Automated warehouse

Abstract

The present invention comprises: racks (11A, 11B) having a plurality of shelf openings; a loading / unloading carriage (13) for transferring a package (T) to a placement part (12) of the racks (11A, 11B) via the shelf openings; a wireless communication antenna (30) fixed to the racks (11A, 11B) or disposed in the vicinity of the racks (11A, 11B); and a controller (40) for managing loading / unloading of the package (T) and controlling the loading / unloading carriage (13) by means of wireless communication via the wireless communication antenna (30). The controller (40) has: a package management unit (41) that manages the package (T), which contains at least a liquid or a metal, as a specific package that affects wireless communication between the wireless communication antenna (30) and the loading / unloading carriage (13); and a shelf opening determination unit (43) that determines a storage position of the specific package so as to reduce the possibility of affecting the wireless communication.

Description

Automated warehouse

[0001] One aspect of the present invention relates to an automated warehouse.

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an automated warehouse including a stacker crane, a rack extending in the depth direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the passage of the stacker crane, a shuttle for transporting and transferring goods in the rack, and a controller for controlling the stacker crane and the shuttle. A wireless communication antenna is disposed inside or around the rack. The stacker crane and the shuttle are configured to be communicable with the controller via the wireless communication antenna, and the controller controls the stacker crane and the shuttle by transmitting a conveyance command via the wireless communication antenna.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-34921

[0004] However, a plurality of goods are stored in the rack, and some of them may include goods that affect the wireless communication between the wireless communication antenna and the inbound / outbound trolley such as the stacker crane or the shuttle. Therefore, depending on the storage status of the goods in the rack, there may be a problem in the communication between the wireless communication antenna and the inbound / outbound trolley, and there is a risk of hindering an appropriate communication environment.

[0005] Therefore, an object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide an automated warehouse capable of maintaining an appropriate communication environment between a wireless communication antenna and an inbound / outbound trolley even when goods that affect wireless communication are stored in the rack.

[0006] (1) An automated warehouse according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a rack having a plurality of shelf openings arranged in both the vertical and horizontal directions, an loading / unloading cart that travels along the direction of arrangement of at least the plurality of shelf openings arranged in the horizontal direction and transfers goods to the loading section of the rack via the shelf openings, a wireless communication antenna fixed to the rack or positioned near the rack, and a controller that manages the loading and unloading of goods and controls the loading / unloading cart by wireless communication via the wireless communication antenna, wherein the controller has a goods management unit that manages goods containing at least liquid or metal as specific goods that may affect wireless communication between the wireless communication antenna and the loading / unloading cart, and a shelf opening determination unit that determines the storage position of specific goods in such a way that the possibility of affecting wireless communication is minimized.

[0007] The controller of this automated warehouse manages the cargo that affects wireless communication between the wireless communication antenna and the loading / unloading cart, and stores the cargo in the appropriate location. This ensures that a proper communication environment is maintained between the wireless communication antenna and the loading / unloading cart.

[0008] (2) In the automated warehouse described in (1) above, a mounting section located at a predetermined distance from the wireless communication antenna may be designated as the storage location for specific goods. In this configuration, items that do not significantly affect the wireless communication will be placed around the wireless communication antenna. This will allow for the maintenance of an appropriate communication environment between the wireless communication antenna and the loading / unloading cart.

[0009] (3) In the automated warehouse described in (1) or (2) above, the wireless communication antenna is positioned between the top shelf opening and the bottom shelf opening of the rack, and the shelf opening determination unit may determine the top or bottom mounting section of the rack as the storage position for a specific item. In this configuration, the wireless communication antenna is stored in the top mounting section that is in contact with the ceiling or the bottom mounting section that is in contact with the floor, at a certain distance from the wireless communication antenna. This makes it possible to maintain an appropriate communication environment between the wireless communication antenna and the loading / unloading cart.

[0010] (4) In the automated warehouse described in (1) above, the shelf opening determination unit may determine the storage position of a specific item so that items that affect wireless communication are dispersed from one another. In this configuration, items that affect wireless communication are placed on the racks in a dispersed state. This ensures that there is space between adjacent items that affect wireless communication that is less likely to be obstructed. As a result, an appropriate communication environment can be maintained between the wireless communication antenna and the loading / unloading cart.

