Stock place adjustment method, device and electronic apparatus

Abstract

To provide a stock place adjustment method, a device and electronic apparatus that improve the efficiency that a robot having a plurality of storage grids has in returning bottles, and improve the processing efficiency of the entire warehouse system.SOLUTION: A stock place adjustment method includes: instructing a target robot to load a bottle to be warehoused; and determining binding relation between the bottle to be warehoused and a warehousing place for the bottle to be warehoused. The target robot has a plurality of storage grids. The method also instructs the target robot to load the bottle to be shipped in an empty storage grid when there is the empty storage grid in the target robot in a process in which the target robot returns the bottle to be warehoused, instructs the target robot to move the bottle to be warehoused which is currently loaded to a specified stock place after the target robot moves the bottle to be shipped from the specified stock place to its empty storage grid, and also resets the binding relation between the bottle to be warehoused and the warehousing place for the bottle to be warehoused.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of intelligent warehouse technology, and particularly to a method, apparatus, and electronic device for adjusting inventory locations.

Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of robot technology, robots have been widely applied in various industries and have become an important part contributing to the development of enterprises.

[0003] In the field of intelligent warehouses, it has become common for robots to carry goods instead of humans. In a warehouse system, many bins are installed in the warehouse to store goods, and the bins loaded with goods are stored at inventory locations in the shelf area. A robot can carry a bin from the shelf area to a workbench and sort it by hand according to an order to complete the outbound of goods. A robot can also return the bin from the workbench to the inventory location in the shelf area to complete the inbound of goods. Currently, when a robot returns goods, there is a problem of low flexibility, and the processing efficiency of the entire system is low.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of this application aim to provide a method, apparatus, and electronic device for adjusting inventory locations to improve the efficiency of a robot with multiple storage grids in returning bins and further improve the processing efficiency of the entire warehouse system. The specific technical solutions are as follows.

[0005] As a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a method for adjusting inventory locations, the method comprising: Instructing a target robot to load a bin waiting for inbound, and determining a binding relationship between the bin waiting for inbound and the inbound location of the bin waiting for inbound, wherein the target robot is a robot having a plurality of storage grids; In the process of the target robot returning the bins waiting to be stored, if there are empty storage grids in the target robot, the target robot is instructed to load the bins waiting to be shipped into the empty storage grids. After the target robot moves the bin waiting to be shipped from the designated inventory location to its own empty storage grid, the target robot is instructed to move the currently loaded target bin waiting to be stored to the designated inventory location, and the binding relationship between the target bin waiting to be stored and the storage location of the target bin waiting to be stored is released.

[0006] Preferably, in one specific implementation form, instructing the target robot to move the currently loaded target bin waiting to be stored to the designated inventory location includes: Among the bins waiting to be stored currently loaded by the target robot, determining the target bin waiting to be stored that conforms to the designated inventory location, and instructing the target robot to move the target bin waiting to be stored to the designated inventory location.

[0007] Preferably, in one specific implementation form, the method further includes: detecting whether the target robot meets the preset bin return conditions, The preset bin return conditions include that the number of bins waiting to be stored loaded by the target robot reaches the preset bin loading capacity, or the target robot is loading bins waiting to be stored and there are no bins waiting to be stored to be loaded in the storage area for placing each bin waiting to be stored. When the preset bin return conditions are met, the target robot is instructed to return the loaded bins waiting to be stored.

[0008] Preferably, in one specific implementation form, determining the binding relationship between the bin waiting to be stored and the storage location of the bin waiting to be stored includes: determining an empty inventory location that matches the waiting bin as an input location for the waiting bin, thereby establishing a binding relationship between the waiting bin and the empty inventory location; or The method includes determining, for each bin waiting to be received, whether or not there is an available inventory location that matches the bin waiting to be received and in which a bin waiting to be removed is placed, and if there is, determining the available inventory location as the receiving location of the bin waiting to be received and obtaining a binding relationship between the bin waiting to be received and the available inventory location, and if there is no available inventory location, determining an available inventory location that matches the bin waiting to be received as the receiving location of the bin waiting to be received and obtaining a binding relationship between the bin waiting to be received and the available inventory location.

[0009] Preferably, in one specific implementation, when the target robot has an empty storage grid, instructing the target robot to load a bin waiting to be removed into the empty storage grid includes: instructing the target robot to load a bin waiting to be removed from a target inventory location into the empty storage grid if the target robot has an empty storage grid; The target inventory location includes at least one of an inventory location on a movement path along which the target robot returns the bin awaiting entry, and an inventory location whose distance from the entry location of the bin awaiting entry is less than a preset distance.

[0010] Preferably, in one specific implementation, after releasing the binding relationship between the target waiting bin and the receiving location of the target waiting bin, the method further comprises: The method further comprises releasing a binding relationship between the outgoing bin and the designated inventory location, and establishing a binding relationship between the target incoming bin and the designated inventory location.

[0011] Preferably, in one specific implementation, the method further comprises: After the target robot has returned all the bins waiting to be stored, it includes instructing the target robot to move to the shipping area for placing the bins waiting to be shipped.

[0012] Preferably, in one specific implementation form, before instructing the target robot to move to the shipping area for placing the bins waiting to be shipped, the method further detects whether there are empty storage grids in the target robot, when there are empty storage grids in the target robot, instructs the target robot to load each unshipped bin waiting to be shipped until there are no empty storage grids in the target robot, and executes the step of instructing the target robot to move to the shipping area for placing the bins waiting to be shipped, when there are no empty storage grids in the target robot, executes the step of instructing the target robot to move to the shipping area for placing the bins waiting to be shipped.

[0013] As a second aspect, the embodiments of the present application provide an inventory location adjustment device, and the device includes a relationship determination module used to instruct the target robot to load the bins waiting to be stored and determine the binding relationship between the bins waiting to be stored and the storage locations of the bins waiting to be stored, where the target robot is a robot having a plurality of storage grids, a first instruction module used to instruct the target robot to load the bins waiting to be shipped into the empty storage grids when there are empty storage grids in the target robot during the process of the target robot returning the bins waiting to be stored, a second instruction module used to instruct the target robot to move the currently loaded target bin waiting to be stored to the designated inventory location after the target robot moves the bin waiting to be shipped from the designated inventory location to its own empty storage grid, and to release the binding relationship between the target bin waiting to be stored and the storage location of the target bin waiting to be stored.

[0014] Preferably, in one specific embodiment, the second instruction module specifically is used to determine a target bin waiting for inbound that matches the specified inventory location among the bins waiting for inbound currently carried by the target robot, and to instruct the target robot to move the target bin waiting for inbound to the specified inventory location.

[0015] Preferably, in one specific embodiment, the apparatus further includes a first detection module used to detect whether the target robot meets a preset bin return condition, where the preset bin return condition includes that the number of bins waiting for inbound carried by the target robot reaches a preset bin loading capacity, or the target robot is carrying bins waiting for inbound and there is no bin waiting for inbound to be loaded in the inbound area for placing each bin waiting for inbound. When this condition is met, the first detection module triggers a third instruction module, and the third instruction module used to instruct the target robot to return the loaded bins waiting for inbound.

[0016] Preferably, in one specific embodiment, the relationship determination module specifically is used to determine an empty inventory location that matches the bin waiting for inbound as the inbound location of the bin waiting for inbound, and establish a binding relationship between the bin waiting for inbound and the empty inventory location, or for each bin waiting for inbound, determine whether there is an empty waiting inventory location that matches the bin waiting for inbound and where a bin waiting for outbound is placed. If it exists, determine the empty waiting inventory location as the inbound location of the bin waiting for inbound and obtain the binding relationship between the bin waiting for inbound and the empty waiting inventory location. If it does not exist, determine an empty inventory location that matches the bin waiting for inbound as the inbound location of the bin waiting for inbound and obtain the binding relationship between the bin waiting for inbound and the empty inventory location.

[0017] Preferably, in one specific implementation form, the first instruction module specifically is used to instruct the target robot to load the bins waiting for outbound in the target inventory location into the empty storage grids when there are empty storage grids in the target robot. The target inventory location includes at least one of an inventory location on the moving path where the target robot returns the bins waiting for inbound and an inventory location whose distance from the inbound location of the bins waiting for inbound is less than a preset distance.

