Warehouse storage system and method

By introducing workstations, movable carrier parking areas, transmission equipment and container loading and unloading equipment into the storage system, the problem of inefficient items picking and transportation in the prior art is solved, and a more efficient item delivery and picking process is achieved.

JP2025066188APending Publication Date: 2025-04-22BEIJING GEEKPLUS TECH CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2025018595
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2021-10-26
Filing Date
2025-02-06
Publication Date
2025-04-22

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The existing storage and storage systems have inefficiency problems in item picking and transport, especially during the transportation of items from workstations to walls where operators need to move frequently, resulting in the impact of picking speed and efficiency.

Method used

A warehousing and storage system is designed, which includes a workstation, a movable carrier parking area, a transmission device and a container loading and unloading device. The workstation is equipped with a picking station and a delivery station, and the transmission equipment is used to transport the movable carrier to the parking area, while the container loading and unloading equipment is responsible for moving the container between the workstation and the movable carrier.

Benefits of technology

By reducing the distance between items from the picking point to the delivery point, the efficiency of item delivery is improved, the workload of the operator is reduced, the overall picking speed and efficiency are improved, and the cost of human resources is reduced.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To provide a warehouse storage system and a method in which the movement distance of an operator or automated equipment from a picking station to a distribution station is shortened, and in which picking efficiency is effectively improved.SOLUTION: A warehouse storage system includes: a work station which includes at least one picking station for processing containers; a movable carrier parking area in which container loading / unloading equipment is arranged, and which is for parking conveyance equipment on which a movable carrier is loaded; conveyance equipment for transporting the movable carrier for placing the containers to the movable carrier parking area; and container loading / unloading equipment for transferring the containers between the work station and the movable carrier. Accordingly, since both the picking station and the distribution station are provided at the work station, the movement distance of an operator or automated equipment from the picking station to the distribution station is shortened, and picking efficiency can be effectively improved.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1
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Description

[Technical field]

[0001] (CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application claims priority to a Chinese patent application filed on October 26, 2021, with application number 202111250979.4 and titled "Warehouse Storage System and Method", and a Chinese patent application filed on October 26, 2021, with application number 202122589191.8 and titled "Warehouse Storage System", the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application.

[0002] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to warehouse storage systems and methods. [Background technology]

[0003] In the prior art, most of the picking operations are completed by the operator with the cooperation of the robot, and the robot can reduce the workload of the operator, but after the picking of the materials at the workstation is completed, the operator needs to transport the materials to the put wall. Since the put wall is often located at a location away from the workstation, the operator must walk from the workstation to the put wall with the target materials for distribution, and then return to the storage shelf again to continue picking the next item after the distribution is completed. Moreover, this procedure in the distribution stage must be performed by the operator himself, which not only cannot ensure the rapidity of the distribution process, but also affects the efficiency of picking. Therefore, an effective technical means for solving the above problems is eagerly desired. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a warehouse storage system to solve the technical deficiencies existing in the prior art. Also, the embodiments of the present disclosure further provide another warehouse storage system and a picking method.

[0005] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a workstation including at least one picking station and at least one dispensing station for processing the containers; a movable carrier parking area in which container loading / unloading equipment is arranged and for parking the transport equipment carrying the movable carrier; a transport device for transporting a movable carrier for placing a container thereon to the movable carrier parking area; and a container loading / unloading device for moving the containers between the workstation and a mobile carrier.

[0006] Optionally, said mobile carrier comprises at least one cargo space for storing said receptacle, said receptacle being a picking receptacle or an order receptacle.

[0007] Optionally, said movable carrier parking area includes at least one movable carrier parking sub-area, and one container loading / unloading equipment corresponds to at least one movable carrier parking sub-area.

[0008] Optionally, said workstation includes a guidance device for displaying information to guide an operator or automated equipment.

[0009] Optionally, said workstation includes a temporary storage space for temporarily storing said picking receptacle or said order receptacle.

[0010] Optionally, a target picking receptacle and a target order receptacle have a substitution relationship, and when an item contained in the target picking receptacle and an item to be placed in the target order receptacle have the same attribute, the target picking receptacle is set as the target order receptacle based on the substitution relationship, and accordingly, a picking station corresponding to the target picking receptacle is switched to a distribution station.

[0011] Optionally, the container loading / unloading equipment includes a loading / unloading module for moving the container between the picking station / distribution station and the mobile carrier, or for moving the container between cargo spaces of the mobile carrier, or for moving the container between the mobile carrier and a target mobile carrier, or for moving the container between the picking station and a docking port external to the workstation, or for moving the container between the distribution station and a docking port external to the workstation, or for moving the container between a mobile carrier and a docking port external to the workstation.

[0012] Optionally, said picking station and said distribution station are adjacent and docking is performed by at least one operator or automated equipment.

[0013] According to a second aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a warehouse storage system comprising a controller, at least one workstation, at least one mobile carrier parking area, at least one conveying device, at least one container loading / unloading device, and at least one mobile carrier for carrying containers, the workstations including at least one picking station and at least one distribution station; The controller is configured to, when a picking command is received, transmit a transport command to the transport device based on the picking command and transmit a loading / unloading command to the container loading / unloading device; the transport device is configured to move to the movable carrier based on the transport command and transport the movable carrier to the movable carrier parking area; Another warehouse storage system is provided, wherein the container loading / unloading equipment is configured to load and unload containers at at least one of the mobile carrier, the picking station, and the distribution station based on the loading / unloading command, and to move the containers between the mobile carrier and the picking station or the distribution station at the workstation.

[0014] Optionally, when the loading / unloading command is a picking / unloading command, the container loading / unloading equipment is further configured to determine coordinate information of a target cargo space in the movable carrier for the container based on the picking / unloading command, and to load / unload the container and place it at the picking station or the distribution station based on the coordinate information of the target cargo space.

[0015] Optionally, the container loading / unloading equipment is further configured, when a container return command issued from the controller is received, to load or unload the container placed at the picking station or the distribution station based on the container return command and place it in the target cargo space of the movable carrier.

[0016] Optionally, the container loading / unloading equipment is further configured to load and unload containers awaiting movement located within a temporary storage space at the workstation and place them at the picking station, the distribution station, the movable carrier, or a docking port external to the workstation.

[0017] Optionally, the controller is further configured to receive a station replacement command and to cause the picking station to become the distribution station or cause the distribution station to become the picking station based on the station replacement command.

[0018] Optionally, the container loading / unloading equipment is further configured to, when an identification device and / or a command issued from the controller determines that an item in the container in the movable carrier has the same attributes as an item waiting to be picked corresponding to the loading / unloading command, designate the container as a target order container and place it at the distribution station.

[0019] Optionally, the container loading / unloading equipment is further configured to designate the container as a target order container and the picking station as the distribution station when an identification device and / or a command issued from the controller determines that an item in the container at the picking station has the same attributes as an item waiting to be picked corresponding to the loading / unloading command.

