Method for scheduling container routing using a storage proxy, storage proxy, use, system and corresponding program

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for scheduling container routing using a storage proxy, located within the reach of an operator of an order-picking station (121). This station comprises routing zones (Z1, Z2) for the collection and storage containers, as well as an order-picking zone (Z3) in which the articles are taken from the storage containers and deposited in the collection containers. The method, implemented by an electronic device with a computing unit and a memory, includes the following steps: obtaining (S01) data representative of the occupancy of the storage proxy; and determining (S02), on the basis of this data, a schedule for routing the storage and / or collection containers within the order-picking zone (Z3).

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] Title of the invention: Method for scheduling the routing of containers using a storage substitute, storage substitute, use, system and corresponding program.

[0003] 1. Technical field

[0004] The area covered by this disclosure is warehouse and retail logistics, with a particular focus on supply chain automation. More specifically, this disclosure relates to a system and process for preparing at least part of an order.

[0005] It applies in particular to the automation of flow management within a store or warehouse, for example in a warehouse dedicated to the preparation of logistics orders, in the automated sorting of items in store or warehouse, or in the automated management of a delivery service for orders to a collection point.

[0006] 2. Prior art

[0007] Prior art provides numerous technologies that attempt to address the challenges of warehouse and storage system management, with a focus on automating and optimizing inventory management processes. A recurring issue concerns the physical organization and sorting of items within warehouses. Several solutions include systems that utilize robotic arms and conveyors to automate the sorting and placement of items in storage bins. These systems aim to reduce processing time and improve operational efficiency.

[0008] Another issue addressed is the tracking and traceability of items in warehouses. Solutions based on RFID technology and barcode scanning are proposed to track item movements in real time. These methods allow for accurate inventory management and reduce stock control errors.

[0009] Storage space management is also a major concern. Prior art includes numerous software programs and algorithms designed to optimize space utilization in warehouses. These solutions include bin layout models and item placement strategies to maximize storage space efficiency and minimize retrieval times. This storage space management can also be addressed in conjunction with the dynamic allocation of storage bins based on real-time inventory levels. Some techniques offer mechanisms to adjust bin assignments based on inventory fluctuations, thus enabling more flexible and responsive inventory management. This can be achieved, for example, by prioritizing certain bins containing specific items over others, with the aim of correcting errors in item routing.

[0010] It is common practice to use conveyors to transport products from a storage area to an order picking station, and then to a shipping station. It is also common to use robots guided by floor rails to move products to these stations. However, these techniques present several problems. They are complex and expensive to implement, and require large warehouses due to the space occupied by the conveyors or rails. Once containers or robots are engaged on these systems, their routing becomes fixed, limiting the possibilities for real-time adaptation to the order picking sequence (unless transit loops are implemented). Therefore, the flexibility needed to adjust the processing order according to changing priorities is either lacking or expensive and complex to implement.

[0011] To address these limitations, mobile robots, particularly automated guided vehicles (AGVs), have been described. These robots, capable of autonomous movement, can transport products from racks to order picking stations and then move the grouped products to shipping stations. US patent document US2021 / 0221615A1 proposes a method in which order picking stations can be created anywhere within the warehouse, depending on needs and order volume. However, this solution may present operational challenges.Indeed, while these techniques can help resolve order processing volume issues (for example, in the event of a sharp increase in orders) by offering greater flexibility, they do not address the problems of managing routing errors. For instance, when an automated guided vehicle (AGV) carrying a storage bin is routed to an order picking station while containing items intended for another AGV that has not yet arrived at the picking station, such situations can occur when traffic lanes are congested within the warehouse, despite AGV route optimizations. Similar situations can arise when the products in storage bins are small and / or stored together on racks.In such a scenario, the storage bin may contain several identical products, even though only one product is needed for a given order at any given time. Once the product is picked, the AGV returns with its storage bin containing only one product, which creates efficiency problems, especially if the same product needs to be placed in a collection bin again a few orders later. Other suboptimal situations of this type can occur throughout the order picking process, potentially leading to cycle losses (i.e., waiting times for either storage or collection bins) or unnecessary AGV movements (which negatively impacts the overall system performance, particularly in terms of energy consumption).

[0012] Document WO2024 / 013452 describes an order picking station comprising an inclined ramp for transporting AGVs from a source container containing stored items, and from a destination container containing items for an order picked from the source container, to a picking area on the inclined ramp. The inclined ramp also includes a transition area allowing for the reordering of AGVs, for example, in the event of a change in order priority. While such a ramp improves the efficiency of the order processing workflow, it does not address all the situations described above, and there is a need to further enhance the management of item flows.

[0013] There is therefore a need to address these suboptimal situations which, under certain conditions, can lead to significant temporal and organizational consequences in order processing.

