Method for outbound processing of cargo boxes, warehousing system, device, storage medium, and program product

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a method for outbound processing of cargo boxes, a warehousing system, a device, a storage medium, and a program product. A temporary storage rack is provided in a workstation entry area of a warehouse exit workstation in a warehousing system. According to warehouse exit requirements, a scheduling server schedules a robot to transport cargo boxes pending outbound to the warehouse exit workstation. When the robot enters the workstation entry area, if a first cargo box transported by the robot does not satisfy a workstation entry condition (i.e., not a cargo box pending outbound that is the foremost in a workstation entry sequence), the robot is controlled to place the first cargo box on the temporary storage rack, so as to release the transport capacity resource of the robot. When all cargo boxes pending outbound preceding the first cargo box in the workstation entry sequence have entered the workstation, the first cargo box becomes a cargo box satisfying the workstation entry condition. If a second cargo box satisfying the workstation entry condition is present on the temporary storage rack, the robot is controlled to transport the second cargo box to the warehouse exit workstation. It can be ensured that cargo boxes pending outbound enter a workstation in sequence, the efficiency of workstations can be ensured, the waste of the transport capacity resources of robots can be reduced, and loss of the efficiency of robots can be reduced.

Description

Outbound methods, warehousing systems, equipment, storage media and process products

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application filed on December 25, 2024, with application number 202411938150.7 and entitled "Method for Outbound Cargo Boxes, Warehousing System, Equipment, Storage Medium and Program Product", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to the field of smart warehousing, and more particularly to a method for outbound cargo containers, a warehousing system, equipment, storage media, and program products. Background Technology

[0003] In the goods-to-person storage and retrieval system, there is a difficult problem that has not yet been well solved: the sorting of outbound inventory boxes.

[0004] In some application scenarios, inventory boxes are required to arrive at the workstation in a specified order. However, due to the inconsistent distances and traffic congestion conditions of each inventory box from the workstation, the order in which the inventory boxes arrive at the workstation cannot be controlled after the task is issued, thus failing to meet the application requirement that the inventory boxes arrive at the workstation in the specified order or under the specified constraints.

[0005] To ensure that inventory boxes arrive at the workstation in a specified order, one approach is to wait for the boxes in front to arrive before moving the boxes behind. However, this results in very low workstation efficiency. Another approach is to control robots to move the boxes to the vicinity of the workstation first, and then queue them in a specified order. However, robots that arrive at the workstation earlier have to wait for a long time, wasting robot resources and causing a significant drop in robot efficiency. For example, in a scenario with 100% strict sequencing, robots may experience a 50% to 60% loss in efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This disclosure provides a method for outbound cargo boxes, a warehousing system, equipment, storage medium, and program products that can effectively solve the problem of cargo box outbound sorting. It enables cargo boxes to enter the station in sequence, which can improve the efficiency of the workstation, reduce the waste of robot transportation resources, and reduce the loss of robot efficiency.

[0007] In a first aspect, this disclosure provides a method for outbound cargo boxes, applied to a scheduling server in a warehousing system. The outbound workstation of the warehousing system is equipped with an inbound area, and a buffer rack is provided within the inbound area. The method includes:

[0008] Based on the outbound demand, the robot is dispatched to move the outbound boxes to the outbound workstation;

[0009] After the robot enters the entry area, if the first cargo box carried by the robot does not meet the entry conditions, the robot is controlled to place the first cargo box on the buffer rack. The entry conditions are that the cargo box to be shipped out is the one that enters the station first. When all cargo boxes to be shipped out that enter the station earlier than the first cargo box have entered the station, the first cargo box becomes the cargo box that meets the entry conditions.

[0010] If there is a second cargo box on the buffer rack that meets the entry conditions, then control the robot to move the second cargo box to the outbound workstation.

[0011] Secondly, this disclosure provides a cargo box outbound device applied to a scheduling server in a warehousing system. The outbound workstation of the warehousing system is equipped with an inbound area, and a buffer rack is provided in the inbound area. The cargo box outbound device includes:

[0012] The task scheduling module is used to schedule robots to move outbound boxes to the outbound workstation according to outbound requirements;

[0013] The control module is used to control the robot to place the first cargo box on the buffer rack after the robot enters the entry area if the first cargo box carried by the robot does not meet the entry conditions. The entry conditions are that the cargo box to be shipped out is the one that enters the station first. When all cargo boxes to be shipped out that enter the station earlier than the first cargo box have entered the station, the first cargo box becomes the cargo box that meets the entry conditions.

[0014] The control module is also used to: if there is a second cargo box on the buffer rack that meets the entry conditions, control the robot to move the second cargo box to the outbound workstation.

[0015] Thirdly, this disclosure provides a warehousing system, including:

[0016] The system includes a scheduling server, an outbound workstation, and robots for moving cargo boxes.

[0017] One or more buffer racks are provided in the entry area of ​​the outbound workstation; the buffer rack includes multiple columns, and the columns are provided with support parts for supporting the cargo boxes;

[0018] The robot is equipped with a height-adjustable picking device on top, and the robot can pick up and place boxes on the buffer shelf by adjusting the height of the picking device.

[0019] The space between the multiple columns forms a passageway for the robot, which allows the robot to move freely with the cargo box on its back when the picking device is lowered to its lowest position.

[0020] The scheduling server is used for:

[0021] Based on the outbound demand, the robot is dispatched to transport the outbound boxes to the outbound workstation;

[0022] After the robot enters the entry area, if the first cargo box carried by the robot does not meet the entry conditions, the robot is controlled to place the first cargo box on the buffer rack. The entry conditions are that the cargo box to be shipped out is the one that enters the station first. When all cargo boxes to be shipped out that enter the station earlier than the first cargo box have entered the station, the first cargo box becomes the cargo box that meets the entry conditions.

