Material box retrieval and placement method, management device, robot, and warehousing system

Abstract

The present application relates to a material box retrieval and placement method, a management device, a robot, and a warehousing system. The method is applied to a management device in the warehousing system, wherein each shelf column of a warehousing shelf comprises at least one group, and a plurality of layers of storage positions of each group comprise at least one idle storage position. The method comprises: determining a warehouse exit transport task to be executed by a robot, wherein the warehouse exit transport task is used for instructing the robot to retrieve and transport a warehouse exit material box at a target storage position; determining, as a target warehouse entry position, one idle storage position in a target group on a target shelf column corresponding to the target storage position; and sending a warehouse entry transport task to the robot, wherein the warehouse entry transport task comprises the target warehouse entry position, and the warehouse entry transport task is used for instructing the robot to transport a carried warehouse entry material box to the target warehouse entry position. The technical solution of the present application can enable the warehousing shelf to achieve a long-lasting and stable storage position utilization rate, and enable the idle storage positions of the warehousing shelf to be evenly distributed, thereby improving the transport efficiency of the robot.

Description

Material bin handling methods, management equipment, robots and warehousing systems

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411466744.2, filed on October 18, 2024, entitled “Method for picking up and placing a bin, management equipment, robot and storage system”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of intelligent logistics technology, and in particular to a method for picking up and placing bins, management equipment, robots and warehousing systems. Background Technology

[0003] In the field of smart warehousing, after receiving outbound / inbound handling tasks, robots move to the designated shelf column of the warehouse rack and pick up or put away the material boxes in the designated storage location, thereby completing the material box handling task.

[0004] In related technologies, to enable robots to pick up and place boxes within the same column, at least one empty storage location (referred to as an empty location) must be guaranteed in each column of the warehouse racking. If there are multiple empty locations in the target rack column, the robot generally has two box return strategies: one strategy is for the robot to place the box in the lowest empty location of the target rack column; the other strategy is, if the robot is also assigned to outbound handling tasks, to place the box in the empty location closest to the outbound box. However, because the empty locations on the rack column are unevenly distributed along the column dimension, after long-term box return according to the above strategies, a large number of boxes will be stored at the bottom of the rack, resulting in fewer and fewer empty locations below the rack column. This forces the robot to return boxes to empty locations above the rack column, increasing the robot's climbing distance and affecting operational efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a bin retrieval and placement method, management equipment, robot, and warehousing system, which can enable warehouse racks to achieve a sustained and stable storage space utilization rate, evenly distribute idle storage spaces on warehouse racks, and improve the handling efficiency of robots.

[0006] The first aspect of this application provides a method for picking up and placing a material bin, which is applied to a management device in a warehousing system. The warehousing system includes the management device, storage racks, and a robot. Each row of the storage racks includes at least one group, and each group includes multiple storage positions, with at least one free storage position among the multiple storage positions. The method includes:

[0007] The outbound handling task to be performed by the robot is determined, and the outbound handling task is used to instruct the robot to take out and move the outbound bin from the target storage location;

[0008] Determine an empty storage location in the target group on the target shelf column corresponding to the target storage location as the target inbound location;

[0009] The inbound handling task is sent to the robot. The inbound handling task includes the target inbound location. The inbound handling task is used to instruct the robot to move the inbound material box it is carrying to the target inbound location.

[0010] In the first aspect of the bin handling method, the method further includes:

[0011] Based on the storage space utilization rate and the layer information of the storage racks, the storage spaces in each rack column of the storage racks are grouped according to the target group layer number P, and each group includes P layers of storage spaces; wherein, the layer information includes the total number of layers Q of the storage racks and the layer height, 1 < P < Q, and P and Q are both natural numbers.

[0012] In the first aspect of the bin retrieval method, the step of grouping the storage locations according to the target grouping layer number P of each shelf column of the storage rack based on the storage location utilization rate and the layer information of the storage rack includes:

[0013] Based on the storage location utilization rate and the layer information of the storage rack, the average climbing height of the robot at different candidate group layer numbers is calculated respectively; based on the height of the robot and the average climbing height corresponding to each candidate group layer number, the climbing height optimization ratio corresponding to each candidate group layer number is calculated respectively; the candidate group layer number corresponding to the maximum value of the climbing height optimization ratio is determined as the target group layer number P, and the rack columns of the storage rack are grouped according to the target group layer number P.

[0014] In the first aspect of the bin handling method, the method further includes:

[0015] When the storage space utilization rate changes, update the target grouping layer number P.

[0016] In the bin handling method of the first aspect, each of the groups includes multiple layers of storage locations, including:

[0017] Each of the aforementioned groups comprises multiple storage locations on a single shelf column of a single storage rack; and / or

[0018] Each group comprises multiple storage locations at the same level on corresponding shelf columns of two relatively spaced storage racks.

[0019] In the first aspect of the bin retrieval method, each of the two oppositely arranged storage racks in the group includes at least one vacant storage space on its corresponding rack column.

[0020] In the first aspect of the bin retrieval method, when the target group includes multiple free storage locations, determining one free storage location in the target group on the target shelf column corresponding to the target storage location as the target inbound location includes:

[0021] Obtain the relative position between each of the free storage locations and the target storage location; wherein the relative position includes: above the target storage location, below the target storage location, and on the same layer of the shelf column opposite the target storage location;

[0022] Based on the priority of the relative positions, one of the multiple free storage positions is selected as the target storage location.

[0023] In the first aspect of the bin retrieval method, the priority of the area above the target storage location is lower than the priority of the area below the target storage location, and the priority of the area below the target storage location is lower than the priority of the same-layer position in the opposite shelf column of the target storage location.

[0024] In the first aspect of the bin retrieval method, when the highest priority relative position among the plurality of free storage locations includes multiple free storage locations, the step of selecting one of the multiple free storage locations as the target storage location includes:

[0025] Among the multiple free storage locations, the free storage location with the highest priority relative position is determined as the target storage location.