[0018] Preferably, in one specific implementation form, the device further comprises a relationship establishment module used to release the binding relationship between the target bin waiting for inbound and its inbound location, then release the binding relationship between the bin waiting for outbound and the designated inventory location, and establish the binding relationship between the target bin waiting for inbound and the designated inventory location.

[0019] Preferably, in one specific implementation form, the device further comprises a fourth instruction module used to instruct the target robot to move to the outbound area for placing the bin waiting for outbound after the target robot has returned all the bins waiting for inbound.

[0020] Preferably, in one specific implementation form, the device further is a second detection module used to detect whether there are empty storage grids in the target robot before instructing the target robot to move to the outbound area for placing the bin waiting for outbound. When there are empty storage grids in the target robot, the fifth instruction module is triggered; when there are no empty storage grids in the target robot, the fourth instruction module is triggered. The fifth instruction module is used to execute the step of instructing the target robot to load each bin waiting for shipment that has not been shipped until there are no empty storage grids in the target robot, and instructing the target robot to move to the shipping area for placing the bins waiting for shipment.

[0021] As a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an electronic device, and the electronic device includes a memory used to store a computer program, a processor used to realize the steps of any of the above method embodiments when executing the program stored in the memory.

[0022] As a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of any one of the above method embodiments are realized.

[0023] As a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product including instructions. When the computer program product runs on a computer, the computer is caused to realize the steps of any one of the above method embodiments.

[0024] The embodiments of the present application have the following beneficial effects. As can be seen from the above, by applying the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application, when returning bins using a robot having a plurality of storage grids, first, the target robot is instructed to load the bins waiting for storage, and the binding relationship between the bins waiting for storage and the storage locations of the bins waiting for storage can be determined. Then, in the process of the target robot returning the bins waiting for storage, if there are empty storage grids in the target robot, the target robot can be instructed to load the bins waiting for shipment into the empty storage grids. Next, after the target robot moves the bins waiting for shipment from the designated inventory location to its own empty storage grid, the target robot is instructed to move the currently loaded target bin waiting for storage to the designated inventory location, and the binding relationship between the target bin waiting for storage and the storage location of the target bin waiting for storage can be released.

[0025] Based on the above, by applying the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application, in the process of a robot having a plurality of storage grids returning the bins waiting for storage, when instructing the target robot to load the bins waiting for shipment into its own empty storage grids, the inventory location where the bin waiting for shipment is placed in the shelf area becomes an available inventory location, and the available inventory location can be used to place the bin waiting for storage that the robot is loading. In this case, the robot does not need to move to the inventory location bound to the bin waiting for storage and can place the bin waiting for storage that it is loading using the inventory location. In this way, by using the new available inventory location in the shelf area as the storage location for the bin waiting for storage, the flexibility of inventory location allocation is realized. Thereby, the total travel distance and total time for the robot to return the bins waiting for storage are saved, the efficiency of the robot to return the bins waiting for storage is improved, and the processing efficiency of the entire warehouse system is improved. Also, by instructing the robot to load the bins waiting for shipment in the process of returning the bins, the processing efficiency of the entire warehouse system is further improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0026] The following briefly describes the drawings required in the embodiments or the prior art in order to more clearly explain the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application or the prior art. Note that the following drawings are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings.

Figure 1

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Figure 2(b)

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0027] The following technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Of course, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present application are included in the protection scope of the present application.

[0028] In the field of intelligent warehouses, it has become common for robots to carry goods instead of humans. In a warehouse system, many bins are installed in the warehouse for storing goods, and the bins loaded with goods are stored at the inventory locations in the shelf area. A robot can carry a bin from the shelf area to a workbench, sort it manually according to an order, and complete the outbound of goods. The robot can also return the bin from the workbench to the inventory location in the shelf area to complete the inbound of goods. Currently, there is a problem that the flexibility of the robot to return goods is low, and the processing efficiency of the entire system is low.

[0029] To solve the above technical problems, an embodiment of the present application provides an inventory location adjustment method.

[0030] Here, this method can be applied to various application scenarios where it is necessary to use a robot with a plurality of storage grids to return bins. For example, in a factory, each bin for storing raw materials is returned to the corresponding inventory location in the shelf area using a robot with a plurality of storage grids. A parcel sorting center uses a robot with a plurality of storage grids to return each bin for storing parcels to the corresponding inventory location within the storage area. And this method can be applied to the robot itself with a plurality of storage grids. For example, this robot with a plurality of storage grids is equipped with a control module and can execute the method. It can also be applied to an electronic device that communicates with and controls the robot with a plurality of storage grids, such as a robot management server. Based on this, the embodiment of the present application does not limit the application scenario and execution entity of the method.

[0031] The inventory location adjustment method provided by the embodiment of the present application is Instructing a target robot to load a bin waiting for inbound, and determining the binding relationship between the bin waiting for inbound and the inbound location of the bin waiting for inbound, where the target robot is a robot with a plurality of storage grids, In the process of the target robot returning the bins waiting to be stored, if there are empty storage grids in the target robot, the target robot is instructed to load the bins waiting to be shipped out into the empty storage grids. After the target robot moves the bins waiting to be shipped out from the designated inventory location to its own empty storage grids, the target robot is instructed to move the target bins waiting to be stored that are currently loaded to the designated inventory location, and the binding relationship between the target bins waiting to be stored and the storage locations of the target bins waiting to be stored is released.

[0032] As can be seen from the above, by applying the technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present application, when using a robot with a plurality of storage grids to return bins, first, the target robot is instructed to load the bins waiting to be stored, and the binding relationship between the bins waiting to be stored and the storage locations of the bins waiting to be stored can be determined. Then, in the process of the target robot returning the bins waiting to be stored, if there are empty storage grids in the target robot, the target robot can be instructed to load the bins waiting to be shipped out into the empty storage grids. Next, after the target robot moves the bins waiting to be shipped out from the designated inventory location to its own empty storage grids, the target robot is instructed to move the target bins waiting to be stored that are currently loaded to the designated inventory location, and the binding relationship between the target bins waiting to be stored and the storage locations of the target bins waiting to be stored can be released.

[0033] Based on the above, by applying the technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present application, when instructing a target robot to load a bin waiting to be shipped into its own empty storage grid during the process of a robot with a plurality of storage grids returning a bin waiting to be stored, the inventory location where the bin waiting to be shipped is placed in the shelf area becomes an available inventory location, and the available inventory location can be used to place the bin waiting to be stored that the robot is loading. In this case, the robot does not need to move to the storage location bound to the bin waiting to be stored, and can use the inventory location to place the bin waiting to be stored that it is loading. In this way, by setting a new available inventory location in the shelf area as the storage location of the bin waiting to be stored, the flexibility of inventory location allocation is realized. Thereby, the total travel distance and total time for the robot to return the bin waiting to be stored are saved, the efficiency of the robot to return the bin waiting to be stored is improved, and the processing efficiency of the entire warehouse system is improved. Also, by instructing the robot to load the bin waiting to be shipped during the process of returning the bin, the processing efficiency of the entire warehouse system is further improved.

[0034] Hereinafter, the inventory location adjustment method provided by the embodiments of the present application will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

[0035] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the process of the inventory location adjustment method provided by the embodiments of the present application. As shown in FIG. 1, this method includes the following steps S101 to S103.

[0036] Step S101: Instruct the target robot to load the bin waiting to be stored, and determine the binding relationship between the bin waiting to be stored and the storage location of the bin waiting to be stored. Here, the target robot is a robot with a plurality of storage grids.

[0037] Generally, in the field of intelligent warehouses, the goods transported from various places are generally first concentrated and placed in a pre-set pre-inventory placement area, and pre-inventory processing such as inspection and disinfection is performed. For example, each container is placed in the goods sorting area of the logistics center and inspected.

[0038] When the pre-inventory processing is completed, each piece of cargo is left in each bin and then returned to and stored in the inventory location in the shelf area together with the bin. Usually, various types of bins are left in the shelf area, and each bin is placed and stored in various types of inventory locations. For example, the shelf area can be provided with a plurality of shelves for placing different types of bins, and each shelf can be provided with a plurality of grid openings, so that each grid opening can be used as one inventory location.

[0039] Correspondingly, when taking out the cargo from the warehouse, each bin can be taken out from each inventory location in the shelf area and transported to the workbench for sorting the cargo.

