Management system

Abstract

To provide a management system capable of alleviating cost involved in the usage of a transportation truck.SOLUTION: A management system 10 manages a plurality of warehouse facilities S each of which has a storage structure 2 including a plurality of storage parts 3a for storing a load, and a transportation truck 1 capable of moving in the storage structure 2. The management system grasps and manages the basic number of units which is the total of the number of units of the transportation trucks 1 necessary at the time of general operation of each warehouse facility S, and the preliminary number of units which is the total of the number of units of the transportation trucks 1 additionally necessary at the time of an operation situation that surpasses the general operation time of each warehouse facility S, and with respect to the warehouse facility S which is in the operation situation surpassing the general operation time, distributes the necessary number of units of transportation trucks 1 from the preliminary number of units.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a management system for managing a warehouse facility that includes a storage structure and a transport vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] To improve the efficiency of cargo loading and unloading operations, there is a warehouse facility that has a storage structure with multiple loading areas on the top, bottom, left, and right sides where cargo can be stored, and a self-propelled transport vehicle that can move in front of each of these loading areas and transfer cargo between the loading areas is mounted on the storage structure. For example, in a warehouse facility such as that described in Patent Document 1, the transport vehicle is equipped with an elevator that can move up and down between the upper and lower floors of the storage structure, and a horizontal traveling means. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2023-544104 (Page 6, Figure 3B) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In this way, multiple transport vehicles are mounted in the storage structure, and each travels or moves up and down independently, so that by mounting a sufficient number of transport vehicles, the efficiency of the work of loading and unloading goods can be improved. However, because transport vehicles are highly functional, the cost of using one vehicle tends to be high, and there has been a problem in that it is expensive to prepare the number of vehicles necessary to improve the efficiency of the work of loading and unloading goods.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has as its object to provide a management system that can reduce the costs associated with using transport vehicles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the management system of the present invention comprises: A management system for managing a plurality of warehouse facilities each having a storage structure with a plurality of storage sections for storing cargo and a transport vehicle that can move in the storage structure, The basic number of transport vehicles, which is the total number of transport vehicles required during normal operation of each warehouse facility, and the spare number of transport vehicles, which is the total number of transport vehicles additionally required when the operation status of each warehouse facility exceeds the normal operation status, are grasped and managed, The system is characterized in that the required number of transport vehicles are allocated from the reserve number to warehouse facilities that are operating at a rate exceeding normal operation. According to this feature, when there is a temporary demand, such as during a busy period, at one of the multiple warehouse facilities, the required number of guided vehicles is allocated from the reserve number, and the number of vehicles required to carry out warehousing and unloading operations with high work efficiency is secured, so that the warehouse facility can be operated with the number of guided vehicles required for normal operation during normal times.As a result, the operators (owners) of each warehouse facility can reduce the costs associated with using guided vehicles.In addition, the suppliers of guided vehicles (owners of spare guided vehicles, for example, rental companies) can reduce the number of guided vehicles they own because the spare number of guided vehicles is shared among multiple warehouse facilities.

[0007] The number of spare vehicles is a number obtained by subtracting the basic number of vehicles from the maximum total number of transport vehicles that are required simultaneously in each warehouse facility within a predetermined period. According to this feature, the supplier of the transport vehicle only needs to hold the minimum number of spare transport vehicles necessary, thereby reducing the cost of holding spare transport vehicles.

[0008] The number of transport vehicles required for normal operation of the warehouse facility and the number of transport vehicles additionally required when the operation status of the warehouse facility exceeds the normal operation status are managed separately for each warehouse facility. According to this feature, the number of transport vehicles required for normal operation and the number of additional transport vehicles required for each warehouse facility can be monitored, and adjustments can be made as necessary.

[0009] The basic number is a total number of vehicles obtained by subtracting a predetermined percentage of the maximum number of transport vehicles temporarily required in all of the warehouse facilities. According to this feature, the basic number of units can be set according to the scale of each warehouse facility. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a storage structure and a transport vehicle of a warehouse facility according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is an image diagram conceptually illustrating the rental business of spare transport vehicles. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is an image diagram conceptually showing the configuration of a management system. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a management table used in the management system. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is an image diagram showing a business model in which spare transport vehicles are shared between warehouse facilities. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A mode for carrying out a management system according to the present invention will be described below based on an embodiment. [Example]

[0012] A management system according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, the warehouse facility S managed by the management system comprises a storage structure 2 fixed to the floor and erected, and a transport vehicle 1 capable of autonomous travel and autonomous operation for moving cargo within the storage structure 2.

