them up in sequence, improving the efficiency of batch shelving.

[0055] V. Outbound and Removal Working Principle (Task Triggering / Sequential Lighting / Verification Alarm) When items are taken out of the warehouse, the handheld terminal scans the barcode on the outbound document or receives the picking task; the server determines the storage location of the target material and generates a lighting sequence based on the work order material station list order or FIFO strategy, and issues a lighting command to make the corresponding storage locations light up sequentially or simultaneously; the operator picks the item according to the lighting prompt and then scans the pallet barcode for verification. If the verification is inconsistent, an alarm is triggered, prompting the item to be returned to its original storage location and scan the storage location code to clear the alarm; if the verification is successful, the lights are turned off and the inventory status is updated.

[0056] VI. Principles of Extended Operations such as Inventory / Material Change (Light Positioning + Barcode Scanning Confirmation + Real-time Data Feedback) In daily operations such as inventory counting, material replacement, and material return to the warehouse, the server can send inventory / material replacement tasks to the field, and the controller can light up the target storage location for quick location; the field scans the code to send back the inventory results or material replacement confirmation information, and the server updates the inventory and traceability records in real time, realizing closed-loop management of "task issuance - field execution - result writing".

[0057] VII. Debugging and Fault Detection Principles (Quick Fault Location Using Test Lamp Mode) To facilitate installation, commissioning, and troubleshooting, the controller supports mode switching: when switched to Testlight mode, the LED strip runs in a continuous light pattern, which can be used to check for abnormalities in the LED strip, wiring harness, power supply, and control signals; when switched back to normal operating mode, the stored points are lit according to the server's instructions.

[0058] VIII. Safety and On-site Adaptation Principles (ESD and Traffic Flow) When implementing the layout, the power and network cabling should be planned in a coordinated manner, and the width of the aisles should be reserved. It is also recommended that all shelves be connected to ESD anti-static cables to meet the site requirements of electronic material storage.

[0059] Example 1: 1. Target of renovation and overall configuration (1) Select a set of existing shelves as the object of renovation, retain the shelf support, and install a controller on the top of the shelf to facilitate centralized wiring and visual positioning of the top indicator light.

[0060] (2) Number of shelf layers: In this embodiment, 7 layers are used as an example. Each layer is divided into two groups of light strips (L1~L7 and R1~R7) on the left and right. In other embodiments, the number of layers can be adjusted to 4 or 6 layers according to the height of the material and the type of the tray.

[0061] (3) Passage and layout: 80cm aisle between shelves is reserved for employees to shuttle and pick up materials; the office area should be able to see the indicator lights on the top of the shelves directly so as to quickly locate the shelves.

[0062] 2. Installation of adjustable interval support components (replacing the tray) (1) Remove the original flat pallets from the existing shelving (or remove the pallets from the support position).

[0063] (2) Install stainless steel mesh (such as stainless steel double peak mesh) on each layer as a bearing surface; set a fixing rod on the top or side of the stainless steel mesh, and open multiple sets of mounting holes along the length of the fixing rod.

[0064] (3) Set the storage interval according to the target tray width: Select the target hole spacing on the fixing rod; Insert adjacent mesh wires into the corresponding mounting holes and lock them in place to create vertical / slanted separation between the mesh wires; A storage space is formed between two adjacent wires, and each storage space holds only one tray, achieving single-tray independent storage.

[0065] (4) Verification: Check the consistency of wire spacing, the reliability of locking and the stability of material tray placement layer by layer to ensure that no wire displacement or storage position misalignment occurs under maximum load conditions.

[0066] 3. Storage location configuration of light strips and QR codes (1) Light strip installation: Light strips are arranged along the storage location on the side of each floor so that the light-emitting units of the light strips correspond one-to-one with the storage locations; that is, "each light corresponds to one storage location".

[0067] (2) QR code installation: Fix a storage location QR code label next to each light. The QR code content is the storage location code (e.g., W1A02-03-4-005), which serves as the unique storage location identifier of the system.

[0068] (3) LED strip connection: The LED strips in the same group are connected in series using three-pin connectors; The lamp groups are connected by terminal wires; During installation, the signal flow direction must be determined according to the direction markings (arrows) on the light strip to avoid incorrect signal direction causing misalignment of the light projection.

