Sorting control system, method for sorting control of goods at a base in a delivery system, and program

Abstract

To enable control of sorting at a control target base in consideration of sorting at a plurality of bases.SOLUTION: A sorting control system disclosed herein is configured to generate multiple sorting control patterns for controlling sorting of parcels at a target base, simulate loading of parcels onto multiple shipping carts for respective sorting control patterns, compute an index using parcel sorting workload at a base downstream of the target base on the basis of a result of the simulation, and select a sorting control pattern to be employed according to the index.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to sorting control of cargo at a base in a distribution system for transporting cargo between a plurality of bases.

Background Art

[0002] In a large-scale logistics network, the collection, sorting, and transportation of cargo are carried out at a plurality of bases, and the cargo is transported to the final destination. In such a large-scale logistics network, sorting at upstream bases is important.

[0003] Generally, at a base, sorting of cargo is performed using a sorting device (sorter). As a control method for a sorting device to improve the throughput of a base, for example, the technique described in Patent Document 1 is known.

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes that "this sorting system includes a sorter 10 that conveys the input goods and distributes and discharges them to a plurality of shoots corresponding to a plurality of delivery destinations, a picking zone 100 that picks up designated goods from a storage unit and inputs them to the sorter, and receives order information regarding the delivery of goods to a large number of delivery destinations, and controls the picking work instruction to an operator by a display installed in the picking zone and performs sorting control in the sorter. For each of the plurality of shoots, notification means for notifying the control device that the shoot is an empty shoot is installed, and the control device determines whether the number of empty shoots is equal to or greater than a predetermined number based on the notification information from the plurality of notification means, and assigns the order information for each delivery destination."

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] The prior art is a technology for realizing the control of a sorting device focusing on one base. However, in a large-scale logistics network, it is necessary to consider the sorting of multiple bases. Therefore, even if the prior art is applied as it is, it is difficult to improve the throughput of sorting the entire logistics network, etc.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a system, a method, and a program for controlling sorting at a base to be controlled in consideration of sorting of multiple bases.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] A typical example of the invention disclosed in the present application is as follows. That is, a sorting control system for controlling the sorting of goods at a base in a distribution system that sorts and distributes goods at multiple bases, wherein the base to be controlled includes a plurality of incoming trolleys for loading the incoming goods, a plurality of outgoing trolleys for loading the sorted goods, and a sorting device for sorting the goods loaded on the incoming trolleys based on the destination. The sorting device has a conveying device for conveying the goods and a plurality of shoots for outputting the conveyed goods according to the destination. The sorting control system includes at least one computer, and holds base operation information for managing the destinations of the goods loaded on the plurality of incoming trolleys at the target base, and base sorting management information for managing the sorting of the goods at the plurality of bases. The at least one computer generates a plurality of sorting control patterns for controlling the sorting of the goods at the target base based on the base operation information, simulates the loading of the goods onto the plurality of outgoing trolleys for each of the plurality of sorting control patterns, calculates an index calculated using the workload of sorting the goods at the subsequent bases of the target base based on the result of the simulation and the base sorting management information, and selects and outputs the sorting control pattern to be adopted from among the plurality of sorting control patterns based on the index.

Effects of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, considering the sorting at a plurality of bases, the sorting at the base to be controlled can be controlled. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be clarified by the following description of the embodiments.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10A

Figure 10B

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not construed as being limited to the description of the embodiments shown below. Those skilled in the art can easily understand that the specific configuration can be changed without departing from the spirit or gist of the present invention.

[0012] In the configuration of the invention described below, the same or similar configurations or functions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0013] The notations such as "first", "second", "third", etc. in this specification and the like are attached to identify components, and do not necessarily limit numbers or orders.

[0014] The positions, sizes, shapes, ranges, etc. of the respective configurations shown in the drawings and the like may not represent the actual positions, sizes, shapes, ranges, etc. in order to facilitate understanding of the invention. Therefore, in the present invention, it is not limited to the positions, sizes, shapes, ranges, etc. disclosed in the drawings and the like.