[0014] The storage structure 2 is composed of multiple connected shelf rows 3 assembled with metal frames. Each shelf row 3 has multiple placement sections (storage sections) 3a on which loads are placed, arranged vertically and horizontally in multiple stages.

[0015] A dedicated pallet or a box having a bottom shape identical to the outer shape of the pallet is placed on the loading section 3a of the storage structure 2. In this embodiment, the box is a container that is open at the top and can store and take out items, but the box is not limited to a container. In this embodiment, the box B that stores these items will be described as a "load."

[0016] Furthermore, between adjacent shelf rows 3, there are laid running rails 4 along which the transport vehicle 1 travels. These running rails 4 are installed approximately parallel to the direction in which the placement sections 3a of each stage are arranged in the vertical direction. The placement sections 3a are open toward the running rails 4.

[0017] The storage structure 2 further includes an elevator 8 for moving the transporting vehicle 1 up and down when transferring the transporting vehicle 1 onto the traveling rail 4 at a predetermined stage.

[0018] The warehouse facility S also includes a counter unit 5 that, in response to an instruction to store or retrieve an item, moves a box B containing the item into or out of the storage structure 2. The counter unit 5 is installed on a wall W that surrounds the storage structure 2 of the warehouse facility S, and is disposed with a lifting device 8 between it and the shelf rows 3 and the traveling rails 4.

[0019] The counter section 5 is equipped with a workbench 5a, on which is installed a computer P1, which is an information terminal corresponding to the warehouse facility S and the storage structure 2. The workbench 5a also has an entrance 5b that communicates with the space below the workbench 5a. Although not shown here, a transfer device is installed between the lifting platform 8a of the lifting device 8 and the counter section 5, and the transfer device extends to the space below the workbench 5a.

[0020] The transfer device can transfer the box body B between the lifting platform 8a of the lifting device 8 and the space below the workbench 5a. This allows users of the warehouse facility S to access the inside of the box body B, i.e., to take items in and out, through the entrance / exit 5b that communicates with the space below the workbench 5a.

[0021] Next, we will explain the transport vehicle 1. The transport vehicle 1 is equipped with a plurality of wheels 6 for traveling on the traveling rails 4, at least two of which are drive wheels. The transport vehicle 1 also has a pair of left and right arm mechanisms 7 above the vehicle body 1a equipped with the wheels 6.

[0022] The main body 1a of the transport cart 1 is equipped with an electric motor that drives the drive wheels (wheels 6), a drive means that drives the arm mechanism 7, an MPU that is a computing device, a wireless LAN transceiver that is a communication unit, a battery that serves as a power supply, and the like, all of which are not shown in the figure.

[0023] The arm mechanism 7 can be advanced and retreated horizontally and to the left or right from the vehicle body 1a by an electric drive means (not shown). The arm mechanism 7 also has a pair of arms that can be moved slightly closer to or farther apart in the front-to-rear direction by an electric drive means (not shown). Therefore, when removing a box B from the mounting section 3a of the storage structure 2, the arm mechanism 7 is advanced toward the mounting section 3a, the box B stored in the mounting section 3a is sandwiched between the arm mechanism 7, and the arm mechanism 7 with the box B sandwiched between them is then retracted, thereby recovering the box B on the vehicle body 1a. Conversely, when storing a box B in the mounting section 3a of the storage structure 2, the arm mechanism 7 with the box B sandwiched between them is advanced toward the mounting section 3a, and the box B is released from within the mounting section 3a.

[0024] The computer P1 installed in the counter section 5 of the storage structure 2 is capable of receiving instruction information for the storage and retrieval of goods, and in response to this instruction information, issues operating instructions to all transport carts 1 and lifting devices 8 mounted on the storage structure 2 to achieve optimal work efficiency.

[0025] The computer P1 communicates with all transport vehicles 1 mounted on the storage structures 2 in the warehouse facility S in which the computer P1 is installed, and is able to identify each of them and grasp their current location information within each storage structure 2.

