Electronic transport device for transporting item container in fulfillment center and method for transporting item container using electronic transport device

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an electronic transport device for transporting an item container in a fulfillment center may be provided, the electronic transport device comprising: a driving unit; a power supply module; at least one electromagnet disposed on the top surface of the electronic transport device and configured to attach to the item container; a transceiver; a plurality of scanners configured to scan a code symbology; and a processor, wherein the processor controls the driving unit, the power supply module, the at least one electromagnet, the transceiver, and the plurality of scanners such that, when a transport request signal for the electronic transport device is received from a server through the transceiver, the electronic transport device moves to a first position corresponding to first position information included in the transport request signal, is coupled to the bottom surface of the item container located at the first position by using the at least one electromagnet, and moves to a second position to which the item container is to be transported.

Description

Electronic transport device for transporting item containers in a fulfillment center and a method for transporting item containers using the electronic transport device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electronic transport device and a method for transporting item containers used in a fulfillment center.

[0002] With the recent rapid growth of the e-commerce market, the operational efficiency of fulfillment centers has become increasingly important. In particular, the efficient management of item containers, such as rolltainers—which are essential for the receiving and transportation of items within fulfillment centers—has established itself as a core element of the entire logistics process.

[0003] Currently, most fulfillment centers employ a method where workers manually transport item containers. This manual handling method causes several problems. First, the physical burden of having to personally push and pull heavy item containers is significant. This is a major cause of increased worker fatigue and reduced work efficiency.

[0004] Furthermore, during manual transport, workers find it difficult to identify the optimal route in real time, resulting in unnecessary travel distances. This leads to increased working hours, which in turn reduces overall logistics processing capacity. This inefficiency is particularly pronounced in the layouts of complex fulfillment centers.

[0005] Furthermore, there is a constant risk of safety accidents during manual handling, such as collisions between item containers or damage to loaded goods. In particular, the risk of collisions between workers is significant, especially in situations with limited visibility or at intersections. These safety accidents are not only a matter of direct loss due to damaged goods but also a serious issue directly related to worker safety.

[0006] To solve these problems, there is a need for new technical solutions that can efficiently and safely transport item containers.

[0007] Conventionally, technologies related to the transportation of item containers in logistics sites have largely evolved into manual and automated transportation methods. The automated method is being developed based on AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) systems that move along magnetic tapes installed on the floor, autonomous driving systems utilizing laser navigation, and AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot) systems incorporating autonomous driving technology. However, these automated systems have faced various problems, such as limitations in moving only along fixed paths, difficulty in bypassing unexpected obstacles, and the fact that they have not yet reached the stage of large-scale commercialization due to high initial investment costs and stability issues in complex logistics environments.

[0008] Furthermore, the technology for combining item containers transported via such transport systems with electronic transport devices has also undergone several stages of development. Conventionally, technologies such as inserting a fork-shaped lifting device into the bottom of the item container to lift it or using automatic clamping systems were used; however, while these methods enabled stable connection, they presented problems such as requiring a special structure for the bottom of the item container, difficulty in achieving precise positional alignment, the need for precise alignment during the clamping process, and the potential for wear or damage to the clamp.

[0009] As such, while various automation technologies are being attempted in the logistics industry, many logistics centers still utilize traditional manual handling methods. In particular, complete automation of item containers remains challenging due to their structural characteristics and adaptability to diverse transport environments. Most currently commercialized technologies exhibit limitations, such as requiring high-cost infrastructure or lacking operational flexibility.

[0010] The disclosed embodiments are intended to provide an electronic transport device capable of automated transport within a fulfillment center by combining with such item containers while minimizing changes to the specifications of conventional item containers. Specifically, the main objective of this disclosure is to enable automated transport based on the basic structure and specifications of standardized item containers widely used in fulfillment centers. This aims to increase the operational efficiency of fulfillment centers by enabling automated logistics operations without the complete replacement or large-scale modification of existing item containers.

[0011] Furthermore, the present disclosure aims to provide a stable and reliable coupling structure between an item container and an electronic transport device. This is intended to ensure safety during the transport process and enable stable transport under various load conditions. In particular, it aims to minimize operator intervention during the coupling and uncoupling processes and to enable them to be performed in an automated manner.

[0012] The technical problems that this embodiment aims to solve are not limited to those described above, and other technical problems can be inferred from the following embodiments.

[0013] According to one embodiment, an electronic transport device for transporting an item container in a fulfillment center may be provided, comprising: a drive unit; a power supply module; at least one electromagnet disposed on the upper surface of the electronic transport device and attached to the item container; a transceiver; a plurality of scanners configured to scan code symbologies; and a processor, wherein the processor controls the drive unit, the power supply module, at least one electromagnet, the transceiver, and the plurality of scanners so that when a transport request signal of the electronic transport device is received from a server via the transceiver, the electronic transport device moves to a first position corresponding to first position information included in the transport request signal, attaches to the lower surface of the item container located at the first position using at least one electromagnet, and controls the electronic transport device to move to a second position where the item container is to be transported.

[0014] According to another embodiment, a method for an electronic carrier to transport an item container in a fulfillment center comprises: receiving a transport request signal from a server; moving the electronic carrier to a first location corresponding to first location information included in the transport request signal; coupling the electronic carrier to the lower surface of an item container located at the first location using at least one electromagnet disposed on the upper surface of the electronic carrier; and moving the electronic carrier to a second location where the item container is to be transported.

[0015] In another embodiment, a movable item container may be provided, comprising: a plurality of rotatable wheels configured to allow the item container to move; a lower frame mounted on the plurality of rotatable wheels and for supporting the load of the item container; and a side wall frame extending upward from the lower frame, wherein the lower surface of the lower frame includes at least one recession into which at least one electromagnet of the electronic carrier of the present disclosure is inserted, and at least one magnetic element disposed on the side wall frame that is coupled to a loading frame positioned at a second position where the item container is to be transported.

[0016] According to the proposed embodiment, one or more of the following effects can be expected.

[0017] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution that enables automated transport while maintaining the specifications of conventional item containers or with minimal modifications, thereby allowing the fulfillment center to utilize the item containers it already possesses, which can significantly reduce the initial costs associated with the introduction of automation.

[0018] The electronic transport device according to the present disclosure provides a stable coupling structure with an item container, thereby significantly improving safety during the transport process. In particular, the coupling and uncoupling processes are automated, which drastically reduces the physical burden on workers and leads to improved work efficiency. Stable transport is possible even under various load conditions, thereby minimizing the risk of damage to goods or accidents.

[0019] The embodiments of the present disclosure improve the efficiency of the entire logistics process in a fulfillment center. Transport times can be reduced through real-time location tracking and optimal route calculation, which leads to an improvement in overall logistics processing capacity. In addition, along with increased job satisfaction due to reduced physical burden on workers, improvements in the working environment can also be expected due to a reduction in the risk of safety accidents.

[0020] The effects of the invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by a person skilled in the art from the description in the claims.

[0021] FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an electronic carrier according to one embodiment.

[0022] FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of an electronic carrier according to one embodiment.

[0023] FIG. 3 illustrates a plan view of an electronic transport device and an item container according to one embodiment.

[0024] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method according to one embodiment.

[0025] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the process of combining an electronic transport device and an item container according to one embodiment.

[0026] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a process in which an electronic transport device combines with an item container and performs a transport process using a plurality of scanners according to one embodiment.

[0027] FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart for transporting an item container through communication with a worker terminal, a server, and an electronic transport device at a first location according to one embodiment.

[0028] FIG. 8 is a drawing for explaining the process of an electronic transport device combining with an item container at a first location and transporting the item container to a second location according to one embodiment.

[0029] FIG. 9 is a drawing for explaining the process of stacking an item container on a loading frame placed at a second position by an electronic transport device according to one embodiment.

[0030] FIG. 10 illustrates a flowchart of calling an underloaded item container from a loading frame and transporting it back to the loading frame after additionally loading items, through communication with a worker terminal, a server, and an electronic transport device at a first location, according to one embodiment.

[0031] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating the process of performing a position correction operation when an electronic carrier fails to combine with an item container according to one embodiment.

[0032] According to one embodiment, an electronic transport device for transporting an item container in a fulfillment center may be provided, comprising: a drive unit; a power supply module; at least one electromagnet disposed on the upper surface of the electronic transport device and attached to the item container; a transceiver; a plurality of scanners configured to scan code symbologies; and a processor, wherein the processor controls the drive unit, the power supply module, at least one electromagnet, the transceiver, and the plurality of scanners so that when a transport request signal of the electronic transport device is received from a server via the transceiver, the electronic transport device moves to a first position corresponding to first position information included in the transport request signal, attaches to the lower surface of the item container located at the first position using at least one electromagnet, and controls the electronic transport device to move to a second position where the item container is to be transported.

[0033] According to one embodiment, a plurality of scanners of an electronic carrier may include: a first scanner disposed on the upper surface of the electronic carrier and scanning a first code symbology located on the lower surface of an item container; and a second scanner disposed within the movement space of the electronic carrier and scanning a second code symbology containing pre-assigned location information.

[0034] According to one embodiment, the processor of the electronic carrier can control a power supply module to cut off the current flowing to at least one electromagnet to separate the electronic carrier from the item container when the electronic carrier scans a second code symbology placed at a second location and satisfies a predetermined condition based on the current flowing to at least one electromagnet.

[0035] According to one embodiment, the processor of the electronic carrier can determine a second location based on second location information included in a first code symbology scanned by a first scanner.

[0036] According to one embodiment, the electronic carrier may further include an elastic member coupled to each of at least one electromagnet so that the height of each of at least one electromagnet can be extended or compressed in a direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the electronic carrier.

[0037] According to one embodiment, as the electronic carrier moves to the bottom surface of the item container, the elastic member is compressed by the difference between the first height of at least one electromagnet and the second height of the bottom surface of the item container, and as the at least one electromagnet is aligned vertically with at least one recession located on the bottom surface of the item container, the elastic member is extended again and at least one electromagnet is inserted into at least one recession, and the processor can control the power supply module to apply current to at least one electromagnet when it is determined that at least one electromagnet is inserted into at least one recession.