[0023] If there is a second cargo box on the buffer rack that meets the entry conditions, then control the robot to move the second cargo box to the outbound workstation.

[0024] Fourthly, this disclosure provides an electronic device, including: a memory, a processor, and a transceiver;

[0025] The memory stores computer-executable instructions; the processor executes the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory to implement the method described in the first aspect above.

[0026] Fifthly, this disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, are used to implement the method described in the first aspect above.

[0027] In a sixth aspect, this disclosure provides a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the method described in the first aspect above.

[0028] This disclosure provides a method for outbound cargo boxes, a warehousing system, equipment, storage medium, and program product. The outbound workstation of the warehousing system has an inbound area, and a buffer rack is provided within the inbound area. The scheduling server of the warehousing system schedules a robot to transport cargo boxes to be outbound to the outbound workstation according to outbound demand. After the robot enters the inbound area, if the first cargo box being transported by the robot does not meet the inbound conditions, the robot is controlled to place the first cargo box on the buffer rack. The inbound condition is that the cargo box is the first cargo box to be outbound in the inbound order. Once all cargo boxes with an inbound order higher than the first cargo box have entered the rack, the first cargo box becomes the cargo box that meets the inbound condition. If a second cargo box that meets the inbound condition exists on the buffer rack, the robot is controlled to transport the second cargo box to the outbound workstation. In this disclosed solution, for a robot that arrives early at the entry area near the workstation, if the first cargo box it is carrying does not currently meet the entry conditions (i.e., the first cargo box is not the first cargo box to be shipped out in the entry sequence), then the robot does not need to wait until the first cargo box meets the entry conditions (i.e., all cargo boxes to be shipped out that are earlier in the entry sequence than the first cargo box have entered the station). Instead, the robot places the first cargo box on the buffer rack to free up robot resources. Furthermore, if there is a second cargo box on the buffer rack that meets the entry conditions, the robot will move the second cargo box to the outbound workstation. This fully utilizes the robot's transport capacity, ensuring that cargo boxes to be shipped out enter the station in sequence, guaranteeing the efficiency of the workstation, reducing the waste of robot transport capacity, and minimizing the loss of robot efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0029] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure.

[0030] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a warehousing system provided in an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure;

[0031] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a cache rack provided in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] Figure 3A is a schematic diagram of a cargo box placed on a buffer rack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] Figure 3B is a schematic diagram of the cargo box vertically passing through the buffer rack according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0034] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a robot carrying a cargo box passing under a buffer rack according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0035] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of a cargo box being lifted by a robot and detached from the buffer rack according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0036] Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of a robot removing a cargo box from a buffer rack according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0037] Figure 6 is a flowchart of a cargo box outbound method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure;

[0038] Figure 7 is an example diagram of a complete process for the outbound shipment of a cargo box provided by an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure;

[0039] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a scenario where a cargo box is being shipped out of a warehouse according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0040] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a cargo box outbound device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0041] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0042] These accompanying drawings and textual descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way, but rather to illustrate the concepts of the disclosure to those skilled in the art by reference to specific embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0043] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numerals in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.

[0044] It should be noted that the user information (including but not limited to user device information, user personal information, etc.) and data (including but not limited to data used for analysis, stored data, displayed data, etc.) involved in one or more embodiments of this specification are all information and data authorized by the user or fully authorized by all parties. Furthermore, the collection, use and processing of related data must comply with relevant laws, regulations and standards, and corresponding operation entry points are provided for users to choose to authorize or refuse.

[0045] In the embodiments disclosed herein, certain software, components, models, and other existing solutions in the industry may be mentioned. These should be considered as exemplary and are intended only to illustrate the feasibility of implementing the technical solutions disclosed herein. However, they do not imply that the applicant has used or necessarily used such solutions.

[0046] The technical solutions of this disclosure and how they solve the aforementioned technical problems will be described in detail below with specific embodiments. These specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be repeated in some embodiments. The embodiments of this disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0047] This disclosure is applied to the scenario of outbound cargo boxes in a warehousing system. The solution disclosed herein can enable cargo boxes to enter the workstation in a specified order, and can ensure the high efficiency of the workstation while reducing the waste of robot transportation resources, resulting in very low robot efficiency loss.

[0048] This disclosure provides a warehousing system. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a scenario of a warehousing system provided by an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the warehousing system 10 includes one or more outbound workstations 11 (only one is shown in Figure 1). One or more buffer racks 13 are provided in the inbound area 12 of the outbound workstation 11. The inbound area 12 is an area near the outbound workstation 11. The buffer rack 13 includes multiple columns, each column is provided with a support for supporting the cargo boxes. The buffer rack 13 is used to temporarily store cargo boxes that have arrived at the inbound area but do not yet meet the inbound conditions.

[0049] As shown in Figure 1, the warehousing system 10 also includes a scheduling server (not shown in Figure 1) and a robot 14 for moving boxes. The robot is equipped with a height-adjustable picking device, which allows the robot to pick up and place boxes on the buffer rack by adjusting the height of the picking device.

[0050] The multiple uprights of each buffer rack form a passageway for the robot, allowing it to move freely with a cargo box on its back when the picking device is at its lowest position. The spacing between the uprights of the buffer rack can be set according to the size of the robot or cargo box, so that a robot carrying a cargo box can move freely between the uprights.

[0051] The scheduling server is used to: dispatch robots to transport goods to the outbound workstation based on outbound demand. During this process, after the robot enters the inbound area, if it is determined that the first goods to be transported by the robot does not meet the inbound conditions, the scheduling server controls the robot to place the first goods on the buffer rack.

