Stacking position planning device, stacking position planning program, and stacking position planning method

Abstract

To provide a stowage position planning device, a stowage position planning program and a stowage position planning method for generating planning information of a stowage position for efficiently and stably stowing many kinds of cargoes.SOLUTION: A stowage position planning device 1 comprises a block pattern information generation unit 22 and a stowage position determination unit 25. The block pattern information generation unit 22 generates block pattern information which is configured by combining a plurality of pieces of item information corresponding to a plurality of objects to be subjected to the stowage position determination processing and has the difference equal to or less than a predetermined value in each of width, depth and height. The stowage position determination unit 25 assigns the generated block pattern information to a predetermined position in the container information of a stowage destination, thereby determining the stowage position in the container of the object corresponding to the item information configuring the block pattern information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a stacking position planning device, a stacking position planning program, and a stacking position planning method.

Background Art

[0002] In a logistics system, a plurality of goods are stacked on a container such as a pallet and moved to efficiently transport the goods. At that time, not only single loading of stacking a single type of goods on a pallet is performed, but also multi-loading of stacking a plurality of types of goods may be performed. In the case of single loading, by determining a suitable stacking pattern of goods in advance, the stacking operation can be efficiently performed on a plurality of pallets in this stacking pattern. However, in the case of mixed loading, since the suitable stacking pattern varies depending on the type and number of goods, it is necessary to plan the stacking position of the goods for each pallet.

[0003] In the case of mixed loading stacking work, mainly because workers recognize the type and number of goods and try by trial and error, there are problems such as the quality of stacking position planning and working hours varying depending on the worker, and there is a risk that the goods may deteriorate or be damaged by performing work involving trial and error.

[0004] In view of this, a technique for automatically calculating the stacking position of goods on a pallet has been disclosed (for example, Patent Document 1). In this technique, based on the type of goods to be stacked, the stacking position of each good for mixed loading a plurality of types of goods on a pallet is calculated. By using this technique, when a plurality of types of goods are mixedly loaded on a pallet, the stacking operation can be efficiently performed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, the aforementioned technology was devised on the premise that there are only a few types of cargo to be loaded. When there are many types of cargo, the calculation process becomes complicated and difficult to apply.

[0007] This disclosure is made in view of the above circumstances and aims to provide a loading location planning device, a loading location planning program, and a loading location planning method that generate loading location planning information for efficiently and stably loading various types of cargo. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The stacking position planning device according to this disclosure includes: an input information acquisition unit that acquires information including the size of each of a plurality of objects to be processed for stacking position determination as item information corresponding to each object, and acquires information on the size of the container to which the objects will be stacked as container information; a block pattern information generation unit that generates block pattern information in which the differences in width, depth, and height are less than or equal to a predetermined value, by combining the information acquired by the input information acquisition unit; and a stacking position determination unit that determines the stacking position within the container for objects corresponding to the item information constituting the block pattern information by assigning the block pattern information generated by the block pattern information generation unit to predetermined positions within the container information.

[0009] The block pattern information generation unit may generate block pattern information by arranging multiple item information horizontally, where the difference in height and the difference in width or depth are less than or equal to a predetermined value, based on the size information of the multiple objects acquired by the input information acquisition unit, or by arranging information of multiple blocks horizontally, where the difference in width and depth are less than or equal to a predetermined value, and the difference in height is less than or equal to a predetermined value.

[0010] The stacking position planning device further comprises a block pattern information storage unit that stores block pattern information generated by the block pattern information generation unit, and a block pattern information management unit that updates the information in the block pattern information storage unit by deleting block pattern information using item information corresponding to an object whose stacking position has been determined by the stacking position determination unit. The stacking position determination unit may, after determining the stacking position of any object, further determine the stacking position within the container of an object corresponding to an item information constituting the block pattern information by assigning the block pattern information selected from the block pattern information storage unit, which has been updated by the block pattern information management unit, to a predetermined position within the container information.

[0011] When the stacking position of any object is determined by the stacking position determination unit, the block pattern information generation unit generates new block pattern information based on item information acquired by the input information acquisition unit for which the stacking position determination process has not yet been performed. The stacking position determination unit may then determine the stacking position of any object and, after determining the stacking position of any object, assign the newly generated block pattern information to a predetermined position within the container information, thereby further determining the stacking position within the container of the object corresponding to the item information constituting the block pattern information.

[0012] If the stacking position determination unit assigns any of the block pattern information to a predetermined position in the container information and determines the stacking position of any object, resulting in a dead space in the container information where none of the block pattern information generated by the block pattern information generation unit can be assigned, the block pattern information generation unit may generate new block pattern information based on item information acquired by the input information acquisition unit for which the stacking position determination process has not yet been performed.

[0013] Furthermore, the stacking position planning program relating to this disclosure causes the computer to perform the following functions: acquire information including the size of each of the multiple objects to be processed for stacking position determination as item information corresponding to each object, and acquire information on the size of the container to which the objects will be stacked as container information; generate block pattern information, which is constructed by combining the multiple items of information based on the acquired information, and in which the differences in width, depth, and height are less than or equal to a predetermined value; and determine the stacking position within the container for objects corresponding to the item information constituting the block pattern information by assigning the generated block pattern information to predetermined positions within the container information.