[0038] According to one embodiment, the processor of the electronic carrier can determine that at least a portion of at least one electromagnet is not inserted into at least one recession based on at least one of the scan result of the first code symbology of the first scanner, the scan result of the second code symbology of the second scanner, information about the length of the elastic member, and information about the current flowing through at least one electromagnet, and control the driving unit to perform a predetermined position correction operation.

[0039] According to one embodiment, the processor of the electronic transport device receives an additional loading signal through a transceiver indicating that additional loading is required for an underloaded item container, which is at least some of a plurality of item containers registered on a server; controls a drive unit to move to a third location where the underloaded item container is located based on the additional loading signal; controls a first scanner to scan a first code symbology placed on the lower surface of the underloaded item container; controls a second scanner to scan a second code symbology placed at the third location; controls at least one electromagnet so that the electronic transport device is coupled to the lower surface of the underloaded item container; and controls a drive unit to move to a first location where the underloaded item container should be transported based on first location information included in the additional loading signal.

[0040] According to one embodiment, a processor of an electronic carrier can collect information about a current flowing through at least one electromagnet and, based on the collected information, control a power supply module to cut off the current applied to at least one electromagnet when the current flowing through at least one electromagnet meets at least one predetermined condition based on a threshold size and a threshold rate of change.

[0041] According to one embodiment, the transport request signal of the electronic transport device may be a transport request signal that calls the electronic transport device that takes the shortest time to move to a first location among a plurality of electronic transport devices registered on the server.

[0042] According to another embodiment, a method for an electronic carrier to transport an item container in a fulfillment center comprises: receiving a transport request signal from a server; moving the electronic carrier to a first location corresponding to first location information included in the transport request signal; coupling the electronic carrier to the lower surface of an item container located at the first location using at least one electromagnet disposed on the upper surface of the electronic carrier; and moving the electronic carrier to a second location where the item container is to be transported.

[0043] The step of coupling an electronic carrier to the lower surface of an item container included in a method according to one embodiment further includes the step of scanning a first code symbology disposed on the lower surface of the item container located at a first position, and the step of moving the electronic carrier to a first position or a second position may include the step of moving while scanning a second code symbology disposed within the movement space of the electronic carrier and including pre-assigned position information.

[0044] A method according to one embodiment may further include: determining whether an electronic carrier has scanned a second code symbology placed at a second location; determining whether a predetermined condition is satisfied based on a current flowing through at least one electromagnet; and, if the electronic carrier has scanned the second code symbology placed at the second location and the predetermined condition is satisfied, cutting off the current flowing through at least one electromagnet to separate the electronic carrier from the item container.

[0045] The step of moving an electronic carrier to a second location included in a method according to one embodiment may further include the step of determining a second location based on second location information included in a scanned first code symbology.

[0046] An electronic carrier performing a method according to one embodiment may further include an elastic member coupled to each of at least one electromagnet so that the height of each of at least one electromagnet can be extended or compressed in a direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the electronic carrier.

[0047] The step of coupling an electronic carrier to the lower surface of an item container included in a method according to one embodiment may include: a step of moving the electronic carrier to the lower surface of the item container while the elastic member is compressed by the difference between the first height of at least one electromagnet and the second height of the lower surface of the item container; a step of inserting at least one electromagnet into at least one recession by aligning at least one electromagnet vertically with at least one recession located on the lower surface of the item container so that the elastic member is extended again; and a step of applying current to at least one electromagnet when it is determined that at least one electromagnet has been inserted into at least one recession.

[0048] A method according to one embodiment may further include the step of determining that at least a portion of at least one electromagnet is not inserted into at least one recession based on at least one of the scan result of a first code symbology, the scan result of a second code symbology, information about the length of an elastic member, and information about the current flowing through at least one electromagnet; and the step of performing a predetermined position correction operation.

[0049] A method according to one embodiment may further include: receiving an additional loading signal indicating that additional loading is required for an underloaded item container, which is at least some of a plurality of item containers registered on a server; moving an electronic carrier to a third location where the underloaded item container is located based on the additional loading signal; scanning a first code symbology placed on the lower surface of the underloaded item container by the electronic carrier; scanning a second code symbology placed at the third location by the electronic carrier; coupling the electronic carrier to the lower surface of the underloaded item container using at least one electromagnet; and moving the electronic carrier to a first location where the underloaded item container must be transported based on first location information included in the additional loading signal.

[0050] A method according to one embodiment may further include the step of collecting information about a current flowing through at least one electromagnet; and the step of blocking a current applied to at least one electromagnet when, based on the collected information, the current flowing through at least one electromagnet meets at least one predetermined condition based on a threshold magnitude and a threshold rate of change.

[0051] In another embodiment, a movable item container may be provided, comprising: a plurality of rotatable wheels configured to allow the item container to move; a lower frame mounted on the plurality of rotatable wheels and for supporting the load of the item container; and a side wall frame extending upward from the lower frame, wherein the lower surface of the lower frame includes at least one recession into which at least one electromagnet of the electronic carrier of the present disclosure is inserted, and at least one magnetic element disposed on the side wall frame that is coupled to a loading frame positioned at a second position where the item container is to be transported.

[0052] Specific details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and drawings.

[0053] The terms used in the embodiments have been selected to be as widely used as possible, taking into account their functions in the present disclosure; however, these may vary depending on the intent of those skilled in the art, case law, the emergence of new technologies, etc. Additionally, in specific cases, terms have been arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in such cases, their meanings will be described in detail in the relevant explanatory section. Therefore, terms used in the present disclosure should be defined not merely by their names, but based on their meanings and the overall content of the present disclosure.

[0054] When a part of a specification is described as "including" a certain component, this means that, unless specifically stated otherwise, it does not exclude other components but may include additional components.

[0055] The expression "at least one of a, b, and c" described throughout the specification may include 'a alone', 'b alone', 'c alone', 'a and b', 'a and c', 'b and c', or 'a, b, and c all'.

[0056] The "terminal" mentioned below may be implemented as a computer or portable terminal capable of connecting to a server or other terminal via a network. Here, the computer includes, for example, a notebook, desktop, or laptop equipped with a web browser, and the portable terminal may include, for example, a wireless communication device that ensures portability and mobility, and may include all types of handheld-based wireless communication devices such as communication-based terminals like IMT (International Mobile Telecommunication), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), W-CDMA (W-Code Division Multiple Access), and LTE (Long Term Evolution), smartphones, tablet PCs, etc.

[0057] Embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the attached drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement them. However, the present disclosure may be embodied in various different types and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0058] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0059] FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an electronic carrier (100) according to one embodiment.

[0060] According to one embodiment, the electronic carrier (100) may include a driving unit (110), a power supply module (120), at least one electromagnet (130), a transceiver (140), a plurality of scanners (150) and a processor (160).

[0061] According to one embodiment, the drive unit (110) may be defined as a configuration for providing driving force to the electronic transport device (100) based on power provided from the power supply module (120). According to one embodiment, the drive unit (110) may include an engine, a hydraulic or pneumatic-based drive unit, a DC motor, and a plurality of wheels that rotate by receiving driving force from the DC motor, as an element that generates power to move the electronic transport device (100) along a driving path. The DC motor included in the drive unit (110) is driven by a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) control method, and the rotation angle and rotation speed are detected through an encoder. The plurality of wheels are connected to the DC motor through a power transmission member to receive driving force, and are configured to be independently controllable. The drive unit (110) enables driving speed adjustment and rotation direction change so that the electronic transport device (100) travels along the path, and to this end, it may operate in conjunction with auxiliary mechanisms such as a transmission gear, a drive shaft, a wheel, or a driving crawler.

[0062] According to one embodiment, the power supply module (120) is intended to supply power to at least one component among the components included in the electronic carrier (100) that needs to be supplied with power. According to one embodiment, the power supply module (120) may include a rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack, a capacitor bank, or a power converter that receives power from an external power source, a protection circuit to prevent overvoltage, overcurrent, and overheating, and a Battery Management System (BMS), etc.

[0063] According to one embodiment, at least one electromagnet (130) is intended to magnetically grasp a metallic object and may include an iron core with a coil wound around it and a current control unit for applying current to the coil. The current control unit controls the strength of the magnetic force by adjusting the strength of the applied current and may include a diode circuit for preventing back electromotive force. At least one electromagnet (130) may be configured to selectively combine or separate an item to be transported or an item container, such as a pallet, metal container, or roll container, loaded with said item, by forming or extinguishing a magnetic field according to the switching of the power supply. By using at least one electromagnet (130), the electronic transport device (100) can be stably combined with the item container without additionally installing a complex coupling device between the item container and the electronic transport device (100).

[0064] According to one embodiment, the transceiver (140) is hardware for performing wired / wireless communication and may be configured to communicate with an external electronic device. The external electronic device may be a server managing a worker terminal or a fulfillment center. Additionally, the communication technology used by the transceiver (140) may include GSM (Global System for Mobile communication), CDMA (Code Division Multi Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution), 5G, WLAN (Wireless LAN), Wi-Fi (Wireless-Fidelity), Bluetooth, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), ZigBee, UWB (Ultra Wide Band), NFC (Near Field Communication), etc.

[0065] According to one embodiment, a plurality of scanners (150) may include a sensor module for identifying item containers or code symbology (e.g., barcode, QR code, RFID tag, etc.) around the electronic transport device (100). The plurality of scanners (150) may include LiDAR, a laser rangefinder, an optical barcode / QR code reader, an RFID reader, an ultrasonic sensor, etc. Based on information obtained from these plurality of scanners (150), a processor (160) may determine the current location of the electronic transport device (100), the relative positional relationship with the item container, etc., and is utilized in conjunction with a device control device or an external control system to enable the transport device to autonomously plan a route, avoid obstacles, and transport the item container to an accurate location.