[0052] The entry condition is that the first cargo box is the one that enters the station first and is awaiting shipment. Once all cargo boxes that entered earlier than the first cargo box have entered the station, the first cargo box becomes the first cargo box to enter the station and meets the entry condition. Therefore, for robots that arrive near the workstation early, since the first cargo box they are handling is not the first cargo box to enter the station, it does not currently meet the entry condition, and the robot cannot directly carry it into the workstation. The scheduling server controls the robot to place the first cargo box directly on the buffer rack, eliminating the need for the robot to wait until the first cargo box meets the entry condition before entering the station, thus freeing up robot resources as quickly as possible. This reduces waste of robot transport resources and consequently lowers robot efficiency losses.

[0053] Specifically, when the scheduling server controls the robot to place the first cargo box on the buffer rack, the scheduling server first determines an empty buffer rack for placing the first cargo box. Then, the scheduling server can directly control the robot to perform a series of actions to place the first cargo box on the empty buffer rack. For example, controlling the robot to move to the positioning point below the empty buffer rack; controlling the robot to rotate the picking device so that the long side of the cargo box is parallel to the short side of the support surface of the empty buffer rack; controlling the robot to raise the picking device to its highest position; controlling the robot to rotate the picking device so that the long side of the cargo box is parallel to the long side of the support surface of the empty buffer rack; controlling the robot to lower the picking device so that the cargo box in the picking device is placed on the empty buffer rack.

[0054] Alternatively, when the scheduling server controls the robot to place the first cargo box on the buffer rack, the server first identifies an available buffer rack for the first cargo box. Then, the scheduling server can send a task instruction to the robot to place the first cargo box on the designated available buffer rack. This task instruction may include the location of the corresponding positioning point on the designated available buffer rack. Based on this task instruction, the robot autonomously completes a series of actions to place the first cargo box on the available buffer rack.

[0055] In summary, in this disclosure, the scheduling server controls the robot either by directly controlling the robot to complete actions or tasks, or by sending instructions or information to the robot to indirectly control the robot to complete actions or tasks.

[0056] After the first cargo box is placed on the buffer rack, if there is a second cargo box on the buffer rack that meets the entry conditions, the scheduling server controls the robot to move the second cargo box to the outbound workstation. This allows cargo boxes that meet the entry conditions to enter the outbound workstation as soon as possible, ensuring the outbound efficiency of the workstation. It also makes full use of the robot's transport capacity and further reduces the robot's efficiency loss.

[0057] Among them, the pending outbound boxes refer to the boxes that need to be moved to the outbound workstation for outbound picking. The condition for a box to enter the station is that it is the pending outbound box with the highest entry sequence, that is, there are no boxes with an entry sequence earlier than this box that have not yet entered the outbound workstation for outbound picking.

[0058] It should be noted that the number of buffer racks in the inbound area of ​​the outbound workstation can be determined based on at least one of the following: the inbound conditions of the outbound workstation, the number of outbound tasks, and the number of robots configured. For example, the stricter the requirements for the order of goods entering the workstation, the greater the number of outbound tasks, and the greater the number of robots configured in the workstation, the more buffer racks will be set up in the inbound area of ​​the workstation.

[0059] For example, Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the buffer rack provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 2, the buffer rack 13 includes four uprights 131 and four support parts 132. The spacing between the four uprights of the buffer rack can be set according to the size of the robot or cargo box, so that a robot carrying a cargo box can move freely between the uprights.

[0060] The four support sections 132 form a rectangular support surface above each other. A cargo box positioning guide 133 is provided above the support section 132, which is used to position the cargo box on the support surface.

[0061] When the long side of any cargo box is parallel to the long side of the rectangular support surface of the buffer rack, the cargo box is stably placed on the buffer rack support surface, supported by four support parts and positioned by the cargo box positioning guide. By adding cargo box positioning guides to the support parts, it can be ensured that the cargo box is stably placed on the buffer rack, preventing the cargo box from accidentally falling off the buffer rack. For example, as shown in Figure 3A, the long side L of the cargo box is parallel to the long side of the rectangular support surface of the buffer rack, and the cargo box is placed on the buffer rack in this case.

[0062] A horizontal gap is left between the four supports of the buffer rack, forming a vertical channel. When the long side of the cargo box is parallel to the short side of the rectangular support surface of the buffer rack, the cargo box can move up and down in the vertical channel between the supports. For example, as shown in Figure 3B, the long side L of the cargo box is parallel to the short side of the rectangular support surface of the buffer rack, and the cargo box can move up and down in the vertical channel between the supports.

[0063] In this embodiment, the height of the support surface of the buffer rack is greater than the overall height of the robot when the picking device is lowered to its lowest position and carrying a cargo box. When the robot's picking device is lowered to its lowest position (i.e., in the lowered state), the robot can move freely in the passage space between the buffer rack columns even when carrying a cargo box.

[0064] For example, as shown in Figure 4, a cargo box A is placed on the buffer rack 13. The long side L of cargo box A is parallel to the long side of the rectangular support surface of the buffer rack 13, and the short side W of cargo box A is parallel to the short side of the rectangular support surface of the buffer rack 13. At this time, cargo box A is placed on the buffer rack 13. Since the height of the support surface of the buffer rack 13 is greater than the overall height of the robot when the picking device is lowered to the lowest position (i.e., in the lowered state ①) and carrying a cargo box, and since there is passage space for the robot between the columns of the buffer rack 13, the robot loaded with cargo box B and with the picking device lowered to the lowest position (i.e., in the lowered state ①) can pass smoothly between the columns of the buffer rack 13. Since the robot can move freely with a cargo box on its back under the buffer rack, the buffer rack can be set in the robot's movement channel / path, so that the buffer rack will not occupy additional usable area.

