Loading support device, loading support method, and recording medium

Abstract

This loading support device comprises an information acquisition unit and a disposition determination unit. The information acquisition unit acquires cargo amount information. Here, the cargo amount information indicates the amount of cargo to be loaded on each of a plurality of trucks. The disposition determination unit determines, on the basis of the cargo amount information acquired by the information acquisition unit, a position of at least one of objects and the plurality of trucks for performing the loading work of the cargo.

Description

Stowage support device, stowage support method, and recording medium

[0001] The present invention relates to a stowage support device, a stowage support method, and a recording medium.

[0002] Patent Document 1 below discloses a logistics tracking device that efficiently performs tracking operations in which multiple robots pick up workpieces transported on a transport conveyor. The logistics tracking device disclosed in Patent Document 1 below performs, for example, the following operations (1) to (4): (1) A visual sensor photographs the workpiece transported on the transport conveyor and detects its position. (2) A pulse coder detects the amount of movement of the transport conveyor. (3) When a request to pick up a workpiece is made, a determination is made based on the current position of the robot and the current position of the workpiece whether the most downstream workpiece can be grasped. If the workpiece can be grasped, a workpiece pick-up operation is performed. (4) The transport speed of the transport conveyor is adjusted based on the robot's operating speed to reduce idle time of the multiple robots and reduce the number of workpieces dropped.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-111607

[0004] When loading cargo into a distribution warehouse or the like, if the work environment is not properly constructed, the work efficiency will decrease. Therefore, technology to improve the efficiency of loading cargo is desired.

[0005] The loading assistance device of the present disclosure includes an information acquisition means for acquiring luggage quantity information indicating the amount of luggage to be loaded onto each of a plurality of carts, and a placement determination means for determining the placement of at least one of the object on which the luggage is to be loaded and the plurality of carts based on the luggage quantity information.

[0006] The loading assistance method disclosed herein includes a computer acquiring luggage quantity information indicating the amount of luggage to be loaded onto each of a plurality of carts, and determining the placement of at least one of the object on which the luggage loading work is to be performed and the plurality of carts based on the luggage quantity information.

[0007] The computer-readable recording medium of the present disclosure records a program that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform operations including: an information acquisition means for acquiring luggage quantity information indicating the amount of luggage to be loaded onto each of a plurality of carts; and a placement determination means for determining the placement of an object on which luggage is to be loaded and / or the plurality of carts based on the luggage quantity information.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, a technique for improving the efficiency of cargo stowage work is provided.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a first example of a functional configuration of a stowage support device in the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a computer that realizes the stowage support device in the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process executed by the stowage support device in the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a first example of a process in which a placement determination unit determines placement based on luggage quantity information. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of luggage quantity information. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a second example of a process in which a placement determination unit determines placement based on luggage quantity information. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a third example of a process in which a placement determination unit determines placement based on luggage quantity information. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of placement template information. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating another example of placement template information. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an output flow from the placement determination unit. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on a display of a communication device used by a worker.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, in all drawings, similar components are denoted by similar reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted where appropriate. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, in each block diagram, each block represents a functional configuration, not a hardware configuration. Furthermore, when elements such as blocks in a diagram are linked by arrows, the direction of the arrows is merely intended to make the flow of information easier to understand. In this case, unless otherwise specified, the direction of the arrows does not limit the direction of communication (one-way communication / two-way communication).

[0011] In the following description, "acquisition" includes at least one of the following: a device going to retrieve data or information stored in another device or storage medium (active acquisition), and a device inputting data or information output from another device (passive acquisition). Examples of active acquisition include making a request or inquiry to another device and receiving a reply, and accessing and reading information from another device or storage medium. Examples of passive acquisition include receiving information that is distributed (or transmitted, push notification, etc.). Furthermore, "acquisition" may also mean selecting and acquiring data or information from received data or information, or selecting and receiving distributed data or information.

[0012] 1 is a diagram showing a first example of the functional configuration of a stowage support device 10 according to the present disclosure. The stowage support device 10 shown in the diagram includes an information acquisition unit 110 and a placement determination unit 120.

[0013] The information acquisition unit 110 acquires information indicating the amount of luggage on each of the multiple carts (hereinafter also referred to as "luggage amount information"). In this disclosure, a "cart" refers to a tool for transporting luggage and has a mechanism for movement (wheels or crawlers). Although not limited to this, specific examples of a "cart" in this disclosure include a roll pallet box, a pallet jack, and a hand truck. Furthermore, in this disclosure, "luggage amount information" includes at least information that serves as an index for estimating the load of luggage loading work. Although not limited to this, "luggage amount information" includes information regarding at least one of the number of luggage, luggage weight, and luggage volume.

[0014] The placement determination unit 120 determines the placement of at least one of the object and the multiple carts on which the luggage is to be loaded, based on the luggage quantity information. In this disclosure, the term "object" includes at least one of a robot and a person. Furthermore, in this disclosure, the term "robot" refers to a robot that loads luggage transported along a transport path (e.g., a roller conveyor, a belt conveyor, etc.). In this disclosure, the term "robot" includes a mechanism for moving luggage, such as a swivel or arm, and various sensors for detecting the target luggage. Furthermore, the "robot" in this disclosure is equipped with a program that uses these mechanisms and various sensors to load luggage. In this disclosure, the term "robot" may be a robot that is fixedly installed near the transport path, or a robot that can be moved manually or autonomously.

