Transport robot control system and transport robot control method

Abstract

To reduce work waiting of sorting work.SOLUTION: A plurality of storage areas in a base includes a first storage area in which an article before sorting is arranged, and a second storage area in which the article after sorting is arranged according to delivery directions. A transport robot control system: identifies an article amount at a current or future time, about each of two or more storage areas which are at least the first storage area and the second storage area; generates a task transport task of the transport of the article between the storage areas, based on the article amount identified about each of the two or more storage areas; allocates the generated transport task to a transport robot; and transmits transport instructions (which are control information with which the generated transport task is associated and the control information to the transport robot to which the transport task is allocated).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention generally relates to a technology for supporting a logistics operation in which received goods are sorted by destination and shipped. [Background technology]

[0002] In a large-scale logistics network, goods are collected, sorted, and transported at multiple locations, and then transported to their final destination.

[0003] Generally, at a base, a sorting device is used to sort items according to delivery direction, the items are loaded into a basket cart (a car with a basket), and the basket cart is transported to a destination within the base by a transport robot. For example, the technology described in Patent Document 1 is known as a control method for a transport robot for improving the throughput of a base. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-180082 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] At a base where sorting work is performed (for example, a logistics warehouse), a plurality of transport robots transport basket cars according to transport tasks (for example, which items to transport from where to where) assigned to each transport robot.

[0006] In a sorting work area, if there are no cage cars loaded with items to be sorted or no empty cage cars to load the sorted items, waiting for arrival of cage cars loaded with items to be sorted or no empty cage cars to load the sorted items occurs as a waiting period for sorting work. In addition, in a sorting work area, if the cage cars loaded with items to be sorted, cage cars loaded with sorted items, or no empty cage cars to load the sorted items exceed the capacity of the storage area in which each cage car is stored, the next cage car cannot be stored (carried in) in the storage area until a cage car is transported (carried out) from the storage area and the storage area becomes available. Therefore, waiting for a space in the storage area (waiting for a cage car to be transported) occurs as a waiting period for sorting work.

[0007] Such problems may also occur when items are loaded onto transport objects other than baskets, or when items are transported by a transport robot without a cart.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to reduce waiting time during sorting work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A representative example of the invention disclosed in the present application is as follows. That is, a transport robot control system generates a transport task, which is a task for transporting an item between storage areas at a base, based on at least item information of sorting information and item information. The system assigns the generated transport task to a transport robot traveling between storage areas, and transmits a transport instruction (control information associated with the generated transport task and control information for the transport robot to which the transport task is assigned). The sorting information is information on the sorting work of a sorting device that sorts multiple items with different delivery directions for each delivery direction. The item information is information on multiple items including items before or after sorting that are placed in the multiple storage areas, and items being sorted in the sorting device. The multiple storage areas include one or more first storage areas where the items before sorting are placed, and one or more second storage areas where the items after sorting are placed according to the delivery direction. The system identifies, based on at least item information, the amount of items at a current or future time for each of two or more storage areas, which are at least a first storage area and a second storage area among the multiple storage areas, and generates one or more transport tasks based on the amount of items identified for each of the two or more storage areas. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce waiting time for sorting work. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a basket cart transport system according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a computer that configures the transport robot control system according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration for sorting and cart transport at a base in an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a transport robot control system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of assortment plan information in an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of work progress information according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of basket information in an embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of transport robot information according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of storage area status information according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of transport task information according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of transport robot allocation information according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of an output screen according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] In the following description, an "interface unit" may be one or more interface devices. The one or more interface devices may be at least one of the following: One or more I / O (Input / Output) interface devices. The I / O (Input / Output) interface devices are interface devices to at least one of the I / O devices and a remote display computer. The I / O interface device to the display computer may be a communications interface device. The at least one I / O device may be a user interface device, e.g., either an input device such as a keyboard and pointing device, or an output device such as a display device. One or more communication interface devices. The one or more communication interface devices may be one or more homogeneous communication interface devices (e.g., one or more NICs (Network Interface Cards)) or two or more heterogeneous communication interface devices (e.g., a NIC and an HBA (Host Bus Adapter)).

[0013] In the following description, a "memory" refers to one or more memory devices, which are an example of one or more storage devices, and may typically be a primary storage device. At least one memory device in the memory may be a volatile memory device or a non-volatile memory device.

[0014] In the following description, a "persistent storage device" may be one or more persistent storage devices, which are an example of one or more persistent storage devices. A persistent storage device may typically be a non-volatile storage device (e.g., an auxiliary storage device), and more specifically, may be, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a non-volatile memory express (NVME) drive, or a storage class memory (SCM).

[0015] Also, in the following description, "storage device" may be at least memory, including memory and persistent storage device.

[0016] Furthermore, in the following description, a "processor" may be one or more processor devices. The at least one processor device may typically be a microprocessor device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), but may also be other types of processor devices such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The at least one processor device may be a single-core or multi-core. The at least one processor device may be a processor core. The at least one processor device may also be a processor device in a broader sense, such as a circuit that is a collection of gate arrays written in a hardware description language that performs part or all of the processing (e.g., a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD), or an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC)).

[0017] In the following description, information that provides an output for an input may be described using expressions such as "xxx table," but the information may be data of any structure (for example, structured data or unstructured data), or may be a neural network that generates an output for an input, or a learning model such as a genetic algorithm or random forest. Therefore, the "xxx table" may be referred to as "xxx information." In the following description, the configuration of each table is an example, and one table may be divided into two or more tables, or all or part of two or more tables may be one table.

[0018] Furthermore, any information (for example, at least one of an "ID", a "name", and a "number") may be adopted as information for identifying an element (identification information, identifier).

[0019] In the following description, the unit of "date and time" may be a unit that is coarser or finer than the year, month, day, hour, and minute.

[0020] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to the description of the embodiment shown below. It will be easily understood by those skilled in the art that the specific configuration can be changed without departing from the concept or purpose of the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a basket car transport system according to an embodiment.

