Flower barrel warehousing peak-shaving and line-arranging scheduling and storage coordination system and method

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of flower sorting automation conveying, and particularly relates to a flower barrel warehousing staggered peak and line scheduling and storage coordination system and method. The system comprises multiple shunt lines, a physical buffer area, an actuator, a central scheduling controller and a warehouse-out scheduling controller. The central scheduling controller acquires the buffer area state and batch identification, arbitrates and determines the shunt line releasing permission based on a general priority scheduling strategy or a batch coordination scheduling strategy, allocates a continuous release time window and issues an instruction, so that the flower barrels are staggered peak and merged into the main drum line. When warehousing, the same batch of flower barrels are forced to be allocated with a continuous window and pre-locked in the continuous storage location in the roadway, so that the centralized storage is realized. When warehousing-out, the buyer aggregated order is queried, a batch-roadway mapping table is generated to generate a combined warehousing-out instruction, and the same pickup port is dynamically allocated for centralized loading. The present application solves the problems of line congestion, uneven main line load, batch dispersed storage and low warehousing-out operation efficiency, and realizes the whole process efficiency improvement.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automated conveying technology for flower sorting, and in particular to a staggered peak-shifting and parallel scheduling system and method for flower bucket warehousing and collaborative storage. Background Technology

[0002] In the flower processing or sorting industry, after the fresh flowers in the buckets are graded, they need to be sent to the main conveyor line for warehousing and stacking according to grade, variety, or batch. The concept of a "batch" is common on the production line: a certain quantity of flowers from the same origin, of the same variety, and of the same specification is defined as a batch, usually in units of 1, 2, or 3 buckets. Upon warehousing, it is desirable for buckets of flowers from the same batch to be stored in adjacent locations within the aisle; upon outbound, the same buyer may purchase multiple batches of flowers, and it is desirable for buckets of flowers from each batch to be shipped out from the same pick-up point.

[0003] The current industry standard adopts a model of "passive triggering parallel processing + random location allocation + manual picking for outbound shipments," which presents the following technical problems: (1) Congestion problem in parallel lines: The existing parallel line system adopts a passive control method of photoelectric sensors and PLC. After the sensors detect that the flower bucket has arrived at the parallel line port, each branch line competes for the right to use the main roller conveyor through hardware interlock or a simple first-come-first-served mechanism. When flower buckets arrive at multiple branch lines at the same time, physical competition occurs at the parallel line port, resulting in frequent start-stop and queuing congestion. In severe cases, it can cause the conveyor line to be blocked or even shut down. This method lacks overall planning, cannot predict and avoid conflicts, and has a low utilization rate of the main roller conveyor.

[0004] (2) Main line load imbalance problem: Due to the lack of proactive planning of the release sequence of each branch line, the time interval between the flow of the flower bucket into the main roller flow line is randomly distributed, sometimes dense and sometimes sparse. The dense period causes the main line to be overloaded and congested, while the sparse period causes the main line to idle and waste resources. The main roller flow line cannot achieve continuous and full-load stable operation, and the overall throughput efficiency of the system is limited.

[0005] (3) Uncontrollable production cycle time: Under the existing passive triggering mode, the paralleling time of each flower barrel depends on the competition result and has a high degree of uncertainty. The subsequent warehousing system cannot predict the arrival time and order of the flower barrels, making it difficult to make smooth receiving preparations. As a result, the warehousing side also needs to reserve a lot of buffer space and manpower, and the level of system management is low.

[0006] (4) Issue of dispersed inbound batches: The existing storage location allocation system adopts a strategy of random allocation of available storage locations or extensive allocation by level, which only responds to the immediate demand of "finding an available location as soon as a barrel is available" and lacks the logic of "batch proximity constraint". Multiple barrels of the same batch (such as 2 or 3 barrels from a purchasing unit) are often dispersed and stored in different aisles or even different levels of storage locations, resulting in storage locations that are far apart. This not only reduces the utilization rate of storage space, but also makes subsequent retrieval and picking difficult, requiring multiple searches across aisles when leaving the warehouse.

