Warehouse cell, multi-storey warehouse and cargo storage method therefor

Abstract

The present invention relates to a warehouse cell, a multi-story warehouse, and a method for storing cargo therein. The warehouse cell (1) includes a storage space (101) and a transfer space (102). A storage device (2) is installed in the storage space (101), and a transfer device (3) for moving the storage device (2) is installed in the transfer space (102). The transfer space (102) is located above or below the storage space (101). A multi-story warehouse is composed of warehouse cells, storage devices, and transfer devices, and by increasing the volume ratio between the storage space and the transfer space, it is possible to efficiently increase the space utilization rate of the warehouse.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field related to logistics, and more particularly to a warehouse cell, a multi-storey warehouse and a cargo storage method therefor. [Background technology]

[0002] With the dual drive of science and technology and economy, the logistics industry is rapidly changing from traditional logistics to modern logistics. In the process of moving goods from the place of origin to the place of consumption, the logistics chain in multiple parts such as transportation, storage, and distribution is evolving in the direction of automation, informationization, intelligentization, and unmanned. In the logistics chain, the warehouse where the goods are stored is an important part. Whether it is a traditional warehouse or a modern smart warehouse, the goods are basically lined up on shelves. Between the shelves, aisles are installed for moving the goods, such as entering and leaving the warehouse. Some large warehouses have various cargo areas, such as entering and leaving areas and sorting areas.

[0003] In traditional warehouses, the entry, exit and movement of cargo is basically realized by manual or manual-assisted conveying devices such as forklifts. In a Chinese patent application with publication number CN107577215A, entitled "Shelf and Scheduling Method, and Operation Method, Center and System", a movable shelf is disclosed that can be moved to different areas in a warehouse, thus improving the circulation efficiency of cargo. Compared with traditional warehouses, the aforementioned smart warehouse has greatly improved the automation and work efficiency of cargo movement, but whether it is a traditional warehouse or a modern smart warehouse, it is necessary to ensure sufficient space to smoothly complete the movement of cargo in the warehouse, and the cargo is stored in less than half of the warehouse space of the entire warehouse, so the space utilization rate of the warehouse is not high. Content of the invention

[0004] The present invention has been made in consideration of the technical problems existing in the prior art, and proposes a warehouse cell, a multi-story warehouse, and a cargo warehousing method therefor, for improving the space utilization rate of a warehouse.

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a warehouse cell of a multi-level warehouse including a storage space and a transfer space arranged to accommodate a storage device. The storage space accommodates the storage device. The transfer space accommodates a transfer device for moving the storage device. The transfer space is located above or below the storage space. The volume ratio of the storage space to the transfer space is ≧4:1, or ≧5:1, or ≧6:1, or ≧7:1, or ≧8:1, or ≧9:1, or ≧10:1.

[0006] According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a multi-level warehouse comprising two or more horizontally linked and / or stacked warehouse cells, a moving device and a control system, wherein the warehouse cells house storage devices, the moving device moves the storage devices between the warehouse cells, and the control system is configured to control the movement between the warehouse cells by the moving device.

[0007] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a multi-level warehouse including a frame, a plurality of stand mechanisms and a base plate. The frame is arranged to define a plurality of warehouse cells. The warehouse cells are arranged in horizontal and vertical directions. A storage device is accommodated in the warehouse cells. The plurality of stand mechanisms are provided on the frame. The base plate is arranged to support the storage device in each warehouse cell. The base plate is provided below the plurality of stand mechanisms, and a transfer space is defined between the stand mechanisms and the base plate, and the transfer space accommodates a transfer device. The transfer device is arranged to transfer the storage device between different warehouse cells.

[0008] In another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a multi-level warehouse including a plurality of storage levels of different heights, a plurality of movable levels of different heights, and a lifting system, wherein the storage level includes a plurality of storage spaces, and a storage device is disposed in the storage space. The movable levels are disposed to provide a moving space for the movable devices disposed above or below the storage level. The lifting system is disposed to move the storage devices and / or the movable devices between different movable levels, wherein a height ratio between the storage levels and the movable levels is ≧4:1, or ≧5:1, or ≧6:1, or ≧7:1, or ≧8:1, or ≧9:1, or ≧10:1.

[0009] In another aspect of the present invention, the present invention also provides a cargo input method for a multi-story warehouse, wherein the multi-story warehouse includes a plurality of horizontally linked and / or stacked warehouse cells, the method including the following steps: placing cargo in a storage device and positioning the storage device in a first warehouse cell; disengaging the storage device from a stand mechanism of the first warehouse cell by a moving device; moving the storage device to a second warehouse cell by the moving device; and setting the storage device on the stand mechanism of the second warehouse cell by the moving device.

[0010] The multi-story warehouse provided by the present invention is composed of warehouse cells, and most of the space in the warehouse cell is storage space. From the size and load weight of the storage device and the space occupied by the internal parts of the moving device and their load weight, it can be calculated that the ratio of the thickness of the moving device to the height of the warehouse cell is 1 / 11-1 / 5. That is, the utilization rate of one space volume of one warehouse cell can reach 80-90%. If the moving device adopts other methods such as magnetic levitation, the space utilization rate can reach 95%. In addition, since the cargo is inside the storage device in the warehouse cell, the possibility of cargo damage due to cargo pile-up is also reduced.

[0011] The present invention also relates to an AGV (automated guided vehicle) comprising a body, a lift mechanism, a traveling mechanism, and a guide mechanism. The interior of the body includes a drive assembly, a steering assembly, a lift assembly, and electrical components. The lift mechanism cooperates with the lift assembly to extend or retract a lift rod from an upper surface of the body. The traveling mechanism is provided below the body and is arranged to cooperate with the drive assembly and the steering assembly.

[0012] The guide mechanism is disposed under the body and is arranged to guide the running direction of the running mechanism. The running mechanism includes one or more wheel assemblies.

[0013] In one embodiment, the wheel assembly includes at least one or more guide wheel bodies and a guide wheel shaft fixed to the center of the guide wheel body.

[0014] In one embodiment, the drive assembly includes a drive motor and a power transmission mechanism. The drive motor outputs a driving force for traveling.

[0015] The power transmission mechanism includes a leading drive wheel, a driving driven wheel, and a trailing wheel axle.

[0016] The output shaft of the drive motor transmits power to the drive driven wheels via the drive wheels, and then transmits power from the drive driven wheels to the wheel shaft, thereby rotating the wheel body in the radial direction.

[0017] In one embodiment, the steering assembly includes a steering motor and a steering mechanism. A steering force is output from the steering motor. The steering mechanism includes a steering drive wheel, a steering driven wheel, and a steering frame integrally connected thereto, and the steering driven wheel is fixed coaxially with the steering frame and the driving driven wheel. The steering frame is fixed to a wheel axle. The steering motor output shaft transmits power to the steering driven wheel via the steering drive wheel, and the steering driven wheel rotates the driving driven wheel axle and the wheel axle fixedly connected to the steering frame together to change the running direction of the wheel body. In one embodiment, a turning mechanism for changing the power transmission direction is further provided between an end of the output shaft of the drive motor and the driving wheel axle.

[0018] In one embodiment, the steering motor further includes a steering mechanism between an end of the output shaft of the steering motor and a steering drive wheel shaft, which changes the power transmission direction. In one embodiment, the power transmission mechanism further includes a wheel driven wheel. The axis of the wheel driven wheel is connected to the axis of the drive driven wheel via a steering mechanism. The drive driven wheel transmits power to the wheel driven wheel, and then transmits it from the wheel driven wheel to the wheel shaft. In one embodiment, the steering mechanism is a bevel gear that engages with each other. In one embodiment, the lift assembly includes a lift motor, a power transmission mechanism, and a steering mechanism. The lift motor outputs lift power. The power transmission mechanism includes a lift drive wheel and a lift driven wheel. The steering mechanism is connected to the end of the lift driven wheel shaft and the start of the lift mechanism, which changes the direction of the lift power. In one embodiment, the lift mechanism includes a gear at the end of the lift mechanism, a power transmission rack, a lift rod, and a lock mechanism, which changes the direction of the lift power. The gear at the start of the lift mechanism is connected to the steering mechanism. The power transmission rack is provided with a crossbar on a side of the rack. The power transmission rack meshes with the gear. The crossbar is moved up and down as the gear rotates. The lower end of the lift rod faces the crossbar, and pushes out the lift rod when the crossbar moves upward as the gear rotates. The lock mechanism is connected to the lift rod and locks the lift rod when the lift rod reaches a preset position. In one embodiment, the AGV further includes a positioning lever, and a tip of the crossbar faces the crossbar. When the crossbar moves downward as the gear rotates, the positioning lever is caused to protrude from the lower surface of the main body. In one embodiment, the positioning lever is provided integrally with the crossbar. Alternatively, a positioning lever return structure is further provided. When the crossbar moves upward as the gear rotates and is separated from the positioning lever, the positioning lever is returned. In one embodiment, the guide mechanism includes at least two sets of wheel assemblies perpendicular to each other, each set consisting of a guide wheel and its carrier, and a guide wheel electromagnetic solenoid. The guide wheel and its carrier are disposed in a groove at the bottom of the main body. The guide wheel electromagnetic solenoid is disposed in the groove and fixed to the guide frame to control the guide wheel to be ejected or retracted from the groove.In one embodiment, the AGV further includes a positioning sensor disposed in a groove at the bottom of the body, which transmits a signal after the guide wheels are properly lowered into the guide groove of the running surface.

[0019] In one embodiment, the AGV further includes a control device inside the main body including a task management module, a movement control module, and a transportation control module. The task management module receives a transportation task including a target cargo and a target position. The movement control module controls a drive assembly and a steering assembly based on the received travel path or a travel path calculated from the target position and the current position. The movement control module controls the drive assembly and the steering assembly based on the instructed travel path or a travel path calculated from the target position and the current vehicle position. The travel mechanism is made to travel and / or steer according to a scheduled path. After the transportation control module determines the target cargo, the lift mechanism controls the lifting of the cargo, and after reaching the target position of the destination, controls the retraction of the lift mechanism to unload the cargo. In one embodiment, the control device further includes an electronic tag reader / writer arranged on the outer upper surface and the outer lower surface of the main body to identify the position of the target cargo. In one embodiment, the control device further includes a forced positioning module. When the travel is unstable and the position needs to be confirmed or accurately corrected after reaching the target position, a control positioning lever protrudes from the lower surface of the main body to position it. In one embodiment, the controller further includes one or more sensors and / or a laser SLAM or visual VSLAM system to assist the motion control module and the transport control module. In one embodiment, the motion control module controls a steering assembly to rotate the travel mechanism 90 degrees when steering is required depending on the travel path.

[0020] In one embodiment, the working method of the automatic guided transport device includes determining a travel path. The travel path includes one or more straight sections. Two adjacent straight sections are perpendicular to each other. After the automatic guided transport device reaches the transport target position according to the travel path, it protrudes a lift mechanism to lift the target cargo. After the target cargo reaches the destination target position according to the travel path, it retracts the lift mechanism to unload the target cargo. In one embodiment, the working method further includes, after the transport target position and the destination target position are reached according to the travel path, identifying whether the current position is the transport target position and the destination target position. In one embodiment, the working method further includes, after the transport target position is determined, identifying whether the cargo at the transport target position is the target cargo. In one embodiment, the working method includes that the target cargo is located in a parent container in a storage space of a warehouse cell, and an ID electronic tag is provided on the bottom of the parent container. The automatic guided transport device travels in a moving space of a warehouse cell, and an ID electronic tag is provided on the bottom plate of the moving space of the warehouse cell, and the automatic guided transport device reads and identifies the ID electronic tag. In one embodiment, the working method includes, when the transport environment is unstable, forcibly positioning the automatic guiding transport device using a positioning lever after accurate positioning when the automatic guiding transport device reaches a target position.

[0021] The AGV (automated guided vehicle) provided in the present invention is thin, occupies a small space, and can be operated accurately, which can save the movement space and aisle space inside the multi-story warehouse, thereby improving the space utilization rate of the multi-story warehouse.

[0022] The present invention also provides a cargo storage method for a multi-level warehouse, which includes the following steps: A multi-level warehouse is docked to a storage space in a transport device. The storage space and the multi-level warehouse have one or more storage cells. A moving device is used to remove an input storage device from a first storage cell in the storage space, and the ID binding between the input storage device and the first storage cell is released. At this time, the storage device has cargo. Then, the moving device is used to transport the input storage device to a second storage cell in the multi-level warehouse, and the ID binding between the input storage device and the second storage cell is released. In one embodiment, the input method further includes directly docking one or more storage cells in the multi-level warehouse with one or more storage cells in the storage space in the transport device. In one embodiment, the input method further includes docking one or more storage cells with one or more storage cells in the storage space in the transport device using a docking plate or a docking pipe. In one embodiment, the docking plate or the docking pipe has a guide structure of the moving device. In one embodiment, the guide structure on the docking plate or docking pipe is the same as the guide structure in the warehouse cell. In one embodiment, the first warehouse cell of the storage space in the docked transportation device and the second warehouse cell of the multi-level warehouse are located on the same or different warehouse levels. In one embodiment, the warehousing method includes, when the transportation device is a drone, hovering above the drone connection port of the multi-level warehouse and docking to the multi-level warehouse via a grab hand or a lift. In one embodiment, the warehousing method further includes determining a maximum amount of transport at one time based on at least the number of warehousing storage devices, the number of warehouse cells on the docking surface, and the number of currently available mobile devices. In one embodiment, the warehousing method further includes determining an available mobile device based on the current task amount in the storage space of the multi-level warehouse and the transportation device. In one embodiment, the storage method further includes the available mobile device belonging to the multi-level warehouse or the transportation device. Or the mobile device is a reserve mobile device. In one embodiment, the input method includes a plurality of mobile devices coordinating to transport the input storage device when the number of available mobile devices is one or more.In one embodiment, the method of entering further includes transmitting a list of incoming storage devices to the available mobile device and updating the list of incoming storage devices in real time. In one embodiment, the method of entering further includes identifying incoming storage devices to be removed based on the list of incoming storage devices when the mobile device enters the storage space. In one embodiment, the method of entering further includes determining a number of second warehouse cells based on the number of incoming storage devices and the positions and number of vacant warehouse cells in the multi-story warehouse. In one embodiment, the method of entering further includes obtaining the number of incoming storage devices before entering the storage space, and preparing a number of second warehouse cells equal to or greater than the number of incoming storage devices to be vacant near an entrance / exit of the multi-story warehouse according to the number of incoming storage devices. In one embodiment, the method of entering further includes transporting the incoming storage devices to a vicinity of an entrance / exit of the storage space in a transport device before entering the storage space. In one embodiment, the method of entering further includes the incoming storage devices having an ID electronic tag. The mobile device has an electronic tag reader / writer. The step of releasing the ID binding between the incoming storage device and the first warehouse cell includes reading an ID electronic tag of the incoming storage device and modifying ID information of the warehouse cell in the tag information. In one embodiment, the incoming storage method further includes changing the ID information of the warehouse cell in the electronic tag information of the incoming storage device to a moving state when the incoming storage device is removed from the first warehouse cell in the transport equipment storage space, and modifying the ID information of the warehouse cell in the electronic tag information of the incoming storage device to identification information of the second warehouse cell after the incoming storage device is transported to a second warehouse cell in a multi-story warehouse.

[0023] Based on the multi-story warehouse of the present invention, there is provided a method for retrieving cargo from a multi-story warehouse. The method comprises the steps of: docking a multi-story warehouse with a storage space for transport equipment; the storage space and the multi-story warehouse having one or more warehouse cells; a moving device removes an outgoing storage device from a third warehouse cell of the multi-story warehouse, and releases the ID binding between the incoming storage device and the third warehouse cell; the storage device has outgoing cargo; and the moving device transports the outgoing storage device to a fourth warehouse cell in the transport equipment storage space, and binds the ID of the outgoing storage device with the fourth warehouse cell.

[0024] Based on the multi-story warehouse of the present invention, a cargo exchange method between first multi-story warehouses is also provided. The method follows the steps below. A first multi-story warehouse and a second multi-story warehouse are docked, and the first multi-story warehouse and the second multi-story warehouse each include a plurality of cells. A mobile device is used to remove a first storage device from a first warehouse cell of the first multi-story warehouse, and to release the ID binding between the first storage device and the first warehouse cell. The first mobile device is used to transport the first storage device to a second warehouse cell of the second multi-story warehouse, and to bind the ID between the first storage device and the second warehouse cell. The first mobile device is used to remove a second storage device from a third warehouse cell of the second multi-story warehouse, and to release the ID binding between the second storage device and the second warehouse cell. The first mobile device is used to transport the second storage device to a fourth warehouse cell of the first multi-story warehouse. The ID binding between the second storage device and the fourth warehouse cell is then performed.

[0025] The present invention relates to a multi-story warehouse with high space utilization rate. When cargo is loaded or unloaded, two multi-story warehouses can be directly docked door-to-door, with the whole or part of the inter-floor space docked, so that cargo can be transported simultaneously on different floors. Compared with the loading and unloading of cargo in traditional warehouses, this is highly efficient and can complete the transportation of large amounts of cargo in a short period of time.

[0026] The present invention also relates to a sub-transport box, which includes a first body, a sorting ring claw, and a first ID electronic tag. The first body is provided with an opening and a corresponding box cover, and the box cover is closed and locked with the first body by one or more chains, and defines a storage space for storing the first body and cargo. The sorting ring claw is provided on the first body or the box cover. The first ID electronic tag is configured to record at least ID information of the sub-transport box and logistics information of the cargo contained therein. In one embodiment, the logistics information in the sub-transport box includes at least the cargo contained therein information and the position change information in the cargo distribution. In one embodiment, the material of the first body and the box cover is a hard material. In one embodiment, the lock is configured to open in response to the identity verification of the consignee. In one embodiment, the storage space includes a buffer structure that cannot be removed. In one embodiment, the cargo in the storage space does not require additional packaging.

[0027] The present invention also relates to a parent-child transport box for logistics, including a child transport box and a parent transport box, and the first ID electronic tag of the child transport box is configured to at least record ID binding information of the child transport box and the parent transport box. The parent transport box includes a second body, a conveying structure, and a second ID electronic tag. The second body accommodates one or more child transport boxes. The conveying structure is provided on the second body and arranged to cooperate with a moving device. The second ID electronic tag records at least relevant information about the parent transport box and its position. In one embodiment, the upper part of the second body is opened to take out the child transport box from the top surface. In one embodiment, the side of the second body is provided with an openable side door to take out the child transport box from the side surface. In one embodiment, the conveying structure is a positioning groove arranged on the bottom of the second body for positioning with the moving device. In one embodiment, the conveying structure is a handle arranged on the upper part of the second body, and cooperates with a robot in the moving device as the second conveying structure. In one embodiment, the conveying structure is a suction device provided on the upper part of the second body, and cooperates with a suction mechanism in the moving device as the second conveying structure. In one embodiment, the location of the parent transport box is a warehouse cell, and the information about the location is identification binding information of the parent transport box and its location. In one embodiment, the multiple child transport boxes include multiple specifications, and the size of the parent transport box is designed to fit a combination of multiple child transport boxes of the same or different specifications, so that the volume of the parent transport box can be fully utilized.

[0028] The present invention also relates to a child / parent transit box-based logistics system. The system includes one or more mobile warehouses and / or fixed warehouses, and a plurality of the child / parent transit boxes. The mobile warehouse and / or fixed warehouse include one or more warehouse cells. Among these, the cargo after arrival is placed in the child transit box, the child transit box is placed in the parent transit box, and the parent transit box is accommodated in one warehouse cell. Here, the warehouse cell, the parent transit box, the child transit box, and the cargo are related to each other. The child transit box containing the cargo is delivered to the consignee via the mobile warehouse or a transport device. In one embodiment, the fixed warehouse includes a multi-level warehouse having a plurality of warehouse cells. In one embodiment, the mobile warehouse includes a multi-level warehouse having a transport device and one or more warehouse cells arranged on the transport device. In one embodiment, the logistics system further includes a sorting device arranged in the mobile warehouse or the fixed warehouse, which sorts the child transit boxes according to the logistics destination of the next outgoing goods. In one embodiment, the logistics system further includes a home delivery robot, and the home delivery robot includes one or more warehouse cells for accommodating the parent transit boxes. In one embodiment, the fixed warehouse comprises a parcel locker, which comprises one or more warehouse cells for accommodating parent and child shipping boxes.

[0029] The present invention also relates to a method for recording cargo information of a parent and child transport box, comprising the steps of: placing cargo in the child transport box, and recording cargo information in at least a first ID electronic tag of the child transport box; placing the child transport box in a parent transport box, and recording ID information of the child transport box and the parent transport box in the first ID electronic tag of the child transport box; placing the parent transport box in a warehouse cell, and recording ID binding information of the parent transport box and the warehouse cell in the second ID electronic tag of the parent transport box; and associating the binding information of the warehouse cell, the parent transport box and the sub transport box. In one embodiment, the cargo-related method further includes changing the binding between the parent transport box and the warehouse cell when changing the warehouse cell in which the parent transport box is located. In one embodiment, the cargo-related method further includes changing the binding between the child transport box and the parent transport box when changing the parent transport box in which the child transport box is located.

[0030] In the present invention, the cargo is always in the child transport box, and the child transport box circulates in different logistics equipment, and the changes in the correlation between the parent transport box and the warehouse cell during circulation are recorded in real time, so that the position of the cargo in the logistics system can be obtained in real time, and data support is provided for managing and monitoring the cargo in the system. Since the parent transport box is stored in the warehouse cell of the multi-level warehouse, the cargo will not be backlogged or pushed back. The child transport box has various specifications that are suitable for cargo of various shapes and sizes. Therefore, the cargo of the present invention saves various packaging tapes, parent transport boxes, polystyrene foam boxes, fillers, etc. in the existing logistics system, and the parent and child transport boxes can be reused, making it more environmentally friendly. Since all the cargo transport devices are multi-level warehouses with the same specifications, and the parent transport box that contains the child transport box is common to each cargo transport device, when the cargo is delivered, the parent transport box can be directly transported from the current cargo transport device to another cargo transport device, which speeds up the transportation of the cargo and improves the efficiency of logistics.

[0031] The present invention also relates to a mobile warehouse including a multi-level warehouse, a storage device, a moving device, a sorting device, and a transport device. Here, the multi-level warehouse includes a plurality of warehouse cells, and the warehouse cells include stacked storage spaces and a moving space. The storage device is accommodated in a storage space in the warehouse cells. The moving device is arranged to move in a space consisting of the moving spaces of the plurality of warehouse cells for transporting the storage device. The sorting device is arranged to occupy a plurality of adjacent warehouse cells for sorting cargo in the storage device. The transport device is used to transport the multi-level warehouse and provides a moving function. In one embodiment, the transport device is a housing frame and a housing cover, and the housing frame is connected to the housing cover to form a housing body having an internal space. The multi-level warehouse is provided in the internal space of the housing body. In one embodiment, the enclosure structure includes one or more housing doors, and the area of ​​the housing door is an integer multiple of the warehouse cell in the multi-level warehouse. In one embodiment, the housing door includes a first housing door provided on the side and / or back of the housing frame or a second housing door that docks with a drone on the top surface of the housing. In one embodiment, the mobile warehouse further includes a plurality of support rods each connected at both ends to the housing door and the housing frame, and supported and fixed when the housing door is opened. In one embodiment, the mobile warehouse includes a lifting and docking device including a lifting rail, a lifting stand, and a docking plate. The lifting rail is fixed to the housing frame in the housing door. The lifting stand is provided to cooperate with the lifting rail mechanism and can rise or fall along the rail. One end of the docking plate is movably connected to the tip of the lifting stand. The upper surface is a mobile device stand mechanism. The docking plate opens outside the space of the box when the housing door is opened, and can be stored when the housing door is closed. In one embodiment, the length of the docking plate fits the width of one warehouse cell. Or fits the width of the housing door. In one embodiment, the mobile warehouse further includes an XY driving table arranged at the bottom of the housing frame, and the multi-level warehouse is fixed to the XY driving table. In one embodiment, the housing door fits the length or width of the XY driving table.In one embodiment, the mobile warehouse further includes an air suspension disposed between the housing frame and the vehicle body. In one embodiment, the mobile warehouse further includes a control system including a communication module, a navigation module, and a docking control module. The communication module is configured to communicate information with a cloud system. The navigation module is used to determine a driving route of the vehicle based on a planned route. The docking control module is configured to determine the docking mode according to the second mobile warehouse, and controls the operation of related parts according to the determined docking mode. In one embodiment, the control system further includes a geographic positioning device that obtains a real-time geographic position and transmits it to a cloud system via the communication module. In one embodiment, the docking control module includes a lifting docking device control unit and a housing door control unit. The housing door control unit controls the opening and closing of the housing door. The lifting docking device control unit controls the lifting, opening and closing of a docking plate. In one embodiment, the control unit of the lifting docking device includes one or more of the following sensors: The docking plate positioning sensor issues a docking completion signal when the docking plate accurately docks with the warehouse cell of the multi-level warehouse. The lifting positioning sensor issues a positioning signal when the docking plate reaches the planned position of the bottom of the second mobile warehouse and the second mobile warehouse can be safely lifted. The warehouse cell positioning sensor also issues a docking completion signal when the warehouse cell of the second mobile warehouse accurately docks with the warehouse cell in the multi-level warehouse. In one embodiment, the docking control module further includes an XY drive table control unit configured to move the XY drive table in the X direction or the Y direction to move the multi-level warehouse a planned distance outside the housing. In one embodiment, the mobile warehouse further includes an air suspension control module configured to adjust the air pressure of the air suspension during docking to adjust the level of the multi-level warehouse. In one embodiment, the mobile device in the mobile warehouse includes an AGV.In one embodiment, the AGV includes a main body, a lift mechanism, a traveling mechanism, and a guide mechanism, and the inside of the main body includes a drive assembly, a steering assembly, a lift assembly, and electrical components. The lift mechanism engages with the lift assembly. The main body is arranged to protrude or retract from the upper surface of the main body. The traveling mechanism is provided under the main body, and the drive assembly and the steering assembly engage with each other. The guide mechanism is provided under the main body and guides the traveling of the traveling mechanism. In one embodiment, the sorting device includes a support unit, a moving unit, and a sorting robot. The support unit is connected to at least one sorting cell. The sorting cell places a parent transit box that contains cargo. The sorting cell is connected to a warehouse cell. The moving unit is movably connected to the support unit and can move between a plurality of sorting cells along the support unit. The sorting robot is connected to the moving unit and grabs the cargo according to a sorting task. As the moving unit moves, the cargo is sorted from a first parent transit box to a second parent transit box. In one embodiment, the storage device in the mobile warehouse includes a parent and child transport box, where the child transport box contains cargo, and the parent transport box contains one or more child transport boxes and is placed in a storage space within a warehouse cell, where the parent transport box is associated with the ID of the contained child transport box and the warehouse cell in which it is located.

[0032] In one embodiment, the present invention further provides a method for transporting cargo from a mobile warehouse, which includes the following steps: Obtain a cargo delivery task within the transport distance; The cargo delivery task includes a docking point and a docked second mobile warehouse or a fixed warehouse; Sort the cargo to be delivered during the transport to the docking point; And deliver the cargo between the second mobile warehouse and the fixed warehouse at the docking point. In one embodiment, the cargo transport method for the mobile warehouse includes communicating with a cloud system and receiving a cargo delivery task sent from the cloud. In one embodiment, a planned driving route is received simultaneously with receiving the cargo delivery task. Or, a driving route is calculated based on the current position and the docking point. In one embodiment, the cargo transport method for the mobile warehouse further includes obtaining a cargo sorting list according to the cargo delivery task; Sort the cargo according to the cargo sorting list. In one embodiment, the cargo sorting list is received from the cloud simultaneously with receiving the cargo delivery task. Or, the cargo sorting list is determined from the cargo information in the multi-level warehouse and the docking point.

