Replenishment method and apparatus, dispatching server, storage medium, and program product
By filtering and prioritizing bins based on workstation replenishment needs in the warehousing system, the problem of wasted robot capacity caused by bin volume selection is solved, thus improving replenishment efficiency and overall efficiency.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SHENZHEN KUBO SOFTWARE CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-01
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-09
AI Technical Summary
In warehousing systems, selecting bins for replenishment solely based on bin volume ratio leads to a waste of robot transport capacity and impacts replenishment efficiency.
Based on the replenishment needs of the workstation, select alternative bins that match the replenishment needs, and determine their priority according to their status and location, thereby selecting the target bin to be replenished and controlling the handling robot to replenish the goods.
This reduces waste of robot resources, improves replenishment efficiency, and consequently enhances the overall efficiency of the warehousing system.
Smart Images
Figure CN2025139129_09072026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Replenishment methods, devices, scheduling servers, storage media, and software products
[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411999324.0, filed with the Chinese Patent Office on December 31, 2024, entitled "Replenishment Method, Apparatus, Scheduling Server, 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 intelligent warehousing technology, and in particular to a replenishment method, apparatus, scheduling server, storage medium, and program product. Background Technology
[0003] In warehousing systems, replenishment typically involves selecting empty bins or bins with higher capacity based on their volume ratio, and then transporting them to the workstation to complete the shelving task. However, selecting bins solely based on their volume ratio wastes robot transport resources and impacts the replenishment efficiency of the warehousing system. Summary of the Invention
[0004] This disclosure provides a replenishment method, apparatus, scheduling server, storage medium, and program product for improving the overall efficiency of a warehousing system.
[0005] In a first aspect, this disclosure provides a replenishment method, comprising: determining at least one alternative material box matching the replenishment demand according to the replenishment demand of a workstation; determining the priority of the at least one alternative material box according to the status and position of the at least one alternative material box; selecting a target material box to be replenished from the at least one alternative material box according to the priority of the at least one alternative material box, and controlling a handling robot to transport the target material box to the workstation for replenishment.
[0006] In one possible implementation, determining at least one alternative material box matching the replenishment requirement of the workstation includes: determining the hot lane of the workstation, wherein the hot lane refers to the lane corresponding to the workstation that is less than a preset distance from the workstation; and selecting the at least one alternative material box matching the replenishment requirement from the material boxes stored in the hot lane according to the replenishment requirement of the workstation.
[0007] In one possible implementation, the step of selecting at least one candidate bin from the bins stored in the hot aisle that matches the replenishment requirement of the workstation includes: determining the type of container that the workstation needs to replenish based on the replenishment requirement of the workstation; selecting at least one candidate bin from the bins stored in the hot aisle that matches the container type and meets the selection criteria based on the container type; the selection criteria include at least one of the following: the bin volume ratio is greater than a preset volume ratio, and the bin is not currently bound to a task.
[0008] In one possible implementation, the step of selecting a target container to be replenished from the at least one alternative container based on the priority of the at least one alternative container, and controlling a handling robot to transport the target container to the workstation for replenishment, includes: calculating the number of containers to be selected for each container type based on the container volume ratio corresponding to the container type to be replenished at the workstation; selecting containers corresponding to the number of containers to be selected from the alternative containers matching each container type based on the number of containers to be selected for each container type and the priority of the at least one alternative container, as the target container to be replenished; and controlling the handling robot to transport the target container to the workstation for replenishment.
[0009] In one possible implementation, determining the priority of the at least one alternative material box based on its state and position includes: determining the state and position of the at least one alternative material box; determining the category of the at least one alternative material box based on its state and position; and determining the priority of the at least one alternative material box based on its category and a preset priority for each category.
[0010] In one possible implementation, determining the category of the at least one candidate bin based on its state and position includes: if the at least one candidate bin is being picked at the workstation, then the category of the candidate bin is determined to be a first category; if the at least one candidate bin is on a first robot and the first robot is performing a task on the candidate bin, then the category of the candidate bin is determined to be a second category; if the at least one candidate bin is on a second robot and the second robot is performing a transfer or temporary storage on the at least one candidate bin, then the category of the candidate bin is determined to be a third category; if the at least one candidate bin is in a buffer position, then the category of the candidate bin is determined to be... The category of the material bin is the fourth category, and the buffer position refers to the storage position on the shelf below the preset height; if the at least one alternative material bin is on a single-depth storage position, then the category of the alternative material bin is determined to be the fifth category, and the single-depth storage position refers to the storage position on a single-depth shelf, the single-depth shelf having a single-sided depth that can only accommodate one material bin; if the at least one alternative material bin is in the inner storage position of a double-depth storage position, then the category of the alternative material bin is determined to be the sixth category, and the double-depth storage position refers to the storage position on a double-depth shelf, the double-depth shelf having a single-sided depth that can accommodate two material bins, the double-depth storage position including the inner storage position and the outer storage position; if the at least one alternative material bin is in the outer storage position of a double-depth storage position, then the category of the alternative material bin is determined to be the seventh category.