[0040] Taking the logistics industry as an example, a logistics center can receive cargo from various places, classify and sort each received piece of cargo, and then distribute it to each destination. Usually, in a logistics center, after receiving cargo from various places, each received piece of cargo is left in the cargo sorting area, and in that cargo sorting area, each piece of cargo can be sorted, such as cleaning and classification. Then, the robot transports each piece of cargo for which the sorting work has been completed from the cargo sorting area to the workbench, puts each piece of cargo into each bin at the workbench, and can return each bin to and store it in each inventory location in the shelf area. Next, before transporting the cargo, the robot takes out each bin from each inventory location in the shelf area, transports each bin to the workbench, and can manually sort according to the order to complete the outbound of the cargo. In this way, each sorted piece of cargo can be loaded onto a vehicle and then transported to each destination.

[0041] Based on this, each bin placed in each inventory location in the shelf area and transported to the workbench is called a bin waiting for outbound, and the bin returned to each inventory location in the shelf area is called a bin waiting for inbound.

[0042] To return each bin waiting to be stocked, first, the robot can be instructed to load the bins waiting to be stocked, determine a storage location in the shelf area for placing the bins waiting to be stocked, and then instruct the robot to return the bins waiting to be stocked to that storage location.

[0043] And to improve the stocking efficiency of the bins waiting to be stocked, the return process of the bins waiting to be stocked can be executed using a robot having a plurality of storage grids.

[0044] That is, in the embodiment of the present application, when returning a bin using a robot having a plurality of storage grids, first, the target robot can be instructed to load the bins waiting to be stocked, and the binding relationship between the bin waiting to be stocked and the stocking location of the bin waiting to be stocked can be determined.

[0045] Preferably, the robot management server can store a list of the bins waiting to be stocked. Here, this list of the bins waiting to be stocked includes the bin identifier of each bin waiting to be stocked and the binding relationship between this bin waiting to be stocked and the stocking location of this bin waiting to be stocked. The robot management server can generate a bin return task having the bin identifier and the binding relationship of each bin waiting to be stocked in this list, and can send this bin return task to the target robot. In this way, when receiving this bin return task, the target robot can determine the binding relationship between the bin waiting to be stocked and the stocking location of the bin waiting to be stocked, and further can return this bin waiting to be stocked using the above.

[0046] Preferably, the robot management server can store a list of bins waiting to be stored, where this list of bins waiting to be stored includes the bin identifier of each bin waiting to be stored and the binding relationship between this bin waiting to be stored and the storage location of this bin waiting to be stored. The robot management server can generate a bin return task with the bin identifier and the binding relationship for each bin waiting to be stored in this list. When instructing the target robot to load each bin waiting to be stored, the identifier of this bin waiting to be stored can be obtained. Thereby, it is detected whether there is a bin return task of this bin waiting to be stored in each generated bin return task, and when the bin return task of this bin waiting to be stored is detected, the above binding relationship is transmitted to the target robot, and the target robot is instructed to execute the bin return task of this bin waiting to be stored.

[0047] Also, since the sizes, types, and storage conditions of different bins waiting to be stored may be different, different bins waiting to be stored can be returned to different inventory locations in the shelf area. Based on this, for each bin waiting to be stored, first, based on the bin information such as the size information, bin weight, bin type information, and storage condition information of the bin waiting to be stored, at each inventory location in the shelf area, an inventory location is assigned to the bin waiting to be stored, and the binding relationship between the bin waiting to be stored and the storage location of the bin waiting to be stored can be established.

[0048] Here, when assigning an inventory location to each bin waiting to be stored, the assigned inventory location is an inventory location currently available in the shelf area, and the inventory location information such as the inventory location type and size of the assigned inventory location matches the bin information of this bin waiting to be stored. That is, the inventory location assigned to this bin waiting to be stored meets the storage conditions of that bin.

[0049] For example, if the destination of each cargo stored in the bin A waiting to be stored is City B, among each inventory location of the shelf for storing the cargo destined for City B, inventory location C can be assigned to this bin A waiting to be stored as the storage location of this bin A waiting to be stored.

[0050] Also, for example, if the size of the bin D waiting to be stored is 0.5m * 0.6m * 0.3m, as the storage location for the bin D waiting to be stored, a storage location E with a size of 0.7m * 0.7m * 0.5m can be assigned to the bin D waiting to be stored.

[0051] Thus, the fact that the above-mentioned storage location is currently available may mean that the storage location is an empty storage location, or may mean that the bin currently stored in the storage location is a bin waiting to be shipped.

[0052] Preferably, in order to prevent one storage location from being assigned to a plurality of bins waiting to be stored, after one storage location is assigned to one bin waiting to be stored, the storage location can be locked, and by setting the state of the storage location to a non-available state, the storage location cannot be assigned to other bins waiting to be stored.

[0053] Preferably, when a plurality of bins can be placed in one storage location, after one storage location is assigned to one bin waiting to be stored, the available state of the storage location can be updated, that is, the number of bins waiting to be stored to which the storage location is assigned can be updated so that it is easier to determine later whether the storage location can be assigned to other bins waiting to be stored.

[0054] As can be seen from the above, when it is desired to return each bin waiting to be stored, first, the target robot is instructed to load each bin waiting to be stored, and the binding relationship between each bin waiting to be stored and the storage location of the bin waiting to be stored is determined.

[0055] Preferably, when the execution entity of the embodiment of the present application is the target robot itself, the target robot can store available inventory locations and inventory location information such as the size and type of each available inventory location. Therefore, after loading each bin waiting to be stocked, the target robot can obtain the bin information of the bin waiting to be stocked, and then, based on the inventory location information of the above available inventory locations and the bin information of the bin waiting to be stocked, allocate an inventory location for the bin waiting to be stocked, and establish a binding relationship between the bin waiting to be stocked and the allocated inventory location.

[0056] Preferably, when the execution entity of the embodiment of the present application is the target robot itself, the robot management server can store a list of bins waiting to be stocked, available inventory locations on the shelf, and inventory location information such as the size and type of each available inventory location. Therefore, after loading the bin waiting to be stocked, the target robot can send a request for allocating an inventory location with the bin identifier of the bin waiting to be stocked to the robot management server. In this way, the robot management server can determine the bin information of the bin waiting to be stocked based on the bin identifier of the bin waiting to be stocked, and further, based on the inventory location information of each available inventory location and the bin information of the bin waiting to be stocked, allocate an inventory location for the bin waiting to be stocked, establish a binding relationship between the bin waiting to be stocked and the allocated inventory location, and then send the above binding relationship to the target robot.

[0057] Preferably, when the execution entity of the embodiment of the present application is a robot management server, the robot management server can store a list of bins waiting to be stored, available inventory locations in the shelf, and inventory location information such as the size and type of each available inventory location. Therefore, for each bin waiting to be stored in the list of bins waiting to be stored, the robot management server can allocate one inventory location to the bin waiting to be stored based on the bin information of the bin waiting to be stored, and establish a binding relationship between the bin waiting to be stored and the allocated inventory location. Then, an inbound task with the above binding relationship for this bin waiting to be stored is generated, and this inbound task is sent to the target robot. In this way, the target robot can receive the above inbound task and obtain the above binding relationship.

[0058] Of course, each of the above specific implementation forms is only an example of the method for constructing the binding relationship and the method for the target robot to determine the binding relationship between each bin waiting to be stored and the inventory location, and is not for limitation.

[0059] Based on this, when the target robot returns a bin waiting to be stored, first, the target robot is instructed to load each bin waiting to be stored, and the binding relationship between each bin waiting to be stored and the storage location of the bin waiting to be stored is determined. In this way, according to the above binding relationship, the target robot can be instructed to return the bin waiting to be stored to the inventory location to which the bin waiting to be stored is bound.

[0060] Step S102: In the process of the target robot returning a bin waiting to be stored, if there is an empty storage grid in the target robot, the target robot is instructed to load the bin waiting to be shipped out into the empty storage grid.

[0061] In the process of the target robot returning a bin waiting to be stored, the target robot can be instructed to sequentially return each bin waiting to be stored to the storage location of each bin waiting to be stored.

[0062] For example, it is possible to instruct the target robot to preferentially return each waiting-in-warehouse bin that was loaded earlier in the order in which each waiting-in-warehouse bin is loaded onto the target robot. Also for example, it is possible to instruct the target robot to preferentially return waiting-in-warehouse bins that are closer in distance according to the distance between the target robot, each waiting-in-warehouse bin, and the in-warehouse storage location bound to the bin. Further for example, based on the bin information of each waiting-in-warehouse bin and the position information of the bound storage location, the movement path of the target robot can be determined in advance, and then it is possible to instruct the target robot to return each waiting-in-warehouse bin in order along the movement path. Of course, the above examples only explain examples of instructing the target robot to return each waiting-in-warehouse bin according to preset rules and are not for limitation.