[0026] The computer P1 also stores item identification information assigned to each item, item name information of the item corresponding to the item identification information, and box identification information assigned to the box B, and the box identification information is stored in association with the item identification information of the item contained in the box B. The computer P1 also stores the box identification information in association with position information of the placement section 3a on which the box B is placed. Note that this information may be managed by a computer different from the computer P1 that issues operation instructions to the transport vehicle 1 and the lifting device 8.

[0027] When the computer P1 receives the instruction information for retrieval, it determines which box B contains the item corresponding to the item name information based on the item name information of the item that is the subject of the instruction information. Then, it selects the box B and transport vehicle 1 that can most efficiently retrieve the item corresponding to the item name information. The conditions for most efficiently retrieving the item include, for example, a combination of information such as the transport vehicle 1 that is closest to the counter unit 5, the number of items contained in the box B, and whether the item is frequently retrieved.

[0028] The computer P1 associates the box identification information of the selected box B and the vehicle identification information of the selected transport vehicle 1 with the identification information of the retrieval instruction information, and transmits a retrieval operation instruction to the transport vehicle 1. Upon receiving the retrieval operation instruction, the transport vehicle 1 operates autonomously as appropriate to operate the wheels 6 and arm mechanism 7, and performs the retrieval operation.

[0029] Specifically, the selected transport vehicle 1 moves to the front of the placement unit 3a on which the box B selected using the position information of the placement unit 3a is placed. Then, the transport vehicle 1 advances the arm mechanism 7 toward the placement unit 3a, grips the box B stored on the placement unit 3a, and retrieves the box B onto the vehicle body 1a.

[0030] If the travelling rail 4 is at the second or higher level from the bottom, the transporting vehicle 1 that has collected the box body B moves to the lifting device 8 and gets on the lifting platform 8a. The transporting vehicle 1 is lowered to the lowest level on the lifting platform 8a of the lifting device 8, and at this lowest level, the arm mechanism 7 is used to transfer the box body B to the aforementioned transfer device. Note that if the transporting vehicle 1 that has collected the box body B is on the lowest travelling rail 4, the lowering operation of the lifting platform 8a of the lifting device 8 is omitted.

[0031] The transfer device transports the box B to the space below the workbench 5a of the counter section 5. A user of the warehouse facility S retrieves (takes out) the item stored in the box B that is the subject of the retrieval instruction information from the entrance / exit 5b of the counter section 5.

[0032] The user operates computer P1 to complete the process of retrieval. Once the completion process is complete, box B is stored on the loading section 3a of the storage structure 2 using the transfer device, lifting device 8, and transport cart 1. Once the retrieval process is complete, computer P1 also cancels the correspondence between the information on the item in question and the box identification information of the corresponding box B. When only some of the items are removed from box B, computer P1 rewrites the data to reflect the correspondence between the information on the remaining items and the box identification information of the corresponding box B.

[0033] Conversely, when receiving storage instruction information, the computer P1 selects the box B and transport vehicle 1 that can be stored most efficiently, and uses the position information of the placement section 3a to move the selected transport vehicle 1 to the front of the placement section 3a on which the selected box B is placed. The transport vehicle 1 then advances the arm mechanism 7 toward the placement section 3a, grips the box B stored in the placement section 3a, and retrieves it above the vehicle body 1a. The retrieved box B is then transported by a transfer device to the space below the workbench 5a of the counter section 5.

[0034] A user of the warehouse facility S stores (stores) the item that is the subject of the storage instruction information inside the box B through the entrance / exit 5b of the counter section 5. The user operates the computer P1 to complete the storage process. Once the completion process is complete, the box B positioned in the space below the workbench 5a is stored on the loading section 3a of the storage structure 2 using the transfer device, the lifting device 8, and the transport cart 1. Once the storage completion process is complete, the computer P1 also associates the information about the item in the data with the box identification information of the stored box B.

[0035] In this embodiment, the customer who is the operator (owner) of the warehouse facility S owns the storage structure 2, and borrows the transport vehicle 1 from a rental company (supplier) for use. In other words, the rental company operates a rental business in which it appropriately lends out the transport vehicle 1 it owns to multiple warehouse facilities S. The storage structure 2 may also be delivered to the customer by the rental company that rents out the transport vehicle, and comprehensive maintenance management may be performed by this rental company.