[0069] 4. Power supply, wiring and grounding (including parameters) (1) Power supply: AC220V mains power supply is used; it is recommended to run the cable from the ceiling to the socket or distribution point near the material rack.

[0070] (2) Main power supply module: In this embodiment, the main power supply converts AC220V to DC5V to power the lamp group; the rated current can be selected according to the size of the lamp group (e.g., 10A or larger current specification).

[0071] (3) Controller power supply: When the controller's operating voltage requirement is higher than 5V (e.g., >6V), a separate DC12V power supply is configured for the controller, while the lamp group is still powered by the DC5V main power supply (both have the same negative ground).

[0072] (4) Wiring harness and wiring: power cords, network cables, and light strip control cables are fixed together through cable trays; cable ties, self-tapping screws and other auxiliary materials are used to fix the cable trays. Tools such as scissors, 6-inch wire cutters, and electric screwdrivers can be used.

[0073] (5) ESD grounding: All rack supports are connected to the ESD static electricity line to the factory grounding point to ensure static electricity safety.

[0074] 5. Network and IP Configuration (1) Fixed rack communication: The controller communicates with the switch / server via a wired network cable. It is recommended to run the wiring synchronously with the power supply.

[0075] (2) PDA wireless: The handheld terminal connects to the industrial wireless network (2.4G / 5G are both acceptable), and the WiFi encryption mode is WPA2-PSK.

[0076] (3) IP uniqueness: The controller IP is managed by binding the MAC address to the IP address, and an IP address list is prepared in advance.

[0077] (4) Controller IP setting steps: Press any key to turn on the screen in standby mode → Press the middle key to enter SETUP → Select SetupNetwork → Enter SetupipAddress → Use the left and right keys to switch fields and the up and down keys to increase or decrease numbers → Press and hold the middle key to save and return.

[0078] 6. Server and handheld terminal software environment (1) Server: Select an independent office computer as the server. Recommended configuration: Win10 or above, 8GB RAM, wired network port for connecting to the material rack, and install office software and remote maintenance software (such as Sunflower / Todesk).

[0079] (2) Handheld terminal: Android system, APP supports versions 7.0 to 9.0, used for barcode scanning and light-up guidance operations for loading and unloading; the light-up interface can also be called by the customer's existing SMT loading program to reduce the need for multiple software switching.

[0080] 7. Storage location master data creation and light mapping calibration (1) Establish storage location codes: Assign codes to each storage location according to the rule of “Area-Shelves-Tier-Position”, and print QR code labels and paste them next to the corresponding lights.

[0081] (2) Light mapping: Enter the correspondence between the light serial number (or address) of each cell in each layer and the storage location code in the system.

[0082] (3) Test light calibration: Switch the controller to Testlight mode and run the light strip in a continuous flow; observe whether each layer of light strip is continuous and whether there are any broken lights / reverse / interchange. After switching back to Semantic normal mode, perform a single storage point lighting test and check the consistency of "light lighting - QR code position - storage position" grid by grid.

[0083] 8. Shelving operation process (warehousing / returning materials and shelving, closed-loop verification) (1) The operator selects "scan and put on the shelf" on the handheld terminal.

[0084] (2) Scan the barcode on the pallet; scan the QR code of the starting storage location for the first pallet; the system verifies whether the material attributes match the storage location according to the shelving strategy: If the location does not match: The handheld terminal will display an error message and request that the storage location be selected again; If a match is found: the system issues a light-on command to illuminate the light in that storage location.

[0085] (3) After the operator puts the material tray into the lit storage location, he / she scans the QR code of the storage location again to confirm; the system writes the binding relationship: {material tray ID, storage location code, shelving timestamp, shelving type (receipt / return / batch / special)} and generates a detailed shelving record.

[0086] (4) Continue scanning the next tray: The system automatically recommends adjacent empty slots and lights them up according to the principle of progressive / saturated storage. The operator places the tray and scans the code to confirm until the batch is put on the shelf.

