Warehousing apparatus and system and control method

Abstract

Provided are a storage device and system and a control method. The storage device (1000) comprises: a temporary storage layer board (120), with the temporary storage layer board (120) being used for providing a temporary storage station; a plurality of shelves (100), with each shelf (100) comprising at least one storage layer board (130) and a plurality of stand columns (110) arranged at intervals in the horizontal direction, the storage layer board (130) being spaced apart from the temporary storage layer board (120) in the vertical direction by means of the stand column (110), and the storage layer board (130) being used for providing a storage position; a first robot passage for a first robot (200) to travel in, with the first robot (200) being used for storing goods on and taking goods to the temporary storage layer board (120); and a second robot passage for a second robot (300) to travel in, with the second robot (300) being used for carrying the goods between the temporary storage layer board (120) and the storage layer board (130). The storage device and system and the control method can improve the efficiency of goods entering and exiting a warehouse.

Description

Warehouse device, system and control method

[0001] This application claims priority to a Chinese patent application No. 202010231552.9, filed on March 27, 2020, and entitled "Rack and Warehouse Device", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This application claims priority to a Chinese patent application No. 202021892576.0, filed on September 02, 2020, and entitled "Rack and Warehouse Device", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This application claims priority to a Chinese patent application No. 202010231545.9, filed on March 27, 2020, and entitled "Warehouse Device, System, Control Method", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This application claims priority to a Chinese patent application No. 202010232310.1, filed on March 27, 2020, and entitled "Warehouse In / Out Control Method, Device, Equipment, and Readable Storage Medium", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This application claims priority to a Chinese patent application No. 202022292766.5, filed on October 15, 2020, and entitled "Connection Platform and Workstation", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the technical field of warehousing, and in particular, to a warehouse device, system and control method. BACKGROUND

[0003] The existing warehousing industry mostly uses robots integrated with automatic climbing and moving capabilities to store and retrieve goods and carry goods. However, since the robot has many storage actions when storing and retrieving goods, it results in low efficiency of storing and retrieving goods.

[0004] SUMMARY

[0005] Embodiments of the present application provide a warehouse device, system and control method to solve or alleviate one or more technical problems in the related art.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0007] As a first aspect of the embodiments of the present application, the embodiments of the present application provide a warehouse device, comprising:

[0008] A plurality of shelves, the shelf comprising at least one temporary storage layer plate, at least one storage layer plate, and a plurality of columns arranged in a horizontal direction; the storage layer plate is arranged in a vertical direction with the temporary storage layer plate by the column, wherein the temporary storage layer plate is used to provide a plurality of temporary storage positions, and the storage layer plate is used to provide a plurality of storage positions;

[0009] A first robot channel for a first robot to travel, the first robot being used to access the goods on the temporary storage layer plate;

[0010] A second robot channel for a second robot to travel, the second robot being used to carry the goods between the temporary storage layer plate and the storage layer plate.

[0011] As a second aspect of the embodiments of the present application, the embodiments of the present application provide a warehouse-in control method, comprising:

[0012] Determining a target temporary storage position according to a target storage position of a target good;

[0013] Instructing the first robot to carry the target good to the target temporary storage position;

[0014] In a case where a carrying completion signal sent by the first robot is received, instructing the second robot to carry the target good from the target temporary storage position to the target storage position.

[0015] As a third aspect of the embodiments of the present application, the embodiments of the present application provide a warehouse-out control method, comprising:

[0016] Instructing the second robot to carry the target good away from the current storage position;

[0017] Determining a target temporary storage position according to a position of the second robot;

[0018] Instructing the second robot to carry the target good to the target temporary storage position;

[0019] In a case where a carrying completion signal sent by the second robot is received, instructing the first robot to carry the target good away from the target temporary storage position.

[0020] As a fourth aspect of the embodiments of the present application, the embodiments of the present application provide a warehouse system, comprising:

[0021] The warehouse device of any one of the above embodiments;

[0022] A control device comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions, the instructions being loaded and executed by the processor to implement the method of any one of the above embodiments;

[0023] A first robot traveling in the first robot channel;

[0024] A second robot traveling in the second robot channel.

[0025] One of the above technical solutions has the following advantages or beneficial effects: by enabling the first robot to directly access the goods on the temporary layer plate, the operation of extending the mechanical arm to the layer plate of the goods shelf is avoided, and the efficiency of accessing the goods is improved; in addition, the temporary layer plate can temporarily store the goods, and the storage site provided by the storage layer plate can store the goods for a long time, facilitating cooperation between the temporary layer plate and the storage layer plate to improve the efficiency of the goods in and out of the warehouse; furthermore, the first robot channel and the second robot channel are formed respectively, which can avoid the first robot and the second robot sharing the travel channel, and can improve the travel efficiency of the first robot and the second robot, thereby improving the efficiency of the goods in and out of the warehouse. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0026] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the related art, the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments or related art description will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments described in the embodiments of the present application, and other drawings can also be obtained by those skilled in the art based on these drawings.

[0027] Fig. 1 shows a perspective structural schematic diagram of a warehouse device according to Embodiment 1 of the present application;

[0028] Fig. 2 shows a side view schematic diagram of a warehouse device according to Embodiment 1 of the present application;

[0029] Fig. 3 shows a structural schematic diagram of a warehouse device according to Embodiment 2 of the present application;

[0030] Fig. 4 shows a structural schematic diagram of a goods shelf according to Embodiment 1 of the present application;

[0031] Fig. 5 shows a structural schematic diagram of a goods shelf according to Embodiment 1 of the present application;

[0032] Fig. 6 shows a structural schematic diagram of a first robot according to Embodiment 1 of the present application;

[0033] Fig. 7 shows a schematic diagram of the cooperation between the fork arm of the first robot and the fork groove of the goods shelf according to Embodiment 1 of the present application;

[0034] Fig. 8 shows a structural schematic diagram of a second robot according to Embodiment 1 of the present application;

[0035] Fig. 9 shows a schematic diagram of an application scenario according to the present application;

[0036] Fig. 10 shows a flow schematic diagram of a warehouse-in control method according to Embodiment 2 of the present application;

[0037] Fig. 11 shows a flow schematic diagram of step S1001 in Fig. 10;

[0038] FIG. 12 shows a schematic diagram of an application scenario of the warehouse-in and warehouse-out control according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] FIG. 13 shows a schematic diagram of a warehouse-out control method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] FIG. 14 shows a schematic diagram of step S1302 in FIG. 13;

[0041] FIG. 15 shows a schematic diagram of a structure of a warehouse system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] FIG. 16 shows a schematic diagram of a structure of a control device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] FIG. 17 shows a schematic diagram of a layout of a steering wheel and a drive wheel of a first robot;

[0044] FIG. 18 shows a schematic diagram of a position between a chassis and a slope when the first robot climbs the slope;

[0045] FIG. 19A shows a schematic diagram of a structure of a transfer platform according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] FIG. 19B shows a top view of the schematic diagram of the structure of the transfer platform according to the embodiment of the present application;

[0047] FIG. 19C shows a side view of the schematic diagram of the structure of the transfer platform according to the embodiment of the present application;

[0048] FIG. 20A shows a schematic diagram of a state of the first robot driving along a slope table to a platform body according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] FIG. 20B shows a schematic diagram of a state of the first robot driving along a slope table to a platform body according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] FIG. 20C shows a schematic diagram of a state of the first robot driving along a slope table to a platform body according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] FIG. 20D shows a schematic diagram of a state of the first robot driving along a slope table to a platform body according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] FIG. 20E shows a schematic diagram of a state of the first robot driving along a slope table to a platform body according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0053] FIG. 21 shows a schematic diagram of a structure of a transfer platform according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0054] FIG. 22 shows a schematic diagram of a structure of a transfer platform according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0055] FIG. 23 shows a schematic diagram of a structure of a workstation according to an embodiment of the present application. Detailed Implementation

[0056] In the following description, only certain exemplary embodiments are briefly described. As those skilled in the art will recognize, the described embodiments can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit or scope of this application. Therefore, the drawings and description are considered to be exemplary in nature and not restrictive.

