Space Allocation Method, Luggage Storage Method, Device, Robot and Warehouse System

Abstract

To dynamically allocate an appropriate storage space to a load based on the space requirements of the load and the characteristics of the unoccupied space, thereby increasing the utilization rate of the storage space in a warehouse system and reducing warehouse costs. [Solution] A space allocation method, a luggage storage method, an apparatus, a robot, and a warehouse system are provided. The space allocation method includes the steps of determining a first storage space from unoccupied spaces 101a, 101b, and 101c that matches the required space based on the spatial characteristics of unoccupied spaces 101a, 101b, and 101c in the luggage storage space and the required space of luggage 100a to be stored, allocating the first storage space to the luggage 100a to be stored, and sending a first storage command including information about the first storage space to a first robot 80. This realizes dynamic allocation of a space suitable for the luggage based on the required space and spatial characteristics, thereby increasing the space utilization rate of the warehouse system and reducing warehouse costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure claims priority to a Chinese patent application filed with the Chinese Patent Office on November 20, 2020, with application number 202011312567.4 and invention title "Space Allocation Method, Luggage Storage Method, Device, Robot and Warehouse System", and all of its content is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] This disclosure relates to the technical field of smart warehouses, and particularly to a space allocation method, a luggage storage method, a device, a robot, and a warehouse system.

Background Art

[0003] A smart warehouse system based on warehouse robots adopts a smart operation system to realize automatic extraction and storage of luggage according to the system's commands, can operate continuously for 24 hours, and replaces human management and operation to improve the efficiency of the warehouse. Therefore, it is widely used and popular.

[0004] All storage locations used in conventional smart warehouse systems are static storage locations, and the physical space occupied by each storage location is fixed. Accordingly, the sizes of the storage locations for each container to be stored are also the same, and the number and positions of the storage locations corresponding to the warehouse system are also fixed. Therefore, the number and sizes of containers that can be stored are also greatly limited. At the same time, by adopting fixed storage locations, the storage space of the warehouse is not fully utilized, the space utilization rate is low, and as a result, the warehouse cost becomes high.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] This disclosure provides a space allocation method, a luggage storage method, a device, a robot, and a warehouse system that realize dynamically allocating an appropriate storage space for luggage based on the space requirements of the luggage and the characteristics of the unoccupied space, improving the utilization rate of the storage space of the warehouse system, and reducing the warehouse cost.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] As a first aspect, the space allocation method provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure includes: determining a first storage space that conforms to the required space from the unoccupied space based on the space characteristics of the unoccupied space in the luggage storage space and the required space of the luggage to be stored; allocating the first storage space to the luggage to be stored; and sending a first storage instruction including information on the first storage space to a first robot.

[0007] Optionally, the space characteristics include one or more items among the distance from the workstation, the distance from the intersection, the floor where the rack is located, the space occupancy rate of the rack, the continuous space occupancy ratio of the rack, and the space hotness.

[0008] Optionally, the step of determining a first storage space that conforms to the required space from the unoccupied space based on the space characteristics of the unoccupied space in the luggage storage space and the required space of the luggage to be stored includes: determining the number of space points of the unoccupied space based on the space characteristics of the unoccupied space; and determining a first storage space that conforms to the required space from the unoccupied space based on the number of points of the unoccupied space and the required space.

[0009] Optionally, the step of determining a first storage space that conforms to the required space from the unoccupied space based on the space characteristics of the unoccupied space in the luggage storage space and the required space of the luggage to be stored includes: determining a first storage space that conforms to the required space from the unoccupied space based on the hotness of the luggage to be stored, the space characteristics of the unoccupied space, and the required space.

[0010] Optionally, the step of determining a first storage space that conforms to the required space from among the unoccupied spaces based on the hotness degree of the item to be stored, the spatial characteristics of the unoccupied space, and the required space includes: determining a target storage area based on the hotness degree of the item to be stored; and determining a first storage space that conforms to the required space from among the unoccupied spaces in the target storage area based on the spatial characteristics of the unoccupied space and the required space.

[0011] Optionally, the step of determining a first storage space that conforms to the required space from among the unoccupied spaces based on the hotness degree of the item to be stored, the spatial characteristics of the unoccupied space, and the required space includes: determining at least two second storage spaces that conform to the required space from among the unoccupied spaces based on the spatial characteristics of the unoccupied space and the required space; and determining the first storage space from among the at least two second storage spaces based on the hotness degree of the item to be stored.

[0012] Optionally, the step of determining a first storage space that conforms to the required space from among the unoccupied spaces based on the hotness degree of the item to be stored, the spatial characteristics of the unoccupied space, and the required space includes: determining one or more target unoccupied spaces that match the required space; calculating the hotness degree of the item to be stored; calculating the number of spatial points of the target unoccupied space based on the spatial characteristics; and determining the first storage space based on the matching result between the hotness degree of the item to be stored and the number of spatial points.

[0013] Optionally, the step of determining the first storage space based on the matching result between the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored and the number of space points includes: calculating the percentile rank of the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored among the hotness degrees of all the luggage stored in the luggage storage space; determining the percentile rank of the number of points of each of the target unoccupied spaces based on the number of space points of each of the target unoccupied spaces; and determining the first storage space based on the percentile rank of the hotness degree and the percentile rank of the number of points of each of the target unoccupied spaces.

[0014] Optionally, the step of determining the first storage space based on the percentile rank of the hotness degree and the percentile rank of the number of points of each of the target unoccupied spaces includes: determining the target unoccupied space with the smallest absolute value of the difference between the percentile rank of the number of points and the percentile rank of the hotness degree as the first storage space.

[0015] Optionally, the step of determining the first storage space that conforms to the required space from among the unoccupied spaces based on the space characteristics of the unoccupied spaces in the luggage storage space and the required space of the luggage to be stored includes: calculating the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored; calculating the number of space points of the unoccupied spaces based on the space characteristics; determining one or more target unoccupied spaces based on the matching result between the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored and the number of space points; and determining the first storage space that conforms to the required space from among the target unoccupied spaces.

[0016] Optionally, the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored is determined based on the type of the luggage to be stored and / or the frequency of taking in and out of the luggage to be stored.

[0017] Optionally, when the luggage to be stored is a container to be stored and at least two types of articles are included in the container to be stored, the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored is determined based on the article hotness degree of each of the articles in the container to be stored.

[0018] Optionally, before determining the first storage space, a step of performing a normalization process on the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored and the number of space points, and a step of performing matching based on the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored and the number of space points after the normalization process to obtain a matching result are included.

[0019] Optionally, the luggage storage space includes a first unoccupied space and / or a first occupied space, and the first occupied space is a space where luggage has already been placed in the direction of loading and unloading of the luggage.

[0020] Optionally, the luggage storage space includes a second unoccupied space and / or a second occupied space, and the second unoccupied space includes a space not occupied by luggage in the direction of loading and unloading of the luggage.

[0021] Optionally, the step of determining one first storage space that conforms to the required space from among the unoccupied spaces based on the space characteristics of the unoccupied spaces of the luggage storage space and the required space includes determining one first storage space that conforms to the required space from among the unoccupied spaces based on the space characteristics of the unoccupied spaces of the luggage storage space and the required space, and determining the orientation of the luggage to be stored. After determining the first storage space and the orientation of the luggage to be stored, the space allocation method further , front includes a step of generating the first storage command based on the orientation of the luggage to be stored and the information of the first storage space.

[0022] Optionally, the first robot includes a moving chassis, a storage rack, a conveying device, and a lifting unit. The storage rack, the conveying device, and the lifting unit are attached to the moving chassis, and the luggage to be stored is stored via the storage rack and conveyed to a position corresponding to the first storage space based on the first storage command.

[0023] Optionally, the conveying device includes one or more of a telescopic arm unit, a suction cup, and a robotic arm.

[0024] Optionally, the conveying device includes a tray and a direction-changing structure, and the direction-changing structure is used to change the orientation of the load placed on the tray.

[0025] As a second aspect, the luggage storage method provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure includes the steps of obtaining a first storage instruction including information on a first storage space, and storing the luggage to be stored in the first storage space based on the first storage instruction. The first storage space is a space allocated to the luggage to be stored, and the first storage space is a space that meets the requirements, determined from the unoccupied spaces of the luggage storage space based on the spatial characteristics of the unoccupied spaces and the required space of the luggage to be stored.

[0026] As a third aspect, the space allocation device provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure includes a storage space determination module that determines a first storage space that meets the requirements from the unoccupied spaces based on the spatial characteristics of the unoccupied spaces of the luggage storage space and the required space of the luggage to be stored, a storage space allocation module that allocates the first storage space to the luggage to be stored, and a storage instruction transmission module that transmits a first storage instruction including information on the first storage space to a first robot.

[0027] As a fourth aspect, the luggage storage device provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure includes a storage instruction acquisition module that acquires a first storage instruction including information on a first storage space, and a luggage storage module that stores the luggage to be stored in the first storage space based on the first storage instruction. The first storage space is a space allocated to the luggage to be stored, and the first storage space is a space that meets the requirements, determined from the unoccupied spaces of the luggage storage space based on the spatial characteristics of the unoccupied spaces and the required space of the luggage to be stored. obtain

[0028] ​As a fifth aspect, the luggage storage device provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure includes a memory and at least one processor, the memory stores computer-executable instructions, and when the at least one processor executes the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory, the space allocation method provided in any embodiment corresponding to the first aspect of the present disclosure is executed by the at least one processor.

[0029] As a sixth aspect, the robot provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure includes a memory and at least one processor, the memory stores computer-executable instructions, and when the at least one processor executes the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory, the luggage storage method provided in any embodiment corresponding to the second aspect of the present disclosure is executed by the at least one processor.

[0030] As a seventh aspect, the warehouse device provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure includes the space allocation device provided in any embodiment of the fifth aspect of the present disclosure and / or the described server, and the robot provided in any embodiment of the sixth aspect of the present disclosure.

[0031] As an eighth aspect, the computer-readable storage medium provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure stores computer-executable instructions, and when the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor, the space allocation method provided in any embodiment corresponding to the first aspect of the present disclosure is realized, and / or the luggage storage method provided in any embodiment corresponding to the second aspect of the present disclosure is realized.

