Control device for mega-bending machine based on warehouse automation and its operation method

Abstract

An operation method of a control device for a mega-bending machine in an embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of identifying individual small products from an input box, picking up the identified individual small products and placing them in each slot of a shuttle container, transporting the shuttle container to a shelf partition area of ​​a warehouse, opening the lower part of the shuttle container slot to eject the individual small products into the shelf partition area, and completing the input processing of the individual small products.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a control device and an operation method thereof, and more particularly to a control device for a mega-bending machine based on warehouse automation and an operation method thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, logistics management refers to the overall process of developing handling items for vertical and horizontal transactions at each stage of each base in the fields of development, production, distribution, and consumption, planning precise requirements with an emphasis on inventory management, procuring and purchasing from quality providers, controlling inventory at an appropriate level, storing and managing only necessities, and only receiving and distributing general items, so as to sell and distribute in a timely manner according to demand. A logistics management system for this process consists of processes including transportation, storage / inventory, loading and unloading, and packaging, which are carried out from the time of receiving goods to the time of shipping.

[0003] To address this need for logistics management, various transport methods and mechanical systems have been proposed to automate warehouse operations. For automated factory lines, various warehouse automation systems have been proposed that combine conveyor belts with mobile logistics robots.

[0004] However, most of the systems proposed so far are aimed at large logistics centers and warehouse management systems for parcels, and are limited to simply automating the processing of items of the same size, material, and shape, such as pallets, large boxes, and large containers. This makes it difficult to apply these systems to the logistics management of individual small products of various sizes, materials, and shapes that are handled in convenience stores, etc.

[0005] In particular, non-face-to-face sales methods such as 24-hour unmanned convenience stores and vending machines are becoming popular these days. However, these small sales areas do not even have the space to handle mobile logistics robots or large containers, and the individual small products vary in size, material, and shape, making it difficult to apply existing large-scale warehouse management techniques.

[0006] Therefore, at present, the technology for automating management systems for each individual small product is still insufficient, and as a result, even in unmanned convenience stores, the current small sales floors still use the classic method of having people open storage boxes, pick up products, and arrange them on shelves or in vending machines, with customers selecting and paying for the items themselves. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The present invention has been devised to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a control device and operating method for a mega-bending machine based on warehouse automation that can automatically store, display on shelves, and discharge ordered products regardless of the shape, pattern, material, etc. of individual small products by using the slot control function of the shuttle containers transported between shelves. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the operating method of the control device of the mega bending machine of the present invention is characterized by including the steps of identifying individual small products from an input box, picking up the identified individual small products and placing them in each slot of a shuttle container, transporting the shuttle container to a shelf division area of ​​a warehouse, and opening the lower part of the slot of the shuttle container to eject the individual small products into the shelf division area, and completing the input processing of the individual small products.

[0009] In addition, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the control device of the mega-bending machine of the present invention is characterized by comprising a recognition and sorting processing unit that identifies individual small products from the receiving box, a picking manipulator driving unit that picks up the identified individual small products and places them in each slot of the shuttle container, a shelf transporting unit that transports the shuttle container to a shelf division area of ​​the warehouse, a shuttle container driving unit that opens the bottom of the slot of the shuttle container and ejects the individual small products into the shelf division area, and an inventory information processing unit that performs inventory completion processing of the ejected individual small products.

[0010] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the shuttle container connected to the control device of the mega-bending machine of the present invention is characterized by comprising one or more slots in which individual small products picked up by the pickup manipulator of the control device of the mega-bending machine are placed, a conveying control unit that transports the shuttle container to a shelf division area of ​​a warehouse where the individual small products are stored, and a slot control unit that opens the bottom of the one or more slots and ejects the individual small products into the shelf division area when the shuttle container is transported to the shelf division area. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide a control device and an operating method for a mega-bending machine based on warehouse automation that can automatically store, display on shelves, and discharge ordered products regardless of the shape, pattern, material, etc. of individual small products by using the slot control function of the shuttle containers transported between shelves.