[0026] A second aspect of this application provides a method for picking up and placing material bins, applied to a robot in a warehousing system. The warehousing system includes management equipment, storage racks, and a robot. Each row of the storage racks includes at least one group, and each group includes multiple storage levels, including at least one free storage level. The robot has a buffer position for storing incoming or outgoing material bins. The method includes:

[0027] Receive an inbound handling task, the inbound handling task includes a target inbound location, wherein the target inbound location is an empty storage location in a target group on a target shelf column corresponding to the target storage location where the outbound material box of the outbound handling task to be executed by the robot is located, and the outbound handling task is used to instruct the robot to take out and move the outbound material box on the target storage location.

[0028] According to the received inbound handling task, the robot moves the inbound bin on the buffer position to the target inbound position.

[0029] In the second aspect of the bin handling method, the method further includes:

[0030] The robot receives the outbound handling task assigned by the management device; after moving the inbound bin to an empty storage location that serves as the target inbound location, the robot moves the outbound bin from the target storage location to the buffer location.

[0031] In the second aspect of the bin retrieval method, the target shelf column includes a target current column and / or a target relative column, wherein the target current column is the shelf column where the target storage location is located, and the target relative column is a shelf column that is spaced apart from the target current column; wherein:

[0032] The robot moves along the target relative column to move the inbound bin from the buffer position to the target inbound position, and moves the outbound bin from the target current column to the buffer position; or

[0033] The robot moves along the target current column to move the inbound bin on the buffer position to the target inbound position, and moves the outbound bin on the target current column to the buffer position.

[0034] A third aspect of this application provides a bin loading and unloading device, which is applied to management equipment in a warehousing system. The warehousing system includes the management equipment, storage racks, and a robot. Each row of the storage racks includes at least one group, and each group includes multiple storage positions, with at least one free storage position among the multiple storage positions. The device includes:

[0035] The outbound task determination module is used to determine the outbound handling task to be performed by the robot. The outbound handling task is used to instruct the robot to take out and move the outbound bin from the target storage location.

[0036] The inbound location filtering module is used to determine an empty storage location in the target group on the target shelf column corresponding to the target storage location as the target inbound location;

[0037] The task sending module is used to send an inbound handling task to the robot. The inbound handling task includes the target inbound location and is used to instruct the robot to move the inbound material box it carries to the target inbound location.

[0038] A fourth aspect of this application provides a bin handling device applied to a robot in a warehousing system. The warehousing system includes management equipment, storage racks, and a robot. Each row of the storage racks includes at least one group, and each group includes multiple storage positions, including at least one free storage position. The robot has a buffer position for storing incoming or outgoing bins. The device includes:

[0039] The task receiving module is used to receive inbound and handling tasks;

[0040] The bin handling module is used to move the inbound bins on the buffer position to the target inbound position according to the received inbound handling task; wherein, the target inbound position is an empty storage position in the target group of the target shelf column where the outbound bin of the outbound handling task to be assigned is located, or, the target inbound position is the empty storage position closest to the ground in the candidate shelf column within a preset distance.

[0041] The fifth aspect of this application provides a management device, comprising:

[0042] Memory and at least one processor;

[0043] The memory stores computer-executed instructions;

[0044] The at least one processor executes computer execution instructions stored in the memory, causing the at least one processor to perform a bin loading / unloading method as provided in any embodiment corresponding to the first aspect of this application.

[0045] The sixth aspect of this application provides a robot, comprising:

[0046] Memory and at least one processor;

[0047] The memory stores computer-executed instructions;

[0048] The at least one processor executes computer execution instructions stored in the memory, causing the at least one processor to perform a bin loading / unloading method as provided in any embodiment corresponding to the second aspect of this application.

[0049] The seventh aspect of this application provides a warehousing system, which includes:

[0050] Such as the management equipment provided in the fifth aspect of this application, and the robot and storage rack provided in the sixth aspect of this application.

[0051] The eighth aspect of this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the bin loading and unloading method provided in any embodiment of the first or second aspect of this application.

[0052] The ninth aspect of this application provides a computer program product, including a computer program for executing computer execution instructions corresponding to the bin loading and unloading method provided in any embodiment of the first or second aspect of this application.

[0053] The tote box retrieval method, management equipment, robot, and warehousing system provided in this application determine the target inbound location for the robot's inbound handling task based on the target storage location corresponding to the outbound handling task to be performed by the robot, ensuring that the target inbound and outbound locations belong to the same target group. This design, on the one hand, allows for a lower average climbing height for the robots, improving the handling efficiency of each robot. On the other hand, it ensures a more balanced distribution of tote boxes on the warehouse racks and maintains this balanced distribution continuously, avoiding the clustering of tote boxes at the bottom during later handling tasks, thus maintaining a consistently high utilization rate of the warehouse racks.

[0054] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and do not limit this application. Attached Figure Description

[0055] The above and other objects, features and advantages of this application will become more apparent from the more detailed description of exemplary embodiments thereof in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals generally represent the same components in the exemplary embodiments thereof.

[0056] Figure 1 is a structural block diagram of a warehousing system according to an embodiment of this application;

[0057] Figure 2 is a plan view of a warehousing system according to an embodiment of this application;

[0058] Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of a warehouse rack according to an embodiment of this application;

[0059] Figure 4 is a flowchart of a bin loading and unloading method according to an embodiment of this application;

[0060] Figure 5 is a flowchart of a bin loading and unloading method according to another embodiment of this application;

[0061] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a bin loading and unloading device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0062] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a bin loading and unloading device according to another embodiment of this application;

[0063] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a management device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0064] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a robot according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0065] Embodiments of this application will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While embodiments of this application are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that this application may be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to make this application more thorough and complete, and to fully convey the scope of this application to those skilled in the art.

