Information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program

Abstract

To provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program capable of outputting a procedure for rearranging items in proper spaces.SOLUTION: An information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program pertain to a controller connected to an input unit and an output unit. Via the input unit, an arrangement state of one or more items in a plurality of spaces is acquired. A first operation is defined as an operation for moving one item in the arrangement state to a space where no item is arranged. A second operation is defined as an operation for exchanging two or more items in the arrangement state. An operation group consisting of one or more rearrangement operations which are either the first operations or the second operations is generated. Then, the operation group is output via the output unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and an information processing program.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a system, a method, and a program for assisting in the layout design of a logistics warehouse by movably attaching and displaying storage equipment icons containing shipped products on a warehouse floor plan defined on a display screen.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] According to the technique described in Patent Document 1, a high importance level is set for storage locations close to the work location, and items with a high frequency of shipment are placed in these storage locations. However, there is a problem that the procedure for repositioning items to an appropriate space is not clear, and in some cases, the procedure becomes complicated.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above problems. An object thereof is to provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and an information processing program capable of outputting a procedure for repositioning an item to an appropriate space.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The information processing apparatus, information processing method, and information processing program according to the present disclosure relate to a controller connected to an input unit and an output unit. Through the input unit, the arrangement state of one or more items in a plurality of spaces is acquired. The first operation is an operation of moving one item in the arrangement state to a space where no item is arranged, and the second operation is an operation of exchanging at least two or more items in the arrangement state. An operation group composed of one or more rearrangement operations, which is either the first operation or the second operation, is generated. Then, the operation group is output through the output unit.

[0007] The controller may acquire the frequency of access to an item and the evaluation value of a space through the input unit, and extract the first operation or the second operation as a rearrangement operation based on the frequency and the evaluation value.

[0008] The controller may generate an operation group in which the value of the objective function related to the updated arrangement state obtained after implementing the operation group is greater than the value of the objective function related to the arrangement state with respect to the objective function. Here, the objective function may have a positive correlation with the total value over all items of the product of the frequency related to the item and the evaluation value related to the space where the item is arranged.

[0009] The controller may extract the first operation or the second operation in which the change amount of the value of the objective function when the first operation or the second operation is implemented is positive, as a rearrangement operation.

[0010] The controller may extract the first operation or the second operation that maximizes the change amount of the value of the objective function when the first operation or the second operation is implemented, as a rearrangement operation.

[0011] The controller may generate a determination result indicating whether the order of implementation of one rearrangement operation included in the operation group and another rearrangement operation included in the operation group can be swapped, and output the determination result through the output unit.

[0012] The controller may determine whether there are common items between an item to be subject to one rearrangement operation and an item to be subject to another rearrangement operation. The controller may determine whether there is a common space between a space to be subject to one rearrangement operation and a space to be subject to another rearrangement operation. Then, when there are common items and / or when there is a common space, the controller may determine that the order of performing one rearrangement operation and another rearrangement operation cannot be swapped.

[0013] Suppose the controller determines that the order of performing one rearrangement operation and another rearrangement operation cannot be swapped. At this time, the controller may determine that the order of performing the rearrangement operation that cannot be swapped with the one rearrangement operation and is extracted earlier than the one rearrangement operation and another rearrangement operation cannot be swapped.

[0014] The space may be a storage location included in a warehouse or an area.

[0015] The controller may perform a rearrangement operation based on an operation group.

Advantages of the Invention

[0016] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and an information processing program capable of outputting a procedure for rearranging an item to an appropriate space.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, several exemplary embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In each figure, the same reference numerals are assigned to common parts, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0019] [Configuration of Information Processing Apparatus] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing apparatus 20 includes an input unit 21, an output unit 23, and a controller 25. Further, the information processing apparatus 20 may include an operation unit 27. The controller 25 is connected so as to be communicable with the input unit 21, the output unit 23, and the operation unit 27.

[0020] In addition, the input unit 21, the output unit 23, and the operation unit 27 may be provided in the information processing apparatus 20 itself, or may be installed outside the information processing apparatus 20 and connected to the information processing apparatus 20.