[0015] As examples of various information, it may be described in expressions such as "table", "list", "queue", etc., but the various information may be represented by data structures other than these. For example, various information such as "XX table", "XX list", "XX queue" may be referred to as "XX information". When explaining identification information, expressions such as "identification information", "identifier", "name", "ID", "number", etc. are used, but these are mutually replaceable.

Example

[0016] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the system of Example 1. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a computer constituting the sorting control system of Example 1.

[0017] The system is composed of a sorting control system 100 and a delivery system 101. The sorting control system 100 and the delivery system 101 are connected via a network 102 such as a LAN (Local Area Network) and a WAN (Wide Area Network). Note that the sorting control system 100 may be included in the delivery system 101.

[0018] The delivery system 101 is composed of a plurality of bases 110. At the base 110, collection, sorting, and transportation of packages are performed. In this embodiment, it is assumed a delivery system 101 in which packages are hierarchically delivered between bases. Details of the base 110 will be described later.

[0019] The sorting control system 100 controls the sorting of packages at the upstream base 110 in order to improve the throughput of sorting in the delivery system 101 (logistics network). The sorting control system 100 is composed of at least one computer 200. The computer 200 has a processor 201, a main storage device 202, a secondary storage device 203, an input device 204, an output device 205, and a network interface 206.

[0020] The processor 201 executes a program stored in the main storage device 202. By the processor 201 executing processing according to the program, it operates as a functional unit (module) that realizes a specific function. In the following description, when explaining processing with the functional unit as the subject, it indicates that the processor 201 is executing a program that realizes the functional unit.

[0021] Note that the arithmetic device that executes the program is not limited to the processor 201, and may be an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), a CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), etc.

[0022] The main storage device 202 is a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) or the like, and stores the program executed by the processor 201 and the information used by the program. Also, the main storage device 202 is used as a work area.

[0023] The secondary storage device 203 is an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), etc., and stores a large amount of data. Programs and information stored in the main storage device 202 may be stored in the secondary storage device 203. In this case, the processor 201 reads the programs and information from the secondary storage device 203 and loads them into the main storage device 202.

[0024] The input device 204 is a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, etc., and the output device 205 is a display, etc. The network interface 206 is an interface for communicating with an external device via a network.

[0025] Note that the computer 200 may not have the input device 204 and the output device 205.

[0026] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the delivery of packages in the delivery system 101 of the first embodiment.

[0027] The base (1) is the most upstream base 110. At the base (1), packages for six destinations A, B, C, D, E, and F are collected and sorted into packages for destination A, packages for (B, C), and packages for (D, E, F). The package for destination A is directly transported to A. The packages for (B, C) are transported to the base (2), and the packages for (D, E, F) are transported to the base (3).

[0028] At the base (2), they are sorted into packages for destination B and packages for destination C, and the packages are transported to each destination. At the base (3), they are sorted into packages for destination D and packages for (E, F). The package for destination D is directly transported to D, and the packages for (E, F) are transported to the base (4).

[0029] At the base (4), they are sorted into packages for destination E and packages for destination F, and the packages are transported to each destination.

[0030] The sorting control system 100 of Example 1 controls the sorting of packages at the uppermost base (1) in the hierarchical package delivery as shown in FIG. 3. Note that the sorting of packages at the intermediate base 110 may also be controlled.

[0031] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the base 110 of Example 1.

[0032] The base 110 has a plurality of incoming trolleys 400, a sorting device 401, and a plurality of outgoing trolleys 402.

[0033] The incoming trolley 400 is a trolley on which the collected packages are loaded. The outgoing trolley 402 is a trolley on which the sorted packages are loaded. The boxes of the incoming trolley 400 and the outgoing trolley 402 represent packages. Also, the alphabet of the package represents the destination.

[0034] The sorting device 401 is a device that sorts packages and has an input section 410, a plurality of chutes 411, and a conveying device 412. The sorting device 401 also has an identification device that identifies the destination of the package. The input section 410 is the input part of the package. The chute 411 is a device that outputs the package according to the destination. The conveying device 412 is a device that conveys the package to the chute 411 and is, for example, a belt conveyor.

[0035] At the base 110, the packages are sorted in the following procedure.

[0036] (Step 1) The packages loaded on the transport vehicle are loaded onto the incoming trolley 400.