[0015] <Hardware Configuration Example> FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a computer that realizes the stowage support device according to the present disclosure.

[0016] The computer 1000 illustrated in this figure includes a bus 1010 , a processor 1020 , a memory 1030 , a storage device 1040 , an input / output interface 1050 , and a network interface 1060 .

[0017] The bus 1010 is a data transmission path for transmitting and receiving data among the processor 1020, memory 1030, storage device 1040, input / output interface 1050, and network interface 1060. However, the method of connecting the processor 1020 and the like to each other is not limited to bus connection.

[0018] The processor 1020 is a central processing unit (CPU) or a graphics processing unit (GPU).

[0019] The memory 1030 is a main storage device realized by a random access memory (RAM) or the like.

[0020] The storage device 1040 is an auxiliary storage device realized by a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a memory card, a read only memory (ROM), etc. The storage device 1040 stores at least a program module that realizes the functions of the stowage support device 10 described above (the information acquisition unit 110 and the placement determination unit 120).

[0021] The processor 1020 loads a program module read from the storage device 1040 onto the memory 1030 and executes the program module, thereby realizing a function corresponding to the program module. For example, the processor 1020 reads a program module corresponding to the information acquisition unit 110 onto the memory 1030 and executes the program module, thereby realizing the function of the information acquisition unit 110 described in the present disclosure. Similarly, the processor 1020 reads a program module corresponding to the placement determination unit 120 onto the memory 1030 and executes the program module, thereby realizing the function of the placement determination unit 120 described in the present disclosure. The operation of the processor 1020 is common to each embodiment included in the present disclosure.

[0022] The above-described program modules may be recorded on a recording medium other than the storage device 1040. The recording medium on which the program modules are recorded may include any non-transitory, tangible medium usable by the computer 1000. The recording medium on which the program modules are recorded may have embedded therein program code that is readable by the computer 1000 (processor 1020).

[0023] The input / output interface 1050 is an interface for connecting the computer 1000 (the stowage support device 10) to various input / output devices.

[0024] The network interface 1060 is an interface for connecting the computer 1000 (loading support device 10) to a network. Examples of such networks include a local area network (LAN) and a wide area network (WAN). The network interface 1060 connects the computer 1000 (loading support device 10) to various networks via a wireless or wired connection. The computer 1000 (loading support device 10) can communicate with various other devices on the various networks via the network interface 1060. While not particularly limited, examples of "other devices" include portable communication devices carried by people performing cargo loading work, displays and speakers installed at work sites, and server devices that manage information related to operations at logistics warehouses. Furthermore, if the object performing cargo loading work is a robot, the robot may also be included in the "other devices."

[0025] The computer 1000 (loading support device 10) can also be connected to various devices (not shown) via the input / output interface 1050 or the network interface 1060. The "various devices" referred to here are not particularly limited, but include, for example, input devices such as operation buttons, keyboards, touch panels, mice, and microphones, and output devices such as displays, speakers, and printers.

[0026] <Example of Operation of Stowage Support Device> An example of operation of the stowage support device according to the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing executed by the stowage support device according to the present disclosure.

[0027] First, the information acquisition unit 110 acquires luggage quantity information (step S102). The information acquisition unit 110 can acquire the luggage quantity information from, for example, a server device (not shown) that manages information related to operations at a logistics warehouse. The luggage transported in logistics is grouped into units (batch units) based on, for example, predetermined time conditions. For example, the server device transmits information related to the luggage grouped into batch units to the stowage support device 10 before the start of stowage work. The information acquisition unit 110 can acquire, as luggage quantity information, the information related to the luggage grouped into batch units transmitted from the server device in this manner.

[0028] The placement determination unit 120 then determines the placement of at least one of the object and the multiple carts on which the cargo will be loaded, based on the luggage amount information (step S104). The placement determination unit 120 identifies the magnitude of the load associated with the loading of each of the multiple carts, based on the luggage amount information acquired in the processing of step S102. The placement determination unit 120 then determines the position of the object on which the cargo will be loaded and / or the positions of each of the multiple carts, based on the identified magnitude of the load.

[0029] In this manner, in the example of the loading support device according to the present disclosure, information indicating the amount of luggage on each of the plurality of carts (luggage amount information) is first acquired, and then, in the example of the loading support device according to the present disclosure, the arrangement of at least one of the object on which luggage is to be loaded and the plurality of carts is determined based on the acquired luggage amount information.

[0030] Here, "information indicating the amount of luggage on each of the multiple carts" can also be considered information indicating the magnitude of the load associated with the loading of luggage on each of the multiple carts. In other words, the loading assistance device of the present disclosure can determine the optimal placement of the objects that will actually perform the task and the carts that will be used for the task, taking into account the load associated with the loading of luggage on each of the multiple carts. This makes it possible to determine a placement that further improves the efficiency of the loading of luggage.