[0021] The input unit 21 acquires the arrangement state of one or more items in a plurality of spaces.

[0022] Here, the “item” may be, for example, a plurality of types of articles stored and managed in an inventory-type logistics center. Further, the “item” may be a product sold by a sales store such as a supermarket. In addition, the “item” may be an item displayed on an Internet site such as an e-commerce site, or an article sold, leased, etc. through selection of an item. The “item” is not limited to the examples listed here.

[0023] Also, a "space" is a place for arranging or storing items. When the "item" is a physical object such as an article, for example, the "space" is a storage place such as a shelf, a rack, or a warehouse. The space may be a storage place included within a warehouse or an area. Also, when the "item" is an intangible object such as data, for example, the "space" may be a storage place such as a database, a memory, or other storage media. The "space" may be a web page. The "space" is not limited to the examples listed here.

[0024] Items may be arranged in different spaces according to their types. If necessary, items are transported or transmitted from a space or to a space.

[0025] Next, the "arrangement state" indicates a state in which one or more items are distributed and arranged with respect to a plurality of spaces. For example, one item is arranged in at least one of the plurality of spaces. Among the plurality of spaces, there may be spaces in which items are arranged and empty spaces in which no items are arranged.

[0026] The input unit 21 may acquire, as arrangement information, information for specifying the space in which each item is arranged for each item. The input unit 21 may acquire information indicating whether an item is arranged in a space. In addition, the input unit 21 may acquire a list of items and a list of spaces.

[0027] Also, the input unit 21 may acquire the frequency of access to an item and the evaluation value of a space. In particular, the input unit 21 may acquire the frequency for each item. Also, the input unit 21 may acquire the evaluation value for each space.

[0028] "Frequency of access" means the frequency of transporting or transmitting the item. The frequency may be the number of times the space where the item is located is visited in order to transport or transmit the item. The frequency may also be the number of items transported or transmitted from the space where the item is located, or the number of items transported or transmitted to the space where the item is located.

[0029] "Evaluation value of space" is a value that reflects the efficiency of transporting or transmitting an item. For example, the smaller the movement cost, the larger the evaluation value may be determined. The evaluation value may be determined based on the movement cost from the space where the item is placed to the destination of transporting or transmitting the item, or based on the movement cost from the source of transporting or transmitting the item to the space where the item is placed. Also, the evaluation value may be determined based on the movement cost between multiple spaces where a plurality of items transported or transmitted simultaneously are placed. Here, the movement cost may be correlated with at least either the movement time or the movement distance.

[0030] The output unit 23 outputs the operation group generated by the controller 25 described later. Also, the output unit 23 may output the determination result generated by the controller 25 described later. Based on the output operation group, the arrangement state may be changed. Details of the "operation group" and "determination result" will be described later.

[0031] Note that the output unit 23 may be connected to a presentation unit (not shown). The information output from the output unit 23 may be presented to the user of the information processing apparatus 20 via the presentation unit. For example, the presentation unit may be a display that outputs visual information. Alternatively, the presentation unit may be a speaker that outputs auditory information, or a vibration that generates vibration. The presentation unit is not limited to the examples given here.

[0032] The operation unit 27 is an input device through which the user of the information processing apparatus 20 can perform operations. For example, the operation unit 27 is a keyboard, a mouse, a trackball, a touch panel, or the like. The operation unit 27 is not limited to the examples listed here. The operation content of the user input through the operation unit 27 is transmitted to the controller 25.

[0033] In addition, the operation unit 27 may acquire the arrangement state, the frequency of access to items, and the evaluation value of the space based on the user's operation. Further, the operation unit 27 may change the arrangement state, add or delete items, or add or delete space based on the user's operation.

[0034] The controller 25 is a general-purpose computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory, and an input / output unit. A computer program (information processing program) for functioning as the information processing apparatus 20 is installed in the controller 25. By executing the computer program, the controller 25 functions as a plurality of information processing circuits (251, 253, 255, 257, 259) provided in the information processing apparatus 20.

