Warehouse system

Abstract

To provide a warehouse system which can efficiently execute loading / unloading.SOLUTION: A loading / unloading unit 10 executes the loading of at least one article 50 relative to a storage 2, then executes the unloading of at least one article from the storage, and repeats the loading and unloading. Further, loading / unloading information defines the order of loading positions and unloading positions. Meanwhile, a control unit divides the loading / unloading information into a prescribed number of information groups. In this way, the control unit can narrow down the range to be replaced in the order to an appropriate range. The control unit matches the loading position and the unloading position that are close to each other in the information groups, and replaces the order in the loading / unloading information. Thus, the control unit can shorten the movement distance of the loading / unloading unit upon moving from each loading position to each unloading position. Therefore, the control unit can replace the loading / unloading information so that the operation of the loading / unloading can be executed in a short time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a warehouse system.

Background Art

[0002] As a conventional warehouse system, for example, there is a warehouse system described in Patent Document 1. This warehouse system uses a conveying means such as a stacker crane to convey articles between an in-out station and a shelf, and stores the articles on the shelf. In this way, the warehouse system repeats incoming and outgoing of articles.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The above-described conventional warehouse system searches for an empty storage section each time an article is received. Therefore, this warehouse system requires on-site response each time, and there is a problem that efficient incoming and outgoing cannot be performed when an empty storage section is not in a preferable position.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a warehouse system capable of efficiently performing incoming and outgoing.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A warehouse system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a storage warehouse having a plurality of storage units for storing articles, a conveying unit for conveying the articles, and a control unit for acquiring in-out information of the storage warehouse and controlling the in-out of the conveying unit. The in-out information includes at least one incoming instruction information including an instruction to store an article in a storage unit related to an incoming position, and at least one outgoing instruction information including an instruction to take out an article from a storage unit related to an outgoing position, and has a plurality of them alternately in a predetermined order. The control unit divides the in-out information into a predetermined number of information groups, and in the information groups, matches the incoming position and the outgoing position whose distances are close to each other, and exchanges the order in the in-out information.

[0007] In this warehouse system, the in-out information includes at least one incoming instruction information including an instruction to store an article in a storage unit related to an incoming position, and at least one outgoing instruction information including an instruction to take out an article from a storage unit related to an outgoing position, and has a plurality of them alternately in a predetermined order. Therefore, the conveying unit stores at least one article in the storage warehouse, then takes out at least one article from the storage warehouse, and repeats the storage and the taking out. Further, the in-out information determines the order of the incoming position and the outgoing position. On the other hand, the control unit divides the in-out information into a predetermined number of information groups. Thereby, the control unit can narrow down the range to be the target of the order exchange to an appropriate range. The control unit matches the incoming position and the outgoing position whose distances are close to each other in the information groups, and exchanges the order in the in-out information. Thereby, the control unit can shorten the moving distance of the conveying unit when moving from the incoming position to the outgoing position. Therefore, the control unit can exchange the in-out information so that the in-out operation can be performed in a short time. From the above, the in-out can be performed efficiently.

[0008] The conveying unit can simultaneously convey N items, where N is a natural number of 2 or more. The warehousing and shipping information includes a plurality of warehousing instruction information of N or less and a plurality of shipping instruction information of N or less, alternately in a predetermined order. The control unit forms groups with N pieces of one of the warehousing instruction information and the shipping instruction information, among the information groups, where the positions of the storage units for each other are close, and for each group, calculates the centroid position of the positions of the N storage units. Among the information groups, the control unit matches the centroid position that is close to the position of the storage unit of the other of the warehousing instruction information and the shipping instruction information, and may swap the order of the groups and adjust the order of one of the instruction information within the group. In this case, by forming groups with N pieces of one of the instruction information where the positions of the storage units for each other are close, the control unit can shorten the moving distance between the storage units related to one of the instruction information within the same warehousing and shipping operation. The control unit calculates the centroid position of the positions of the N storage units for each group. Thereby, the control unit can compare the moving distance with the storage unit related to the other instruction information in consideration of the positions of all the storage units within the group. The control unit matches the centroid position that is close to the position of the storage unit of the other of the warehousing instruction information and the shipping instruction information among the information groups, and swaps the order of the groups. Further, the control unit adjusts the order of one of the instruction information within the group. Thereby, the moving distance when the conveying unit moves from the storage unit in the other instruction information to the storage unit in one of the instruction information within the group can be shortened. From the above, when the conveying unit can simultaneously convey N items, warehousing and shipping can be performed efficiently.

[0009] The control unit may perform matching in order from the one with the earliest order among the warehousing and shipping information. In this case, since the calculation of the matching by the control unit becomes easy, the calculation load can be reduced.

[0010] The control unit repeatedly performs a swapping process of swapping the order of the warehousing and shipping information, and when dividing the warehousing and shipping information into a predetermined number of information groups, may include a part of the warehousing and shipping information that was swapped in the previous swapping process. In this case, the control unit can perform a more appropriate swapping process in consideration of the result of the previous swapping process.