[0063] In the process of the target robot returning waiting-in-warehouse bins, after the target robot loads waiting-in-warehouse bins in the warehousing area, there may still be empty storage grids, and after the target robot leaves some of the waiting-in-warehouse bins it loaded at the bound storage locations, there may be empty storage grids. Therefore, in order to improve the utilization rate of the target robot, in the process of the target robot returning waiting-in-warehouse bins, the target robot can use its empty storage grids to load waiting-for-outbound bins.

[0064] Based on this, in the process of the target robot returning waiting-in-warehouse bins, when the target robot moves from its current position to the storage location bound to the next waiting-in-warehouse bin, if there are empty storage grids in the target robot and there are waiting-for-outbound bins in the shelf area, the target robot can be instructed to load the waiting-for-outbound bins.

[0065] For example, if the target robot has 10 bins and 6 bins waiting to be stored are loaded in the storage area, then there are 4 empty storage grids left in this target robot. Thus, in the process of the target robot returning the bins waiting to be stored, if there are bins waiting to be shipped in the shelf area, the target robot can be instructed to load the bins waiting to be shipped.

[0066] Also for example, the target robot has 10 bins and 10 bins waiting to be stored are loaded in the storage area. In the process of the target robot returning the bins waiting to be stored, after returning 3 bins waiting to be stored, there are 3 empty storage grids left in this target robot. Thus, if there are bins waiting to be shipped at the inventory location passed by the target robot, the target robot can be instructed to load 3 bins waiting to be shipped.

[0067] Here, preferably, in one specific implementation form, step S102 includes the following step 11. Step 11: If there are empty storage grids in the target robot, instruct the target robot to load the bins waiting to be shipped at the target inventory location into the empty storage grids. Here, the target inventory location includes at least one of the inventory locations on the moving route where the target robot returns the bins waiting to be stored and the inventory locations where the distance from the inventory location of the bins waiting to be stored is less than a preset distance.

[0068] In this specific implementation form, in the process of the target robot returning the bins waiting to be stored, if there are empty storage grids in the target robot, the target robot can be instructed to load the bins waiting to be shipped at the target position into the empty storage grids.

[0069] Here, the target inventory location includes at least one of the inventory locations on the moving route where the target robot returns the bins waiting to be stored and the inventory locations where the distance from the inventory location of the bins waiting to be stored is less than a preset distance.

[0070] That is, in the process of the target robot returning the bin waiting to be stored, inventory locations on the movement path of the target robot when returning the bin waiting to be stored, and / or inventory locations with a distance less than a preset distance from the storage location of the bin waiting to be stored can be used as the target inventory locations. Here, the preset distance can be set to a reasonable distance such as 1 meter or 5 meters according to actual needs, and is not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0071] Furthermore, in the process of the target robot returning the bin waiting to be stored, if there is an empty storage grid in the target robot, the target robot can be instructed to load the bin waiting to be shipped at the target inventory location into the empty storage grid.

[0072] Preferably, in the process of the target robot returning the bin waiting to be stored, it can be detected whether there is an empty storage grid in the target robot, and whether there is a target inventory location where the bin waiting to be shipped is placed in the shelf area. Furthermore, when both of the above detection results detect that there is an empty storage grid in the target robot and that there is a bin waiting to be shipped at the target inventory location, the target robot can be instructed to load the bin waiting to be shipped at the target inventory location into the empty storage grid.

[0073] Preferably, when the execution entity of the inventory location adjustment method provided by the embodiments of the present application is the target robot itself, the target robot can determine the movement path based on its current position and the position of the storage location bound to the next bin waiting to be stored. Furthermore, when it detects that it has an empty storage grid, it can send a request to the robot management server to obtain the bin waiting to be shipped with the above movement path. In this way, the robot management server receives the above request to obtain the bin waiting to be shipped, determines the bin waiting to be shipped on the above movement path among the bins waiting to be shipped stored by itself, and then can send the inventory location identifier of the determined bin waiting to be shipped to the target robot. Thereby, the target robot can load the above bin waiting to be shipped.

[0074] Preferably, when the execution entity of the inventory location adjustment method provided by the embodiment of the present application is a robot management server, the robot management server can detect in real time whether there is an empty inventory location for the target robot. Thereby, when it is detected that there is an empty inventory location for the target robot, among the bins waiting for shipment stored by itself, it is possible to determine whether there is a bin waiting for shipment at each inventory location where the distance between the inventory location bound to the bin waiting for inbound stored most recently by the target robot and the inventory location bound to the bin waiting for inbound stored most recently by the target robot is less than or equal to a preset distance. If so, the inbound location identifier of the bin waiting for shipment is sent to the target robot, whereby the target robot can load the bin waiting for shipment.

[0075] Step S103: After the target robot moves the bin waiting for shipment from the designated inventory location to its own empty storage grid, instruct the target robot to move the target bin waiting for inbound currently loaded to the designated inventory location, and release the binding relationship between the target goods waiting for inbound and the inbound inventory location corresponding to the target goods waiting for inbound.

[0076] After the target robot moves the bin waiting for shipment from the designated inventory location to its own empty storage grid, since the bin waiting for shipment has already been carried out, the designated inventory location for placing this bin waiting for shipment becomes empty.

[0077] Therefore, in order to improve the working efficiency of the robot, the target bin waiting for inbound currently loaded can be placed close to the designated inventory location. In this way, since the inbound task of this target bin waiting for inbound is completed, this target robot does not need to move to the inbound location of this target bin waiting for inbound, so the distance required for the movement of the target robot can be saved in the process of returning the bin.

[0078] And, the bin waiting for target storage has already been stored at the designated storage location in the shelf area, so there is no need to place this bin waiting for target storage in the bound storage location, and thus the binding relationship between this bin waiting for target storage and the storage location of the bin waiting for target storage can be released. In this way, after releasing the above binding relationship, the storage location where the above bin waiting for target storage was originally bound can be assigned to other bins waiting for storage.

[0079] Preferably, after the target robot moves the bin waiting for shipment from the designated storage location to its empty storage grid, among the bins waiting for storage currently carried by the target robot, the bin waiting for target storage is determined. After locking this designated storage location and instructing the target robot to move the currently loaded bin waiting for target storage to the designated storage location, the binding relationship between the bin waiting for target storage and the storage location corresponding to the bin waiting for target storage is released, and the storage location bound by the bin waiting for target storage is unlocked.

[0080] Preferably, in one specific implementation form, step S103 includes the following step 21. Step 21: Among the bins waiting for storage currently carried by the target robot, determine the bin waiting for target storage that conforms to the designated storage location, and instruct the target robot to move the bin waiting for target storage to the designated storage location.

[0081] In this specific implementation form, after the target robot moves the bin waiting for shipment from the designated storage location to its empty storage grid, among the bins waiting for storage currently carried by the target robot, the bin waiting for target storage that conforms to the designated storage location can be determined, and the target robot can be instructed to move the bin waiting for target storage to the designated storage location.

[0082] Here, the target bins waiting for inbound that match the specified inventory location may be the bins waiting for inbound that are bound to the specified inventory location, or the bin information may match this specified inventory location information. That is, this specified inventory location meets the storage requirements of the bins waiting for inbound, and the bins waiting for inbound can be placed in the bins waiting for inbound at this specified inventory location.

[0083] For example, if the specified inventory location is an inventory location for storing goods that are not easily broken, and each bin waiting for inbound carried by the target robot is a bin for loading goods that are easily broken, it can be determined that there is no target bin waiting for inbound that can be placed in this specified inventory location among the bins waiting for inbound carried by the target robot.

[0084] Also, for example, if the specified inventory location is an inventory location in the shape of a cube with each side length of 50 cm, and among the bins waiting for inbound carried by the target robot, there is one bin waiting for inbound with each side length of 40 cm, this bin waiting for inbound can be specified as the target bin waiting for inbound that can be placed in the above-specified inventory location.

[0085] Furthermore, if there is a target bin waiting for inbound that matches the above-specified inventory location among the bins waiting for inbound currently carried by the target robot, the target robot can be instructed to move the target bin waiting for inbound to this specified inventory location.