[0014] 3. Summary of the invention

[0015] The invention makes it possible to resolve at least some of the aforementioned drawbacks. The invention relates more particularly to a method for scheduling the routing of containers using a storage substitute, said storage substitute being within reach of an operator at an order preparation station comprising at least one area for routing collection containers, at least one area for routing storage containers and an order preparation area within which items are picked from one of the storage containers and deposited into one of the collection containers of picked items, a method implemented by an electronic device comprising at least one processing unit and a memory, the method comprising at least one iteration of the following steps: obtaining at least one data point representing an occupancy of the storage substitute;determination, based on the representative data of the occupancy of the storage substitute, of a routing schedule for storage containers and / or collection containers within the order preparation area.

[0016] Thus, it is possible to gain several order preparation cycles, while maintaining a planned preparation rate, taking into account unforeseen events that may occur.

[0017] According to a particular characteristic, said at least one data representative of the occupancy of the storage substitute includes: at least one capture step, using a capture device, of data representative of a volume and / or surface occupied on the storage substitute; at least one determination step, based on the data representative of the volume and / or surface occupied on the storage substitute, of the data representative of the storage occupancy.

[0018] Thus, it is possible to precisely determine the occupancy of the storage substitute. Other methodologies can be used, such as a Boolean occupancy assignment, by an order preparation module or by an operator, depending on the operational implementation conditions.

[0019] According to a particular characteristic, when the data representing the occupancy of the storage substitute is less than a predetermined threshold, the routing schedule for storage containers and / or collection containers is determined to be unchanged for the order preparation station.

[0020] Therefore, the initial order of order processing is not disrupted, thanks to the storage substitute.

[0021] According to a particular feature, when it is determined, for a current order identifier, that a product from a current storage container, to be deposited in a current collection container, exceeds the capacity of the current collection container, the determination step includes a step of transmitting, to said operator, an instruction to deposit the current item onto the storage substitute.

[0022] According to a particular feature, when a subsequent collection container, whose order identifier is identical to the current order identifier, is likely to receive the current item deposited on the storage substitute, the process includes a step of transmitting to said operator an instruction to deposit the current item into the next collection container. According to a particular feature, when it is determined that a current storage container contains at least one current item to be disposed of in a subsequent collection container, which is unavailable at the order picking station, the determination step includes a step of transmitting to said operator an instruction to deposit said at least one current item onto the storage substitute.

[0023] According to a particular feature, when it is determined that a subsequent collection container is to receive said at least one current item deposited on the storage substitute, the process includes a step of transmitting, to said operator, an instruction to deposit the current item into the next collection container.

[0024] According to a particular feature, when it is determined that a current storage container includes at least one current item to be disposed of within a subsequent storage container, unavailable at the order preparation station, the determination step includes a step of transmitting, to said operator, an instruction to place said at least one current item on the storage substitute.

[0025] According to a particular feature, when it is determined that a subsequent storage container is to receive said at least one current item deposited on the storage substitute, the process includes a step of transmitting, to said operator, an instruction to deposit the current item into the subsequent storage container.

[0026] According to a particular characteristic, when the data representing the occupancy of the storage substitute is greater than a predetermined threshold, the routing schedule of storage containers and / or collection containers is determined to be likely to be modified for the order preparation station.

[0027] According to a particular feature, when it is determined that the routing schedule of storage containers and / or collection containers is likely to be modified for the order preparation station, the process includes a step of reordering the collection containers so as to prioritize the arrival, at the order preparation station, of collection containers requiring the dropping off of at least one item present on the storage substitute.

[0028] The invention also relates to the use of a storage substitute, said storage substitute for storing items being located within reach of an operator of an order preparation station which includes at least one collection container routing area, at least one storage container routing area and an order preparation area within which items are picked from one of the storage containers and deposited into one of the collection containers of picked items, use carried out by an electronic device for the implementation of the method described above.

[0029] According to another aspect, the invention also relates to a container routing scheduling system using a storage substitute, said storage substitute for storing items being located at an order preparation station comprising at least one collection container routing area, at least one storage container routing area and an order preparation area within which items are picked from one of the storage containers and deposited into one of the collection containers of picked items, the system comprising at least one order preparation module configured to implement at least one iteration of the following steps: obtaining at least one data point representing an occupancy of the storage substitute;determination, based on the representative data of the occupancy of the storage substitute, of a routing schedule for storage containers and / or collection containers within the order preparation area.