[0065] When placing any box on any buffer rack, the robot carrying the box moves to the positioning point below the support surface of the buffer rack, adjusts the long side of the box to be parallel to the short side of the support surface, raises the picking device to the highest position (i.e., in the raised state), rotates the picking device so that the long side of the box is parallel to the long side of the support surface, lowers the picking device, and places the box in the picking device on the support surface.

[0066] When removing the cargo box from the buffer rack, the robot moves to the positioning point below the support surface of the buffer rack, raises the picking device to load the cargo box onto the picking device, rotates the picking device so that the long side of the cargo box is parallel to the short side of the support surface, and lowers the picking device loaded with the cargo box to the lowest position.

[0067] For example, when retrieving a box from the buffer rack, after the robot reaches the positioning point designated by the buffer rack, as shown in Figure 5A, the robot raises the picking device to a certain height (e.g., in the raised state ②), and the box C on the buffer rack is lifted and detached from the buffer rack. At this time, the long side of the box C is still parallel to the long side of the buffer rack support surface. Then, after the robot carries the box and rotates 90° at the positioning point, as shown in Figure 5B, the long side of the box C is parallel to the short side of the buffer rack support surface. At this time, the box C can move freely up and down in the vertical channel between the buffer rack supports. The robot can complete the box retrieval operation from the buffer rack by lowering the picking device loaded with the box to the lowest position (i.e., the robot changes from the raised state ② to the lowered state ①).

[0068] Based on the warehousing system provided in this disclosure, the following describes in detail the method flow of the scheduling server in the warehousing system to realize the outbound delivery of goods boxes.

[0069] Figure 6 is a flowchart of a cargo box outbound method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure. The execution entity in this embodiment is a scheduling server in a warehousing system. A buffer rack is provided in the inbound area of ​​the outbound workstation of the warehousing system. As shown in Figure 6, the specific steps of the method are as follows:

[0070] Step S601: Based on the outbound demand, dispatch the robot to transport the cargo boxes to be outbound to the outbound workstation.

[0071] Outbound demand can be generated based on orders and outbound plans in the warehousing system. Outbound boxes are selected boxes that need to be picked out of the warehouse; these boxes contain goods awaiting shipment.

[0072] Based on outbound demand, the scheduling server determines the boxes to be shipped, their storage location in the warehouse, and the corresponding outbound workstation. Using a robot scheduling strategy, the server selects the appropriate robot to perform the outbound task and issues the task to that robot. The robot then executes the task, moving the boxes to the outbound workstation.

[0073] The robot scheduling strategy used by the scheduling server to select robots to perform outbound tasks can prioritize scheduling robots that are closer to the storage location of the outbound boxes, or it can be configured according to actual application needs. No specific restrictions are made here.

[0074] For example, the scheduling server can determine the arrival order of the boxes to be shipped based on the outbound demand; and determine the priority of the boxes to be shipped based on their arrival order, so that boxes arriving earlier have higher priority. Further, the scheduling server, based on the priority of the boxes to be shipped, schedules the robot to prioritize moving higher-priority boxes to the outbound workstation. That is, when multiple boxes need to be shipped, the robot prioritizes moving the higher-priority boxes. Specifically, this could mean that the box arriving earlier in the order has the highest priority, and the other boxes have the same priority; or it could mean strictly determining the priority of each box according to its arrival order, and so on.

[0075] Optionally, when determining the entry sequence of the outbound containers, the entry sequence can be determined based on the timeliness information of the goods to be shipped from the outbound containers, such as the delivery timeliness and outbound timeliness of orders associated with the goods. Optionally, in manufacturing, the entry sequence of the outbound containers can be determined based on the assembly sequence of the parts required to produce the product. Optionally, the entry sequence of the outbound containers can also be specified by relevant personnel according to actual needs. This embodiment does not specifically limit the implementation method of determining the entry sequence of the outbound containers.

[0076] In practical applications, as cargo boxes arrive at the outbound workstation one after another, the current list of cargo boxes to be moved will change. When any cargo box arrives at the station, its priority is adjusted according to the arrival order of the cargo boxes to be moved, so as to ensure that the cargo boxes that arrived earlier in the current order have higher priority.

[0077] Step S602: After the robot enters the inbound area, if the first cargo box carried by the robot does not meet the inbound conditions, the robot is controlled to place the first cargo box on the buffer rack. The inbound condition is: it is the cargo box that is the first inbound cargo box to be shipped out.

[0078] When the robot is performing an outbound task and moving the boxes to be shipped to the outbound workstation, once the robot enters the entry area of ​​the outbound workstation, the scheduling server determines whether there are any boxes that are ahead of the first box in the entry order, based on the entry order of the first box that the robot is currently moving and the entry order of the remaining boxes to be shipped.

[0079] Based on the judgment results, if there is a cargo box waiting to be dispatched that is earlier than the first cargo box entering the station, it is determined that the first cargo box does not meet the entry conditions. The scheduling server controls the robot to place the first cargo box on the buffer rack. At this time, the robot is no longer occupied by the first cargo box, and the robot does not need to wait until the first cargo box meets the entry conditions, thus releasing the robot's transportation capacity resources.

[0080] Step S603: If there is a second cargo box on the buffer rack that meets the entry conditions, control the robot to move the second cargo box to the outbound workstation.

[0081] After the robot places the first cargo box it has been handling onto the buffer rack, it is released and can be used to perform other handling tasks. At this point, if a second cargo box meeting the entry requirements is available on the buffer rack, the dispatching robot controls the robot to move the second cargo box to the outbound workstation to complete the outbound task. Since the newly released robot is still located in the inbound area of ​​the outbound workstation, having it move the second cargo box from the buffer rack to the outbound workstation fully utilizes the robot's carrying capacity and reduces efficiency losses.