[0086] In this way, after the target robot places the loaded target bins waiting for inbound that match the specified inventory location at the specified inventory location, the target robot no longer needs to place the target bins waiting for inbound at the inventory location where the target bins waiting for inbound were originally bound. Therefore, the total travel distance and total time for the target robot to execute the return of the bins are saved.

[0087] Also, if there is no target bin waiting to be stocked among the bins currently loaded on the target robot that matches the specified stock location, the target robot can be instructed to continue returning each bin waiting to be stocked while ignoring the specified stock location.

[0088] Exemplarily, as shown in FIGS. 2(a) to 2(b), the robot can be instructed to load the bin A waiting to be stocked into the storage grid A of the robot. After that, the stock location A in the shelf area is assigned to this bin A, and by determining the binding relationship between the bin A and the stock location A, the robot can be instructed to return the bin A.

[0089] In the process of the robot moving to the stock location A, since there is an empty storage grid B on the robot and there is a bin B waiting to be shipped at the stock location B through which the robot passes, the robot can be instructed to load the bin B into the empty storage grid B. As a result, after moving the bin B to the storage grid B, the stock location B returns to an empty state. Since the bin A currently loaded on the robot matches the above stock location B, the robot can be instructed to move the bin A to the stock location B. Since the bin A has already been transported to the stock location B, there is no need to move the bin A to the stock location A, so the binding relationship between the bin A and the stock location A can be released, and the stock location A can be returned to an available stock location.

[0090] Preferably, in one specific implementation form, as shown in FIG. 3, in the above step S103, after releasing the binding relationship between the target bin waiting to be stocked and the stock location of the target bin waiting to be stocked, the stock location adjustment method provided by the embodiment of the present application further includes the following step S104.

[0091] Step S104: Release the binding relationship between the bin waiting to be shipped and the specified stock location, and establish the binding relationship between the target bin waiting to be stocked and the specified stock location.

[0092] In this specific embodiment, after the binding relationship between the target waiting to enter bin and the receiving location of the target waiting to enter bin is released, the binding relationship between the waiting to leave bin and the designated stock location can be released because the waiting to leave bin has been taken out from the designated stock location. Also, the binding relationship between the target waiting to enter bin and the designated stock location can be established because the target waiting to enter bin has already been transported to the designated stock location, that is, the designated stock location is the receiving location of the target waiting to enter bin. In this way, the designated stock location can always establish a binding relationship with the abandoned bin, and the target waiting to enter bin can establish a binding relationship with its receiving location.

[0093] In this manner, the designated stock locations are utilized to realize flexible adjustment of the storage locations of bottles waiting for target storage, thereby improving efficiency of bottle return.

[0094] Preferably, in one specific implementation, as shown in FIG. 4, the inventory location adjustment method provided by the embodiment of the present application further includes the following step S105. Step S105: After the target robot has returned all the bottles waiting to be received, the target robot is instructed to move to a delivery area where bottles waiting to be delivered are placed.

[0095] Since the target robot is loaded with each bin waiting to be removed in the process of returning the bins waiting to be received, after the target robot leaves all the bins waiting to be received, all the bins currently loaded by the target robot are bins waiting to be removed. Furthermore, in order to remove each bin waiting to be removed, the target robot can be instructed to move to a removal area where the bins waiting to be removed are placed.

[0096] Here, the outgoing area may be a receiving area different from the shelf area, or may not be an area different from the receiving area.

[0097] Exemplarily, as shown in FIG. 2(b), when bin A is returned, only bin B waiting for shipment is loaded on this robot. Thus, the robot can be instructed to move to the shipping area for placing bin B.

[0098] Preferably, in one specific implementation, in step S105, before instructing the target robot to move to the shipping area for placing the bins waiting for shipment, the inventory location adjustment method provided by the embodiments of the present application further includes the following steps 31 to 32. Step 31: Detect whether there is an empty storage grid in the target robot. If there is an empty storage grid, execute step 32. If there is no empty storage grid, execute step S107. Step 32: Instruct the target robot to load each bin waiting for shipment that has not been shipped until there is no empty storage grid in the target robot, and execute the step of instructing the target robot to move to the shipping area for placing the bins waiting for shipment.

[0099] In this specific implementation, even after the target robot has returned all the bins waiting for incoming shipment, there may still be empty storage grids in the target robot. Therefore, in order to improve the utilization rate of the target robot, the target robot can be fully loaded with bins waiting for shipment and move to the shipping area. After the target robot has returned all the bins waiting for incoming shipment, each storage grid of the target robot can be detected. Further, if it is detected that there are still empty storage grids in the target robot, the target robot can be instructed to continue using the empty storage grids, and the bins waiting for shipment can be continuously loaded into the shelf area until it is detected that there are no empty storage grids in the target robot. In this case, the target robot can be instructed to move to the shipping area for placing the bins waiting for shipment. Thereby, full-load incoming and full-load outgoing of the target robot can be realized, and the utilization rate of the target robot can be improved.

[0100] When there is an empty storage grid in the target robot, it is possible to detect whether there is a bin waiting for shipment in the shelf area. If there is a bin waiting for shipment in the shelf area, until it is detected that there is no empty storage grid in the target robot, the target robot is instructed to continue loading the bins waiting for shipment in the shelf area. Thereby, the target robot can be instructed to move to the shipping area for placing the bins waiting for shipment.

[0101] Preferably, when the execution entity of the inventory location adjustment method provided by the embodiment of the present application is the target robot itself, when it is detected that there is an empty storage grid, the target robot detects the bins waiting for shipment in the shelf area, and based on the specified number of empty storage grids and the distance between each bin waiting for shipment and the target robot, in the order from near to far, until it is detected that there is no empty storage grid for itself, the target robot preferentially loads the bins waiting for shipment that are close to it. In this way, the target robot can achieve full load as soon as possible.

[0102] Preferably, when the execution entity of the inventory location adjustment method provided by the embodiment of the present application is the target robot itself, when it is detected that there is an empty storage grid, the target robot detects the bins waiting for shipment in the shelf area, and based on the specified number of empty storage grids and the issue time of the shipping task of each bin waiting for shipment, in the order of first come first served of the task issue time, until it is detected that there is no empty storage grid, the target robot can preferentially load the bins waiting for shipment with an earlier shipping task issue time.

[0103] Preferably, when the execution entity of the inventory location adjustment method provided by the embodiment of the present application is the target robot itself, when it is detected that there is an empty storage grid, the target robot sends a shipping task acquisition request with the number of empty storage grids to the robot management server, and when receiving the shipping tasks sent from the robot management server, each shipping task can be executed in order.

[0104] Preferably, when the execution entity of the inventory location adjustment method provided by the embodiment of the present application is a robot management server, if it is detected that there are empty storage grids in the target robot, the management server can, based on the specified number of empty storage grids, select a specified number of bins waiting for outbound in the shelf area that are close to the target robot in terms of distance, and instruct the target robot to preferentially load each selected bin waiting for outbound.

[0105] Preferably, when the execution entity of the inventory location adjustment method provided by the embodiment of the present application is a robot management server, if it is detected that there are empty storage grids in the target robot, the robot management server can, based on the specified number of empty storage grids, select a specified number of outbound tasks with earlier issuance times according to the issuance time of the outbound tasks in the shelf area, and instruct the target robot to execute each outbound task in sequence.

[0106] Conversely, if it is detected that there are no empty storage grids in the target robot, it can be determined that the target robot is fully loaded. Thus, the target robot can be directly instructed to move to the outbound area for placing the bins waiting for outbound.

[0107] As can be seen from the above, by applying the technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present application, in the process of a robot having a plurality of storage grids returning a bin waiting to be stored, when instructing a target robot to load a bin waiting to be shipped into its own empty storage grid, the inventory location where the bin waiting to be shipped is placed in the shelf area becomes an available inventory location, and further, the available inventory location may be used to place the bin waiting to be stored that the robot is loading. In this case, the robot does not need to move to the location bound to the bin waiting to be stored, and can place the bin waiting to be stored that it is loading using the inventory location. In this way, by using the new available inventory location in the shelf area as the storage location for the bin waiting to be stored, the flexibility of inventory location allocation is realized, saving the total travel distance and total time for the robot to return the bin waiting to be stored, improving the efficiency of the robot to return the bin waiting to be stored, and improving the processing efficiency of the entire warehouse system. In addition, by instructing the robot to load the bin waiting to be shipped in the process of returning the bin, the processing efficiency of the entire warehouse system is further improved.