[0066] The terminology used in this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. The singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” used in this application and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used herein refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0067] It should be understood that although the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., may be used in this application to describe various information, this information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from one another. For example, without departing from the scope of this application, first information may also be referred to as second information, and similarly, second information may also be referred to as first information. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0068] This application provides a warehousing system that can be applied to logistics, warehousing, and other fields, without specific limitations. The warehousing system is used to handle various warehousing tasks, such as sorting and handling tasks. The following detailed explanation uses the application of the warehousing system in the field of intelligent warehousing, where handling tasks can be assigned to robots, as an example.

[0069] Referring to Figure 1, in this application, the warehousing system includes a management device 100 and at least one robot 200. In some embodiments, at least one robot 200 is communicatively connected to the management device 100 to receive handling tasks sent by the management device and perform corresponding actions. This communication connection can be, for example, a wired network connection or a wireless network connection, and is not specifically limited thereto. It is understood that the management device 100 may include one or more management terminals and / or one or more management servers.

[0070] Referring to Figures 2 and 3, in the application scenario of the warehousing system of this application, the warehousing system includes multiple storage racks. The storage racks can be physical shelves. Storage racks 300 are used to store material boxes 10. Multiple storage racks can be arranged in an array with intervals, forming aisles between adjacent storage racks to allow robots to move within the aisles and perform handling tasks assigned by management equipment.

[0071] Referring to Figure 3, a single storage unit 300 can be a multi-layer, multi-column rack structure, such as a Q-layer, N-column rack. Each rack column has Q storage positions 301, and each layer has N storage positions. The height of the storage positions on each layer can be the same or different, without restriction. It can be understood that each storage position is used to store one bin. When a storage position does not contain a bin, that storage position is considered an empty storage position.

[0072] In this application, the handling tasks generated by the management equipment may include outbound handling tasks. Outbound handling tasks instruct the robot to retrieve and move outbound boxes from a target storage location. It can be understood that the storage location of the outbound box targeted by the outbound handling task is the target storage location; correspondingly, the box to be retrieved from the target storage location is the outbound box.

[0073] In this application, the handling tasks generated by the management equipment also include inbound handling tasks. Inbound handling tasks instruct the robot to move the loaded inbound bins to the target inbound location. It can be understood that the storage location corresponding to the inbound handling task is the target inbound location, and this target inbound location has a positional relationship with the target storage location of the aforementioned outbound handling task; correspondingly, the bin loaded on the robot and to be placed in the target inbound location is the inbound bin.

[0074] In this application, the robot has a buffer position for placing a material box. It is understood that, depending on the type of handling task received by the robot, the buffer position can be used to place an outbound material box or an inbound material box. Specifically, when the robot receives an outbound handling task from the management device, the robot will retrieve the outbound material box from the target storage location, place it in the buffer position, and handle it. When the robot receives an inbound handling task from the management device, the robot will handle the inbound material box in the buffer position to the target inbound location on the warehouse rack for storage. In some embodiments, after the robot performs the inbound handling task and places the inbound material box in the target inbound location, it retrieves the outbound material box from the target storage location to perform the outbound handling task, improving the continuity of task execution.

[0075] In this application, the storage racks are equipped with tracks along the rack rows, allowing robots to climb and move along the tracks to the target receiving location to place receiving boxes into the corresponding location, or to climb and move along the tracks to the target storage location to retrieve outgoing boxes to the buffer location. In other words, the robot can climb up and down the storage rack tracks to reach the target storage location or the target receiving location.

[0076] It's understandable that a robot's ability to complete inbound transport tasks hinges on the availability of at least one free storage location on the warehouse racks as the target inbound location, allowing the robot to transfer inbound boxes from the buffer position to this free location. Therefore, the location and number of free storage locations on the warehouse racks are crucial to the robot's transport efficiency. Too many free storage locations negatively impact the space utilization of the warehouse racks. If the free storage locations are too high, the robot's climbing height increases, further reducing transport efficiency. Choosing a free storage location near the bottom as the target inbound location results in a large accumulation of boxes at the bottom of the warehouse racks, leading to insufficient utilization of the upper storage space.

[0077] To improve the handling efficiency of robots and the utilization rate of warehouse racking space, some implementations include at least one group in each rack column, with each group comprising multiple storage levels, and each multiple storage level including at least one vacant storage level. By grouping the storage levels on the warehouse racking and ensuring at least one vacant storage level in each group, the number and location of vacant storage levels can be rationally planned, improving robot handling efficiency while ensuring space utilization and balanced distribution on the rack columns.

[0078] To meet the grouping requirements of storage racks of different specifications, some implementations group storage locations in each rack column according to the target grouping layer number P, based on storage location utilization and rack layer information. Each group includes P layers of storage locations. The layer information includes the total number of rack layers Q and the layer height, where 1 < P < Q, and P and Q are both natural numbers.

[0079] It's understandable that storage racks of different specifications may have different layer information. For example, the total number of layers Q of different storage racks may be the same or different. Within the same or different storage racks, the layer height of each storage location may be the same or different. Furthermore, the desired storage location utilization rate of the storage racks will vary depending on the business needs of the warehousing system. By customizing the storage location utilization rate and the layer information of the storage racks, a corresponding target group layer number P can be set, grouping the rack columns of each storage rack so that each rack column includes at least one group, and each group includes P layers of storage locations.

[0080] For ease of understanding, consider a single warehouse rack as an example, consisting of N rack columns and Q storage levels. The rack columns are used as the dividing unit for grouping, and each rack column can be divided into M groups. Each group includes P storage levels, with at least one free storage level reserved in each of the P storage levels. Here, 1 < M < Q, 1 < P < Q, and M, N, P, and Q are all natural numbers.