Advantages of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, a warehouse system capable of efficiently performing incoming and outgoing operations can be provided.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a warehouse section 1 used in a warehouse system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the warehouse section 1. The warehouse section 1 is an automated warehouse that stores a plurality of articles 50 and can automatically perform warehousing and outwarehousing of articles. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the warehouse section 1 includes a storage 2, an incoming / outgoing station 3 (incoming / outgoing section, see FIG. 2), and a stacker crane 4 (see FIG. 1). In the following description, XYZ coordinates may be set for the description. The X-axis direction is an arbitrary direction in the horizontal direction. The Y-axis direction is a direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction in the horizontal direction. The Z-axis direction is the vertical direction. Note that the upper side in the Z-axis direction is the positive side.

[0015] The storage 2 has a pair of vertical shelves 6, 6. The vertical shelves 6, 6 have a plurality of storage sections 7 for accommodating the articles 50. The vertical shelves 6, 6 have a plurality of stages of storage sections 7 arranged in the Y-axis direction (horizontal direction) in the Z-axis direction (vertical direction). The storage section 7 is also referred to as a rack. The vertical shelves 6, 6 are arranged so as to be spaced apart from each other in the X-axis direction. Note that the number of columns of the storage sections 7 in the Y-axis direction and the number of stages of the storage sections 7 in the Z-axis direction shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are merely examples and are not particularly limited. It is assumed that one article 50 is accommodated in one storage section 7.

[0016] The in-out storage station 3 is a relay position of the article 50 between the outside of the warehouse section 1 and the storage vault 2. The in-out storage station 3 is a device that arranges the article 50 for incoming storage, transfers it to the stacker crane 4, and receives the outgoing article 50 from the stacker crane 4. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the in-out storage station 3 is provided in the first stage at a position facing the negative-side end in the Y-axis direction of the vertical shelves 6, 6. However, the position where the in-out storage station 3 is provided is not particularly limited.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, the stacker crane 4 is provided between a pair of vertical shelves 6, 6. The stacker crane 4 includes a conveying section 9. The conveying section 9 includes a handling section 10 and a moving section 11. The handling section 10 is a device for loading and unloading the article 50 to and from the storage section 7 and the in-out storage station 3 for incoming storage or outgoing.

[0018] The moving section 11 is a mechanism for moving the handling section 10 in the Y-axis direction (horizontal direction) and the Z-axis direction (vertical direction). The moving section 11 includes a horizontal moving mechanism 12 for moving the handling section 10 in the Y-axis direction and a lifting mechanism 13 for moving the handling section 10 in the Z-axis direction. The horizontal moving mechanism 12 is constituted by a moving body that travels on the floor surface between a pair of vertical shelves 6, 6. The lifting mechanism 13 may have a plurality of guide members 14 extending upward from the horizontal moving mechanism 12. The handling section 10 is supported by the guide members 14 of the lifting mechanism 13 so as to be movable up and down in the vertical direction. With this structure, the handling section 10 moves in the Y-axis direction as the horizontal moving mechanism 12 moves, and moves in the Z-axis direction by moving along the guide members 14 of the lifting mechanism 13.

[0019] The handling unit 10 can move between the loading / unloading station 3 and each storage unit 7 by the moving unit 11. Also, the handling unit 10 can move between one storage unit 7 and another storage unit 7 by the moving unit 11. For this reason, the conveying unit 9 can perform the loading and unloading of the article 50 to and from each storage unit 7 and the replacement of the article 50 between the storage units 7. The handling unit 10 has a mechanism for delivering the article 50 for loading to the storage unit 7 and receiving the article 50 for unloading from the storage unit 7. In the present embodiment, the handling unit 10 conveys one article 50 (see FIG. 2). That is, the conveying unit 9 can move the article 50 and perform the loading and unloading of the article 50 with respect to the storage 2.

[0020] Next, the block configuration of the warehouse system 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a block configuration diagram of the warehouse system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The warehouse system 100 according to the present embodiment includes a warehouse unit 1 and a control unit 20 as shown in FIG. 3.

[0021] The warehouse unit 1 is the automated warehouse shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 described above. The warehouse unit 1 according to the present embodiment repeatedly performs the loading operation and the unloading operation. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the handling unit 10 receives the article 50 from the loading / unloading station 3 and moves to the storage unit 7 corresponding to the instructed loading position (indicated by "In 1") (route L1A) and loads the article 50 at the loading position. At this time, the handling unit 10 becomes empty. Therefore, the handling unit 10 moves to the storage unit 7 corresponding to the designated unloading position (indicated by "Out 1") (route L2) and receives the article 50 from the unloading position. Next, the handling unit 10 moves to the loading / unloading station 3 (route L1B) and delivers the unloaded article 50 to the loading / unloading station 3. The warehouse unit 1 regards such an "loading → unloading" operation as one loading / unloading operation and repeats the loading / unloading operation a plurality of times.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 20 is a system that controls the entire warehouse system 100. The control unit 20 includes an ECU [Electronic Control Unit] that comprehensively manages devices. The ECU is an electronic control unit having a CPU [Central Processing Unit], a ROM [Read Only Memory], a RAM [Random Access Memory], a CAN [Controller Area Network] communication circuit, and the like. In the ECU, for example, a program stored in the ROM is loaded into the RAM, and various functions are realized by executing the program loaded into the RAM with the CPU. The ECU may be composed of a plurality of electronic units. The control unit 20 controls the incoming and outgoing of the conveying unit 9. Also, the control unit 20 can change the order of incoming and outgoing. The control unit 20 includes an information acquisition unit 21, a replacement processing unit 22, and an operation instruction unit 23.