[0037] (Step 2) The incoming trolley 400 is conveyed to the chute 411 in a predetermined order, and the packages loaded on the incoming trolley 400 are input into the input section 410 in a predetermined order. The input of the package into the input section 410 is performed by a robot or a person.

[0038] (Step 3) The sorting device 401 identifies the destination of the package based on a barcode or the like attached to the package and outputs the package from the chute 411 at a predetermined timing according to the destination.

[0039] (Step 4) The packages output from the chute 411 are loaded onto the shipping cart 402. When the number of loaded packages reaches a predetermined number, the shipping cart 402 is conveyed to the transport vehicle. In FIG. 4, when four packages are loaded onto the shipping cart 402, the shipping cart 402 is conveyed to the transport vehicle. Loading of packages onto the shipping cart 402 is performed by a robot or a person.

[0040] (Step 5) The packages loaded on the shipping cart 402 are loaded onto the transport vehicle, and the packages are transported to the destination or the next base 110 by the transport vehicle. Loading of packages onto the transport vehicle is performed by a robot or a person.

[0041] Note that the base 110 to be controlled only needs to have a configuration as shown in FIG. 4, and not all bases 110 need to have a configuration as shown in FIG. 4.

[0042] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the sorting control system 100 of the first embodiment.

[0043] The sorting control system 100 includes a sorting control pattern generation unit 500, a stacking simulator 501, a sorting index calculation unit 502, and a control information generation unit 503, and also holds base sorting management information 510, chute management information 511, base operation information 512, function definition information 513, and evaluation definition information 514.

[0044] The sorting control pattern generation unit 500 generates a sorting control pattern. The sorting control pattern is a pattern for controlling the sorting of the base 110 to be controlled, and is composed of an input pattern of the incoming cart 400 and a switching pattern of chute conditions. The input pattern of the incoming cart 400 is the order of input of the incoming cart 400 to the sorting device 401. The chute condition is a condition regarding the destination of the packages output from the chute 411. The switching pattern of chute conditions is the order of application of chute conditions.

[0045] The stacking simulator 501 simulates the stacking of packages on the shipping cart 402 when the packages are sorted based on the sorting control pattern.

[0046] The sorting index calculation unit 502 calculates an evaluation index (sorting index) for the sorting of packages based on the sorting control pattern. Examples of the sorting index include the following. (Index 1) The sum of a term representing the workload of sorting at the subsequent base 110 and a term representing the degree of violation of the constraints of the base 110 that is the control target. (Index 2) The workload of sorting at a certain base 110.

[0047] Here, the constraints of the base 110 are, for example, the upper limit of the number of packages staying in the sorting device 401.

[0048] The control information generation unit 503 generates control information for controlling the base 110 that is the control target based on the sorting control pattern.

[0049] Note that for each functional unit of the computer, a plurality of functional units may be combined into one functional unit, or one functional unit may be divided into a plurality of functional units for each function.

[0050] The base sorting management information 510 is information for managing the sorting of each base 110. The chute management information 511 is information for managing the destinations assigned to each chute 411 of the sorting device 401 at the base 110 that is the control target.

[0051] The base operation information 512 is information for managing the operation state of the base 110 that is the control target. The base operation information 512 stores information indicating the loading state of packages on the incoming trolley 400, the input state of the incoming trolley 400 to the sorting device 401, the staying state of packages in the sorting device 401, and the loading state of packages on the outgoing trolley 402, etc.

[0052] The function definition information 513 is information for managing the function for calculating the sorting index. The evaluation definition information 514 is information for managing the evaluation method of the sorting control pattern based on the sorting index.

[0053] The base sorting management information 510, the shoot management information 511, the function definition information 513, and the evaluation definition information 514 may be set in advance, or may be set when the processes described later are executed. The base operation information 512 is set when the processes are executed.

[0054] Note that the sorting control system 100 may retain the history regarding the sorting of each base 110.

[0055] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the base sorting management information 510 of the first embodiment.

[0056] The base sorting management information 510 stores entries including a base ID 601, a delivery destination 602, and a destination 603. There is one entry for the sorting of one piece of cargo at one base. Note that the fields included in the entry are not limited to those described above. It may not include any of the fields described above, or may include other fields.

