Warehouse system

Abstract

A warehouse system for controlling a conveyance vehicle capable of conveying a bin to a designated conveyance destination comprises: a calculation unit that calculates an estimated end time of a first picking operation requiring a predetermined bin, and calculates a standby time of a predetermined conveyance vehicle on the basis of an estimated arrival time, at which the predetermined bin is estimated to arrive at a designated picking station by being conveyed by the predetermined conveyance vehicle, or an actual arrival time, at which the predetermined bin arrives at the designated picking station, and the estimated end time; and a control unit that causes the predetermined conveyance vehicle to perform an arbitrary operation according to the calculated standby time.

Description

Warehouse System

[0001] The present disclosure relates to warehouse systems.

[0002] In recent years, automated warehouses for receiving and shipping packages containing packaged goods have become widespread. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a configuration for transport control of multiple transport vehicles in order to improve the efficiency of transporting packages from a source to a destination within a warehouse.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-135698

[0004] The present disclosure has been devised in view of the above-described conventional situation, and aims to improve the work efficiency of transport vehicles within a warehouse.

[0005] The present disclosure provides a warehouse system that controls a transport vehicle capable of transporting a bin to a specified destination, the warehouse system including: a calculation unit that calculates an estimated end time of a first picking operation requiring a specified bin, and calculates a waiting time for the specified transport vehicle based on the estimated arrival time at which the specified bin will arrive at a specified picking station after being transported by the specified transport vehicle or the actual arrival time at which the specified bin arrives at the specified picking station and the estimated end time; and a control unit that causes the specified transport vehicle to perform any operation depending on the calculated waiting time.

[0006] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the work efficiency of transport vehicles within a warehouse.

[0007] 1. A block diagram showing an example of a system configuration according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 2. A block diagram showing an example of a configuration of an information processing device that can be used in a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 3. A schematic diagram showing an example of a configuration inside a warehouse according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 4. A flowchart showing a control process for an automated guided vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 5. A schematic diagram for explaining first and second calculation examples of a waiting time according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 6. A schematic diagram for explaining a first calculation example of a waiting time according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 7. A schematic diagram for explaining a second calculation example of a waiting time according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 8. A schematic diagram for explaining third and fourth calculation examples of a waiting time according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Schematic diagram for explaining an example. Schematic diagram for explaining a fourth calculation example of a waiting time according to one embodiment of the present invention. Schematic diagram for explaining a first optional task according to one embodiment of the present invention. Schematic diagram for explaining a first optional task according to one embodiment of the present invention. Schematic diagram for explaining a second optional task according to one embodiment of the present invention. Schematic diagram for explaining a third optional task according to one embodiment of the present invention. Schematic diagram for explaining a third optional task according to one embodiment of the present invention. Schematic diagram for explaining a third optional task according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0008] (Background to the Contents of Each Embodiment) Warehouses that handle receiving, storing, packaging, shipping, and the like of packages require automation using robots and the like to reduce the manual workload. With the recent increase in packages, further efficiency improvements in a series of operations are required. In such warehouses, items (hereinafter also referred to as "products") of various shapes and attributes are handled, so it is necessary for people and robots to share tasks and perform them in consideration of the characteristics of the products. One such task is picking, based on shipping instructions, from a storage unit where products are stored (hereinafter referred to as a "storage bin") to a storage unit (hereinafter referred to as a "shipping bin") that will store one or more products to be shipped.

[0009] When performing picking work, storage bins and shipping bins are placed around the worker, and the worker moves from the storage bin to the shipping bin. In warehouses where storage bins and shipping bins are transported automatically, automated guided vehicles are responsible for transporting these bins. There are many types of automated guided vehicles, but a typical automated guided vehicle waits while holding a bin during picking work. For this reason, when there are a large number of products to be picked from a storage bin or when multiple storage bins are to be picked for one shipping bin, the waiting time of the automated guided vehicle involved in the picking work becomes long. As this waiting time increases, the number of automated guided vehicles required increases, which increases costs and requires securing space for the automated guided vehicles to move. For this reason, it is necessary to work efficiently with fewer automated guided vehicles.

[0010] Therefore, in the following embodiment, an example of a system for controlling an automatic guided vehicle so that the automatic guided vehicle can perform work more efficiently will be described.

[0011] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings as appropriate, detailed descriptions of each embodiment specifically disclosing the system according to the present disclosure will be provided. However, unnecessary detailed descriptions may be omitted. For example, detailed descriptions of well-known matters or redundant descriptions of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid unnecessary redundancy in the following description and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. Note that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter recited in the claims.

[0012] <First Embodiment> [System Configuration] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall overview of a warehouse system 1 according to this embodiment. Note that the system configuration shown in Fig. 1 is an example, and one system may be divided into multiple systems, or multiple systems may be integrated into one system. Also, one system or device shown in Fig. 1 may be provided multiple times. Furthermore, the processing entities shown below are an example, and some of the functions of one system may be realized as functions of another system.