[0108] In some cases, there is an inventory location in the shelf area where the bin waiting to be shipped is stored, and the inventory location where the bin waiting to be shipped is stored is called an inventory location waiting to be emptied. In order to increase the utilization rate of the inventory location, these inventory locations waiting to be emptied where the bins waiting to be shipped are stored can be assigned to the corresponding bins waiting to be stored. In this way, when the target robot returns the bin waiting to be stored, for each bin waiting to be stored that is bound to the inventory location waiting to be emptied where each bin waiting to be shipped placed on the target robot is located, the target robot can first move the bin waiting to be shipped placed in the inventory location waiting to be emptied to its own empty storage grid, and then move the bin waiting to be stored to the inventory location waiting to be emptied.

[0109] Based on this, preferably, in one specific implementation form, in the above step S101, determining the binding relationship between the bin waiting to be stored and the storage location of the bin waiting to be stored includes the following step 41. Step 41: Determine an available inventory location that matches the bin waiting to be stored as the storage location of the bin waiting to be stored, and establish a binding relationship between the bin waiting to be stored and the available inventory location.

[0110] In this specific implementation form, for each bin waiting to be stored, among all the available inventory locations in the shelf area, an available inventory location that matches the bin waiting to be stored can be determined. Then, the available inventory location that matches the bin waiting to be stored can be determined as the storage location of the bin waiting to be stored, and a binding relationship between the bin waiting to be stored and the available inventory location can be established.

[0111] Here, in this specific implementation form, for the bin waiting to be stored that is bound to the available inventory location, the process of returning the bin waiting to be stored includes the process of moving the bin waiting to be stored to the available inventory location to which the bin waiting to be stored is bound. That is, when the target robot returns the bin waiting to be stored, first, it moves to the available inventory location to which the bin waiting to be stored is bound, and the inventory location can be transferred to the above available inventory location.

[0112] Preferably, in one specific implementation form, in the above step S101, determining the binding relationship between the bin waiting to be stored and the storage location of the bin waiting to be stored includes the following steps 42 to 43. Step 42: For each bin waiting to be stored, determine whether there is an available waiting inventory location that matches the bin waiting to be stored and where the bin waiting to be shipped is placed. If it exists, execute step 43; if it does not exist, execute step 41. Step 43: Determine the available waiting inventory location as the storage location of the bin waiting to be stored, and obtain the binding relationship between the bin waiting to be stored and the available waiting inventory location.

[0113] In this embodiment, for each bin waiting to be stored, first, it can be determined whether there is an available waiting inventory location in the shelf area that matches the bin waiting to be stored and where the bin waiting to be shipped is left unattended.

[0114] If there is an inventory location waiting for empty space where bins waiting for incoming are compatible with the bins in the shelf area and bins waiting for outgoing are left unattended, assign the inventory location waiting for empty space to the bin waiting for incoming, that is, determine this inventory location waiting for empty space as the incoming location of the bin waiting for incoming, thereby determining the binding relationship between the bin waiting for incoming and the inventory location waiting for empty space.

[0115] If there is no inventory location waiting for empty space where bins waiting for incoming are compatible with the bins in the shelf area and bins waiting for outgoing are left unattended, among each inventory location waiting for empty space in the shelf area, an inventory location waiting for empty space that is compatible with the bin waiting for incoming can be determined. Thereby, assign the determined inventory location waiting for empty space to the bin waiting for incoming, that is, determine the determined inventory location waiting for empty space as the incoming and outgoing location corresponding to the bin waiting for incoming, thereby determining the binding relationship between the bin waiting for incoming and its inventory location waiting for empty space.

[0116] In this specific implementation form, for the bin waiting for incoming that is bound to the inventory location waiting for empty space, the process of returning the bin waiting for incoming includes the process of moving the bin waiting for incoming to the inventory location waiting for empty space that is bound to the bin waiting for incoming. That is, when the target robot returns the bin waiting for incoming, if there is an empty storage grid in the target robot, first move to the inventory location waiting for empty space that is bound to the bin waiting for incoming, move the bin waiting for outgoing placed in the inventory location waiting for empty space to its own empty storage grid, and then the incoming bin can be transferred to the inventory location waiting for empty space.

[0117] In addition, in this implementation form, in the process of the target robot returning the bin waiting to be stored, if there is an empty storage grid in the target robot, the designated storage location of the bin waiting to be shipped that the target robot has loaded into the empty storage grid is different from the empty waiting storage location bound to the bin waiting to be stored that the target robot has loaded. That is, if the storage location bound to the bin waiting to be stored loaded on the target robot is the empty waiting storage location for placing the bin waiting to be shipped, when the target robot moves to the empty waiting storage location, if there is an empty storage grid in the target robot and the bin waiting to be shipped at the designated storage location is moved to its own empty storage grid, there is no need to move to the empty waiting storage location bound to this bin waiting to be stored, and this bin waiting to be stored can be moved to the designated storage location. Thereby, the return route of the bin is saved and the return efficiency of this bin waiting to be stored is improved.

[0118] Also, in order to reduce the frequency of each target robot traveling back and forth in different spaces and improve the efficiency of each target robot returning the bins waiting to be stored, usually, when each target robot leaves the storage area for placing each bin waiting to be stored, it is expected that the target robot is loaded with many bins waiting to be stored and can be further filled.

[0119] Based on this, set the preset bin return conditions, and when the target robot meets the above preset return conditions, it can be instructed to leave the storage area for placing each bin waiting to be stored and return each bin waiting to be stored to each storage location.

[0120] Here, the above preset bin return conditions are that the number of bins waiting to be stored loaded by the target robot reaches the preset bin loading amount, or that the target robot is loaded with bins waiting to be stored and there are no bins waiting to be stored for loading in the storage area for placing each bin waiting to be stored.

[0121] Moreover, since the specifications, types, performance parameters, etc. of robots are different, the number of storage grids of a robot may be different, and further, the preset bin loading capacity of a robot may also be different.

[0122] Preferably, for each robot, the preset bin loading capacity of this robot can be set according to actual needs. For example, when it is expected that each robot is fully loaded and leaves the storage area, this preset bin loading capacity is equal to the total amount of storage grids included in that robot.

[0123] Preferably, when the weight of each bin waiting to be stored is large, when the robot is fully loaded, the loaded weight may exceed the preset bin load weight of that robot, and there is a possibility that the robot may be damaged. Therefore, the above-mentioned preset bin loading capacity can be set based on the bin information of the bins waiting to be stored, and it may be a part of the total amount of storage grids included in the robot, such as half, two-thirds, etc. It may also be fixed data, such as 5, 10, etc. Both are reasonable and not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0124] In this way, when instructing the target robot to load the bins waiting to be stored in the storage area, it can be determined whether the target robot meets the above-mentioned preset bin return condition.

[0125] Based on this, preferably, in one specific implementation form, as shown in FIG. 5, the inventory location adjustment method provided by the embodiment of the present application further includes the following steps S106 to S107. Step S106: Detect whether the target robot meets the preset bin return condition. If it meets, execute step S107. Here, the preset bin return condition is that the number of bins waiting to be stored carried by the target robot reaches the preset bin loading capacity, or the target robot is carrying bins waiting to be stored and there are no bins waiting to be stored for loading in the storage area for placing each bin waiting to be stored. Step S107: Instruct the target robot to return the loaded bins waiting to be stored.

[0126] In this specific implementation form, when instructing the target robot to load the bins waiting to be stored in the storage area for placing each bin waiting to be stored, or before instructing the target robot to return each bin waiting to be stored that it itself is carrying, it is possible to detect whether the target robot satisfies the preset waiting bin return condition.

[0127] Here, the preset bin return condition includes that the number of bins waiting to be stored carried by the target robot reaches the preset bin loading capacity, or the target robot is carrying bins waiting to be stored and there are no bins waiting to be stored for loading in the storage area for placing each bin waiting to be stored.

[0128] When the preset bin return condition is that the number of bins waiting to be stored carried by the target robot reaches the preset bin loading capacity, when the target robot satisfies the preset bin return condition, the number of bins waiting to be stored carried by the target robot reaches the preset bin loading capacity. Therefore, it is possible to instruct the target robot to return the loaded bins waiting to be stored.

