Information processing apparatus, 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 evaluating the propriety of a procedure when arranging a plurality of articles in a loading place.SOLUTION: An information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program use a controller connected to an input unit and an output unit. A loading plan showing the arrangement of a plurality of articles to a loading place is acquired via an input part, and an operation for removing at least one target article among the articles from the arrangement is generated by adding the order of removing the target article for each target article. The arrangement procedure of the articles is generated by arranging the operations in the reverse order of the order, and the arrangement procedure is output through an output part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for calculating the loading direction and loading location of various rectangular parallelepiped cargo so as to minimize cargo space. According to this technique, each cargo is placed in the direction that minimizes its height, and the loading direction and loading location of each cargo are calculated to minimize the cargo space by changing only the horizontal direction of the cargo. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 02-282118 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] According to the technology described in Patent Document 1, assistance is provided for loading luggage so that the gaps between items are minimized or extremely small and the overall loading space is minimized or extremely small, but there is a problem in that no particular consideration is given to the procedure for loading luggage.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program that can evaluate the feasibility of a procedure for arranging multiple items in a stowage area. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program according to the present disclosure use a controller connected to an input unit and an output unit. A stowage plan indicating the placement of multiple items at a stowage location is acquired via the input unit, and actions for removing at least one target item from the placement are generated for each target item, with an order for removing the target items assigned. An item placement procedure is generated by arranging the actions in reverse order, and the placement procedure is output via the output unit.

[0007] The controller may extract, from the items, target items that can generate an action.

[0008] The controller may output, via the output unit, information indicating that the stowage plan cannot be realized when the target items are all items and an action cannot be generated.

[0009] If the target items are all items and an action cannot be generated, the controller may generate a new stowage plan that is different from the current stowage plan.

[0010] The controller may output the new stowage plan via the output unit.

[0011] The controller may extract at least two or more interchangeable actions from among the actions, which can be executed by interchangeably changing the order of the actions, and generate a placement procedure by adding information specifying the interchangeable actions.

[0012] The controller may output information indicating that the order of the placement steps cannot be changed except for the interchangeable actions via the output unit.

[0013] The controller may generate a virtual layout after the target item is removed from the layout.

[0014] The controller may generate an action based on whether or not there is interference between the item in the tentative arrangement and the target item, and whether or not there is interference between the item in the tentative arrangement and the action.

[0015] The controller may generate an action based on an evaluation of the stability of the provisional placement.

[0016] The stowage method according to the present disclosure may be a method of stowage of items at a stowage location in a layout based on the layout procedure obtained by the information processing device described above.

[0017] The stowage robot according to the present disclosure may stow items at stowage locations based on the placement procedure obtained by the information processing device described above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program that can evaluate whether or not a procedure is appropriate when placing multiple items at a stowage location. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 10 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the information processing device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a stowage robot and a stowage plan. [Figure 4A] FIG. 1 illustrates a first example of interference. [Figure 4B] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a second example of interference. [Figure 4C] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a third example of interference. [Figure 4D] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a fourth example of interference. [Figure 5A] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a first example of a stowage procedure expressed by a directed graph. [Figure 5B]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a second example of a stowage procedure represented by a directed graph. [Figure 5C] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a third example of a stowage procedure represented by a directed graph. [Figure 6A] FIG. 5C is a diagram of a composite of the directed graphs of FIGS. 5A and 5B. [Figure 6B] FIG. 5B is a diagram of a composite of the directed graphs of FIGS. 5A and 5C. [Figure 6C] FIG. 5B is a diagram of a composite of the digraphs of FIGS. 5A to 5C. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, several exemplary embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that common parts in the drawings are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0021] [Configuration of information processing device] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The information processing device 20 includes an input unit 21, an output unit 23, and a controller 25. The information processing device 20 may also include an operation unit 27. The controller 25 is connected to the input unit 21, the output unit 23, and the operation unit 27 so as to be able to communicate with them.

[0022] In addition, the input unit 21, the output unit 23, and the operation unit 27 may be provided in the information processing device 20 itself, or may be arranged outside the information processing device 20 and connected to the information processing device 20.

[0023] The input unit 21 acquires a stowage plan that indicates the arrangement of a plurality of items at stowage locations.