[0007] (5) Dispersed Outbound Operations: The existing outbound scheduling system lacks the logic of "batch aggregation" and "same batch, same outlet". Outbound tasks are generated one by one for each bucket, and the allocation of pick-up outlets adopts a polling or random strategy. When the same buyer purchases multiple batches of flower buckets at once, the system needs to retrieve the flower buckets from multiple different locations and deliver them to multiple different pick-up outlets, or deliver them to the same pick-up outlet but in multiple operations. Workers or AGVs need to run back and forth between different pick-up outlets, or make multiple trips to the same pick-up outlet, resulting in extremely low loading efficiency and a significant increase in manual waiting time.

[0008] In summary, existing technologies lack a systematic solution that can simultaneously address a series of issues such as parallel line congestion, load imbalance, uncontrollable cycle time, batch distributed storage, and distributed outbound operations. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The technical problem to be solved by this invention is to overcome the problems of parallel congestion, unbalanced load, uncontrollable cycle time, batch-dispersed storage, and dispersed outbound operations in the prior art, and to provide a staggered parallel scheduling and warehousing collaboration system and method for flower bucket inbound.

[0010] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve its technical problem is: a staggered peak scheduling and warehousing collaboration system for flower bucket storage, comprising: Multiple flow lines are provided, and each flow line is equipped with a physical buffer and an actuator at its end. The physical buffer is used to temporarily store at least one flower barrel, and the actuator is used to release the flower barrel to the main roller flow line in response to control commands. A central dispatch controller is communicatively connected to the actuators of each branch line. The central dispatch controller is used for: Obtain the status information of each physical buffer, wherein the status information includes at least the batch identifier of the flower bucket in each buffer; Based on the status information, the routing line that currently obtains release permission is determined through arbitration based on one of the first scheduling strategy and the second scheduling strategy, wherein: The first scheduling strategy is a general priority scheduling strategy; The second scheduling strategy is a batch collaborative scheduling strategy, which is triggered when it is detected that flower buckets with the same batch identifier exist in multiple buffers, and assigns consecutive release time windows to flower buckets with the same batch. Issue a release command containing the release time window to the actuator of the selected shunt line.

[0011] The central dispatch controller actively acquires the status information of each buffer zone, arbitrates and determines the branch line that has the right to release based on the general priority scheduling strategy or the batch collaborative scheduling strategy, and allocates a continuous release time window with a definite start and end time. This solves the problems of queuing congestion caused by physical competition at the line-merging point and the highly uncertain line-merging time of the flower barrels and the uncontrollable production rhythm. It realizes the active peak-shifting scheduling when the flower barrels merge from the branch line to the main roller flow line, so that the line-merging process changes from "passive competition" to "active planning", eliminates the physical competition at the line-merging point, and makes the line-merging time of each flower barrel certain and predictable.

[0012] Furthermore, it also includes a speed sensor installed on the main roller streamline for real-time acquisition of the running speed of the main roller streamline; the central scheduling controller dynamically calculates the length of the release time window based on the running speed and the preset safety distance.

[0013] Speed ​​sensors are installed on the main roller flow line. The central dispatch controller dynamically calculates the release time window length based on the real-time running speed and the preset safety distance. This solves the problems of uneven main line load, overload during dense periods, and idling during sparse periods. It enables the flower buckets to smoothly merge into the main roller flow line with a constant and safe distance, so that the main line load is close to continuous and balanced at full load, maximizing the effective utilization rate of the main line and reducing energy waste caused by idling.

[0014] Furthermore, in the general priority scheduling strategy, the priority value of each branch line is calculated based on a weighted average of multiple factors, including buffer occupancy rate, waiting time, and historical allocation balance coefficient; wherein, the weight of the buffer occupancy rate is higher than the weight of the waiting time coefficient, and the weight of the waiting time coefficient is higher than the weight of the historical allocation balance coefficient.

[0015] Priority values ​​are calculated based on a weighted average of buffer occupancy rate, waiting time in the distribution bucket, and historical allocation balance coefficients. The weights of each factor can be dynamically configured, which solves the problems of lack of overall planning and the inability of each distribution line to dynamically adjust the scheduling order according to real-time backlog and historical fairness. This enables the scheduling strategy to adapt to production fluctuations, prioritizing the distribution lines with severe backlogs during peak periods while taking into account the long-term fairness among the distribution lines.

[0016] Furthermore, in the batch collaborative scheduling strategy, the continuous release time window allocated to the same batch of flower barrels meets the minimum safety interval, so that the batch of flower barrels flows into the main roller streamline in sequence.

