Warehouse storage systems and handling equipment management methods

Abstract

The present disclosure discloses a warehousing system including a transport device, an operating device, and a control device. The transport device includes a plurality of mounting positions for mounting containers, the operating device is configured to perform at least one of adjusting the mounting positions of the containers on the transport device, mounting the containers on the transport device, and removing the containers from the transport device, and the control device is connected to the operating device and configured to control the operating device to load / unload the containers on the transport device and / or adjust the positions of the containers on the transport device based on at least one of a preset center of gravity area of the transport device and a weight of the container. According to the present disclosure, the warehousing system loads / unloads the containers on the transport device and / or adjusts the positions of the containers on the transport device based on at least one of the preset center of gravity area of the transport device and the weight of the container, thereby stabilizing the center of gravity of the entire transport device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims the priority of a Chinese patent application with the application number 202211261344.9 filed on October 14, 2022, and the entire content thereof is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] This disclosure relates to the technical field of warehouse storage devices, and particularly to a warehouse storage system and a handling equipment management method.

Background Art

[0003] In the technical field of warehouse storage and logistics, the conventional picking method is to pick goods in an operation mode where a person searches for the goods, and the efficiency of such a picking method is low. In order to improve the picking efficiency, a picking system from shelves to people has emerged. In the picking system from shelves to people, the target shelves are transported to the work station via a robot, and the goods on the shelves are picked by a worker or an automatic picking device, thereby improving the picking efficiency.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of this disclosure provide a warehouse storage system and a handling equipment management method.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a warehouse storage system is provided, the warehouse storage system comprising a transporter, an operating device and a control device, wherein the transporter comprises a plurality of placement positions for placing containers, the operating device is configured to move containers relative to the transporter and includes at least one of adjusting the placement position of the containers in the transporter, placing the containers in the transporter and removing the containers from the transporter, the control device is connected to the operating device and controls the operation of the operating device, and the control device is configured to control the operating device to move containers in and out of the transporter and / or adjust the position of the containers in the transporter based on at least one of a preset center of gravity region of the transporter and the weight of the containers.

[0006] According to this disclosure, the warehouse storage system can stabilize the center of gravity of the entire transport equipment by loading and unloading containers and / or adjusting the position of containers in the transport equipment based on at least one of the preset center of gravity area of ​​the transport equipment and the weight of the containers.

[0007] In some embodiments, the predetermined center of gravity region is a three-dimensional region located inside the transport device, extending upward from the lowest mounting position.

[0008] According to this disclosure, the pre-set center of gravity region of the transport device is located at the bottom of the transport device, ensuring the stability of the transport device's center of gravity.

[0009] In some embodiments, the control device is configured to calculate the center of gravity of the transporter on which the containers are loaded based on the weight of all the containers in the transporter, and to control the operating device to adjust the position of at least one container in the transporter if the center of gravity falls outside a preset center of gravity region, and the operating device is configured to adjust the position of the containers placed on the transporter.

[0010] According to this disclosure, if the center of gravity of the transport device falls outside a predetermined center of gravity region, the stability of the center of gravity of the transport device can be ensured by adjusting the position of the container in the transport device.

[0011] In some embodiments, the control device is configured to control the operating device to adjust a first container located on the side of the transport device where the first central plane of the transport device faces the first horizontal direction, when the center of gravity position deviates from a preset center of gravity region along a first horizontal direction, to an empty placement position located on the side of the transport device where the first central plane faces away from the first horizontal direction, wherein the first horizontal direction is the width direction or length direction of the transport device, and the first central plane of the preset center of gravity region is the length center plane or width center plane of the preset center of gravity region.

[0012] In some embodiments, the control device is configured such that, if the center of gravity position deviates from a preset center of gravity region along a first horizontal direction, it adjusts the first container, which is located on the side of the preset center of gravity region in the transport device facing the first horizontal direction, to a mounting position where the first center of the transport device is facing away from the first horizontal direction, and adjusts the second container, which is located on the side of the transport device facing away from the first horizontal direction, to a position where the first center of the transport device is facing the first horizontal direction, the weight of the first container is greater than the weight of the second container, the first center of the preset center of gravity region is the length center or width center of the preset center of gravity region, and the first horizontal direction is the width direction or length direction of the transport device.

[0013] According to this disclosure, when the center of gravity deviates from a preset center of gravity region in the horizontal direction, the position of the container is adjusted in the horizontal direction to achieve stability of the center of gravity.

[0014] In some embodiments, the control device is configured to control the operating device to move a third container, located above a preset center of gravity region in the transport device, to an empty mounting position lower than the upper height limit of the preset center of gravity region in the transport device, if the center of gravity position is higher than a preset center of gravity region.

[0015] In some embodiments, the control device is configured to control the operating device so that, if the center of gravity is higher than a preset center of gravity region, a third container located above the preset center of gravity region of the transport device is moved to a mounting position lower than the upper limit of the preset center of gravity region of the transport device, and a fourth container located below the upper limit of the preset center of gravity region of the transport device is moved to a mounting position above the preset center of gravity region of the transport device, where the weight of the third container is greater than the weight of the fourth container.

[0016] According to this disclosure, if the center of gravity is too high, the center of gravity of the transport device can be stabilized by adjusting the position of the container in the vertical direction.

[0017] In some embodiments, the control device is configured to compare the weight of the first target container with a first weight limit when it is necessary to place the first target container on an empty placement position on a transport device, and to control the operating device to place the first target container on the transport device based on the comparison result.

[0018] According to this disclosure, when placing containers on transport equipment, the warehouse storage system determines the placement method based on the weight of the containers, which helps maintain the stability of the transport equipment's center of gravity.

[0019] In some embodiments, the first weight limit is a preset fixed value, or the control device is configured to determine the first weight limit based on the weight of the container in the transport device.

[0020] According to this disclosure, the warehouse storage system can flexibly determine the first weight limit according to the actual situation.

[0021] In some embodiments, the control device is configured to control the operating device to place the first target container on an empty placement position on the transport device if the weight of the first target container is less than a first weight limit.

[0022] According to the present disclosure, when the container placed on the transport device is light, it is considered that the influence on the center of gravity position of the transport device is small, and it is placed directly on the transport device, which helps to improve the working efficiency.

[0023] In some embodiments, when the weight of the first target container is greater than or equal to the first limit weight and the empty placement position of the transport device overlaps with the preset center of gravity area, the control device is configured to control the operating device to place the first target container at the empty placement position overlapping with the preset center of gravity area.

[0024] According to the present disclosure, when the empty placement position of the transport device overlaps with the preset center of gravity area, since the center of gravity of the container at the empty placement position is generally located within the preset center of gravity area, when the container is placed at such a placement position, the center of gravity of the transport device will not deviate from the preset center of gravity area.

[0025] In some embodiments, when the weight of the first target container is greater than or equal to the first limit weight and the empty placement position of the transport device does not overlap with the preset center of gravity area, the control device is configured to control the operating device to place the container with the smallest weight in the transport device at the empty placement position of the transport device, and place the first target container at the occupied placement position in front of the container with the smallest weight.

[0026] According to the present disclosure, when the weight of the first target container is large and the empty placement position of the transport device does not overlap with the preset center of gravity area, first, the container with the smallest weight in the transport device is moved to the empty placement position, which has little impact on the original center of gravity position of the transport device. Then, the first target container is placed at the occupied placement position in front of the container with the smallest weight, so that the deviation between the center of gravity position of the transport device after placing the first target container and the initial center of gravity position is small.

[0027] In some embodiments, the control device is configured to compare the weight of the second target container to be removed from the transport device with the second limit weight, and based on the comparison result, control the operating device to remove the second target container placed at the second placement position of the transport device from the transport device.

[0028] According to this disclosure, when a warehouse storage system removes a container from a transport device, the warehouse storage system determines the operating method of the operating device based on the weight of the removed container, which helps maintain the stability of the center of gravity of the transport device.

[0029] In some embodiments, the second weight limit is a preset fixed value, or the control device is configured to determine the second weight limit based on the weight of the container in the transport device before removing the second target container.

[0030] According to this disclosure, the warehouse storage system can flexibly determine the second weight limit according to the actual situation.

[0031] In some embodiments, the control device is configured to control the operating device so that, if the weight of the second target container is less than the second weight limit, the second target container is removed and the position of the container on the transport device is not adjusted thereafter.

[0032] According to this disclosure, when the weight of the container to be removed is small, it is considered that the impact on the center of gravity of the transport equipment is small, so there is no need to adjust the position of the container in the transport equipment after removing the container, which helps to improve work efficiency.

[0033] In some embodiments, the control device is configured to remove the second target container and then control the operating device so as not to adjust the position of the container on the transport device if the weight of the second target container is equal to or greater than the second limit weight, the second placement position is above a preset center of gravity region, and the second placement position coincides with the preset center of gravity region in a projection along the height direction of the transport device.

[0034] According to this disclosure, when the container to be removed is heavy and positioned high, the center of gravity of the transport device drops after the container is removed, meaning the center of gravity of the transport device becomes more stable. Therefore, there is no need to adjust the position of the container in the transport device after the container is removed, which helps to improve work efficiency.

[0035] In some embodiments, if the weight of the second target container is greater than or equal to the second limit weight and the second placement position coincides with a preset center of gravity region, the control device removes the second target container and controls the operating device to place a container at a placement position that does not coincide with the preset center of gravity region on the transport device onto the second placement position.