[0022] The basket cart transport system is composed of a transport robot control system 100 and a base 101. The base 101 has a plurality of transport robots 110. At the base 101, goods 320 (see FIG. 3) are received, sorted, and shipped.

[0023] In this embodiment, the transport robot control system 100 is a physical computer system (one or more computers), but may alternatively be a logical computer system based on a physical computer system (for example, a system as a cloud computer service based on a cloud infrastructure).

[0024] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the transfer robot control system 100. As shown in FIG.

[0025] The transport robot control system 100 controls the transport tasks of each transport robot 110 in order to improve the work efficiency of the base 101. The transport robot control system 100 includes a NW IF 206 (communication interface device), an output device 205 (e.g., a display device), an input device 204 (e.g., a keyboard or a mouse), a secondary storage device 203 (e.g., a persistent storage device), a primary storage device 202 (e.g., a memory), and a processor 201 connected to these devices. The secondary storage device 203 stores information and programs. The programs are read into the primary storage device 202 and executed by the processor 201.

[0026] The base 101 is composed of a plurality of storage areas, one or a plurality of sorting devices 330 (see FIG. 3), and a plurality of transport robots 110. When the processor 201 executes the program, the transport robot control system 100 realizes functions such as a memory unit 401, a calculation unit 402, an output unit 404, and an input unit 403 (see FIG. 4). The memory unit 401 stores information on the plurality of storage areas, the sorting devices 330, and the transport robot 110. The calculation unit 402 has a storage area status calculation unit 421, a transport task generation unit 422, and a transport robot allocation unit 423. The calculation unit 402 generates transport instructions to the transport robot 110 so as to reduce waiting time in the sorting work.

[0027] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the base 101. As shown in FIG.

[0028] The base 101 has one or more first storage areas 301 in which basket carts 310 carrying articles 320 before sorting are placed, one or more second storage areas 302 in which basket carts 310 carrying articles 320 sorted according to delivery directions are placed, and a third storage area 303 in which empty basket carts 310 not carrying articles 320 are placed. A transport robot 110 transports basket carts 310 between the multiple storage areas. The transport robot 110 receives a transport instruction (a transport instruction associated with a transport task) from the transport robot control system 100, and transports the basket cart 310 in response to the transport instruction. The information on the transport task includes information indicating the basket cart 310 to be transported, the source storage area, and the destination storage area. In response to the transport instruction, the transport robot 110 transports the basket cart 310 based on the transport task associated with the transport instruction. The task of connecting or disconnecting the cart 310 to be transported to the transport robot 110 may be performed manually or automatically.

[0029] The basket car 310 at the base 101 may be any one of an incoming basket car, an input basket car, a re-sorting basket car, a loading basket car, a shipping basket car, and an empty basket car. An incoming basket car is a basket car 310 that is loaded with goods 320 that have arrived at the base 101. An input basket car is a basket car 310 that is loaded with goods 320 to be sorted. A re-sorting basket car is a basket car 310 that is loaded with goods 320 to be re-sorted. A loading basket car is a basket car 310 that is loaded with goods 320 that have been sorted according to delivery destinations. A shipping basket car is a basket car 310 that is loaded with goods 320 to be shipped to a delivery destination. An empty basket car is a basket car 310 that is not loaded with goods 320. A basket car 310 can be loaded with multiple goods 320. The maximum number of items 320 that can be loaded onto the basket cart 310 may vary depending on, for example, the size of the items 320, and therefore, for example, the maximum number may be 1. The transported object of the item 320 may be an object other than the basket cart 310, for example, a dolly or a container. The object may be connected to the transport robot 110 and transported. Also, the item may be transported by the transport robot 110 without the object. The transport robot 110 is a self-propelled robot, and may be, for example, an AGV (Automatic Guided Vehicle).

[0030] Here, in the sorting operation, a re-sorting cart does not necessarily exist. The items 320 to be re-sorted are those that have been input into the sorting device 330 at least once, but have not been sorted into any delivery direction and therefore require a re-sorting operation. When it is necessary to sort the items 320 into a number of directions that exceeds the sorting capacity of the sorting device 330 (e.g., the number of chutes 332), some of the items 320 need to be input into the sorting device 330 multiple times and sorted. In such a case, the items 320 input into the sorting device 330 are loaded onto a re-sorting cart or a shipping cart. In contrast, when the number of sorting directions does not exceed the sorting capacity, the items 320 input into the sorting device 330 are loaded only onto shipping carts, and there are no re-sorting carts.

[0031] The one or more sorting devices 330 are devices that sort the items 320, and have at least one input section 331, multiple chutes 332, and a conveying device. The sorting device 330 also has an identification device that identifies the direction of the item 320 for each item 320 to be sorted (identifies the chute 322 to which the item 320 is to be sorted). The items 320 are input from the input section 331 of the sorting device 330. The chute 332 is a device that outputs the items 320 according to the delivery direction. The conveying device is a device that conveys the items 320 to the chute 332, and is, for example, a belt conveyor.

[0032] At the base 101, the items 320 are sorted according to the following procedure. (Step 1) An incoming basket cart loaded with goods 320 destined for different delivery destinations arrives at the base 101 and is stored in a first storage area 301 near the incoming transport vehicle. (Step 2) The receiving cart is transported by the transport robot 110 to the first storage area 301 near the input section 331. (Step 3) The incoming carts stored in the first storage area 301 near the input section 331 are selected in a predetermined order, and the items 320 loaded on the selected incoming carts are input from the input section 331 into the sorting device 330 in a predetermined order, sorted by delivery direction, and transported to the chute 332. (Step 4) Each item 320 transported to the same chute 332 is loaded onto an empty cage cart 310. At this time, if there are multiple delivery destinations for the items 320 transported to the same chute 332, the cage cart 310 loaded with the items 320 is a re-sorting cage cart, and if there is only one delivery destination for the items 320 transported to the same chute 332, the cage cart 310 loaded with the items 320 is a shipping cage cart. (Step 5) The carts 310 loaded with the items 320 are transported by the transport robot 110. The shipping carts are transported to a second storage area 302 near the shipping transport vehicle. The re-sorting carts are transported by the transport robot 110 to a predetermined second storage area 302 based on the delivery direction of the items 320 loaded in the carts 310. (Step 6) If a re-sorting cart is present, based on the sorting plan information 411, a specified re-sorting cart stored in the second storage area 302 is transported by the transport robot 110 to the first storage area 301 near the input section 331.