[0057] Example 1

[0058] Figure 1 shows a perspective structural diagram of a storage device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0059] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the storage device 1000 may include at least one temporary storage shelf 120, which provides at least one temporary storage location; multiple shelves 100, each shelf 100 may include at least one storage shelf 130 and multiple uprights 110 spaced apart in the horizontal direction; the storage shelf 130 provides at least one storage location. The temporary storage shelf 120 is provided with a fork slot 121, which is used to cooperate with the fork arm 210 of the first robot 200; the storage shelf 130 is spaced apart from the temporary storage shelf 120 in the vertical direction via the uprights 110.

[0060] In one example, the multiple shelves 100 can be single-row shelves, double-row shelves, or multi-row shelves; the number of multiple shelves 100 includes two or more; the multiple shelves 100 can be arranged in columns (refer to Figures 1 and 2), in rows (refer to Figure 3), or in a matrix. The number of rows, quantity, and arrangement of the multiple shelves 100 can be selected and adjusted according to actual needs, and the embodiments of this application do not limit the number and arrangement of the multiple shelves 100.

[0061] In one example, the plurality of posts 110 can form a rectangular area for mounting the temporary storage shelf 120 and the storage shelf 130, such that the temporary storage shelf 120 and the storage shelf 130 are vertically spaced apart by the posts 110. However, the placement of the posts 110 is not limited in this embodiment, as long as it allows the temporary storage shelf 120 and the storage shelf 130 to be vertically spaced apart. For example, the posts 110 can also be vertically inserted between the temporary storage shelf 120 and the storage shelf 130, rather than at their edges.

[0062] For ease of explanation, in the following embodiments, the long side of the temporary storage layer 120 is defined as the side of the temporary storage layer 120, and the short side of the temporary storage layer 120 is defined as the end of the temporary storage layer 120.

[0063] In one example, the plurality of temporary storage positions provided on the temporary storage layer plate 120 includes two temporary storage positions and more than two temporary storage positions; a fork groove 121 is arranged under each temporary storage position, and the shape of the fork groove 121 can be U-shaped, C-shaped, I-shaped, or V-shaped, etc. The shape of the fork groove 121 can be selected and adjusted according to actual needs, as long as it can cooperate with the fork arm 210 of the first robot 200, and the application does not limit the shape of the fork groove 121.

[0064] The temporary storage layer plate 120 can be located at any layer of the shelf 100, and the application does not limit the position of the temporary storage layer plate 120. When the temporary storage layer plate 120 is located at the middle layer of the shelf 100, the storage layer plate 130 is located above and below the temporary storage layer plate 120, which can shorten the distance between the temporary storage layer plate 120 and the storage layer plate 130, and improve the carrying efficiency of the goods between the temporary storage layer plate 120 and the storage layer plate 130. The goods can be a box containing materials, products, etc. The box can be a carton or a material box, and the application does not limit the type of box and the articles contained therein.

[0065] In one example, the width of the temporary storage layer plate 120 is less than half the width of the storage layer plate 130. For example, the shelf 100 can be a double-row shelf, the temporary storage layer plate 120 can be located in one row of the double-row shelf, and the storage layer plate 130 can extend from one row to the other row of the double-row shelf in the horizontal direction, and the width of the temporary storage layer plate 120 is less than half the width of the storage layer plate 130. Since the width of the goods is greater than the width of the first robot 200, by setting the width of the temporary storage layer plate 120 to be less than half the width of the storage layer plate 130, the width of the first travel channel 141 can be greater than the width of the storage layer plate 130, providing a wide enough channel for the first robot 200 to carry goods; and because the width of the storage layer plate 130 is more than twice the width of the temporary storage layer plate 120, the storage layer plate 130 can store goods with a size slightly larger than the temporary storage position.

[0066] The warehouse device 1000 can include: a first robot channel for the first robot 200 to travel, the first robot 200 being configured to cooperate with the fork groove 121 through the fork arm 210 to access the goods on the temporary storage layer plate 120; and a second robot channel for the second robot 300 to travel, the second robot 300 being configured to carry the goods between the temporary storage layer plate 120 and the storage layer plate 130.

[0067] In one example, the first robot channel can be defined by the structure of the shelf 100, or can be located on one side outside the shelf 100. The second robot channel can be located on the other side outside the shelf 100 to separate the first robot channel and the second robot channel to avoid channel occupation.

[0068] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the first robot 200 can be an AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle, AGV for short) vehicle with a fork arm 210, which can be arranged on the top of the first robot 200 or on the side of the first robot 200. The present application does not limit the arrangement of the fork arm 210 of the first robot 200.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 8, the second robot 300 can be an AGV vehicle with a lifting mechanism 320 and an access mechanism 330, or a stacker, etc. The present application does not limit the type of the second robot 300 as long as it has the functions of accessing and carrying goods. According to the warehouse device 1000 of the present application, the temporary storage layer plate 120 provides a fork groove 121 for cooperating with the fork arm 210 of the first robot 200, so that the fork arm 210 of the first robot 200 can be directly forked into the fork groove 121 of the temporary storage layer plate 120, and then the first robot 200 can directly access the goods on the temporary storage layer plate 120, eliminating the operation of extending the mechanical arm to the goods shelf 100, improving the efficiency of accessing the goods. In addition, the temporary storage layer plate 120 can temporarily store the goods, and the storage layer plate 130 can store the goods for a long time, which facilitates the cooperation of the temporary storage layer plate 120 and the storage layer plate 130 to improve the efficiency of the goods in and out of the warehouse. Furthermore, forming the first robot channel and the second robot channel respectively can avoid the first robot 200 and the second robot 300 sharing the driving channel, which can improve the driving efficiency of the first robot 200 and the second robot 300, and further improve the efficiency of the goods in and out of the warehouse.

[0070] In an embodiment, the first robot channel can include an access goods channel 140, which is located below the temporary storage layer plate 120. When the first robot 200 is located in the access goods channel 140, the fork groove 121 cooperates with the fork arm 210 on the first robot 200 to access the goods.

[0071] In one example, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 7, in the case of storing goods, the first robot 200 aligns the fork arm 210 with the fork groove 121 from the fork groove side of the temporary storage layer plate 120 and drives to the goods access channel 140, so that the fork arm 210 directly forks into the fork groove 121, and then the goods are on the temporary storage layer plate 120, and the fork arm 210 is lowered so that the goods box is left on the temporary storage layer plate 120; in the case of taking goods, the first robot 200 drives to the bottom of the goods access channel 140, aligns the fork arm 210 with the fork groove 121 from below the temporary storage layer plate 120, and raises the fork arm 210 to lift the goods box, and then drives away from the fork groove side of the temporary storage layer plate 120 to leave the goods access channel 140 to take away the goods box. In this way, the first robot 200 can directly fork the goods without stopping driving or stopping driving for a short time, saving the operation of controlling the mechanical arm to extend to the layer plate, which can improve the efficiency of accessing the goods box, and accessing below the temporary storage layer plate 120 can effectively utilize the space of the goods shelf 100.

[0072] In one embodiment, the goods access channel can also be used for the first robot to drive empty.

[0073] In one example, when the first robot 200 is empty (i.e. the first robot 200 is not loaded with goods), the first robot 200 can directly drive in the goods access channel 140, which can improve the efficiency of transporting goods.

[0074] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the upright column 110 is arranged at the outer periphery of the storage layer plate 130, and the first robot channel includes a first driving channel 141, which is located between the temporary storage layer plate 120 and the upright column 110 located at the fork groove side of the temporary storage layer plate 120.

[0075] In one example, when the temporary storage layer plate 120 is located at the bottom layer of the upright column 110, the temporary storage layer plate 120 can form the first driving channel 141 for the first robot 200 to drive with the upright column 110 located at the fork groove side of the temporary storage layer plate 120 and the ground.

[0076] In one example, when the temporary storage layer plate 120 is located at a layer other than the bottom layer of the upright column 110, the temporary storage layer plate 120 can form the first driving channel 141 for the first robot 200 to drive with the upright column 110 located at the fork groove side of the temporary storage layer plate 120 and the storage layer plate 130 located at the next layer below the layer where the temporary storage layer plate 120 is located.

[0077] In this embodiment, by forming the first driving channel 141 for the first robot 200 to drive between the temporary storage layer plate 120 and the upright column 110 located at the fork groove side of the temporary storage layer plate 120, the first robot 200 can drive in any layer of the goods shelf 100, facilitating the cooperation between the first robot 200 and the temporary storage layer plate 120, and avoiding occupying the channel outside the goods shelf 100.