[0036] According to this disclosure, after removing a container, if a space becomes available within the pre-set center of gravity region, the container outside the pre-set center of gravity region is quickly filled into the pre-set center of gravity region. This causes the center of gravity of the transport device to tend to move closer to or within the pre-set center of gravity region, which helps maintain the stability of the center of gravity of the transport device.

[0037] In some embodiments, the control device removes the second target container if the weight of the second target container is greater than or equal to the second limit weight, and the second placement position in the projection along the height direction of the transport device is outside the preset center of gravity region along the first horizontal direction, and then adjusts the placement position of at least one container on the transport device, where the first horizontal direction is the width direction or length direction of the transport device.

[0038] According to this disclosure, if the weight of the container to be removed is large and its placement position is outside the predetermined center of gravity region in the horizontal direction, removing the container may cause the center of gravity of the transport device to deviate from the predetermined center of gravity position in the horizontal direction. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the position of the container after removing it to stabilize the center of gravity of the transport device.

[0039] In some embodiments, the operating device is configured to remove a third target container placed on a third placement position on the transport device from the transport device, and then return the third target container to the transport device, where the third target container has its pre-processing weight when removed and its post-processing weight when returned, and the pre-processing weight is not equal to the post-processing weight. The control device calculates the weight change value of the third target container, compares the absolute value of the weight change value with the third limit weight, and controls the operating device to return the third target container to the transport device based on the comparison result.

[0040] According to this disclosure, when the weight of a container in a transport device changes, the warehouse storage system determines the operating method of the operating device according to the magnitude of the weight change, which helps maintain the stability of the transport device's center of gravity.

[0041] In some embodiments, the third weight limit is a preset fixed value, or the control device is configured to determine the third weight limit based on the weight of the container in the transport device before the third target container is removed from the transport device.

[0042] According to this disclosure, the warehouse storage system can flexibly set the value of the third weight limit according to the actual situation.

[0043] In some embodiments, the control device controls the operating device to return the third target container to the third placement position if the absolute value of the weight change is less than the third limit weight.

[0044] According to this disclosure, if the change in the weight of the container is small, it is considered that the impact on the center of gravity of the transport equipment is small, and it may be returned to its original position after being removed, which helps to improve work efficiency.

[0045] In some embodiments, the control device controls the operating device to return the third target container to the third placement position if the absolute value of the weight change is greater than or equal to the third limit weight and the third placement position coincides with a preset center of gravity region.

[0046] According to this disclosure, when the placement position of a container coincides with a preset center of gravity region, the center of gravity of the container is located approximately within the preset center of gravity region. As a result of the weight change, the center of gravity of the transport device does not deviate significantly from the preset center of gravity region, and it can be returned to its original position after removal, which helps to improve work efficiency.

[0047] In some embodiments, the control device controls the operating device to return the third target container to the third position if the absolute value of the weight change is greater than or equal to the third limit weight, the weight before processing is greater than the weight after processing, the third placement position is above a preset center of gravity region, and the third placement position in the projection along the height direction of the transport device coincides with the preset center of gravity region.

[0048] According to this disclosure, when the weight of the container being removed decreases and its position is high, the center of gravity of the transport device is lowered. This means that the center of gravity of the transport device becomes more stable, and it can be returned to its original position after removal, which helps to improve work efficiency.

[0049] In some embodiments, the control device first controls the placement position of at least one container on the transport device, and then controls the operating device to return the third target container to the transport device, if the absolute value of the weight change is greater than or equal to the third limit weight, the weight before processing is less than the weight after processing, the third placement position is above a preset center of gravity region, and the third placement position in the projection along the height direction of the transport device coincides with the preset center of gravity region.

[0050] According to this disclosure, when the weight of the removed container increases and its position is high, the center of gravity of the transport device rises, which is not advantageous for the stability of the transport device's center of gravity. Therefore, when returning the container, it is necessary to adjust the placement of the container to stabilize the center of gravity of the transport device.

[0051] In some embodiments, if the absolute value of the weight change is greater than or equal to the third limit weight, and the third placement position in the projection along the height direction of the transport device does not coincide with a preset center of gravity region, the control device first controls the placement position of at least one container on the transport device, and then controls the operating device to return the third target container to the transport device.

[0052] According to this disclosure, if the weight of the container being removed increases and its position deviates from the preset center of gravity region in the horizontal direction, the center of gravity of the transport device will also deviate from the preset center of gravity region in the horizontal direction, which is detrimental to the stability of the transport device's center of gravity. Therefore, when returning the container, it is necessary to adjust the placement of the container to stabilize the center of gravity of the transport device.

[0053] In some embodiments, the control device calculates the center of gravity of the transport device on which the containers are loaded and controls the operating device to adjust the position of at least one container on the transport device so that the adjusted center of gravity is located within a preset center of gravity region.

[0054] According to this disclosure, by adjusting the position of the container in the warehouse storage system transport equipment, the center of gravity of the transport equipment after adjustment is located within a preset center of gravity region, thereby ensuring the stability of the center of gravity of the transport equipment.

[0055] In some embodiments, the control device calculates the center of gravity of the transport device on which the containers are loaded and controls the operating device to adjust the position of at least one container on the transport device so that the distance between the center of gravity before adjustment and the center of gravity after adjustment is less than a preset distance.

[0056] According to this disclosure, when a warehouse storage system adjusts the position of containers in a transport device, if the distance between the center of gravity of the transport device before adjustment and the center of gravity after adjustment is smaller than a preset distance, the center of gravity may be considered to have been adjusted to an appropriate position. In some cases, the difference between the weight of individual containers and the weight of other containers is so large that it may not be possible to position the center of gravity of the transport device within a preset center of gravity range. In this case, if the distance between the center of gravity of the transport device before adjustment and the center of gravity after adjustment is smaller than a preset distance, a good adjustment effect can be considered to have been achieved, and the warehouse storage system can quickly complete the adjustment operation, which helps to improve work efficiency.

[0057] In some embodiments, the control device is further configured to calculate the center of gravity of the transporter on which the containers are loaded, plan a plurality of container positioning schemes if the center of gravity falls outside a preset center of gravity region, calculate the operational cost index of each of the plurality of container positioning schemes, and control the operating device to operate according to the container positioning scheme with the smallest operational cost index, where the operational cost index is determined based on the time required to complete the container positioning operation and / or the number of containers that require positioning.

[0058] According to this disclosure, the warehouse storage system selects the work option with the lowest operating cost index among multiple work options, which helps improve work efficiency.

[0059] In some embodiments, the operating device includes a temporary storage position for placing containers, and a container loading / unloading device connected to a control device and configured to move containers between the placement positions or between the placement positions and the temporary storage position.

[0060] According to this disclosure, the operating device can move the container between different placement positions, place the container in a temporary storage position for temporary storage, or place the container in a temporary storage position on a transport device, and so the warehouse storage system can adjust the position of the container on the transport device, and can take out or put in the container.

[0061] In some embodiments, the operating device includes a moving device, which is configured to move to a transport device based on commands from a control device.

[0062] According to this disclosure, the operating device can move to the location where the transport device is located and complete operations on the container, and therefore, one operating device can operate multiple transport devices.

[0063] In some embodiments, the transport equipment is a mobile transport device, the operating device is a hub station, and the warehouse storage system further includes a mobile transport device docking area for docking the mobile transport device, and an automated transport device configured to transport the mobile transport device between the mobile transport device docking area and the hub station, wherein a control device is connected to the hub station and the automated transport device to control the operations between the hub station and the automated transport device.

[0064] Furthermore, the warehouse storage system is configured such that an automated guided vehicle (AGV) transports the AGV to a hub station before moving the containers to the AGV, and after moving the containers to the AGV, the AGV transports the AGV to a mobile AGV docking area.

[0065] According to this disclosure, the transport device can perform operations on the container by moving to the location where the operating device is located, thereby allowing one operating device to operate multiple transport devices.

[0066] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a method for managing a transport device is provided, which includes the steps of: determining the center of gravity of a transport device based on the weight of all containers placed on the transport device; and controlling an operating device to move containers in and out of the transport device and / or adjust the position of containers in the transport device based on the center of gravity and / or the weight of the containers.

[0067] In some embodiments, the step of controlling the operating device to insert and remove a container and / or adjust the position of the container in the transport device based on the center of gravity position and / or the weight of the container includes the step of determining the positional relationship between the center of gravity position and a preset center of gravity region based on the center of gravity position of the transport device and a preset center of gravity region of the transport device, and the step of controlling the operating device to insert and remove a container and / or adjust the position of the container in the transport device based on the positional relationship and / or the weight of the container.

[0068] In some embodiments, the predetermined center of gravity region is a three-dimensional region located inside the transport device, extending upward from the lowest mounting position.

[0069] In some embodiments, the step of controlling the operating device to move a container in and out and / or adjust the position of a container in a transport device based on the positional relationship and / or the weight of the container includes the step of controlling the operating device to adjust a first container, which is located on the side where the first central plane of the preset center of gravity region in the transport device faces the first horizontal direction, to an empty placement position where the first central plane of the transport device faces away from the first horizontal direction, if the center of gravity position deviates from a preset center of gravity region along a first horizontal direction, wherein the first central plane of the preset center of gravity region is the length or width central plane of the preset center of gravity region, and the first horizontal direction is the width or length direction of the transport device.