[0033] In the above sorting work, the transport robot 110 transports the cart 310 to the required location at the required timing in accordance with the transport task.

[0034] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the transfer robot control system 100.

[0035] The transport robot control system 100 (for example, a server) has a storage unit 401, an input unit 403, a calculation unit 402, and an output unit 404. The storage unit 401 stores sorting plan information 411, work progress information 412, cart information 413, and transport robot information 414. The input unit 403 accepts at least a part of the information 411 to 414 from an information source such as at least one of an external storage device of the transport robot control system 100, a user terminal (for example, a client), and a base 101 (for example, a computer at the base 101), and provides the accepted information to the storage unit 401. The calculation unit 402 has a storage area status calculation unit 421, a transport task generation unit 422, a transport robot allocation unit 423, and an information generation unit 424. The output unit 404 outputs (typically displays) the calculation result by the calculation unit 402.

[0036] The storage area status calculation unit 421 calculates the current or future number of basket cars in one or more storage areas. Examples of the current or future number of basket cars will be described later.

[0037] The transport task generation unit 422 generates transport tasks to prevent a shortage or excess of the number of basket cars 310 in each storage area, based on the number of basket cars in one or more storage areas calculated by the storage area status calculation unit 421. The transport task generation method may be, for example, the following method. (Transportation task generation method 1) When the number of basket cars in storage area A (transport destination) is equal to or less than a first threshold (depleted) at future time T, the transport task generation unit 422 generates a transport task to transport a constant number X1 of basket cars 310 from storage area B (transport source) to storage area A by time T. When the number of basket cars in storage area C (transport source) is equal to or more than a second threshold (second threshold > first threshold) at future time T, the transport task generation unit 422 generates a transport task to transport a constant number Y1 of basket cars 310 from storage area C to storage area D (transport destination) by time T + t1. Here, t1 is a fixed time set as a grace period until the number of basket cars 310 is exceeded. (Transportation task generation method 2) If the number of basket cars in storage area A (transport destination) will be equal to or less than a first threshold value at future time T (if they are depleted), the transport task generation unit 422 generates a transport task to transport a constant X2 number of basket cars 310 from storage area B (transport source) to storage area A by time T-t2. If the amount of basket cars in storage area C (transport source) will be equal to or more than a second threshold value at time T (if they exceed it), the transport task generation unit 422 generates a transport task to transport a constant Y2 number of basket cars 310 from storage area C to storage area D (transport destination) by time T. Here, t2 is a fixed time set as the basket car transport time from the transport source storage area to the transport destination storage area.

[0038] The number of transport tasks generated may be one, but does not necessarily have to be multiple. The calculation of the number of carts in each storage area and / or the generation of the transport tasks may be performed at regular intervals or each time the transport robot 110 completes a transport, and does not have to be uniquely determined.

[0039] The transport robot allocation unit 423 determines a transport robot allocation plan for each of the multiple transport tasks based on the current location and transport status of the transport robot 110. The transport tasks do not necessarily need to be assigned to all the transport robots 110, and multiple transport tasks may be assigned to the same transport robot 110.

[0040] The information generating unit 424 generates control information for controlling the transport robot 110 to be controlled, based on the transport robot allocation information of the transport task.

[0041] The output unit 404 outputs (for example, displays) to the output device 205 information indicating the number of baskets in each storage area, the transport status of each transport robot 110, and future transport tasks.

[0042] The sorting plan information 411 is information that represents a plan for how to sort the articles 320. For example, the information includes information on which chute 332 of each sorting device 330 will be used to transport luggage from which direction from time T1 to time T2.

[0043] The work progress information 412 is information that manages the progress of the sorting work throughout the base 101. For example, the work progress information 412 includes information that indicates the amount (e.g., number or weight) of the articles 320 input into each sorting device 330, the amount of the articles 320 transported to each chute 332, and the amount of the articles 320 loaded onto the cart 310.

[0044] The basket car information 413 is information for managing each basket car 310. For example, the basket car information 413 includes position information of each basket car 310 and destination information of the goods 320 loaded thereon.

[0045] The transport robot information 414 is information for managing the transport robot 110. For example, the transport robot information 414 includes position information of each transport robot 110, information on the basket cart being transported, and information on the current or future transport task.

[0046] 4, for each storage area, basket cart information as part of basket cart information 413 and work progress information as part of work progress information 412 are input from the base 101 to the transport robot control system 100. For each sorting device 330, sorting plan information as part of sorting plan information 411 is input from the base 101 to the transport robot control system 100. For each transport robot 110, transport robot information as part of transport robot information 414 is input from the base 101 to the transport robot control system 100. The transport robot control system 100 transmits a transport instruction associated with a transport task to the transport robot 110.

[0047] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the assortment plan information 411.

[0048] The sorting plan information 411 has one or more entries. The entry includes information such as a sorting number 501, a sorting start date and time 502, a sorting end date and time 503, and a conveying direction 504 of each chute. There is one entry for one sorting that is performed continuously. Note that the information included in an entry is not limited to the information described above. An entry may not include any of the information 501 to 504, or may include other information.

[0049] Sorting No. 501 is information for identifying one sorting run that is performed continuously. Here, one sorting run that is performed continuously refers to sorting that is performed without changing the sorting method for each delivery direction of each item 320, that is, without changing which delivery direction the item 320 is transported to each chute 332.