[0024] Here, an "item" refers to an object that has width, depth, and height and is the target of transportation, etc. For example, an "item" may be a product, material, etc., or may be a cardboard box, container, individual product box, construction material, bag (rice bag, cement bag, etc.), or other container that stores the product, material, etc. An "item" may be anything that can be reasonably approximated as a rectangular parallelepiped. An "item" is not limited to the examples given here.

[0025] A "loading area" is an area with a predetermined size where goods can be placed. For example, a "loading area" is a place where goods are placed, such as a pallet, a basket cart, a folding container, a truck, or a construction material storage area. Alternatively, a "loading area" may be a predetermined compartment, room, warehouse, or loading platform of a vehicle, etc., where goods can be placed. A "loading area" may be a rectangular area, or may also be a circular or elliptical area. A "loading area" is not limited to the examples given here.

[0026] A "stowage plan" indicates the placement of multiple items in a stowage area, and the type of items to be placed may be one type or multiple types. More specifically, the multiple items may be made up of items of the same size, or may be made up of items of multiple different sizes.

[0027] The "stowage plan" includes information on the position and orientation of each item when it is placed at the stowage location. The position when it is placed at the stowage location includes the width, depth, and height of the item relative to a reference position fixed at the stowage location. The "stowage plan" may also include information on the weight of each item.

[0028] Additionally, the "loading plan" may include information regarding loading conditions for each item. For example, the "loading plan" may include, as information regarding loading conditions, "No stacking allowed" information that prohibits placing other items on top of an item, and "No sideways stacking allowed" information that prohibits tilting an item. Furthermore, the "loading plan" may include, as information regarding loading conditions, "No upside down" information that prohibits turning an item upside down.

[0029] The output unit 23 outputs the placement procedure generated by the controller 25, which will be described later.

[0030] The stowage method of stacking items at stowage locations based on the placement procedure may be performed by a user or a stowage robot. Furthermore, if a placement procedure cannot be generated based on the stowage plan, a new stowage plan that indicates the placement of multiple items at stowage locations and differs from the stowage plan may be generated by a predetermined algorithm.

[0031] For example, the output unit 23 may be connected to a display device (not shown) and may present an item placement procedure to a user of the information processing device 20 via the display device. The user may perform the task of stacking items at the stowage locations based on the presented placement procedure.

[0032] The output unit 23 may also be connected to a stowage robot (not shown) and output a placement procedure to the stowage robot. The stowage robot may perform the task of stacking items at stowage locations based on the placement procedure.

[0033] Here, a "stowage robot" is a robot that stacks and unloads goods at a stowage location, and is also called a palletizing robot. For example, a "stowage robot" may be used to automate logistics operations. By using a "stowage robot," the heavy labor of human resources can be reduced and limited manpower can be used efficiently by allocating them to other tasks. The use of a "stowage robot" can promote stacking patterns and automation. Furthermore, it can also lead to improved utilization of storage space and improved safety during loading and transport of goods.

[0034] There are various types of "stowage robots," such as an orthogonal type with few supports and suitable for saving space, an articulated type that moves like a human arm, and a mechanical device type with an integrated conveyor. In addition, the "stowage robot" may be a portal robot, a gantry robot, etc. The "stowage robot" that executes the corrected stowage plan output by the output unit 23 is not limited to the examples given here.

[0035] The operation unit 27 is an input device that can be operated by a user of the information processing device 20. 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 given here. The content of the user's operation input via the operation unit 27 is transmitted to the controller 25.

[0036] Additionally, the operation unit 27 may acquire a stowage plan based on a user operation. Also, the operation unit 27 may add, delete, or change information about items included in the stowage plan based on a user operation.

[0037] The controller 25 is a general-purpose computer equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory, and an input / output unit. A computer program (information processing program) for functioning as the information processing device 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) equipped in the information processing device 20.

[0038] In this disclosure, an example is shown in which multiple information processing circuits (251, 253, 255, 257, 259) are realized by software. However, it is also possible to configure the information processing circuits (251, 253, 255, 257, 259) by preparing dedicated hardware for executing each of the information processes described below. Also, the multiple information processing circuits (251, 253, 255, 257, 259) may be configured by individual hardware.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 1, the controller 25 includes a stowage plan acquisition unit 251, a target item candidate selection unit 253, an action candidate generation unit 255, a determination unit 257, and an output generation unit 259 as multiple information processing circuits (251, 253, 255, 257, 259).

