Automated storage system
The system addresses warehouse performance issues by rerouting and isolating faulty shuttles with sensor-equipped units and adaptive control, maintaining high availability and efficiency in automated storage systems.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- PCT/AT2024/060395
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2024-01-31
- Filing Date
- 2024-10-08
- Publication Date
- 2025-08-07
AI Technical Summary
Automated warehouse systems face performance reduction and availability issues due to mechanical or electronic malfunctions in shuttles, leading to detours, inaccessible storage locations, and the need for partial system shutdowns for repairs.
An automated storage system with sensor-equipped shuttles that can autonomously move, transmit error information, and are controlled by a shuttle control device to reroute or park faulty shuttles in service areas or parking spaces, minimizing system disruption, and adaptive control to manage traffic density and article availability.
Minimizes performance impact by isolating faulty shuttles, ensuring continuous operation, and optimizing maintenance windows to maintain high availability and efficiency.
Smart Images

Figure AT2024060395_07082025_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] Automated warehouse system
[0002] The invention relates to an automated storage system according to the preamble of claim 1, and a method according to the preamble of claim 12 for troubleshooting the cause of a fault situation in or around a fault shuttle in an automated storage system.
[0003] Automated warehouse systems are well-known in the field of warehouse logistics for automatically storing and retrieving items from a warehouse's storage locations. Such warehouse systems are used in modern logistics to enable rapid, fast, and customized fulfillment of picking orders. For this purpose, warehouse systems typically include item picking tools to handle orders that include a variety of different products. However, such warehouse systems are also used as warehouses, for example, in the automotive industry, where a large number of different components must be stored in a common warehouse and be available at short notice.
[0004] Storage systems are known in the prior art that are designed in the form of rack storage systems with at least one shelf mounted on a base. In these storage systems, items are stored in storage locations using storage aids, with the storage locations being formed by the shelves. Such storage systems typically include so-called shuttles for transporting the storage aids to and from the storage locations, with the shuttles being movable on the base.
[0005] In large warehouse systems, a variety of different products are stored in varying quantities, with the number of items of a certain type stored in the warehouse system at any given time being subject to fluctuations. For optimal performance, a warehouse system must ensure that items of every item type are available for retrieval from their storage locations quickly and efficiently at all times. Furthermore, in a optimally functioning warehouse system, each storage location is accessible at all times via a route that is optimal for the shuttles to store or retrieve items.
[0006] The large number of shuttles in simultaneous use in a warehouse system increases the probability that one or more shuttles will experience errors. These can be caused, for example, by mechanical or electronic malfunctions on the shuttles. Depending on the type of error and where a specific shuttle is located in the warehouse system, if such errors occur on the shuttle, this can lead to the overall performance of the warehouse system or the availability of individual items of certain article types being more or less negatively affected. For example, other functioning shuttles have to take detours around a defective shuttle, which increases the distance covered by the respective shuttles within the warehouse system and thus reduces the retrieval and storage performance of the entire warehouse system.It can also happen that one or more storage locations are no longer accessible to other shuttles due to a defective shuttle. In the worst case, depending on the distribution of stored items in the warehouse system, this can also result in certain types of items no longer being available for retrieval as long as the defective shuttle blocks access.
[0007] Traditionally, the warehouse system must be at least partially shut down so that service personnel can safely carry out repairs on the defective shuttle. This reduces the overall availability of the warehouse system.
[0008] The object of the present invention is to provide an automated storage system and a method for troubleshooting, whereby these disadvantages of the prior art are avoided.
[0009] According to the invention, this object is achieved by providing an automated storage system having the features of claim 1 and a method for troubleshooting the cause of a fault situation in or around a fault shuttle in an automated storage system having the features of claim 12.