[0070] In some embodiments, the step of controlling the operating device to move containers in and out and / or adjust the position of containers in a transport device based on the positional relationship and / or weight of the containers includes the step of controlling the operating device to adjust a first container, located on the side where the first central plane of the preset center of gravity region in the transport device faces the first horizontal direction, to a mounting position where the first central plane of the transport device faces away from the first horizontal direction, if the center of gravity position deviates from a preset center of gravity region along a first horizontal direction, and adjusting a second container, located on the side where the first central plane of the transport device faces away from the first horizontal direction, to a mounting position where the first central plane of the transport device faces the first horizontal direction, wherein the weight of the first container is greater than the weight of the second container, the first central plane of the preset center of gravity region is the length center plane or width center plane of the preset center of gravity region, and the first horizontal direction is the width direction or length direction of the transport device.

[0071] In some embodiments, the step of controlling the operating device to move a container in and out and / or adjust the position of a container in a transport device based on the positional relationship and / or the weight of the container includes the step of controlling the operating device to move a third container located above a preset center of gravity region in the transport device to an empty mounting position lower than the upper height limit of the preset center of gravity region in the transport device, if the center of gravity position is higher than a preset center of gravity region.

[0072] In some embodiments, the step of controlling the operating device to move containers in and out and / or adjust the position of containers in a transport device based on the positional relationship and / or weight of the containers includes the step of controlling the operating device to move a third container located above a preset center of gravity region in the transport device to a mounting position lower than the upper limit of the preset center of gravity region in the transport device if the center of gravity is higher than a preset center of gravity region, and move a fourth container located below the upper limit of the preset center of gravity region in the transport device to a mounting position located above a preset center of gravity region in the transport device, wherein the weight of the third container is greater than the weight of the fourth container.

[0073] In some embodiments, the step of controlling the operating device to move a container in and out and / or adjust the position of the container on the transport device based on the center of gravity and / or the weight of the container includes, if it is necessary to place the first target container on an empty placement position on the transport device, the step of comparing the weight of the first target container with a first weight limit and, based on the comparison result, controlling the operating device to place the first target container on the transport device.

[0074] In some embodiments, the step of controlling the operating device to move a container in and out and / or adjust the position of a container in a transport device based on the center of gravity position and / or the weight of the container includes, if it is necessary to remove a second target container that is in a second placement position in the transport device, the step of comparing the weight of the second target container to be removed from the transport device with a second weight limit, and controlling the operating device to remove the second target container from the transport device based on the comparison result.

[0075] In some embodiments, the step of controlling the operating device to move a container in and out and / or adjust the position of the container in the transport device based on the center of gravity position and / or the weight of the container includes, if, after removing a third target container that is placed in a third placement position on the transport device from the transport device, it is necessary to return the third target container to the transport device, the step of calculating a change in weight of the third target container based on the weight of the third target container when it is removed and the weight when it is returned, comparing the absolute value of the change in weight with a third limit weight, and based on the comparison result, controlling the operating device to return the third target container to the transport device, wherein the weight of the third target container when it is removed is not equal to the weight when it is returned.

[0076] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided which includes a processor and memory, the memory being used to store instructions that can be executed by a computer, and the processor being used to read instructions from the memory and execute the instructions in order to implement one of the aforementioned methods for managing a transport device.

[0077] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, the computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions, the computer instructions causing the computer to execute one of the aforementioned transport equipment management methods.

[0078] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided, which includes a computer program stored on a computer-readable storage medium, the computer program including program instructions, which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform one of the aforementioned transport equipment management methods. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0079] The following drawings in this disclosure are used to understand this disclosure as part of this disclosure. The drawings illustrate embodiments of this disclosure and their descriptions and are used to illustrate the principles of this disclosure. [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a warehouse storage system provided by some embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a partial perspective view of a warehouse storage system provided by some embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 3] This is a schematic perspective view of the handling equipment for a warehouse storage system provided by some embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart showing the process of adjusting the position of a container in a transport device provided by some embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart of the process of placing a new container onto a transport device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart of the process of removing a container from a transport device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart of the process of removing a container from a transport device and returning it to the transport device, as provided in some embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 8] This is a flowchart of a transport equipment management method provided by some embodiments of this disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0080] The following description provides a great deal of detail to help you understand this disclosure more thoroughly. However, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that this disclosure can be implemented without one or more of these details. In other examples, well-known technical features of the art are not described in order to avoid confusion with this disclosure.

[0081] To fully understand this disclosure, it will be described in detail below. These embodiments are provided to make the disclosure thorough and complete, and to convey the concept of these exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. Clearly, the implementation of the embodiments of this disclosure is not limited to specific details known to those skilled in the art. A detailed description of preferred embodiments of this disclosure is given below, and other embodiments of this disclosure may also exist.

[0082] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. As used herein, unless the context specifically indicates otherwise, singular terms are intended to include plural terms. Furthermore, when the terms “comprising” and / or “including” are used herein, they refer to the presence of such features, wholes, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0083] The ordinal numbers such as "Part 1" and "Part 2" cited in this disclosure are merely identifiers and do not represent any other arbitrary meaning, such as a specific order. Furthermore, for example, "Part 1" itself does not imply the existence of "Part 2," and "Part 2" itself does not imply the existence of "Part 1."

[0084] The terms "up," "down," "front," "back," "left," "right," "inside," and "outside" used in this specification, as well as similar expressions, are intended for illustrative purposes only and are not restrictive.

[0085] In a shelf-to-person picking system, a robot typically transports the target shelf to an operating station, where workers or automated picking devices can pick the items from the shelf. However, after the robot transports the shelf, its high speed within the warehouse means that if the center of gravity of the shelf carrying the containers or items is not stable, the shelf may tip over during transit.

[0086] To avoid the problem that shelves may tip over during the process of a robot transporting them, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a warehouse storage system that ensures the stability of the center of gravity of the entire transport device by adjusting the position of containers in and out of the transport device and / or the position of containers in the transport device based on at least one of the preset center of gravity area of ​​the transport device and the weight of the containers, thereby preventing the transport device from tipping over during the process of a robot transporting it.

[0087] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a warehouse storage system provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the warehouse storage system 100 includes a transport device 10, an operating device 70, and a control device (not shown). Figure 2 is a partial perspective view of a warehouse storage system provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure, and as shown in Figure 2, the transport device 10 includes a plurality of placement positions 15 for placing containers 50. The containers 50 are used to store goods, and the transport device 10 may be a movable transport device, and the transport device 10 may include partition shelves, container shelves, picking shelves, movable shelves, etc.

[0088] For example, as shown in Figure 2, the multiple placement positions 15 on the transport device 10 are arranged as h layers along the height direction DH of the transport device 10, as l columns along the length direction DL of the transport device 10, and as w rows along the width direction DW of the transport device 10, where h, l, and w are positive integers.

[0089] The operating device 70 is configured to move the container 50 relative to the transport device 10, and includes at least one of the following: adjusting the placement position of the container 50 on the transport device 10, placing the container 50 on the transport device 10, and removing the container 50 from the transport device 10. A control device is connected to the operating device 70, and the control device is configured to control the operating device 70 to move the container 50 in and out of the transport device 10 and / or adjust the position of the container 50 on the transport device 10.

[0090] Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of a transport device for a warehouse storage system provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure, and as shown in Figure 3, the inside of the transport device 10 has a preset center of gravity region 16. Here, the control device is configured to control the operation of the operating device 70 based on at least one of the preset center of gravity region 16 of the transport device 10 and the weight of the container 50. That is, the control device is configured to control the operating device 70 to load and unload the container 50 into the transport device 10 and / or adjust the position of the container 50 in the transport device 10, based on at least one of the preset center of gravity region 16 of the transport device 10 and the weight of the container 50. This ensures that the center of gravity of the entire transport device 10 on which the container 50 is loaded is within the preset center of gravity region 16, or brings the center of gravity closer to the preset center of gravity region 16, thereby ensuring the stability of the center of gravity of the transport device 10. The preset center of gravity region 16 is a center of gravity distribution region that stabilizes the center of gravity of the transport device 10.

[0091] As shown in Figure 2, the height direction DH corresponds to the up and down direction, the length direction DL corresponds to the left and right direction, and the width direction DW corresponds to the front and back direction. As shown in Figure 3, the pre-set center of gravity region 16 is a three-dimensional region located inside the transport device 10, extending upward from the lowest mounting position 15. Typically, the transport device 10 has a symmetrical structure and includes a width center plane PW that divides the width of the transport device 10 equally, and a length center plane PL that divides the length of the transport device 10 equally. The width center plane PW and the length center plane PL intersect with a straight line CA, and the straight line CA may be considered as a symmetric axis extending along the height direction of the transport device 10.

[0092] For example, the pre-set center of gravity region 16 is symmetrical with respect to the width center plane PW and the length center plane PL. That is, the axis of symmetry CA is the axis of symmetry extending along the height direction of the pre-set center of gravity region 16. In some examples, the height of the pre-set center of gravity region 16 does not exceed half the total height of all the placement positions 15 of the transport device 10. Or, the upper height limit of the pre-set center of gravity region 16 does not exceed half the total height of all the placement positions 15 of the transport device 10. The pre-set center of gravity region 16 may be configured such that the horizontal cross-sectional area is the same at any height; for example, the pre-set center of gravity region 16 may be a polygonal prism shape, a cylindrical shape, etc. Or, the horizontal cross-sectional area of ​​the lower part of the pre-set center of gravity region 16 is larger than the horizontal cross-sectional area of ​​the upper part; for example, the pre-set center of gravity region 16 may be a frustoconical shape with a large base and a small top, a prism shape with a large base and a small top, etc. The embodiments of this disclosure do not limit the shape of the pre-defined centroid region 16, and Figure 3 illustrates an example where the pre-defined centroid region 16 is a rectangular parallelepiped.