[0033] The mobile warehouse provided by the present invention has a function of storing cargo while transporting the cargo. Before the cargo is delivered, the cargo is sorted according to the logistics direction during the transportation. The cargo stored in the mobile warehouse can be flexibly large or small, and the efficiency of transportation and cargo exchange during docking can be improved through various docking modes, cargo sorting algorithms based on big data, cargo exchange algorithms, and driving route algorithms, and the like, thereby shortening the cargo retention time as a whole. Therefore, the cargo transportation of the logistics system in the present invention is flexible and efficient.

[0034] The present invention also relates to a sorting robot applied to a multi-level warehouse, comprising a balance arm, a grab module, and a motion drive unit. The balance arm keeps the movement process smooth. The grab module for grabbing cargo is attached to the end of the balance arm. The motion drive unit is connected to the balance arm, and controls the extension and movement of the balance arm, and the grab module to grab and lower the cargo. In one embodiment, the balance arm includes at least two arms connected by a first joint. In one embodiment, the arm includes an upper arm and a lower arm connected by at least a second joint, and the upper arm of one arm and the lower arm of the other arm are connected via the first joint. In one embodiment, the two arms connected by the first joint are adjacent to each other in parallel in a contracted state. In one embodiment, the second movable joint is contracted, and the upper arm and the lower arm are connected to each other in cooperation with each other. In one embodiment, the grab module includes a grab body and a grab fixed to an end of the grab body. The grab body is fixed to the tip of the lower arm of the balance arm. The grab is movably connected to the tip of the grab body. In one embodiment, the grab module is further provided with an identification unit connected to the grab body and identifying the cargo to be sorted. In one embodiment, the grab includes a plurality of grab claws, each of which is individually movably connected to the grab body to change one or both of the overall shape, size, and position of the contact portion with the cargo. In one embodiment, the grab claw adopts an adsorption type and / or a mechanical type. In one embodiment, the mechanical grab claw has a ring claw that is set on the handle of the cargo. In one embodiment, the grab body includes a guide rail corresponding to each grab claw, and the grab claw is fixed to a rail slider. In one embodiment, the grab module further includes a damping plate movably connected to the grab body, which fits into the space between the grab and the cargo when the grab grabs the cargo, and suppresses the swinging of the cargo. In one embodiment, the identification unit is a cargo ID electronic tag reader / writer. In one embodiment, the ID electronic tag reader / writer is an RFID reader / writer or a two-dimensional code reader / writer.In one embodiment, the recognition unit is an image identification unit that acquires an image of the cargo to identify the cargo. In one embodiment, the image identification unit includes a camera and an image identification subunit, the camera acquires an image of the cargo or a cargo ID electronic tag, and the image identification subunit identifies the cargo based on the acquired image. In one embodiment, the drive unit includes a joint actuator that controls the deployment and retraction of the balance arm. In one embodiment, the joint actuator includes a drive motor that provides driving power, a wire reel, and a wire rope. The drive motor provides driving force. The wire rope protrudes from the reel and is fixed to the end of the balance arm via a guide wheel, and the output shaft of the drive motor that connects the wire reel controls the extension and retraction of the wire rope of the wire reel, thereby controlling the deployment and retraction of the balance arm. In one embodiment, the drive unit further includes a grab actuator that controls the grabbing operation of the grab. In one embodiment, the sorting robot further includes a control unit that is respectively connected to the moving drive unit and the grab module signal, and cooperates with the moving drive unit and the grab module according to a sorting task to complete the sorting of the cargo. In one embodiment, the cargo is placed in a child transport box. In one embodiment, the sorting robot further includes a communication unit for communicating with a host machine. In one embodiment, the sorting robot further includes a sensor unit including one or more of a positioning sensor, a collision prevention sensor, a laser SLAM, and a visual VSLAM.

[0035] The present invention also relates to a sorting device applied to a multi-level warehouse, comprising a support unit, a moving unit, and a sorting robot. The support unit is connected to at least one sorting cell, the sorting cell places a first parent box, and the first parent box contains goods waiting to be sorted. The moving unit is movably connected to the support unit and can move between one or more sorting cells along the support unit. The sorting robot is fixed to the moving unit, grabs cargo according to a sorting operation, and sorts the cargo from the first parent box to a second parent box as the moving unit moves. In one embodiment, the support unit is connected to the upper or side of one sorting cell. In one embodiment, the moving unit includes a guide rail fixed to the support unit and the beam connected to the guide rail via a guide rail slider. The sorting robot is connected to the beam. In one embodiment, the sorting cell has the same specifications as or conforms to a warehouse cell. In one embodiment, the cargo is placed in a child box. The sorting apparatus further comprises a sorting subsystem including a communication module, an identification module, and an information modification module. The communication module receives a sorting task. The sorting task includes at least a target child shipping box list. The target child shipping box list includes at least ID information of the target child shipping box list. The ID information of the originally bound first parent shipping box and the ID information of the second parent shipping box for containing the target child shipping box are included. The identification module identifies whether the parent shipping box in the sorting cell and the child shipping box therein are a target parent shipping box or a target child shipping box. The information modification module releases the ID binding between the target child shipping box and the first parent shipping box when the target child shipping box is separated from the first parent shipping box. When the target child shipping box is placed on the second parent shipping box, the ID binding between the target child shipping box and the second parent shipping box is established. In one embodiment, the sorting subsystem includes a movement control module configured to control the extension, movement, and grabbing of the target child shipping box of the sorting robot.

[0036] The present invention also relates to a multi-level warehouse sorting system. The system includes a sorting device, a moving device, and a control system. The sorting device is distributed in a multi-level warehouse and communicates with warehouse cells, and sorts target child transport boxes in a target parent transport box according to a sorting task. The moving devices are distributed in the moving space of the warehouse cells in the warehouse. The parent transport boxes are transported according to a transport task. The control system is arranged to communicate with the sorting device and the moving device, and is used for allocating sorting tasks and transport tasks and maintaining sorting information. In one embodiment, the control system includes a task determination module, a cargo statistics module, and a task planning module. The task determination module determines a current sorting logistics location based on logistics information. The cargo statistics module is configured to analyze address information of each parent transport box and its internal child transport box based on the sorting logistics location and cargo scheduling information, and determine a target parent transport box and a target child transport box. The task planning module is configured to determine a task corresponding to each sorting device and each moving device based on at least target parent transport box distribution information in the warehouse, sorting device distribution information, and the number and position information of moving devices. In one embodiment, the task planning module includes a sorting task unit and a transport task unit. The sorting task unit identifies and maintains a list of target child transport boxes sorted by each sorting device. The target child transport box list includes at least target child transport box ID information, originally bound first parent transport box ID information, and second parent transport box ID information containing the sorted target child transport box. The transport task unit is configured to assign a transport task to each moving device in real time based on distribution location information of the moving device, the first parent transport box, the second parent transport box, and the sorting device. In one embodiment, the distribution location information is warehouse cell ID information. In one embodiment, the control system further includes a cargo information maintenance module configured to maintain a binding relationship between the child transport box and the parent transport box in the warehouse, and a binding relationship between the parent transport box and the warehouse cell. In one embodiment, the control system is located on a cloud, the multi-level warehouse includes a local module, and the control system communicates with the sorting device and the moving device through the local module.

[0037] The present invention also relates to a cargo sorting method for a multi-level warehouse. To The method includes the following steps: transporting a first parent pass box and a second parent pass box to a sorting cell by a moving device; a sorting robot in the sorting cell catches the cargo from the first parent pass box to the second parent pass box; and carrying out the first parent pass box and the second parent pass box from the sorting cell via a moving device. In one embodiment, the sorting method further includes determining a sorting logistics location based on logistics transport information. In one embodiment, the sorting method further includes determining a second parent pass box based on scheduling information of the cargo in the multi-level warehouse and the first parent pass box where it is located. In one embodiment, the sorting method further includes determining a sorting task corresponding to the sorting device based on distribution information of the first and second parent pass boxes in the warehouse, sorting device distribution information, and the number and position information of the moving devices, and determining a transport task corresponding to the moving device. In one embodiment, the sorting method further includes transporting the second parent transit box to a warehouse cell when the second parent transit box has no target child transit box position and no non-target child transit box. In one embodiment, the sorting method further includes determining a warehouse cell to store the second parent transit box that has completed sorting based on a distribution of vacant warehouse cells in the warehouse. In one embodiment, the sorting method further includes determining an vacant warehouse cell in an output area to preferentially store the second parent transit box that has completed sorting.

[0038] The sorting system provided by the present invention can use a sorting robot in combination with a moving device to quickly and accurately sort cargo without time or space constraints, without the need for excessive spatial positions, resulting in high sorting efficiency. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0039] Selected embodiments of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. [Figure 1] 1 is a transportation image diagram of a multi-stage cargo transport device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is an image diagram showing a transport distance of a multi-stage cargo transport device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3]FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a warehouse cell according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 1 is an image showing a storage device according to one embodiment of the present invention arranged in a warehouse cell; [Figure 5A] FIG. 1 is an image of a storage device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5B] FIG. 13 is an image diagram of a storage device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5C] FIG. 2 is a bottom image of a storage device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6A] FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of a storage tray according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6B] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of a storage tray according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7A-7B] FIG. 2 is an image diagram showing an AGV according to one embodiment of the present invention stopped in a warehouse cell. [Figure 8A-8B] This is an image diagram showing a storage device installed in a storage cell in one embodiment of the present invention and an AGV stopped. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is an image diagram of a warehouse cell according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is an image diagram of a warehouse cell according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is an image diagram of a parent shipping box according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an image of warehouse cell connections according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an image of a warehouse cell connection according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14A] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a local connection structure of a warehouse cell according to another embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 14B] FIG. 14B is an image diagram of a local connection structure of a warehouse cell corresponding to the structure shown in FIG. 14A. [Figure 14C] FIG. 14C is an enlarged image of another warehouse cell connection structure based on the structure shown in FIG. 14B. [Figure 15]FIG. 1 is an image diagram of a multi-story warehouse according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16A] FIG. 13 is an image diagram of a multi-story warehouse according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16B] FIG. 13 is an image diagram of cargo movement in a multi-story warehouse according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17A] FIG. 1 is an image diagram of a multi-story warehouse having one horizontal floor according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17B] FIG. 13 is an image diagram of a multi-story warehouse having two horizontal floors in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is an image diagram of a multi-story warehouse according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19A-19B] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the structure of a sub-transport box according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figures 20A-20D] 1 is an overall image diagram of an AGV according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 21A-21B] FIG. 2 is an overall image diagram of a drive assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 22] FIG. 13 is an image diagram of the state after the drive wheel holder is removed according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 23] FIG. 2 is an image showing a schematic configuration of a part of a wheel assembly and a drive assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 24] FIG. 1 is an image diagram showing a schematic configuration of a wheel assembly and a wheel fork according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 25] FIG. 1 is an image diagram showing the overall configuration of a steering assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 26] FIG. 1 is an image diagram showing a partial configuration of a steering assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 27] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a configuration of a steering mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 28] FIG. 1 is an image diagram showing the overall configuration of a steering assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 29] FIG. 1 is an image diagram showing the configuration of a lift assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 30] FIG. 2 is an image of a portion of a lift assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 31] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a lift mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 32] FIG. 2 is a second diagram illustrating the configuration of a lift mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 33] FIG. 3 is a third diagram showing the configuration of a lift mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 34A-34B] 1 is an image diagram showing the configuration of one guide wheel assembly in a guide mechanism. FIG. [Diagram 35] 1 is a schematic block diagram of an AGV stand-alone control device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 36A-36D] 1 is an image diagram of a sorting device applied to a multi-story warehouse according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figures 37A-37C] FIG. 2 is a schematic image diagram of a balance arm of a sorting robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 38A-38C] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of a drive unit of a sorting robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figures 39A-39C] FIG. 2 is an image diagram of a sorting robot grab module according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figures 40A-40C] FIG. 13 is an image diagram of a sorting robot grab module according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 41A-41H] FIG. 2 is an image diagram of a sorting robot according to one embodiment of the present invention grabbing cargo. [Fig. 42A-42B] FIG. 2 is an image diagram showing the flow of grabbing and sorting cargo by a sorting robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 43] FIG. 13 is an image diagram of a sorting device applied to a multi-story warehouse in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 44] 1 is a schematic block diagram of a sorting device control system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 45] FIG. 1 is an internal image diagram of a multi-story warehouse according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 46A-46B] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a delivery locker according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 47A-47B] FIG. 2 is an image diagram showing one side of a delivery locker structure according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 48A-48B] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a mini truck according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 49A-49B] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a city circulation truck according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 50A-50B] FIG. 13 is an image of a multi-story warehouse inside a city circulation truck according to one embodiment of the present invention sliding out of the housing. [Figure 51] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a cargo transportation device control system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 52A] FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a docking control module according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 52B] FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a sorting control module according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 53] FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a freight transportation device control system according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 54] 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 55] FIG. 1 is a first image of the inside of the base of a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 56] FIG. 2 is a second image of the inside of the base of the delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 57] FIG. 3 is a third image of the inside of the base of a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 58] FIG. 2 is an image diagram of a housing frame of a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 59A-59D] FIG. 1 is an image diagram showing a housing structure of a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 60] FIG. 2 is an image diagram showing the inside of the base of a drive assembly of a delivery robot in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 61] FIG. 2 is an image diagram showing the connection between a wheel assembly and a drive assembly of a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 62] This is an enlarged view of the deflection mechanism with the mount removed at A in Figure 61. [Figure 63-66] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a power transmission mechanism of a drive assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 67] FIG. 2 is an overall image of a steering assembly positioned within a base in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 68] FIG. 2 is an image of a wheel assembly connected to a steering assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 69] FIG. 1 is an image diagram of a wheel assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention rotated by an angle under the control of a steering assembly. [Figure 70] 1 is a schematic block diagram of a control device of a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 71] FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of an interactive control module of a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 72] 1 is a schematic block diagram of a logistics control system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 73] 1 is a schematic block diagram of a customer service system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 74] FIG. 2 is an image diagram of a logistics control module according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 75] 1 is a flowchart of an operation method for a delivery robot during collection in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 76] 11 is a flowchart showing a shipping notification for a user when a parcel is collected by a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 77] 11 is a flowchart showing a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention removing an empty box from a delivery locker. [Fig. 78A-78C] 1 is an operational diagram of a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention removing an empty box from a delivery locker. [Figure 79]1 is a flowchart of a delivery operation of a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 80] 1 is a flowchart showing a case where a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention executes multiple tasks. [Figure 81] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a sender's self-delivery at a parcel locker in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 82A-82C] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a docking between a mini truck and a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 83] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a docking between a fixed warehouse and a mini truck according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 84] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of a docking between a mini truck and a city shuttle truck according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 85] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of two city circulator trucks docking in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 86] FIG. 1 is an image diagram of a small drone docking with a fixed warehouse in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 87] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of a docking between a fixed warehouse and a cargo transport device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 88] 1 is a cargo entry flowchart when a cargo transportation device is docked with a fixed warehouse in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 89] 1 is a flowchart when a transport AGV according to one embodiment of the present invention transports a warehousing parent transport box. [Figure 90] 4 is a flowchart showing a process for unloading cargo according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 91] 13 is a flowchart showing a process for transporting one parent shipping box to a designated warehouse cell according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 92] 1 is a flowchart of cargo exchange between multi-storey warehouses according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 93A-93D] 1 is a flow chart of a sorting method according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 94]1 is a flowchart of a logistics method according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 95] FIG. 2 is an image diagram of a flow for generating a logistics order according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 96] FIG. 1 is an image diagram of a collection flow according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 97A-97B] FIG. 1 is an image diagram of a cargo transport flow according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 98] FIG. 1 is an image diagram of a delivery flow according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 99] 1 is a flowchart of a logistics method for reducing cargo residence time according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 100] 1 is a flowchart of a logistics method for reducing a sorting time according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 101] 1 is a flowchart of a logistics route planning method according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 102] 1 is a schematic block diagram of a logistics system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 103] 1 is a flow chart of a cargo control method according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 104] 1 is a flowchart of a freight scheduling method according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0040] In order to make the purpose, technical proposal and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical proposal in the embodiments of the present invention will be described below clearly and completely in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. The described embodiments are obviously only some embodiments of the present invention, but not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained based on the embodiments of the present invention on the premise that engineers in the field have not performed creative labor, belong to the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0041] In the following detailed description, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, and in which like reference numerals generally refer to similar components in different drawings, to illustrate embodiments of the present application.

[0042] Each embodiment of the present application will be described in sufficient detail below to enable those skilled in the art with knowledge and skills in the relevant technical field to implement the technical proposal of the present application, and it should be understood that structural, logical or electrical changes may be made to the present application using other embodiments.

[0043] In existing technology, each part of the logistics chain shares some of the following characteristics:

[0044] First, the warehouse where the cargo is stored is an important part in the logistics chain. Whether it is a traditional warehouse or a modern smart warehouse, the cargo is basically placed on the shelves. Between the shelves, aisles are left for cargo movement operations such as storage and retrieval of the cargo. In some large warehouses, there are various cargo areas, such as storage and retrieval areas and sorting areas. In traditional warehouses, the storage, retrieval and movement of the cargo is realized by manual or manual assisted conveying devices such as forklifts. Patent publication number CN107577215A, invention title "Shelf and Scheduling Method, and Operation Height Method, Center and System" discloses a movable shelf that can move between different areas in the warehouse and improve the distribution efficiency of the cargo. Compared with the traditional warehouse, the aforementioned smart warehouse has greatly improved the automation and work efficiency of cargo movement, but whether it is a traditional warehouse or a modern smart warehouse, it is necessary to ensure sufficient space for the smooth movement of cargo in the warehouse. The warehouse space for storing cargo is less than half of the total warehouse space, and the space utilization rate of the warehouse is not high.

[0045] Secondly, the transportation of cargo in the logistics system includes the unloading of cargo, transportation between the loading dock and the warehouse and within the warehouse, which usually includes several methods of manual, semi-manual, and fully automated equipment. With the development of science and technology, currently most logistics systems are semi-automatic, that is, the equipment is used by workers to transport the cargo. The worker drives the forklift and works with the lift to load and unload the cargo. The smart warehouses that have emerged now mainly use AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) to transport the cargo. Depending on the size of the warehouse, the volume and size of the cargo, AGVs have many forms. For example, patent number CN203715182U, entitled "AGV Minicar", provides an AGV with a lifting shelf. Patent publication number CN104317289A, named as the invention "New type forklift type AGV", provides a forklift type AGV that can turn on the spot and reduce the turning radius when turning. There are also other types of AGVs such as backpack type AGVs and tow type AGVs.

[0046] The structure and working methods of the above-mentioned various AGVs are adapted to the current logistics mode, and are mainly used in various large warehouses to operate in the aisles between shelves or transport cargo in different areas such as sorting areas and delivery areas.

[0047] Third, in the process of moving cargo from the origin to the consumption point, the cargo endures various conveyances at every stage of distribution. In order to avoid damage to the cargo during transportation, it is necessary to use different packaging means to package the cargo according to the nature of the cargo. For example, general small cargo uses packaging such as cardboard boxes, plastic bags, tape, hot melt glue, etc., and fillers are filled to prevent the cargo from shaking inside the cardboard box. For fragile cargo such as glass products, ceramic products, etc., special packages such as custom-shaped foam cases also need to be added. Therefore, a large amount of packaging material is required to safely reach the destination of small cargo that is usually small. This overpackaging method not only occupies a large amount of storage and transportation space, but also wastes a lot of packaging materials, and most of the packaging materials such as plastic and foam are non-recyclable materials, which brings great burden and harm to the environment.

[0048] Fourth, sorting is another important part of the logistics chain. In order to improve the efficiency of transportation and distribution, logistics systems usually set up multi-level sorting centers. For example, cargo collected from customers is sorted and transported through a sorting center, then sorted and re-transported by the next sorting center. Until it arrives at the distribution station, it is delivered from the distribution station to its destination. The sorting center includes a warehouse where it is stored at least temporarily. The cargo in the warehouse is sorted into the corresponding levels by hand or by equipment, and then collected, transported to a designated area and stored. The transport vehicle arrives and unloads the cargo, and the cargo is transported from the sorting center to the next sorting center or distribution station.

[0049] With the development of technology, sorting technology has also gradually improved. It has evolved from primitive manual sorting to automatic sorting by various automation devices. For example, Patent No. CN102218404B, titled "Logistics sorting system and method based on radio frequency, video and infrared identification tracking", discloses a sorting device including a cargo input conveyor, a cargo conveying guide, multiple sorting conveyors, and a cargo identification device. The cargo input conveyor inputs cargo into the cargo conveying guide, which is identified by the cargo identification device and fed to the corresponding sorting conveyor. Also, for example, Patent No. CN103949408B, titled "High-speed cargo sorting car and sorting system", installs a line-type sorting system in a warehouse of a sorting center, provides multiple sorting ports on the line-type conveying path, and uses a sorting car to load the cargo to be sorted. The sorting car identifies the cargo while moving on the conveying path, and pushes the identified cargo into the sorting port when it passes through the corresponding sorting port. There are also other types of sorting devices or sorting robots.

[0050] The various sorting techniques mentioned above require an area large enough to accommodate the sorting devices, sorting robots, cargo to be sorted, and already sorted cargo, and also require an area large enough for transportation equipment such as forklifts to collect the sorted cargo after sorting. The cargo is transported through a transportation corridor to a cargo storage area, stored, and awaits delivery. Therefore, the warehouse must have enough space for sorting and transportation. In addition, in the sorting center warehouse, cargo must stay at the sorting center for a certain period of time from when it enters the warehouse to when it leaves the warehouse, depending on factors such as warehouse management technology, sorting technology, and frequency of delivery transportation.

[0051] Finally, collection and delivery at the end of the logistics chain still need to be done by human labor. For example, a delivery company needs to drive a vehicle to collect or deliver the goods to the customer. Some delivery robots have appeared, but these work in cooperation with workers, and workers at the delivery center take the goods in and out of the delivery robot. The robot itself cannot take in or out goods on its own.

[0052] The present invention (including the multiple patent applications already related to this patent application) provides a groundbreaking new logistics system. It proposes multiple innovative solutions for all parts of the logistics chain that are different from existing logistics systems, shortening cargo dwell time, improving cargo transportation efficiency, reducing the use of fixed-location warehouses, increasing the space utilization rate of warehouses, ensuring complete management and monitoring of cargo, and reducing the environmental burden caused by excessive packaging.

[0053] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the logistics system of the present invention includes a customer service system, a multi-stage intermediate transport logistics device, and a plurality of logistics control modules. Here, in order to facilitate the description of the entire system, various logistics devices will be named in the following description for easier understanding.

[0054] FIG. 1 is a transportation image diagram of a multi-stage logistics facility according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the terminal logistics facility is equipped with a delivery robot 8, a fixed-position warehouse (for example, a delivery locker 10), a drone M1 (including small and large drones. The small drone shown in the figure), and a mini truck 9a, etc. The dashed and dotted line is the terminal logistics chain, where the customer interacts with the terminal logistics equipment, and the cargo enters the logistics system from the customer's place, or returns from the logistics system to the customer's place. The thin line is the secondary logistics chain, which occurs between the terminal logistics equipment and is carried out in a small area of ​​cargo transportation. The thick solid line is the tertiary logistics chain, where the cargo is handed over between the terminal logistics equipment and the tertiary logistics equipment with a slightly longer transportation distance, and the cargo collected in a small area is transported by the tertiary logistics equipment with a slightly longer transportation distance. The thick dotted line is the quaternary logistics chain, where the cargo is handed over between the three sets of logistics equipment and the intercity logistics equipment. In this level of logistics chain, the cargo is handed over by the tertiary logistics equipment to the intercity logistics equipment, and the intercity logistics equipment transports the cargo from one city or country to another city or another country.

[0055] In some embodiments, the logistics equipment includes intercity cargo transport equipment such as mini trucks 9a and relatively large city circulation trucks 9b in the figure, and international intercity logistics equipment, and depending on the distance, can include cargo planes, intercity trains, long-distance and short-distance trucks, ocean freight ships, etc.

[0056] In some embodiments, a delivery robot is described as an example of a terminal logistics chain. Those skilled in the art should understand that the work of the delivery robot can also be replaced by a delivery person, which will not be described in the present text.

[0057] In some embodiments, the logistics equipment includes a fixed warehouse and a mobile cargo transport device, each of which has a unique ID electronic tag, and the cargo transport device has a corresponding transport distance range, and the entire cargo transport device is divided into multiple levels according to the size of the transport distance range, for example, into three levels as a whole: national, intercity and intracity.

[0058] Among them, the city-level cargo equipment can be divided into several different levels according to the size of the city and the transport distance of the cargo transport device. Figure 2 is an image diagram of the transport distance of the city-level multi-stage cargo transport device. In this embodiment, the transport distance S1 of the home delivery robot 8 of the logistics terminal is the shortest and its number is the largest, so that the transport range of the home delivery robot 8 as a whole can cover all user areas in the city. The mini truck 9a is a secondary cargo transport device whose transport distance S2 is larger than the transport distance S1 of the home delivery robot 8. The city circulation truck is a tertiary cargo transport device, and its transport distance S3 is the largest in the city. The longer the transport distance, the smaller the quantity required. Of course, the quantity is also related to the amount of cargo. If the flow of cargo is large, there will be more cargo transport devices, and the more cargo transport devices, the faster the flow of cargo. The greater the flow of cargo, the more obvious the advantages of the logistics system of the present invention become, and the higher the efficiency becomes.

[0059] In some embodiments, the transportation area of ​​each level of the cargo transport device changes according to its movement, thus making the scheduling more flexible. In the cargo transfer, the docking point of the cargo transport device and the docking cargo transport device are determined by calculation only using the cargo transport direction, the distribution of the cargo transport device and the transportation direction. Therefore, the cargo transfer and docking are more flexible and faster, the cargo dwell time is shortened, and the logistics efficiency is improved.

[0060] As will be understood by those skilled in the art, each level of cargo transport equipment includes transport equipment suitable for that level of transportation. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a large truck of a cargo transport equipment usually used as a second logistics chain can also collect cargo directly from a customer as equipment of a terminal logistics chain. Also, for example, a mini truck of a terminal logistics chain can directly deliver cargo to an aircraft usually used as a cargo transport equipment of a third logistics chain, without the need to go through a cargo transport equipment of another level.

[0061] In some embodiments, the logistics chain of the present invention may not include a fixed warehouse. The cargo may be handed over between cargo transport devices at each level of the logistics chain, and there is no need to hand over the cargo to a fixed warehouse (or sorting center) and then have it removed from the fixed warehouse by another cargo transport device. This significantly reduces the cargo dwell time, improves logistics efficiency, and reduces logistics costs. In some embodiments, a fixed warehouse (including a parcel locker) may be added as an auxiliary facility to the logistics chain of the present invention. For example, in the collection and delivery portion, if the collection and delivery cannot be timed to match the cargo transport device of the end logistics chain, the customer may be required to wait for the cargo to arrive at the final destination. Satisfaction levels of The introduction of parcel lockers can make up for the time difference and improve customer satisfaction. In some embodiments, fixed warehouses (including large suburban warehouses) can function as an important part of the logistics chain and become an important part of the logistics chain. Such fixed warehouses can function as buffer warehouses where large volumes of cargo enter and leave the city to facilitate scheduling of the cargo transport device. In some embodiments of the invention, the ratio of the number of cargoes in the cargo transport device to the number of cargoes in the fixed location warehouse is 50% or more, 80% or more, 90% or more, 95% or more, or 99% or more.