[0014] Furthermore, the stacking position planning method according to this disclosure involves a stacking position planning device acquiring information including the size of each of the multiple objects to be processed for stacking position determination as item information corresponding to each object, acquiring information on the size of the container to which the objects will be stacked as container information, and generating block pattern information in which the differences in width, depth, and height are less than or equal to a predetermined value, by combining the multiple item information based on the acquired information, and assigning the generated block pattern information to a predetermined position within the container information, thereby determining the stacking position within the container for the objects corresponding to the item information constituting the block pattern information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the loading position planning device, loading position planning program, and loading position planning method of this disclosure, it is possible to generate loading position planning information for loading various types of cargo efficiently and stably. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of a stacking position planning device according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a flowchart showing the operation of a stacking position planning device according to one embodiment. [Figure 3](a), (b), and (c) are examples of block pattern information generated by a pattern that the stacking position planning device according to an embodiment combines two-dimensionally. [Figure 4] (a) and (b) are examples of block pattern information generated by a pattern that the stacking position planning device according to an embodiment combines three-dimensionally. [Figure 5] These are examples of block pattern information stored in the block pattern information storage unit of the stacking position planning device according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] (a) is a perspective view showing information on the free space on a predetermined pallet stored in the free space information storage unit of the stacking position planning device according to an embodiment, and (b) is a perspective view showing information on the free space on the predetermined pallet after being updated by the free space information management unit. [Figure 7] (a) is an example of the stacking position planning information generated by the stacking position planning device, and (b) is an example of the stacking position planning information generated by the stacking position planning device according to an embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] In the following embodiments, in a logistics system, a stacking position determination process for generating planning information on the stacking positions of rectangular parallelepiped packages such as a plurality of cardboard boxes when stacking and transporting them in a container such as a pallet will be described. In the present embodiment, packages such as cardboard boxes are objects subject to the stacking position determination process, and the pallet is a container for stacking.

[0018] 〈Configuration of Stacking Position Planning Device According to an Embodiment〉 The configuration of the stacking position planning device according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The stacking position planning device 1 according to the present embodiment includes an input unit 10, a CPU 20, a storage unit 30, and an output unit 40.

[0019] The input unit 10 is composed of, for example, a mouse or a keyboard operated by a user, or communication means for communicating with a higher-level system that oversees the entire logistics system. The input unit 10 inputs, as condition information for generating planning information on the loading position of packages, information on a plurality of packages to be loaded and information on the pallets at the loading destination, based on operation information of the user or information transmitted from the higher-level system. Specifically, the input unit 10 inputs, as information on the packages to be loaded and information on the pallets at the loading destination, information on the quantity, shape, and size for each type respectively.

[0020] The CPU 20 operates by executing a pre-installed program, and includes an input information acquisition unit 21, a block pattern information generation unit 22, a block pattern information management unit 23, a free space information management unit 24, a loading position determination unit 25, a loading position planning information management unit 26, a calculation control unit 27, and an output information generation unit 28. Further, the storage unit 30 includes a block pattern information storage unit 31, a free space information storage unit 32, and a loading position planning information storage unit 33.

[0021] The input information acquisition unit 21 stores, as item information corresponding to each package, the information on the packages to be loaded input from the input unit 10 in the loading position planning information storage unit 33. Also, the input information acquisition unit 21 stores, as container information (pallet information), the information on the pallets at the loading destination input from the input unit 10 in the free space information storage unit 32.

[0022] The block pattern information generation unit 22 generates block pattern information in which the differences in width, depth, and height respectively are not more than a predetermined value, configured by combining a plurality of item information stored in the loading position planning information storage unit 33. The block pattern information generation unit 22 stores the generated block pattern information in the block pattern information storage unit 31.

[0023] The block pattern information management unit 23 extracts block pattern information using item information corresponding to the cargo whose loading position has been determined by the loading position determination unit 25 (described later) from the item information stored in the loading position planning information storage unit 33. The block pattern information management unit 23 updates the information in the block pattern information storage unit 31 by deleting the extracted block pattern information from the block pattern information storage unit 31.

[0024] The empty space information management unit 24 updates information indicating the location, shape, and size of the empty space on the pallet where the cargo will be loaded each time the loading position of any cargo is determined by the loading position determination unit 25 (described later), and stores this information in the empty space information storage unit 32.

[0025] The stacking position determination unit 25 assigns the block pattern information stored in the block pattern information storage unit 31 to the information of the empty space on the pallet stored in the empty space information storage unit 32. By assigning the block pattern information in this way, the stacking position determination unit 25 determines the stacking position on the destination pallet for the cargo corresponding to the item information that constitutes the block pattern information.