[0093] As shown in Figure 1, the warehouse storage system further includes a mobile transport docking area 20, which is configured to dock multiple mobile transport devices 10. The mobile transport docking area 20 may also be called the inventory area. The mobile transport docking area 20 may be a densely packed storage area or a sparsely packed storage area.

[0094] In some embodiments, the operating device 70 includes two forms: a mobile operating device 60 and a hub station 30. Here, the mobile operating device 60 has a mobile mechanism and can move freely within the space of the warehouse storage area. Thus, the mobile operating device 60 can move to the transport equipment 10 based on control commands from the control device and perform the task of moving the container 50 on the transport equipment 10. The hub station 30 is a fixed device in the warehouse storage area. The warehouse storage system 100 further includes an automated transport device 40, which is used to transport the transport equipment 10 between the mobile transport equipment docking area 20 and the hub station 30. The automated transport device 40 is, for example, a transport robot, which can travel below the transport equipment 10 and lift the transport equipment 10 up from the ground to support and move it. The control device is connected to the hub station 30 and the automated transport device 40 to control the operations of the hub station 30 and the automated transport device 40.

[0095] As shown in Figure 2, the hub station 30 includes a support frame 31, a guide mechanism 32, a container loading / unloading device 33, and a temporary storage position (not shown, which may be installed on the support frame 31, for example). Here, the guide mechanism 32 is installed on the support frame 31. The guide mechanism 32 can move laterally or vertically relative to the support frame 31. The container loading / unloading device 33 is installed on the guide mechanism 32, thereby allowing the container loading / unloading device 33 to move laterally or vertically relative to the support frame 31. The container loading / unloading device 33 is connected to a control device. When the automatic transport device 40 transports the movable transport equipment 10 to a preset working position relative to the support frame 31 under the control of the control device, the container loading / unloading device 33 moves laterally or vertically to reach a position corresponding to the placement position 15, thereby allowing the container 50 to be loaded and unloaded at the placement position 15.

[0096] Exemplary, the guide mechanism 32 includes a lateral movement device 34, a moving rod 35, and a longitudinal movement device 36. Here, the lateral movement device 34 is mounted on the support frame 31. The lateral movement device 34 is connected to a control device. The lateral movement device 34 is configured to move laterally relative to the support frame 31. The moving rod 35 extends along the longitudinal direction. The moving rod 35 is mounted on the lateral movement device 34, thereby allowing the moving rod 35 to move laterally relative to the support frame 31. The longitudinal movement device 36 is mounted on the moving rod 35. The longitudinal movement device 36 is connected to a control device. The longitudinal movement device 36 is configured to move longitudinally relative to the moving rod 35. The container loading / unloading device 33 is mounted on the longitudinal movement device 36, thereby allowing the container loading / unloading device 33 to move longitudinally relative to the moving rod 35. Thus, the container loading / unloading device 33 can move laterally and longitudinally on the support frame 31. Here, a temporary storage position is also used to place the container 50. Therefore, the container loading / unloading device 33 can move the container 50 between different loading positions 15 or between the loading position 15 and the temporary storage position.

[0097] In some embodiments, the hub station 30 does not need to be installed on the support frame 31, and the container loading / unloading device 33 can move laterally and vertically via the guide mechanism 32.

[0098] Exemplary, suppose the hub station 30 includes a guide mechanism 32 and a container loading / unloading device 33, where the guide mechanism 32 is a robotic arm (automatic robotic arm). The container loading / unloading device 33 may be connected to the robotic arm, and the container loading / unloading device 33 can move laterally or vertically via the robotic arm (for example, the robotic arm can move laterally or vertically with the container loading / unloading device 33). The robotic arm may be fixed to the ground or a guide rail, for example, the robotic arm may be permanently fixed to the ground or a guide rail, or temporarily fixed to the ground or a guide rail, and embodiments of this disclosure are not limited thereto.

[0099] In some examples, if the operating device 70 is a hub station 30, and the hub station 30 is installed in a fixed area within the warehouse storage system, the control device may first control the automated transport device 40 so that the automated transport device 40 transports the transport equipment 10 from the movable transport equipment docking area 20 to the hub station 30, and then control the hub station 30 so that the container 50 is loaded and unloaded from the transport equipment 10 and / or the position of the container 50 on the transport equipment 10 is adjusted, and after the loading and unloading of the container 50 and / or the position of the container 50 is completed, the automated transport device 40 transports the transport equipment 10 back to the movable transport equipment docking area 20.

[0100] In some embodiments, the mobile operating device 60 may include a temporary storage position and a container loading / unloading device. The temporary storage position is used to place the container 50. The container loading / unloading device is connected to a control device and is configured to move the container 50 between the loading positions or between the loading positions and the temporary storage position.

[0101] Figure 4 is a flowchart of the process for adjusting the position of containers in a transporter provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4, the control device calculates the center of gravity of the transporter 10 on which the containers are loaded based on the weight of all the containers 50 in the transporter 10, and controls the operating device 70 to adjust the position of at least one container 50 in the transporter 10 if the center of gravity falls outside a preset center of gravity region 16 (i.e., the center of gravity is outside the preset center of gravity region 16).

[0102] For example, when the center of gravity of the transport device 10 is within a preset center of gravity region 16, it indicates that the transport device 10 is in a stable state, and there is no need to adjust the position of the container 50 on the transport device 10. When the center of gravity of the transport device 10 is outside the preset center of gravity region 16, it indicates that the center of gravity of the transport device 10 is not stable, and there is a need to adjust the position of the container 50 on the transport device 10. In the embodiments of this disclosure, the center of gravity of the transport device 10 refers to the overall center of gravity of the transport device 10 and all the containers 50 placed on the transport device 10.

[0103] When using the mobile operating device 60, the mobile operating device 60 moves to the transport device 10 based on a command from the control device, adjusts the position of the container 50 on the transport device 10, and then the mobile operating device 60 may move away or move to the next transport device 10. When using the hub station 30, before adjusting the position of the container 50 on the transport device, the automatic transport device 40 first transports the transport device 10 to the hub station 30, adjusts the position of the container 50 on the transport device 10, and then the automatic transport device 40 further transports the transport device 10 to the movable transport device docking area 20.

[0104] The center of gravity of all containers 50 in the transport device 10 includes a first coordinate position Gh in the height direction DH, a second coordinate position Gl in the length direction DL, and a third coordinate position Gw in the width direction DW. For example, the first coordinate position Gh can be calculated by the following equation (1), the second coordinate position Gl can be calculated by the following equation (2), and the third coordinate position Gw can be calculated by the following equation (3). JPEG0007898598000001.jpg39147

[0105] In equations (1) to (3), M is the total number of containers 50 in the transport device 10, and G i is the i-th container c i It is the weight of h i is the i-th container c i The height coordinate position of the geometric center of the current mounting position 15 in the height direction DH is l i is the i-th container ci The length coordinate position of the geometric center of the current mounting position 15 in the length direction DL, w i is the i-th container c i This is the width coordinate position in the width direction DW of the geometric center of the current mounting position 15.

[0106] The weight of the container 50 can be calculated from the weight of the articles placed inside the container 50, and the weight of the articles placed inside the container 50 can usually be known when displaying them. If the structure of the transport device 10 is determined, the geometric centers of each placement position 15 on the transport device 10 are also known. Therefore, the first coordinate position Gh, the second coordinate position Gl, and the third coordinate position Gw can be obtained by calculation. The weight of the container 50 may be calculated as net weight or gross weight, and the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to this.

[0107] The overall center of gravity of the transport device 10 and all the containers 50 placed on it is primarily determined by the weight of the multiple containers 50 placed on the transport device 10. If the weight of any one of the containers 50 placed on the transport device 10 changes, the overall center of gravity will be affected.

[0108] In some examples, if the center of gravity of the transport device 10 on which the containers 50 are loaded falls outside the preset center of gravity region 16, the center of gravity of the transport device 10 can be moved within the preset center of gravity region 16 by adjusting the position of one container 50, or the center of gravity of the transport device 10 can be moved within the preset center of gravity region 16 by adjusting the positions of multiple containers 50, and the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited thereto. In order to adjust the center of gravity of the transport device 10 within the preset center of gravity region 16, the positions of the containers can be adjusted according to the situation in which the containers are placed at multiple mounting positions on the transport device 10. The following describes how, in combination with several situations, the position of the containers 50 on the transport device 10 can be adjusted to move the center of gravity of the transport device 10 within the preset center of gravity region 16 when the center of gravity of the transport device 10 on which the containers 50 are loaded falls outside the preset center of gravity region 16.

[0109] Exemplary, if the overall center of gravity position deviates from the preset center of gravity region 16 of the transport device 10, the control device controls the operating device 70 to adjust the position of at least one container 50 in the transport device 10, which includes controlling the operating device 70 to adjust a first container located on the side of the preset center of gravity region 16 in the transport device 10 facing the first horizontal direction, to an empty placement position 15 located on the side of the transport device 10 where the first center surface is facing away from the first horizontal direction, where the first horizontal direction is the width direction DW or the length direction DL of the transport device 10, and the first center surface of the preset center of gravity region is the length center surface PL or the width center surface PW of the preset center of gravity region.