[0011] (5) In the automated warehouse described in (1) above, the shelf opening determination unit may determine the storage position of the specified goods so that non-specified goods, which are different from the specified goods, are stored consecutively. In this configuration, goods that are unlikely to affect wireless communication are placed consecutively. This ensures that a space is available in which wireless communication is less likely to be obstructed. As a result, an appropriate communication environment can be maintained between the wireless communication antenna and the loading / unloading cart.

[0012] (6) In the automated warehouse described in (1) above, the cargo management unit may rank and manage cargo according to the degree to which it affects wireless communication. In this configuration, by selecting an appropriate storage location according to the degree of impact, the situation in which cargo cannot be stored in the rack can be reduced.

[0013] (7) In the automated warehouse described in (6) above, the cargo is a container that holds multiple items, and the cargo management unit may determine the rank based on the number of items containing liquid or metal contained in the container. In this configuration, the degree of influence of wireless communication can be appropriately ranked for the containers in which the items are held.

[0014] (8) In the automated warehouse described in (6) or (7) above, the shelf opening determination unit may determine the storage position of a specific item so that items of a predetermined rank or higher are placed in a storage unit located at a predetermined distance from the wireless communication antenna. In this configuration, the item can be stored in a storage unit at an appropriate location based on the degree of influence of the wireless communication.

[0015] (9) In the automated warehouse described in (6) or (7) above, the shelf opening determination unit may determine the storage position of a specific item so that items of a predetermined rank or higher are placed on the top or bottom shelf of the rack. In this configuration, the item can be stored in an appropriate location based on the degree of influence of the wireless communication.

[0016] According to one aspect of the present invention, even when luggage that may affect wireless communication is stored in a rack, an appropriate communication environment can be maintained between the wireless communication antenna and the loading / unloading cart.

[0017] Figure 1 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of an automated warehouse according to one embodiment. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the automated warehouse of Figure 1 taken along line II-II. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the automated warehouse of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a plan view showing the placement of the wireless communication antenna and the storage position of the item box containing the specific item determined by the shelf opening determination unit. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the placement of the wireless communication antenna and the storage position of the item box containing the specific item determined by the shelf opening determination unit taken along line V-V in Figure 4. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the placement of the wireless communication antenna and the storage position of the item box containing the specific item determined by the shelf opening determination unit taken along line VI-VI in Figure 4. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the storage position of the item box containing the specific item determined by the shelf opening determination unit according to Modification 2 taken along line VI-VI in Figure 4. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the storage position of the item box containing the specific item determined by the shelf opening determination unit according to Modification 3 taken along line VI-VI in Figure 4. Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken from the line VI-VI in Figure 4, showing the storage position of an item box containing a specific item, as determined by the shelf opening determination unit according to Modification 4.

[0018] Hereinafter, an automated warehouse 1 according to one embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted. Also, in this specification, "A or B" means that either A or B is included, and it does not exclude the inclusion of both A and B. Figure 1 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of an automated warehouse according to one embodiment. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the automated warehouse of Figure 1 taken along line II-II. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the automated warehouse of Figure 1. In Figures 1 and 2, the wireless communication antenna 30 is not shown.

[0019] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the automated warehouse 1 stores multiple item boxes (packages) T, each containing one or more items, and dispatches the item boxes T based on orders. The automated warehouse 1 is also capable of receiving item boxes T that have returned after dispatch and storing the item boxes T again. In the example shown in Figures 1 and 2, the automated warehouse 1 comprises multiple warehouse units 10, multiple wireless communication antennas 30, and a controller 40. The multiple warehouse units 10 are arranged in the Y direction. Each of the multiple warehouse units 10 has a pair of racks 11A, 11B, a transport cart (inbound / outbound cart) 13, an outbound lifting device 14, an inbound lifting device 15, an outbound transport device 16, an inbound transport device 17, an outbound port 18, and an inbound port 19.