[0030] Such a system can take the form of a robotic distribution warehouse organized into three areas: a storage area, an order picking area with picking stations, and a shipping area with a shipping station. The storage area includes racking for storage containers holding similar or varied items. A first fleet of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) transports the storage containers between the storage area and the order picking stations. These AGVs can climb the racking to pick up the bins and transport them. A second fleet of AGVs transports the collection containers, empty or full, between the racking and the order picking stations, and then to the shipping station. The order picking module controls all or part of the elements of such a system.

[0031] According to a preferred implementation, the various steps of the processes according to the proposed technique are implemented by one or more software programs or computer programs, comprising software instructions intended to be executed by a data processor of a relay module according to the proposed technique and designed to control the execution of the various steps of the processes. Consequently, the proposed technique also aims at a program, capable of being executed by a computer or a data processor, this program containing instructions to control the execution of the steps of a process as mentioned above. This program can use any programming language and be in the form of source code, object code, or intermediate code. The proposed technique also aims at an information carrier readable by a data processor, containing instructions for a program as mentioned above.The information medium can be any entity or device capable of storing the program, for example, a storage device, a microelectronic circuit, or a magnetic or optical recording medium. Alternatively, the information medium can be a transmissible medium such as an electrical or optical signal, which can be transmitted via an electrical or optical cable, by radio, or by other means. The program, according to the proposed technique, can, in particular, be uploaded to a network such as the Internet.

[0032] Alternatively, the information carrier can be an integrated circuit in which the program is embedded, the circuit being adapted to execute or be used in the execution of the process in question. According to one embodiment, the proposed technique is implemented using software and / or hardware components. In this context, the term "module" in this document can refer to a software component, a hardware component, or a set of hardware and software components. Each component of the system described above naturally implements its own modules. The various embodiments mentioned above can be combined for the implementation of the proposed technique.

[0033] 4. Brief description of the figures

[0034] Other features and advantages of the invention will become clearer upon reading the following description of an embodiment of the invention, given by way of simple illustrative and non-limiting example, and the accompanying drawings, among which:

[0035] Figure 1 is a representation of an online commerce distribution warehouse in which an example of an embodiment of an order preparation process according to the invention is implemented;

[0036] Figure 2 is a detailed perspective view of an example order picking station from the example warehouse shown with reference to Figure 1;

[0037] Figure 3 schematically illustrates the iterative process described herein, in an example presentation. 5. Description of an embodiment

[0038] One objective of this disclosure is to propose a technique for managing a storage substitute located at an order picking station. More specifically, it proposes a technique for managing items to be placed within a storage substitute that acts as a buffer to absorb and regulate order picking between storage containers and collection containers. The storage and collection containers are, in particular, storage bins and collection bins, respectively.

[0039] In one example, this storage substitute is managed centrally or decentrally by one or more order processing modules. The order processing module(s) perform additional optimization of item flows, particularly when transported by AGVs, by treating the storage substitute at the order picking station as a buffer and dynamically determining which items can be placed in the storage substitute and which can be removed. This management enables efficient coordination of item movements between storage bins and picking bins, thereby improving the warehouse's operational efficiency.

[0040] Specifically, a technique is proposed for managing items to be placed (or already placed) within a storage substitute, which acts as a buffer to absorb and regulate order preparation. The order processing module(s) monitor the storage substitute's occupancy in real time (or semi-real time) and implement processing algorithms to determine item scheduling based on the substitute's fill level. Depending on inventory levels and processing priorities, the order processing module dynamically adjusts item assignments in the collection bins, enabling flexible and responsive management, particularly in case of errors or congestion. This approach reduces processing times and minimizes inventory management errors, while ensuring traceability of item movements.

[0041] The storage substitute is designed to hold at least one item at any given time. The order fulfillment module manages this area as a buffer, optimizing the organization, tracking, and retrieval of items stored there. Items are transferred to and from the storage substitute based on operational needs, with real-time adjustments based on inventory data and order picking requests. This technique ensures optimal item management in the buffer zone, thus facilitating the order picking process and improving overall warehouse efficiency by minimizing downtime spent rearranging AGV layouts, either in the warehouse or at the order picking station, when that station has AGV holding capabilities.

[0042] The following section describes several optimization operations, each corresponding to a problem encountered by the order processing module (centralized or pseudo-centralized, i.e., managing only subsets of equipment) (all orders or a subset of orders). We first present, in relation to Figures 1 and 2, an example configuration in which the container routing scheduling process described herein can be implemented. Figure 1 represents a robotic distribution warehouse 10. Such a warehouse is typically organized into three areas: a storage area 11, an order preparation area 12 equipped with order preparation stations 121, and a shipping area 13 equipped with a package assembly and shipping station 131.

