Management device, transport system, and control method

Abstract

To appropriately allocate a transport task to an unmanned transport vehicle.SOLUTION: A management device for controlling a transport device for transporting an object to be transported to a work station, includes: a memory unit which stores log data including at least a time when the transport device has performed transport work and a time when the work has been performed at the work station, and is configured by the storage device; and a control unit which allocates a transport task for transporting the object to be transported to the work station to the transport device, wherein the control unit determines, for each work station, an upper limit value to which the transport task to the work station can be allocated to the transport device based on the log data, and allocates the transport task to the transport device so that the number of transport devices to which the transport task to the work station is allocated is equal to or less than the upper limit value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a transport system, a control device for the transport system, and a control method for the transport system. [Background technology]

[0002] As a background art in this technical field, there is a technique for controlling the placement of transport vehicles by setting the number of transport vehicles to be managed for each area.

[0003] The following prior art is included as background art in this technical field. Patent Document 1 (JP Patent Publication 2007-200205 A) describes a transport vehicle system that includes a transport vehicle for transporting articles, a plurality of closed loop tracks connected so that the transport vehicles can move freely, a travel route divided into a plurality of areas, a minimum required number of transport vehicles is set for each area, and when the number of transport vehicles in an area falls below the minimum required number, transport vehicles are moved from other areas to that area, the transport vehicle system being characterized in that the transport vehicle system includes a storage means for storing the number of transport requests generated in each of the areas, and a setting change means for changing the minimum required number for each area in accordance with data related to the number of transport requests stored in the storage means. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-200205 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When an automated guided vehicle transports loads to a plurality of work stations, an automated guided vehicle that has transported other loads may be placed on standby near a work station while work is being performed at that work station so that work can be performed continuously at each work station. However, since the work conditions at the work stations vary, if the number of waiting automated guided vehicles is set to a fixed value, a large number of automated guided vehicles will be more than necessary, which creates a problem of reducing the transport efficiency of the vehicles. Patent Document 1 does not take the above problem into consideration.

[0006] Therefore, a transportation system that can appropriately assign tasks to automated guided vehicles while taking into account the work situation at each work station is desirable. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A representative example of the invention disclosed in the present application is as follows: A management device for controlling a transport device that transports an object to a work station, the management device being configured by a computer having an arithmetic unit that executes predetermined arithmetic processing and a storage device connected to the arithmetic unit, storing log data including at least a time when the transport device performed a transport task and a time when the work was performed at the work station, the management device being equipped with a storage unit configured by the storage device, and a control unit that assigns a transport task of transporting the object to the work station to the transport device, the control unit determining, for each work station, an upper limit value at which the transport task to the work station can be assigned to the transport device based on the log data, and assigning the transport task to the transport device such that the number of transport devices to which the transport task to the work station is assigned is equal to or less than the upper limit value. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, the transport task can be appropriately allocated to the transport device in consideration of the work status of the work station. Problems, configurations and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1A] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 1B] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a warehouse control device in the present embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the layout of a transport system in a logistics center according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of transport device information constituting the transport device travel performance data of the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of station information constituting station performance data in the present embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of transport device information constituting the device information of the present embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of shelf management information constituting shelf information in the present embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of hit count information constituting hit count data in the present embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of worker performance information constituting the worker performance data of the present embodiment. [Figure 9] 11 is a diagram showing an example of a work station management table constituting station transport device allocation information in the present embodiment; FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a station conveyance device allocation number setting screen in the present embodiment. [Figure 11] 13 is a flowchart of a process for setting the number of transport devices allocated to the transport device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 12] 13 is a flowchart of a process for setting the number of transport devices allocated to the transport device according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiment is an example for explaining the present invention, and is omitted and simplified as appropriate for clarity of explanation. The present invention can be implemented in various other forms. Unless otherwise specified, each component may be singular or plural. The position, size, shape, range, etc. of each component shown in the drawings may not represent the actual position, size, shape, range, etc., in order to facilitate understanding of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the position, size, shape, range, etc. disclosed in the drawings.

[0011] As examples of various information, the various information may be described using expressions such as "table," "list," and "queue," but the various information may be expressed using data structures other than these. For example, various information such as "XX table," "XX list," and "XX queue" may be expressed as "XX information." When describing identification information, expressions such as "identification information," "identifier," "name," "ID," and "number" are used, but these are mutually interchangeable.

[0012] When there are multiple components having the same or similar functions, they may be described by using the same reference numerals with different subscripts. When there is no need to distinguish between these multiple components, the subscripts may be omitted.

[0013] In this embodiment, the processing performed by executing a program may be described. Here, the computer executes the program by a processor (e.g., CPU, GPU), and performs the processing defined by the program while using storage resources (e.g., memory) and interface devices (e.g., communication ports). Therefore, the subject of the processing performed by executing the program may be the processor. Similarly, the subject of the processing performed by executing the program may be a controller, device, system, computer, or node having a processor. The subject of the processing performed by executing the program may be a calculation unit, and may include a dedicated circuit that performs specific processing. Here, the dedicated circuit is, for example, an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or a CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device).

[0014] A program may be installed on a computer from a program source. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution server or a computer-readable storage medium. When the program source is a program distribution server, the program distribution server may include a processor and a storage resource for storing a program to be distributed, and the processor of the program distribution server may distribute the program to be distributed to other computers. In addition, in the embodiments, two or more programs may be realized as one program, and one program may be realized as two or more programs.

[0015] <Block diagram showing overall configuration> FIG. 1A is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing system in an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a warehouse control device 100.

[0016] The information processing system of this embodiment includes a warehouse control device 100, a plurality of transport devices 203, and a plurality of station terminals 210. The plurality of transport devices 203 and the plurality of station terminals 210 are connected to the warehouse control device 100 via a network 150.

[0017] In this embodiment, an example is shown in which an operator operates a station terminal 210 installed in a warehouse in a logistics center, the warehouse control device 100 causes a conveying device 203 to convey a shelf 202 to a work station, and the operator performs a picking operation. The shelf 202 has an opening that constitutes a storage section for storing items.

[0018] In the warehouse controlled by the transport system of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, there are arranged work stations 205-1 to 205-3 where workers 206-1 to 206-3 work, and a robot station 205-4 where a robot 207-1 works. In the following explanation, the work will be mainly performed by the worker 206, but the robot 207 can also perform the same work as the worker 206.

[0019] The warehouse control device 100 is a computer including an arithmetic device 101, a memory 102, an input device 103, an output device 104, a storage device 110, and a communication interface 105. The warehouse control device 100 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 1B. The warehouse control device 100 may be a single computer or may be composed of multiple computers. Furthermore, each device of the warehouse control device 100 may be arranged in a single computer or may be distributed and arranged in multiple devices. The programs and information stored in the storage device 110 may be stored in a single storage device or may be distributed and stored in multiple storage devices.

[0020] The storage device 110 has a non-volatile storage medium and stores the programs executed by the arithmetic device 101 and data used by the programs. As examples of the programs, a path creation program 111, a data input / output program 112, a data analysis program 113, and a transport device control program 114 are stored in the storage device 110, and the arithmetic device 101 loads the necessary programs into the memory 102 and executes them.

[0021] Further, examples of data stored in the memory device 110 include order information 121, inventory information 122, shelf information 123, worker work information 124, work schedule information 125, equipment information 126, route data 127, number of hits data 128, transport device running performance data 129, station transport device allocation information 130, station log 131, station performance data 132, and worker performance data 133.

[0022] The route creation program 111 calculates the movement route of the conveying device 203 based on preset map information (not shown). For example, the route creation program 111 calculates the movement route of the conveying device 203 based on the position of the item (or product) to be picked and the position of the destination work station, etc.

[0023] The transport device control program 114 refers to the station transport device allocation information 130 to determine whether a transport work instruction with each work station as the transport destination can be assigned to the transport device 203. If the transport device control program 114 determines that the transport work instruction can be assigned, the transport device 203 is determined to transport the shelf 202 by referring to the route calculated by the route creation program 111 and the device information 126, and transmits a transport instruction including information on the shelf 202 to be transported and the work station to which the shelf 202 is to be transported to the transport device 203, to the transport device 203. The determination of whether the shelf 202 can be assigned to the work station may be made using the work station allocation information of the shelf 202 in addition to the transport device 203, or may be made based on the allocation priority of each work station. The transport device control program 114 records the result of instructing the transport device 203 to the shelf 202 to be transported and the work station to which the shelf 202 is to be transported, and the transport performance by the transport device 203 in the transport device travel performance data 129.

[0024] The data input / output program 112 executes processes such as receiving order information 121, receiving input from the station terminal 210 operated by an operator, and receiving sensor data from the transport device 203, and accumulates them in the order information 121 and the station log 131. Furthermore, when the data input / output program 112 receives a command from the station terminal 210 to start the transport device 203, it transmits a command generated by the transport device control program 114 to the transport device 203.

[0025] The data analysis program 113 refers to the station log 131 to generate station performance data 132 that records the working time for each work station, worker performance data 133 that records the working time for each worker, and hit count data 128 that records the number of types of items picked up from the shelf 202 for each transport by the transport device 203, and stores the results calculated from these in station transport device allocation information 130, which will be described later. Details of the hit count data 128 will be described later with reference to Fig. 7. Through such processing, the data analysis program 113 functions as a control unit of the warehouse control device 100.