[0010] The automated storage system according to the invention comprises at least one shelf mounted on a base with storage locations for storing articles in storage aids, and a plurality of shuttles for transporting the storage aids. According to the invention, at least one of the shuttles for moving on the base has a drive unit with at least one motor and wheels, which are designed for autonomous movement of the shuttle on the base. Furthermore, the shuttle comprises load-handling means for receiving the storage aid, and a sensor system for monitoring ambient conditions and / or shuttle conditions and for providing sensor data.Furthermore, the shuttle comprises a control unit for controlling a movement sequence of the shuttle and for processing and / or transmitting the sensor data of the shuttle and, in the event of an error situation during the execution of the movement sequence in which the shuttle forms an error shuttle, for transmitting error information from the error shuttle. The storage system according to the invention further comprises a warehouse management system for managing the storage locations and the articles stored therein and a shuttle control device designed to issue control commands to the shuttles and to evaluate the error information received from the error shuttle. Here, the shuttle control device issues a service area control command to the error shuttle in order to move the error shuttle to a service area located away from the rack, in which the error shuttle can be serviced without restricting the movement sequences of other shuttles.This minimizes the impact on the overall performance of the storage system according to the invention. Instead, the shuttle control device also issues a service parking space control command to the fault shuttle to move the fault shuttle to a statically or dynamically defined service parking space in the storage system that is closer to the fault shuttle than the service area if the fault shuttle cannot reach the service area of its own accord, or if it cannot be ruled out based on the error information that the storage system could be damaged by the movement of the fault shuttle. This provides the advantage that if the fault shuttle can no longer reach the service area, for example due to a mechanical defect, or if there is a risk of further damage, a service parking space can be provided where the fault shuttle can be temporarily parked.The service parking space can be selected in such a way that the remaining shuttles are affected as little as possible in their activities, and thus the overall performance of the warehouse system is also affected as little as possible.
[0011] Preferably, the shuttle control device is configured to collect traffic density information, which is determined based on current and / or near-future planned movement sequences of shuttles for loading and unloading storage aids from the rack. The shuttle control device is configured to dynamically determine the service parking space in an area that has and / or will have a relatively low traffic density. This ensures that fault shuttles can be parked in a service parking space that has the least impact on the performance of the entire warehouse system.
[0012] According to a preferred embodiment of the storage system according to the invention, the shuttle control device is designed to adapt the control commands for storing and retrieving storage aids in order to reduce traffic density in the area of the current location of the fault shuttle and / or in the area of the service parking space, or to block the area of the ground around the fault shuttle and / or to block the area of the rack displaced by the fault shuttle and / or to block an area of the rack causing the fault situation, if the error information from the fault shuttle indicates that the fault shuttle cannot reach the service parking space under its own power or a defect in the rack to be blocked has caused the fault situation. This prevents further damage and / or defects to the storage system according to the invention from occurring as a result of a failure of one or more shuttles.Preferably, the shuttle control device dynamically determines the service parking space in an area of the warehouse system, depending on information from the warehouse management system regarding the storage locations of those articles of an article type that are only stored in one storage location. This ensures the highest possible availability of each stored article type. In addition, the shuttle control device can dynamically determine the service parking space in an area of the warehouse system, depending on information from the warehouse management system regarding the storage locations of those articles of an article type that are already scheduled for display in the near future. This ensures that the selection of the service parking space does not prevent a certain article type, for which there is a demand, from no longer being available in the warehouse system or from being available only with a delay.
[0013] Preferably, the shuttle control device is configured to issue a control command to a service shuttle to automatically repair the faulty shuttle parked at the service parking space and / or enable its mobility to the service area. This provides the advantage that the faulty shuttle can be repaired or made ready for use automatically and without intervention by service personnel.
[0014] According to the preferred embodiment of the storage system according to the invention, the service shuttle has a camera for obtaining additional information about the fault shuttle. This allows for targeted troubleshooting and / or repair of the fault shuttle to be initiated.
[0015] The shuttle control device can further be configured to mark a storage location in the warehouse management system as blocked if the error information from the error shuttle indicates a logistical error because the information stored in the warehouse management system does not match the reality determined by the sensor data from the error shuttle. This allows the information stored in the warehouse management system to be verifiable.
[0016] Preferably, the shuttle control device is also designed to define a maintenance window with a no-entry zone for shuttles in the area around the service parking space and / or to place all shuttles in the no-entry zone into a personnel-safe state, particularly if the traffic density around the service parking space determined for the expected repair time of the faulty shuttle falls below a minimum threshold. This achieves the advantage that the service parking space is placed in a safe state for service personnel in order to safely enable service work on the shuttle(s). According to the preferred embodiment of the storage system according to the invention, the shuttle control device is designed to learn from error information and successful or unsuccessful repairs carried out for this purpose in order to improve error analysis steps, particularly using artificial intelligence.This allows for continuous improvement of troubleshooting methods.