[0050] The sorting start date and time 502 is information that indicates the start date and time of one sorting session that is carried out continuously. The sorting end date and time 503 is information that indicates the end date and time of one sorting session that is carried out continuously.

[0051] Conveying direction 504 of chute 1, conveying direction 504 of chute 2, ..., conveying direction 504 of chute n are delivery direction information of the article 320 conveyed to each chute 332. Here, each of the n chutes 332 is represented as chute 1, chute 2, ..., chute n. Note that if there is a chute 332 to which the article 320 is not conveyed, the conveying direction 504 of that chute may be blank (or an invalid value).

[0052] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the work progress information 412.

[0053] The work progress information 412 has an entry including the number of items 601 transported on each chute. There is one entry for each chute 332 at the base 101. Note that the information included in the entry is not limited to the information described above. The entry does not have to include the information 601, and may include other information.

[0054] The number of items 601 transported to each chute is information that indicates the total number of items 320 that have been transported or are scheduled to be transported to that chute 332 among the items 320 in the sorter that has that chute 332 .

[0055] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the cart information 413 according to the embodiment.

[0056] The basket cart information 413 has one or more entries. The entry includes information such as a basket cart ID 701, basket cart type 702, work status 703, storage area ID 704, arrival date and time 705, and shipping date and time 706. There is one entry for each basket cart 310 that arrived at the base 101. Note that the information included in an entry is not limited to the information described above. An entry does not have to include any of the information 701 to 706, and may also include other information.

[0057] The basket ID 701 is identification information for the basket 310. The basket type 702 is information for identifying the type of the basket 310. The work status 703 is information that indicates the work status of the basket 310.

[0058] The storage area ID 704 is identification information for the storage area in which the cart 310 is stored. If the cart 310 is being transported at a given point in time, the storage area may be blank (or an invalid value).

[0059] The arrival date and time 705 is information indicating the date and time when the basket cart 310 arrives at the base 101. If the arrival has been completed, the arrival completion date and time is recorded, and if the arrival has not been completed, the scheduled arrival date and time is recorded. Furthermore, for a basket cart 310 loaded with items that arrived at different times, the arrival date and time 705 may be recorded as the date and time corresponding to one of the arrival times (for example, the earliest or latest timing).

[0060] The shipping date and time 706 is information that indicates the date and time when the basket 310 is shipped from the base 101. If the shipping has been completed, the shipping completion date and time is recorded, and if the shipping has not been completed, the scheduled shipping date and time is recorded.

[0061] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the transport robot information 414. As shown in FIG.

[0062] The transport robot information 414 has one or more entries. The entry includes information such as a transport robot ID 801, a current location 802, a work status 803, a transport task 804, a transporting cart 805, and a reserved transport task 806. There is one entry for one transport robot 110 that performs transport at the base 101. Note that the information included in the entry is not limited to the information described above. The entry may not include any of the information 801 to 806, or may include other information.

[0063] The transfer robot ID 801 is identification information of the transfer robot 110. The current location 802 is position information of the transfer robot 110. The work status 803 is information indicating the state of the transfer robot 110.

[0064] The transport task 804 is information indicating a transport task being performed by the transport robot 110 at a certain point in time. The transporting cart 805 is identification information of the cart currently being transported. Note that if the transport robot 110 is not transporting a cart, the transport task 804 and the transporting cart 805 may be blank (or an invalid value).

[0065] The reserved transport task 806 is information indicating a transport task that is scheduled to be performed after the transport robot 110 completes the currently performed transport task. If the next transport task of the transport robot 110 has not been determined, the reserved transport task 806 may be blank (or an invalid value).

[0066] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the storage area status information.

[0067] The storage area status information is information that indicates the storage area status calculated by the storage area status calculation unit 421. The storage area status information has one or more entries. The entry includes information such as a storage area ID 901, a current number of basket carts 902, and a number of basket carts at time T 903. There is one entry for one storage area within the base 101. The entry does not need to include any of the information 901 to 903, and may also include other information.

[0068] Storage area ID 901 is identification information for the storage area. Current cart number 902 indicates the number of carts currently stored in the storage area. Number of carts at time T 903 indicates the number of carts in the storage area at a future time T (a certain point in time).

[0069] For each storage area, the number of cage cars represented by the current number of cage cars 902 may be the number of cage cars identified by the storage area status calculation unit 421 from video of the storage area (video taken by a camera), or the number of cage cars calculated by the storage area status calculation unit 421 from arrival information of cage cars 310 and the transport record of the transport robot 110 (the record for each transport robot 110 of how many cage cars were transported to which storage area), or the number of cage cars manually input by a worker (person) who has looked at the number of cage cars in the storage area.

[0070] For each storage area, the number of basket cars represented by the number of basket cars at future time T 903 may be calculated by the storage area status calculation unit 421 by combining a predicted increase or decrease in the number of basket cars in the storage area at time T (i.e., the number of basket cars that will increase or decrease by time T) and the current number of basket cars. For example, the storage area status calculation unit 421 may predict an increase or decrease in the number of basket cars in each storage area due to a sorting operation based on the productivity of each sorting operation (putting in or stowage) calculated from the number of workers or robots in each sorting operation (putting in or stowage) and information on the number of items in a sorter calculated from the work progress information 412. Also, for example, the storage area status calculation unit 421 may calculate the time at which each basket car 310 will be transported to each destination from information on basket cars currently being transported based on the transport robot information 414, and predict an increase or decrease in the number of basket cars in each storage area due to the transport of the basket cars. Also, for example, the storage area status calculation unit 421 may predict the number of carts at a future time T using a simulator that models the future sorting work of each sorting device 330.

[0071] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the transport task information.

[0072] The transport task information is information representing a transport task generated by the transport task generating unit 422. The transport task information has one or more entries. The entry includes information such as a transport task ID 1001, a transport cart ID 1005, a transport origin 1002, a transport destination 1003, and a transport start date and time 1004. One entry exists for one transport task indicating one transport. The entry does not need to include any of the information 1001 to 1005, and may include other information.