[0082] For the first cargo box placed on the buffer rack, as the cargo boxes with higher entry order enter the station one after another, once all the cargo boxes with higher entry order than the first cargo box have entered the station, the first cargo box becomes the cargo box that meets the entry conditions and will then be transported to the outbound workstation by the robot.

[0083] In this embodiment, during the process of scheduling robots to transport outbound boxes to the outbound workstation based on outbound demand, if the first box the robot is transporting does not meet the entry requirements (i.e., it is not the first outbound box in the entry sequence), the robot is controlled to place the first box on a buffer rack. At this point, the robot is no longer occupied by the first box and does not need to wait, thus releasing its transport capacity resources in advance. Furthermore, if a second box that meets the entry requirements exists on the buffer rack, the robot is controlled to transport the second box to the outbound workstation, fully utilizing the robot's transport capacity resources and reducing efficiency losses. This embodiment not only ensures that outbound boxes enter the station in sequence but also guarantees workstation efficiency while reducing waste of robot transport resources and minimizing efficiency losses.

[0084] Figure 7 is an example diagram of a complete process for cargo box outbound delivery provided by an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 7, the specific steps of the method are as follows:

[0085] Step S701: Based on the outbound demand, dispatch the robot to transport the boxes to be shipped to the outbound workstation.

[0086] The implementation principle of this step is the same as that of step S601 mentioned above. For details, please refer to the relevant content of the aforementioned embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0087] Step S702: After the robot enters the entry area, determine whether the first cargo box carried by the robot meets the entry conditions.

[0088] During the process of a robot carrying outbound boxes to the outbound workstation, once the robot enters the workstation's entry area, the scheduling server determines whether the first box being carried by the robot meets the entry criteria. The entry criterion is that the robot is the first box to be carried in the entry sequence.

[0089] Specifically, the scheduling server can obtain the entry order of the first cargo box currently being handled by the robot, as well as the entry order of the remaining cargo boxes to be shipped out, and determine whether there are any cargo boxes to be shipped out that are earlier in the entry order than the first cargo box.

[0090] If, based on the judgment result, there is no cargo box that is ahead of the first cargo box in the order of entry, then the first cargo box is determined to meet the entry conditions. Then, step S703 is executed, and the robot is controlled to directly transport the first cargo box to the outbound workstation to complete the outbound task of the first cargo box and release the robot's transportation resources.

[0091] Based on the judgment result, if there is a cargo box waiting to be dispatched that is earlier than the first cargo box in the station, it is determined that the first cargo box does not meet the entry conditions. Then, step S704 is executed to control the robot to place the first cargo box on the buffer rack to release the robot's transportation capacity.

[0092] Step S703: If the first cargo box meets the entry conditions, control the robot to move the first cargo box to the outbound workstation.

[0093] If the first cargo box being handled by the robot meets the entry requirements, control the robot to directly move the first cargo box to the outbound workstation, complete the outbound task of the first cargo box, and release the robot's transportation capacity.

[0094] Step S704: If the first cargo box carried by the robot does not meet the entry conditions, control the robot to place the first cargo box on the buffer rack.

[0095] If the first cargo box being handled by the robot does not meet the entry requirements, the robot is controlled to place the first cargo box on an empty buffer rack. At this time, the robot is no longer occupied, thereby freeing up the robot's transport capacity.

[0096] For the first cargo box placed on the buffer rack, as the cargo boxes with higher entry order enter the station one after another, once all the cargo boxes with higher entry order than the first cargo box have entered the station, the first cargo box becomes the cargo box that meets the entry conditions and will then be transported to the outbound workstation by the robot.

[0097] Step S705: Determine whether there is a second cargo container on the buffer rack that meets the entry conditions.

[0098] In this step, the scheduling server determines whether there is a second cargo box on the buffer rack that meets the entry conditions based on the arrival order of the cargo boxes waiting to be shipped. Specifically, it determines whether the next cargo box to be shipped is on the buffer rack, meaning whether the cargo box with the earliest arrival order among the currently arriving cargo boxes is on the buffer rack. If the next cargo box to be shipped after the next cargo box to arrive is on the buffer rack, then that next cargo box to be shipped is the second cargo box that meets the entry conditions.

[0099] Based on the judgment result, if there is a second cargo box on the buffer rack that meets the entry conditions, then step S706 is executed to control the released robot to transport the second cargo box on the buffer rack that meets the entry conditions to the outbound workstation, so as to make full use of the transport capacity of the released robot, reduce the efficiency loss of the robot, and improve the outbound efficiency of the warehousing system.

[0100] Based on the judgment result, if there is no second cargo box on the buffer rack that meets the entry conditions, then step S707 is executed to control the released robot to leave directly, so as to schedule the released robot to perform other tasks, reduce the efficiency loss of the robot, and improve the outbound efficiency of the warehousing system.

[0101] Step S706: If there is a second cargo box on the buffer rack that meets the entry conditions, control the robot to move the second cargo box to the outbound workstation.

[0102] Step S707: If there is no second cargo box on the buffer rack that meets the entry conditions, control the robot to leave.

[0103] In this embodiment, when the system first starts up, in order to keep the outbound workstation constantly busy, the scheduling server determines the priority of the currently awaiting outbound boxes based on their arrival order. The outbound tasks for these boxes are then distributed to all robots, allowing them to prioritize and move higher-priority boxes to the outbound workstation.

[0104] Since the arrival time of the robot carrying the cargo box at the outbound workstation is unpredictable, it's possible that the first cargo box with lower priority is closer to the outbound workstation, and the robot carrying the first priority cargo box arrives at the inbound area of ​​the outbound workstation first. At this time, the first cargo box that the robot is currently carrying does not meet the entry conditions. To prevent the robot from waiting for a long time, the scheduling server controls the robot to place the first cargo box on the buffer rack. At this time, if there is a second cargo box on the buffer rack that meets the entry conditions, the robot is controlled to carry the second cargo box on the buffer rack to the outbound workstation; if there is no second cargo box on the buffer rack that meets the entry conditions, the robot is controlled to leave the inbound area. In this way, while ensuring the efficiency of the outbound workstation, the robot's carrying capacity resources can be released in a timely manner, reducing the waste of robot carrying capacity resources and minimizing the robot's efficiency loss.