[0062] In some embodiments, the cargo transport device includes a multi-storey warehouse that can not only fulfill the role of cargo transport, but also achieve the purpose of cargo storage. In some embodiments, the cargo transport device includes a multi-storey warehouse, a storage device, a moving device, a sorting device, and a transport device. The multi-storey warehouse is loaded onto the transport device. Depending on the type and loading capacity of the transport device, the specifications of the multi-storey warehouse are various. For example, when the transport device is a small vehicle, an aircraft, or a ship, it can carry a small multi-storey warehouse, and the transport of a large truck, a train, a cargo plane, or an ocean freighter can carry a large multi-storey warehouse. The cargo is stored in the storage device inside the multi-storey warehouse. In some embodiments, the storage device includes a parent-child transport box. The cargo is stored in the child transport box, and the parent transport box stores multiple child transport boxes. The parent transport box is stored in a storage space in a warehouse cell of the multi-storey warehouse. In some embodiments, the transport device is, for example, a small, ultra-thin AGV, which is located in the moving space of the warehouse cell and transports the parent transport box. In some embodiments, depending on the size of the warehouse, multiple sorting devices may be distributed throughout the warehouse, connected to adjacent warehouse cells, or integrated into the warehouse cells.

[0063] In some embodiments, cargo is placed in a child transport box, which is then placed in a parent transport box stored in a warehouse cell of a multi-story warehouse. This prevents cargo from being stacked and jostled against each other. The child transport boxes have various specifications and can accommodate cargo of various shapes and sizes. For some fragile cargo, the child transport boxes are designed with structures such as anti-collision, which can protect the cargo in the child transport box from collisions and damage during transportation. In some embodiments, cargo is transported smoothly by a moving device provided by the present invention, such as an AGV, when the multi-story warehouse is docked, for example, and the parent transport box is transported smoothly like in an existing logistics system. Rough handling, Sloppy Therefore, the cargo in the present invention does not require various packaging tapes, packaging boxes, foam boxes, fillers, etc., which are necessary in the conventional logistics system, and the problem of excessive packaging in the existing logistics system can be avoided, which is more environmentally friendly.

[0064] In some embodiments, the interior of each cargo transport device is a multi-level warehouse consisting of warehouse cells with the same specifications, and the parent transport box that holds the child transport box can be commonly used by each cargo transport device. When transferring cargo, the AGV transports the parent transport box sorted directly from the current cargo transport device to another cargo transport device. Since the unloading and loading parts of the existing logistics system are no longer necessary, the time required for loading and unloading cargo can be saved. Moreover, each docking part does not require human intervention, which is not only highly efficient but also avoids contact between cargo and people.

[0065] In some embodiments, the cargo is handed over from one cargo transport device to another cargo transport device according to a logistics direction during transportation. The cargo transport devices at different levels form multiple logistics chain levels. The cargo may be handed over to multiple cargo transport devices with different transportation distances from dispatch to arrival at the destination, with or without passing through a fixed warehouse, and finally delivered to the receiving customer.

[0066] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to specific examples.

[0067] In some embodiments, the multi-level warehouse has a high space utilization rate. Most of the space inside the warehouse is used as a storage space for accommodating storage devices. The storage devices are, for example, storage boxes or storage trays. In one embodiment, the storage devices include parent-child transport boxes. The child transport boxes for accommodating cargo are sealed devices and are disposed inside the parent transport box. A transport space for accommodating a transport device is provided above or below the storage space. The transport device is, for example, an ultra-thin AGV. The transport device moves the storage device in the storage space to complete operations such as loading and unloading cargo and transporting cargo inside the warehouse. According to the specific structural design of the storage space and the transport space, the volume ratio of the storage space to the transport space can be ≧4:1, or ≧5:1, or ≧6:1, or ≧7:1, or ≧8:1, or ≧9:1, or ≧10:1. Therefore, the space utilization rate of the multi-level warehouse provided by the present invention is much higher than that of traditional warehouses or modern smart warehouses.

[0068] Warehouse Cell Example 1 In one embodiment, the present invention provides a standardized, modular warehouse cell, where multiple warehouse cells can be stacked to form a multi-level warehouse with high space utilization.

[0069] FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional configuration diagram of a standardized and modularized warehouse cell according to one embodiment of the present invention. The warehouse cell 1 includes at least one cubic frame, with four columns 111, four frames 112 on the top, and a bottom plate 113. The four columns 111 of the cubic frame are connected to a stand mechanism, which supports the storage device. In this embodiment, the stand mechanism is a support block, and two support blocks 12 facing inward are connected to each column. In another embodiment, the stand mechanism can be a fan-shaped structure connected to the columns, and the radian angle of the fan-shaped structure is ≦90 degrees.

[0070] The bottom surface of the three-dimensional frame of the cell is a single bottom plate 113. In another embodiment, the bottom plate 113 can be set to a lightweight cut plate or mesh as required to save costs. Each warehouse cell is provided with an ID electronic tag 14 so that the distribution of cargo in the three-dimensional space can be grasped. As shown in Fig. 3, the ID electronic tag 14 is attached to an appropriate position on the bottom plate 113, and ID information of the warehouse cell, such as the warehouse number, is recorded therein.

[0071] The space inside the cubic frame of the warehouse cell 1 includes a storage space 101 that houses storage devices from the support blocks 12 to the top of the cubic frame. For example, the storage device in this embodiment is a parent transport box 2. FIG. 4 is an image diagram showing the parent transport box 2 placed inside the warehouse cell 1. The purpose of installing the parent transport box 2 is to make the most of the storage space of the warehouse cell. Since the stored cargo may have various specifications, volumes, shapes, etc., the parent transport box 2 can orderly collect cargo of different specifications and volumes. The four support blocks 12 of the cubic frame support the bottom of the parent transport box 2, allowing it to be stored stably in the storage space 101.

[0072] In one embodiment, the cargo is placed in a child transport box (not shown). The child transport box is placed in a parent transport box 2. In some embodiments, the parent transport box 2 includes a first body 20 having a dimension that matches the specifications of the storage space 101 of the warehouse cell 1 in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5A, the height of the first body 20 of the parent transport box 2 matches the storage space 101, and the top of the first body 20 is open to allow the child transport box to be inserted and removed. In some other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5B, the height of the first body 20 of the parent transport box 2 is lower than the height of the storage space 101. In some other embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 6A-6B, the first body 20 of the parent transport box 2 is shaped like a storage tray and includes a rim 22a. The first body 20 is provided with a plurality of positioning grooves 23a of different specifications for accommodating cargo of different specifications and different volumes in an orderly manner.

[0073] In the three embodiments described above, the bottom of the first body 20 of the parent box 2 has a conveying structure. As shown in the figure, the conveying structure can be a positioning structure 21 that cooperates with a lift mechanism of the moving device, and can push the moving device up from the bottom of the first body 20 of the parent box 2 to the parent box 2. In some embodiments, each parent box 2 is equipped with an ID electronic tag 24, as shown in FIG. 5C. In one embodiment, the ID electronic tag is an electronic tag that records ID information of the parent box 2, for example, the number of the parent box 2.

[0074] In some embodiments, the area from the support block 12 to the bottom of the cubic frame is a moving space 102. It is a walking space as a moving device. In one embodiment, an AGV 3 is used as the moving device. The AGV 3 moves in the moving space 102. The bottom plate 113 of the warehouse cell 1 is the running surface of the AGV 3, and Figs. 7A-7B are image diagrams of the state in which the AGV 3 is stopped in the warehouse cell 1. In some embodiments, in combination with Fig. 3, the bottom plate 113 is provided with guide grooves 1131 that are orthogonal to each other. Since the bottom plate 113 is rectangular, the guide grooves 1131 that are orthogonal to each other are parallel to the corresponding bottom sides so that the AGV 3 can move unhindered on the bottom plate 11a. In correspondence with the guide grooves 1131, two guide wheels 31 are arranged at the bottom of the AGV 3 as shown in Fig. 7B, to prevent the AGV 3 from deviating from the running path during running. In this embodiment, the bottom plate 113 is provided with a pair of guide grooves 1131 that are orthogonal to each other. Two or three sets may be provided, and corresponding guide wheels 31 are also provided at corresponding positions on the bottom of the AGV 3 .

[0075] The guide groove and guide wheel are used to ensure that the AGV does not deviate from its route while traveling. According to the same idea, a convex strip can be provided on the bottom surface 113 of the frame and a groove that fits the bottom surface of the AGV can be provided, which can also function as a guide. The mechanical method has low cost, high stability and is easy to control.

[0076] In addition to these two mechanical structures, the AGV3 guide can also adopt electromagnetic, laser, infrared, ultrasonic, UWB or optical structures, etc. Those skilled in the art can choose any guide structure according to actual needs, but the description is omitted here.

[0077] In some embodiments, a lift mechanism 32 is provided on the upper surface of the AGV 3 to move the parent shipping box 2. When no cargo is being moved, the lift mechanism 32 is stored in the upper part of the AGV 3. When cargo needs to be moved, the lift mechanism 32 protrudes from the upper surface of the AGV 3 and engages with the positioning structure 21 at the bottom of the parent shipping box 2. As the lift mechanism 32 rises, it can be lifted from the support block.

[0078] In some embodiments, an electronic tag reader / writer (not shown) is provided on the outside of the bottom surface of the base of the AGV 3 to read the ID electronic tag of the warehouse cell 1. An electronic tag reader / writer (not shown) is provided on the outside of the top surface of the base to read the ID electronic tag of the parent shipping box 2.

[0079] 8A-8B show a state in which a parent box 2 is stored in one warehouse cell 1 and one AGV 3 is stopped. In order to move the parent box 2, the AGV 3 stops below the parent box 2. First, the lift mechanism 32 lifts the parent box 2, detaches the parent box 2 from the support block 12, and then the AGV 3 moves the parent box 2. In the warehouse cell 1, a lift space 103 is left for facilitating the movement by the AGV 3 pushing up the parent box 2 from the support block 12 and detaching it from the support block 12. The height of the lift space 103 may be such that the parent box 2 can be moved without being hindered after the lift mechanism 32 of the AGV 3 lifts it according to the lifting distance of the lift mechanism of the AGV 3. Therefore, the lift space 103 does not need to be too large, and for example, the height of the lift space 103 may be less than 5 cm, or less than 3 cm, or less than 1 cm.

[0080] In this embodiment, the thickness of the AGV 3 for moving cargo determines the size of the moving space 102. Meanwhile, the thickness of the AGV 3 occupies only a small portion of the height of the warehouse cell 1. Therefore, most of the space in the warehouse cell 1 is storage space. Based on the size and load weight of the parent transport box 2 and the size and load weight of the internal parts of the AGV 3, it can be calculated that the ratio of the thickness of the AGV 3 to the height of the warehouse cell 1 is 1 / 8-1 / 4, that is, the space utilization rate of one warehouse cell 1 can reach 75%-90%. If the moving device adopts other methods such as magnetic levitation, the space utilization rate can reach 95%.

[0081] Warehouse Cell Example 2 FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a warehouse cell according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the warehouse cell 1b includes at least one cubic frame. M Contains cubic frame M is It includes four pillars 111b, a top plate 112b, and a bottom plate 113b. Of these, the top plate 112b is provided with a guide rail 1121b, and the moving device is an extendable robot grab 3b connected to the guide rail 1121b via a hanging mechanism 31b. The hanging mechanism 31b can be rotated 360 degrees in the direction of the robot grab 3b, and can be extended and retracted up and down to raise and lower the robot grab 3b.

[0082] Unlike the above embodiment, the transport structure for the warehouse cell 1b and the parent box 2b is a handle 21b provided on the four top edges of the first body, and an ID tag may be provided on any of the four top edges of the first body to facilitate reading of the upward movement device.

[0083] The parent box 2b is placed on the bottom plate 113b, and the hanging mechanism 31b moves the robot grab 3b above the parent box 2b along the guide rail 1121b, expands the robot grab 3b to correspond to the position of the handle 21b, grabs the handle 21b of the parent box 2b, and separates the parent box 2b from the bottom plate 113b, and moves it in the x- or y-direction via the guide rail, thereby realizing horizontal cross movement of the cargo. In this embodiment, the moving space 102b that houses the moving device is located above the storage space 101b. By providing a configuration of the moving device such as the robot grab 3b, the space occupied by it can be reduced. Therefore, the ratio of the storage space 101b to the moving space 102b in this embodiment can be at least greater than 2 / 1.

[0084] Warehouse Cell Example 3 FIG. 10 is an image diagram of a warehouse cell according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the warehouse cell 1c includes at least one cubic frame, and the cubic frame includes four pillars 111c, a partition plate 112c, and a bottom plate 1113c. Among them, the partition plate 112c is connected to the upper half of the support 111c, and forms a moving space 102c with a plane on which the tip of the support is located. The partition plate 112c is provided with a guide rail or a guide groove for guiding the movement of the moving device 3c on the partition plate 112c. The parent box 2 is disposed on the bottom plate 113c. The parent box 2 and the moving device 3c have a connection structure that does not contact each other. The moving device 3c generates a suction force when it is necessary to move the parent box 2, for example, and the suction force may be a suction force generated when a vacuum is released, or an electromagnetic adsorption force. The corresponding first body of the parent shipping box 2 is provided with a suction device, which is a vacuum suction device or an electromagnetic suction device corresponding to the moving device 3c, and is sucked by the moving device 3c and separated from the bottom plate 113c, and the horizontal cross movement of the cargo is completed by following the movement of the moving device 3c. In this embodiment, a lift space 103c and a storage space 101c are formed between the partition plate 112c and the bottom plate 113c, and the partition plate 112c and above are the moving space 102c. The height of the lift space 103c is the height at which the parent shipping box 2 is separated from the bottom plate 113c when it is sucked, so the height of this space can be reduced to the centimeter or millimeter level. On the other hand, since the volume of the moving device 3c does not need to be large, the height of the moving space 102c is smaller than the storage space 101c, and most of the space in the warehouse cell 1c is the storage space 101c, and the storage space 101c can reach 75% or more of the entire space.

[0085] In addition, the parent transport box may have a configuration as shown in FIG. 11 in correspondence with the warehouse cell in the embodiment. An openable side door 201c may be provided on the side of the first main body 20c, and may be provided on two link bars, and when opened, the door can be slid toward the top and bottom, respectively, to allow the child transport box to be inserted and removed from the side. In this embodiment, the side door 201c is a roll curtain door, and may be a slidable door made of other flexible materials. In the storage state, the side door 201c is closed, and when the child transport box is inserted or removed there, the side door 201c opens. For example, the side door 201c is in an open state during storage, delivery, and sorting. Among these, an adsorption device 21c that matches the adsorption structure of the moving device is also provided on the upper surface of the first main body 20c.

[0086] The warehouse cells provided by the present invention are modularized, standardized storage cells, and when multiple such units are stacked and connected, a multi-level warehouse system can be obtained. In some embodiments, adjacent warehouse cells can share columns. That is, columns of a multi-level warehouse can be shared by adjacent warehouse cells to the left and right or above and below. In the manufacture of a multi-level warehouse, multiple warehouse cells are formed simultaneously.

[0087] In some other embodiments, in order to increase the flexibility of the multi-storey warehouse, the adjacent warehouse cells in all or part of the multi-storey warehouse may each have their own columns. To connect these cells, the multi-storey frame of the warehouse cell provided by the present invention is each equipped with a three-dimensional connecting structure for connecting different warehouse cells.

[0088] Warehouse cell connection structure Example 1 Fig. 12 is an image diagram of warehouse cell connection. In this embodiment, the three-dimensional frame of the warehouse cell is provided with connection holes 11a, and when two warehouse cells 1 are connected, the connection holes 11a communicate with each other, and at this time, the two warehouse cells 1 can be connected with bolts and nuts (not shown in Fig. 12).

[0089] Warehouse cell connection structure Example 2 Figure 13 is an image diagram of another type of warehouse cell connection. In this embodiment, one or more grooves are provided on one pillar or edge on the three-dimensional frame, and when two cells are lined up, two recesses correspond to each other, and the ring claw 11b engages in the recess, connecting the two cells. By providing multiple grooves on three sides (x, y, and z) of one warehouse cell, it is possible to connect other warehouse cells in three dimensions, and any number of warehouse cells can be connected as needed.

[0090] Warehouse cell connection structure Example 3 14A-14C are diagrams showing another type of warehouse cell connection image. As shown in FIG. 14A, one or more grooves 11c are provided on each pillar or edge on the space frame, and as shown in FIG. 14B, a protruding part 11c is provided on the other warehouse cell. Condition When two storage cells of the same specification are arranged in parallel, the protruding block 11d of one of the storage cells is Condition Or, the convex block 11d is fitted into the groove 11c of the other warehouse cell. In order to further strengthen the connection between the two warehouse cells after fitting, as shown in Fig. 14(c), a hook 11e is provided at the end of the convex block 11d, and a fitting groove (not shown) corresponding to the groove 11c is provided, and by inserting the convex block 11d into the recess 11c, the engaging hook 11e and the fitting groove are engaged with each other, resulting in a stronger connection.

[0091] In the warehouse cell connection structure described above, the connecting structures are each arranged three-dimensionally, so that any other number of warehouse cells 1 can be connected in both horizontal X directions, both vertical Y directions, and both Z directions, thereby obtaining multi-level warehouses with different numbers of warehouse cells and different volumes.

[0092] Multi-storey warehouse structure Example 1 Referring to FIG. 15, a schematic diagram of a multi-level warehouse according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, the multi-level warehouse includes a number of horizontally connected warehouse cells. Each warehouse cell can be connected back and forth in the x and y directions to form a multi-level warehouse with different specifications according to actual needs. When the warehouse cells are connected, their respective movement spaces communicate with each other to form a large integrated movement space. The protruding length of the stand mechanism supporting the storage device is small, so it does not hinder the movement of the AGV. This allows the AGV to freely cross-move in the x and y directions within the entire movement space. For example, the AGV lifts up the storage device in one warehouse cell and moves it to another warehouse cell. After positioning, the lift mechanism is retracted. Me The storage device is then placed onto the stand mechanism of the new warehouse cell, completing the movement of the storage device.

[0093] Multi-storey warehouse structure Example 2 Referring to FIG. 16A, a schematic diagram of a multi-storey warehouse according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, a plurality of warehouse cells are stacked on top of each other to form a two-storey multi-storey warehouse. Of course, it may have three or more stores according to actual needs. A lifting system 4 is also included so that the moving device and the storage device can be moved between different stores. The lifting system 4 includes a support column 41 and a lifting platform 42. The lifting platform 42 is support pillar The lift table 42 engages with the base 41 and is raised or lowered by the drive mechanism, allowing it to dock with a warehouse cell of any height. The table of the lift table 42 has the same structure as the warehouse cell bottom plate 113, and when the lift table 42 is docked with the warehouse cell 1 and positioned, the table surface of the lift table 42 becomes part of the movement space.

[0094] When the AGV3 needs to change floors, the lift platform 42 moves to the corresponding floor, the AGV3 moves to the table surface of the lift platform 42, the lift platform 42 moves to the target floor again, and stops after determining a docking location with a warehouse cell on the target floor. The AGV3 moves from the table surface of the lift platform 42 to the target floor. When it is necessary to send one parent shipping box 2 on the lower level or one parent shipping box 2 received from the outside to one warehouse cell on the upper level, the AGV3 moves the storage device onto the lift platform 42 as shown in FIG. 16B. The lift platform 42 rises by the drive mechanism, and when it reaches the upper level, the lift platform 42 stops rising and a docking location with the warehouse cell on the upper level is determined. The AGV3 moves to the target warehouse cell with the parent shipping box 2 on board. When it reaches the target warehouse cell and stops, the lift mechanism retracts, and the parent shipping box 2 is placed on the stand mechanism of the target warehouse cell.

[0095] Multi-storey warehouse structure Example 3 17A-17B, a multi-story warehouse according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, the multi-story warehouse includes a main frame in which a plurality of beams 111c and a plurality of columns 112c are crossed and connected to form a plurality of storage cells 1. The storage section 1 is formed by arranging cells in the horizontal and vertical directions. As shown in FIG. 17A, a horizontal one-story multi-story warehouse is formed, and as shown in FIG. 17B, a two-story multi-story warehouse is formed. The storage cell 1 stores a storage device (not shown), such as a storage device or a storage tray. A stand mechanism 12 is provided on each column 112c, and the storage device is placed on the stand mechanism 12. As shown by the dashed line in the figure, the space between the stand mechanism 12 and the top of the parent shipping box 2 constitutes the storage space 101, and the space between the stand mechanism 12 and the bottom plate 113c constitutes the transfer space 102. A certain height distance remains between the top of the storage device (not shown) and the beam 111c, or between the upper cargo of the storage device and the upper bottom plate 113c, and this space is a lift space (not shown). In order to move the storage device together in this movement space 102, the movement device moves under the storage device, and after lifting the storage device by the lift mechanism, moves it horizontally in the movement space 102 without any hindrance. Therefore, the height of the lift space 103 is determined based on whether the parent shipping box 2 can be moved by the lift mechanism without any hindrance. The height may be, for example, less than 5 cm, or less than 3 cm, or less than 1 cm.

[0096] A lifting system as shown in Fig. 16A may be included so that the moving device can move between vertical warehouse cells. For details, the description of Figs. 16A-6B can be referred to, and therefore the description will be omitted here.

[0097] Multi-storey warehouse structure Example 4 Referring to FIG. 18, FIG. 18 is an image diagram of a multi-story warehouse according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the multi-story warehouse includes a plurality of storage levels and a plurality of movable levels (two storage levels and two movable levels are shown in this embodiment), and the structural relationship between the storage levels and the movable levels may be any one of the embodiments 1-3. Unlike the embodiments 1 to 3, the heights of the movable levels in this embodiment are not all the same, and here the height of the upper warehouse cell 1a1 is lower than the height of the lower warehouse cell 1a2, so that storage devices of different specifications can be used, and the specifications for storing cargo are increased. In this embodiment, the main frame adopted in the multi-story warehouse may be connected by a combination of a plurality of single warehouse cells.

[0098] Example of child transport box 19A-19B are schematic diagrams showing the structure of a child transport box according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the child transport box 7 includes a second body 70, a ring claw 71 and an ID electronic tag 72. Here, the second body 70 includes a box cover 701. In this embodiment, the ring claw 71 is disposed at the middle position of the box cover 701, and another protrusion 702 of the same height as the ring claw 71 is provided on the upper surface of the box cover 701 so as not to impair the stability after the child transport boxes are stacked, so that the stability of the upper surface of the child transport box can be maintained. The ring claw 71 is used to engage with the grab of the sorting robot during sorting. The ID electronic tag 72 is an RFID electronic tag or a two-dimensional code tag, which records at least the binding information with the ID of the parent transport box and the logistics information in the distribution process.

[0099] The second body 70 is used to carry cargo. To ensure the safety of the cargo, a box cover 701 is locked to the second body 70 by one or more locks. As shown in the figure, an electronic lock 703 is provided on each side of the box cover 701. Of course, the lock used in this embodiment may be any type of lock, such as a mechanical lock, a password lock, a fingerprint lock, etc.

[0100] In this embodiment, the box cover 701 is the second body 70The box cover 701 and the second body 702 are movably connected to each other via a connecting member 704. A damper is provided on the connecting member 704 to control the opening and closing speed and state of the box cover 701. 70 The box lid and the second body may be provided separately from each other, and the box lid and the second body may each be provided with a fixing structure, such as a ring claw structure, a fitting structure, or a suction structure, so that the box lid and the second body are connected when opening and closing. In another embodiment, a cushioning member of various structures may be provided inside the second body so as to fit the built-in cargo.

[0101] AGV Example 20A-20D are overall conceptual diagrams of an AGV according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the AGV is equipped with a base 30. Inside the housing, a sequential drive assembly 33, a steering assembly 34, a lift assembly 35, an electrical component main box 36, and a battery case 37 are arranged. A guide mechanism is provided below the base 30, and in this embodiment, there are two sets of guide wheels 31, each set having two wheels, which guide the AGV in two directions perpendicular to each other. The lift mechanism, including lift rods 32 and other structures, is arranged on the lift mechanism inside the base 30. assembly 35 and can be protruded or retracted from the upper surface of the base 30. A running mechanism is also provided under the base 30, and in this embodiment, four wheel assemblies 38 that cooperate with the drive assembly 33 and steering assembly 34 inside the base 30 are arranged at the four corners.

[0102] 21A-21B are overall image diagrams of the drive assembly 33, and FIG. 21B is an image diagram with the base housing removed, and FIG. 20D is also referred to. The drive assembly 33 includes a drive motor 330 that outputs a driving force for traveling. A multi-stage power transmission mechanism is also included to transmit power to the four traveling mechanisms. In this embodiment, a timing belt power transmission mechanism is adopted, and the first stage power transmission mechanism includes a drive wheel 332 and four drive timing pulleys 334. The power of the drive motor 330 is transmitted to the drive timing pulley 334 via the timing belt 333. Here, the drive timing pulley 334 corresponds to the traveling mechanism. In this embodiment, the axis of the output shaft of the drive motor 330 is parallel to the bottom surface, and the power transmission direction is perpendicular to the bottom surface. The axes of the four drive timing pulleys 334 are perpendicular to the bottom surface, and the power transmission direction is parallel to the bottom surface. In this way, in order to change the direction of power transmission, the present invention further includes a turning mechanism between the output shaft end of the drive motor 330 and the axle of the driving wheel 332 for driving. 。 As shown in FIG. 22, an image diagram after removing the drive wheel 332 and the ring bracket 331 is shown. In this embodiment, a bevel gear 3351 is connected to the end of the drive wheel shaft 3321, and a bevel gear 3352 is connected to the end of the output shaft of the drive motor 330, and they engage with each other. The two bevel gears convert the vertical power of the output shaft of the drive motor 330 into horizontal power. Among them, driven wheels are provided on both sides of the drive wheel 332 to ensure a sufficient contact area between the drive wheel 332 and the timing belt to transmit power.

[0103] As shown in Figs. 23-24, the traveling mechanism in this embodiment includes a wheel assembly 38 including a wheel body 381, and the center of the wheel assembly 38 is fixed by a wheel axle 382. By driving the wheel axle 382, ​​the wheel body 381 can be rotated in the radial direction of the axis. Therefore, the power of the driving wheel axle 382 is vertical, and the power transmitted from the driving timing pulley 334 is horizontal, so a secondary turning mechanism is also included. In this embodiment, a bevel gear 3361 is connected to the end of the driving timing pulley 334, and another bevel gear 3362 engaged with the bevel gear 3361 can convert the horizontal power transmitted from the driving timing pulley 334 into vertical power. The wheel driven wheel 337 is connected coaxially to the bevel gear 3362 (this shaft is not shown), and the timing belt connecting the wheel driven wheel 337 and the wheel axle 382 rotates the wheel axle 382, ​​causing the wheel body 381 to roll.