[0020] The pair of racks 11A and 11B are shelves for storing item boxes T. The pair of racks 11A and 11B have multiple mounting sections 12 arranged along the vertical direction (Z direction) and the horizontal direction (X direction) respectively for placing (storing) item boxes T. Each of the multiple mounting sections 12 is configured to be able to place one item box T. In this embodiment, each of the mounting sections 12 arranged in the vertical direction is called a "stage," and each of the mounting sections 12 arranged in the horizontal direction is called a "row." Also, the racks 11A and 11B arranged in the horizontal direction (Y direction) are each called a "column." In the following, an example is given in which each of the pair of racks 11A and 11B has 13 stages and 19 rows of mounting sections 12. The pair of racks 11A and 11B are arranged so as to sandwich the transport trolley 13, and so as to the shelf openings that serve as receiving openings for item boxes T, facing each other.

[0021] The transport cart 13 transports the item boxes T. The transport cart 13 is installed between a pair of racks 11A and 11B and travels horizontally. The transport cart 13 travels along the direction of the arrangement of multiple shelf openings arranged horizontally and transfers the item boxes T to the loading section 12 via the shelf openings. A transport cart 13 is installed at each level of the pair of racks 11A and 11B. In other words, there are 13 transport carts 13. When the item boxes T are being retrieved from the automated warehouse 1, the transport cart 13 receives the item boxes T from one of the pair of racks 11A and 11B and hands them over to the retrieval lifting device 14. When the item boxes T are being returned to the automated warehouse 1, the transport cart 13 receives the item boxes T from the return lifting device 15 and hands them over to one of the pair of racks 11A and 11B.

[0022] The outbound lifting device 14 transports the item boxes T received from the transport trolley 13 in a vertical direction and hands them over to the outbound transporting device 16. The inbound lifting device 15 transports the item boxes T received from the inbound transporting device 17 in a vertical direction and hands them over to the transport trolley 13. The outbound lifting device 14 and the inbound lifting device 15 are, for example, lifting devices in which the lift section on which the item boxes T are placed moves along the vertical direction.

[0023] The outbound conveying device 16 transports the item boxes T received from the outbound lifting device 14 horizontally and hands them over to the outbound port 18. The inbound conveying device 17 transports the item boxes T received from the inbound port 19 horizontally and hands them over to the inbound lifting device 15. The outbound conveying device 16 and the inbound conveying device 17 are, for example, belt conveyors or roller conveyors.

[0024] For example, item boxes T that have been dispatched to the dispatch port 18 are transported to, for example, a picking station where the items are sorted. For example, item boxes T that have returned from the picking station are placed at the inbound port 19. The transport of item boxes T between the dispatch port 18 and the picking station, and between the inbound port 19 and the picking station, is carried out by, for example, a belt conveyor, a roller conveyor, an AGV (Automatic Guided Vehicle), or a tracked vehicle.

[0025] Each of the multiple wireless communication antennas 30 is configured to transmit radio waves to each of the multiple transport carts 13, and is also a device that can receive radio waves transmitted from each of the multiple transport carts 13. The wireless communication antennas 30 have the function of so-called access points. Each of the multiple transport carts 13 receives transport commands transmitted from the controller 40 via the wireless communication antenna 30. That is, the controller 40 controls the multiple transport carts 13 by transmitting transport commands via the wireless communication antennas 30.

[0026] Each of the wireless communication antennas 30 is either directly or indirectly fixed to the racks 11A and 11B, or installed near the racks 11A and 11B (on the ceiling or wall of the building where the racks 11A and 11B are installed). Each of the wireless communication antennas 30 is configured to communicate when at least one transport cart 13 is located in at least part of the drivable section.

[0027] The controller 40 manages the inbound and outbound movement of goods or goods boxes T, and controls the transport cart 13 via wireless communication through the wireless communication antenna 30. The controller 40 is wired to the outbound lifting device 14, the inbound lifting device 15, the outbound transport device 16, and the inbound transport device 17. The controller 40 controls the outbound lifting device 14, the inbound lifting device 15, the outbound transport device 16, and the inbound transport device 17 via wired communication. Alternatively, the controller 40 may control the outbound lifting device 14, the inbound lifting device 15, the outbound transport device 16, and the inbound transport device 17 via wireless communication through the wireless communication antenna 30.