[0057] The base ID 601 is a field that stores the identification information of the base 110. The delivery destination 602 is a field that stores the information of the delivery destination of the sorted cargo. The destination 603 is a field that stores the information of the destination of the cargo to be transported to the delivery destination.

[0058] When cargo is transported between bases 110, the values of the delivery destination 602 and the destination 603 are different. When cargo is transported from the base 110 to the destination, the values of the delivery destination 602 and the destination 603 are the same.

[0059] For example, the first entry means the sorting for transporting the cargo addressed to A from the base (TC_1) to A. The second entry means the sorting for transporting the cargo addressed to B and C from the base (TC_1) to the base (TC_2).

[0060] The relationship between the sorting and delivery of the cargo of the delivery system 101 as shown in FIG. 3 can be understood from the base sorting management information 510.

[0061] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the shoot management information 511 of the first embodiment.

[0062] The shoot management information 511 stores entries including a shoot ID 701 and a destination 702. There is one entry for one shoot 411. Note that the fields included in the entry are not limited to those described above. It may not include any of the above-described fields, or may include other fields.

[0063] The shoot ID 701 is a field for storing identification information of the shoot 411. The destination 702 is a field for storing information on the destination for which the shoot 411 is responsible. Note that the output of the goods from the shoot 411 is controlled based on shoot conditions. As will be described later, the shoot conditions are generated using the shoot management information 511.

[0064] FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the process executed by the sorting control system 100 of the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of information representing the sorting control pattern generated by the sorting control system 100 of the first embodiment.

[0065] When the sorting control system 100 detects an execution event, it starts the process described below. The execution event is, for example, the input of an execution instruction by the user.

[0066] The sorting control system 100 reads various types of information (step S101). Specifically, the base sorting management information 510, the shoot management information 511, the base operation information 512, the function definition information 513, and the evaluation definition information 514 are read.

[0067] The sorting control pattern generation unit 500 generates a plurality of sorting control patterns based on the shoot management information 511 and the base operation information 512 (step S102).

[0068] Here, the method for generating the sorting control pattern will be described. First, the information representing the sorting control pattern will be described with reference to FIG. 9.

[0069] Figure 9 shows an example of sorting control pattern information 900. The sorting control pattern information 900 includes an input pattern 901 and a switching pattern 902. One piece of sorting control pattern information 900 is generated for one sorting control pattern.

[0070] The input pattern 901 represents the input pattern of the incoming trolley 400. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the incoming trolleys 400 are input in order from the top. The switching pattern 902 represents the switching pattern of the chute conditions. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the chute conditions are switched in synchronization with the input of the incoming trolley 400. Note that the switching timing of the chute conditions may be asynchronous with the input of the incoming trolley 400.

[0071] The sorting control pattern generation unit 500 generates a sorting control pattern according to the following procedure.

[0072] (S102-1) The sorting control pattern generation unit 500 identifies the loading state of the goods on each incoming trolley 400 based on the base operation information 512. The loading state of the goods on the incoming trolley 400 is the destination and arrangement of the loaded goods. The sorting control pattern generation unit 500 generates a plurality of input patterns of the incoming trolley 400 based on the loading state of the goods on each incoming trolley 400.

[0073] Note that the sorting control pattern generation unit 500 may generate the input pattern of the incoming trolley 400 using the history related to sorting.

[0074] (S102-2) The sorting control pattern generation unit 500 generates a plurality of chute conditions based on the chute management information 511. At this time, other information such as the base operation information 512 may be referred to. The sorting control pattern generation unit 500 generates a plurality of switching patterns of the chute conditions by combining the chute conditions in chronological order.

[0075] Note that the number of shooting conditions included in the switching pattern may be set in advance, or may be set randomly based on the number of incoming carts 400. Note that the switching pattern of shooting conditions may include two or more identical shooting conditions. Note that the sorting control pattern generation unit 500 may generate a switching pattern of shooting conditions using the history related to sorting.