[0017] The control unit of the fault shuttle and / or the shuttle control device is preferably configured to perform the following error correction step: At least once, the fault shuttle repeats the movement sequence specified in a control command from the shuttle control device to the fault shuttle if this movement sequence could not be performed. This provides the advantage that a simple attempt to correct the error is repeated using the specified movement sequence before more complex interventions in the storage system are performed. This can be advantageous, for example, in the case of minor mechanical errors if the fault shuttle was unable to perform the movement sequence on the first attempt.
[0018] The shuttle control device can also be configured to determine an availability index of the plurality of shuttles of the warehouse system, wherein the shuttle control device is configured to specify or suggest a maintenance window for servicing the shuttles based on the determined availability index. This provides the advantage that maintenance windows can be dynamically planned in such a way that the production output of the automated warehouse system according to the invention is impacted as little as possible. A maintenance window is preferably planned when the expected order load is low in order to achieve a high availability index during subsequent peak load periods.
[0019] The method according to the invention is a method for troubleshooting the cause of a fault situation in or around a faulty shuttle in an automated warehouse system having at least one rack mounted on a base with storage locations for storing articles in storage aids and having several shuttles movable on the base for transporting the storage aids. The faulty shuttle is one of the plurality of shuttles that was unable to perform a movement sequence specified by a shuttle control device of the warehouse system and reported this fault situation by transmitting error information to the shuttle control device.According to the method according to the invention, the shuttle control device carries out the following error correction steps: The issuance of a service area control command to the error shuttle in order to move the error shuttle into a service area located away from the rack, in which the error shuttle can be serviced without restricting the movement sequences of other shuttles. However, the shuttle control device instead issues a service parking space control command to the error shuttle in order to move the error shuttle into a service parking space located closer to the error shuttle than the service area and defined statically or dynamically by the shuttle control device in the warehouse system if the error shuttle cannot reach the service area under its own power or if it cannot be ruled out on the basis of the error information that the warehouse system could be damaged by the movement of the error shuttle.This has the advantage that a defect or damage to one of the shuttles in the storage system only has as minimal an impact as necessary on the overall performance of the storage system.
[0020] According to a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the error shuttle attempts to at least repeat the movement sequence specified by the control command from the shuttle control device but not executed. This avoids complex error correction attempts if only minor errors, such as mechanical ones, are present, which can be overcome by simply repeating the movement sequence.
[0021] Advantageous embodiments of the storage system according to the invention and of the method according to the invention as well as alternative embodiments are explained in more detail below with reference to the figures.
[0022] Figure 1 shows an automated storage system according to the invention with a shelf installed on a base in a frontal view.
[0023] Figure 2 shows a rack aisle of the automated storage system according to the invention.
[0024] Figure 3 shows a shuttle of the automated storage system according to the invention in a perspective view.
[0025] Figure 4 shows the automated storage system according to the invention in a plan view with a service area.
[0026] Figure 5 shows a time course of a maximum, a determined and a critical availability indicator of the storage system according to the invention.
[0027] Figure 1 shows an automated storage system 1 according to the invention with a shelf 2 set up on a base in a frontal view. Figure 2 shows the storage system 1 from a further perspective along a shelf aisle between two oppositely arranged shelves 2. The shelf 2 or shelves 2 have storage locations 3 for storing articles in storage aids 4. According to the embodiment variant of the storage system 1 according to the invention shown in the figures, the storage aids 4 are designed as containers or boxes. The storage system 1 further comprises a plurality of shuttles 5 for transporting the storage aids 4. At least one of the shuttles 5, which is shown in detail in Figure 3, has a drive unit with at least one motor and wheels 6 for moving on the base. These enable the shuttle 4 to move autonomously on the base.Preferably, all shuttles 5 of the storage system 1 each have such a drive unit. Furthermore, the at least one shuttle 5 comprises load-handling means 7 for receiving the storage aid 4 and a sensor system for monitoring ambient conditions and / or shuttle conditions and for providing sensor data. The sensor system is not shown in detail in the figures, but may include, among other things, infrared, ultrasonic, radar, lidar, optical, and other sensors. Other sensors that can be used within the scope of the storage system 1 according to the invention are generally known to those skilled in the art.