[0026] Order information 121 is information on an order requesting shipment of an item, and stores information on the item to be picked. Inventory information 122 stores information on the inventory of the item, such as information on the shelf 202 on which the item is placed, and the placement position, quantity, weight, etc. of the item on the shelf 202. Shelf information 123 stores information on the shelf position, weight, etc. Details of the shelf information 123 will be described later with reference to FIG. 6.

[0027] The worker work information 124 stores information on the work schedule of the worker and the experience and condition of the worker. The information on the experience and condition of the worker may include the worker's years of service, as well as information on the worker's height, whether or not he / she has been injured, and information on the continuous work time of the day. The work schedule information 125 stores information on the items to be worked on for each work station, the scheduled completion time of the work, the worker who will perform the work, etc. The work schedule information 125 is data generated in advance and may be input from, for example, the input device 103 of the warehouse control device 100 or from an external computer.

[0028] The device information 126 stores identification information, location, and operating status of the transport device 203. The route data 127 stores information on the route for each transport device 203 in the warehouse. The work day characteristics 134 are data in which work days are attributed according to various conditions, such as information on the total amount of inbound and outbound work, as well as attributes based on conditions such as seasonality, the presence or absence of events, weather, disasters, and obstacles. More specifically, it is preferable to store information on the holding of events such as sales in malls handled by the logistics center, seasonal information, and the occurrence of disasters and obstacles. Details of the device information 126 will be described later with reference to FIG. 5.

[0029] The station log 131 accumulates information on work performed at a work station. The station performance data 132 extracts data for each work station from the station log 131 and stores information such as the work start time, the work end time, and the work content. Details of the station performance data 132 will be described later with reference to FIG. 4. The worker performance data 133 extracts data for each worker from the station log 131 and stores information such as the work start time, the work end time, the work content, and the work load in association with the worker. Details of the worker performance data 133 will be described later with reference to FIG. 8.

[0030] The transport device travel record data 129 accumulates the operation log of the transport device 203. The transport device travel record data 129 may include, for example, identification information for identifying a transport instruction assigned to the transport device 203, information on the shelf to be transported by the transport instruction, information on the station to which the transport is to be made by the transport instruction, the work start time and work end time when the transport work is performed according to the transport instruction, and the position information of the transport device at the work start time and work end time. The start operation and end operation of the transport work may be determined according to the specifications of the transport system and the transport device 203. For example, the start operation of the transport work may be the start of movement from the current position to the position of the shelf to be transported after the transport instruction is assigned. Also, for example, the end operation of the transport work may be the arrival of the transport device 203 loaded with the shelf to be transported at the destination work station. Also, the arrival at the destination work station may include arrival at a waiting queue formed in front of the work station. In the waiting queue, the transport device 203 loaded with the shelf waiting for work at the work station is waiting in the order of work at the work station. The start and end operations of the transport task are not limited to these examples. Details of the transport device travel record data 129 will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0031] The station transport device allocation information 130 stores, for each work station, an allocated number indicating the number of transport devices 203 to which a transport instruction with the work station as the destination at a certain time is allocated. The transport instruction to each work station is allocated to the transport device 203 so as not to exceed the maximum number of transport devices 203 or shelves 202 that can be allocated to each work station, determined by the data analysis program 113. The allocated number is increased by one each time a new transport device 203 or shelf 202 is allocated to the work station, and is decreased by one each time a work on the shelf 202 at the work station is completed. The allocated number may be increased from the start of the movement of the transport device 203 to get under the shelf 202, or may be increased after the shelf 202 is lifted. The allocated number may be decreased when the work at the work station is completed, or when the transport device 203 finishes transporting from the work station to the shelf storage location. Details of the station transport device allocation information 130 will be described later with reference to FIG. 9.

[0032] The input device 103 is composed of a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, or the like. The output device 104 is composed of a display, or the like. For example, the output device 104 may output a determined upper limit of the number of transport devices to be allocated. The communication interface 105 communicates with the transport devices 203 and other computers via a network 150, such as wirelessly.

[0033] The conveying device 203 is an autonomous mobile body that automatically conveys the shelf 202 on which articles are mounted in response to a conveying instruction from the warehouse control device 100. The conveying device 203 is an automatic conveying device that has a control device 170, a storage device 160, a driving device 180, a sensor 152, and a communication interface 151. The sensor 152 includes, for example, a vibration sensor (acceleration sensor) or an image sensor.

[0034] The control device 170 includes an arithmetic unit 171 and a memory 172. A self-position estimation program 173, a driving control program 174, a measurement program 175, and a communication program 176 are loaded into the memory 172. The programs loaded into the memory 172 are executed by the arithmetic unit 171. The arithmetic unit 171 is composed of a microcomputer or a processor.

[0035] The self-position estimation program 173 calculates the position of the transport device 203 based on image data (image or video data) acquired from the image sensor, etc. For example, a marker indicating the position may be displayed in advance on the floor surface of the warehouse, and the self-position estimation program 173 may calculate the position of the transport device 203 from the marker read by the image sensor. The marker placed on the floor surface is information that can be read by the sensor 152 of the transport device 203, and is, for example, a two-dimensional barcode. The position of the transport device 203 may be estimated by the warehouse control device 100 that receives image data acquired by the image sensor, etc. The marker may be called a mark or a reference marker.

[0036] For example, the floor of a warehouse is managed into a number of sections, and a marker indicating the position of each section is marked on each section. The conveying device 203 travels along the floor, and when passing over each section, reads the marker marked on the floor of the section to obtain information regarding the section's position. The marker only needs to include information for identifying the section's position, and may be, for example, the section's position information or information associated with the section's position information (for example, identification information for the section, etc.).

[0037] The travel control program 174 controls the driving device 180 based on the current position of the conveying device 203 and the route data 127 received from the warehouse control device 100. The warehouse control device 100 transmits the route data 127 for each conveying device 203 generated by the route creation program 111 to the conveying device 203, and the conveying device 203 stores it in the route data 161 in the storage device 160.

[0038] The measurement program 175 acquires sensor data obtained from the sensor 152, the traveling speed and acceleration obtained from the traveling control program 174, and the position of the conveying device 203 calculated by the self-position estimation program 173, and transmits them to the warehouse control device 100. The sensor data includes vibration data from the vibration sensor and image data of the floor surface from the image sensor. In addition, the measurement program 175 may transmit the sensor data to the warehouse control device 100 at a predetermined timing or at a predetermined cycle (for example, every 24 hours).

[0039] The storage device 160 is a non-volatile storage medium that stores programs and data used by the programs. Examples of the data include route data 161, map information 162, measurement data 163, device information 164, and driving performance data 165.

[0040] The route data 161 stores the route data received from the warehouse control device 100. The map information 162 stores the map information received from the warehouse control device 100. The measurement data 163 stores the sensor data acquired by the above-mentioned sensor 152 and the data acquired or calculated by each program.

[0041] The device information 164 stores identification information (device ID) of the transport device 203, the device status, information on whether the shelf is loaded, the device position, the remaining battery charge, the accumulated travel distance, and the accumulated number of accelerations. For example, the device information 164 may be information equivalent to the information on the transport device 203 among the device information 126 stored in the warehouse control device 100. The travel history data 165 stores the route traveled by the transport device 203, and the history of the floor condition (vibration) and travel mode for each area.

[0042] Driving device 180 includes cart 181, table 182, driving wheels 183, auxiliary wheels (casters) 184, motor 185 as a power source for driving driving wheels 183 and table 182, and a battery (not shown) for supplying power to motor 185. Motor 185 for driving driving wheels 183 and table 182 can each be configured as an independent motor.

[0043] After the transport device 203 is under the shelf 202, the driving device 180 raises the table 182 to lift the shelf 202. Then, with the shelf 202 raised, the driving device 180 drives the transport device 203 to travel to a specified position, and after the transport device 203 arrives at the destination, the driving device 180 lowers the table 182 to lower the shelf 202 onto the floor surface.

[0044] The arithmetic device 171 operates as a functional unit that provides a predetermined function by executing processing according to the program of each functional unit. For example, the arithmetic device 171 functions as a driving control unit by executing processing according to the driving control program 174. The same applies to the other programs, and the arithmetic device 171 operates as a functional unit that provides each function of a plurality of processes executed by each program.

[0045] The station terminal 210 is installed at each work station where a worker performs work. The station terminal 210 displays the work schedule information 125 transmitted from the warehouse control device 100 to present the work contents to the worker, and also accepts data input by the worker and transmits it to the warehouse control device 100.

[0046] The station terminal 210 is a computer including a communication interface 191, an input device 192, an output device 193, a control device 194, and a storage device 195. The communication interface 191 communicates with the warehouse control device 100 via a network 150. The input device 192 is composed of a touch panel, a keyboard, etc. The output device 193 is composed of a display, a speaker, etc. The control device 194 is composed of a microcomputer, etc., and executes a predetermined program. The storage device 195 stores programs and data.

[0047] The station terminal 210 receives from the warehouse control device 100 a work schedule to be performed at the installed work station, and stores it in the picking work information 196 in the memory device 195. The station terminal 210 outputs to the output device 193 commands and the like according to the work status of the worker from the picking work information 196.

[0048] A worker operates the station terminal 210 at the start or completion of work to obtain work instructions, etc. The input device 192 of the station terminal 210 has a picking start button, a picking completion button, an assortment start button, an assortment completion button, a departure button, a stop button, a recovery button, etc. These buttons may be physically operable buttons, or may be buttons that are displayed on the display of the output device 193 and can be operated by touch.