[0081] To obtain a specific target grouping layer P for grouping the various rows of warehouse racks, some specific implementations calculate the average climbing height of the robot at different candidate grouping layer numbers based on the storage location utilization rate and the layer information of the warehouse racks. Based on the robot's height and the average climbing height corresponding to each candidate grouping layer number, the climbing height optimization ratio corresponding to each candidate grouping layer number is calculated. The candidate grouping layer number corresponding to the maximum climbing height optimization ratio is determined as the target grouping layer number P, and the various rows of warehouse racks are grouped according to the target grouping layer number P.

[0082] The storage space utilization rate refers to the ratio of the number of storage spaces occupied by material bins to the total number of storage spaces in the entire warehousing area. In this application, the storage space utilization rate can be selected from 80% to 90%, and is not limited thereto. The number of candidate grouping layers refers to the number of storage space layers proposed in the current candidate grouping scheme. The robot height is the deployed height of the robot body during climbing operations. The average climbing height is the average climbing height of the robot after completing all the same handling tasks according to the corresponding candidate grouping scheme, divided by the number of handling tasks.

[0083] To facilitate understanding of the scheme for determining the target group layer number P, Table 1 is shown below. Taking a warehouse rack with a total of 28 layers Q and a layer height of 400mm as an example, the candidate group layer numbers are shown in the table. Given multiple handling tasks for the robot, a robot height of 746mm, and two preset storage location utilization rates of 89% and 80%, calculate the average climbing height corresponding to each candidate grouping scheme.

[0084] Table 1

[0085] Based on the data in the table above, and referring to the formula shown in the last column of the table, calculate the climbing height optimization ratio for each candidate grouping scheme under different storage space utilization rates. The climbing height optimization ratio is the reduction percentage of the robot's average climbing height compared to the extreme grouping scheme (such as the candidate grouping layer number of 28 in the table above, where each group contains only one storage space).

[0086] Calculations show that regardless of the storage space utilization rate, the robot's climbing height optimization is maximized when the target group number is 6 (i.e., each group contains 6 storage locations). Specifically, when the warehouse racking is grouped into 6-layer groups, the robot's average climbing height is reduced by approximately 14.5% and 14% compared to the extreme grouping scheme. Furthermore, when the candidate group number is the same, the average climbing height at a storage space utilization rate of 80% is lower than the average climbing height at a storage space utilization rate of 89%. This means that reducing storage space utilization can decrease the robot's average climbing height.

[0087] It is understandable that the higher the robot's average climbing height, the longer the robot's crawling time, and the lower the robot's handling efficiency. In some implementations, the target grouping layer number P is updated when the storage space utilization rate changes. As shown in the table above, when the storage space utilization rate changes, the target grouping layer number can be updated according to demand to maximize the robot's handling efficiency.

[0088] Furthermore, the robot has a forklift mechanism for picking up and placing boxes between the buffer and storage locations. This forklift mechanism can pick up and place boxes at different positions on opposite sides. For example, the forklift mechanism can change its picking direction to pick up and place boxes at different positions, or it can extend and retract in different directions to pick up and place boxes at different positions, etc., without limitation. When the robot climbs along a certain row of storage racks, the robot's forklift mechanism can be used to pick up and place boxes on the two opposite rows of racks corresponding to the current climbing path.

[0089] When the robot's forking mechanism can pick up boxes from different orientations, after determining the target number of grouping layers for each rack column, the racks are grouped according to the target number of grouping layers. That is, a rack column of a storage rack includes multiple groups, but the same group can be distributed across one rack column of a single storage rack, or across two opposite rack columns of two relatively spaced storage racks. Correspondingly, the number of storage locations in a single group is equal to the target number of grouping layers P, or the number of storage locations in a single group is twice the target number of grouping layers P.

[0090] For ease of understanding, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, both warehouse racks A and B in Figure 2 have the frame structure shown in Figure 3, and both have the same total number of layers (9) and number of rack columns (3). Warehouse racks A and B are arranged at relative intervals with reference to the rack layout scheme in Figure 2, forming an aisle between them that allows robots to move.

[0091] In some specific implementations, a single group comprises multiple storage locations on a single shelf column of a single storage rack. Taking a target group number of layers P of 3 as an example, the first column of storage rack A can be divided into 3 groups, each group comprising 3 layers of storage locations, with each group containing 3 storage locations. Specifically, the storage locations of layers 1-3 in the first column form one group, the storage locations of layers 4-6 in the first column form one group, and the storage locations of layers 7-9 in the first column form one group. Similarly, the second column uses the same grouping scheme and obtains 3 groups, with each group retaining at least one free storage location. Correspondingly, the two shelf columns of storage rack B are also grouped in the same way, resulting in a total of 6 groups of storage locations, with each group also retaining at least one free storage location.

[0092] In some other implementations, a single group comprises multiple storage locations at the same level on corresponding rows of two relatively spaced storage racks. For example, the first row of storage rack A and the first row of storage rack B are relatively spaced apart. The first to third rows of the first row of storage rack A and the first to third rows of the first row of storage rack B form one group; the storage locations of the fourth to sixth rows of the first row of storage rack A and the fourth to sixth rows of the first row of storage rack B form another group; the storage locations of the seventh to ninth rows of the first row of storage rack A and the seventh to ninth rows of the first row of storage rack B form another group. Thus, each group includes 3 rows of storage locations, but the total number of storage locations is 6. Similarly, the second rows of storage racks A and B are further grouped, with each group comprising 6 storage locations. It is understood that at least one vacant storage location is reserved among the 6 storage locations in a single group.

[0093] It is understood that, regardless of the grouping distribution method used above, after determining the grouping scheme, each group will reserve at least one free storage space to enable the robot to efficiently complete inbound and outbound handling tasks. Furthermore, in some embodiments, each shelf column corresponding to two oppositely arranged storage racks within a group includes at least one free storage space. That is, to further improve the robot's handling efficiency, even if the same group contains storage spaces at the same level in two oppositely arranged shelf columns, each shelf column can still include at least one free storage space. For example, the same group may have at least two free storage spaces out of its six storage spaces, with one free storage space on storage rack A and the other on storage rack B.