[0087] 9. Outbound picking process (material issuance / work order material requisition, error prevention and FIFO) (1) The operator scans the barcode on the outbound document using a handheld terminal; the system determines whether a work order has been issued for material requisition. If it is a work order: light up the lights at each storage location in the order of the material station list to indicate picking; Otherwise: all material locations in the document will be illuminated to indicate where they need to be picked.

[0088] (2) After the operator retrieves the pallet from the illuminated storage location, they scan the pallet barcode for verification: Review passed: The system unbinds the device, records the removal time, and generates an outbound detail. Verification failed: The system alarm prompts that the material tray should be returned to its original location and the location QR code should be scanned to clear the alarm before the material can be retrieved again.

[0089] (3) FIFO: When there are multiple pallets available for the same material, the system will prioritize lighting up the pallet with the longer storage age and provide a suggested picking order.

[0090] 10. Optional expansion (inventory / return / MES integration) (1) Inventory: The system can generate warehouse inventory / location inventory / batch inventory tasks and send them to handheld terminals; operators scan the barcodes one by one according to the task to check the inventory discrepancies and generate reports and support review processing.

[0091] (2) Returning materials: After the work order is completed, you can choose to update the quantity by "system calculates remaining materials" or "manual / equipment count remaining materials" before returning materials to the shelf.

[0092] (3) MES / SMT integration: The handheld terminal or existing loading program can call the light-up interface to realize quick material finding and material replacement at the line edge to prevent errors.

[0093] Example 2: 1. System Structure and Target of Modification A set of existing shelving units was selected for renovation. The shelving frames were retained, and the original flat pallets on each shelf were replaced with "adjustable interval load-bearing components." These components consisted of stainless steel mesh (such as stainless steel double-peak mesh) and perforated fixing rods. The fixing rods had multiple rows of mounting holes, and the stainless steel mesh wires were inserted into the corresponding holes and locked in place. This allowed for the mesh wire spacing to be fixed by varying the hole spacing, thus creating multiple single-pallet storage locations (one pallet per interval). This structure is consistent with the renovation of "metal mesh + perforated strip fixing, with adjustable hole spacing to adapt to different pallets."

[0094] Each storage location is equipped with an RGB light (storage location light) on the side, and a storage location QR code (or barcode) is affixed next to the RGB light as a unique identifier for the storage location; handheld terminals are used to scan the material tray barcode and storage location QR code to complete the binding / unbinding of the shelving.

[0095] In this embodiment, the light strips are arranged in the manner of "two sets of light strips on the left and right sides of each layer". The number of shelf layers can be adjusted to 4 or 6 layers (or equivalent adjustment) according to the height of the materials. This does not affect the instruction verification, offline fault tolerance and twin optimization logic of this embodiment.

[0096] 2. Power supply, wiring and cabling (1) Power supply: AC220V mains power supply is adopted; the main power module converts the mains power to DC5V and provides 10A current for the lamp group power supply.

[0097] (2) Wiring of lamp group: The material rack uses a bundled wiring harness. The positive and negative terminals of the lamp group are directly connected to the main power supply. The control line is connected to the output terminal of the corresponding controller according to the position of the lamp group. The negative terminal of the controller input terminal is connected to the negative terminal of the main power supply (common ground).

[0098] (3) Light strip connection: The light strips in the same group are connected by a 3-pin connector, and the light groups are connected by a terminal wire; when installing, confirm the signal flow direction according to the arrow direction to avoid misalignment of the warehouse light address.

[0099] (4) Cable tray fixing: power cord, network cable, and light strip connection wire are connected and fixed through cable tray; auxiliary materials include cable ties, cable trays, self-tapping screws, etc., and tools include scissors, 6-inch pliers, electric drills, etc.

[0100] (5) ESD: Connect all shelves to the ESD static electricity line to the factory grounding point.

[0101] (6) Controller power supply (optional): When the controller's operating voltage requirement is higher than 5V, a separate DC12V power supply can be configured to power the controller; the lamp group is still powered by the DC5V main power supply (both have the same negative ground). This power supply is an optional implementation method in this embodiment and is used to improve the stability of the controller.

[0102] 3. Network Deployment and IP Configuration (1) Layout and passage: The placement of the material racks should take into account the power and network cabling; 80cm should be reserved between the racks for employees to shuttle and retrieve materials; the indicator lights on the top of the material racks should be visible at a glance in the office area for quick location.