[0028] The shuttle 5 further comprises a control unit for controlling a movement sequence of the shuttle 5 and for processing and / or transmitting the sensor data of the shuttle 5 and, in the event of an error situation during the execution of the movement sequence in which the shuttle 5 forms an error shuttle, for transmitting error information from the error shuttle. Within the context of the storage system 1 according to the invention, a shuttle 5 in which, for example, a defect occurs or in which an error occurs during the execution of a specific movement sequence is referred to as an error shuttle. This can be the case, for example, if the sensors or mechanics of the shuttle 5 are faulty or fail, or if the shuttle 5 becomes stuck in the course of its movement in the storage system 1.
[0029] The storage system 1 according to the invention also has a warehouse management system for managing the storage locations 3 and the articles stored therein, as well as a shuttle control device which is designed to issue control commands to the shuttles 5 and to evaluate the commands received from the error shuttle.
[0030] The issuing of control commands to the shuttles 5 and the evaluation of the error information received from the error shuttle is carried out in the storage system 1 according to the invention according to a sequence of error correction steps by means of the shuttle control device.
[0031] These troubleshooting steps include issuing a service area control command to move the fault shuttle to a service area 11 located away from the rack 2, where the fault shuttle can be serviced without restricting the movement sequences of other shuttles 5. This has the advantage that the fault shuttle does not hinder the movement sequences of other shuttles 5, thus not affecting the overall performance of the warehouse system 1, apart from the failure of the fault shuttle. The service area 11 is shown in Figure 4, which shows the warehouse system 1 in a schematic view from above. The service area 11 is therefore preferably located away from the racks 2 of the warehouse system 1 and thus away from the conventional movement routes of the shuttles 5.
[0032] However, if the fault shuttle cannot reach the service area 11 under its own power or if, based on the error information, it cannot be ruled out that the storage system 1 could be damaged by the movement of the fault shuttle, the shuttle control device is designed to issue a service parking space control command in order to move the fault shuttle to a service parking space that is statically or dynamically defined in the storage system 1 and is closer to the fault shuttle than the service area 11. According to the invention, the service parking space is selected such that its location in the storage system 1 has only a minor impact on the overall system, while at the same time being easily and quickly accessible by the fault shuttle. This has the advantage that the fault shuttle does not block any essential or system-relevant paths and routes in the storage system 1, which would significantly impact the overall performance of the storage system 1.
[0033] According to the preferred embodiment of the storage system 1 according to the invention, the shuttle control device is designed to collect traffic density information, which is determined based on current and / or near-future planned movement sequences of shuttles 5 for storing and retrieving storage aids 4 from the shelf 2. The collection of traffic density information can be carried out, for example, based on position data of the individual shuttles 5 of the storage system 1, as well as on the order lists of picking orders for articles. The shuttle control device is designed to dynamically determine the service parking space in an area that has and / or will have a relatively low traffic density.This ensures that the position of the service parking space does not have a significant negative impact on the overall performance of warehouse system 1, not only currently but also in the near future until the error or defect of the error shuttle is rectified.
[0034] If the error information from the error shuttle indicates that the error shuttle cannot reach the service parking space under its own power or that a defect in the shelf to be blocked has caused the error situation, the shuttle control device is preferably designed to adapt the control commands for storing and retrieving storage aids 4. This reduces the traffic density in the area of the current location of the error shuttle and / or in the area of the service parking space, or blocks the area of the ground around the error shuttle, and / or blocks the area of the shelf 2 obstructed by the error shuttle, and / or blocks an area of the shelf 2 causing the error situation. This ensures that other shuttles 5 are not affected by the error shuttle or damaged by defects, for example, on the shelf 2 itself.
[0035] According to the preferred embodiment of the storage system 1 according to the invention, it is also suitable for ensuring that the targeted selection of the service parking space ensures the highest possible availability of all article types stored in the storage system 1. Preferably, the shuttle control device dynamically determines the service parking space in an area of the storage system 1, depending on information from the warehouse management system regarding the storage locations 3 of those articles of an article type that are stored in only one storage location 3, which ensures the highest possible availability of each stored article type.In addition, depending on information from the warehouse management system regarding the storage locations 3 of those articles of an article type that are already scheduled for retrieval in the near future, the shuttle control device can dynamically determine the service parking space in an area of the warehouse system 1 that ensures the highest possible availability of each stored article type.