[0049] For example, after operating the picking start button, the worker retrieves the items specified in the work command from the shelf 202 and carries them to a designated location. When the worker has finished picking the specified items, he operates the picking complete button. Next, the worker operates the assorting start button, and then sorts and packs the picked items. When sorting and packing are completed, the worker operates the assorting complete button. When the worker operates the departure button to start the next task, the warehouse control device 100 sends a command to the conveying device 203 to move the shelf 202 to be worked on next to the work station.

[0050] In response to the operation of each of the above-mentioned buttons, the control device 194 transmits the contents of the operation received by the input device 192 to the warehouse control device 100. When the warehouse control device 100 receives the contents of the operation from the station terminal 210, it stores the received contents in a station log 131, which will be described later.

[0051] <System image> 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the layout of a transport system in a logistics center. The logistics center has a storage space 201. Within the storage space 201, multiple shelves 202 are arranged in a grid pattern in the vertical and horizontal directions. The shelves 202 form an "island" consisting of a predetermined number of shelves 202 (for example, 2 x 6 or 1 x 6).

[0052] A plurality of transport devices 203 are arranged in the storage space 201. The transport devices 203 enter under the shelves 202 and lift up the shelves 202 to move. A plurality of charging stations 204 for charging the transport devices 203 are arranged at predetermined locations around the storage space 201.

[0053] A plurality of work stations 205-1 to 205-4 are arranged at predetermined positions on the outer edge of the storage space 201. At the work stations 205-1 to 205-3, workers 206-1 to 206-3 perform the work of storing and retrieving items, and at the robot station 205-4, a robot 207-1 performs the work of storing and retrieving items.

[0054] In the following description, when the work stations are not individually specified, the reference number "206" is used, with the suffix after "-" omitted. The same applies to the reference numbers of the other components.

[0055] At a work station 205 adjacent to the storage space 201, safety light curtains 208, 208 are installed to detect an intrusion of a worker 206 into the storage space 201. A shelf 202 is placed between the safety light curtains 208, 208 to form an opening 209 where picking work is performed.

[0056] When the shelf 202 is placed in the entrance 209 by the transport device 203, the safety light curtains 208, 208 are turned off, allowing the worker 206 to carry out the picking work. On the other hand, when the picking work is completed and the transport device 203 moves the shelf 202 away from the entrance 209, the safety light curtains 208, 208 are turned on, and an alarm or the like is output if the worker 206 or the like enters from the entrance 209.

[0057] In a work station 205 where a worker 206 works, a station terminal 210 is placed near an entrance 209. In addition, in predetermined positions on the periphery of the work station 205, work spaces 211-1 to 211-4 for sorting and packing are provided.

[0058] The size of the work space 211 and the size of the containers for sorting and packing boxes or the like may differ for each work station 205, and these differences are factors that affect the workability of the worker 206.

[0059] When the transport device 203 places the shelf 202 at the opening 209, the time that the worker 206 or robot 207 can work without moving the transport device 203 varies depending on the work content at the work station 205. For example, in a retrieval work, one or more items are shipped from the 3×3 openings of the shelf 202 according to shipping information. On the other hand, in a retrieval work, a certain number of items (for example, 3 to 4 items) are stored. The time that the worker 206 or robot 207 can work without moving the transport device 203 becomes longer according to the number of items to be worked on.

[0060] Similarly, the number of shelves 202 that can wait in front of the work station 205 differs depending on the work content at the work station 205. For example, in an retrieval work, the work time differs depending on the number and type of articles to be taken out of the shelf 202, so if the work time is short, the number of shelves 202 that can wait in front of the work station 205 may be increased. On the other hand, in a storage work, the work time differs depending on the number and type of articles to be taken out of the shelf 202, and a larger number of articles are worked on than in an retrieval work, so if the work time is long, the number of shelves 202 that can wait in front of the work station 205 may be decreased. In other words, since the work time varies depending on the work content, location, and time performed at the work station 205, and the number of shelves 202 that can wait also varies, it is advisable to change the transport device allocation upper limit value.

[0061] In addition, the relative relationship between the location of the work station and the storage location of the item to be stored or retrieved may affect the work time. For example, in a work station close to a location where many items that are relatively frequently stored or retrieved are stored, the time it takes the transport device 203 to transport the shelf 202 to the work station 205 is short. In another example, in a work station close to a location where heavy and bulky items are stored, the picking time may be long and the workload may be relatively large. In other words, the transport time of the shelf 202 to the work station 205 varies depending on the work content performed at the work station 205, the location of the work station 205, and the time, and the number of shelves 202 that can be on standby also varies.

[0062] Here, an example of operation of the transport system of this embodiment will be described. In a configuration in which the transport device 203 transports transport objects such as the shelf 202 to the work station 205 as in the transport system of this embodiment, depending on the allocation pattern of the transport instruction, a waiting time may occur until the shelf to be worked on arrives at the work station 205. For example, when the work time at the work station 205 is shorter than the transport time required for the transport device to transport the shelf from its storage position to the work station 205, the number of shelves 202 waiting in front of the work station 205 decreases, and the shelves 202 arranged at the frontage 209 may disappear. In other words, when the work efficiency at the work station becomes greater than the transport efficiency of the transport device, a waiting time may occur at the work station 205. The occurrence of such a waiting time at the work station 205 may reduce the work efficiency of the work station 205 and reduce the efficiency of the entire transport system, so it is desirable to shorten the waiting time at the work station 205. Therefore, in the transport system of this embodiment, a transport instruction to transport the shelf 202 to a certain work station 205 can be simultaneously allocated to multiple transport devices 203. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, a configuration is provided in which a plurality of shelves 202 and a transport device 203 carrying the shelves 202 can be placed on standby in front of the work station 205. This allows the shelves 202 waiting near the shelves 202 for which work has been completed at each work station 205 to be moved to the frontage 209 of the work station 205, enabling continuous work to be performed, thereby reducing the standby time at the work station 205. The standby positions of the shelves 202 waiting near the work station 205 or the transport device 203 carrying the shelves 202 may be set to standby positions adjacent to the shelf placed at the frontage 209 of the work station 205 so as to form a line with the shelf placed at the frontage 209 of the work station 205 at the head, thereby reducing the time loss due to the movement of the shelves 202. FIG. 2 shows an example in which the shelf 202-1 placed at the frontage 209 of the work station 205-2 is placed at the head, and the shelf 202-2 forms a standby line in the rear direction, but the selection of the standby positions of the shelves 202 is not limited to this example.

[0063] The number of conveying devices 203 and shelves 202 lined up immediately before the work stations 205 can be changed by setting an upper limit for each work station 205 based on several indicators such as the position of the aforementioned work stations, the relationship with the storage positions of the items to be stored and retrieved, the status of the workers, work performance, and performance of transport time.

[0064] In this way, the work content, workload, and working time vary from one work station to another. Furthermore, these variations are not constant, but may change according to the season, changes in fashion, and changes in the storage location of items.

[0065] In this embodiment, the work performed by the worker 206 at the work station 205 is an example in which picking work, assorting work, and delivery work are performed for each of the warehousing work and warehousing work.

[0066] The outgoing work is performed by a worker 206 (or a robot 207) taking out items stored on the shelves 202 according to their destinations, sorting the taken-out items according to their destinations, and packing the sorted items into storage compartments for each destination. The storing work is performed by a worker 206 (or a robot 207) sorting items that have arrived at the warehouse according to the shelf 202 where they are stored, and storing the sorted items in a specified position on the shelf 202. In this embodiment, the tasks of the outgoing work and the storing work are defined as follows.

[0067] The picking work of the retrieval work is a work in which a worker 206 (or a robot 207) takes out a specified item from the shelf 202 that has arrived at the entrance 209, and moves it to the work space 211. The specified item may be displayed on the output device 193 of the station terminal 210.

[0068] The assortment work of the outgoing work is a work in which the worker 206 (or the robot 207) stores the items moved to the work space 211 in a box (transport member) according to the destination, and packs the box, etc. The destination of the item may be displayed on the output device 193 of the station terminal 210.

[0069] The outgoing work of the outgoing work is a work in which, after the picking work of the shelf 202 arranged at the entrance 209 is completed, the worker 206 (or the robot 207) operates the station terminal 210 to request the next shelf 202. The warehouse control device 100 transmits a command to the conveying device 203 to move the shelf 202 arranged at the entrance 209, and issues a command to the other conveying devices 203 to move the next shelf 202 to the entrance 209.

[0070] The picking work of the warehousing work is a work in which a worker 206 (or a robot 207) picks out a commanded item from among the items that have arrived at the work station 205 by truck or pallet, and moves it to the work space 211. Note that the designation of the item is similar to that of the warehousing work, and it is preferable that the designation is displayed on the output device 193 of the station terminal 210.

[0071] The assortment work of the warehousing work is a work in which an operator 206 (or a robot 207) stores the items taken out to the work space 211 on the shelf 202 arranged at the entrance 209. The designation of the shelf 202 storing the items may be displayed on the output device 193 of the station terminal 210.

[0072] The unloading operation of the warehousing operation is an operation in which the worker 206 (or the robot 207) operates the station terminal 210 to request the next shelf 202 after completing the assortment operation on the shelf 202 arranged at the entrance 209.