[0012] As a result, according to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to maximize the utilization of space in small warehouses for operating unmanned convenience stores, vending machines, etc., and it has the advantage of being able to minimize the labor costs of sellers and buyers involved in sorting items, displaying them on shelves, picking them up, and discharging ordered products. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an overall system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing in more detail a control device of a mega-bending machine based on warehouse automation according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary structure of a warehouse automation area of ​​a mega-bending machine system based on a shuttle container according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a shuttle container in more detail according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation method of a control device for a mega-bending machine based on warehouse automation according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation method of a control device for a mega-bending machine based on warehouse automation according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1A-1C illustrate an embodiment of a shuttle container and shelf structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 1A-1C illustrate an embodiment of a shuttle container and shelf structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 1A-1C illustrate an embodiment of a shuttle container and shelf structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 1A-1C illustrate an embodiment of a shuttle container and shelf structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 1A-1C illustrate an embodiment of a shuttle container and shelf structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The following merely illustrates the principles of the present invention. Therefore, those skilled in the art will be able to embody the principles of the present invention and invent various devices and methods that fall within the concept and scope of the present invention, even if not explicitly described or shown in the present specification. It should be understood that all conditional terms and embodiments listed in the present specification are, in principle, expressly intended only for the purpose of understanding the concept of the present invention, and are not limited to the embodiments and conditions specifically listed in this specification.

[0015] Moreover, all detailed descriptions reciting specific embodiments, as well as principles, aspects, and embodiments of the present invention, should be understood to be intended to encompass structural and functional equivalents of such items, including not only currently known equivalents but also equivalents developed in the future, i.e., all elements invented to perform the same function, regardless of structure.

[0016] Thus, for example, the block diagrams herein should be understood to represent conceptual views of illustrative circuitry embodying the principles of the invention. Similarly, all flowcharts, state transition diagrams, pseudocode, and the like, which may be substantially represented on a computer-readable medium, should be understood to represent various processes performed by a computer or processor, whether or not a computer or processor is explicitly shown.

[0017] Additionally, the explicit use of terms such as processor, control, or similar concepts should not be construed as exclusively referring to hardware capable of executing software, but should be understood to implicitly include, without limitation, digital signal processor (DSP) hardware, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), and non-volatile memory for storing software. Other commonly known and commonly used hardware may also be included.

[0018] The above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. This will enable those skilled in the art to easily implement the technical concept of the present invention. Furthermore, when it is deemed that detailed descriptions of known technologies relating to the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, such detailed descriptions will be omitted.

[0019] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an outline of the entire system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Referring to Figure 1, the overall system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a control device 100 for a mega vending machine based on warehouse automation, a purchaser terminal 200, an order processing device 300, a product storage device 400, and a discharge device 500.

[0022] The entire system may be connected to each other via a communication network such as wired or wireless internet. A network that establishes a secure connection for each communication may be configured between the control device 100, the customer terminal 200, the order processing device 300, the product receiving device 400, and the discharging device 500 of the mega vending machine based on warehouse automation.

[0023] In addition, the control device 100, purchaser terminal 200, order processing device 300, product storage device 400, and discharge device 500 of each warehouse automation-based mega vending machine may each be equipped with a communication module for connecting to the communication network and sending and receiving data.

[0024] Examples of communication networks include wired Internets, including open Internets and closed intranets, wireless Internet communication networks linked to mobile communication networks, and computer networks capable of various types of data communication, including data communication based on protocols such as Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) / Internet Protocol (IP) and User Datagram Protocol (UDP).

[0025] In addition, the purchaser terminal 200 may be a purchaser's terminal device that transmits and inputs order information and payment information regarding one or more products among the products provided in the warehouse automation area to the control device 100 of the mega vending machine based on warehouse automation via a wireless network, and examples thereof include mobile devices such as tablets, personal computers, mobile phones, and smartphones.

[0026] The order processing device 300 may be connected to the warehouse automation-based mega-vending machine control device 100 via a wired or wireless network, and may transmit and input product order information and payment information generated by offline input by a purchaser to the warehouse automation-based mega-vending machine control device 100. For example, the order processing device 300 may be a kiosk device equipped with a touch screen that generates a purchasing interface corresponding to products provided in the warehouse automation area and receives user input regarding the purchasing interface.

[0027] Furthermore, the control device 100 of the mega-bending machine based on warehouse automation may be a logistics control system device in the warehouse automation area that controls the product storage device 400 and discharge device 500, the conveyors and picking manipulators in the warehouse automation area, and the overall driving of the shelf transport system.

[0028] The control device 100 of the mega vending machine based on warehouse automation can identify and sort inventory boxes containing individual small products when they are placed into the warehouse automation area from the product storage device 400, and transport them to individual partitioned areas on the shelf.In response to order information input into the purchaser terminal 200 or the order processing device 300, the control device 100 can pick up and assemble at least some of the individual small products and discharge them via the discharge device 500.