[0031] For example, the technology of Patent Document 1 does not have a configuration for optimizing the placement of robots, etc., taking into consideration the robots performing the work and the amount of luggage that the robots are to move. In this respect, it can be said that the stowage support device of the present disclosure improves work efficiency compared to the technology described in Patent Document 1.

[0032] That is, the present disclosure provides a stowage support device that solves the problem of improving the efficiency of luggage stowage work, a stowage support method executed by the stowage support device, and a computer-readable recording medium that stores a program that realizes each function of the stowage support device.

[0033] A detailed example of the stowage support device according to the present disclosure will be described below.

[0034] <Specific Operation of the Placement Determination Unit> FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a first example of a process in which the placement determination unit determines placement based on baggage quantity information. In this example, the placement determination unit 120 identifies the number of baggage pieces to be loaded onto each of multiple carts based on the baggage quantity information (step S202). For example, assume that the information acquisition unit 110 has acquired information such as that shown in FIG. 5 as baggage quantity information. FIG. 5 illustrates an example of baggage quantity information. The baggage quantity information illustrated in FIG. 5 can be generated, for example, from information about baggage to be processed that is grouped in batches. In the baggage quantity information illustrated in FIG. 5, each baggage is managed by uniquely assigned identification information (e.g., baggage ID). Each baggage is also associated with information (e.g., cart ID) indicating a cart that corresponds to predetermined conditions, such as the baggage's destination or size. The placement determination unit 120 can identify the number of baggage pieces to be loaded onto each cart by counting the number of records for each common cart ID. For example, based on the luggage quantity information illustrated in this figure, the placement determination unit 120 can identify the number of luggage pieces to be loaded onto cart A and the number of luggage pieces to be loaded onto cart B as "3" and "2", respectively.

[0035] Then, the placement determination unit 120 determines the placement of at least one of the object on which the luggage is to be loaded and the plurality of carriages, using the number of luggage items identified for each of the plurality of carriages (step S204).

[0036] The number of pieces of luggage to be loaded onto each of multiple carts can be used as an indicator of the time (workload) required for the luggage loading operation on that cart. For example, when there are two carts each carrying a different number of pieces of luggage, placing the cart carrying more luggage closer to the object responsible for the work can improve the efficiency of the luggage loading operation. Therefore, the placement determination unit 120 determines the placement of at least one of the object and the multiple carts so that the cart carrying the larger number of pieces of luggage is located closer to the object to be loaded. As a specific example, assume that there are two carts (a first cart and a second cart), and the placement determination unit 120 determines the number of pieces of luggage to be loaded onto the first cart and the number of pieces of luggage to be loaded onto the second cart to be "10 pieces" and "5 pieces," respectively, based on the luggage amount information. In this case, the placement determination unit 120 determines the placement so that the first cart is located closer to the object to be loaded than the second cart.

[0037] For example, if the work position of an object on which luggage is to be loaded is determined in advance, the placement determination unit 120 identifies the cart with the largest number of luggage items to be loaded from among the multiple carts based on the number of luggage items identified for each of the multiple carts.The placement determination unit 120 then places the cart identified as the "cart with the largest number of luggage items to be loaded" closest to the object on which luggage is to be loaded.By repeating this operation, the placement determination unit 120 can determine the positions of the multiple carts in descending order of the number of luggage items to be loaded.

[0038] Furthermore, for example, if a work area having a certain area is set and the position of each cart within that area is predetermined, the placement determination unit 120 may instead determine the position of the object within the work area. For example, the placement determination unit 120 may determine the position of the object so that the cart with the largest number of items to be loaded is closest. Furthermore, the placement determination unit 120 may determine both the position of the object and the positions of each of the multiple carts based on the number of items to be loaded onto each of the multiple carts.

[0039] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a second example of a process in which the placement determination unit 120 determines placement based on luggage weight information. In this example, the placement determination unit 120 determines the weight of luggage to be loaded onto each of multiple carts based on the luggage weight information (step S302). For example, assume that the information acquisition unit 110 has acquired the luggage weight information shown in FIG. 5 . In this case, the placement determination unit 120 can determine the weight of luggage to be loaded onto each cart by adding up the weight information stored in records with a common cart ID. For example, based on the luggage weight information illustrated in FIG. 5 , the placement determination unit 120 can determine the weight of luggage to be loaded onto cart A and cart B as "30" and "35," respectively.

[0040] Then, the placement determination unit 120 determines the placement of at least one of the object on which the luggage is to be loaded and the plurality of carriages, using the weight of the luggage identified for each of the plurality of carriages (step S304).

[0041] For example, if the work position of an object on which cargo is to be loaded is determined in advance, the placement determination unit 120 identifies the cart with the heaviest cargo to be loaded from among the multiple carts based on the weight of the cargo identified for each of the multiple carts.The placement determination unit 120 then places the cart identified as the "cart with the heaviest cargo to be loaded" closest to the object on which cargo is to be loaded.By repeating this operation, the placement determination unit 120 can determine the positions of the multiple carts in descending order of the weight of the cargo to be loaded.