[0017] By allocating consecutive release time windows to flower barrels of the same batch, and ensuring that adjacent windows meet the minimum safety interval, the continuous entry of flower barrels of the same batch in the time dimension is realized. This provides the time prerequisite for the subsequent storage of flower barrels of the same batch into adjacent storage locations, and avoids the batch being separated and stored due to time dispersion.

[0018] Furthermore, for the same batch of flower barrels, before executing the batch collaborative scheduling strategy, the central scheduling controller selects the target lane according to the lane load balancing algorithm and pre-locks the continuous storage locations in that lane to receive the continuously incoming batch of flower barrels.

[0019] Before implementing the batch collaborative scheduling strategy, continuous storage locations in the target aisle are pre-locked based on the aisle load balancing algorithm. This solves the problem of low storage space utilization and difficulty in finding storage locations when the same batch of flower barrels are scattered to storage locations in different aisles or even different levels. It enables collaborative linkage between the warehousing side and the scheduling side, reserving continuous storage locations for the flower barrels before they arrive, so that the same batch of flower barrels is changed from random and scattered storage to targeted and centralized storage, shortening the path to find goods in the warehouse.

[0020] Furthermore, the central dispatch controller also includes a batch-lane mapping table, which is used to record the correspondence between batch identifiers and locked lanes and storage locations.

[0021] The central dispatch controller maintains a batch-lane mapping table, recording the correspondence between batch identifiers and locked lanes and storage locations. This solves the problem of not being able to quickly locate the location of batch flower buckets when leaving the warehouse, and realizes an information closed loop from recording upon entry to querying upon exit, avoiding the time consumption of rescanning or manually searching for storage locations when leaving the warehouse.

[0022] Furthermore, it also includes an outbound scheduling controller, which receives orders containing multiple batches of flower barrels from the same buyer, queries the lane where each batch is located according to the batch-lane mapping table, and generates a merged outbound instruction for multiple batches located in the same lane.

[0023] The outbound dispatch controller receives orders containing multiple batches of flower barrels. Based on the batch-alley mapping table, it queries the alley where each batch is located. For multiple batches located in the same alley, it generates a merged outbound instruction and dispatches them to the same pick-up point. This solves the problem that when a buyer purchases multiple batches at once, they need to be retrieved from multiple locations and delivered to multiple different pick-up points, resulting in extremely low loading efficiency due to workers or AGVs running back and forth. It realizes "batch aggregation" and "same batch, same pick-up point" in outbound operations, allowing multiple batches of flower barrels to be transported to the same pick-up point in one go. Buyers do not need to move vehicles or switch pick-up points when loading, which greatly reduces the number of manual back-and-forth trips and the pick-up point switching time.

[0024] Furthermore, each branch line is equipped with an inlet sensor at the physical buffer entrance to detect the entry of the flower bucket and trigger the central scheduling controller to update the status information; each branch line is equipped with an outlet sensor at the physical buffer exit to detect that the flower bucket has been successfully released.

[0025] The inlet sensor detects the entry of the flower bucket and triggers a status update, while the outlet sensor detects that the flower bucket has been successfully released and provides a closed-loop feedback signal. This solves the problem that the control system's perception of the actual position and release status of the flower bucket is incomplete and that it cannot detect release anomalies in a timely manner, thus realizing closed-loop control from issuing the command to confirming completion.

[0026] Furthermore, when all physical buffers are empty, the system enters idle inspection mode; when communication with any executor fails, the branch line is temporarily removed from the scheduling queue.

[0027] When all buffers are empty, the system enters idle inspection mode; when communication with the executor fails, the branch line is temporarily removed from the scheduling queue. This solves the problems of resource waste caused by full-load polling when there are no tasks and system crashes caused by the failure of a single branch line affecting global scheduling. This achieves energy-saving operation and fault isolation of the system.

[0028] A method for staggered peak-hour scheduling and warehouse collaboration system for flower bucket warehousing, as described in the above scheme, includes: Obtain the status information of each flow line physical buffer, the status information including at least the batch identifier of the flower bucket in each buffer; Based on the status information, the routing line that currently obtains release permission is determined through arbitration based on one of the first scheduling strategy and the second scheduling strategy, wherein: The first scheduling strategy is a general priority scheduling strategy; The second scheduling strategy is a batch collaborative scheduling strategy, which is triggered when it is detected that flower buckets with the same batch identifier exist in multiple buffers, and assigns consecutive release time windows to flower buckets with the same batch. Issue a release command containing the release time window to the actuator of the selected shunt line.

