Assignment device, assignment method, and program

Abstract

The present invention provides an assignment device, assignment method, and program that can improve the work efficiency of picking operations. [Solution] The allocation device 100 is an allocation device 100 for assigning a plurality of items to be picked to a predetermined number of clusters, and comprises: an identification unit 130 that identifies the locations where the plurality of items to be picked are stored based on correspondence information that associates items with the locations where the items are stored; a calculation unit 140 that calculates the travel cost between the identified locations based on the main passage information to which the identified locations belong and location information that identifies the locations; and a classification unit 150 that classifies the plurality of items to be picked into a predetermined number of clusters based on the calculated travel cost so that the difference between the sum of travel costs within each cluster and the sum of travel costs between each cluster is as small as possible.

Claims

[Claim 1] An assignment device for assigning multiple items to be picked from among items stored in multiple locations within a facility to a predetermined number of clusters, Based on correspondence information that associates the aforementioned item with the location where the item is stored, an identification unit identifies the location where the multiple items to be picked are stored. A calculation unit calculates the travel costs between the identified locations based on the main route information to which the identified location belongs and the location information that identifies the location. A classification unit that, based on the calculated movement costs, classifies the multiple items to be picked into a predetermined number of clusters such that the difference between the sum of movement costs within each cluster and the sum of movement costs between each cluster is minimized, An allocation device equipped with the following features. [Claim 2] Each of the aforementioned items is stored in one of several storage facilities arranged side by side along the main aisle. The calculation unit calculates the travel cost between the locations by determining the travel cost in a first direction of movement that indicates the width direction of the main passage and the travel cost in a second direction of movement that indicates the direction in which the storage facilities are arranged side by side. The assignment device according to claim 1. [Claim 3] The calculation unit calculates the travel cost between the locations by giving a higher weight to movement in the first direction than to movement in the second direction. The assignment device according to claim 2. [Claim 4] The classification unit determines the order of movement between the locations within each cluster using the traveling salesman problem, and calculates the sum of the movement costs within each cluster based on the determined order of movement. The assignment device according to claim 1 or 2. [Claim 5] The classification unit calculates an evaluation score by determining the average and variance of the sum of the movement costs within each cluster, decides to adopt a classification result whose evaluation score is below a predetermined threshold, and repeatedly executes the process of classifying into a predetermined number of clusters until it decides to adopt the classification result. The assignment device according to claim 1 or 2. [Claim 6] The classification unit calculates an evaluation score by determining the average and variance of the sum of the movement costs within each cluster, and repeatedly performs the process of classifying into a predetermined number of clusters and the process of calculating the evaluation score a predetermined number of times. It then decides to adopt the classification result with the smallest evaluation score among the calculated evaluation scores. The assignment device according to claim 1 or 2. [Claim 7] The aforementioned correspondence information includes information that identifies whether or not the location is adjacent to the final location where the picking worker places the picked items onto the conveyor belt. The classification unit classifies each cluster to include items stored in the location where the final location is set. The assignment device according to claim 1 or 2. [Claim 8] The classification unit calculates a weighted cost by dividing the travel cost of the items to be picked from their respective locations to the initial seed in each cluster by the capacity coefficient, based on the capacity coefficient, and classifies the items into the cluster that minimizes the weighted cost. The assignment device according to claim 1 or 2. [Claim 9] A computer for assigning multiple items to be picked from among items stored in multiple locations within a facility to a predetermined number of clusters, A step of identifying the location where the multiple items to be picked are stored, based on correspondence information that associates the aforementioned item with the location where the item is stored. A step of calculating the travel costs between the identified locations based on the main route information to which the identified location belongs and the location information that identifies the location, Based on the calculated movement costs, the step of classifying the multiple items to be picked into a predetermined number of clusters such that the difference between the sum of movement costs within each cluster and the sum of movement costs between each cluster is minimized. The assignment method for executing this. [Claim 10] A computer is used to assign multiple items to be picked from among items stored in multiple locations within the facility to a predetermined number of clusters. A process to identify the locations where the multiple items to be picked are stored, based on correspondence information that associates the aforementioned item with the location where the item is stored. A process for calculating the travel costs between the identified locations based on the main route information to which the identified location belongs and the location information that identifies the location, Based on the calculated movement costs, the process of classifying the multiple items to be picked into a predetermined number of clusters such that the difference between the sum of the movement costs within each cluster and the sum of the movement costs between each cluster is minimized, A program that executes the command.

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