[0042] Furthermore, for example, if a work area having a certain area is set and the position of each cart within that area is predetermined, the placement determination unit 120 may instead determine the position of the object within the work area. For example, the placement determination unit 120 may determine the position of the object so that the object is located near the cart that has the heaviest load to be loaded. Furthermore, the placement determination unit 120 may determine both the position of the object and the positions of each of the multiple carts based on the weight of the load to be loaded onto each of the multiple carts.

[0043] The weight of the cargo to be loaded onto each of the multiple carts can be used as another indicator of the time (workload) required for the cargo loading operation on that cart. For example, when two carts each have different cargo weights, placing the cart with the heavier cargo closer to the object responsible for the work can improve the efficiency of the cargo loading operation. Therefore, the placement determination unit 120 determines the placement of at least one of the object and the multiple carts so that the cart with the heavier cargo to be loaded is closer to the object to be loaded. As a specific example, assume there are two carts (a first cart and a second cart), and the placement determination unit 120 determines the weights of the cargo to be loaded onto the first cart and the second cart to be "100 kg" and "50 kg," respectively, based on the cargo amount information. In this case, the placement determination unit 120 determines the placement of the first cart so that it is closer to the object to be loaded than the second cart.

[0044] As a variation of the case where the weight of each piece of luggage is used, the placement determination unit 120 may be configured to determine the placement by referring to the weight of each piece of luggage. For example, after identifying the weight of each piece of luggage based on the luggage quantity information, the placement determination unit 120 further determines whether any piece of luggage exceeding a predetermined threshold weight is included among the pieces of luggage to be loaded onto a certain cart. Here, suppose that the placement determination unit 120 determines that any piece of luggage exceeding the predetermined threshold weight is included among the pieces of luggage to be loaded onto a certain cart. In this case, the placement determination unit 120 may determine the placement of the certain cart so that the certain cart is located closer to the object on which the luggage is to be loaded than the other carts. Furthermore, when multiple carts are identified, the placement determination unit 120 may determine the position of each cart based on the number of pieces of luggage exceeding the predetermined threshold weight. Specifically, the placement determination unit 120 may determine the placement of a cart so that the cart loaded with more pieces of luggage exceeding the predetermined threshold weight is located closer to the object on which the luggage is to be loaded.

[0045] 7 is a flowchart showing a third example of a process in which the placement determination unit 120 determines the placement of at least one of the object on which the luggage is to be loaded and the multiple carts, using the number of luggage pieces to be loaded onto each of the multiple carts and the weight of each luggage piece.

[0046] First, the placement determination unit 120 identifies the number of items to be loaded onto each of the plurality of carriages based on the item amount information (step S402), which is the same as step S202 in the flowchart of FIG.

[0047] Next, the placement determination unit 120 further determines the weight of each piece of luggage to be loaded onto each of the multiple carts based on the luggage quantity information (step S404). For example, consider a case where luggage quantity information such as that illustrated in FIG. 5 is acquired. In this case, the placement determination unit 120 determines the weights of the three pieces of luggage to be loaded onto cart A as "10 kg," "15 kg," and "5 kg," respectively. Furthermore, the placement determination unit 120 determines the weights of the two pieces of luggage to be loaded onto cart B as "5 kg" and "30 kg," respectively.

[0048] The placement determination unit 120 then calculates an index value for each of the multiple carts using the weight of each piece of luggage to be loaded onto each of the multiple carts and the number of pieces of luggage to be loaded onto each of the multiple carts (step S406). For example, consider a case in which luggage quantity information such as that illustrated in FIG. 5 is acquired. In this case, the number of pieces of luggage to be loaded onto cart A and the number of pieces of luggage to be loaded onto cart B are "3" and "2," respectively. Here, the placement determination unit 120 calculates the index value for each cart by correcting the number of pieces of luggage to be loaded onto the cart using, for example, a coefficient based on the reference weight. As a specific example, assume that the reference weight is "5 kg." In this case, the placement determination unit 120 may multiply the index value by a ratio to the reference weight of "5 kg" as a coefficient. Taking the example of luggage with "baggage ID: 0001" to be loaded onto cart A, the placement determination unit 120 calculates "1 × (10 / 5) = 2." The placement determination unit 120 performs similar calculations for the other luggage items, and calculates the index values ​​for cart A and cart B to be "6" and "7", respectively.

[0049] Then, the placement determination unit 120 determines the placement of at least one of the object onto which luggage is to be stowed and the multiple carts, based on the index values ​​for each of the multiple carts (step S408). In the example described above, the index value for cart B is greater than the index value for cart A. Therefore, the placement determination unit 120 determines the placement so that cart B is closer to the object onto which luggage is to be stowed than cart A. In this way, by taking into consideration the number and weight of luggage to be loaded onto each of the multiple carts, an efficient placement for luggage stowage is determined.

[0050] Furthermore, when determining the placement of each of the objects and / or multiple carts used in the cargo loading operation, the placement determination unit 120 may be configured to use information (hereinafter referred to as placement template information) that predetermines candidate positions for the placement of the objects and / or multiple carts.