[0078] In one example, as shown in FIG. 4, the shelf 100 can further include a crossbeam 150 arranged in a horizontal direction to fix the short sides of the temporary storage deck 120 and the storage deck 130 to the upright column 110.

[0079] FIG. 5 shows a structural schematic diagram of the shelf 100 according to another embodiment of the present application. The structure of the shelf 100 is similar to that of the shelf 100 in FIG. 1, except that, as shown in FIG. 5, the temporary storage deck 120 and the upright column 110 at the first end of the temporary storage deck 120 form a second travel channel 142 for the first robot 200 to travel. In this way, the first robot 200 can travel through the shelf 100 from the second travel channel 142, which can shorten the travel distance of the first robot 200 and improve the efficiency of transporting the containers.

[0080] In one example, the shelf 100 can further include a support column 160 arranged at the first end of the temporary storage deck 120 to support the temporary storage deck 120.

[0081] In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1-4, the temporary storage deck 120 includes a plurality of temporary storage decks, each of which is provided with a fork groove 121, and at least two of the temporary storage decks form a third travel channel (see 143 in FIG. 9) for the first robot 200 to travel. In this way, the first robot 200 can travel through the shelf 100 between any two of the temporary storage decks 120, which can shorten the travel distance of the first robot 200 and improve the efficiency of transporting the containers.

[0082] In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, by forming the second robot travel channel 310 between adjacent shelves 100, the second robot 300 can travel in the second robot travel channel 310 to transport the goods between the temporary storage deck 120 and the storage deck 130, transport the goods temporarily stored in the temporary storage deck 120 to the storage deck 130 for storage, or transport the goods stored in the storage deck 130 to the temporary storage deck 120 for temporary storage, which can improve the efficiency of accessing and storing the goods. In addition, since the second robot travel channel 310 does not coincide with the travel channel of the first robot 200, the first robot 200 and the second robot 300 can avoid sharing the travel channel, which can improve the cooperation efficiency between the first robot 200 and the second robot 300, and further improve the efficiency of storing and retrieving the goods.

[0083] It should be noted that in the storage device 1000, the second robot 300 integrated with the lifting mechanism 320 and the access mechanism 330 is usually used to carry and access the goods. However, due to the high cost of the second robot 300 and the long distance between the connection port 400 of the goods and each temporary storage position and storage position in the goods shelf 100, the cost of the goods in and out of the warehouse per unit time is high and the efficiency is low. The storage device 1000 of the embodiment of the application forms a second robot channel 310 between adjacent goods shelves 100, and can configure the second robot 300 to carry the goods between the temporary storage plate 120 and the storage plate 130, and configure the first robot 200 to carry and access the goods in the temporary storage plate 120, wherein the first robot 200 can not have a lifting mechanism, and the cost is much lower than that of the second robot 300. In this way, one second robot 300 can be equipped with multiple first robots 200 to cooperate to access the goods, which can reduce the cost of the goods in and out of the warehouse per unit time and improve the efficiency of the goods in and out of the warehouse.

[0084] In one application scenario, the first robot 200 can be a robot that accesses and carries one box of goods at a time, and the second robot 300 can be a robot that accesses and carries multiple boxes of goods at a time. By configuring the second robot 300 to carry the goods between the temporary storage plate 120 and the storage plate 130, and configuring the first robot 200 to carry and access the goods in the temporary storage plate 120, the cost of the goods in and out of the warehouse per unit time can be reduced and the efficiency of the goods in and out of the warehouse can be improved.

[0085] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the temporary storage plate includes a plurality of temporary storage plates, each of which is provided with a fork groove, and the first robot channel includes a third travel channel 143 located between at least two temporary storage plates. The width of the third travel channel 143 can be the width of one, two, three or more temporary storage plates, which is not limited in the application. For example, part of the temporary storage plate can be removed to form the third travel channel 143. In this way, the first robot 200 can pass through the goods shelf from the third travel channel 143, improving the travel efficiency.

[0086] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the first robot channel includes a fourth travel channel 144 located between two adjacent goods shelves 100 and connecting two third travel channels 143 or two second travel channels 142. In this way, the first robot 200 can travel along the fourth travel channel 144 to the adjacent goods shelf 100 after passing through the goods shelf 100 via the third travel channel 143, shortening the travel distance of the first robot 200 and improving the carrying efficiency of the goods.

[0087] In an embodiment, the storage device 1000 further comprises a docking platform 400 (the docking platform 400 can also be referred to as a docking port), a second travel channel 142 is formed between the temporary storage deck 120 and the column 110 at the first end of the temporary storage deck 120 for the first robot 200 to travel, and the docking platform 400 and the shelf 100 form a fifth travel channel 145 for the first robot 200 to travel. For example, the docking platform 400 and the column 110 at the second end of the temporary storage deck 120 form a fifth travel channel 145 for the first robot 200 to travel. In this way, the first robot 200 can travel directly from the docking platform 400 along the fifth travel channel 145 into the first travel channel 141 of the first robot 200 in the shelf 100, which can quickly reach the temporary storage deck 120 and improve the cooperation efficiency.

[0088] In an example, the fifth travel channel 145, the first travel channel 141, the second travel channel 142, the third travel channel 143, and the fourth travel channel 144 can form a first travel loop (the loop of line segments with arrows in FIG. 9) for the first robot 200 to travel.

[0089] In an example, the access channel 140 below the temporary storage deck 120 can form a second travel loop (the dashed line with arrows in FIG. 9) for the first robot 200 to travel when empty.

[0090] In an example, the second robot channel 310 of the second robot 300 can form a loop (the dotted line with arrows in FIG. 9) for the second robot 300 to travel.

[0091] By setting the first travel loop, the second travel loop, and the loop for the second robot 300 to travel of the above example, the first robot 200 and the second robot 300 can avoid occupying the travel channel with each other, and the cooperation efficiency between the two can be improved. In this way, multiple first robots 200 and multiple second robots 300 can be provided to realize the storage and retrieval of goods, and the storage and retrieval efficiency can be improved.

[0092] The other configurations of the storage device 1000 of the above embodiments can be various technical solutions known to those skilled in the art now and in the future, which will not be described in detail here.

[0093] Embodiment 2

[0094] FIG. 10 shows a flowchart of a storage control method according to Embodiment 2 of the present application. The storage control method is suitable for application to the storage device of Embodiment 1 described above. As shown in FIG. 10, the storage control method can comprise:

[0095] S1001, determining a target temporary storage location according to a target storage location of a target good;

[0096] S1002, instructing the first robot to carry the target goods to a target temporary storage position;

[0097] S1003, in a case where a carrying completion signal sent by the first robot is received, instructing the second robot to carry the target goods from the target temporary storage position to a target storage position, wherein the target storage position is arranged at a different layer from the target temporary storage position.

[0098] As shown in FIG. 4, the temporary storage position can be arranged on the temporary storage layer plate 120 of the shelf 100, and the storage position can be arranged on the storage layer plate 130 of the shelf. The temporary storage position and the storage position can be arranged at different layers in the same shelf 100, or can be arranged at different layers on adjacent shelves. The temporary storage position and the storage position can be adjusted and selected according to actual needs, and the application embodiments do not limit the arrangement mode of the temporary storage position and the storage position.

[0099] The target storage position of the target goods can be determined according to the type of the target goods. For example, in a case where the type of the target goods is a most hot-selling goods type, a storage position with the shortest carrying time can be allocated to the target goods from the shelf as the target storage position. For example, in a case where the temporary storage position is arranged at the bottom layer of the shelf, a storage position closest to the docking platform and located at the layer above the layer where the temporary storage position is arranged is the storage position with the shortest carrying time. In this way, the storage position with the corresponding time can be determined as the target storage position according to the hot-selling degree of the target goods.

[0100] In one example, since the target temporary storage position can temporarily store the target goods, in a case where the carrying completion signal sent by the first robot is received, the second robot can be immediately instructed to carry the target goods from the target temporary storage position to the target storage position, or the second robot can be instructed to carry the target goods from the target temporary storage position to the target storage position after the second robot performs other operations. In this way, the first robot and the second robot can independently carry the target goods by using the temporary storage position, and the first robot and the second robot do not need to directly transfer the target goods, which can efficiently drive and improve the warehousing efficiency of the goods.