[0032] As a ninth aspect, the computer program product provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure includes a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the space allocation method provided in any embodiment corresponding to the first aspect of the present disclosure is realized, and / or the luggage storage method provided in any embodiment corresponding to the second aspect of the present disclosure is realized.

[0033] According to the space allocation method, luggage storage method, device, robot, and warehouse system provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure, based on the required space of the luggage to be stored and the space characteristics of each unoccupied space in the luggage storage space, a storage space that conforms to the required space is determined from among the unoccupied spaces, and the luggage to be stored is stored in the determined storage space, thereby realizing the concept of dynamic space allocation for luggage, improving the space utilization rate of the warehouse, reducing the warehouse cost, and improving the smart level of the warehouse system.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0034] The following drawings are incorporated into the specification and constitute a part of the specification, showing preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, and are used together with the specification to explain the principles of the present invention.

[0035]

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Figure 1L

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[0036] Although the clear embodiments of the present disclosure are shown by the above drawings, they will be described in more detail below. The descriptions by these drawings and texts are not intended to limit the scope of the concept of the present disclosure in any way, but are for explaining the concept of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art by referring to specific embodiments.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0037] Here, exemplary embodiments will be described in detail. The examples are shown in the drawings. When referring to the drawings in the following description, unless otherwise explained, the same reference numerals in different drawings indicate the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present invention. Rather, they are merely examples of devices and methods consistent with some forms of the present invention detailed in the "claims".

[0038] Hereinafter, the technical means of the present disclosure and how the technical means of the present disclosure solve the above technical problems will be described in detail with specific examples. The following multiple specific examples can be combined with each other, and for the same or similar concepts or processes, they may not be repeatedly described in some examples. Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail in combination with the drawings. First, the application scenarios of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail.

[0039] The present disclosure is applied to the scenario of dynamically arranging the luggage storage space. Different from the fixed storage locations, what the present disclosure provides is a luggage storage method for dynamically arranging the luggage storage space.

[0040] The dynamic allocation of the cargo storage space refers to, after determining the cargo to be stored in the system, based on the size of the cargo, allocating a first storage space that fits the cargo size from the currently unoccupied space. The unoccupied space can be a space of any size, and the unoccupied space does not include pre-defined fixed storage locations. The first storage space can accommodate the cargo to be stored, and the fixed storage location is a storage location pre-installed in the warehouse, and the fixed storage location has a fixed position and a determined size.

[0041] The dynamic cargo storage space is a space for dynamically allocating the cargo storage space.

[0042] Exemplarily, the dynamic allocation of the cargo storage space includes at least a one-dimensional and / or two-dimensional allocation method.

[0043] Exemplarily, FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of the storage situation in the one-dimensional allocation method provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As can be understood in combination with the X-Y coordinate system, the one-dimensional allocation method refers to a method in which the cargo on each stage in the cargo storage space can be placed in only one row in the depth direction Y.

[0044] Exemplarily, FIG. 1C is a schematic diagram of the storage situation in the two-dimensional allocation method provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As can be understood in combination with the X-Y coordinate system, the two-dimensional allocation method refers to a method in which the cargo on each stage in the cargo storage space can be placed in one row, multiple rows, or a mixture of one row and multiple rows in the depth direction Y. That is, in the two-dimensional allocation method, it is allowed to place the cargo in multiple rows in the depth direction Y in the cargo storage space.

[0045] For example, FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of the storage situation in the one-dimensional arrangement method provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1A, in the one-dimensional arrangement method, the unoccupied spaces corresponding to the dynamic arrangement of the above-mentioned luggage storage space are spaces 101a, 101b, and 101c in FIG. 1A. In the system, when it is determined that the luggage to be stored is luggage 100a, the first storage space that best fits luggage 100a, for example, space 101c, is searched for from the unoccupied spaces 101a, 101b, and 101c.

[0046] FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram of the storage situation after placing the luggage provided in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1B, after placing luggage 100 a the current unoccupied spaces change to spaces 101a, 101b, and 101d. Space 101d is the newly defined unoccupied space after part of space 101c is occupied by luggage 100 a .

[0047] FIG. 1C is a schematic diagram of the storage situation in the two-dimensional arrangement method provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1C, in the determination of the two-dimensional arrangement method, the unoccupied spaces shown on the rack are, for example, space 101e and space 101f. In the system, when it is determined that the luggage to be stored is luggage 100b, the first storage space that best fits luggage 100b, for example, space 101e, is searched for from the unoccupied spaces 101e and 101f.

[0048] FIG. 1D is a schematic diagram of the storage situation after placing the luggage in the embodiment corresponding to FIG. 1C of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1D, when luggage 100b is placed, the current unoccupied spaces change to spaces 101f and 101g. Space 101g is the newly defined unoccupied space after part of space 101e is occupied by luggage 100b.

[0049] FIG. 1E is a schematic diagram of the storage situation after placing the luggage in the embodiment corresponding to FIG. 1C of the present disclosure. As can be seen by referring to FIGS. 1C, 1D, and 1E, the orientation when placing the luggage 100b is different in FIGS. 1D and 1E. That is, the luggage 100b can be turned in direction when placing it. That is, the orientation of the luggage to be stored can be changed when placing it. When the luggage 100b is placed, the current unoccupied spaces become space 101f and space 101h. Space 101h is an unoccupied space newly defined after part of space 101e is occupied by the luggage 100b.

[0050] Exemplarily, FIG. 1F is a schematic structural diagram of a robot provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1F, the robot 80 includes a moving chassis 83, a storage rack 82, a conveying device 84, and a lifting unit 81. The storage rack 82, the conveying device 84, and the lifting unit 81 are all attached to the moving chassis 83, and several storage cells are installed in the storage rack 82. The lifting unit 81 drives the conveying device 84 to move up and down, and aligns the conveying device 84 with any one of the storage cells on the storage rack 82, or aligns it with the rack and / or the luggage. The conveying device 84 can be aligned with the storage cell or the rack and / or the luggage by rotating around the vertical axis to adjust the orientation. The conveying device 84 is used to perform loading or unloading of the luggage and convey the luggage between the rack and the storage cell.

[0051] Exemplarily, the storage rack 82 may or may not be selectively arranged. When the storage rack 82 is not arranged, during the luggage conveying period of the robot 80, the luggage is stored in the accommodation space of the conveying device 84.

[0052] The robot 80 in the above embodiment may execute the luggage storage method provided in any embodiment of the present disclosure to realize the luggage conveyance between the rack and the operation platform.

[0053] In the process of executing the luggage storage task of the robot 80, the robot 80 moves to the position of the designated luggage storage space, coordinates the lifting unit 81 and the conveying device 84, and conveys the luggage from the storage cell of the storage rack 82 to the rack.

[0054] Exemplarily, FIG. 1G is a schematic structural diagram of the conveying device in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1F of the present disclosure.

[0055] Exemplarily, the conveying device 84 is attached to the bracket 86 via the rotation mechanism 85. The rotation mechanism 85 guides the conveying device 84 to rotate around the vertical axis with respect to the bracket 86 to align it with the storage cell or with the rack and / or the luggage. The conveying device 84 is used to convey the luggage between the storage cell and the rack. When the conveying device 84 is not aligned with the rack and / or the luggage, the rotation mechanism 85 guides the conveying device 84 to rotate with respect to the bracket 86 to ensure that the conveying device 84 is aligned with the rack and / or the luggage.

[0056] FIG. 1H shows the structure of the robot and its conveying device in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1F of the present disclosure. As can be understood by combining FIGS. 1F and 1G, the rotation mechanism 85 can be omitted according to the actual situation. For example, if the robot 80 moves on a fixed track and after moving near the rack, the conveying device 84 is always aligned with the rack and / or the luggage and the luggage is arranged in the taking-out direction of the conveying device 84, it can be omitted.

[0057] Exemplarily, FIG. 1I is a schematic structural diagram of a conveying device in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1F of the present disclosure. It is desirable to refer to it in combination with FIG. 1G for easier understanding. As shown in FIG. 1I, the conveying device 84 includes a tray 841 and a telescopic arm unit. The tray 841 is used for placing goods and can be a horizontally installed plate. The telescopic arm unit is used to push the goods placed on the tray 841 out of the tray 841 or pull the goods into the tray 841. The telescopic arm unit includes a telescopic arm 843, a fixed push rod 842, and a movable push rod 844. The telescopic arm 843 includes a left telescopic arm and a right telescopic arm, and the telescopic arm 843 can extend horizontally. In a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the telescopic arm 843 and parallel to the tray 841, the telescopic arm 843 is located on the both side of the tray 841. The telescopic arm 843 is powered by a motor and the power is transmitted by a sprocket mechanism. According to the actual situation, the sprocket mechanism may be replaced by a drive by a transmission mechanism such as a belt and pulley mechanism or a ball screw mechanism. The fixed push rod 842 and the movable push rod 844 are attached to the telescopic arm 843. The fixed push rod 842 and the movable push rod 844 can extend together with the telescopic arm 843. The fixed push rod 842 and the tray 841 are located on the same side of the telescopic arm 843. When the telescopic arm 843 extends, the fixed push rod 842 is used to push the goods out of the tray 841. The movable push rod 844 can be housed in the telescopic arm 843. When the movable push rod 844 is not housed in the telescopic arm 843, the three of the movable push rod 844, the fixed push rod 842, and the tray 841 are all located on the same side of the telescopic arm 843, and further, the movable push rod 844 is located on the extending direction of the fixed push rod 842 along the telescopic arm 843. The movable push rod 844 can be directly driven by a motor, but according to the actual situation, the power may be transmitted through a transmission mechanism such as a gear group or a link mechanism. When the movable push rod 844 is not housed in the telescopic arm and the telescopic arm 843 contracts, the movable push rod 844 is used to pull the goods into the tray 841.

[0058] Exemplarily, the fixed push rod 842 of the conveying device 84 may be designed in a finger lever structure such as the movable push rod 844.

[0059] Exemplarily, the conveying device 84 may be designed in a structure where the spacing width of the telescopic arm unit is adjustable. When loading and unloading the luggage, the spacing width of the telescopic arm unit can be adjusted according to the size of the luggage.