[0051] As an example, the placement template information is prepared in a storage area accessible by the placement determination unit 120 as information (e.g., FIG. 8 ) that indicates candidate positions for each number of dollies used in the loading operation. FIG. 8 illustrates an example of placement template information. The placement template information illustrated in this figure includes information indicating candidate positions for each number of dollies. Note that the candidate position information included in the placement template information may be information indicating a position in any coordinate system. For example, the candidate position information, such as "coordinates (x1, y1)" illustrated in the example of this figure, may be information indicating position coordinates in a coordinate system corresponding to map data of a work location (e.g., within a logistics warehouse) or information indicating position coordinates in a real-world coordinate system. Furthermore, placement template information may be prepared for each partial area of ​​a work location (e.g., a sorter end of a transport route installed in a logistics warehouse). In this case, the placement determination unit 120 can identify the placement template information to be read based on, for example, information identifying each partial area (e.g., an identifier assigned to each block).

[0052] The placement determination unit 120 identifies the number of carts to be used based on, for example, the baggage amount information acquired by the information acquisition unit 110. Then, the placement determination unit 120 reads out placement template information corresponding to the identified number of carts from among multiple pieces of placement template information such as those illustrated in Fig. 8. Then, the placement determination unit 120 determines the placement using information indicating candidate positions indicated by the read placement template information.

[0053] Here, if the placement template information includes information on multiple candidate positions, the placement determination unit 120 can determine a priority for each of the multiple candidate positions based on, for example, the position of the object on which the cargo is to be loaded. For example, if the object on which the cargo is to be loaded is a fixed-mounted work robot, the placement determination unit 120 can determine the priority of each candidate position by taking into account the position of the robot and the time required for the robot to load one cargo at each candidate position. Note that the time required for the robot to load one cargo can be calculated using information indicating the actual travel distance of the cargo, such as the turning angle from the reference position on the transport path (sorter end) to the target candidate position. The placement determination unit 120 then assigns each candidate position to each cart by comparing the priority of the cart, which is determined based on the number and / or weight of the cargo to be loaded, as described above.

[0054] As a modified example, the placement template information may be defined for each combination of the number of dollies used in the luggage stowing work and the number of objects on which the luggage stowing work is performed. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing another example of placement template information. The placement template information shown in this diagram includes information indicating candidate positions of each dolly and object for each combination of the number of dollies and the number of objects.

[0055] To identify the number of objects to be stowed, the placement determination unit 120 may acquire information indicating the planned number of resources (people or robots) working at each work location (sorter end) from, for example, a server device (not shown) that manages information on various tasks. Alternatively, the placement determination unit 120 may identify the total number of packages to be processed from, for example, package quantity information acquired by the information acquisition unit 110, and calculate the required resources based on that total number. Similarly to the example of FIG. 8 , the placement determination unit 120 may identify the number of carts to be used based on, for example, package quantity information acquired by the information acquisition unit 110. The placement determination unit 120 may then retrieve placement template information corresponding to the identified number of objects and carts from multiple placement template information, such as that shown in FIG. 9 .

[0056] <Example of Output from Placement Determination Unit> The placement determination unit 120 can perform output based on the determined placement of the objects to be stowed and the dollies to be used for the stowage work. This will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a diagram illustrating the flow of output from the placement determination unit.

[0057] As an example, the placement determination unit 120 may output an instruction for the determined placement to the communication device 20 used by the worker working at the work location (sorter end) ((α) in FIG. 10 ). For example, the placement determination unit 120 generates screen data showing the placement based on the result of the process of determining the placement as described above, and outputs the data to the communication device 20. As a result, for example, a screen such as that shown in FIG. 11 is displayed on the display of the communication device 20. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the display of the communication device used by the worker. By referring to information such as that shown in FIG. 11 , the worker can easily understand an efficient placement for loading luggage.

[0058] As another example, when the robot 30 performing the cargo loading task is equipped with a control computer 32 on which an autonomous movement control program is implemented, the placement determination unit 120 may output movement control instructions to the control computer 32 ((β) in FIG. 10 ). For example, the placement determination unit 120 outputs information indicating a position to which the robot 30 should move (e.g., an assigned candidate position) to the control computer 32 based on the result of the placement determination process described above. The control computer 32 controls the movement mechanism (wheels or crawlers) of the robot 30 based on the movement control instructions acquired from the placement determination unit 120 to move the robot 30 to a specified position. This allows efficient automatic placement when the robot 30 is capable of autonomous movement, thereby reducing the burden associated with preparation work.

[0059] As another example, when a control computer 42 running an autonomous movement control program is mounted on a dolly 40 used for loading luggage, the placement determination unit 120 may output movement control instructions to the control computer 42 ((γ) in FIG. 10 ). For example, the placement determination unit 120 outputs information indicating a position to which the dolly 40 should move (e.g., an assigned candidate position) to the control computer 42 based on the results of the placement determination process described above. The control computer 42 controls the movement mechanism (wheels or crawlers) of the dolly 40 based on the movement control instructions acquired from the placement determination unit 120 to move the dolly 40 to the specified position. This allows efficient automatic placement when the dolly 40 is capable of autonomous movement, thereby reducing the workload associated with preparation work.