[0035] In the present disclosure, an example of realizing a plurality of information processing circuits (251, 253, 255, 257, 259) by software is shown. However, it is also possible to prepare dedicated hardware for executing each of the information processes shown below to configure the information processing circuits (251, 253, 255, 257, 259). Further, the plurality of information processing circuits (251, 253, 255, 257, 259) may be configured by individual hardware.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 1, the controller 25 includes, as a plurality of information processing circuits (251, 253, 255, 257, 259), an arrangement state acquisition unit 251, an operation extraction unit 253, an operation group generation unit 255, an order determination unit 257, and an output generation unit 259.

[0037] The configuration state acquisition unit 251 acquires the arrangement states of one or more items in a plurality of spaces via the input unit 21. Further, the configuration state acquisition unit 251 may acquire the access frequency to the items and the evaluation values of the spaces via the input unit 21.

[0038] The operation extraction unit 253 extracts rearrangement operations for changing the arrangement state. For example, as candidates for rearrangement operations, there is a first operation of moving one item in the arrangement state to a space where no item is arranged. Further, as candidates for rearrangement operations, there is a second operation of exchanging at least two or more items in the arrangement state.

[0039] In the second operation, the exchange of spaces is performed for two or more items. Assuming that the predetermined number is an integer of 2 or more, the types of items targeted by the second operation that is a candidate for the rearrangement operation are limited to be equal to or less than the predetermined number. Comparing with the case where the predetermined number is large, when the predetermined number is small, the calculation cost of candidate search by the operation extraction unit 253 can be suppressed.

[0040] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an operation of moving an item to an empty space. In FIG. 3, as the first operation, an example of moving the item T3 in the arrangement state ARS from the space SP3 to the space SP4 where no item is arranged is shown. As a result of applying the first operation to the arrangement state ARS, the arrangement state AR1 is obtained. In the arrangement state AR1, the item T3 is arranged in the space SP4.

[0041] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an operation of exchanging items. In FIG. 4, as the second operation, an example of exchanging the items T2 and T3 in the arrangement state ARS is shown. As a result of applying the second operation to the arrangement state ARS, the arrangement state AR2 is obtained. In the arrangement state AR2, the item T2 is arranged in the space SP3, and the item T3 is arranged in the space SP2.

[0042] For a given arrangement state, there may be one or more feasible first operations. Similarly, for a given arrangement state, there may be one or more feasible second operations. The operation extraction unit 253 generates a first operation and a second operation that are feasible for the given arrangement state, and uses them as candidates for rearrangement operations. The operation extraction unit 253 extracts a rearrangement operation from the obtained candidates.

[0043] Note that the operation extraction unit 253 may extract the first operation or the second operation as a rearrangement operation based on the frequency and the evaluation value.

[0044] For example, the operation extraction unit 253 may calculate the product of the frequency related to the item and the evaluation value related to the space where the item is arranged, and calculate the total value by summing up the calculated products over all items. Then, the operation extraction unit 253 may extract, as a rearrangement operation, the first operation or the second operation for which the change amount of the total value when the first operation or the second operation is performed is positive. That is, the operation extraction unit 253 may extract a rearrangement operation that changes the arrangement state of the items in the direction in which the total value increases.

[0045] The change amount of the total value can be calculated as follows. Hereinafter, it is assumed that there are N types of items and M spaces.

[0046] Regarding the first operation, let the frequency of the j-th (1 ≤ j ≤ N) item to be rearranged be "f" j ". Let the evaluation value of the s-th (1 ≤ s ≤ M) space where the item is arranged be "c" s ". Let the evaluation value of the t-th (1 ≤ t ≤ M) space where the item is to be moved be "c" t ". In this case, the change amount "ΔP" of the total value in the first operation is expressed as follows. ΔP = f j · c t - f j · c s = f j · (c t - c s ) ···(1)