[0060] Exemplarily, the conveying device 84 may include a direction-changing structure such as a turntable. The direction-changing structure can be used to change the orientation of the luggage placed on the tray 841. FIG. 1J is a schematic structural diagram of another conveying device in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1F of the present disclosure. As can be seen from combining FIG. 1J and FIG. 1I, the conveying device 84 further includes a direction-changing structure, that is, the turntable 845 in FIG. 1 J and can change the orientation of the luggage placed on the tray 841.

[0061] Exemplarily, FIG. 1K is a schematic structural diagram of another conveying device in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1F of the present disclosure. The conveying device 84a includes one or more suction cups 846 arranged on the fixed push rod 842, and the fixed push rod 842 can be rod-shaped or plate-shaped. When loading and unloading the luggage, the fixed push rod 842 is driven to be displaceable in a reciprocating direction toward the luggage and / or the rack direction. The adsorption of the luggage by the suction cup 846 and the displacement of the fixed push rod 842 cooperate to convey the luggage to the rack or convey the luggage to the tray 841.

[0062] Exemplarily, FIG. 1L is a schematic structural diagram of another conveying device in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1F of the present disclosure. The conveying device 84b includes the fixed push rod 842 and / or one or more robot arms 847 arranged at appropriate positions of the conveying device 84b. When loading and unloading goods, the fixed push rod 842 is driven to move in the direction of the goods and / or the rack and is displaceable in the reciprocating direction. The gripping / hooking of the goods by the robot arm 847 and the displacement of the fixed push rod 842 are coordinated to convey the goods to the rack or to convey the goods to the tray 841.

[0063] Exemplarily, the conveying device (84a, 84b) further includes a direction-changing structure such as the turntable 845 in FIGS. 1J and 1K, and may change the orientation of the goods placed on the tray 841.

[0064] The structure of the conveying device according to the embodiments shown in the present disclosure may include one or a combination of more than one of the above examples.

[0065] As a beneficial effect, the telescopic arm can adopt structures such as suction cups and robot arms to reduce the safety distance from the goods, thereby improving the goods density on the rack of the warehouse system, increasing the space utilization rate, and reducing the warehouse cost.

[0066] FIG. 2 is a diagram of an application scenario of the space allocation method provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2, the space allocation method provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be executed on electronic devices such as computers and servers. The smart warehouse system 200 uses the warehouse robot 210 to take out and / or store the target container on the rack 220, and uses the warehouse management device 230 to perform route planning, status monitoring, scheduling, etc. on the warehouse robot 210. Thereby, the warehouse robot 210 is moved to the set position to execute the taking out and / or storing of the target container. The warehouse management device 230 further stores the storage information of each storage location of the rack 220 and the basic information of the target container to assist in warehouse management. When the warehouse management device 230 receives an inbound request for a container, the warehouse management device 230 allocates a storage location suitable for the container based on the storage status of the rack 220, or a person inputs the storage location of the container. Thereby, the warehouse robot 210 places the container at the storage location, and the inbound of the container is completed.

[0067] However, the storage locations on the racks 220 of the conventional smart warehouse system 200 are all physical spaces with fixed sizes and fixed positions, and each rack 220 is equipped with a fixed number of storage locations of the same size. Therefore, the maximum number and maximum size of the containers that can be stored are limited. In addition, since containers are stored using static storage locations of the same size, the space utilization rate is low and the warehouse cost is high.

[0068] FIG. 3A is a flowchart of a space allocation method provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3A, the space allocation method can be executed by electronic devices of a warehouse system, such as container warehousing devices and warehouse management devices. The specific form of the electronic device can be a computer, a server, etc. The space allocation method provided in this embodiment

[0069] Step S301: Determine one first storage space that conforms to the required space of the item to be stored from the unoccupied spaces of the cargo storage space.

[0070] The item to be stored is an object that needs to be stored in the rack of the warehouse system or the cargo storage space of the warehouse. The form of the item to be stored can be a container or a package, and it can be an item not packed by the warehouse system provided by the user or an item placed in a standard container provided by the warehouse system. The shape of the item to be stored can be a regular shape such as a rectangular parallelepiped or a cube, or an irregular shape with protrusions or depressions on the surface. The items to be stored can be clothing, food, electronic products, building materials, etc. In the present disclosure, the number, shape, type, packaging, etc. of the items to be stored are not limited at all. The required space of the item to be stored means the space required to place the item to be stored.

[0071] Exemplarily, the fact that the first storage space conforms to the required space of the item to be stored means that the first storage space can just store the item to be stored, or the first storage space is equal to or larger than the required space.

[0072] Exemplarily, first, the required space for the luggage to be stored is obtained, and further, one first storage space that fits the required space may be determined from the unoccupied spaces of the luggage storage space.

[0073] Exemplarily, before determining the first storage space, the required space for the luggage to be stored can be obtained. This required space may be input by a human for the required space of the luggage to be stored, or the required space of the luggage to be stored may be pre-stored and the stored required space of the luggage to be stored may be directly read. Furthermore, the warehouse system may automatically determine the required space for the luggage to be stored. Specifically, the required space can be determined based on the size information of the luggage to be stored. Further, considering a safety distance, that is, the required space may be determined based on the size information of the luggage to be stored and a predetermined safety distance.

[0074] The luggage storage space is a space for storing the luggage on the rack of the warehouse system. The unoccupied space of the luggage storage space means an empty space, and no object is placed in the unoccupied space. The unoccupied space may be a space of any size, but the partitioned fixed storage location is not included in the unoccupied space. The partitioned fixed storage location refers to a storage location pre-installed in the warehouse. The fixed storage location has a fixed position and a determined size.

[0075] Exemplarily, the arrangement method of the rack or the temporary storage area corresponding to the luggage storage space may be a one-dimensional arrangement method, a two-dimensional arrangement method, or may simultaneously include a one-dimensional arrangement method and a two-dimensional arrangement method.

[0076] Optionally, the luggage storage space includes a first unoccupied space and / or a first occupied space.

[0077] The first unoccupied space may be one type of the above unoccupied space, and the first occupied space is a space where luggage is placed in the loading and unloading direction of the luggage.

[0078] Optionally, the luggage storage space includes a second unoccupied space and / or a second occupied space.

[0079] The second occupied space may be a space where most of the space is already occupied by luggage and cannot store luggage. The second unoccupied space includes a space not occupied by luggage in the direction of loading and unloading luggage, and the second unoccupied space may be a type of the above unoccupied space.

[0080] Exemplarily, when there is an unoccupied space in the luggage storage space, the unoccupied space may be a space where no luggage is placed, or a space where luggage is placed in a part of the space and the remaining part can still place luggage. If there is no such unoccupied space in the luggage storage space, other operations may be performed first or enter the standby mode, and after a predetermined time has elapsed, it may be detected again whether there is an unoccupied space in the luggage storage space.

[0081] Exemplarily, the unoccupied space in the luggage storage space may be detected in real time or at regular intervals, or when there is a luggage storage request, the unoccupied space in the luggage storage space may be detected. The luggage storage request includes information about the luggage to be stored, and may include the ID information of the luggage to be stored, the required space, etc.

[0082] Exemplarily, each unoccupied space may be identified from the luggage storage spaces of the warehouse system, and any one unoccupied space with a space size equal to or larger than the required space may be determined as the first storage space.

[0083] Exemplarily, the step of determining one first storage space that meets the required space of the luggage to be stored from the unoccupied spaces of the luggage storage space includes the step of querying for a space in the unoccupied spaces that is larger than or equal to the required space, and when a target space larger than or equal to the required space is found, the step of determining the target space as the first storage space.

[0084] Exemplarily, if an unoccupied space larger than or equal to the required space of the first piece of luggage to be stored is determined in the first storage space, it is not necessary to traverse all the unoccupied spaces, the time required for determining the first storage space can be shortened, the efficiency of determining the first storage space is increased, and ultimately the luggage storage efficiency is improved.

[0085] Exemplarily, in order to improve the space utilization rate, the first storage space may be the smallest space among the unoccupied spaces that fit the required space.

[0086] Exemplarily, in order to improve the space utilization rate and the luggage storage efficiency, the first storage space may be the space with the highest space score among the unoccupied spaces that fit the required space. The space score is obtained based on one or more of the distance to the workstation, the distance to the intersection, which level of the rack it belongs to, the space occupancy rate of the rack it belongs to, the continuous space occupancy ratio of the rack it belongs to, and the hotness of the space.

[0087] Optionally, the first robot includes a mobile chassis, a conveying device, a storage rack, and a lifting unit. The storage rack, the conveying device, and the lifting unit are attached to the mobile chassis, store the luggage to be stored via the storage rack, and convey the luggage to be stored to a position corresponding to the first storage space based on the first storage instruction.

[0088] Optionally, the conveying device includes one or more of a telescopic arm unit, a suction cup, and a robot arm.

[0089] Optionally, the conveying device includes a tray and a direction-changing structure, and the direction-changing structure is used to change the orientation of the luggage placed on the tray.

[0090] Step S302: Allocate the first storage space to the luggage to be stored.

[0091] Exemplarily, after determining the first storage space, a mapping relationship between the first storage space and the goods to be stored is constructed, indicating that the first storage space is the storage space for the goods to be stored.

[0092] Step S303: Send a first storage instruction to the first robot. The first storage instruction includes information about the first storage space. The number of the first robots may be one or more.

[0093] Exemplarily, when the number of goods to be stored is plural, a first storage space corresponding to each of the goods to be stored may be determined, and further, each of the first robots may be assigned the corresponding goods to be stored. One first robot may correspond to one good to be stored or may correspond to a plurality of goods, and it is necessary to determine based on the capabilities of the first robots and the operating status of the warehouse system.

[0094] Exemplarily, a first storage instruction may be generated based on the information about the first storage space and the information about the goods to be stored, and the first storage instruction may be sent to the first robot to cause the first robot to place the goods to be stored in the corresponding first storage space.

[0095] Optionally, the step of determining one first storage space that conforms to the required space from the unoccupied spaces of the goods storage space includes determining one first storage space that conforms to the required space from the unoccupied spaces based on the unoccupied spaces of the goods storage space and the required space, and determining the orientation of the goods to be stored. After determining the first storage space, further, based on the orientation of the goods to be stored and the information about the first storage space, the step of generating the first storage instruction is included.