[0060] As described above, the loading assistance device according to the present disclosure is configured to acquire luggage quantity information indicating the amount of luggage to be loaded onto each dolly, and determine the arrangement of at least one of the objects on which the luggage is to be loaded and the dollies based on the luggage quantity information. By taking into account the amount of luggage to be loaded onto each dolly, when multiple dollies are used in the luggage loading operation, it is possible to determine an arrangement that improves the efficiency of the operation.

[0061] <Example of Operation After Placement> After the placement of the objects and the cart is completed by the above-described process, the loading operation of the luggage is performed. Here, while the loading operation of the luggage is being performed, the loading support device 10 may be configured to output information specifying the loading order of the luggage to the object (person or robot) performing the loading operation.

[0062] For example, the loading support device 10 acquires the reading results of a reading device (not shown) installed at a specific position on the transport path and identifies the luggage being transported to the work location (sorter end). After identifying a dolly onto which the luggage identified as the "incoming luggage" is to be loaded, the loading support device 10 further identifies luggage not loaded onto the identified dolly. The loading support device 10 then determines whether any of the luggage identified as the "not loaded onto the identified dolly" is heavier than the luggage identified as the "incoming luggage." Suppose that the loading support device 10 determines that any of the luggage identified as the "not loaded onto the identified dolly" is heavier than the luggage identified as the "incoming luggage." In this case, even if the "incoming luggage" is loaded onto the corresponding dolly, it may be necessary to swap the luggage to accommodate the heavier luggage that will be transported later. This increases the workload of the luggage loading operation. Therefore, when the loading support device 10 determines that a load heavier than the first load has not yet been loaded onto the cart, it outputs an instruction to temporarily evacuate the first load to a location set aside as a temporary storage location. For example, if the object performing the loading work is a robot, it transmits an instruction to the robot to control the robot to place the first load at the temporary storage location. Upon receiving the instruction, the robot detects the first load using various sensors and then performs an operation to evacuate the first load to the temporary storage location. Furthermore, for example, if the object performing the loading work is a person, the loading support device 10 outputs a message notifying the person to place the first load at the temporary storage location, for example, via a display or speaker of a communication device used by the person. Furthermore, if another display or another speaker (not shown) is provided near the transport path, the loading support device 10 may output the above-described message via the other display or speaker.The loading support device 10 continuously monitors the loading status of each cart, and when it determines that all of the cargo heavier than the cargo temporarily evacuated to the temporary storage location has been loaded, it sends an instruction to load the evacuated cargo onto the corresponding cart (a control instruction to the robot or an instruction to output a message to the notification device). This makes it possible to avoid the need for extra work such as replacing cargo that has already been loaded onto a cart.

[0063] Furthermore, when loading luggage onto a dolly, it is preferable to load the luggage taking into consideration the volume characteristics (height, width, and depth) of the luggage to be loaded or the width and depth of the dolly. For example, when stacking luggage on a dolly, it is preferable to make the height of luggage on each tier as uniform as possible. Furthermore, when stacking luggage on a dolly, it is preferable to make the base area of ​​luggage located at the bottom larger. Furthermore, it is preferable to load luggage so as to minimize gaps relative to the width and depth of the dolly. This is because if the heights of luggage on each tier are uneven, if the base area of ​​luggage on the lower tier is small, or if there are gaps between adjacent luggage, the risk of the loaded luggage tipping or falling over increases. Therefore, the loading support device 10 may output information specifying the loading order of the luggage using information regarding the luggage volume instead of or in addition to information regarding the luggage weight. In this case, the loading support device 10 identifies luggage with volume characteristics (height, width, and depth) that are as similar as possible based on information regarding the volume (height, width, and depth) of each luggage to be loaded onto the target dolly. As one example, the loading support device 10 refers to information about the volume of each piece of luggage and identifies multiple pieces of luggage whose height difference is less than a predetermined threshold. The loading support device 10 refers to the height identification result when loading luggage onto a dolly. Based on the height identification result, the loading support device 10 can adjust the loading order of the transported luggage using temporary storage locations so that the heights of the luggage loaded on each tier are approximately equal. As another example, the loading support device 10 can adjust the loading order of the transported luggage using temporary storage locations based on information about width and depth so that luggage with larger base areas is loaded on lower tiers. This can prevent luggage from becoming unstable once loaded onto a dolly, which would require unnecessary work such as rearranging the luggage to resolve the unstable condition.

[0064] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Various modifications that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present disclosure within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0065] In addition, although the flowcharts used in the above description show a sequence of steps (processes), the order of steps executed in each embodiment is not limited to the sequence shown in the flowcharts. In each embodiment, the order of steps shown in the diagrams can be changed as long as it does not cause any problems in terms of the content.