[0073] <Log data table for transport device> FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the transport device information 300 constituting the transport device travel record data 129. As shown in FIG.

[0074] The transport device information 300 includes records in which a transport device ID column 301, a status column 302, a start / end column 303, a time column 304, a position column 305, a station ID 306, and an acquired data column 307 are associated with each other.

[0075] The transport device ID stored in the transport device ID column 301 is identification information that uniquely identifies the transport device 203 .

[0076] The status stored in the status column 302 is the specific work or operation that the warehouse control device 100 instructs the transport device 203 to perform during the transport instruction, and the contents of the event that the transport device 203 detects. Such a status is sometimes called an "event" in this field.

[0077] The flag stored in the start / end column 303 is either "start", which indicates that the state has started, or "end", which indicates that the state has ended.

[0078] The time stored in the time column 304 is the year, month, day, hour, minute, and second at which the state started or ended.

[0079] The position stored in the position column 305 is the two-dimensional coordinate value of the section in which the transport device is located at that time. # indicates an arbitrary numerical value.

[0080] The identification information stored in the station ID column 306 is identification information that uniquely identifies a station related to the transportation work, such as the destination work station 205 and the charging station 204, and is identification information that uniquely identifies a station related to the status of the transportation device 203, such as the station to which the transportation device 203 is heading or at which it is stopped at that time.

[0081] The acquired data stored in the acquired data field 307 is data acquired of the state of the transport device 203. In many cases, the acquired data is measurement information other than the start time and end time of the acquired state, and for example, when the transport device 203 transports the shelf 202, the acquired data is identification information that uniquely identifies the shelf 202 read from the bottom surface of the shelf 202. Note that the acquired data field 307 may store multiple pieces of measurement information.

[0082] According to the transport device information 300 (FIG. 3), for example, the following can be found.

[0083] From 10:20:00 to 10:22:00 on Dec. 1, 2022, the transport device A001 performed "non-allocated work." "Allocated" means that the purpose is to transport the shelf 202 to the work station 205. Therefore, "non-allocated" means that the purpose is not to transport the shelf 202 to the work station 205. The "non-allocated work" from 10:20:00 to 10:21:25 means moving to a charging position, and the "non-allocated work" from 10:21:25 to 10:22:00 means moving the transport device 203 in accordance with a movement instruction triggered by the operation of the station terminal 210.

[0084] The transport device A001 was charged at the charging station 204 from 10:20:00 to 10:21:25, and received instructions from the station terminal 210 from 10:21:25 to 10:22:00.

[0085] From 10:22:00 to 10:30:00, the transport device A001 was "waiting" at a predetermined waiting position. This "waiting" means that there was no work being done.

[0086] From 10:30:00 to 10:33:05, the transport device A001 performed "allocation work."

[0087] During this period, from 10:30:00 to 10:31:00, the conveying device A001 performed a "pick-up." "Pick-up" refers to travel to the position of the shelf where the target article is stored without lifting the shelf.

[0088] From 10:31:00 to 10:31:05, the transport device A001 performed a "shelf raising" operation. "Shelf raising" refers to the operation of the transport device 203 raising the table 182 to lift the shelf 202. At this time, the transport device A001 obtains a shelf ID from the shelf 202.

[0089] From 10:31:05 to 10:32:05, the transport device A001 performed "shelf transport (outbound)." "Shelf transport (outbound)" refers to the transport of the shelf 202 to the work station 205 by the transport device 203. In addition, the identification information of the destination work station 205 is stored in the station ID field 306, and the travel route is stored in the acquired data field 307.

[0090] From 10:32:05 to 10:32:25, the transport device A001 performed "station work." "Station work" means that the worker 206 is performing shipping work at the work station, and the transport device A001 is waiting until the shipping work is completed. In addition, the identification information of the work station 205 in operation is stored in the station ID column 306.

[0091] From 10:32:25 to 10:33:00, the transport device A001 performed "shelf transport (return trip)." "Shelf transport (return trip)" refers to transport by the transport device 203 to a specified storage location on the shelf 202. In addition, identification information of the work station 205 from which the transport originated is stored in the station ID field 306.

[0092] From 10:33:00 to 10:33:05, the transport device A001 performed a "shelf lowering" operation. "Shelf lowering" refers to the operation of the transport device 203 lowering the table 182 to lower the shelf 202.

[0093] From 10:33:05 to 11:00:00, the transport device A001 "waited" at a designated waiting position. During this time, a "communication interruption was detected" from 10:40:00 to 10:41:00. "Communication interruption detection" means that communication with the warehouse control device 100 or communication with another transport device 203 was interrupted.

[0094] From 11:00:00 to 11:30:00, the transport device A001 was in the “offline” state. “Offline” means that the warehouse control device 100 cannot issue a movement instruction to the transport device 203.

[0095] <Workstation Log Data Table> FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of station information 400 constituting the station performance data 132. As shown in FIG.

[0096] The station information 400 includes records in which a station ID column 401, a status column 402, a start / end column 403, a time column 404, a job ID column 405, a worker column 406, a number of lines processed column 407, a shelf ID column 408, and an item ID x quantity column 409 are associated.

[0097] The station ID stored in the station ID column 401 is identification information that uniquely identifies a work station 205 (for example, robot station 205-4).

[0098] The status stored in the status column 402 is the work content instructed by the warehouse control device 100 to the station terminal 210 .

[0099] The flag stored in the start / end column 403 indicates that a state has started or ended, just like the flag in the transport device information 300 (FIG. 3).

[0100] The time stored in the time column 404 is the same as the time in the transport device information 300 (FIG. 3), and is the year, month, day, hour, minute, and second at the time when the state started or ended.

[0101] The identification information (task ID) stored in the task ID column 405 is identification information that uniquely identifies each task.

[0102] The identification information (worker ID) stored in the worker column 406 is identification information that uniquely identifies the worker 206 working at the work station 205 or the robot 207 (for example, the worker 206-1 working at the work station 205-1).

[0103] The number of processed lines stored in the number of processed lines column 407 is the number of processed lines of work instructions (the amount of data in the instruction content). The larger the number of processed lines, the more complex the work that the worker must do is qualitatively and / or the greater the amount of work (details below). Note that # indicates an arbitrary numerical value. The number of processed lines is also synonymous with the number of hits, and the number of hits is the number of processed lines expressed as a percentage.

[0104] The identification information (shelf ID) stored in the shelf ID column 408 is identification information that uniquely identifies the shelf 202.

[0105] Of the item IDs and quantities stored in the item ID x quantity column 409, the item ID is identification information that specifies the type of item to be worked on, and the quantity is the quantity of the item. In this embodiment, the worker enters (stores on the shelf) or removes (takes out from the shelf) items at the work station 205. Different types of items are stored in each shelf opening (storage space).

[0106] According to the station information 400 (FIG. 4), for example, the following can be seen.

[0107] A worker with worker ID H001 worked at work station 205 with station ID E001 from at least 10:00:00 to 11:15:00 on December 1, 2022.

[0108] From 10:00:00 to 10:32:00, operation ID 405 performed the warehousing operation of W012. The operation details of operation ID 405 (W012) are as follows:

[0109] From 10:00:00 to 10:10:00, the work station 205 with the station ID E001 was in "standby (waiting for allocation)". "Standby (waiting for allocation)" means that the transport device 203 is waiting to be associated with a task at the station.

[0110] From 10:10:00 to 10:12:00, the work station 205 with station ID E001 was "on standby (pick-up or shelf transport)." "Pick-up" refers to travel without lifting the shelf to the position of the shelf where the target item is stored while the work station 205 is on standby. "Shelf transport" refers to transporting the shelf 202 to the work station 205 by the transport device 203 while the work station 205 is on standby.

[0111] From 10:12:00 to 10:32:00, the work station 205 with station ID E001 performed a "warehousing operation." The number of processing lines for the work instruction for this warehousing operation is "#." In accordance with the work instruction, the work station 205 with station ID E001 performed the warehousing operation of storing at least 200 items with item ID D021 on shelf F001.

[0112] From 10:32:00 to 11:10:00, job ID 405 performed the removal work of W054. The details of W054 of job ID 405 are as follows.

[0113] From 10:32:00 to 10:35:00, the work station 205 with station ID E001 was in "standby (waiting for allocation)".

[0114] From 10:35:00 to 10:36:00, work station 205 with station ID E001 was in "waiting (pick-up or shelf transport)" state.

[0115] During the retrieval work, the work station 205 with the station ID E001 was in "standby (safety sensor detection)" state from 10:36:00 to 10:37:00. "Safety sensor detection" means, for example, that the station's light curtain was interrupted. In other words, during this time, all work was suspended at the work station 205 with the station ID E001.

[0116] From 10:37:00 to 10:38:00, the working station 205 with station ID E001 was in "Standby (Waiting for Vehicle or Shelf Conveyance)".

[0117] From 10:38:00 to 11:10:00, the working station 205 with station ID E001 performed "Outbound Operation". The number of processed lines of the operation instruction for the outbound operation is "#". At the working station 205 with station ID E001, according to the operation instruction, an outbound operation was performed to take at least 2 pieces of article D031 from shelf F002.

[0118] From 11:10:00 on December 1, 2022, another operation with work ID 405 being W003 was performed. In the operation with work ID 405 being W003, from 11:10:00 to 11:15:00, the working station 205 with station ID E001 was in "Standby (Awaiting Allocation)".

[0119] Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of the conveyance device information 500 that constitutes the device information 126.