[0026] The stacking location planning information management unit 26 adds information indicating that the stacking location determination process has been completed to the item information of packages whose stacking location has been determined by the stacking location determination unit 25, among the item information stored in the stacking location planning information storage unit 33. The stacking location planning information management unit 26 also adds information indicating the stacking location to the item information corresponding to the packages whose stacking location has been determined.

[0027] The calculation control unit 27 comprehensively controls the operations of the block pattern information generation unit 22, the block pattern information management unit 23, the empty space information management unit 24, the stacking position determination unit 25, and the stacking position planning information management unit 26.

[0028] The output information generation unit 28 generates image information of the determined stacking position plan information as output information based on the stacking position information added to the item information stored in the stacking position plan information storage unit 33, and outputs it to the output unit 40.

[0029] The block pattern information storage unit 31 stores the block pattern information generated by the block pattern information generation unit 22. The empty space information storage unit 32 stores information about the empty space on the pallet to which the items will be stacked. The stacking position planning information storage unit 33 stores information indicating whether the stacking position determination process has been performed or not, for the item information subject to the stacking position determination process. The stacking position planning information storage unit 33 also stores information indicating the determined stacking position for item information for which the stacking position determination process has been performed.

[0030] The output unit 40 outputs the output information generated by the output information generation unit 28 by printing it with a printer, displaying it on a display screen, displaying it on an AR (Augmented Reality) display, or transmitting the data to a higher-level system.

[0031] <Operation of a stacking position planning device according to one embodiment> Next, the operation of the loading position planning device according to this embodiment will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 2. First, when the loading position planning device 1 obtains information instructing the generation of loading position planning information for cargo, either through user operation or information transmission from a higher-level system, the input unit 10 inputs this information to the CPU 20.

[0032] The CPU 20 receives information from the input unit 10, which is used by the input information acquisition unit 21 to instruct the CPU 20 to generate information on the loading location of the cargo, and sends this information to the loading location planning information management unit 26 via the calculation control unit 27. The loading location planning information management unit 26, in accordance with this instruction, deletes the loading location planning information that was generated in the previous loading location planning information generation process and stored in the loading location planning information storage unit 33, and initializes the loading location planning information storage unit 33 (S1).

[0033] Next, based on user operations or information transmitted from a higher-level system, information about the cargo to be loaded and information about the pallet to be loaded are input from the input unit 10 as conditions for generating planning information for the loading location of the cargo. Specifically, information about the cargo to be loaded includes the quantity, shape, and size (width, depth, and height) for each type, and information about the pallet to be loaded includes the quantity, shape, and usable internal dimensions (width, depth) for loading.

[0034] Here, information about the cargo to be loaded is entered, specifically for n rectangular prism-shaped cargo A1-An of multiple types, each differing in at least one of the following dimensions: width, depth, or height. Cargo A1-An may all be of different types, or multiple cargo of the same type may be included. Additionally, information about m pallets B1-Bm, all identical in shape, is entered as information about the destination pallets.

[0035] The input information acquisition unit 21 stores the input information regarding the cargo A1 to An to be stacked as item information a1 to an to be processed for stacking location determination in the stacking location planning information storage unit 33. The input information acquisition unit 21 also stores the input information regarding the pallets B1 to Bm as pallet information b1 to bm to be processed for stacking location determination in the empty space information storage unit 32 (S2).

[0036] Next, the calculation control unit 27 instructs the empty space information management unit 24 to generate empty space information. The empty space information management unit 24 generates empty space information for each palette information b1 to bm stored in the empty space information storage unit 32 in accordance with the instructions of the calculation control unit 27. In this embodiment, the empty space information management unit 24 generates empty space information for a rectangular parallelepiped shape, with the left, back, and bottom points as reference points when viewed from a predetermined direction, within the empty space up to a predetermined height on each palette information b1 to bm.

[0037] At this point, since no stacking plan has yet been generated for any of the pallet information, the empty space information management unit 24 recognizes all the space up to a predetermined height on each pallet information b1 to bm as empty space. The empty space information management unit 24 then stores information indicating the position, shape, and size of the rectangular parallelepiped space corresponding to the empty space of each pallet information b1 to bm in the empty space information storage unit 32 (S3).

[0038] Next, the calculation control unit 27 instructs the block pattern information generation unit 22 to generate block pattern information. The block pattern information generation unit 22 generates block pattern information in which the differences in width, depth, and height are less than or equal to predetermined values, by combining multiple item information stored in the stacking position planning information storage unit 33 for which the stacking position determination process has not yet been executed. The block pattern information generation unit 22 stores the generated block pattern information in the block pattern information storage unit 31 as the target for the stacking position determination process (S4).

[0039] Specifically, the block pattern information generation unit 22 generates block pattern information for a shape whose outer shape is a rectangular prism, or a shape whose outer shape can be considered a rectangular prism if the differences in width, depth, and height are each less than or equal to predetermined values, by combining information from multiple items. Here, the predetermined values ​​are set to values ​​within the range where the loads will not collapse when the corresponding loads are stacked vertically. For example, if the width and depth of each load are 30 cm or more, and it is determined that the loads will not collapse even if a 10% overhang occurs when the loads are stacked, then the allowable difference in width, depth, and height of the loads is set to 3 cm, and block pattern information is generated.