[0073] The transport task ID 1001 is identification information of the transport task. The transport cart ID 1005 is identification information of the cart to be transported in the transport task. Note that each transport task may transport one or more carts 310.

[0074] The transfer origin 1002 is identification information of a location (storage area) where the transfer of the cart 310 starts in the transfer task. The transfer destination 1003 is identification information of a location (storage area) where the transfer of the cart 310 ends in the transfer task.

[0075] The transfer start date and time 1004 is information indicating the date and time by which the transfer task is to be started. Note that since each transfer task only needs to start transfer by the transfer start date and time, the transfer may be performed before the transfer start date and time.

[0076] Here, for each transport task, the transport start date and time 1004 is set to suppress cart depletion in the transport destination storage area (storage area represented by the transport destination 1003) of the transport task, or cart excess in the transport source storage area (storage area represented by the transport source 1002) of the transport task. For example, in order to suppress cart depletion in the transport destination storage area, the cart 310 needs to arrive from the transport source storage area before the cart 310 in the transport destination storage area is depleted. Also, for example, in order to suppress cart excess in the transport source storage area, it is necessary to start transporting the cart 310 to the transport destination storage area before the cart 310 in the transport source storage area exceeds the cart 310. To achieve these, the transport start date and time 1004 is useful as a date and time indicating at least when the transport task 1001 needs to be started. The transport required time required for transporting the cart from the transport source storage area to the transport destination storage area is required to calculate the transport start date and time 1004. The required transport time may be a time calculated from past transport records, transport distance, etc., or may be a fixed value. In addition, since multiple transport robots 110 are working within the base 101, the transport start date and time 1004 may be determined by estimating transport delays in addition to the transport time, taking into account transport delays due to interference between the transport robots 110 and congestion. In addition, the shipping date and time 706 of the cart may be referenced in calculating the transport start date and time 1004.

[0077] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of the transport robot allocation information.

[0078] The transport robot allocation information is information generated by the transport robot allocation unit 423, and is information that indicates the transport robot allocation of the transport task. The transport robot allocation information has one or more entries. The entry includes information such as a transport task ID 1101 and a transport robot ID 1102. The transport task ID 1101 is identification information of the transport task, and the transport robot ID 1102 is identification information of the transport robot 110 to which the transport task is assigned.

[0079] For each transport task, the transport robot 110 to which the transport task is assigned is determined so that the transport task can be performed without delay based on the transport robot information 414. For example, the transport robot allocation unit 423 assigns the transport task 1001 to the transport robot 110 that is closest to the source storage area of ​​the transport task at the time indicated by the transport start date and time 1004 of the transport task. Also, for example, the transport robot allocation unit 423 assigns the transport task to the transport robot 110 with the smallest transport load (for example, the cumulative value of the number of transports or the transport distance) among the transport robots 110 that are within a certain distance from the source storage area of ​​the transport task at the time of the transport start date and time 1004 of the transport task.

[0080] In order to carry out each transport task without delay, it is necessary to calculate the transport time required to transport the cart from the source storage area to the destination storage area for each transport task, and assign all transport tasks generated by the transport task generation unit 422 to transport robots 110. However, the transport robot assignment unit 423 may dynamically change the transport robot 110 to which each transport task is assigned depending on changes in the progress of work, etc.

[0081] The information generating unit 424 generates control information (typically, a transport instruction) for each transport robot 110 based on the transport robot allocation information, and transmits the control information to the transport robot 110. Note that it is not necessarily necessary to transmit the control information to all the transport robots 110, and a method of transmitting the control information only to the transport robot 110 to which the transport task is assigned may be adopted.

[0082] Furthermore, the information generating unit 424 may generate output screen information based on information indicating the progress of control, control information, and the like, and the output unit 404 may output (display) an output screen represented by the output information.

[0083] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the output screen.

[0084] The output screen is displayed on, for example, a user terminal. On the output screen, the number of carts in each storage area, the position information of the transport robot, and the generated transport task are output based on the storage area status information, the transport robot information 414, and the transport robot allocation information. In addition, the work progress of the entire sorting work, etc. may be output.

[0085] According to the transport robot control system 100 of this embodiment, the amount of carts in each storage area is predicted according to the progress of the sorting work, and a transport task is generated so that the carts 310 are transported before the carts 310 in the storage area run out or are exceeded. This makes it possible to reduce waiting times during the sorting work.

[0086] Furthermore, in generating transport tasks according to the progress of sorting work, for example, if the discrepancy between the predicted number of carts at future time T in a storage area and the actual number of carts at time T is greater than a certain value, the transport task generating unit 422 may cancel unexecuted transport tasks among the generated transport tasks and generate new transport tasks. This enables appropriate cart transport according to changes in the work progress, and further reduces waiting time for work in the sorting work.

[0087] In addition, since transport tasks are assigned taking into consideration the work status of the transport robots 110, for example, if transport is delayed due to interference between transport robots 110, the allocation of transport robots 110 to each transport task can be changed in response to changes in the work status, minimizing the transport delay and achieving efficiency in the overall sorting work through efficient cart transport.

[0088] In addition, since the transport tasks are assigned based on the transport robot information, for example, by taking into consideration the workload of each transport robot 110 and assigning the transport tasks so that the workload is approximately the same, deterioration of the transport robot 110 can be suppressed.

[0089] In addition, because transport tasks are generated and assigned to the transport robot 110 based on the future volume of carts in each storage area, it is possible to determine which transport tasks are truly necessary, and by reducing unnecessary transports by the transport robot 110, deterioration of the transport robot 110 is further reduced.

[0090] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The present invention can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. This embodiment is included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and is included in the invention and its equivalents described in the claims.

[0091] For example, the above description can be summarized as follows: Note that the following summary may include supplementary explanations and explanations of modifications of the above description.