[0036] Once a fault shuttle has been parked in the service parking space, it should preferably be repaired promptly so that it can be used again in the storage system 1 according to the invention. To ensure such a repair, the shuttle control device is preferably designed to issue a control command to a service shuttle in order to automatically repair the fault shuttle parked in the service parking space and / or to enable its mobility to the service area 11. The service shuttle either acts as an automated repair shuttle and carries out a repair on the fault shuttle, or tows the fault shuttle, for example, and transports it to the service area 11, which is easily accessible for service personnel. This may be necessary, for example, in the case of more complex damage to the fault shuttle.
[0037] The service shuttle preferably has a camera (not shown separately in the figures) for obtaining additional information about the fault shuttle. This allows for a visual analysis of the fault shuttle for mechanical damage.
[0038] According to the preferred embodiment, the sensors of the shuttles 5 of the storage system 1 according to the invention can be used to check whether information stored in the warehouse management system, for example, regarding a certain storage location 3, corresponds to the reality determined by sensor data from the error shuttle. If this is not the case, for example, because the storage location 3 is already occupied even though it is marked as available in the warehouse management system, the storage system 1 according to the invention is configured so that the error information from the error shuttle indicates a logistical error. According to this embodiment of the storage system 1 according to the invention, the shuttle control device is subsequently designed to mark a storage location 3 in the warehouse management system, in this example as blocked.
[0039] The shuttle control device is further preferably designed to define a maintenance window with a no-entry zone for shuttles 5 in the area around the service parking space and / or to place all shuttles 5 in the no-entry zone into a personnel-safe state, particularly if the traffic density around the service parking space determined for the expected repair time of the faulty shuttle falls below a minimum threshold. This achieves the advantage that the no-entry zone only exists during the period within which a minor impact on the overall performance of the storage system 1 according to the invention is to be expected. In addition to a no-entry zone, a meeting zone (not visible in the figures) can be provided in the automated storage system 1 according to the invention. In the meeting zone, people, such as maintenance personnel, and shuttles 5, can meet one another.To this end, personal safety must be ensured in the meeting zone, which can be achieved either by prohibiting the use of shuttles 5 that do not provide personal safety, or by other measures such as reducing the speed of shuttles 5.
[0040] If a repair is performed on a fault shuttle, for example, by a service shuttle, it can be successful or unsuccessful. To improve the efficiency of fault repair in the automated warehouse system 1 according to the invention, the shuttle control device is preferably designed to learn from fault information and successful or unsuccessful repairs performed for this purpose in order to improve fault analysis steps, in particular using artificial intelligence. This can reduce the time required to correct a specific fault.
[0041] If, for example, a simple mechanical error occurs on the fault shuttle, for example if a mechanical component has become stuck, it can be helpful to repeat a movement sequence during which the error occurred. Such minor errors are often already corrected by this. According to the preferred embodiment of the storage system 1 according to the invention, the control unit of the fault shuttle and / or the shuttle control device is thus designed to carry out the error correction step of repeating the movement sequence specified in a control command from the shuttle control device to the fault shuttle at least once if this movement sequence could not be carried out. In the automated storage system 1 according to the invention, a service level can be defined which indicates the quality and punctuality with which the requested goods are made available at the goods issue point.The service level of warehouse system 1 can be determined using a formula that includes a weighted quality indicator and an availability indicator. An example of the availability indicator over time is shown in Figure 5. The achievement of a critical service level, which makes a maintenance window necessary to resolve technical problems, can be seen independently of the order backlog. The quality indicator indicates how many of the orders are fulfilled error-free and on time, whereby the error weight is correspondingly higher for items with critical requirements, high value, or for items owned by third parties. The availability indicator of the warehouse system is calculated using a formula that includes the number of available shuttles including their storage equipment 4, the number of route sections blocked due to technical problems and / or blocked storage locations 3, based on their maximum available quantity.It should be noted that the quality indicator does not have to decrease despite blocked storage locations 3 if items are stored redundantly in different shelves 2 and the availability does not have to decrease significantly as long as the shuttles 5 reach their destinations on time despite detours.
[0042] According to the preferred embodiment of the storage system 1 according to the invention, the shuttle control device is designed to determine the availability index of the plurality of shuttles 5 of the storage system 1. This determined availability index 8 is time-dependent and is shown in Figure 5. The shuttle control device is then configured to define or suggest a maintenance window for servicing the shuttles 5 based on the determined availability index 8. This allows the maintenance window to be dynamically defined depending on the determined availability index 8 and a critical availability index 9 of the storage system 1 as soon as the determined availability index 8 falls below the critical availability index 9, or it is expected that this critical availability index 9 will be undercut.The determined availability indicator 8 over a period of time, as well as a maximum availability indicator 10 and the critical availability indicator 9, are shown as examples in Figure 5. In the example shown in Figure 5, a maintenance window is planned in the time periods T4 - T6.