[0029] To this end, the control device 100 of the mega vending machine based on warehouse automation first recognizes and sorts individual small products from the new inventory box when a new inventory box is received through the product receiving device 400 and placed in the warehouse automation area, and controls a picking manipulator to pick up the identified individual small products, and then controls the picking manipulator to pick up the identified individual small products and place them in each slot of the shuttle container.

[0030] In addition, the control device 100 of the mega-bending machine based on warehouse automation in an embodiment of the present invention uses a conveying module to transport the shuttle container to a shelf division area of ​​the warehouse, and can open the lower part of the slot of the shuttle container to eject the individual small products into the shelf division area and complete the inventory processing of the individual small products.

[0031] That is, the control device 100 of the mega-vending machine based on warehouse automation according to an embodiment of the present invention can process the pickup and transportation of each product based on the shuttle container when operating the shelf system in the warehouse automation area, and the shuttle container can have partitioned areas into which each individual small product can be separated and loaded, which may be referred to as a slot in an embodiment of the present invention. The slot according to an embodiment of the present invention can be configured by dividing the shuttle container with a member such as a partition, and individual small products may be loaded according to a sorting code or by a quantity unit.

[0032] The controller 100 of the mega-bending machine based on warehouse automation according to the embodiment of the present invention can operate the shelf transport system via the shuttle container and remotely control the downward opening / closing function of each slot so that individual products are placed in specific shelf partition areas. To this end, the controller 100 of the mega-bending machine based on warehouse automation can generate and manage slot arrangement information within the shuttle container that is mapped to product identification information, and can use the slot arrangement information when processing transport to the shelf or transport from the shelf to the discharge basket.

[0033] In addition, when the control device 100 of the mega vending machine based on warehouse automation receives order information from a purchaser terminal or an order processing device, it can identify the location information and quantity information of one or more individual small items corresponding to the order information, and determine the transportation and pickup process for each one or more shuttle containers based on the location information and quantity information of the individual small items.

[0034] Here, the transport and pickup process may include a selection process for selecting a transport module and a shuttle container to pick up individual small items to be picked up within the shelf system into a shuttle container; a first transport process for controlling the transport of the shuttle container in accordance with the driving of the selected transport module; a pickup process for moving the individual small items from a shelf on which the individual small items are lined up to one or more first slots in the shuttle container; a second transport process for transporting the shuttle container with the individual small items placed in the slots to a discharge basket corresponding to order information in accordance with the driving of the transport module; and a discharge process for opening the first slot of the shuttle container and discharging the individual small items into the discharge basket.

[0035] As a result, the control device 100 of the mega-vending machine based on warehouse automation can transfer control commands associated with the transport and pick-up process to the one or more shuttle containers, and when one or more individual small items picked up in the one or more shuttle containers are all collected in a discharge basket, transfer a discharge processing command corresponding to the discharge basket to the discharge device, and perform discharge completion processing corresponding to the order information.

[0036] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing in more detail the control device of the mega-bending machine based on warehouse automation according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Referring to Figure 2, the control device 100 of a mega vending machine based on warehouse automation in an embodiment of the present invention includes a communication unit 101, a database unit 103, a control unit 105, a recognition and sorting processing unit 110, a picking manipulator driving unit 120, a shuttle container driving unit 130, a shelf transport driving unit 150, an order information processing unit 155, an inventory information processing unit 160, and an ejection information processing unit 165.

[0038] The control unit 105 includes one or more microprocessors for overall control of the components of the controller 100 for the warehouse automation based mega-bending machine.

[0039] The communication unit 105 comprises one or more communication modules for communicating with the security service network.

[0040] Here, the communication unit 105 can be connected wirelessly or wired via a local area network (LAN) and the Internet, connected via a universal serial bus (USB) port, connected via a mobile communication network such as 3G (third generation mobile communication system), 4G (fourth generation mobile communication system), or 5G (fifth generation mobile communication system), or connected using a short-range wireless communication method such as near field communication (NFC), radio frequency identification (RFID), or Wi-Fi.

[0041] The database unit 103 can perform mapping registration, storage and management processes for various information such as order information, recognition and sorting information, shuttle container driving information, shelf transport information, warehousing information and discharge information.