[0092] The transfer robot control system 100 includes a transfer task generation unit 422 , a transfer robot allocation unit 423 , and an information generation unit 424 .

[0093] The transport task generation unit 422 generates a transport task, which is a task for transporting items between storage areas in the base 101, based on at least the item information of the sorting information and the item information.

[0094] The sorting information is information about the sorting work of the sorting device 330 that sorts multiple items with different delivery directions for each delivery direction, and includes, for example, sorting plan information 411 and work progress information 412. The item information is information about multiple items including items before or after sorting arranged in multiple storage areas and items being sorted by the sorting device 330, and includes, for example, cart information 413. The item information may include, for each cart (an example of a transported item) or for each item, information indicating the location and status at the base 101, and information indicating the completion or scheduled date and time of arrival and the completion or scheduled date and time of shipment based on the delivery plan information or other information. The "delivery plan information" is information that indicates a delivery plan, and the delivery plan may be a plan of when items from which direction will arrive at which base and when items will be shipped from that base to which direction.

[0095] The transport robot allocation unit 423 allocates the generated transport task to the transport robot 110 (e.g., AGV). The allocation may be performed based on the transport robot information 414 (including, for example, the current location 802 and the work status 803) which is information on each transport robot 110.

[0096] The information generating unit 424 transmits a transport instruction (control information associated with the generated transport task, which is to be sent to the transport robot 110 to which the transport task is assigned). The transport instruction may be sent to the transport robot 110, or may be sent to a communication device that communicates with the transport robot 110. That is, the transport robot control system 100 may communicate with each transport robot 110 directly or indirectly (via a communication device that communicates with the transport robot 110).

[0097] The multiple storage areas include one or more first storage areas where unsorted items are placed and one or more second storage areas where sorted items are placed according to a delivery direction. The first storage area may be, for example, an incoming basket car storage area or an input basket car storage area. The second storage area may be, for example, a loading basket car storage area, a resorting basket car storage area, or a shipping basket car storage area.

[0098] The transport task generation unit 422 identifies the amount of goods at the present or future time for each of at least two or more storage areas, which are at least the first storage area and the second storage area, among the multiple storage areas, based on at least the goods information. The "amount of goods" may be the weight or number of goods, or the weight or number of goods to be transported (e.g., carts). The transport task generation unit 422 generates one or more transport tasks based on the amount of goods identified for each of the two or more storage areas.

[0099] In this way, since a transport task is generated based on the current or future amount of goods identified for at least each of the first storage area and the second storage area, it is expected that goods will be transported with less waiting time for sorting work within the base 101. As a result, highly efficient goods distribution including sorting work is possible at one base 101, which can contribute to resource reduction. In other words, when the workload is concentrated at an upstream base (e.g., a hub base) in logistics and a bottleneck occurs, it is necessary to hold redundant sorting resources at each downstream base (e.g., an end base), but in this embodiment, since the workload at the base 101 is reduced, unnecessary resources can be reduced at bases downstream of the base 101, thereby optimizing the operations and resources of the entire logistics.

[0100] The transport task generation unit 422 may generate one or more tasks so as to avoid either (a) or (b) below for each of the two or more storage areas, the transport robot allocation unit 423 may assign the transport task to a transport robot, and the information generation unit 424 may send a transport instruction associated with the transport task. (a) the amount of goods in the storage area becomes less than or equal to a first threshold value for the storage area; (b) the amount of goods in the storage area becomes equal to or greater than a second threshold for the storage area (the second threshold being greater than the first threshold);

[0101] This makes it possible to prevent shortages or excesses of items in the storage area, thereby reducing waiting times for sorting work.

[0102] In each of one or more transport tasks, a transport target (item or transported item), a source storage area, a destination storage area, and a transport start date and time (the latest date and time at which transport starts). The information generating unit 424 may transmit a transport instruction associated with the transport task before the transport start date and time defined in the transport task, or transmit a transport instruction associated with a date and time that is the same as or earlier than the transport start date and time defined in the transport task as a transport execution date and time. This can reduce waiting time for sorting work from the viewpoint of the method of transmitting the transport instruction.

[0103] The transport robot allocation unit 423 may allocate the transport task to the following transport robot (x) or (y). This can reduce the waiting time for sorting work from the viewpoint of the method of determining the allocation destination of the transport task. (x) The transport robot that is located closest to the source storage area at the start date and time of transport. (y) Among the transport robots that are within a certain distance from the source storage area at the start date and time of transport, the transport robot with the smallest transport load.

[0104] In addition, "the transport robot closest to the source storage area" and "the transport robot within a certain distance from the source storage area" may be estimated, for example, based on the position of the source storage area, the current position 802 of each transport robot 110 represented by the transport robot information 414, and the future movements of each transport robot 110 determined from the generated transport task.

[0105] For each of the two or more storage areas, the predicted amount of goods in the storage area at a future time may be calculated by adding the amount of goods predicted to enter the storage area by the future time to the amount of goods in the storage area at the current time, and subtracting the amount of goods predicted to leave the storage area by the future time. This is expected to improve the prediction accuracy, and therefore to improve the reliability of reducing the waiting time for sorting work. Note that the amount of goods predicted to enter the storage area by the future time and the amount of goods predicted to leave the storage area by the future time may each be a value calculated based on the transport task already generated at the time of this prediction.

[0106] The sorting information may include sorting plan information 411 (information representing a sorting plan in which the dates and times of start and end of sorting and the direction assigned to each chute 322 of the sorting device 330 are defined for each sorting) and work progress information 412 (information representing the amount of goods discharged from each chute 322 of the sorting device 330), and the transport task generation unit 422 may specify the amount of goods at a future time for each of the two or more storage areas based on the sorting information in addition to the goods information. This is expected to improve prediction accuracy, and therefore to improve the reliability of reducing waiting times for sorting work.