[0047] Regarding the second operation, for the sake of simplifying the discussion, it is assumed that the exchange of two types of items is performed. Let the frequency of the j-th item (1 ≤ j ≤ N) to be rearranged be "f j ", and the frequency of the k-th item (1 ≤ k ≤ N) be "f k ". Also, let the evaluation value of the s-th space (1 ≤ s ≤ M) where the j-th item is placed be "c s ", and the evaluation value of the t-th space (1 ≤ t ≤ M) where the k-th item is placed be "c t ". In this case, the change amount "ΔQ" of the total value in the second operation is expressed as follows. ΔQ = (f j ·c t + f k ·c s ) - (f j ·c s + f k ·c t ) = f j ·(c t - c s ) + f k ·(c s - c t ) ···(2)

[0048] The operation extraction unit 253 may extract, as a rearrangement operation, one of the first operations or the second operations corresponding to the positive change amount "ΔP" or the change amount "ΔQ" among the possible combinations of the values of the subscripts j, k, s, t of the above change amounts "ΔP" or "ΔQ".

[0049] In the actual change of the arrangement state, the first operation can be carried out with less effort than the second operation. More specifically, in the first operation, it is only necessary to move from the space where the item is moved from to the space where it is moved to, but in the second operation, not only the forward movement but also the return movement is required.

[0050] Therefore, the operation extraction unit 253 may extract, as the rearrangement operation, one of the first operations corresponding to the positive change amount “ΔP” among the combinations of possible values of the subscript in the change amount “ΔP”. Thereafter, the operation extraction unit 253 may extract, as the rearrangement operation, one of the second operations corresponding to the positive change amount “ΔQ” among the combinations of possible values of the subscript in the change amount “ΔQ”.

[0051] Alternatively, the operation extraction unit 253 may extract, as the rearrangement operation, the first operation or the second operation that maximizes the change amount of the total value when the first operation or the second operation is performed.

[0052] That is, the operation extraction unit 253 may extract the rearrangement operation from among the combinations of possible values of the subscript in the above-described change amount “ΔP” or change amount “ΔQ”. At this time, the operation extraction unit 253 may extract, as the rearrangement operation, one of the first operation or the second operation corresponding to the positive and maximum change amount “ΔP” or change amount “ΔQ”.

[0053] The operation extraction unit 253 may extract, as the rearrangement operation, one of the first operations corresponding to the positive and maximum change amount “ΔP” among the combinations of possible values of the subscript in the change amount “ΔP”. Thereafter, the operation extraction unit 253 may extract, as the rearrangement operation, one of the second operations corresponding to the positive and maximum change amount “ΔQ” among the combinations of possible values of the subscript in the change amount “ΔQ”.

[0054] By sequentially applying the one or more rearrangement operations extracted as described above to the arrangement state, an updated arrangement state can be obtained. At this time, from the definition of the rearrangement operation, the total value related to the updated arrangement state is larger than the total value related to the arrangement state.

[0055] In the above description, it has been explained that the total value increases with each application of the rearrangement operation. Here, if, as a result of applying one or more rearrangement operations, the total value related to the updated arrangement state is greater than the total value related to the arrangement state, the change amount of the total value may be negative before and after the application of any one of the plurality of rearrangement operations.

[0056] For example, the operation extraction unit 253 may extract a rearrangement operation based on an objective function obtained by adding an index based on the implementation cost when performing the first operation or the second operation to the total value of the product of the frequency related to the item and the evaluation value related to the space. Here, the implementation cost when performing the operation may be calculated based on the movement cost between spaces that occurs in the operation. Thus, when extracting a rearrangement operation based on an objective function considering the implementation cost, depending on the magnitude of the implementation cost, there may be a case where a rearrangement operation with a negative change amount of the total value before and after the application of the rearrangement operation is extracted.

[0057] In this way, the operation extraction unit 253 may extract a rearrangement operation based on an objective function instead of the total value. In addition, the objective function may have a positive correlation with the total value. The operation extraction unit 253 extracts one or more rearrangement operations so that the value of the objective function related to the updated arrangement state is greater than the value of the objective function related to the arrangement state.

[0058] The operation group generation unit 255 generates an operation group consisting of one or more rearrangement operations extracted by the operation extraction unit 253.

[0059] Note that the operation group generation unit 255 may generate an operation group by arranging the rearrangement operations in the order of the identification numbers assigned to the spaces targeted by the rearrangement operations. Further, the operation group generation unit 255 may generate an operation group by arranging the rearrangement operations in descending order of the change amount of the total value or the change amount of the objective function when the rearrangement operation is applied.