[0023] The information acquisition unit 21 acquires incoming and outgoing information. The incoming and outgoing information is information that instructs in what order the warehouse unit 1 performs the incoming and outgoing of the article 50. The incoming and outgoing information has a plurality of at least one incoming instruction information and at least one outgoing instruction information alternately in a predetermined order. In the present embodiment, the incoming and outgoing information has one incoming instruction information and one outgoing instruction information alternately (see FIG. 7). The incoming instruction information is information including an instruction to store the article 50 in the storage unit 7 related to the storage position. The outgoing instruction information is information including an instruction to take out the article 50 from the storage unit 7 related to the outgoing position.

[0024] Specifically, in the example shown in FIG. 4(a), the first incoming instruction information of the first incoming and outgoing operation is indicated by "In 1", and the first outgoing instruction information (the second instruction information as a whole) of the next instruction is indicated by "Out 1". The incoming instruction information has information on the incoming position indicating to which storage section 7 in the storage vault 2 the article 50 is to be stored, and the outgoing instruction information has information on the outgoing position indicating from which storage section 7 in the storage vault 2 the article 50 is to be taken out. In FIG. 2, the incoming position of "In 1" is set at the position of "3 rows × 2 tiers", and the outgoing position of "Out 1" is set at the position of "4 rows × 5 tiers". Thereafter, the nth incoming information is indicated by "In n", and the nth outgoing instruction information is indicated by "Out n". In the examples shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the incoming instruction information has five incoming instruction information of "In 1 to In 5" and five outgoing instruction information of "Out 1 to Out 5".

[0025] The replacement processing unit 22 performs processing for replacing the order of the acquired incoming and outgoing information. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4(b), the replacement processing unit 22 fixes the order of the incoming command information and replaces the order of the outgoing command information. However, the replacement processing unit 22 may fix the order of the outgoing instruction information and replace the order of the incoming instruction information. The replacement processing unit 22 replaces the incoming and outgoing information so that the moving distance between the incoming position and the outgoing position becomes shorter. As a result, the replacement processing unit 22 arranges the order so that the moving distance of the handling unit 10 when the incoming and outgoing operations are completed in the order after replacement is shorter than the total moving distance of the handling unit 10 when the incoming and outgoing operations are completed in the order of "In 1 to In 5" and "Out 1 to Out 5" before replacement.

[0026] The specific difference in the moving distance will be described with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5(a) is a diagram showing the moving path when the warehousing and shipping operations are performed with the warehousing and shipping information before the replacement. FIG. 5(b) is a diagram showing the moving path when the warehousing and shipping operations are performed with the warehousing and shipping information after the replacement. Note that the moving path L1A from the warehousing and shipping station 3 of the handling unit 10 to the warehousing position and the moving path L1B from the shipping position to the warehousing and shipping station 3 are the paths that must be passed through in the overall warehousing and shipping operations. Therefore, the moving distances of the moving path L1A for each warehousing position and the moving path L1B for each shipping position do not change even if the order of the warehousing and shipping information is changed. Therefore, by shortening the distance of the moving path L2 when moving from the warehousing position to the shipping position, the overall moving distance of the handling unit 10 can be shortened. In FIG. 5, a part of the moving paths L1A and L1B is omitted.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 5(b), after the handling unit 10 performs warehousing at the warehousing position "In 1", it performs warehousing at the warehousing position "Out 4" which is closer than the warehousing position "Out 1". In the first warehousing and outwarehousing operation, the handling unit 10 performs warehousing at the warehousing position "In 1", and then performs warehousing at the warehousing position "Out 4" which is closer than the warehousing position "Out 1" and is on the way back to the warehousing and outwarehousing station 3. In the second warehousing and outwarehousing operation, the handling unit 10 performs warehousing at the warehousing position "In 2", and then performs warehousing at the warehousing position "Out 5" which is closer than the warehousing position "Out 2". In the third warehousing and outwarehousing operation, the handling unit 10 performs warehousing at the warehousing position "In 3", and then performs warehousing at the warehousing position "Out 1" which is closer than the warehousing position "Out 3". In the fourth warehousing and outwarehousing operation, the handling unit 10 performs warehousing at the warehousing position "In 4", and then performs warehousing at the warehousing position "Out 2" which is closer than the warehousing position "Out 4" (already warehoused). In the fifth warehousing and outwarehousing operation, the handling unit 10 performs warehousing at the warehousing position "In 5", and then performs warehousing at the warehousing position "Out 3" which is closer than the warehousing position "Out 5" (already warehoused). For example, when comparing the fourth warehousing and outwarehousing operation, the moving distance of the moving route L2 from the warehousing position "In 4" to the warehousing position "Out 2" in Fig. 5(b) is shorter than the moving distance of the moving route L2 from the warehousing position "In 4" to the warehousing position "Out 4" in Fig. 5(a). Similarly, the moving distance of the moving route L2 in Fig. 5(b) in other cycles is shorter than that in Fig. 5(a). Therefore, by changing the order of the warehousing and outwarehousing information, the total moving distance until all warehousing and outwarehousing operations are completed can be shortened. Note that as long as the total moving distance becomes shorter, some of the moving routes L2 may be longer than before the change.

