Vehicle dispatch planning device, program, and vehicle dispatch planning method

Abstract

A vehicle dispatch planning device, program, and vehicle dispatch planning method are provided that can equalize the workload on each transport vehicle with simple implementation and minimal computation. [Solution] The vehicle dispatch plan creation device (11) comprises an input unit (11a), a workload calculation unit (11b), a product yard allocation vehicle count calculation unit (11c), and a vehicle allocation unit (11e). When the number of available transport vehicles during the target time period is less than the number of product yards to which transport vehicles will be allocated, the product yard allocation vehicle count calculation unit sets a combination of multiple product yards to which one common transport vehicle will be allocated as a common vehicle allocation yard, in order of the lowest work time ratio. The vehicle allocation unit selects a combination of multiple common vehicle allocation yards to which one common transport vehicle will be allocated, based on the work time ratio of the common vehicle allocation yard and a leveling threshold which is a standard value for the workload per transport vehicle.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This disclosure relates to a vehicle dispatch planning device, program, and vehicle dispatch planning method. In particular, this disclosure relates to a vehicle dispatch planning device, program, and vehicle dispatch planning method for transport vehicles that transport products manufactured in a factory to a warehouse building. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, in manufacturing, products produced in a factory are first stored in the product yard within the factory. Then, the products are loaded onto transport vehicles and moved into the warehouse building. Once inside the warehouse building, the products are stored there until they are shipped. Both the product yard and the warehouse building are often equipped with overhead cranes for handling goods during loading and unloading, and the area within each facility where these overhead cranes can operate is limited.

[0003] When transporting products from the factory's product yard to the warehouse, the products are loaded onto transport vehicles. Most transport vehicles used for product transport are designed to store product-loaded carts inside the vehicle. This design allows the towing unit to move for other transport tasks while products are being loaded and unloaded in the product yard and warehouse. Furthermore, there are multiple types of carts depending on the specifications of the products being loaded. If a single transport vehicle uses different types of carts for different transport tasks, it may be necessary to repeatedly switch between carts during the transport process, resulting in extra work time.

[0004] Therefore, the type of trolley used is often predetermined for each product yard at the factory from which products are shipped. By assigning one transport vehicle to handle the transport work for one product yard, the types of trolleys used become less likely to be unevenly distributed, the transport vehicle routes are simplified, and a more efficient transport plan is created. However, generally, the number of product yards at a factory from which products are shipped is greater than the number of transport vehicles used to transport products. Therefore, it becomes necessary to assign one transport vehicle to handle the transport work for multiple product yards.

[0005] When assigning multiple transport tasks to multiple transport vehicles, if a disproportionately large number of tasks are assigned to only one vehicle, that vehicle will experience delays in its completion time. This increases the likelihood of delays in the overall progress of the transport operations. Therefore, when assigning transport tasks to multiple product yards to each transport vehicle, it is desirable to create a plan that equalizes the workload of each vehicle to prevent an uneven distribution of the load.

[0006] In light of the above reasons, in order to create a vehicle dispatch plan that equalizes the workload of transportation tasks, it is necessary to calculate the workload of each transportation task from, for example, the product transportation plan. Traditionally, in the creation of vehicle dispatch plans, such calculations have been estimated by people based on their experience, and decisions regarding vehicle assignments have been made based on that estimation.

[0007] In recent years, technologies have been proposed to reduce the workload of manual labor by having computers perform planning. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for creating a transport plan after determining the acceptable range of work delays caused by waiting times for transport vehicles at logistics bases and round-trip travel time between logistics bases using predetermined thresholds. Patent Document 2 discloses a technology for automatically creating a plan so that the efficiency evaluation value is small. The efficiency evaluation value is obtained by adding together the value obtained by multiplying the travel efficiency parameter by the sum of the travel times of each vehicle and the value obtained by multiplying the unloading efficiency parameter by the sum of the unloading times at each visited point for each vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-6316 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-93997 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] Currently, the task of creating dispatch plans for product transportation is performed manually 24 hours a day. When creating these dispatch plans, it is necessary to consider the constraints and workload of each piece of equipment. However, when the number of target facilities—transport vehicles, product yards, and product warehouses at each factory—is large, and the volume of transportation work is high, it is difficult to estimate the constraints and workload of all the equipment. Therefore, there was a need for technology that could automatically create dispatch plans that would more evenly distribute the workload on each transport vehicle.

[0010] Here, the technologies described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 automate the creation of dispatch plans, but they target transport vehicles that can load goods for multiple destinations onto a single vehicle. Therefore, it is difficult to apply these technologies to transport vehicles that load goods for a single destination onto a trolley and transport the product along with the trolley.

[0011] In view of these circumstances, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide a vehicle dispatch planning device, program, and vehicle dispatch planning method that can equalize the workload on each vehicle with simple implementation and minimal computation, for transport vehicles that transport carts loaded with products. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] (1) A vehicle dispatch plan creation device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is A vehicle dispatch planning device that creates a vehicle dispatch plan for assigning product transport operations, in which carts loaded with products are transported from multiple product yards, to multiple transport vehicles, An input unit that receives input values ​​including an initial product transport plan consisting of multiple product transport operations and operational information including equipment information for the target time period for creating the aforementioned dispatch plan, A workload calculation unit calculates the value of the product transport work completion time, which is the total time required to carry out the product transport work in the product yard using one transport vehicle, based on the input value and the operational information. A product yard allocation vehicle calculation unit calculates for each product yard the work time ratio, which is the ratio of the product transport work completion time to the target time length, which is the length of time between the start and end times of the target period, and calculates the number of transport vehicles to be allocated to each product yard based on the work time ratio for each product yard. The system includes a vehicle allocation unit that allocates the transport vehicles to each product yard based on the number of vehicles allocated, If the number of available transport vehicles during the aforementioned time period is less than the number of product yards to which the transport vehicles are allocated, The aforementioned product yard allocation vehicle calculation unit sets product yards that combine multiple product yards in order of the lowest work time ratio to be allocated one common transport vehicle as common vehicle allocation yards. The vehicle allocation unit selects a combination of multiple common vehicle allocation yards to which one common transport vehicle will be allocated, based on the work time ratio of the common vehicle allocation yards and the leveling threshold, which is a standard value for the workload per transport vehicle.

[0013] (2) As one embodiment of the present disclosure, in (1), The product yard allocation vehicle count calculation unit selects and aggregates, in descending order of the work time ratio, a combination of multiple common vehicle allocation yards with common vehicle types, such that at least the maximum value of the standardized work time ratio is less than or equal to the aggregation threshold, for the common vehicle allocation yards.

[0014] (3) As one embodiment of the present disclosure, in (2), The product yard allocation vehicle count calculation unit selects and aggregates a combination of the common vehicle allocation yards with common vehicle types in order of the lowest work time ratio, such that both the maximum value of the standardized work time ratio and the maximum value of the standardized product transport operations for each product yard are less than or equal to the aggregation threshold.

[0015] (4) In one embodiment of the present disclosure, in any of (1) to (3), The vehicle allocation unit determines, in order from the common vehicle allocation yard with a high operation time ratio, the common vehicle allocation yard that becomes the partner of the combination for allocating the same transport vehicle so that the total of the operation time ratios in the combination of the common vehicle allocation yards is equal to or less than the leveling threshold value.

[0016] (5) As one embodiment of the present disclosure, in any one of (1) to (4), The vehicle allocation unit gives priority to a common vehicle allocation yard in which the type of cart is the same as that of the combination source as the common vehicle allocation yard that becomes the partner of the combination.

[0017] (6) As one embodiment of the present disclosure, in any one of (1) to (5), For all the product yards in which the vehicle types of the transport vehicles are common, reflecting the allocated number of transport vehicles in each product yard, and calculating the root mean square of the squares of the operation time ratios of each product yard converted per transport vehicle as the leveling threshold value for each vehicle type of the transport vehicle. A leveling threshold value setting unit is provided.