[0028] The controller 40 includes an input / output interface for inputting and outputting signals to and from the outside, a storage medium such as ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores programs and information for various processing, RAM (Random Access Memory) for temporarily storing data, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and communication circuits. Various processing in the controller 40 is executed under the control of the CPU by loading predetermined computer software onto hardware such as the CPU and main memory. The controller 40 realizes various functions by, for example, loading a program stored in ROM onto RAM and executing it with the CPU. As a result, the controller 40 forms a luggage management unit 41 and a shelf opening determination unit 43.

[0029] The cargo management unit 41 manages which rack 11A, 11B has a loading section 12 where a box of goods T containing what type and number of items is placed. In other words, if the type and number of items are specified, the cargo management unit 41 can determine which loading section 12 to retrieve the box of goods T from to obtain the specified items. The cargo management unit 41 can retrieve the appropriate box of goods T according to the item order from the higher-level system.

[0030] The cargo management unit 41 manages items containing at least liquid or metal as specific items that affect wireless communication between the wireless communication antenna 30 and the transport trolley 13, and manages items other than specific items (items that do not contain liquid or metal) as non-specific items. The cargo management unit 41 manages which of the racks 11A and 11B the item boxes (specific cargo) T (item boxes T that affect wireless communication) containing specific items are placed on. Alternatively, the cargo management unit 41 may manage which of the racks 11A and 11B the item boxes T containing specific items are placed on by managing which of the racks 11A and 11B the item boxes (non-specific cargo) T containing non-specific items are placed on.

[0031] Examples of specific items include containers holding liquids, metal objects, and electronic devices. Examples of liquids include beverages such as water, juice, and alcohol; liquid seasonings such as soy sauce, mirin, and vinegar; and daily necessities such as shampoo, conditioner, various liquid detergents, and lotions. Examples of metal objects include metal products such as dumbbells, kitchen metal utensils such as spoons, knives, and pots, metal parts such as screws and nuts, and metal tools such as hammers and pliers. Examples of electronic devices include mobile devices, televisions, and digital cameras.

[0032] The shelf opening determination unit 43 determines the placement position (storage position) of the item box T containing the specific item in such a way that it minimizes the possibility of affecting the wireless communication between the wireless communication antenna 30 and the transport trolley 13. An example of the procedure by which the shelf opening determination unit 43 determines the placement position of the item box T will be explained below using Figures 4 to 6.

[0033] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the wireless communication antennas 30 are arranged at regular intervals in the X direction, for example, along which the racks 11A and 11B extend. More specifically, when viewed from the Y direction, the wireless communication antennas 30 are located at the leftmost end of racks 11A and 11B, between the 6th and 7th mounting sections 12, between the 12th and 13th mounting sections 12, and at the rightmost end of racks 11A and 11B.

[0034] Furthermore, the wireless communication antenna 30 is positioned at a certain interval in the Y direction, where the racks 11A and 11B extend. More specifically, the wireless communication antenna 30 is positioned between the pair of racks 11A and 11B when viewed from the Z direction. Also, the wireless communication antenna 30 is positioned at a certain interval in the Z direction, where the racks 11A and 11B are erected. More specifically, the wireless communication antenna 30 is positioned between the second and third shelves, the seventh and eighth shelves, and the eleventh and twelfth shelves of racks 11A and 11B when viewed from the Y direction. In other words, the wireless communication antenna 30 is positioned between the lower end of the top shelf opening and the upper end of the bottom shelf opening of racks 11A and 11B.

[0035] In the diagrams shown in Figures 4 to 6, the wireless communication antenna 30 is shown as a symbol for ease of explanation, but it is mounted on racks 11A and 11B via brackets. Furthermore, the wireless communication antenna 30 is positioned so as not to obstruct the movement of the transport cart 13.

[0036] In an automated warehouse 1 where such wireless communication antennas 30 are arranged, the shelf opening determination unit 43 of the controller 40 determines, as shown in Figures 4 to 6, a placement section 12 located at a predetermined distance from the wireless communication antennas 30 as the placement position for the item box T containing a specific item. In Figures 4 to 6, the item box T containing a specific item (the item box T that affects wireless communication) is indicated by diagonal hatching. An example of a placement section 12 located at a predetermined distance is a placement section 12 arranged with a space of one or more shelf openings in the Z direction or one or more rows in the X direction. In this embodiment, the shelf opening determination unit 43 of the controller 40 determines the placement positions for the item box T containing a specific item as the 4th, 10th, and 16th rows from the left end, which are the uppermost placement section 12, the lowermost placement section 12, and the 4th, 10th, and 16th rows from the left end, which are between the adjacent wireless communication antennas 30, 30 in the X direction.