[0040] In addition, in the explanation of the processing of the controller 25, expressions such as "interference of an object" and "interference of an object and an action" appear, but these only mean "interference of an object" and "interference of an object and an action" within the simulation space by the controller 25. Therefore, it should be noted that the objects do not actually physically interfere with each other, and the objects do not actually physically interfere with each other.

[0041] The stowage plan acquisition unit 251 acquires, via the input unit 21, a stowage plan that indicates the arrangement of a plurality of items at stowage locations.

[0042] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a stowage robot and a stowage plan. FIG. 3 shows the items LA to LF placed at the stowage point PT as viewed from the side. The up and down direction in FIG. 3 roughly corresponds to the vertical direction. For example, the stowage plan includes information on the positions and orientations of the items LA to LF when placing the items LA to LF at the stowage point PT. Note that the arrangement of the items related to the stowage plan shown in FIG. 3 is merely an example. The arrangement of the items related to the stowage plan acquired by the stowage plan acquisition unit 251 is not limited to the example given here.

[0043] Additionally, Fig. 3 shows a stowage robot RB. The stowage robot RB operates its robot arm to stow items LA to LF at a stowage point PT. Here, the arrangement of the items LA to LF is clear, but it is not clear in what order the items LA to LF should be stowed at the stowage point PT to achieve the arrangement of the items LA to LF according to the stowage plan.

[0044] The target item candidate selection unit 253 selects, from among the items related to the stowage plan, a target item candidate for which an action to remove the item from the state in which it is arranged is to be generated. For example, the target item candidate selection unit 253 selects, from among the items related to the stowage plan, an unselected item as one target item candidate.

[0045] Furthermore, when the selected target item candidate is removed, the target item candidate selection unit 253 may determine whether the arrangement of the other items is stable or not. Then, when it is determined that the arrangement of the other items is stable, the target item candidate selection unit 253 may determine that the target item candidate can be selected.

[0046] More specifically, the target item candidate selection unit 253 may calculate an index indicating stability based on the arrangement of other items in a state in which the target item candidate has been removed. For example, the target item candidate selection unit 253 may perform a stability analysis in which small variations are numerically applied to the arrangement of items to determine whether the small variations increase, thereby calculating an index indicating stability. Furthermore, the target item candidate selection unit 253 may determine whether the arrangement of other items is maintained without being disrupted in a state in which the target item candidate has been removed. The method of calculating the index indicating stability and the method of determining whether the arrangement is stable are not limited to the examples given here.

[0047] The action candidate generation unit 255 generates candidates for actions (action candidates) to remove the selected target item candidate from the arrangement. The action candidate generation unit 255 generates an action to remove at least one target item candidate from the arrangement of items related to the stowage plan, for each target item candidate, by assigning an order in which the target item candidate will be removed.

[0048] For example, the operation candidate generating unit 255 may refer to the motion characteristics of the stowage robot RB and generate an operation to remove the target article candidate as an operation candidate.

[0049] Alternatively, the action of removing the target item candidate may be expressed by a range through which the target item candidate passes during the action and a range through which the stowage robot RB holding the target item candidate passes. The action candidate generation unit 255 may compile these multiple ranges and extract them as a target range to be used in determining interference, which will be described later.

[0050] The passing range represents the range through which the target item candidate or the stowage robot RB passes during the operation of removing the target item candidate. Therefore, if the passing range does not include other items, it means that the operation can actually be performed without interfering with other items.

[0051] The determination unit 257 determines whether the action candidate generated by the action candidate generation unit 255 can be executed without interfering with other items. For example, the determination unit 257 generates a tentative arrangement after removing the target item candidate from the arrangement.

[0052] Then, the determination unit 257 determines whether the candidate action can be executed based on the presence or absence of interference between the item related to the temporary placement and the target item candidate, and the presence or absence of interference between the item related to the temporary placement and the action. If it is determined that interference will occur, it determines that the candidate action cannot be executed, and if it is determined that interference will not occur, it determines that the candidate action can be executed.

[0053] Here, "presence or absence of interference" can be determined based on whether or not the passing range includes an item related to temporary placement. If the passing range through which the target item candidate or the stowage robot RB passes includes an item related to temporary placement, it can be determined that interference will occur. On the other hand, if the passing range does not include an item related to temporary placement, it can be determined that no interference will occur.