[0013] The warehouse system 1 includes a warehouse management system 100, a warehouse operations management system 200, warehouse control systems 300, 400, and 500, a robot 600, an automated warehouse 700, an automated guided vehicle 800, and an operation terminal 900. Each component of the warehouse system 1 is configured to be able to communicate with each other via a network. The warehouse management system 100 is a system that manages and controls logistics within a warehouse and is positioned at the highest level in the configuration example shown in FIG. 1 . The warehouse management system 100 manages, for example, inventory management of items within the warehouse, as well as the inflow and outflow (receiving and shipping) and movement of items. The warehouse management system is sometimes referred to as a WMS (Warehouse Management System). The warehouse management system 100 may be configured to be able to communicate with external systems not shown in FIG. 1 and may acquire and manage instructions related to the inflow and outflow of goods, product information, information on warehouse equipment such as robots, information on workers, information on the transportation status of trucks used to transport goods, and the like.

[0014] The warehouse operations management system 200 is a system that manages and controls work within a warehouse, and in the example configuration shown in Fig. 1, is positioned below the warehouse management system 100. The warehouse operations management system is sometimes referred to as a WES (Warehouse Execution System). The warehouse operations management system 200 comprehensively controls, for example, the work content of various work entities within the warehouse and the equipment within the warehouse.

[0015] The warehouse control systems 300, 400, and 500 manage and control various pieces of equipment in the warehouse. The warehouse control system may also be referred to as a WCS (warehouse control system). In the example configuration shown in FIG. 1 , the warehouse control systems 300, 400, and 500 manage and control the robot 600, the automated warehouse 700, and the automated guided vehicle 800, respectively. The robot 600 is equipped with, for example, a direct-travel mechanism or a multi-axis arm and is configured to be able to hold products at its tip. The tip of the robot 600 may have, for example, a suction mechanism or a multi-fingered gripping mechanism, but is not particularly limited thereto. Multiple types of robots 600 may be installed in the warehouse to accommodate picking operations for various products. Furthermore, a camera may be installed around the robot 600 to capture images of the surrounding area, particularly images of bins placed nearby.

[0016] The automated warehouse 700 is configured to be able to store multiple bins, and transports the bins using an automated guided vehicle 800 as required. Note that the method of transporting the bins is not limited to using the automated guided vehicle 800. For example, the bins may be transported using a belt conveyor or the like. The automated warehouse 700 is configured, for example, with a lattice frame so that multiple bins can be stored. Examples of bins stored in the automated warehouse 700 include storage bins for storing products. Furthermore, storage bins may include empty bins that do not store products, and bins for which a product to be stored has not yet been determined. Note that the bins used in the automated warehouse 700 also include shipping bins for bundling products together at the time of shipment. The shapes and dimensions of the storage bins and shipping bins may differ, but the description will be given assuming that they are configured to be transportable by the automated guided vehicle 800.

[0017] Automated guided vehicle 800 is a vehicle for transporting bins to a predetermined location, and automatically moves or waits based on instructions. Automated guided vehicle 800 may be configured to detachably mount bins on its top, or may be configured to transport bins by pushing or pulling them. Automated guided vehicle 800 is configured to include, for example, a traveling unit for performing operations related to movement, sensors for acquiring peripheral information, and a communication unit for transmitting and receiving data to and from warehouse control system 300, etc.

[0018] The operation terminal 900 is an information processing device configured to be usable by workers both inside and outside the warehouse. The operation terminal 900 may be, for example, a stationary information processing device such as a PC (Personal Computer), or may be a mobile terminal such as a tablet terminal, POS terminal, handheld terminal, or smartphone. The operation terminal 900 transmits and receives data to and from the warehouse management system 100, warehouse operations management system 200, warehouse control systems 300, 400, and 500, and is used to receive notifications from each system and to configure and operate each system.

[0019] (Hardware Configuration Example) Each system shown in FIG. 1 may be configured as an on-premise server device at a base where a warehouse is located, or may be configured as a cloud-based system on a network. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device that can be used as a device constituting each system. Here, the devices constituting each system are described as having the same configuration, but some components may be omitted or other components may be added depending on the functions provided. An example of a component that may be added is a barcode reader used to acquire information from barcodes attached to products and bins in the warehouse.

[0020] The information processing device 10 includes a processing device 11, a storage device 12, a communication device 13, an input device 14, an image acquisition unit 15, an external interface (external IF) 16, and a display device 17. Each component is configured to be able to communicate via an internal interface 18. The processing device 11 may be configured using, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphic processing unit (GPU), a micro processing unit (MPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The processing device 11 realizes various functions described below by, for example, referencing various databases (hereinafter, referred to as DBs) stored in the storage device 12 or reading programs. The storage device 12 is a storage unit for storing various data, programs, etc., and may be composed of volatile / non-volatile storage devices such as RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), and HDD (Hard Disk Drive).

[0021] The communication device 13 is an interface for communicating with external devices via the network 35. There are no particular limitations on the communication standards that can be supported by the communication device 13, and the communication standards may be wired or wireless. The communication device 13 may also be capable of supporting multiple communication standards. Therefore, the network 35 may be configured by combining networks based on multiple communication standards.