[0037] The effects and advantages of the automated warehouse 1 of the above embodiment will now be explained. The controller 40 of the automated warehouse 1 of the above embodiment manages the item boxes T that affect wireless communication between the wireless communication antenna 30 and the transport cart 13, and stores the item boxes T in the appropriate position on the mounting section 12. This makes it possible to maintain an appropriate communication environment between the wireless communication antenna 30 and the transport cart 13. Furthermore, with the configuration of the automated warehouse 1, it is possible to maintain an appropriate communication environment between the wireless communication antenna 30 and the transport cart 13 without unnecessarily increasing the number of wireless communication antennas 30 installed.

[0038] In the above embodiment, the controller 40 of the automated warehouse 1 determines a placement section 12 located at a predetermined distance from the wireless communication antenna 30 as the placement position for item boxes T containing specific items. In this configuration, item boxes T that have little impact on the wireless communication are placed around the wireless communication antenna 30. This makes it possible to maintain an appropriate communication environment between the wireless communication antenna 30 and the transport cart 13.

[0039] In the above embodiment, the controller 40 of the automated warehouse 1 determines the uppermost and lowermost mounting sections 12 of racks 11A and 11B as the mounting positions for item boxes T containing specific items. In this configuration, item boxes T that would affect wireless communication are placed on the uppermost mounting section 12, which is in contact with the ceiling, and the lowermost mounting section 12, which is in contact with the floor, at a certain distance from the wireless communication antenna 30. This makes it possible to maintain an appropriate communication environment between the wireless communication antenna 30 and the transport cart 13.

[0040] Although one embodiment has been described above, one aspect of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. Various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0041] (Modification 1) In the above embodiment, the controller 40 determines a mounting section 12 located at a predetermined distance from the wireless communication antenna 30 as the mounting position for the item box T containing a specific item, and also determines the 4th, 10th, and 16th mounting sections from the left end, which are between the uppermost mounting section 12, the lowermost mounting section 12, and the wireless communication antennas 30, 30 adjacent to each other in the X direction, as the mounting positions for the item box T containing a specific item. However, the invention is not limited to this. For example, the controller 40 may determine the mounting section 12 located at a predetermined distance from the wireless communication antenna 30 as the mounting position for the item box T containing a specific item, or it may determine the mounting section 12 located at a predetermined distance from the wireless communication antenna 30 as the mounting position for the item box T containing a specific item, or it may determine the mounting section 12 located at a predetermined distance from the wireless communication antenna 30 as the mounting position for the item box T containing a specific item, or it may determine the mounting section 12 located between the wireless communication antennas 30, 30 adjacent to each other in the X direction. In this modified configuration 1, even when the item boxes T that may affect wireless communication are stored in racks 11A and 11B, an appropriate communication environment can be maintained between the wireless communication antenna 30 and the transport cart 13.

[0042] (Modification 2) Alternatively, the shelf opening determination unit 43 of the controller 40 in the above embodiment may determine the storage position of the item boxes (packages) T containing the specific items so that they are dispersed from one another, as shown in Figure 7. The shelf opening determination unit 43 may determine the storage position of the item boxes T containing the specific items so that the item boxes T that affect wireless communication are placed with, for example, two rows, two sets of, or two tiers apart. Note that in Figure 7, the item boxes T containing the specific items are shown by diagonal hatching.

[0043] In the second modification of such a configuration, even when the article boxes T that affect wireless communication are stored in the racks 11A and 11B, the article boxes T that affect wireless communication are placed on the racks 11A and 11B in a state where they are dispersed from each other. As a result, a space where wireless communication is hardly inhibited is secured between the article boxes T that affect wireless communication and are adjacent to each other. As a result, an appropriate communication environment between the wireless communication antenna 30 and the carrier cart 13 can be maintained. Further, in the automatic warehouse 1 of the above embodiment, there is a limitation on the article boxes T that can be placed on the "stages" and "rows", which affects the storage capacity (blocking). In this regard, in the automatic warehouse 1 according to the second modification, since the placement position of the article boxes T that affect wireless communication can be flexibly changed, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of an impact on the storage capacity.