[0020] Optionally, the container loading / unloading equipment is further configured to load and queue the container in a temporary storage space included in the workstation based on the unloading command when the identification device determines that the picking station or the distribution station is no longer able to load the container.

[0021] Optionally, the transport equipment is further configured to generate a travel path based on movable carrier position information included in the transport command, travel to the movable carrier based on the travel path, and move the movable carrier to the movable carrier parking area.

[0022] Optionally, said transport equipment is further configured to, when a picking task corresponding to said picking command is completed, return said moveable carrier to a moveable carrier parking position corresponding to said moveable carrier position information.

[0023] According to a third aspect of the embodiment of the present disclosure, receiving a picking command by a controller, and moving the movable carrier to a movable carrier parking area by a conveying device based on a conveying command in the picking command; A picking method is provided, the picking method including the steps of: loading and unloading a container at at least one of the movable carrier, the picking station, and the distribution station based on a loading and unloading command in the picking command by a container loading and unloading equipment, and moving the container between the movable carrier and the picking station or the distribution station in the workstation.

[0024] The warehouse storage system provided by the present disclosure is arranged with a workstation, a movable carrier parking area, a conveying device, and a container loading / unloading device, and at least one picking station and at least one distribution station are provided at the workstation. This shortens the distance from the picking point to the distribution point, improves distribution efficiency, and affects the picking speed. Furthermore, the movable carrier parking area is used for the conveying device on which the movable carrier is placed, and the container loading / unloading device is arranged in the movable carrier parking area. This allows the movable carrier to be transported by the conveying device to the movable carrier parking area, and then the container can be moved to the distribution station at the workstation or between the picking station and the movable carrier by the container loading / unloading device arranged in the area. This reduces the involvement of operators or automated devices in the picking and distribution stages, and the cooperation between the container loading / unloading device and the conveying device and the arrangement relationship between the picking station and the distribution station can improve picking and distribution efficiency and significantly reduce the cost of human resources.

[0025] The accompanying drawings, which are referenced in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a warehouse storage system provided in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a container loading / unloading equipment provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a retrieval box module in a container loading / unloading equipment provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a warehouse storage system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] 1 is a flowchart of a picking method provided by one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] In the following, specific descriptions are provided to fully understand the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure can be embodied in many forms different from those described herein. Those skilled in the art can extend the present disclosure without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure, so the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0028] The terms used in one or more embodiments of the present disclosure are merely for the purpose of describing a particular embodiment and are not intended to limit one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The singular forms "a", "the", and "the" used in one or more embodiments of the present disclosure and in the appended claims include the plural forms unless otherwise specified. It should be noted that the term "and / or" used in one or more embodiments of the present disclosure refers to any one or all possible combinations of one or more relevant items listed.

[0029] In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, various pieces of information may be described using terms such as first, second, etc., but these terms should not be used to limit the information. These terms are merely used to distinguish between the same types of information. For example, the first may be called the second, and similarly, the second may be called the first, without departing from the scope of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Depending on the context, the term "when" used in the present disclosure may be understood as "when...", or "when...", or "depending on the decision".

[0030] First, the nouns and terms used in one or more embodiments of the present invention will be explained.

[0031] A mobile carrier is an object that is transported by a transport device and is made up of one or more cargo spaces.

[0032] A cargo space is a location in a movable carrier that may or may not contain containers and may be empty.

[0033] A container is a container that carries cargo and is stored in a cargo space in a mobile carrier.

[0034] A transport device is a device for transporting a movable carrier, including, but not limited to, backpack, lift, pull, and fork transport devices.

[0035] A picking bin is a bin that has been selected by a system ordering task but for which a picking operation has not yet been performed.

[0036] A target picking bin is a picking bin that needs to be loaded or unloaded on a mobile carrier based on the requirements of an order task, or a picking bin that is placed at a picking station and is waiting, about to be processed or being processed, or a processed picking bin that is waiting to be loaded or unloaded at the picking station by container loading / unloading equipment.

[0037] An order bin is a container located at a workstation that has been selected by a system ordering task to contain an order selected item, but in which the order selected item has not yet been placed.

[0038] A target order container is an order container currently undergoing distribution processing, or an order container waiting to be processed according to an order task, or an order container after processing according to an order task has been completed, or an order container waiting to be loaded or unloaded from the put wall by the container loading / unloading equipment.

[0039] In a conventional workstation, a picking station and a target order container in which a picked item is placed are separated from each other. Typically, at least one put wall for placing the order container is disposed in the workstation. The put wall is provided with a plurality of storage spaces for storing the order containers. The put wall may adopt a structure such as a movable storage shelf. An operator or an automated device needs to pick a corresponding item from a target picking container in the picking station and then move a certain distance to place the item in the target order container in the put wall, which results in wasted time.

[0040] In order to solve the above problems, the present application provides a warehouse storage system. The present application also provides another warehouse storage system, each of which will be described in detail in the following examples.

[0041] The present application provides a warehouse storage system. As shown in Fig. 1 to Fig. 3, the warehouse storage system includes a workstation including at least one picking station and at least one distribution station for processing containers, a movable carrier parking area in which a container loading / unloading device is arranged and for parking a transport device carrying a movable carrier, a transport device for transporting a movable carrier on which a container is placed to the movable carrier parking area, and a container loading / unloading device for moving the container between the workstation and the movable carrier. Of course, the container loading / unloading device may take a container in and out of the movable carrier itself or between the movable carriers, and adjust the position of the container.

[0042] Specifically, the picking station and the distribution station are located on the same side where the operator or the automated equipment performs the operation task. When performing the task, the container loading / unloading equipment places the picking container that needs to be picked on the picking station. The picking container placed on the picking station automatically becomes the target picking container. The container loading / unloading equipment places the target order container corresponding to the target picking container on the distribution station. Based on the order information, the operator or the automated equipment can pick the corresponding goods from the target picking container and directly place them into the target order container without turning or walking. If the target picking container corresponds to only one target order container, it may leave the picking station by being transported by the container loading / unloading equipment after the picking operation for the target picking container is performed. The target order container also leaves the distribution station by being transported by the container loading / unloading equipment. The container loading / unloading equipment places the next picking container that needs to be picked on the picking station, and places the target order container corresponding to the picking container on the distribution station. If the target picking receptacle corresponds to one or more target order receptacles, after item picking for one target order receptacle is completed, the receptacle loading / unloading equipment transports the current target order receptacle from the distribution station and places the next corresponding target order receptacle therein until picking for all of the target picking receptacles is completed.