[0101] In one example, the warehousing control method can determine a target temporary storage position for each target storage position of a plurality of target goods, instruct a plurality of first robots to carry the plurality of target goods to the corresponding target temporary storage positions, and in a case where carrying completion signals sent by the plurality of first robots are received, instruct a second robot to carry the plurality of target goods from the corresponding target temporary storage positions to the corresponding target storage positions.

[0102] According to the warehouse-in control method, the target temporary storage position is determined according to the target storage position of the target goods, and the first robot is instructed to carry the target goods to the target temporary storage position for temporary storage, and the second robot is instructed to carry the target goods from the target temporary storage position to the target storage position, so that the ground carrying of the target goods and the carrying of the target goods between the temporary storage position and the storage position are separated, the first robot can independently complete the ground carrying of the target goods, and the second robot can independently complete the carrying of the target goods between the temporary storage position and the storage position, without the first robot and the second robot directly docking the target goods, avoiding the phenomenon that the first robot and the second robot wait for each other, and facilitating to improve the warehouse-in efficiency of the goods.

[0103] In an application scenario, the first robot can be a robot that stores and carries one box of goods at a time, has a faster driving speed, and has a lower cost; and the second robot can be a robot that stores and carries multiple boxes of goods at a time, has a slower driving speed, and has a higher cost. If the first robot is directly instructed to carry the target goods from the docking platform to the target storage position, and / or the second robot is directly instructed to carry the target goods from the docking platform to the target storage position, the first robot and the second robot will both have a longer carrying distance, resulting in lower carrying efficiency and higher carrying cost. However, by using the warehouse-in control method, the first robot can carry goods between the docking platform and the temporary storage position, and the second robot can carry goods between the temporary storage position and the storage position, which facilitates to shorten the driving distance of the first robot and the second robot, so as to improve the warehouse-in efficiency of the goods by efficient cooperation of the first robot and the second robot.

[0104] Exemplarily, as shown in FIG. 11, step S1001 of determining the target temporary storage position according to the target storage position of the target goods can include:

[0105] S1101, determining a first idle temporary storage position closest to the target storage position;

[0106] S1102, instructing the first robot to drive to the first idle temporary storage position;

[0107] S1103, updating the occupancy state of each temporary storage position according to a preset time interval during the driving of the first robot;

[0108] S1104, in a case where the time for the first robot to drive to the first idle temporary storage position is greater than a first preset time threshold, determining whether there is a second idle temporary storage position closest to the target storage position according to the updated occupancy state of each temporary storage position;

[0109] S1105, in a case where there is the second idle temporary storage position, determining the second idle temporary storage position as the target temporary storage position.

[0110] In one example, as shown in FIG. 4, when the target storage position provided by the storage plate 131 is below the temporary storage position provided by the temporary storage plate 122 in the occupied state, it can be determined that the temporary storage position provided by the temporary storage plate 123 adjacent to the column of the target storage plate 131 or the temporary storage position provided by the temporary storage plate 124 is the first idle temporary storage position, and the first robot is instructed to travel to the first idle temporary storage position; if the temporary storage position provided by the temporary storage plate 122 is updated to the idle state during the travel of the first robot, and the time for the first robot to travel to the first idle temporary storage position is greater than the first preset time threshold, it is determined that the temporary storage position provided by the temporary storage plate 122 is the second idle temporary storage position, and it is set as the target temporary storage position. In this way, during the travel of the first robot, the target temporary storage position can be dynamically adjusted, so that the carrying distance between the target temporary storage position and the target storage position is less than the carrying distance between the first idle temporary storage position and the target temporary storage position, the carrying distance of the target goods can be reduced, and the storage efficiency of the goods can be improved.

[0111] It should be noted that the storage positions on both sides of the channel between adjacent shelves can share a set of temporary storage positions, that is, the target storage position and the target temporary storage position can be located on adjacent two shelves, for example, as shown in FIG. 12, when the target storage position is above or below the fifth temporary storage position 415 of the first shelf 410, the first idle temporary storage position can be the fifth temporary storage position 415 of the first shelf 410, or the fifth temporary storage position 425 of the second shelf 420. In this way, the storage positions located on both sides of the second robot travel channel 440 can share the temporary storage positions on the first shelf 410.

[0112] Among them, the temporary storage position below the target storage position is updated to the idle state, which can be triggered by the second robot to carry the goods temporarily stored in the temporary storage position.

[0113] In one embodiment, in the absence of the second idle temporary storage position, the first idle temporary storage position is determined as the target temporary storage position. In this way, the target temporary storage position can be directly determined according to the target storage position.

[0114] In one embodiment, instructing the first robot to carry the target goods to the target temporary storage position comprises:

[0115] According to the position information between the first robot and the target temporary storage position, a first carrying route is determined from a preset first robot channel, and the first robot channel comprises a first travel channel located on one side of the temporary storage layer plate where the target temporary storage position is located, and the first travel channel is located in the vertical projection area of the storage layer plate where the target storage position is located;

[0116] Instructing the first robot to travel along the first carrying route to below the target temporary storage position.

[0117] In one example, as shown in FIG. 12, a schematic diagram of a scenario of the warehouse-in control method according to the embodiments of the present application is shown, where the line segment with arrows represents a first travel channel 430 (which can be referred to as the first travel channel 141 in FIG. 4) located at the side of the temporary storage layer plate where the target temporary storage site is located, when the target temporary storage site is the fifth temporary storage site 415 in the first rack 410, a first carrying route 431 is determined from the first travel channel 430, and the first robot 200 is instructed to travel along the first carrying route 431 to the side of the fifth temporary storage site 415. In this way, the first robot 200 can travel in the preset first travel channel 430, avoiding occupying the travel channel of the second robot 300, improving the travel efficiency between the first robot 200 and the second robot 300, and further improving the warehouse-in efficiency.

[0118] In one embodiment, instructing the second robot to carry the target goods from the target temporary storage site to the target storage site comprises:

[0119] determining a second carrying route from the preset second robot channel according to the position information between the second robot and the target temporary storage site, the second robot channel being located outside the vertical projection area;

[0120] instructing the second robot to travel along the second carrying route to the side of the target temporary storage site.

[0121] In one example, as shown in FIG. 12, the second robot channel 440 (dotted line with arrows) can be located outside the vertical projection area of the rack, when the second robot 300 is located at the side of the second temporary storage site 412 in the first rack 410, a second carrying route 441 between the side of the second temporary storage site 412 and the side of the fifth temporary storage site 415 is determined according to the position information between the second robot 300 and the target temporary storage site (i.e. the fifth temporary storage site 415), and the second robot 300 is instructed to travel along the second carrying route 441 to the side of the fifth temporary storage site 415 to take out the target goods from the fifth temporary storage site 415.

[0122] In one embodiment, one end of the temporary storage layer plate is formed with a second travel channel. The temporary storage layer plate comprises a plurality of temporary storage plates for providing temporary storage sites, a third travel channel is formed between at least two temporary storage plates, and the first robot channel comprises the second travel channel and the third travel channel.

[0123] In one example, as shown in FIG. 12, the first shelf 410 is formed with a second travel passage 142 at an end away from the docking platform 400. The first shelf 410 has a third travel passage (not labeled in the figure) between the fifth temporary storage position 415 and the sixth temporary storage position 416, and between the eighth temporary storage position 418 and the ninth temporary storage position 419, so that the first robot 200 can determine a travel route from the third travel passage, plan a shorter travel route for the first robot 200, and improve the travel efficiency of the first robot 200.

[0124] In one embodiment, the first robot passage includes an access passage located below the temporary storage layer plate; the method further includes:

[0125] determining an empty travel route from the first robot passage in the case that the first robot is empty;

[0126] instructing the first robot to travel along the empty travel route.

[0127] In one example, as shown in FIG. 12, the first robot passage includes an access passage 450 (which can refer to the access passage 140 of the shelf 100 in FIG. 4) located below the temporary storage layer plate, i.e., the dashed line with an arrow in FIG. 4. In the case that the first robot is empty (i.e., the first robot does not carry goods), the first robot can travel in the first travel passage 430, the second travel passage, and the access passage 450.