[0040] The block pattern information generation unit 22 generates block pattern information for a rectangular parallelepiped, and the combination patterns of item information used include, for example, a bar-stacking pattern, a pinhole pattern, and a brick pattern, all of which are constructed using item information of the same type. A bar-stacking pattern is a pattern in which all item information is combined so that it is adjacent to all other items in the same orientation. A pinhole pattern is a pattern in which multiple items are arranged in a ring on a plane so that they are orthogonal to each other in orientation. A brick pattern is a pattern in which multiple items are combined so that they are orthogonal to each other in the vertical direction.

[0041] Furthermore, when the block pattern information generation unit 22 generates block pattern information of a shape that can be considered as a rectangular parallelepiped, there are two ways of combining item information: (1) a two-dimensional combination pattern and (2) a three-dimensional combination pattern. These patterns are described below.

[0042] (1) Patterns that combine in two dimensions In pattern (1), the block pattern information generation unit 22 generates block pattern information by combining item information where the height difference is less than or equal to a predetermined value in a two-dimensional manner such that the width and depth differences are less than or equal to predetermined values.

[0043] Figures 3(a), (b), and (c) are top-down views of the block pattern information generated by pattern (1). In Figures 3(a), (b), and (c), the width direction is indicated by the x-direction and the depth direction is indicated by the y-direction.

[0044] As shown in Figure 3(a), the block pattern information generation unit 22 generates block pattern information c1 by arranging item information a1 to a3, in the y direction (depth direction), horizontally, where the height difference (not shown) and width difference d1 are less than or equal to a predetermined value.

[0045] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3(b), the block pattern information generation unit 22 can generate block pattern information c2 by arranging item information a4 to a6, whose height difference (not shown) and depth difference d2 are less than or equal to a predetermined value, in the width direction, which is the x direction. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3(c), the block pattern information generation unit 22 can generate block pattern information c3 by appropriately combining item information a7 to a11, whose height difference is less than or equal to a predetermined value, such that the width difference d3 and depth difference d4 are less than or equal to a predetermined value.

[0046] (2) Patterns that combine in three dimensions In pattern (2), the block pattern information generation unit 22 first selects multiple item information items that do not necessarily have the same height from those stored in the stacking position planning information storage unit 33, and generates multiple block information items by stacking these items. The block pattern information generation unit 22 then combines multiple block information items from the generated block information items whose height difference is less than or equal to a predetermined value, so that the width and depth differences are less than or equal to predetermined values, to generate block pattern information.

[0047] Figures 4(a) and (b) show the block pattern information generated by pattern (2) viewed from an oblique angle above. In Figures 4(a) and (b), the width direction is indicated by the x direction, the depth direction by the y direction, and the height direction by the z direction.

[0048] As shown in Figure 4(a), the block pattern information generation unit 22 generates block information e1 by stacking item information a12 and a13, which have a difference in width and depth of less than or equal to a predetermined value and different heights, in the vertical direction. The block pattern information generation unit 22 also generates block information e2 by stacking item information a14 and a15, which have a difference in width and depth of less than or equal to a predetermined value and different heights, in the vertical direction.

[0049] If the difference in height and depth between the generated block information e1 and e2 is less than or equal to a predetermined value, the block pattern information generation unit 22 can generate a block pattern c4 by arranging the block information e1 and e2 in the width direction.

[0050] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4(b), the block pattern information generation unit 22 generates block information e3 by stacking item information a16 and a17, which have a difference in width and depth of less than or equal to a predetermined value and different heights, in the vertical direction. The block pattern information generation unit 22 also generates block information e4 by stacking item information a18 and a19, which have a difference in width and depth of less than or equal to a predetermined value and different heights, in the vertical direction.

[0051] If the difference in height and width between these block information e3 and e4 is less than or equal to a predetermined value, the block pattern information generation unit 22 can generate a block pattern c5 by arranging the block information e3 and e4 in the depth direction.

[0052] Furthermore, the block pattern information generation unit 22 may combine the generated block pattern information to generate block pattern information with an outline that can be considered as a rectangle or a cuboid. By generating block pattern information using various methods in this way, it is possible to generate block pattern information that is simple yet rich in variations.

[0053] As described above, when the block pattern information generation unit 22 generates block pattern information, one item information may be a component of multiple block pattern information. For example, if eight items of the same type are stored in the stacking position planning information storage unit 33, all or part of this item information can be used to generate the following seven types of block pattern information (a) to (g).