[0043] The storage area 11 comprises a plurality of racks 14 made up of shelves on several levels supported by uprights 15, and arranged in successive parallel rows. Storage containers or bins 16, which may contain all similar items or a plurality of different items from the same product range, are stored on these racks. Some of these racks may be dedicated to storing collection containers or bins, intended to collect the various items constituting an order, before their transport to the shipping station 131. A first fleet of automated guided vehicles 17, or AGVs 17, equipped, for example, with four wheels for running on the floor, provides transport for the storage containers 16 between the storage area 11 and the order preparation stations 121.When an AGV 17 receives instructions to retrieve a bin 16 from a rack, the AGV 17 travels along the floor to the base of the rack 14 where the bin 16 is stored and then climbs along this rack, for example by using the rack opposite it for support, until it reaches the shelf where the bin 16 is stored and retrieves it. The AGV 17 then travels back down between the two racks, and once on the floor, transports the bin 16 to the order picking station 121. This initial fleet of AGV 17s thus comprises a first set of AGVs capable of traveling on the floor, designed to retrieve storage containers of one or more items stored in the racks and transport them to the order picking station.

[0044] A second fleet of automated guided vehicles 18, or AGV 18, notably provides the transport of collection containers: on the one hand, when empty, from the racks 14 to the order preparation stations 121; on the other hand, when they have collected one or more items of the same order previously taken from the storage containers 16 transported to the order preparation station 121, from the latter to the shipping station 131.

[0045] This second fleet of AGVs 18 thus includes a second set of AGVs capable of driving on the ground, intended to transport collection containers containing at least part of the items of the same order from an order preparation station 121 to a shipping station 131 of the order, to a transition area or to a conveyor connected to a shipping station of the order.

[0046] It may be envisaged that an AGV 17 or 18 will be used both to transport storage containers 16 to an order preparation station 121 and, intermittently, to transport collection containers to the dispatch station 131 or vice versa, depending on the changing needs and the availability of the other AGVs in these fleets at any given time.

[0047] This configuration offers greater flexibility in managing the AGV fleet, as the same AGV can be used to transport either storage containers or collection containers, and therefore belong to the first or second set of AGVs as needed. Thus, at least some of the AGVs in the first set also belong to the second set, or vice versa, reducing the total number of AGVs required to transport storage and collection containers.

[0048] The second set of AGVs can be a subset of the first set of AGVs or vice versa.

[0049] When the preparation of an order or part of an order begins: a collection container is associated with it, the identifier of which is recorded in the order processing module in association with an order number; an AGV from the second set 18 picks up this collection container from the racks; this AGV 18 transports the picked collection container to an order preparation station 121, where it is positioned on a first preparation location facing the position of a human or robotic operator, such as a robotic arm.

[0050] Similarly, a storage container containing at least one item from the order or part of the order is associated with an AGV from the first set 17, by registering an AGV ID and a storage container ID in the order processing module. The AGV 17 retrieves its associated storage container from the racking and transports it to a second picking location in the order picking station 121, which is adjacent to the first location where the picking container was placed and also faces the position of the human or robotic operator.

[0051] The operator can then pick one or more items from the order in the storage container that has taken place on the second preparation location, and place them in the collection container that has taken place on the first preparation location adjacent to it.

[0052] If all items in the order have been placed in the collection container, the collection container can be transported by the AGV 18 to a shipping station or onto a conveyor to that shipping station, or to a shipping carton closing device in the case where the collection container is a carton.

[0053] Such an order preparation technique allows several orders consisting of items stored in different storage locations in the workshop, store or warehouse to be completed in a reduced time.

[0054] Figure 2 illustrates an order picking station 121 in a perspective profile view. This order picking station 121 is equipped with a robotic arm 26, known per se, which could also be replaced by a human operator. The base 261 of the robotic arm is fixed or rotates around a fixed axis relative to the ground.

[0055] The storage containers 16 are transported to this order picking station 121 by AGVs 17 from the first set of AGVs, which use an inclined access ramp 21, for example, from the left side. The AGVs 18 from the second set of AGVs exit the inclined access ramp 21 from its right side, in this particular embodiment. In this example, the access ramp 21 is an elevated ramp that allows the AGVs 17 and 18, which travel by rolling on the warehouse floor from the storage area 11 to the order picking area 12, to be raised onto the order picking station 121. In another example, in which the AGVs would travel on a higher floor of the warehouse, the inclined access ramp 21 could also allow the AGV to descend from this higher floor to the order picking station 121.The inclined access ramp 21 comprises two distinct zones: a zone referenced Z1 for the circulation of AGVs; a zone referenced Z2 for the transition of AGVs.