[0011] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: updating the priority of the categories in response to an update instruction for the priority of the categories.
[0012] Secondly, this disclosure provides a replenishment device, comprising: a candidate material box determination unit, configured to determine at least one candidate material box matching the replenishment needs of a workstation; a priority determination unit, configured to determine the priority of the at least one candidate material box based on the status and position of the at least one candidate material box; and a replenishment unit, configured to select a target material box to be replenished from the at least one candidate material box based on the priority of the at least one candidate material box, and control a handling robot to transport the target material box to the workstation for replenishment.
[0013] Thirdly, this disclosure provides a scheduling server, comprising: a memory, a processor, and a transceiver; 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.
[0014] Fourthly, 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.
[0015] Fifthly, 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.
[0016] The replenishment method, apparatus, scheduling server, storage medium, and program product disclosed herein describe a method that determines at least one alternative bin matching the replenishment needs of a workstation; determines the priority of the at least one alternative bin based on its status and location; selects a target bin to be replenished from the at least one alternative bin based on its priority; and controls a handling robot to transport the target bin to the workstation for replenishment. By first screening alternative bins that match the replenishment needs and then comprehensively considering the status and location of the alternative bins to select the target bin, more efficient transportation resources can be saved by selecting the target bin, thereby reducing the waste of robot resources, improving replenishment efficiency, and ultimately improving the overall efficiency of the warehousing system. Attached Figure Description
[0017] 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.
[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic flowchart of a replenishment method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;
[0019] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating another replenishment method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;
[0020] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the correspondence between workstations and roadways provided in the embodiments of this disclosure;
[0021] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the status and position of the material bins in the warehousing system provided in the embodiments of this disclosure;
[0022] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a replenishment device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;
[0023] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a scheduling server provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.
[0024] The accompanying drawings have illustrated specific embodiments of this disclosure, which will be described in more detail below. These drawings and descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the concept in any way, but rather to illustrate the concepts of this disclosure to those skilled in the art through reference to particular embodiments. Detailed Implementation
[0025] 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.
[0026] 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.
[0027] It should be noted that 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 mean that the applicant has used or necessarily used such solutions.
[0028] First, let's explain the terms used in this disclosure:
[0029] Stock Keeping Unit (SKU): The smallest available unit in inventory management.
[0030] Bin: A container used in a warehouse to store goods.
[0031] Buffer positions: These are locations specifically designed for temporary storage of material bins. They are used to coordinate container transfers between different types of robots.
[0032] Replenishment: When some SKUs have low inventory levels during outbound shipments, it is necessary to replenish the SKUs for storage in the warehouse. Select a material box with a certain volume ratio and replenish the SKUs into the material box.
[0033] Single-depth storage location: refers to a storage location on a single-depth rack, where the depth of one side of the rack can only accommodate one bin.
[0034] Double-deep storage location: refers to the storage location on a double-deep rack, where the depth of one side of the double-deep rack can accommodate two bins.
[0035] In warehousing systems, replenishment typically involves selecting empty bins or bins with higher capacity based on their volume ratio, and then transporting them to the workstation to complete the shelving task. However, selecting bins solely based on volume ratio is inefficient if the selected bins are far from the workstation or have just been placed in the storage location. This wastes robot transport resources and negatively impacts the replenishment efficiency of the warehousing system.
[0036] For example, empty bins picked up by the workstation are returned to the shelf location by the robot. If the bin is later selected as a replenishment bin, the robot needs to move the bin from the shelf location back to the workstation for replenishment, resulting in a waste of robot resources and affecting the replenishment efficiency of the warehousing system.
[0037] To address the aforementioned issues, this disclosure proposes a replenishment method. Based on the replenishment needs of a workstation, at least one alternative material box matching the replenishment requirements is identified. The priority of the at least one alternative material box is determined based on its status and location. Based on the priority of the at least one alternative material box, a target material box to be replenished is selected from the at least one alternative material box, and a handling robot is controlled to transport the target material box to the workstation for replenishment. By first screening out alternative material boxes matching the replenishment needs, and then comprehensively considering the status and location of the alternative material boxes to select the target material box to be replenished, a more efficient material box for transporting resources can be selected. This reduces waste of robot resources, improves replenishment efficiency, and ultimately enhances the overall efficiency of the warehousing system.
[0038] 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.