[0120] The conveyance device information 500 is information obtained by the conveyance device control program 114 of the warehouse control device 100 from the conveyance device 203.

[0121] The conveyance device information 500 includes records associated with a device ID column 501, an operation status column 502, a work ID column 503, a current position column 504, a working station ID column 505, a shelf ID column 506, an abnormality CD column 507, and a work start time column 508.

[0122] The equipment ID column 501 stores the identification information given to the transport device 203. The operation status column 502 indicates the status of the transport device 203, and stores, for example, a status of working, not working, abnormal, charging, etc. The work ID column 503 stores unique identification information given to the work by the transport device control program 114 of the warehouse control device 100. The current position column 504 stores the real-time position of the transport device 203 in the warehouse. The work station ID column 505 stores unique identification information for identifying the work station 205 where the work related to the transport instruction assigned to the transport device 203 is performed (i.e., the transport destination). The shelf ID column 506 stores unique identification information for identifying the shelf 202 related to the transport instruction assigned to the transport device 203. The abnormality CD column 507 stores identification information for identifying the content of the abnormality that occurred in the transport device 203, which was determined by the control device 170 or the driving device 180. An abnormality of the transport device 203 may be, for example, deviation from the travel route, an unknown position in the warehouse, or a shift in the loading position on the shelf 202, and the abnormality CD column 507 stores a code corresponding to the cause of the abnormality. The work start time column 508 stores the time when the record of the transport device information 500 was created, for example, the time when the work started or the time when the abnormality was detected.

[0123] The transport device control program 114 of the warehouse control device 100 refers to the transport device information 500, selects a transport device 203 suitable for the next task, and assigns the task to the selected transport device 203. Note that the transport device 203 suitable for the task may be a transport device 203 close to the task location, a transport device 203 with "not yet worked" in the operation status column 502, a transport device 203 stored in the task start time column 508 in order of oldest to newest, or an optimal transport device 203 may be selected using AI.

[0124] The transport device control program 114 updates the transport device information 500 with the information of the task assigned to the record of the selected transport device 203 .

[0125] In addition, the time stored in the work start time column 508 may be compared with the current time, and if it is taking longer than the expected work time, the maximum number of units to be assigned with a transport instruction to the work station 205 (station transport device allocation information 130 (Figure 9)) may be corrected.

[0126] <Shelf management table> FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of shelf management information 600 constituting the shelf information 123. As shown in FIG.

[0127] The shelf management information 600 is used to manage information about the shelf 202, i.e., when the conveying device control program 114 and the route creation program 111 of the warehouse control device 100 determine the position of the shelf 202 within the warehouse in accordance with incoming and outgoing goods, and when the conveying device 203 creates a movement route for conveying the shelf 202.

[0128] The shelf management information 600 includes records in which a shelf ID column 601, a status column 602, a current location column 604, a work station ID column 605, and a shipping frequency column 606 are associated with each other.

[0129] The shelf ID column 601 stores identification information that uniquely identifies the shelf 202. The status column 602 indicates the status of the shelf 202, and is "in operation" when the transport device 203 is transporting the shelf 202, and is "in storage" otherwise. When the status column 602 is "in operation", the work ID column 603 stores identification information that is the same as the work ID (see FIG. 5) of the transport device 203 that is transporting the shelf 202. The current location column 604 stores the real-time location of the shelf 202 in the warehouse. When the status column 602 is "in operation", the work station ID column 605 stores identification information of the work station 205 related to the transport of the shelf 202. The shipping frequency column 606 stores the frequency at which the shelf 202 is transported to the work station 205. In this embodiment, only transports when shipping work is performed at the work station 205 are counted to calculate the shipping frequency, and the shipping frequency is evaluated on a five-level scale from A to E, where A is high frequency and E is low frequency. Separate columns may be provided for the arrival frequency and the shipping frequency, or a column for the total value of the arrival frequency and the shipping frequency may be provided. The work start time column 607 stores the time when the status column 602 becomes "in work".

[0130] By referring to the shelf management information 600 shown in FIG. 6, for example, the following control can be realized.

[0131] It is advisable to place the shelf 202 with a high shipping frequency in the shipping frequency column 606 close to the work station 205 where the shipping work is performed, and to shorten the transport time to the work station 205 where the shipping work is performed. On the other hand, the shelf 202 with a low shipping frequency in the shipping frequency column 606 may be placed away from the work station 205 where the shipping work is performed, and to lengthen the transport time to the work station 205 where the shipping work is performed.

[0132] Furthermore, receiving work is often performed at a work station 205 where shipping work is not performed. Therefore, a shelf 202 with a high shipping frequency in the shipping frequency column 606 may be located away from the work station 205 where receiving work is performed, and the transport time to the work station 205 where receiving work is performed may be long. On the other hand, a shelf 202 with a low shipping frequency in the shipping frequency column 606 may be located close to the work station 205 where receiving work is performed, and the transport time to the work station 205 where receiving work is performed may be short.

[0133] Depending on the distance between the position stored in the current position column 604 of the shelf 202 and the position of the work station 205 associated with the work, the transport time for the transport device 203 to transport the shelf 202 differs, and the time that the transport device 203 waits just before the work station 205 to wait for the work of the work station 205 also differs. Therefore, the necessary transport time can be calculated from the distance between the current position of the shelf 202 and the position of the work station 205, and the time that the transport device 203 waits just before the work station 205 to wait for the work of the work station 205 can be minimized. The allocation order of work instructions of the transport device 203 to the target work station 205 and the maximum number of units that can be allocated are corrected. This allows the transport device 203 to be allocated to another work station 205.

[0134] <Tables related to hit count> FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of hit count information 700 constituting the hit count data 128. As shown in FIG.

[0135] The hit count information 700 indicates the shipping record of the shelf 202 at the work station 205, and includes records in which a station ID column 701, a time column 702, a number of processed rows column 703, a shelf ID column 704, and an item ID x quantity column are associated with each other.

[0136] The station ID column 701 stores identification information that uniquely identifies the work station 205, the same as the station ID 401 (see FIG. 4). The time column 702 stores the time when the shelf 202 arrived at the work station 205. The number of processed rows column 703 stores the number of times an item has been picked by an operator from one shelf 202. For example, the transport device 203 transports the shelf 202 to the work station 205 once, and the operator picks up 200 items with item ID D021 and 50 items with item ID D022 for order destination A, and picks up 30 items with item ID D021 and 100 items with item ID D023 for order destination B. In this case, 200 items with item ID D021 from order destination A, 50 items with item ID D022 from order destination A, 30 items with item ID D021 and 100 items with item ID D023 from order destination B are picked, so the number of picking operations is four. The number of picking operations may be the number obtained by multiplying the type of item by the quantity, or may be the number of item IDs to be picked. The shelf ID column 704 stores identification information of the shelf 202. The item ID x quantity column 705 stores the item IDs of the items picked by the worker and the picking quantity of each item.

[0137] With reference to the hit count information 700 shown in FIG. 7, for example, the following control can be realized.

[0138] Assuming that the time required for one picking by a worker is constant, if the number of pickings stored in the number of processing rows column 703 is large, the time that the shelf 202 and the transport device 203 wait at the work station 205 will increase. Also, if the number of pickings stored in the number of processing rows column 703 is small, the time that the shelf 202 and the transport device 203 wait at the work station 205 will decrease. For this reason, if the number of pickings stored in the number of processing rows column 703 is small, the shelf 202 and the transport device 203 will be replaced more frequently, and a large number of transport devices 203 will be required. Therefore, it is better to have a large number of pickings stored in the number of processing rows column 703.

[0139] Increasing the waiting time of the transport device 203 at the work station 205 means that the transport device 203 will wait longer in front of the work station 205 until the currently ongoing work is completed. Therefore, the upper limit of the number of transport devices assigned to the work station 205 (see FIG. 9) is corrected in accordance with the number of pickings stored in the processing row count column 703 so that the waiting time of the transport device 203 in front of the work station 205 is shortened, thereby shortening the waiting time of the transport device 203 assigned to another work station 205 and improving shipping efficiency.

[0140] In order to improve the efficiency of shipping by allocating the transport devices 203 to the work stations 205, the maximum number of units allocated to the work stations 205 is corrected so that the waiting time of other transport devices 203 in front of the work stations 205 is shortened.

[0141] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of worker performance information 800 constituting the worker performance data 133.

[0142] Worker performance information 800 is information in which the work performance of workers is recorded, and includes records in which a worker ID column 801, a time column 802, a picking time column 803, a shelf ID column 804, and an item ID x quantity column 805 are associated.

[0143] The worker ID column 801 stores the identification information of the worker 206 (e.g., 206-1) or robot 207 (e.g., 207-1) at the work station 205. The time column 802 stores the time when picking of an item started. The picking time column 803 stores the time required to pick the target item. The shelf ID column 804 stores the identification information of the shelf 202 from which the item was removed. The item ID x quantity column 805 stores the identification information of the item to be picked and the quantity of the item to be picked.

[0144] For example, it is recorded that the job with job ID H002 started picking at 10:03:00 on December 1, 2022, picked 197 items with item ID D069 from shelf 202 with shelf ID F083, and took 29 seconds to pick.

[0145] With reference to the worker performance information 800 shown in FIG. 8, for example, the following control can be realized.