[0066] Some or all of the above embodiments may be described as in the following supplementary notes, but are not limited to them. 1. A loading support device comprising: information acquisition means for acquiring luggage amount information indicating the amount of luggage to be loaded onto each of a plurality of dollies; and placement determination means for determining the placement of at least one of an object on which luggage is to be loaded and the plurality of dollies based on the luggage amount information. 2. The loading support device described in 1., wherein the placement determination means identifies the number of luggage items to be loaded onto each of the plurality of dollies based on the luggage amount information, and determines the placement using the number of luggage items identified for each of the plurality of dollies. 3. The loading support device described in 1., wherein the placement determination means identifies the weight of luggage items to be loaded onto each of the plurality of dollies based on the luggage amount information, and determines the placement using the weight of luggage identified for each of the plurality of dollies. 4. 2. The loading support device according to 2., wherein the placement determination means further specifies the weight of each piece of luggage to be loaded onto each of the plurality of dollies based on the luggage amount information, and determines the placement using a value based on the weight of each piece of luggage to be loaded and the number of pieces of luggage to be loaded. 5. The loading support device according to 2. or 4., wherein the placement determination means determines the placement such that dollies with a greater number of pieces of luggage to be loaded are located closer to the object. 6. The loading support device according to 3., wherein the placement determination means determines the placement such that dollies with heavier luggage to be loaded are located closer to the object. 7. The loading support device according to any one of 1. to 6., wherein the placement determination means reads out placement template information corresponding to the number of dollies from a plurality of pieces of placement template information that are defined for each number of dollies and indicate a plurality of candidate positions according to the number of dollies, and determines the placement using the plurality of candidate positions indicated by the read placement template information. 8. 7. The loading support device according to Item 7, wherein the placement template information is defined for each combination of the number of carts and the number of objects, and the placement determination means reads out the placement template information corresponding to the combination of the number of carts and the number of objects.9. A loading support method comprising: a computer acquiring luggage quantity information indicating the quantity of luggage to be loaded onto each of a plurality of dollies; and determining an arrangement of at least one of the object on which luggage is to be loaded and the plurality of dollies based on the luggage quantity information. 10. A loading support method according to 9., comprising: the computer specifying the number of luggage items to be loaded onto each of the plurality of dollies based on the luggage quantity information, and determining the arrangement using the number of luggage items specified for each of the plurality of dollies. 11. A loading support method according to 9., comprising: the computer specifying the weight of luggage items to be loaded onto each of the plurality of dollies based on the luggage quantity information, and determining the arrangement using the weight of luggage specified for each of the plurality of dollies. 12. A loading support method according to 10., comprising: the computer further specifying the weight of each piece of luggage to be loaded onto each of the plurality of dollies based on the luggage quantity information, and determining the arrangement using a value based on the weight of each piece of luggage to be loaded and the number of pieces of luggage to be loaded. 13. The loading support method recited in 10. or 12., including the computer determining the placement such that a dolly having a greater number of items of luggage to be loaded is located closer to the object. 14. The loading support method recited in 11., including the computer determining the placement such that a dolly having a heavier amount of luggage to be loaded is located closer to the object. 15. The loading support method recited in any one of 9. to 14., including the computer reading out placement template information corresponding to the number of dollies from a plurality of pieces of placement template information defined for each number of dollies and indicating a plurality of candidate positions according to the number of dollies, and determining the placement using the plurality of candidate positions indicated by the read placement template information. 16. The loading support method recited in 15., including the placement template information being defined for each combination of the number of dollies and the number of objects, and the computer reading out the placement template information corresponding to the combination of the number of dollies and the number of objects.17. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform operations including: information acquisition means for acquiring luggage amount information indicating the amount of luggage to be loaded onto each of a plurality of dollies; and placement determination means for determining the placement of at least one of an object on which luggage is to be loaded and the plurality of dollies based on the luggage amount information. 18. The recording medium described in 17., wherein the operations include: specifying the number of luggage items to be loaded onto each of the plurality of dollies based on the luggage amount information; and determining the placement using the number of luggage items specified for each of the plurality of dollies. 19. The recording medium described in 17., wherein the operations include: specifying the weight of luggage items to be loaded onto each of the plurality of dollies based on the luggage amount information; and determining the placement using the weight of luggage specified for each of the plurality of dollies. 20. The recording medium described in 18., wherein the operation includes: further specifying the weight of each piece of luggage to be loaded onto each of the plurality of dollies based on the luggage amount information, and determining the placement using a value based on the weight of each piece of luggage to be loaded and the number of pieces of luggage to be loaded. 21. The recording medium described in 18. or 20., wherein the operation includes: determining the placement such that dollies with a greater number of pieces of luggage to be loaded are located closer to the object. 22. The recording medium described in 19., wherein the operation includes: determining the placement such that dollies with a heavier luggage to be loaded are located closer to the object. 23. The recording medium described in any one of 17. to 22., wherein the operation includes: reading out placement template information corresponding to the number of dollies from a plurality of pieces of placement template information defined for each of the dollies and indicating a plurality of candidate positions according to the number of dollies, and determining the placement using the plurality of candidate positions indicated by the read placement template information. 24. 24. The recording medium described in 23., wherein the placement template information is defined for each combination of the number of carts and the number of objects, and the operation includes reading out the placement template information corresponding to the combination of the number of carts and the number of objects.