[0039] Figure 1 is a flowchart illustrating a replenishment method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. The executing entity of this method can be a scheduling server used for replenishment in a warehousing system. The specific steps of this method are as follows:
[0040] S101. Based on the replenishment needs of the workstation, determine at least one alternative material box that matches the replenishment needs.
[0041] The scheduling server receives replenishment requests and, based on the information about the materials to be received in the request, selects a storage bin in the warehouse location that can store the materials, thus obtaining at least one alternative bin that matches the replenishment request. The replenishment request refers to the information about the materials to be received, which may include the SKU, quantity, etc.
[0042] For example, the scheduling server can determine the SKUs to be received, as well as the quantity and volume of each SKU, based on the material information to be received in the replenishment request. Based on the SKUs to be received, the server determines the container type for storing the SKUs, thus obtaining the container type that the workstation needs to replenish. By selecting a hopper of the corresponding container type from the storage location according to the required replenishment container type, at least one alternative hopper matching the replenishment request can be obtained.
[0043] The container type refers to the type of compartments in the bin, such as single-compartment bins, double-compartment bins, four-compartment bins, and eight-compartment bins. A single-compartment bin contains only one compartment, including one bottom plate and four side plates. Double-compartment bins, four-compartment bins, and eight-compartment bins are multi-compartment bins. In addition to one bottom plate and four side plates, these bins also include internal partitions that divide the storage space into multiple areas (i.e., compartments).
[0044] S102. Determine the priority of the candidate material boxes based on the status and position of at least one candidate material box.
[0045] The status of the bin refers to its current state, which may include, but is not limited to: being picked, being moved by a handling robot to perform business tasks (such as outbound and inbound tasks), being transferred (such as being transferred between storage locations and buffer locations on a shelf), and storage status (such as the bin being stored in a storage location or the bin being stored in a buffer location).
[0046] The location of the material bin may include, but is not limited to: being located at a workstation, on a handling robot, on a buffer, or in a storage location.
[0047] When replenishing stock, the condition and location of the bins will affect the transportation resources and time costs consumed in replenishing the bins.
[0048] For example, the distance between the storage location and the workstation, corresponding to the bins stored in the storage location, affects the transportation resources and time costs required for replenishment. The greater the distance between the storage location and the workstation, the higher the transportation resources and time costs required for replenishment.
[0049] For example, when a toy bin is being moved by a robot to perform a task, it is necessary to wait for the current task to complete before moving the toy bin from its destination to the workstation for restocking. Waiting for the current task to complete incurs a time cost. The distance between the current task's destination and the workstation also affects the transportation resources and time costs required to move the toy bin to the workstation.
[0050] In this embodiment, the scheduling server first obtains the current status and location of at least one candidate bin, and then determines the priority of at least one candidate bin based on the current status and location of the candidate bin. The priority of the bins can be dynamically adjusted according to the status and location of the bins, so that bins that consume less transportation resources for replenishment have a higher priority, while bins that consume more transportation resources for replenishment have a lower priority. The priority of the candidate bins is more reasonable, so that bins that save more transportation resources can be selected for replenishment, thereby improving replenishment efficiency.
[0051] S103. Based on the priority of at least one alternative bin, select the target bin to be replenished from at least one alternative bin, and control the handling robot to transport the target bin to the workstation for replenishment.
[0052] In this step, the scheduling server prioritizes the candidate bins based on their priority, selecting the higher-priority bin as the target bin for replenishment. After determining the target bin, the server issues a replenishment task to the handling robot, controlling the robot to move the target bin to the workstation for replenishment.
[0053] Specifically, when selecting a target bin for replenishment, the scheduling server can select at least one alternative bin with higher priority as the target bin based on the SKU, quantity, and volume of the materials to be received in the replenishment demand, as well as the volume ratio of each alternative bin. This ensures that the selected target bin can meet the replenishment demand, meaning that the target bin is sufficient to accommodate the materials to be received. The volume ratio of the alternative bin is the remaining volume space in the alternative bin that can still hold materials, i.e., the currently vacant volume space in the alternative bin.
[0054] In this embodiment, at least one alternative material box matching the replenishment needs of the workstation is determined; the priority of the at least one alternative material box is determined based on its status and position; and a target material box to be replenished is selected from the at least one alternative material box based on its priority. The handling robot is then controlled to transport the target material box to the workstation for replenishment. By first screening out alternative material boxes matching the replenishment needs and then comprehensively considering the status and position of the alternative material boxes to select the target material box to be replenished, a more efficient target material box can be selected, reducing the waste of robot resources, improving replenishment efficiency, and thus improving the overall efficiency of the warehousing system.
[0055] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating a replenishment method according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Based on the foregoing embodiments, this embodiment provides a detailed description of the replenishment process. As shown in Figure 2, the specific steps of the method are as follows:
[0056] S201. Obtain the replenishment requirements of the workstation.