[0054] Block pattern information (a): Block pattern information created by combining 8 item information units in a 2x Block pattern information (b): Block pattern information created by combining 8 item information in a 4x width, 1x depth, and 2x height directions. Block pattern information (c): Block pattern information created by combining 8 item information units in a 1x width, 4x depth, and 2x height direction. Block pattern information (d): Block pattern information created by combining 8 item information units in a 2x width, 1x depth, and 4x height directions. Block pattern information (e): Block pattern information created by combining 8 item information in a 4x width, 1x depth, and 2x height directions. Block pattern information (f): Block pattern information created by combining information from 4 items, with 2 items in the width direction, 2 items in the depth direction, and 1 item in the height direction. Block pattern information (g): Block pattern information based on the information of one item The block pattern information generation unit 22 may generate block pattern information using only some of the item information stored in the stacking position planning information storage unit 33, as shown in block pattern information (f). Alternatively, the block pattern information generation unit 22 may recognize a single item as block pattern information, as shown in block pattern information (g). The block pattern information generation unit 22 stores the generated block pattern information in the block pattern information storage unit 31.

[0055] As described above, the number of block pattern information generated by the block pattern information generation unit 22 can be enormous. If the number of block pattern information becomes enormous, the computational load of the subsequent stacking position determination process will increase. Therefore, the block pattern information generation unit 22 may narrow down the number of block pattern information generated by the following methods (i) or (ii) and store it in the block pattern information storage unit 31.

[0056] (i) The upper limit of the number of block pattern information to be generated is set in advance as a parameter, and the generation process is terminated when the number of generated block pattern information reaches the value of this parameter.

[0057] (ii) After generating all possible block pattern information, select only the top predetermined number of these for a given item. For example, select the top predetermined number of block pattern information with the largest upper area to be used in subsequent processing.

[0058] Next, the calculation control unit 27 determines whether or not item information for which the stacking position determination process has not yet been executed is stored in the stacking position planning information storage unit 33 (S5). Here, the calculation control unit 27 determines that item information for which the stacking position determination process has not yet been executed is stored in the stacking position planning information storage unit 33 (YES in S5), and proceeds to step S6.

[0059] Next, the calculation control unit 27 sends an instruction to the stacking position determination unit 25 to allocate one of the block pattern information stored in the block pattern information storage unit 31 into the available space information of a predetermined pallet.

[0060] The stacking position determination unit 25 determines whether there is a pair of block pattern information and empty space information that can be assigned, based on the block pattern information stored in the block pattern information storage unit 31 and the empty space information stored in the empty space information storage unit 32 (S6). Here, the stacking position determination unit 25 determines that it is physically possible to assign the block pattern information to the empty space information if the width, depth, and height of a predetermined block pattern information are each smaller than the width, depth, and height of a predetermined empty space information. The stacking position determination unit 25 then recognizes this pair of block pattern information and empty space information as a pair that can be assigned. The stacking position determination unit 25 may also include information regarding the weight of the corresponding block pattern information in the criteria for determining whether assignment is possible. For example, if assigning the corresponding block pattern information to a predetermined pallet information would result in the weight of the goods on the corresponding pallet exceeding the load capacity of the pallet, the stacking position determination unit 25 determines that assignment is impossible.

[0061] If the stacking position determination unit 25 determines that there are pairs of block pattern information and available space information that can be assigned (YES in S6), it extracts all of the corresponding pairs (S7). The stacking position determination unit 25 selects the optimal pair from among the extracted pairs of block pattern information and available space information (S8). The indicators used by the stacking position determination unit 25 to select the optimal pair include, for example, the following.

[0062] (1) Select the pair with the smallest pallet identification number (y1~ym). By selecting this pair, the number of pallets used can be reduced.

[0063] (2) Select pairs of block pattern information that have a large volume and are densely packed together. By selecting these pairs, the loading rate of item information can be increased.

[0064] (3) Select the pair with the largest upper area of ​​block pattern information. Selecting this pair increases the flexibility when assigning other block pattern information on top of the block pattern information in question.

[0065] (4) Select pairs with low heights in the block pattern information. By selecting these pairs, a stable stacking position plan can be created.

[0066] (5) Select pairs with low empty spaces. By selecting these pairs, a stable stacking position plan can be created.

[0067] (6) Select pairs of block pattern information consisting of the same type of item information as the block pattern information whose stacking position has already been determined, so as to assign them near the block pattern information whose stacking position has already been determined. By selecting pairs in this way, it is possible to plan the stacking positions so that the same type of item information is close together and there are as few gaps as possible between the item information.

[0068] The stacking position determination unit 25 may select a pair based on one of these indicators, or it may weight multiple indicators and select a pair based on the weighted values. The indicators used by the stacking position determination unit 25 to select the optimal pair are not limited to (1) to (6) above, and any other indicators, such as weight constraints, can be set.

[0069] Next, the stacking position determination unit 25 aligns the corners of the corresponding block pattern information with predetermined positions within the empty space information of the pallet, specifically the base position which is left, back, or bottom, based on the information of the selected pair. Once the stacking position determination unit 25 has assigned the block pattern information within the empty space information of the pallet, the stacking position on the pallet of the cargo corresponding to the item information constituting the block pattern information is determined (S9).