[0028] The operation instruction unit 23 gives an operation instruction to the warehouse unit 1 based on the warehousing and outwarehousing information whose order has been changed by the replacement processing unit 22. For example, as shown in Fig. 4(b), the operation instruction unit 23 gives an operation instruction so that the handling unit 10 performs warehousing and outwarehousing in the order of the outwarehousing instruction information after the replacement.

[0029] Next, with reference to FIG. 6, the operation of the control unit 20 will be described in more detail. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the processing content of the control unit 20. As shown in FIG. 6, the information acquisition unit 21 acquires, for example, the incoming and outgoing information as shown in FIG. 7(a) (step S10). Next, the replacement processing unit 22 performs batch processing to divide the acquired incoming and outgoing information into a predetermined number of information groups (batches) (step S20). For example, as shown in FIG. 7(a), the replacement processing unit 22 divides the batch BE1 so that the incoming and outgoing information for a predetermined number (here, the incoming and outgoing operations for 4 times) of incoming instructions and outgoing instructions is included. Therefore, the replacement processing unit 22 performs replacement for the outgoing instruction information within the batch BE1 and does not perform replacement for the outgoing instruction information outside the batch BE1. Inside the batch BE1 before replacement, the outgoing instruction information exists in the order of "outgoing instruction information A", "outgoing instruction information B", "outgoing instruction information C", and "outgoing instruction information D". Note that the size of the batch BE1, that is, the number of incoming and outgoing information included in the information group is not particularly limited. The size of the batch BE1 may be set, for example, so as to meet the shipping time when there is a shipping time limit for a truck or the like for the warehouse system 100.

[0030] Next, the replacement processing unit 22 performs replacement processing to change the order of the incoming and outgoing information (step S30). The replacement processing unit 22 changes the order of "outgoing instruction information A", "outgoing instruction information B", "outgoing instruction information C", and "outgoing instruction information D". The replacement processing unit 22 matches the incoming position and the outgoing position whose mutual distance becomes close within the batch BE1 and changes the order in the incoming and outgoing information. Also, the replacement processing unit 22 may perform matching in order from the one with an earlier order among the incoming and outgoing information.

[0031] For example, the replacement processing unit 22 may perform matching with each shipping instruction information in order from the inventory instruction information with an earlier order. Specifically, the replacement processing unit 22 calculates the distances between the inventory positions of the first inventory instruction information X in the earliest order and the shipping positions of "shipping instruction information A", "shipping instruction information B", "shipping instruction information C", and "shipping instruction information D", respectively. Among these, when the shipping position of the "shipping instruction information B" is the closest to the inventory position of the first "inventory instruction information X", the replacement processing unit 22 sets the shipping position of the "shipping instruction information B" as the first shipping instruction information as shown in FIG. 7(b).

[0032] Next, the replacement processing unit 22 determines whether the replacement within the batch BE1 has been completed (step S40). If it is determined that the replacement has not been completed, step S30 is repeated again. For example, if only the replacement of the first shipping instruction information has been performed, the replacement for other shipping instruction information has not been completed. In the example of FIG. 7(b), for the inventory position of the second "inventory instruction information Y" in the next earliest order, when the shipping position of the "shipping instruction information D" is the closest among "shipping instruction information A", "shipping instruction information C", and "shipping instruction information D", the replacement processing unit 22 sets the shipping position of the "shipping instruction information D" as the second shipping instruction information as shown in FIG. 7(b). Similarly, by repeating steps S30 and S40, the "shipping instruction information C" is set as the third one, and the "shipping instruction information A" is set as the fourth one.

[0033] Next, if it is determined in step S40 that the replacement is completed, the replacement processing unit 22 determines whether the replacement processing of the order of all the incoming and outgoing information based on the incoming and outgoing information received in step S10 has been completed (step S50).

[0034] If it is determined in step S50 that the replacement processing of the order of all the incoming and outgoing information has not been completed, the processing is repeated from step S20. Here, the replacement processing unit 22 repeatedly performs the replacement processing (step S30) for changing the order of the incoming and outgoing information. Also, in step S20, when the incoming and outgoing information is divided into a predetermined number of information groups, the replacement processing unit 22 may include a part of the incoming and outgoing information that was replaced in the previous replacement processing.

[0035] For example, as shown in FIG. 7(c), the replacement processing unit 22 delimits the incoming and outgoing information in the second batch BE2. At this time, the second batch BE2 may include the incoming and outgoing information included in the first batch BE1. The second batch BE2 includes the incoming instruction information and the outgoing instruction information related to the third to sixth incoming and outgoing operations. Among these, the outgoing instruction information for the third and fourth times has been reordered in the previous replacement process. The replacement processing unit 22 performs the reordering of all the incoming and outgoing information by repeating such batch processing and replacement processing.

[0036] In step S50, when it is determined that the replacement processing of all the incoming and outgoing information is completed, the operation command unit 33 gives an operation instruction to the warehouse unit 1 based on the replaced incoming and outgoing information (step S60). When step S60 is completed, the processing shown in FIG. 6 is completed. Note that the operation command unit 33 may give an operation instruction and perform the actual incoming and outgoing operation at the stage when the replacement processing in one batch BE1 is completed. At this time, the size of the batch BE1 may be made to correspond to the shipping time or the like. In this case, when the incoming and outgoing operations for all the incoming and outgoing information in the batch BE1 are not completed, the second batch processing may be performed including the uncompleted incoming and outgoing information.