[0018] (7) The program according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is A program that causes a computer to create a vehicle allocation plan for allocating product transportation operations for unloading carts loaded with products from a plurality of product yards to a plurality of transport vehicles, The computer is An input unit that receives an input value including an initial product transportation plan including a plurality of product transportation operations and operation information including each facility information in the target time zone for creating the vehicle allocation plan, A work load calculation unit that calculates a value of the product transportation operation completion time, which is the total time required to perform the product transportation operation of the product yard by one transport vehicle, based on the input value and the operation information, For each product yard, calculate the operation time ratio, which is the ratio of the value of the product transportation operation completion time to the target time length, which is the length of time between the start time and the end time of the target time zone, and calculate the allocated number of transport vehicles for each product yard based on the operation time ratio of each product yard. A product yard allocated vehicle number calculation unit. The vehicle allocation unit functions by allocating the transport vehicles to each product yard based on the aforementioned allocation number. If the number of available transport vehicles during the aforementioned time period is less than the number of product yards to which the transport vehicles are allocated, The aforementioned product yard allocation vehicle calculation unit sets product yards that combine multiple product yards in order of the lowest work time ratio to be allocated one common transport vehicle as common vehicle allocation yards. The vehicle allocation unit selects a combination of multiple common vehicle allocation yards to which one common transport vehicle will be allocated, based on the work time ratio of the common vehicle allocation yards and the leveling threshold, which is a standard value for the workload per transport vehicle.

[0019] (8) A method for creating a vehicle dispatch plan according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is: A method for creating a vehicle dispatch plan, which involves assigning a vehicle dispatch plan to multiple transport vehicles for product transport operations, in which carts loaded with products are transported from multiple product yards, An input step that receives input values ​​including an initial product transport plan consisting of multiple product transport operations and operational information including equipment information for the target time period for creating the aforementioned dispatch plan, A workload calculation step that calculates the value of the product transport work completion time, which is the total time required to carry out the product transport work in the product yard using one transport vehicle, based on the input value and the operational information. A product yard allocation vehicle calculation step involves calculating the work time ratio for each product yard, which is the ratio of the product transport work completion time to the target time length, which is the length of time between the start and end times of the target period, and calculating the number of transport vehicles to be allocated to each product yard based on the work time ratio for each product yard. The vehicle allocation step includes allocating the transport vehicles to each product yard based on the number of vehicles allocated, If the number of available transport vehicles during the aforementioned time period is less than the number of product yards to which the transport vehicles are allocated, The step of calculating the number of vehicles to be allocated to the product yard involves setting up a common vehicle allocation yard by combining multiple product yards in order of the lowest percentage of work time, and allocating one common transport vehicle to that product yard. The vehicle allocation step selects a combination of multiple common vehicle allocation yards to which one common transport vehicle will be allocated, based on the work time ratio of the common vehicle allocation yards and a leveling threshold which is a standard value for the workload per transport vehicle.

[0020] (9) As one embodiment of the present disclosure, in (8), The product yard allocation vehicle count calculation step includes a product yard consolidation step of selecting and consolidating a plurality of combinations of common vehicle allocation yards with common vehicle types, in order of lowest work time ratio, such that the maximum value of the standardized work time ratio is less than or equal to the consolidation threshold, with respect to the common vehicle allocation yards.

[0021] (10) In one embodiment of the present disclosure, in (9), The product yard consolidation step involves selecting and consolidating a combination of the common vehicle allocation yards, with the common vehicle allocation yards being the most common, in order of lowest work time ratio, such that both the maximum value of the standardized work time ratio and the maximum value of the standardized number of product transport operations for each product yard are less than or equal to the consolidation threshold.

[0022] (11) In one embodiment of the present disclosure, in any of (8) to (10), The vehicle allocation step determines the common vehicle allocation yards that will be paired with the same transport vehicle, starting with the common vehicle allocation yards with the highest work time ratios, such that the sum of the work time ratios in the combinations of common vehicle allocation yards is less than or equal to the leveling threshold.

[0023] (12) In one embodiment of the present disclosure, in any of (8) to (11), The aforementioned vehicle allocation step prioritizes common vehicle allocation yards where the type of bogie is the same as that of the original vehicle allocation yard, as the partner in the aforementioned combination.

[0024] (13) In one embodiment of the present disclosure, in any of (8) to (12), The process includes a leveling threshold setting step, which applies to all product yards where the types of transport vehicles are common, reflects the number of transport vehicles allocated to each product yard, and calculates the root mean square of the work time ratio for each product yard, converted to a per-transport vehicle basis, as the leveling threshold for each type of transport vehicle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0025] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a vehicle dispatch planning device, program, and vehicle dispatch planning method that can equalize the workload on each transport vehicle with simple implementation and low computational cost. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0026] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a logistics system including a product yard, warehouse building, and transport vehicles. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the input / output configuration of a vehicle dispatch planning device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle dispatch planning device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of an initial product transportation plan. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of the travel time of transport vehicles between various facilities such as product yards and warehouse buildings. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an example of vehicle information that can be used for allocation to a product yard. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows an example of information regarding the priority of transport vehicles that can be assigned to a product yard. [Figure 8]Figure 8 shows an example of information regarding the number of trolleys that can be accommodated, trolley exchange time, number of products that can be accommodated, overhead crane product transport time, and whether or not an automatic crane is installed for each product yard and warehouse building. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows an example of a product transportation plan in which a transport vehicle is assigned to transport each product. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the processing of a vehicle dispatch plan creation method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a flowchart of the process for calculating the number of vehicles to be allocated to a product yard in step S2 of the vehicle dispatch plan creation process, which is one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the product yard consolidation determination in step S3 and the product yard consolidation process in step S4 in the vehicle dispatch plan creation process, which is one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 13] Figure 13 shows an example of updating transport vehicle priority information, which is part of the product yard aggregation process in step S4 of the dispatch plan creation process, one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is a diagram illustrating the leveling threshold calculation process in step S5 of the vehicle dispatch plan creation process, which is one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 15] Figure 15 is a flowchart of the process of assigning transport vehicles to each product yard in step S6 of the vehicle dispatch plan creation process, which is one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 16] Figure 16 shows the results of comparing the ratio of transportation work time to the target time length in the examples. [Figure 17] Figure 17 is another figure showing the results of comparing the ratio of transportation work time to the target time length in the embodiment. [Figure 18A] Figure 18A illustrates an example where one transport vehicle is assigned to three product yards. [Figure 18B] Figure 18B illustrates an example where one transport vehicle is assigned to three product yards. [Figure 18C]Figure 18C illustrates an example where one transport vehicle is assigned to three product yards. [Figure 19A] Figure 19A is a diagram illustrating an example of the vehicle allocation process in step S6. [Figure 19B] Figure 19B is a diagram illustrating an example of the vehicle allocation process in step S6. [Figure 19C] Figure 19C is a diagram illustrating an example of the vehicle allocation process in step S6. [Figure 19D] Figure 19D is a diagram illustrating an example of the vehicle allocation process in step S6. [Figure 19E] Figure 19E is a diagram illustrating an example of the vehicle allocation process in step S6. [Figure 20A] Figure 20A is a diagram illustrating an example of the determination of whether or not product yard consolidation is possible in step S3. [Figure 20B] Figure 20B is a diagram illustrating an example of the determination of whether or not product yard consolidation is possible in step S3. [Figure 20C] Figure 20C is a diagram illustrating an example of the determination of whether or not product yard consolidation is possible in step S3. [Figure 21] Figure 21 is a diagram illustrating an example of the product yard consolidation process in step S4. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0027] Hereinafter, a vehicle dispatch plan creation device 11 (see Figure 2), a program, and a vehicle dispatch plan creation method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0028] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a logistics system including a product yard, warehouse building, and transport vehicles, which are the target of the dispatch plan created by the dispatch plan creation device 11 according to this embodiment. In Figure 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a factory, reference numerals 1a to 1d denotes factory buildings, reference numeral 2 denotes a warehouse, and reference numerals 2a to 2c denotes warehouse buildings (warehouse buildings). Reference numerals 3a to 3d and 4a to 4c denotes overhead cranes, reference numerals 5a and 5b denotes transport vehicles, reference numerals 6a to 6c denotes trolleys for transporting products, reference numeral 7 denotes a loading crane, and reference numeral 8 denotes a transport ship.