[0043] The picking station and the distribution station may be arranged horizontally or vertically in the workstation. Specifically, the horizontal arrangement means that the picking station and the distribution station are arranged adjacent to each other on the same horizontal plane, as in the arrangement relationship of FIG. 1. In the application stage, the container loading and unloading equipment can move the container left and right to put the goods in the picking container at the picking station into the order container at the left or right distribution station. In the vertical arrangement, specifically, the picking station and the distribution station are arranged vertically adjacent to each other in the vertical direction as multiple layers, that is, the picking station and the distribution station are arranged vertically along the axis. In the application stage, the container loading and unloading equipment can move the container up and down to put the goods in the picking container at the picking station into the order container at the upper or lower distribution station. In addition, the picking station and the distribution station may be arranged in a combined manner in the workstation. That is, a multiple-layer structure may be formed by horizontal arrangement and vertical arrangement. For example, the entire first layer is a picking station, and the entire second layer is a distribution station. Or, for example, the picking station and the distribution station are arranged alternately in each layer. This allows the products to be moved between picking stations and distribution stations with different spatial distributions when the products are moved by the container loading / unloading equipment, thereby saving space.

[0044] Specifically, the workstation is an operation area in which one or more picking stations or distribution stations are provided. The operator or the automated equipment may move to the distribution stage of the picking stage after completing the picking stage at the picking station of the workstation, or may complete the picking stage at the distribution station of the workstation. There is no need for the operator or the automated equipment to move long distances, that is, the picking and distribution operations can be completed in a short time, and the picking and distribution efficiency can be improved. Correspondingly, the container is specifically a container for storing materials or goods, including but not limited to material boxes, paper boxes, plastic boxes, metal boxes, packaging boxes of goods themselves, etc. The container is stored in a movable carrier, or is placed at a picking station to pick goods, or is placed at a distribution station to distribute goods. Correspondingly, the movable carrier is a carrier capable of storing containers, such as a storage shelf or tray, which is arranged in a warehouse storage area. If the movable carrier is a storage shelf, it may include one or more storage layers. Each storage layer includes one or more cargo spaces, each cargo space stores one container, and the mobile carrier can be moved by a transport device. The transport device is specifically a device for transporting the mobile carrier, including but not limited to a backpack type, a lift type, a pull type, a fork type, etc. The mobile carrier parking area is specifically an area for parking the transport device carrying the mobile carrier, and a container loading / unloading device is disposed in each mobile carrier parking area for loading and unloading the container in the mobile carrier transported by the transport device. Correspondingly, the container loading / unloading device is specifically a device for moving the container, and can take the container out of the mobile carrier and place it in a picking station or a distribution station in the workstation, or take the container in the picking station or distribution station in the workstation and place it in an empty cargo space in the mobile carrier, or take the container in the mobile carrier and place it in a docking port outside the workstation.

[0045] In addition, one or more adjacent workstations may be located in the area to which the workstation belongs, and each of them may have a different container loading / unloading device for loading / unloading the picking container at the picking station or loading / unloading the distribution container at the distribution station, thereby improving the efficiency of picking or distribution, and an operator or automated device may complete the picking of an order by transferring the items in the container from the picking station to the distribution station between the multiple workstations in the area.

[0046] In addition, when a container is placed on a picking station, it is necessary to take out an item from the container during picking. At this time, the container is a target picking container. When a container is placed on a distribution station, the container is a target order container. The container is a container for receiving the item selected from the corresponding target picking container, and the target order container may correspond to the item in one or more target picking containers. In addition, the movable carrier parking area may be one or more. This allows parking of one or more movable carriers, and task processing operations of different orders can be completed in parallel. In addition, one container loading / unloading device may correspond to at least one movable carrier parking sub-area to facilitate operations on the container. In addition, in order to ensure the smooth progress of the picking task and improve picking efficiency, a container loading / unloading device may be provided between the distribution station and the picking station, or at each of the distribution station and the picking station.

[0047] In addition, in order to improve the distribution efficiency and save the operation time of the operator or the automated equipment, the put wall corresponding to the distribution station may be provided on the same side as the movable carrier parking area, or on the other side that is 90 degrees from the movable carrier parked in the movable carrier parking area, so that the operator and the automated equipment can face the put wall without changing their orientation significantly during the distribution operation. In practical application, the placement position of the put wall can be set according to the actual requirements, and is not limited in this embodiment.

[0048] Based on this, when it is required to place the items in the container at a workstation including a picking station and a distribution station for picking and distribution, the transport device is controlled to transport the movable carrier to which the picking container that needs to be operated belongs to to the movable carrier parking area, and the container loading and unloading device arranged in the area loads and unloads the picking container in the movable carrier and places it at the picking station in the workstation. At this time, the picking container becomes the target picking container. After that, the operator or the automated device performs the product picking operation at the picking station, and after picking is completed, the product is placed in the target order container at the distribution station in the workstation. In this way, the integration of picking and distribution is realized, and the cost of human resources is reduced.

[0049] As an example, when an item a needs to be picked, a picking container A in which the item a is to be placed may be determined first. Then, a movable carrier S in which the picking container A is to be stored is determined. Next, a transport command is sent to the transport device P, and the transport device transports the movable carrier S containing the picking container A to the movable carrier parking area. After that, the container loading / unloading device takes out the picking container A from the movable carrier S and places it in the picking station of the workstation, and the container A is set as the target picking container A. At this time, the operator or the automation device starts the picking operation for the item a, and by scanning the item a, determines that the item a needs to be placed in the target order container A in the put wall located at the distribution station. Since the picking station and the distribution station are both located on the same side when the operator or the automation device performs the operation, the operator or the automation device can directly put the item a from the picking station A into the target order container A after completing the scanning for the item a, thereby completing the operation of the picking order corresponding to the item a. Finally, the container loading / unloading equipment loads the target picking container A located at the picking station onto the movable carrier S. The loading location may be the original cargo space or another location. After that, the transport equipment P may return the movable carrier S to the warehouse storage area or transport it to the next workstation for picking processing.

[0050] In addition, when the movable carrier is transported to the movable carrier parking area by the transport equipment, the container loading and unloading equipment starts the operation on the picked container, and in this process, the transport equipment may directly transport the movable carrier to the warehouse storage area after picking is completed, or may place the movable carrier in the parking area and then perform other tasks. In addition, since replenishing or picking cargo at the workstation takes time, at this time the transport equipment may receive a new transport command and move other movable carriers according to the new transport command. After the operation by the container loading and unloading equipment is completed, the movable carrier may be returned to the warehouse storage area by the original transport equipment or another transport equipment. In practical application, the processing method may be appropriately selected according to the actual application scene, and is not particularly limited in this embodiment.

[0051] In this embodiment, in order to accommodate more containers, the mobile carrier includes at least one cargo space for accommodating the containers, and the containers are picking containers or order containers.