[0094] It should be noted that when there are multiple storage racks, different storage racks can use the same or different target grouping layers. Furthermore, when the target grouping layers are the same or different, the same distribution scheme or a combination of different distribution schemes can be used.

[0095] Based on the target number of grouping layers and the distribution method of a single group in the grouping scheme of warehouse racking rows described above, the following will be explained in conjunction with specific embodiments.

[0096] Referring to Figure 4, a bin retrieval and placement method according to an embodiment of this application is applied to management equipment in a warehousing system. The method includes:

[0097] S110, determine the outbound handling task to be performed by the robot. The outbound handling task is used to instruct the robot to take out and move the outbound bins from the target storage location.

[0098] The handling tasks generated by the management equipment in this application include outbound handling tasks and inbound handling tasks. The management equipment maintains a list of tasks to be executed for each robot, which may include outbound handling tasks and inbound handling tasks to be executed. The outbound handling task can be understood as the first outbound handling task in the list of tasks to be executed. The outbound handling task includes outbound task information such as the target storage location on the warehouse shelf where the outbound material box is located, that is, the storage location where the outbound material box is located is the target storage location.

[0099] S120, determine an empty storage location in the target group on the target shelf column corresponding to the target storage location as the target inbound location.

[0100] Accordingly, based on the target storage location, it can be determined that the shelf column where the target storage location is located is the target shelf column, or the shelf column where the target storage location is located and the opposite shelf column are both target shelf columns, and the group on the target shelf column where the target storage location is located is the target group.

[0101] It is understood that each target packet has at least one free storage bit. This free storage bit can be any storage bit in the target packet.

[0102] It should be understood that if the target group currently has only one free storage location, then that free storage location is determined as the target inbound location corresponding to the inbound handling task. This inbound handling task is the task that the robot needs to perform for the inbound bins in its own buffer location when it moves to the target storage location to perform the outbound handling task. It can be understood that the robot will first perform the inbound handling task to place the inbound bins from the buffer location into the target inbound location, and then perform the outbound handling task to retrieve the outbound bins from the target storage location and place them in the buffer location. When the target group currently has multiple free storage locations, in order to improve the robot's handling efficiency, some implementations obtain the relative position of each free storage location to the target storage location; based on the priority of the relative position, one of the multiple free storage locations is selected as the target inbound location.

[0103] The relative position of each available storage location to the target storage location includes: above the target storage location, below the target storage location, and on the same shelf in the opposite shelf column. It can be understood that the available storage location and the target storage location may be located in the same shelf column or in different shelf columns, i.e., opposite shelf columns. By obtaining the relative position of each available storage location in the target group, one can be selected as the target storage location.

[0104] To select the optimal target storage location, the relative position between the target storage location and an available storage location, along with a preset relative position priority, can be used as the selection rule. The available storage location corresponding to the highest priority relative position is selected as the target storage location. In some implementations, the priority of the storage location above the target storage location is lower than the priority of the storage location below the target storage location, and the priority of the storage location below the target storage location is lower than the priority of the storage location on the same level of the opposite shelf column. That is, if the storage location on the same level opposite the target storage location is available, then that available storage location is selected as the target storage location. If the storage location on the same level opposite the target storage location is not available, then the relative positions of other available storage locations with the target storage location are checked. If there are available storage locations both above and below the target storage location, or only below it, then the lower available storage location is selected as the target storage location. If there is only an available storage location above the target storage location, then the upper available storage location is selected as the target storage location. In some possible embodiments, if the target shelf column only includes the shelf column where the target storage location is located, the relative position priority is that the priority of the shelf above the target storage location is lower than the priority of the shelf below the target storage location. That is, if there are free storage locations both above and below the target storage location, or only below the target storage location, then the free storage location below is selected as the target storage location. If there are free storage locations only above the target storage location, then the free storage location above is selected as the target storage location.

[0105] When the highest priority relative position among multiple free storage locations includes multiple free storage locations, in some implementations, the free storage location closest to the target storage location among the highest priority relative positions is determined as the target storage location. That is, if, according to the above priority selection rule, the free storage location below the target storage location is selected as the target storage location, and there are multiple free storage locations below it, then the free storage location closest to the target storage location is selected as the target storage location. Similarly, if the free storage location above the target storage location is selected as the target storage location, and there are multiple free storage locations above it, then the free storage location closest to the target storage location is selected as the target storage location. It can be understood that when two free storage locations in a target group are at the same level but in different columns, the free storage location in the same column as the target storage location is closest to the target storage location.

[0106] S130 sends the inbound transport task to the robot. The inbound transport task includes the target inbound location and is used to instruct the robot to transport the inbound bins it carries to the target inbound location.

[0107] In this step, after the management equipment determines the target inbound location based on the outbound handling task, it can send the inbound handling task to the robot. Upon receiving the inbound handling task from the management equipment, the robot executes the task, moving the inbound bins from the buffer position to the target inbound location. Then, the robot forks outbound bins from the target storage location on the target shelf column and moves them to the now-empty buffer position.

[0108] In summary, the bin retrieval method of this application involves the management equipment determining the target storage location for the robot's inbound handling task based on the target storage location corresponding to the outbound handling task to be performed by the robot, ensuring that the target inbound and outbound locations belong to the same target group. This design, on the one hand, allows for a lower average climbing height for the robots, improving the handling efficiency of each robot. On the other hand, it ensures a more balanced distribution of bins on the warehouse racks and maintains this balanced distribution continuously, preventing the bottom bins from clustering during later handling tasks and ensuring that the utilization rate of the warehouse racks remains at the expected value.