[0029] The factory and warehouse consist of buildings (1a-1d, 2a-2c) for storing products. The factory buildings (1a-1d) are also called the "product yard." Each building is equipped with overhead cranes (3a-3d, 4a-4c) for loading and unloading products. Products produced in the factory are loaded onto trolleys (6a, 6b), which are then loaded onto transport vehicles (5a) and transported to the designated warehouse building. As the shipping date approaches, the stored products are either loaded onto the temporary loading area (2d) by the overhead cranes, or loaded onto transport vehicles (5b) along with the trolleys (6c), moved to the quay near the loading crane (7), and loaded onto the transport ship (8).

[0030] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the dispatch plan creation device 11 according to this embodiment. The arrows in Figure 2 and Figure 3, which will be described later, simply show the flow of data input / output and processing. As shown in Figure 2, the dispatch plan creation device 11 acquires the initial product transport plan 9 as an input value and executes the process of assigning transport vehicles. The initial product transport plan 9 is a plan for initial product transport when no transport vehicles have been assigned, and specific examples will be described later. The dispatch plan creation device 11 performs processing by referring to the operation database 12. The dispatch plan creation device 11 outputs a product transport plan 13 in which transport vehicles are assigned to each product yard while leveling the workload of the transport vehicles.

[0031] The dispatch plan creation device 11 is composed of an information processing device and creates a dispatch plan for a time period (hereinafter referred to as the "target time period") specified by the user. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the dispatch plan creation device 11. As shown in Figure 3, the dispatch plan creation device 11 functions as each component by having the arithmetic processing unit (processor) inside the information processing device (computer) read and execute a computer program. In other words, the program causes the arithmetic processing unit to function as an input unit 11a, a workload calculation unit 11b, a product yard allocation vehicle number calculation unit 11c, a leveling threshold setting unit 11d, a vehicle allocation unit 11e, and an output unit 11f. The functions of each of these units will be described later.

[0032] The initial product transport plan 9 describes the planned product transport operations (the operation of transporting carts loaded with products from multiple product yards) to be carried out during a certain scheduled work period. It stores information such as the source product yard, the destination warehouse building, and the type of cart. Figure 4 shows an example of the initial product transport plan 9. The meaning of each item in the initial product transport plan 9 shown in Figure 4 is as follows.

[0033] The work time (start time) is the scheduled start time for product transportation. The work time (end time) is the scheduled end time for product transportation. The product yard (source) is the name of the product yard from which the product is transported. The warehouse building (destination) is the name of the warehouse building to which the product is transported. The transport vehicle type is the type of transport vehicle used for product transportation. The trolley type is the type of trolley used for product transportation. The number of products is the number of products loaded during product transportation.

[0034] The operation database 12 stores information (operational information) related to the operation of each target facility. Examples of operational information in this embodiment are shown in Figures 5 to 8.

[0035] Figure 5 shows "Transport Vehicle Travel Time Information," which is information on the travel time of transport vehicles between various facilities such as product yards and warehouse buildings. The source and destination are indicated by the product yard name or warehouse building name. Travel time (loaded with products) is the travel time when products are loaded. Travel time (empty trolley transport) is the travel time when an empty trolley is transported. Travel time (unloaded trolley) is the travel time when no trolley is loaded. Here, each travel time may be a value that does not depend on the type of transport vehicle. For example, an average value of transport vehicle travel times based on past performance without distinguishing by vehicle type may be used, or an estimated or calculated value from a driving simulator may be used.

[0036] Figure 6 shows "Available Transport Vehicle Information," which is information about vehicles that can be used for allocation to the product yard during the target time period. In the example in Figure 6, the vehicle information includes the start and end times of the available time period, the vehicle type, and the transport vehicle (vehicle identification code).

[0037] Figure 7 shows "transport vehicle priority information," which is information on the priority order of transport vehicles that can be assigned to the product yard. A lower priority number indicates higher priority. For example, a vehicle (priority 1) has higher priority than a vehicle (priority 2).

[0038] Figure 8 shows "Equipment Information" for each product yard (factory building) and warehouse building, including the number of product transport carts that can be accommodated (total number of carts that can be accommodated), the time required to change carts in each building (cart change time), the number of products that can be stored, the overhead crane product transport time, and whether or not an automatic crane is installed.

[0039] Here, the product transport plan 13 is the result of the dispatch plan creation device 11 assigning transport vehicles to each product transport based on the initial product transport plan 9. Figure 9 shows an example of a product transport plan 13 with transport vehicles already assigned. The assigned transport vehicles in Figure 9 are identification symbols for the vehicles assigned to the product transport work.

[0040] The dispatch plan creation device 11 can create and output a product transport plan 13 that equalizes the workload of each transport vehicle by executing the processes described below. The operation of the dispatch plan creation device 11 will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 10.

[0041] Figure 10 is a flowchart of the processing (dispatch plan creation process) of the dispatch plan creation method according to this embodiment. In the flowchart shown in Figure 10, in steps S1 to S4, a consolidation process of product transportation work is performed to reduce the uneven distribution of transportation work in product yards, and the number of transport vehicles to be allocated to each product yard is calculated. Then, in steps S5 to S6, a processing to equalize the transportation work volume of each transport vehicle is performed, and transport vehicles are allocated to each product yard based on the number of transport vehicles allocated. The flowchart shown in Figure 10 is started when the dispatch plan creation device 11 receives input from the user (including the specification of the target time period). First, the dispatch plan creation process proceeds to the process in step S1. The dispatch plan creation device 11 extracts information related to the operation of each facility, specifically transport vehicle travel time information (Figure 5), available transport vehicle information (Figure 6), transport vehicle priority information (Figure 7), and each facility information (Figure 8), from the operation database 12, and acquires the extracted information as operation information. The dispatch plan creation device 11 also acquires input values. In this embodiment, the input values ​​include input from the user, specifically including the target time period. The dispatch planning device 11 acquires product transport operations from the initial product transport plan 9 (Figure 4) whose work time period (start time, end time) overlaps with the target time period.

[0042] In step S1, the input unit 11a receives input values ​​and operation information (input step), and the processing of the workload calculation step is performed. The input values ​​and operation information received by the input unit 11a are output to the workload calculation unit 11b.

[0043] In the workload calculation step, the workload calculation unit 11b calculates the time required for each product transport operation in the initial product transport plan 9 in Figure 4 to be performed by a transport vehicle, based on the input values ​​and operational information. The calculated value is referred to below as the product transport operation completion time. The product transport operation completion time value for each product yard is the total time required for each product transport operation in each product yard to be performed by one transport vehicle. The specific calculation method is as follows.

[0044] The time required to complete a product transport operation is calculated by adding the travel time of the transport vehicle (travel time (with product loading)) when transporting the product-loaded carts from the source product yard to the destination warehouse building, as well as the time required to procure the carts. The time required to procure the carts includes the travel time of the transport vehicle when transporting empty carts (empty cart transport), the travel time of the transport vehicle when moving carts without loading them (unloaded cart), and the time required to exchange carts at the product yard or warehouse building. In other words, the time required to complete a product transport operation is the sum of, for example, the travel time (with product loading), the travel time (empty cart transport), the travel time (unloaded cart), and the cart exchange time. Here, the travel time for each operation can be extracted from the transport vehicle travel time information (Figure 5). Also, the cart exchange time at each building can be extracted from the equipment information (Figure 8). The workload calculation unit 11b calculates the completion time for each product transportation task, completing the process in step S1, and the dispatch plan creation process proceeds to the process in step S2.