[0036] As shown in Figure 2, the rental business manages the number of rental transport vehicles 1 for multiple customer properties, i.e., warehouse facilities S. The rental business enters into a fixed-term contract to rent the required number of transport vehicles 1 for a specified period to the warehouse facilities S during normal operation, and also enters into a spot contract to rent an additional required number of transport vehicles 1 only for a required period, such as when operation exceeds normal operation.

[0037] Therefore, during busy periods, the storage structure 2 of the warehouse facility S is loaded with a mixture of transport vehicles 1 under fixed-term contracts and transport vehicles 1 additionally rented under spot contracts. Hereinafter, the transport vehicles under fixed-term contracts will be referred to as "basic transport vehicles," and the transport vehicles additionally rented under spot contracts will be referred to as "spare transport vehicles."

[0038] As shown in Figure 3, the management system 10 used to manage the transport carts 1 rented out by the rental company is composed of a computer P1 installed in correspondence with the storage structure 2, a computer P2 which is an information terminal installed within the rental company's premises, a cloud server P3, and a portable communication terminal P4 which can be connected to the cloud server P3.

[0039] The computer P2 installed in the rental company's premises is equipped with a communication function that allows connection to a network, a display as a display means, and a keyboard, mouse, etc. as input means.

[0040] The rental company uses this computer P2 to manage the number of spare transport vehicles rented under spot contracts, i.e., the number of spare vehicles, for each warehouse facility S. In more detail, it uses a management table 11 (see Figure 4) that is displayed on the display of the computer P2 and can be entered using a keyboard or the like.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 4, the management table 11 has an input area 12 with various input fields. More specifically, the input area 12 has an input field 13 for the property name, which is a name that distinguishes the warehouse facility S, an input field 27 for the number of basic transport vehicles to be rented for the warehouse facility S, an input field 11a for the start date of the rental of a spare transport vehicle, an input field 14b for the return date, and an input field 15 for the number of spare transport vehicles to be rented for the warehouse facility S, each of which can be used to input any value. Next to the input area 12 is a calendar display area 16 in which dates are lined up. In the calendar display area 16, the values entered in the input field 15 for the number of vehicles to be rented are displayed in positions corresponding to the dates from the rental start date to the return date.

[0042] The contents of the management table 11 are uploaded to the cloud server P3 at a predetermined time, and the latest version can always be viewed on a portable communication terminal P4 carried by an employee of the rental company connected to the cloud server P3 via the Internet.

[0043] The input area 12 also has an owned number input field 17, in which the total number of spare transport vehicles currently owned by the rental company, i.e., the number of spare transport vehicles, can be input. Also, below the owned number input field 17, there is an additional input field 18 in which the planned number of additional spare transport vehicles to be purchased and the planned date can be input.

[0044] The calendar display area 16 next to the owned vehicle number input field 17 is provided with an owned vehicle number display 19 that displays the number of owned vehicles as of the corresponding date based on the values entered in the owned vehicle number input field 17 and the additional input field 18. A display field 20 next to the owned vehicle number input field 17 displays the maximum number of owned vehicles for a predetermined period (here, one year from January 1st to December 31st).

[0045] To use the management table 11, the rental business operator confirms that a value has been entered in the owned vehicle number input field 17 (input field for the number of spare vehicles), and then enters values into the input field 15 for the number of spare transport vehicles to be rented, the input field 11a for the rental start date, and the input field 14b for the return date based on the rental plan for the warehouse facility S. These entered values are displayed as the number of spare transport vehicles to be rented for the warehouse facility S on the dates from the rental start date to the return date in the calendar display area 16. Note that the input into the input field 11a and the input field 14b for the return date may be made by having computer P2 receive data entered into computer P1 and input the values based on the received data.

[0046] Below the calendar display area 16, there is provided a total loaned number display 21 that displays the total number of loaned spare transport vehicles for all warehouse facilities S on a daily basis. By comparing the total loaned number display 21 with the owned number display 19, the rental business operator can determine whether the total loaned number will not exceed the number of spare vehicles, in other words, whether the rental plan can be carried out without any problems. In addition, below the total loaned number display 21, the calendar display area 16 of the management table 11 is provided with a remaining vehicle display 22 that displays the remaining number of spare transport vehicles that can be loaned, and a remaining vehicle rate display 23 that shows the ratio of the remaining number of vehicles that can be loaned per the number of spare vehicles.