[0104] In this embodiment, four wheel assemblies and one driving motor are used, so that a person skilled in the art can set an appropriate number of wheel assemblies and driving motors according to the size of the AGV base. If there are multiple driving motors, it is necessary to control the synchronous operation of the driving motors.

[0105] FIG. 25 shows an image diagram of the overall configuration of a steering assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 20D, in this embodiment, the steering assembly 34 includes a steering motor 340 and a steering mechanism. The steering mechanism is fixed together with the traveling mechanism and further includes the power transmission mechanism to transmit steering power to the steering mechanism. In this embodiment, the power transmission mechanism includes a steering drive wheel 342 and a steering driven wheel 344 arranged on the steering mechanism. In this embodiment, the steering drive wheel 342 rotates the steering driven wheel 344 using a timing belt 343. The output direction of the steering motor 340 is radial, that is, perpendicular to the bottom surface. Since the steering mechanism requires horizontal power, a turning mechanism is required between the output shaft of the steering motor 340 and the steering drive wheel 342. 26, a bevel gear 3451 is connected to the tip of the axle of the steering drive wheel 342, and a bevel gear 3452 is connected to the tip of the output shaft of the steering motor 340, so that the axial power transmitted to the output shaft of the steering motor 340 is converted into radial power, that is, from the vertical direction to the horizontal direction.

[0106] FIG. 27 is an image diagram showing the configuration of a steering mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention. The steering driven wheel 344 is connected to a steering frame mainly including a steering frame 3461 and a wheel fork 3462. The fork of the wheel fork 3462 is fixed to the wheel axle 382, ​​and the upper part of the wheel fork 3462 is a fixed surface, and a connecting hole such as a screw hole is provided in the upper part, and a convex base is provided around the periphery. The steering driven wheel 344 is fixed to the convex base of the fixed surface of the wheel fork 3462. The bottom of the steering frame 3461 fits into the upper part of the wheel fork 3462, and a connecting hole corresponding to the connecting hole of the fixed surface of the wheel fork 3462 is provided, and the steering frame 3461 and the wheel fork 3462 are fixed via this connecting member. The upper part of the steering frame 3461 is fixed to the axle of the driving driven wheel 334.

[0107] When the steering motor 340 rotates, its output shaft outputs power in the axial direction. The axial power is converted into radial power through the bevel gear, and the steering drive wheel axle coaxial with the bevel gear rotates the steering drive wheel 342, which rotates the steering driven wheel 344 through a timing belt, which rotates the steering frame to which the steering driven wheel 344 is fixed, and the steering frame 346 rotates the wheel axle and the wheel synchronization mechanism connected thereto, the steering mechanism, and the driving driven wheel 334, so that the direction of rotation of the wheel body 381 is changed, and the wheel body 381 can be rotated on the spot with a turning radius of 0 by the control of the driving mechanism. As shown in FIG. 28, it is an image diagram after turning 90 degrees from FIG. 25.

[0108] In the present invention, the driving driven wheels of the driving mechanism and the steering driven wheels of the steering mechanism are fixed coaxially and integrated with the wheel assembly in the traveling mechanism via the steering frame, thereby making it possible to make the AGV smaller and thinner and reduce the space it occupies during transportation.

[0109] FIG. 29 is an image diagram showing the configuration of a lift assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. The lift assembly 35 includes a lift motor 350 that outputs lift power. It also includes a power transmission mechanism that transmits power to the lift mechanism. In this embodiment, a total of four lift rods 32 and their associated structures are evenly arranged at the four corners of the base 30 as a transport mechanism when the AGV transports cargo. In order to synchronously transfer the power of the lift motor 350 to the four lift rods 32 and their associated structures, the present invention includes a lift drive wheel 352 and four lift driven wheels 354 in the four lift mechanisms, and also provides guide wheels 321 on the four lift rods 32. The lift drive wheel 352 and the lift driven wheel 354 are each provided with a driven wheel on both sides to adjust the direction of the timing belt 353.

[0110] 30 is a partial image diagram of a lift assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a turning mechanism such as a pair of interlocking umbrella wheels is provided at the end of the output shaft of the lift motor 350 and the end of the axle of the lift drive wheel 352 to change the direction of transmission of the lift power.

[0111] 31 to 33 are conceptual diagrams showing the configuration of a lift mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the lift mechanism set including the lift rod 32 further includes a gear 321, a power transmission rack 322, a crossbar 323 on the side of the rack, and an electromagnetic valve lock 324. In addition, a turning mechanism is also provided to transmit the power transmitted from the lift drive wheel 352 to the gear 321. As shown in the figures, a pair of bevel gears 3541 and 3542 are provided. The gear 321 is coaxial with the bevel gear 3542 (the shaft is not shown).

[0112] When the lift motor 350 rotates, the turning mechanism changes direction, and the lift motor 350 rotates the lift drive wheel 352, which rotates the lift driven wheel 354, which rotates the gear 321 through the rolling mechanism, and the power transmission rack 322 meshed with the gear 321 rises or falls along the rotation direction of the gear 321. As shown in FIG. 31, the lift rod 32 is in a retracted state. When the power transmission rack 322 rises to a certain height, the crossbar 323 on the side of the rack hits the lower end of the lift rod 32, and as the power transmission rack 322 continues to rise, the crossbar 323 raises the lift rod 32, and the lift rod 32 protrudes from the top surface of the base. When the lift rod 32 rises to the preset height, the lift motor 350 stops rotating, and the power transmission rack 322 stops rising. The solenoid valve lock 324 locks the lift rod 32 so that it cannot be lowered as shown in FIG.

[0113] In addition, although four lift mechanisms are provided in this embodiment, those skilled in the art should understand that the number of lift mechanisms is not limited to four, but may be more than four, for example, eight, etc. Alternatively, the number can be reduced to three, two, or one by making the lift rod thicker based on force calculations, improving the structure of the upper part of the lift rod to increase its area, or designing a suitable locking mechanism.

[0114] The present invention also includes a positioning mechanism so that the AGV can stop accurately at a predetermined position even when the transport environment of the AGV is unstable. Referring to FIG. 33, in this embodiment, the positioning mechanism is the positioning bar 39, and the mechanism for raising and lowering the positioning bar 39 is composed of the lift rod 32, so that not only is the raising and lowering of the positioning bar 39 controlled, but the occupancy rate of space is also reduced. In this embodiment, the tip of the positioning bar 39 faces the crossbar 323, and when the crossbar 323 moves downward together with the power transmission rack 322, the positioning bar 39 is pushed out from the bottom surface of the base. In this embodiment, the positioning bar 39 and the crossbar 323 can be designed as one unit, that is, the positioning rod 39 moves together with the crossbar 323, and when the lift motor 350 controls the raising of the crossbar 323, the positioning bar 39 rises synchronously and retracts into the base. In another embodiment, the positioning bar 39 can be designed with a return structure such as a return spring. When the crossbar 323 pushes the positioning bar 39 down, the return spring is compressed at the same time. When the crossbar 323 rises, the return spring returns the positioning bar 39 .

[0115] In this embodiment, the driving motor 330, the steering motor 340 and the lift motor 350 can all be stepping motors or servo motors, and the travel distance can be accurately controlled. Because the controlled lifting distance of the lift motor 350 is small, the moment is large, and a planetary reducer can be installed to achieve the control accuracy.

[0116] In addition, depending on the mounting direction of the motor, it can be determined whether or not to use a turning mechanism. In this embodiment, the output shaft of each motor is parallel to the bottom surface, so a turning mechanism is necessary. If the motor is turned 90 degrees so that the output shaft is perpendicular to the bottom surface, the turning mechanism is not necessary. In this embodiment, a bevel gear is used for turning, but a worm gear structure or other configuration can be used depending on the internal space of the base, etc.

[0117] 34A-34B are image diagrams showing the configuration of one wheel assembly in the guide mechanism. With reference to FIG. 20B and FIG. 21A, the bottom of the housing of the base 30 has a guide wheel. assemblyThe wheel assembly includes a swing arm 310, a guide wheel 31, a control bar 312, and a position sensor (not shown). Here, one end of the swing arm 310 is fixed to one end of the guide wheel 301 via a shaft 3100, and the other end of the swing arm 310 holds the guide wheel 31 and is connected to the end of the control bar 312 via a shaft 3120 at the middle position, and the tip of the control bar 312 is fixed in the guide wheel 301, and the position sensor is disposed in the guide wheel 301, and is adjusted so that the trigger is applied after the guide wheel 31 descends into the guide wheel of the running surface and a positioning signal is generated. In one embodiment, the control bar 312 is set to electromagnetic lock according to the principle of electromagnetic lock as a guide wheel electromagnetic solenoid. The state shown in FIG. 34A is a state in which the control bar 312 is not energized, and at this time, the control bar 312 does not generate suction force and the guide wheel 31 is in a lowered state. In addition, a structure such as a spring may be provided inside or on the carrier of the control bar 312, which pushes the swing arm 310 and prevents the guide wheel 31 from bouncing upward. FIG. 34B shows the state in which the control bar 312 is energized, and at this time the control bar 312 generates an attractive force, which attracts the swing arm 310 and lifts the guide wheel 31. Referring to FIG. 20B, in this embodiment, there are two sets of wheel assemblies, each set has two guide wheels, and the two sets are set vertically. When the AGV moves in one direction, the two guide wheels 31 in that direction will descend and engage with the guide groove, as shown in FIG. 34(a). At this time, the positioning sensor will sense and emit a signal. As for the other two guide wheels, as shown in FIG. 34B, the corresponding positioning sensor will stop emitting signals, and the guide wheels will fit well into the guide groove, ensuring the normal running of the AGV. When the AGV needs to turn 90 degrees, it first raises and stores the two guide wheels in the original direction, and when it determines that the current guide wheels are stored according to the positioning signal, it turns 90 degrees. After steering, the other two guide wheels lower into the guide groove, and when it determines that the guide wheels fit into the guide groove according to the positioning sensor signal, it starts operating.

[0118] FIG. 35 shows an AGV stand-alone control device according to one embodiment of the present invention, which is disposed inside the base 30 and includes a task management module 305, a movement control module 302, and a transport control module 303. Among them, the task management module 305 communicates with a host machine via a communication module 304 to receive a transport task and transmit information regarding the task completion process to the host machine. The transport task includes at least an ID electronic tag and a target location of the target cargo, and in this embodiment, the target location is a warehouse cell of a specific location. In one embodiment, a planned travel route, i.e., a travel route from a current location to a transport target location and a destination target location, can also be received from the host machine. The task management module 305 transmits the target location or the planned travel route to the movement control module 302.

[0119] If only the target position is specified, the movement control module 302 calculates a travel route based on the current self-position and the positional relationship data stored therein, and when the travel route is received, the driving motor and steering motor are controlled according to the travel route, and travel and / or steering are performed according to the planned track. Among these, the travel route is composed of a plurality of straight sections. When the AGV of the present invention is applied to a multi-story warehouse, two adjacent straight sections are 90 degrees apart, that is, the AGV travels in both vertical and horizontal directions. In the straight section, the movement control module 302 determines the total number of rotations that the driving motor 330 should rotate based on the travel distance of the wheel assembly 38 per rotation according to the distance of the straight section, and determines the required number of driving pulses based on the total number of rotations, thereby accurately controlling the travel distance of the AGV. When the straight section ends and a 90-degree turn is required, the movement control module determines the number of pulses required for the 90-degree turn based on the radius of the steering driven wheel 344, and turns the steering motor 340 90 degrees while lowering the left and right guide wheels and raising the front and rear guide wheels. When steering, the driving driven wheels 334 rotate synchronously, and the synchronous rotation of the driving driven wheels 334 drives the wheel assembly to run, so that while transmitting pulses to the control steering motor 340, it also transmits a corresponding number of pulses to the driving motor 330 to offset the positional deviation when the driven wheels 334 are turned 90 degrees. As a result, the AGV wheels in this embodiment can turn 90 degrees while remaining stationary, and the guide wheels 31 at the bottom of the base 30 can engage with the guide grooves at the bottom even when turning.

[0120] When the AGV moves to a target position, for example a transport target position or a destination target position, the movement control module 302 sends a related notification to the transport control module 303 .

[0121] The transport control module 303 receives the ID information and the target position of the destination cargo transmitted from the task management module 305, and when receiving the notification transmitted from the movement control module 302, judges whether the current position is the transport target position or the destination target position based on the notification content. Then, it reads the ID tag of the current position via the electronic tag reader / writer 3052 on the outside of the lower surface of the base 30, judges whether it matches the target position in the transport task, and if it does not match, transmits related information to the task management module 305, and the task management module 305 communicates with the host machine to identify the problem. If it does match, the electronic tag of the cargo (e.g., the parent shipping box 2) is read by the electronic tag reader / writer 3051 provided on the outside of the upper surface of the base 30, and if it is judged to match the target cargo (e.g., the target parent shipping box) in the transport work, the lift motor 350 is operated and the lift rod 32 lifts the cargo. The lift rod 32 rises to a predetermined position, and the cargo is lifted from its original placement position. When the AGV reaches the target position at the destination, after similar identification and confirmation, the lift motor is operated, the lift rod 32 is lowered, and the cargo is set at the target position.

[0122] In one embodiment, the AGV is further provided with a weight sensor (not shown), which can sense the weight of the cargo when the lift rod 32 lifts the cargo. The task management module 305 records the weight of the cargo and uploads it to the host machine.

[0123] In one embodiment, the AGV standalone control device further includes a positioning module, which can accurately position the AGV when stopping at a target position when the transport environment is unstable. The positioning module first controls the lift motor 350 to make the positioning bar 39 protrude from the base 30, and after accurate positioning, controls the lift rod 32 to rise and transport the cargo.

[0124] In one embodiment, the AGV also has various sensors deployed such as laser sensors, visual sensors, infrared sensors, etc., that sense distance and position.

[0125] In one embodiment, the AGV may also include a laser SLAM (Simultaneous localization and mapping) or visual VSLAM system to assist the AGV in tasks such as path planning, autonomous exploration, and navigation in transporting cargo.

[0126] In the operation of the AGV, first, a travel route is determined that includes one or more straight sections in which two adjacent straight sections are perpendicular to each other. Then, the AGV travels in the moving space of the warehouse cell according to the travel route, and when it reaches the transport target position, it pushes out the lift mechanism to lift the target cargo. Then, after it reaches the target position of the destination with the target cargo on its back according to the travel route, it pulls back the lift mechanism to unload the target cargo. The target cargo is placed in a parent transport box located in the storage space of the warehouse cell, and an ID electronic tag is provided on the bottom of the parent transport box. An ID electronic tag is also provided on the bottom plate of the warehouse cell moving space. After the AGV reaches the transport target position and the destination target position according to the travel route, it reads the ID electronic tag on the bottom plate of the warehouse cell moving space to identify whether the current position is the transport target position and the destination target position, and after identifying the transport target position, it reads the ID electronic tag on the bottom of the parent transport box to identify whether the cargo on the transport target position is the target cargo. If the transport environment is unstable, when the AGV reaches the target position, it is forcibly positioned using a positioning bar after accurate positioning.

[0127] The present invention provides an AGV with various compact structures, for example, integrating the steering assembly partial structure with the drive assembly partial structure and the guide wheel, sharing the lift structure of the lift rod and the positioning rod, greatly reducing the thickness of the AGV of the present invention and reducing the occupation rate of the three-dimensional space. The AGV is thin, takes up little space, and has high-precision control, making it very suitable for new three-dimensional warehouses. It can operate normally in a swaying truck, airplane, or ship, and can work together in various mobile warehouses and fixed warehouses with the same specifications.

[0128] Sorting device example Each parent transport box 2 stored in the multi-story warehouse of the present invention includes multiple child transport boxes 7, and the destinations of the cargoes contained in these child transport boxes 7 may or may not be the same. In order to improve transportation efficiency, the present invention performs multiple cargo delivery processes in a logistics process and sends the cargo from the shipping point to the destination. Therefore, in the process of cargo distribution, it is necessary to sort the target cargoes that need to be delivered for each delivery. Therefore, the present invention provides a sorting robot and a sorting device that sort the cargoes in the multi-story warehouse, and the AGV sorting robot in the multi-story warehouse sorts the next outgoing cargo according to the flow of cargo at the time of the next outgoing.

[0129] Although the present specification uses a sub-transport box as an example, those skilled in the art should understand that the sub-transport box can be replaced with an existing parcel package. In other words, the existing parcel package can also be stored in the parent transport box. Therefore, the sorting robot of the sorter can be replaced with a robot that sorts the existing parcel package.

[0130] Sorting device example 1 36A-36B are image diagrams of a sorting device applied to a multi-story warehouse according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the sorting device 6 includes a support unit 61, a moving unit 62, and a sorting robot 5.

[0131] 36C-40C show a sorting robot provided by one embodiment of the present invention. The sorting robot 5 provided by the present invention includes a balance arm 50, a grab module 51, and a drive unit 52. The balance arm 50 maintains balance during movement, and the grab module 51 for grabbing cargo is attached to the end of the balance arm 50. The drive unit 52 is connected to the balance arm 50 and moves the balance arm 50 in an extending and retracting manner.

[0132] 37A, the balance arm 50 includes two or more arms 501 connected via a first joint 500. The one arm 501 includes an upper arm 503 and a lower arm 504 connected via at least a second joint 502. For ease of explanation, one end of the upper arm 503 and the lower arm 504 connected via the second joint 502 is called a connected end, and the other end is called a free end. Each arm has two free ends, and the second free end of the first arm is connected to the first free end of the second arm via the first joint 500.

[0133] The upper arm 503 is configured, for example, by arranging four link bars 5031 in parallel with each other, two at a time, and providing a connecting block 5032 at the free end, and providing two shafts 5033 thereon, with one link bar 5031 connected to each end of each shaft. In order to reduce the distance between the two parallel link bars when contracted and to reduce the space occupied by the balance arm, one end of the two parallel link bars is designed in an arc shape, and the arc ends of the two link bars are located at the free end and the connecting end, respectively. Therefore, when the balance arm 50 is contracted, the two link bars 5031 can be arranged in parallel, and the upper arm 503 and the lower arm 504 can be fitted together when in a contracted state, thereby reducing the space occupied by the balance arm. As shown in FIG. 37B, the two arms 501 connected by the first joint 500 are adjacent to each other in parallel, and in a contracted state, the upper arm 503 and the lower arm 504 movably connected by the second joint 502 are fitted together when in a contracted state.

[0134] As shown in FIG. 37C, the second joint 502 includes a set of two connecting plates 5021 and a tie rod 5022. The two link bars, of which the upper arm forms an upper plane, are connected via a connecting plate, and the connecting plate is provided with a pivot seat 5023. Similarly, the lower arm also has the same pivot seat. The connecting plate 5021 is provided with a slide rail 5024. One end of the tie rod 5022 cooperates with the slide rail 5024, and the opposite end is fixed to the pivot seat 5023. When the lower arm 504 opens downward under the control of the movement control unit, the upper arm 503 and the lower arm 504 move the tie rod 5022 in the slide rail 5024, and the upper arm 503 and the lower arm 504 can be contracted or extended.

[0135] As shown in Figs. 38A-38C, the drive unit 52 includes a drive parent box 520, and a drive motor and a wire winding mechanism therein for controlling the arms. In this embodiment, since there are two sets of arms, the two sets of motors and their wire winding mechanisms, i.e., the two sets of arms are controlled by wire ropes 521 and 522, respectively. Here, referring to Figs. 38A and 38B, the wire ropes 521 and 522 pulled out from the drive parent box 520 are attached to a first free end connecting block 5032a of the first arm via a guide wheel, and the end of the wire rope 521 is connected to a connecting block 5032b of the second free end of the first arm. In order to guide the wire rope 522 to the second arm, the wire rope 522 pulled out from the drive parent box 520 is connected to a connecting block 5032d of the second free end of the second arm via a guide wheel fixed to a connecting block 5032b of the second free end of the first arm and a connecting block 5032c of the first free end of the second arm.

[0136] Fig. 37 AC 37, the balance arm 50 is B When the wire rope is in the contracted state as shown in FIG. 38, the internal motor of the driving parent box 520 controls the wire winding mechanism of the second arm to release the wire rope. CAt this time, the release of the wire rope by the wire winding mechanism of the second arm is stopped, and the wire winding mechanism of the first arm releases the wire rope, resulting in the state shown in FIG. 38A. The balance arm 50 in this embodiment can control the operation of one pair of arms individually, so that the running during extension and contraction is smooth. The design of the single upper arm and lower arm allows the height and vertical stroke ratio of itself to be 1:7 or more.

[0137] 39A-39C, a schematic diagram of a sorting robot grab module according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, the grab module 51 includes a grab body 510 and a grab and recognition unit 512. The grab body 510 is fixed to the balance arm lower arm free end connection block 5032. The grab body 510 is provided with a guide rail, and there are multiple grab claws 511. As shown in the figure, two grab claws 511 are provided, and the fixed ends of the grab claws 511 are provided on the rail via sliders. The opening and closing dimensions of the grab claws 511 can be adjusted by adjusting the position of the slider in the rail. In addition, the sliding of each grab claw 511 can be individually controlled according to the shape, size or position of different cargo handles. Among them, the grab claws 511 can grab cargo using the suction mode and / or the mechanical mode. When grabbing cargo in the mechanical mode, the end structure of the grab claws 511 fits the handle structure of the cargo. For example, in this embodiment, the end of the glove claw 511 is provided with an inwardly recessed structure. The handle on the child transport box 7 has an outwardly protruding and intermediate inwardly recessed structure, which is referred to here as the ring claw 71. When the glove enters the recess of the glove on the child transport box 7, the end of the glove claw 511 is aligned with the ring claw 71, and then the glove claw 511 moves inward on the guide rail to fit into the ring claw 71, and when the balance arm 50 contracts, it grabs the child transport box 7.

[0138] In addition, the glove claw can also adopt an adsorption mode, such as a vacuum adsorption type, an electromagnetic adsorption type, etc. Those skilled in the art can refer to the relevant technical literature to obtain the specific structure of the adsorption type glove claw.

[0139] The identification unit 512 is provided on the grab body 510 for identification in sorting the cargo. The identification unit 512 can adopt technologies such as radio frequency identification, image recognition, and two-dimensional code recognition according to the identification principle and the ID electronic tag type of the child transport box 7. For example, in this embodiment, the identification unit 512 is an RFID reader / writer corresponding to the RFID ID electronic tag of the child transport box 7. If the ID electronic tag of the child transport box 7 is a two-dimensional code or a barcode, the identification unit 512 corresponds to a two-dimensional code / barcode reader / writer. In addition, the identification unit 512 may be an image identification unit including a camera and an image identification subunit, in which the camera captures the cargo or cargo ID electronic tag image, and the image identification subunit identifies the cargo according to the captured image, or determines the distance of the current position from the cargo.

[0140] 40A-40C show the image diagrams of a sorting robot grab module according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the grab module 51 further includes a damping plate 513 movably connected to the grab body 510 via a shaft, which fits between the grab claws and the sorted cargo when the grab grab grabs the sorted cargo to prevent the cargo from rattling. In order to fit between the grab claws and the sorted cargo, this embodiment includes one or more damping plates, for example, one end of which is connected to the grab body 510 via a shaft, and the rotatable damping plate 513 can be deployed or stored according to different specifications and sizes of the sub-transport boxes 7. As shown in FIG. 40A, when the damping plate 513 is fully stored, it is completely stored under the grab body 510. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 40C, the damping plate 513 is deployed to accommodate the large area of ​​the sub-transport box 7. In order to achieve sufficient rigidity and damping elasticity, the damping plate 513 has two layers, the upper layer being a rigid plate and the lower layer being a damping elastic plate, which meets the requirements of rigidity and damping elastic shock absorption.

[0141] The sorting robot also includes a drive unit and a grab module connected by a signal, and the grab module and the drive unit complete sorting of the target child shipping box according to the received sorting task. For example, the operation of the internal motor of the driving parent shipping box 520 is controlled, and the extension and contraction of the balance arm is controlled by controlling the wire rope. Also, for example, the extension and contraction of the motor and wire rope are controlled by controlling the grab claw 511, and the opening and closing dimensions of the grab claw 511 can be changed by controlling the slide of the grab claw 511 on the rail. In addition, there is also control of the damping plate, etc.

[0142] It also includes various sensors (not shown), such as one or more positioning sensors, collision avoidance sensors, a laser SLAM (Simultaneous localization and mapping) system, or a visual VSLAM system, to assist the sorting robot in tasks such as path planning, autonomous exploration, and navigation when sorting cargo.

[0143] Referring to Figures 36A-36B, the support unit 61 is connected to at least one sorting cell 60, which corresponds to a warehouse cell equipped with a guide groove 631 for movement of a moving device such as an AGV, and the pillar is provided with a support block 612 that supports storage devices to be sorted, such as a parent box 2.

[0144] The moving unit 62 includes a slide rail 621 and its drive motor 622, and a beam 623 and its drive motor 624. Of these, the slide rails 621 are fixed to both the left and right ends of the tip of the support unit 61, respectively. In this embodiment, the slide rails 621 are multi-stage slide rails, and each stage slide rail is provided with a drive motor 622 that can extend the slide rail forward and drive it in order to expand the moving range of the sorting robot 5. Both ends of the beam 623 are fixed to the slide rails 621, and the beam 623 is provided with a slide rail and its drive motor 624. The sorting robot 5 is fixed to the slide rail, and the drive motor 624 drives the slide rail to move the sorting robot 5 in two directions in the x direction. The drive motor 622 moves the beam 623 in two directions in the y direction, moving the sorting robot 5 in two directions in the y direction. As shown in Figures 36C-36D, a connecting rotation mechanism including a rotating shaft 632 and a drive motor 633 is provided on the top of the sorting robot 5, and the rotating shaft 632 is connected to the beam 623 via a bracket, and the drive motor 633 is connected to the rotating shaft 632 via a timing belt, allowing the entire sorting robot 5 to rotate.

[0145] In this embodiment, the track surface of the slide rail 621 faces the side, and the track surfaces of the two slide rails 621 on the left and right are provided opposite each other. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the track surfaces of the two slide rails 621 may face upward at the same time. On the other hand, the rail surface of the beam 623 in this embodiment faces downward, and can of course also stand up toward the side.

[0146] Moreover, the moving unit 62 in this embodiment is provided on top of the support unit 61 fixed to the top of the sorting cell 60 (corresponding to a warehouse cell). The total height of the support unit 61 plus the slide rail 621 of the moving unit 62 is equal to or less than one warehouse cell. The sorting robot 5 takes out cargo such as a child transport box 7 from a parent transport box 2 in one sorting cell, and the slide rail 621 places the cargo in a parent transport box 2 of another sorting cell 60 as the moving unit 62 moves.

[0147] As shown in Figures 41A-41H, an image diagram of grabbing cargo by a sorting robot according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown. As shown in Figures 42A-42B, the sorting operation flow of the sorting robot 5, in a standby state, the sorting robot 5 is located above a first sorting cell 60, where a parent shipping box 2 is placed in the first sorting cell 60, and a child shipping box 7 is placed in the parent shipping box 2 (not shown in Figures 41A-41C, see Figure 41E). As shown in Figure 41A, the sorting robot 5 is in a contracted, standby state.

[0148] One sorting process of cargo by the sorting device 6 is as follows, as shown in Figures 42A and 42B.