[0109] Referring to Figure 5, a bin retrieval and placement method according to an embodiment of this application is applied to a robot in a warehousing system. The method includes:

[0110] S210, Receive inbound transport task. The inbound transport task includes target inbound location, wherein the target inbound location is an empty storage location in the target group on the target shelf column corresponding to the target storage location where the outbound material box of the outbound transport task to be executed by the robot is located.

[0111] S220: Based on the received inbound handling task, the robot moves the inbound bins from the buffer position to the target inbound position.

[0112] S230: After moving the inbound bin to the available storage location designated as the target inbound location, the robot moves the outbound bin from the target storage location to the buffer location.

[0113] The robot of this application can also receive an outbound transport task assigned by the management device after receiving an inbound transport task, or simultaneously with step S200. The outbound transport task instructs the robot to retrieve and transport the outbound bins from the target storage location. The management device determines the corresponding target inbound location based on the target group where the target storage location is located. The method for determining the target inbound location is described in step S120 above and will not be repeated here.

[0114] It is understandable that the relative positions of the target receiving location and the target storage location are strongly correlated with the shelving column grouping. If a single group includes multiple storage locations on a single shelf column of a single storage rack, then the target receiving location and the target storage location are in the same shelf column. If a single group includes multiple storage locations of the same level on corresponding shelf columns of two relatively spaced storage racks, then the target receiving location and the target storage location may be in the same shelf column or in different shelf columns.

[0115] The target shelf column includes the target current column and / or the target relative column. The target current column is the shelf column where the target storage location is located, and the target relative column is the shelf column that is spaced apart from the target current column. If a single group includes multiple storage locations on a single shelf column of a single storage rack, then the target shelf column is the target current column. If a single group includes multiple storage locations of the same level on corresponding shelf columns of two relatively spaced storage racks, then the target shelf column includes both the target current column and the target relative column.

[0116] After the robot in this application climbs up the track of the warehouse rack to the target level, the robot can pick up and place the boxes on the opposite sides.

[0117] In some implementations, the robot moves along the target relative column to move the incoming bins from the buffer position to the target incoming position and the outgoing bins from the target current column to the buffer position. It can be understood that if the target storage position is in the target current column and the target incoming position is in the target relative column, and the target incoming position and the target storage position are not in the same shelf column, the robot can first move to the storage shelf where the target relative column is located and climb along the track of the target relative column or simultaneously along the tracks of both the target relative column and the target current column to move the incoming bins from the buffer position to the target incoming position. The robot can then climb along the track of the target relative column or simultaneously along the tracks of both the target relative column and the target current column to a position on the same level as the target storage position, and then fork the outgoing bins from the target current column to the buffer position.

[0118] In some implementations, the robot moves along the target current column or simultaneously along the target opposite column and the target current column to move the incoming bins from the buffer position to the target incoming position and the outgoing bins from the target current column to the buffer position. It is understood that the target incoming position may be distributed in the same column as or opposite to the target storage position. If the target incoming position and the target storage position are distributed in the same column, the robot can first move to the storage rack where the target current column is located and climb along the tracks on the target current column or simultaneously along the target opposite column and the target current column to the level of the target incoming position, forking the incoming bins from the buffer position to the target incoming position; the robot can then climb along the tracks on the target current column or simultaneously along the target opposite column and the target current column to the target storage position, and then fork out the outgoing bins to the buffer position. If the target inbound location and the target storage location are relatively distributed, the robot can first move to the storage rack where the target relative column is located, and climb along the track on the target relative column or simultaneously along the track on the target relative column and the target current column to the same level as the target inbound location. The robot can then fork the inbound bins on the buffer location to the target inbound location of the target relative column. The robot can then climb along the track on the target relative column or simultaneously along the track on the target relative column and the target current column to the target storage location, and then fork the inbound bins to the buffer location.

[0119] In summary, after executing the aforementioned bin handling method, the robot of this application can, based on the target inbound and target outbound locations within the same target group, first perform inbound handling tasks and then outbound handling tasks. This design enables the warehouse racking system to achieve a consistently stable storage space utilization rate, ensuring a balanced distribution of idle storage locations and optimizing the robot's handling efficiency.

[0120] In other embodiments, the bin picking and placing method of this application is applied to a robot in a warehousing system, and the method includes:

[0121] S310 receives an inbound transport task, which includes a target inbound location; wherein, the target inbound location is the nearest free storage location to the ground in the warehouse rack within a preset distance of the robot.

[0122] S320: Based on the received inbound handling task, the robot moves the inbound bins from the buffer position to the target inbound position.

[0123] In this embodiment, the application scenario is one where the robot only has inbound transport tasks to be performed and no outbound transport tasks. Based on this, the selection of the target inbound location can be associated with the robot's position. For example, when an inbound transport task is assigned to the robot, the robot needs to move the toy box from its current buffer location to a storage rack for storage. The management device can obtain the robot's current location information and locate a storage rack within a preset distance based on that information.

[0124] In some implementations, the warehouse rack closest to the current location can be designated as the target rack; among the available storage spaces on the target rack, the available storage space closest to the ground is selected as the target inbound location. That is, in this scenario, the target inbound location is not necessarily located at the bottom of the warehouse rack, but rather at the lowest level among the available storage spaces.

[0125] To reduce the robot's climbing height, some implementations use a storage rack within a preset distance of the current location information and with an available storage space at its bottom as the target rack. In other words, the target storage location in this scenario is at the bottom of the storage rack, but the storage rack is not necessarily the rack closest to the robot's current location.

[0126] The bin retrieval and placement method in this embodiment can flexibly select the corresponding target storage location to complete the storage and handling task when dealing with specific scenarios, thereby improving the robot's handling efficiency.