[0037] Next, the operations and effects of the warehouse system 100 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0038] In this warehouse system 100, the inbound and outbound information includes at least one inbound instruction information including an instruction to store the article 50 in the storage unit 7 related to the inbound position, and at least one outbound instruction information including an instruction to ship the article 50 from the storage unit 7 related to the outbound position, and there are a plurality of them alternately in a predetermined order. Therefore, the handling unit 10 stores at least one article 50 in the storage warehouse 2, and then ships at least one article 50 from the storage warehouse 2, and repeats the said storage and shipment. Further, the inbound and outbound information determines the order of the inbound position and the outbound position. On the contrary, the control unit 20 divides the inbound and outbound information into a predetermined number of information groups. Thereby, the control unit can narrow down the range to be the target of the order swapping to an appropriate range. The control unit 20 matches the inbound position and the outbound position whose mutual distance becomes close among the information groups, and swaps the order in the inbound and outbound information. Thereby, the control unit 20 can shorten the moving distance of the handling unit 10 when moving from the inbound position to the outbound position. Therefore, the control unit 20 can swap the inbound and outbound information so that the inbound and outbound operations can be performed in a short time. As described above, the inbound and outbound can be efficiently performed.

[0039] The control unit 20 may perform the matching in order from the one with the earlier order in the inbound and outbound information. In this case, since the matching operation of the control unit 20 becomes easy, the operation load can be reduced.

[0040] The control unit 20 repeatedly performs the swapping process of swapping the order of the inbound and outbound information, and when dividing the inbound and outbound information into a predetermined number of information groups, it may also include a part of the inbound and outbound information that was swapped in the previous swapping process. In this case, the control unit 20 can perform a more appropriate swapping process in consideration of the result of the previous swapping process.

[0041] As described above, by swapping the order of the inbound and outbound instructions, the overall travel distance of the handling unit 10 can be reduced, and the working efficiency of the warehouse unit 1 can be improved. The working efficiency includes shortening the conveyance time of the handling unit 10 and reducing the total travel distance. Furthermore, an improvement in energy efficiency can be achieved. For example, regarding shortening the required time for task execution, in an experiment simulating a certain warehouse, an improvement effect of approximately 1.31 times the inbound and outbound efficiency was confirmed. Also, as described above, the generation timing of the batches is variable, and it is possible to change the sorted order later, so it is possible to achieve the inbound and outbound order with the shortest time and shortest distance even for sudden inbound and outbound instructions.

[0042] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0043] The above-described handling unit 10 was capable of transporting one article 50. Instead, the stacker crane 4 may be capable of simultaneously transporting a plurality of N articles 50 in the handling unit 10. N is a natural number of 2 or more. In the example shown in FIG. 8, "N = 2". However, the number of N is not particularly limited and may be 3 or more. The handling unit 10 shown in FIG. 8 has two transfer machines 15A and 15B for transferring between the storage unit 7 and the article 50.

[0044] Such a handling unit 10 can perform N consecutive inbound operations and then N consecutive outbound operations in one inbound and outbound operation. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the handling unit 10 may perform consecutive inbound operations at the inbound positions "In 1" and "In 2" and consecutive outbound operations at the outbound positions "Out 1" and "Out 2". The handling unit 10 stores the article 50 of the transfer machine 15A at the inbound position "In 1" and stores the article 50 of the transfer machine 15B at the inbound position "In 2". Next, the handling unit 10 receives the article 50 at the outbound position "Out 1" with the transfer machine 15A, receives the article 50 at the outbound position "Out 2" with the transfer machine 15B, and moves to the inbound and outbound station 3. However, the number of levels of the inbound operation and the outbound operation performed in one inbound and outbound operation may be N or less, and only one inbound operation or one outbound operation may be performed.

[0045] Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, an example of the operation of the handling unit 10 capable of transporting two articles 50 will be described. FIG. 10(a) shows the order of the warehousing instruction information and the shipping instruction information before the replacement. FIG. 10(b) shows the order of the warehousing instruction information and the shipping instruction information after the replacement. FIG. 11(a) is a diagram showing the movement path when the warehousing and shipping operations are performed with the warehousing and shipping information before the replacement. FIG. 11(b) is a diagram showing the movement path when the warehousing and shipping operations are performed with the warehousing and shipping information after the replacement. Here, in the first warehousing and shipping operation, two warehousing operations and two shipping operations are performed, and in the second warehousing and shipping operation, two warehousing operations and two shipping operations are performed.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 11(b), after the handling unit 10 performs warehousing at the warehousing positions "In 1" and "In 2", it performs shipping at the shipping positions "Out 2" and "Out 4". After the handling unit 10 performs warehousing at the warehousing positions "In 3" and "In 4", it performs shipping at the shipping positions "Out 1" and "Out 3". In the first warehousing and shipping operation in FIG. 11(a), a large movement distance occurs between "Out 1 → Out 2". In contrast, in the first warehousing and shipping operation in FIG. 11(b), the movement distances between "In 2 → Out 2" and "Out 2 → Out 4" can be suppressed to be shorter than that between "Out 1 → Out 2". In the second warehousing and shipping operation in FIG. 11(a), a large movement distance occurs between "Out 3 → Out 4". In contrast, in the second warehousing and shipping operation in FIG. 11(b), the movement distances between "In 4 → Out 1" and "Out 1 → Out 3" can be suppressed to be shorter than that between "Out 3 → Out 4". From the above, by changing the order of the warehousing and shipping information, the total movement distance until all the warehousing and shipping operations are completed can be shortened.