[0047] The rental company manages the total number of basic transport vehicles (input field 27) required for the general operation of all warehouse facilities S for which fixed-term rental contracts have been concluded for a specified period as the basic number (see reference numeral 28 in Figure 4). This basic number is the total number of transport vehicles 1 required for each warehouse facility S during its peak period minus a specified percentage of the number of vehicles. For example, the number can be set by subtracting 20% of the maximum number of transport vehicles 1. If 10 transport vehicles 1 are required for maximum efficiency in loading and unloading during the peak period, a fixed-term contract for a specified period (e.g., three years) would require eight basic transport vehicles. However, this is not limited to this, and different ratios may be set for each warehouse facility S depending on its size and operating status. For example, the ratio can be agreed upon with the operator of the warehouse facility S to which the transport vehicle is rented when the fixed-term contract is concluded. This ratio can also be changed based on the operating performance of the rental facility in the previous year.

[0048] For example, a user of the warehouse facility S can reduce the number of transport vehicles 1 required for loading and unloading during periods other than peak seasons, in other words, during normal operation when the utilization rate of the warehouse facility is not at its highest (relatively low periods compared to peak seasons). Therefore, by limiting the number of basic transport vehicles rented under a yearly fixed-term contract to the number required during the relatively low periods, and renting spare transport vehicles under spot contracts during peak seasons, the cost burden for operating the warehouse facility S throughout the year can be reduced.

[0049] For more details, let us assume that only warehouse facility E, G, and I have contracts for the rental of AGVs. As shown in Figure 5, warehouse facility I has three basic AGVs that need to be rented under fixed-term contracts for general operation, and three spare AGVs that need to be rented additionally under spot contracts for busy periods. Warehouse facility G has five basic AGVs that need to be rented under fixed-term contracts for general operation, and five spare AGVs that need to be rented additionally under spot contracts for busy periods. Warehouse facility E has four basic AGVs that need to be rented under fixed-term contracts for general operation, and eight spare AGVs that need to be rented additionally under spot contracts for busy periods. In this case, it is assumed that the busy periods of warehouse facility I and warehouse facility G overlap for part or all of the period, and the busy periods of warehouse facility E do not overlap with the busy periods of warehouse facility I and warehouse facility G.

[0050] According to this, for spare transport vehicles required at warehouse facility I and warehouse facility G during busy periods, eight spare transport vehicles that have become unnecessary and been returned at warehouse facility E, which is in general operation at that time, can be used. In other words, for spare transport vehicles required at warehouse facility E during busy periods, eight spare transport vehicles that have become unnecessary and been returned at warehouse facility I and warehouse facility G, which are in general operation at that time, can be used. In this way, the rental company can adjust the number of spare transport vehicles it possesses, i.e., the number of spare vehicles, to a minimum by having each warehouse facility share the spare transport vehicles it lends out.

[0051] In other words, the rental business can reduce the procurement and maintenance costs of transport vehicles by simply purchasing or manufacturing the minimum number of spare transport vehicles required for rental to multiple warehouse facilities while comparing the total number of spare transport vehicles displayed as 21 for rental with the number of vehicles in possession displayed as 19 using management table 11. Also, by reusing the spare transport vehicles to be rented out on a periodic basis, spare transport vehicles that are not rented out within a one-year cycle can be efficiently maintained.

[0052] The management table 11 also has a shortage occurrence prediction display 24 that displays the date when the number of spare transport vehicles to be rented out is predicted to exceed the number of vehicles in stock (number of spare vehicles), that is, the date when there will be a shortage of spare transport vehicles and the number of vehicles that will be in short supply. In detail, based on the values entered in the input area 12, such as the rental start date, return date, and number of vehicles to be rented out for warehouse equipment, as well as the values entered in the input field for the number of vehicles in stock and the input field for entering the planned number and date of additional purchase of spare transport vehicles, the date when there will be a shortage of spare transport vehicles and the number of vehicles that will be in short supply are calculated and displayed on the shortage occurrence prediction display 24.

[0053] Next to the shortage occurrence prediction display 24, there is a display 25 showing the minimum remaining rate, and the highlighting of the display 25 changes when the remaining rate reaches a certain level. For example, if the remaining rate is less than 10%, it is highlighted in red, thereby emphasizing and calling attention to the fact that there will be a shortage of spare transport vehicles in the future.