[0127] Referring to Figure 6, one embodiment of this application also provides a bin retrieval and placement device, applied to management equipment in a warehousing system. The warehousing system includes management equipment, storage racks, and robots. Each row of the storage racks includes at least one group, and each group includes multiple storage positions, with at least one free storage position in each multi-level storage position. The bin retrieval and placement device includes an outbound task determination module 610, an inbound position screening module 620, and a task sending module 630. Wherein:

[0128] The outbound task determination module 610 is used to determine the outbound handling task to be performed by the robot. The outbound handling task is used to instruct the robot to take out and move the outbound bins on the target storage location.

[0129] The inbound location filtering module 620 is used to determine an empty storage location in the target group on the target shelf column corresponding to the target storage location as the target inbound location.

[0130] The task sending module 630 is used to send inbound handling tasks to the robot. The inbound handling task includes a target inbound location and instructs the robot to move the loaded inbound tote box to the target inbound location. The task sending module 630 is also used to send outbound handling tasks to the robot.

[0131] Referring to Figure 7, an embodiment of this application also provides a bin picking and placing device, which is applied to a robot in a warehousing system. The warehousing system includes management equipment, storage racks and a robot. Each rack column of the storage rack includes at least one group, and each group includes multiple storage positions, including at least one free storage position. The robot has a buffer position for storing inbound bins or outbound bins. The bin picking and placing device includes a task receiving module 710 and a bin handling module 720.

[0132] The task receiving module 710 is used to receive inbound handling tasks. The task receiving module 710 is also used to receive outbound handling tasks.

[0133] The bin handling module 720 is used to move the inbound bins on the buffer position to the target inbound position according to the received inbound handling task; wherein, the target inbound position is an empty storage position in the target group on the target shelf column where the outbound bin of the outbound handling task to be assigned is located, or the target inbound position is the empty storage position closest to the ground in the candidate shelf column within a preset distance.

[0134] Regarding the various bin loading and unloading devices in the above embodiments, the specific methods by which each module performs its operations have been described in detail in the relevant method embodiments, and will not be elaborated further here.

[0135] Referring to Figure 8, this application also provides a management device 100 for a warehousing system. The management device 100 includes a memory 810 and at least one processor 820. The memory 810 stores computer-executable instructions. When the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 810 are executed by the at least one processor 820, the processor 820 performs the bin handling method as described in any of the above embodiments. It is understood that the management device 100 may include one or more management terminals and / or one or more management servers.

[0136] Referring to Figure 9, this application also provides a robot 200 for a warehousing system. The robot 200 includes a memory 910 and at least one processor 920. The memory 910 stores computer-executed instructions. When the computer-executed instructions stored in the memory 910 are executed by the at least one processor 920, the processor 920 performs the bin picking and placing method as described in any of the above embodiments. It is understood that there are multiple robots, each independently communicating with a management device to receive and execute outbound and / or inbound handling tasks sent by the management device.

[0137] The processor of the aforementioned management equipment or robot can be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0138] The memory of the aforementioned management device or robot can include various types of storage units, such as system memory, read-only memory (ROM), and permanent storage devices. ROM can store static data or instructions required by the processor or other modules of the computer. Permanent storage devices can be read-write storage devices. Permanent storage devices can be non-volatile storage devices that retain stored instructions and data even when the computer is powered off. In some embodiments, permanent storage devices use high-capacity storage devices (e.g., magnetic or optical disks, flash memory) as permanent storage devices. In other embodiments, permanent storage devices can be removable storage devices (e.g., floppy disks, optical drives). System memory can be read-write storage devices or volatile read-write storage devices, such as dynamic random access memory. System memory can store some or all of the instructions and data required by the processor during operation. Furthermore, the memory can include any combination of computer-readable storage media, including various types of semiconductor memory chips (DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM, flash memory, programmable read-only memory), and disks and / or optical disks can also be used. In some implementations, the memory may include removable storage devices that are readable and / or writable, such as laser discs (CDs), read-only digital versatile optical discs (e.g., DVD-ROMs, dual-layer DVD-ROMs), read-only Blu-ray discs, ultra-high density optical discs, flash memory cards (e.g., SD cards, mini SD cards, Micro-SD cards, etc.), magnetic floppy disks, etc. Computer-readable storage media do not contain carrier waves or transient electronic signals transmitted wirelessly or via wired connections.

[0139] This application can also be implemented as a computer program or computer program product, which includes computer program code instructions for performing some or all of the steps in the above-described bin handling method of this application.

[0140] This application can also be implemented as a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium (or computer-readable storage medium, or machine-readable storage medium) storing executable code (or computer program, or computer instruction code) thereon, which, when executed by a processor of an electronic device (or electronic device, server, etc.), causes the processor to perform part or all of the steps of the above-described method according to this application.

[0141] The various embodiments of this application have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, nor are they limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles, practical application, or improvement of the technology in the market, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method for picking up and placing materials into a bin, characterized in that, A management device is used in a warehousing system, the warehousing system including the management device, storage racks, and robots. Each row of the storage racks includes at least one group, each group includes multiple storage positions, and each multiple storage position includes at least one free storage position. The method includes: The outbound handling task to be performed by the robot is determined, and the outbound handling task is used to instruct the robot to take out and move the outbound bin from the target storage location; Determine an empty storage location in the target group on the target shelf column corresponding to the target storage location as the target inbound location; The inbound handling task is sent to the robot. The inbound handling task includes the target inbound location. The inbound handling task is used to instruct the robot to move the inbound material box it is carrying to the target inbound location.

2. The method for handling and placing material bins according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Based on the storage space utilization rate and the layer information of the storage rack, the storage spaces in each rack column of the storage rack are grouped according to the target group layer number P, and each group includes P layers of storage spaces. The hierarchical information includes the total number of layers Q of the storage rack and the layer height, where 1 < P < Q, and P and Q are both natural numbers.