[0029] The beneficial effect of this invention is that, by introducing an intelligent scheduling strategy, it achieves a significant improvement in the overall system throughput efficiency with minimal changes to the hardware structure. The central dispatch controller actively plans the release sequence of the flower barrels on each diversion line, assigns a fixed release time window to each flower barrel, and releases them in sequence and at staggered times on each diversion line to avoid physical competition and queuing congestion, and reduce the conveying downtime caused by waiting. By acquiring the main line's running speed in real time through speed sensors and dynamically calculating the release window length, the flower buckets are smoothly integrated into the main line at a constant safety distance, avoiding overload or idling caused by inconsistent density, allowing the main line to operate continuously at near full load, and reducing energy waste. Each flower bucket is assigned a specific release time window when it enters the buffer zone, making the overall warehousing rhythm stable and controllable. The back-end warehousing system can prepare to receive the flowers in advance, reducing buffer space and manpower reserves. In the warehousing process, a batch collaborative scheduling strategy is introduced to force the allocation of continuous release windows for the same batch of flower buckets. Combined with the aisle load balancing algorithm, continuous storage locations are pre-locked to achieve centralized storage of the same batch of flower buckets in the aisle, which greatly shortens the path for finding goods in the warehouse. The outbound dispatch controller aggregates multiple batches of orders by buyer, queries the lane where each batch is located according to the batch-lane mapping table, generates a merged outbound instruction and dispatches it to the same pick-up point. Buyers can receive all flower barrels at once without moving their vehicles, reducing the number of manual round trips and the time for switching pick-up points. The priority value takes into account the buffer occupancy rate, waiting time, and historical allocation balance coefficient. The weight of each factor can be dynamically configured. The system can adapt to different production cycles and peak intensity, prioritizing the diversion of severely backlogged lines while taking into account long-term fairness. Closed-loop control from command to completion is achieved through sensors at the inlet and outlet. Fault handling is triggered in a timely manner when release fails. When idle, it enters inspection mode to reduce power consumption. When a fault occurs, the fault shunt is isolated, which significantly improves the robustness of the system. Attached Figure Description

[0030] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the existing parallel connection timing technology.

[0032] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall system of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 3 This is the overall layout diagram of the parallel line system of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the parallel timing of the system of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the central dispatch controller in the system of this invention.

[0036] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of the method of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 7 This is a sequence diagram of the near-term allocation of incoming batches in the method of this invention.

[0038] Figure 8 This is a flowchart of the outbound aggregation and same-port scheduling process of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These drawings are simplified schematic diagrams, illustrating only the basic structure of the invention, and therefore only show the components relevant to the invention.

[0040] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships, are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing the 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 the invention. Furthermore, features defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0041] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" 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.

[0042] Example 1 like Figures 2 to 4 As shown, this embodiment provides a staggered peak scheduling and warehousing coordination system for flower buckets entering the warehouse, including: 5 distribution lines, one main roller distribution line, buffer zones and actuators set at the end of each distribution line, a central scheduling controller and an outbound scheduling controller.

[0043] The buffer zone is located at the end of each branch line and before the merging point. It has a capacity of 6-8 flower barrels, allowing continuously arriving flower barrels to form an orderly queue for release. Sensors are installed at both the buffer zone's inlet and outlet. The inlet sensor detects the entry of flower barrels and triggers a reporting event, including at least the batch identifier and branch line number of the flower barrel. The outlet sensor detects that the flower barrel has been successfully released into the main roller flow line. The actuator is a conical electric roller installed at the buffer zone outlet, used to release the flower barrels at a specified time in response to commands from the central dispatch controller. When the conical electric roller is not rotating, the flower barrels are blocked at the buffer zone outlet. When the central dispatch controller issues a release command, the conical electric roller rotates at a set speed, using the friction of the conical surface and the tilt angle to deliver the flower barrels located at the outlet one by one into the main roller flow line, characterized by smooth movement and high release accuracy.

[0044] like Figure 5 As shown, the central dispatch controller is an independent industrial PC or high-performance PLC, internally running a peak-shaving scheduler. It can monitor the status of all branch lines in real time, calculate the priority of each branch line, and dynamically allocate time windows to avoid peak conflicts. The central dispatch controller acquires three types of parameters from the input layer in real time: production rhythm, status of each buffer zone, and main line speed. Speed ​​sensors installed on the main roller conveyor line acquire the main line running speed in real time and feed it back to the central dispatch controller.