[0149] In step S6101, the balance arm is deployed, the grab module 51 is lowered, and the lowering height is monitored. The motor inside the drive unit 52 drives the wire winding mechanism, the wire rope of the second arm is released, and the lower arm of the second arm is extended downward. FIG. 41B (not shown, see FIG. 38C or FIG. 36C) shows the state of the sorting robot 5. The motor inside the drive unit 52 drives the wire winding mechanism, the wire rope of the first arm is released, and the lower arm of the first arm is extended downward. The state of the sorting robot 5 is shown in FIG. 41C (not shown, see FIG. 38A). In addition, as shown in FIG. 41D, in the process of deploying the balance arm, the sorting robot 5 can be rotated to adjust the positional correspondence with the child transport box 7. During the descent of the balance arm 50, the distance from the child transport box 7 is measured by an identification unit built into the sorting robot 5, such as a camera, a laser SLAM system, or a visual VSLAM system.

[0150] In step S6102, it is confirmed whether the grab module 51 has reached an appropriate height. If it has reached a distance of, for example, about 20-50 mm from the top of the child box 7, step S6103 is executed, and if not, the process returns to step S6101.

[0151] In step S6103, the RFID reader / writer built into the sorting robot 5 reads the RFID information of the target child transport box 7.

[0152] In step S6104, it is determined whether the target child shipping box 7 is a specified target, and if so, step S6105 is executed to upload the ID information of the child shipping box to the logistics control module system, and the process proceeds to step S6107. If not, the process proceeds to step S6106.

[0153] In step S6106, the height and position of the sorting robot 5 are adjusted, and the process returns to step S6103 with the other child transport box as the target.

[0154] In step S6107, the attenuation plate 513 is opened to an appropriate angle depending on the size of the target child shipping box 7, and normally does not exceed the size of the child shipping box.

[0155] In step S6108, the balance arm continues to descend and fine-tunes the horizontal coordinate until the sensor detects that the grab claw 511 and the ring claw 71 of the target child box 7 are concentric and the grab height is reached.

[0156] In step S6109, the grab claw 511 grabs the ring claw 71. When the grab claw 511 and the ring claw 71 of the target child shipping box 7 are concentric and reach the grabbing height, the grab claw 511 contracts and tightly grips the ring claw 71. As shown in FIG. 41E.

[0157] In step S6110, the RFID reader / writer built into the sorting robot 5 updates the RFID information of the parent shipping box 2. That is, the ID binding between the target child shipping box 7 and the parent shipping box 2 is released, and the information is uploaded to the logistics control module of the cloud system.

[0158] In step S6111, the balance arm of the sorting robot 5 lifts the target child shipping box 7 to an appropriate height, 2-5 cm higher than the upper part of the parent shipping box 2. This is the state shown in FIG. 41F.

[0159] In step S6112, the sorting robot 5 moves horizontally to the second sorting cell. Here, the second sorting cell is adjacent to the current first sorting cell in the y direction. The drive motor 622 extends the slide rails 621 on both sides of the support unit forward, and the sorting robot 5 extends forward by the beam 623 fixed to the slide rails. This is the state shown in Figure 41G. It moves horizontally to the second sorting cell. This is the state shown in Figure 41H.

[0160] In step S6113, the sorting robot 5 confirms by a sensor that the current position is above the second parent mail box.

[0161] In step S6114, the balance arm 51 of the sorting robot 5 descends to the second parent box, and fine-tunes the horizontal coordinate while monitoring the current position of the target child box 7. In one embodiment, the sorting robot 5 sets a 3D coordinate system in its sorting area, and by monitoring the 3D coordinates of the target child box 7, it can determine whether the target child box 7 has reached the specified position where it should be placed.

[0162] In step S6115, it is determined whether the target child shipping box 7 has reached the designated position, and if it has reached the designated position, in step S6116, the grab claw 511 releases the ring claw, the target child shipping box 7 is placed at the designated position in the second parent shipping box, the ID information of the target child shipping box 7 and the second parent shipping box are bound and uploaded to the logistics control module. If the target child shipping box 7 has not reached the designated position, the process returns to step S6114.

[0163] In step S6117, the balance arm is pulled back and returns to the standby state.

[0164] Sorting device example 2 In this embodiment, when the moving device such as an AGV is above the storage device, that is, the warehouse cell has a structure like that of the second or third embodiment, the support unit of the sorting device may be provided on the side of the sorting cell. The moving unit uses a sorting robot to grab a child pass box from the side of the sorting cell. As shown in FIG. 43, the bottom of the sorting cell 60a is a storage space, and storage devices such as parent pass boxes are arranged. The partition plate 63a is provided with a guide groove 631a along which the AGV can freely travel, as a running surface for the moving device in the moving space. The support unit 61a is connected to the storage space of the sorting cell 60a from the side, and two slide rails 621a are provided on the top and bottom of both sides, respectively, and the sorting robot (not shown) is connected to the rail 621a via the beam 623a. The sorting robot has a structure like that of the first embodiment of the sorting device. It has a balance arm that can be extended in the x direction, can be extended to the sorting cell 60a, and can slide in the y direction along the slide rail 621a, and can move to the side of the second sorting cell (not shown). The second sorting cell and sorting cell 60a are adjacent to each other in the y direction.

[0165] The parent shipping box 2c in the sorting cell 60a and the second sorting cell may be open to the side. As shown in FIG. 11, the side of the parent shipping box 2c is a door 201c that can slide in both the up and down directions, and the side may be a plate in its entirety or a lattice shape as shown in FIG. 5A. The parent shipping box 2c in FIG. 11 is located in the sorting cell 60a in FIG. 43, and at the start of sorting, the door 201c opens in two directions, up and down, so that the balance arm of the sorting robot can enter the parent shipping box 2c. The grab body 510 of the grab module 51 rotates until it is parallel to the upper part of the child shipping box 7, and the grab claw is grabbed so that the grab is parallel to the grab claw in the child shipping box 7. The balance arm contracts, and the child shipping box 7 is taken out of the parent shipping box 2c. The slide rail 621a is extended in the y direction, and the sorting robot is moved to the second sorting cell. The sorting process is the same as in the first embodiment, and a description thereof is omitted here.

[0166] FIG. 44 is a schematic block diagram of a sorting device control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the sorting device 6 may include a sorting system 66 for performing a sorting task. Among them, the sorting subsystem 66 includes a communication module 661, an identification module 662, an information correction module 663, and a movement control module 664. The communication module 661 is for receiving a sorting task including at least a target child transport box list, and the target child transport box list includes at least a target child transport box ID information, an original bound first target parent transport box ID information, and a second target parent transport box ID information for locating the target child transport box. The identification module 662 corresponds to the ID electronic tag of the parent transport box and the child transport box, and if the ID electronic tag is an RFID electronic tag, the identification module is an RFID reader / writer. It may be the same component as the identification unit of the sorting robot 5, and can identify whether the parent transport box in the sorting cell and the child transport box therein are the first target parent transport box and the target child transport box. The information correction module 663 releases the ID binding between the target child transport box and the first target parent transport box when the target child transport box is separated from the first target parent transport box. When the target child transport box is placed in the second target parent transport box, the IDs of the target child transport box and the second target parent transport box are bound. The operation control module 664 controls the operation flow required for the sorting robot 5 and the moving unit 62 to complete one sorting task. Figures 41A-41H show one sorting flow. A description will be omitted here.

[0167] The present invention provides a sorting robot suitable for multi-level warehouses, which occupies a small amount of warehouse space and is not limited by the time and location of sorting cargo. The parallel arm structure of the sorting robot stabilizes the posture of the child transport box during grabbing and transporting, and can accommodate child transport boxes of various standard sizes. The provision of a deformable elastic damping plate can effectively suppress the rattle during transporting the child transport box. The grab module of the sorting robot can be designed by adsorption or mechanically combined with intelligent identification units such as cameras, RFID, two-dimensional code readers and other sensors, which can accurately identify and grab the child transport box. The driving unit of the sorting robot can control the telescopic and moving movements of the robot quickly and smoothly, and the timing belt adopted during control can realize the low torque, small size and accurate positioning of the transmission device.

[0168] As shown in FIG. 45, a structural image diagram of a multi-level warehouse with built-in storage devices, moving devices and sorting devices is shown. The structure of the multi-level warehouse is shown in the embodiment of the multi-level warehouse structure described above, and the description will not be repeated here. The cargo in the warehouse is stored in the child transport box 7, and the parent transport box 2 has multiple child transport boxes 7 stored in it. The parent transport box 2 is stored in the storage space in the warehouse cell of the multi-level warehouse. The warehouse cell has unique ID information, and for example, the ID information is a number, for example, the number C0F11001, which represents the first location in the first row, C0F11001 represents the first location in the second row of the second layer, C0F22001 represents the second location in the fourth row of the third layer, and so on, and the first three characters represent the identification of the logistics warehouse. In order to easily obtain the ID information of the warehouse cell, an electronic tag RFID or a two-dimensional code is used as the ID electronic tag of the warehouse cell to record the number information of each warehouse cell.

[0169] In the following explanation, RFID is taken as an example. Similarly, the parent transport box 2 and the child transport box 7 each have a unique ID tag, and are numbered, for example, with letters, numbers, etc. For example, the ID of the child transport box 7 is A300x180x180, and the ID of the parent transport box 2 is identified as M500B700C100. Therefore, by binding the ID information of the child transport box, the parent transport box, and one warehouse cell of the multi-story warehouse, it is possible to identify the location where the cargo has unique location information in the entire logistics system. Furthermore, when any of the above changes, for example, when a parent transport box is changed, the warehouse cell is changed, or the multi-story warehouse is changed, the ID binding relationship can be changed in real time, and accurate real-time location information of the cargo can be ensured. A small, ultra-thin AGV 3 in the multi-story warehouse is located in the moving space of the warehouse cell 1 and transports the parent transport box 2. Depending on the size of the multi-story warehouse, a different number of sorting devices 6 can be sorted into the multi-story warehouse. Cloth , connected to adjacent warehouse cells and merged into a warehouse cell. The sorting device 6 includes two sorting cells 60 connected to other warehouse cells 1 in the multi-level warehouse. An AGV 3 or the like passes through the warehouse. By controlling the moving device, the parent shipping box 2 is transported and sorted in cooperation with the sorting device 6.

[0170] As will be understood by those skilled in the art, when a multi-story warehouse including sub-transport boxes, AGVs and sorting equipment is connected to other components and structures, it can form a parcel locker or other fixed warehouse used at the end of logistics.

[0171] Delivery lockers at the end of the logistics chain 46A-46B are schematic diagrams of a parcel locker according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the parcel locker 10 is provided with a housing body 110. The housing body 110 is provided with at least one housing door 111, a folding door in the figure, a door that opens with a support rod, or a shutter door. The inside of the housing 110 is a multi-story warehouse having multiple storage levels consisting of multiple warehouse cells, and the number of storage levels and the number of warehouse cells per level are determined according to specific needs. One or more AGVs 3 are arranged inside the multi-story warehouse according to the scale to transport parent shipping boxes. A lifting system transports cargo between different storage levels. In this embodiment, a lifting system is installed on the housing door 111. Among them, the lifting platform 42 can move up and down along the support pillar, and guides the AGVs 3 on it to different storage levels. A sorting device 6 is also provided inside.

[0172] In order to realize docking with the outside, for example, docking with customers, delivery robots, various cargo transport devices, etc., the delivery locker further includes a liftable docking frame and also includes a rail 120 attached to the housing door 111. The slide rail 121 is interlocked with a docking plate 122. The docking plate 122 is the running surface of the AGV 3, and is provided with a guide groove that engages with the guide wheel 31. As shown in the figure, both the left and right sides of the docking plate 122 are running surfaces for the running wheels, and the center is a guide groove.

[0173] In this embodiment, the lifting docking frame faces the position of the lifting system 4 in the multi-story warehouse, and the docking plate 122 can dock with the lifting platform 42. To enable accurate docking of the two and facilitate AGV travel, positioning sensors such as position switches and optical proximity sensors are provided at appropriate locations on the docking plate 122 or the lifting platform 42, and when the two are accurately docked, the positioning sensor transmits a signal. Based on this signal, it can be determined that docking of the docking plate 122 and the lifting platform 42 has been completed.

[0174] In one embodiment, in addition to the side housing door 111, the other side of the parcel locker 10 includes a housing door 112 corresponding to a customer. As shown in Figs. 47A-47B, the other side of the housing body 110, for example, the side opposite to the housing door 111, is provided with a housing door 112 corresponding to each warehouse cell, and the housing door 112 can be locked by an electronic lock and automatically controlled to open and close by a door control mechanism. Fig. 47B shows an image of the housing door 112 when it is opened. This corresponds to one warehouse cell, contains a parent transport box 2, and contains a child transport box 7 in the parent transport box 2. The child transport box 7 may be a child transport box provided to the sender, or may be a child transport box having a cargo to be received by the recipient.

[0175] In some embodiments, the top of the parcel locker 10 also includes a drone connection port and a cover plate 112. The drone connection port receives a child box sent from the drone and provides a child box to the drone.

[0176] As will be understood by those skilled in the art, by combining a multi-story warehouse including a child transport box, an AGV, and a sorting device with transportation equipment, various cargo transportation devices for transporting cargo of the present invention can be configured.

[0177] Cargo Transport Device #1: Mini Truck 48A-48B are schematic diagrams of a mini truck according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the mini truck 9a further includes the multi-storehouse 91 in the second embodiment, the parent box 2 and the child box 7 as storage devices, the AGV 3 as a moving device, the sorting device 6, and a vehicle 90. The vehicle 90 is a small cargo transport device and forms a mini truck.

[0178] The vehicle 90 comprises a housing frame 93 and a housing cover 92, the housing cover 92 being connected to the housing cover 93 to form a housing main body having an internal space, and the multi-story warehouse 91 is provided in the internal space of the housing main body.

[0179] The housing cover 92 includes one or more housing doors 94, and the area of ​​the housing door is an integer multiple of the warehouse cell in the multi-story warehouse. In this embodiment, the housing door 94 surrounds the entire rear of the parent container, and further includes a plurality of support rods 95 such as electrohydraulic actuators so as to hold the housing door in an open state. Both ends of the support rods 95 are connected to the housing door 94 and the housing frame 93, respectively, and can support and fix the housing door 94 when the housing door 94 is open.

[0180] In this embodiment, the device further includes a lifting / lowering docking device including a lifting / lowering rail 961, a lifting / lowering stand 962, and a docking plate 963. The lifting / lowering rail 961 is fixed to the housing frame 93 inside the housing door 94. The lifting / lowering stand 962 is provided in cooperation with the lifting / lowering rail 961 and can rise or fall along the rail 961. One end of the docking plate 963 is movably connected to an end of the lifting / lowering stand 962, and the upper surface is a running surface of the moving device. The docking plate 963 can be opened to the outside of the housing space when the housing door 94 is opened as shown in FIG. 48A, and may be stored so that the housing door 94 is closed as shown in FIG. 48B.

[0181] In this embodiment, the length of the docking plate 963 is adapted to the width of one warehouse cell, and of course, can be adapted to the width of the housing door 94 to increase the amount of cargo exchange during docking.

[0182] Referring to FIG. 48A, an air suspension 97 is also provided between the chassis frame 93 of the cargo transportation device and the body of the vehicle 90 in this embodiment to reduce vibration during travel and docking.

[0183] Cargo Transport Equipment 2: City Circulation Truck 49A-49B are schematic diagrams of a city circulation truck according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the transport equipment 90 in the city circulation truck 9b is a medium-sized or large-sized cargo transport device. Among them, the housing cover of the entire rear part of the housing is a housing door 941, and as shown in FIG. 49B, a part of the side and the upper part of the housing cover may be opened upward as a wing 942. This embodiment includes an XY driving table 98, an X-direction rail 981, and a Y-direction rail 982 provided at the bottom of the housing cover 93. The XY driving table 98 is driven by a driving device and can slide in the X and Y directions.

[0184] The multi-story warehouse 91 is fixed to an XY drive table 98 and can move with the movement of the XY drive table 98. As shown in Figures 50A-50B, this is an image diagram showing the multi-story warehouse 91 in the cargo transport device 9b sliding together with the XY drive table 98.

[0185] The cargo transportation device in the present invention further includes a control system and a connection structure, in which the control system of the cargo transportation device has different forms according to docking and distribution with the cloud system.

[0186] Cargo transport equipment control system embodiment 1 51 shows a schematic block diagram of a cargo transport device control system according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the functional module for controlling the vehicles in the control system 99 is built into the cargo transport device and includes a communication module 990, a navigation module 991, and a docking control module 992. The management, sorting, transportation, and other control of cargo within the warehouse is performed by a multi-level warehouse management system composed of a local module or a cloud logistics control module.

[0187] The communication module 990 interacts with the cloud system and transfers data and information between the local system and the cloud. The navigation module 991 determines the vehicle's driving route based on the planned route. The driving route of the cargo transportation device is planned and calculated by the cloud system and transmitted to the cargo transportation device. It may also be calculated by the cargo transportation device 993 based on the docking point obtained from the cargo transportation device. The positioning device 993 obtains the real-time position of the cargo transportation device and transmits the real-time position information to the cloud.

[0188] The docking control module 992 determines a docking mode based on the other cargo transport device to be docked, and controls the operation of the components according to the determined docking mode. FIG. 52A shows a schematic block diagram of a docking control module according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the docking control module 992 includes a housing door control unit 9920 and a lifting docking device control unit 9921. In one embodiment, the housing door includes an electronic lock 950 and an actuator 951, such as a drive motor of an electrohydraulic actuator and its hydraulic system. The housing door control unit 9920 can control the housing door electronic lock 950 and the actuator 951 to control the opening and closing of the housing door. The lifting docking device control unit 9921 controls the lifting, lowering, opening and closing of the docking plate. In one embodiment, the lifting stand includes a motor 9620, such as a stepping motor or a servo motor, to control the lifting and lowering of the lifting stand on the lifting rail. The docking plate is provided with a corresponding motor 9630, and is controlled by the docking plate motor 9630 to couple to an end of the lift-up stand 962. For example, the rotation of a connecting shaft at the coupling point is controlled by the motor, and the docking plate 963 can be stored in parallel with the lift-up stand 962, or the docking plate 963 can be lowered to be perpendicular to the lift-up stand 962.

[0189] In addition, this embodiment includes various positioning sensors to ensure accurate docking of the cargo transport device with another cargo transport device. For example, a docking plate positioning sensor 9631 is provided on the docking plate, and when the docking plate 963 is used to dock with the warehouse cell of the docking cargo transport device, a signal is sent from the docking plate positioning sensor 9631 after the two devices are accurately docked, and completion of docking can be determined depending on whether the signal is received.

[0190] A lift positioning sensor 8000 is also provided at the preset position of the docking plate 963, and when the docked delivery robot 8 reaches the preset position at the bottom, the lift positioning sensor 8000 emits a signal, and it can be determined that the docking of the delivery robot and the docking plate 963 is completed. At this time, the lift stand 962 is safely raised and lowered so that the running surface of the housing movement space of the delivery robot 8 is docked with the warehouse cell in the multi-story warehouse. At this time, which corresponds to the docking of the two warehouse cells, in one embodiment, a positioning sensor 1130 is provided in the docking warehouse cell of the cargo transport device 9, and after the warehouse cell of the other cargo transport device and the warehouse cell in the multi-story warehouse are docked accurately, the warehouse cell positioning sensor 1130 is triggered to emit a signal. For example, when the home delivery robot is lifted to a certain position and the running surface of the parent box movement space is docked with the warehouse cell of the cargo transport device 9, the warehouse cell positioning sensor 1130 can be triggered to emit a signal, and based on this signal, it can be known that the docking is accurate and the docking is completed.

[0191] When the cargo transportation device is provided with an XY driving table, the docking control module 992 further includes an XY driving table control unit 9922, in which an X-direction actuator 9810 and a Y-direction actuator 9820 such as a motor or a hydraulic actuator are provided on the XY driving table to enable the XY driving table to move along the X-direction rail 981 or the Y-direction rail 982 on the housing frame 93, and according to the specific actuator type, the XY driving table control unit 9922 can output a driving signal for controlling the movement of the XY driving table along the XY driving table 981 or the Y-direction rail 982 to control the amount of movement.

[0192] The local module of the control system further includes an air suspension control module 994 that adjusts the air pressure of each air suspension when docking with another cargo transport device or cargo transport devices, and can adjust the horizontal level of the storage units so that the storage units of the two cargo transport devices can dock accurately.

[0193] In this embodiment, the management system of a multi-story warehouse comprises a movement control system 162, a cargo management system 161 and a sorting system 64, and mainly controls the travel of the AGVs and the sorting device 6, and performs the outgoing, incoming and outgoing, and exchange of cargo. In one embodiment, the movement control system 162 is located locally, and comprises a travel control module 1621 that controls the AGVs, and a lifting control module 1622 that controls the lifting system. Here, the travel control module 1621 is a higher-level control module for the AGV 3, and is mainly used for functional units such as task management, vehicle driving, route planning management, traffic management, and communication management for multiple AGVs in the warehouse.

[0194] Among them, the task management functional unit provides the execution environment for AGV standalone. It provides various operations for AGV standalone, such as starting, stopping, and canceling multiple AGVs based on the task priority and start time. The vehicle driving functional unit is responsible for obtaining the AGV status, issues a permission request for the driving segment to the traffic management functional unit, and sends the confirmed segment to the AGV. The route planning functional unit calculates the shortest driving route of the AGV according to the needs of the cargo transportation task and according to the principle of the shortest driving time of the AGV, and controls the driving process of the AGV. The traffic management functional unit provides AGV mutual automatic evacuation measures according to the AGV driving status and the AGV driving route situation inside the warehouse.

[0195] A wireless communication method is adopted between the driving control module 1621 and the AGV standalone system. The driving control module 1621 communicates with multiple AGV standalone systems by a polling method. The driving control module 1621 can communicate with other upper machines, such as a cloud-related logistics control module, by a TCP / IP method. The AGV is provided with a standalone control device, which, after receiving a transportation task and its command from the upper system driving control module 1621, takes on the functions of navigation, guidance, route selection, vehicle driving, steering, loading and unloading operations of the AGV standalone, and completes the transportation task. This includes a task management module 305, a movement control module 302, and a transportation control module 303. The above-mentioned embodiment of the AGV is specifically referred to, and the description is omitted here.

[0196] The lifting control module 1622 controls the lifting table driving mechanism 163 of the lifting system. Among them, the lifting platform driving mechanism 163 adopts a servo system, and the lifting control module 1622 transmits driving information to the servo system according to the lifting stroke, and makes the lifting platform reach the preset position. Among them, the servo system can stop the lifting platform accurately at a predetermined position under normal conditions, but due to the unstable state of the multi-storey warehouse during movement, the position where the lifting platform reaches deviates from the original predetermined position. If the lifting platform deviates from the original predetermined position, the docking state between the lifting platform and the warehouse cell is poor, making it difficult for the AGV to travel and even being damaged. Therefore, in one embodiment, the lifting platform can be stopped accurately at a predetermined position by providing multiple position sensors on the pillars of the warehouse cell docking location on each layer. In addition, the lifting platform is equipped with a weight measurement analysis system, and the magnitude of the output voltage current required to execute the speed and acceleration set for each lifting stroke is determined according to the weight of the cargo loaded on the lifting platform.

[0197] The cargo management system 161 and the sorting system 64 can be located in the cloud, for example, the sorting system 64 is a cloud sorting control module, and the cargo management system 161 is a cargo monitoring module on the cloud. Here, the cargo management system 161 is used to maintain cargo information and equipment information in the multi-story warehouse 91, such as cargo order information, logistics information, binding relationships between cargo and child transport boxes and parent transport boxes, and binding relationships between parent transport boxes and warehouse cells, etc. Also included are the number and ID information of AGVs currently in the warehouse, ID information of sorting devices, location distribution information, etc.

[0198] The sorting system 64 communicates with the sorting device 6 and the AGVs 3 via the communication module 990, and assigns sorting tasks and transport work. The operation control module 1621 in the operation control system 162 is a higher-level control module for the multiple AGVs 3 in the warehouse, and performs task management, vehicle driving, route planning management, traffic management, communication management, and the like for the multiple AGVs 3 in accordance with the AGV transport tasks transmitted from the sorting system 64, and allows each AGV 3 to complete the corresponding transport task. The sorting device 6 receives the sorting task to complete sorting of the specified target child return box.

[0199] In one embodiment, as shown in Fig. 52B, the sorting module 64 includes a cargo statistics module 642 and a task planning module 643, and the cargo statistics module 642 analyzes the address information of each parent tote box and its internal child tote box in each cargo transport device based on the sorting address, and determines the target parent tote box and the target child tote box. The task planning module 643 determines tasks corresponding to each sorting device and each moving device based at least on the target storage device distribution information, sorting device distribution information, and the number and position information of moving devices in the warehouse. In one embodiment, the task planning module 643 includes a sorting task unit 6431 and a transport task unit 6432.

[0200] The sorting task unit 6431 obtains specification information of the target child transport box according to the cargo information for the target child transport box determined by the cargo statistics module 642, determines the target parent transport box to accommodate the sorted target child transport box, and obtains a list of target child transport boxes. The target child transport box list includes at least the target child transport box ID information, the original bound target parent transport box ID information, the target parent transport box ID information to accommodate the target child transport box after sorting, and the corresponding warehouse cell ID information, as shown in the following table.

[0201] TIFF0007656959000001.tif36169

[0202] For ease of explanation, the target parent shipping box in which the target child shipping box is located is referred to as the first target parent shipping box, and the target parent shipping box that contains the target child shipping box sorted according to the specifications of the target child shipping box is referred to as the second target parent shipping box.

[0203] The sorting work unit 6431 allocates an equal number of sorting tasks to each sorting device in a near-site priority order according to the distribution of the first target parent shipping box, the second target parent shipping box, and the sorting devices in the multi-level warehouse. Alternatively, the sorting tasks are determined based on the principle of the minimum time required for processing. In this case, sorting one target child shipping box is called a sorting task.

[0204] The transport task unit 6432 is for allocating a transport task to each moving device in real time according to the distribution of the moving device, the sorting device, and the target parent transport box. The transport task is to transport one target parent transport box to a sorting cell of a sorting device, or to transport a first target parent transport box sorted in a sorting cell to its warehouse cell, or to transport a second target parent transport box that has been sorted to an empty warehouse cell in a delivery area. Therefore, the transport task sent to the moving device includes parent transport box ID information, warehouse cell ID information where the parent transport box is located, and warehouse cell ID information where the parent transport box is stored. Among them, the warehouse cell where the parent transport box is stored may be a sorting cell or a normal warehouse cell, or may be a warehouse cell in a delivery area.

[0205] The first and second target parent boxes required for sorting can be transported by one moving device or two different moving devices. After the moving device has completed the transport, it can stop until the sorting is completed and then transport again, or perform other transport operations after the transport.

[0206] The cargo management system 161 maintains the bindings between the child and parent transport boxes in the warehouse, and the bindings between the parent transport boxes and the warehouse cells. For example, when the first target parent transport box is removed from the first warehouse cell, the binding between the first target parent transport box and the first warehouse cell is released. When the first target parent transport box is placed in a sorting cell, the binding between the first target parent transport box and the sorting cell is established. When the first target parent transport box is sorted and moved from the sorting cell, the binding between the first target parent transport box and the sorting cell is released. Similarly, the same ID binding is set for the second target parent transport box and then released.