[0066] According to one embodiment, the electronic transport device (100) may be equipped with a drive unit (110), a power supply module (120), an electromagnet (130), a transceiver (140), and a processor (160) for integrally controlling and managing a plurality of scanners (150), and may include a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller (MCU), a digital signal processing unit (DSP), or a combination thereof.

[0067] According to one embodiment, the processor (160) can control at least one of the drive unit (110), power supply module (120), at least one electromagnet (130), transceiver (140), and a plurality of scanners (150) included in the electronic carrier (100). According to one embodiment, the processor (160) may be equipped with various conventional forms and specifications of hardware and firmware for controlling at least one of the drive unit (110), power supply module (120), at least one electromagnet (130), transceiver (140), and a plurality of scanners (150), including memory (ROM, RAM, EEPROM, etc.), and may monitor various information obtained from each component of the electronic carrier (100) according to a pre-installed program and instruction set.

[0068] According to one embodiment, the processor (160) may be configured to perform a series of processes for transporting an item container of an electronic transport device (100). According to one embodiment, the processor (160) may acquire driving path information or real-time environment information received from a server through a transceiver (140), and may be configured to drive the electronic transport device (100) by comprehensively analyzing current location information acquired by scanning information about the surrounding environment of the electronic transport device (100) or code symbologies through a plurality of scanners (150).

[0069] According to one embodiment, the processor (160) controls the drive unit (110) to determine the speed and rotation angle of the electronic carrier (100), thereby enabling the electronic carrier (100) to move efficiently and safely to a designated destination.

[0070] According to one embodiment, the processor (160) monitors the power status provided by the power supply module (120) and efficiently manages the remaining battery level, charging schedule, energy usage, etc. When necessary, it automatically moves the transport device to the charging station or optimizes energy consumption by adjusting the frequency of use of the electromagnet (130), the operating mode of the communication module (transceiver (140)), etc.

[0071] According to one embodiment, the processor (160) may be configured to perform coupling and separation operations with the item container of the electronic carrier (100) through on / off control of at least one electromagnet (130). According to one embodiment, the processor (160) may be configured to determine the position of the item container based on information obtained from at least one component included in the electronic carrier (100) and / or the surrounding environment, determine whether it has moved to the bottom of the item container and is aligned for coupling, evaluate whether it has been properly coupled, and thereby cause the electronic carrier (100) to start transport or perform a position correction operation.

[0072] According to one embodiment, the processor (160) can perform wireless communication with a server, an external electronic device, etc. in conjunction with the transceiver (140). Through this, the processor can receive a request signal for transporting an item container from the server, etc., and control the transceiver (140) to initiate the transport of the item container based on the above, and to transmit information about the current work status, current location, etc. of the electronic transport device (100) to the outside.

[0073] According to one embodiment, the processor (160) may be configured to rapidly determine an abnormal state (separation of combined item containers, position error, current overload, temperature overheating, collision risk, collision detection, obstacle detection, etc.) based on diagnostic information collected from various sensors and scanners (150) within the electronic transport device (100), and adaptively perform operations such as stopping the electronic transport device (100), deciding to transport it via a detour path, and re-combining it with the separated item containers when necessary.

[0074] Various operations that the electronic carrier (100) can perform in the present disclosure will be described in more detail below.

[0075] FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of an electronic carrier (200) according to one embodiment. The electronic carrier (200) of FIG. 2 may correspond to the electronic carrier (100) of FIG. 1.

[0076] Referring to FIG. 2 according to one embodiment, the electronic transport device (200) may include an electromagnet (210a, 210b) disposed on an upper surface and a plurality of scanners (212a, 212b) disposed on the upper and lower surfaces. The electromagnet (210a, 210b) may be coupled to the lower surface of an item container to be transported by the electronic transport device (200) by forming a magnetic field in accordance with the application of current from the power supply module (120). Although the electromagnet (210a, 210b) in FIG. 2 is shown as being individually multiple, it may be implemented as a single configuration, or it may be implemented as having multiple parts that contact the lower surface of the item container. That is, the electromagnet (210a, 210b) may receive current from the power supply module (120) simultaneously or individually, and accordingly, may operate in conjunction with or synchronized with each other. Based on this, the electromagnets (210a, 210b) included in the electronic carrier (200) will be described as at least one below.

[0077] According to one embodiment, the electromagnets (210a, 210b) are mounted on the electronic transport device (200) through the upper structure (211a, 211b) of the electronic transport device (200) and can be controlled on / off by a processor (not shown) to quickly lift or unload the electromagnets (210a, 210b) from the lower surface of the item container. According to one embodiment, the upper structure (211a, 211b) may be implemented as an elastic member coupled to each of at least one electromagnet (210a, 210b) so that the height of each of at least one electromagnet (210a, 210b) can be extended or compressed in a direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the electronic transport device (200). For example, the elastic member may include a coil spring, a leaf spring, an elastomer series (e.g., a rubber bush, a urethane bumper, a silicone elastomer, etc.), a pneumatic or hydraulic spring, and various other metal elastomers.

[0078] According to one embodiment, a driving unit (216) that performs driving operations based on a control signal from a processor (160) may be provided on the lower surface of the electronic transport device (200). According to one embodiment, in addition to the driving unit (216) capable of providing driving force to the electronic transport device (200), auxiliary wheels (214a, 214b) may be additionally provided on the lower surface of the electronic transport device (200), and these auxiliary wheels (214a, 214b) serve to ensure driving stability and enable the electronic transport device (200) to move smoothly. The auxiliary wheels (214a, 214b) may be positioned on both sides of the wheel included in the driving unit (216) and / or in any space in front and behind.

[0079] According to one embodiment, the electronic transport device (200) may include a plurality of scanners (212a, 212b) disposed on an upper surface and a lower surface. According to one embodiment, with reference to FIG. 2, a first scanner (212a) disposed to have a scan axis in a vertical direction on the upper surface of the electronic transport device (200) and a second scanner (212b) disposed to have a scan axis in a vertical direction on the lower surface of the electronic transport device (200) are illustrated as examples.

[0080] According to one embodiment, the first field of view (218a) of the first scanner (212a) may be defined as a range in which the first scanner (212a) can scan. The electronic carrier (200) may be aligned with the electronic carrier (200) by moving into the lower space of the item container. Accordingly, the first scanner (212a) positioned on the upper surface of the electronic carrier (200) may be configured to scan a first code symbology positioned on the lower surface of the item container within the first field of view (218a).

[0081] According to one embodiment, the second field of view (218b) of the second scanner (212b) may be defined as the range in which the second scanner (212b) can scan. According to one embodiment, the second scanner (212b) may be positioned to have the second field of view (218b). According to one embodiment, the second scanner (212b) may scan a second code symbology and / or floor line marking, etc. attached to the floor surface or adjacent area of ​​the space in which the electronic carrier (200) can move, and the processor (160) may control the drive unit (216) to perform operations for accurately determining the location of the electronic carrier (200) and following the driving path based on the information obtained through the second scanner (212b).

[0082]

[0083] FIG. 3 illustrates a plan view of an electronic transport device (300) and an item container (350) according to one embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 3 shows the upper and lower surfaces of the electronic transport device (300) and the lower surface of the item container (350) in a state where the item container (350) and the electronic transport device (300) are aligned and combined according to one embodiment. The electronic transport device (300) of FIG. 3 may correspond to the electronic transport device (100) of FIG. 1.

[0084] Referring to FIG. 3, the electronic carrier (300) is located in the lower space of the item container (350) and is preferably aligned with the item container (350) and can be combined. According to one embodiment, at least one electromagnet (310a, 310b) is exemplarily disposed on the upper surface of the electronic carrier (300) to be combined with the lower surface of the item container (350). According to one embodiment, the position where the at least one electromagnet (310a, 310b) is combined with the lower surface of the item container (350) is structurally predetermined, and the processor (160) can determine whether the electronic carrier (300) is located at this predetermined position based on information obtained from at least some of the plurality of scanners (312a, 312b, 312c). According to one embodiment, at least one electromagnet (310a, 310b) forms a magnetic field according to the control of the current applied from the power supply module (120) and is coupled to a predetermined position on the lower surface of the item container (350), so that the electronic carrier (300) can be configured to be coupled to the item container (350) without an additional physical fastening structure.

[0085] According to one embodiment, the electronic carrier (300) may include a plurality of scanners (312a, 312b, 312c). According to one embodiment, the plurality of scanners (312a, 312b, 312c) may scan first and second code symbologies. According to one embodiment, the plurality of scanners (312a, 312b, 312c) may include a first scanner disposed on the lower surface of an item container (350) to scan a first code symbology on the upper surface of the electronic carrier (300), and a second scanner disposed in a space where the electronic carrier (300) can move to scan a second code symbology on the lower surface of the electronic carrier (300).

[0086] According to one embodiment, the first scanner and the second scanner may be positioned to face the upper and lower surfaces at the locations of the plurality of scanners (312a, 312b, 312c) of FIG. 3. According to another embodiment, the positions of the first scanner and the second scanner may be positioned to face the upper and lower surfaces at the middle position among the locations of the plurality of scanners (312a, 312b, 312c) of FIG. 3, and may be positioned to face the upper and / or lower surfaces at the remaining positions. According to yet another embodiment, the positions of the first scanner and the second scanner may be positioned to face the upper and / or lower surfaces at each of the locations of the plurality of scanners (312a, 312b, 312c) of FIG. 3. According to one embodiment, the processor (160) may control the electronic carrier (100) to move to the lower space of the item container (350) or follow a driving path so that the first code symbology and / or the second code symbology are scanned by the first scanner and the second scanner located in the middle of the plurality of scanners (312a, 312b, 312c) of the electronic carrier (100). Accordingly, based on the field of view of each of the plurality of scanners (312a, 312b, 312c), the first scanner and the second scanner may each be positioned to scan the first code symbology and / or the second code symbology. According to one embodiment, the field of view of the first scanner and the second scanner may be the same or different depending on the position of the plurality of scanners (312a, 312b, 312c). According to one embodiment, the field of view of the first scanner and / or second scanner (312c) located in the middle among the plurality of scanners (312a, 312b, 312c) may be less than or equal to the field of view of the first scanner and / or second scanner (312a, 312b) located in the remaining positions.According to one embodiment, the resolution of the first scanner and / or second scanner (312c) located in the middle among the plurality of scanners (312a, 312b, 312c) may be greater than or equal to the resolution of the first scanner and / or second scanner (312a, 312b) located in the remaining positions.