[0022] The input device 14 accepts operations and instructions from warehouse users (e.g., managers and workers). The input device 14 may be composed of a mouse, a keyboard, a touch panel display, etc. The image acquisition unit 15 is an interface for acquiring images of the warehouse interior from cameras 30 installed in the warehouse. The external interface 16 is an interface for communicating with an external system 20. The external system 20 may be communicatively connected via the communication device 13 and a network 35. The external system 20 is not limited to the systems shown in FIG. 1 , and may be another system. The display device 17 displays various user interfaces to the user. The display device 17 may be composed of a liquid crystal display, a touch panel display, a lamp, etc.

[0023] 3 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the configuration inside a warehouse of the warehouse system 1 according to this embodiment. The warehouse is equipped with an automated warehouse 700 and one or more robots 600. In addition, a plurality of automated guided vehicles 800 (not shown) that transport bins are arranged in the warehouse so that they can travel.

[0024] A work area 830 is configured around the automated warehouse 700 where a worker 850, who is the main operator of the picking work, works. A work area 830 is also provided where the robot 600 works. In the work area 830, for example, a bin arrangement is determined that will be most efficient when the main operator moves products from the storage bins 810 to the shipping bins 820. Furthermore, in order to improve the efficiency of the entire shipping work, if it is desirable to temporarily wait for a bin, a waiting area 840 is provided for waiting the bin. The waiting area 840 will be described later. Hereinafter, the area where picking work is performed may be referred to as a picking station.

[0025] 3 shows an example in which one work area for the human worker 850 and one work area for the robot 600 are provided, but this is not limiting. A plurality of each work area may be provided. Alternatively, only one work area for the human worker or one work area for the robot may be provided. Furthermore, although an example in which the robot 600 is provided with a direct mechanism is shown, a robot provided with a multi-axis arm may also be provided.

[0026] [Operation of Warehouse System] Hereinafter, the operation of the warehouse system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0027] 4 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of control processing of the automated guided vehicles 800 by the warehouse operations management system 200 in the warehouse system 1 according to this embodiment. The control processing described below is performed on each of the multiple automated guided vehicles 800, and is basically always executed during warehouse operation. Note that in this example, the warehouse operations management system 200 is described as the processing entity, but some functions may be configured to be executed by other systems.

[0028] The warehouse operations management system 200 (e.g., the processing device 11, the same applies below) commands the automated guided vehicle 800 to transport a predetermined bin to a designated picking station based on a work instruction from the warehouse management system 100, which is a higher-level system (step S201). In this example, the predetermined bin is, for example, at least one of a storage bin and a shipping bin.

[0029] The warehouse operations management system 200 calculates the estimated arrival time of a specific bin transported by the automated guided vehicle 800 at the designated picking station (step S202). The estimated arrival time is calculated based on the average travel speed of the automated guided vehicle 800, location information of the bin to be transported, location information of the automated guided vehicle 800, and location information of the designated picking station. The average travel speed of the automated guided vehicle 800 can be calculated based on specifications, past performance, etc. Note that these various types of information and the following various types of information are acquired by the warehouse operations management system 200 from, for example, the information processing device 10 constituting the warehouse management system 100. Furthermore, various types of information related to the automated guided vehicle 800 are acquired by the warehouse operations management system 200 from, for example, the warehouse control system 500.

[0030] The warehouse operations management system 200 calculates an estimated end time for a picking operation requiring a specific bin at a specified picking station (step S203). The estimated end time is calculated based on the start time of the picking operation, the average picking time required for the operator to pick one item, and the number of items picked. The start time of the picking operation may be obtained from the operation plan, calculated in real time, or calculated based on the estimated arrival time. Furthermore, picking operation requiring a specific bin refers to the operation performed until one or more items to be shipped are moved to a shipping bin if the specific bin is a storage bin, or the operation performed until all items to be shipped are stored if the specific bin is a shipping bin.

[0031] When a predetermined bin transported by the automated guided vehicle 800 arrives at a designated picking station, the warehouse operations management system 200 acquires arrival information (step S204).

[0032] When a picking operation requiring a specific bin or another bin is started at a specified picking station, the warehouse operations management system 200 acquires picking operation start information (step S205). Note that in some cases, the order of the processing in step S204 and the processing in step S205 may be reversed. This will be described later with reference to FIG. 10.

[0033] The warehouse operations management system 200 calculates the waiting time of the automated guided vehicle 800 based on the calculated estimated arrival time and estimated end time (step S206). The waiting time is the time obtained by subtracting the estimated arrival time from the estimated end time, and can be rephrased as the operational time of the automated guided vehicle 800. For example, if the estimated arrival time calculated in step S202 differs from the actual arrival time acquired in step S204, the actual arrival time is used to calculate the waiting time instead of the estimated arrival time. Furthermore, for example, if the actual start time of the picking operation acquired in step S205 differs from the start time used to calculate the estimated end time, the actual start time of the picking operation is used to calculate the waiting time instead of the start time used to calculate the estimated end time.

[0034] The warehouse operations management system 200 determines whether the calculated wait time is longer than the work time of the optional task (step S207). In this embodiment, the work time of the optional task includes not only the actual work time of the optional task but also the travel time for the automated guided vehicle 800 to travel back and forth between the work location and the designated picking station. If the calculated wait time is longer than the work time of the optional task (step S207: Yes), the processing of the warehouse operations management system 200 proceeds to step S208. On the other hand, if the calculated wait time is shorter than the work time of the optional task (step S207: No), the processing of the warehouse operations management system 200 proceeds to step S209.