[0044] (Modification 3) In addition to the configurations of the above-described embodiment, Modification 1, and Modification 2, the baggage management unit 41 may rank and manage the article boxes T among the article boxes T that affect wireless communication according to the degree of influence on wireless communication. The article box T is a container that houses a plurality of articles, and the baggage management unit 41 may determine the rank based on the number of articles containing liquid or metal contained in the article box T. Further, the baggage management unit 41 may determine the rank based on the bottom area of the articles containing liquid or metal contained in the article box T (the contact area between the bottom surface of the article box T and the articles).

[0045] The baggage management unit 41 can rank the article boxes T that affect wireless communication, for example, into three ranks (great influence, medium influence, small influence), two ranks (great influence, small influence), or four or more ranks. Further, the baggage management unit 41 may perform ranking based on the degree of influence of each commodity and the storage quantity in the article box T. For example, the baggage management unit 41 may perform ranking so that the rank of the article box T with a larger storage quantity of a specific article becomes higher.

[0046] In the third modification of such a configuration, when there are many article boxes T that affect wireless communication, the shelf space determination unit 43 may determine the storage position of the article box T with a rank equal to or higher than a predetermined rank so that it is placed on the placement unit 12 at a predetermined distance from the wireless communication antenna 30, or the article box T with a rank equal to or higher than a predetermined rank may be placed on the uppermost or lowermost placement unit 12.

[0047] As a result, as shown in FIG. 8, the article box T with a high degree of influence (the article box T hatched in FIG. 8) is preferentially placed on the placement unit 12 determined as the placement position of the article box T in which the specific article is stored in the above embodiment, and the article box T with a low degree of influence (the article box T hatched diagonally in FIG. 8) is placed on a placement unit 12 other than the placement unit 12 determined as the placement position of the article box T in which the specific article is stored, similar to the article box T that does not affect wireless communication (the article box T not hatched in FIG. 8).

[0048] In the third modification of such a configuration, it is possible to reduce the situation where the article box T cannot be stored in the racks 11A and 11B by selecting an appropriate storage position of the article box T according to the degree of influence. Further, in the third modification of such a configuration, it is possible to appropriately rank the degree of influence of wireless communication on the container (article box T) in which the article is stored. Also, based on the magnitude of the degree of influence of wireless communication, the article box T can be placed on the placement unit 12 at an appropriate position.

[0049] (Modification 4) In the above embodiment and modification, an example was given in which a box of goods T is also placed on the mounting section 12 adjacent to the wireless communication antenna 30, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Figure 9, the shelf opening determination unit 43 may determine the placement position of the box of goods T so as not to place it on the mounting section 12 adjacent to the wireless communication antenna 30. Alternatively, the shelf opening determination unit 43 may determine the placement position of the box of goods T so as not to place it on the mounting section 12 adjacent to the wireless communication antenna 30, while following the method of placing the box of goods T containing specific items in the above embodiment, modification 1, modification 2, and modification 3. Even with modification 4 having such a configuration, an appropriate communication environment can be maintained between the wireless communication antenna 30 and the transport trolley 13 even when the box of goods T that may affect wireless communication is stored in the racks 11A and 11B.

[0050] (Other variations) Alternatively, the shelf opening determination unit 43 may pre-reserve a continuous area for placing item boxes T containing only items that do not affect wireless communication (non-specified items), and if an item box T being stored is an item box T that affects wireless communication (an item box T containing specified items), the placement position may be determined to avoid the reserved area. With storage as in these variations, an area in which item boxes T that do not affect wireless communication are continuously stored is maintained, and a stable wireless communication path through that area is more easily secured.