[0096] In a server, space allocation device, or equipment of a warehouse system, the orientation of the goods to be stored refers to the orientation when the goods to be stored are placed in the corresponding space. In a robot, the information included in the first storage instruction may be the angle by which the stored goods placed on the robot should be rotated, or the orientation when the goods to be stored are placed in the corresponding space, which is the angle by which the robot needs to rotate the goods when placing them, or it may include both of the above two pieces of information, so that the goods to be stored can be placed in the corresponding space in the set orientation.

[0097] Exemplarily, when allocating the first storage space for the goods to be stored, since it is conceivable to adjust the orientation of the goods to be stored by the transport device of the robot, such as the transport device in FIG. 1J, when determining the first storage space, the element of orientation may be comprehensively considered and determined. The orientation of the goods to be stored includes a default orientation and an adjusted orientation, and the adjusted orientation is the orientation after rotating clockwise / counterclockwise from the default orientation. Exemplarily, the adjusted orientation may correspond to the orientation after rotating 90° or 270° clockwise / counterclockwise from the default orientation.

[0098] Exemplarily, based on the size information of the goods to be stored, the required space in each orientation is generated, and further, based on each unoccupied space and the required space in each orientation, a first storage space that fits the required space in one of the orientations may be determined. The orientation of the required space is the orientation of the goods to be stored after storage.

[0099] Exemplarily, when the first storage space fits the required space in multiple orientations, the default orientation is taken as the orientation of the goods to be stored.

[0100] Then, based on each unoccupied space and the required space, after determining one first storage space that fits the required space from among the unoccupied spaces, based on the size information of the first storage space, the orientation of the goods to be stored is determined.

[0101] Exemplarily, FIG. 3B is a schematic diagram of one storage situation provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3B, containers 311 to 313 are placed in the rack 310, and the container 314 is a container to be stored hereinafter, that is, the above-mentioned goods to be stored. According to FIG. 3B, the current unoccupied space of the rack 310 includes spaces 315, 316, and 317, but only the space 315 meets the requirements. However, since the space 315 cannot store the container 314 in the default direction, i.e., the (+ / -) Y direction, the orientation of the container 314 is changed, for example, rotated 90° clockwise or counterclockwise, so that the container 314 is in the adjusted orientation in the (+ / -) X direction, and the container 314 can be placed in the space 315 in the corresponding (+ / -) X direction orientation.

[0102] Exemplarily, FIG. 3C is a schematic diagram of one storage situation provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3C, containers 318 to 323 are placed in the rack 310, and the container 314 is a container to be stored hereinafter, that is, the above-mentioned goods to be stored. According to FIG. 3C, the current unoccupied space of the rack 310 includes spaces 324 and 325, but only the space 325 meets the requirements. However, since the space 325 cannot store the container 314 in the default direction, i.e., the (+ / -) X direction, the orientation of the container 314 is changed, for example, rotated 90° clockwise or counterclockwise, so that the container 314 is in the adjusted orientation in the (+ / -) Y direction, and the container 314 can be placed in the space 325 in the corresponding (+ / -) Y direction orientation.

[0103] In this embodiment, based on the required space of the goods to be stored, a suitable unoccupied space is determined from the goods storage spaces, and the goods to be stored are stored in the determined unoccupied space, thereby realizing the concept of dynamic space allocation for the goods, improving the space utilization rate of the warehouse, reducing the warehouse cost, and improving the smart level of the warehouse system.

[0104] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a space allocation method provided in another embodiment of the present disclosure. This embodiment further subdivides step S301 based on the embodiment shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 4, the space allocation method includes the following steps.

[0105] Step S401: Obtain a set of spaces from the unoccupied spaces that are larger than or equal to the required space of the goods to be stored. The goods to be stored may be the goods on the storage cell of the robot.

[0106] Exemplarily, the space size of each unoccupied space can be specified or obtained, and by specifying each unoccupied space that is larger than or equal to the required space based on the space size of the required space and the space size of each unoccupied space, the above space set can be obtained.

[0107] Step S402: Determine the first storage space from the set of spaces based on the first condition.

[0108] The first condition includes one or more of the following elements: the hotness of the goods to be stored, the size information of the goods to be stored, the storage cell information of the goods to be stored on the first robot, the position information of each space in the space set, the total area of the occupied space within a predetermined range of each space in the space set, the total area of the unoccupied space within a predetermined range of each space in the space set, the number of containers placed within a predetermined range of each space in the space set, and the number of spaces belonging to the space set within a predetermined range of each space in the space set.

[0109] Note that the predetermined range may be a two-dimensional range or a three-dimensional range. For the space in the space set, it may refer to the range located on the same tier of the rack, for example, the range within 5 meters from the space in the space set on the same tier, or it may refer to the range located on different tiers of the rack, for example, the range within 3 meters from the space in the space set on the rack. Of course, the predetermined range may be other ranges, and the present disclosure does not limit this.

[0110] The hotness degree of the item to be stored is a parameter for representing the frequency at which the item to be stored is taken out, and it may be input by a human or determined by a warehouse system based on order history data.

[0111] Exemplarily, if the item to be stored is a best-selling piece of clothing that needs to be taken in and out once a day, the corresponding hotness degree can be 90 or 90%. If the item to be stored is a large item that is taken in and out only once a week or over a longer period, the corresponding hotness degree can be 30 or 30%. If the item to be stored is taken out at a set time and not returned to the rack again, the corresponding hotness degree can be 0 or a low value, such as 1, 3, 5, 1%, 3%, 5% or other values.

[0112] Exemplarily, the hotness degree of the item to be stored may be determined based on the type of the item to be stored. For example, if the item to be stored is socks, the hotness degree may be set to 50, and if the item to be stored is a gold accessory, the hotness degree may be set to 30.

[0113] Exemplarily, if the item to be stored contains multiple types of items, the hotness degree of the item to be stored may be determined based on the item hotness degrees of each item. The hotness degree of the item to be stored can be determined based on one or more of the maximum value, minimum value, average value, total value, weighted average value, etc. of each item hotness degree.

[0114] Exemplarily, if the item to be stored includes item A, item B, and item C, and the hotness degree of item A is 90, the hotness degree of item B is 50, and the hotness degree of item C is 40, the hotness degree of the item to be stored may be determined to be 60 based on the average value of the three.

[0115] Exemplarily, the first storage space may be determined from the set of spaces based on the hotness of the luggage to be stored, or the first storage space may be determined from the set of spaces based on the hotness of the luggage to be stored and the location information of each space. Of course, other combination methods of each element of the first condition may be selected to determine the first storage space.

[0116] Exemplarily, a weight coefficient may be provided for each element of the first condition to obtain a weighted average value or storage score corresponding to the first condition of each space in the set of spaces, and the first storage space may be determined based on the weighted average value or storage score. For example, the space with the highest weighted average value or the highest storage score in the set of spaces may be selected as the first storage space.

[0117] Exemplarily, the closer the distance between the location of the space in the set of spaces and the passage, or the closer the distance to the workstation, the higher the storage score, and the larger the total area of the occupied space within a predetermined range, the higher the storage score.

[0118] Exemplarily, the required conditions for the luggage to be stored may be determined based on one or more of the hotness, size information of the luggage to be stored, and the storage cell information on the first robot. The required conditions include the requirements for the first storage space corresponding to the luggage to be stored, and specifically, the requirements may include one or more of the range of which level in the rack it belongs to, the range of location information, the range of the total area of the occupied space within a predetermined range, the range of the total area of the unoccupied space within a predetermined range, and the range of the number of spaces belonging to the set of spaces within a predetermined range.

[0119] By considering the storage cell information of the goods to be stored and the location information of the space, it is possible to identify the space closest to the workstations, aisles, etc., and improve the storage efficiency of the goods. By considering the situation within a predetermined range of the space, it is possible to improve the space utilization rate of the goods storage space, optimize the warehouse method, and reduce the warehouse cost. By considering the hotness degree of the goods to be stored, it is possible to place the goods with high frequency of access in a position where they are easy to access, and improve the efficiency and smart level of the warehouse system.

[0120] Step S403: Allocate the first storage space to the goods to be stored.

[0121] Step S404: Send a first storage instruction to the first robot. The first storage instruction includes information on the first storage space.

[0122] In this embodiment, for each unoccupied space, based on the required space of the goods to be stored, first identify a set of spaces composed of each unoccupied space that can meet the requirement. Further, in the set of spaces, based on the first condition including multiple elements such as hotness degree, size, location, and space occupancy situation, determine the best or optimal first storage space from the set of spaces as the storage space for the goods to be stored, thereby increasing the smart level of storage space determination, and ultimately improving the storage efficiency of the goods and the space utilization rate of the warehouse system.

[0123] Figure 5 is a flowchart of a space allocation method provided in another embodiment of the present disclosure. This embodiment further subdivides step S301 based on the embodiment shown in Figure 3A. As shown in Figure 5, the space allocation method includes the following steps.

[0124] Step S501: Based on the second condition, determine the target area among at least one area corresponding to the unoccupied space.

[0125] The second condition includes one or more items among elements such as the hotness of the luggage to be stored, the size information of the luggage to be stored, the storage cell information of the luggage to be stored on the first robot, the position information of each space in the unoccupied space, the number of containers placed in the at least one area, the total area of the occupied space in the at least one area, the total area of the unoccupied space in the at least one area, and the number of unoccupied spaces in the at least one area.

[0126] Exemplarily, based on the hotness of the luggage to be stored, a target area may be determined among at least one area corresponding to the unoccupied space, or based on the hotness of the luggage to be stored and the position information of each space in the unoccupied space, a target area may be determined among at least one area corresponding to the unoccupied space. Of course, other combination methods of each element of the second condition may be selected to determine the target area.

[0127] Exemplarily, first, a mapping relationship between each area of the luggage storage space and the hotness of the luggage to be stored is constructed, and further, based on the mapping relationship and the hotness of the luggage to be stored, a target area may be determined among at least one area corresponding to the unoccupied space.

[0128] Exemplarily, a weight coefficient is set for each element of the second condition to obtain a weighted average value or area score of each area corresponding to the unoccupied space, and the target area may be determined based on the weighted average value or area score. For example, an area with the highest weighted average value or the highest area score may be selected as the target area.