[0047] Next, with reference to FIG. 12, the content of the control process in the warehouse system 100 according to the modified example will be described. The control process shown in FIG. 12 is a process corresponding to the replacement process of step S30 shown in FIG. 6. The processing content in other steps of the warehouse system 100 according to the modified example is the same as that shown in FIG. 6. Also, the description will be made with reference to the incoming and outgoing information shown in FIG. 13. As shown in FIG. 13(a), the incoming and outgoing information has a plurality of incoming stock instruction information of N or less (here, 2) and outgoing stock instruction information of N or less alternately in a predetermined order. Here, the control unit 30 fixes the order of the incoming stock instruction information and exchanges the order of the outgoing stock instruction information. However, the control unit 30 may fix the order of the outgoing stock instruction information and exchange the order of the incoming stock instruction information.

[0048] Before the process of FIG. 12 starts, steps S10 and S20 of FIG. 6 are performed. That is, the information acquisition unit 21 acquires the incoming and outgoing information, and the replacement processing unit 22 performs batch processing on the incoming and outgoing information. In the example shown in FIG. 13(a), the replacement processing unit 22 divides with batch BE1 so that the incoming and outgoing information includes a predetermined number (here, three incoming and outgoing operations) of incoming stock instruction information and outgoing stock instruction information. First, the replacement processing unit 22 identifies the outgoing stock instruction information to be the target of order replacement (step S110). In FIG. 13(a), the replacement processing unit 22 identifies the first "outgoing stock instruction information A" and the second "outgoing stock instruction information B" in the first incoming and outgoing operation as the targets. Also, the replacement processing unit 22 identifies the first "outgoing stock instruction information C" and the second "outgoing stock instruction information D" in the third incoming and outgoing operation as the targets.

[0049] Next, the replacement processing unit 22 performs a grouping process of forming a group with two pieces of shipping instruction information whose positions (shipping positions) of the storage units 7 are close to each other among the shipping instruction information (one of the storage instruction information and the shipping instruction information) in the batch BE1 (step S120). The replacement processing unit 22 calculates the distances between the "shipping instruction information A", "shipping instruction information B", "shipping instruction information C", and "shipping instruction information D" specified in step S110 and compares each distance. As shown in FIG. 13(b), the replacement processing unit 22 forms a group GP1 of "shipping instruction information A" and "shipping instruction information C", and a group GP2 of "shipping instruction information B" and "shipping instruction information D". For example, in the example shown in FIG. 11(b), the shipping instruction information at the shipping positions "ship 2" and "ship 4" with close distances to each other forms a group. Also, the shipping instruction information at the shipping positions "ship 1" and "ship 3" with close distances to each other forms a group.

[0050] Next, the replacement processing unit 22 calculates the centroid position of the positions of the two storage units 7 for each group (step S130). In FIG. 13(b), the replacement processing unit 22 calculates the centroid position between the shipping position of "shipping instruction information A" and the shipping position of "shipping instruction information C" in the group GP1. The replacement processing unit 22 calculates the centroid position between the shipping position of "shipping instruction information B" and the shipping position of "shipping instruction information D" in the group GP2. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 11(b), the replacement processing unit 22 calculates the centroid position C1 between the shipping position "ship 2" and the shipping position "ship 4". Also, the replacement processing unit 22 calculates the centroid position C2 between the shipping position "ship 1" and the shipping position "ship 3".

[0051] Next, the replacement processing unit 22 identifies, among the batch BE1, the warehousing instruction information (the other instruction information of the warehousing instruction information and the shipping instruction information) that is adjacent to the group's shipping instruction information (step S140). In FIG. 13(a), the replacement processing unit 22 identifies the first warehousing instruction information X of the first warehousing and shipping process in which the shipping instruction information was identified in step S110 as the warehousing instruction information adjacent to the group's shipping instruction information. The replacement processing unit 22 identifies the second warehousing instruction information Y among the third warehousing and shipping processes in which the shipping instruction information was identified in step S110 as the warehousing instruction information adjacent to the group's shipping instruction information. In the example shown in FIG. 11(b), the replacement processing unit 22 identifies the warehousing instruction information corresponding to the second warehousing position "In 2" among the warehousing positions "In 1" and "In 2". The replacement processing unit 22 identifies the warehousing instruction information corresponding to the second warehousing position "In 4" among the warehousing positions "In 3" and "In 4". Note that the warehousing position "In 2" of the identified warehousing instruction information is farther from the warehousing and shipping station 3 than the warehousing position "In 1". The warehousing position "In 4" of the identified warehousing instruction information is farther from the warehousing and shipping station 3 than the warehousing position "In 3".