[0056] The Z2 transition zone is essentially horizontal and allows at least two AGVs to be held in position, for example, one AGV from the first set 17 and one AGV from the second set 18. It can also be sized to allow for the simultaneous retention of a larger number of AGVs, although such a configuration can be complex to implement, particularly when a human operator is responsible for order picking. This Z2 transition zone is used, for example, in the event of an AGV scheduling error. More specifically, this zone can be used when an AGV from the first set 17 arrives at an order picking station with an item, while the AGV from the second set 18, which includes the relevant collection container for that item, has not yet arrived at the order picking station.Conversely, this transition zone Z2 can be used when an AGV from the second set 18 arrives at an order preparation station to receive an item while the AGV from the first set 17, which includes the storage container containing this item, has not yet arrived at the order preparation station.

[0057] The AGV circulation zone Z1 comprises at least two arrival lanes and at least two departure lanes for AGVs, symbolized by arrows in Figure 2, to allow for smooth movement of the AGVs 17, 18, and thus the simultaneous handling of multiple order preparation. For example, the inclined ramp 21 has a width greater than or equal to the width of four AGVs, preferably greater than or equal to the width of six AGVs to allow for multiple crossings and simultaneous boarding and disembarking of AGVs 17, 18 on the access ramp 21.Thus, an AGV 17 carrying a first storage container and an AGV 18 carrying a first collection container can simultaneously ascend the access ramp 21 to reach the order preparation station, where the preparation of their assigned order begins. Meanwhile, an AGV 17 carrying a second storage container and an AGV 18 carrying a second collection container descend simultaneously, because the preparation of their assigned order is complete. The order preparation station also includes a picking area Z3, which AGVs 17 and 18 access from the inclined ramp 21. The upper end of the ramp 21 is, for example, topped with a grid 27 separating the picking area Z3 from the circulation areas Z1 and the transition area Z2 for AGVs 17 and 18.An opening 29 is also formed in this grid to allow access for the AGVs 17 and 18 to the picking locations in this picking zone Z3, within reach of the robotic arm 26. In the example in Figure 2, the picking zone Z3 comprises two picking locations, and the opening 29 is therefore sized to allow the simultaneous passage of two AGVs. The picking zone may, however, include a larger number of picking locations, for example, four or six, depending on the width of the ramp 21. In this case, the opening 29 in the grid 27 is adapted to allow the simultaneous passage of four or six AGVs, depending on the number of picking locations.

[0058] During order preparation, the robotic arm 26, mounted on a fixed base 261, picks up an item from a storage container 16 transported by an AGV 17 to a predetermined picking location 25 at the end of the ramp 21 (shown by dashed lines in Figure 2) and places it in an item collection bin 24 transported by an AGV 18 to a predetermined picking location 23 at the end of the ramp 21 (shown by dashed lines in Figure 2).The first preparation location 25 and the second preparation location 23 of the AGVs being adjacent and facing the robotic arm 26, the movements of the arm 26, for each item handled, are limited to taking an item from the storage bin 16, rotating the arm to position the arm above the collection container 24, dropping the item into the collection container 24 following a substantially vertical movement and returning to its initial position, which allows these operations to be repeated at a high rate.

[0059] The first picking location 25 and the second picking location 23 are formed from two substantially adjacent flat surfaces which constitute the picking area Z3 forming a portion of the extension of the upper part of the ramp 21. Such an order picking station can also be implemented in warehouses which, instead of AGVs, use conveyor mechanisms.

[0060] A warehouse of this type is implemented using one or more order processing modules, instantiated within a computerized architecture, which can be virtual (i.e., distributed across multiple servers using virtual machines), centralized, or distributed across the warehouse's various data processing infrastructures ("edge computing"). This order processing module(s) are responsible for managing order scheduling, associating AGVs with storage container identifiers, AGVs with collection container identifiers, and collection container identifiers with order identifiers, as well as determining the order picking stations where orders are prepared.The order processing module may include (or have access to) data structures, for example, those loaded into the RAM of one or more computer servers, order statuses, AGV statuses, and order picking station statuses. These data structures are updated regularly and / or on the fly, so that the order processing module has up-to-date data regarding the operating and processing status of all or part of the warehouse equipment. While such systems allow for the relatively efficient processing of large quantities of orders, they still present some challenges.