[0045] In step S2, the product yard allocation vehicle calculation unit 11c performs the product yard allocation vehicle calculation step, which calculates the number of transport vehicles to be allocated to each product yard. The product yard allocation vehicle calculation unit 11c obtains input values, operational information, the completion time of each product transport operation, and the product transport operation time for each product yard.

[0046] The product yard allocation vehicle calculation unit 11c calculates the number of transport vehicles to be allocated to each product yard based on the value of the completion time for product transport operations at each product yard.

[0047] The product yard allocation vehicle calculation unit 11c calculates the ratio of the time it takes to complete product transport operations at each product yard to the target time length, which is the length of time between the start and end times of the target time period, as the work time ratio for each product yard. The product yard allocation vehicle calculation unit 11c refers to the product yards in descending order of the work time ratio values ​​for each product yard and calculates the number of transport vehicles to be allocated to each product yard based on the work time ratio for each product yard. The product yard allocation vehicle calculation unit 11c sets the number of transport vehicles to be allocated to each product yard based on the number of transport vehicles available during the target time period and the number of product yards to which transport vehicles will be allocated. If the number of transport vehicles available during the target time period is equal to or greater than the number of product yards to which transport vehicles will be allocated, the number of vehicles allocated to all product yards will be one or more.

[0048] On the other hand, if the number of available transport vehicles during the target time period is less than the number of product yards to which transport vehicles will be allocated, at least one vehicle will be allocated to the product yard with the highest workload (highest proportion of working time). For product yards with a low workload (lowest proportion of working time), one transport vehicle will be allocated to each product yard by combining two product yards in order of lowest proportion of working time (i.e., 0.5 vehicles per product yard).

[0049] Referring to the flowchart shown in Figure 11, the method for calculating the number of transport vehicles to be allocated to each product yard in the product yard allocation vehicle calculation unit 11c will be explained in detail.

[0050] In step S2a, the process checks whether the work time ratio for all product yards where the number of transport vehicles allocated is not set is 1 or less. If there is even one product yard where the work time ratio is greater than 1, the process proceeds to step S2b. If the work time ratio for all product yards is 1 or less, the process proceeds to step S2c.

[0051] In step S2b, for product yards where the work time ratio value exceeds 1, it is determined that the product transport work for that product yard cannot be completed with only one transport vehicle, and the number of transport vehicles to be allocated is set to 2, and the process proceeds to step S2c. Here, product yards to which 2 transport vehicles are allocated are referred to as "allocation case 3".

[0052] In step S2c, the process checks whether the remaining number of available vehicles during the target time period is less than the number of product yards for which the number of transport vehicles has not been allocated. The remaining number of available vehicles during the target time period is calculated based on the available transport vehicle information (Figure 6). If the remaining number of available vehicles is greater than or equal to the number of product yards for which the number of transport vehicles has not been allocated, and the working time ratio for all product yards is less than 1, the process proceeds to step S2d. If the remaining number of available vehicles is less than the number of product yards for which the number of transport vehicles has not been allocated, and it is not possible to allocate one or more transport vehicles to a product yard, the process proceeds to step S2e.

[0053] In step S2d, since the remaining number of available vehicles is greater than or equal to the number of product yards for which the number of transport vehicles has not been assigned, the number of transport vehicles assigned to all product yards is set to 1, and the calculation process for the number of transport vehicles for each product yard is terminated. Here, a product yard to which only 1 transport vehicle is assigned is referred to as "Assignment Case 2".

[0054] In steps S2e and S2f, the remaining number of available vehicles is less than the number of product yards for which the number of transport vehicles has not been assigned. Therefore, the number of product yards to which one transport vehicle is assigned, and the number of product yards to which one transport vehicle common to two product yards is assigned, are determined based on the working time ratio of each product yard. Here, for convenience, the number of transport vehicles assigned to each product yard when one transport vehicle is assigned to two product yards is set to 0.5. The number of product yards to which one transport vehicle is assigned is y1, and the number of product yards to which 0.5 transport vehicles are assigned is y. 0.5 Therefore, the number of product yards y1 and y 0.5The sum of these will be the "number of product yards for which the number of transport vehicles has not been set". Furthermore, the number of transport vehicles will be calculated as 1 vehicle × y1 and 0.5 vehicles × y 0.5 The sum of these two is the "remaining number of available vehicles". Solving the simultaneous equations relating these two, the number of product yards y1 to which one transport vehicle can be allocated is calculated as (2 × (remaining number of available vehicles) - (number of product yards with no assigned transport vehicle allocation)) [buildings]. Also, the number of product yards y to which 0.5 transport vehicles can be allocated is... 0.5 It is calculated as (2 × ((Number of product yards with unallocated vehicles) - (Number of remaining usable vehicles))) [buildings].

[0055] In step S2e, the product yards of building y1 are extracted in descending order of workload (percentage of work time), the number of transport vehicles allocated to the extracted product yards is set to 1, and the process proceeds to step S2f.

[0056] In step S2f, the remaining product yards for which the number of transport vehicles has not yet been allocated are processed starting from the side with the lowest workload (work time ratio). 0.5 The number of transport vehicles allocated to each building's product yard is set to 0.5. This completes the calculation process for the number of transport vehicles for each product yard. Here, a product yard allocated 0.5 transport vehicles is referred to as "Allocation Case 1". Furthermore, a product yard in Allocation Case 1 is referred to as a "Common Vehicle Allocation Yard".

[0057] Once the calculation of the number of transport vehicles allocated to each product yard is complete, the dispatch plan creation process proceeds to step S3.

[0058] In steps S3 and S4, the product yard allocation vehicle count calculation unit 11c performs a product yard consolidation step, which involves setting and aggregating combinations of multiple common vehicle allocation yards that share the same types of transport vehicles, targeting common vehicle allocation yards. The product yard consolidation step is performed to mitigate the bias in the work time ratio of common vehicle allocation yards, based on the work time ratio of each product yard.

[0059] Here, as shown in Figure 20A, product yards F1 to F8 are set up as common vehicle allocation yards, and the outline of the product yard consolidation step will be explained by referring to an example in which four transport vehicles V1 to V4 are allocated in step S6, which will be described later.

[0060] In the example shown in Figure 20A, among product yards F1 to F8, the proportion of working time and the number of tasks (number of product transport tasks) in F1 are significantly skewed compared to the others.

[0061] As shown in Figure 20B, if the product transport work from product yard F1, which has the highest workload, is combined with other product yards and assigned to a single transport vehicle V1, the workload (work time ratio, number of product transport tasks) for transport vehicle V1 becomes extremely unbalanced.

[0062] In such cases, as shown in Figure 20C, product yards F7 and F8 should be selected and consolidated in order of the lowest percentage of work time (the new product yard names should be product yard F7.F8). One transport vehicle V1 can be assigned to product yard F1, which has the highest workload, and one transport vehicle V2 can be assigned to product yards F4, F7, and F8, thereby improving transport efficiency.

[0063] In this way, the processing in the product yard consolidation step (step S4) can reduce the uneven distribution of workload for transport vehicles that have been assigned to multiple product yards. Furthermore, for product yards where the workload is significantly uneven within the common vehicle assignment yard, assigning only one transport vehicle (changing to assignment case 2) makes it possible to improve the overall product transport work efficiency of the product yard.

[0064] On the other hand, in the example shown in Figure 21, the workload distribution across the product yards is less uneven than in the examples in Figures 20A to 20C. If product yards F5 and F6 are selected and consolidated in order of lowest work time percentage, similar to Figure 21, and one transport vehicle is assigned to product yards F5, F6, and F4, the workload may increase. Here, product yards F5 and F6 are the names of the newly consolidated product yards.

[0065] Therefore, in the product yard consolidation step (step S3), the overall workload balance is determined using statistically standardized values ​​(e.g., standardized score, Z score, or deviation score) of the work time ratio or the number of product transport operations, and the decision of whether or not to consolidate the product yards is made.

[0066] The processes in steps S3 and S4 are described in detail below.