[0043] The inventive method, which is carried out in the inventive storage system 1 for error correction, is a method for correcting the cause of an error situation in or around the error shuttle in the inventive automated storage system 1 with the at least one shelf 2 set up on the ground with storage locations 3 for storing articles in storage aids 4 and with the several shuttles 5 movable on the ground for transporting the storage aids 4. The error shuttle is, as described with reference to the inventive storage system 1, one of this plurality of shuttles 5 that could not carry out a movement sequence specified by a shuttle control device of the storage system 1 and reported this error situation by transmitting error information to the shuttle control device.
[0044] According to the method according to the invention, the shuttle control device carries out the following error correction steps: The issuance of a service area control command in order to move the error shuttle into a service area 11 located away from the rack 2, in which service area the error shuttle can be serviced without restricting the movement sequences of other shuttles 5. However, the shuttle control device issues a service parking space control command in order to move the error shuttle into a service parking space located closer to the error shuttle than the service area 11 and defined statically or dynamically by the shuttle control device in the storage system 1 if the error shuttle cannot reach the service area 11 under its own power or if it cannot be ruled out on the basis of the error information that the storage system 1 could be damaged by the movement of the error shuttle.This provides the advantage that a defect or damage to one of the shuttles 5 of the storage system 1 affects the overall performance of the storage system 1 only as minimally as necessary.
[0045] Preferably, position data from each of the shuttles 5 of the automated warehouse system 1 is transmitted essentially continuously to the shuttle control device. This ensures that the current location of each of the shuttles 5 within the warehouse system 1 is known at all times. The shuttle control device preferably comprises a neural network designed to evaluate the position data of the shuttles 5. As a result, the neural network detects areas in the warehouse system 1 according to the invention which have an increased traffic density compared to an average traffic density of shuttles 5 within the warehouse system 1. Furthermore, the neural network identifies areas within the warehouse system 1 where errors on the shuttles 5 occur particularly frequently, forming error shuttles.The neural network is preferably designed to optimize the movement sequences of the shuttles 5 of the storage system 1 according to the invention in such a way as to ensure the shortest and fastest possible paths for the shuttles 5 within the storage system 1, which at the same time have a low probability of the need for an additional detour and / or an additional time delay in order to avoid an error shuttle.
[0046] According to a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the error shuttle attempts to at least repeat the movement sequence specified by the control command from the shuttle control device but not executed. This avoids complex error correction attempts if only minor, for example, mechanical errors exist, which can be overcome by simply repeating the movement sequence. This can be advantageous, for example, in the case of minor mechanical errors, such as when components of the shuttle 5 have become jammed or stuck.
Claims
Patent claims:
1. Automated storage system (1) with at least one shelf (2) mounted on a base with storage locations (3) for storing articles in storage aids (4) and with a plurality of shuttles (5) for transporting the storage aids (4), wherein at least one of the shuttles (5) for moving on the ground has the following features: Drive unit with at least one motor and wheels (6) for autonomous movement of the shuttle (5) on the ground; Load handling device (7) for receiving the storage aid (4); Sensors for monitoring environmental conditions and / or shuttle conditions and for providing sensor data; Control unit for controlling a movement sequence of the shuttle (5) and for processing and / or transmitting the sensor data of the shuttle (5) and, in the event of an error situation when carrying out the movement sequence in which the shuttle (5) forms an error shuttle, for transmitting error information from the error shuttle, and wherein the storage system (1) further comprises a warehouse management system for managing the storage locations (3) and the articles stored therein and a shuttle control device which is designed to issue control commands to the shuttles (5) and to evaluate the error information received from the error shuttle according to the following error correction steps: Issuing a service area control command to the fault shuttle by the shuttle control device in order to move the fault shuttle into a service area (11) located away from the rack (2), in which service area the fault shuttle can be serviced without restricting the movement sequences of other shuttles (5), wherein, if the fault shuttle cannot reach the service area (11) of its own accord, or if it cannot be ruled out on the basis of the error information that the storage system (1) could be damaged by the movement of the fault shuttle, a service parking space control command is instead issued by the shuttle control device to the fault shuttle in order to move the fault shuttle into a service parking space which is statically or dynamically defined in the storage system (1) and is closer to the fault shuttle than the service area (11).