[0129] Exemplarily, the closer the distance between the location of the space in the space set and the passage, or the closer the distance to the workstation, the higher the corresponding area score, and the larger the total area of the occupied space of the area, the area higher the score.

[0130] Furthermore, based on one or more of the hotness level, size information, and storage cell information on the first robot of the luggage to be stored, the requirement conditions for the luggage to be stored may be determined. The requirement conditions include the requirements for the storage area corresponding to the luggage to be stored. Specifically, the requirements include one or more of the range of spatial position information, the range of the total occupied area of the area, the range of the total unoccupied area of the area, and the number of unoccupied spaces in the area.

[0131] Step S502: Determine the first storage space as a space in the target area that is larger than or equal to the required space.

[0132] Step S503: Allocate the first storage space to the luggage to be stored.

[0133] Step S504: Send a first storage instruction to the first robot. The first storage instruction includes the information of the first storage space.

[0134] In this embodiment, for each unoccupied space, first, based on a second condition including a plurality of elements, such as hotness level, size, position, occupancy situation, etc., each not occupied space is screened to determine a target area with high storage efficiency and high space utilization rate. Further, an unoccupied space that meets the requirements of the luggage to be stored is determined from the target area as the storage space for the luggage to be stored. This can improve the smart level of storage space determination and improve the storage efficiency of luggage and the space utilization rate of the warehouse system.

[0135] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a space allocation method provided in another embodiment of the present disclosure. This embodiment further subdivides step S301 based on FIG. 3A. As shown in FIG. 6, the space allocation method includes the following steps.

[0136] Step S601: Based on the spatial characteristics of the unoccupied space in the luggage storage space and the required space of the luggage to be stored, determine a first storage space that fits the required space from among the unoccupied spaces.

[0137] The spatial characteristics of the unoccupied space may include one or more items among the distance from the workstation, the distance from the intersection, which level of the rack it belongs to, the space occupancy rate of the rack it belongs to, the continuous space occupancy ratio of the rack it belongs to, and the space hotness degree. The space hotness degree is a parameter of the hotness degree set by the warehouse system for each space, and may be determined based on the area corresponding to the unoccupied space or the hotness degree of the area where the rack is located, or may be determined with reference to the correlation degree between the unoccupied space and the corresponding area or the rack location area.

[0138] Exemplarily, first identify each unoccupied space in the luggage storage space that fits the required space, and further determine a first storage space from among the unoccupied spaces that fit the required space based on the spatial characteristics.

[0139] Exemplarily, determine the unoccupied space that fits the required space and is closest to the workstation as the first storage space, or determine the unoccupied space that fits the required space and is closest to the intersection as the first storage space, or determine the unoccupied space that fits the required space and is located at the lowest level or the set level in the rack it belongs to as the first storage space, or determine the unoccupied space that fits the required space and has the highest or lowest space occupancy rate of the rack it belongs to as the first storage space, or determine the unoccupied space that fits the required space and has the highest or lowest continuous space occupancy ratio of the rack it belongs to as the first storage space. Of course, two, three, four, or five of the above elements of the spatial characteristics may be selected to determine the first storage space.

[0140] Taking into account the distance from the workstation, the distance from the intersection, and the level at which it is located in the rack to which it belongs as an example, assuming that the weighting factors for the distance from the workstation, the distance from the intersection, and the level at which it is located in the rack to which it belongs are 0.5, 0.3, and 0.2 respectively, and further calculating the weighted average value of the above three elements to obtain the weighted average value of the spatial characteristics of each unoccupied space, and determining the first storage space based on the weighted average value. Since other cases can be understood by analogy, they will not be repeatedly described here.

[0141] Optionally, based on the spatial characteristics of the unoccupied space of the luggage storage space and the required space of the luggage to be stored, the step of determining the first storage space that conforms to the required space from the unoccupied space includes the step of determining the number of spatial points of the unoccupied space based on the spatial characteristics of the unoccupied space, and the step of determining the first storage space that conforms to the required space from the unoccupied space based on the number of points of the unoccupied space and the required space.

[0142] Exemplarily, the closer the distance between the unoccupied space and the workstation, the higher the number of spatial points; the closer the distance to the intersection, the higher the number of spatial points; and the lower the level at which it is located in the rack to which it belongs, the higher the number of points.

[0143] Exemplarily, first, based on the required space, identify the target unoccupied space that conforms to the required space from each unoccupied space, further calculate the number of spatial points of the target unoccupied space based on the spatial characteristics, and determine the first storage space from the target unoccupied space based on the number of spatial points of each target unoccupied space.

[0144] Exemplarily, first calculate the number of spatial points of each unoccupied space, and further, based on the required space, determine the first storage space that conforms to the required space from the unoccupied spaces whose number of spatial points meets the specified number of points condition, for example, the unoccupied spaces larger than the specified number of points threshold.

[0145] Exemplarily, the number of spatial points may be determined based on the values of each element in the spatial characteristics.

[0146] Exemplarily, it may be assumed that the full score for each item of the spatial characteristics of the unoccupied space is 10 points and the total score is 50 points. When the distance between the unoccupied space and the workstation is 10 meters or less, the score for this item shall be 10 points. For the part exceeding 10 meters, points shall be deducted according to the corresponding mapping relationship. For example, 1 point shall be deducted for every 5 meters exceeded. When the distance between the unoccupied space and the intersection is 2 meters or less, the score for this item shall be 10 points. For the part exceeding 2 meters, points shall be deducted according to the corresponding mapping relationship. For example, 1 point shall be deducted for every 1 meter exceeded. The score for the position of the rack where it is located can be determined based on the total number of levels of the rack and the level where the unoccupied space is located. For example, when the rack has 6 levels, the score for the bottom level or the first level is the full score of 10 points, and 2 points shall be deducted for each level increase. The score for the third level is 6 points.

[0147] When it is necessary to maximize and improve the space utilization rate of the warehouse system, the unoccupied space that conforms to the required space and has the highest space occupancy rate in the rack to which it belongs should be preferentially selected as the first storage space. When it is necessary to focus on considering the storage efficiency, the unoccupied space that conforms to the required space and has the smallest sum of the distance to the workstation and the distance to the intersection may be selected as the first storage space.

[0148] Exemplarily, when determining the first storage space, the hotness of the goods to be stored may be further considered. Optionally, based on the spatial characteristics of the unoccupied space of the goods storage space and the required space of the goods to be stored, the step of determining the first storage space that conforms to the required space from among the unoccupied spaces includes the step of determining the first storage space that conforms to the required space from among the unoccupied spaces based on the hotness of the goods to be stored, the spatial characteristics of the unoccupied space, and the required space.

[0149] Exemplarily, when determining the first storage space, by comprehensively considering the hotness degree of the goods to be stored and determining the first storage space that matches the hotness degree, it is possible to place the goods with a high hotness degree at a position where they are easy to store, and improve the efficiency of the in and out operations of the warehouse system.

[0150] Exemplarily, the spatial characteristics of the unoccupied space include the spatial hotness degree of the unoccupied space. Based on the matching result between the spatial hotness degree of the unoccupied space and the hotness degree of the goods to be stored, the unoccupied space is screened, and further combined with the required space to determine the first storage space that conforms to the required space. Alternatively, first identify each unoccupied space that matches the required space, and further based on the matching result between the spatial hotness degree of the unoccupied space that matches the required space and the hotness degree of the goods to be stored, determine the unoccupied space that matches the required space and has the best match between the spatial hotness degree and the hotness degree of the goods to be stored as the first storage space.

[0151] Step S602: Allocate the first storage space to the goods to be stored.

[0152] Step S603: Send a first storage instruction to the first robot. The first storage instruction includes information about the first storage space.

[0153] Exemplarily, the step of determining one first storage space that conforms to the required space from the unoccupied spaces based on the spatial characteristics of the unoccupied spaces in the goods storage space and the required space includes: determining one first storage space that conforms to the required space from the unoccupied spaces based on the spatial characteristics of the unoccupied spaces in the goods storage space and the required space, and determining the orientation of the goods to be stored; and generating the first storage instruction based on the orientation of the goods to be stored and the information about the first storage space.

[0154] Exemplarily, when allocating a first storage space to the luggage to be stored, since it is conceivable to adjust the orientation of the luggage to be stored with a robot's transport device such as the transport device in FIG. 1G, when determining the first storage space, the determination may be made by comprehensively considering the element of orientation. The orientation of the luggage to be stored includes a default orientation and an adjusted orientation, and the adjusted orientation corresponds to an orientation obtained by rotating the default orientation clockwise by 90°, 270°, or other angles.

[0155] Exemplarily, based on the size information of the luggage to be stored, a required space in each orientation is generated, and further, based on the space characteristics of each unoccupied space and the required space in each orientation, a first storage space that fits the required space in one of the orientations may be determined. The orientation of the required space is the orientation of the luggage to be stored.

[0156] Exemplarily, when the required space includes a plurality of different orientations and a plurality of unoccupied spaces can fit the required spaces in the different orientations, randomly, or based on one or more conditions of the above space characteristics, or based on the sides and / or corners of the unoccupied space to select sides and / or corners, or based on the proximity to surrounding articles, or relevant conditions and / or similar conditions, a required space in one orientation can be selected to determine the first storage space.

[0157] Exemplarily, when the required space includes a plurality of different orientations and a plurality of unoccupied spaces can fit the required spaces in the different orientations, the default orientation is selected as the orientation of the luggage to be stored.

[0158] Exemplarily, after determining one first storage space that fits the required space from among the unoccupied spaces based on the space characteristics of each unoccupied space and the required space, the orientation of the luggage to be stored is determined based on the orientation of the required space that fits the first storage space.

[0159] In this embodiment, based on the required space of the goods to be stored and the spatial characteristics of the unoccupied space in the goods storage space, an unoccupied space that is suitable and has good spatial characteristics is determined from the goods storage space, and the goods to be stored are placed therein, thereby realizing the concept of dynamic space allocation for the goods, improving the space utilization rate of the warehouse, reducing the warehouse cost, and at the same time improving the goods storage efficiency.

[0160] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a space allocation method provided in another embodiment of the present disclosure. This embodiment further subdivides step S601 based on FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 7, the space allocation method includes the following steps.