[0035] The warehouse operations management system 200 commands the automatic guided vehicle 800 to perform an optional task in accordance with the calculated waiting time (step S208). Then, the processing of the warehouse operations management system 200 proceeds to step S209. The optional task will be described using Figures 11A to 13C.

[0036] The warehouse operations management system 200 acquires information on the completion of the picking operation that requires the specified bin (step S209).

[0037] The warehouse operations management system 200 commands the automated guided vehicle 800 to transport the specified bin to the next destination (step S210). By obtaining information indicating the completion of the picking operation requiring the specified bin in the process of step S209, the specified bin can be transported to the next destination without waiting for the completion of the picking operation requiring other bins. In other words, the automated guided vehicle 800 transporting the specified bin does not have to wait meaninglessly. Then, this process flow ends.

[0038] (First Calculation Example of Waiting Time) A first calculation example of waiting time will be described using FIGS. 5 and 6 . As described above, picking operations involve storage bins in which products to be shipped are stored, and shipping bins in which products to be shipped are grouped by shipping unit (e.g., shipping destination). In this example, the designated picking station PS is configured to have two areas 41a-41b where bins can be placed (where workers can work) and one area 42 where the workers are located while working. Of these, a shipping bin 61a (hereinafter also referred to as "bin A") is placed in area 41a, and a storage bin 61b (hereinafter also referred to as "bin B") is placed in area 41b. The automated guided vehicle that transports bin A is referred to as transport vehicle AA, and the automated guided vehicle that transports bin B is referred to as transport vehicle BB. Furthermore, in this example, the average picking time for one product is 10 seconds, and the number of picking attempts is two. In this example, the carriers AA and BB carrying bins A and B respectively arrive at the picking station PS at the same time.

[0039] First, the warehouse operation management system 200 commands the transport vehicle AA to transport bin A to the picking station PS, and commands the transport vehicle BB to transport bin B to the picking station PS (step S201).

[0040] Next, the warehouse operations management system 200 calculates the expected arrival times of bins A and B (step S202). Here, it is assumed that the expected arrival times of both bins A and B are 11:00:00.

[0041] Next, the warehouse operations management system 200 calculates the expected end time of the picking operation (step S203). Because the expected arrival times for both bins A and B are 11:00:00, the start time of the picking operation requiring bins A and B is 11:00:00. Furthermore, based on the average picking time and the number of picks, the operation time is calculated to be 20 seconds. In other words, based on the start time, average picking time, and number of picks, the expected end time of the picking operation requiring bins A and B is calculated to be 11:00:20.

[0042] Next, the warehouse operations management system 200 acquires arrival information for bins A and B (step S204). In this example, the predicted arrival times and actual arrival times of bins A and B are the same.

[0043] Next, the warehouse operations management system 200 acquires picking operation start information (step S205). In this example, the actual start time of the picking operation requiring bins A and B matches the start time used to calculate the expected end time.

[0044] Next, the warehouse operations management system 200 calculates the waiting times of the transport vehicles AA and BB (step S206). Since the expected end time of the picking operation requiring bins A and B is 11:00:20, and the expected arrival times (actual arrival times) of both bins A and B at the picking station PS are 11:00:00, the waiting times of the transport vehicles AA and BB are calculated to be 20 seconds from the difference between the expected end time and the expected arrival time.

[0045] In this way, the waiting time of the guided vehicles AA and BB, that is, the operable time of the guided vehicles AA and BB, can be calculated.

[0046] (Second Example of Calculating Waiting Time) A second example of calculating waiting time will be described with reference to Figure 7. The second example of calculation differs from the first example of calculation in that it is an example in which transport vehicles AA and BB carrying bins A and B arrive at picking station PS separately. The rest of the calculation is the same as the first example of calculation, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0047] After the process of step S201, the warehouse operations management system 200 calculates the expected arrival times of bins A and B (step S202). Here, it is assumed that the expected arrival times of both bins A and B are 11:00:00.

[0048] Next, the warehouse operations management system 200 calculates the expected end time of the picking operation (step S203). Because the expected arrival times of both bins A and B are 11:00:00, the start time of the picking operation requiring bins A and B is 11:00:00. In other words, the expected end time of the picking operation requiring bins A and B is calculated to be 11:00:20.

[0049] Next, the warehouse operations management system 200 acquires arrival information for bins A and B (step S204). Here, it is assumed that the actual arrival time of bin A is 11:00:00, and the actual arrival time of bin B is 11:00:10. In other words, the actual arrival time and the predicted arrival time for bin B are different.

[0050] Next, the warehouse operations management system 200 acquires picking operation start information (step S205). Because the actual arrival time of bin B is 11:00:10, the start time of the picking operation requiring bins A and B is 11:00:10. Therefore, the estimated end time of the picking operation requiring bins A and B is recalculated to be 11:00:30.

[0051] Next, the warehouse operations management system 200 calculates the waiting times of the transport vehicles AA and BB (step S206). In this example, the waiting time of the transport vehicle AA is calculated to be 30 seconds and the waiting time of the transport vehicle BB is calculated to be 20 seconds from the difference between the predicted end time and the actual arrival time.