[0061] For this reason, as presented herein, order picking stations are equipped with a storage substitute, located on the side of the order picking locations, near the robotic arm or the human order picker. Depending on the embodiment, the storage substitute may take the form of one or more shelves of a predetermined size, located near the human operator or the robotic arm (both being referred to as "operator"), fixed, for example, to a frame of the order picking station. In this embodiment, items are placed directly onto the shelf or into a container placed on the shelf.In other implementations, the storage substitute can take the form of one or more AGVs, positioned near the human operator or robotic arm, into which the human or robotic operator can deposit or collect items. In this scenario, these AGVs are either fixed or mobile (allowing for dynamic adjustment of the storage substitute's capacity). These AGVs can be dedicated to implementing a storage substitute and adopt different shapes and / or dimensions than the AGVs in the first or second set. The containers positioned on these "substitute" AGVs can also be different, particularly to facilitate the depositing, counting (for example, obtaining data representative of occupancy), and retrieval of items.In relation to Figure 3, we illustrate a process for scheduling the routing of item containers comprising iterations of the following steps: obtaining (S01) a data representative of a storage substitute occupancy; determining (S02), based on the data representative of the storage substitute occupancy, a routing schedule for storage containers and / or collection containers within the order preparation area.

[0062] As previously explained, the process can be implemented independently for each order picking station in a system such as the one described above. The process can also advantageously be implemented at the system level, comprising a set of several order picking stations, one or more storage areas, one or more shipping areas, and one or more order processing modules, depending on whether these are independent and / or parallelizable. The process includes obtaining, either on the fly or at regular intervals, data representing the occupancy of the storage substitutes. This data can be obtained on the fly, for example, when one or more items are placed in a storage substitute at an order picking station and / or when one or more items are removed from a storage substitute at an order picking station.This data can also be obtained regularly, for example, cyclically, when the order processing module requires, using data capture devices placed near the storage substitutes at the order picking stations, representative data on the status of their storage substitutes. The data capture devices used can be cameras, 3D cameras, Time-of-Flight (ToF) cameras, RFID receivers, or combinations of such equipment. Alternatively, the data capture devices can be weighing devices. For each storage substitute, representative data on its occupancy is obtained.This data can take the form of real numbers, for example, numbers representing occupancy percentages, and / or integers, for example, numbers representing the number of items, and / or decimal numbers, representing the free (or occupied) dimensions of the storage substitutes. In its simplest form, this data can be booleans ("0" unavailable, "1" available). In other situations, this data can be real numbers representing an occupancy volume. Each storage substitute can also be associated with item identifiers, which, at a given time step, are positioned on the storage substitute.

[0063] Using this data, the order processing module determines a routing sequence for storage containers and / or collection containers within the order picking area of ​​the order picking station. Several scenarios can arise for scheduling optimization. More specifically, based on a typical distribution of order picking (i.e., the distribution of a set of orders to the order picking station, including a list of orders to be processed, each order containing a list of items) and the current state of the storage substitute (i.e., data representing its occupancy), the order processing module can optimize the processing of all orders, notably by taking into account unexpected situations, such as the presence, within a storage container,of one or more items whose size(s) is / are unsuitable for the remaining space within a collection container in which they / they are to be deposited; to take into account an unexpected situation, such as the presence, within a storage container, of one or more items whose nature(s) is / are unsuitable for the collection container in which they / they are to be deposited: this may be, for example, fresh produce that must be placed in a suitable collection container, or products from different manufacturing origins (different countries, different regions), which must also be placed in different collection containers, etc.; to order the deposit, onto the storage substitute, of a plurality of identical items, from a storage container transported by an AGV from the first group,This AGV being positioned in order preparation area Z3 (these items being intended to be distributed into subsequent collection containers); In this situation, multiple presentations of the same storage container in area Z3 are avoided, thus avoiding several transit cycles of this storage container; to order the placement, on the storage substitute, of a plurality of different items from a storage container transported by an AGV from the first set, this AGV being positioned in order preparation area Z3 (these items being then intended to be placed in subsequent collection containers, for one or more orders not yet processed); In this situation, multiple presentations of the same storage container in area Z3 are also avoided, and a better distribution of items in the different storage containers is also ensured; to order the placement,on the storage substitute, of one or more items, from a storage container transported by an AGV from the first set, this AGV being positioned in order preparation area Z3 (these items being intended to be distributed into subsequent storage containers); In this situation, the items placed on the storage substitute are intended to be distributed into other storage substitutes for the purpose of optimizing this storage and organizing the products; to reverse the order processing to unload the storage substitute when it has reached a fill rate exceeding a predetermined threshold,or that a particular item cannot be placed on a storage substitute (such as a luxury product, for example); to distribute pending, unprocessed orders to one or more order preparation stations where the occupancy rates of the storage substitutes are below a predetermined threshold.

[0064] An order picking optimization process involving the management of one or more storage substitutes, located at an order picking station, therefore includes several steps to improve order picking efficiency. Thus, when an unexpected situation arises, such as the presence, within a storage container, of one or more items whose size is unsuitable for the remaining space in the intended collection container, the order processing module receives, from the human operator (or the robotic arm), a signal indicating the impossibility of placing the item in the designated collection container (this signal may consist, for the human operator, of pressing a specific button on a human-machine interface - or HMI - displayed at the order picking station).The order processing module then instructs the human operator or robot to place the corresponding item(s) on the storage substitute.