[0103] (2) Network: The fixed rack controller uses a wired connection to communicate with the switch and the server. It is recommended to run the cable together with the power cord. The handheld terminal is connected to the industrial wireless network (2.4G / 5G is acceptable). The WiFi encryption mode is WPA2-PSK.

[0104] (3) IP uniqueness: The IP of the smart rack is managed by binding the MAC address to the IP, and an IP address list is prepared.

[0105] (4) Steps for setting the static IP of the controller: Press any key to turn on the screen while in standby mode → Press the middle key to enter SETUP → Select SetupNetwork → Enter SetupipAddress → Use the left and right keys to switch fields and the up and down keys to increase or decrease numbers → Press and hold the middle key to save and return.

[0106] 4. Command verification and replay protection To ensure that the light-up instructions are not forged or replayed, this embodiment implements an "instruction verification unit" in the controller and an "instruction signature unit" on the server side.

[0107] (1) Key configuration (one-time initialization) The server generates an elliptic curve signature key pair (example uses ECDSAP-256): the server stores the private key SK; the controller stores the public key PK (written to the read-only configuration area).

[0108] Each controller is assigned a unique ctrl_id, and its binding relationship with rack_id, IP, and MAC is recorded on the server side.

[0109] (2) Command Message Format (CMD) Each light control command issued by the server uses a structured message (e.g., JSON or CBOR encoded) and contains at least: rack_id, ctrl_id, task_id, slot_id (slot code), light_action, color_rgb, t_issue (millisecond timestamp), nonce (8-byte random number), ctr (32-bit monotonic counter), sig (signature).

[0110] in sig=Sign(SK,Hash(rack_id|ctrl_id|task_id|slot_id|light_action|color_rgb|t_issue|nonce|ctr)), the Hash example uses SHA-256.

[0111] (3) Controller verification and anti-replay rules After receiving the CMD, the controller first calculates the digest and verifies the signature using the PK. If the signature verification fails, the digest is discarded and a "signature verification failure event" is generated.

[0112] Replay prevention check: The controller maintains a set of ctr_last and nonces within the most recent window W (example W=256). If ctr <= ctr_last or nonce is repeated within the window, it is judged as a replay / repeated delivery, execution is refused and a "replay rejection event" is generated.

[0113] Time window verification (optional): If |t_now-t_issue|>30s, execution is rejected to limit the risk of old instructions in offline environments.

[0114] 5. Event Hash Chain Auditing The controller generates event logs E for critical operation events: event_type, rack_id, ctrl_id, slot_id, material_id, user_id, t_event, result, detail.

[0115] The controller maintains a chained hash: Initially, H0 = SHA256(ctrl_id|boot_nonce); The i-th event: Hi = SHA256(Hi-1|SHA256(Ei)); The "Hi" value is then written to the event log and uploaded to the server. The server recalculates and verifies the data in chronological order. If a broken chain or inconsistent hash is found, it determines that there is a missing / tampered value and triggers an audit alert.

[0116] 6. Offline fault tolerance and degradation with online reconciliation (1) Offline determination A heartbeat mechanism is set up between the controller and the server (every 1 second in the example). If no ACK is received from the server for 10 consecutive seconds (T_off=10 seconds), the controller enters offline mode.

[0117] (2) Offline caching The controller uses local non-volatile memory (e.g., SPIFlash ≥ 8MB) to establish a circular cache: CMD_cache: The most recent N=1024 CMD entries that are "verified and executed / pending execution"; Event_cache: The most recent M=2048 event records and their corresponding hash chain values ​​Hi.

[0118] (3) Offline execution boundary If a task that was issued and verified before going offline has not yet been completed: the controller allows the CMD_cache button to continue maintaining the lighting / blinking rhythm; For actions that require server confirmation of inventory changes: the controller only records the "Pending Confirmation Event" (result=Pending) and prompts the operator to complete the barcode scanning verification (the barcode scanning result is still recorded in Event_cache), but does not make the final inventory decision locally.