[0128] Embodiment 3

[0129] FIG. 13 shows a flowchart of a warehouse-out control method according to Embodiment 3 of the present application. The warehouse-out control method is suitable for application to the warehouse device of Embodiment 1 described above. As shown in FIG. 13, the warehouse-out control method can include:

[0130] S1301, instructing a second robot to move the target goods away from a current storage position;

[0131] S1302, determining a target temporary storage position according to the position of the second robot, wherein the current storage position and the target temporary storage position are arranged at different layers;

[0132] S1303, instructing the second robot to move the target goods to the target temporary storage position;

[0133] S1304, in the case that a moving completion signal sent by the second robot is received, instructing the first robot to move the target goods away from the target temporary storage position.

[0134] In the warehouse-out control method, the temporary storage positions and the storage positions can be arranged in the same way as in the warehouse-in control method, and the arrangement of the temporary storage positions and the storage positions will not be described here.

[0135] The current storage position of the target goods can be determined according to the identification information of the target goods in the delivery list. For example, a relationship mapping table between the current storage position of the target goods and the identification information of the target goods can be pre-stored, and when the identification information of the target goods is obtained from the delivery list, the current storage position of the target goods can be obtained from the relationship mapping table. The current storage position of the target goods can also be determined by other methods, and the embodiment of the present application does not limit the determination method of the current storage position of the target goods.

[0136] In one example, since the target temporary storage position can temporarily store the target goods, when the carrying completion signal sent by the second robot is received, the first robot can be immediately instructed to carry the target goods away from the target temporary storage position, or the first robot can be instructed to carry the target goods away from the target temporary storage position after the first robot completes other operations. In this way, the first robot and the second robot can independently carry the target goods using the temporary storage position, and the first robot and the second robot do not need to directly transfer the target goods, which can efficiently move and improve the delivery efficiency of the goods.

[0137] In one example, the delivery control method can instruct the second robot to carry the plurality of target goods away from the current storage positions of the plurality of target goods respectively, determine the corresponding target temporary storage positions according to the positions of the second robot, and instruct the second robot to carry the target goods to the corresponding target temporary storage positions. In this way, the plurality of target goods can be carried to the corresponding target temporary storage positions.

[0138] According to the delivery control method of the embodiment of the present application, the target temporary storage position is determined according to the position of the second robot, and the second robot is instructed to carry the target goods to the target temporary storage position and the first robot is instructed to carry the target goods away from the target temporary storage position, so as to separate the carrying of the target goods between the temporary storage position and the storage position and the ground carrying of the target goods, so that the second robot can independently complete the carrying of the target goods between the storage position and the temporary storage position, and the first robot can independently complete the carrying of the target goods away from the target temporary storage position, without the first robot and the second robot directly connecting the target goods, avoiding the phenomenon that the first robot and the second robot wait for each other, which is beneficial to improve the delivery efficiency of the goods.

[0139] It should be noted that the storage and retrieval control method usually uses a robot integrated with a lifting mechanism and an access mechanism to carry and access the goods; however, since the cost of such a robot is high, and the distance between the goods connection platform and each temporary storage position and storage position in the goods shelf is far, the storage and retrieval cost of the goods per unit time is high and the efficiency is low.

[0140] The warehouse-in and warehouse-out control method of the embodiments of the present application separates the ground transportation of the target goods and the transportation of the target goods between the temporary storage positions and the storage positions, so that the first robot can concentrate on completing the ground transportation of the target goods, and the second robot can concentrate on completing the transportation of the target goods between the temporary storage positions and the storage positions. The first robot can not have a lifting mechanism, and its cost is much lower than that of the second robot. Thus, the warehouse-in and warehouse-out control of the target goods can be indirectly coordinated by using one second robot and multiple first robots, which can reduce the warehouse-in and warehouse-out cost of the target goods per unit time and improve the warehouse-in and warehouse-out efficiency and capacity of the goods.

[0141] In an embodiment, the driving speed of the first robot is greater than the driving speed of the second robot.

[0142] In the warehouse-out control, the first robot usually transports the target goods from the target temporary storage position of the goods shelf to the docking platform, and the second robot usually transports the target goods from the current storage position to the target temporary storage position on one side of the goods shelf. The distance between the docking platform and the goods shelf is much greater than the length of the goods shelf. Therefore, by making the driving speed of the first robot greater than the driving speed of the second robot, the number of target goods transported by the second robot to the target temporary storage position can be adapted to the number of target goods transported by the first robot from the target temporary storage position, so that the transportation efficiency of the second robot is adapted to the transportation efficiency of the first robot, and the warehouse-out efficiency of the target goods is improved.

[0143] In an example, the warehouse-in control method can also set multiple first robots and second robots to cooperate to match the warehouse-in temporary storage flow and the warehouse-in storage flow of the target goods.

[0144] Exemplarily, as shown in FIG. 14, step S1302 of determining the target temporary storage position according to the position of the second robot can include:

[0145] S1401, determining a first idle temporary storage position closest to the second robot;

[0146] S1402, instructing the second robot to drive to the first idle temporary storage position;

[0147] S1403, updating the occupancy state of each temporary storage position at a preset time interval during the driving of the second robot;

[0148] S1404, in the case where the time for the second robot to drive to the first idle temporary storage position is greater than a second preset time threshold, determining whether there is a second idle temporary storage position closest to the second robot according to the updated occupancy state of each temporary storage position;

[0149] S1405, in the case where there is a second idle temporary storage position, determining the second idle temporary storage position as the target temporary storage position.

[0150] In one example, as shown in FIG. 12, when the second robot 300 is located at one side of the second temporary storage site 412 of the first shelf 410, the fifth temporary storage site 415 of the first shelf 410 can be determined as the first idle temporary storage site of the second robot 300; if the occupancy state of the fourth temporary storage site 414 of the first shelf 410 is updated to idle during the process that the second robot 300 travels to the first idle temporary storage site, in the case that the time for the second robot 300 to travel to the fifth temporary storage site 415 is greater than the second preset time threshold, the fourth temporary storage site 414 is determined as the second idle temporary storage site closest to the second robot 300, and is determined as the target temporary storage site. In this way, during the process that the second robot 300 carries the target goods, the target temporary storage site can be dynamically adjusted, the carrying distance of the second robot 300 is reduced, and the efficiency of the goods out of the warehouse is improved.

[0151] The temporary storage site below the target storage site is updated to an idle state, which can be triggered by the first robot carrying the goods temporarily stored in the temporary storage site.

[0152] In one embodiment, in the case that there is no second idle temporary storage site, the first idle temporary storage site is determined as the target temporary storage site, so as to directly determine the target temporary storage site.

[0153] In one embodiment, the indication that the first robot carries the target goods away from the target temporary storage site comprises:

[0154] According to the position information between the first robot and the target temporary storage site, a carrying-away route is determined from a preset first robot channel, and the first robot channel comprises a first travel channel located at one side of a temporary storage layer plate of the target temporary storage site, and the first travel channel is located in a vertical projection area of a storage layer plate of the target storage site.

[0155] The indication that the first robot travels along the carrying-away route to the lower side of the target temporary storage site.

[0156] In one example, as shown in FIG. 12, when the first robot 200 is located at a position close to the eighth temporary storage site 428 in the first travel channel of the second shelf 420 of the second shelf 420, and the target temporary storage site is the fifth temporary storage site 425 of the second shelf 420, according to the position information between the first robot 200 and the target temporary storage site (i.e. the fifth temporary storage site 425 of the second shelf), the carrying-away route 432 between the first robot 200 and the fifth temporary storage site 425 of the second shelf 420 of the second shelf 420 is determined, and the first robot 200 is instructed to travel along the carrying-away route 432 to the lower side of the target temporary storage site (i.e. the fifth temporary storage site 425 of the second shelf) to carry the target goods away from the target temporary storage site.

[0157] Embodiment 4

[0158] Fig. 15 shows a structural diagram of a warehouse system according to Embodiment 4 of the present application. As shown in Figs. 15 and 16, the warehouse system 1500 comprises: the warehouse device 1000 of any of the above-mentioned embodiments; a control device 1510 comprising a processor 1512 and a memory 1511, the memory 1511 storing instructions which are loaded and executed by the processor 1512 to implement the method of any of the above-mentioned embodiments; a first robot 200 traveling on a first robot channel and having a fork arm cooperating with a fork groove; and a second robot 300 traveling on a second robot channel.

[0159] In an embodiment, the traveling speed of the first robot 200 is greater than the traveling speed of the second robot 300.