[0054] The management table 11 can calculate the utilization rate of the spare number of vehicles. The utilization rate is an index that indicates the extent to which spare transport vehicles in stock can be lent out throughout the specified calculation period. In detail, the average ratio of the number of lent vehicles to the number of spare vehicles during the specified calculation period is displayed in the utilization rate display 26.

[0055] The number of spare vehicles is the maximum number of transport vehicles 1 required at the same time in all warehouse facilities S within a specified period minus the basic number. For example, if the number of transport vehicles 1 required for maximum efficiency in loading and unloading during busy periods is 10, and a fixed-term contract is signed for 8 basic transport vehicles, then two spare transport vehicles will be required. Therefore, the transport vehicle supplier will adjust the number of spare transport vehicles, keeping in mind that the warehouse facility S will need to prepare two spare transport vehicles during busy periods.

[0056] In this way, the rental company of the transport vehicle 1 uses the management system to grasp and manage the basic number, which is the total number of transport vehicles 1 required for each warehouse facility S during normal operation, and the spare number, which is the total number of transport vehicles 1 required when each warehouse facility S is operating beyond normal operation.The rental company allocates the required number of transport vehicles 1 from the spare number to each warehouse facility S that is operating beyond normal operation.In this way, the required number of spare transport vehicles is allocated from the spare number to meet temporary demand, such as during busy periods in the warehouse facility S, ensuring the number of vehicles required to carry out goods in and out with high work efficiency.Under normal circumstances, the warehouse facility S can be operated with the minimum number of transport vehicles 1 required for normal operation.As a result, the operator (owner) of the warehouse facility S can reduce the costs of using the transport vehicles 1 throughout the year.In addition, because the spare transport vehicles in the spare number are shared by multiple warehouse facilities S, the supplier of spare transport vehicles can also reduce the number of vehicles (reserves) they need to possess.

[0057] By checking the management table 11, the rental business of the transport vehicle 1 can manage the total number of transport vehicles 1 required for normal operation of the warehouse facility S and the total number of transport vehicles 1 additionally required when the operation status of the warehouse facility S exceeds the normal operation separately for each warehouse facility S. In this way, the number of basic transport vehicles required for normal operation and the number of spare transport vehicles additionally required can be monitored for each warehouse facility S, and adjustments can be made as necessary.

[0058] In addition, the computer P1 on the storage structure 2 side sequentially stores the operating status of each transport vehicle 1 and lifting device 8, and the computer P1 can share the stored operating status with any node, such as computer P2, via the Internet.

[0059] The transport vehicles 1 to be loaded into the storage structure 2 must be registered under the control of the computer P1 on the storage structure 2 side. Since the operating status of each transport vehicle 1 is stored in the operating status described above, when the registration of a transport vehicle 1 is completed, the information indicating the number of transport vehicles 1 registered under its control is updated. In this way, the computer P1 can control the main transport vehicles and spare transport vehicles registered under its control in cooperation with each other. Conversely, when the number of loaded spare transport vehicles is reduced, the registration under its control can be cancelled, thereby controlling the number of main transport vehicles or the main transport vehicles and spare transport vehicles that are loaded and registered under its control.

[0060] For example, when a basic transport vehicle is already loaded in the storage structure 2 and a spare transport vehicle is to be loaded, the spare transport vehicle is additionally registered by operating the computer P1 on the storage structure 2 side. Once the registration of the spare transport vehicle is complete, the information indicating the total number of transport vehicles 1 registered under the management of the warehouse facility S that has the storage structure 2 in question is updated.

[0061] A computer P2 installed inside the rental company or elsewhere can download the operation status stored in the computer P1 located on the storage structure 2 side of each warehouse facility S via the Internet. Therefore, when the operation status downloaded by the rental company's computer P2 is checked before and after the backup transport vehicle is added, the information indicating the total number of backup transport vehicles registered under its management is updated and changed. Therefore, the computer P2 can confirm the number of backup transport vehicles added by comparing the operation status before and after the addition without distinguishing between backup transport vehicles and primary transport vehicles. Then, by comparing the number of backup transport vehicles added and the date and time of addition confirmed from the operation status with the number of backup transport vehicles rented out displayed on the calendar display area 16 of the management table 11 for the dates from the start date of rental to the return date, it is possible to accurately confirm that the rental delivery has been completed.