[0067] In step S3, the product yard allocation vehicle count calculation unit 11c determines whether it is possible to perform aggregation processing of common vehicle allocation yards, targeting common vehicle allocation yards. That is, it determines whether it is possible to perform aggregation processing of common vehicle allocation yards based on the maximum value of a statistically standardized work time ratio (e.g., standardized score or Z score, deviation score) and a predetermined value (aggregation threshold). The product yard allocation vehicle count calculation unit 11c selects and aggregates a combination of multiple common vehicle allocation yards, as described below, such that the maximum value of the standardized work time ratio is less than or equal to the aggregation threshold. At this time, the number of product transport operations can also be considered in the same way.

[0068] In step S3, the product yard allocation vehicle calculation unit 11c evaluates the work time ratio and the number of product transport operations in the common vehicle allocation yard based on the input values, operation information, product transport work completion time, and the number of transport vehicles allocated to each product yard. Based on the evaluation, a determination is made as to whether it is possible to consolidate product transport operations from different common vehicle allocation yards. Figure 12 shows a schematic diagram of the product yard consolidation feasibility determination process in step S3.

[0069] First, the average working time ratio and the average number of product transport operations are calculated for each common vehicle allocation yard. Next, the standard deviation of the working time ratio and the number of product transport operations are calculated for each common vehicle allocation yard. Based on the working time ratio and standard deviation values ​​for each common vehicle allocation yard, a statistically standardized value of the working time ratio (e.g., standardized score or Z score, or deviation score) is calculated.

[0070] For example, if we use the standard score as a statistically standardized value of the work time ratio, we can substitute the work time ratio (value for product yard N), the mean, and the standard deviation values ​​for each common vehicle allocation yard into the following formula to obtain the standard score of the work time ratio (standard score) 製品ヤードN The following is calculated: Similarly, the standard score for the number of product transport tasks is calculated. The standard scores for the work time ratio and the number of product transport tasks are sometimes referred to as the work time ratio standard score and the number of product transport tasks standard score, respectively.

[0071]

number

[0072] If the calculated work time ratio deviation score exceeds the aggregation threshold, and there is at least one product yard with a large imbalance in the amount of transport work, the product transport work aggregation process is performed to reduce the imbalance in the amount of transport work in the product yard by the process in step S4 described later, and then the processes from steps S1 to S3 are carried out.

[0073] Here, the conditions for continuing the process from step S1 to step S4 should be made stricter. This is to consolidate product transportation operations by selecting combinations of multiple product yards to which a common transport vehicle is assigned, and to leave room for leveling the workload (work time ratio) for each transport vehicle. For example, if there is at least one product yard where both the calculated work time ratio deviation value and the product transportation operation number deviation value exceed the consolidation threshold, the process in step S3 may proceed.

[0074] If there are no product yards where the work time ratio standard score, or both the work time ratio standard score and the product transport work count standard score, exceed the aggregation threshold (i.e., both are below the aggregation threshold), the dispatch plan creation process proceeds to step S5. Here, the aggregation threshold is set to a standard score of 65 as an example, but it is not limited to a specific value and can be determined based on, for example, past product transport work performance data.

[0075] Step S3 is when the product yard allocation vehicle calculation unit 11c determines whether it is possible to consolidate product transportation operations. Consolidating product transportation operations involves consolidating product transportation operations between product yards with a small proportion of working time among the common vehicle allocation yards. The determination of whether consolidation is possible is made based on input values, operational information, the completion time of each product transportation operation, the number of allocated transport vehicles for each product yard, and the deviation values ​​of the working time proportion and the number of product transportation operations for each product yard. The process for determining whether it is possible to consolidate product yard transportation operations is described below.

[0076] First, among the shared vehicle allocation yards, the product yard with the smallest percentage of working time is designated as product yard X. If the standard score of the working time percentage for product yard X is less than 50, the product transportation work at product yard X is designated as a target for consolidation, and a search is conducted to find any product yards where transportation work can be consolidated for product yard X. A standard score of less than 50 for the working time percentage corresponds to the working time percentage of product yard X being smaller than the average working time percentage of all product yards.

[0077] More preferably, if both the work time ratio standard score and the product transport work count standard score of product yard X are less than 50, the product transport work of product yard X should be set as a target for consolidation, and a search should be conducted for product yards that have product transport work that can be consolidated together with the product transport work of product yard X. Both the work time ratio standard score and the product transport work count standard score being less than 50 corresponds to the work time ratio being smaller than the average work time ratio of product yards, and the number of product transport work being smaller than the average number of product transport work of product yards.

[0078] If there are no product yards among the common vehicle allocation yards that are subject to the consolidation of product transportation operations, the process proceeds to step S5 without performing the consolidation process. The absence of product yards subject to consolidation corresponds to either the standard deviation of the work time ratio or the standard deviation of the number of product transportation operations for product yard X being 50 or higher. Here, the threshold is set to a standard deviation of 50 as an example, but it is not limited to a specific value and can be determined based on, for example, past performance data of product transportation operations.

[0079] The following describes the process (processes 1 to 3) for finding a product yard that can consolidate the product transportation operations of product yard X, which is the target of the consolidation.

[0080] (First process) As the first step, product yards (common vehicle allocation yards) for allocation case 1 other than product yard X are referenced in ascending order of work time ratio. If there is another product yard that has the same vehicle type and trolley type as product yard X, and whose work time ratio standard score and product transport work count standard score are less than 50, that product yard is designated as Y. If there is no such product yard, if there is another product yard that has the same vehicle type as product yard X, and whose work time ratio standard score and product transport work count standard score are less than 50, that product yard is designated as Y. The dispatch plan creation process proceeds to step S4.

[0081] (Second process) As a second step, if no product yard exists that satisfies the conditions described in the first step, the product yard with the next smallest percentage of work time after product yard X is redefined as product yard X, and the first step is executed again.

[0082] (Third process) As the third step, after defining product yard X for all product yards in assignment case 1, if no product yard satisfies the conditions described in the first step, the product yard with the smallest percentage of working time for product yards in assignment case 1 is set as X. Then, the product yard with the next smallest percentage of working time after product yard X is set as Y, and the dispatch plan creation process proceeds to step S4.

[0083] In step S4, the product yard allocation vehicle count calculation unit 11c performs a process to set and aggregate combinations of multiple product yards that share the same types of transport vehicles, targeting common vehicle allocation yards.

[0084] In step S4, the product yard allocation vehicle calculation unit 11c performs aggregation of product transportation operations for the two product yards based on the input values, operational information, the number of transport vehicles allocated to each product yard, and product yard X and product yard Y.

[0085] The process of step S4 is explained in detail below. Consolidating the product transportation operations of product yard X and product yard Y is equivalent to treating the product transportation operations of the two buildings, product yard X and product yard Y, as the product transportation operations of a single product yard for convenience. Therefore, a name for the consolidated product yard is determined. Here, the name of the consolidated product yard may be determined as "product yard XY" based on the names of the original product yard X and product yard Y (see Figure 12).

[0086] Next, we set the transport vehicle priority information that will be referenced by the new, convenient product yard XY, which is a combination of product yard X and product yard Y. Here, the vehicle priority information for the new product yard XY may be determined by combining the transport vehicle priority information of the original product yard X referenced from the operation database 12 and the transport vehicle priority information of the original product yard Y, as shown in Figure 13.

[0087] The product transport operations at product yard X and product transport operations at product yard Y are sorted in descending order of work time slots and designated as the new product transport operations for product yard XY. Once the product yard consolidation process is complete, the dispatch plan creation process sends the information of the new product yard XY and its product transport operations to the workload calculation unit 11b, and performs a recalculation from step S1.

[0088] In step S3, if it is determined that there are no product yards among the common vehicle allocation yards that can be processed for product yard consolidation, the vehicle dispatch plan creation process proceeds to step S5.