[0161] Step S701: Determine a target storage area based on the popularity of the goods to be stored.

[0162] Exemplarily, the popularity of the goods to be stored may be represented by numerical values or scores such as 35, 12, etc., or may be represented by grades such as high, medium, and low.

[0163] Exemplarily, a mapping relationship between each storage area in the goods storage space and the popularity can be constructed in advance, and the target storage area can be determined based on the popularity of the goods to be stored and the mapping relationship.

[0164] Exemplarily, assume that the goods storage space includes three storage areas, namely area A, area B, and area C, the popularity corresponding to area A is high, the popularity corresponding to area B is medium, and the popularity corresponding to area C is low. When the popularity of the goods to be stored is "medium", the target storage area is determined to be area B.

[0165] Step S702: Based on the spatial characteristics of the unoccupied space and the required space, determine a first storage space that conforms to the required space from the unoccupied space in the target storage area.

[0166] The specific process of step S702 is similar to that of step S601, and the range for determining the first storage space is only modified to the unoccupied space corresponding to the target storage area, so it will not be repeatedly described here.

[0167] Step S703: Allocate the first storage space to the goods to be stored.

[0168] Step S704: Send a first storage instruction to the first robot. The first storage instruction includes information on the first storage space.

[0169] In this embodiment, first, a primary screening of the goods storage space in the warehouse system is performed based on the hotness of the goods to be stored to obtain the target storage area. Further, among the target storage areas, a suitable first storage space is determined based on the space characteristics of the unoccupied space and the required space of the goods to be stored. Thereby, the determination efficiency of the first storage space is accelerated, the smart level of goods storage and the goods storage efficiency are improved, and the space utilization rate of the warehouse system is improved using a dynamic space allocation method, and the warehouse cost can be reduced.

[0170] FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a space allocation method provided in another embodiment of the present disclosure. This embodiment further subdivides step S601 based on FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 8, the space allocation method includes the following steps.

[0171] Step S801: Based on the space characteristics of the unoccupied space and the required space, determine at least two second storage spaces that match the required space from among the unoccupied spaces.

[0172] Exemplarily, the specific process of determining at least two second storage spaces is similar to the process of determining the first storage space in step S601, and only the number of spaces to be determined is modified to at least two, so the specific description of this step will not be repeated here.

[0173] If the number of the second storage spaces is only one, the second storage space can be directly determined as the first storage space, and the subsequent steps can be omitted.

[0174] Step S802: Determine the first storage space from among the at least two second storage spaces based on the hotness degree of the item to be stored.

[0175] Exemplarily, from among each of the second storage spaces, a second storage space that matches the hotness degree of the item to be stored can be selected as the first storage space.

[0176] Furthermore, a mapping relationship between the area corresponding to each storage space and the hotness degree of the item can be constructed in advance, and the first storage space can be determined from among the at least two second storage spaces based on the hotness degree of the item to be stored and the mapping relationship.

[0177] Exemplarily, assume that the second storage spaces include storage space S1 and storage space S2, the hotness degree of the item to be stored is 86, the hotness degree range of the items that can be stored in the area corresponding to storage space S1 is 60 - 80, and the hotness degree range of the items that can be stored in the area corresponding to storage space S2 is 81 - 90. In this case, storage space S2 is determined as the first storage space.

[0178] Step S803: Allocate the first storage space to the item to be stored.

[0179] Step S804: Send a first storage instruction to the first robot. The first storage instruction includes information on the first storage space.

[0180] In this embodiment, first, based on the spatial characteristics of the unoccupied space and the required space of the goods to be stored, a primary screening of the goods storage space in the warehouse system is performed to obtain at least two second storage spaces. Further, based on the hotness degree of the goods to be stored, a matching first storage space is determined from among the at least two second storage spaces. Thereby, the determination efficiency of the first storage space is accelerated, the smart level of goods storage and the goods storage efficiency are improved, the space utilization rate of the warehouse system is improved by using a dynamic space allocation method, and the warehouse cost can be reduced.

[0181] FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a space allocation method provided in another embodiment of the present disclosure. This embodiment further subdivides step S601 based on FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 9, the space allocation method includes the following steps.

[0182] Step S901: Identify one or more target unoccupied spaces that match the required space of the goods to be stored.

[0183] Exemplarily, the target unoccupied space can be an unoccupied space that is larger than or equal to the required space.

[0184] Exemplarily, first, each unoccupied space in the goods storage space is detected or obtained, and further, based on the size information of each unoccupied space and the size information of the required space, a target unoccupied space that is larger than or equal to the required space is identified from among the unoccupied spaces.

[0185] Exemplarily, if there is only one target unoccupied space included, the subsequent steps can be omitted and the target unoccupied space can be directly determined as the first storage space.

[0186] Step S902: Calculate the hotness degree of the goods to be stored.

[0187] Step S903: Calculate the number of spatial points of the target unoccupied space based on the spatial characteristics. Since the calculation method of the number of spatial points is the same as the method described above, it will not be repeatedly described here.

[0188] Step S904: Determine the first storage space based on the matching result between the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored and the number of spatial points.

[0189] Exemplarily, an unoccupied space whose number of spatial points matches the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored can be selected, and the unoccupied space can be determined as the first storage space.

[0190] Optionally, FIG. 10 is a flowchart of step S904 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 10, step S904 includes the following steps.

[0191] Step S9041: Calculate the percentile rank of the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored among the hotness degrees of all the luggage stored in the luggage storage space. The percentile rank of the hotness degree is the percentile corresponding to the rank of the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored among the hotness degrees of all the luggage stored in the luggage storage space.

[0192] Exemplarily, obtain the hotness degrees of all the luggage currently stored in the luggage storage space, determine the rank of the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored based on the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored and the hotness degrees of all the luggage, and further determine the percentile rank of the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored based on the rank of the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored and the number of all the luggage stored in the luggage storage space.

[0193] Exemplarily, the calculation formula for the percentile rank of the hotness degree is as follows.

[0194]

Equation

[0195] However, H d is the percentile rank of the hotness of the items to be stored, R1 is the rank of the hotness of the items to be stored, and M is the number of all items stored in the item storage space.

[0196] Exemplarily, if there are 100 items in the item storage space and the rank of the hotness of the item to be stored is 29th, the percentile rank of the hotness is 29%.

[0197] Step S9042: Based on the number of points of each of the target unoccupied spaces, determine the percentile rank of the number of points of each of the target unoccupied spaces. The percentile rank of the number of points is the percentile corresponding to the rank of the number of points of the target unoccupied space.

[0198] Exemplarily, the calculation formula for the percentile rank of the number of points is as follows.

[0199]

Equation

[0200] However, P i is the percentile rank of the number of points of the i-th target unoccupied space, where i = 1, ···, N, N is the number of target unoccupied spaces, and R2 i is the rank of the number of points of the i-th target unoccupied space.

[0201] Exemplarily, assuming that there are 10 target unoccupied spaces and the rank of the points of the i-th target unoccupied space is 6th, the points percentile rank is 60%.

[0202] Step S9043: Based on the percentile rank of the hotness and the percentile rank of the number of points of each of the target unoccupied spaces, determine the first storage space.

[0203] Exemplarily, a correspondence relationship between the hotness percentile rank and the score percentile rank is constructed in advance, and based on the correspondence relationship, the hotness percentile rank of the luggage to be stored, and the score percentile rank of each of the target unoccupied spaces, the first storage space can be determined.

[0204] Optionally, the step of determining the first storage space based on the hotness percentile rank and the score percentile rank of each of the target unoccupied spaces includes the step of determining, as the first storage space, the target unoccupied space having the smallest absolute value of the difference between the score percentile rank and the hotness percentile rank.

[0205] Exemplarily, assume that the hotness percentile rank of the luggage to be stored is 39%, there are five target unoccupied spaces in the warehouse, and Table 1 is the score percentile rank table of each target unoccupied space provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. According to Table 1, space D2 is closest to the hotness percentile rank of the container to be stored. Therefore, space D2 is determined as the storage location of the container to be stored.

[0206]

Table 1

[0207] Step S905: Assign the first storage space to the luggage to be stored.

[0208] Step S906: Send a first storage instruction to the first robot. The first storage instruction includes information on the first storage space.

[0209] In this embodiment, first, based on the required space of the luggage to be stored, each target unoccupied space capable of storing the luggage to be stored is identified. Further, based on the number of space points and the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored, a first storage space for storing the luggage in the target unoccupied space that matches the hotness degree is determined. Thereby, on the premise of realizing the concept of dynamically allocating space to the luggage, it is realized to allocate a storage space that matches the hotness degree of the luggage to the luggage, improve the rationality and smartness of space allocation, and realize placing the luggage with a high hotness degree in a space where it is easy to take in and out, so as to improve the in-and-out efficiency of the warehouse system.

[0210] FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a space allocation method provided in another embodiment of the present disclosure. This embodiment is a further refinement of step S601 based on FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 11, the space allocation method includes the following steps.

[0211] Step S1101: Calculate the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored.

[0212] Step S1102: Calculate the number of space points of the unoccupied space based on the space characteristics.

[0213] Step S1103: Determine one or more target unoccupied spaces based on the matching result between the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored and the number of space points. Here, the number of space points of the target unoccupied space matches the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored.

[0214] Exemplarily, when the number of target unoccupied spaces is one, the target unoccupied space is directly determined as the first storage space, and subsequent steps can be omitted.

[0215] Furthermore, a mapping relationship of the matching between the hotness degree of the luggage and the number of space points may be constructed in advance, and one or more target unoccupied spaces may be determined based on the mapping relationship of the matching, the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored, and each of the number of space points.

[0216] Step S1104: Determine a first storage space that fits the required space from among the unoccupied spaces of the object.

[0217] Furthermore, if no first storage space that fits the required space is found among the unoccupied spaces of each object, attention information may be generated to prompt for artificial intervention, or the system may enter a standby mode. When a new unoccupied space exists in the system, it may return to step S1102 to calculate the number of space points of the new unoccupied space and determine the unoccupied space of the object again.

[0218] Step S1105: Assign the first storage space to the goods to be stored.

[0219] Step S1106: Send a first storage instruction to the first robot. The first storage instruction includes information on the first storage space.