[0052] In this way, the waiting times of the transport vehicles AA and BB can be calculated even when the bins A and B arrive at the picking station PS separately or when the actual arrival times and the estimated arrival times of the bins differ. Note that in this example, the case where the estimated arrival times of bins A and B are the same but the actual arrival times are different has been described as an example, but the waiting times of the transport vehicles AA and BB can also be calculated when the estimated arrival times of bins A and B differ.

[0053] (Third Example of Waiting Time Calculation) A third example of waiting time calculation will be described using FIGS. 8 and 9 . In this third example of calculation, the picking station PS is configured to have four areas 41a-41d where bins can be placed and one area 42 where the worker is located during work. Of these, a shipping bin 61a (bin A) is placed in area 41a, and storage bins 61b-61d (hereinafter, each bin will also be referred to as "bins B-D") are placed in areas 41b-41d. Furthermore, the automated guided vehicles that transport bins A-D are referred to as guided vehicles AA-DD. Furthermore, this example assumes that guided vehicles AA-DD carrying bins A-D arrive at the picking station PS simultaneously. The rest of the calculation is the same as in the first example of calculation, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0054] After the process of step S201, the warehouse operations management system 200 calculates the expected arrival times of bins A to D (step S202). Here, it is assumed that the expected arrival times of bins A to D are 11:00:00.

[0055] Next, the warehouse operations management system 200 calculates the expected end time of the picking operation (step S203). In this example, it is assumed that picking operations are performed in the order of bin B, bin C, and bin D. That is, picking operations requiring bin B begin when bin B is placed at the picking station PS together with bin A, whereas picking operations requiring bin C begin when bin C is placed at the picking station PS together with bin A and the picking operations requiring bin B are completed. Similarly, picking operations requiring bin D begin when bin D is placed at the picking station PS together with bin A and the picking operations requiring bin C are completed. Therefore, the start time of the picking operations requiring bin A coincides with the start time of the picking operations requiring bin B, and the end time of the picking operations requiring bin A coincides with the end time of the picking operations requiring bin D. Therefore, the expected end time of the picking work requiring bin A is calculated to be 11:01:00, the expected end time of the picking work requiring bin B is 11:00:20, the expected end time of the picking work requiring bin C is 11:00:40, and the expected end time of the picking work requiring bin D is 11:01:00.

[0056] Next, the warehouse operations management system 200 acquires arrival information for bins A to D (step S204). In this example, the predicted arrival times and actual arrival times for bins A to D match.

[0057] Next, the warehouse operations management system 200 acquires picking operation start information (step S205). In this example, the actual picking operation start time and the start time used to calculate the expected end time are the same.

[0058] Next, the warehouse operations management system 200 calculates the waiting times of transport vehicles AA to DD (step S206). From the difference between the predicted end time and the predicted arrival time (actual arrival time), it is calculated that the waiting time of transport vehicle AA is 60 seconds, the waiting time of transport vehicle BB is 20 seconds, the waiting time of transport vehicle CC is 40 seconds, and the waiting time of transport vehicle DD is 60 seconds.

[0059] In this way, even when there are a plurality of storage bins 61b to 61d (bins B to D), the waiting times of the transport vehicles AA to DD can be calculated.

[0060] (Fourth Example of Calculating Waiting Time) A fourth example of calculating waiting time will be described using Figure 10. The fourth example of calculation differs from the third example of calculation in that it is an example in which all of the transport vehicles AA to DD carrying bins A to D arrive at the picking station PS separately. The rest of the calculation is the same as the third example of calculation, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0061] After the process of step S201, the warehouse operations management system 200 calculates the expected arrival times of bins A to D (step S202). Here, it is assumed that the expected arrival times of bins A to D are 11:00:00.

[0062] Next, the warehouse operations management system 200 calculates the expected end times of the picking operations (step S203). In this example, it is assumed that picking operations will be performed in the order of bin B, bin C, and bin D. That is, the expected end time of the picking operation requiring bin A is calculated to be 11:01:00, the expected end time of the picking operation requiring bin B is 11:00:20, the expected end time of the picking operation requiring bin C is 11:00:40, and the expected end time of the picking operation requiring bin D is 11:01:00.

[0063] Next, the warehouse operations management system 200 acquires arrival information for bins A to D transported by transport vehicles AA to DD (step S204). Here, the actual arrival time of bin A is 11:00:00, the actual arrival time of bin B is 11:00:10, the actual arrival time of bin C is 11:00:20, and the actual arrival time of bin D is 11:00:30. In other words, the actual arrival times and predicted arrival times for bins B to D are different.

[0064] Next, the warehouse operations management system 200 obtains picking operation start information (step S205). Because the picking operation requiring bin B will start at 11:00:10, the estimated end time is recalculated to be 11:00:30. Next, because the picking operation requiring bin C will start at 11:00:30, the estimated end time is recalculated to be 11:00:50. Next, because the picking operation requiring bin D will start at 11:00:50, the estimated end time is recalculated to be 11:01:10. Because the end time of the picking operation requiring bin A matches the end time of the picking operation requiring bin D, the end time is recalculated to be 11:01:10.