[0146] Assuming that the number of picking times stored in the processing row number column 703 is a constant value when an operator picks up an item from the shelf 202 transported by the transport device 203 to the work station 205, if the picking time is long, the time that the shelf 202 and the transport device 203 wait while the worker is working at the work station 205 will increase. Also, if the picking time is short, the time that the shelf 202 and the transport device 203 wait while the worker is working at the work station 205 will decrease. Note that, as described above in the explanation of FIG. 7, if the picking time is short, the shelf 202 and the transport device 203 will be replaced more frequently.

[0147] Assuming that the number of picking times stored in the processing row count column 703 is constant, if the picking time is long, the time that the shelf 202 and the transport device 203 wait at the work station 205 will increase. Also, if the picking time is short, the time that the shelf 202 and the transport device 203 wait at the work station 205 will decrease. For this reason, it is advisable to correct the maximum number of transport devices assigned to the work station 205 in accordance with the picking time so that the time that the transport device 203 waits just before the work station 205 is minimized, and to assign the transport device 203 to another work station 205 to reduce the unworked time and improve shipping efficiency.

[0148] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a work station management table 900 constituting the station transport device allocation information 130. As shown in FIG.

[0149] The work station management table 900 includes records in which a station ID column 901, a location column 902, a work status column 903, a worker column 904, a current number of transport devices assigned column 905, an upper limit of the number of transport devices assigned column 906, and an assignment priority column 907 are associated.

[0150] The station ID column 901 stores the identification information of the work station 205 in the same manner as the station ID column 401 in Fig. 4. The position column 902 stores the position where the transport device 203 stops for work at the work station 205. The work status column 903 stores the status of work at the work station 205. For example, the status of work may be "storage" for work storing items on the shelf 202, "removal" for work removing items from the shelf 202, "other" for work such as inventorying items in the shelf 202 or replacing items at the frontage, and "not done" when no work is being done. The worker column 904 stores the identification information of the worker 206 or robot 207 performing work at the work station 205.

[0151] The current number of transport devices assigned field 905 stores the real-time number of transport devices 203 to which the transport device control program 114 has assigned a transport instruction to the work station 205. The transport device control program 114 adds the number of transport devices 203 to which a transport instruction is assigned to the current number of transport devices assigned field 905 corresponding to the relevant station ID 901. The transport device control program 114 subtracts 1 from the current number of transport devices assigned field 905 when the worker 206 or robot 207 completes work at the work station 205.

[0152] The transport device allocation number upper limit field 906 stores the upper limit of the number of transport devices 203 to which the transport device control program 114 can allocate a transport instruction for each work station 205. The transport device control program 114 allocates transport instructions to the transport devices 203 for each work station 205 so that the current transport device allocation number does not exceed the value stored in the transport device allocation number upper limit field 906. Note that in this embodiment, the current transport device allocation number field 905 and the transport device allocation number upper limit field 906 are managed as one item regardless of whether the work is for entering or leaving the warehouse, but the current transport device allocation number and the transport device allocation number upper limit may be managed separately for entering or leaving the warehouse.

[0153] The allocation priority column 907 stores information that the transport device control program 114 references in order to select a work station 205 that preferentially allocates a transport instruction to a transport device 203 when the work status column 903 is not "not yet worked" and the current transport device allocation number does not exceed the value stored in the transport device allocation number upper limit column 906 in multiple work stations. For example, the priority is evaluated in five stages from A to E, with A being the highest priority and E being the lowest priority. When the current transport device allocation number does not exceed the value stored in the transport device allocation number upper limit column 906 and transport instructions can be allocated to the transport device 203 by multiple station IDs, the transport device control program 114 allocates work instructions to the transport device 203 starting from the work station 205 with the highest priority. This priority is effective when the number of transport devices 203 to which transport instructions can be allocated is smaller than the number of transport instructions. The priority may be determined in advance when the transport system is designed, and may be changed according to the work performance in the work station 205.

[0154] <Settings screen> FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a station conveyance device allocation number setting screen 1000 displayed on the output device 193 of the station terminal 210. As shown in FIG.

[0155] The current transport device allocation number setting field 1001 displays the station ID stored in the station ID field 901 of the work station management table 900 shown in FIG. 9, the upper limit of the transport device allocation number stored in the upper limit of the transport device allocation number field 906, and the allocation priority stored in the allocation priority field 907. The manual / automatic mode changeover switch 1002 allows the worker to select and switch between a manual input mode in which the transport device allocation number upper limit and the allocation priority are directly input by the worker, and an automatic input mode in which the transport device allocation number upper limit and the allocation priority are changed based on past data such as the transport time from the shelf 202 to the work station 205, the position information of the shelf 202, the number of hits during the picking work, and the picking time for the worker to take out the item from the shelf 202. In the automatic input mode, it is preferable to derive the transport device allocation number upper limit and the allocation priority from past data using a machine learning model or a mathematical model using AI technology. The changed transport device allocation number setting field 1003 is used when manual input is selected by the manual / automatic mode changeover switch 1002. An operator can input and change the upper limit of the number of vehicles assigned to a transport device and the allocation priority corresponding to the station ID. The change setting button 1004 is operated to confirm the content entered in the changed number of vehicles assigned to a transport device setting field 1003. By operating the change setting button 1004, the content entered in the changed number of vehicles assigned to a transport device setting field 1003 is sent to the warehouse control device 100, and the work station management table 900 is updated. Note that if the manual / automatic mode switch 1002 is set to automatic input, the work station management table 900 is automatically updated without the need to operate the change setting button.

[0156] <Transport device allocation number setting process> FIG. 11 is a flowchart of the transport device allocation number setting process executed by the warehouse control device 100.

[0157] In step S1101, the transport device control program 114 of the warehouse control device 100 acquires all log data (past performance data A) stored in the storage device 110 and each device. The devices in this case include the transport device 203, the charging station 204, and the work station 205. The work station 205 includes the robot 207, the station terminal 210, and any device that gives specific work instructions to the worker 206 (a terminal device carried by the worker, a display, a guide frame on the shelf entrance surface, etc.). The log is an operation instruction to each device and an operation history of each device, and is data indicating the state of the device with time information (for example, the start time and end time of the state). The log is recorded in the instruction sent by the warehouse control device 100 to each device, or in the data sent by each facility to the warehouse control device 100.

[0158] In step S1102, the transport device control program 114 acquires the time required for the transport device 203 to transport to the work station 205 from the log data acquired in step S1101. Specifically, from the transport device information 300, the time required for "Pickup", "Shelf Ascension", "Shelf Transport (Outbound)" and "Station Work" in the status column 302 of "Allocation Work" is acquired from multiple transport devices 203, and the transport time is calculated from the acquired time. For example, the average value of the acquired time may be calculated as the transport time. Note that the transport time may be calculated by a weighted average weighted according to the distance between the work station 205 and the shelf 202, or the transport time may be derived from the transport record of the transport device 203 and a future shipment volume forecast using a machine learning model trained on the transport record, shipment volume and transport time of the transport device 203.

[0159] In step S1103, the transport device control program 114 identifies the worker of the relevant work station 205 from the work station management table 900 based on the worker information B stored in the worker column 904 of the target station ID column 901.

[0160] In step S1104, the transport device control program 114 calculates the picking time of the worker acquired in S1103 from the log data acquired in step S1101. Specifically, the worker ID column 801 of the worker performance information 800 is referred to to narrow down the workers acquired in step S1103, and the picking time is calculated from the average of the past picking performance of the target worker. The picking time may be calculated by a weighted average weighted according to the working state of the worker on the day, or the picking time may be added to the picking time when the item to be picked is located at a high position, taking into consideration the height and constitution of the worker and the position of the item stored on the shelf 202. In addition, a time considering the working environment, such as the time it takes to go back and forth when the work station 205 is located far from the rest area, may be added to the picking time.

[0161] In step S1105, the transport device control program 114 acquires the number of hits of the shelf 202 being transported in real time and the number of hits in the past from the log data acquired in step S1101. For example, the transport device control program 114 refers to the station ID column 701 of the hit number information 700, acquires data of the processing line number column 703 of the work station 205 for calculating the number of hits, and calculates the average value of the number of pickings stored in the processing line number column 703 as the average hit number. In addition, information on the shelf 202 currently being transported to the work station 205 by the transport device 203 is acquired from the transport device information 500, and acquires the number of hits in real time from the shipping schedule included in the order information 121. Then, the real time hit number and the average hit number are compared. The average hit number may be calculated by a forgetting average weighted by the elapsed time. The weighting may be calculated from past performance data using a machine learning model or a mathematical model using AI technology.

[0162] In step S1106, the transport device control program 114 acquires the dates and times when there are many entering or leaving work operations stored in the status column 402 from the station information 400 of the log data acquired in S1101. For example, the average number of operations per hour is calculated for each work station 205 from the information on the entering or leaving work operations stored in the status column 402 of the station information 400. If the number of operations is high on each day and there is a large deviation depending on the work station 205, it is determined that the data has a certain bias in the work times, and the deviation is calculated as a weighting.

[0163] In step S1107, the transport device control program 114 acquires the number of transport devices 203 that are working and the number of transport devices 203 that are not working. Specifically, the number of transport devices 203 that are “not working”, “working”, and “charging” is acquired from the operation status column 502 of the transport device information 500.