[0045] like Figure 1 As shown, the system also includes an outbound scheduling controller, which is connected to the central scheduling controller to receive buyer orders, query the batch-lane mapping table, generate merged outbound instructions, and dynamically allocate pickup points.

[0046] Example 2 like Figure 6 As shown, this embodiment provides a method for staggered peak scheduling and warehouse coordination of wastewater drums entering the warehouse. The central scheduling controller acquires three types of parameters from the input layer in real time: production rhythm, status of each buffer zone, and main line speed. Specifically, when a wastewater drum enters the buffer zone of any branch line, the sensor at the entrance detects the event and immediately reports it to the central scheduling controller. The reported information includes at least the batch identifier of the wastewater drum and the branch line number it belongs to. The central scheduling controller thus grasps the global status of "whether there are wastewater drums waiting" in all buffer zones, as well as the batch identifier of the wastewater drums in each buffer zone. At the same time, the speed sensor installed on the main roller conveyor line acquires the running speed of the main roller conveyor line in real time and feeds it back to the central scheduling controller.

[0047] The central dispatch controller dynamically calculates the length of the release time window based on the current running speed of the main drum streamline and the preset ideal safety distance between the drums. (The safety distance between the drums is set as follows.) Let the current running speed of the main roller streamline be v (unit: m / s), then the length of the release time window is... The calculation formula is: , in, The unit is s.

[0048] For example, if the principal linear velocity v = 0.5 m / s, then =0.6 / 0.5=1.2s. The central dispatch controller uses this to determine the start and end times of the next available time window. For example, if the current time is... The window is [ , + ].

[0049] like Figure 4 As shown, after the above time window calculation and scheduling strategy allocation, the release time points of each diversion line are evenly distributed, eliminating the phenomenon of alternating "clustering" congestion and "idle" periods at the merging points.

[0050] The central scheduling controller determines the current stream line with release permission based on the status information of each buffer and the scheduling policy arbitration. This scheme supports two scheduling policies: First scheduling strategy: General priority scheduling strategy. The central scheduling controller dynamically adjusts the priority based on the backlog of each bypass buffer, calculated according to the following formula: Priority = Buffer occupancy rate weight × Buffer occupancy rate + Waiting time coefficient weight × Waiting time coefficient + Historical allocation balancing coefficient weight × Historical allocation balancing coefficient Among them, the buffer occupancy rate reflects the current backlog level of the diversion line buffer; when it is nearly full, the priority is increased. The waiting time coefficient reflects the length of time that the buckets in the buffer have been waiting; it increases with the waiting time. The historical allocation balance coefficient reflects the proportion of windows that the diversion line has obtained; the higher the proportion, the smaller the coefficient. Each weight coefficient can be dynamically configured by the user through the HMI interface. For example: Priority = 0.6 × Buffer Occupancy Rate + 0.3 × Waiting Time Coefficient + 0.1 × Historical Allocation Balance Coefficient.

[0051] The central dispatch controller uses a normalized multi-factor weighted model to calculate priorities, ensuring that the values ​​of each factor are all within the range of [0,1]. The formula is as follows: , Among them, the weighting coefficient , and satisfy Users can configure it through the HMI interface.

[0052] The buffer occupancy rate is calculated using the following formula: The value ranges from [0,1]. When the capacity is 6 barrels, 3 barrels are... .

[0053] The normalized waiting time coefficient is calculated as follows: , The maximum tolerable waiting time set for the system (e.g., 10 seconds, configurable). Exceeding... The coefficient is always 1 to avoid linear divergence.

[0054] The historical distribution equilibrium coefficient is calculated using the following formula: , The number of time windows that the branch line i has acquired. This represents the total number of allocation windows; the more windows already allocated, the more... The smaller the value, the better the long-term equilibrium of rotation.

[0055] Example: , , A certain line , , ,but =0.6×0.8+0.3×0.5+0.1×0.9=0.72.

[0056] The central dispatch controller sorts the tasks from highest to lowest priority according to the calculated priority and allocates the current time window to the highest priority feeder. To facilitate understanding of the priority formula's response to different scenarios, Table 1 shows typical allocation behavior examples under three dominant factors. In actual operation, priority is calculated jointly by the three factors, and is not limited to a single factor.