[0065] Next, the warehouse operations management system 200 calculates the waiting times of transport vehicles AA to DD (step S206). From the difference between the predicted end time and the actual arrival time, the waiting time of transport vehicle AA is calculated to be 70 seconds, the waiting time of transport vehicle BB is calculated to be 20 seconds, the waiting time of transport vehicle CC is calculated to be 30 seconds, and the waiting time of transport vehicle DD is calculated to be 40 seconds.

[0066] In this way, the waiting time of transport vehicles AA to DD can be calculated even when multiple storage bins 61b to 61d (bins B to D) arrive at the picking station PS separately or when the actual arrival time of the bins differs from the predicted arrival time.

[0067] In this example, since the actual arrival time of bin B is 11:00:10, the start time of the picking operation requiring bins A and B is 11:00:10. In other words, the picking operation requiring bin B starts before bins C and D arrive at picking station PS. Therefore, for transport vehicles CC and DD, the order of the processing of step S204 and the processing of step S205 by the warehouse operations management system 200 is reversed. In this way, the order of the processing of step S204 and the processing of step S205 may be reversed.

[0068] [Waiting Area] An example of setting the position of the waiting area 840 according to this embodiment will be described below. The waiting area 840 is set up in advance near a designated picking station so that the automated guided vehicle 800 can perform any operation during the waiting time related to the picking operation. Note that the waiting area 840 may also be set up in real time.

[0069] The location and size of the waiting area 840 are set, and the location of the waiting area 840 is set, for example, by calculating the movable time of the automatic guided vehicle 800 during a picking operation and setting it based on the calculated movable time, the average movement speed of the automatic guided vehicle, and the actual work time of any operation. In other words, the waiting area 840 is provided within a range that allows the automatic guided vehicle 800 to travel back and forth between the waiting area 840 and a designated picking station within the movable time. Furthermore, the size of the waiting area 840 is set based on the number of automatic guided vehicles 800 that are movable during a picking operation, for example, based on the average wait time of the automatic guided vehicles 800 in the past.

[0070] 11A to 13C, an example of an optional task will be described. From the viewpoint of improving the work efficiency of the automatic guided vehicle 800, it is preferable to effectively utilize this waiting time rather than making the automatic guided vehicle 800 wait during picking work, and therefore an optional task is assigned to the automatic guided vehicle 800 depending on the waiting time.

[0071] The optional tasks include, for example, a first optional task of transporting bins required for a subsequent picking task from a predetermined transport source to a designated picking station, a second optional task of rearranging bins in the waiting area 840, and a third optional task of switching from a predetermined automatic guided vehicle 800 to another automatic guided vehicle 800 when the remaining battery power of the predetermined automatic guided vehicle 800 is low. Note that the optional tasks are not limited to these.

[0072] The optional tasks may be assigned a priority order. In this embodiment, for example, the priority order is set in the order of the third optional task, the first optional task, and the second optional task. In other words, in the processing of step S208 shown in FIG. 4, the warehouse operations management system 200 may instruct the automatic guided vehicle 800 to perform the optional task based on not only the waiting time but also the priority order.

[0073] 11A and 11B are schematic diagrams illustrating a first optional operation in which bins required for a subsequent picking operation are transported from a predetermined source to a designated picking station, with Fig. 11A showing the state before the first optional operation and Fig. 11B showing the state during the first optional operation. In the examples of Fig. 11A and 11B, waiting area 840 is shown as the predetermined source, but other picking stations may also be used.

[0074] In this example, bins 61a and 61b (hereinafter also referred to as "bin A" and "bin B") are placed at picking station PS (using the configuration of FIG. 5 as an example), and picking operations requiring bins A and B are being performed at picking station PS. Furthermore, automated guided vehicle 800a transporting bin A is referred to as transport vehicle AA, and automated guided vehicle 800b transporting bin B is referred to as transport vehicle BB. Furthermore, in this example, bins 61e and 61f (hereinafter also referred to as "bin E" and "bin F") are placed in waiting area 840. Bins E and F are required for picking operations to be performed after the picking operations requiring bins A and B, and are temporarily waiting in waiting area 840.

[0075] In the first optional operation, the transport vehicles AA and BB perform the following procedure, for example, placing bins A and B on the picking station PS, moving them from the picking station PS to the waiting area 840, and transporting bins E and F required for the next picking operation from the waiting area 840 to the vicinity of the picking station PS.

[0076] 12A and 12B are schematic diagrams illustrating a second optional operation of rearranging bins in the waiting area, with Fig. 12A showing the state before the second optional operation and Fig. 12B showing the state during the second optional operation. Rearranging the bins involves, for example, moving the bins closer to the picking station PS in accordance with the order of the picking operation.

[0077] In this example, the waiting area 840 is configured to have nine areas 841a to 841i where bins can be placed. Of these, bin E is placed in area 841a, and bin F is placed in area 841b. The other configurations and conditions are the same as those in the first example of optional work.

[0078] In the second optional operation, the transport vehicles AA and BB perform the following procedure, for example, placing bins A and B on picking station PS, moving from picking station PS to waiting area 840, rearranging bins E and F required for the next picking operation from areas 841a and 841b to areas 841g and 841h close to picking station PS, and moving from waiting area 840 to picking station PS.