[0051] In the above embodiments and modifications, a transport system comprising a transport trolley 13 that moves horizontally and is provided for each level of racks 11A and 11B, a lifting device 14 for outbound transport, a lifting device 15 for inbound transport, a transport device 16 for outbound transport, and a transport device 17 for inbound transport was described as an example of loading and unloading item boxes T into and out of racks 11A and 11B, but the invention is not limited to this. The transport device for transferring item boxes T to racks 11A and 11B may be configured using, individually or in combination, a transport trolley capable of traveling both horizontally and vertically along multiple openings provided in racks 11A and 11B, a dolly trolley capable of traveling horizontally along multiple openings provided in racks 11A and 11B, a stacker crane having a traveling section that travels on the floor surface on which racks 11A and 11B are installed, and a transfer section that is erected from the traveling section and is movable along a mast extending vertically, a tracked trolley that travels on the floor surface on which racks 11A and 11B are installed, and an overhead traveling vehicle that travels along the ceiling of a building or the like where racks 11A and 11B are located.

[0052] In the above embodiments and modifications, an example was given in which item boxes T that are likely to affect wireless communication between the wireless communication antenna 30 and the transport trolley 13 are managed as high-rank item boxes T. Furthermore, an example was given in which the controller 40 manages so that the number of storage locations for high-rank item boxes T is less than the number of storage locations for low-rank item boxes T. In such a configuration, if the number of item boxes T that contain the same type and number of goods and are determined to be high-rank increases relatively, the controller 40 may adjust the rank of the item boxes T so that the number of locations where they can be stored increases.

[0053] In the above embodiments and modifications, examples were given in which multiple item boxes (packages) T containing one or more items are placed on the mounting section 12 of the racks 11A and 11B. However, for example, items (specific items and non-specific items) may be placed on the mounting section 12 in their original state without being placed in item boxes T.

[0054] 1...Automated warehouse, 10...Warehouse unit, 11A...Rack, 11B...Rack, 12...Placement section, 13...Transport trolley (inbound / outbound trolley), 14...Outbound lifting device, 15...Inbound lifting device, 16...Outbound transport device, 17...Inbound transport device, 18...Outbound port, 19...Inbound port, 30...Wireless communication antenna, 40...Controller, 41...Cargo management unit, 43...Shelf opening determination unit, T...Item box (cargo).

Claims

1. An automated warehouse comprising: a rack having a plurality of shelf openings arranged in both a vertical and a horizontal direction; an loading / unloading cart that travels along the direction of arrangement of at least the plurality of shelf openings arranged in the horizontal direction and transfers goods to the loading section of the rack via the shelf openings; a wireless communication antenna fixed to the rack or positioned near the rack; and a controller that manages the loading and unloading of the goods and controls the loading / unloading cart by wireless communication via the wireless communication antenna, wherein the controller comprises: a goods management unit that manages the goods containing at least liquid or metal as specific goods that affect wireless communication between the wireless communication antenna and the loading / unloading cart; and a shelf opening determination unit that determines the storage position of the specific goods in such a way that it is less likely to affect the wireless communication.

2. The automated warehouse according to claim 1, wherein the shelf opening determination unit determines the storage location of the specified cargo to be a storage location for the specified cargo, which is located at a predetermined distance from the wireless communication antenna.

3. The automated warehouse according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the wireless communication antenna is positioned between the uppermost shelf opening and the lowermost shelf opening of the rack, and the shelf opening determination unit determines the uppermost or lowermost storage area of ​​the rack as the storage location for the specified cargo.

4. The automated warehouse according to claim 1, wherein the shelf opening determination unit determines the storage position of the specific package such that the packages affecting the wireless communication are dispersed from one another.

5. The automated warehouse according to claim 1, wherein the shelf opening determination unit determines the storage position of the specified goods so that non-specified goods, which are different from the specified goods, are stored continuously.

6. The automated warehouse according to claim 1, wherein the cargo management unit ranks and manages the cargo according to the degree to which it affects the wireless communication.

7. The automated warehouse according to claim 6, wherein the cargo is a container for holding multiple items, and the cargo management unit determines the rank based on the number of items containing liquid or metal contained in the container.

8. The automated warehouse according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the shelf opening determination unit determines the storage position of the specific cargo such that cargo of a predetermined rank or higher is placed on a placement unit located at a predetermined distance from the wireless communication antenna.

9. The automated warehouse according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the shelf opening determination unit determines the storage position of the specified goods so that goods of a predetermined rank or higher are placed in the uppermost or lowermost storage area of ​​the rack.

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