2. Automated storage system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the shuttle control device is designed to collect traffic density information based on current and / or near-future planned movement sequences of shuttles (5) for storing and retrieving storage aids (4) in the shelf (2), wherein the shuttle control device is designed to dynamically determine the service parking space in an area that has and / or will have a relatively low traffic density.
3. Automated storage system (1) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the shuttle control device is designed to adapt the control commands for storing and retrieving storage aids (4) in order to reduce the traffic density in the area of the current location of the error shuttle and / or in the area of the service parking space or to block the area of the underground around the error shuttle and / or to block the area of the shelf (2) displaced by the error shuttle and / or to To block the area of the shelf (2) causing the error situation if the error information of the error shuttle indicates that the error shuttle cannot reach the service parking space under its own power or a defect in the shelf (2) to be blocked has caused the error situation.
4. Automated storage system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the shuttle control device, depending on information from the warehouse management system on the storage locations (3) of those articles of an article type that are stored in only one storage location (3), dynamically determines the service parking space in an area of the storage system (1) which ensures the highest possible availability of each stored article type.
5. Automated storage system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the shuttle control device, depending on information from the warehouse management system regarding the storage locations (3) of those articles of an article type that are already scheduled for display in the near future, dynamically determines the service parking space in an area of the storage system (1) which ensures the highest possible availability of each stored article type.
6. Automated storage system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the shuttle control device is designed to issue a control command to a service shuttle in order to automatically repair the fault shuttle parked at the service parking space and / or to enable its mobility to the service area (11).
7. Automated storage system (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the service shuttle has a camera for determining further information about the fault shuttle.
8. Automated storage system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the shuttle control device is designed to mark a storage location (3) in the warehouse management system as blocked if the error information of the error shuttle indicates a logistical error because the information stored in the warehouse management system does not correspond to the reality determined by sensor data of the error shuttle.
9. Automated storage system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the shuttle control device is designed to define a maintenance window with a driving ban zone for shuttles (5) in the area around the service parking space and / or to put all shuttles (5) in the driving ban zone into a person-safe state, in particular if the traffic density around the service parking space determined for the expected repair time of the faulty shuttle falls below a minimum threshold.
10. Automated storage system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the shuttle control device is designed to learn from error information and successful or unsuccessful repairs carried out therefor in order to improve error analysis steps, in particular using artificial intelligence.
11. Automated storage system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the control unit of the error shuttle and / or the shuttle control device is designed to carry out the following error correction step: At least one repetition of the movement sequence specified in a control command from the shuttle control device to the error shuttle by the error shuttle if this movement sequence could not be carried out.
12. Automated storage system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the shuttle control device is designed to determine an availability index of the plurality of shuttles (5) of the storage system (1), whereupon the shuttle control device is designed to define or suggest a maintenance window for servicing the shuttles (5) on the basis of the determined availability index.
13. Method for troubleshooting the cause of a fault situation in or around a fault shuttle in an automated storage system (1) with at least one shelf (2) set up on a base with storage locations (3) for storing articles in storage aids (4) and with several shuttles (5) movable on the base for transporting the storage aids (4), wherein the fault shuttle is one of said plurality of shuttles (5) which was unable to carry out a movement sequence specified by a shuttle control device of the storage system (1) and reported this error situation by sending error information to the shuttle control device, characterized in that the shuttle control device carries out the following error correction steps: Issuing a service area control command to the fault shuttle by the shuttle control device in order to move the fault shuttle into a service area (11) located away from the rack (2), in which service area the fault shuttle can be serviced without restricting the movement sequences of other shuttles (5), wherein, if the fault shuttle cannot reach the service area (11) of its own accord, or if it cannot be ruled out on the basis of the error information that the storage system (1) could be damaged by the movement of the fault shuttle, the shuttle control device instead issues a service parking space control command to the fault shuttle in order to move the fault shuttle into a service parking space located closer to the fault shuttle than the service area (11), which is statically or dynamically defined by the shuttle control device in the storage system (1).
14. Method according to claim 13, characterized in that the error shuttle attempts at least once to carry out the movement sequence specified by the control command from the shuttle control device but not carried out.
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