[0052] Based on this, considering that different picking orders require different items, if the number of items contained in a container is greater than the number of items that need to be picked, the container becomes a picking container and needs to be placed at a picking station for a picking operation. Once placed at the picking station, the container is a target picking container for the subsequent picking operation. If the number of items contained in a container is equal to or less than the number of items that need to be picked, the container becomes an order container and can be directly placed at a distribution station for a distribution operation. Once an order container is docked with a corresponding target picking container and the storage of the items is completed, the order container becomes a target order container. Therefore, the container stored in the cargo space of the mobile carrier is determined as a picking container or an order container according to the picking order, and corresponds to different container types in different orders.

[0053] In this embodiment, in order to enable simultaneous operation of multiple picking tasks, the movable carrier parking area includes at least one movable carrier parking sub-area, and one container loading / unloading equipment corresponds to at least one movable carrier parking sub-area.

[0054] Specifically, the movable carrier parking sub-area is specifically an area for parking each conveying device moving the movable carrier in the movable carrier parking area. Considering that each workstation includes at least one picking station and at least one distribution station, in order to enable simultaneous operation of multiple picking tasks at each workstation, one or more movable carrier parking sub-areas may be provided in the movable carrier parking area corresponding to the workstation. In addition, for the convenience of operation and improvement of resource utilization, one or more movable carrier parking sub-areas may be provided with one container loading / unloading device. That is, one container loading / unloading device may correspond to one or more movable carrier parking sub-areas. In this way, when the conveying device moving the movable carrier is parked in the movable carrier parking sub-area, the container loading / unloading operation can be performed by the container loading / unloading device, and the container loading / unloading can be completed without the involvement of an operator or an automated device.

[0055] Referring to the schematic diagram shown in Figure 1, the movable carrier parking area corresponding to the workstation includes multiple movable carrier parking sub-areas, each of which can accommodate one transport device moving the movable carrier. Correspondingly, the workstation includes multiple picking stations and distribution stations, and the operator or the automated device can simultaneously complete the picking and distribution operations without walking, which effectively improves the picking efficiency.

[0056] In this embodiment, in order to facilitate the picking and distribution operation in the workstation by the operator or the automated equipment, the workstation further includes a guidance device. Specifically, the guidance device may be a display or a reminder device, etc., but is not particularly limited in this embodiment. The guidance device is for displaying information to guide the operator or the automated equipment.

[0057] For example, when a container is placed at a picking station or a distribution station, a reminder may be sent to an operator or an automated device, respectively. Or, after scanning an item waiting to be picked, a reminder of the location where the item is placed may be sent to an operator or an automated device. Or, when the picking container or the ordering container cannot hold any more items, an overload reminder may be sent to an operator or an automated device. In actual application, the information sent from the guide device to the user may be arranged according to the actual application scenario, and is not particularly limited in this embodiment.

[0058] In this embodiment, considering that there is an upper limit to the number of picking orders that a workstation can process, if picking containers are transported to a picking station or a distribution station, picking tasks may be delayed and picking efficiency may not be maintained. Therefore, the workstation is further provided with a temporary storage space for temporarily storing the picking containers or the order containers. That is, when the distribution station or picking station picking tasks at the workstation are saturated, in order to maintain order for the subsequent picking tasks, when the movable carrier is transported to the movable carrier parking area by the transport device, the container loading / unloading device may temporarily place the containers corresponding to the new picking tasks in the temporary storage space. The containers may be picking containers and / or the order containers. The containers are queued in order, and when picking and distribution at the picking station or distribution station becomes possible, they are transported to the corresponding station again by the container loading / unloading device, an operator, or an automated device for processing.

[0059] In a specific implementation, the workstation may be provided with one or more temporary storage spaces. The number of the temporary storage spaces may be determined according to the amount of picking tasks of the workstation. When the amount of picking tasks is large, more temporary storage spaces may be provided, and conversely, fewer temporary storage spaces may be provided. In addition, the temporary storage spaces may be added or decreased according to circumstances. In this embodiment, there is no particular limitation. In addition, the temporary storage spaces may be set according to each picking station or each distribution station. That is, each picking station may correspond to at least one temporary storage space, or each distribution station may correspond to at least one temporary storage space. This provides more convenient picking and distribution operations.

[0060] In this embodiment, in order to make better use of each station (picking station or distribution station) in the workstation and improve the processing efficiency of the picking task, a substitution relationship between a target picking receptacle and a target order receptacle may be preset. When the item contained in the target picking receptacle and the item to be put into the target order receptacle have the same attribute, the target picking receptacle is set as the target order receptacle based on the substitution relationship, and the picking station corresponding to the target picking receptacle is switched to a distribution station accordingly.

[0061] Specifically, the substitution relationship means that the target picking container and the target order container are in a substitutable relationship. In other words, if the number and type of items contained in the target picking container match the items that need to be placed in the target container, all of the items in the target picking container will be transferred to the target order container during picking. In order to improve picking efficiency, the target picking container may be used as the target order container based on the substitution relationship. This makes it possible to avoid wasting time due to the operation of transferring items. In addition, the system also reassigns the storage of items corresponding to other orders to the target order containers that have been allocated in advance by the system.

[0062] In addition, to further improve picking efficiency, the picking station and the distribution station may be interchanged, that is, the picking station may be used as the distribution station, or the distribution station may be used as the picking station. Based on this, when the target picking container is the target order container, in order to save the time required for the operator or the automated equipment to move the container as the target order container to the distribution station, the picking station on which the container is placed may be directly replaced by the distribution station and used for the subsequent distribution process.

[0063] In addition, the process of replacing the target order receptacle to the target picking receptacle and the distribution station to the picking station is the same as the above description, and will not be repeated in this embodiment. In addition, when the picking station or distribution station is insufficient, any type of station may be temporarily replaced by another type of station to assist the picking task.

[0064] In this embodiment, the movement of the container by the container unloading equipment is actually completed by the unloading module arranged thereon, i.e. the container unloading equipment includes an unloading module for moving the container between the picking / distribution station and the mobile carrier, or between the cargo space of the mobile carrier, or between the mobile carrier and a target mobile carrier, or between the picking station and a docking port external to the workstation, or between the distribution station and a docking port external to the workstation, or between the mobile carrier and a docking port external to the workstation.

[0065] The docking port outside the workstation is specifically an area arranged outside the workstation for storage and docking with other equipment. For example, after a picking task at a picking station or a distribution station is completed, the container loading / unloading equipment may place the unused container at the docking port outside the workstation, and the container may be transported by an operator or an automated equipment or a container loading / unloading equipment corresponding to the other picking station or distribution station for another picking task. Correspondingly, the loading / unloading module is specifically a module that can load and unload containers, including but not limited to a chuck type, a hook type, a gripping type, or a robot hand type.

[0066] Based on this, during the processing of the picking task, the unloading module can move the container between the picking station / distribution station and the movable carrier, or between the cargo space of the movable carrier, or between the movable carrier and the target movable carrier. The target movable carrier is specifically another movable carrier that can accommodate the container. After the picking task is completed, the container can be moved between the picking station and a docking port outside the workstation, or between the distribution station and a docking port outside the workstation, or between the movable carrier and a docking port outside the workstation. In specific implementation, the movement operation of the container by the unloading module is affected by the actual application scenario, and can be completed by the command in specific implementation, and is not particularly limited in this embodiment.