[0057] In this step, the scheduling server receives replenishment requests from workstations. These replenishment requests refer to information about materials to be received into the warehouse, which may include the SKU, quantity, and other details of the materials.
[0058] S202. Identify at least one alternative bin that matches the replenishment requirement.
[0059] In this step, the scheduling server selects a storage bin in the warehouse that can store the material to be stored based on the material information to be received in the replenishment demand, and obtains at least one alternative storage bin that matches the replenishment demand.
[0060] A warehousing system typically comprises multiple workstations and multiple aisles, with shelving installed on both sides of each aisle. In an example scenario, the warehousing system divides the storage area, with each sub-area including at least one workstation and at least one corresponding aisle. For any replenishment request at a workstation, the scheduling server can select at least one alternative bin that matches the replenishment request from the bins stored in the aisles within the same area as the workstation.
[0061] In one optional embodiment, for any workstation's replenishment requirement, the scheduling server can determine the workstation's "hot lanes." Hot lanes refer to lanes within the lanes corresponding to the workstation that are less than a preset distance from the workstation, or lanes whose distance from the workstation is within a preset range. Based on the workstation's replenishment requirement, the scheduling server selects at least one candidate material box matching the replenishment requirement from the material boxes stored in the workstation's hot lanes.
[0062] In this way, the selected candidate bins can be located closer to the workstation, which reduces the transportation resources and time costs of moving the bins to the workstation, thereby improving replenishment efficiency.
[0063] The distance between the roadway and the workstation can be defined as the shortest distance between the area where the roadway is located and the area where the workstation is located, or the distance between the center points of the two areas. There is no specific limitation on the definition of the distance between the roadway and the workstation.
[0064] The preset distance or preset range can be set according to the location of aisles and workstations in the warehousing system, replenishment task volume, etc., and is not specifically limited here. For example, Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the correspondence between workstations and aisles provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 3, assuming the warehousing system contains 32 aisles (each straight line segment in the figure represents an aisle) and 8 workstations (workstations 1-8 in the figure), the entire warehousing area is divided into 8 sub-areas, each sub-area including one workstation and 4 aisles. Dashed lines are used in the figure to separate different sub-areas. Taking workstation 1 as an example, the two aisles closest to workstation 1 among the 4 aisles corresponding to workstation 1 are designated as hot aisles.
[0065] Optionally, when selecting at least one alternative bin that matches the replenishment requirement, the scheduling server can determine the type of container that the workstation needs to replenish based on the workstation's replenishment requirements; and select bins that match the corresponding container type from the bins stored in the hot lane corresponding to the workstation as at least one alternative bin.
[0066] Optionally, when selecting at least one alternative bin to match the replenishment demand, the scheduling server can determine the type of container that the workstation needs to replenish based on the workstation's replenishment requirements. Based on the required container type, the server selects bins from the bins stored in the corresponding hot aisle of the workstation that match the corresponding container type and meet the selection criteria, as at least one alternative bin.
[0067] Among them, replenishment demand refers to the information on materials to be received into the warehouse, which may include the SKU and quantity of the materials to be received into the warehouse.
[0068] Specifically, when determining the container type that a workstation needs to replenish, the scheduling server determines the container type to store the corresponding SKU based on the SKU of the material to be received in the workstation's replenishment request.
[0069] The filtering criteria include at least one of the following: the bin's volume ratio is greater than the preset volume ratio, or the bin is not currently bound to a task. The preset volume ratio can be set according to the needs of the actual application; this embodiment does not limit this setting. The filtering criteria can be configured and adjusted according to actual application requirements. By adding filtering criteria, bins that are more suitable for replenishment can be selected.
[0070] For example, for a bin that has been bound to a task (such as receiving or shipping), since the task bound to the bin has not yet been completed, the execution of the task may change the bin's volume ratio. Therefore, the volume ratio of the bin is not an accurate value, and the bin cannot be replenished temporarily. Therefore, bins with currently bound tasks are filtered out by the filtering conditions.
[0071] For example, the filtering criteria simultaneously include that the bin is in the warehouse, the bin's volume ratio is greater than a preset volume ratio, and the bin is not currently bound to a task. The scheduling server can filter out bins from the bins stored in the hot lanes of the workstation, selecting bins that match the container type that the workstation needs to replenish, are stored in the warehouse location, have a volume ratio greater than a preset volume ratio, and are not currently bound to a task, as at least one candidate bin.