[0129] When the preset bin return condition is that the target robot is carrying bins waiting to be stored and there are no bins waiting to be stored for loading in the storage area for placing each bin waiting to be stored, if the target robot meets the preset bin return condition, the target robot is carrying bins waiting to be stored and there are no bins waiting to be stored for loading in the storage area, that is, bins waiting to be stored are loaded in some storage grids of the target robot and there are no other bins waiting to be stored temporarily in this storage area. Therefore, in order to improve the working efficiency of the target robot, the target robot can be instructed to return the loaded bins waiting to be stored.

[0130] When the preset bin return condition is that the number of bins waiting to be stored carried by the target robot has reached the preset bin loading capacity, if the target robot does not meet the preset bin return condition, since the number of bins waiting to be stored carried by the target robot has not reached the preset bin loading capacity, the target robot can be instructed to continue loading other bins waiting to be stored in the storage area, and the target robot can be instructed to return the loaded bins waiting to be stored until it is detected that the target robot meets the preset bin return condition.

[0131] When the preset bin return condition is that the target robot is carrying bins waiting to be stored and there are no bins waiting to be stored for loading in the storage area, if the target robot does not meet the preset bin return condition, the target robot is not carrying bins or the target robot is carrying bins and there are other bins waiting to be stored in the storage area. So, the target robot can be instructed to wait for loading other bins waiting to be stored in the storage area, or the target robot can be instructed to continue loading other bins waiting to be stored in the storage area and return the loaded bins waiting to be stored until it is detected that the target robot meets the preset bin return condition.

[0132] Based on the same inventive concept, corresponding to the inventory location adjustment method shown in FIG. 1 provided by the above-described embodiment of the present application, the embodiment of the present application further provides an inventory location adjustment device.

[0133] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the inventory location adjustment device provided by the embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 6, this device includes: A relationship determination module 610 used to instruct a target robot to load bins waiting for inbound, and to determine the binding relationship between the bins waiting for inbound and the inbound locations of the bins waiting for inbound. The target robot is a robot having a plurality of storage grids. A first instruction module 620 used to instruct the target robot to load bins waiting for outbound into the available storage grid when there is an available storage grid in the target robot during the process of the target robot returning the bins waiting for inbound. After the target robot moves the bins waiting for outbound from the designated inventory location to its own available storage grid, the target robot is instructed to move the currently loaded target bins waiting for inbound to the designated inventory location, and a second instruction module 630 used to release the binding relationship between the target bins waiting for inbound and the inbound locations of the target bins waiting for inbound.

[0134] As can be seen from the above, by applying the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application, when a robot having a plurality of storage grids instructs a target robot to load a bin waiting to be shipped into its empty storage grid during the process of returning a bin waiting to be stored, the inventory location where the bin waiting to be shipped is placed in the shelf area becomes an available inventory location, and the available inventory location can be used to place the bin waiting to be stored that the robot is loading. In this case, the robot does not need to move to the location bound to the bin waiting to be stored, and can use the inventory location to place the bin waiting to be stored that it is loading. In this way, by using the new available inventory location in the shelf area as the storage location for the bin waiting to be stored, the flexibility of inventory location allocation can be realized. Thereby, the total travel distance and total time for the robot to return the bin waiting to be stored are saved, the efficiency of the robot to return the bin waiting to be stored is improved, and the processing efficiency of the entire warehouse system is improved. In addition, by instructing the robot to load the bin waiting to be shipped during the process of returning the bin, the processing efficiency of the entire warehouse system is further improved.

[0135] Preferably, in one specific implementation form, the second instruction module 630 is specifically used to determine a target bin waiting to be stored that conforms to the designated inventory location among the bins waiting to be stored that the target robot is currently loading, and to instruct the target robot to move the target bin waiting to be stored to the designated inventory location.

[0136] Preferably, in one specific implementation form, the device A first detection module used to detect whether the target robot meets a preset bin return condition, where the preset bin return condition includes that the number of bins waiting for storage carried by the target robot reaches a preset bin loading capacity, or the target robot is carrying bins waiting for storage and there is no bin waiting for storage to be loaded in the storage area for placing each bin waiting for storage. When this condition is met, the first detection module that triggers the third instruction module Further comprising the third instruction module used to instruct the target robot to return the loaded bins waiting for storage

[0137] Preferably, in one specific implementation form, the relationship determination module 610 specifically Determines an empty storage location suitable for the bin waiting for storage as the storage location of the bin waiting for storage, and establishes a binding relationship between the bin waiting for storage and the empty storage location Or For each bin waiting for storage, it is used to determine whether there is an empty waiting storage location that is suitable for the bin waiting for storage and where bins waiting for shipment are placed. If it exists, the empty waiting storage location is determined as the storage location of the bin waiting for storage, and the binding relationship between the bin waiting for storage and the empty waiting storage location is obtained. If it does not exist, an empty storage location suitable for the bin waiting for storage is determined as the storage location of the bin waiting for storage, and the binding relationship between the bin waiting for storage and the empty storage location is obtained

[0138] Preferably, in one specific implementation form, the first instruction module 620 specifically When there is an empty storage grid in the target robot, it is used to instruct the target robot to load the bins waiting for shipment at the target storage location into the empty storage grid The target inventory location includes at least one of an inventory location on the movement path where the target robot returns the bins waiting to be stored and an inventory location where the distance from the inventory location of the bin waiting to be stored is less than a preset distance.

[0139] Preferably, in one specific implementation form, the device further includes a relationship establishment module used to release the binding relationship between the bin waiting to be shipped and the designated inventory location after releasing the binding relationship between the bin waiting to be stored and the inventory location of the bin waiting to be stored, and to establish the binding relationship between the bin waiting to be stored and the designated inventory location.

[0140] Preferably, in one specific implementation form, the device further includes a fourth instruction module used to instruct the target robot to move to the shipping area for placing the bins waiting to be shipped after the target robot returns all the bins waiting to be stored.

[0141] Preferably, in one specific implementation form, the device Before instructing the target robot to move to the shipping area for placing the bins waiting to be shipped, it is a second detection module used to detect whether there is an empty storage grid in the target robot. When there is an empty storage grid in the target robot, it triggers a fifth instruction module. When there is no empty storage grid in the target robot, it triggers the fourth instruction module, and the fifth instruction module used to instruct the target robot to load each bin waiting to be shipped that has not been shipped until there is no empty storage grid in the target robot, and to execute the step of instructing the target robot to move to the shipping area for placing the bins waiting to be shipped.

[0142] As shown in FIG. 7, the embodiment of the present application further provides an electronic device, and the electronic device A memory 701 used for storing a computer program, A processor 702 used to implement the steps of any of the inventory location adjustment methods provided by the embodiments of the present application when executing the program stored in the memory 701. It is provided with.

[0143] And the electronic device can be provided with a communication bus and / or a communication interface, and the processor 702, the communication interface, and the memory 701 communicate with each other via the communication bus.

[0144] The communication bus in the above electronic device may be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. This communication bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For the convenience of display, only one thick line is shown as the bus in the figure, but it does not mean that there is only one or one type of bus.

[0145] The communication interface is used for the above server to communicate with other devices.

[0146] The memory may include a Random Access Memory (RAM), may include a Non-Volatile Memory (NVM), and is, for example, at least one magnetic disk device. Preferably, the memory may be at least one storage device separated from the above processor.

[0147] The above-mentioned processor may be a general-purpose processor including a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Network Processor (NP), etc., or may be a Digital Signal Processing (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, or a discrete hardware component.

[0148] In another embodiment provided by the embodiments of the present application, a computer-readable storage medium is further provided, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of any of the above method embodiments are realized.

[0149] In another embodiment provided by the embodiments of the present application, a computer program product including instructions is further provided. When the computer program product runs on a computer, the computer is caused to execute the steps of any of the above method embodiments.

[0150] In the above embodiments, all or part of them can be realized by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When realized by software, all or part of it can be realized in the form of a computer program product. The above computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the above computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are generated. The above computer can be a general-purpose computer, a dedicated computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. The above computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or may be transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from a website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (such as coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (such as infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.). The above computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible by a computer, or a data storage device such as a server or data center integrating one or more available media. The above available medium may be a magnetic medium (such as a floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (such as a DVD), etc.