[0087] According to one embodiment, auxiliary wheels (314a, 314b, 314c, 314d) are arranged near each corner of the electronic transport device (300) to improve the driving stability of the electronic transport device (300).

[0088] According to one embodiment, driving units (316a, 316b) may be disposed on both sides of the center of the electronic transport device (300), and through these driving units (316a, 316b), the electronic transport device (300) performs movements such as forward, backward, and rotation. Under the control of the processor (160), the driving units (316a, 316b) can move the electronic transport device (300) along a desired driving path, and an item container (350) can be transported to a destination set based on information obtained through the scanning operation of a plurality of scanners (312a, 312b, 312c) and / or information received from an external electronic device (e.g., a server managing a fulfillment center).

[0089] According to one embodiment, wheels (352a, 352b, 352c, 352d) are mounted near each corner of the item container (350). In the process of the item container (350) being transported based on an external force provided by the electronic transport device (300), the wheels (352a, 352b, 352c, 352d) can provide driving stability for the item container (350). According to one embodiment, the wheels (352a, 352b, 352c, 352d) can be utilized when a worker manually attaches the item container (350) to the electronic transport device (300) or when moving the item container (350) using separate equipment.

[0090] According to one embodiment, each wheel (352a, 352b, 352c, 352d) may rotate while having a turning radius (354). According to one embodiment, the electronic transport device (300) may have a size that does not hinder transport due to the turning radius (354) of each wheel (352a, 352b, 352c, 352d). That is, the size of the housing of the electronic transport device (300) may be determined by considering the space requirements according to the turning radius (354) of the wheels (352a, 352b, 352c, 352d). According to one embodiment, depending on the type of item container (350), the space requirements according to the turning radius (354) of each wheel (352a, 352b, 352c, 352d) may differ, and this may be pre-set and stored in a database of a server. According to one embodiment, the relationship between the space requirements for each type of item container (350) and the type of electronic transport device (300) corresponding to each type may be pre-set and stored in a database of a server. According to one embodiment, the transport request signal may include information indicating the type of item container (350), and an electronic transport device (300) having an appropriate size accordingly may be called.

[0091] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method according to one embodiment.

[0092] Referring to FIG. 4, an electronic transport device (100) according to one embodiment may receive a transport request signal from a server in step S410. The transport request signal may include information about a first location where the electronic transport device (100) has placed the item container for which transport is requested. According to one embodiment, the space where items received at the fulfillment center are loaded into the item container may be designated as a plurality of locations, and the server may determine a first location among the plurality of locations where the item container for which transport is requested by the worker terminal and / or server is waiting, and transmit a transport request signal including first location information indicating such first location to the electronic transport device (100).

[0093] According to one embodiment, the electronic carrier (100) may move to a first location determined based on a transport request signal in step S420. According to one embodiment, the process of the electronic carrier (100) moving to the first location may involve scanning a second code symbology. According to one embodiment, the transport request signal may include identification information of a second code symbology corresponding to the first location to which the electronic carrier (100) must move. That is, the electronic carrier (100) may determine that it has arrived at the first location by scanning the second code symbology placed at the first location. According to one embodiment, the electronic carrier (100) may share whether the conditions for proceeding with the work process after arriving at the first location are satisfied by transmitting information indicating arrival to a server and / or a worker terminal.

[0094] In step S430, the electronic carrier (100) may be coupled to the lower surface of an item container located at a first position by applying current to at least one electromagnet placed on the upper surface of the electronic carrier according to one embodiment.

[0095] In step S440, the electronic transport device (100) may perform a series of processes to transport an item container to a second location, which is the destination, according to one embodiment (step S440). According to one embodiment, second location information indicating the second location may be included in a first code symbology placed on the bottom surface of the item container to which the electronic transport device (100) is attached. That is, in this embodiment, a second location, which is a predetermined loading location, may exist for each item container, and since second location information indicating this second location may be included in the first code symbology placed on the bottom surface of each item container, the second location information may be omitted from the transmission and reception process between the electronic transport device (100) and the server, thereby reducing the complexity of use. According to another embodiment, second location information indicating the second location may be included in the transport request signal received by the electronic transport device (100) from the server in step S410. A first code symbology placed on the bottom surface of each item container may include identification information of the item container, and the server may check the current location of each item container and the loading status of other item containers in the loading space based on this identification information of the item container. Based on the results of this check, the server may transmit a transport request signal to an electronic transport device (100) that includes second location information determined as the optimal space for loading the item container requested for transport.

[0096] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the combination process between an electronic carrier and an item container according to one embodiment. The electronic carrier (500) of FIG. 5 may correspond to the electronic carrier (100) of FIG. 1.

[0097] Referring to FIG. 5, an electronic carrier (500) according to one embodiment is aligned with the item container (510) so that at least one electromagnet (502a, 502b) placed on the upper surface is appropriately coupled to at least one recession (504a, 504b) formed on the lower surface of the item container.

[0098] According to one embodiment, it can be seen in FIG. 5 that the electronic transport device (500) is before moving into the lower space of the item container (510). At least one electromagnet (502a, 502b) is disposed on the upper surface of the electronic transport device (500) such that a magnetic field is formed when current is applied, thereby enabling the item container (510) to be coupled. Since the lower surface of various conventional item containers (510) is made of a metallic material capable of being coupled to at least one electromagnet (502a, 502b), the at least one electromagnet (502a, 502b) can be coupled to the item container (510) based on a fixing force capable of transporting the item container (510) even without an additional coupling structure. In addition, at least one recumbent (504a, 504b) may be formed on the lower surface of the item container (510) at a position corresponding to the position of at least one electromagnet (502a, 502b), and this may serve as a position reference point to allow the electronic carrier (500) to be accurately aligned with the item container (510). That is, the at least one recumbent (504a, 504b) may be configured as an area where at least one electromagnet (502a, 502b) is coupled to the item container (510), and after at least one electromagnet (502a, 502b) is inserted into the at least one recumbent (504a, 504b), current is applied to stably combine with the item container (510) to minimize shaking or error.

[0099] According to one embodiment, as the electronic carrier (500) enters the lower space of the item container (510), a plurality of scanners of the electronic carrier (500) may scan the first code symbology and the second code symbology. According to one embodiment, the first code symbology of the lower surface of the item container (510) may be scanned based on the first field of view (558a) of the first scanner. According to one embodiment, the first code symbology may be positioned at the exact center of the lower surface of the item container (510). At least one recession (504a, 504b) may be positioned at a symmetrical location with respect to the first code symbology as a reference point. If, based on information obtained by the first scanner, it is determined that the first code symbology is scanned in an area within an error range relative to the exact center of the first field of view (558a), the processor (160) may determine that the electronic carrier (500) is aligned with the item container (510).

[0100] Referring to FIG. 5, the height of the bottom surface of the item container (510) can be set lower than the maximum height of at least one electromagnet (502a, 502b) mounted on the electronic carrier (500). In this situation, since at least one electromagnet (502a, 502b) is mounted on the electronic carrier (500) via an elastic member, the height of at least one electromagnet (502a, 502b) is compressed to match the height of the bottom surface of the item container (510) during the process of the electronic carrier (500) moving into the lower space of the item container (510).

[0101] According to one embodiment, the electronic carrier (500) moves in an alignment direction by scanning a second code symbology in the lower space of the item container (510) and is inserted into at least one recession (504a, 504b) corresponding to at least one electromagnet (502a, 502b). At least one recession (504a, 504b) is a concave part capable of accommodating at least one electromagnet (502a, 502b), and when at least one electromagnet (502a, 502b) is aligned with at least one recession (504a, 504b), the compressed elastic member is extended by elastic restoring force and gently settles into the recession.

[0102] According to one embodiment, in order to determine whether at least one electromagnet (502a, 502b) is inserted into at least one recession (504a, 504b), the processor (160) may collect information indicating a change pattern of the current flowing through at least one electromagnet (502a, 502b). If the surrounding environment of at least one electromagnet (502a, 502b), particularly the arrangement state of the metal member or magnetic material, changes, the inductance and impedance of at least one electromagnet (502a, 502b) change, and the pattern of the current flowing under the applied voltage under the same conditions may also change. For example, the current flowing through at least one electromagnet (502a, 502b) during the process of inserting at least one electromagnet (502a, 502b) into at least one recession (504a, 504b) may exhibit a characteristic change pattern. The processor (160) can monitor these current changes in real time and determine whether at least one electromagnet (502a, 502b) is inserted within at least one recession (504a, 504b) or inserted and then removed again by comparing it with a predefined reference current profile.

[0103] According to one embodiment, the second field of view (558b) of the second scanner allows the position of the electronic carrier (500) to be precisely determined by scanning the second code symbology placed on the floor surface of the movable space, etc. According to one embodiment, the electronic carrier (500) can move by controlling the driving unit (110) based on the information obtained from the second scanner so as to be accurately aligned on the second code symbology of the destination to be moved to.

[0104] According to one embodiment, the electronic carrier (500) can determine whether at least some of the at least one electromagnet (502a, 502b) of the electronic carrier (500) is not normally inserted into at least one recession (504a, 504b) of the lower surface of the item container (510). To determine whether at least some of the at least one electromagnet (502a, 502b) is not normally inserted into at least one recession (504a, 504b), the electronic carrier (500) can utilize information regarding the extent to which an elastic member coupled to each of the at least one electromagnet (502a, 502b) is compressed or stretched.