[0089] In steps S5 and S6, the workload of each transport vehicle is equalized, and transport vehicles are allocated to each product yard based on the number of transport vehicles allocated in step S2. In step S5 (equalization threshold setting step), the equalization threshold setting unit 11d automatically calculates the equalization threshold based on the input values, operational information, the completion time of each product transport operation, the number of vehicles allocated to each product yard, and product yard aggregation information. The equalization threshold is used to equalize the workload of transport vehicles allocated to the product yard (common vehicle allocation yard) of allocation case 1. The workload of a transport vehicle can be evaluated by the proportion of working time in the common vehicle allocation yard to which the transport vehicle is allocated. The equalization threshold corresponds to a standard value of workload per transport vehicle that reflects the degree of dispersion of the proportion of working time in each product yard. In step S6 (vehicle allocation step), a combination of a common vehicle allocation yard with a high proportion of working time and a common vehicle allocation yard with a low proportion of working time are selected based on a leveling threshold to level the workload of transport vehicles allocated to the two common vehicle allocation yards.

[0090] The following specifically describes a calculation example of the leveling threshold used in the process of step S5. The leveling threshold is set for each vehicle type of the transport vehicle. The leveling threshold for leveling the workload of the transport vehicle is calculated based on the root mean square (RMS) of the working time ratios of each product yard, rather than the simple average of the working time ratios of each product yard. The simple average of data is an indicator showing the central tendency of the data. However, since the root mean square emphasizes larger values by squaring the data, the more scattered the data is, the larger it becomes compared to the simple average, and when the data is not scattered, it has a property of taking a value close to the simple average. Since the leveling threshold is a reference value of the workload (working time ratio) per transport vehicle that reflects the degree of scatter of the working time ratios of all product yards common to the vehicle type of the transport vehicle, the leveling threshold is calculated based on the root mean square of the working time ratios of each product yard. The leveling threshold may be any value that can be adjusted according to the number of transport vehicles assigned to each product yard in the process of step S6 described later. For example, the leveling threshold for each vehicle type may be the root mean square (RMS) of the working time ratios of each product yard converted per transport vehicle, reflecting the assigned number of vehicles for all product yards common to the vehicle type of the transport vehicle, and the T A and T B may be calculated by obtaining the square root of the sum. FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining the leveling threshold calculation method.

[0091] T A As a calculation method of, first, the sum of the squares of the working time ratios of the product yards in allocation case 1 (common vehicle allocation yard, number of allocated transport vehicles 0.5) in the vehicle type is obtained. The value obtained by dividing this sum of squares by the total value of the number of allocated vehicles in the product yards in allocation case 1 of the vehicle type (0.5 × number of product yards in allocation case 1) is T A is defined. T A corresponds to the arithmetic mean of the squares of the working time ratios per transport vehicle assigned to the product yards in allocation case 1.

[0092] T BThe calculation method for T is as follows: First, the sum of squares of the working time ratios of product yards (1 transport vehicle allocated) in allocation case 2 for the vehicle in question where the working time ratio is less than 1 is determined. Dividing this sum of squares by the number of product yards in allocation case 2 for the vehicle in question where the working time ratio is less than 1 gives T. B It is determined as follows. B This corresponds to the arithmetic mean of the squared percentage of working time per transport vehicle assigned to the product yard in allocation case 2.

[0093] The leveling threshold is T A and T B It is the square root of the sum of the values, and applies to all product yards where the types of transport vehicles are common, reflecting the number of transport vehicles allocated to each product yard, and corresponds to the root mean square (RMS) of the work time ratio for each product yard converted to a per-transport vehicle basis.

[0094] Using the method described above, a leveling threshold can be calculated that reflects the proportion of work time of other transport vehicles, such that the value is greater than that of the transport vehicle with the highest workload among transport vehicles of the same type. In the example in Figure 14, the proportion of work time of the transport vehicle with the highest workload assigned to product yard F8 is 0.68.

[0095] In step S5, once the calculation of the leveling threshold for each vehicle type is complete, the vehicle dispatch plan creation process proceeds to step S6.

[0096] In step S6, the vehicle allocation unit 11e performs the vehicle allocation step, which allocates transport vehicles to each product yard based on the number of transport vehicles allocated in step S2 (product yard allocation vehicle calculation step).

[0097] In step S6, the vehicle allocation unit 11e selects a combination of multiple product yards (common vehicle allocation yards) to which one transport vehicle will be allocated. The selection of the combination is based on input values, operational information and the completion time of each product transport operation, the number of vehicles allocated to each product yard and product yard aggregation information, and the leveling threshold values ​​for each vehicle type. The process of allocating transport vehicles to each product yard in the vehicle allocation unit 11e will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 15.

[0098] Taking into consideration the efficiency of transport vehicles, if there are any transport vehicles that were assigned to each product yard immediately before the target time period (i.e., the previous time period), those transport vehicles are continued to be assigned to the product transport work at each product yard (steps S6a, S6b). Then, transport vehicles are newly assigned to the product transport work at product yards that were not assigned (steps S6c, S6d).

[0099] The vehicle allocation process will be explained below with reference to the examples shown in Figures 19A to 19E. In Figures 19A to 19E, six vehicle types A (V1 to V6) are allocated to nine product yards (frontages) F1 to F9 where vehicle type A operations are performed, which is fewer than the number of product yards.

[0100] The work time percentage, the number of transport vehicles of type A allocated to each product yard (allocation case), and the transport vehicles allocated in the immediately preceding time period, calculated up to step S5, are shown in Figure 19A. As described above, "allocation case 3" is the case where two transport vehicles are allocated to one product yard, "allocation case 2" is the case where one vehicle is allocated to one product yard, and "allocation case 1" is the case where one vehicle is allocated to two product yards. The leveling threshold was calculated to be "0.52" as follows.

[0101]

number

[0102] In step S6a, as shown in Figure 19B, for each product yard corresponding to allocation case 2 and allocation case 3, if there is a transport vehicle that was allocated in the immediately preceding time period, that vehicle may be allocated preferentially. For product yards that were not allocated a transport vehicle in the immediately preceding time period, no vehicle allocation is performed in step S6a, and the process proceeds to the next step S6b.

[0103] In step S6b, as shown in Figure 19C, for each product yard corresponding to allocation case 1, if there is a transport vehicle that was allocated in the immediately preceding time period, that vehicle may be given priority for allocation.

[0104] If two product yards were assigned the same transport vehicle in the immediately preceding time slot, the transport vehicle will be assigned to the product yard with the larger proportion of working time (Figure 19C (a)). If there are no two or more product yards that were assigned the same transport vehicle in the immediately preceding time slot, the transport vehicle that was assigned in the immediately preceding time slot will be assigned. However, in this case, the transport vehicle assignment will be carried out in order from the product yard with the highest proportion of working time, provided that the number of assigned product yards does not exceed (number of product yards in assignment case 1 ÷ 2) (Figure 19C (b)).

[0105] In steps S6a and S6b, transport vehicles were not allocated to product yards, and this allocation process is carried out from step S6c onward.

[0106] In step S6c, as shown in Figure 19D, the allocation of transport vehicles to the product yards for allocation cases 2 and 3, for which no transport vehicles were allocated in step S6a, is performed. The vehicles to be newly allocated here are determined according to the transport vehicle priority information (Figure 7) in the operations database 12.

[0107] In step S6d, the allocation of transport vehicles is performed for product yards (common vehicle allocation yards) in allocation case 1 where no transport vehicle was allocated in step S6b. Specifically, as shown in Figure 19E, the product yards that will be paired with the same transport vehicle (a single common transport vehicle) are determined, starting with product yards X1 (F4) with the highest proportion of work time. Priority is given to product yards that have the same type of trolley as the original product yard to be paired with. This is to avoid a decrease in work efficiency required to change the type of trolley.