[0105] After the system has been running for a period of time, the buffer racks will have stored a sufficient number of outbound boxes. As more outbound boxes arrive, the boxes on the buffer racks will sequentially become those that meet the entry requirements. When a robot enters the inbound area of ​​the outbound workstation, and the box it is currently handling does not meet the entry requirements, the scheduling server will control the robot to place the box it is handling on the buffer rack and move the boxes on the buffer rack that meet the entry requirements to the outbound workstation. Once the system reaches a stable state, for these robots, in a single outbound task, compared to directly moving the outbound boxes to the outbound workstation, the additional steps are simply placing a box on the buffer rack, retrieving a box from the buffer rack, and moving from the placement position to the retrieval position. This process will only cause a very low efficiency loss for the robot (less than 10%). For robots that arrive at the inbound area with boxes that meet the entry requirements, they can directly move the boxes to the outbound workstation; these robots will not experience any outbound loss. Compared to existing solutions where robots experience a 50% to 60% efficiency loss if they enter the station in 100% of the order, the solution in this embodiment can effectively solve the problem of sequential outbound processing, ensuring both high workstation efficiency and very low robot efficiency loss.

[0106] For example, Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a scenario for outbound cargo boxes in a warehousing system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 8, assuming that the cargo boxes to be outbound are numbered 1, 2, 3, 4…10, 11… according to the customer's required order of entry, that is, the cargo boxes numbered 1, 2, 3, 4…10, 11… need to enter the station sequentially. The system schedules robots to move these cargo boxes in sequence. However, due to the different distances of the cargo boxes to be outbound from the outbound workstation, the robots moving cargo boxes 4, 5, and 8 arrive at the entry area first. At this time, cargo boxes 4, 5, and 8 do not meet the entry conditions, and the robots place cargo boxes 4, 5, and 8 on the buffer rack and leave. Then, the robots moving cargo boxes 1, 2, and 3 arrive at the entry area sequentially. Since they meet the entry conditions, cargo boxes 1, 2, and 3 enter the outbound workstation sequentially. At this time, container number 4 on the buffer rack meets the conditions for entering the station.

[0107] The robot carrying outgoing container #7 arrives at the inbound area. Since container #7 does not meet the entry requirements, the robot places it on an empty buffer rack, moves to the location of container #4, removes it from the buffer rack, and transports it to the outbound workstation. At this point, container #5 on the buffer rack meets the entry requirements.

[0108] The robot carrying outgoing container #6 arrives at the inbound area. Since container #6 does not meet the entry requirements, the robot places it on an empty buffer rack, moves to the location of container #5, removes it from the buffer rack, and transports it to the outbound workstation. At this point, container #6 on the buffer rack meets the entry requirements.

[0109] The robot carrying outbound box number 10 arrives at the inbound area. Since box number 10 does not meet the entry requirements, the robot places it on an empty buffer rack, moves to the location of box number 6, removes it from the buffer rack, and transports it to the outbound workstation. At this point, box number 7 on the buffer rack meets the entry requirements.

[0110] The robot carrying outbound box number 9 arrives at the inbound area. Since box number 9 does not meet the entry requirements, the robot places it on an empty buffer rack, moves to the location of box number 7, removes it from the buffer rack, and transports it to the outbound workstation. At this point, box number 8 on the buffer rack meets the entry requirements.

[0111] The robot carrying outbound container #11 arrives at the inbound area. Since container #11 does not meet the entry requirements, the robot places it on an empty buffer rack, moves to the location of container #8, removes it from the buffer rack, and transports it to the outbound workstation. At this point, container #9 on the buffer rack meets the entry requirements.

[0112] This process is repeated continuously to ensure that containers awaiting shipment arrive at the station in the correct order.

[0113] As can be seen from the above process of sequentially entering the outbound cargo boxes, the robots have no waiting time, and there is no need to create time intervals when different robots perform different outbound tasks. For the robots, the solution disclosed in this invention, which ensures that the outbound cargo boxes enter the station in sequence, will only cause less than 10% efficiency loss for the robots. In contrast, existing solutions in the industry, which require 100% sequential entry, will cause a robot efficiency loss of more than 50% and lead to severe workstation interruptions, affecting the outbound efficiency of the workstation. Therefore, the solution of the embodiment of this invention can effectively solve the problem of sequential outbound cargo boxes, ensuring both high workstation efficiency and very low robot efficiency loss, thereby improving the outbound efficiency of the warehousing system.

[0114] Based on any of the foregoing embodiments, in an optional embodiment, for the third cargo box that has completed outbound picking at the outbound workstation, the scheduling server can, based on the third cargo box's popularity information, schedule the robot to temporarily store the high-popularity third cargo box in the buffer rack and move the low-popularity third cargo box back to the storage rack. Here, the storage rack refers to the rack in the warehouse of the warehousing system used to store cargo boxes.

[0115] The "cargo container popularity" information indicates the frequency of cargo container usage; the higher the frequency of goods being picked from the container, the higher the popularity. Cargo container popularity information can be determined based on the container's current usage status and its future status. In practical applications, the status and usage of cargo containers are constantly changing, and the cargo container popularity information can also be continuously updated.

[0116] For example, the scheduling server can determine the popularity information of a cargo box based on at least one of the following: the pending order information bound to the cargo box, the SKU required for the pending order, and the SKU stored in the cargo box.