[0067] In practical application, in order to facilitate the loading and unloading of containers, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the container loading and unloading device 450 may have a mechanism as shown in Figure 2. A movable carrier 460 is placed in front of the container loading and unloading device 450. Based on this, the container loading and unloading device 450 includes a frame 4504, which is composed of an X-axis rail 45041 and a Y-axis rail 45042 perpendicular to each other, and the X-axis rail 45041 and the Y-axis rail 45042 are arranged in a vertical plane. Specifically, the Y-axis rail is configured to move along the X-axis rail, and the loading and unloading module 4502 is configured to move along the Y-axis rail.

[0068] 2, the loading / unloading module 4502 is necessary to realize the loading / unloading operation of the picking container on the movable carrier 460. That is, the loading / unloading module 4502 moves up and down along the Y-axis rail 45042, and at the same time, the Y-axis rail 45042 also moves left and right along the X-axis rail 45041, so that the loading / unloading module 4502 can be aligned with the cargo space of the loaded container and complete the loading / unloading operation of the picking container.

[0069] Furthermore, when the picking container needs to be put in and taken out, the loading / unloading module 4502 may have a mechanism as shown in FIG. 3. The loading / unloading module 4502 is supported by a base 4501. The base 4501 may have any structure such as a plate-like or frame-like structure, and may be provided at the bottom or periphery of the placement module 45022. Those skilled in the art can select the structure and position of the base. In an optional embodiment, the base 4501 may have a frame-like structure and be provided below the placement module 45022 to support the placement module 45022. The placement module 45022 is provided with a placement surface for supporting the container, and the upper part of the placement surface is a storage space for storing the container.

[0070] In addition, due to factors such as unevenness of the floor surface or installation error of the movable carrier, a deviation may occur between the container loading / unloading equipment 450 and the cargo space of the movable carrier. In order to improve the positional accuracy, the loading / unloading module 4502 further includes an alignment system. The alignment system is configured to align the relative positions of the loading / unloading module 4502 and the movable carrier. When the alignment system detects that the deviation between the position of the loading / unloading module 4502 and the cargo space of the movable carrier reaches a predetermined range, the position of the loading / unloading module 4502 needs to be adjusted. The alignment system may be a visual scanning module, a laser scanning module, or an infrared scanning module. The position information of the container or the cargo space is obtained by identifying the corresponding position on the movable carrier. As shown in FIG. 3, the alignment system may be provided correspondingly to the base 4501. The base 4501 may be provided with a holder 45011. The holder 45011 is located above the placement module 45022, avoiding the storage space, so as to avoid interference with the movement of the container. The holder 45011 may be a door-like structure. The bottom ends of the holder 45011 are fixedly connected to either side of a first open end of the mounting module 45022 , and the alignment system is attached to the top of the holder 45011 and located above the mounting module 45022 .

[0071] In an optional embodiment, the placement module 45022 in the unloading module 4502 further includes a conveyor belt 45021 to move the container in the movable carrier to a docking port outside the picking station, the distribution station, or the workstation by the unloading module 4502. The upper surface of the conveyor belt 45021 is a placement surface for supporting the container. The conveyor belt 45021 can transport the container in a horizontal direction, and the conveying direction of the conveyor belt 45021 may be determined by an input / output command. When a container needs to be placed on the movable carrier, it may rotate toward the direction of the movable carrier placement position. Conversely, when a container taken out of the movable carrier needs to be placed on a docking port outside the picking station, the distribution station, or the workstation, it may rotate in the opposite direction to the movable carrier placement position.

[0072] In addition, the unloading module 4502 further includes a carrying module 4503 for pulling the container to the conveyor belt 45021 and placing it at a target position by the conveyor belt 45021. The carrying module 4503 includes a chuck mechanism, which suctions the container, and then the container is pulled by a guide mechanism connected to the carrying module 4503 to enter the unloading module 4502, and the container is loaded and unloaded by the conveyor belt 45021 to complete the loading and unloading operation.

[0073] During this process, in order to improve picking efficiency, the loading / unloading module 4502 may adjust the direction of the loading / unloading module 4502 while gripping the container and moving it along the rail. The loading / unloading module 4502 may be finely adjusted in direction to match the external docking port of the picking station, distribution station, or workstation where the container needs to be placed. The direction adjustment of the loading / unloading module 4502 may be completed by rotation, but is not particularly limited in this embodiment.

[0074] In an optional embodiment, the external docking port of the picking station, distribution station, and / or workstation may be located directly on the other side of the container unloading device 450, so that after loading or unloading a container with the container unloading device 450, it can turn around and dock directly with the external docking port of the picking station, distribution station, and / or workstation, thereby improving picking efficiency.

[0075] In this embodiment, in order to improve picking and quick access to the distribution stage and ensure picking efficiency, the picking station and the distribution station may be located adjacent to each other. Also, the picking station and the distribution station may be docked by at least one operator or one automation device. That is, the picking station and the distribution station in the same workstation may be located adjacent to each other. In this way, the realization operator or the automation device can complete the picking and distribution operations without traveling a long distance, and the picking efficiency is ensured.

[0076] In the warehouse storage system provided by the present disclosure, a workstation, a movable carrier parking area, a conveying device, and a container loading / unloading device are arranged. In addition, the workstation is provided with at least one picking station and at least one distribution station. This shortens the distance from the picking point to the distribution point, improves distribution efficiency, and has a favorable effect on the picking speed. Furthermore, the movable carrier parking area is used for the conveying device on which the movable carrier is placed, and the container loading / unloading device is arranged in the movable carrier parking area. This allows the movable carrier to be transported to the movable carrier parking area by the conveying device, and then the container can be moved to the distribution station in the workstation or between the picking station and the movable carrier by the container loading / unloading device arranged in the area. This reduces the involvement of operators or automated devices in the picking and distribution stages, and the cooperation between the container loading / unloading device and the conveying device and the arrangement relationship between the picking station and the distribution station can improve the picking and distribution efficiency and significantly reduce the cost of human resources.

[0077] Corresponding to the above system embodiment, the present disclosure further provides an embodiment of a warehouse storage system. Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram showing a warehouse storage system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4, The warehouse storage system 400 includes a controller 410, at least one workstation 420, at least one mobile carrier parking area 430, at least one transport device 440, at least one container loading / unloading device 450, and at least one mobile carrier 460 for carrying containers. The workstations 420 include at least one picking station 4202 and at least one distribution station 4204. The controller 410 is configured to, when a picking command is received, transmit a transport command to the transport device 440 based on the picking command, and transmit a loading / unloading command to the container loading / unloading device 450; The transport device 440 is configured to move to the movable carrier 460 based on the transport command and transport the movable carrier 460 to the movable carrier parking area 430; The container loading / unloading equipment 450 is configured to load and unload containers to and from at least one of the movable carrier 460, the picking station 4202, and the distribution station 4204 based on the loading / unloading command, and to move the containers between the movable carrier 460 and the picking station 4202 or the distribution station 4204 in the workstation 420.