[0060] Alternatively, the operation group generation unit 255 may generate an operation group by arranging rearrangement operations in the order extracted by the operation extraction unit 253.

[0061] The order determination unit 257 generates a determination result indicating whether the order of execution of one rearrangement operation included in the operation group and another rearrangement operation included in the operation group can be swapped.

[0062] More specifically, the order determination unit 257 determines whether there is a common item between the item that is the target of one rearrangement operation and the item that is the target of another rearrangement operation. If there is a common item, the result of performing another rearrangement operation after performing one rearrangement operation and the result of performing one rearrangement operation after performing another rearrangement operation may be different. Therefore, the order determination unit 257 may determine that the order of execution of one rearrangement operation and another rearrangement operation cannot be swapped when there is a common item.

[0063] Also, the order determination unit 257 determines whether there is a common space between the space that is the target of one rearrangement operation and the space that is the target of another rearrangement operation. If there is a common space, the result of performing another rearrangement operation after performing one rearrangement operation and the result of performing one rearrangement operation after performing another rearrangement operation may be different. Therefore, the order determination unit 257 may determine that the order of execution of one rearrangement operation and another rearrangement operation cannot be swapped when there is a common space.

[0064] Further, the order determination unit 257 may extract a set of rearrangement operations that cannot be swapped in order of execution with one rearrangement operation and are extracted earlier than the one rearrangement operation. Then, when the order determination unit 257 determines that the order of execution of the one rearrangement operation and another rearrangement operation cannot be swapped, it may determine that the order of execution between the rearrangement operations included in the set and the other rearrangement operation cannot be swapped.

[0065] The order determination unit 257 repeatedly performs the above-described determination process for two different rearrangement operations, and determines whether the order of execution can be swapped between the two different rearrangement operations.

[0066] The process of the order determination unit 257 will be described with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the dependency relationship during the rearrangement operation. Assume that 10 rearrangement operations MP01 to MP10 are extracted by the operation extraction unit 253. Assume that the order of extraction by the operation extraction unit 253 is in the order of rearrangement operations MP01, MP02,..., MP10.

[0067] In FIG. 5, an arrow is drawn between rearrangement operations that have a common item in the target of the rearrangement operation or a common space. For example, an arrow is drawn between rearrangement operation MP01 and rearrangement operation MP04. Therefore, it can be seen that rearrangement operation MP04 cannot be performed before rearrangement operation MP01. On the other hand, no arrow is drawn between rearrangement operation MP01 and rearrangement operation MP02. Therefore, it can be seen that the order of execution can be swapped between rearrangement operation MP01 and rearrangement operation MP02.

[0068] For example, consider whether the order of execution can be swapped between rearrangement operation MP01 and rearrangement operation MP07. Referring to FIG. 5, no arrow directly connecting between rearrangement operation MP01 and rearrangement operation MP07 is drawn. However, an arrow is drawn between rearrangement operation MP01 and rearrangement operation MP04, and an arrow is also drawn between rearrangement operation MP04 and rearrangement operation MP07. In such a case, the order determination unit 257 determines that the order of execution cannot be swapped between rearrangement operation MP01 and rearrangement operation MP07.

[0069] Since an arrow is also drawn between the rearrangement operation MP04 and the rearrangement operation MP07, the order of execution between the rearrangement operation MP04 and the rearrangement operation MP07 cannot be swapped. And the set of rearrangement operations that cannot be swapped with the rearrangement operation MP04 and are extracted earlier than the rearrangement operation MP04 includes the rearrangement operation MP01. Therefore, the order determination unit 257 can determine that the order of execution between the rearrangement operation MP01 and the rearrangement operation MP07 cannot be swapped.