[0220] In this embodiment, first, based on the number of space points of the unoccupied space and the hotness of the goods to be stored, each unoccupied space of the object that meets the requirement of the hotness of the goods to be stored is determined. Further, based on the required space of the goods to be stored, a space that meets the requirement of the required space of the goods to be stored is selected from among the unoccupied spaces of each object. Thereby, on the premise of realizing the concept of dynamically allocating space to goods, it is realized to allocate a storage space that matches the hotness of the goods to the goods, improve the rationality and smartness of space allocation, and realize placing goods with a high hotness in a space where they are easy to access and retrieve, so as to improve the access and retrieval efficiency of the warehouse system.

[0221] Exemplarily, the hotness of the goods to be stored according to any embodiment of the present disclosure can be determined based on the type of the goods to be stored and / or the frequency of access and retrieval of the goods to be stored.

[0222] Exemplarily, a type hotness corresponding to the luggage type of the luggage to be stored may be obtained, and further, the hotness of the luggage to be stored may be determined based on the type hotness and / or the frequency of taking in and out of the luggage to be stored.

[0223] Exemplarily, the type score of the luggage to be stored may be directly used as its hotness, or the frequency of taking in and out of the luggage to be stored may be specified based on historical data, and further, the hotness of the luggage to be stored may be determined based on the frequency of taking in and out. Or, the hotness score thereof may be determined based on the frequency of taking in and out of the luggage to be stored, and further, the hotness of the luggage to be stored may be determined based on the type score and the hotness score.

[0224] Exemplarily, the hotness of the luggage to be stored can be determined based on one or more of the maximum value, minimum value, average value, total value, weighted average value of both the type score and / or the hotness score of the luggage to be stored.

[0225] Exemplarily, assuming that the type evaluation score of the luggage to be stored is 70, the hotness score of the luggage to be stored is 30, the weight of the type evaluation score is 0.6, and the weight of the hotness score is 0.4, the hotness of the luggage to be stored is 70×0.6 + 30×0.4 = 54.

[0226] Optionally, when the luggage to be stored is a container to be stored and at least two types of articles are included in the container to be stored, the hotness of the luggage to be stored is determined based on the article hotness of each of the articles in the container to be stored.

[0227] Exemplarily, the hotness of the container to be stored may be determined based on one or more of the weighted average value, maximum value, minimum value, average value, highest weighted value, lowest weighted value, set weighted value, and median value of the article hotness of each of the articles to be stored. The highest weighted value refers to the article hotness corresponding to the article with the highest weight, or the product of the article hotness multiplied by its weight. The lowest weighted value refers to the article hotness corresponding to the article with the lowest weight, or the product of the article hotness multiplied by its weight. The set weighted value refers to the article hotness corresponding to the article with a set rank, such as the second highest / middle weight, or the product of the article hotness multiplied by its weight.

[0228] Furthermore, the hotness of the container to be stored may be determined based on the article hotness of each of the articles to be stored and the type hotness corresponding to each article.

[0229] Furthermore, when calculating the hotness of the container or the luggage to be stored, the luggage to be stored or the number of articles therein may be comprehensively considered.

[0230] Exemplarily, assuming that there are article a, article b, and article c in the container to be stored, and the article hotness of article a, article b, and article c are 70, 60, and 50 respectively, and the weights of article a, article b, and article c are 0.5, 0.2, and 0.3 respectively, the hotness of the container to be stored may be 70×0.5 + 60×0.2 + 50×0.3 = 62, or the hotness of the container to be stored may be 70×0.5 = 35, which is the highest numerical value among the weighted values of each article.

[0231] Assume that the type hotness degrees of item a, item b, and item c are 40, 70, and 30 respectively, the weight of the type hotness degree is 0.5, and the weight of the item hotness degree is 0.5. In this case, the hotness degree of the container to be stored may be 70×0.5 + 40×0.5 = 55, which is the weighted hotness degree of the item with the highest item hotness degree. Or the hotness degree of the container to be stored may be 60×0.5 + 70×0.5 = 65, which is the highest weighted hotness degree. Also, the hotness degree of the container to be stored may be the average value of the weighted hotness degrees of all items, i.e., (70×0.5 + 40×0.5 + 60×0.5 + 70×0.5 + 50×0.5 + 30×0.5) / 3 = 53.33. Assume that the numbers of item a, item b, and item c are 6, 9, and 5 respectively. In this case, the hotness degree of the container to be stored may be (70×6 + 60×9 + 50×5) / 20 = 60.5.

[0232] Note that the above method for calculating the hotness degree is only an example and does not limit the present disclosure. Of course, the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored may be calculated by another method.

[0233] Optionally, before determining the first storage space, a step of performing a normalization process on the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored and the number of space points, and a step of performing a matching based on the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored and the number of space points after the normalization process to obtain a matching result are included. The normalization process may be any one of the normalization processes.

[0234] Exemplarily, the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored and each number of space points are converted into a data range where the upper limit threshold and the lower limit threshold are the same. Further, based on the matching result of the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored and the number of space points after the conversion, the first storage space or the unoccupied space of the target may be determined.

[0235] FIG. 12 is a flowchart of a luggage storage method provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. The luggage storage method provided in this embodiment can be executed by a robot of a warehouse system. As shown in FIG. 12, the luggage storage method includes the following steps.

[0236] Step S1201: Obtain the first storage instruction.

[0237] The first storage instruction includes information on a first storage space, and the first storage space is a space assigned to the luggage to be stored. The first storage space is a space that conforms to the required space of the luggage to be stored, determined from the unoccupied spaces of the luggage storage space.

[0238] The first storage space may be a space that conforms to the required space, determined from the unoccupied spaces based on the space characteristics of the unoccupied spaces of the luggage storage space and the required space of the luggage to be stored.

[0239] Step S1202: Store the luggage to be stored in the first storage space based on the first storage instruction.

[0240] FIG. 13 is a structural schematic diagram of a space allocation device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 13, the space allocation device includes a storage space determination module 1310, a storage space allocation module 1320, and a command transmission module 1330.

[0241] The storage space determination module 1310 determines one first storage space that conforms to the required space of the luggage to be stored from the unoccupied spaces of the luggage storage space. The storage space allocation module 1320 allocates the first storage space to the luggage to be stored. The command transmission module 1330 transmits a first storage instruction including information on the first storage space to a first robot.

[0242] Optionally, specifically, the storage space determination module 1310 determines a first storage space that conforms to the required space from the unoccupied spaces based on the space characteristics of the unoccupied spaces of the luggage storage space and the required space of the luggage to be stored.

[0243] Optionally, the space allocation device further includes a required space acquisition module that acquires the required space of the luggage to be stored.

[0244] Optionally, the storage space determination module 1310 specifically obtains a set of spaces that are larger than or equal to the required space from the unoccupied spaces, and determines the first storage space from the set of spaces based on the first condition.

[0245] Optionally, the storage space determination module 1310 specifically determines a target area from among at least one area corresponding to the unoccupied space based on a second condition, and determines a space that is larger than or equal to the required space within the target area as the first storage space.

[0246] Optionally, the storage space determination module 1310 specifically queries for a space that is larger than or equal to the required space among the unoccupied spaces, and when a target space that is larger than or equal to the required space is found, determines the target space as the first storage space.

[0247] Optionally, the storage space determination module 1310 specifically determines a first storage space that fits the required space from among the unoccupied spaces based on the unoccupied space of the luggage storage space and the required space, and determines the orientation of the luggage to be stored.

[0248] Corresponding to the above, the space allocation device further includes a command generation module, and after the first storage space is determined, the command generation module generates the first storage command based on the orientation of the luggage to be stored and the information of the first storage space.

[0249] Optionally, the storage space determination module 1310 specifically determines the number of space points of the unoccupied space based on the space characteristics of the unoccupied space, and determines a first storage space that fits the required space from among the unoccupied spaces based on the number of points of the unoccupied space and the required space.

[0250] Optionally, the storage space determination module 1310 specifically determines a first storage space that conforms to the required space from among the unoccupied spaces based on the hotness degree of the item to be stored, the spatial characteristics of the unoccupied space, and the required space.

[0251] Optionally, the storage space determination module 1310 specifically determines a target storage area based on the hotness degree of the item to be stored, and determines a first storage space that conforms to the required space from among the unoccupied spaces in the target storage area based on the spatial characteristics of the unoccupied space and the required space.

[0252] Optionally, the storage space determination module 1310 specifically determines at least two second storage spaces that conform to the required space from among the unoccupied spaces based on the spatial characteristics of the unoccupied space and the required space, and determines the first storage space from among the at least two second storage spaces based on the hotness degree of the item to be stored.

[0253] Optionally, the storage space determination module 1310 includes a requirement screening unit that determines one or more target unoccupied spaces that match the required space, a hotness degree calculation unit that calculates the hotness degree of the item to be stored, a score calculation unit that calculates the spatial score of the target unoccupied space based on the spatial characteristics, and a storage space determination unit that determines the first storage space based on the matching result between the hotness degree of the item to be stored and the spatial score.

[0254] Optionally, the storage space determination unit includes a hotness percentile calculation subunit that calculates the hotness percentile rank of the hotness of the luggage to be stored among all the luggage stored in the luggage storage space, a space percentile calculation subunit that calculates the point percentile rank of each of the target unoccupied spaces based on the number of space points of each of the target unoccupied spaces, and a storage space determination subunit that determines the first storage space based on the hotness percentile rank and the point percentile rank of each of the target unoccupied spaces.

[0255] Optionally, specifically, the storage space determination subunit determines the target unoccupied space with the smallest absolute value of the difference between the point percentile rank and the hotness percentile rank as the first storage space.

[0256] Optionally, specifically, the storage space determination module 1310 calculates the hotness of the luggage to be stored, calculates the number of space points of the unoccupied space based on the space characteristics, determines one or more target unoccupied spaces based on the matching result between the hotness of the luggage to be stored and the number of space points, and determines the first storage space that conforms to the required space from among the target unoccupied spaces.

[0257] Optionally, the space allocation device further includes a normalization processing module that performs normalization processing on the hotness of the luggage to be stored and the number of space points, and performs matching based on the hotness of the luggage to be stored and the number of space points after the normalization processing to obtain a matching result.