[0042] Here, the shuttle container driving information may include slot arrangement information of the shuttle container that is mapped to product identification information, and the shelf transport information may include shelf partition area identification information that corresponds to the slot arrangement information, so that the database unit 103 can separately construct, store, and manage an inventory management database that manages the incoming and outgoing information.

[0043] Meanwhile, the recognition sorting processing unit 110 can identify and sort one or more individual small products from the inventory boxes input from the product receiving device 400. Various known visual sorting systems can be used for sorting, and therefore the recognition sorting processing unit 110 is equipped with one or more cameras and can identify and sort individual small products recognized using a visual sorting system that uses a visual sorting model pre-constructed from image information from the cameras.

[0044] In addition, the recognition sorting processing unit 110 can transmit image information of the inventory box to a separate user terminal, receive basic recognition sorting information from the user terminal, and perform secondary sorting processing using the basic recognition sorting information. That is, the basic recognition sorting information may be primary sorting information obtained from an external network, may be input by a person, or may be obtained using another recognition model. This can improve processing efficiency due to the distributed configuration of the recognition system.

[0045] Furthermore, the picking manipulator driving unit 120 can generate a driving command to drive a picking manipulator positioned within the warehouse automation area to pick up the identified individual small products and place them in each slot of the shuttle container, and transfer the driving command to the picking manipulator.

[0046] Here, the picking manipulator can be exemplified by various types of picking manipulators that can pick up the identified individual small products and move them to the shuttle container, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0047] For example, the picking manipulator can pick up the individual small items based on various known methods, such as one or more finger modules driven by a servo motor, one or more suction modules driven by a vacuum suction plate, or multiple combined picking modules driven by a left-right contact method, identify an empty slot in the shuttle container, and place the individual small items in the identified slot. If there is no empty slot, the picking manipulator driving unit 120 can request a transport command from the shuttle container driving unit 130 and the shelf transport driving unit 150 to transport the shelf of the currently full shuttle container, and request a transport command to insert a new empty shuttle container.

[0048] In addition, the shuttle container driving unit 130 can store and manage the slot arrangement information of the shuttle container 200 by matching it with the identification information of individual small products, and when the shuttle container 200 is transported to the target shelf division area, it can transfer a driving command to the shuttle container 200 to open the lower part of the shuttle container slot and eject the individual small products into the shelf division area.

[0049] The shelf transport driver 150 can control the transport of the shuttle container 200 to the shelf partition area of ​​the warehouse. To this end, the shelf system may be equipped with a transport module that can pick up the shuttle container 200 and transport it to the shelf partition area. Here, the transport module may be a transport module mounted on a rail located above the automated warehouse area, or a transport module coupled to a transport robot that operates in the automated warehouse area, or may be realized by a transport module that can move the shuttle container 200 along the rows and columns of each shelf partition area using various other conventionally known methods.

[0050] The shelf division area may also be a first shelf division area determined according to an optimization algorithm based on random access. More specifically, the control device 100 for a mega-vending machine based on warehouse automation according to an embodiment of the present invention can store and manage shelves and product positions in the warehouse automation area in a manner that enables random access to each individual small product in the shelf system. As a result, the shelf transport driver 150 can map, store, and manage a shelf arrangement table and product identification information for random access.

[0051] Furthermore, when determining the first shelf division area into which a new individual small product is to be discharged, the shelf transport driving unit 150 can process a calculation to determine, from among shelf division areas that are vacant using the random access method, the division area that minimizes the required cost predicted by the transport function as the first shelf division area. For example, the shelf transport driving unit 150 can process an optimization algorithm to determine, as the first shelf division area, the shelf and division position that are determined as the nearest position corresponding to the current position of the shuttle container 200 and the number of products and that can be loaded.

[0052] On the other hand, the inventory information processing unit 160 can perform inventory completion processing for the individual small products discharged into the shelf partition area.

[0053] More specifically, the inventory information processing unit 160 maps and stores slot arrangement information corresponding to the individual small product information, and when the bottom of the first slot of the shuttle container corresponding to the slot arrangement information is opened, the shelf division area identification information of the shelf division area into which the individual small product was discharged can be mapped to the individual small product information and stored in the inventory database of the database unit 103.

[0054] On the other hand, the communication unit 101 can receive order information from a consumer terminal or an order processing device and transfer it to the order information processing unit 155 .