[0119] (4) Restore account reconciliation online After communication is restored, the controller reports the Event_cache and the latest H_prev to the server; the server merges them according to task_id + material_id. If the server already has a final OK record: mark the corresponding Pending record on the controller as "re-transmission / duplicate" without changing the final inventory; If the server has no record or the record conflicts with the controller: the server issues a "review task", requiring the operator to rescan the storage location QR code and the material tray barcode to form a decision event, and write the decision event into the hash chain as the final result.

[0120] 7. Digital Twin and Operations Research Optimization for Generating Lighting Beats (1) Establishment of twin model The server establishes a database topology graph G=(V,E): Node V: Each storage location is a node, and the node attributes include... The four-level fields are Area / Shelves / Tier / Position (e.g., W1A02-03-4-005), left and right group labels, and coordinates (x, y, z); the storage location coding hierarchy is defined according to “Area, Shelves, Tier, Position”.

[0121] Edge E: Establish reachable edges for adjacent storage locations on the same floor, aisle nodes between upper and lower floors, and entrance / exit nodes; the edge weight is the estimated walking time (example: weight of adjacent edges on the same floor = 0.8s, weight of edge for changing between upper and lower floors = 2.5s, weight of edge from entrance / exit to target shelf is calculated based on the on-site aisle length; aisle width constraint is set to 80cm for multi-person operation avoidance strategy).

[0122] (2) Optimize input and constraints For a single picking task set S={slot_id}, the server simultaneously obtains: FIFO constraint: Prioritize picking pallets with longer inventory ages; Work order material station list sequence constraints (if it is work order material preparation); Shortest path objective: Minimize total walking time.

[0123] (3) Optimize the solution and output The server uses a heuristic algorithm based on "constraint priority + shortest path" to generate the sequence π: First, generate a candidate queue based on the FIFO / material station table; Then, based on G, Dijkstra's algorithm is used to calculate the shortest cost from the current point to each candidate storage location, and the storage location with the lowest cost is selected as the next picking point. Repeat until the task set is complete.

[0124] Output: Picking sequence π=[slot1,slot2,...] and lighting time Δt (Example: each storage location's window lights up for 15 seconds; if the barcode is scanned within the window and OK, the light immediately turns off and the next storage location lights up; if the barcode is not scanned within the time limit, a flashing prompt is displayed and an exception handling message pops up on the handheld terminal).

[0125] The server generates a CMD based on this and signs and issues it. After the controller verifies the signature, it lights up the corresponding storage location lights in sequence according to the rhythm.

[0126] 8. Shelf / Removal Procedures (Closed-loop review, clear actions) (1) Shelving (shelving upon receipt of goods / shelving upon return of materials / shelving in batches, etc.) The operator selects "scan to put on the shelf" on the handheld terminal and scans the barcode of the pallet; the first pallet scans the QR code of the starting storage location; the system checks the matching, and if it does not match, it alarms and prompts the operator to select a storage location again; if it matches, it issues the order and lights up the storage location light; after the pallet is placed in the storage location, the operator scans the storage location QR code again to confirm the binding; the system records the put-on event and writes it into the hash chain.

[0127] All of the above-mentioned CMD activations require signature verification by the controller and passing the replay protection test before execution.

[0128] (2) Removal from shelves (removal from warehouse / material requisition for work orders) The operator scans the barcode on the outbound document; the system determines whether it is a material requisition for a work order: if so, it lights up the storage locations one by one according to the material station list; otherwise, it lights up all the storage locations for the materials in the order; the operator retrieves the materials according to the light prompts and scans the material tray for verification; if the material is retrieved incorrectly, an alarm is triggered, requiring the material to be returned to its original storage location and the storage location code to be scanned to clear the alarm; the system records the delisting event and writes it into the hash chain.

[0129] 9. Debugging and Troubleshooting (1) LED strip and address calibration The controller enters Testlight mode, and the LED strip runs in sequential mode to check for broken lights / incorrect direction / misalignment; after confirming that there are no problems, it switches back to Semantic normal operation mode.

[0130] (2) Mode switching steps In standby mode, press any key → SETUP → SetupDevice → RunMode → select Testlight or Semantic → long press the middle key to save and return.