[0062] Although not shown here, the storage structure 2 is provided with a transfer unit for loading and unloading the transport vehicle 1 between the outside of the storage structure 2, and the transport vehicle 1 is capable of autonomously traveling to this transfer unit. Therefore, when adding or removing a spare transport vehicle, it is sufficient to simply load or unload the spare transport vehicle to or from the transfer unit, making this operation easy.

[0063] This transfer section is a place where the transporting carts 1 are loaded and unloaded, and is located in a different location from the goods entrance / exit 5b provided on the work table 5a of the counter section 5. Therefore, the work of adding and removing the spare transporting carts does not interfere with the work of loading and unloading goods.

[0064] Furthermore, the rental company's computer P2 uploads the latest content management table 11 to the cloud server P3 based on whether a predetermined interval of time has elapsed and / or whether the content has been edited. The management table 11 uploaded to the cloud server P3 can be viewed via the Internet on a portable communication terminal P4 carried by an employee of the rental company. This allows employees to check the real-time status of the number of spare units, which is useful for negotiating rental contracts, etc.

[0065] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention also includes modifications and additions that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

[0066] For example, in the above embodiment, the storage structure 2 has multiple vertically arranged and horizontally arranged storage sections 3a on which boxes containing cargo are placed, and is equipped with an elevator 8 for raising and lowering the transport vehicle 1. However, this is not limited to this configuration. For example, the boxes may be placed on the floor, with multiple boxes stacked vertically, and the storage structure may have openings arranged in a grid pattern above the boxes. The transport vehicle may be movable directly above these openings and travel along the top of the storage structure in the front, back, left, and right directions. Each transport vehicle may be equipped with a winch or the like that can be inserted into the openings to lift and lower the boxes. When such a configuration is adopted, the computer P1 will recognize that multiple storage sections are arranged vertically on the floor below each opening and in the vertical space between the floor and the opening. In this case, it is preferable to omit the elevator that raises and lowers the transport vehicle and instead provide an elevator that lifts and transports boxes between the counter and the storage structure.

[0067] Furthermore, the computer P2 installed on the rental business side may download the operating status of the computer P1 installed in the storage structure 2, and based on this operating status, refer to the information indicating the number of transport carts 1 registered under its management, and output a message indicating whether or not the rental delivery has been completed in the management table 11, for example, in the corresponding location in the input field 13 for the property name that distinguishes the warehouse equipment S.

[0068] In addition, the management table 11 may display a URL or link for downloading the operating status of the computer P1 installed in the storage structure 2 in a location corresponding to the input field 13 for the property name that distinguishes the warehouse equipment S. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 1 Transport cart 2 Storage Structure 3 rows of shelves 3a Placement section 4 Running rail 1a Body 5 Counter section 5a workbench 5b Entrance / exit 7 Arm mechanism 8 Lifting device 10 Management System 11 Management table 12 Input area 16 Calendar display area 17 Number of vehicles owned 19 Display of number of vehicles owned 21 Total number of rental units B box body P1 Storage structure computer P2 Rental company computer P3 Cloud Server P4 communication terminal S Warehouse equipment W wall

Claims

1. A management system for managing a plurality of warehouse facilities each having a storage structure with a plurality of storage sections for storing cargo and a transport vehicle that can move in the storage structure, The basic number of transport vehicles, which is the total number of transport vehicles required during normal operation of each warehouse facility, and the spare number of transport vehicles, which is the total number of transport vehicles additionally required when the operation status of each warehouse facility exceeds the normal operation status, are grasped and managed, A management system characterized by allocating the required number of transport vehicles from the reserve number to warehouse facilities that are operating in a state exceeding normal operation.

2. 2. The management system according to claim 1, wherein the number of spare vehicles is a number obtained by subtracting the basic number of vehicles from the maximum total number of transport vehicles required at each warehouse facility simultaneously within a predetermined period.

3. 3. The management system according to claim 1, wherein the number of transport vehicles required during normal operation of the warehouse facility and the number of additional transport vehicles required when the warehouse facility is in an operating state exceeding the normal operation are managed separately for each warehouse facility.

4. 2. The management system according to claim 1, wherein the basic number is a total number obtained by subtracting a predetermined percentage of the maximum number of transport vehicles temporarily required in all of the warehouse facilities.

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