[0065] Picked but uncollected items are stored in the storage substitute, where they can be organized and tracked until a suitable collection container becomes available. When a collection container with sufficient space is available at the order picking station, the order processing module instructs the human operator or robot to transfer the items from the storage substitute to the appropriate collection container. This transfer finalizes the handling of the unexpected situation, ensuring that the items are correctly placed in a collection container. This method allows for the efficient management of unforeseen events, thus optimizing operational efficiency, particularly by preventing lost order processing cycles.

[0066] In another scenario, when a storage container is transported to the order picking station by an AGV, it is positioned in the picking location adjacent to the collection containers. When it is determined that the items in the storage container are not (all) destined for one of the existing collection containers, but will be used for subsequent collection containers, the order processing module instructs the operator or robot to transfer these additional items from the storage container to the storage substitute. These items may be identical or different. They may be items already present in an order recorded in the order processing module or fast-moving consumer goods.

[0067] The transfer of items from the storage container to the storage substitute is performed by a human operator or a robotic arm, following instructions from the order processing module. Once the transfer is complete, the operator instructs the order processing module to finish the operation, and the order picking process continues, with new storage and collection containers being delivered to the order picking station. This iteration maintains a continuous flow of items and minimizes waiting times.

[0068] When the appropriate collection container is present at the order picking station, the order processing module instructs the human operator or robot to transfer the items from the storage substitute to the collection container. This transfer finalizes the picking of this order step, ensuring that the items are correctly placed in the order container. This method enables flexible and responsive item management, thereby optimizing warehouse operational efficiency and reducing inventory handling errors.

[0069] We will focus on how the occupancy data for the storage substitute is obtained. This data collection can be done either on the fly or at regular intervals. To obtain on-the-fly data, sensors are installed near the storage substitutes. For example, when items are placed in or removed from a storage substitute, weight sensors or presence sensors (e.g., laser barriers) detect these changes and transmit this data to the order processing module.

[0070] Occupancy data can be determined from the physical data (dimensions) of the item to be placed on the storage substitute, which are stored in the order processing module.

[0071] In addition to, or instead of, on-the-fly data collection, capture devices are used to obtain data on a regular basis, for example, cyclically or as soon as an instruction to drop an item is received from the order processing module. As previously discussed, these devices can include cameras, 3D cameras, Time-of-Flight (ToF) cameras, and RFID receivers. 3D and ToF cameras are particularly useful for measuring the dimensions and volumes of stored items, providing images and depth data that allow for the calculation of occupied and free space in storage alternatives. RFID receivers, on the other hand, allow for the tracking of items equipped with RFID tags, providing precise information on their location and movement.

[0072] The data collected by these capture devices is then processed by the order processing module. Before any items are placed on the storage substitute, the order processing module verifies that the space required for the item(s) to be placed is indeed available on the storage substitute. This verification takes the form, for example, of retrieving, within the data structure associated with this storage substitute, the available surface area and / or volume, either as a percentage or as an absolute value, and retrieving, for the item(s) to be placed on the storage substitute, similar data (surface area and / or volume of item(s)) to be placed.

[0073] To ensure optimal management, the order processing module regularly updates the occupancy data of storage substitutes. These updates can be triggered by specific events, such as the addition or removal of items, or occur at predefined intervals. Using this data, the order processing module can dynamically adjust the allocation of storage and picking containers, optimizing the organization and flow of items within the warehouse. This approach maintains accurate traceability and minimizes inventory management errors, while improving overall operational efficiency.

[0074] For example, when an unexpected situation arises, such as the one described above, and the percentage or available occupancy area of ​​the storage substitute at the order processing station is less than the percentage or area that would be occupied by the item to be deposited, then the order processing module can instruct the storage AGV carrying that item to move into a waiting position, for example, within the Z2 transition zone. This is equivalent to having the storage AGV carrying that item "pass its turn," as many times as necessary, until the storage substitute is available again or a collection container is available.Under other conditions, for example when the storage substitute takes the form of one or more AGVs, the order processing module can instruct a new "substitute" AGV to be positioned at the storage substitute to ensure that the "unexpected" item can still be deposited. The order processing module can instruct this new AGV to be positioned proactively, that is, before the unexpected event occurs, when it detects that the storage substitute's occupancy rate exceeds a predetermined limit.