[0207] Cargo transport equipment control system embodiment 2 In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 53, the cargo transport device control system includes a vehicle control module and a multi-level warehouse management system, and the vehicle control module includes the navigation module 991, docking control module 992, positioning device 993, and air suspension control module 994 of the above embodiment. The multi-level warehouse management system communicates with the cloud control module and receives an exchange task, and the exchange task includes, for example, a docking point, cargo to be exchanged during docking, etc. The vehicle control module is connected to the multi-level warehouse management system, and moves to the docking point according to a planned route according to the docking point in the exchange task, and controls the housing door, lifting frame, docking plate, XY drive table, or air suspension in the vehicle at the docking point to dock with other cargo transport devices. The multi-level warehouse management system in this embodiment is built into the cargo transport device and mainly controls the transportation of the AGV3 during cargo sorting, entry and exit. It is combined with the lifting system 4 of the multi-level warehouse so that each AGV3 runs along an optimal route. The sorting system 64 in the multi-level warehouse management system determines the sorting tasks and the transport work of the AGV during sorting as a host machine of the sorting device. The sorting device 6 completes sorting of the exchange cargo before docking.

[0208] Delivery robots at the edge of logistics FIG. 54 is an overall configuration diagram of a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. The delivery robot 8 of this embodiment includes a base 80, a housing 81, a traveling mechanism, and an interactive mechanism 83. Referring to FIG. 55 and FIG. 56, the base 80 incorporates a base case 800, various parts, and devices. For example, a drive assembly 84 and a steering assembly 85 corresponding to the traveling mechanism, a motor 86 that controls opening and closing of a top cover 811 and a front cover 812 (see FIG. 59A-59D) of the housing 81, and an electric box 87 that integrates electric parts, a power source, and the like, these parts and devices are inside the cover 801, and a timing belt 861 connected to the output shaft of the motor 86 is attached to both sides.

[0209] 57-58, a housing bottom plate 810 is attached to the base case 800, and a vertical guide groove 8100 is provided on the housing bottom plate 810 for guiding the travel of a moving device such as an AGV that enters the housing 81. Two vertical side frames 811 are provided on the housing bottom plate 810, and a support block 8110 is provided toward the inside of each side frame pillar. By supporting a parent shipping box with the support block 8110 on the four pillars, the upper part of the support block 8110 forms a storage level, and a moving level is formed between the lower part of the support block 8110 and the bottom plate 810, providing a space for the travel of the AGV. Two bearings 8111 for mounting a timing pulley and its shaft are provided on both ends of the side frame 811. A pillar 812 is provided on the rear side of the housing bottom plate 810 for connecting various communication cables at the bottom to the interactive mechanism 83 at the top.

[0210] 59A-59D are conceptual diagrams showing the configuration of a housing cover according to one embodiment of the present invention. The housing in this embodiment can be opened and closed. Ruto The side frame 811 includes a top cover 813 and a front cover 814, and a rear cover 815 is fixed to the side frame 811. A timing pulley 816 and two bearings 8111 to which the shaft of the timing pulley 816 is fixed are provided on both ends of the side frame 811. The timing pulley 816 is ToThe timing pulleys 816 on both sides are connected to one motor each. Let It controls the opening and closing of the top cover 813 and the front cover 814.

[0211] In this embodiment, the running mechanism is wheel assemblies 82 provided at the four corners of the base 80, and each wheel assembly 82 has an independent driving assembly and steering assembly, and the running and steering of each wheel assembly 82 can be controlled individually. This allows the delivery robot to achieve all-wheel drive (AWD) and has multiple different running modes, allowing it to adapt to running surfaces in various environments.

[0212] FIG. 60 is an image diagram of the drive assembly in the base. FIG. 61 is an image diagram of the connection between the wheel assembly and the drive assembly. In this embodiment, the drive assembly 84 includes a drive motor 840 and a multi-stage power transmission mechanism. Among them, the first-stage power transmission mechanism in the multi-stage transmission mechanism includes a drive wheel 842 and a first-stage driven wheel 844, and power is transmitted between them via a timing belt. As shown in FIG. 62, it is a one-stage turning mechanism connected between the drive motor 840 and the drive wheel 842. FIG. 62 is an enlarged view of the turning mechanism with the bracket of part A of FIG. 61 removed. A bevel gear 8401 is connected to the end of the output shaft of the drive motor 840, and a bevel gear 8402 is connected to the end of the axle 8421 of the drive wheel 842, and the two bevel gears engage with each other to change the radial power output by the drive motor 840 into axial power, that is, horizontal power. Of these, the drive motor 840 and the drive wheels 842 are fixed inside the base 800 via a bracket 841 as a first stage turning mechanism.

[0213] Figure 63-64 shows the drive assembly63 is an image of the power transmission mechanism with brackets and the like removed. As shown in Fig. 63, a first-stage driven wheel 844 in the first-stage power transmission mechanism is connected to a second-stage turning mechanism 845 as indicated by a circle in the figure, and has the same configuration as Fig. 62, and a pair of mutually engaging bevel gears is used to change the axial power to a radial direction, i.e., the power transferred horizontally to a vertical direction. The second-stage turning mechanism 845 is connected to power transmission mechanisms 846, 847, and 848 in sequence.

[0214] The wheel assembly 82 includes two wheel bodies 821 coaxially connected to each other, a wheel shaft 8210 to which a wheel driven wheel 8211 is connected, and the wheel driven wheel 8211 is attached to the end of the power transmission mechanism 848 .

[0215] A driving motor 840 outputs power. After passing through the first stage turning mechanism, the power drives a driving wheel 842, and the driving wheel 842 drives a first stage driven wheel 844 via a timing belt 843. Furthermore, the power transmitted from the second stage turning mechanism to the first stage timing belt 844 is turned, the horizontal power transmitted from the first stage power transmission mechanism is converted into vertical power, and the power is sequentially transmitted to the wheel driven wheel 8211 by the power transmission mechanisms 846, 847, and 848, and the wheel driven wheel 8211 rotates the coaxial wheel main body 821, thereby realizing the function of running on the wheel main body 821.

[0216] 64-66, the second stage steering mechanism 845 and the power transmission mechanism 846 are built into the bracket 845. The power transmission mechanisms 846, 847, 848 and the wheel driven wheel 8211 are built into the upper swing arm 822. The tip of the upper swing arm 822 is fixed to the end of the bracket 845, and the end of the upper swing arm 822 is fixed to the wheel axle 8210 via a bearing. The wheel main body 821 is disposed on both ends of the wheel axle 8210.

[0217] FIG. 67 shows a steering assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. ofIt is an overall image diagram located in the base. FIG. 68 is an image diagram of a wheel assembly connecting the steering assembly 85. Referring to FIG. 63-FIG. 66, the steering assembly 85 includes a steering motor 850 and a steering mechanism. Among them, the steering mechanism is fixed together with the traveling mechanism, and further includes a power transmission mechanism for transmitting the steering power of the steering motor 850 to the steering mechanism. In this embodiment, the power transmission mechanism includes a steering driven wheel 852 and a steering drive wheel 851 located in the steering mechanism. In this embodiment, the steering drive wheel 851 drives the steering driven wheel 852 using a timing belt 853. Since the output direction of the steering motor 850 is a radial direction, that is, perpendicular to the bottom surface, and the steering mechanism requires power in the horizontal direction, a turning mechanism is also provided between the output shaft of the steering motor 850 and the steering drive wheel 851, as shown in FIG. 62, which is configured using a pair of bevel gears that converts the axial power transmitted to the output shaft of the steering motor 850 using a pair of bevel gears from vertical to horizontal.

[0218] A steering frame including a steering frame 8531 and a steering ring 8532 is connected to the steering driven wheel 852 as shown in FIG. assembly The steering ring 8532 is fixed in cooperation with the wheel post 8451 outside the second stage rolling mechanism. Alternatively, the steering ring 8532 and the bracket 8451 are used as components. The upper part of the steering ring 8532 is a fixed surface, and a connecting hole such as a screw hole is provided on the upper part, and a boss is provided on the periphery, and the steering driven wheel 852 is fixed to the convex base of the fixed surface of the steering ring 8532. See FIG. 64. The bottom of the steering frame 8531 cooperates with the upper part of the steering ring 8532 and corresponds to the connecting hole of the fixed surface of the steering ring 8532. A connecting hole is provided, and the steering frame 8531 and the steering ring 8532 are fixed via this connecting member. The upper part of the steering frame 8531 is a drive assembly The first stage driven wheel 844 is fixed to the axle of the first stage driven wheel 844.

[0219] When the steering motor 850 rotates, its output shaft outputs axial power. The axial power passing through the bevel gear is converted into radial power, and the steering drive wheel axle coaxial with the bevel gear drives the steering drive wheel 851. The drive wheel 851 rotates the steering driven wheel 852 via a timing belt, and the steering driven wheel 852 drives the steering frame 8531 fixed thereto, the steering frame 8531 drives the steering ring 8532, the steering ring 8532 drives the bracket 8451, the bracket 8451 drives the upper swing arm 822 of the wheel, and further rotates the wheel body 821. This changes the rotation direction of the wheel body 381. Figure 69 shows an image diagram with an angle changed from that of Figure 68.

[0220] Each wheel assembly is combined with a set of driving and steering assemblies, so that various driving modes can be realized by the independent control and combination of each wheel assembly. For example, when the wheel bodies of the four wheel assemblies rotate forward or backward at the same time, the delivery robot moves forward or backward in the driving direction. By controlling the different rotation directions of the wheel assemblies, the wheel body under the base can rotate on the spot while the delivery robot continues to move in the original driving direction. By controlling and rotating the wheel assemblies by 45 degrees, the body of the delivery robot can move forward in the original driving direction, and the direction of the wheel assemblies moves diagonally in a direction at a certain angle (for example, 45 degrees) with the original driving direction. In addition, by simultaneously rotating the wheel assemblies by, for example, 90 degrees, the body of the delivery robot can be made to move in the original driving direction as it is, and the direction of the wheel assemblies forms an angle of 90 degrees with the original driving direction, that is, the delivery robot moves sideways.

[0221] The different driving modes are used to adapt to various conditions on the driving path. For example, if there is an obstacle in the original driving direction, the delivery robot can move laterally from the forward direction to the left or right, and return to the original route while bypassing the obstacle. Since there is no need to rotate the body during the above-mentioned driving, the shaking caused by the rotation of the body is reduced, and the stability of the delivery robot during driving can be ensured.

[0222] The interaction mechanism 83 is located above the housing 81, and its signal lines, power lines, etc. are connected to the electric main box of the base through a passage in a support 812 provided on the rear side of the housing bottom plate 810. The interaction mechanism 83 is equipped with a camera 831, a display 832, and audio devices such as a speaker and a microphone (not shown) built into the display 832. The interaction mechanism 83 allows interaction with a customer, and the loading and unloading status of cargo within the housing can be monitored through interaction processing with the customer.

[0223] In this embodiment, one parent mail box 2 may be placed on the side frame inside the housing of the home delivery robot, or of course, the housing 81 may be enlarged, and two locations may be provided inside the housing to place two parent mail boxes 2, allowing collection and delivery of the amount of goods to be collected and delivered at the same time. For example, it is possible to individually control one parent mail box inside the housing. Ruto A top cover is provided to accommodate the collection parent box and the delivery parent box. Ruto Open only the top cover and use the shipping box for delivery. Ruto Open only the top cover to ensure the safety of your cargo.

[0224] FIG. 70 is a schematic block diagram of a control device of a home delivery robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. The control device 88 includes a communication module 880, a task management module 881, a driving control module 882, and an interaction control module 883. The communication module 880 is configured to communicate with a cloud management system and transfer information, data, etc. to each other. The task management module 881 is configured to receive collection / delivery tasks and docking information via the communication module 880, and transmits collection / delivery task information to the cloud management system. The cloud management system maintains logistics information of cargo, and the logistics information includes child transport box ID information of cargo loaded during logistics, parent transport box ID information loading the child transport box and the time of change, ID information of the home delivery robot or cargo transport device transferring the cargo, and the change time.

[0225] Among these, the collection task received by the task management module 881 includes part of the order information, such as sender information, name, telephone number, delivery address, etc. It also includes cargo information such as cargo name, size, and child transport box. When sending the collection task, the cloud management system determines whether there is a child transport box with suitable specifications for the current home delivery robot. If not, the positions of the child transport boxes in the surrounding stations, multi-storey warehouses in the home delivery lockers, and nearby passing cargo transport devices are also obtained and sent to the home delivery robot together with the collection task. In addition, the task management module 881 collects information during the collection process and sends it to the cloud management system. For example, information such as the relationship between the cargo and the child transport box, the child transport box and the parent transport box, and the ID binding and release relationship between the parent transport box and the home delivery robot. The task management module 881 receives the delivery task and includes the recipient information such as the destination and the order information of the cargo such as the recipient ID information.

[0226] The driving control module 882 is configured to control the driving motor and steering motor according to the driving path, so as to drive and / or steer according to the planned path. Wherein, the driving path can be received from the cloud management system, or can be automatically calculated based on the target position and the information of the road conditions monitored by the laser navigation SLAM or visual navigation VSLAM system. Thus, in one embodiment, the control system further includes a position information module 884, which obtains geographic information between the current position and the target position, and provides the geographic information for calculating the driving path. At the same time, the real-time geographic information and road condition information are transmitted to the cloud management system via the communication module 880.

[0227] The driving route includes urban roads, bridges, and sidewalks where pedestrians can pass. In order to detect surrounding objects while driving, various response processing units such as pedestrians, vehicles, traffic lights at intersections, various visual sensors, audio sensors, distance sensors, etc. are also provided. The driving control module 882 has built-in driving rules and response control modes, and determines the response control mode according to information collected by the sensors while driving. For example, stopping, decelerating, avoiding, accelerating, powering up, changing the route, etc. Among these, the camera and its image processing unit in the interaction mechanism can also be used as a separate visual sensor consisting of a camera sensor, a graphic sensor, a floodlight, etc. The visual sensor can obtain overall image information of the front and surroundings of the driving, and after processing the image information, can determine whether there is an obstacle ahead, whether there is a traffic light, etc. The sound sensor can distinguish abnormal sounds and can determine abnormalities by combining with the visual sensor. The distance sensor can be, for example, a laser distance sensor, a photoelectric sensor, an infrared sensor, etc., and can measure the distance from a target or an obstacle. For example, while driving, the visual sensor can determine that the road ahead is uphill, and in that case, each wheel assembly needs to be adjusted so that the delivery robot can safely traverse the slope. If the visual sensor determines that there is an obstacle ahead, it can determine the size of the obstacle and determine a way to avoid it. For example, if the obstacle is only a pedestrian, the robot will give way in advance to allow the pedestrian a distance to pass, and then return to the original route after the pedestrian has passed. If the obstacle ahead occupies the entire road, the route will be changed to one block back.

[0228] Sound sensors capture surrounding sounds and determine whether a response is required. For example, if a sharp ground friction sound is collected, the pitch, volume, distance, and direction of the sound can be used to determine the possibility of a traffic accident, and images captured by visual sensors can be arranged to identify currently occurring accidents. Distance sensors such as laser range finders can also identify the location and distance of an accident and determine whether avoidance is required. Distance sensors such as laser distance measuring sensors and photoelectric distance measuring sensors can detect objects far away or close to the front.

[0229] The driving control module 882 controls the output power of the drive motor or steering motor to respond to different road surface friction resistance according to different road surface conditions. For example, when walking on unremoved snow, the motor output is increased when traveling on a road surface with high friction resistance such as a stone road with uneven ground, and the motor output is reduced when traveling on a smooth road surface such as a tile or ice surface, reducing the possibility of skidding due to losing the center of gravity depending on the direction of the wheels.

[0230] The interaction control module 883 is connected to the driving control module 882, the task management module 881 and the communication module 880, and obtains the collection / delivery task information and the docking cargo task information from the task management module 881, and performs the cargo task and corresponding according to the collection / delivery task, and completes the collection or delivery and docking of the cargo according to the interaction scenario.

[0231] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 71, a schematic block diagram of an interaction control module according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown. The interaction control module 883 includes an operation unit 8831 for opening the housing in response to an instruction. For example, in a collection / delivery scene, To Open the top cover 813 and To Close the top cover 813 to ensure the safety of the cargo. To In the cargo docking scene, the front cover 814 opens at the start and closes at the end to ensure the safety of the cargo. In addition, the laser indicator is operated according to the customer's instructions to point the target child box in the parent box. instructions Or, an indicator on the child box may be activated to emit light or sound to prompt the customer that the child box is the target child box.

[0232] The interaction control module 883 further includes an audio unit 8832 including an audio module, a speaker and a microphone, which can converse with the sender or the receiver, guide the sender through the shipping process and guide the receiver through the receiving process, for example, confirming the sender's or the receiver's ID, verifying the cargo, prompting the sender or the receiver by showing a demo video, providing guidance when the sender or the receiver makes a mistake in operation, etc.

[0233] The interaction control module 883 further includes a video unit 8833 including an image collecting device such as a camera 831 and a video output device such as a display 832. The camera 831 collects video images during shipping and warehousing, and transmits them to the cloud management system via the energy module 880. The camera 831 can also collect the situation inside the parent shipping box to monitor the operation of the sender or receiver. The video output device interacts with the sender or receiver. For example, it plays related videos such as a greeting video, an operation demo video, and a demonstration video of the logistics process. By interacting with the customer through voice and video, it is possible to visually output necessary information to the customer and answer the customer's questions.

[0234] An example of a logistics control system The logistics control system in the present invention includes a customer service system and a logistics control module. Fig. 72 is a schematic block diagram of a logistics control system. The logistics control system in this embodiment includes one or more customer service systems, a plurality of identical functions, or a logistics control module including a plurality of identical functions.

[0235] Among them, as shown in FIG. 73, the customer service system includes a customer service side and a customer service client side. The client side provides a customer connection port through which the customer can input information about the cargo to be sent through the client side, such as text, image, voice, or video. For example, the recipient and its address, the sender, the address, the type of cargo, the name, and special matters such as fragile, urgent, general, and express can be input in text, and cargo photos and videos can be uploaded to easily identify the size, weight, etc., and the shipping method such as door-to-door collection, customer self-shipment, etc. can also be indicated. After the customer completes the input of information, he / she confirms the sending. The client side generates a customer logistics order and sends it to the service side. The service side analyzes the information required for the logistics control system (e.g., the destination address, the fragile characteristics of the cargo, and the logistics level), and sends the above order information to the logistics control module. The logistics management module performs the corresponding collection, transportation, shipping, and other control operations according to the order. The service side also receives cargo distribution information from the relevant logistics control module, such as the cargo transport device corresponding to a given transportation route and each logistics chain, the current logistics chain and the corresponding cargo transport device and region, the weight sensor records of each level of cargo transport device along the way, whether there is a collision, etc., so as to enable the client to understand the progress of the distribution of the cargo. The client side can also provide related logistics information such as fee inquiry, logistics order, cargo status real-time inquiry, etc.

[0236] The service side transmits the customer's logistics order information to multiple logistics control modules, and one of the logistics control modules processes the order, such as receiving shipments, transportation, docking, etc. When the customer chooses to pick up the parcel by a delivery robot or drone and self-ship, it can recommend available delivery lockers to the customer, and sort the multiple delivery lockers recommended by the customer according to the distance from the customer, travel time, etc.

[0237] The logistics control module in this embodiment also includes modules with different functions, as shown in Figure 74. In one embodiment, it includes a geographic information module and a route planning module.

[0238] The geographic information module is used to obtain and maintain the real-time location of the cargo transport equipment. The geographic information module includes a geographic information system, or is connected to a dedicated port of an existing geographic information system to obtain geographic information. In contrast, the various cargo transport equipment in the present invention has a positioning system such as GPS, determines actual location information, and transmits real-time location information to the geographic information module, thereby obtaining real-time location information of each cargo transport equipment.

[0239] The route planning module transfers the cargo based on the real-time location information and driving capacity of the cargo transport device, the geographic traffic information, and the logistics information for transferring the cargo. The cargo transport device, the delivery location, and the corresponding logistics information are determined. In one embodiment, after the above information is determined, the driving route to the delivery point of the cargo transport device as the delivery target is also calculated. Or in another embodiment, the positioning device in the cargo transport device refers to the real-time traffic information and self-calculates the driving route from the current location to the delivery point. In another embodiment, when determining the docking point and the docking cargo transport device, the logistics level of the cargo is referred to, and the logistics information of the cargo with a high logistics level is given priority, and the docking point and the cargo transport device are determined. If the amount of cargo at the time of docking exceeds the capacity of the cargo transport device to be docked, the cargo with a high logistics level is given priority for replacement, so that the cargo with a high logistics level can be transported quickly and in a timely manner.

[0240] The logistics management module also includes a cargo monitoring module for obtaining and maintaining logistics information for transferring cargo from the passenger service system. The logistics information includes cargo order information such as consignee and address, consignor and address, contact information, and logistics level such as express, normal, etc. The logistics information also includes ID binding information and change information between the cargo and the cargo transport device, the warehouse cell, the parent transport box, and the child transport box. These binding information can determine the current loading capacity of the cargo transport device, such as the number of warehouse cells in each cargo transport device and their distribution in the multi-level warehouse. The cargo transport device transferring the cargo and its location in the multi-level warehouse can be identified by the ID binding information of the parent transport box and the child transport box and the ID binding information of the parent transport box and the warehouse cell. This information changes with the cargo transport process, and these change information is recorded in detail in the logistics information of each child transport box, so that the entire logistics process of one cargo can be tracked, and an alert can be issued when the cargo leaves the logistics system during transportation, and the logistics device when the cargo leaves can be identified based on the association relationship between the cargo and the warehouse cell.

[0241] The logistics control module in the present invention also includes a sorting control module. A sorted cargo list is determined based on the cargo transport device, the parcel locker, and other possible fixed warehouses and delivery locations to which the cargo is delivered. A sorting task is assigned to a sorting device in a multi-level warehouse built into the cargo transport device, a transport task is assigned to a mobile device, and the two are combined to complete the sorting of the cargo before docking. The above sorting control module can be located in a logistics device equipped with a multi-level warehouse, such as a cargo transport device, or on the cloud.

[0242] In some embodiments, the present invention employs a decentralized control mode. When cargo enters the logistics chain, cargo information is sent to individual modules. One or more modules control cargo transport devices in one area to complete operations such as receiving, transporting, docking, sorting, and distributing cargo. If one of the functional modules fails, control can continue by other identical modules instead of the failed functional module. When a cargo transport device fails, the control module will rationally plan and calculate to replace the failed cargo transport device with another cargo transport device.

[0243] In some embodiments, the present invention provides an en-route logistics method, which mainly includes sending and receiving cargo, transporting cargo, and handing over and sorting cargo during the cargo transport.

[0244] In some embodiments, transportable parent and child transport boxes are set in a logistics system. When cargo is collected, it is placed in a child transport box. When cargo enters the logistics system, the child transport box is stored in a parent transport box, and one parent transport box incorporates one or more child transport boxes. The cargo transport device is a mobile warehouse, and has a built-in multi-level warehouse and includes one or more warehouse cells. During cargo transportation, the parent transport box is stored in the warehouse cell. Each cargo transport device, the warehouse cell in each cargo transport device, the child transport box, and the parent transport box have a unique ID tag, and in the logistics process, the binding relationship between them can be bound or released according to sorting, exchange, etc. during transportation, so as to obtain accurate cargo distribution information.

[0245] In some embodiments, the multi-stage cargo transport devices in the process of transporting cargo transfer the cargo within their respective corresponding transport distances, and depending on the distribution location and logistics direction of the cargo transport devices, hand the cargo from one cargo transport device to another, and repeat this moving process until the logistics destination is reached. Since the cargo needs to be transferred between different cargo transport devices, the cargo needs to be sorted from the original cargo transport device before being transferred. The sorting of the present invention is performed on the cargo transport device during the cargo transport.

[0246] Depending on the flow direction of the cargo, the cargo is sent from the sender to the logistics system, received by the end logistics equipment, transferred to different cargo transport equipment along the way, delivered to the end logistics equipment, and received by the consignee, completing the flow.

[0247] The physical distribution method of the physical distribution system of the present invention will be described below from the end. At the end of the logistics chain, there are various shipping and delivery methods, such as delivery robots interacting with senders door-to-door to complete shipping and delivery; delivery lockers and drones self-help to complete shipping and delivery; delivery staff driving mini trucks to interact with senders to complete shipping and delivery. Next, we will explain the various scenarios.

[0248] Scenario 1: Delivery robots collect packages at the sender's location 75 is a flowchart of a method for collecting parcels by a delivery robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. The method for collecting parcels by a delivery robot provided by the present invention includes the following steps.

[0249] In step S81a, a parent transport box with a specified child transport box built in is incorporated in the storage layer in the housing. When the delivery robot receives a collection task, the specification information of the child transport box required for the collected cargo is also included. Among these, the cloud determines whether the delivery robot currently has a child transport box with the required specifications, and if not, transmits an address where a child transport box can be obtained from a nearby fixed warehouse, a delivery locker, or another cargo transport device passing through the area. If the delivery robot currently has a child transport box with the required specifications, proceed to step S82a. If there is no child transport box with compatible specifications in the housing of the delivery robot, it is necessary to obtain a child transport box at the specified address. When obtaining a child transport box, the delivery robot exchanges the parent transport box in the housing with the child transport box inside it, and the parent transport box at the exchange location with a child transport box with compatible specifications. Furthermore, the delivery robot can take out multiple cargoes at multiple collection points at once. Therefore, at the time of departure, the target child transport boxes are placed in the housing for multiple cargoes.

[0250] In step S82a, the delivery robot reaches the collection location according to the planned route. From the starting point to the collection location, the delivery robot travels along the planned route and can adjust its travel pattern according to the road conditions. During travel, the delivery robot monitors the surroundings and avoids obstacles in a timely manner to prevent collisions. In one embodiment, to increase efficiency, the delivery robot notifies the sender by phone / SMS 10 minutes before and after arrival.

[0251] Step S83a guides the shipper to complete the shipping process. Interaction with the shipper includes the following processes, as shown in FIG.

[0252] In step S831a, the delivery robot matches the customer's identity with the cargo. Based on the collection task information, it checks whether the sender and the cargo match the information of the collection task, such as the sender's name, phone number, cargo name, characteristics, etc.

[0253] In step S832a, after checking the information, the delivery robot Body The robot opens the top cover and prompts the customer to find and open the sub-transport box. At the same time, a demo video of the operation of putting cargo into the sub-transport box is played on the display. When the parent transport box has multiple sub-transport boxes, the delivery robot guides the sender to open the target sub-transport box in various ways. For example, the sub-transport boxes are provided with luminous indicators, and the delivery robot activates the luminous indicator of the target sub-transport box to flash, or notifies the sender of the number on the surface of the sub-transport box of the recipient by voice, or emits a spotlight on the target sub-transport box via a cursor indicator.

[0254] In step S833a, after the customer correctly places the cargo in the sub-transport box, closes it, weighs it, receives the fee, and confirms the shipment, the delivery robot locks the sub-transport box, establishes an ID binding between the cargo and the sub-transport box, writes the binding relationship and the sub-transport box password into the ID electronic tag of the sub-transport box, and uploads the sub-transport box ID electronic tag information and the confirmed shipment information to the cloud. The cargo monitoring module in the cloud records the information in the cargo logistics information.

[0255] In step S84a, the delivery robot reaches the docking point according to the planned route and delivers the cargo to the next level of the logistics chain. After the delivery robot uploads the information that the customer has confirmed the shipment, it obtains the delivery information, such as the docking point, the ID information of the docked cargo transport device, and the planned route, calculated from the cloud, and sends the delivery information to the delivery robot. The delivery robot arrives at the docking point according to the planned route. When the cargo transport device arrives, the delivery robot opens the housing front cover, and the AGV of the cargo transport device enters the housing of the delivery robot, picks up the parent shipping box, and returns to the cargo transport device. After that, the delivery robot releases the ID binding with the parent shipping box, uploads it to the cloud, and completes the collection task. The cloud records the change information of the ID binding information in the logistics information of the cargo.