[0164] In step S1108, the transport device control program 114 calculates the upper limit of the number of vehicles assigned to a transport device from the transport time, picking time, number of hits, delivery record, operation status of the transport device, and shelf position information, and stores the calculated upper limit of the number of vehicles assigned to a transport device in the upper limit column 906 of the work station management table 900. In addition, the program calculates the allocation priority for each work station 205 from the trend of delivery record, and stores the calculated upper limit of the number of vehicles assigned to a transport device in the allocation priority column 907 of the work station management table 900.

[0165] For example, the picking time is multiplied by the number of hits to calculate the time that the transport device 203 waits in front of the work station 205, and the resulting value is subtracted from the shelf transport time to calculate a provisional upper limit of the number of vehicles to be allocated to the transport device.

[0166] Next, a correction value is added to the calculated provisional upper limit of the number of vehicles to be allocated to the transport device for correction. This correction value may be calculated based on additional information related to the transport work, the actual entry or exit record, and the shelf position information. For example, when the number of shelves with an entry frequency or exit frequency higher than the predetermined standard among shelves with a distance between a certain work station 205 and the shelf 202 calculated based on the actual entry or exit record and the shelf position information for the certain work station 205 that is closer than a predetermined standard is greater than a predetermined threshold, it is estimated that the transport time of the shelf to the certain work station 205 will be shorter than the average value, so the correction value related to the number of vehicles to be allocated to the transport device for the certain work station 205 may be set to a negative value to reduce the upper limit of the number of vehicles to be allocated to the transport device. On the other hand, when the number of shelves with an entry frequency or delivery frequency greater than the predetermined standard among the shelves where the distance between the shelf 202 and the work station 205 is farther than the predetermined standard is greater than the predetermined threshold, it is estimated that the transport time of the shelf to the work station 205 will be longer than the average value, so the upper limit of the number of transport devices allocated to the work station 205 may be increased by setting the correction value for the number of transport devices allocated to the work station 205 as a positive value. Here, the predetermined standard and the predetermined threshold may be values ​​that are appropriately set according to the environment, such as the layout of the logistics center and the characteristics of the transport devices. Furthermore, the predetermined threshold may be determined based on past performance values ​​regarding the entry frequency or delivery frequency.

[0167] The reference value of the distance between the shelf 202 and the work station 205 and the criteria for the frequency of storage or frequency of retrieval may be set in multiple stages. Also, the correction value A may be set to a different value according to the reference value of the distance between the shelf 202 and the work station 205 and the criteria for the frequency of storage or frequency of retrieval, which are set for each of the multiple stages. For example, the upper limit of the number of vehicles allocated to the transport device can be calculated using formula 1. In formula 1, the transport time is the transport time acquired in step S1102, the picking time is the picking time of the worker acquired in step S1104, and the number of hits is the average number of hits acquired in step S1105. The picking time and the number of hits are multiplied to calculate the transport device worker waiting time, which is the time that the transport device 203 loaded with the shelf 202 waits at the work station 205 until the worker 206 completes the work. The calculated transport device operator waiting time is shorter than the transport time. In the case of one transport device 203, the waiting time of the operator 206 at the work station 205 is the transport device operator waiting time minus the transport time. Therefore, the number of transport devices 203 allocated to the work station 205 is calculated so that the difference between the transport device operator waiting time and the transport time is small. In this embodiment, the number of transport devices 203 allocated to the work station 205 is determined by adding the correction value A to the calculated transport device allocation number. The correction value A is a value adjusted based on the positional relationship between the shelf 202 and the work station 205 and the day's incoming / outgoing forecast based on the warehousing record or the warehousing record. The value calculated by the formula 1 may be rounded up to an integer.

[0168] (Formula 1) Upper limit of number of transport devices allocated = (Transport time / (Picking time x Number of hits)) + Correction value A

[0169] Also, the position of the transport device 203 stored in the current position column 504 of the transport device 203 whose operation status column 502 of the transport device information 500 is "abnormal" is acquired from the value stored in the current transport device assigned number column 905 of the work station management table 900 and the operation status of the transport device 203, and in order to avoid the abnormal transport device 203, the transport device assigned number upper limit value may be increased by setting the correction value for the transport device assigned number of the work station 205 to a positive value, taking into consideration that the transport time to the work station 205 close to the abnormal transport device 203 and whose transport work interferes with the abnormal transport device 203 will be longer. Also, after the transport device 203 recovers from the abnormality, the correction value of the work station whose transport device 203 interferes with the transport work may be set to a negative value, and the transport device assigned number upper limit value may be decreased.

[0170] In addition, the allocation priority may be determined by referring to the trends of incoming or outgoing work calculated in step S1106, with a high priority being set for work stations that have a high frequency of outgoing work in the past, and a low priority being set for work stations that have a low frequency of outgoing work in the past.

[0171] In addition, the upper limit of the number of transport devices allocated and the allocation priority may be updated at a predetermined timing (for example, every hour or when a predetermined event is triggered) to determine an appropriate upper limit and priority for each time period. The upper limit and priority can be determined appropriately according to the work of the work station 205, which changes depending on the time period.

[0172] In addition, the upper limit of the number of conveyance devices allocated and the allocation priority may be determined according to the positional relationship between the shelf 202 and the conveyance device 203 and the work schedule of the work station 205.

[0173] <Transport device allocation number setting process> FIG. 12 is a flowchart of the process of setting the number of conveying devices assigned to the warehouse control device 100.

[0174] In step S1201, the conveying device control program 114 of the warehouse control device 100 sends a conveying instruction to the conveying device 203. The conveying device 203 conveys the shelf 202 to the work station 205 in accordance with the received conveying instruction. For example, the work status stored in the work status column 903 is obtained from the target station ID 901 in the work station management table 900, and if the work status of the work station 205 is "entering", the entering information is referenced, and if the work status is "leaving", the leaving information is referenced.

[0175] Next, the transport device control program 114 compares the number of transport devices 203 to which the transport instruction is assigned, stored in the current transport device assigned number column 905 of the work station management table 900, with the number of allocatable transport devices 203 stored in the transport device assigned number upper limit column 906, and determines whether the number of transport devices 203 to which the transport instruction is assigned is smaller than the number of allocatable transport devices 203. If the number of transport devices 203 to which the transport instruction is assigned is equal to or larger than the number of allocatable transport devices 203, the transport device control program 114 waits until the number of transport devices 203 to which the transport instruction is assigned becomes smaller than the number of allocatable transport devices 203.

[0176] When the value in the current transport device assigned number column 905 of the work station management table 900 is smaller than the value in the transport device assigned number upper limit column 906, the transport device control program 114 searches for the shelf 202 where the item is stored from the incoming or outgoing information, and determines the shelf 202 to be transported. After searching for the shelf 202, the program may also determine whether its own work station 205 is the shelf to be transported.

[0177] Next, for the determined shelf 202 to be transported, the transport device 203 is selected for which the operation status column 502 of the transport device information 500 is "not in operation" and the position of the transport device 203 stored in the current position column 504 is closest to the current position of the target shelf ID 601 in the shelf management information 600.

[0178] When the number of "not yet worked" transport devices 203 in the operation status column 502 is small enough to satisfy a predetermined condition, the transport device control program 114 determines the work station 205 to which the transport instruction is assigned using the priority stored in the allocation priority column 907 of the work station management table 900. For example, the currently assigned number of transport devices in the work station management table 900 does not exceed the upper limit of the number of transport devices assigned, and the work station with the high priority stored in the allocation priority column 907 is selected. In this way, the allocation priority is used to determine the work station 205 to which the transport instruction is assigned preferentially when the number of transport devices 203 is small. However, the allocation priority may be determined by comparing the total value of the value stored in the upper limit of the number of transport devices assigned to the transport device column 906 minus the value stored in the currently assigned number of transport devices column 905 with the number of not yet worked transport devices 203, or by comparing the total value stored in the upper limit of the number of transport devices assigned to the transport device column 906 with the number of transport devices 203 in operation. In addition, the work station 205 to which the transport instruction is to be preferentially allocated may be determined according to the allocation priority, and the upper limit value of the number of transport devices allocated to the work station 205 may be updated (for example, the upper limit value of the number of transport devices allocated to the work station 205 with a low allocation priority may be reduced).

[0179] In addition, when the total value of the upper limit of the number of transport devices allocated to each work station 205 exceeds the total value of the number of transport devices 203 in operation, the transport device control program 114 may increase the number of work stations 205 to which transport instructions cannot be allocated up to the upper limit of the number of transport devices allocated, due to a shortage of transport devices 203 to which transport instructions are not allocated, resulting in a bias in the work efficiency between the work stations 205. In order to reduce such a bias, when setting the upper limit of the number of transport devices allocated to each work station based on the priority stored in the allocation priority column 907, the upper limit may be set so as not to exceed the number of transport devices 203 in operation to which transport instructions can be allocated. In this case, the upper limit of the number of transport devices allocated to each work station calculated in step S1108 may be corrected based on the priority stored in the allocation priority column 907. For example, when it is determined that the total of the calculated upper limit of the number of transport devices allocated to each work station 205 exceeds the number of transport devices 203 in operation, the upper limit of the number of transport devices allocated to each work station may be corrected so as to reduce a predetermined amount in order from the work station with the lowest allocation priority based on the priority stored in the allocation priority column 907. The predetermined amount may be 1. Correction may be performed until the total of the calculated upper limits of the number of transport devices allocated to each work station 205 does not exceed the number of transport devices 203 in operation.

[0180] The route creation program 111 creates a transport route for the selected transport device 203. In this manner, a transport task to be executed by the transport device 203 is generated. Then, the transport device control program 114 transmits a transport instruction to the transport device 203.