[0070] As another example, consider whether the order of execution between the rearrangement operation MP05 and the rearrangement operation MP08 can be swapped. Referring to FIG. 5, no arrow directly connecting between the rearrangement operation MP05 and the rearrangement operation MP08 is drawn. Also, the set of rearrangement operations that cannot be swapped with the rearrangement operation MP08 and are extracted earlier than the rearrangement operation MP04 is "rearrangement operations MP01, MP03, MP04, MP06", but the rearrangement operation MP05 is not included in the set. Therefore, the order determination unit 257 can determine that the order of execution between the rearrangement operation MP05 and the rearrangement operation MP08 can be swapped.

[0071] The output generation unit 259 outputs the operation group via the output unit 23. For example, the output generation unit 259 may output the rearrangement operations arranged in the order of the identification numbers assigned to the spaces targeted by the rearrangement operations. Also, the output generation unit 259 may output the rearrangement operations arranged in order from the largest change amount of the total value or the change amount of the objective function when the rearrangement operation is applied. Also, the output generation unit 259 may output the rearrangement operations arranged in the order extracted by the operation extraction unit 253. The output result by the output generation unit 259 may be emphasized, sorted, or filtered based on the user operation acquired via the operation unit 27.

[0072] For example, when outputting the rearrangement operations arranged, the output generation unit 259 may format the information indicating the rearrangement operations in a table format. And the output generation unit 259 may output the formatted table.

[0073] Further, the output generation unit 259 may output a rearrangement operation by superimposing it on a chart (such as a floor layout in a warehouse, a road map in an area, a map, etc.) showing the arrangement state of items in the space. More specifically, the output generation unit 259 may acquire a map showing in which space each item is arranged. Then, the output generation unit 259 may display, by superimposing on the map, an icon identifying the item to be moved and an icon indicating the empty space that is the destination of the item. Further, the output generation unit 259 may display, by superimposing on the map, icons identifying two or more items that swap spaces with each other.

[0074] Further, the output generation unit 259 may output a determination result indicating whether or not the order of execution of one rearrangement operation included in the operation group and another rearrangement operation included in the operation group can be swapped.

[0075] For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the output generation unit 259 may output a determination result indicating whether or not the order of execution of the rearrangement operation can be swapped by a graph illustrating the dependency relationship between the rearrangement operations.

[0076] In addition, the output generation unit 259 may perform a rearrangement operation based on the operation group. More specifically, the information processing apparatus 20 may be connected to a robot or the like that executes an item arrangement operation. Then, the output generation unit 259 may transmit a control signal to the connected robot and perform a rearrangement operation included in the operation group.

[0077] [Processing Procedure of Information Processing Apparatus] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0078] In step S101, the arrangement state acquisition unit 251 acquires the arrangement states of one or more items in a plurality of spaces. Additionally, the arrangement state acquisition unit 251 may acquire the access frequency to the items and the evaluation value of the spaces.

[0079] In step S103, the operation extraction unit 253 generates candidates for rearrangement operations.

[0080] In step S105, the operation extraction unit 253 calculates the change amount of the objective function for each candidate for rearrangement operations.

[0081] In step S107, the operation extraction unit 253 extracts a rearrangement operation from among the candidates for rearrangement operations based on the change amount of the objective function.

[0082] In step S109, the operation group generation unit 255 adds the rearrangement operation extracted by the operation extraction unit 253 to the operation group.

[0083] In step S111, the order determination unit 257 determines whether the order of execution can be swapped between the newly added rearrangement operation and the rearrangement operations already included in the operation group, and generates a determination result.

[0084] In step S113, the operation extraction unit 253 determines whether the end condition is satisfied. For example, the operation extraction unit 253 may consider the case where a predetermined number of rearrangement operations are included in the operation group or the case where a rearrangement operation that increases the objective function cannot be extracted as the case where the end condition is satisfied.

[0085] If the end condition is not satisfied (NO in step S113), the process returns to step S103. On the other hand, if the end condition is satisfied (YES in step S113), in step S115, the output generation unit 259 outputs the operation group and the determination result via the output unit 23.

[0086] [Effects of the Embodiment] As described in detail above, the information processing apparatus, information processing method, and information processing program according to the present disclosure relate to a controller connected to an input unit and an output unit. Through the input unit, the arrangement state of one or more items in a plurality of spaces is acquired. The first operation is an operation of moving one item in the arrangement state to a space where no item is arranged, and the second operation is an operation of exchanging at least two or more items in the arrangement state. An operation group including one or more rearrangement operations, which are either the first operation or the second operation, is generated. Then, the operation group is output via the output unit.