[0078] In another warehouse storage system provided by this embodiment, the same or corresponding description contents as those of the above warehouse storage system may refer to the above embodiment, and will not be repeated in this embodiment for the sake of brevity.

[0079] Specifically, the controller 410 is specifically a server for processing picking tasks, for sending a picking command for a container to the transport device 440 and the container loading / unloading device 450. Based on this, the controller 410 needs to perform a picking task when a picking command is received, and may send a transport command to the transport device 440 and a loading / unloading command to the container loading / unloading device 450 based on the picking command, in order to improve picking efficiency. The picking command includes information of the movable carrier, cargo space information, and container information, so that the transport device 440 can move the movable carrier to the movable carrier parking area corresponding to the task, so that the container loading / unloading device 450 can accurately load and unload the container. Correspondingly, the transport command can guide the determination and transport of the movable carrier by the transport device, that is, the transport command includes the movement path information of the transport device. The loading / unloading command can guide the loading and unloading of the container by the container loading / unloading device, that is, the loading / unloading command includes the position information of the container and the movement path information of the container loading / unloading device.

[0080] Furthermore, when the transport device 440 receives the transport command, it needs to move the movable carrier to a target position for the picking task. At this time, the transport device 440 may determine the movable carrier that needs to be transported based on the transport command, and then travel to the movable carrier 460 and transport the movable carrier 460 to the movable carrier parking area 430. At this time, the container unloading device 450 receives the unloading command, and based on the unloading command, loads and unloads at least one container located in the movable carrier 460, the picking station 4202, or the distribution station 4204, and moves the container between the movable carrier 460 and the picking station 4202 or the distribution station 4204 in the workstation 420.

[0081] As an example, when a picking command corresponding to a picking task is received, the controller determines that a certain number of items a need to be picked into a picking container A on the movable carrier S, and distributes them to the order container A in the distribution station. At this time, the controller sends a transport command to the transport device P based on the container adjustment command, and simultaneously sends a loading / unloading command to the container loading / unloading device. After receiving the transport command, the transport device P determines the position of the movable carrier S in the warehouse storage area, moves to the position, and transports the movable carrier S to the movable carrier parking area. At this time, the container unloading device performs a container removal operation on the picking container A on the movable carrier S based on the loading / unloading command, and places the removed picking container A on the picking station A in the workstation. At this time, the picking container A becomes a target picking container, and the operator or the automation device can pick a certain number of items a into the target picking container and distribute it to the target order container A in the distribution station, thereby completing the picking task. In addition, when the item a contained in the container A corresponds to the item waiting for distribution, the container loading / unloading device may directly place the picked container A on the distribution station as the target order container A, or after placing it on the picking station, replace the picking station as the distribution station, and correspondingly replace the original distribution station as the picking station, thereby improving task processing efficiency. Furthermore, after picking is completed, the container loading / unloading device may take out the picked container A at the picking station and return it to the original cargo space of the movable carrier S or another cargo space in the movable carrier, or another movable carrier. Then, the transport device S transports the mobile carrier storing the picked container A to the original position or another position in the warehouse storage area, so that the mobile carrier storing the container A can be returned.

[0082] To summarize the above, by providing a workstation with at least one picking station and at least one distribution station, the distance from the picking point to the distribution point can be shortened, distribution efficiency can be improved, and picking speed can be favorably affected.

[0083] In this embodiment, the container unloading equipment can move the container, so when a picking container needs to be taken out of the cargo space of the movable carrier, the container unloading equipment 450 needs to perform different operations according to the unloading command. In this embodiment, when the unloading command is a picking unloading command, the container unloading equipment 450 is further configured to determine, according to the picking unloading command, coordinate information of the target cargo space of the container in the movable carrier, and load or unload the container according to the coordinate information of the target cargo space, and place the container in the picking station or the distribution station.

[0084] The picking and unloading command is specifically a command to place the picking container on the movable carrier at the picking station or the distribution station. According to this, when the unloading device determines that the picking container on the movable carrier needs to be transported to the picking station or the distribution station, it can first determine the position information of the picking container in the target cargo space of the movable carrier according to the picking and unloading command, then move the unloading module to the position, take the picking container in and out of the cargo space, and finally place it at the picking station or the distribution station according to the picking task.

[0085] In addition, the entire process of picking and moving the container by the container loading / unloading equipment 450 can refer to the same or corresponding description in the above embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0086] In this embodiment, after a picking station or a distribution station completes a current picking task, the container may be returned and the mobile carrier may also be returned after picking is completed, in order to prevent the picking operation of the current task from interfering with the subsequent picking process. The container unloading device 450 may be further configured to, when a container return command issued by the controller is received, take out and put in the container placed at the picking station or the distribution station, and place it at the target cargo space of the mobile carrier based on the container return command. That is, after the picking task is completed, the container unloading device 450 again receives a container return command sent from the controller 410, and at this time, the container unloading device 450 takes out and puts in the container at the picking station 4202 or the distribution station 4204 based on the command, and returns it to the target cargo space of the mobile carrier. The original position of the container is the target cargo space.

[0087] In this embodiment, in order to maintain the orderliness of distribution and picking, at least one temporary storage space may be provided in the workstation. When a container in the temporary storage space needs to be moved, it is completed by the container loading / unloading device 450. That is, the container loading / unloading device 450 is further configured to load and unload a container waiting to be moved that is located in the temporary storage space in the workstation, and place it in the picking station, the distribution station, the movable carrier, or a docking port outside the workstation.

[0088] The container waiting to be moved is specifically a container in the temporary storage space that needs to be moved to a picking station, a distribution station, a mobile carrier, or a docking port outside the workstation. The container may be a picking container, an order container, a target picking container, or a target order container. Based on this, when a picking container that needs to be picked is arranged in sequence to a container in the temporary storage space, then the picking container is determined as a container waiting to be moved, and the container loading / unloading device 450 takes in and out the container waiting to be moved, and places it in a picking station or distribution station corresponding to a picking task, or returns it to a mobile carrier, or places it in a docking port outside the workstation. This facilitates the operation of subsequent picking, distribution, or processing by other devices, and ensures the orderly execution of picking tasks.

[0089] In this embodiment, to accommodate complex picking scenarios, the picking station and the distribution station may be dynamically switched based on a command from the controller 410. The controller 410 is further configured to receive a receiving station replacement command, and to cause the picking station 4202 to become the distribution station 4204 or the distribution station 4204 to become the picking station 4202 based on the station replacement command.