[0117] In this embodiment, for the third cargo box that has completed outbound picking at the outbound workstation, the scheduling server can obtain the popularity information of the third cargo box and determine whether the popularity information is less than the popularity threshold. If the popularity information of the third cargo box is less than the popularity threshold, the scheduling robot will move the third cargo box to the storage shelf in the warehouse. If the popularity information of the third cargo box is greater than or equal to the popularity threshold, it indicates that the third cargo box has high usage, and the scheduling server will schedule the robot to temporarily store the third cargo box in the buffer shelf. Since the third cargo box has high popularity and requires frequent outbound picking, when the third cargo box needs to be outbound in the future, it only needs to be moved from the buffer shelf to the outbound workstation, which can reduce the cost of moving boxes and improve the outbound efficiency of the warehousing system. The popularity threshold can be configured and adjusted according to actual application needs, and is not specifically limited here.

[0118] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a cargo box outbound device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 9, the cargo box outbound device 900 includes a task scheduling module 901 and a control module 902.

[0119] The task scheduling module 901 is used to schedule robots to move outbound boxes to the outbound workstation according to outbound requirements.

[0120] The control module 902 is used to control the robot to place the first cargo box on the buffer rack if the first cargo box carried by the robot does not meet the entry conditions after the robot enters the entry area. The entry conditions are: the first cargo box is the cargo box that is the first to be shipped in the entry sequence. After all cargo boxes that are shipped in a higher order than the first cargo box have entered the station, the first cargo box becomes the cargo box that meets the entry conditions.

[0121] The control module 902 is also used to control the robot to move the second cargo box to the outbound workstation if there is a second cargo box on the buffer rack that meets the entry conditions.

[0122] In an optional embodiment, the control module 902 is further configured to: control the robot to leave if there is no second cargo box on the buffer rack that meets the entry conditions.

[0123] In an optional embodiment, the control module 902 is further configured to:

[0124] After the robot enters the inbound area, if the first cargo box meets the inbound conditions, the robot will be controlled to move the first cargo box to the outbound workstation.

[0125] In an optional embodiment, when scheduling a robot to move outbound boxes to the outbound workstation according to outbound demand, the control module 902 is further configured to:

[0126] Based on the outbound demand, determine the entry order of the boxes to be outbound; based on the entry order of the boxes to be moved, determine the priority of the boxes to be moved; based on the priority of the boxes to be moved, schedule the robot to move the higher-priority boxes to the outbound workstation first.

[0127] In an optional embodiment, when determining the priority of the currently awaiting outbound cargo box based on its arrival order, the control module 902 is further configured to:

[0128] Based on the current entry order of the outbound containers to be moved, determine whether the outbound containers to be moved meet the entry conditions. If they meet the entry conditions, the outbound containers to be moved are designated as high priority; otherwise, they are designated as low priority.

[0129] In an optional embodiment, the control module 902 is further configured to:

[0130] For the third cargo box that has completed outbound picking at the outbound workstation, obtain the heat information of the third cargo box; if the heat information of the third cargo box is greater than or equal to the heat threshold, the scheduling robot will temporarily store the third cargo box in the buffer rack.

[0131] In an optional embodiment, the control module 902 is further configured to:

[0132] If the heat information of the third cargo box is less than the heat threshold, the dispatch robot will move the third cargo box to the storage shelf in the warehouse.

[0133] The cargo box outbound device provided in this embodiment can execute the method provided in the above method embodiment. Its implementation principle and technical effect are similar, and will not be described in detail here.

[0134] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 6, the electronic device 1000 includes a memory 1001, a processor 1002, and a transceiver 1003. The memory 1001 stores a computer program, and the processor 1002 executes the computer program to implement the method of any of the above embodiments. A communication link exists between the memory 1001 and the processor 1002. For example, the memory 1001, processor 1002, and transceiver 1003 can communicate via a communication bus 1004. The electronic device provided in this embodiment of the disclosure can be a scheduling server in a warehousing system, specifically a device deployed locally or in the cloud, without specific limitations here.

[0135] Optionally, the processor mentioned above can be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps in the method embodiments disclosed in this disclosure can be directly implemented by a hardware processor, or implemented by a combination of hardware and software modules within the processor.

[0136] This disclosure also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the methods in any of the above method embodiments.

[0137] This disclosure also provides a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the methods in any of the above method embodiments.

[0138] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

[0139] The order of the embodiments described above is merely for descriptive purposes and does not represent the superiority or inferiority of the embodiments. Furthermore, some processes described in the above embodiments and accompanying drawings include multiple operations appearing in a specific order; however, it should be clearly understood that these operations may not be executed in the order they appear herein or may be executed in parallel. The sequence numbers are merely used to distinguish different operations, and the sequence numbers themselves do not represent any execution order. Additionally, these processes may include more or fewer operations, and these operations may be executed sequentially or in parallel. It should be noted that the descriptions such as "first," "second," etc., in this document are used to distinguish different messages, devices, modules, etc., and do not represent a sequential order, nor do they limit "first" and "second" to different types. "Multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0140] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and embodiments are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the following claims. It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this disclosure is limited only by the appended claims. Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this disclosure and are not intended to limit it; although this disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to depart from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure. Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the following claims.