[0070] When the loading location of the relevant cargo is determined, the loading location planning information management unit 26 adds information indicating that the loading location determination process has been completed to the item information of the cargo whose loading location has been determined in the loading location planning information storage unit 33. The loading location planning information management unit 26 also adds information indicating the loading location to the item information of the cargo whose loading location has been determined. By adding this information, the loading location planning information management unit 26 updates the item information of the cargo whose loading location has been determined in the loading location planning information storage unit 33 (S10).

[0071] Next, the calculation control unit 27 notifies the block pattern information management unit 23 of the item information of the cargo whose loading position has been determined. The block pattern information management unit 23 extracts block pattern information using the notified item information. The block pattern information management unit 23 then updates the block pattern information for the loading position determination process by deleting the extracted block pattern information from the block pattern information storage unit 31 (S11).

[0072] For example, suppose the block pattern information storage unit 31 stores 12 block pattern information c11 to c22 generated using all or part of the item information of four rectangular parallelepipeds of the same shape as shown in Figure 5. In this case, if it is notified that two of these four item information pieces belong to a package whose loading position has been determined, the block pattern information management unit 23 determines that block pattern information using three or four of these item information pieces is unavailable. Specifically, the block pattern information management unit 23 determines that the block pattern information c15 to c22 enclosed by the dotted line is unavailable.

[0073] The block pattern information management unit 23 then updates the block pattern information subject to the stacking position determination process by deleting the block pattern information c15 to c22, which it has determined to be unavailable, from the block pattern information storage unit 31.

[0074] Next, the calculation control unit 27 notifies the empty space information management unit 24 of the stacking location information for the item information of the cargo whose stacking location has been determined. The empty space information management unit 24 updates the empty space information of the pallet to which block pattern information has been assigned based on the stacking location information for the corresponding item information (S12).

[0075] For example, as shown in Figure 6(a), the empty space information storage unit 32 stores information indicating the location, shape, and size of the empty space f1 as information about the empty space of the pallet information b1. When block pattern information c23 is assigned to this empty space f1 of the pallet information b1, the empty space information management unit 24 acquires information about the stacking position of the item information that constitutes the block pattern information c23.

[0076] When the empty space information management unit 24 obtains stacking position information for the corresponding item information, it generates information for three empty spaces f2, f3, and f4 as shown in Figure 6(b). Empty space f2 is an empty space indicated by a dotted line in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped above the block pattern information c23. Empty space f3 is an empty space in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped indicated by a dashed line to the right of the block pattern information c23. Empty space f4 is an empty space in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped indicated by a dashed line in front of the block pattern information c23.

[0077] The free space information management unit 24 updates the information by replacing the information of free space f1 in the palette information b1 stored in the free space information storage unit 32 with the information of the generated free spaces f2, f3, and f4.

[0078] As described above, once the stacking position planning information is generated, the stored item information, block pattern information, and pallet empty space information are updated, and the process returns to step S5.

[0079] Subsequently, the processes in steps S5 to S13 are repeated until there is no more item information in the stacking position planning information storage unit 33 for which the stacking position determination process has not yet been executed (NO in S5). At this point, the calculation control unit 27 determines that the generation of stacking position planning information has been successful and terminates the process (S13).

[0080] Furthermore, if there is item information for which the stacking position determination process has not yet been executed, but there is no pair of block pattern information and available space information that can be assigned (NO in S6), the calculation control unit 27 determines that the generation of stacking position planning information has failed and terminates the process (S14).

[0081] In the embodiments described above, a case was explained in which block pattern information of various patterns is generated together in step S4. However, block pattern information may be newly generated as needed during the stacking position plan generation process from step S5 onward.

[0082] For example, when selecting the optimal pair of block pattern information and available space information in step S8, adopting that pair may result in dead space on the palette where no block pattern information can be assigned. In this case, the block pattern information generation unit 22 generates several new block pattern information sets that can be assigned to the available space before adopting that pair.

[0083] The stacking position determination unit 25 selects the optimal pair of information from the selected information pair and the newly generated block pattern information pair with the corresponding empty space. The stacking position determination unit 25 then aligns the corner of the corresponding block pattern information with a predetermined position within the empty space information of the corresponding pallet and assigns it to that position.

[0084] Furthermore, the block pattern information generation unit 22 may generate new block pattern information if, after generating the stacking position planning information, the process returns to step S5 and is repeated, and if item information for which the stacking position determination process has not yet been executed is stored (YES in S5). In this case, in order to reduce the processing load, the block pattern information generation process may be performed only when the number of times the process returns to step S5 is even.

[0085] By generating new block pattern information at these timings, it is possible to generate loading position planning information that allows for loading cargo at an even higher density.

[0086] Furthermore, by setting the type of block pattern information to be generated according to the timing of the generation of new block pattern information, the stacking position plan generation process can be executed efficiently. For example, in step S4, the block pattern information generation unit 22 narrows down the generation to block pattern information composed of the same type of item information and block pattern information composed of the three-dimensionally combined patterns described above. Block pattern information composed of the same type of item information is block pattern information composed of bar stacking patterns, pinhole patterns, or brick patterns, etc.