[0054] If the candidate action can be performed without interfering with other items, the determination unit 257 registers the target item candidate related to the candidate action and the candidate action as the target item and action, respectively. The determination unit 257 registers the order of the actions together with the target item and action.

[0055] Through a series of processes by the target item candidate selection unit 253, the action candidate generation unit 255, and the judgment unit 257, the controller 25 extracts target items from the items related to the stowage plan for which it is possible to generate an action to remove them.

[0056] For example, according to the arrangement of the items shown in FIG. 3, it is conceivable that the stowage robot RB will remove the items in the following order: LD, LE, LA, LB, LC, and LF.

[0057] An example of the determination of "presence or absence of interference" by determination unit 257 will be described with reference to Figs. 4A to 4D. Fig. 4A is a diagram showing a first example of interference. Fig. 4B is a diagram showing a second example of interference. Fig. 4C is a diagram showing a third example of interference. Fig. 4D is a diagram showing a fourth example of interference.

[0058] For example, as shown in Fig. 4A, the operation of removing item LA before removing item LD cannot be performed because the operation of the stowage robot RB interferes with item LD, as shown in area A1. Also, as shown in Fig. 4B, the operation of removing item LF before removing item LC cannot be performed because the operation of the stowage robot RB interferes with item LC, as shown in area A2. The determination unit 257 can determine that interference will occur if the range through which the stowage robot RB passes includes items other than the candidate items to be removed.

[0059] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4C, an operation to remove item LB sandwiched between items LA and LC cannot be adopted. This is because if an attempt is made to place item LB in a state in which items LA and LC have already been placed, the bottom of item LB may interfere with the top of items LA and LC, as shown in area A3. The determination unit 257 can determine that interference will occur if the passing range through which the target item candidate passes includes items other than the target item candidate to be removed. Here, the "passing range" may be set as a range obtained by adding a predetermined margin to the range through which the target item candidate passes.

[0060] 4D, the operation of removing item LC before removing items LA and LB cannot be performed because items LC and LB will interfere with each other, as shown in area A4. The determination unit 257 can determine that interference will occur if the range through which the target item candidate passes includes items other than the target item candidate to be removed.

[0061] The output generation unit 259 generates an item placement procedure by arranging the actions in the reverse order of the removal actions, and outputs the generated placement procedure via the output unit 23. The output placement procedure may be presented to the user via a display device (not shown). The output placement procedure may also be transmitted to a stowage robot and processed by the stowage robot.

[0062] Furthermore, when it is not possible to generate an action to remove all of the items (when the target items are all of the items), the output generation unit 259 may generate information indicating that the stowage plan cannot be realized. Then, the output generation unit 259 may output the information indicating that the stowage plan cannot be realized via the output unit 23.

[0063] Additionally, when it is not possible to generate an action to remove all of the items (when the target items are all of the items), the output generation unit 259 may generate a new stowage plan that differs from the stowage plan. Then, the output generation unit 259 may output the generated new stowage plan via the output unit 23.

[0064] For example, the output generation unit 259 may generate a new stowage plan that differs from the stowage plan by performing a process of changing the positions, orientations, or placement locations of the items included in the stowage plan.

[0065] The arrangement procedure output by the output generating unit 259 will be described with reference to Figs. 5A to 5C. Fig. 5A is a diagram showing a first example of a stowage procedure expressed by a directed graph. Fig. 5B is a diagram showing a second example of a stowage procedure expressed by a directed graph. Fig. 5C is a diagram showing a third example of a stowage procedure expressed by a directed graph. Figs. 5A to 5C show a procedure in which items are stowed in order in the order of the directions of the arrows shown in the directed graph.

[0066] It is assumed that the controller 25 can extract multiple types of actions for removing all of the articles shown in FIG. 3 while avoiding the cases where interference such as those shown in FIGS. 4A to 4D occurs.

[0067] For example, in response to the operation of removing items in the order of LD, LE, LA, LB, LC, and LF, a procedure can be given in which items are stacked in the order shown in FIG. 5A.

[0068] Also, in response to the operation of removing items in the order of LE, LD, LA, LB, LC, and LF, a procedure can be given in which items are stacked in the order shown in FIG. 5B.

[0069] Furthermore, in response to the operation of removing items in the order of LD, LA, LE, LB, LC, and LF, a procedure can be given in which items are stacked in the order shown in FIG. 5C.