[0087] Thereby, a procedure for rearranging items to appropriate spaces can be output. In particular, the rearrangement operations necessary until the items are rearranged to appropriate spaces can be specifically output. Furthermore, by performing the rearrangement operations, the arrangement state of the items in the spaces can be improved, and the efficiency during the conveyance and transmission of the items can be enhanced.

[0088] The controller may acquire the frequency of access to the items and the evaluation value of the spaces via the input unit, and extract the first operation or the second operation as a rearrangement operation based on the frequency and the evaluation value. Thereby, a rearrangement operation that can promote the improvement of the arrangement state of the items in the spaces can be specifically output.

[0089] The controller may generate an operation group in which the value of the objective function related to the updated arrangement state obtained after implementing the operation group is larger than the value of the objective function related to the arrangement state with respect to the objective function. Here, the objective function may be positively correlated with the total value over all items of the product of the frequency related to the items and the evaluation value related to the space where the items are arranged. Thereby, it can be guaranteed that the efficiency during the conveyance and transmission of the items is improved in the updated arrangement state obtained after implementing the operation group as compared with the initial arrangement state.

[0090] The controller may extract, as rearrangement operations, the first operation or the second operation for which the amount of change in the value of the objective function when the first operation or the second operation is performed is positive. Thereby, even when not all of the rearrangement operations included in the operation group are performed, the arrangement state of the items in the space can be improved only by performing some of the rearrangement operations. Therefore, even when it is not possible to perform all of the rearrangement operations included in the operation group due to restrictions on working time or on the number of workers, it is possible to surely proceed with the improvement of the arrangement state.

[0091] The controller may extract, as rearrangement operations, the first operation or the second operation that maximizes the amount of change in the value of the objective function when the first operation or the second operation is performed. Thereby, it is possible to maximize the improvement in efficiency during the conveyance and transmission of items, and it is possible to maximize the cost-effectiveness associated with the performance of the rearrangement operations.

[0092] The controller may generate a determination result indicating whether or not it is possible to change the order of execution between one rearrangement operation included in the operation group and another rearrangement operation included in the operation group, and output the determination result via the output unit. Thereby, it is possible to achieve efficiency when performing the rearrangement operations included in the operation group. In particular, it is possible to determine whether or not the rearrangement operations included in the operation group can be performed in parallel. For example, it is possible to increase the number of rearrangement operations to be performed under restrictions on working time. As a result, it is possible to more effectively proceed with the improvement of the arrangement state.

[0093] The controller may determine whether there are common items between an item to be the target of one rearrangement operation and an item to be the target of another rearrangement operation. The controller may determine whether there is a common space between a space to be the target of one rearrangement operation and a space to be the target of another rearrangement operation. And, the controller may determine that the order of execution of one rearrangement operation and another rearrangement operation cannot be swapped when at least one of the cases where there are common items and the case where there is a common space occurs. Thereby, it is possible to accurately determine whether the order of execution of the rearrangement operations can be swapped. In particular, when performing rearrangement operations included in an operation group in parallel, it is possible to avoid interference between items or spaces that are the targets of the operations.

[0094] Suppose the controller determines that the order of execution of one rearrangement operation and another rearrangement operation cannot be swapped. At this time, the controller may determine that the order of execution cannot be swapped between one rearrangement operation whose order of execution cannot be swapped with another rearrangement operation that has been extracted earlier than the one rearrangement operation and the other rearrangement operation. Thereby, it is possible to accurately determine whether the order of execution of the rearrangement operations can be swapped.

[0095] The space may be a storage location included in a warehouse or an area. Thereby, in a warehouse, an area, etc. where items are stored and managed, the efficiency of loading and unloading items can be improved.

[0096] The controller may perform a rearrangement operation based on an operation group. Thereby, it is possible to automatically maintain an arrangement state with high efficiency when transporting and transmitting items.