[0052] Next, the replacement processing unit 22 matches the center of gravity position that is closer to the position (storage position) of the storage unit 7 in the storage instruction information specified in step S140, and swaps the order of the groups (step S150). In FIG. 13(c), the replacement processing unit 22 calculates and matches the distances between the storage position of the storage instruction information X specified in step S140 and the centers of gravity of the groups GP1 and GP2. Here, the replacement processing unit 22 matches the group GP2 having the "shipping instruction information B" and "shipping instruction information D". Further, the replacement processing unit 22 calculates and matches the distances between the storage position of the storage instruction information Y specified in step S140 and the centers of gravity of the groups GP1 and GP2. Here, the replacement processing unit 22 matches the group GP1 having the "shipping instruction information A" and "shipping instruction information C" for the storage instruction information Y. In the example shown in FIG. 11(b), the replacement processing unit 22 calculates the distances between the center of gravity positions C1 and C2 with respect to the storage position "In 2" (the storage position farther from the in-out station 3) of the specified storage instruction information. Since the center of gravity position C1 is closer to the storage position "In 2", the replacement processing unit 22 matches the storage instruction information for the shipping positions "Out 2" and "Out 4". The replacement processing unit 22 calculates the distances between the center of gravity positions C1 and C2 with respect to the storage position "In 4" (the storage position farther from the in-out station 3) of the specified storage instruction information. Since the center of gravity position C2 is closer to the storage position "In 4", the replacement processing unit 22 matches the storage instruction information for the shipping positions "Out 1" and "Out 3".

[0053] Next, the replacement processing unit 22 adjusts the order of the shipping instruction information within the group for the group matched in step S150 (step S160). By adjusting the order within the group, the replacement processing unit 22 swaps the order of the shipping instruction information within the group if it can shorten the total moving distance. However, if the total moving distance can be shortened without adjusting the order within the group, the replacement processing unit 22 does not perform the order swap. In FIG. 13(d), within the group GP2 adjacent to the inbound instruction information X, the replacement processing unit 22 swaps the order of "shipping instruction information B" and "shipping instruction information D" (see FIG. 13(c)) to "shipping instruction information D" and "shipping instruction information B". Within the group GP1 adjacent to the inbound instruction information Y, the replacement processing unit 22 maintains the order of "shipping instruction information A" and "shipping instruction information C" (see FIG. 13(c)) as "shipping instruction information A" and "shipping instruction information C". Thus, the replacement processing shown in FIG. 12 is completed.

[0054] As described above, the handling unit 10 can simultaneously convey N articles 50, where N is a natural number of 2 or more. The inbound / outbound information has a plurality of inbound instruction information of N or less and outbound instruction information of N or less, alternately in a predetermined order. The control unit 20 forms a group with N outbound instruction information (one of the instruction information) whose outbound positions (positions of the storage unit 7) are close to each other among the instruction information (either the inbound instruction information or the outbound instruction information). The control unit 20 calculates the centroid position of the N outbound positions (positions of the storage unit 7) for each group. The control unit 20 matches the centroid position that is close to the inbound position (position of the storage unit) of the inbound instruction information (the other instruction information of the inbound instruction information and the outbound instruction information) in the information group, and swaps the order of the groups. The control unit 20 adjusts the order of the outbound instruction information (one of the instruction information) within the group.

[0055] In this case, the control unit 20 forms a group with N pieces of outgoing shipment instruction information (one piece of instruction information) whose storage unit positions are close to each other among the information group, so that within the same incoming and outgoing operation, the moving distance between the outgoing positions (between the storage units) related to the outgoing shipment instruction information (one piece of instruction information) can be shortened. The control unit 20 calculates the centroid position of the N outgoing positions (the positions of the storage units) for each group. Thereby, the control unit 20 can compare the moving distance with the incoming position (storage unit) related to the incoming shipment instruction information (the other piece of instruction information) in consideration of the overall outgoing positions (the positions of the storage units) within the group. The control unit 20 matches the centroid position that is close to the position of the incoming position (storage unit) of the incoming position information (the other piece of instruction information) among the information group and exchanges the order of the groups. Here, the control unit 20 identifies the incoming position information (the other piece of instruction information) adjacent to the outgoing shipment instruction information (one piece of instruction information) of the group among the information group. Thereby, the control unit 20 can appropriately grasp the incoming position information (the other piece of instruction information) to be the comparison target of the distance from the centroid position of the group. From this state, the control unit 20 matches the centroid position that is close to the position of the incoming position (the position of the storage unit) in the identified incoming shipment instruction information (the other piece of instruction information) and exchanges the order of the groups. Further, the control unit 20 adjusts the order of the outgoing shipment instruction information (one piece of instruction information) within the group. Thereby, when the handling unit 10 moves from the incoming position (storage unit) in the incoming shipment instruction information (the other piece of instruction information) to the outgoing position (storage unit) in the outgoing position information (one piece of instruction information) within the group, the moving distance can be shortened. As described above, when the handling unit 10 can simultaneously transport N articles 50, incoming and outgoing operations can be performed efficiently.