[0160] Fig. 16 shows a structural diagram of a control device according to Embodiment 4 of the present application. As shown in Fig. 16, the control device 1510 comprises: a memory 1511 and a processor 1512, the memory 1511 storing a computer program executable on the processor 1512. The processor 1512 implements the warehouse-in control method and the warehouse-out control method in the above-mentioned embodiments when executing the computer program. The number of the memory 1511 and the processor 1512 can be one or more.

[0161] The control device further comprises: a communication interface 1513 for communicating with external devices to perform data transmission.

[0162] If the memory 1511, the processor 1512 and the communication interface 1513 are independently implemented, the memory 1511, the processor 1512 and the communication interface 1513 can be connected to each other through a bus and complete communication therebetween. The bus can be an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of representation, only one thick line is shown in Fig. 16, but it does not mean that there is only one bus or only one type of bus.

[0163] Optionally, in specific implementation, if the memory 1511, the processor 1512 and the communication interface 1513 are integrated on one chip, the memory 1511, the processor 1512 and the communication interface 1513 can complete communication therebetween through an internal interface.

[0164] The processor can be a central processing unit (CPU), and can also be other general-purpose processors, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc. It should be noted that the processor can be a processor supporting an advanced RISC machine (ARM) architecture.

[0165] Optionally, the memory can include a program storage area and a data storage area, where the program storage area can store an operating system, application programs required by at least one function, and the data storage area can store data created according to the use of the control device, etc. In addition, the memory can include a high-speed random access memory, and can also include a non-transitory memory, such as at least one disk storage device, a flash memory device, or other non-transitory solid-state memory device. In some embodiments, the memory can optionally include a memory remotely disposed relative to the processor, and these remote memories can be connected to the control device through a network. Examples of the network include, but are not limited to, the Internet, an intranet, a local area network, a mobile communication network, and combinations thereof.

[0166] Embodiment 5

[0167] Embodiment 5 of the present application also provides a docking platform suitable for the warehouse device of any of the above embodiments. The docking platform will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0168] As shown in FIG. 17, the chassis 910 of the first robot (the first robot can be referred to as a carrying robot) is generally provided with a front steering wheel 911, a rear steering wheel 912 and a driving wheel 913, wherein the front steering wheel 911 and the rear steering wheel 912 are respectively arranged at the front and rear positions of the chassis 910 and are used to change the driving direction of the first robot; the driving wheel 913 is arranged at both sides of the chassis 910 and is connected with the chassis 910 through a suspension mechanism (not shown in the figure) to provide driving force for the driving of the first robot. When the first robot drives on the uneven ground, the driving wheel 913 can stretch the suspension mechanism; when the first robot drives on the raised ground, the driving wheel 913 can compress the suspension mechanism to buffer the impact on the body of the first robot caused by the uneven ground. It should be noted that, in order to simplify the figure, the front steering wheel 911, the rear steering wheel 912, the driving wheel 913 and the chassis 910 of the first robot are used to show the driving of the first robot.

[0169] As shown in FIG. 18, since the slope surface 1121 of the slope 1120 of the docking platform 1100 is a plane and the range of stretching or compression of the driving wheel 913 relative to the chassis 910 is small, the driving wheel 913 is substantially coplanar with the front steering wheel 911 and the rear steering wheel 912. When the first robot starts to climb the slope, the front steering wheel 911 of the first robot drives on the slope surface 1121 and the rear steering wheel 912 drives on the ground 1130. If the slope of the slope 1120 is large, the front side of the chassis 910 is lifted to a high height relative to the ground, which easily causes the driving wheel 913 to be suspended and unable to exert the gripping force on the slope surface 1121 or the driving wheel 913 can contact the slope surface 1121 but unable to exert sufficient gripping force on the slope surface 1121 due to insufficient pressure, which causes the driving wheel 913 of the first robot to slip and further causes the first robot to be unable to drive along the slope 1120 to the platform body 1110. In order to enable the driving wheel 913 of the first robot to exert sufficient gripping force on the slope surface 1121 of the slope 1120, the length of the slope is usually increased to reduce the slope of the slope 1120, which consumes more manufacturing materials and occupies more space, so that the docking platform 1100 has the problems of high manufacturing cost and large space occupation.

[0170] Based on this, the embodiment 2 of the present application provides a docking platform, by arranging the slope surface of the slope platform as a concave slope surface and a convex slope surface which are smoothly connected from the slope bottom to the slope top, which is beneficial to shorten the length of the slope platform and can save the manufacturing cost and reduce the space occupation.

[0171] FIG. 19A shows a structural schematic diagram I of a docking platform according to the embodiment 5 of the present application, FIG. 19B shows a top view of the structural schematic diagram I of the docking platform according to the embodiment 5 of the present application, and FIG. 19C shows a side view of the structural schematic diagram I of the docking platform according to the embodiment 5 of the present application.

[0172] As shown in FIGS. 15A-15C, the docking platform 1200 can include a platform body 1210 and a ramp table 1220. The slope surface 1220A of the ramp table 1220 includes a concave slope surface 1221 and a convex slope surface 1222 arranged in sequence from the slope bottom to the slope top. The top edge of the concave slope surface 1221 is smoothly connected with the bottom edge of the convex slope surface 1222. The ramp table 1220 is arranged at one side of the platform body 1210, so that the slope surface 1220A is smoothly connected with the top surface 1211 of the platform body 1210.

[0173] Exemplarily, the platform body 1210 can have a three-dimensional shape, such as a three-dimensional rectangle or a three-dimensional square. The top surface 1211 of the platform body 1210 can form a travel path for the first robot. For example, the travel path can be arranged along the length direction of the platform body 1210. Because the platform body 1210 has a certain height, when the first robot travels on the top surface 1211, it is convenient for the user to transfer the carried goods. The height of the platform body 1210 can be selected and adjusted according to actual needs, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0174] In one example, the slope surface 1220A of the ramp table 1220 includes the concave slope surface 1221 and the convex slope surface 1222 arranged in sequence from the slope bottom to the slope top. The top edge of the concave slope surface 1221 is tangent to the bottom edge of the convex slope surface 1222 for smooth connection.

[0175] Optionally, referring to FIG. 20A, the bottom edge of the concave slope surface 1221 can be tangent to the ground, so that the slope of the concave slope surface 1221 gradually increases from 0°. The top edge of the convex slope surface 1222 can be tangent to the top surface 1211 of the platform body 1210, so that the slope of the convex slope surface 1222 gradually decreases to 0°.

[0176] Specifically, the concave slope surface 1221 is located at the slope bottom side of the ramp table 1220 and is recessed towards the bottom surface 1220B of the ramp table 1220. The slope of the concave slope surface 1221 gradually increases from 0° along the slope bottom to the slope top, and increases to a preset slope value at the top of the concave slope surface 1221. That is, the tangent value of the concave slope surface 1221 gradually increases along the vertical height direction of the concave slope surface 1221. In this way, the slope near the slope bottom side of the ramp table 1220 gradually increases, which is beneficial to shorten the length of the ramp table 1220 at the slope bottom side and save manufacturing cost.

[0177] The convex slope surface 1222 is located on the top side of the slope platform 1220 and protrudes away from the bottom surface 1220B of the slope platform 1220. The slope of the convex slope surface 1222 gradually decreases from a preset slope value along the direction from the slope bottom to the slope top, and the top of the convex slope surface 1222 is smoothly connected with the top surface 1211 of the slope platform 1220. That is, the tangent value of the convex slope surface 1222 gradually decreases along the vertical height direction of the convex slope surface 1222. In this way, the concave slope surface 1221, the convex slope surface 1222 and the platform body 1210 can be smoothly connected, so that the first robot can smoothly travel on the slope platform 1220 and the platform body 1210; and the length of the slope platform 1220 on the top side can be shortened to save manufacturing costs.

[0178] Please refer to FIG. 19C and FIG. 20A together, during the process that the first robot travels on the slope platform 1220 to the platform body 1210, when the front steering wheel 911 of the first robot travels on the concave slope surface 1221 and the rear steering wheel 912 still travels on the ground 410, the concave slope surface 1221 can reduce the lifting height of the front side of the chassis 910 relative to the ground 410, avoid the driving wheel 913 from being excessively lifted, so that the driving wheel 913 can exert driving force on the concave slope surface 1221 to prevent the driving wheel 913 from slipping.