[0131] (3) Safety alarm If the controller continuously displays "signature verification failure / replay rejection" events ≥ 5 times per minute, the controller enters protection mode: it stops executing new lighting commands, only retains alarm flashing and reports to the server, requiring the administrator to check key configuration, network environment or abnormal terminals.

[0132] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural transformations made under the inventive concept of the present invention using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A smart shelving system for retrofitting existing shelving, characterized in that, include: Cloud server, client computer, handheld terminal, and at least one set of smart shelving units converted from existing shelving; The intelligent rack includes a rack support, an adjustable interval load-bearing component, light strips corresponding to each storage location, QR code labels for each storage location, and a controller. The adjustable interval bearing component is used to replace the flat pallet of the existing shelving. The spacing of the metal mesh wires is fixed by the adjustable hole spacing limiting structure to form multiple single-pallet independent storage positions. The controller is electrically connected to the light strip and communicates with the client computer or cloud server to illuminate the light corresponding to the target storage location according to the task. Its features also include: the controller includes an instruction verification unit, which performs digital signature verification on the lighting control instructions from the cloud server or client computer, and drives the light strip to perform the lighting / extinguishing / alarm actions only when the signature verification is successful and the anti-replay condition is met.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lighting control command includes at least a controller identifier, a task identifier, a target storage location identifier, a lighting action, color parameters, a timestamp, and a random number, and includes a digital signature calculated from the aforementioned fields; The anti-replay conditions include: a monotonic counter increment check and / or a check that the random number does not repeat within a preset window.

3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The controller is configured with an event chain recording unit, which is used to generate event records for events such as listing and binding, delisting and unbinding, review failure, exception resolution, inventory confirmation, and mode switching. The controller calculates a chain hash value based on the hash of the previous event and the hash of the current event summary, writes the chain hash value into the event record, and sends it back to the cloud server for audit verification.

4. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The controller is configured with an offline fault-tolerant unit, which is used to enter offline mode when an interruption in communication with the cloud server is detected; in offline mode, the verified and confirmed task instructions and / or event records are written to the local cache, and the cached content is reported to the cloud server to perform reconciliation and consolidation after communication is restored.

5. The system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The reconciliation and consolidation includes at least: matching the server-side final results with task identifiers and material identifiers; and generating a review task and requiring rescanning of the storage location QR code and pallet barcode to form a decision event when the controller-side cached event conflicts with the server-side result.

6. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cloud server is configured with a rack twin model unit to construct a topology graph model with storage locations as nodes, and to record the hierarchy, column position and spatial coordinate information of the nodes for use in picking sequence calculation.

7. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The cloud server is configured with a task scheduling optimization unit, which is used to calculate the picking sequence and lighting cycle time for the picking task set based on the topology graph model. The lighting cycle time is used to define the lighting order and lighting window duration of the lights in each target storage location. The picking sequence satisfies the first-in-first-out (FIFO) constraint and / or the material station table order constraint, and the minimum walking distance or walking time is one of the optimization objectives.

8. A method for controlling intelligent shelving systems in the retrofitting of existing shelving units, based on the system described in any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, include: S1, Establish storage location master data: Generate storage location codes for each storage location and create storage location QR code identifiers, and establish a mapping relationship of "storage location code - light address - controller identifier"; S2, Command Issuance: The cloud server or client computer generates a lighting control command containing a digital signature and sends it to the controller; S3, Command Verification: The controller verifies the signature and anti-replay of the light control command. If the verification is successful, the controller will perform the light-on / light-off / alarm action. S4, Scan and verify: The handheld terminal scans the barcode of the material tray and the QR code of the storage location to complete the binding of the shelf or the unbinding of the shelf, and sends the operation results back to the cloud server to form an event record; S5, Event Chain Record: The controller or cloud server generates a chain hash for the event record and uses it for audit verification.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that: When the controller detects a communication interruption and enters offline mode, it writes the verified and confirmed task instructions and event records to the local cache. After communication is restored, the cache is reported and reconciliation is performed. When a conflict occurs, a review task is generated and a decision event is formed by scanning the code again.

10. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that: The cloud server performs multi-objective optimization on the picking task set based on the rack twin model, outputs the picking sequence and lighting rhythm, and generates lighting control instructions to make the warehouse lights light up sequentially or in groups according to the picking sequence.

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