[0256] After receiving the parent box, the freight transport device establishes an ID binding between the freight transport device and the parent box.

[0257] Scenario 2: A delivery robot delivers a package to a recipient 79 is a flowchart of a delivery operation of a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. The process of the delivery operation includes the following steps.

[0258] In step S80c, the delivery robot receives the cargo scheduled for delivery. After receiving the delivery task, the delivery robot delivers the parent shipping box to the docking cargo transport device when docking, and then receives the cargo in the child shipping box that is transported to the housing of the delivery robot by the AGV in the cargo transport device.

[0259] In step S81c, the delivery robot heads to the delivery location according to the cloud-planned or self-calculated driving route. In one embodiment, to improve efficiency, the delivery robot notifies the recipient by phone / SMS 10 minutes before and after the arrival.

[0260] In step S82c, after arriving at the delivery location, the delivery robot interacts with the consignee to complete the delivery task. Among them, there is a time difference between the interaction between the delivery robot and the consignee. When the delivery robot arrives and the consignee does not arrive, the delivery robot waits for a preset time. If the consignee arrives within this waiting time, the cargo delivery process is completed. If the consignee has not yet arrived, the delivery robot sends information to the cloud customer service system and waits for a while according to the instructions of the cloud customer service system or puts the cargo in a nearby delivery locker. That is, the docking scenario 1 is applied. In the process of handing the cargo to the consignee, the delivery robot guides the consignee to find and open the child box and take out the cargo. After the consignee confirms the receipt of the cargo, the delivery robot covers the child box and clicks the confirmation key on the display, and the delivery is completed. During the interaction with the consignee, the delivery robot records and collects the interaction video, and timely guides the consignee to operate correctly. Finally, the recorded video is uploaded to the cloud management system.

[0261] Scenario 3: Delivery robots simultaneously collect and deliver packages The delivery robot can also deliver during collection. In a better embodiment, the housing of the delivery robot can have two parent boxes, one delivery parent box and one collection parent box, and each parent box can include multiple child boxes. Each child box corresponds to one task. When the delivery robot performs multiple tasks, its driving route is designed according to the destination address of the task, the docking address at the time of delivery, and the current address of the delivery robot. This driving route can be planned by a cloud management system, or can be planned by the delivery robot itself.

[0262] 80 is a flowchart showing a process for a delivery robot according to an embodiment of the present invention to execute a plurality of tasks. The execution process includes the following steps:

[0263] Step S80d moves to a first execution location according to the planned route, said execution location being a pickup location or a delivery location.

[0264] Step S81d judges whether to collect or deliver at the current execution location, and if collection is to be performed at the current execution location, interaction with the sender is performed from step S831a in FIG. 76. Collection processing is performed, and the collection task is completed. In the collection process, the top cover corresponding to the collection parent shipping box in the housing opens, and a child shipping box corresponding to the collected cargo specifications is placed inside. In the case of delivery at the current execution location, step S82c in FIG. 79 is executed, and the delivery task is completed. In the delivery process, the top cover corresponding to the delivery parent shipping box in the housing opens, and a child shipping box containing cargo is placed inside.

[0265] After the collection and delivery processes are completed, step S82d is executed to determine whether there are any unexecuted locations. If there are, the robot moves to a new execution location in step S83d, and then step S81d is executed. If there are no unexecuted locations, that is, if all collection and delivery tasks are completed, in step S84d, the delivery robot moves to a docking point according to the planned route. In step S85d, the delivery robot docks with the cargo transport device of the next logistics chain, and then passes the collection parent box and the delivery parent box (with the child boxes inside empty at this point) to the cargo transport device. The cargo transport device aggregates the cargo child boxes to be delivered into one parent box, aggregates the child boxes required for the delivery robot's collection into another parent box, and passes them together to the delivery robot. At this point, the delivery robot completes the execution of the previous multitask, and starts the execution of the next collection and delivery task.

[0266] In this embodiment, the delivery robot can collect or deliver during one run, ensuring collection efficiency while reducing the unnecessary work of the delivery robot moving empty boxes, thereby improving the work efficiency of the delivery robot.

[0267] Example of sending and receiving using parcel lockers

[0268] Scenario 4: Customers self-ship using parcel lockers When the shipper chooses to ship from the parcel locker, the shipper can place the cargo in the parcel locker to complete the self-service shipping, which includes the following steps as shown in Figure 81:

[0269] In step S1000, the sender generates a logistics order using a customer service client side such as an APP supported by a mobile phone, including information such as the recipient's name, address, contact information, the sender's name, address, contact information, logistics level (air express), dimensions, insurance, and the selected parcel locker.

[0270] In step S1001, after the cloud system receives a customer order, it sends shipping information to the corresponding parcel locker, including the order details and the necessary sub-box ID information.

[0271] In step S1002, the parcel locker 10, if necessary, sorts the target child transport box into one parent transport box based on the ID information of the child transport box, and sends it to the warehouse cell that interacts with the customer by the AGV 3, which corresponds to the housing door 112. See FIG. 47B.

[0272] In step S1003, after the sender arrives at the delivery locker, the sender can interact with the delivery locker via the mobile phone client side to confirm the ID information of both parties.

[0273] In step S1004, after confirming that the ID information is correct, the parcel locker 10 opens the customer interaction housing door 112. The sender opens the sub-transport box at the prompt of the client side, puts the cargo in the sub-transport box, and returns it to the parcel locker. When the shipment completion is confirmed, the parcel locker 10 closes the housing door 112.

[0274] In step S1005, the AGV inside the parcel locker 10 reads the electronic ID tag of the child box 7, determines the ID binding between the child box 7 and the cargo and the ID binding between the child box 7 and the current parent box, uploads them to the cloud, and waits for collection.

[0275] In a better embodiment, the height of the parent box for receiving the sender's cargo (hereinafter referred to as the locker parent box) is low, making it easy for the customer to take out the child box as shown in FIG. 47B. If the height is different from that of the parent box used for other transports (hereinafter referred to as the transport parent box), the parent box with the smaller height can be left in the parcel locker 10 and used exclusively for interactions with the customer. Therefore, after the sender's shipment is completed, the child box containing the cargo needs to be transferred to the transport parent box. Specifically, the locker parent box can be transported by an AGV to the sorting cell of the sorting device, and then transferred to the transport parent box by the sorting device.

[0276] Scenario 5: Customers self-collect using parcel lockers If the cargo delivered to the consignee is held in the delivery locker 10 for various reasons, the consignee can receive it at the delivery locker 10 in a self-service manner. The consignee can interact with the delivery locker 10 through the client side, and after mutual identification, the sorting device in the delivery locker 10 sorts the child transport box 7 containing the customer's cargo into the parent transport box 2 for the locker, and transports it to the warehouse cell 1 that interacts with the customer by the AGV 3, and opens the housing door 112. The customer can know the password for opening the child transport box 7 based on the information received by the mobile phone client side, and opens the child transport box 7 and takes out the cargo at the prompt of the mobile phone client side, such as a demo video guide. When the customer returns the child transport box to the parent transport box for the locker and the receipt is completed, the housing door 112 is closed.

[0277] At the time of the aforementioned customer self-service receipt and shipping, the delivery locker opens a dedicated housing door 112, and of course, it is also possible to adopt the housing door 111 when docking with the delivery robot 8 or other cargo transport equipment, and the parent shipping box 2 is sent out of the housing by the lifting docking plate 122, and when the customer receives the item, the child shipping box 7 loaded with the target cargo is carried out, and when the customer ships the item, the appropriate child shipping box 7 is sent out.

[0278] Scenario 6: Customers interact with drones for pickup and delivery When placing an order, customers can choose to have the parcel picked up or received by drone. When picking up the parcel, the drone will bring a corresponding child box to the customer, and the customer will place the cargo in the child box according to the guidance of the drone's audio device, customer service client side demo video, text interpretation, etc. The drone will be equipped with a weight sensor, and after the customer is converted into a parent box, a weighing fee will be charged. After the customer pays, the collection process will end and the cargo will enter the logistics system. When the drone delivers, it is similar to the interaction process with the customer, but it will not be repeated here.

[0279] Scenario 7: Customer interacts with a mini truck In this embodiment, the customer can also interact with the mini truck, which is driven by the delivery staff or is unmanned, to ship or receive the goods. If the mini truck is unmanned, it is equipped with an information and communication device, and in particular, the information and communication device of the delivery robot can be referred to, and the process is similar to the information and communication process of the delivery robot, which is not repeated here.

[0280] When cargo enters the logistics system through end logistics equipment such as delivery robots, drones, delivery lockers, mini trucks, etc., the cargo is transferred between different cargo transport devices. Depending on the type of the two cargo transport devices at the time of transfer, the following docking scenarios are included:

[0281] Docking scene 1: Delivery robot and delivery locker docking The purpose of docking between the delivery robot and the delivery locker is to obtain an empty parent box, or to temporarily store cargo that could not be delivered to the recipient in the delivery locker, or to take out cargo that is scheduled for delivery from the delivery locker. The following takes an empty parent box as an example to explain the docking process between the delivery robot and the delivery locker as follows:

[0282] Among these, if the delivery robot 8 does not currently have a suitable child box, it can obtain one at a nearby delivery locker, specifically, the process includes the following steps shown in FIG. 77.

[0283] In step S80b, the cloud system searches for delivery lockers and moving cargo transport devices within the travel range of the delivery robot 8, and determines the location where the delivery robot 8 can obtain the target child transport box according to the principle of the shortest acquisition time. In this embodiment, the location is, for example, the delivery locker 10.

[0284] In step S81b, the cloud system transmits information to the delivery robot 8 and the confirmed delivery locker 10 to acquire the child delivery box and the parent delivery box, and the information received by the delivery robot 8 includes the location of the delivery locker 10 and the planned travel route. The information received by the delivery locker 10 includes the child delivery box and the ID information of the delivery robot. Here, the target child delivery box may be one or more depending on the need for collection.

[0285] In step S82b, the delivery robot 8 moves to the location of the delivery locker 10 according to the planned route, and at the same time, the internal sorting device of the delivery locker 10, in accordance with the received information, sorts the target child shipping boxes into one parent shipping box with the cooperation of the AGV 3, and establishes an ID binding between the child shipping box and the parent shipping box.

[0286] In step S83b, after the delivery robot 8 reaches the location of the delivery locker 10, the delivery robot 8 and the delivery locker 10 mutually confirm their identities. As shown in Figure 78A.

[0287] In step S84b, after both parties have identified themselves, the delivery locker 10 opens the housing door, lowers the docking plate 122, and holds the docking plate 122 to lower the slide rail 121, while at the same time the delivery robot 8 opens the front cover of the housing, preparing for the two parties to dock together. As shown in FIG. 78B.

[0288] In step S85b, the delivery robot 8 moves forward so that the docking plate 122 goes under its base, and when the delivery robot 8 accurately docks with the docking plate 122, the lift sensor is triggered. The slide rail 121 is driven and rises together with the delivery robot 8 until a signal is received from the positioning sensor, and the running surface of the movement space in the housing of the delivery robot 8 and the running surface on the lifting platform 42 are accurately docked. As shown in FIG. 78C. Among these, the lifting sensor may be provided at an appropriate position under the base of the delivery robot 8, or may be disposed at an appropriate position on the docking plate 122. The positioning sensor may be disposed at an appropriate position on the docking plate 122 or the lifting platform 42.

[0289] In step S86b, the AGV 3 inside the delivery locker 10 transports the parent shipping box that already contains the child shipping box to the housing of the delivery robot 8, and then returns to the delivery locker 10. If there is a parent shipping box inside the delivery robot 8, the AGV 3 inside the delivery locker 10 first transports the parent shipping box inside the delivery robot 8 into the delivery locker 10, and then transports the child shipping box required for the delivery robot 8 together with one parent shipping box to the housing of the delivery robot 8.

[0290] In step S87b, the delivery locker 10 drives the slide rail 121 and descends together with the delivery robot 8.

[0291] In step S88b, the delivery locker 10 is separated from the delivery robot 8. After landing, the delivery robot 8 retreats backward, moves away from the docking plate 122, and closes the front cover, and at the same time, the delivery locker 10 stores the docking plate 122, rises to a certain height, and closes the housing door 111.

[0292] At this time, the delivery robot 8 can smoothly obtain the necessary child transport box from the delivery locker 10.

[0293] If the delivery robot cannot deliver the cargo to the recipient, it will deposit it in the delivery locker. When the delivery robot deposits both the cargo to be delivered and the parent box in the delivery locker, it will send the ID binding change information of the parent box to the cloud management system, and the delivery task will be completed. The cloud management system will notify the recipient to collect the cargo by phone, SMS, email, etc. The process is similar to the process of picking up an empty parent box, but will not be described here. Similarly, the delivery robot can receive the cargo to be delivered at the delivery locker according to instructions from the cloud, specifically similar to the process of picking up an empty parent box, but will not be described here.

[0294] Docking scene 2: Delivery robot and mini truck docking The delivery robot can hand over cargo received from customers to a mini truck and receive cargo scheduled for delivery from the mini truck.

[0295] 82A-82C show docking images of the mini truck and the delivery robot of this embodiment. When the mini truck 9a docks with the delivery robot 8, the housing door 94 opens, the lifting stand 962 of the lifting docking device descends to a preset position along the lifting rail 961, and the docking plate 963 opens. As shown in FIG. 82A. The delivery robot 8 moves forward so that the docking plate 963 goes under the bottom of the housing base of the delivery robot 8, and when the housing base position is determined, the lifting stand 962 is controlled to rise to a preset position along the lifting rail 961, and when the docking plate 963 of the housing of the delivery robot 8 docks with the running surface of the moving space and the running surface of the bottom of the warehouse cell in the multi-level warehouse, the lifting stops. At this time, the AGV 3 inside the mini truck 9a enters the housing of the delivery robot 8 and carries the parent shipping box inside it to the mini truck 9a. Or, if necessary, the AGV 3 transports the corresponding parent shipping box in the mini truck 9a to the housing of the delivery robot 8.

[0296] Docking scene 3: Docking of a delivery robot and a city circulation truck In addition, when conditions such as suitable location and time permit, the delivery robot can transfer the cargo received from the customer to the city circulation truck and receive the cargo scheduled for delivery from the city circulation truck. This process is similar to the docking of a mini truck, and the description will not be repeated here.

[0297] Similarly, delivery robots can also dock with intercity freight transport vehicles, such as long- or short-haul trucks, trains, or ocean freighters, at rest stops along the way, provided that suitable locations, times, and other conditions allow.

[0298] As end-use logistics equipment, drones can be divided into large and small drones, with small drones transporting one child box, or one cargo, at a time, while large drones have multiple warehouse cells inside that can store multiple child boxes.

[0299] Docking scene 4: A small drone docks with a parcel locker The drone can store cargo received from customers in a delivery locker and retrieve cargo scheduled for delivery from the delivery locker.

[0300] After receiving from the customer, the drone can transfer the cargo to other logistics equipment such as a parcel locker, a mini truck, or a city circulation truck based on cloud calculation. In this embodiment, the drone puts the cargo to be sent into the parcel locker 10, or takes out the cargo to be taken out from the parcel locker. When the drone reaches the sky above the parcel locker 10, it communicates with the parcel locker 10, and after they confirm each other's identity, the parcel locker 10 opens the cover plate 113 of the upper drone connection port. When the customer deposits the cargo, the lifting platform of the lifting system in the housing lifts the parent box 2 and reaches the drone connection port. The drone puts the child box 7 loaded with the cargo into the parent box 2. When the drone collects the cargo, the lifting platform lifts the parent box 2 with the child box 7 built in, and reaches the drone connection port. The drone grabs the child box 7 from the parent box 2. When docking with the drone is completed, the cover plate 113 is closed, and the lifting platform descends together with the parent box 2. Alternatively, it is calculated on the cloud that a drone can deliver the cargo in the delivery locker to the recipient, and the docking of the drone with the delivery locker is similar to the procedure described above, so the description will not be repeated here.

[0301] Docking scene 5: Docking between a fixed warehouse and a small drone FIG. 86 is a docking image diagram of a small drone and a fixed warehouse according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the fixed warehouse (or called the first multi-level warehouse) 100 has a drone connection port 106 at its top in addition to the warehouse door 105, which corresponds to one or more warehouse cells. When the small drone puts the child transport box 7 into the first multi-level warehouse 100, the first multi-level warehouse 100 opens the cover of the connection port to expose the corresponding warehouse cell below. The small drone can hover above the connection port or be supported by a stand attached to the positioning groove 107 around the connection port and stop above the connection port. After completing positioning, the small drone puts the child transport box into the warehouse cell at the connection port using a robot grab or the like, and releases the ID bind between the child transport box and the drone. When cargo in the first multi-story warehouse 100 is transferred to a small drone, the small drone places the child transport box to be transported in the warehouse cell at the connection port, the small drone recognizes the child transport box using an RFID reader / writer or the like, grabs it using a robot grab or the like and takes it away, and also releases the ID binding between the child transport box and the warehouse cell and establishes an ID binding with the drone.

[0302] Docking scene 6: Docking between a large drone and a fixed warehouse Large drones have storage space similar to a multi-storey warehouse, including lifts. There are two ways to dock with the ground or with other multi-storey warehouses.

[0303] First, docking is performed using the drone connection port 106 in FIG. 86. For example, a large drone can hover above the connection port, or be supported by a stand attached to the positioning groove 107 around the connection port and stop above the connection port. After completing positioning, the large drone lowers the lift and docks with the connection port, completing the loading, unloading, and exchange of cargo.

[0304] Second, large drones hover or land on the ground on the side of the warehouse, and use docking plates or docking pipes to dock with the warehouse to complete the loading, unloading and exchange of cargo.

[0305] Docking Scene 7: Drone and Cargo Transporter Interaction Drones can also interact with cargo transport devices such as mini trucks and city loop trucks to store or retrieve cargo. Mini trucks and city loop trucks can set up drone connection ports such as parcel lockers and fixed warehouses. Unlike information communication with parcel lockers and fixed warehouses, drones do not need to stop the mobile cargo transport device when interacting with mini trucks, city loop trucks, and other mobile logistics equipment, and can transfer the child box carried by the drone from the drone connection port of the cargo transport device to the cargo transport device or receive cargo from the cargo transport device while both are maintaining the same speed.

[0306] Docking scene 8: Mini truck and fixed warehouse docking FIG. 83 is a docking image diagram of a mini truck and a fixed warehouse according to one embodiment of the present invention. When the mini truck 9a is docked to a fixed warehouse such as a parcel locker (for example, a parcel locker), the mini truck 9a moves to an appropriate position so that the doors of both face each other, and the housing door 94 and the housing door 111 are opened. At the fixed position where the warehouse door 105 is opened, the lifting stand 962 of the lifting and docking device of the mini truck 9a rises to a pre-installed position along the lifting rail 961, carrying the docking plate 963, and the docking plate 963 is opened. The position of the mini truck 9a is adjusted by air suspension or the like, and the docking plate 963 is accurately docked with the lifting platform 42 of the fixed warehouse or the warehouse cell. At this time, the AGV 3 inside the mini truck 9a enters the fixed warehouse and carries the parent transport box containing the child transport box containing the cargo inside to the mini truck 9a. Or, as necessary, the mini truck 9a carries the child transport box and the parent transport box to be picked up by the customer to the fixed warehouse.

[0307] Docking scene 9: Docking of a mini truck and a city loop truck Figure 84 is a docking image diagram of a mini truck and a city circulation truck according to one embodiment of the present invention. The mini truck 9a is a small cargo transport device, and its height is smaller than that of the city circulation truck 9b, so the multi-level warehouse inside it cannot dock directly with the multi-level warehouse of the city circulation truck 9b. When the housing doors of both trucks are opened, the lifting stand in the docking device inside the mini truck 9a rises, and the docking plate completely docks with the running surface of the bottom of the warehouse cell inside the city circulation truck 9b.

[0308] Docking scene 10: Docking between mini trucks Because mini trucks can travel short distances, if cargo cannot be transferred in time by the city loop truck, it can be transferred to another mini truck.

[0309] Docking scene 11: Docking between city loop trucks FIG. 85 is an image diagram showing the docking of two city circulation trucks 9b. In this embodiment, the two city circulation trucks 9b stop, and after completing the vehicle posture and position adjustment, the opposing wings 942 are opened one after another, and then the horizontal and height levels are adjusted to be the same. In this embodiment, air suspensions are provided between the vehicle frame and the vehicle body of the city circulation truck 9b, and the level can be easily and quickly adjusted by adjusting the air pressure of each air suspension. Then, the XY drive table is started, the entire multi-story warehouse 91 slides to the side, and the two multi-story warehouses are docked, and the slide stops after positioning, forming an integrated multi-story warehouse.

[0310] Docking scene 12: Docking of a fixed warehouse and a city loop truck The mini trucks are docked at fixed warehouses, the description of which will not be repeated here.

[0311] Docking Scene 13: Docking of city loop trucks and other cargo transport vehicles Other cargo transport devices such as freight trains, cargo planes, and ocean freight ships are equipped with multi-level warehouses, and city circulation trucks are operated according to the situation on site. sceneThe docking method of the two city circulation trucks in FIG. 11 can be adopted. The city circulation truck drives its XY driving table and slides the multi-level warehouse to directly dock with the multi-level warehouse of the other cargo transport device. Alternatively, these cargo transport devices open their docking plates 300 and use the lifting mechanism to rise or lower to the appropriate position for accurate docking with the city circulation truck. In this embodiment, two multi-level warehouses are docked. Of course, the bottom surface can be used as a duct for the docking plate, so that the cargo entering and leaving the warehouse is not affected by weather or climate.

[0312] Positioning sensors are installed in the various logistics warehouses or docking plates mentioned above, and accurate docking is determined based on the positioning sensors.

[0313] When two logistics equipment are docked, it includes cargo outgoing, incoming, outgoing, and exchange.The cargo outgoing, incoming, and exchange processes are explained by taking the warehouse structure shown in Figure 87 as an example.

[0314] Cargo storage flow Example 1 FIG. 87 is an image diagram of docking between a multi-story warehouse and a cargo transport device according to one embodiment of the present invention. The flow of cargo storage will be described using FIG. 87 as an example. In FIG. 87, the first multi-story warehouse 100 is a fixed warehouse, and the second multi-story warehouse 200 is a multi-story warehouse in the cargo transport device. Vehicles are not shown in FIG. 87. As shown in FIG. 88, the cargo storage process includes the following steps.

[0315] In step S9101, the cargo transport device travels to the side of the first warehouse 100, and both open the warehouse doors. The first warehouse 100 may be a fixed logistics warehouse.

[0316] In step S9102, the cargo transport device is docked with the first multi-story warehouse 100. As shown in FIG. 87, the warehouse cell 20 inside the small second multi-story warehouse 200 in the cargo transport device has the same specifications as the warehouse cell in the first multi-story warehouse 100. When the warehouse doors 105, 205 of both are opened, the second multi-story warehouse 200 in the cargo transport device can be directly docked door-to-door with the fixed first multi-story warehouse 100 as long as conditions permit. For example, the height and level of the second multi-story warehouse 200 in the cargo transport device is adjusted by adjusting the angle of the cargo transport device so that it is adjacent to the fixed first multi-story warehouse 100 in parallel. In one embodiment, the level can be easily and quickly adjusted by adjusting the air pressure of each air suspension of the vehicle, and the warehouse door 205 of the second multi-story warehouse 200 is completely docked with the warehouse door 105 in the fixed first multi-story warehouse 100. In addition, when the warehouse door 105 fixed to the first warehouse 100 is large, the warehouse door 205 of the second warehouse 200 is small, and the warehouse door 105 of the first warehouse 100 is large, it is possible to expose multiple rows and multiple floors of warehouse cells when opening the warehouse door 205. The cargo transport device can dock with the small second warehouse 200 at any row or any floor.

[0317] When the two warehouses are docked, the positioning sensor is triggered. When the local module in the warehouse receives the positioning sensor signal, the docking is completed and the docking completion information is sent to the cloud logistics control module via the communication module. The cloud logistics control module sends a command to the AGV to transport the cargo. The number of AGVs for transportation is determined by the number of AGVs in the second warehouse 200 in the cargo transport device. Receiving stock It is determined based on the number of storage devices, the number of warehouse cells on the docking surface, and the number of AGVs currently available. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the cargo transport device requires only one parent box to be delivered to the first multi-story warehouse 100, so only one AGV is required. When determining the AGV, first select an available AGV, and if there is no available AGV, interrupt the task of the AGV currently working and have it transport the item to the storage device.

[0318] In step S9103, it is determined whether there are available AGVs in the two warehouses, and if there are, for example, AGV 230 is available in the second warehouse 200 or AGV 130 is available in the first warehouse 100, in step S9104, the cloud logistics control module sends a transport instruction to the available AGV 23 or AGV 130. Then, the process proceeds to step S9108.

[0319] If there are no available AGVs in both warehouses, then in step S9105 it is determined whether there is a spare AGV, such as a spare AGV inside the first multi-storey warehouse 100 or equipped on the cargo transport device.

[0320] If there is a spare AGV, a transport instruction is sent to the spare AGV in step S9106, and then the process proceeds to step S9018. If there is no spare AGV, in step S9107, the task of one AGV in the first multi-story warehouse 100 is interrupted and a transport instruction is sent.

[0321] In step S9108, the transport AGV enters the warehouse cell 20 of the parent shipping box 220 to be transported. If the transport AGV is the AGV 130 in the first multi-story warehouse 100, after the doors of the two warehouses are docked to each other, the bottom panels of the warehouse cells of both warehouses are docked to each other and connected, so the AGV 130 can travel to the warehouse cell 20 in the second multi-story warehouse 200.

[0322] In step S9109, the transport AGV lifts and transports the parent box 220, reads the RFID information of the parent box 220, changes the bound warehouse number therein to a transportation status, and transmits the RFID information of the parent box 220 to the cloud logistics control module.

[0323] In step S9110, the transport AGV loads the parent transport box 220 and enters one of the warehouse cells of the first multi-story warehouse 100. Since only one parent transport box is to be stored this time, it may be carried into any vacant warehouse cell in the first multi-story warehouse 100. If multiple parent transport boxes are to be stored, the placement positions and order of the parent transport boxes must be determined according to the number of parent transport boxes. For example, the parent transport box that needs to be transported first must be placed in a warehouse cell far from the warehouse door 105, and the warehouse cell close to the warehouse door 105 must be left for the parent transport box of the subsequent storage. If there are multiple transport AGVs and multiple storing parent transport boxes, the cloud side calculates the travel route during AGV transport in a mutually cooperative manner, obtains a transport plan with the shortest transport time, and instructs multiple AGVs according to the plan to complete the storage task of multiple parent transport boxes.

[0324] In step S9111, the transport AGV reads the RFID information of the warehouse cell and obtains the number.

[0325] In step S9112, when the transport AGV sets the parent box 220 in the warehouse cell, it writes the warehouse cell number into the RFID information of the parent box 220, completes the binding between the parent box 220 and the warehouse cell, and sends the rewritten RFID information of the parent box 220 to the cloud logistics control module.