[0179] Please refer to FIG. 19C and FIG. 20B together, when the front steering wheel 911 and the rear steering wheel 912 of the first robot both travel on the concave slope surface 1221, the driving wheel 913 slightly stretches the suspension mechanism, so that the center of the driving wheel 913 slightly moves downward relative to the chassis 910, and the driving wheel 913 can exert sufficient driving force on the concave slope surface 1221 to drive the first robot to travel toward the convex slope surface 1222.

[0180] Please refer to FIG. 19C, FIG. 20C and FIG. 20D together, when the driving wheel 913 of the first robot drives the front steering wheel 911 to travel on the convex slope surface 1222 and drives the rear steering wheel 912 to travel from the concave slope surface 1221 to the convex slope surface 1222, the center of the driving wheel 913 gradually moves toward the direction close to the chassis 910 and starts to compress the suspension mechanism; when the front steering wheel 911 and the rear steering wheel 912 of the first robot both travel on the convex slope surface 1222, the driving wheel 913 slightly compresses the suspension mechanism, and the driving wheel 913 can exert sufficient driving force on the convex slope surface 1222 to drive the first robot to travel toward the platform body 1210.

[0181] Please refer to FIG. 19C and FIG. 20E, when the driving wheel 913 of the first robot drives the front steering wheel 911 to run on the platform body 1210 and drives the rear steering wheel 912 to run from the convex slope surface 1222 to the platform body 1210, the center of the driving wheel 913 gradually moves towards the chassis 910 under the elastic force of the suspension mechanism. Since the convex slope surface 1222 and the top surface 1211 of the platform body 1210 are smoothly connected, the driving wheel 913 can avoid being unable to apply sufficient driving force to the convex slope surface 1222 due to the suspension mechanism being excessively compressed.

[0182] In an embodiment, referring to FIG. 19C, the projection of the concave slope surface 1221 in the vertical direction is a first arc (see the concave slope surface 1221 in FIG. 19C), and the projection of the convex slope surface 1222 in the vertical direction is a second arc (see the convex slope surface 1222 in FIG. 19C); the radius of the first arc is greater than or equal to the radius of the second arc. For example, the radius of the first arc can be between 8000 mm and 10700 mm, the radius of the second arc can be between 500 mm and 2832 mm, and the radius of the first arc and the second arc can be selected and adjusted according to actual needs, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0183] In the embodiment, by setting the radius of the first arc greater than or equal to the radius of the second arc, the slope of the concave slope surface 1221 can be the same as or more gentle than the slope of the convex slope surface 1222, which is beneficial for the first robot to smoothly run along the concave slope surface 1221 and the convex slope surface 1222.

[0184] In an embodiment, the length of the first arc is equal to or greater than the length of the second arc. The length of the first arc and the second arc can be selected and adjusted according to actual needs, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0185] In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 19A and FIG. 19C, the docking platform 1200 can further include a plurality of support pads 1230, which are arranged at the bottom of the slope table 1220 along the length direction of the slope table 1220.

[0186] In an example, the slope table 1220 and the plurality of support pads 1230 can be an integral piece or a separate piece; if the slope table 1220 and the plurality of support pads 1230 are separate pieces, the slope table 1220 and the plurality of support pads 1230 can be combined into an integral piece.

[0187] In an example, the support pad 1230 can include three, which are arranged at the front side, the middle position and the rear side of the bottom of the slope table 1220, respectively.

[0188] In the embodiment, the plurality of support pads 1230 are arranged on the bottom of the ramp table 1220 along the length direction of the ramp table 1220, so that the ramp table 1220 is raised and an arch is formed between adjacent support pads 1230. Thus, the bottom of the ramp table 1220 can be in contact with the ground, the contact area between the bottom of the ramp table 1220 and the ground is reduced, and the ramp table 1220 is prevented from shaking due to uneven ground, so that the ramp table 1220 can be stably placed on the ground.

[0189] In an embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 19A-19C, the docking platform 1200 can further include a baffle 1240 arranged on the top of the platform body 1210 and located on the side of the platform body 1210 away from the ramp table 1220. For example, the baffle 1240 can be arranged on the top surface 1211 of the platform body 1210 away from the ramp table 1220. The baffle 1240 and the platform body 1210 can be an integral piece or separate pieces. The baffle 1240 can protect the first robot from falling off the side of the platform body 1210 away from the ramp table 1220.

[0190] In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 21, the side wall of the platform body 1210 opposite to the ramp table 1220 is provided with a clamping groove 1410, and the side wall of the ramp table 1220 opposite to the platform body 1210 is provided with a clamping strip (not shown in the figure), which is clamped in the clamping groove 1410 to enable the clamping of the ramp table 1220 and the platform body 1210.

[0191] In the embodiment, the clamping groove 1410 is arranged on the platform body 1210 and the clamping strip is arranged on the ramp table 1220, so that the platform body 1210 and the ramp table 1220 can be clamped and combined into an integral piece, which is convenient for assembly, disassembly, transportation and storage, etc. It can be understood that the platform body 1210 and the ramp table 1220 can also be arranged as an integral piece according to actual needs, and the present application does not limit the arrangement form of the platform body 1210 and the ramp table 1220.

[0192] In an embodiment, the clamping groove 1410 is arranged along the length direction of the platform body 1210, and the clamping strip is arranged along the width direction of the ramp table 1220; the ramp table 1220 includes at least two, and the clamping strips of the two ramp tables 1220 can slide along the clamping groove 1410 to adjust the spacing.

[0193] In one example, the card slot 1410 is arranged along the length direction of the platform body 1210 and located on the side wall opposite to the slope platform 1220; the card strip is arranged along the width direction of the slope platform 1220 and located on the side wall opposite to the platform body 1210; the card strip can slide along the card slot 1410 to adjust the position of the slope platform 1220 on the platform body 1210, thereby improving the flexibility of the assembly position of the slope platform 1220.

[0194] In one example, a travel track label of the first robot can be arranged on the ground, and when the slope platform 1220 is at least two, the distance between the slope platforms 1220 can be adjusted by sliding the card strip of the slope platform 1220 along the card slot 1410 of the platform body 1210, so as to align the slope platforms 1220 with the travel track label, so that the first robot can travel along the travel track label to the slope platforms 1220. In addition, the distance between the slope platforms 1220 can also be adjusted according to the size of the goods carried by the first robot, so that the distance between the slope platforms 1220 is adapted to the size of the goods. It should be noted that the number of slope platforms 1220 can be selected and adjusted according to actual needs, and the number of slope platforms 1220 is not limited in the present application.

[0195] In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 19B and 19C, the top surface 1211 of the platform body 1210 forms a travel channel, and the slope surfaces 1220A of the two slope platforms 1220 respectively form an entry channel and an exit channel, and the top portions of the entry channel and the exit channel respectively communicate with the travel channel (the line segments with arrows in the figure show the travel direction of the entry channel, the travel channel and the exit channel). In this way, the first robot can travel along the entry channel to the travel channel on the platform body 1210, travel along the travel channel to the exit channel, and then exit through the exit channel, thereby improving the efficiency of goods carrying and transfer.

[0196] In one example, the slope platforms 1220 are three, and the slope surfaces 1220A of two of the slope platforms 1220 can be arranged as two entry channels, and the slope surface 1220A of the other slope platform 1220 can be arranged as an exit channel, and the top portions of the entry channel and the exit channel respectively communicate with the travel channel. Among them, the number of entry channels and exit channels can be selected and adjusted according to actual needs, and the number of entry channels and exit channels is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0197] In one embodiment, the width of the platform body 1210 is greater than the width of the slope platform 1220, so that the first robot can transfer larger goods on the platform body 1210.

[0198] In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 19A-19C and 22, the platform body 1210 is provided with a platform support 1511 that is shaped to match the platform body 1210, and the ramp table 1220 is provided with a ramp support 1521 that is shaped to match the ramp table 1220.

[0199] In one example, the platform support 1511 is provided with a platform support plate 1512 that forms the platform body 1210, and the ramp support 1521 is provided with a ramp support plate 1522 that forms the ramp table 1220.

[0200] FIG. 23 shows a structural schematic diagram of a workstation according to Embodiment 5 of the present application. As shown in FIG. 23, the workstation 1600 can include a plurality of the above-described docking platform 1200 of any one of the embodiments, and the plurality of docking platforms 1200 are arranged along the length direction of the platform body 1210 so that the top surfaces 1211 of the plurality of platform bodies 1210 are connected. In this way, the first robot can travel along the top surfaces 1211 of the plurality of platform bodies 1210, and the entry and exit channels can be flexibly arranged.