[0079] (Third optional operation) Figures 13A to 13C are schematic diagrams for explaining the third optional operation of switching from a specified automatic guided vehicle to another automatic guided vehicle when the battery level of the specified automatic guided vehicle is low, where Figure 13A shows the state before the third optional operation, Figure 13B shows the state during the third optional operation, and Figure 13C shows the state after the third optional operation is completed.

[0080] In this example, bins A and B are placed in areas 41a and 41b of picking station PS, respectively, and picking work requiring bins A and B is being performed at picking station PS. In addition, in the examples of Figures 13A to 13C, automatic guided vehicle 800b (vehicle BB) is shown as the specified automatic guided vehicle, and automatic guided vehicle 800e (hereinafter also referred to as "vehicle EE") is shown as another automatic guided vehicle.

[0081] The third optional operation is performed, for example, by checking the remaining battery power of transport vehicles AA and BB, determining that the remaining battery power of transport vehicle BB is low, calling transport vehicle EE which has a high remaining battery power, and replacing transport vehicle BB with transport vehicle EE. The called transport vehicle is, for example, a transport vehicle which is not performing work such as transporting bottles.

[0082] 14, an example of role assignment for an automated guided vehicle 800 according to this embodiment will be described. In this example, the automated warehouse 700 includes a designated picking station PS1, other picking stations PS2 and PS3, automated guided vehicles 800f and 800g, and a waiting area 840.

[0083] It takes time to go from the designated picking station PS1 to the designated transport source, such as the automated warehouse 700 or another picking station PS2 or PS3, to pick up the designated bin, compared to the work time for the picking operation. For this reason, a waiting area 840 may be set near picking station PS1, and automated guided vehicle 800f (first guided vehicle) that transports bins from the designated transport source to waiting area 840 may be separated from automated guided vehicle 800g (second guided vehicle) that transports bins from waiting area 840 to the designated picking station PS1.

[0084] As described above, a warehouse system (e.g., 1, 200) according to this embodiment controls a vehicle capable of transporting bins to a designated destination. The system includes a calculation unit (e.g., 10, 11) that calculates an estimated end time of a first picking operation requiring a specific bin (e.g., 61a-61d) and calculates a waiting time for the specific vehicle based on the estimated arrival time of the specific bin transported by the specific vehicle (e.g., 800) at a designated picking station (e.g., PS, PS1) or the actual arrival time of the specific bin at the designated picking station, and the estimated end time; and a control unit (e.g., 10, 11) that causes the specific vehicle to perform an operation based on the calculated waiting time. This configuration allows the vehicle to be effectively utilized during the waiting time for the first picking operation, thereby improving the efficiency of vehicle operations within the warehouse.

[0085] The system further includes a setting unit (e.g., 10, 11) that sets a waiting area (e.g., 840) near the designated picking station where bins (e.g., 61e, 61f) required for the second picking operation to be performed after the first picking operation can temporarily wait. This configuration makes it possible to effectively utilize the waiting time of the transport vehicle during the picking operation.

[0086] The calculation unit calculates the expected arrival time based on at least the average moving speed of the predetermined transport vehicle, the position information of the predetermined bin, the position information of the predetermined transport vehicle, and the position information of the designated picking station. This configuration improves the accuracy of calculating the expected arrival time.

[0087] The calculation unit calculates the estimated completion time based on at least the start time of the first picking operation, the average picking time required for the operator (e.g., 600 or 850) to pick the target item once, and the number of times the target item is picked. This configuration improves the accuracy of calculating the estimated completion time.

[0088] The optional tasks include transporting bins required for a second picking operation performed after the first picking operation from a predetermined source (e.g., 840, PS2, PS3) to a designated picking station, switching to another transport vehicle (e.g., 800e) when the remaining battery power of the predetermined transport vehicle is low, and rearranging bins (e.g., 61e, 61f) in the waiting area, etc. This configuration allows transport vehicles to be used more effectively during the waiting time.

[0089] The control unit also selects a first transport vehicle (e.g., 800f) from among the multiple transport vehicles to transport the bins from a predetermined source (e.g., 700, PS2, or PS3) to the waiting area, and a second transport vehicle (e.g., 800g) to transport the bins from the waiting area to the picking station. This configuration reduces the travel time of the transport vehicles.

[0090] The setting unit also calculates the available time for the transport vehicle during a specified picking operation, and sets the waiting area based on the calculated available time, the average movement speed of the transport vehicle, and the actual work time of the specified operation. With this configuration, the waiting area is set within a range that allows the transport vehicle to travel back and forth between the waiting area and the specified picking station within the available time.

[0091] (Other Modifications) In the above-described embodiments, the objects of the picking operation are not limited to "products" that are commercially distributed. The configurations of the above-described embodiments can be applied to the picking operation of general items that may not fall under the category of so-called "products," such as non-sale items and parts.

[0092] The present disclosure also applies to programs and storage media that realize the functions of the devices of the above-mentioned embodiments, which are supplied to the device via a network or various storage media and that are read and executed by a computer within the device.

[0093] Although various embodiments have been described above with reference to the drawings, it goes without saying that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples. It is clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications, alterations, substitutions, additions, deletions, and equivalents may be made within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the components of the various embodiments described above may be combined in any manner without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0094] (Additional Notes) The above description of the embodiments discloses the following techniques.