[0055] In addition, the order information processing unit 155 can identify the location information and quantity information of one or more individual small items corresponding to the order information, determine the transportation and pickup process for each one or more shuttle containers based on the location information and quantity information of the individual small items, and transfer control instructions associated with the transportation and pickup process to the one or more shuttle containers.

[0056] Here, the transport and pickup process for each of the one or more shuttle containers may include a process including steps of obtaining shelf division area identification information of a pickup target corresponding to a first product, processing a transport command for a first shuttle container corresponding to the shelf division area identification information of the pickup target, and processing an ejection command for a shelf element corresponding to the shelf division area identification information of the pickup target so that the shelf element ejects the first product into the first shuttle container.

[0057] Furthermore, when one or more individual small items picked up in the one or more shuttle containers are all collected in a discharge basket, the discharge information processing unit 165 transfers a discharge processing command corresponding to the discharge basket to the discharge device and performs discharge completion processing corresponding to the order information.

[0058] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the structure of a warehouse automation area of ​​a mega-bending machine system based on a shuttle container according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0059] Referring to FIG. 3, the structure of the warehouse automation area according to an embodiment of the present invention may be equipped with a picking manipulator drive unit 120 that picks up products from new inventory boxes that are received via the product receiving device 400 and transported via the second conveyor, and places them in the shuttle container 200.

[0060] In addition, the shuttle container can move via a first conveyor, and the shelf transport drive unit 150 can determine a first shelf division area and move a first transport module and a first conveyor corresponding to a first shelf including the determined first shelf division area, thereby controlling the shuttle container to be transported and processed via the first transport module.

[0061] Furthermore, when discharging items based on order information, the shelf conveying drive unit 150 can also perform a conveying process in which the shuttle container 200 picks up individual small products from the shelf via the conveying module and transports them to a discharge basket. The discharge basket can then be transported via a second conveyor and transported to the item discharge device 400.

[0062] Meanwhile, the shuttle container 200 may be configured to be arranged based on a slot according to an embodiment of the present invention, and may have a slot control portion that can be opened downward for product discharge, as will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

[0063] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a shuttle container according to an embodiment of the present invention in more detail.

[0064] Referring to FIG. 4, the shuttle container 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a transfer control unit 210, a buffer unit 220, a sensor unit 230, and a slot control unit 240.

[0065] More specifically, as described above, shuttle container 200 may be provided with one or more slots in which individual small products picked up by a pickup manipulator of the mega-bending machine control device are placed, and transport control unit 210 controls transport to transport the shuttle container to a shelf partition area in the warehouse where the individual small products are stored. Transport control unit 210 may be connected to shelf transport drive unit 150, and can move shuttle container 200 into the warehouse area by performing motor control in response to a movement command from shelf transport drive unit 150.

[0066] The buffer section 220 may be located in the lower area of ​​each slot and may include a buffer member to prevent impacts on the bottom edge when an individual small product is placed in. The buffer member may be made of various materials, such as silicone, rubber, or fiber material, and thus can reduce the impact even if the product is dropped into the slot from a slightly higher position.

[0067] Furthermore, the sensor unit 230 may be installed on the side or bottom of the slot and can be used to determine the presence, size, shape, material, quantity, etc. of individual small products when they are placed. The sensing results of the sensor unit 230 are transmitted to the shuttle container driving unit 130 and can be used to determine slot placement information. Thus, the sensor unit 230 can sense information on the presence, quantity, size, shape, material, etc. of placed products and transmit the information to the shuttle container driving unit 130.

[0068] Meanwhile, when the shuttle container is transported to the shelf partition area, the slot control unit 240 performs a slot control function of opening the lower portion of the one or more slots and discharging the individual small products into the shelf partition area. The lower portion of the slot is realized as an open / close type and can be opened and closed under the control of the slot control unit 240, and various opening and closing methods can be used, such as a door method or a sliding method.

[0069] 5 and 6 are flowcharts for explaining an operation method of a control device for a mega-bending machine based on warehouse automation according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0070] 5 and 6, the control device 100 of the mega vending machine based on warehouse automation according to the embodiment of the present invention first recognizes and sorts individual products in the stocked inventory box (S101).

[0071] In addition, the control device 100 of the mega-vending machine based on warehouse automation picks up individual products from the inventory box, places them in the respective slots of the shuttle container, matches the placement information with the product information, and stores them (S103).