[0110] In some examples, when the first horizontal direction is the width direction DW of the transport device 10, the first central plane is the width central plane PW, and when the first horizontal direction is the length direction DL of the transport device 10, the first central plane is the length central plane PL.

[0111] For example, consider the case where the first horizontal direction is the width direction DW of the transport device 10. The width direction DW includes the first width direction DW1 and the second width direction DW2, which is opposite to the first width direction DW1. If the center of gravity position is outside the center of gravity region 16 set in advance along the first width direction DW1, and there is an empty mounting position 15 on the side where the width center plane PW of the transport device 10 faces the second width direction DW2, the operating device 70 is controlled to move the container 50 located on the side where the width center plane PW of the transport device 10 faces the first width direction DW1 to the empty mounting position 15 located on the side where the width center plane PW faces the second width direction DW2. If the center of gravity is outside the pre-set center of gravity region 16 along the second width direction DW2, and there is an empty mounting position 15 on the side where the width center plane PW of the transport device 10 faces the first width direction DW1, the operating device 70 is controlled to move the container 50, which is located on the side where the width center plane PW of the transport device 10 faces the second width direction DW2, to the empty mounting position 15, which is located on the side where the width center plane PW of the transport device 10 faces the first width direction DW1.

[0112] For example, the first horizontal direction is the longitudinal direction DL of the transport device 10. The longitudinal direction DL includes the first longitudinal direction DL1 and the second longitudinal direction DL2, which is opposite to the first longitudinal direction DL1. If the center of gravity position is outside the predetermined center of gravity region 16 along the first longitudinal direction DL1, and there is an empty placement position 15 on the side where the longitudinal center plane PL of the transport device 10 faces the second longitudinal direction DL2, the operating device 70 is controlled to move the container 50, which is located on the side where the longitudinal center plane PL of the transport device 10 faces the first longitudinal direction DL1, to the empty placement position 15 located on the side where the longitudinal center plane PL of the transport device 10 faces the second longitudinal direction DL2. If the center of gravity is outside the predetermined center of gravity region 16 along the second longitudinal direction DL2, and there is an empty mounting position 15 on the side where the length center plane PL of the transport device 10 is facing the first longitudinal direction DL1, the operating device 70 is controlled to move the container 50, which is located on the side where the length center plane PL of the transport device 10 is facing the second longitudinal direction DL2, to the empty mounting position 15 located on the side where the length center plane PL of the transport device 10 is facing the first longitudinal direction DL1.

[0113] When the center of gravity position deviates from the preset center of gravity region 16 of the transport device 10, controlling the operating device 70 to adjust the position of at least one container 50 in the transport device 10 further includes, when the center of gravity position deviates from the preset center of gravity region 16 along the first horizontal direction, controlling the operating device 70 to move the first container, which is located on the side of the transport device 10 where the first central plane of the preset center of gravity region 16 is facing the first horizontal direction, to a mounting position on the side of the transport device 10 where the first central plane is facing away from the first horizontal direction, and moving the second container, which is located on the side of the transport device 10 where the first central plane is facing away from the first horizontal direction, to a mounting position on the side of the transport device 10 where the first central plane is facing the first horizontal direction. Here, the weight of the first container is greater than the weight of the second container, the first horizontal direction is the width direction DW or the length direction DL of the transport device 10, and the first central plane of the preset center of gravity region is the length center plane PL or the width center plane PW of the preset center of gravity region.

[0114] In some examples, when the first horizontal direction is the width direction DW of the transport device 10, the first central plane is the width central plane PW, and when the first horizontal direction is the length direction DL of the transport device 10, the first central plane is the length central plane PL.

[0115] For example, if the center of gravity position deviates from the center of gravity region 16 preset along the first width direction DW1, the operating device 70 is controlled to swap the position of the first container, where the width center plane PW of the transport device 10 is located on the side facing the first width direction DW1, with the position of the second container, where the width center plane PW of the transport device 10 is located on the side facing the second width direction DW2, where the weight of the first container is greater than the weight of the second container. If the center of gravity position deviates from the center of gravity region 16 preset along the second width direction DW2, the operating device 70 is controlled to swap the position of the first container, where the width center plane PW of the transport device 10 is located on the side facing the second width direction DW2, with the position of the second container, where the width center plane PW of the transport device 10 is located on the side facing the first width direction DW1, where the weight of the first container is greater than the weight of the second container.

[0116] Furthermore, if the center of gravity position deviates from the center of gravity region 16 preset along the first longitudinal direction DL1, the operating device 70 is controlled to swap the position of the first container, where the length center plane PL of the transport device 10 is located on the side facing the first longitudinal direction DL1, with the position of the second container, where the length center plane PL of the transport device 10 is located on the side facing the second longitudinal direction DL2, where the weight of the first container is greater than the weight of the second container. If the center of gravity position deviates from the center of gravity region 16 preset along the second longitudinal direction DL2, the operating device 70 is controlled to swap the position of the first container, where the length center plane PL of the transport device 10 is located on the side facing the second longitudinal direction DL2, with the position of the second container, where the length center plane PL of the transport device 10 is located on the side facing the first longitudinal direction DL1, where the weight of the first container is greater than the weight of the second container.

[0117] In the above example, if the center of gravity of the entire transport device 10 is not stable in the horizontal direction, the center of gravity of the transport device 10 can be stabilized by adjusting the weight distribution of the container 50 in the horizontal direction.

[0118] If the center of gravity position deviates from the preset center of gravity region 16 of the transport device 10, the control device further controls the operating device 70 to adjust the position of at least one container 50 on the transport device 10, and if the center of gravity position is higher than the preset center of gravity region 16, controls the operating device 70 to move a third container located above the preset center of gravity region 16 on the transport device 10 to an empty mounting position 15 that is lower than the upper height limit of the preset center of gravity region 16 on the transport device 10. For example, if the center of gravity of the transport device 10 is higher than the preset center of gravity region 16, and there is an empty placement position 15 that is lower than the preset upper height limit of the center of gravity region 16 on the transport device 10 (this may also be called an empty placement position, which is a placement position on which no container is placed), the operating device 70 is controlled to move the container located above the preset center of gravity region 16 on the transport device 10 to the empty placement position that is lower than the preset upper height limit of the center of gravity region 16 on the transport device 10, thereby lowering the center of gravity of the transport device 10 and stabilizing its center of gravity.

[0119] In some examples, if the center of gravity position deviates from the preset center of gravity region 16 of the transport device 10, the control device further includes controlling the operating device 70 to adjust the position of at least one container 50 on the transport device 10, if the center of gravity position is higher than the preset center of gravity region 16, to move a third container located above the preset center of gravity region 16 on the transport device 10 to a mounting position 15 lower than the upper limit of the preset center of gravity region 16 on the transport device 10, and to move a fourth container located below the upper limit of the preset center of gravity region 16 on the transport device 10 to a mounting position 15 located above the preset center of gravity region 16 on the transport device 10, where the weight of the third container is greater than the weight of the fourth container. For example, if the center of gravity of the transport device 10 is higher than the preset center of gravity region 16, and there are no empty placement positions 15 that are lower than the preset upper height limit of the center of gravity region 16 on the transport device 10, the center of gravity of the transport device 10 is lowered and stabilized by exchanging the position of the heavy third container, which is located above the preset center of gravity region 16 on the transport device 10, with the position of the lighter fourth container, which is lower than the preset upper height limit of the center of gravity region 16 on the transport device 10.

[0120] In the above example, if the center of gravity of the entire transport device 10 is too high, the center of gravity of the transport device 10 can be stabilized by adjusting the weight distribution of the container 50 in the vertical direction.

[0121] Furthermore, there is no single scheme for adjusting the position of the containers 50 in order to stabilize the center of gravity of the transport device 10. In some embodiments, in order to improve work efficiency, the control device calculates the center of gravity of the transport device 10 on which the containers are loaded, and if the center of gravity falls outside the preset center of gravity region 16, the control device plans a plurality of container position adjustment schemes, the control device calculates the operation cost index for each of the plurality of container position adjustment schemes, and then the control device controls the operating device 70 to operate according to the container position adjustment scheme with the smallest operation cost index. Here, the operation cost index is obtained by calculating based on the time required to complete the container position adjustment operation and / or the number of containers that require position adjustment.

[0122] In some embodiments, the control device calculates the center of gravity of the transport device on which the containers are loaded, and then controls the operating device to adjust the position of at least one container 50 on the transport device 10, thereby positioning the adjusted center of gravity within a preset center of gravity region 16, and thereby ensuring the stability of the center of gravity of the transport device 10.

[0123] In some cases, if the difference between the weight of some containers and the weight of others is too large, the weight of all containers may not be evenly distributed within the three-dimensional space of the transport device 10, meaning that the adjusted center of gravity position cannot be located within the preset center of gravity region 16. In this case, the control device calculates the center of gravity position of the transport device 10 on which the containers are loaded, and then controls the operating device to adjust the position of at least one container 50 on the transport device 10 so that the distance between the center of gravity position before adjustment and the center of gravity position after adjustment becomes smaller than a preset distance. That is, when planning the container position adjustment scheme, when the center of gravity position becomes constant, it may be assumed that a good weight distribution pattern that can be achieved by all containers at present has been realized, and the calculation may be stopped, improving work efficiency to some extent.