[0057] Table 1. Example of time window allocation (illustrating the effect of dynamic priority)

[0058] The mechanism for achieving balanced rotation is as follows: historical distribution equilibrium coefficient. Continuously accumulate the number of windows acquired by each branch line. When a branch line acquires a large number of windows, its... Automatically reduce its priority, thus lowering it; conversely, lines that haven't received a window for a long time... As the value approaches 1, its priority increases. This negative feedback mechanism ensures fair release in a long-term statistical sense, macroscopically manifesting as a rotation effect (e.g., Figure 4 (As shown). Even in the short term due to or Dominance leads to a certain line continuously gaining windows, but in the long run, it will also be... Level it.

[0059] Second scheduling strategy: Batch coordinated scheduling strategy, such as Figure 7 As shown, three barrels from the same batch (e.g., batch A) enter the buffer of the same distribution line (e.g., distribution line 1) consecutively after passing through the same grading device. The central scheduling controller detects multiple barrels with the same batch identifier at the head of the distribution line buffer queue and immediately triggers the batch coordinated scheduling strategy, allocating consecutive release time windows (e.g., T+0, T+2, T+4 seconds) for this batch and issuing release instructions for each barrel to the actuators of distribution line 1. The actuators release the barrels sequentially according to the time sequence, ensuring they continuously merge into the main roller flow line with the minimum safe interval. Simultaneously, priority queues for other distribution lines are maintained, and the subsequent window allocation order is calculated based on a general priority formula.

[0060] Since each branch line has a buffer capacity of ≥6 buckets, the central scheduling controller can scan the continuous bucket sequence from the outlet inward in the buffer queue in real time. When three or more consecutive buckets belonging to the same batch are detected (e.g., the three buckets of batch A occupy the head position of the buffer), the batch collaborative scheduling strategy is triggered. The system reserves a continuous release time window for this batch (e.g., T+0, T+2, T+4) and issues a sequence release command to the actuator of the branch line.

[0061] When multiple routing lines simultaneously trigger batch coordination requests (e.g., multiple batches simultaneously form a continuous sequence at the head of their respective buffers), the central scheduling controller performs batch queuing arbitration: (1) Add all batch requests to the “Batch Collaboration Pending Queue” and sort them by trigger timestamp or comprehensive priority (calculated by the general priority formula).

[0062] (2) Assign a continuous window sequence to each batch in turn, and only one batch is allowed to occupy the main continuous window at the same time.

[0063] (3) After the current batch is released, the system checks the queue to be processed. If there are still batches waiting, the system immediately starts the continuous window allocation of the next batch.

[0064] (4) During the batch release, the ordinary single-bucket release requests of other diversion lines are temporarily suspended, but their waiting time coefficient Wi will continue to accumulate to ensure that no starvation occurs after the batch ends.

[0065] This mechanism avoids "localized congestion" caused by multiple batches simultaneously vying for the main line. For example... Figure 7 As shown, after batch A is released continuously, the system resumes general priority scheduling or processes the next batch.

[0066] After batch A is continuously released (after T+4), the system allocates windows T+6, T+8, and T+10 to distribution lines 2, 3, 4, and 5 according to priority, to avoid long waiting times on any distribution line (capacity balancing). The three barrels of batch A converge into the main line with a safe distance and are finally stored in continuous storage locations 01-03 in aisle A, achieving centralized storage of the same batch within the aisle. The batch-aisle-storage location mapping is shown in Table 2. Table 2

[0067] like Figure 8 As shown, the outbound batch collaboration process is as follows: Step 1: The outbound dispatch controller receives buyer orders from the upper-level system, aggregates all batches ordered by the buyer by "Buyer ID", and splits the orders into batch groups.

[0068] Step 2: The outbound dispatch controller queries the batch-lane mapping table (as shown in Table 2) to obtain the lane and cargo location information of each batch and determine whether each batch is located in the same lane.

[0069] Step 3: If the batches are located in the same aisle, a combined picking instruction is generated, and the stacker crane in that aisle is sent a single instruction to pick up each batch of flower barrels in sequence; if they are located in different aisles, a separate picking instruction is generated, and the stacker crane picks up the barrels in multiple strokes. The picked-up flower barrels are then transported downstream via the main roller conveyor.