[0076] Note that shooting conditions may be generated without using the shooting management information 511. For example, a method of generating shooting conditions using the history related to sorting can be considered. In this case, the sorting control system 100 may not hold the shooting management information 511.

[0077] (S102-3) The sorting control pattern generation unit 500 generates a sorting control pattern by combining the input pattern of one incoming cart 400 and the switching pattern of one shooting condition. The sorting control pattern generation unit 500 generates sorting control pattern information 900 representing the generated sorting control pattern.

[0078] The above is the explanation of the method for generating the sorting control pattern.

[0079] The stacking simulator 501 simulates the stacking of goods onto the shipping cart 402 for each sorting control pattern (step S103). For example, the following processing is executed.

[0080] (S103-1) The stacking simulator 501 selects a sorting control pattern.

[0081] (S103-2) The stacking simulator 501 determines the order of loading goods into the sorting device 401 based on the input pattern of the incoming cart 400 included in the sorting control pattern and the base operation information 512. The present invention is not limited to the method for determining the order of loading goods into the sorting device 401. For example, it is conceivable to determine the order of loading goods of the incoming cart 400 based on the loading position of the goods on the incoming cart 400.

[0082] (S103-3) The stacking simulator 501 simulates the stacking of packages onto the shipping cart 402 based on the base operation information 512, the order of package input, and the switching pattern of the chute conditions included in the sorting control pattern.

[0083] By controlling the order of package input and the switching pattern of the chute conditions, packages with the same destination can be stacked onto the shipping cart 402. This can reduce the sorting workload at the subsequent base 110.

[0084] (S103-4) If the processing for all sorting control patterns has not been completed, the stacking simulator 501 returns to S103-1 and executes the same processing. If the processing for all sorting control patterns has been completed, the stacking simulator 501 ends the simulation.

[0085] The above is the description of the simulation of stacking packages onto the shipping cart 402.

[0086] The sorting index calculation unit 502 calculates a sorting index for each sorting control pattern based on the simulation result, the base sorting management information 510, and the function definition information 513 (step S104).

[0087] For example, if a function for calculating index 1 is defined in the function definition information 513, the sorting index calculation unit 502 calculates the sorting workload of the subsequent base 110 based on the simulation result and the base sorting management information 510, and calculates the difference between the number of packages remaining in the sorting device 401 and the upper limit number as the degree of constraint violation. The sorting index calculation unit 502 calculates a sorting index based on the sorting workload and the degree of constraint violation.

[0088] The sorting index calculation unit 502 selects a sorting control pattern to be adopted based on the sorting index of each sorting control pattern and the evaluation definition information 514 (step S105). For example, the sorting control pattern with the minimum sorting index is selected.

[0089] Incidentally, the sorting index calculation unit 502 may select a predetermined number of sorting control patterns based on the sorting index and present them to the user. In this case, the sorting control pattern adopted by the user is determined.

[0090] The control information generation unit 503 generates control information based on the selected sorting control pattern, transmits the control information to the base 110 to be controlled (step S106), and ends the process.

[0091] Incidentally, the generation of the control information may be performed on the distribution system 101 side. In this case, the sorting control system 100 transmits the selected sorting control pattern to the distribution system 101.

[0092] Next, the effects of the present invention will be described using specific examples. FIGS. 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of the delivery of packages in the delivery system 101 of the first embodiment. First, the premise of the package delivery will be described.

[0093] It is assumed that 100 packages with destinations A, B, C, D, E, and F are received at the base (1). There are 20 packages for destination A, 20 packages for destination B, 10 packages for destination C, 20 packages for destination D, 15 packages for destination E, and 15 packages for destination F. At the base (2), the packages for destinations B and C are received from the base (1). At the base (3), the packages for destinations D, E, and F are received from the base (1). At the base (4), the packages for destinations E and F are received from the base (3).

[0094] At the base (1), the packages are sorted into those for destination A, those for (B, C), and those for (D, E, F). At the base (2), the packages are sorted into those for destination B and those for destination C. At the base (3), the packages are sorted into those for destination D and those for (E, F). At the base (4), the packages are sorted into those for destination E and those for destination F.

[0095] FIG. 10A shows an example of the delivery of packages in a delivery system 101 to which the present invention is not applied.