[0326] In step S9113, it is determined whether the transporting AGV is an AGV inside the first multi-story warehouse 100, and if so, it waits to receive a new task in step S9114. If not, it is determined in step S9115 whether the transporting AGV is a spare AGV, and if so, it returns to its original position in step S9116. If not, the transporting AGV is an AGV inside the cargo transport device, so it returns to the cargo transport device in step S9117.

[0327] In step S9118, the doors of the warehouse on both sides are closed to complete the storage of the cargo. If a docking plate is provided, the docking plate is pulled back, and then the warehouse door is closed.

[0328] From the above flow, the transport AGV during warehousing can be flexibly selected according to the current situation, and the ultimate goal is to complete the warehousing of the cargo as quickly as possible, and when achieving this, it is necessary to ensure that the progress of other current tasks is not disrupted.

[0329] Cargo storage flow Example 2 When multiple parent shipping boxes need to be stored, a step of determining the number of transport AGVs that can be used is also included. That is, the cloud logistics control module determines the number of transport AGVs that can be used based on the current task amount of the two multi-story warehouses. Among them, the AGV in the multi-story warehouse has the task of sorting the cargo in the warehouse to an appropriate level in cooperation with the sorting device 6 when there is no cargo to be stored or removed. Specifically, the cloud logistics control module controls the AGV in the multi-story warehouse and the sorting machine device 6 to sort the next cargo to be removed according to the delivery destination of the cargo at the next time of removal from the warehouse. The AGV carries the target parent shipping box to the sorting robot, and the sorting robot sorts it. After the sorting is completed, the AGV moves the next parent shipping box to be removed to the vicinity of the warehouse door or a designated area. In the case of the cargo transport device, after the cargo transport device docks with the first multi-story warehouse 100 and delivers the cargo, it needs to move to the next location to transfer the cargo, and the AGV and sorting robot inside it need to sort the next cargo to be transferred.

[0330] The cloud logistics control module determines the AGV data that can be used for this transportation based on the next cargo transfer time (e.g., departure time) and the sorting time required for the departure of the cargo from the first multi-story warehouse 100. Similarly, the cloud logistics control module determines the number of AGVs that can be used for this grabbing based on the time when the cargo transport device transfers the cargo to the next docking point and the sorting time for the cargo to be transferred.

[0331] In addition, fixed warehouses usually have spare AGVs on standby in case the workload of each warehouse is too high to transfer cargo quickly. Therefore, when counting available AGVs, spare AGVs can also be included to get the total number of available AGVs.

[0332] After determining the number of available AGVs, the cloud logistics control module can determine the maximum transportation volume per trip based on the current incoming volume, the number of warehouse cells corresponding to the docking surface after the warehouse door is opened, and the number of available moving AGVs, and complete the cargo transfer with maximum efficiency. As shown in FIG. 87, when the first multi-storey warehouse 100 and the second multi-storey warehouse 200 adopt door-to-door docking, the docking surface has two layers of warehouse cells, one above the other and two rows of warehouse cells, and four incoming parent boxes can be transported at one time depending on the number of warehouse cells on the docking surface. If the total incoming volume and the number of available AGVs are combined, for example, the current total incoming volume is 10, the first multi-storey warehouse 100 has four AGVs, and the second multi-storey warehouse 200 with the cargo transport device has two AGVs, so that there are a total of six available AGVs, and the maximum transportation volume per trip is four incoming parent boxes.

[0333] Before starting transportation, the cloud logistics control module transmits to each available AGV a list of incoming parent transport boxes from the second warehouse 200 that are scheduled to be transported to the first warehouse 100. The incoming parent transport box list records the ID information and status information of each incoming parent transport box, as shown in Table 2 below.

[0334] TIFF0007656959000002.tif56169

[0335] Each transport AGV stores an incoming parent box list internally. When an AGV enters the storage space, it identifies the incoming parent box to be transported based on the incoming parent box list, and after transporting one incoming parent box, it transmits the information to the cloud logistics control module, which then updates the incoming parent box list of each available AGV.

[0336] FIG. 89 shows a flow chart when one transport AGV according to one embodiment of the present invention transports a warehousing parent transport box.

[0337] In step S9210, the cloud logistics control module transmits the received parent shipping container list to the transport AGV.

[0338] In step S9200, the transport AGV receives the incoming parent transport box list and locally stores it, and updates and maintains the incoming parent transport box list according to update information sent from the cloud logistics control module.

[0339] In step S9201, the transport AGV enters the warehouse. The transport AGV may be the AGV 130 in the first warehouse 100, the AGV 230 in the second warehouse 200, or a spare AGV.

[0340] In step S9202, the transport AGV reads the electronic ID tag of one of the parent boxes 220 that it encounters, and obtains the ID information of the parent box 220 therefrom.

[0341] In step S9203, it is determined whether the parent mail box 220 is included in the received parent mail box list and whether its status is not yet transported, and if it is included and has not yet been transported, step S9204 is executed. If not, the process returns to step S9202 and the ID electronic tag of another parent mail box is read.

[0342] In step S9204, the parent mail box 220 is lifted, and the warehouse cell information in the electronic tag information of the parent mail box 220 is rewritten to a moving state. That is, the binding between the parent mail box 220 and the current second warehouse cell is released.

[0343] In step S9205, the transport AGV transmits the corrected electronic ID tag information of the parent shipping box 220 to the cloud logistics control module, that is, transmits an unbind command to the cloud logistics control module.

[0344] In step S9211, the cloud logistics control module records the current state of this incoming parent mail box, and updates the incoming parent mail box list.

[0345] In step S9212, the cloud logistics control module transmits the updated incoming parent bin list to all available AGVs.

[0346] In step S9206, the transport AGV returns to the first multi-story warehouse 100 carrying the parent box 220 and stores it in the first warehouse cell.

[0347] In step S9207, the transport AGV writes the ID information of the first warehouse cell into the ID information of the parent box 220, and binds the parent box 220 and the ID information of the first warehouse cell.

[0348] In step S9208, the transport AGV transmits the ID information of the bound parent shipping box 220 to a cloud logistics control module.

[0349] In step S9213, the cloud logistics control module records the new binding relationship of the parent transport box 220 and updates the received parent transport box list.

[0350] In step S9214, the cloud logistics control module transmits the updated incoming parent bin list to all available AGVs.

[0351] As can be seen from the above process, all transport AGVs constantly maintain a continuously changing and recorded incoming parent bin list to ensure that each transport AGV can find the correct incoming parent bin.

[0352] Regarding the position of the second warehouse cell for storing the incoming parent mail box in the first multi-story warehouse 100, the area for receiving cargo near the warehouse door of the first multi-story warehouse 100 is usually left vacant under the control of the cloud logistics control module, so that the incoming parent mail box can be received quickly. In one embodiment, the transport AGV randomly places the incoming parent mail box at the innermost end of the vacant area, and leaves the outer area vacant to give way to the incoming parent mail box that comes later. For example, when the transport AGV enters the first multi-story warehouse 100, it checks whether there is an empty warehouse cell around the current position, and if the warehouse cell in front already has a parent mail box, it moves left or right to place the incoming parent mail box to the end of the current direction. Then, it returns to the second multi-story warehouse 200 of the cargo transport device and carries the next incoming parent mail box. Each transport AGV can place the incoming parent mail box according to the same placement principle.

[0353] In another embodiment, the cloud logistics control module can divide the receiving area for the receiving operation according to the number of receiving parent transport boxes and the positions and number of vacant warehouse cells in the first multi-level warehouse 100. The transport AGV receiving parent transport boxes can be sequentially placed in the warehouse cells of the receiving area.

[0354] Cargo shipping flow example The present invention also provides a flow chart for when cargo is shipped out, as shown in Figure 90.

[0355] In step S9300, when the cargo transport device arrives, it drives up next to the first multi-story warehouse 100 and both open their warehouse doors.

[0356] In step S9301, the cargo transportation device is docked to the first multi-story warehouse 100. As with docking when entering the warehouse, door-to-door docking, or one or more docking plates or docking pipe docking can be adopted.

[0357] In step S9302, an available AGV is determined.

[0358] In step S9303, the transport AGV transports the outgoing parent transport box 120 and releases the binding between the outgoing parent transport box and the current first warehouse cell 10. Information on the release of the binding is transmitted to the cloud logistics control module.

[0359] In step S9304, the transport AGV transports the outgoing parent box to one of the second warehouse cells 20 in the second multi-story warehouse 200 in the cargo transport device.

[0360] In step S9305, a binding is established between the outgoing parent shipping box and the second warehouse cell 20, and is transmitted to the logistics control module on the cloud.

[0361] The outbound process and related details are similar to the inbound process and will not be repeated here.

[0362] When cargo needs to be exchanged between two warehouses, for example, when some cargo from the first warehouse is transported to the second warehouse, some cargo from the second warehouse needs to be transported to the first warehouse at the same time, including the above-mentioned receiving and shipping processes, and the receiving and shipping processes need to be performed simultaneously. In this embodiment, the cloud logistics control module maintains two lists, a receiving list and a shipping list. After the available AGVs are determined by calculation, the two lists are sent to the available AGVs. The available AGVs of the two warehouses are driven to transport the shipping parent boxes of the warehouses to each other, and are brought back from the other warehouse to the receiving parent box, and the two lists are maintained in real time by the cloud logistics control module during the transportation.

[0363] In order to improve the efficiency of cargo exchange, it is possible to plan cargo storage locations and transportation routes of AGVs during exchange.

[0364] Cargo transportation flow between multi-storey warehouses Example 1 FIG. 91 is a flow chart of transporting one parent transport box to a designated warehouse cell according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the cloud logistics control module determines the parent transport box to be transported to each available AGV and the warehouse cell to be placed in real time based on the current positions of the first and second parent transport boxes and the first and second warehouse cells. Therefore, in this embodiment, the cloud logistics control module maintains the parent transport box list and the outgoing and incoming lists of the first and second warehouses in real time. According to the current outgoing and incoming status of the two warehouses, first, the transport parent transport box ID information is sent to each AGV, and when the AGV transports the parent transport box from the first multi-story warehouse and arrives at the second multi-story warehouse, the cloud logistics control module determines the warehouse cell to be placed based on the current warehouse cell and transport status of the first multi-story warehouse. Then, the cloud logistics control module sends this warehouse cell ID information to the AGV, and the AGV puts the parent transport box into the designated warehouse cell according to the designated warehouse cell ID information. In order to avoid excessive duplication, the following description omits the ID binding relationship between the parent shipping box and the warehouse cell and the list update procedure. In this embodiment, the process of transporting one parent shipping box to a specified warehouse cell is composed of the following steps:

[0365] In step 9401, the cloud logistics control module transmits ID information of a first parent transport box to be transported to one of the first AGVs in the first multi-level warehouse. Among these, the first parent transport box must be the parent transport box closest to the first AGV.

[0366] In step 9402, the first AGV transports the first parent box to the second multi-story warehouse based on the received information.

[0367] In step 9403, the cloud logistics control module determines a second warehouse cell in which the first AGV can be placed based on the current state of the second warehouse cell and the transportation status, and transmits this second warehouse cell information to the first AGV.

[0368] In step 9404, the first parent shipping box is placed in the designated second warehouse cell in accordance with the received second warehouse cell information.

[0369] Repeat the above steps until all parent containers have been delivered.

[0370] Cargo transportation flow between multi-storey warehouses Example 2 92 is a cargo exchange flowchart between multi-storey warehouses according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the two multi-storey warehouses are divided into an outgoing area and an incoming area near their respective warehouse doors, and the cloud logistics control module stores and maintains the corresponding outgoing warehouse cell list and incoming warehouse cell list. In this embodiment, the AGV transport process in the first multi-storey warehouse 100 and the second multi-storey warehouse is the same, and here, a first AGV in a certain first multi-storey warehouse 100 is taken as an example for explanation. Here, the outgoing parent transport box in the first multi-storey warehouse 100 is called the first parent transport box, and the outgoing box in the second multi-storey warehouse 200 is called the second parent transport box.

[0371] In step S9500, the cloud logistics control module transmits the parent bin list, the outgoing warehouse cell list, and the incoming warehouse cell list of the first and second warehouses to all available AGVs.

[0372] In step S9501, each available AGV stores and maintains the above multiple lists.

[0373] In step S9502, the first AGV transports one of the first parent transport boxes in the first multi-story warehouse 100 to the second multi-story warehouse. The first AGV also releases the binding relationship between the first parent transport box and the original first warehouse cell, and sends it to the cloud logistics control module. The cloud logistics control module changes the state of the first parent transport box list to a moving state. Using this update information, the first parent transport box lists of all AGVs are updated.

[0374] In step S9503, the first AGV identifies the second receiving area of ​​the second multi-story warehouse, for example, by reading an empty warehouse ID electronic tag in the warehouse and comparing it with the locally stored warehouse cell list for the second receiving of the second multi-story warehouse to find the second receiving area.

[0375] In step S9504, the first parent box is placed in one of the second warehouse cells in the second receiving area, and the IDs of the first parent box and the second warehouse cell are bound and sent to the cloud logistics control module. The cloud logistics control module updates the first parent box list and the second receiving warehouse cell list based on this information, and updates the local lists of all AGVs with the updated information.

[0376] In step S9505, the first AGV determines whether there is still a second parent box that has not been transported, and if there is, executes step S9507, and if the second parent box has been transported, returns to the first multi-story warehouse in step S9506.

[0377] Step S9507 identifies the second output area.

[0378] In step S9508, the first AGV transports the second parent box from the second outgoing area to the first receiving area of ​​the first multi-story warehouse. When the second parent box is removed from the second warehouse cell, the binding between the second parent box and the second warehouse cell is released, and when the second parent box is placed in the first warehouse cell in the first receiving area, the ID of the second parent box is bound to the ID of the first warehouse cell. The cloud logistics control module updates this changed binding information and updates multiple lists of all AGVs.

[0379] In step S9509, the first AGV determines whether the first parent box has been transported, and if so, returns to step S9502, and if the first parent box has been transported, ends the cargo exchange flow.

[0380] In this embodiment, by dividing the area into an in-going / outgoing area and an outgoing area, the AGV can clearly identify the target when transporting and placing the parent container.

[0381] In each of the above embodiments, a cloud logistics control module is adopted, but those skilled in the art can also configure it in a local management system, that is, each multi-level warehouse can exchange data, information, etc. with each other through the communication module, and similarly, the flow in each of the above embodiments can be completed.

[0382] Sorting during shipment The logistics system provided by the present invention does not require a fixed sorting center, and does not require unloading and sorting at a sorting center during transportation, but instead installs a sorting device in a multi-story warehouse of a cargo transport device and sorts the cargo during transportation. Here, the multi-story warehouse cargo sorting method in one embodiment is configured as shown in Figures 93A-93D.

[0383] In step S620, determine the current sorting destination information according to the logistics transport information. For example, sort the cargo to be transferred according to the current location of the warehouse and the logistics direction of the cargo transport device docked in the warehouse, and determine the next docking logistics location. The logistics location may be location information, or may be an administrative district determined based on location information.

[0384] In step S621, based on the sorting address information, the address information of each child transport box in the multi-level warehouse and the parent transport box in which it is located are analyzed, and a target parent transport box and a target child transport box are determined. In this step, the address information of the child transport box is analyzed and compared with the above-mentioned sorting address to identify the target child transport box that needs to be sorted, and based on the binding between the child transport box and the parent transport box, the target parent transport box (hereinafter referred to as the first target parent transport box) and the first warehouse cell in which the target child transport box is located are determined, and the distribution situation of the first target parent transport box in the warehouse can be determined. Based on the specification information of the child transport box, the second target parent transport box for storing the target child transport box after sorting is determined by inquiring about the built-in situation of the child transport box. In one embodiment, the warehouse can also arrange some empty parent transport boxes that can be used as the second target parent transport box during sorting, which can improve sorting efficiency. Due to the binding between the parent transport box and the warehouse cell, the position of the second warehouse cell is known after the second target parent transport box is determined, and the distribution situation of the second target parent transport box in the warehouse is determined. In order to monitor and manage the sorting process, a target return box is formed to record the above information shown in Table 1.

[0385] Step S622 determines a corresponding sorting task for each sorting device based on the target parent transit box distribution information in the warehouse, the sorting device distribution information, and the number and position information of the moving devices, and determines a corresponding transport task for each moving device. In order to improve sorting efficiency, a proximity principle is generally used in which a sorting device is placed at the center and a target parent transit box in the vicinity is assigned to the sorting device. Alternatively, considering that two target parent transit boxes are scheduled to be transported in response to sorting of one target child transit box, the time to transport the two target parent transit boxes to each sorting device is calculated based on the positions of the two target parent transit boxes and the position of the sorting device, and the task of sorting the target child transit box is assigned to the sorting device with the shortest required time. According to the above method, a corresponding sorting task is assigned to each sorting device. In one embodiment, each sorting device generates a sorting list including the target child transit box, the corresponding first target parent transit box, and the second target parent transit box.

[0386] When the first target parent box, the second target parent box, and the corresponding sorting device are determined, the corresponding transport task is assigned to the moving device according to the distribution of the moving devices. When the number of moving devices is small, the first and second target parent boxes can be transported in two trips by one moving device. When the number of moving devices is large, the first and second target parent boxes can be transported separately by two moving devices. After transporting the first and second target parent boxes to the sorting cell of the sorting device, the AGV waits until sorting is completed and then transports the first and second target parent boxes from the sorting cell. Or it can transport them to the sorting cell of the sorting device and accept a new transport task. When transporting the first and second target parent boxes, the moving device also establishes and releases the ID binding between the parent box and the warehouse cell.

[0387] In step S623, the AGV transports the first and second target parent boxes to the first and second sorting cells of the sorting device.

[0388] In step S624, the sorting device sorts the target child shipping box from the first target parent shipping box to the second target parent shipping box.

[0389] After one sorting is completed, the corresponding process is carried out according to the status of the first target parent shipping box and the second target parent shipping box, for example, if the first target parent shipping box has a target child shipping box remaining and also has a position corresponding to the second target parent shipping box, sorting is continued. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 93B.

[0390] In step S625, it is determined whether or not there is a new target child shipping box that has not been sorted in the first target parent shipping box, and if there is, step S6251 is executed, and if not, step S626 is executed in FIG. 93C.

[0391] In step S6251, it is determined whether or not there is a position in the second target parent shipping box that corresponds to the new target parent shipping box, and if there is, the process returns to step S624 to continue sorting using the original two original first and second target parent shipping boxes. If not, the process proceeds to step S6252.

[0392] In step S6252, it is determined whether all the original second target parent shipping boxes are target child shipping boxes, and if so, in step S6253, the original second target parent shipping box is transported to the delivery area, and the process proceeds to step S6254. If all the original second target parent shipping boxes are not target child shipping boxes, that is, if there are other non-target child shipping boxes, the second target parent shipping box is updated in step S6254, that is, the original second target parent shipping box is moved, and a new parent shipping box with the position of the new target child shipping box is transported as the second target parent shipping box, and then step S624 is executed. Sorting is performed between the original first target parent shipping box and the new second target parent shipping box.

[0393] If there is no new target child shipping box in the first target parent shipping box that has not been sorted, i.e., if sorting of the first target parent shipping box has been completed, the flow shown in Figure 93C is also included in order to reduce the number of conveyances and improve sorting efficiency.

[0394] Step S626 judges whether or not the position of the new target child shipping box is in the original first target parent shipping box, and if not, step S627 is executed in FIG. 93D, and if so, step S6261 is executed.

[0395] Step S6261 judges whether or not there is a new target child shipping box corresponding to the original second target parent shipping box, and if there is, step S6265 is executed, and if there is not, step S6262 is executed.

[0396] Step S6262 determines whether all of the original second target parent shipping boxes are target child shipping boxes, and if so, in step S6263, the original second target parent shipping box is transported to the shipping area and step S6264 is executed, and if the original second target parent shipping box still has non-target child shipping boxes, step S6264 is executed.

[0397] Step S6264 updates the second target parent shipping box, that is, carries out the original second target parent shipping box and carries the parent shipping box containing the new target child shipping box, and proceeds to step S6265.

[0398] Step S6265 swaps the roles of the current first target parent shipping box and the new second target parent shipping box, i.e., converts the original outward sorted first target parent shipping box into a second target parent shipping box that receives the target child shipping box, and replaces the parent shipping box with the current target child shipping box as the first target parent shipping box of the outward sorting target child shipping box, and then executes step S624 to perform sorting.

[0399] In Fig. 93D, the original first target parent shipping box does not have a target child shipping box, and there is no place to place the target child shipping box, so in step S627, it is determined whether there is still a target child shipping box to be sorted. If there is not, the sorting is completed this time and the sorting flow ends. If there is, step S628 is executed. It is necessary to check the current status of the second target parent shipping box.

[0400] In step S628, it is determined whether or not there is a position in the original second target parent shipping box where a new target child shipping box can be placed, and if there is, in step S6281, the first target parent shipping box is updated, that is, the original sorted first target parent shipping box is carried out, and a parent shipping box that matches the position of the new target child shipping box in the current second target parent shipping box is transported, and then the process proceeds to step S624 to perform sorting. If there is no position for a new target child shipping box in the original second target parent shipping box, step S629 is executed.

[0401] In step S629, it is determined whether or not there is a new target child shipping box in the original second target parent shipping box. If there is not, in step S6291, the current two first and second target parent shipping boxes are updated, and then the process proceeds to step S624 to perform sorting. If there is a new target child shipping box in the original second target parent shipping box, the process proceeds to step S630.

[0402] In step S630, the ID of the original second target parent shipping box is exchanged with the ID of the first target parent shipping box.

[0403] In step S631, the original first target parent shipping box is conveyed, and a new parent shipping box is conveyed as a second target parent shipping box, and the process proceeds to step S624 where sorting is performed.

[0404] During sorting, the sorting device recognizes whether or not the parent shipping box in the current first sorting cell is a first target parent shipping box as a sorting target, and when putting a target child shipping box into the parent shipping box in the current second sorting cell, identifies whether or not it is a designated second target parent shipping box, thereby preventing sorting errors.

[0405] The sorting device also changes the ID binding between the child transport box and the parent transport box during sorting. For example, when a target child transport box is taken out from a first target parent transport box, the ID binding between the target child transport box and the first target parent transport box is released, and when the target child transport box is put into a second target parent transport box, the ID binding between the target child transport box and the second target parent transport box is established.

[0406] Before transporting the second target parent transport box filled with the target child transport box to the outgoing area, a storage warehouse cell list for storing the sorted second target parent transport box is determined based on the distribution of vacant warehouse cells in the warehouse. Empty warehouse cells in the outgoing area are preferentially determined as storage warehouse cells for storing the sorted second target parent transport box. When executing the transport task for the second target parent transport box filled with the target child transport box, the AGV transports the second target parent transport box to the designated storage warehouse cell. By preferentially placing it in the outgoing area, cargo outgoing can be completed quickly when docking with other multi-level warehouses or cargo transport devices.

[0407] The intermediate transfer type logistics method of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to specific examples.

[0408] Scene: A woman in Beijing chose air express logistics to deliver a box of porcelain to a man in Shenzhen. Referring to FIG. 94, the logistics flow includes the following steps:

[0409] In step S1, a logistics instruction is generated. The process includes the steps shown in FIG.

[0410] In step S11, woman A generates a logistics order through a customer service client side such as an APP supported by a mobile phone. According to information such as the recipient's name, address, contact information, sender's name, address, contact information, logistics level (air express), dimensions, guaranteed price, reserved delivery method and time, the customer service client side generates a two-dimensional code from this information and sends it to the service side. The process takes about 2 minutes.

[0411] In step S12, after receiving the two-dimensional code, the service side analyzes the two-dimensional code to obtain order information, stores the order information in a database, and notifies each logistics control module on the cloud.

[0412] In step S13, a related logistics control module is determined based on the collection point.

[0413] In step S14, the logistics control module determines one collection delivery robot, such as number R005569, based on the collection locati...

Claims

1. A storage system comprising: a storage space for accommodating a storage device; and a moving space located below the storage space and holding a moving device for moving the storage device; the storage space and the moving space are formed by a frame, and a stand mechanism is provided at an upper portion of the moving space so as to protrude from the frame into the storage space; A warehouse cell in which a lift space is provided above a storage device supported by the stand mechanism, and the storage device is lifted into the lift space by a lift mechanism protruding from a moving device held in the moving space.

2. 2. The warehouse cell according to claim 1, wherein the moving space includes a moving stand mechanism for the moving device to carry cargo, and the moving device runs on the moving stand mechanism.

3. 3. The warehouse cell according to claim 2, wherein the moving stand mechanism comprises a moving guide device.

4. In the warehouse cell of claim 1, the storage device accommodated in the storage space is a parent box or a storage tray, the parent box or the storage tray having an open structure in which a plurality of cargoes are placed.

5. In the warehouse cell according to claim 4, the storage device housed in the warehouse cell includes a sub-transport box with a lid, the cargo is stored in the sub-transport box, and a plurality of the sub-transport boxes are placed on a parent transport box or a storage tray.

6. In a warehouse cell according to claim 4 or 5, the parent container has approximately the same height as the storage space.

7. In the warehouse cell according to claim 3, the moving stand mechanism includes a bottom plate of a moving space, and the moving guide device is a device for guiding an AGV which is a moving device.

8. In the warehouse cell according to claim 7, the device for guiding the AGV is a mechanical, electromagnetic, laser, infrared, ultrasonic, UWB or optical guidance device.

9. In the warehouse cell according to claim 7, the device for guiding the AGV is set in one or more sets of guide grooves arranged perpendicular to the bottom plate.

10. Two or more horizontally connected or stacked warehouse cells housing the storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 9; a moving device for moving the storage device between the warehouse cells; and a control system for controlling the moving device that moves between the warehouse cells.

11. In the multi-story warehouse according to claim 10, the moving device is configured to raise and lower the storage device.

12. In the multi-story warehouse according to claim 10, the warehouse cells are connected to each other by a connecting structure formed by frames provided in the warehouse cells themselves or by a connecting structure different from the frames.

13. The multi-story warehouse according to claim 10, further comprising a lifting system for vertically moving the storage device and / or the moving device.

14. In the multi-story warehouse described in claim 13, the lifting system includes a support column and a lifting platform that is integrated with the support column and can be leveled to a warehouse cell of any height by controlling a drive mechanism.

15. In the multi-story warehouse according to claim 13, the control system includes a lift control module that transmits a lift command to the lift system to operate the lift system vertically to a specified height.

16. In the multi-story warehouse according to claim 10, the control system includes a travel control module that transmits a movement command to the mobile device to move the mobile device carrying the storage device to a target warehouse cell.

17. In the multi-story warehouse according to claim 13, the control system includes a positioning module for accurately positioning the moving device or the lifting system when the multi-story warehouse becomes unstable during movement.

18. a frame configured to define in combination a plurality of storage cells, the storage cells configured to form an array in horizontal and vertical directions, the storage cells configured to house storage devices; a plurality of stand mechanisms attached to the frame for supporting the storage devices in respective warehouse cells; A multi-story warehouse comprising: a bottom plate installed below the plurality of stand mechanisms, wherein the space between the stand mechanisms and the bottom plate is defined as a moving space for accommodating a moving device, and the moving device moves the storage device between different warehouse cells.

19. The multi-story warehouse according to claim 18, comprising a plurality of storage levels of different heights constituting a plurality of storage spaces, the storage spaces being configured to accommodate storage devices; a plurality of moving levels of different heights located above or below the storage level and configured to provide space for movement of the moving device; and a lifting system configured to move the storage device or the moving device between different moving levels.

Images