[0181] In step S1202, the transfer device control program 114 collects the operation record of the transfer device 203 according to the transfer instruction generated in step S1201, and stores the operation record in the transfer device running record data 129.

[0182] In step S1203, the conveying device control program 114 stores the actual results of the loading or unloading work performed by the worker 206 at the work station 205 for the shelf 202 transported by the conveying device 203 in accordance with the transport instruction generated in step S1201 in the station performance data 132 (station information 400) and the worker performance data 133 (worker performance information 800).

[0183] In step S1204, the transport device control program 114 calculates the number of hits of the work performed on the shelf 202 transported by the transport device 203 according to the transport instruction generated in step S1201, and stores the number of hits data 128 (hits information 700). As described above, the number of pickings stored in the processing row number column 703 of the hits data 128 is determined by the number of types of goods picked from one shelf 202 for each destination, so for example, the hits data 128 can be determined by the number of records of pickings performed from the same shelf 202 consecutively in time from the worker performance data 133 of the worker. The hits data 128 may also be determined taking into account the picking time. Since the hits data 128 and the picking time vary due to different factors, the influence of exceptional logs by taking data on the work time per shelf can be avoided.

[0184] In step S1205, the transport device control program 114 stores information about the work performed on the shelf 202 transported by the transport device 203 in accordance with the transport instruction generated in step S1201 in the worker performance data 133 (worker performance information 800).

[0185] The warehouse control device 100 may output the calculated upper limit of the number of conveying devices to be allocated from the output device 104. For example, the calculated upper limits of the number of conveying devices to be allocated for each work station 205 may be totaled to calculate the number of conveying devices 203 desired in the warehouse, and output the result from the output device 104. In addition, in a warehouse divided into a plurality of areas, the calculated upper limits of the number of conveying devices to be allocated for each work station 205 may be totaled for each area, and the total value for each area may be divided by the total value of the upper limits of the number of conveying devices to be allocated for all the work stations 205, to output the allocation rate and the number of conveying devices 203 to each area.

[0186] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modified examples and equivalent configurations within the spirit of the appended claims. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those including all of the configurations described. Furthermore, a part of the configuration of one embodiment may be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment. Furthermore, the configuration of another embodiment may be added to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, a part of the configuration of each embodiment may be added, deleted, or replaced with another configuration.

[0187] In addition, each of the above-mentioned configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be realized in hardware, for example by designing some or all of them as an integrated circuit, or may be realized in software by a processor interpreting and executing a program that realizes each function.

[0188] Information such as programs, tables, and files that realize each function can be stored in a storage device such as a memory, a hard disk, or an SSD (Solid State Drive), or in a recording medium such as an IC card, an SD card, or a DVD.

[0189] In addition, the control lines and information lines shown are those considered necessary for the explanation, and do not necessarily show all the control lines and information lines necessary for implementation. In reality, it can be considered that almost all components are connected to each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0190] 100 Warehouse control device 101 Arithmetic equipment 102 Memory 103 Input Device 104 Output Device 105 Communication Interface 110 Storage device 111 Route creation program 112 Data Input / Output Program 113 Data Analysis Program 114 Transport device control program 121 Order Information 122 Stock Information 123 Shelf Information 124 Worker work information 125 Work Schedule Information 126 Device information 127 Route Data 128 Hits Data 129 Transport equipment running record data 130 Station transport device allocation information 131 Station Log 132 Station performance data 133 Worker performance data 134 Working Day Characteristics 150 Network 151 Communication Interface 152 Sensors 160 Storage device 161 Route Data 162 Map Information 163 Measurement data 164 Device information 165 Driving record data 170 Control device 171 Arithmetic equipment 172 Memory 173 Self-location estimation program 174 Driving Control Program 175 Measurement Program 176 Communication Programs 180 Drive unit 181 Trolley 182 Table 183 Drive Wheel 185 Motor 191 Communication Interface 192 Input Devices 193 Output Device 194 Control Device 195 Storage device 196 Picking work information 201 Storage Space 202 Shelf 203 Transport Equipment 204 Charging Station 205 Work Station 206 Worker 207 Robot 208 Safety Light Curtain 209 Frontage 210 Station Terminal 211 Working Space 300 Transport Equipment Information 301 Transport device ID field 302 Status column 303 End column 304 Time field 305 Position field 306 Station ID column 307 Acquired Data Column 400 Station Information 401 Station ID column 402 Status column 403 End column 404 Time field 405 Work ID column 406 Worker column 407 Processing row count column 408 Shelf ID column 409 Quantity field 500 Transport Equipment Information 501 Device ID column 502 Operation status column 503 Work ID column 504 Current position field 505 Work Station ID field 506 Shelf ID column 507 Abnormal CD column 508 Work start time column 600 Shelf management information 601 Shelf ID column 602 Status column 603 Work ID column 604 Current position field 605 Work Station ID field 606 Shipping Frequency Column 607 Work start time column 700 Hits Information 701 Station ID column 702 Time field 703 Processing row number column 704 Shelf ID column 705 Quantity field 800 Worker performance information 801 Worker ID field 802 Time field 803 Picking time column 804 Shelf ID column 805 Quantity field 900 Work Station Management Table 901 Station ID column 902 Location field 903 Working status column 904 Worker column 905 Number of transport devices allocated 906 Transport device allocation upper limit column 907 Allocation Priority Column 1000 Station transport device allocation number setting screen 1001 Transport device allocation number setting field 1002 Automatic mode change switch 1003 Changed transport device allocation number setting field 1004 Change Settings Button

Claims

1. A management device that controls a transport device that transports an object to a work station, The computer includes an arithmetic unit that executes a predetermined arithmetic process and a storage device that is connected to the arithmetic unit, a storage unit configured by the storage device, storing log data including at least a time when the transport device performed a transport operation and a time when the transport device performed the operation at the work station; a control unit that assigns a transport task of transporting the transport object to the work station to the transport device, The control unit is determining, for each of the work stations, an upper limit value at which the transport task for the work station can be assigned to the transport device based on the log data; a management device that allocates the transport tasks to the transport devices such that the number of the transport devices to which the transport tasks for the work stations are allocated is equal to or less than the upper limit;

2. The management device according to claim 1 , The transport object is a shelf for storing items, The control unit is a management device that calculates the upper limit value based on the transport time of the transport object by the transport device, the work time at the work station, and the number of hits of the transport object during work at the work station, all of which are recorded in the log data.

3. The management device according to claim 2, The management device determines the number of hits from the number of picking operations in which items are picked up from the same transport object consecutively in time from the work performance data of the worker recorded in the log data.

4. The management device according to claim 2, The control unit is a management device that calculates the upper limit value so that the upper limit value increases when the transport time of the transport object by the transport device increases, the upper limit value decreases when the working time at the work station increases, and the upper limit value decreases when the number of hits increases.

5. The management device according to claim 1 , The control unit is a management device that determines the upper limit value for each type of work time at the work station.

6. The management device according to claim 1 , the storage unit stores a priority that is referenced for selecting a work station to which a transport instruction is preferentially assigned to the transport device; The control unit is a management device that determines a work station to which a transport instruction is to be assigned by referring to the priority.

7. The management device according to claim 1 , The control unit is When the transport device is abnormal, the upper limit value of a work station related to a transport operation interfering with the transport device is set high; A management device that, after the transport device has recovered from the abnormality, sets a lower upper limit value for the work station in which the transport device interfered with the transport operation.

8. The management device according to claim 1 , The control unit is a management device that determines the upper limit value, which differs for each time period.

9. The management device according to claim 1 , The control unit is a management device that determines the upper limit value in accordance with a positional relationship between the object to be transported and the transport device.

10. The management device according to claim 1 , The control unit is a management device that determines the upper limit value in accordance with a work schedule at the work station.

11. The management device according to claim 1 , The control unit is a management device that outputs the total value of the upper limit values ​​of the work stations within a predetermined range.

12. 1. A conveying system comprising: A conveying device that conveys an object to be conveyed; A management device for controlling the movement of the transport device, The management device includes: The computer includes an arithmetic unit that executes a predetermined arithmetic process and a storage device that is connected to the arithmetic unit, a storage unit configured by the storage device, storing log data including at least a time when the transport device performed a transport operation and a time when the transport device performed the operation at the work station; a control unit that assigns a transport task of transporting the transport object to the work station to the transport device, The control unit is determining, for each of the work stations, an upper limit value at which the transport task for the work station can be assigned to the transport device based on the log data; A transport system that allocates the transport tasks to the transport devices such that the number of the transport devices to which the transport tasks to the work stations are allocated is equal to or less than the upper limit.

13. A control method executed by a management device that controls a plurality of conveying devices that convey objects to a work station, comprising: The management device includes: The computer includes an arithmetic unit that executes a predetermined arithmetic process and a storage device that is connected to the arithmetic unit, a storage unit configured by the storage device, storing log data including at least a time when the transport device performed a transport operation and a time when the transport device performed the operation at the work station; a control unit that assigns a transport task of transporting the transport object to the work station to the transport device, The control method includes: the control unit determines, for each of the work stations, an upper limit value at which the transport task for the work station can be assigned to the transport device based on the log data; The control unit allocates the transport tasks to the transport devices such that the number of the transport devices to which the transport tasks for the work stations are allocated is equal to or less than the upper limit.

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