[0124] When it is necessary to place the first target container on the empty placement position of the transport device 10, the control device is configured to compare the weight of the first target container with the first weight limit and, based on the comparison result, to control the operating device to place the first target container on the transport device 10. Here, the first weight limit can be used as a criterion for determining whether or not it affects the center of gravity.

[0125] For example, as shown in Figure 5, the control device first obtains the weight of the first target container and compares the weight of the first target container with the first weight limit. If the weight of the first target container is less than the first weight limit, the control device 70 controls the first target container to be placed in an empty position on the transport device. In other words, when the weight of the first target container is small, it is assumed that it will not significantly affect the center of gravity of the entire transport device 10, and it can be placed directly on the transport device 10.

[0126] If the weight of the first target container is equal to or greater than the first weight limit, and the empty placement position of the transport device 10 coincides with a predetermined center of gravity region 16, the first target container is placed on the empty placement position that coincides with the predetermined center of gravity region 16. When the empty placement position of the transport device 10 coincides with a predetermined center of gravity region, the center of gravity of the container at that empty placement position is approximately located within the predetermined center of gravity region 16. Therefore, when the container is placed on such a placement position, the center of gravity of the transport device 10 does not deviate from the predetermined center of gravity region 16, and the first target container may be placed directly on the empty placement position that coincides with the predetermined center of gravity region 16.

[0127] If the weight of the first target container is equal to or greater than the first weight limit, and the empty placement position of the transport device 10 does not coincide with a predetermined center of gravity region 16, the container with the smallest weight on the transport device 10 is placed on the empty placement position of the transport device 10, and the first target container is placed on the placement position occupied in front of the container with the smallest weight. If the empty placement position of the transport device 10 does not coincide with a predetermined center of gravity region, the container with the smallest weight on the transport device 10 may first be moved to the empty placement position, thereby minimizing the impact on the original center of gravity position of the transport device 10. Subsequently, the first target container is placed on the placement position occupied in front of the container with the smallest weight, thereby minimizing the deviation between the center of gravity position of the transport device 10 after the first target container is placed and the center of gravity position of the transport device 10 before the first target container is placed.

[0128] The first weight limit may be a preset fixed value. Alternatively, the control device may determine the first weight limit based on the weight of the containers 50 in the transport device 10, thereby improving the adaptability between the first weight limit and the actual situation. For example, if the weights of all the containers 50 in the transport device 10 are large, the first weight limit will also be large, and if the weights of all the containers 50 in the transport device 10 are small, the first weight limit will also be small. Furthermore, the first weight limit may be the weight of the container with the smallest weight in the transport device 10. Alternatively, the first weight limit may be determined by the average weight of all the containers 50 in the transport device 10, and the embodiments of this disclosure do not limit the method for determining the first weight limit.

[0129] Furthermore, after placing the first target container on the transport device 10, the control device can recalculate the overall center of gravity of the transport device 10. If the center of gravity falls outside the preset center of gravity region 16, the control device can continue to adjust the position of the container on the transport device 10 by referring to the solution described above.

[0130] When it is necessary to remove the second target container, which is located at the second placement position of the transport device 10, from the transport device 10, the control device compares the weight of the second target container with the second weight limit, and based on the comparison result, controls the operating device 70 to remove the second target container, which is placed at the second placement position of the transport device 10, from the transport device 10. Here, the second weight limit can be used as a criterion for determining whether or not it affects the center of gravity.

[0131] For example, as shown in Figure 6, the control device first obtains the weight of the second target container and compares the weight of the second target container with the second weight limit. If the weight of the second target container is less than the second weight limit, the control device 70 is controlled to remove the second target container from the transport device 10, and thereafter the position of the container on the transport device 10 is not adjusted. That is, because the second target container is light, when the second target container is removed from the transport device 10, the change in the center of gravity of the entire transport device 10 is small, so the second target container can be removed directly from the transport device, and there is no need to adjust the position of the container placed on the transport device 10.

[0132] If the weight of the second target container is equal to or greater than the second weight limit, and the second placement position coincides with a preset center of gravity region 16, the second target container is removed from the transport device 10, and then the operating device 70 is controlled to place a container 50 that does not coincide with the preset center of gravity region 16 on the transport device 10 into the second placement position. That is, after removing the second target container from the second placement position, the placement position that coincides with the preset center of gravity region 16 becomes empty, so a container 50 outside the preset center of gravity region 16 can be quickly placed in the empty position, which helps to concentrate the center of gravity of the entire transport device 10 in the preset center of gravity region 16. For example, the heaviest container at a placement position that does not coincide with the preset center of gravity region 16 may be placed in the empty position, or the heaviest (or most heavy) container located directly above the preset center of gravity region 16 may be placed in the empty position.

[0133] If the weight of the second target container is greater than or equal to the second weight limit, and the second placement position is located above the preset center of gravity region 16 (i.e., the second placement position does not overlap with the preset center of gravity region 16), but the second placement position in the projection along the height direction DH of the transport device 10 overlaps with the preset center of gravity region 16, then the second target container is removed from the transport device 10, and the placement position of the container on the transport device 10 is not adjusted thereafter. That is, if the second target container is located directly above the preset center of gravity region 16, after removing it, the center of gravity of the entire transport device 10 will decrease, and this does not cause instability of the center of gravity of the transport device 10, so there is no need to adjust the placement position of the container on the transport device 10.

[0134] If the weight of the second target container exceeds the second weight limit, and the second placement position in the projection along the height direction of the transport device 10 falls outside the preset center of gravity region 16 along the first horizontal direction (i.e., the second placement position does not overlap with the preset center of gravity region 16, and the second placement position is not directly above the preset center of gravity region 16), the second target container is removed from the transport device 10, and then the placement position of at least one container on the transport device is adjusted. Here, the first horizontal direction is the width direction DW or the length direction DL of the transport device. For example, if the second target container is heavy and its original placement position falls outside the preset center of gravity region 16 along the horizontal direction, the center of gravity of the transport device 10 may become unstable in the horizontal direction after it is removed. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the position of the container on the transport device 10 to stabilize the center of gravity of the transport device 10. For example, the position of the container on the transport device 10 can be adjusted according to the situation described above where the center of gravity of the transport device 10 falls outside the preset center of gravity region 16 along the horizontal direction.

[0135] The second weight limit may be a preset fixed value. Alternatively, the control device can improve the adaptability between the second weight limit and the actual situation by determining the second weight limit based on the weight of the containers 50 in the transport device 10. For example, if the weights of the containers 50 in the transport device 10 are all large, the second weight limit will also be large, and if the weights of the containers 50 in the transport device 10 are all small, the second weight limit will also be small. For example, the second weight limit can be determined based on the average weight of all the containers 50 in the transport device 10.

[0136] Furthermore, after removing the second target container from the transport device 10, the control device can recalculate the center of gravity of the entire transport device 10. If this center of gravity falls outside the pre-set center of gravity region 16, the control device can continue to adjust the position of the container in the transport device 10 by referring to the solution described above.

[0137] For example, in some scenarios, it is necessary to remove some of the contents from container 50 or to put contents into container 50. For instance, a third target container placed on the third placement position of the transport device 10 is removed from the transport device 10, and then the third target container is returned to the transport device 10. After removing the contents from the third target container and then returning it to the transport device, the weight of the third target container changes. The third target container has its pre-processing weight when removed and its post-processing weight when returned, and the pre-processing weight is not equal to the post-processing weight. The control device calculates the weight change value of the third target container, compares the absolute value of the weight change value with the third weight limit, and controls the operating device to return the third target container to the transport device 10 based on the comparison result. Here, the third weight limit can be used as a criterion for determining whether or not it affects the center of gravity.

[0138] For example, as shown in Figure 7, the control device first calculates the weight change value Gd of the third target container based on the weight before processing before removing the load and the weight after processing after removing the load, where Gd is the difference between the weight before processing and the weight after processing of the third target container. Then, the absolute value of Gd is compared with the third limit weight, and if the absolute value of Gd is smaller than the third limit weight, it indicates that the weight change of the third target container is not significant and does not have a large impact on the center of gravity of the transport device 10, and therefore the third target container can be returned directly to its original position (i.e., the third placement position).

[0139] If the absolute value of Gd is greater than or equal to the third weight limit, and the third placement position coincides with the pre-set center of gravity region 16, the third target container is returned to the third placement position. That is, if the third target container is located within the pre-set center of gravity region 16, the center of gravity of the transport device 10 will not become unstable due to the weight change of the third target container, and it can be returned to its original position.

[0140] If the absolute value of Gd is greater than or equal to the third weight limit, and the weight before processing is greater than the weight after processing (Gd>0), and the third placement position is above the preset center of gravity region 16 (the third placement position does not overlap with the preset center of gravity region 16), and the third placement position in the projection along the height direction of the transport device 10 overlaps with the preset center of gravity region 16, then the third target container is returned to the third placement position. That is, if the third placement position is directly above the preset center of gravity region 16, and the weight of the third target container decreases, the center of gravity position of the transport device 10 will decrease due to the change in the weight of the third target container, so the third target container can be returned directly to its original position.

[0141] If the absolute value of Gd is greater than or equal to the third weight limit, and the weight before processing is less than the weight after processing (Gd < 0), and the third placement position is above the preset center of gravity region 16 (the third placement position does not overlap with the preset center of gravity region 16), and the third placement position in the projection along the height direction of the transport device 10 overlaps with the preset center of gravity region 16, then first adjust at least one placement position on the transport device 10, and then return the third target container to the transport device 10. That is, if the third placement position is directly above the preset center of gravity region 16, and the weight of the third target container increases, the center of gravity position of the transport device 10 may rise due to the change in the weight of the third target container. Therefore, instead of first returning the third target container to its original position, first adjust the placement positions of other containers on the transport device 10, and then return the third target container to the transport device 10. For example, refer to the operation of the method described above for placing the first target container on the transport device 10.