[0070] In this way, the output generation unit 259 generates an item placement procedure by arranging the actions in the reverse order of the removal actions.

[0071] Alternatively, the output generation unit 259 may extract at least two or more commutative actions from a series of removal actions, the order of which can be interchanged and executed. Then, the output generation unit 259 may generate an arrangement procedure by adding information specifying the commutative actions. Alternatively, the output generation unit 259 may generate information indicating that the order of the arrangement procedure cannot be interchanged, except for the commutative actions. Then, the output generation unit 259 may output information indicating that the order of the arrangement procedure cannot be interchanged via the output unit 23.

[0072] The extraction of commutative operations and the inability to change the order of placement procedures will be described with reference to Figures 6A to 6C. Figure 6A is a diagram obtained by combining the directed graphs of Figures 5A and 5B. Figure 6B is a diagram obtained by combining the directed graphs of Figures 5A and 5C. Figure 6C is a diagram obtained by combining the directed graphs of Figures 5A to 5C.

[0073] For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, when the digraphs of FIGS. 5A and 5B are combined, the edge connecting the item LD and the item LE is represented by a bidirectional arrow (see area DS1). This indicates that in the placement procedure, the operation of removing the item LD and the operation of removing the item LE can be interchanged. In this way, the output generation unit 259 may extract the operation of removing the item LD and the operation of removing the item LE as interchangeable operations based on the result of combining multiple digraphs.

[0074] 6B, when the digraphs of FIGS. 5A and 5C are combined, the edge connecting the item LA and the item LE is represented by a bidirectional arrow (see area DS2). This indicates that in the placement procedure, the operation of removing the item LA and the operation of removing the item LE can be interchanged. In this way, the output generation unit 259 may extract the operation of removing the item LA and the operation of removing the item LE as interchangeable operations based on the result of combining multiple digraphs.

[0075] Note that care must be taken when multiple combinations of commutative actions are extracted. As shown in Figure 6C, when the directed graphs of Figures 5A to 5C are combined, the edge connecting items LD and LE and the edge connecting items LA and LE are represented by arrows in both directions. In the example shown in Figure 6C, two combinations of commutative actions are extracted.

[0076] At first glance, it appears that the areas DS1 and DS2 overlap, and that the order of the operations to remove item LA, remove item LE, and remove item LD can be interchanged. However, the order of the operations to remove item LA and remove item LD cannot be interchanged. This is because, as is clear from Figure 4A, item LA cannot be removed before item LD is removed.

[0077] 6C, there is a one-way arrow PP between the item LA and the item LD. Therefore, it should be noted that the item LD cannot be placed until the item LA has been placed. Based on the presence of the one-way arrow PP, the output generation unit 259 may generate information indicating that the order of the action of removing the item LA and the action of removing the item LD cannot be changed.

[0078] In this way, the output generation unit 259 may extract the actions at both ends of a side represented by a double-headed arrow as interchangeable actions, while the output generation unit 259 may add information indicating that the order of the actions at both ends of a side represented by a single-headed arrow cannot be changed.

[0079] [Processing procedure of information processing device] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the information processing device.

[0080] In step S101, the stowage plan acquisition unit 251 acquires a stowage plan indicating the arrangement of a plurality of items at stowage locations.

[0081] In step S103, the target item candidate selection unit 253 selects, from among the items related to the stowage plan, a target item candidate for which an action to remove the item from its arranged state is to be generated.

[0082] In step S105, the target item candidate selection unit 253 determines whether or not a target item candidate has been selected.

[0083] If a target product candidate could not be selected (NO in step S105), exception processing is performed in step S901. For example, as the exception processing, the output generation unit 259 may generate information indicating that the stowage plan cannot be realized and output the information indicating that the stowage plan cannot be realized via the output unit 23.

[0084] Furthermore, as an exceptional process, the output generation unit 259 may generate a new stowage plan that is different from the stowage plan and output the generated new stowage plan via the output unit 23.

[0085] If the target item candidate can be selected (YES in step S105), in step S107, the determining unit 257 generates a tentative arrangement after removing the target item candidate from the arrangement.

[0086] In step S109, the action candidate generating unit 255 generates action candidates.

[0087] In step S111, the determination unit 257 determines whether or not interference occurs between the item in the temporary placement and the target item candidate, and whether or not interference occurs between the item in the temporary placement and an action.