[0151] Note that in this specification, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and such an actual relationship or order may not necessarily exist between these entities or operations. Also, the terms "comprise", "include", or other variations thereof are intended to mean non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or device that includes a series of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not explicitly listed, or includes elements specific to such a process, method, article, or device. Unless specifically restricted, elements limited by "including one..." do not exclude the possibility that the process, method, article, or device including the above elements further has other identical elements.

[0152] Each embodiment in this specification is described as being related to each other. However, for the same or similar parts between each embodiment, they may be referred to each other, and the differences between each embodiment and other embodiments are mainly described. In particular, for the embodiments of the device, the electronic device, the computer-readable storage medium, and the computer program product, since they are substantially similar to the embodiments of the method, the description is simple, and the relevant parts may be referred to the embodiments of the method.

[0153] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present application and does not limit the protection scope of the present application. Any corrections, equivalent substitutions, changes, etc. made within the scope of the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. 1. A method for adjusting inventory locations, comprising: Instructing a target robot to load a waiting bin and determining a binding relationship between the waiting bin and a storage location of the waiting bin, the target robot being a robot having a plurality of storage lattices; In the process of the target robot returning the bins waiting to be stored, if there is an empty storage grid in the target robot, instructing the target robot to load the bins waiting to be removed into the empty storage grid; Instructing the target robot to move the currently loaded target waiting bin to the designated inventory location after the target robot has moved the waiting bin from the designated inventory location to its own vacant storage grid, and releasing the binding relationship between the target waiting bin and the storage location of the target waiting bin. A method for adjusting inventory locations.

2. Instructing the target robot to move the currently loaded target stocked bin to the designated inventory location includes: determining a target waiting bin that matches the designated stock location among waiting bins currently loaded by the target robot, and instructing the target robot to move the target waiting bin to the designated stock location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the inventory location is adjusted.

3. The inventory location adjustment method further comprises: detecting whether the target robot satisfies a preset bottle return condition; The preset bin return conditions include that the number of bins waiting to be stored loaded on the target robot reaches a preset bin loading capacity, or that the target robot is loaded with bins waiting to be stored and there are no bins waiting to be stored to be loaded within a storage area for placing each bin waiting to be stored; When the preset bottle return condition is satisfied, the target robot is instructed to return the loaded bottles waiting to be stored.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the inventory location is adjusted.

4. Determining a binding relationship between the waiting bin and a receiving location of the waiting bin includes: determining an empty inventory location that matches the waiting bin as an input location for the waiting bin, thereby establishing a binding relationship between the waiting bin and the empty inventory location; or determining whether or not there is a waiting stock location for each waiting bin to be stocked that matches the waiting bin to be stocked and where a waiting bin to be stocked is placed, and if there is, determining the waiting stock location as the stock location for the waiting bin to be stocked to obtain a binding relationship between the waiting bin to be stocked and the waiting stock location; and if there is no waiting bin, determining an empty stock location that matches the waiting bin to be stocked as the stock location for the waiting bin to be stocked to obtain a binding relationship between the waiting bin to be stocked and the empty stock location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the inventory location is adjusted.

5. instructing the target robot to load a bin waiting to be removed into the empty storage grid when the target robot has an empty storage grid, instructing the target robot to load a bin waiting to be removed from a target inventory location into the empty storage grid if the target robot has an empty storage grid; The target inventory location includes at least one of an inventory location on a moving path along which the target robot returns the bin waiting to be stored and an inventory location whose distance from the storage location of the bin waiting to be stored is less than a preset distance.

5. The method for adjusting inventory locations according to claim 4.

6. After releasing the binding relationship between the target waiting bin and the receiving location of the target waiting bin, the inventory location adjustment method further includes: releasing a binding relationship between the outgoing bin and the designated inventory location and establishing a binding relationship between the target incoming bin and the designated inventory location. The method for adjusting inventory location according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The inventory location adjustment method further comprises: and instructing the target robot to move to an outgoing area to place the outgoing bins after the target robot has returned all of the incoming bins. The method for adjusting inventory location according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

8. Prior to instructing the target robot to move to an outgoing area to place the bins waiting to be outgoing, the method for inventory location adjustment further comprises: Detecting whether the target robot has an empty storage grid; If the target robot has an empty storage grid, instruct the target robot to load each of the waiting bins that have not been released until the target robot has no empty storage grids, and instruct the target robot to move to an outgoing area to place the waiting bins; If the target robot does not have an empty storage grid, instructing the target robot to move to an outgoing area to place the bins waiting to be outgoing.

8. The method for adjusting inventory locations according to claim 7.

9. An inventory location adjustment device, a relationship determination module for instructing a target robot to load a waiting bin and determining a binding relationship between the waiting bin and a storage location of the waiting bin, the target robot being a robot having a plurality of storage lattices; a first instruction module, which is used to instruct the target robot to load the bins waiting to be removed into the vacant storage grid when the target robot has a vacant storage grid during the process of the target robot returning the bins waiting to be removed; a second instruction module for instructing the target robot to move a currently loaded target waiting bin to the designated inventory location after the target robot moves the waiting bin from the designated inventory location to its own vacant storage grid, and for releasing the binding relationship between the target waiting bin and the storage location of the target waiting bin. An inventory location adjustment device.

10. The second instruction module: Among the waiting bins currently loaded by the target robot, a target waiting bin that matches the designated inventory location is determined, and the target robot is instructed to move the target waiting bin to the designated inventory location.

10. The inventory location adjustment device according to claim 9.

11. The inventory location adjustment device further comprises: a first detection module used to detect whether the target robot satisfies a preset bin return condition, the preset bin return condition including that the number of bins waiting to be stored loaded on the target robot reaches a preset bin loading capacity, or that the target robot is loaded with bins waiting to be stored and there are no bins waiting to be stored to be loaded within a storage area for placing each bin waiting to be stored, the first detection module triggering a third instruction module when the preset bin return condition is satisfied; the third instruction module being used to instruct the target robot to return the loaded waiting bins.

10. The inventory location adjustment device according to claim 9.

12. The relationship determination module: determining an empty inventory location that matches the waiting bin as an input location for the waiting bin, thereby establishing a binding relationship between the waiting bin and the empty inventory location; or For each waiting bin, determine whether there is a waiting stock location that matches the waiting bin and where a waiting bin is placed, and if there is, determine the waiting stock location as the receiving location of the waiting bin to obtain a binding relationship between the waiting bin and the waiting stock location; if there is no waiting bin, determine an empty stock location that matches the waiting bin as the receiving location of the waiting bin to obtain a binding relationship between the waiting bin and the empty stock location.

10. The inventory location adjustment device according to claim 9.

13. The first instruction module: if the target robot has an empty storage grid, to instruct the target robot to load a bin waiting to be removed from the target inventory location into the empty storage grid; The target inventory location includes at least one of an inventory location on a moving path along which the target robot returns the bin waiting to be stored and an inventory location whose distance from the storage location of the bin waiting to be stored is less than a preset distance.

13. The inventory location adjustment device according to claim 12.

14. The inventory location adjustment device further comprises: and a relationship establishment module used for releasing the binding relationship between the target waiting bin and the designated inventory location after releasing the binding relationship between the target waiting bin and the receiving location of the target waiting bin, and for establishing a binding relationship between the target waiting bin and the designated inventory location. The inventory location adjustment device according to any one of claims 9 to 13.

15. The inventory location adjustment device further comprises: and a fourth instruction module for instructing the target robot to move to an outgoing area for placing the bins waiting to be taken out after the target robot has returned all the bins waiting to be taken in. The inventory location adjustment device according to any one of claims 9 to 13.

16. The inventory location adjustment device further comprises: a second detection module for detecting whether the target robot has an empty storage grid before instructing the target robot to move to an unloading area for placing the bins waiting to be unloaded, the second detection module triggering a fifth instruction module when the target robot has an empty storage grid, and triggering the fourth instruction module when the target robot does not have an empty storage grid; the fifth instruction module is used to execute the steps of instructing the target robot to load each pending bin on the target robot until there are no free storage grids, and instructing the target robot to move to a delivery area to place the pending bins.

16. The inventory location adjustment device according to claim 15.

17. An electronic device, comprising: a memory used to store computer programs; A processor that is used to implement the inventory location adjustment method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 when a program stored in the memory is executed. An electronic device comprising:

18. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored therein, the computer program being characterized in that, when executed by a processor, the computer program realizes the inventory location adjustment method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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