[0067] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Stacking support device 110 Information acquisition unit 120 Placement determination unit 1000 Computer 1010 Bus 1020 Processor 1030 Memory 1040 Storage device 1050 Input / output interface 1060 Network interface 20 Communication device 30 Robot 32 Control computer 40 Cart 42 Control computer

Claims

1. A loading assistance device comprising: an information acquisition means for acquiring luggage quantity information indicating the quantity of luggage loaded on each of a plurality of carts; and an arrangement determination means for determining the arrangement of at least one of an object for performing a luggage loading operation and the plurality of carts based on the luggage quantity information.

2. The loading assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement determination means specifies the number of luggage items to be loaded on each of the plurality of carts based on the luggage quantity information, and determines the arrangement using the number of luggage items specified for each of the plurality of carts.

3. The loading assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement determination means specifies the weight of the luggage to be loaded on each of the plurality of carts based on the luggage quantity information, and determines the arrangement using the weight of the luggage specified for each of the plurality of carts.

4. The loading assistance device according to claim 2, wherein the arrangement determination means further specifies the individual weight of the luggage to be loaded on each of the plurality of carts based on the luggage quantity information, and determines the arrangement using a value based on the individual weight and the number of the luggage to be loaded.

5. The loading assistance device according to claim 2 or 4, wherein the arrangement determination means determines the arrangement such that carts with a larger number of luggage items to be loaded are positioned closer to the object.

6. The loading assistance device according to claim 3, wherein the arrangement determination means determines the arrangement such that carts with a larger weight of luggage to be loaded are positioned closer to the object.

7. The loading assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the arrangement determination means reads out arrangement template information corresponding to the number of carts from a plurality of arrangement template information items that are defined for each number of carts and indicate a plurality of candidate positions corresponding to the number of carts, and determines the arrangement using the plurality of candidate positions indicated by the read arrangement template information.

8. The loading assistance device according to claim 7, wherein the arrangement template information is defined for each combination of the number of carts and the number of objects, and the arrangement determination means reads out the arrangement template information corresponding to the combination of the number of carts and the number of objects.

9. A loading support method, including: a computer obtaining luggage quantity information indicating the quantity of luggage to be loaded on each of a plurality of carts, and determining the arrangement of at least one of an object for performing a luggage loading operation and the plurality of carts based on the luggage quantity information.

10. The loading support method according to claim 9, including: the computer specifying the number of luggage to be loaded on each of the plurality of carts based on the luggage quantity information, and determining the arrangement using the number of luggage specified for each of the plurality of carts.

11. The loading support method according to claim 9, including: the computer specifying the weight of luggage to be loaded on each of the plurality of carts based on the luggage quantity information, and determining the arrangement using the weight of luggage specified for each of the plurality of carts.

12. The loading support method according to claim 10, including: the computer further specifying the individual weight of luggage to be loaded on each of the plurality of carts based on the luggage quantity information, and determining the arrangement using a value based on the individual weight of the luggage to be loaded and the number of the luggage to be loaded.

13. The loading support method according to claim 10 or 12, including: the computer determining the arrangement such that carts with a larger number of luggage to be loaded are located closer to the object.

14. The loading support method according to claim 11, including: the computer determining the arrangement such that carts with a larger weight of luggage to be loaded are located closer to the object.

15. The loading support method according to any one of claims 9 to 14, including: the computer reading out arrangement template information corresponding to the number of carts from a plurality of arrangement template information indicating a plurality of candidate positions determined for each number of carts and corresponding to the number of carts, and determining the arrangement using the plurality of candidate positions indicated by the read arrangement template information.

16. The loading support method according to claim 15, wherein the arrangement template information is determined for each combination of the number of carts and the number of objects, and the computer reads out the arrangement template information corresponding to the pair of the number of carts and the number of objects.

17. A computer-readable recording medium that records a program for causing a computer to execute an operation including: an information acquisition unit that acquires luggage quantity information indicating the quantity of luggage to be loaded on each of a plurality of carts; and an arrangement determination unit that determines an arrangement of at least one of an object for performing a luggage loading operation and the plurality of carts based on the luggage quantity information.

18. The recording medium according to claim 17, wherein the operation includes: specifying the number of pieces of luggage to be loaded on each of the plurality of carts based on the luggage quantity information; and determining the arrangement using the number of pieces of luggage specified for each of the plurality of carts.

19. The recording medium according to claim 17, wherein the operation includes: specifying the weight of the luggage to be loaded on each of the plurality of carts based on the luggage quantity information; and determining the arrangement using the weight of the luggage specified for each of the plurality of carts.

20. The recording medium according to claim 18, wherein the operation includes: further specifying the individual weight of the luggage to be loaded on each of the plurality of carts based on the luggage quantity information; and determining the arrangement using a value based on the individual weight of the luggage to be loaded and the number of pieces of luggage to be loaded.

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