[0201] The docking platform 1200 and the workstation 1600 of the above-described embodiments can be implemented using various technical solutions known or to be known to those skilled in the art, and thus will not be described in detail here.

[0202] According to the docking platform 1200 and the workstation 1600 of the present application, by arranging the slope surface 1220A of the ramp table 1220 as a concave slope surface 1221 and a convex slope surface 1222 along the direction from the slope bottom to the slope top, and smoothly connecting the concave slope surface 1221 and the convex slope surface 1222, and smoothly connecting the slope surface 1220A and the top surface 1211 of the platform body 1210, the length of the ramp table 1220 can be shortened, and the manufacturing cost and the space occupation can be reduced.

[0203] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and therefore cannot be understood as indicating or implying that the devices or elements referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present application.

[0204] In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc. are used herein only to describe different instances, and do not imply or suggest relative importance or a number of the technical features indicated. Thus, the features defined as "first", "second", etc. can explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "a plurality of" is two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited.

[0205] In the present application, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "mounting", "connecting", "connecting", "fixing" and the like should be understood broadly, for example, can be fixedly connected, or can be detachably connected, or can be integrated; can be mechanically connected, or can be electrically connected, or can be communicated; can be directly connected, or can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium; can be the communication or interaction relationship between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0206] In the present application, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the "upper" or "lower" of the first feature to the second feature can include that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are not in direct contact but are in contact through another feature between them. Moreover, the "upper", "above" and "on" of the first feature to the second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or only indicates that the horizontal height of the first feature is higher than that of the second feature. The "below", "under" and "under" of the first feature to the second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or only indicates that the horizontal height of the first feature is less than that of the second feature.

[0207] The above disclosure provides many different implementations or examples for implementing different structures of the present application. In order to simplify the disclosure of the present application, the components and arrangements of specific examples are described above. Of course, they are only examples, and the purpose is not to limit the present application. In addition, the present application can repeatedly refer to numbers and / or letters in different examples, and such repetition is for the purpose of simplification and clarity, and does not indicate the relationship between the various embodiments and / or arrangements discussed.

[0208] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto, and any skilled person in the art can easily think of various changes or replacements within the technical scope disclosed by the present application, which should be covered by the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A storage device, characterized by The application relates to a storage system, comprising: a temporary storage layer plate for providing temporary storage positions; a plurality of shelves, each of which comprises at least one storage layer plate for providing storage positions and a plurality of vertical columns arranged in a horizontal direction, the storage layer plate being spaced apart from the temporary storage layer plate in a vertical direction by the vertical columns; a first robot channel for a first robot to travel, the first robot being used for accessing goods on the temporary storage layer plate; a second robot channel for a second robot to travel, the second robot being used for carrying goods between the temporary storage layer plate and the storage layer plate.

2. The storage device of claim 1, wherein, The first robot channel comprises an access channel, which is located below the temporary storage layer plate.

3. The storage device of claim 2, wherein, The access channel is also used for the first robot to travel when empty.

4. The storage device of claim 1, wherein, The vertical columns are arranged at the periphery of the storage layer plate, and the first robot channel comprises a first travel channel, which is located between the temporary storage layer plate and the vertical columns.

5. The storage device of claim 1, wherein, The first robot channel comprises a second travel channel, which is located between the temporary storage layer plate and the vertical column at the first end of the temporary storage layer plate.

6. The storage device of claim 5, wherein, The temporary storage layer plate comprises a plurality of temporary storage plates for providing the temporary storage positions, and the first robot channel comprises a third travel channel, which is located between at least two temporary storage plates.

7. The storage device of claim 6, wherein, The first robot channel comprises a fourth travel channel, which is located between two adjacent shelves and connects two third travel channels or two second travel channels.

8. The storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The second robot channel is located at the periphery of the shelf and comprises a channel between adjacent shelves.

9. The storage device according to claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The temporary storage layer plate is arranged on the shelf.

10. The storage device of claim 9, wherein, The application further comprises a transfer platform, and the first robot channel comprises a fifth travel channel, which is located between the transfer platform and the shelf, and the transfer platform comprises: a platform body; a slope platform, the slope surface of the slope platform comprising a concave slope surface and a convex slope surface arranged in a direction from a slope bottom to a slope top, and the top edge of the concave slope surface being smoothly connected with the bottom edge of the convex slope surface; wherein the slope platform is arranged at one side of the platform body, so that the slope surface is smoothly connected with the top surface of the platform body.

11. The storage device of claim 10, wherein, The projection of the concave slope surface in a vertical direction is a first arc, and the projection of the convex slope surface in the vertical direction is a second arc; the circular arc radius of the first arc is greater than or equal to the circular arc radius of the second arc.

12. The storage device of claim 10, wherein, A clamping groove is arranged on the side wall opposite to the slope platform of the platform body, and a clamping strip is arranged on the side wall opposite to the platform body of the slope platform, the clamping strip being clamped in the clamping groove, so that the slope platform is clamped with the platform body; the clamping groove is arranged in the length direction of the platform body, and the clamping strip is arranged in the width direction of the slope platform; the slope platform comprises at least two, and the clamping strips of the two slope platforms can slide in the clamping groove to adjust the spacing.

13. A warehouse entry control method characterized by comprising: The application further comprises: determining a target temporary storage position according to a target storage position of target goods; instructing a first robot to carry the target goods to the target temporary storage position; In a case where the carrying completion signal sent by the first robot is received, the second robot is instructed to carry the target goods from the target temporary storage position to the target storage position.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, The target temporary storage position is determined according to the target storage position of the target goods, including: A first idle temporary storage position closest to the target storage position is determined. The first robot is instructed to travel to the first idle temporary storage position. During the travel of the first robot, the occupancy state of each temporary storage position is updated at a preset time interval. In a case where the time for the first robot to travel to the first idle temporary storage position is greater than a first preset time threshold, whether a second idle temporary storage position closest to the target storage position exists is determined according to the updated occupancy state of each temporary storage position. In a case where the second idle temporary storage position exists, the second idle temporary storage position is determined as the target temporary storage position.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein, The first robot is instructed to carry the target goods to the target temporary storage position, including: A first carrying route is determined from the first robot channel according to the position information between the first robot and the target temporary storage position. The first robot is instructed to travel along the first carrying route to the position below the target temporary storage position.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, The first robot channel includes an access goods channel below the temporary storage layer plate; the method further includes: In a case where the first robot is empty, an empty travel route is determined from the first robot channel; The first robot is instructed to travel along the empty travel route.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein, The second robot is instructed to carry the target goods from the target temporary storage position to the target storage position, including: A second carrying route is determined from the second robot channel according to the position information between the second robot and the target temporary storage position. The second robot is instructed to travel along the second carrying route to the side of the target temporary storage position.

18. A shipment control method characterized by comprising: Including: The second robot is instructed to carry the target goods away from the current storage position; The target temporary storage position is determined according to the position of the second robot; The second robot is instructed to carry the target goods to the target temporary storage position; In a case where the carrying completion signal sent by the second robot is received, the first robot is instructed to carry the target goods away from the target temporary storage position.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein, The target temporary storage position is determined according to the position of the second robot, including: A first idle temporary storage position closest to the second robot is determined. The second robot is instructed to travel to the first idle temporary storage position. During the travel of the second robot, the occupancy state of each temporary storage position is updated at a preset time interval. In a case where the time for the second robot to travel to the first idle temporary storage position is greater than a second preset time threshold, whether a second idle temporary storage position closest to the second robot exists is determined according to the updated occupancy state of each temporary storage position. In a case where the second idle temporary storage position exists, the second idle temporary storage position is determined as the target temporary storage position.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein, The first robot is instructed to carry the target goods away from the target temporary storage position, including: determining a first carrying route from the first robot channel according to position information between the first robot and the target temporary storage location; instructing the first robot to travel along the first carrying route to below the target temporary storage location.

21. A warehousing system characterized by, comprising: a warehouse device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 12; a control device comprising a processor and a memory, the memory having stored therein instructions which are loaded and executed by the processor to implement a method as claimed in any of claims 13 to 20; the first robot to travel in the first robot channel; the second robot to travel in the second robot channel.

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