[0072] Next, the controller 100 of the mega-bending machine based on warehouse automation determines the optimal vacant partition area on the shelf according to a random access optimization algorithm, and transports the shuttle container to the optimal location (S105).

[0073] Next, the controller 100 of the mega-vending machine based on warehouse automation opens the lower part of each slot of the shuttle container to discharge the individual products into the optimum partition area of ​​the shelf, and completes the storage process (S107).

[0074] In addition, the control device 100 of the mega vending machine based on warehouse automation stores the product identification information and shelf division area information for which the inventory has been completed (S109), identifies the location and number of individual items corresponding to the order information (S111), and sets the transport and pickup process for each shuttle container corresponding to the identified individual items (S113).

[0075] Next, the control device 100 of the mega-vending machine based on warehouse automation transports the shuttle container, picks up products from the shelf to each slot of the shuttle container (S115), and transfers the picked-up individual products from the shuttle container to the discharge basket (S117).

[0076] Furthermore, the control device 100 of the mega-vending machine based on warehouse automation carries out the discharge basket that has finished discharging the products to the outside, and performs discharge completion processing of the order information (S119).

[0077] 7 to 11 are diagrams showing an embodiment of a shuttle container and shelf structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0078] First, FIGS. 7 and 8 are diagrams illustrating product loading methods according to an embodiment of the present invention, with FIG. 7 illustrating a sliding guide method and FIG. 8 illustrating a discharge method.

[0079] 7, the conveyance control unit 210 according to the embodiment of the present invention can convey the shuttle container 200 so that the bottom of the slot of the shuttle container 200 is positioned on a sliding guide connected to the shelf partition area. This allows the individual small products discharged from the shuttle container 200 to be conveyed via the sliding guide and move inside the shelf partition member.

[0080] 8, the conveyance control unit 210 according to the embodiment of the present invention can convey the shuttle container so that the bottom of the slot of the shuttle container is positioned above the shelf partition area. This allows the individual small products discharged from the shuttle container 200 to immediately drop into the partition member of the shelf located at the bottom end and be conveyed therein.

[0081] On the other hand, Figure 9 illustrates the discharge process in a sliding guide system having a structure as shown in Figure 7. Referring to Figure 9, the shelf system may be configured so that at least a portion of the shelf partition member moves, and as the partition member moves, individual small products may be ejected into each slot of the shuttle container 200 located below via the sliding guide.

[0082] In contrast, Fig. 10 illustrates the discharge process in the discharge method having the structure as shown in Fig. 8. Referring to Fig. 10, a discharge structure may be provided at the bottom of each partition area of ​​the shelf itself, and the shelf conveying drive unit 150 can operate the discharge structure at the bottom of the shelf to process the individual small products to be discharged downward. This allows the individual small products to be discharged into each slot of the shuttle container 200 located below.

[0083] 11 illustrates an example of the operation of the partition members of the shelf according to an embodiment of the present invention. The partition areas separating each shelf can be variably moved according to the size and shape of the individual small products. To this end, the shelf transport drive unit 150 can vary the position information of the partition members provided on the shelf, thereby realizing a shelf system in which individual small products of various shapes and sizes occupy an optimized space.

[0084] In addition, the shelf conveying drive unit 150 can find the appropriate shelf partition area position based on sensing information of at least one of the size, shape, material, and quantity of the products placed in the slot, and operate the partition member to provide the appropriate space.

[0085] The method according to the present invention can be implemented by a computer-executable program and stored in a computer-readable recording medium, such as a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, or an optical data storage device.

[0086] The computer-readable recording medium may be distributed among computer systems connected via a network, so that the computer-readable code may be stored and executed in a distributed manner.Functional programs, codes, and code segments for implementing the method may be easily construed by programmers skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains.

[0087] Furthermore, although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described above, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made by a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the invention pertains without departing from the gist of the present invention as claimed in the claims, and these modified embodiments should not be understood separately from the technical ideas and perspectives of the present invention.