[0108] In allocation case 1, the product yard (common vehicle allocation yard) is formed by combining two buildings to allocate one transport vehicle. Therefore, the standard value for the work time ratio of one common vehicle allocation yard is equivalent to 0.5 transport vehicles, which is half of the leveling threshold, which is the standard value for the work time ratio per transport vehicle. If the work time ratio of the product yard to be combined is less than or equal to half of the leveling threshold, the product yard with the higher work time ratio may be selected as the candidate for the combination partner. If the work time ratio of the product yard to be combined exceeds half of the leveling threshold, the product yard with the lower work time ratio may be selected as the candidate for the combination partner. If the type of trolley in the candidate product yard to be combined is the same as the product yard to be combined, and the work time ratio does not exceed half of the leveling threshold (0.52) (0.26), the combination may be decided immediately. In Figure 19E, product yard F7, which has the same type of trolley (P1) as product yard X1 and whose work time ratio does not exceed half of the leveling threshold, was selected as the pairing partner (Y1) for product yard X1. Similarly, for product yard X2 (F5), which has a higher work time ratio, product yard F6 was selected as the pairing partner (Y2).

[0109] If there are no candidate product yards that do not exceed half the leveling threshold in terms of work time ratio, the product yard with the smallest work time ratio among those with the same type of trolley as the source yard may be used for combination. If there are no product yards with the same type of trolley as the source yard, the product yard with the smallest work time ratio may be used for combination. In other words, product yards with the same type of trolley as the source yard are given priority as the product yard to be combined with. In Figure 19E, product yard F9 was determined as the combination partner (Y3) for product yard X3 (F8).

[0110] The sum of the work time percentages for each combination of product yards created by the above process may be evaluated against a leveling threshold. Here, the sum of the work time percentages is calculated to include the travel time for empty carts and unloaded carts when transporting products from two product yards to two buildings using one transport vehicle. If the sum of the work time percentages exceeds the leveling threshold, the combinations may be changed so that the sum of the work time percentages is less than or equal to the leveling threshold. Here, for combinations with different types of carts, the sum of the work time percentages may be multiplied by a gain value greater than 1 before being compared with the threshold in order to evaluate more strictly. Here, if the combinations are changed, the changed combinations may be evaluated again.

[0111] In the vehicle allocation process, the constraint condition that "the work time ratio or the sum of work time ratios for all vehicles is below a threshold" is met when all vehicles are allocated to each product yard. Here, even if the constraint on the threshold is not met in a second evaluation, if the number of combination trials reaches a certain number, the process may be terminated with the combination that has the smallest standard deviation of the work time ratio for each vehicle as the final result. When the process in step S6 is completed, the output unit 11f outputs the result.

[0112] The output unit 11f outputs a product transport plan 13, which assigns a transport vehicle to each product transport operation in the initial product transport plan 9.

[0113] (Examples) The effects of this disclosure will be described in detail below based on the examples provided, but this disclosure is not limited to these examples.

[0114] This embodiment shows the results of creating a vehicle dispatch plan for transporting products from the product factory to the warehouse building where the products are stored, using the method described in the above embodiment. Dispatch plans were created for 44 target time periods, and as a comparative example, dispatch plans were also created manually for the same 44 target time periods.

[0115] In this embodiment, a simulator was used that could model logistics equipment and perform product logistics simulations on a computer. The dispatch plan results obtained using the method of the above embodiment were input into the simulator, and simulation results were obtained. In the simulation, the time required for all transport vehicles to complete product transport operations from the start of product transport to the completion of product transport operations in each target time period was calculated. Hereinafter, this time value will be referred to as the transport operation time for each target time period. Similarly, the dispatch plan results created manually were input into the simulator, and simulation results were obtained. Similarly, the transport operation time for each target time period was calculated and used as a comparison.

[0116] Figure 16 shows the ratio (R) of the transportation work time to the total target time on the horizontal axis, divided into predetermined ranges. The number of applicable cases is shown as a histogram relative to the total number of cases (44 cases) in the target time period, and the comparative example and the example are compared within each range. Parts of the horizontal axis exceeding 100% indicate that transportation work time exceeded the target time (excess).

[0117] As shown in Figure 16, in manual dispatch planning, approximately 40% of the transportation work time exceeds the set time, whereas in dispatch planning using the method of the above embodiment, this is reduced to approximately 15%.

[0118] Figure 17 shows a scatter plot comparing the transportation work time for all target time periods. The horizontal axis represents the ratio of transportation work time to the target time period length for each target time period in the manually planned vehicle dispatching schedule. The vertical axis represents the ratio of transportation work time to the target time period length for each target time period in the vehicle dispatching schedule using the method of the above embodiment.

[0119] Points in the area above the diagonal in Figure 17 indicate that the transportation work time is shorter with manual dispatch planning. Points in the area below the diagonal indicate that the transportation work time is shorter (improved compared to the comparative example) with the dispatch planning method of the above embodiment.

[0120] Furthermore, points within the area shown in Figure 17(A) indicate that the transportation work time for the manually planned vehicle dispatch is shorter than (does not exceed) the target time. Points within the area shown in Figure 17(B) indicate that the transportation work time for the vehicle dispatch plan using the method of the above embodiment is shorter than (does not exceed) the target time. Points outside both areas (A) and (B) indicate the possibility that the workload is excessive at the initial product transportation plan 9 stage.

[0121] As shown in Figure 17, in the comparative example, the load distribution of the transport vehicles was insufficient, resulting in a strong tendency for transport work time to exceed the target time length. Significant exceedances were also observed in the comparative example. On the other hand, in the example, there were few cases where the transport work time was greater than the target time length, and there were several cases where the transport work time was significantly reduced. Therefore, it is considered that the example makes it possible to stably create a vehicle dispatch plan with appropriate load leveling compared to the comparative example.

[0122] In this embodiment (creation of dispatch plans for 44 target time periods), the product yard consolidation function in the method of this embodiment will be explained with reference to Figures 18A to 18C. Figure 18A shows the results of the calculation of the product yard, the work time ratio, the number of product transport operations, the deviation value of the work time ratio, and the deviation value of the number of product transport operations for one of the target time periods for which a dispatch plan is created using the method of this embodiment. Here, in F1, which has the highest work time ratio, both the deviation value of the work time ratio and the deviation value of the number of product transport operations exceed the consolidation threshold (65), so the product yard consolidation process is executed. In this embodiment, product yard F6, which has the same trolley type as F8 and both the deviation value of the work time ratio and the deviation value of the number of product transport operations are less than 50, is consolidated with product yard F8, which has the smallest work time ratio. Figure 18B shows the results of recalculating the work time ratio of each product yard and the number of transport vehicles allocated to each product yard following the product yard consolidation. The number of transport vehicles allocated to F1, which has the highest work time ratio, is set to 1, and it is changed to assignment case 2. Finally, Figure 18C shows the results of the vehicle allocation process for each product yard in Figure 18B. It can be confirmed that vehicle V3 has been allocated to three product yards: F3, F6, and F8.

[0123] As described above, the vehicle dispatch planning device 11, program, and vehicle dispatch planning method according to this embodiment can equalize the workload on each transport vehicle based on an automatically calculated appropriate threshold (leveling threshold) with simple implementation and minimal computation.

[0124] As described above, appropriate leveling is achieved by quantitatively calculating the workload of each transport vehicle and each piece of equipment. In particular, the consolidation process of product transport operations (steps S3 and S4 above) to reduce the unevenness in the amount of transport work in the product yard, and the leveling process of the amount of transport work for each transport vehicle (step S6) are performed in two stages. These processes eliminate the burden of manual dispatch planning and enable the stable creation of dispatch plans that appropriately level the amount of transport work for each transport vehicle.