[0087] Then, when generating new block pattern information during the stacking position plan generation process from step S5 onward, block pattern information composed of the two-dimensional combination patterns described above is generated.

[0088] For example, by arranging multiple item information items, each with a width less than or equal to a predetermined value and a width difference less than or equal to a predetermined value, as shown in Figure 3(a), block pattern information can be generated that matches the depth of the empty spaces f1, f2, or f3 shown in Figure 6(b). Furthermore, by arranging multiple item information items, each with a depth less than or equal to a predetermined value and a depth difference less than or equal to a predetermined value, as shown in Figure 3(b), block pattern information can be generated that matches the width of the empty spaces f1, f2, or f3.

[0089] By generating block pattern information in this way, it is possible to generate block pattern information that matches the shape of the new empty space and efficiently execute the process of generating stacking position planning information.

[0090] After generating the stacking position plan information, the output information generation unit 28 generates image information of the determined stacking position plan information as output information based on the stacking position information of the item information stored in the stacking position plan information storage unit 33, and outputs it to the output unit 40. The output information generation unit 28 may also generate information about the operations during the stacking position plan information generation process and image information as output information and output them to the output unit 40.

[0091] The following describes the simulation results for generating stacking position planning information for stacking 100 items onto a pallet, comparing the process with and without using block pattern information. The simulation uses 100 different types of items, meaning one item per type. Each item measures 220mm to 550mm in width, 180mm to 550mm in depth, and 75mm to 600mm in height. The multiple pallets used for stacking are of the same type, and each pallet measures 1100mm in width, 1100mm in depth, and has a maximum stacking height of 1450mm.

[0092] Figure 7(a) shows the simulation results of a conventional stacking position planning device generating stacking position planning information for stacking the aforementioned 100 items onto pallets without using block pattern information. In this case, the stacking position planning device generates the stacking position planning information using six pallets b1 to b6.

[0093] Figure 7(b) shows the simulation results of the stacking position planning device 1 according to this embodiment generating stacking position planning information for stacking the aforementioned 100 items onto pallets using block pattern information. In this case, the stacking position planning device generates stacking position planning information using five pallets b1 to b5. In other words, using block pattern information results in a higher loading rate per pallet than not using it. By performing stacking work based on stacking position planning information with a high loading rate, efficient transportation work can be performed.

[0094] According to the above embodiment, the stacking position planning device 1 can generate stacking position planning information for efficiently and stably stacking various types of cargo by blocking multiple item information corresponding to various types of cargo and assigning it to the container information of the stacking destination. Furthermore, by generating stacking position planning information in this way, the stacking positions of multiple items can be determined simultaneously, improving processing efficiency compared to determining them one by one.

[0095] Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, when generating stacking position planning information, the stacking position planning device 1 assigns block pattern information, which is constructed by horizontally arranging multiple item information whose height difference and width or depth difference are less than or equal to a predetermined value, into the container information. The stacking position planning device 1 also assigns block pattern information, which is constructed by horizontally arranging information of multiple blocks, which are stacked so that the height difference is less than or equal to a predetermined value, with multiple item information whose width and depth differences are less than or equal to a predetermined value. By performing this assignment process, block pattern information with a shape that can be considered as a rectangular parallelepiped can be generated even from item information with some differences in size, and stacking position planning information for various types of cargo can be generated efficiently.

[0096] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the stacking position planning device 1 deletes block pattern information using item information corresponding to objects whose stacking positions have been determined from the block pattern information storage unit 31 during the stacking position planning information generation process. By performing this process, stacking position planning information can be efficiently generated using only block pattern information using item information for which the stacking position determination process has not yet been performed.

[0097] Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, when the stacking position planning device 1 determines the stacking position of any object, the block pattern information generation unit 22 may generate new block pattern information based on item information for which the stacking position determination process has not yet been performed. By performing this process, new block pattern information can be generated to match the shape of the new empty space, thereby efficiently generating stacking position planning information.

[0098] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the stacking position planning device 1 may generate new block pattern information if a dead space arises in the container information where no block pattern information can be assigned due to the determination of the stacking position of any object. By performing this process, stacking position planning information can be efficiently generated while reducing the processing load for generating block pattern information.

[0099] In the embodiments described above, the case where the objects stacked in the container are cardboard boxes was explained, but it is not limited to this, and any object that can be approximated as a rectangular parallelepiped can be used, such as storage boxes for individual products, building materials, bags such as rice bags and cement bags.

[0100] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment described the case where the destination container is a pallet, it is not limited to this, and may also be a cage cart, folding container, truck, construction material storage area, etc.

[0101] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment described a case in which the stacking position planning device 1 is composed of a single device, it is not limited to this and may be composed of multiple devices. For example, the input unit 10 and the output unit 40 may be implemented as a web browser, the input unit 10 may be used to cause the stacking position planning device to perform the stacking position planning information generation process via the network, and the generated information may be transmitted to the output unit 40 via the network.