[0090] That is, the picking station and the distribution station may be dynamically switched. In order to facilitate the execution of picking tasks and improve picking efficiency, any one or more distribution stations in the workstation may be a picking station, or one or more picking stations may be a distribution station. Thus, the number of each type station may be dynamically adjusted to meet different picking tasks and improve picking efficiency.

[0091] In this embodiment, in order to improve picking efficiency, a container that meets the requirements may be directly set as a target order container. The container unloading equipment 450 is further configured to set the container as a target order container and place it at the distribution station when an identification device and / or a command issued by the controller determines that an item in the container in the movable carrier has the same attributes as an item waiting to be picked corresponding to the unloading command.

[0092] The identification device is specifically a device that can identify the items in the container. The device may be a sensor or an imaging device, etc. Correspondingly, the items waiting to be picked are specifically items corresponding to the picking task. Based on this, when the container loading / unloading device finds that the items in the target picking container are the same in number and type as the items required for picking of the picking task through scanning of the identification device, and / or determines that the items in the container are the same in number and type as the items required for picking of the picking task through the command fed back from the controller, it is necessary to move the entire items in the container to the target order container later, so that the target picking container can be directly used as the target order container and placed on the distribution station to facilitate the operation by the operator or the automated equipment. That is, after the target picking container is determined as the target order container by the container loading / unloading device 450, the container is placed on the picking station, and there is no need to be picked by the operator or the automated equipment, but can be directly placed on the distribution station as the target order container. This saves the time required for the operator or the automated equipment to move the items.

[0093] Also, after the target picking container is designated as the target order container, since the process still requires the container unloading device 450 to move the container from the picking station to the distribution station, the picking station may be directly configured to be the distribution station in order to improve picking efficiency. The container unloading device 450 is further configured to designate the container as the target order container and the picking station as the distribution station when a command issued by an identification device and / or the controller determines that the items in the container at the picking station have the same attributes as the items waiting to be picked corresponding to the unloading command. In other words, the container located at the picking station does not need to be moved to the distribution station, and the picking station may be directly configured to be the distribution station for the subsequent distribution process.

[0094] As an example, if it is determined that a picking task is to pick n items a, then the container loading / unloading device identifies a target picking container A that stores the item a at a station waiting to be picked, and the identification result determines that the target picking container A contains n items. If the target picking container A is placed at the picking station by the container loading / unloading device, it will then be necessary for an operator or an automated device to move the items in the target picking container A located at the picking station to the distribution station, which will significantly reduce picking efficiency. Therefore, at this time, there is no need for a distribution operation by an operator or an automated device, and the container A may be the target order container as it is, and at the same time, the picking station where the target picking container A is placed may be the distribution station.

[0095] In this embodiment, in order to ensure the orderly execution of picking tasks and not affect the execution of other parallel picking tasks, the unloading device 450 may temporarily load the unloaded container into a temporary storage space included in the workstation, i.e., the unloading device 450 is further configured to load and queue the container into a temporary storage space included in the workstation based on the unloading command when the identification device determines that the picking station or the distribution station is unable to load a container.

[0096] That is, when the identification device determines that a new picking container cannot be placed at the picking station or the distribution station, it indicates that the picking station or the distribution station is in a task-saturated state at this time. In order to ensure the orderly execution of the subsequent picking tasks, the container unloading equipment 450 can queue the container by placing it in a temporary storage space according to the waiting information in the unloading command, and perform picking and dispensing operations on the items in the container when executing the corresponding picking task.

[0097] In this embodiment, when the transporting device transports the movable carrier, the movable carrier is placed in a warehouse storage area, and the warehouse storage area may contain a large number of containers, so in order to transport the containers accurately, the transporting device 440 is further configured to generate a travel path according to the movable carrier position information included in the transport command, travel to the movable carrier according to the travel path, and move the movable carrier to the movable carrier parking area. Correspondingly, the transporting device 440 is further configured to return the movable carrier to a movable carrier parking position corresponding to the movable carrier position information when a picking task corresponding to the picking command is completed.

[0098] The movable carrier position information is specifically the position information corresponding to the movable carrier of the container related to the storage picking task, and correspondingly, the movable carrier parking position is specifically the position where the movable carrier is parked, which is in the storage area of ​​the movable carrier and is the position of the area in the storage area. Correspondingly, the travel path is specifically the travel path from the current position of the conveying device to the movable carrier position.

[0099] Based on this, when the transport device receives a transport command, in order to ensure the accurate completion of the subsequent picking, the transport device may generate a travel path based on the movable carrier position information included in the transport command, move to the movable carrier position based on the travel path, and perform the transport process of the movable carrier. After the picking task is completed, the transport device needs to return the movable carrier to its original position so as not to interfere with the container selection by the movable carrier in the subsequent picking task.

[0100] In the warehouse storage system provided by this embodiment, at least one picking station and at least one distribution station are provided at the workstation, thereby shortening the distance from the picking point to the distribution point, improving distribution efficiency, and favorably affecting the picking speed. Furthermore, the movable carrier parking area is used for the conveying equipment on which the movable carrier is placed, and the container loading and unloading equipment is arranged in the movable carrier parking area. In this way, after the movable carrier is conveyed to the movable carrier parking area by the conveying equipment, the container can be moved to the distribution station at the workstation or between the picking station and the movable carrier by the container loading and unloading equipment arranged in the area. In this way, the involvement of the operator or the automated equipment can be reduced in the picking and distribution stages, and the cooperation between the container loading and unloading equipment and the conveying equipment, and the arrangement relationship between the picking station and the distribution station can improve the picking and distribution efficiency and greatly reduce the cost of human resources.

[0101] This embodiment further provides a picking method applied to a warehouse storage system, which will be described in detail below.

[0102] FIG. 5 is a flow chart of a picking method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, the picking method being applied to the above warehouse storage system, the method comprising: Step S502: receiving a picking command by the controller, and moving the movable carrier to the movable carrier parking area by the conveying device based on a conveying command in the picking command; The method includes a step S504 in which a container loading / unloading equipment loads / unloads a container at at least one of the movable carrier, the picking station, or the distribution station based on a loading / unloading command in the picking command, and moves the container between the movable carrier and a picking station or a distribution station in a workstation.

[0103] In specific implementation, the picking method provided by this embodiment is applied to the above-mentioned warehouse storage system, and the explanation contents in the picking method provided by this embodiment that are the same as or correspond to those in the above-mentioned warehouse storage system may refer to the explanations in the above embodiments, and will not be repeated in this embodiment.