[0105] For example, in each of the at least one electromagnet (502a, 502b) provided in the electronic carrier (500), an elastic member such as a spring or elastomer capable of being compressed and extended in the vertical direction is disposed in addition to the coil and magnetic part, and when the at least one electromagnet (502a, 502b) is normally inserted into the recession, the elastic member may exhibit a pattern of being compressed within a certain range and then extended again, or a characteristic may appear in which the scanned height is stabilized at a point that exactly corresponds to the depth inside the recession. On the other hand, if at least some of the at least one electromagnet (502a, 502b) is not inserted at all, or only slightly overlapping the edge of the recession, the pattern of change in length due to the compression and extension of the elastic member may differ from the pattern of change when normally inserted. For example, the change pattern may show an excessively large or very small change in height, or other variation patterns.

[0106] According to one embodiment, the electronic carrier (500) may determine whether at least one electromagnet (502a, 502b) has entered into at least one recession (504a, 504b) and stabilized by placing a sensor on at least one electromagnet (502a, 502b) and / or placing a sensor capable of measuring a change in the length of the elastic member to measure the compression and extension distance of the elastic member, or by analyzing a history of height changes accumulated at regular time intervals. According to one embodiment, if a continuously compressed state is maintained or a state in which it has not been sufficiently extended after compression is detected, the electronic carrier (500) may determine that at least a part of at least one electromagnet (502a, 502b) has not been properly inserted into at least one recession (504a, 504b) and may configure control logic to perform position correction operations or output a warning message.

[0107] According to one embodiment, the electronic carrier (500) can determine whether it is properly aligned with the item container (510) based on the position where the first code symbology is scanned within the first viewing angle (558a), and after such determination, it can perform an operation (e.g., linear movement and rotational movement, etc.) to insert at least one electromagnet (502a, 502b) into at least one recession (504a, 504b).

[0108] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a process in which an electronic transport device (600) combines with an item container and performs a transport process using a plurality of scanners according to one embodiment. The electronic transport device (600) of FIG. 6 may correspond to the electronic transport device (100) of FIG. 1.

[0109] Referring to FIG. 6, the electronic transport device (600) moves to the lower space of the item container (650), combines with the item container (650), and then performs a series of processes to move to a second location where the item container (650) is to be transported. The electronic transport device (600) is equipped with a first scanner (612a) and a second scanner (612b), the first scanner (612a) has a first field of view (618a), and the second scanner (612b) has a second field of view (618b), and can scan the first code symbology (660) and the second code symbology (620) on the upper surface and the lower surface, respectively.

[0110] According to one embodiment, a first code symbology (660) may be placed on the lower surface of an item container (650), thereby allowing the electronic transport device (600) to obtain identification information of the item container (650), second location information to be transported, etc. While moving into the lower space of the container (650), the electronic transport device (600) scans the first code symbology (660) through a first scanner (612a), and based on the scanned location, the electronic transport device (600) can determine the relative positional relationship with the item container (650) and determine whether they are aligned with each other.

[0111] Additionally, the electronic carrier (600) can also recognize a second code symbology (620) placed on the floor or in the surrounding environment. The second code symbology (620) is information for tracking the path, verifying the current location, and determining the direction and distance for moving to a target location. For each second code symbology (620), designated coordinate information and / or relative positional relationships between each second code symbology (620) may be established and stored in a database of the electronic carrier (600) and / or server. The processor (160) can control the driving path of the electronic carrier (600) by comprehensively analyzing the first location information, the second location information, the second code symbology (620), and the driving path information of the item container (650) established based on the second code symbology (620).

[0112] FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart for transporting an item container through communication with a worker terminal (700) at a first location, a server (710), and an electronic transport device (720) according to one embodiment. The electronic transport device (720) of FIG. 7 may correspond to the electronic transport device (100) of FIG. 1.

[0113] In step S700, the operator can input basic information for requesting the transport of an item container through the operator terminal (700). For example, the information may include the location where the item container to be transported is waiting (i.e., the first location), the location where the item container to be transported (i.e., the second location), the type of the item container to be transported, and / or the characteristics of the loaded items.

[0114] In step S702, the worker terminal (700) can request the transport of an item container by transmitting the information entered in step S700 to the server (710). The server (710) can receive this request and generate a transport request signal to be transmitted to the electronic transport device (720) based on the received information.

[0115] In step S704, the server (710) may transmit a transport request signal to the electronic transport device (720) instructing it to move to a first location where an item container is currently waiting, based on information received from the worker terminal (700). According to one embodiment, the server (710) may determine which of the plurality of electronic transport devices to transmit the transport request signal to, based on the current location of the electronic transport device (720), the driving path to the first location, and / or current availability. For example, the server (710) may transmit the transport request signal to the electronic transport device (720) among the currently operable electronic transport devices that has the shortest time required to move from the current location to the first location or consumes the least amount of battery power to move to the first location.

[0116] In step S706, the electronic carrier (720) may begin moving to a first location according to the first location information included in the transport request signal received from the server (710).

[0117] In step S708, when the electronic transport device (720) is driving or is approaching a first location, it may transmit its current location and current status information to the server (710). Through this, the server (710) can monitor the driving status, route deviation, and remaining battery level of the electronic transport device (720) in real time to quickly respond to error situations. According to one embodiment, upon a request from the worker terminal (700), the server (710) may also share the information regarding the current location, driving status, etc. received from the electronic transport device (720) with the worker terminal (700).

[0118] In step S710, the electronic carrier (720) can determine that it has arrived at the first location by determining that the second code symbology placed at the first location has been scanned within a predetermined range of the second field of view of the second scanner (212b), and can initiate the process of identifying and combining the item container to be transported by determining that the first code symbology attached to the bottom surface of the item container has been scanned within a predetermined range of the first field of view of the first scanner (212a).

[0119] In step S712, the electronic carrier (720) can be coupled to the lower surface of the item container by applying current to the at least one electromagnet (130) after the elastic member with at least one electromagnet (130) attached moves in a compressed state and the at least one electromagnet (130) is inserted into at least one recession (504a, 504b) on the lower surface of the item container.

[0120] In step S714, if it is determined that the electronic transport device (720) has been successfully coupled with the item container, information indicating this can be transmitted to the server (710). If the coupling fails or does not enter within the error range, a retry or error handling can be performed. According to one embodiment, the server (710) can also transmit information indicating that the electronic transport device (720) has been successfully coupled with the item container to the worker terminal (700) at the first location. Through this, the worker terminal (700) of the worker working at the first location can display a message to recognize that the item container requested for transport will be successfully coupled with the electronic transport device (720) and transported, thereby allowing the worker to recognize that the next task can proceed. Additionally, the worker can check the transport progress in real time through the terminal and issue additional instructions if necessary.

[0121] In step S720, the electronic transport device (720) can determine a driving path and / or a driving plan based on information regarding a destination location (i.e., second location information) included in the first code symbology scanned by the first scanner (212a) (and / or additional information received from the server (710)). The processor (160) can control the components included in the electronic transport device (720) by determining an appropriate driving speed, path, and turning angle, taking into account the item container weight, size, type, and surrounding environment. According to one embodiment, the server (710) can predetermine a driving path from a first location to a second location and transmit it to the electronic transport device (720), and the electronic transport device (720) may perform driving based on this.

[0122] In step S722, the electronic transport device (720) can be moved to a second position and separated from the item container. When the electronic transport device (720) cuts off the current supply to at least one electromagnet (130), the magnetic field disappears, allowing the item container to be safely separated. Subsequently, information that the transport operation is completed is transmitted to the server (710), and the server (710) can provide a transport completion notification to the worker terminal (700).

[0123] In step S724, the electronic transport device (720) notifies the server (710) that the item container has successfully arrived at the second location, which is the destination, and is in a separated state, and the server (710) can transmit this to the worker terminal (700). Through this, the entire transport process is completed, and the electronic transport device (720) can be switched to a standby state for the next transport operation or instructed to perform other tasks.

[0124] According to one embodiment, if the balance between the electronic transport device (100) and the container is disrupted due to a collision with an obstacle or sudden rotation or stop during the process of transporting the electronic transport device (100) by using at least one electromagnet (130) in conjunction with the lower surface of the item container, there is a possibility that safety accidents such as the overturning of the container or damage to the transport device may occur. According to one embodiment, in order to minimize the risk of the electronic transport device (100) overturning or being damaged due to events such as collisions occurring during the process of moving while combined with the item container, the item container can be quickly separated by cutting off the current supplied to at least one electromagnet (130) when a predetermined condition is satisfied.

[0125] According to one embodiment, the electronic carrier (100) may collect or analyze various information related to the current flowing through at least one electromagnet (130) in real time to determine whether one or more predetermined conditions based on a threshold size and a threshold rate of change are satisfied. If the predetermined conditions related to the current flowing through at least one electromagnet (130) are satisfied, the electronic carrier (100) may, according to one embodiment, control the power supply module (120) to cut off the current flowing through at least one electromagnet (130). In relation to the predetermined conditions, if the electronic carrier (100) detects that the magnitude of the current applied to at least one electromagnet (130) increases rapidly by more than a certain rate within a short period of time, or that the relative position between at least one electromagnet (130) and the item container is significantly misaligned due to a physical collision, the processor (160) may detect this and immediately issue a command to the power supply module (120) to stop the power supply. For example, if the inductance of at least one electromagnet (130) changes suddenly and excessive ripple or abnormal fluctuation appears in the current waveform, the processor (160) considers it an “abnormal state” such as a collision and can be separated from the item container by cutting off the current flowing through at least one electromagnet (130).