[0070] Step 4: The outbound dispatch controller checks the current status (idle / busy) of each pickup point, dynamically selects an idle pickup point, and notifies the PLC to direct all flower buckets to that pickup point. The buyer's vehicle only needs to stop at that pickup point to receive flowers from all batches of flower buckets at once and load them onto the vehicle.

[0071] like Figure 6 As shown, taking peak-hour operation as an example, the complete workflow is as follows: Input layer: The central scheduling controller receives production rhythm parameters, the status of each buffer (including the batch identifier of each buffer's flower barrel), and the speed values ​​fed back by the main line speed sensor in real time.

[0072] Processing Layer: The central dispatch controller performs data preprocessing (cleaning sensor data and updating the buffer queue), demand calculation (calculating the number of flower buckets to be released on each branch line), conflict detection (determining whether multiple buffers are requesting release at the same time), timing optimization (calculating the optimal release order and time window based on priority formulas or batch coordination strategies), and decision generation (determining the recipient of the current time window and the release time).

[0073] Output layer: The central dispatch controller sends a release command to the selected branch line actuator, and the actuator moves at the specified time, and the flower bucket merges into the main roller flow line.

[0074] The aforementioned processing layer operates continuously in a loop, forming a dynamic closed-loop control system that adapts to different production cycles and peak intensity.

[0075] This embodiment significantly improves the processing capacity per unit time of the entire sorting and warehousing process with minimal changes to the hardware structure, reduces energy consumption and time costs, and achieves a full-process efficiency improvement from inbound parallel processing to warehouse collaboration and outbound operations.

[0076] Example 3 The difference from Embodiment 2 is that instead of locking specific storage locations in advance, a "time window" and a "lane segment" are locked, allowing the stacker crane to dynamically select available locations within that segment during the filling process, achieving "soft proximity" at the software level. Specifically, while allocating continuous release time windows for the same batch of flower barrels, the central scheduling controller does not specify specific storage location numbers, but rather a target aisle and a range of storage locations (e.g., storage locations 01-10 in aisle A). When performing the storage task, the stacker crane dynamically selects available storage locations within that range based on the actual occupancy of each location during that time period. This implementation method improves the flexibility of storage location allocation while ensuring centralized batch storage, avoiding storage fragmentation problems caused by locking specific storage locations in advance.

[0077] Example 4 The difference from Implementation Example 2 is that if too many batches cause congestion at a single pick-up point, the system can dynamically allocate 2-3 pick-up points as a "dedicated pick-up point group for the same buyer" and automatically guide the buyer's vehicle to move sequentially, achieving semi-centralized delivery. Specifically, the outbound dispatch controller calculates the required number of pick-up points (e.g., one pick-up point for every 50 buckets) based on the number of flower buckets in the buyer's order and the current queuing status at each pick-up point. The system temporarily binds the selected pick-up points as a dedicated pick-up point group for the buyer, and the buyer's vehicle stops at each pick-up point sequentially to complete loading. This implementation method alleviates the congestion pressure at a single pick-up point while ensuring centralized delivery.

[0078] Example 5 The difference from Example 2 is that, for buyers with high-frequency repeat purchases, the system can predict in advance the possible batch combinations they might buy, and intentionally store these batches in the same or adjacent aisles upon receipt, further shortening the outbound retrieval journey. Specifically, the MES analyzes the purchase frequency and batch combination preferences of each buyer based on historical transaction data to generate a predictive model. When a new batch arrives, the MES, based on the prediction results, allocates multiple batches that the buyer might combine to consecutive storage areas in the same or adjacent aisles. After the auction is completed, the outbound dispatch controller can retrieve multiple batches of flowers from the same area at once, reducing the cross-aisle movement distance of the stacker crane.

[0079] Example 6 The difference from Embodiment 2 is that a movable shuttle car is used as a dynamic pick-up point. After order aggregation, the shuttle car automatically moves to the end closest to the target aisle, loads all batches, and then proceeds to the loading area. Specifically, after the outbound dispatch controller completes order aggregation, it does not guide the flower barrels to a fixed pick-up point, but instead dispatches a shuttle car to the exit of the target aisle. The stacker crane sequentially removes each batch of flower barrels and directly loads them into the shuttle car. After the shuttle car has collected all batches, it automatically proceeds to the loading area. This implementation further reduces the flow distance of the flower barrels on the conveyor line and the secondary handling before loading.