[0104] In summary, the provision of at least one picking station and at least one distribution station in the workstation shortens the distance from the picking point to the distribution point, improves distribution efficiency, and has a favorable effect on the picking speed. Furthermore, the mobile carrier parking area is used for the transport equipment on which the mobile carrier is placed, and the container loading and unloading equipment is arranged in the mobile carrier parking area. This allows the mobile carrier to be transported to the mobile carrier parking area by the transport equipment, and then the container can be moved to the distribution station in the workstation or between the picking station and the mobile carrier by the container loading and unloading equipment arranged in the area. This allows the involvement of operators or automated equipment to be reduced in the picking and distribution stages, and the cooperation between the container loading and unloading equipment and the transport equipment, as well as the arrangement relationship between the picking station and the distribution station, improves picking and distribution efficiency, and significantly reduces the cost of human resources.

[0105] Although the above embodiments of the methods are described as a combination of a series of operations for the sake of simplicity, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present disclosure is not limited by the order of the operations described. According to the present disclosure, some steps may be performed in other orders or simultaneously. Next, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments described in the specification are all preferred embodiments, but the described operations and modules are not necessarily required for the present disclosure.

[0106] In the above embodiments, the focus of the description varies from embodiment to embodiment, but for parts not described in detail in one embodiment, reference may be made to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0107] The preferred embodiments of the present disclosure described above are merely for the purpose of illustrating the present disclosure. The selected embodiments are not described in detail and do not limit the present invention to the specific embodiments described above. Of course, various improvements and modifications are possible based on the contents of the present disclosure. The purpose of specifically describing these embodiments in the present disclosure is to better explain the principles and practical applications of the present disclosure so that those skilled in the art can fully understand and utilize the present disclosure. The present disclosure is limited only by the claims and equivalents thereto. [Explanation of symbols]

[0108] 400 Warehouse Storage System 410 Controller 420 Workstation 430 Movable Carrier Parking Area 440 Transport Equipment 450 Container loading and unloading equipment 460 Movable Carrier 4202 Picking Station 4204 Distribution Station 4501 Base 4502 Loading and Unloading Module 4503 Handling Module 4504 Frame 45041 X-axis rail 45042 Y-axis rail 45022 Mounting Module 45011 Holder 45021 Conveyor belt

Claims

1. 1. A warehouse storage system comprising: a workstation including at least one picking station for processing the containers; a movable carrier parking area in which container loading / unloading equipment is arranged and for parking the transport equipment carrying the movable carrier; a transport device for transporting a movable carrier for placing a container thereon to the movable carrier parking area; a container loading / unloading device for moving the container between the workstation and a movable carrier, the container loading / unloading device including a loading / unloading module, the loading / unloading module gripping the container and then fine-tuning the orientation of the container to fit the cargo space; A warehouse storage system comprising:

2. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile carrier includes at least one cargo space for storing the container, the container being a picking container or an order container, and the workstation further includes at least one distribution station.

3. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile carrier parking area includes at least one mobile carrier parking sub-area, and one container loading / unloading device corresponds to at least one mobile carrier parking sub-area.

4. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the workstation includes a guidance device for displaying information to guide an operator or automated equipment.

5. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the workstation includes a temporary storage space for temporarily storing the picking receptacle or the order receptacle.

6. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that, when a target picking receptacle and a target order receptacle have a substitution relationship, and an item contained in the target picking receptacle and an item to be placed in the target order receptacle have the same attributes, the target picking receptacle is set as the target order receptacle based on the substitution relationship, and accordingly, the picking station corresponding to the target picking receptacle is switched to a distribution station.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the container loading / unloading equipment includes a loading / unloading module for moving the container between the picking station / distribution station and the mobile carrier, or between the cargo space of the mobile carrier, or between the mobile carrier and a target mobile carrier, or between the picking station and a docking port external to the workstation, or between the distribution station and a docking port external to the workstation, or between a mobile carrier and a docking port external to the workstation.

8. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the picking station and the distribution station are adjacent and docking is performed by at least one of an operator or automated equipment.

9. The loading / unloading module performs fine adjustment of the direction after gripping the container, 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the unloading module includes a rotation to the other side of the container unloading equipment.

10. 1. A warehouse storage system comprising: The warehouse storage system includes a controller, at least one workstation, at least one movable carrier parking area, at least one conveying device, at least one container loading / unloading device, and at least one movable carrier on which containers are placed, the workstation including at least one picking station; The controller is configured to, when a picking command is received, transmit a transport command to the transport device based on the picking command and transmit a loading / unloading command to the container loading / unloading device; the transport device is configured to move to the movable carrier based on the transport command and transport the movable carrier to the movable carrier parking area; A warehouse storage system, characterized in that the container loading / unloading equipment is configured to load and unload containers at at least one of the mobile carrier and a picking station based on the loading / unloading command, and to move the containers between the mobile carrier and the picking station at the workstation.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the workstation further includes at least one distribution station, and when the unloading command is a picking unloading command, the container unloading equipment is further configured to determine coordinate information of a target cargo space in the movable carrier for the container based on the picking unloading command, and to load or unload the container and place it at the picking station or the distribution station based on the coordinate information of the target cargo space.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the container loading / unloading equipment is further configured to, when a container return command issued from the controller is received, load or unload the container placed at the picking station or the distribution station based on the container return command and place it in the target cargo space of the mobile carrier.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the container loading / unloading equipment is further configured to load and unload containers awaiting movement located within a temporary storage space at the workstation and place them at the picking station, the distribution station, the mobile carrier, or a docking port external to the workstation.

14. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to receive a station replacement command and cause the picking station to become the distribution station or cause the distribution station to become the picking station based on the station replacement command.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the container loading / unloading equipment is further configured to, when an identification device and / or a command issued from the controller determines that an item in the container in the movable carrier has the same attributes as an item waiting to be picked corresponding to the loading / unloading command, designate the container as a target order container and place it at the distribution station.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the container loading / unloading equipment is further configured to designate the container as a target order container and the picking station as the distribution station when an identification device and / or a command issued from the controller determines that an item in the container at the picking station has the same attributes as an item waiting to be picked corresponding to the loading / unloading command.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the container unloading equipment is further configured to, when the identification device determines that the picking station or the distribution station is no longer able to load containers, load and queue the container in a temporary storage space included in the workstation based on the unloading command.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the transport equipment is further configured to generate a travel path based on the movable carrier position information included in the transport command, move to the movable carrier based on the travel path, and move the movable carrier to the movable carrier parking area.

19. 20. The system of claim 18, wherein the transport equipment is further configured to return the mobile carrier to a mobile carrier parking position corresponding to the mobile carrier position information when a picking task corresponding to the picking command is completed.

20. A picking method applied to the warehouse storage system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising: receiving a picking command by a controller, and causing the transport device to move the movable carrier to a movable carrier parking area based on a transport command in the picking command; A picking method comprising the steps of: a container loading / unloading equipment loading / unloading a container at at least one of the movable carrier, the picking station, and the distribution station based on a loading / unloading command in the picking command, and moving the container between the movable carrier and the picking station or the distribution station in a workstation.

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