3. The method for handling and placing the material bin according to claim 2, characterized in that, The step of grouping storage locations according to the target grouping layer number P based on the storage location utilization rate and the layer information of the storage racks includes: Based on the storage space utilization rate and the layer information of the storage rack, the average climbing height of the robot is calculated for different candidate group layers. Based on the robot's height and the average climbing height corresponding to each candidate group's layer number, calculate the climbing height optimization ratio corresponding to each candidate group's layer number. The candidate grouping layer number corresponding to the maximum value of the climbing height optimization ratio is determined as the target grouping layer number P, and the warehouse racking columns are grouped according to the target grouping layer number P.

4. The method for handling and placing the material bin according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: When the storage space utilization rate changes, update the target grouping layer number P.

5. The method for handling and placing materials in a bin according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the aforementioned groups comprises multiple layers of storage bits, including: Each of the aforementioned groups comprises multiple storage locations on a single shelf column of a single storage rack; and / or Each group comprises multiple storage locations at the same level on corresponding shelf columns of two relatively spaced storage racks.

6. The method for handling and placing material bins according to claim 5, characterized in that, Each of the two oppositely positioned storage racks in the group has at least one available storage space on its corresponding rack column.

7. The method for handling and placing a material bin according to claim 1, 5, or 6, characterized in that, When the target group includes multiple free storage locations, determining one free storage location in the target group on the target shelf column corresponding to the target storage location as the target inbound location includes: Obtain the relative position between each of the free storage locations and the target storage location; wherein the relative position includes: above the target storage location, below the target storage location, and on the same layer of the shelf column opposite the target storage location; Based on the priority of the relative positions, one of the multiple free storage positions is selected as the target storage location.

8. The method for handling and placing a material bin according to claim 7, characterized in that, The priority of the area above the target storage location is lower than the priority of the area below the target storage location, and the priority of the area below the target storage location is lower than the priority of the same-layer location in the opposite shelf column of the target storage location.

9. The method for handling and placing a material bin according to claim 7, characterized in that, When the highest priority relative position among the plurality of free storage bits includes multiple free storage bits, the step of selecting one of the multiple free storage bits as the target storage location includes: Among the multiple free storage locations, the free storage location with the highest priority relative position is determined as the target storage location.

10. A method for handling and placing a material bin, characterized in that, A robot is used in a warehousing system, the warehousing system including management equipment, storage racks, and a robot. Each row of the storage racks includes at least one group, each group includes multiple storage levels, and each storage level includes at least one free storage level. The robot has a buffer position for storing inbound or outbound bins. The method includes: Receive an inbound handling task, the inbound handling task includes a target inbound location, wherein the target inbound location is an empty storage location in a target group on a target shelf column corresponding to the target storage location where the outbound material box of the outbound handling task to be executed by the robot is located, and the outbound handling task is used to instruct the robot to take out and move the outbound material box on the target storage location. According to the received inbound handling task, the robot moves the inbound bin on the buffer position to the target inbound position.

11. The method for handling and placing a material bin according to claim 10, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive the outbound handling task assigned by the management device; After moving the inbound bin to an empty storage location designated as the target inbound location, the robot moves the outbound bin from the target storage location to the buffer location.

12. The method for handling and placing a material bin according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, The target shelf column includes a target current column and / or a target relative column, wherein the target current column is the shelf column where the target storage location is located, and the target relative column is a shelf column that is spaced apart from the target current column; wherein: The robot moves along the target relative column to move the inbound bin from the buffer position to the target inbound position, and moves the outbound bin from the target current column to the buffer position; or The robot moves along the target current column to move the inbound bin on the buffer position to the target inbound position, and moves the outbound bin on the target current column to the buffer position.

13. A material bin loading and unloading device, characterized in that, A management device for use in a warehousing system, the warehousing system including the management device, storage racks, and robots, wherein each row of the storage racks includes at least one group, each group includes multiple storage positions, and each multiple storage position includes at least one free storage position, the device comprising: The outbound task determination module is used to determine the outbound handling task to be performed by the robot. The outbound handling task is used to instruct the robot to take out and move the outbound bin from the target storage location. The inbound location filtering module is used to determine an empty storage location in the target group on the target shelf column corresponding to the target storage location as the target inbound location; The task sending module is used to send an inbound handling task to the robot. The inbound handling task includes the target inbound location and is used to instruct the robot to move the inbound material box it carries to the target inbound location.

14. A material bin loading and unloading device, characterized in that, A robot for use in a warehousing system, the warehousing system including management equipment, storage racks and a robot, each rack column including at least one group, each group including multiple storage positions, each storage position including at least one free storage position, the robot having a buffer position for storing inbound or outbound bins, the device comprising: The task receiving module is used to receive inbound and handling tasks; The bin handling module is used to move the inbound bins on the buffer position to the target inbound position according to the received inbound handling task; wherein, the target inbound position is an empty storage position in the target group of the target shelf column where the outbound bin of the outbound handling task to be assigned is located, or, the target inbound position is the empty storage position closest to the ground in the candidate shelf column within a preset distance.

15. A management device for a warehousing system, characterized in that, include: Memory and at least one processor; The memory stores computer-executed instructions; The at least one processor executes computer execution instructions stored in the memory, causing the at least one processor to perform the bin loading and unloading method as described in any one of claims 1-9.

16. A robot for use in a warehousing system, characterized in that, The robot includes: Memory and at least one processor; The memory stores computer-executed instructions; The at least one processor executes computer execution instructions stored in the memory, causing the at least one processor to perform the bin handling method as described in any one of claims 10-12.

17. A warehousing system, characterized in that, include: The management equipment as described in claim 15, the robot as described in claim 16, and the warehouse racking.

18. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by the processor, implement the bin loading and unloading method as described in any one of claims 1-9 or any one of claims 10-12.

19. A computer program product, characterized in that, It includes a computer program, which is used to execute computer execution instructions corresponding to the bin handling method as described in any one of claims 1-9 or any one of claims 10-12.

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