[0102] By programming the functional configuration of the stacking position planning device described above and incorporating it into a computer, it is also possible to construct a stacking position planning program that allows the computer to function as a stacking position planning device.

[0103] Although several embodiments have been described, it is possible to modify or transform the embodiments based on the above disclosure. All components of the above embodiments, and all features described in the claims, may be taken individually and combined, provided that they do not conflict with each other. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0104] 1. Stacking position planning device 10 Input section 20 CPU 21 Input Information Acquisition Unit 22 Block pattern information generation unit 23 Block Pattern Information Management Department 24 Spatial Information Management Department 25 Stacking position determination unit 26. Stacking Location Planning Information Management Department 27 Computation Management Department 28 Output Information Generation Unit 30 Storage section 31 Block pattern information storage unit 32 Spatial information storage unit 33. Storage unit for stacking position planning information 33. Storage unit for stacking position planning information 40 Output section

Claims

1. An input information acquisition unit acquires information including the size of each of the multiple objects to be processed for stacking position determination, as item information corresponding to each object, and acquires information on the size of the container to which the objects will be stacked, as container information. A block pattern information generation unit generates block pattern information, which is constructed by combining multiple item information based on the information acquired by the input information acquisition unit, wherein the difference in width, depth, and height between the multiple item information constituting the block pattern information is less than or equal to a predetermined value. The system includes a stacking position determination unit that determines the stacking position within the container for an object corresponding to the item information constituting the block pattern information by assigning the block pattern information generated by the block pattern information generation unit to a predetermined position within the container information, When the stacking position of any object is determined by the stacking position determination unit, the block pattern information generation unit generates new block pattern information corresponding to the empty space in the container based on the item information acquired by the input information acquisition unit for which the stacking position determination process has not yet been performed. The stacking position planning device further determines the stacking position within the container of an object corresponding to an item information constituting the new block pattern information by assigning the new block pattern information to a predetermined position within the container information.

2. The stacking position planning device according to claim 1, wherein the block pattern information generation unit generates block pattern information configured by arranging a plurality of item information horizontally, wherein the height difference between the plurality of item information and the width or depth difference between the plurality of item information are less than or equal to a predetermined value, based on the size information of the plurality of objects acquired by the input information acquisition unit, or block pattern information configured by arranging information of a plurality of blocks horizontally, wherein the width and depth differences between the plurality of item information are less than or equal to a predetermined value, and the height difference between the plurality of item information is less than or equal to a predetermined value.

3. A block pattern information storage unit that stores the block pattern information generated by the block pattern information generation unit, The system further comprises a block pattern information management unit that updates the information in the block pattern information storage unit by deleting block pattern information using item information corresponding to the object whose stacking position has been determined by the stacking position determination unit from the block pattern information storage unit. The stacking position planning device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the stacking position determination unit determines the stacking position of any object, and then assigns block pattern information selected from the block pattern information storage unit, which has been updated by the block pattern information management unit, to a predetermined position in the container information, thereby further determining the stacking position of the object in the container corresponding to the item information constituting the block pattern information.

4. The stacking position planning device according to claim 1, wherein the block pattern information generation unit generates new block pattern information when the stacking position determination unit assigns any block pattern information to a predetermined position in the container information and determines the stacking position of any object, resulting in a dead space in the container information to which none of the block pattern information generated by the block pattern information generation unit can be assigned.

5. On the computer, This function acquires information including the size of each of the multiple objects targeted for stacking position determination, as item information corresponding to each object, and acquires information about the size of the container to which the objects will be stacked, as container information. A function that generates block pattern information constructed by combining multiple item information based on acquired information, wherein the difference in width, depth, and height between the multiple item information constituting the block pattern information is less than or equal to a predetermined value. The function involves assigning the generated block pattern information to a predetermined position within the container information, thereby determining the stacking position within the container for objects corresponding to the item information constituting the block pattern information. Once the stacking position of any object is determined, the system has a function to generate new block pattern information corresponding to the empty space in the container based on the item information for which the stacking position determination process has not yet been performed, among the acquired item information. The function further includes assigning the new block pattern information to a predetermined position within the container information, thereby determining the stacking position of the object corresponding to the item information constituting the new block pattern information within the container, A stacking position planning program that executes this process.

6. The stacking position planning device, Information including the size of each of the multiple objects to be processed for stacking position determination is obtained as item information corresponding to each object, and information on the size of the container to which the objects will be stacked is obtained as container information. Based on acquired information, block pattern information is generated by combining multiple item information, wherein the differences in width, depth, and height between the multiple item information constituting the block pattern information are each less than or equal to predetermined values. By assigning the generated block pattern information to a predetermined position within the container information, the stacking position within the container is determined for the object corresponding to the item information constituting the block pattern information. Once the stacking position of any object is determined, new block pattern information corresponding to the empty space in the container is generated based on the item information for which the stacking position determination process has not yet been performed among the acquired item information. A stacking position planning method, which further determines the stacking position within the container of an object corresponding to an item information constituting the new block pattern information by assigning the new block pattern information to a predetermined position within the container information.

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