[0072] It should be noted that for the hopper on the transport robot, the robot may be performing a transport task on the hopper at this time, such as moving the hopper to the buffer position for storage. In this case, the destination of the transport task can be taken as the location of the hopper, and then it can be determined whether the hopper is in the hot aisle corresponding to the workstation. If it is in the hot aisle, it can be determined whether the hopper on the transport robot can be used as a candidate hopper based on the container type, storage location, volume ratio greater than the preset volume ratio, and current unbound task.
[0073] Specifically, the transport robot can be either the first robot or the second robot described below, without any limitation.
[0074] In one alternative embodiment, for any workstation's replenishment needs, the scheduling server can select at least one alternative bin that matches the replenishment needs from the bins stored in all aisles of the warehousing system.
[0075] S203. Determine the status and location of at least one alternative material box.
[0076] After identifying at least one alternative bin that matches the replenishment needs of the workstation, the scheduling server obtains the status and location of each alternative bin.
[0077] The status of the bin refers to its current state, which may include, but is not limited to: being picked, being moved by a handling robot to perform business tasks (such as outbound and inbound tasks), being transferred (such as being transferred between storage locations and buffer locations on a shelf), and storage status (such as the bin being stored in a storage location or the bin being stored in a buffer location).
[0078] The location of the material bin may include, but is not limited to: being located at a workstation, on a handling robot, on a buffer, or in a storage location.
[0079] S204. Determine the category of at least one alternative material box based on the status and location of at least one alternative material box.
[0080] The category of the candidate material bin is determined by considering its current status and location. The scheduling server classifies at least one candidate material bin into several different categories based on its current status and location.
[0081] The scheduling server determines the category of at least one alternative material bin based on the status and location of at least one alternative material bin, specifically including at least one of the following:
[0082] (1) If the candidate bin is a bin being picked at the workstation, then the category of the candidate bin is determined to be the first category. For example, the first category can be set to the string "ON_CONVEYOR" or the integer value 1.
[0083] (2) If the candidate bin is on the first robot and the first robot is performing a business task on the candidate bin, then the category of the candidate bin is determined to be the second category. For example, the second category can be set to the string "ON_KIVA" or the integer value 2.
[0084] The first robot is a handling robot responsible for performing tasks such as receiving / removing material boxes, such as a lifting robot that moves material boxes from the buffer position to the workstation.
[0085] (3) If the candidate bin is on the second robot and the second robot is emptying or temporarily storing the candidate bin, then the candidate bin is classified as the third category. For example, the third category can be set to the string "ON_KUBOT" or the integer value 3.
[0086] The second robot is a handling robot, such as a box robot, used to transfer the bins between the buffer position and the storage position.
[0087] (4) If the candidate bin is in the buffer, then the category of the candidate bin is determined to be the fourth category. For example, the fourth category can be set to the string "KIVA_STORAGE_SHELF" or the integer value 4.
[0088] In this context, a buffer location refers to a storage location on the shelf below a preset height, used for temporary storage of material boxes. The preset height can be set according to the needs of actual applications, and this embodiment does not limit this setting.
[0089] (5) If the candidate bin is in a single-depth storage location, then the category of the candidate bin is determined to be Category 5. For example, Category 5 can be set to the string "KUBOT_STORAGE_SHELF" or the integer value 5.
[0090] In this context, "single-depth storage location" refers to a storage location on a single-depth shelving unit, where the depth of one side of the shelving unit can only accommodate one material bin. A storage location refers to any other storage location on the shelving unit besides the buffer location, used to store material bins.
[0091] (6) If the candidate bin is located in the inner storage position of a double-deep storage location, then the category of the candidate bin is determined to be Category 6. For example, Category 6 can be set to the string "KUBOT_STORAGE_DEEP_SHELF" or the integer value 6. Here, double-deep storage location refers to the storage location on a double-deep shelf. The depth of one side of the double-deep shelf can accommodate two bins. Double-deep storage location includes inner storage location and outer storage location.
[0092] (7) If the candidate bin is located in the outer storage position of the double-deep storage position, then the category of the candidate bin is determined to be the seventh category. For example, the seventh category can be set to the string "KUBOT_STORAGE_SHALLOW_SHELF" or the integer value 7.
[0093] For example, Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the state and position of the bins in the warehousing system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 4, the warehousing system includes four double-deep racks, one first robot, one second robot, and four alternative bins. Alternative bin 1 is located in the inner storage position of the double-deep racks, thus classifying alternative bin 1 as category six; alternative bin 3 is on the first robot, and the first robot is performing an outbound / inbound task on alternative bin 3, thus classifying alternative bin 3 as category two; alternative bin 2 is on the second robot, and the second robot is transferring alternative bin 2 (e.g., transferring it from the upper storage position to the lower buffer position), thus classifying alternative bin 2 as category three; alternative bin 4 is located in the outer storage position of the double-deep racks, thus classifying alternative bin 4 as category seven.