[0097] Each function shown in the above-described embodiment may be implemented by one or more processing circuits. The processing circuit includes a programmed processor, an electric circuit, etc., and further includes a device such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or circuit components arranged to execute the described functions.

[0098] According to the present disclosure, in warehouses, centers, etc. for storing and managing items, the efficiency of item loading and unloading is improved. As a result of the improved resource utilization efficiency, it can lead to infrastructure improvement and industrial improvement. Therefore, for example, it can contribute to Goal 9 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) led by the United Nations, "Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation."

[0099] Although some embodiments have been described, it is possible to modify or deform the embodiments based on the above disclosure. All the components of the above embodiments and all the features described in the claims may be individually extracted and combined as long as they do not conflict with each other.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0100] 20 Information processing apparatus 21 Input unit 23 Output unit 25 Controller 27 Operation unit 251 Arrangement state acquisition unit 253 Operation extraction unit 255 Operation group generation unit 257 Order determination unit 259 Output generation unit

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising an input unit, an output unit, and a controller connected to the input unit and the output unit, wherein the controller, acquires an arrangement state of one or more items in a plurality of spaces via the input unit, a first operation of moving one of the items in the arrangement state to a space where the item is not arranged, and, a second operation of exchanging at least two or more of the items in the arrangement state, generates an operation group consisting of one or more rearrangement operations, any one of which is the above, and outputs the operation group via the output unit. Information processing apparatus.

2. The controller, acquires the frequency of access to the item and the evaluation value of the space via the input unit, and extracts the first operation or the second operation as the rearrangement operation based on the frequency and the evaluation value. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The controller, with respect to an objective function having a positive correlation with the total value over all the items of the product of the frequency related to the item and the evaluation value related to the space in which the item is arranged, generates an operation group in which the value of the objective function related to the updated arrangement state obtained after performing the operation group is larger than the value of the objective function related to the arrangement state. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

4. The controller extracts the first operation or the second operation in which the change amount of the value of the objective function when the first operation or the second operation is performed is positive as the rearrangement operation. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3.

5. The controller extracts the first operation or the second operation that maximizes the change amount of the value of the objective function when the first operation or the second operation is performed as the rearrangement operation. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4.

6. The controller, generates a determination result indicating whether or not the order of execution of one rearrangement operation included in the operation group and another rearrangement operation included in the operation group can be interchanged, and outputs the determination result via the output unit. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

7. The controller, when there is a common item between the item that is the target of one rearrangement operation and the item that is the target of another rearrangement operation, and, If there is a common space between the space that is the target of one of the rearrangement operations and the space that is the target of the other rearrangement operations, in at least one of the cases, it is determined that the order of execution of one of the rearrangement operations and the other rearrangement operation cannot be swapped. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6. **Claim 8** When the controller determines that the order of execution of one of the rearrangement operations and the other rearrangement operation cannot be swapped, between the rearrangement operation whose order of execution cannot be swapped with one of the rearrangement operations and which is extracted earlier than one of the rearrangement operations, and the other rearrangement operation, it is determined that the order of execution cannot be swapped. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6. **Claim 9** The space is a storage location included in a warehouse or an area. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1. **Claim 10** The controller performs the rearrangement operation based on the operation group. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9. **Claim 11** An information processing method for controlling a controller connected to an input unit and an output unit, wherein the controller acquires the arrangement state of one or more items in a plurality of spaces via the input unit, a first operation of moving one of the items in the arrangement state to a space where the item is not arranged, and a second operation of exchanging at least two or more of the items in the arrangement state, generates an operation group consisting of one or more rearrangement operations which are any of the above, and outputs the operation group via the output unit. Information processing method. **Claim 12** An information processing program to be executed by a controller connected to an input unit and an output unit, wherein the controller acquires the arrangement state of one or more items in a plurality of spaces via the input unit; generates an operation group consisting of one or more rearrangement operations which are any of a first operation of moving one of the items in the arrangement state to a space where the item is not arranged, and a second operation of exchanging at least two or more of the items in the arrangement state; and outputs the operation group via the output unit. An information processing program for causing the above to be executed. ​

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