[0125] While embodiments relating to this disclosure have been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art will find it easy to make various modifications or alterations based on this disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications or alterations are included within the scope of this disclosure. For example, the functions included in each component or step can be rearranged in a logically consistent manner, and multiple components or steps can be combined into one or divided. Embodiments relating to this disclosure can also be realized as storage media recording programs executed by a processor in the device. It should be understood that these are also included within the scope of this disclosure. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0126] 1 factory 1a-1d Factory building (product yard) 2 Warehouse 2a-2c Warehouse building (Warehouse building) 2d Temporary loading area 3a-3d, 4a-4c Overhead cranes 5a, 5b Transport vehicles 6a~6c Trolley 7. Ship loading cranes 8. Carrier 9. Initial Product Transportation Plan 11. Vehicle dispatch planning device 11a Input section 11b Workload calculation part 11c Product Yard Allocation Vehicle Quantity Calculation Unit 11d Leveling threshold setting unit 11e Vehicle Allocation Department 11f Output section 12. Operations Database 13. Product Transportation Plan

Claims

1. A vehicle dispatch planning device that creates a vehicle dispatch plan for assigning product transport operations, in which carts loaded with products are transported from multiple product yards, to multiple transport vehicles, An input unit that receives input values ​​including an initial product transport plan consisting of multiple product transport operations and operational information including equipment information for the target time period for creating the aforementioned dispatch plan, A workload calculation unit calculates the value of the product transport work completion time, which is the total time required to carry out the product transport work in the product yard using one transport vehicle, based on the input value and the operational information. A product yard allocation vehicle calculation unit calculates for each product yard the work time ratio, which is the ratio of the product transport work completion time to the target time length, which is the length of time between the start and end times of the target period, and calculates the number of transport vehicles to be allocated to each product yard based on the work time ratio for each product yard. The system includes a vehicle allocation unit that allocates the transport vehicles to each product yard based on the number of vehicles allocated, If the number of available transport vehicles during the aforementioned time period is less than the number of product yards to which the transport vehicles are allocated, The aforementioned product yard allocation vehicle calculation unit sets product yards that combine multiple product yards in order of the lowest work time ratio to be allocated one common transport vehicle as common vehicle allocation yards. The vehicle allocation unit is a dispatch planning device that selects a combination of multiple common vehicle allocation yards to which one common transport vehicle is allocated, based on the ratio of working hours in the common vehicle allocation yards and a leveling threshold which is a standard value for the workload per transport vehicle.

2. The vehicle allocation planning device according to claim 1, wherein the product yard allocation vehicle allocation calculation unit selects and aggregates a plurality of combinations of common vehicle allocation yards with common vehicle types in order of the lowest work time ratio, with respect to the common vehicle allocation yards, such that at least the maximum value of the standardized work time ratio is less than or equal to the aggregation threshold.

3. The vehicle allocation planning device according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle allocation calculation unit for the product yard selects and aggregates a plurality of combinations of common vehicle allocation yards with common vehicle types in order of the lowest work time ratio, such that both the maximum value of the standardized work time ratio and the maximum value of the standardized number of product transport operations for each product yard are less than or equal to the aggregation threshold.

4. The vehicle allocation unit determines, in order from the common vehicle allocation yard with the highest working time ratio, which is the common vehicle allocation yard that will be assigned the same transport vehicle to the combination, such that the sum of the working time ratios in the combination of common vehicle allocation yards is less than or equal to the leveling threshold, the vehicle allocation unit determines the common vehicle allocation yard that will be assigned the same transport vehicle to the combination, starting with the common vehicle allocation yard with the highest working time ratio. The vehicle allocation planning device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The vehicle allocation unit prioritizes a common vehicle allocation yard where the type of bogie is the same as the source of the combination, as the common vehicle allocation yard to be paired with the vehicle allocation unit, according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. A vehicle dispatch planning device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising a leveling threshold setting unit that, for all product yards where the types of transport vehicles are common, reflects the number of transport vehicles allocated to each product yard and calculates the root mean square of the ratio of working hours for each product yard converted to a per-transport vehicle as the leveling threshold for each type of transport vehicle.

7. A program that causes a computer to create a dispatch plan that assigns product transport operations, in which carts loaded with products are transported from multiple product yards, to multiple transport vehicles, The aforementioned computer, An input unit that receives input values ​​including an initial product transport plan consisting of multiple product transport operations and operational information including equipment information for the target time period for creating the aforementioned dispatch plan, A workload calculation unit calculates the value of the product transport work completion time, which is the total time required to carry out the product transport work in the product yard using one transport vehicle, based on the input value and the operational information. A product yard allocation vehicle calculation unit calculates for each product yard the work time ratio, which is the ratio of the product transport work completion time to the target time length, which is the length of time between the start and end times of the target period, and calculates the number of transport vehicles to be allocated to each product yard based on the work time ratio for each product yard. The vehicle allocation unit functions by allocating the transport vehicles to each product yard based on the aforementioned allocation number. If the number of available transport vehicles during the aforementioned time period is less than the number of product yards to which the transport vehicles are allocated, The aforementioned product yard allocation vehicle calculation unit sets product yards that combine multiple product yards in order of the lowest work time ratio to be allocated one common transport vehicle as common vehicle allocation yards. The vehicle allocation unit is a program that selects a combination of multiple common vehicle allocation yards to which one common transport vehicle is allocated, based on the ratio of working hours in the common vehicle allocation yards and a leveling threshold which is a standard value for the workload per transport vehicle.

8. A method for creating a vehicle dispatch plan, which involves assigning a vehicle dispatch plan to multiple transport vehicles for product transport operations, in which carts loaded with products are transported from multiple product yards, An input step that receives input values ​​including an initial product transport plan consisting of multiple product transport operations and operational information including equipment information for the target time period for creating the aforementioned dispatch plan, A workload calculation step that calculates the value of the product transport work completion time, which is the total time required to carry out the product transport work in the product yard using one transport vehicle, based on the input value and the operational information. A product yard allocation vehicle calculation step involves calculating the work time ratio for each product yard, which is the ratio of the product transport work completion time to the target time length, which is the length of time between the start and end times of the target period, and calculating the number of transport vehicles to be allocated to each product yard based on the work time ratio for each product yard. The vehicle allocation step includes allocating the transport vehicles to each product yard based on the number of vehicles allocated, If the number of available transport vehicles during the aforementioned time period is less than the number of product yards to which the transport vehicles are allocated, The step of calculating the number of vehicles to be allocated to the product yard involves setting up a common vehicle allocation yard by combining multiple product yards in order of the lowest percentage of work time, and allocating one common transport vehicle to that product yard. The vehicle allocation step is a method for creating a vehicle dispatch plan, which involves selecting a combination of multiple common vehicle allocation yards to which one common transport vehicle is allocated, based on the ratio of working hours in the common vehicle allocation yard and a leveling threshold which is a standard value for the workload per transport vehicle.

9. The method for creating a vehicle dispatch plan according to claim 8, wherein the step of calculating the number of vehicles to be allocated to a product yard includes a product yard consolidation step of selecting and consolidating a plurality of combinations of common vehicle allocation yards that have the same type of transport vehicle, in order of the lowest work time ratio, with respect to the common vehicle allocation yards, such that at least the maximum value of the standardized work time ratio is less than or equal to the consolidation threshold.

10. The method for creating a vehicle dispatch plan according to claim 9, wherein the product yard consolidation step involves selecting and consolidating a plurality of combinations of common vehicle allocation yards with common vehicle types in order of the lowest work time ratio, such that both the maximum value of the standardized work time ratio and the maximum value of the standardized number of product transport operations for each product yard are less than or equal to the consolidation threshold.

11. The vehicle allocation step is to determine the common vehicle allocation yards that will be paired with the same transport vehicle, starting from the common vehicle allocation yards with the highest work time ratios, such that the sum of the work time ratios in the combination of common vehicle allocation yards is less than or equal to the leveling threshold. This is the method for creating a vehicle allocation plan according to any one of claims 8 to 10.

12. The vehicle allocation step prioritizes a common vehicle allocation yard where the type of bogie is the same as the one from which the combination originates, as the common vehicle allocation yard to be paired with the aforementioned combination, according to any one of claims 8 to 10.

13. A method for creating a vehicle dispatch plan according to any one of claims 8 to 10, comprising a leveling threshold setting step, which takes into account all product yards where the types of transport vehicles are common, reflects the number of transport vehicles allocated to each product yard, and calculates the root mean square of the ratio of working hours for each product yard converted to a per-transport vehicle, as the leveling threshold for each type of transport vehicle.

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