[0094] It should be noted that the scheduling server can also use other methods to classify the alternative material bins. The specific configuration and adjustment can be made according to the actual application requirements, and no specific limitations are made here.
[0095] In this embodiment, the scheduling server categorizes the candidate material bins into several different types based on their current status and location. The transportation resources and time costs required to replenish candidate material bins within the same category are relatively similar, while the differences in transportation resources and time costs for replenishing candidate material bins of different categories are relatively large. Using the category of the candidate material bin as the basis for determining its priority makes the priority definition of the candidate material bins more reasonable and helps improve replenishment efficiency.
[0096] S205. Determine the priority of at least one alternative material box based on the category of at least one alternative material box and the preset priority of each category.
[0097] After determining the category of at least one candidate bin, the scheduling server determines the priority of at least one candidate bin based on the preset priority of each category.
[0098] Specifically, the priorities of each category in the current configuration are obtained, and the priority of at least one alternative material box is determined according to the priority corresponding to the category of each alternative material box, so that the priority of the alternative material box with a higher category priority is higher than the priority of the alternative material box with a lower category priority.
[0099] For candidate bins of the same category, their priority can be arranged according to their volume ratio, so that candidate bins with higher volume ratios have higher priority among candidates of the same category.
[0100] For example, taking the seven categories in step S204 above as an example, the priority of the above seven categories from high to low is as follows: Category 1, Category 2, Category 3, Category 4, Category 5, Category 6, and Category 7.
[0101] In practical applications, the priorities of the above 7 categories can be updated according to changes in business needs. This embodiment does not limit the priority of the categories of alternative material boxes.
[0102] The priority of each category can be customized and adjusted by the customer or relevant technical personnel according to the needs of actual application, and this embodiment does not limit this.
[0103] For example, customers or relevant technical personnel can send update instructions for the priorities of various categories to the scheduling server through a visual interface, command line, or by writing code. These update instructions include the specified priorities for each category. In response to the update instructions for the priorities of various categories, the scheduling server updates the priorities of each category to the specified priorities for that category.
[0104] In this embodiment, the category of the candidate material bin is used as the basis for determining the priority of the candidate material bin. By adjusting the priority of the category, the priority of the candidate material bin can be flexibly adjusted. The priority of the material bin category is standardized as configurable information in the warehousing system. By customizing the priority of each category, the replenishment operation requirements can be flexibly customized.
[0105] S206. Select the target bin to be replenished from at least one alternative bin according to the priority of at least one alternative bin.
[0106] When selecting a target bin for replenishment, the scheduling server prioritizes the higher-priority alternative bin as the target bin for replenishment, based on the priority of at least one alternative bin.
[0107] Specifically, the scheduling server calculates the number of boxes to be selected for each container type based on the bin volume ratio corresponding to the container type that the workstation needs to replenish; the scheduling server selects the corresponding number of boxes from the candidate boxes that match each container type as the target boxes to be replenished, based on the number of boxes to be selected for each container type and the priority of at least one candidate box.
[0108] When calculating the number of selectable containers for any container type, the scheduling server can calculate the number of selectable containers for that container type based on the volume ratio of the alternative containers that match the container type, as well as the number and volume of SKUs using that container type in the replenishment requirements.
[0109] When selecting the target bins to be replenished based on the number of bins selected for each container type, the scheduling server can sort the candidate bins matching each container type according to priority, and select the candidate bins with the highest sorted number of bins as the target bins to be replenished based on the number of bins selected for each container type.
[0110] S207. Control the handling robot to move the target material box to the workstation for replenishment.
[0111] After identifying the target bin to be replenished, the scheduling server dispatches a handling robot to move the target bin to the workstation for replenishment.
[0112] For example, the scheduling server can issue a replenishment task for a target bin to be replenished to the handling robot, so as to control the handling robot to move the target bin to the workstation for replenishment.
[0113] Specifically, the handling robot can be a first robot, or it can include a first robot and a second robot. For example, when the target bin is located in the storage position, the handling robot includes a first robot and a second robot. First, the second robot moves the target bin from the storage position to the buffer position, and then the first robot moves the target bin from the buffer position to the workstation. When the target bin is located in the buffer position, the handling robot is the first robot mentioned above, and the first robot moves the target bin from the buffer position to the workstation.
[0114] If the target bins to be replenished are insufficient to hold all the materials to be put into storage, more target bins to be replenished can be selected based on the remaining materials to be put into storage through steps S202-S206, and the target bins can be replenished until all the materials to be put into storage are put into storage.
[0115] In addition, after all materials to be put into storage have been put into storage, if there are any remaining target boxes that have not yet been moved to the workstation, the replenishment task for the remaining target boxes will be cancelled.