[0126] In addition, this current-based control method has the technical advantage of being able to monitor dangerous situations in real time without the need for separate mechanical release devices or complex sensors. When the electronic carrier (100) rotates at a speed exceeding a certain limit or when an unexpected collision occurs from the outside, the center of gravity of the item container and the load distribution of the electronic carrier (100) change rapidly, and as a result, the likelihood of the electromagnet current exceeding the critical range increases. The processor (160) quickly detects these changes and executes a series of safety algorithms to release the item container coupling, thereby reducing the risk of overturning and damage. Once at least one electromagnet (130) is disconnected, the container can immediately fall off the upper surface of the electronic carrier (100), which can prevent the entire carrier from tipping over due to weight imbalance in some situations.

[0127] According to one embodiment, an electronic transport device (100) separated from an item container due to collision detection, etc., can determine whether the item container can be transported by checking its current state, and can proceed with a reassembly process to transport the item container. According to one embodiment, the reassembly process may be a process corresponding to the process of combining with the item container at the first position described in the various embodiments above. According to one embodiment, an item container to be reassembled can be detected based on information obtained by a plurality of scanners (150), and if the item container is identified, reassembly is initiated. According to one embodiment, if the item container to be reassembled is in a state where transport is impossible due to collision, etc., or if the item container is not identified based on information obtained by a plurality of scanners (150), the electronic transport device (100) may output a warning message. Regarding the method of outputting the warning message, the method of the embodiment described in FIG. 11 may be used, so it will be described later.

[0128] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the process of an electronic transport device (800) combining with an item container at a first location and transporting the item container to a second location according to one embodiment. The electronic transport device (800) of FIG. 8 may correspond to the electronic transport device (100) of FIG. 1.

[0129] According to one embodiment, the electronic transport device (800) may receive a transport request signal for an item container (824) from a server. The transport request signal received by the electronic transport device (800) may include information related to a first location (820) where the item container (824) is waiting. According to one embodiment, the electronic transport device (800) may, based on the transport request signal, move to a location placed in a second code symbology within the first location (820) where the item container (824) is waiting, and begin transporting the item container (824). The process of the electronic transport device (800) moving to the first location may be performed according to the embodiments described above.

[0130] According to one embodiment, a first location (820) where an item container (824) can wait may be one of the predetermined locations where items are received at a fulfillment center and a worker loads items into the item container (824). According to one embodiment, first location information within the first location (820) where the electronic transport device (800) must move to transport the item container (824) may be included in the transport request signal. According to one embodiment, the process of the electronic transport device (800) attaching to the item container (824) may be performed according to the embodiments described above.

[0131] According to one embodiment, an electronic transport device (800) combined with an item container (824) can drive to a second location (840) where the item container (824) is to be transported while scanning a plurality of second code symbologies placed in a drivable space. According to one embodiment, the process of the electronic transport device (800) combined with the item container (824) driving to the second location (840) from a first location can be performed according to the embodiments described above.

[0132] According to one embodiment, the electronic carrier (800) may determine whether it has arrived at the second location (840) based on whether it has scanned a second code symbology attached to the second location (840) and / or whether it has satisfied a predetermined condition based on the current flowing through at least one electromagnet. According to one embodiment, the predetermined condition based on the current flowing through at least one electromagnet may include a condition regarding whether a change in the current flowing through at least one electromagnet corresponds to a predetermined change. A method for determining whether the electronic carrier (800) has arrived at the second location (840) according to one embodiment will be described later with reference to FIG. 9. If the electronic transport device (800) scans the second code symbology attached to the second position (840) and satisfies a predetermined condition based on the current flowing through at least one electromagnet, it can determine that it has arrived normally at the second position (840) and that the item container (842) is properly secured to the loading frame (850), and can move to initiate the next operation following the transport process of the item container (842).

[0133] FIG. 9 is a drawing illustrating the process of an electronic carrier (900) placing an item container (950) on a loading frame (952) positioned at a second location according to one embodiment. The electronic carrier (900), item container (950), and loading frame (952) of FIG. 9 may correspond to the electronic carrier (800), item container (824), and loading frame (850) of FIG. 8. According to one embodiment, the electronic carrier (900) may scan a second code symbology (920) at a second location using a plurality of scanners (932a, 932b, 932c). The location of the second code symbology (920) at the second location may correspond to a predetermined location where the second scanner among the plurality of scanners (932a, 932b, 932c) can scan within the field of view when the electronic carrier (900) arrives at the second location and the item container (950) is properly placed on the loading frame (952). The method of the second scanner among the plurality of scanners (932a, 932b, 932c) scanning the second code symbology may be performed according to the above-described embodiment.

[0134] According to one embodiment, the loading frame (952) may provide a plurality of storage spaces in which a plurality of item containers, including an item container (950), can be stacked, and at least one magnetic element (954a, 954b) capable of fixing the item container (950) may be disposed in each storage space. According to one embodiment, the item container (950) may include at least one magnetic element (902a, 902b) capable of being coupled with at least one magnetic element (954a, 954b) disposed in each storage space when properly transported to a second location. According to one embodiment, the at least one magnetic element (902a, 902b) and / or at least one magnetic element (954a, 954b) may include various types of magnets such as permanent magnets, such as neodymium (NdFeB) magnets, ferrite magnets, Alnico (AlNiCo) magnets, and / or electromagnets.

[0135] According to one embodiment, if at least one magnetic element (902a, 902b) and / or at least one magnetic element (954a, 954b) is an electromagnet, when the item container (950) arrives at a second location by the electronic carrier (900), the server may receive information that the electronic carrier (900) has scanned the second code symbology. When the server receives information that the second code symbology has been scanned, the server may transmit information that the second code symbology has been scanned to an electronic device capable of controlling at least one magnetic element (954a, 954b) of the loading frame (952), and accordingly, may apply current to at least one magnetic element (954a, 954b) to combine at least one magnetic element (902a, 902b) with at least one magnetic element (954a, 954b). According to one embodiment, the item container (950) may be equipped with a current supply module and / or a processor capable of controlling the application of current to at least one magnetic element (902a, 902b). According to one embodiment, the item container (950) may receive information from a server that a second code symbology has been scanned and apply current to at least one magnetic element (902a, 902b) to combine at least one magnetic element (902a, 902b) with at least one magnetic element (954a, 954b).

[0136] According to one embodiment, when at least one magnetic element (902a, 902b) and at least one magnetic element (954a, 954b) are combined, the electronic transport device (900) can determine whether a predetermined condition related to the change in current flowing through at least one electromagnet is satisfied based on the current flowing through at least one electromagnet that changes based on the external force therefrom. According to one embodiment, if the electronic transport device (900) moves to a second location and scans a second code symbology and satisfies a predetermined condition related to the change in current flowing through at least one electromagnet, the process of transporting the item container (950) to the second location can be terminated and the next operation can be performed.

[0137] According to one embodiment, the electronic carrier (900) may additionally adopt a load cell-based measurement technique, a strain gauge technique, an electromagnetic sensor-based measurement technique, and / or a non-contact laser displacement measurement method and may be equipped with at least one additional sensor required therefor. Based on information obtained through this additional sensor, the electronic carrier (900) may arrive at a second location and determine whether at least one magnetic element (902a, 902b) of the item container (950) has combined with at least one magnetic element (954a, 954b) on the loading frame (952).

[0138] FIG. 10 illustrates a flowchart of calling an underloaded item container from a loading frame and transporting it back to a loading frame after additionally loading items, through communication with a worker terminal (1000) at a first location, a server (1010), and an electronic transport device (1020) according to one embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 10 exemplarily illustrates a series of steps in which, when the server (1010) determines that any item container (e.g., an item container stored in a loading frame) is underloaded, information that additional loading is required is transmitted to the electronic transport device (1020), and the electronic transport device (1020) picks up the item container and transports it to a specific location.

[0139] In step S1002, the server (1010) may receive an additional loading signal containing information that additional loading is required for any item container from an inventory system or a worker terminal (1000) within a fulfillment center, according to one embodiment. According to one embodiment, the worker carrying the worker terminal (1000) may be a worker performing work at a first location (820) where items are loaded into an item container as described in FIG. 8, or a worker performing other work at a location where a loading frame (850) is placed. According to one embodiment, the additional loading signal may include at least one of information that there is an underloaded item container that is not loaded sufficiently, the location of the underloaded item container (i.e., a third location), and identification information of the underloaded item container.

[0140] In step S1004, the electronic transport device (1020) can determine a third location where the underloaded item container is located based on an additional loading signal and move to the third location. The electronic transport device (1020) can move to the third location using a plurality of scanners and a drive unit included in the electronic transport device (1020) under the control of a processor. The method of the electronic transport device (1020) moving to the third location can be implemented through the various embodiments described above.

[0141] In step S1006, when the electronic transport device (1020) arrives at a third position according to one embodiment, it is coupled to the lower surface of an underloaded item container using at least one electromagnet positioned on the upper part of the electronic transport device (1020). At this time, if a recession formed on the lower surface of the container exists, the electromagnet can be aligned and coupled by extending or compressing in a vertical direction together with an elastic member. The method of the electronic transport device (1020) coupling with the underloaded item container can be implemented through the various embodiments described above.

[0142] In step S1008, the electronic transport device (1020) transmits information to the server (1010) indicating that the combination with the underloaded item container has been successfully completed according to one embodiment. Through this, the server (1010) recognizes that the item container has been successfully picked up by the electronic transport device (1020) and can adjust the entire logistics process to proceed with subsequent steps (e.g., moving to a first location, starting a loading operation, etc.).

[0143] In step S1010, the server (1010), according to one embodiment, transmits to the worker terminal (1000) that the electronic transport device (1020) is moving to a first location with the unloaded item container attached. Through this, the worker terminal (1000) can monitor the current transport status in real time, and the worker can prepare for additional loading or other logistics operations in advance. That is, the server (1010) transmits the movement status information of the unloaded item container received from the electronic transport device (1020) to the worker terminal (1000), thereby ensuring that the entire logistics process is efficiently interconnected.