Claims

1. 1. A method of operating a control device for a megabending machine, comprising: identifying individual small items from the receiving bin; picking up and placing the identified individual small items into respective slots of a shuttle container; transporting the shuttle container to a shelf separation area of ​​a warehouse; a step of opening a lower portion of the slot of the shuttle container to discharge the individual small products into the shelf partition area and completing the warehousing process for the individual small products; receiving order information from a buyer terminal or an order processing device; identifying location information and number information of one or more individual small items corresponding to the order information; determining a transfer and pickup process for each of one or more shuttle containers based on the location and number information of the individual small items; transmitting control instructions associated with the transfer and pick-up process to the one or more shuttle containers; When the one or more individual small items picked up in the one or more shuttle containers are all collected in the discharge basket, a discharge processing command corresponding to the discharge basket is transferred to a discharge device, and a discharge completion processing corresponding to the order information is performed; A method of operating a control device for a mega bending machine, including:

2. The step of arranging includes a step of mapping and storing slot arrangement information corresponding to the individual small product information; The step of completing the warehousing process includes: opening a bottom of a first slot of the shuttle container corresponding to the slot placement information; a step of mapping shelf division area identification information of the shelf division area into which the individual small products are discharged to the individual small product information and storing the mapping information in an inventory database; 2. A method of operating a megabending machine control device according to claim 1, comprising:

3. The step of completing the warehousing process includes:

2. The method for operating a control device for a megabending machine according to claim 1, further comprising the step of transporting the shuttle container so that a lower portion of the slot of the shuttle container is positioned on a sliding guide connected to the shelf partition area.

4. The step of completing the warehousing process includes:

2. The method for operating a control device for a megabending machine according to claim 1, further comprising the step of transporting the shuttle container so that a lower portion of the slot of the shuttle container is positioned above the shelf partition area.

5. The process of transferring and picking up each of the one or more shuttle containers comprises: acquiring shelf partition area identification information of a pickup target corresponding to a first product; processing a transport command for a first shuttle container corresponding to the shelf partition area identification information of the pickup target; processing a carry-out command for a shelf element corresponding to the shelf partition area identification information of the pickup target so that the shelf element discharges the first product into the first shuttle container; 2. A method of operating a megabending machine control device according to claim 1, comprising:

6. 2. The method for operating a control device for a mega-bending machine according to claim 1, wherein the shelf division area is a first shelf division area determined according to an optimization algorithm based on random access.

7. A control device for a mega bending machine, a recognition sorting unit for identifying individual small products from the receiving box; a picking manipulator drive unit that picks up the identified individual small products and places them in each slot of a shuttle container; a shelf transport unit that transports the shuttle container to a shelf partition area of ​​a warehouse; a shuttle container drive unit that opens a lower portion of the slot of the shuttle container and discharges the individual small products into the shelf partition area; a storage information processing unit that performs a storage completion process for the discharged individual small products; a communication unit that receives order information from a consumer terminal or an order processing device; an order information processing unit that identifies location information and number information of one or more individual small items corresponding to the order information, determines a transport and pickup process for each of one or more shuttle containers based on the location information and number information of the individual small items, and transfers control commands associated with the transport and pickup process to the one or more shuttle containers; a discharge information processing unit that, when all of the one or more individual small items picked up in the one or more shuttle containers are collected in a discharge basket, transfers a discharge processing command corresponding to the discharge basket to a discharge device and performs a discharge completion process corresponding to the order information; A control device for a mega bending machine comprising:

8. The inventory information processing unit A control device for a megabending machine as described in claim 7, which maps and stores slot arrangement information corresponding to the individual small product information, and when the bottom of the first slot of the shuttle container corresponding to the slot arrangement information is opened, maps shelf partition area identification information of the shelf partition area into which the individual small product is discharged to the individual small product information and stores it in an inventory database.

9. The shelf transport unit is 8. The control device for a mega-bending machine according to claim 7, wherein the shuttle container is transported so that a lower portion of the slot of the shuttle container is positioned on a sliding guide connected to the shelf partition area.

10. The shelf transport unit is The control device for a megabending machine according to claim 7, wherein the shuttle container is transported so that a lower portion of the slot of the shuttle container is positioned above the shelf partition area.

11. The process of transferring and picking up each of the one or more shuttle containers comprises: acquiring shelf partition area identification information of a pickup target corresponding to a first product; processing a transport command for a first shuttle container corresponding to the shelf partition area identification information of the pickup target; processing a carry-out command for a shelf element corresponding to the shelf partition area identification information of the pickup target so that the shelf element discharges the first product into the first shuttle container; 8. The control device for a megabending machine according to claim 7, wherein the process comprises:

12. 8. The control device for a mega-bending machine according to claim 7, wherein the shelf division area is a first shelf division area determined according to an optimization algorithm based on random access.

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