[0096] Considering the subsequent sorting at the base 110, if the loading of goods onto the shipping cart 402 is not controlled, the sorting operation of the goods will be required for the number of goods. That is, a total of 210 goods need to be sorted.

[0097] FIG. 10B shows an example of the delivery of goods in the delivery system 101 to which the present invention is applied.

[0098] Assume that at the base (1), 10 goods addressed to B are grouped together, and 20 goods addressed to (E, F) are grouped together. At this time, as shown in FIG. 10B, at the base (2), only 20 goods need to be sorted, and at the base (3), 30 goods need to be sorted. That is, a total of 180 goods need to be sorted. Thus, by applying the present invention, the sorting workload of the entire delivery system 101 can be reduced.

[0099] In addition, by changing the sorting index and evaluation method, sorting can be controlled from various viewpoints. For example, a sorting control pattern that minimizes the sorting workload at a specific base 110, such as the base (2), can also be applied. As a result, the sorting workload at the bottleneck base can be reduced, and the bottleneck can be eliminated. Also, a sorting control pattern that levels the sorting workload at each base 110 can be applied.

[0100] As described above, according to the present invention, the sorting control system can control the sorting at the base to be controlled in consideration of the sorting at a plurality of bases.

[0101] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail for easy understanding of the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. Also, for a part of the configuration of each embodiment, addition, deletion, and replacement with other configurations are possible.

[0102] In addition, each of the above-described configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be realized in hardware by designing a part or all of them, for example, by means of an integrated circuit. Further, the present invention can also be realized by a program code of software that realizes the functions of the embodiments. In this case, a storage medium recording the program code is provided to a computer, and a processor included in the computer reads the program code stored in the storage medium. In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments, and the program code itself and the storage medium storing the same constitute the present invention. As a storage medium for supplying such a program code, for example, a flexible disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, a hard disk, an SSD (Solid State Drive), an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-R, a magnetic tape, a non-volatile memory card, a ROM, etc. are used.

[0103] In addition, the program code for realizing the functions described in the present embodiment can be implemented in a wide range of programs or script languages such as assembler, C / C++, perl, Shell, PHP, Python, Java (registered trademark), etc.

[0104] Furthermore, by distributing the program code of the software that realizes the functions of the embodiments via a network, it can be stored in a storage means such as a hard disk or memory of a computer or a storage medium such as a CD-RW or CD-R, and a processor included in the computer reads and executes the program code stored in the storage means or the storage medium.

[0105] In the above-described embodiments, the control lines and information lines show those considered necessary for the explanation, and not necessarily all the control lines and information lines are shown on the product. All the configurations may be interconnected.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0106] 100 Sorting Control System 101 Delivery System 102 Network 110 Base 200 Computer 201 Processor 202 Main Memory Device 203 Auxiliary Memory Device 204 Input Device 205 Output Device 206 Network Interface 400 Incoming Trolley 401 Sorting Device 402 Shipping Trolley 410 Input Section 411 Shoot 412 Conveyor 500 Sorting Control Pattern Generation Section 501 Stacking Simulator 502 Sorting Index Calculation Section 503 Control Information Generation Section 510 Base Sorting Management Information 511 Shoot Management Information 512 Base Operation Information 513 Function Definition Information 514 Evaluation Definition Information 900 Sorting Control Pattern Information

Claims

1. A sorting control system for controlling the sorting of goods at a base in a distribution system that sorts and delivers goods at multiple bases, comprising: The base to be controlled includes a plurality of incoming trolleys for loading the incoming goods, a plurality of outgoing trolleys for loading the sorted goods, and a sorting device for sorting the goods loaded on the incoming trolleys based on the destination; The sorting device has a conveying device for conveying the goods and a plurality of shoots for outputting the conveyed goods according to the destination; The sorting control system: Includes at least one computer; Holds base operation information for managing the destinations of the goods loaded on the plurality of incoming trolleys at the target base and base sorting management information for managing the sorting of the goods at the plurality of bases; The at least one computer: Generates a plurality of sorting control patterns for controlling the sorting of the goods at the target base based on the base operation information; For each of the plurality of sorting control patterns, simulates the loading of the goods onto the plurality of outgoing trolleys; Calculates an index calculated using the workload of sorting the goods at the subsequent bases of the target base based on the result of the simulation and the base sorting management information; A sorting control system characterized by selecting and outputting the sorting control pattern to be adopted from among the plurality of sorting control patterns based on the index.