[0142] If the absolute value of Gd is greater than or equal to the third weight limit, and the third placement position in the projection along the height direction of the transport device 10 does not coincide with the preset center of gravity region 16 (i.e., the third placement position does not coincide with the preset center of gravity region 16, and the third placement position is not located directly above the preset center of gravity region 16), then first adjust the placement position of at least one container on the transport device, and then return the third target container to the transport device. That is, if the third placement position deviates from the preset center of gravity region 16 along the horizontal direction, and the weight of the third target container increases, the center of gravity position of the transport device 10 will change horizontally due to the change in the weight of the third target container, so do not return the third target container to its original position first. For example, refer to the operation of the method described above for placing the first target container on the transport device 10.

[0143] The third weight limit may be a preset fixed value. Alternatively, the control device may determine the third weight limit based on the weight of all containers in the transport device 10 before the third target container is removed from the transport device 10, thereby improving the adaptability of the third weight limit to the actual situation. For example, if the weights of all containers 50 in the transport device 10 are large, the third weight limit will also be large, and if the weights of all containers 50 in the transport device 10 are small, the third weight limit will also be small. For example, the third weight limit can be determined based on the average weight of all containers 50 in the transport device 10.

[0144] Furthermore, after returning the third target container to the transport device 10, the control device can recalculate the center of gravity of the entire transport device 10. If this center of gravity falls outside the pre-set center of gravity region 16, the control device may continue to adjust the position of the container in the transport device 10 by referring to the solution described above.

[0145] According to the warehouse storage system of this disclosure, the control device adjusts the placement position of the container on the transport device based on a preset center of gravity area of ​​the transport device and the weight of the container, and controls the operating device to place the container on the transport device or remove the container from the transport device, thereby stabilizing the center of gravity of the entire transport device and preventing the transport device from tipping over during the process of the robot transporting the transport device.

[0146] Figure 8 is a flowchart of a transport equipment management method provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure, the method being applicable to the above control device, and as shown in Figure 8, the method may include the following steps 801-802.

[0147] In step 801, the center of gravity of the transport device is determined based on the weight of all containers placed on the transport device.

[0148] For example, a transport device may include multiple placement positions, where containers may or may not be placed; a position where no containers are placed may be called an idle placement position or an empty placement position. Since the center of gravity of the transport device is related to the weight of the containers placed on it, the center of gravity of the transport device can be determined based on the weight of all the containers placed on it.

[0149] In step 802, the operating device is controlled to move the container in and out of the transport device and / or adjust the position of the container in the transport device based on the center of gravity and / or the weight of the container.

[0150] For example, the operating device may be controlled to move a container in and out of the transport device and / or adjust the position of the container in the transport device based solely on the center of gravity of the transport device; the operating device may be controlled to move a container in and out of the transport device and / or adjust the position of the container in the transport device based solely on the weight of the container; or the operating device may be controlled to move a container in and out of the transport device and / or adjust the position of the container in the transport device based on both the center of gravity and the weight of the container.

[0151] In some embodiments, step 802 may include the steps of determining the positional relationship between the center of gravity of the transport device and a preset center of gravity region of the transport device, based on the center of gravity of the transport device and a preset center of gravity region of the transport device, and controlling the operating device to move the container in and out of the transport device and / or adjust the position of the container in the transport device, based on the positional relationship and / or the weight of the container.

[0152] For example, the pre-defined center of gravity region is a three-dimensional region located inside the transport device, extending upward from the lowest placement position. The positional relationship between the center of gravity position and the pre-defined center of gravity region includes cases where the center of gravity position is within the pre-defined center of gravity region, or where the center position is outside the pre-defined center of gravity region (i.e., the center of gravity position is outside the pre-defined center of gravity region). When the center of gravity position of the transport device is within the pre-defined center of gravity region, it indicates that the center of gravity of the transport device is stable, and therefore, there is no need to adjust the position of the container in the transport device. When the center of gravity position of the transport device 10 is outside the pre-defined center of gravity region, it indicates that the center of gravity of the transport device is unstable, and it is necessary to adjust the position of the container in the transport device.

[0153] In some examples, if the center of gravity position deviates from a preset center of gravity region along the first horizontal direction, the operating device is controlled to adjust the first container, which is located on the side where the first central plane of the preset center of gravity region of the transport device faces the first horizontal direction, to an empty placement position where the first central plane of the transport device faces away from the first horizontal direction.

[0154] In some examples, if the center of gravity deviates from a preset center of gravity region along a first horizontal direction, the operating device is controlled to adjust the first container, whose first central plane of the preset center of gravity region in the transport device is located on the side facing the first horizontal direction, to a mounting position on the side where the first central plane of the transport device is facing away from the first horizontal direction, and to adjust the second container, whose first central plane of the transport device is also facing away from the first horizontal direction, to a mounting position on the side where the first central plane of the transport device is facing the first horizontal direction, where the weight of the first container is greater than the weight of the second container.

[0155] For example, the first central plane of the pre-set center of gravity region is the length central plane of the pre-set center of gravity region, and the first horizontal direction is the length direction of the transport device, or the first central plane of the pre-set center of gravity region is the width central plane of the pre-set center of gravity region, and the first horizontal direction is the width direction of the transport device.

[0156] In some cases, if the center of gravity is higher than a preset center of gravity region, the operating device is controlled to move the third container, which is located above the preset center of gravity region of the transport device, to an empty mounting position lower than the upper height limit of the preset center of gravity region of the transport device.

[0157] In some cases, if the center of gravity is higher than a preset center of gravity region, the operating device is controlled to move a third container, which is located above the preset center of gravity region of the transport device, to a mounting position lower than the preset upper limit of the center of gravity region of the transport device, and to move a fourth container, which is lower than the preset upper limit of the center of gravity region of the transport device, to a mounting position above the preset center of gravity region of the transport device, where the weight of the third container is greater than the weight of the fourth container.

[0158] In some embodiments, step 802 may include, if it is necessary to place the first target container on an empty placement position on the transport device, comparing the weight of the first target container with the first weight limit, and controlling the operating device to place the first target container on the transport device based on the comparison result.

[0159] In some embodiments, step 802 may include, if it is necessary to remove the second target container from the second placement position on the transport device, comparing the weight of the second target container to be removed from the transport device with a second weight limit, and controlling the operating device to remove the second target container from the transport device based on the comparison result.

[0160] In some embodiments, step 802 includes, if, after removing the third object container from the third placement position of the transport device, it is necessary to return the third object container to the transport device, calculating a change in weight of the third object container based on the weight of the third object container when it is removed and the weight when it is returned, comparing the absolute value of the change in weight with a third limit weight, and controlling the operating device to return the third object container to the transport device based on the comparison result, wherein the weight of the third object container when it is removed is not equal to the weight when it is returned.

[0161] For specific details on the implementation of step 802, please refer to the relevant information in the previously mentioned embodiment, and a detailed explanation will be omitted here.

[0162] Embodiments of this disclosure provide a method for managing transport equipment, which determines the center of gravity of the transport equipment and controls an operating device to insert and remove containers into and / or adjust the position of containers in the transport equipment based on the center of gravity of the transport equipment and / or the weight of containers in the transport equipment, thereby ensuring the stability of the center of gravity of the entire transport equipment and preventing the transport equipment from tipping over during transport by a robot.

[0163] The processes and steps of all preferred embodiments described above are merely examples. Various processing operations may be performed in a different order from the above process, as long as there are no adverse effects. The order of the steps of the above process may be added, combined, or deleted as needed.

[0164] Unless otherwise defined, the technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art. The terms used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the disclosure. Features described in one embodiment may be applied to another embodiment, either alone or in combination with other features, unless such feature is not applicable to another embodiment or is otherwise specified.

[0165] Although the above embodiments have been used to illustrate the present disclosure, it should be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative and descriptive, and the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described. Furthermore, as those skilled in the art will see, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and many more variations and modifications may be made by teaching the present disclosure, all of which fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A warehouse storage system, A transport device including multiple placement positions for placing containers, An operating device configured to perform at least one of the following actions: adjusting the placement position of the container on the transport device, placing the container on the transport device, and removing the container from the transport device. Includes a control device connected to the operating device and configured to control the operating device to move the container in and out of the transport device and / or adjust the position of the container in the transport device, based on at least one of the preset center of gravity region of the transport device and the weight of the container, The aforementioned pre-set center of gravity region is a three-dimensional region located inside the transport device, extending upward from the lowest mounting position. When it is necessary to place the first target container on the empty placement position of the transport device, the control device compares the weight of the first target container with the first weight limit, and controls the operating device to place the first target container on the transport device based on the comparison result. The first weight limit is a preset fixed value, or the control device determines the first weight limit based on the weight of the container in the transport device. Warehouse storage system.

2. The control device calculates the center of gravity of the transport device on which the containers are loaded based on the weight of all the containers in the transport device, and controls the operating device to adjust the position of at least one of the containers in the transport device if the center of gravity falls outside the preset center of gravity region. The warehouse storage system according to claim 1.