[0116] In this embodiment, at least one alternative material box matching the replenishment needs of the workstation is determined; the priority of the at least one alternative material box is determined based on its status and location; based on the priority of the at least one alternative material box, a target material box to be replenished is selected from the at least one alternative material box, and the handling robot is controlled to transport the target material box to the workstation for replenishment. By first screening out alternative material boxes matching the replenishment needs, and then comprehensively considering the status and location of the alternative material boxes to select the target material box to be replenished, a more efficient target material box can be selected, reducing the waste of robot resources, improving replenishment efficiency, and thus improving the overall efficiency of the warehousing system.
[0117] In this embodiment, the category of the candidate bins is used as the basis for determining their priority. By adjusting the category priority, the priority of the candidate bins can be flexibly adjusted. The category priority of the bins is standardized as configurable information in the warehousing system. By customizing the priorities of each category, the replenishment requirements can be flexibly customized. During replenishment bin selection, the priority of the candidate bins can be determined based on the customized category priorities, ensuring the rationality of replenishment bin selection. This effectively improves the utilization rate of robot transportation resources, increases the replenishment efficiency of the warehousing system, and ultimately improves the overall efficiency of the warehousing system.
[0118] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a replenishment device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 5, the replenishment device 500 includes: a candidate material box determination unit 501, a priority determination unit 502, and a replenishment unit 503.
[0119] The alternative material box determination unit 501 is used to determine at least one alternative material box that matches the replenishment requirements of the workstation.
[0120] The priority determination unit 502 is used to determine the priority of at least one alternative material box based on the status and position of at least one alternative material box.
[0121] The replenishment unit 503 is used to select the target box to be replenished from at least one alternative box according to the priority of at least one alternative box, and control the handling robot to transport the target box to the workstation for replenishment.
[0122] In one alternative implementation, the alternative bin determining unit 501 is specifically used for determining at least one alternative bin that matches the replenishment requirements based on the workstation's replenishment needs, in order to:
[0123] Identify the hot lanes of the workstation. A hot lane is a lane in the lane corresponding to the workstation that is less than a preset distance from the workstation. Based on the replenishment needs of the workstation, select at least one alternative material box that matches the replenishment needs from the material boxes stored in the hot lanes.
[0124] In one alternative implementation, in selecting at least one alternative bin from the bins stored in the hot aisle to match the replenishment demand based on the workstation's replenishment requirements, the alternative bin determining unit 501 is specifically used for:
[0125] Based on the replenishment needs of the workstation, determine the type of container that needs to be replenished; based on the container type, select at least one alternative container that matches the container type and meets the selection criteria from the containers stored in the hot aisle; the selection criteria include at least one of the following: the container volume ratio is greater than the preset volume ratio, and the container is not currently bound to a task.
[0126] In one alternative implementation, in selecting the target bin to be replenished from at least one alternative bin based on the priority of at least one alternative bin, and controlling the handling robot to transport the target bin to the workstation for replenishment, the replenishment unit 503 is specifically used for:
[0127] Based on the bin volume ratio corresponding to the container type that needs to be replenished at the workstation, calculate the number of bins to be selected for each container type; based on the number of bins to be selected for each container type and the priority of at least one alternative bin, select the corresponding number of bins from the alternative bins that match each container type as the target bins to be replenished; control the handling robot to transport the target bins to the workstation for replenishment.
[0128] In one alternative implementation, the priority determination unit 502 is specifically used to: determine the priority of at least one alternative material box based on its state and position.
[0129] Determine the status and location of at least one alternative material box; determine the category of at least one alternative material box based on its status and location; determine the priority of at least one alternative material box based on its category and the preset priority of each category.
[0130] In one alternative implementation, the priority determination unit 502 is specifically used to: determine the category of a candidate bin based on the state and location of at least one candidate bin.
[0131] If at least one candidate bin is being picked at a workstation, the candidate bin is classified as Category 1. If at least one candidate bin is on the first robot and the first robot is performing a task on the candidate bin, the candidate bin is classified as Category 2. If at least one candidate bin is on the second robot and the second robot is transferring or temporarily storing at least one candidate bin, the candidate bin is classified as Category 3. If at least one candidate bin is in a buffer position, the candidate bin is classified as Category 4. A buffer position refers to a shelf space below a preset height. The storage location is determined as follows: If at least one candidate bin is in a single-deep storage location, the candidate bin is classified as Category 5. A single-deep storage location refers to a storage location on a single-deep shelf, where the depth of one side of the shelf can only accommodate one bin. If at least one candidate bin is in the inner storage location of a double-deep storage location, the candidate bin is classified as Category 6. A double-deep storage location refers to a storage location on a double-deep shelf, where the depth of one side of the shelf can accommodate two bins. A double-deep storage location includes an inner storage location and an outer storage location. If at least one candidate bin is in the outer storage location of a double-deep storage location, the candidate bin is classified as Category 7.