[0107] The "sorting direction" may be, for example, a sorting direction such as "Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Tochigi, and others" or a sorting direction such as "Hokkaido, Tohoku, Chubu, Kansai, and others", and the amount of goods per direction after sorting changes depending on the setting of this "sorting direction". At the base 101, there may be many transport courses (transport routes of the transport robot) that exceed the number of the transport robots 110. Furthermore, the amount of goods per direction and the delivery direction may change daily. Also, for example, the berth where the truck is parked changes depending on the delivery plan. Since there is at least one of these, it is desirable to predict the amount of goods required at one or more times in the future and assign the transport robot to execute a transport task based on the predicted amount of goods without delay.

[0108] For example, the multiple storage areas at base 101 may include an incoming basket car storage area, an input basket car storage area, an empty basket car storage area, and a loaded basket car storage area. For any of the storage areas, Z=A+BC may be used. Z is the number of basket cars at future time T. A is the current number of basket cars. B is the number of basket cars that will arrive by time T. C is the number of basket cars that will leave by time T. Each of B and C may be a predicted value. Each of B and C may be a value based on a prediction result of how the number of basket cars in each storage area will change if no new transport tasks are generated in the future at the time the prediction is made (for example, a value calculated based on transport tasks that have already been generated but not yet performed).

[0109] The definitions of "the number of incoming cage cars" and "the number of outgoing cage cars" are, for example, as follows:

[0110] When the storage area is an incoming cart storage area, the "incoming cart number" may be the number of carts predicted based on actual or scheduled arrivals (a value based on the prediction of when and how many items will arrive). The "outgoing cart number" is a value calculated from currently assigned transport tasks, and may be the number of carts to be transported to the input cart area by time T.

[0111] If the storage area is an input cart storage area, the "number of incoming carts" may be a value calculated from currently assigned transport tasks, and may be the number of carts transported from the input cart area by time T. The "number of outgoing carts" may be a value based on how many items in carts will be input to the sorting device 330 (sorter) by time T (processing results based on input productivity or other information) ("input productivity" may be productivity for each time period obtained from past performance, or may be productivity based on the product of productivity per worker and the number of workers).

[0112] When the storage area is an empty car storage area, the "number of incoming carts" may be a value based on how many articles in carts will be input into the sorting device 330 and become empty carts by time T (processing results based on input productivity or other information). The "number of outgoing carts" is a value calculated from currently assigned transport tasks, and may be the number of carts to be transported to each destination by time T.

[0113] If the storage area is a loading cart storage area, the "number of incoming carts" may be a value based on the number of articles already loaded into the sorting device 330 and how many carts will be generated by time T (processing results based on loading productivity or other information). The "number of outgoing carts" may be the number of carts to be transported from currently assigned transport tasks to the shipping cart area by time T.

[0114] If the storage area is a shipping car storage area, the "number of incoming carts" may be the number of carts that are transported from under the chute (loading cart storage area) by time T from the currently assigned transport task. The "number of outgoing carts" may be a value based on the calculation results of how many items will be shipped from delivery plan information (e.g., information including shipping plan information).

[0115] When the number of transport tasks generated for the base 101 or the transport route at the base 101 exceeds the upper limit number of transport robots, the transport task generation unit 422 may set a priority for each of the multiple transport tasks. The priority of the transport task may be high when the transport target in the transport task includes items from a chute 322 with a relatively large amount of items among the multiple chutes 322 of the sorting device 330, or when the shipping date and time corresponding to the transport target in the transport task is relatively early. The transport robot allocation unit 423 may allocate transport tasks with high priorities equal to or less than the upper limit number of transport robots to the transport robots. This is expected to reduce the waiting time for sorting work and to transport items efficiently. For example, even if the number of transport robots in the base 101 as a whole is sufficient, changing the transport route (transport task) assigned to the transport robot 110 may increase unnecessary movements (movements without transporting a basket cart) and lead to a decrease in transport efficiency. However, by setting the priority, unnecessary changes to the transport route can be avoided, and as a result, it is expected to avoid a decrease in transport efficiency. The priority setting of the transport task may be applied to both the case where the transport task is generated based on the current amount of goods and the case where the transport task is generated based on the future amount of goods. In addition, since the priority can be set so that the basket carts on the chute 322 with a large amount of goods are transported first, it is possible to prevent a deadlock in which the upper limit of the amount of goods that can be stored on the chute 322 is reached and new goods cannot be input. In addition, since the priority can be set so that the basket carts from the direction with the earliest shipping date and time are transported first, shipping delays can be prevented by transporting goods from the direction with the earliest shipping date and time first.

[0116] The transport task generation unit 422 may determine whether there is a certain percentage or more (e.g., at least one) of storage areas in which the deviation between the predicted amount of goods at a future time and the actual amount of goods at that time is greater than a certain value. If the result of this determination is true, the transport task generation unit 422 may cancel (e.g., delete) the transport task that has been generated but not yet executed, and may identify the amount of goods at a new future time for each of the two or more storage areas based on the magnitude of the deviation, and generate a new transport task. Since a new transport task is generated based on the future amount of goods obtained as a result of the prediction process that reflects the magnitude of the deviation between the predicted value and the actual value, it is expected to improve the reliability of reducing the waiting time for sorting work.

[0117] The transport robot control system 100 may further include an output unit 404 that outputs an output screen. The information generating unit 424 may generate information for the output screen based on the transport task being performed and the identified article amount for each storage area. The output screen is a screen based on the generated information, and may include all of the following, for example, as shown in FIG. 12. An object representing each of a plurality of storage areas (for example, a shape having a storage area ID such as St01, St02, ...). For each of a plurality of storage areas, a numerical value indicating the amount of goods in that storage area (for example, a text indicating the current number of carts in the storage area and the number of carts being transported among those). An object representing each of a plurality of transport routes between a plurality of storage areas (for example, a single or double arrow connecting objects in the storage areas). For each of a plurality of transport routes, a numerical value indicating the amount of goods being transported on that transport route (for example, text indicating the number of carts being transported on the transport route).