[0075] In general, the order processing module is configured to maximize the available space at the storage substitute, whether it takes the form of one or more fixed shelves or AGV(s) acting as a substitute. This objective is achieved, in particular, by configuring the order processing module to minimize the number of cycles the storage substitute is accessed. For example, when the contents of a storage container need to be placed on the storage substitute for subsequent use (i.e., to process subsequent orders), the order processing module configures the scheduling of these subsequent orders to ensure they are completed in the fewest possible cycles once the contents of the storage container have been placed on the storage substitute.Thus, depending on the configurations, the storage substitute is considered as a "FIFO" or "LIFO" type queue, and the use of this queue is optimized "locally" by the command processing module.

Claims

DEMANDS 1. A method for scheduling the routing of containers using a storage substitute, said storage substitute being within reach of an operator at an order preparation station (121) comprising at least one routing area (Z1, Z2) for collection containers, at least one routing area for storage containers (Z1, Z2) and an order preparation area (Z3) within which items are picked from one of the storage containers and deposited into one of the collection containers of picked items, the method being implemented by an electronic device comprising at least one computing unit and a memory, the method comprising at least one iteration of the following steps: obtaining (S01) at least one data point representing an occupancy of the storage substitute;determination (S02), based on the representative data of the occupancy of the storage substitute, of a routing schedule for storage containers and / or collection containers within the order preparation area (Z3).; 2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the step of obtaining (S01) said at least one data representative of the availability of the storage substitute comprises: at least one step of capturing, using a capture device, a data representative of a volume and / or a surface occupied on the storage substitute; at least one step of determining, as a function of the data representative of the volume and / or the surface occupied on the storage substitute, the data representative of the storage availability.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, when the data representing the occupancy of the storage substitute is less than a predetermined threshold, the routing schedule of storage containers and / or collection containers is determined (S02) as being unchanged for the order preparation station (121).

4. Method according to claim 1 to 3, characterized in that when it is determined, for a current order identifier, that an item from a current storage container, to be deposited in a current collection container, exceeds the capacity of the current collection container, the determination step (S02) includes a step of transmitting, to said operator, an instruction to deposit the current item onto the storage substitute.

5. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that when a subsequent collection container, whose order identifier is identical to the current order identifier, is capable of receiving the current item deposited on the storage substitute, the method includes a step of transmitting, to said operator, an instruction to deposit the current item into the next collection container.

6. Method according to claim 1 to 3, characterized in that when it is determined that a current storage container includes at least one current item to be disposed of within a subsequent collection container, unavailable at the order preparation station, the determination step (S02) includes a step of transmitting, to said operator, an instruction to deposit said at least one current item onto the storage substitute.

7. A method according to claim 6, characterized in that when it is determined that a subsequent collection container must receive said at least one current item deposited on the storage substitute, the method includes a step of transmitting, to said operator, an instruction to deposit the current item into the subsequent collection container.

8. Method according to claim 1 to 3, characterized in that when it is determined that a current storage container includes at least one current item to be disposed of within a subsequent storage container, unavailable at the order preparation station, the determination step (S02) includes a step of transmitting, to said operator, an instruction to place said at least one current item on the storage substitute.

9. A method according to claim 8, characterized in that when it is determined that a subsequent storage container must receive said at least one current item deposited on the storage substitute, the method includes a step of transmitting, to said operator, an instruction to deposit the current item into the subsequent storage container.

10. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, when the data representing the occupancy of the storage substitute is greater than a predetermined threshold, the routing schedule of storage containers and / or collection containers is determined (S02) as being likely to be modified for the order preparation station (121).

11. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that when it is determined (S02) that the routing schedule of storage containers and / or collection containers is likely to be modified for the order preparation station (121), the method includes a step of reordering the collection containers so as to prioritize the arrival, at the order preparation station (121), of collection containers requiring the deposit of at least one item present on the storage substitute.

12. Use of a storage substitute, said storage substitute for storing items being located within reach of an operator of an order preparation station (121) which includes at least one transport area (Z1, Z2) of collection containers, at least one transport area of ​​storage containers (Z1, Z2) and an order preparation area (Z3) within which items are picked from one of the storage containers and deposited into one of the collection containers of picked items, use carried out by an electronic device for the implementation of a method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. Container routing scheduling system using a storage substitute, said storage substitute for storing items being located at an order picking station (121) comprising at least one collection container routing zone (Z1, Z2), at least one container routing zone storage (Z1, Z2) and an order preparation area (Z3) within which items are picked from one of the storage containers and placed in one of the collection containers for picked items, the system comprising at least one order preparation module configured to implement at least one iteration of the following steps: obtaining at least one data representative of an occupancy of the storage substitute; determining, based on the data representative of the occupancy of the storage substitute, a routing schedule of storage containers and / or collection containers within the order preparation area (Z3).

14. Computer program comprising instructions for the implementation of a method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, when said instructions are executed by a processor of a computer processing circuit.

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