[0080] Based on the above-described preferred embodiments of the present invention, and through the foregoing description, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the inventive concept. The technical scope of this invention is not limited to the contents of the specification, but must be determined according to the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A staggered peak-shifting and parallel scheduling system for flower bucket warehousing and a warehouse collaboration system, characterized in that: include: Multiple flow lines are provided, and each flow line is equipped with a physical buffer and an actuator at its end. The physical buffer is used to temporarily store at least one flower barrel, and the actuator is used to release the flower barrel to the main roller flow line in response to control commands. A central dispatch controller is communicatively connected to the actuators of each branch line. The central dispatch controller is used for: Obtain the status information of each physical buffer, wherein the status information includes at least the batch identifier of the flower bucket in each buffer; Based on the status information, the routing line that currently obtains release permission is determined through arbitration based on one of the first scheduling strategy and the second scheduling strategy, wherein: The first scheduling strategy is a general priority scheduling strategy; The second scheduling strategy is a batch collaborative scheduling strategy, which is triggered when it is detected that flower buckets with the same batch identifier exist in multiple buffers, and assigns consecutive release time windows to flower buckets with the same batch. Issue a release command containing the release time window to the actuator of the selected shunt line.

2. The flower bucket staggered peak scheduling and warehousing coordination system according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a speed sensor installed on the main roller streamline to obtain the running speed of the main roller streamline in real time; the central scheduling controller dynamically calculates the length of the release time window based on the running speed and the preset safety distance.

3. The flower bucket staggered peak scheduling and warehousing coordination system according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the general priority scheduling strategy, the priority value of each branch line is calculated based on a weighted average of multiple factors, including buffer occupancy rate, waiting time, and historical allocation balance coefficient; wherein, the weight of the buffer occupancy rate is higher than the weight of the waiting time coefficient, and the weight of the waiting time coefficient is higher than the weight of the historical allocation balance coefficient.

4. The flower bucket staggered peak-shifting and parallel scheduling and warehousing coordination system according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the batch collaborative scheduling strategy, the continuous release time window allocated to the same batch of flower barrels meets the minimum safety interval, so that the batch of flower barrels will flow into the main roller streamline in sequence.

5. The flower bucket staggered peak scheduling and warehousing coordination system according to claim 1, characterized in that: For the same batch of flower barrels, before executing the batch collaborative scheduling strategy, the central scheduling controller selects the target lane according to the lane load balancing algorithm and pre-locks the continuous storage locations in the lane to receive the continuously incoming batch of flower barrels.

6. The flower bucket staggered peak scheduling and warehousing coordination system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The central dispatch controller also includes a batch-lane mapping table, which records the correspondence between batch identifiers and locked lanes and storage locations.

7. The flower bucket staggered peak scheduling and warehousing coordination system according to claim 6, characterized in that: It also includes an outbound scheduling controller, which receives orders containing multiple batches of flower barrels from the same buyer, queries the lane where each batch is located according to the batch-lane mapping table, and generates a merged outbound instruction for multiple batches located in the same lane.

8. The flower bucket staggered peak scheduling and warehousing coordination system according to claim 1, characterized in that: An inlet sensor is installed at the physical buffer entrance of each branch line to detect the entry of the flower bucket and trigger the central scheduling controller to update the status information; an outlet sensor is installed at the physical buffer exit of each branch line to detect that the flower bucket has been successfully released.

9. The flower bucket staggered peak scheduling and warehousing coordination system according to claim 1, characterized in that: When all physical buffers are empty, enter idle inspection mode; when communication with any executor fails, temporarily remove the branch line from the scheduling queue.

10. A method for staggered peak-shifting and parallel scheduling of flower bucket storage and warehousing coordination system as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, include: Obtain the status information of each flow line physical buffer, the status information including at least the batch identifier of the flower bucket in each buffer; Based on the status information, the routing line that currently obtains release permission is determined through arbitration based on one of the first scheduling strategy and the second scheduling strategy, wherein: The first scheduling strategy is a general priority scheduling strategy; The second scheduling strategy is a batch collaborative scheduling strategy, which is triggered when it is detected that flower buckets with the same batch identifier exist in multiple buffers, and assigns consecutive release time windows to flower buckets with the same batch. Issue a release command containing the release time window to the actuator of the selected shunt line.

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