3. The control device is If the center of gravity position deviates from the preset center of gravity region along the first horizontal direction, the operating device is controlled to adjust the first container, which is located on the side where the first central plane of the preset center of gravity region of the transport device faces the first horizontal direction, to an empty placement position where the first central plane of the transport device faces away from the first horizontal direction. The first central plane of the predetermined center of gravity region is the length center plane or width center plane of the predetermined center of gravity region, and the first horizontal direction is the width direction or length direction of the transport device. The warehouse storage system according to claim 2.

4. The control device is If the center of gravity position deviates from the preset center of gravity region along the first horizontal direction, the operating device is controlled to adjust the first container, whose first central plane in the preset center of gravity region of the transport device is located on the side facing the first horizontal direction, to a mounting position where the first central plane of the transport device is facing away from the first horizontal direction, and to adjust the second container, whose first central plane in the transport device is located on the side facing away from the first horizontal direction, to a mounting position where the first central plane of the transport device is facing the first horizontal direction. The weight of the first container is greater than the weight of the second container, the first central plane of the preset center of gravity region is the length center plane or width center plane of the preset center of gravity region, and the first horizontal direction is the width direction or length direction of the transport device. The warehouse storage system according to claim 2.

5. The control device is If the center of gravity position is higher than the preset center of gravity region, the operating device is controlled to move the third container, which is located above the preset center of gravity region of the transport device, to an empty placement position lower than the upper height limit of the preset center of gravity region of the transport device, or If the center of gravity position is higher than the preset center of gravity region, the operating device is controlled to move the third container, which is located above the preset center of gravity region of the transport device, to a mounting position lower than the upper limit of the preset center of gravity region of the transport device, and to move the fourth container, which is lower than the upper limit of the preset center of gravity region of the transport device, to a mounting position located above the preset center of gravity region of the transport device, wherein the weight of the third container is greater than the weight of the fourth container. The warehouse storage system according to claim 2.

6. The control device is If the weight of the first target container is less than the first weight limit, the operating device is controlled to place the first target container on an empty placement position on the transport device. The warehouse storage system according to claim 1.

7. The control device is If the weight of the first target container is equal to or greater than the first weight limit, and the empty placement position of the transport device coincides with the preset center of gravity region, the operating device is controlled to place the first target container on the empty placement position that coincides with the preset center of gravity region, or If the weight of the first target container is equal to or greater than the first weight limit, and the empty placement position of the transport device does not overlap with the preset center of gravity region, the operating device is controlled to place the container with the smallest weight on the transport device at the empty placement position of the transport device, and to place the first target container at the placement position occupied in front of the container with the smallest weight. The warehouse storage system according to claim 1.

8. The control device compares the weight of the second target container to be removed from the transport device with the second weight limit, and based on the comparison result, controls the operating device to remove the second target container, which is placed at the second placement position of the transport device, from the transport device. The second weight limit is a preset fixed value, or the control device determines the second weight limit based on the weight of the container in the transport device before removing the second target container. The warehouse storage system according to claim 1.

9. The control device is If the weight of the second target container is less than the second weight limit, the operating device is controlled so as not to remove the second target container and to not adjust the position of the container placed on the transport device. The warehouse storage system according to claim 8.

10. The control device is If the weight of the second target container is equal to or greater than the second weight limit, the second placement position is above the preset center of gravity region, and the second placement position coincides with the preset center of gravity region in a projection along the height direction of the transport device, the operating device is controlled to remove the second target container and not adjust the placement position of the containers placed on the transport device. If the weight of the second target container is equal to or greater than the second limit weight, and the second placement position coincides with the preset center of gravity region, the operating device is controlled to remove the second target container and place a container located at a placement position on the transport device that does not coincide with the preset center of gravity region at the second placement position, or If the weight of the second target container is greater than or equal to the second weight limit, and the second placement position in the projection along the height direction of the transport device is outside the preset center of gravity region along the first horizontal direction, the second target container is removed, and the operating device is controlled to adjust the placement position of at least one container placed on the transport device. The first horizontal direction is the width direction or length direction of the transport device. The warehouse storage system according to claim 8.

11. The operating device removes the third target container, which is placed at the third placement position of the transport device, from the transport device, and then returns the third target container to the transport device, wherein the third target container has its weight before processing when removed, and has its weight after processing when returned, and the weight before processing is not equal to the weight after processing. The control device calculates the weight change value of the third target container, compares the absolute value of the weight change value with the third limit weight, and controls the operating device to return the third target container to the transport device based on the comparison result. The third weight limit is a preset fixed value, or the control device determines the third weight limit based on the weight of the container in the transport device before the container is removed from the transport device. The warehouse storage system according to claim 1.

12. The control device is If the absolute value of the weight change is less than the third weight limit, the operating device is controlled to return the third target container to the third placement position. The warehouse storage system according to claim 11.

13. The control device is If the absolute value of the weight change is equal to or greater than the third limit weight, and the third placement position coincides with the preset center of gravity region, the operating device is controlled to return the third target container to the third placement position. If the absolute value of the weight change is greater than or equal to the third limit weight, the weight before processing is greater than the weight after processing, the third placement position is above the preset center of gravity region, and the third placement position in the projection along the height direction of the transport device coincides with the preset center of gravity region, the operating device is controlled to return the third target container to the third placement position. If the absolute value of the weight change is greater than or equal to the third limit weight, the weight before processing is less than the weight after processing, the third placement position is above the preset center of gravity region, and the third placement position in the projection along the height direction of the transport device coincides with the preset center of gravity region, then the operating device is controlled to first adjust the placement position of at least one container on the transport device, and then return the third target container to the transport device, or If the absolute value of the weight change is equal to or greater than the third weight limit, and the third placement position in the projection along the height direction of the transport device does not coincide with the preset center of gravity region, first adjust the placement position of at least one container on the transport device, and then control the operating device to return the third target container to the transport device. The warehouse storage system according to claim 11.

14. The control device further, The center of gravity of the transport device on which the container is loaded is calculated, The operating device is controlled to adjust the position of at least one of the containers in the transport device so that the adjusted center of gravity is located within the preset center of gravity region, or The operating device is controlled so that the distance between the center of gravity position before adjustment and the center of gravity position after adjustment becomes smaller than a preset distance. The warehouse storage system according to claim 2.

15. The control device further, The center of gravity of the transport device on which the container is loaded is calculated, If the center of gravity position deviates from the predetermined center of gravity region, multiple container position adjustment schemes are planned. The operational cost index for each container position adjustment scheme in the aforementioned plurality of container position adjustment schemes is calculated, The operating device is controlled to operate according to the container position adjustment scheme that has the smallest operating cost index. The aforementioned operating cost index is determined based on the time required to complete the container repositioning operation and / or the number of containers that require repositioning. The warehouse storage system according to claim 2.

16. A method for managing transport equipment, A step of determining the center of gravity of the transport device based on the weight of all containers placed on the transport device, The steps include controlling an operating device to move the container in and out of the transport device and / or adjust the position of the container in the transport device based on the center of gravity and / or the weight of the container, The step of controlling the operating device to move the container in and out of the transport device and / or adjust the position of the container in the transport device based on the center of gravity and / or the weight of the container is: If it is necessary to place the first target container on the empty placement position of the transport device, the operating device is controlled to place the first target container on the transport device based on the comparison result, or If it is necessary to remove a second target container located at a second placement position in the transport device, the operation includes the step of comparing the weight of the second target container to be removed from the transport device with a second weight limit, and controlling the operating device to remove the second target container from the transport device based on the comparison result. Methods for managing transport equipment.

17. The step of controlling the operating device to move the container in and out of the transport device and / or adjust the position of the container in the transport device based on the center of gravity and / or the weight of the container is: A step of determining the positional relationship between the center of gravity position and the predetermined center of gravity region of the transport device, based on the center of gravity position of the transport device and the predetermined center of gravity region of the transport device. The further step includes controlling an operating device to move the container in and out of the transport device and / or adjust the position of the container in the transport device, based on the positional relationship and / or the weight of the container. The method for managing transport equipment according to claim 16.

18. The aforementioned pre-set center of gravity region is a three-dimensional region located inside the transport device, extending upward from the lowest mounting position. The method for managing transport equipment according to claim 17.

19. The step of controlling the operating device to move the container in and out of the transport device and / or adjust the position of the container in the transport device based on the positional relationship and / or the weight of the container is: If the position of the center of gravity deviates from the preset center of gravity region along the first horizontal direction, the operation device further includes the step of controlling the operating device to adjust the first container, which is located on the side of the preset center of gravity region of the transport device where the first central plane is facing the first horizontal direction, to an empty placement position on the side of the transport device where the first central plane is facing away from the first horizontal direction. The first central plane of the predetermined center of gravity region is the length center plane or width center plane of the predetermined center of gravity region, and the first horizontal direction is the width direction or length direction of the transport device. The method for managing transport equipment according to claim 18.

20. The step of controlling the operating device to move the container in and out of the transport device and / or adjust the position of the container in the transport device based on the center of gravity and / or the weight of the container is: If, after removing a third target container placed on the third placement position of the transport device from the transport device, it is necessary to return the third target container to the transport device, the operation device further includes the steps of calculating the weight change value of the third target container based on the weight of the third target container when it is removed and the weight when it is returned, comparing the absolute value of the weight change value with a third weight limit, and controlling the operating device to return the third target container to the transport device based on the comparison result, wherein the weight of the third target container when it is removed is not equal to the weight when it is returned. The method for managing transport equipment according to claim 16.

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