[0088] If interference occurs (YES in step S111), the process returns to step S103.

[0089] On the other hand, if no interference occurs (NO in step S111), in step S113, the determining unit 257 registers the target article and the action.

[0090] In step S115, the determining unit 257 determines whether or not all the articles have been removed.

[0091] If all items have not been removed (NO in step S115), in step S117, the determination unit 257 updates the arrangement with the temporary arrangement and returns to step S103. In step S103, from among the items related to the updated arrangement, target item candidates are selected as targets for generating an action to remove the items from the state in which they are arranged.

[0092] If all the items have been removed (YES in step S115), in step S119, the output generation unit 259 arranges the actions in the reverse order of the removal actions, and generates an item placement procedure.

[0093] In step S121, the output generation unit 259 outputs the generated placement procedure via the output unit 23. Thereafter, the processing shown in FIG. 2 ends.

[0094] [Effects of the embodiment] As described above in detail, the information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program according to the present disclosure use a controller connected to an input unit and an output unit. A stowage plan indicating the placement of multiple items at a stowage location is acquired via the input unit, and actions for removing at least one target item from the placement are generated for each target item, with an order for removing the target items assigned. An item placement procedure is generated by arranging the actions in reverse order, and the placement procedure is output via the output unit.

[0095] This makes it possible to evaluate whether the procedure for arranging multiple items at a stowage location is appropriate. Also, by outputting the item placement procedure, it is possible to extract items that may cause problems during stowage. Furthermore, because the appropriateness of the placement procedure is determined before the actual stowage of items begins, it is possible to prevent the stowage work from being interrupted. As a result, the efficiency of stowage of items at a stowage location can be improved, and the efficiency of transporting items can be improved.

[0096] The controller may extract target items for which an action can be generated from the items, thereby preventing problematic stowing actions from being included in the placement procedure.

[0097] The controller may output information indicating that the stowage plan cannot be realized via the output unit when all of the target items are included and an action cannot be generated. This makes it possible to determine whether the placement procedure is feasible before the stowage of the items actually begins, thereby preventing the stowage work from being interrupted. This can also lead to an improvement of the stowage plan.

[0098] The controller may generate a new stowage plan that differs from the stowage plan when the target items are all items and an action cannot be generated. This makes it possible to generate a new stowage plan that differs from the stowage plan when the items cannot be arranged based on the input stowage plan. As a result, it is possible to reduce the possibility of interrupting the stowage work.

[0099] The controller may output the new stowage plan via the output unit. This can prevent interruptions to the stowage work. As a result, the efficiency of stowage of goods at stowage locations can be improved, and the efficiency of transporting goods can be improved.

[0100] The controller may extract at least two interchangeable actions from among the actions, which can be executed by interchangeably reordering the actions, and generate a placement procedure by adding information identifying the interchangeable actions. This allows for items related to the interchangeable actions to be placed in a different order, eliminating the need to rearrange the items in the placement order in an upstream process of the item placement process. As a result, the throughput of the entire process can be improved. Furthermore, the workspace required for rearranging the items in the placement order can be reduced.

[0101] The controller may output information indicating that the order of the arrangement procedures, excluding interchangeable operations, cannot be changed via the output unit. This reduces the possibility of erroneously changing the order of arrangement procedures that cannot be changed when arranging items. As a result, the efficiency of stowing items at stowage locations can be improved, and the efficiency of transporting items can be improved. Furthermore, the possibility of interrupting stowing operations can be reduced.

[0102] The controller may generate a tentative arrangement after removing the target item from the arrangement. This makes it possible to determine whether or not the item can be arranged based on the tentative arrangement. As a result, it is possible to determine whether or not the arrangement procedure is feasible by focusing not only on the final arrangement of the items related to the stowage plan but also on intermediate stages of the arrangement of the items. In particular, since it is possible to reliably guarantee whether or not the arrangement procedure can be executed at intermediate stages, it is possible to ensure the reliability of the arrangement procedure.

[0103] The controller may generate an action based on whether or not there is interference between the item to be temporarily placed and the target item, and whether or not there is interference between the item to be temporarily placed and an action. This makes it possible to prevent problematic stacking actions from being included in the placement procedure. In particular, the presence or absence of interference between items and between items and item placement operations is reflected in the generation of the action, ensuring the reliability of the placement procedure. A placement procedure that can be reliably generated can be generated.