[0095] (Technology 1) A warehouse system that controls a transport vehicle capable of transporting bins to a specified destination, comprising: a calculation unit that calculates an estimated end time of a first picking operation requiring a specified bin, and calculates a waiting time for the specified transport vehicle based on the estimated arrival time at which the specified bin will arrive at a specified picking station after being transported by the specified transport vehicle or the actual arrival time at which the specified bin arrives at the specified picking station and the estimated end time; and a control unit that causes the specified transport vehicle to perform any operation depending on the calculated waiting time.

[0096] This configuration allows the transport vehicles to be effectively utilized during the waiting time for the first picking operation, thereby improving the work efficiency of the transport vehicles within the warehouse.

[0097] (Technology 2) The warehouse system according to Technology 1, further comprising: a setting unit that sets a waiting area near the designated picking station where bins required for a second picking operation that is performed after the first picking operation can temporarily wait.

[0098] This configuration allows effective use of the waiting time of the transport vehicle during picking operations.

[0099] (Technology 3) The warehouse system according to Technology 1 or Technology 2, wherein the calculation unit calculates the expected arrival time based on at least an average moving speed of the predetermined transport vehicle, a position of the predetermined bin, a position of the predetermined transport vehicle, and a position of the designated picking station.

[0100] This configuration can improve the accuracy of calculating the expected arrival time.

[0101] (Technology 4) The warehouse system according to any one of Technology 1 to Technology 3, wherein the calculation unit calculates the predicted end time based on at least a start time of the first picking operation, an average picking time required for a worker to pick the target item once, and a number of times the target item is picked.

[0102] This configuration can improve the accuracy of calculating the predicted end time.

[0103] (Technology 5) A warehouse system according to any one of Technology 1 to Technology 4, wherein the optional work includes at least one of transporting bins required for a second picking operation performed after the first picking operation from a predetermined transport source to the specified picking station, switching to another transport vehicle when the battery level of the predetermined transport vehicle is low, and rearranging bins in a waiting area.

[0104] This configuration allows the transport vehicle to be used more effectively during the waiting time.

[0105] (Technology 6) The warehouse system according to any one of Technology 1 to Technology 5, wherein the control unit determines, from among a plurality of transport vehicles, a first transport vehicle that transports the bin from a predetermined transport source to a waiting area and a second transport vehicle that transports the bin from the waiting area to a picking station.

[0106] This configuration reduces the travel time of the transport vehicle.

[0107] (Technology 7) The warehouse system according to any one of Technology 1 to Technology 6, wherein the setting unit calculates an available time for the transport vehicle during the specified picking operation, and sets the waiting area based on the calculated available time, an average movement speed of the transport vehicle, and an actual operation time for the arbitrary operation.

[0108] With this configuration, the waiting area is provided within a range that allows the transport vehicle to travel back and forth between the waiting area and the designated picking station within the available movement time.

[0109] The present disclosure is useful as a warehouse system.

[0110] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Warehouse system 10...Information processing device 11...Processing device 12...Storage device 13...Communication device 14...Input device 15...Image acquisition unit 16...External interface 17...Display device 18...Internal interface 20...External system 30...Camera 35...Network 100...Warehouse management system 200...Warehouse operation management system 300, 400, 500...Warehouse control system 600...Robot 700...Automated warehouse 800...Automated guided vehicle 900...Operation terminal

Claims

1. A warehouse system that controls a transport vehicle capable of transporting bins to a specified destination, comprising: a calculation unit that calculates an estimated end time of a first picking operation requiring a specified bin, and calculates a waiting time for the specified transport vehicle based on the estimated arrival time at which the specified bin will arrive at the specified picking station after being transported by the specified transport vehicle or the actual arrival time at which the specified bin arrives at the specified picking station, and the estimated end time; and a control unit that causes the specified transport vehicle to perform any operation depending on the calculated waiting time.

2. The warehouse system according to claim 1, further comprising a setting unit that sets a waiting area near the specified picking station where bins required for a second picking operation to be performed after the first picking operation can temporarily wait.

3. The warehouse system according to claim 1, wherein the calculation unit calculates the expected arrival time based on at least the average moving speed of the specified transport vehicle, the position of the specified bin, the position of the specified transport vehicle, and the position of the specified picking station.

4. The warehouse system according to claim 1, wherein the calculation unit calculates the predicted completion time based on at least the start time of the first picking operation, the average picking time required for the worker to pick the object once, and the number of times the object is picked.

5. The warehouse system of claim 1, wherein the optional operation includes at least one of transporting bins required for a second picking operation performed after the first picking operation from a predetermined transport source to the specified picking station, switching to another transport vehicle when the battery level of the predetermined transport vehicle is low, and rearranging bins in a waiting area.

6. The warehouse system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines, from among a plurality of transport vehicles, a first transport vehicle that transports bins from a predetermined transport source to a waiting area, and a second transport vehicle that transports bins from the waiting area to a picking station.

7. The warehouse system according to claim 2, wherein the setting unit calculates the available time for the transport vehicle during the specified picking operation, and sets the waiting area based on the calculated available time, the average movement speed of the transport vehicle, and the actual working time of the arbitrary operation.

Images