[0056] The method of the matching process of the replacement processing unit is not limited to this method although the method in the above-described embodiment performs the matching process in order from the one with an earlier order among the incoming and outgoing shipment information. For example, as the method of the matching process, a method of examining all combinations of the incoming positions and the outgoing positions and selecting the combination with the shortest total distance, a method of selecting the outgoing position with the shortest distance sequentially starting from an arbitrary incoming position, or the like may be adopted. However, the present invention can be implemented without being limited to the matching method.

[0057] Also, before the order of the incoming and outgoing inventory information is swapped, the order of the other instruction information (incoming inventory information in the embodiment) that is not swapped may be determined according to the distance from the incoming and outgoing station 3. For example, in the case of incoming and outgoing inventory data as shown in FIG. 10(a), when the other instruction information is incoming inventory information, for In1 and In2, the order closer to the incoming and outgoing station 3 is preferred, and for In3 and In4, the order closer to the incoming and outgoing station 3 is similarly preferred. When the other instruction information is outgoing inventory information, for Out1 and Out2, the order farther from the incoming and outgoing station 3 is preferred, and for Out3 and Out4, the order farther from the incoming and outgoing station 3 is similarly preferred. Such sorting may be performed after the batch processing (step S20) or after the outgoing instruction information is specified (step 110).

[0058] The warehouse section is not limited to those having a stacker crane. Also, the storage bins are not limited to vertical shelves and may extend horizontally. For example, it may be a warehouse section where the article 50 is arranged horizontally on the floor. In this case, a forklift, an AMR, a ceiling crane, etc. may be adopted as the conveying section.

[0059] [Form 1] A storage bin having a plurality of storage sections for storing articles, A conveying section for conveying the articles, A control section that acquires incoming and outgoing inventory information for the storage bin and controls the incoming and outgoing of the conveying section, The incoming and outgoing inventory information At least one incoming inventory instruction information including an instruction to store the article in the storage section related to the incoming position, At least one outgoing inventory instruction information including an instruction to take out the article from the storage section related to the outgoing position, and a plurality of these are alternately arranged in a predetermined order, The control section Divides the incoming and outgoing inventory information into a predetermined number of information groups, In the information group, the incoming position and the outgoing position with close distances to each other are matched, and the order in the incoming and outgoing inventory information is swapped. A warehouse system. [Form 2] The conveying unit can simultaneously convey N pieces of the articles, where N is a natural number of 2 or more. The incoming / outgoing information has a plurality of the incoming instruction information of N or less pieces and the outgoing instruction information of N or less pieces alternately in a predetermined order. The control unit Among the information groups, form a group with N pieces of one of the incoming instruction information and the outgoing instruction information, where the positions of the storage units for each other are close to each other. For each group, calculate the center-of-gravity position of the positions of the N storage units. In the information group, match the center-of-gravity position that is close to the position of the storage unit of the other of the incoming instruction information and the outgoing instruction information, and swap the order of the groups. The warehouse system according to Form 1, wherein the order of the one instruction information within the group is adjusted. [Form 3] The control unit performs the matching in order from the one with the earlier order among the incoming / outgoing information, in the warehouse system according to Form 1 or 2. [Form 4] The control unit Repeatedly performs a swapping process of swapping the order of the incoming / outgoing information. When dividing the incoming / outgoing information into a predetermined number of information groups, include a part of the incoming / outgoing information that was swapped in the previous swapping process, in the warehouse system according to any one of Forms 1 to 3.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0060] 1... Warehouse unit, 2... Storage vault, 3... Incoming / outgoing station (incoming / outgoing unit), 4... Stacker crane, 6... Vertical shelf, 7... Storage unit, 9... Conveying unit, 10... Handling unit, 20... Control unit, 50... Article, 100... Warehouse system.

Claims

1. A storage facility having a plurality of storage units for storing articles, a conveying unit for conveying the articles, and a control unit for acquiring in-out information regarding the storage facility and controlling in-out of the conveying unit, comprising: The in-out information includes: at least one in-storage instruction information including an instruction to store the article in the storage unit related to the in-storage position, and a plurality of at least one out-storage instruction information including an instruction to take out the article from the storage unit related to the out-storage position, alternately in a predetermined order, The control unit: divides the in-out information into a predetermined number of information groups, matches the in-storage position and the out-storage position whose distances to each other are close among the information groups, and rearranges the order in the in-out information, a warehouse system.

2. The conveying unit can simultaneously convey N articles, where N is a natural number of 2 or more, the in-out information includes a plurality of N or less in-storage instruction information and N or less out-storage instruction information, alternately in a predetermined order, The control unit: forms a group with N pieces of one of the instruction information, i.e., the in-storage instruction information and the out-storage instruction information, among which the positions of the storage units are close to each other in the information group, calculates the center-of-gravity position of the positions of the N storage units for each group, matches the center-of-gravity position whose distance to the position of the storage unit of the other instruction information, i.e., the in-storage instruction information and the out-storage instruction information, is close in the information group, and rearranges the order of the group, and adjusts the order of the one instruction information within the group. The warehouse system according to claim 1.

3. The control unit performs the matching in order from the one with an earlier order in the in-out information. The warehouse system according to claim 1.

4. The control unit: repeatedly performs a replacement process for rearranging the order of the in-out information, and includes a part of the in-out information that was rearranged in the previous replacement process when dividing the in-out information into a predetermined number of information groups. The warehouse system according to claim 1.

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