[0104] The controller may generate an action based on the result of evaluating the stability of the temporary arrangement, thereby reducing the possibility of the load shifting during the intermediate stage of arrangement of the items.

[0105] The stowage method according to the present disclosure may stow items at stowage locations based on the stowage procedure obtained by the information processing device described above. This improves the efficiency of stowage of items at stowage locations. As a result, the efficiency of transporting items can be improved.

[0106] The stowage robot according to the present disclosure may be configured to stack items at a stowage location based on the placement procedure obtained by the information processing device described above. This allows for the automation of tasks such as stacking and unloading items at a stowage location. By using the "stowage robot," the heavy labor of personnel can be reduced and the limited manpower can be efficiently utilized by allocating them to other tasks. Furthermore, this can lead to improved utilization efficiency of storage space and improved safety during loading and transport of items.

[0107] Each function described in the above embodiments may be implemented by one or more processing circuits, including programmed processors, electrical circuits, and even devices such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or circuit components arranged to perform the described functions.

[0108] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to evaluate the feasibility of procedures for placing multiple items at a loading location, thereby improving the efficiency of item transportation. As a result, the labor productivity of users involved in the transportation is improved. Therefore, for example, it can contribute to Goal 8 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) led by the United Nations, "Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all."

[0109] Although several embodiments have been described, the embodiments can be modified or varied based on the above disclosure. All components of the above embodiments and all features described in the claims may be individually extracted and combined, unless they contradict each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0110] 20 Information processing equipment 21 Input section 23 Output section 25 Controller 27 Control section 251 Loading Plan Acquisition Department 253 Target Item Candidate Selection Unit 255 Action candidate generator 257 Judgment section 259 Output Generation Unit LA~LF Goods PT loading point RB Stacking Robot

Claims

1. An information processing device comprising an input unit, an output unit, and a controller, The controller acquiring, via the input unit, a stowage plan indicating the arrangement of a plurality of items relative to a stowage location; generating an action for removing at least one target item from the arrangement, for each target item, by assigning an order for removing the target items; Arranging the actions in the reverse order of the order to generate a placement procedure for the item; outputting the placement procedure via the output unit; Information processing device.

2. The controller extracting the target article capable of generating the action from the articles; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The controller When the target items are all of the items and the action cannot be generated, outputting information indicating that the stowage plan cannot be realized via the output unit. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

4. The controller If the target items are all of the items and the operation cannot be generated, generate a new stowage plan that is different from the stowage plan. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

5. The controller outputting the new stowage plan via the output unit; The information processing device according to claim 4 .

6. The controller extracting at least two or more commutative actions from the actions, the order of which can be interchanged and executed; generating the placement procedure by adding information specifying the commutative operation; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

7. The controller outputting, via the output unit, information indicating that the order of the placement procedure cannot be changed except for the commutative operation; The information processing device according to claim 6 .

8. The controller generating a virtual layout after removing the target item from the layout; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

9. The controller generating the action based on whether or not there is interference between the item related to the temporary placement and the target item, and whether or not there is interference between the item related to the temporary placement and the action; The information processing device according to claim 8 .

10. The controller generating the action based on a result of evaluating the stability of the provisional placement; The information processing device according to claim 8 .

11. A stowage method comprising: loading the items into the loading area in the arrangement based on the arrangement procedure obtained by the information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A stowage robot that stows the items at the stowage location in the arrangement based on the arrangement procedure obtained by the information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

13. An information processing method for controlling a controller connected to an input unit and an output unit, The controller acquiring, via the input unit, a stowage plan indicating the arrangement of a plurality of items relative to a stowage location; generating an action for removing at least one target item from the arrangement, for each target item, by assigning an order for removing the target items; Arranging the actions in the reverse order of the order to generate a placement procedure for the item; outputting the placement procedure via the output unit; Information processing methods.

14. An information processing program to be executed in a controller connected to an input unit and an output unit, The controller acquiring, via the input unit, a stowage plan indicating an arrangement of a plurality of items relative to a stowage location; generating, for each of the target items, an action for removing at least one target item from the arrangement, the action being assigned an order in which the target items are to be removed; arranging the actions in the reverse order to generate a placement sequence for the item; outputting the placement procedure via the output unit; An information processing program including:

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