2. The sorting control system according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one computer generates the sorting control pattern by combining an input pattern that is the order of input of the incoming trolleys to the sorting device and a switching pattern that is the order of application of the shoot conditions that define the destinations of the goods output from each of the plurality of shoots. A sorting control system characterized by this.

3. The sorting control system according to claim 1, wherein: The index is calculated using the workload of sorting the goods at the subsequent bases of the target base and the degree of violation of the constraints on the sorting device included in the target base. A sorting control system characterized by this.

4. The sorting control system according to claim 1, wherein: Holds evaluation definition information for selecting the sorting control pattern to be adopted based on the index. The at least one computer selects the sorting control pattern to be adopted based on the indexes of each of the plurality of sorting control patterns and the evaluation definition information. A sorting control system characterized by this.

5. The sorting control system according to claim 4, wherein the evaluation definition information is information for selecting the sorting control pattern that minimizes the workload of sorting the packages in the entire delivery system, the sorting control pattern that minimizes the workload of sorting the packages at any base, and the sorting control pattern that levels the workload of sorting the packages at each of the plurality of bases. A sorting control system characterized by this.

6. The sorting control system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one computer generates control information for controlling the target base based on the selected sorting control pattern, and transmits the control information to the delivery system. A sorting control system characterized by this.

7. A method for controlling the sorting of packages at a base in a delivery system that sorts and delivers packages at a plurality of bases, which is executed by a sorting control system, wherein the base to be controlled includes a plurality of incoming trolleys for loading the incoming packages, a plurality of outgoing trolleys for loading the sorted packages, and a sorting device for sorting the packages loaded on the incoming trolleys based on the destination, the sorting device having a conveying device for conveying the packages and a plurality of shoots for outputting the conveyed packages according to the destination, the sorting control system includes at least one computer, holds base operation information for managing the destinations of the packages loaded on the plurality of incoming trolleys at the target base and base sorting management information for managing the sorting of the packages at the plurality of bases, the method for controlling the sorting of packages at a base in the delivery system includes the step of the at least one computer generating a plurality of sorting control patterns for controlling the sorting of the packages at the target base based on the base operation information, and the step of the at least one computer simulating the loading of the packages onto the plurality of outgoing trolleys for each of the plurality of sorting control patterns. The step of calculating, by the at least one computer, an index calculated using the workload of sorting the luggage at the subsequent bases of the target base based on the result of the simulation and the base sorting management information; The step of selecting and outputting, by the at least one computer, the sorting control pattern to be adopted from among the plurality of sorting control patterns based on the index, wherein the method for controlling the sorting of luggage at a base in a distribution system is characterized by including the above steps.

8. A program for causing a computer to execute control of sorting of luggage at a base in a distribution system that sorts and distributes luggage at a plurality of bases, The base to be controlled includes a plurality of incoming trolleys for loading the incoming luggage, a plurality of outgoing trolleys for loading the sorted luggage, and a sorting device for sorting the luggage loaded on the incoming trolleys based on the destination, The sorting device has a conveying device for conveying the luggage and a plurality of shoots for outputting the conveyed luggage according to the destination, The computer holds base operation information for managing the destinations of the luggage loaded on the plurality of incoming trolleys at the target base and base sorting management information for managing the sorting of the luggage at the plurality of bases, The program includes: A procedure for generating a plurality of sorting control patterns for controlling the sorting of the luggage at the target base based on the base operation information; A procedure for simulating the loading of the luggage onto the plurality of outgoing trolleys for each of the plurality of sorting control patterns; A procedure for calculating an index calculated using the workload of sorting the luggage at the subsequent base of the target base based on the result of the simulation and the base sorting management information; A procedure for selecting and outputting the sorting control pattern to be adopted from among the plurality of sorting control patterns based on the index; The program is characterized by causing the computer to execute the above steps.

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