[0258] Optionally, specifically, the storage space determination module 1310 determines the first storage space that conforms to the required space from among the unoccupied spaces based on the space characteristics of the unoccupied space in the luggage storage space and the required space, and determines the orientation of the luggage to be stored.

[0259] The space allocation device provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure is capable of executing the space allocation method provided in any embodiment of the present disclosure, has corresponding functional modules for executing the method, and exhibits beneficial effects.

[0260] FIG. 14 is a schematic structural diagram of a luggage storage device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 14, the luggage storage device includes a command acquisition module 1410 and a luggage storage module 1420.

[0261] The command acquisition module 1410 acquires a first storage command. The first storage command includes information on the first storage space, and the first storage space is a space that conforms to the required space of the luggage to be stored, which is determined from the unoccupied spaces of the luggage storage space. The luggage storage module 1420 stores the luggage to be stored in the first storage space based on the first storage command.

[0262] FIG. 15 is a schematic structural diagram of a space allocation device provided in another embodiment of the present disclosure. The space allocation device can be a computer or a server. Specifically, it can be a warehouse management device of a warehouse system. As shown in FIG. 15, the space allocation device includes a memory 1510, a processor 1520, and a computer program.

[0263] The computer program is stored in the memory 1510 and is configured to be executed by the processor 1520 to implement the space allocation method provided in any one of the embodiments corresponding to FIGS. 3 to 11 of the present disclosure. The memory 1510 and the processor 1520 are connected via a bus 1530.

[0264] Since the related descriptions can be understood by referring to the related descriptions and effects corresponding to the steps in FIGS. 3 to 11, they will not be described again here.

[0265] FIG. 16 is a schematic structural diagram of a robot provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 16, the robot includes a memory 1610, a processor 1620, and a computer program.

[0266] The computer program is stored in the memory 1610 and configured to be executed by the processor 1620 to implement the luggage storage method provided in the embodiment corresponding to FIG. 12 of the present disclosure. The memory 1610 and the processor 1620 are connected via a bus 1630.

[0267] Since the related descriptions can be understood by referring to the related descriptions and effects corresponding to the steps in FIG. 12, they will not be described again here.

[0268] Optionally, the robot includes a moving chassis, a conveying device, a storage rack, and a lifting unit. The storage rack, the conveying device, and the lifting unit are attached to the moving chassis. The luggage to be stored is stored via the storage rack and conveyed to a position corresponding to the first storage space based on the first storage instruction.

[0269] Optionally, the conveying device includes one or more of a telescopic arm unit, a suction cup, and a robot arm.

[0270] Optionally, the conveying device includes a tray and a direction-changing structure, and the direction-changing structure is used to change the orientation of the luggage placed on the tray.

[0271] FIG. 17 is a schematic structural diagram of a warehouse system provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. The warehouse system includes a space allocation device 1710 and a robot 1720. The space allocation device 1710 may be the space allocation device provided in the embodiment corresponding to FIG. 15 of the present disclosure. The robot 1720 may be the robot provided in the embodiment corresponding to FIG. 15 of the present disclosure.

[0272] The computer-readable storage medium provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure stores a computer program, and the computer program is executed by a processor to implement the space allocation method provided in any one of the embodiments corresponding to FIGS. 3 to 11 of the present disclosure and / or to implement the luggage storage method provided in the embodiment corresponding to FIG. 12 of the present disclosure.

[0273] The computer-readable storage medium can be a ROM, a random access memory (RAM), a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy (registered trademark) disk, an optical data storage device, or the like.

[0274] This embodiment further provides a program product, which includes an executable computer program, and the executable computer program is stored in a readable storage medium. At least one processor of the robot or the warehouse system can read the computer program from the readable storage medium, and at least one processor executes the computer program to cause the robot team control device to execute the space allocation method and / or the luggage storage method provided in each of the above embodiments.

[0275] It should be understood that the devices and methods disclosed in some embodiments provided by the present disclosure can also be implemented in other forms. For example, the above-described device embodiments are merely illustrative. For example, the division of modules is a division of a kind of logical function, and there may be other division methods when actually implemented. For example, a plurality of modules or assemblies can be combined, or integrated into another system, or some features can be omitted or not executed. In addition, the explicit or discussed couplings, direct couplings, or communication connections between each other may be indirect couplings or communication connections through some interfaces, devices, or modules, and may be in electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0276] The modules described as the above-separated members may or may not be physically separated. The members shown as modules may or may not be physical units, and may be located in one place or dispersed among multiple network units. Some or all of the modules can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the scheme of this embodiment.

[0277] In addition, each functional module in each embodiment of the present disclosure may be integrated into one processing unit, each module may physically exist independently, or two or more modules may be integrated into one unit. The unit composed of the above modules may be realized in the form of hardware, or may be realized using a form in which a software functional unit is added to the hardware.

[0278] The integrated module realized in the form of the above software functional module may be stored in one computer-readable storage medium. The above software functional module is stored in one storage medium and contains several instructions for causing one computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) or a processor to execute some steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0279] The above-mentioned processor may be a Central Processing Unit (CPU for short), or other general-purpose processors, Digital Signal Processors (DSP for short), Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC for short), etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, or the processor may be any ordinary processor, etc. The steps combining the methods disclosed by the invention may be directly embodied as a hardware processor, executed and completed, or may be executed and completed by using a combination of hardware and software modules within the processor.

[0280] The memory may include high-speed RAM. Furthermore, it may include at least one non-volatile memory NVM such as a magnetic disk memory, and may further be a USB disk, a mobile hard disk, a ROM, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, etc.

[0281] The bus may be an ISA (Industry Standard Architecture) bus, a PCI (Perriphera Component) bus, an EISA (Extended Industry Standard Architecture) bus, etc. The bus may be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For the convenience of illustration, the bus in the drawings of the present disclosure is not limited to having only one bus or one type of bus.

[0282] The above-mentioned memory can be realized by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device such as SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory), PROM (Programmable Read Only Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), magnetic memory, flash memory, magnetic disk, optical disk, or a combination thereof. The storage medium may be a medium such as a usable medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose or dedicated computer.

[0283] As an example, the storage medium is coupled to the processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. Of course, the storage medium may be a component of the processor. The processor and the storage medium may be located within an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuits). Of course, the processor and the storage medium may exist as independent components in an electronic device or a main control device.

[0284] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or some of the steps of the above method embodiments can be achieved by hardware related to program instructions. The above program may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, the steps including the above method embodiments are executed, and the storage medium includes media capable of storing various program codes such as ROM, RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk, etc.

[0285] Finally, it should be noted that each of the above embodiments is only used to illustrate the technical scheme of the present disclosure and is not intended to be limiting. In addition, although the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, as can be understood by those skilled in the art, the technical schemes described in the above embodiments can be further modified or equivalent substitutions can be made for some or all of the technical features. However, these modifications or substitutions do not deviate the essence of the technical scheme from the scope of the technical schemes of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. Based on the spatial characteristics of the unoccupied space in the luggage storage space and the required space of the luggage to be stored, determining a first storage space that conforms to the required space from among the unoccupied spaces; allocating the first storage space to the luggage to be stored; transmitting a first storage instruction including information on the first storage space to a first robot, and Based on the spatial characteristics of the unoccupied space in the luggage storage space and the required space of the luggage to be stored, the step of determining a first storage space that conforms to the required space from among the unoccupied spaces includes determining a first storage space that conforms to the required space from among the unoccupied spaces based on the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored, the spatial characteristics of the unoccupied space, and the required space; Based on the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored, the spatial characteristics of the unoccupied space, and the required space, the step of determining a first storage space that conforms to the required space from among the unoccupied spaces includes calculating the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored; calculating the number of spatial points of the unoccupied space based on the spatial characteristics; determining one or more target unoccupied spaces based on the matching result between the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored and the number of spatial points; and determining a first storage space that conforms to the required space from among the target unoccupied spaces. Before determining the first storage space, performing a normalization process on the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored and the number of spatial points, and performing matching based on the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored and the number of spatial points after the normalization process to obtain a matching result; A space allocation method.

2. The hotness degree of the luggage to be stored is determined based on the type of the luggage to be stored and / or the frequency of taking in and out of the luggage to be stored. The space allocation method according to Claim 1.

3. When the luggage to be stored is a container to be stored and at least two types of articles are included in the container to be stored, the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored is determined based on the article hotness degree of each of the articles in the container to be stored. The space allocation method according to Claim 1 or Claim 2.

4. The spatial characteristics include one or more items among the distance from the workstation, the distance from the intersection, the level of the rack to which it belongs, the space occupancy rate of the rack to which it belongs, the continuous space occupancy ratio of the rack to which it belongs, and the spatial hotness degree. The space allocation method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The step of obtaining a first storage instruction including information on the first storage space, Based on the first storage instruction, the step of storing the luggage to be stored in the first storage space, including, The first storage space is the space allocated to the luggage to be stored, and the first storage space is determined from the unoccupied space based on the spatial characteristics of the unoccupied space of the luggage storage space and the required space of the luggage to be stored, and is a storage space that conforms to the required space. The first storage space is determined from the unoccupied space based on the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored, the spatial characteristics of the unoccupied space, and the required space, and is a storage space that conforms to the required space. The first storage space is determined from one or more target unoccupied spaces based on the matching result between the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored and the number of spatial points of the unoccupied space calculated based on the spatial characteristics, and is a storage space that conforms to the required space. The matching is performed based on the hotness degree of the luggage to be stored and the number of spatial points after the normalization process. Luggage storage method.

6. Including a memory and at least one processor, The memory stores computer execution instructions, By the at least one processor executing the computer execution instructions stored in the memory, the space allocation method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is executed by the at least one processor. Luggage storage device.

7. Including a memory and at least one processor, The memory stores computer execution instructions, By the at least one processor executing the computer execution instructions stored in the memory, the luggage storage method according to claim 5 is executed by the at least one processor. Robot.

8. Including the luggage storage device according to claim 6 and / or the robot according to claim 7, Warehouse system.

9. A computer-readable storage medium storing a container computer execution instruction, wherein when a processor executes the container computer execution instruction, the space allocation method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is realized, and / or the luggage storage method according to claim 5 is realized. A computer-readable storage medium.

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