[0144] According to one embodiment, the electronic transport device (1020) transmits information on the movement status of an underloaded item container to a server (1010), then re-checks the operation of the drive unit or the scanner status through a processor, and prepares to move to a first location (or another target point).

[0145] According to one embodiment, the electronic transport device (1020) transports an underloaded item container combined according to one embodiment to a first location. The first location is one of a plurality of locations included in a place where a worker loads items, and may exist in a place where the worker loading items can perform additional loading on the underloaded item container.

[0146] According to one embodiment, the electronic transport device (1020) may be determined based on information such as a first location information included in an additional loading signal received from a server (1010) or information that can be obtained through scanning a first code symbology at the bottom of an underloaded item container.

[0147] When the electronic transport device (1020) arrives at the first location in step S1012, in step S1014, the worker terminal (1000) can input detailed information required for the additional loading and transport request of the underloaded item container. For example, the worker can input information about the items to be additionally loaded or the final destination where the underloaded item container must be transported in the future.

[0148] According to one embodiment, information entered by the worker terminal (1000) in step S1014 is transmitted to the server (1010) in step S1016. In step S1018, the server (1010) transmits a transport request signal for an underloaded item container to the electronic transport device (1020). The electronic transport device (1020) may be in a separated state or in a state where it remains connected to the underloaded item container. The method of the electronic transport device (1020) receiving the transport request signal, moving to a first position, and transporting the underloaded item container to a loading frame can be implemented through the various embodiments described above.

[0149] In step S1020, the electronic transport device (1020) can transport the underloaded item container to a third location, which is the destination, and then be separated from the underloaded item container. The process of arriving at the destination of transport and separating from the underloaded item container can be implemented through the various embodiments described above.

[0150] In step S1022, the electronic transport device (1020) can transmit information to the server (1010) indicating that the underloaded item container has arrived at the third location and has been properly connected to the loading frame and stored.

[0151] In this way, according to the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 10, the server (1010), the electronic transport device (1020), and the worker terminal (1000) cooperate with each other to recognize underloaded item containers stored in the loading frame and easily process additional transport requests to perform loading operations. Through this, the logistics and loading processes within the fulfillment center are made efficient, and stable operation is possible with minimal human intervention.

[0152]

[0153] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a process for performing a position correction operation when an electronic carrier (100) fails to combine with an item container according to one embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 11 illustrates a flowchart of a series of operations included in a position correction operation that an electronic carrier (100) can perform when the electronic carrier (100) fails to combine normally despite having performed the combination process with an item container through various embodiments.

[0154] In step S1100, the electronic carrier (100) initiates a coupling process for an item container waiting at a first position according to one embodiment. Since the method of the electronic carrier (100) moving to the first position to combine with the item container can be performed by the embodiments described above, a detailed description is omitted.

[0155] In step S1102, the electronic carrier (100) can determine whether at least some of at least one electromagnet (130) is inserted into at least one recession.

[0156] According to one embodiment, the electronic transport device (100) determines the relative positional relationship between a first code symbology attached to the bottom of an item container and a second code symbology within a driving space through a plurality of scanners (150), and determines whether at least one electromagnet (130) is preferably aligned with at least one recession placed at the bottom of the item container. According to one embodiment, the electronic transport device (100) can estimate whether at least one electromagnet (130) and at least one recession are aligned and preferably inserted by analyzing the relative positional relationship between the first code symbology placed at the bottom of the item container and a plurality of scanners of the electronic transport device (100) (e.g., a first scanner and a second scanner). Specifically, the electronic carrier (100) can determine whether a first code symbology attached to the bottom of an item container is scanned within a specific angle and a specific distance range based on information scanned in a first field of view range of a first scanner and a second field of view range of a second scanner, and / or whether the deviation between the center position of at least one recession and the center position of the electronic carrier (100) is included within a predetermined threshold deviation, thereby estimating whether at least one electromagnet (130) is preferably inserted into each of at least one recession.

[0157] Additionally, the electronic carrier (100) can determine whether at least one electromagnet (130) has been preferably inserted into at least one recession when the current applied to at least one electromagnet (130) corresponds to a predetermined change pattern (e.g., stabilization speed at a specific current level, phase change, etc.) that matches a normal insertion scenario. For example, the electronic carrier (100) determines whether at least one electromagnet (130) has been normally inserted into at least one recession by considering (i) that the coil impedance changes as it approaches the bottom surface of the item container (or at least one recession) around at least one electromagnet (130), causing the current flowing relative to the applied voltage to change in a manner different from the reference profile, and (ii) that when at least one electromagnet (130) is preferably aligned with at least one recession, a specific signature may appear, such as the time taken to stabilize the current becoming shorter or longer compared to when it is not aligned.

[0158] According to one embodiment, the electronic carrier (100) can read a second code symbology placed in a drivable space (e.g., attached to the floor and / or wall of the drivable space) to more precisely correct the current position and direction. Since the second code symbology contains pre-assigned position information, when the second scanner recognizes the second code symbology, the processor (160) determines the absolute coordinate system within the drivable space of the electronic carrier (100) and cross-verifies the relative positional relationship with the item container determined based on the scan result of the first code symbology, thereby determining whether the electronic carrier (100) is preferably aligned with the item container and whether at least one electromagnet (130) is inserted into at least one recession.

[0159] According to one embodiment, if it is determined that at least one electromagnet (130) is not properly inserted into at least one recession based on the result of the judgment in step S1102, the electronic carrier (100) may perform a position correction operation in step S1104 to retry the alignment of at least one electromagnet (130) and at least one recession. The electronic carrier (100) adjusts the relative position of at least one electromagnet (130) and at least one recession by performing a predetermined position correction operation. For example, the electronic carrier (100) may attempt to align the center axis of the electromagnet with the recession by moving the drive unit slightly forward and / or backward, or by moving it slightly left and right. Additionally, the current position may be corrected by analyzing the first and second code symbology information acquired by the first scanner and the second scanner, or the possibility of insertion into at least one recession may be increased by the processor (160) checking the compression state of the elastic member of at least one electromagnet (130) and resetting the height of the electromagnet. In one embodiment, the electronic carrier (100) can determine the relative position between the electronic carrier (100) and the item container based on the scan results obtained from a plurality of scanners (150), and perform a position correction operation by moving and / or rotating in the error and direction calculated based thereon, or by moving and / or rotating by a predetermined distance, direction, and / or angle. According to one embodiment, the electronic carrier (100) can also be implemented to capture in real time the time when at least one electromagnet (130) and at least one recession are inserted by utilizing a current change pattern applied to at least one electromagnet (130), and to adjust the correction amount accordingly.

[0160] In step S1106, the electronic carrier (100) performs a position correction operation and then determines whether at least some of the at least one electromagnet (130) is inserted into at least one recession. Since the method for determining whether at least some of the at least one electromagnet (130) is inserted into at least one recession can follow the method performed in step S1102, a detailed description is omitted.

[0161] According to one embodiment, if it is determined that the insertion was successful in step S1106, in step S1112, the electronic transport device (100) may begin driving to the location where the combined item container is to be transported.

[0162] According to one embodiment, if it is determined that insertion failed again in step S1106, in step S1108 the electronic carrier (100) can check the number of accumulated coupling failures and determine whether the number of times it was determined that it was not coupled normally (i.e., number of coupling failures) is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold number (e.g., 3 times, 5 times, etc.).

[0163] According to one embodiment, if the number of coupling failures is determined to be greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold number based on the result of performing step S1108, the electronic carrier (100) may output a warning message in step S1110. According to one embodiment, the warning message may be implemented in various predetermined forms and contents. For example, through various forms of warning messages output via an output interface provided in the electronic carrier (100), a worker near the electronic carrier (100) may immediately recognize the coupling failure situation of the electronic carrier (100). For example, the electronic carrier (100) may visually display phrases such as “Coupling Failure” or “Alignment Error” through an additionally provided display, or repeatedly play voice guidance and / or warning sounds through an additionally provided speaker.

[0164] According to one embodiment, when the electronic carrier (100) transmits “joining failure” information to a server via a transceiver (140), the server may generate a pop-up notification or message to a worker terminal of a designated worker (e.g., a worker working at a first location where an item container was waiting and / or a worker designated to perform manual joining work in the event of a joining failure) based on this information, and transmit identification information of the electronic carrier that failed to join, its current location, the number of joining failures, etc., to the worker terminal. In addition, by automatically generating and sending text messages, emails, messenger app notifications, etc., to the person in charge, it is possible to support workers or managers who are absent from the site in identifying the joining failure situation and taking follow-up actions.

[0165] According to one embodiment, the electronic carrier (100) may additionally be equipped with a camera and transmit images acquired through such camera to a server in real time, and the server may transmit to a worker terminal, within a warning message, an estimation of the cause of the coupling failure, whether there is recession contamination, instructions to inspect the electromagnet, etc. Through this, a worker carrying a worker terminal can visually confirm the abnormal coupling situation and take immediate action.

[0166] The electronic device according to the embodiments described above may include a processor, memory for storing and executing program data, permanent storage such as a disk drive, a communication port for communicating with an external device, and user interface devices such as a touch panel, a key, a button, etc. Methods implemented as software modules or algorithms may be stored on a computer-readable recording medium as computer-readable code or program instructions executable on the processor. Here, computer-readable recording media include magnetic storage media (e.g., ROM (read-only memory), RAM (random-access memory), floppy disks, hard disks, etc.) and optical reading media (e.g., CD-ROM, DVD: Digital Versatile Disc). The computer-readable recording medium may be distributed across networked computer systems, allowing computer-readable code to be stored and executed in a distributed manner. The medium may be readable by a computer, stored in memory, and executed by a processor.