[0118] This allows the viewer of the output screen to easily be informed of the transportation status. Note that the delivery plan information or other information may include information representing each transportation route, and information for the output screen may be generated based on such information.

Claims

1. a transport task generation unit that generates a transport task, which is a task for transporting items between storage areas at a base, based on at least the sorting information and the item information; a transport robot allocation unit that allocates the generated transport tasks to transport robots that travel between storage areas; an information generating unit that transmits a transport instruction, which is control information associated with the generated transport task, to a transport robot to which the transport task is assigned; Equipped with The sorting information is information regarding a sorting operation of a sorting device that sorts a plurality of items having different delivery directions into each delivery direction, The item information is information about a plurality of items including items before or after sorting that are placed in a plurality of storage areas and items being sorted in the sorting device, The plurality of storage areas include one or more first storage areas in which unsorted items are placed, and one or more second storage areas in which sorted items are placed according to delivery directions, The transport task generation unit, Identifying an amount of goods at a current time or a future time for each of at least two or more storage areas, which are at least a first storage area and a second storage area, among the plurality of storage areas, based on at least the goods information; generating one or more transport tasks based on the identified item amounts for each of the two or more storage areas; Transport robot control system.

2. The transport task generation unit generates the one or more tasks so as to avoid both of the following (a) and (b) for each of the two or more storage areas, the transport robot allocation unit allocates the transport task to a transport robot, and the information generation unit transmits a transport instruction associated with the transport task, (a) the amount of goods in the storage area becomes less than or equal to a first threshold value for the storage area; (b) the amount of goods in the storage area becomes equal to or greater than a second threshold value for the storage area; The second threshold is greater than the first threshold. The transport robot control system according to claim 1 .

3. In each of the one or more transport tasks, a transport target which is an item or an item to be transported, a source storage area, a destination storage area, and a transport start date and time which is the latest date and time at which the transport is to be started are defined; The information generating unit, A transport instruction associated with the transport task is transmitted prior to the transport start date and time defined in the transport task, or Transmit a transport instruction associated with a transport start date and time defined in the transport task that is equal to or earlier than the transport start date and time defined in the transport task as a transport execution date and time. The transport robot control system according to claim 2 .

4. In each of the one or more transport tasks, a transport target which is an item or an item to be transported, a source storage area, a destination storage area, and a transport start date and time which is the latest date and time at which the transport is to be started are defined; The transport robot allocation unit allocates the transport task to the following transport robot (x) or (y), (x) a transport robot that is located closest to the source storage area at the transport start date and time; (y) among the transport robots that are within a certain distance from the source storage area at the transport start date and time, the transport robot with the smallest transport load; The transport robot control system according to claim 2 .

5. For each of the two or more storage areas, the predicted quantity of goods in the storage area at a future time is the quantity of goods in the storage area at the current time plus the quantity of goods predicted to enter the storage area by the future time minus the quantity of goods predicted to leave the storage area by the future time. The transport robot control system according to claim 2 .

6. When the number of generated transport tasks for the base or the transport course at the base exceeds the upper limit number of transport robots, the transport task generation unit sets a priority order for each of the plurality of transport tasks; The priority of a transport task is high when the transport target in the transport task includes an item from a chute with a relatively large amount of items among the multiple chutes of the sorting device, or when the shipping date and time corresponding to the transport target in the transport task is relatively early; the transport robot allocation unit allocates transport tasks having high priorities equal to or less than the upper limit number of transport robots to the transport robots, respectively; The transport robot control system according to claim 2 .

7. When there exists a certain percentage or more of storage areas in which the deviation between the predicted amount of goods at a future time and the actual amount of goods at that time is greater than a certain value, the transport task generation unit cancels transport tasks that have been generated but not yet executed, and specifies a new amount of goods at a future time for each of the two or more storage areas based on the magnitude of the deviation, and generates a new transport task. The transport robot control system according to claim 2 .

8. The sorting information is Sorting plan information representing a sorting plan in which the dates and times of start and end of sorting and the directions assigned to each chute of the sorting device are defined for each sorting; Work progress information indicating the amount of articles discharged for each chute of the sorting device; Including, the transport task generation unit specifies an amount of goods at a future time for each of the two or more storage areas based on the sorting information in addition to the goods information; The transport robot control system according to claim 2 .

9. An output unit that outputs an output screen, The information generation unit generates information for the output screen based on the transportation task being performed and the identified amount of goods for each storage area, The output screen is a screen based on the generated information and has all of the following: - an object representing each of the plurality of storage areas; For each of the plurality of storage areas, a numerical value representing the amount of goods in the storage area; An object representing each of a plurality of transport routes between a plurality of storage areas; - for each of the plurality of transport routes, a numerical value representing the amount of goods being transported on that transport route; The transport robot control system according to claim 1 .

10. The following steps (A) to (C) are carried out by a computer, (A) generating a transport task, which is a task for transporting items between storage areas at a base, based on at least the item information of sorting information and item information; (B) Allocating the generated transport task to a transport robot that travels between storage areas; (C) transmitting a transport instruction, which is control information associated with the generated transport task, to a transport robot to which the transport task is assigned; The sorting information is information regarding a sorting operation of a sorting device that sorts a plurality of items having different delivery directions into each delivery direction, The item information is information about a plurality of items including items before or after sorting that are placed in a plurality of storage areas and items being sorted in the sorting device, The plurality of storage areas include one or more first storage areas in which unsorted items are placed, and one or more second storage areas in which sorted items are placed according to delivery directions, In (A), by a computer, Identifying an amount of goods at a current time or a future time for each of at least two or more storage areas, which are at least a first storage area and a second storage area, among the plurality of storage areas, based on at least the goods information; generating one or more transport tasks based on the identified item amounts for each of the two or more storage areas; A transport robot control method.

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