[0141] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this disclosure, and are not intended to limit them. Although this disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A method of unloading a cargo box, characterized by, A scheduling server applied in a warehousing system, wherein a buffer rack is provided in the inbound area of ​​the outbound workstation of the warehousing system, the method comprising: Based on the outbound demand, the robot is dispatched to move the outbound boxes to the outbound workstation; After the robot enters the entry area, if the first cargo box carried by the robot does not meet the entry conditions, the robot is controlled to place the first cargo box on the buffer rack. The entry conditions are that the cargo box to be shipped out is the one that enters the station first. When all cargo boxes to be shipped out that enter the station earlier than the first cargo box have entered the station, the first cargo box becomes the cargo box that meets the entry conditions. If there is a second cargo box on the buffer rack that meets the entry conditions, then control the robot to move the second cargo box to the outbound workstation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, Also includes: After the robot enters the entry area, if the first cargo box meets the entry conditions, the robot is controlled to move the first cargo box to the outbound workstation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, After the robot enters the entry area, if the first cargo box carried by the robot does not meet the entry conditions, and the robot is then controlled to place the first cargo box on the buffer rack, the method further includes: If there is no second cargo box on the buffer rack that meets the entry conditions, then the robot is controlled to leave.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The step of scheduling robots to move outbound boxes to the outbound workstation according to outbound demand includes: Determine the entry sequence of the cargo boxes to be shipped based on the outbound demand; The priority of the currently awaiting outbound cargo boxes is determined based on their arrival order. Based on the priority of the currently awaiting outbound cargo boxes, the scheduling robot prioritizes transporting the higher-priority currently awaiting outbound cargo boxes to the outbound workstation.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The step of determining the priority of the currently awaiting outbound cargo boxes based on their arrival order includes: Based on the entry order of the currently awaiting outbound cargo boxes, determine whether the currently awaiting outbound cargo boxes meet the entry conditions. If the entry conditions are met, the currently awaiting outbound cargo boxes are designated as high priority; otherwise, they are designated as low priority.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, Also includes: For the third cargo box that has completed outbound picking in the outbound workstation, obtain the heat information of the third cargo box; If the heat information of the third cargo box is greater than or equal to the heat threshold, the scheduling robot will temporarily store the third cargo box in the cache rack.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, Also includes: If the heat information of the third cargo box is less than the heat threshold, the scheduling robot will move the third cargo box to the storage shelf in the warehouse.

8. A container delivery apparatus characterized by comprising: A scheduling server is used in a warehousing system. The outbound workstation of the warehousing system is equipped with an inbound area, and a buffer rack is installed in the inbound area. The outbound equipment for the cargo boxes includes: The task scheduling module is used to schedule robots to move outbound boxes to the outbound workstation according to outbound requirements; The control module is used to control the robot to place the first cargo box on the buffer rack after the robot enters the entry area if the first cargo box carried by the robot does not meet the entry conditions. The entry conditions are that the cargo box to be shipped out is the one that enters the station first. When all cargo boxes to be shipped out that enter the station earlier than the first cargo box have entered the station, the first cargo box becomes the cargo box that meets the entry conditions. The control module is also used to: if there is a second cargo box on the buffer rack that meets the entry conditions, control the robot to move the second cargo box to the outbound workstation.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein, The control module is also used for: After the robot enters the entry area, if the first cargo box meets the entry conditions, the robot is controlled to move the first cargo box to the outbound workstation.

10. A warehousing system characterized by, include: The system includes a scheduling server, an outbound workstation, and robots for moving cargo boxes. One or more buffer racks are provided in the entry area of ​​the outbound workstation; the buffer rack includes multiple columns, and the columns are provided with support parts for supporting the cargo boxes; The robot is equipped with a height-adjustable picking device on top, and the robot can pick up and place boxes on the buffer shelf by adjusting the height of the picking device. The space between the multiple columns forms a passageway for the robot, which allows the robot to move freely with the cargo box on its back when the picking device is lowered to its lowest position. The scheduling server is used for: Based on the outbound demand, the robot is dispatched to transport the outbound boxes to the outbound workstation; After the robot enters the entry area, if the first cargo box carried by the robot does not meet the entry conditions, the robot is controlled to place the first cargo box on the buffer rack. The entry conditions are that the cargo box to be shipped out is the one that enters the station first. When all cargo boxes to be shipped out that enter the station earlier than the first cargo box have entered the station, the first cargo box becomes the cargo box that meets the entry conditions. If there is a second cargo box on the buffer rack that meets the entry conditions, then control the robot to move the second cargo box to the outbound workstation.

11. The warehousing system according to claim 10, characterized in that, The number of cache racks is determined based on at least one of the following: the entry conditions of the outbound workstation, the number of outbound tasks, and the number of configured robots.

12. The warehousing system according to claim 10, characterized in that, The cache rack includes four uprights and four support sections, with a rectangular support surface formed above the four support sections; A cargo box positioning guide is provided above the support, which is used to position the cargo box on the support surface. A horizontal gap is left between the support parts, and a vertical channel is formed between the four support parts; When the long side of any cargo box is parallel to the long side of the support surface of the rectangle, the cargo box is placed on the support surface supported by the four support parts; when the long side of the cargo box is parallel to the short side of the support surface of the rectangle, the cargo box can move up and down in the vertical channel.

13. The warehousing system according to claim 12, characterized in that, When placing any box on any buffer rack, the robot carrying the box travels to a positioning point below the support surface of the buffer rack, adjusts the long side of the box to be parallel to the short side of the support surface, raises the picking device to the highest position, rotates the picking device so that the long side of the box is parallel to the long side of the support surface, lowers the picking device, and places the box in the picking device on the support surface. When the robot removes the cargo box from the buffer rack, it travels to a positioning point below the support surface of the buffer rack, raises the picking device to load the cargo box onto the picking device, rotates the picking device so that the long side of the cargo box is parallel to the short side of the support surface, and lowers the picking device loaded with the cargo box to its lowest position.

14. An electronic device, comprising: include: Memory, processor, and transceiver; The memory stores computer-executed instructions; The processor executes computer execution instructions stored in the memory to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-7.

15. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, are used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-7.

16. A computer program product, characterised in that, Includes a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the method as described in any one of claims 1-7.

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