[0167] The present embodiment may be represented by functional block configurations and various processing steps. These functional blocks may be implemented by various numbers of hardware and / or software configurations that execute specific functions. For example, the embodiment may employ integrated circuit configurations such as memory, processing, logic, look-up tables, etc., capable of executing various functions by the control of one or more microprocessors or other control devices. Similar to how components may be implemented as software programming or software elements, the present embodiment may be implemented in programming or scripting languages ​​such as C, C++, Java, assembler, etc., including various algorithms implemented as combinations of data structures, processes, routines, or other programming configurations. Functional aspects may be implemented as algorithms executed on one or more processors. Additionally, the present embodiment may employ prior art for electronic configuration, signal processing, and / or data processing. Terms such as "mechanism," "element," "means," and "configuration" may be used broadly and are not limited to mechanical and physical configurations. The above terms may include the meaning of a series of software processes (routines) in conjunction with processors, etc.

[0168] The aforementioned embodiments may be implemented as artificial intelligence (AI) through the processor and memory of an electronic device. The processor may consist of one or more processors, and the one or more processors may be general-purpose processors such as CPUs, APs, and DSPs (digital signal processors), graphics-dedicated processors such as GPUs and VPUs (vision processing units), or AI-dedicated processors such as NPUs. The one or more processors may be controlled to process input data according to predefined operation rules or AI models stored in memory. Alternatively, if the one or more processors are AI-dedicated processors, the AI-dedicated processors may be designed with a hardware structure specialized for processing a specific AI model.

[0169] The predefined rules of operation or artificial intelligence models are characterized by being created through learning. Here, being created through learning means that a predefined rules of operation or artificial intelligence models configured to perform a desired characteristic (or objective) are created by a basic artificial intelligence model being trained using a number of learning data by a learning algorithm. Such learning may be performed on the electronic device itself where the artificial intelligence according to the present disclosure is executed, or it may be performed through a separate server and / or system. Examples of learning algorithms include supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning, but are not limited to the examples described above.

[0170] An artificial intelligence model may be composed of multiple neural network layers. Each of the multiple neural network layers has multiple weight values ​​and can perform neural network operations through operations between the results of previous layers and the multiple weights. The multiple weights possessed by the multiple neural network layers can be optimized based on the learning results of the artificial intelligence model. For example, the multiple weights can be updated so that the loss value or cost value obtained from the artificial intelligence model during the learning process is reduced or minimized. The artificial neural network may include, but is not limited to, deep neural networks (DNN), convolutional neural networks (CNN), recurrent neural networks (RNN), restricted Boltzmann machines (RBM), deep belief networks (DBN), bidirectional recurrent deep neural networks (BRDNN), or deep Q-networks.

[0171] The aforementioned embodiments are merely examples, and other embodiments may be implemented within the scope of the claims set forth below.

Claims

1. An electronic transport device for transporting item containers in a fulfillment center, Driving unit; Power supply module; At least one electromagnet disposed on the upper surface of the above-mentioned electronic carrier and attached to the above-mentioned item container; transceiver; A plurality of scanners configured to scan code symbology; and Includes a processor, The above processor controls the driving unit, the power supply module, the at least one electromagnet, the transceiver, and the plurality of scanners so that the electronic carrier, When a transport request signal of the electronic transport device is received from the server through the transceiver, it moves to a first location corresponding to the first location information included in the transport request signal, and Using the above at least one electromagnet, the lower surface of the item container located at the first position is coupled, and Controlling the above item container to move to a second location where it is to be transported, Electronic carrier.

2. In claim 1, the plurality of scanners A first scanner positioned on the upper surface of the electronic carrier and scanning a first code symbology located on the lower surface of the item container; and An electronic carrier comprising a second scanner that scans a second code symbology containing pre-assigned location information and is positioned within the movement space of the electronic carrier.

3. In Clause 2, the processor, An electronic carrier that controls the power supply module to cut off the current flowing to the at least one electromagnet in order to separate the electronic carrier from the item container when the electronic carrier scans a second code symbology placed at the second position and satisfies a predetermined condition based on the current flowing to the at least one electromagnet.

4. In claim 3, the processor, An electronic carrier that determines the second position based on second position information included in the first code symbology scanned by the first scanner.

5. In Paragraph 2, The electronic carrier further comprises an elastic member coupled to each of the at least one electromagnet so that the height of each of the at least one electromagnet can be extended or compressed in a direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the electronic carrier.

6. In Paragraph 5, As the above electronic carrier moves to the lower surface of the item container, the elastic member is compressed by the difference between the first height of the at least one electromagnet and the second height of the lower surface of the item container, and As the at least one electromagnet is aligned vertically with at least one recession located on the lower surface of the item container, the elastic member is extended again and the at least one electromagnet is inserted into the at least one recession, and An electronic carrier, wherein the processor controls the power supply module to apply current to the at least one electromagnet when it is determined that the at least one electromagnet is inserted into the at least one recession.

7. In claim 6, the processor, Based on at least one of the scan result of the first code symbology of the first scanner, the scan result of the second code symbology of the second scanner, information regarding the length of the elastic member, and information regarding the current flowing through the at least one electromagnet, it is determined that at least some of the at least one electromagnet is not inserted into the at least one recession. An electronic carrier that controls the driving unit to perform a predetermined position correction operation.

8. In Clause 2, the processor, Receiving an additional loading signal through the transceiver indicating that additional loading is required for item containers that are underloaded, which are at least some of the multiple item containers registered on the server above, and Based on the above additional loading signal, the drive unit is controlled to move to a third location where the underloaded item container is located, and Control the first scanner to scan the first code symbology placed on the lower surface of the above-mentioned underloaded item container, and Control the second scanner to scan the second code symbology placed at the third position, and The above electronic carrier controls the at least one electromagnet to be coupled to the lower surface of the underloaded item container, and An electronic transport device that controls the drive unit to move to the first position where the underloaded item container must be transported, based on the first position information included in the additional loading signal.

9. In claim 1, the processor, Collecting information on the current flowing through at least one electromagnet, and An electronic carrier that controls a power supply module to cut off the current applied to the at least one electromagnet when, based on the collected information, the current flowing to the at least one electromagnet meets at least one predetermined condition based on a critical magnitude and a critical rate of change.

10. In Paragraph 1, The above transport request signal is an electronic transport device that calls the electronic transport device that takes the shortest time to move to the first position among a plurality of electronic transport devices registered on the server.

11. A method for an electronic carrier to transport an item container in a fulfillment center, wherein the method comprises: Step of receiving a transport request signal from the server; A step of moving the electronic carrier to a first position corresponding to the first position information included in the above transport request signal; A step of coupling the electronic carrier to the lower surface of the item container located at the first position using at least one electromagnet disposed on the upper surface of the electronic carrier; and A method comprising the step of moving the electronic carrier to a second location where the item container is to be transported.

12. In Paragraph 11, The step of coupling the electronic carrier to the lower surface of the item container further includes the step of scanning a first code symbology disposed on the lower surface of the item container located at the first position, and A method comprising the step of moving the electronic carrier to the first position or the second position, wherein the electronic carrier moves while scanning a second code symbology containing pre-assigned position information disposed within the movement space of the electronic carrier.

13. In claim 12, the above method is, A step of determining whether the electronic carrier has scanned the second code symbology placed at the second position; A step of determining whether a predetermined condition is satisfied based on the current flowing through at least one electromagnet; and A method further comprising the step of cutting off the current flowing to the at least one electromagnet to separate the electronic carrier from the item container when the electronic carrier scans the second code symbology placed at the second position and satisfies the predetermined condition.

14. In claim 13, the step of moving the electronic carrier to the second position is, A method further comprising the step of determining the second location based on second location information included in the first scanned code symbology.

15. In Paragraph 12, A method comprising: the above-mentioned electron carrier further including an elastic member coupled to each of the at least one electromagnet so that the height of each of the at least one electromagnet can be extended or compressed in a direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the electron carrier.

16. In claim 15, the step of coupling the electronic carrier to the lower surface of the item container is, A step in which the elastic member is compressed by the difference between the first height of the at least one electromagnet and the second height of the bottom surface of the item container, and the electronic carrier moves to the bottom surface of the item container; A step of inserting the at least one electromagnet into the at least one recession as the elastic member is elongated again by aligning the at least one electromagnet vertically with the at least one recession located on the lower surface of the item container; and A method comprising the step of applying current to the at least one electromagnet when it is determined that the at least one electromagnet is inserted into the at least one recession.

17. In claim 16, the above method is, A step of determining that at least some of the at least one electromagnet is not inserted into the at least one recession based on at least one of the scan result of the first code symbology, the scan result of the second code symbology, information about the length of the elastic member, and information about the current flowing through the at least one electromagnet; and A method comprising a step of performing a predetermined position correction operation.

18. In claim 12, the above method is, A step of receiving an additional loading signal indicating that additional loading is required for an item container that is underloaded, which is at least some of the multiple item containers registered on the server; A step of moving the electronic carrier to a third location where the underloaded item container is located based on the additional loading signal above; A step in which the electronic carrier scans a first code symbology placed on the lower surface of the above-mentioned underloaded item container; A step in which the electronic carrier scans the second code symbology placed at the third position; The step of the above electronic carrier being coupled to the lower surface of the underloaded item container using the at least one electromagnet; and A method further comprising the step of moving the electronic carrier to the first position where the underloaded item container must be transported based on the first position information included in the additional loading signal.

19. In claim 11, the above method is, A step of collecting information about the current flowing through at least one electromagnet; and A method further comprising the step of blocking the current applied to the at least one electromagnet when, based on the collected information, the current flowing to the at least one electromagnet meets at least one predetermined condition based on a critical magnitude and a critical rate of change.

20. In a movable item container, A plurality of rotatable wheels configured to allow the above item container to move; A lower frame equipped with the above plurality of rotatable wheels and for supporting the load of the item container; and It includes a side wall frame extending upward from the lower frame, and The lower surface of the lower frame includes at least one recession into which at least one electromagnet of the electronic carrier of claim 1 is inserted, and An item container having at least one magnetic element disposed in the side wall frame, which is coupled to a loading frame placed at a second position where the item container is to be transported.

Images