[0132] In one implementation, the priority determination unit 502 is further configured to: update the priority of each category in response to an update instruction for the priority of each category.
[0133] The replenishment 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 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a scheduling server provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 6, the scheduling server 600 includes a memory 601, a processor 602, and a transceiver 603. The memory 601 stores a computer program, and the processor 602 executes the computer program to implement the methods of any of the above embodiments. A communication link exists between the memory 601 and the processor 602. For example, the memory 601, processor 602, and transceiver 603 can communicate via a communication bus 604.
[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 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.
[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 replenishment method, characterized in that, include: Based on the replenishment needs of the workstation, determine at least one alternative material box that matches the replenishment needs; The priority of the at least one alternative material box is determined based on its status and location. Based on the priority of the at least one alternative bin, a target bin to be replenished is selected from the at least one alternative bin, and the handling robot is controlled to transport the target bin to the workstation for replenishment.
2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of determining at least one alternative material bin that matches the replenishment requirements of the workstation includes: Identify the hot lanes of the workstation, where the hot lanes are those lanes in the lanes corresponding to the workstation that are less than a preset distance from the workstation; Based on the replenishment requirements of the workstation, at least one alternative material box matching the replenishment requirements is selected from the material boxes stored in the hot aisle.
3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The step of selecting at least one alternative material bin that matches the replenishment requirement from the material bins stored in the hot aisle, based on the replenishment requirement of the workstation, includes: Based on the replenishment requirements of the workstation, determine the type of container that the workstation needs to replenish; Based on the container type, at least one candidate container that matches the container type and meets the screening criteria is selected from the containers stored in the hot aisle. The filtering criteria include at least one of the following: the bin volume ratio is greater than the preset volume ratio, or the bin is not currently bound to a task.
4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of selecting a target material box to be replenished from the at least one alternative material box according to the priority of the at least one alternative material box, and controlling the handling robot to transport the target material box to the workstation for replenishment, includes: Based on the bin volume ratio corresponding to the container type that the workstation needs to replenish, calculate the number of bins to be selected for each container type. Based on the number of selectable boxes corresponding to the container type and the priority of the at least one alternative selectable box, a box corresponding to the number of selectable boxes is selected from the alternative selectable boxes that match each container type as the target selectable box to be replenished; The handling robot is controlled to move the target bin to the workstation for replenishment.
5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Determining the priority of the at least one alternative material box based on its status and location includes: Determine the state and position of the at least one alternative material box; The category of the at least one alternative material box is determined based on the state and location of the at least one alternative material box; The priority of the at least one alternative material box is determined based on the category of the at least one alternative material box and the preset priority of each category.
6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, Determining the category of the candidate material bin based on the state and position of the at least one candidate material bin includes: If the at least one candidate bin is a bin being picked at the workstation, then the category of the candidate bin is determined to be the first category; If the at least one alternative material box is on the first robot and the first robot is performing a business task on the alternative material box, then the category of the alternative material box is determined to be the second category; If the at least one alternative material box is on the second robot, and the second robot is emptying or temporarily storing the at least one alternative material box, then the category of the alternative material box is determined to be the third category; If at least one alternative material box is in a cache position, then the category of the alternative material box is determined to be the fourth category, and the cache position refers to a storage location on the shelf that is below a preset height; If the at least one candidate bin is on a single-depth storage location, then the category of the candidate bin is determined to be the fifth category, where the single-depth storage location refers to a storage location on a single-depth shelf, and the single-depth shelf has a single-sided depth that can only accommodate one bin. If the at least one alternative bin is in the inner storage position of a double-deep storage location, then the category of the alternative bin is determined to be the sixth category. The double-deep storage location refers to the storage location on a double-deep shelf, and the single-sided depth of the double-deep shelf can accommodate two bins. The double-deep storage location includes the inner storage location and the outer storage location. If the at least one alternative bin is in the outer storage position of the double-deep storage position, then the category of the alternative bin is determined to be the seventh category.
7. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: In response to the update instruction for the priority of the categories, update the priority of the categories.
8. A replenishment device, characterized in that, include: The alternative material box determination unit is used to determine at least one alternative material box that matches the replenishment requirements of the workstation. A priority determination unit is used to determine the priority of the at least one alternative material box based on the state and position of the at least one alternative material box; The replenishment unit is used to select a target box to be replenished from the at least one alternative box according to the priority of the at least one alternative box, and control the handling robot to transport the target box to the workstation for replenishment.
9. A scheduling server, characterized in that, 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.
10. 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.
11. A computer program product, characterized in that, Includes a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the method as described in any one of claims 1-7.