Bin handling method, apparatus and system, device and storage medium

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of warehousing logistics. Provided in the embodiments of the present application are a bin handling method, apparatus and system, a device and a storage medium. The method comprises: in response to the start of sorting of target goods stored in a sorting workstation, controlling a first robot to transport a target bin to the sorting workstation, such that the target goods are sorted into the target bin on the basis of order information of a target order, the target order being an order requiring the target goods, and the target bin being a bin allocated for the target goods required by the target order; and after completing the sorting of the target goods into the target bin, controlling the first robot to move the target bin away from the sorting workstation. During the process of sorting goods, the first robot is directly controlled to transport bins to the sorting workstation, and after goods are sorted to the bins on the basis of order information, the robot carries the bins away from the sorting workstation; therefore, the sorting of the goods can no longer be limited by the number of distribution compartments, thus achieving smoother and more efficient outbound processes of goods.

Description

A method, apparatus, system, equipment, and storage medium for handling material bins.

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510496732.2, filed on April 17, 2025, entitled "A method, apparatus, system, equipment and storage medium for handling a bin", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of warehousing and logistics technology, and in particular to a method, apparatus, system, equipment and storage medium for handling material bins. Background Technology

[0003] The current outbound process in warehousing and logistics centers involves staff picking the corresponding goods at sorting stations based on order requirements and placing them into sorting slots. Each sorting slot can hold goods for one or more orders, thus achieving initial goods aggregation. In subsequent processes, the goods in the sorting slots are transported to the outbound station for shipment using manual handling or robotic transport, completing the outbound process.

[0004] However, the above-mentioned method of goods outbound is limited by the number of sorting slots. Specifically, due to the space limitations of the sorting workstation, the number of sorting slots that can be set up is limited. When faced with a large number of orders, once all the sorting slots are occupied, subsequent orders cannot be processed in a timely manner, which will trigger a series of chain reactions such as order delays and inventory backlog, seriously affecting the efficiency of goods outbound. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide a method, apparatus, system, equipment, and storage medium for handling material bins, so as to improve the efficiency of goods outbound. The specific technical solution is as follows:

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a method for handling a material bin, the method comprising:

[0007] In response to the start of sorting of target goods stored in the sorting workstation, the first robot is controlled to transport the target bin to the sorting workstation so that the target goods are sorted into the target bin according to the order information of the target order, wherein the target order is an order that requires the target goods, and the target bin is a bin allocated for the target goods required by the target order; after the target goods are sorted into the target bin, the first robot is controlled to move the target bin away from the sorting workstation.

[0008] Optionally, the target bin is determined as follows: determine whether a first associated bin exists, wherein the first associated bin is a bin that has been loaded with the goods required by the target order but is not full; if the first associated bin exists, determine the target bin corresponding to the target order based on the remaining storage space in the first associated bin; if the first associated bin does not exist, select the target bin corresponding to the target order from the empty bins.

[0009] Optionally, determining the target container corresponding to the target order based on the remaining storage space in the first associated container includes: determining whether the first associated container can accommodate the target goods required by the target order based on the quantity of the target goods required by the target order, the unit volume of the target goods, and the remaining storage space in the first associated container; if the determination result is negative, selecting at least one empty container from the empty containers based on the quantity of goods, the unit volume, and the remaining storage space in the first associated container, and determining the at least one empty container and the first associated container as the target container corresponding to the target order; if the determination result is positive, selecting at least one first associated container from the first associated containers based on the quantity of goods, the unit volume, and the remaining storage space in the first associated container, and determining the at least one first associated container as the target container corresponding to the target order.

[0010] Optionally, determining the target container corresponding to the target order based on the remaining storage space in the first associated container includes: determining whether the first associated container can accommodate the target goods required by the target order based on the quantity of the target goods required by the target order, the unit volume of the target goods, the unit volume of the target goods, the remaining storage space in the first associated container, and the maximum capacity of the first associated container; if the determination result is negative, selecting at least one empty container from the empty containers based on the quantity of goods, the unit volume, the unit mass, the remaining storage space in the first associated container, and the maximum capacity of the first associated container, and determining the at least one empty container and the first associated container as the target container corresponding to the target order; if the determination result is positive, selecting at least one first associated container from the first associated containers based on the quantity of goods, the unit volume, the unit mass, the remaining storage space in the first associated container, and the maximum capacity of the first associated container, and determining the at least one first associated container as the target container corresponding to the target order.

[0011] Optionally, in the case where the target goods have been sorted into the target bin, the target bin is full, and the target goods required for the target order line have not been sorted, wherein the target order line is the order line in the target order that requires the target goods; the method further includes: controlling a second robot to transport an empty bin to the sorting workstation, and controlling the second robot to move in front of the robot currently in the queue, so that the target goods required for the target order line that have not been sorted are sorted into the empty bin.

[0012] Optionally, after completing the sorting of the target goods into the target bin, controlling the first robot to move the target bin away from the sorting workstation includes: obtaining sorting execution information sent by the client in the sorting workstation after completing the sorting of the target goods into the target bin, wherein the sorting execution information includes: whether the sorting of the target goods required for the target order line has been completed and whether the target bin is full; if the sorting execution information indicates that the target bin is full, controlling the first robot to move the target bin from the sorting workstation to the first storage area corresponding to the outbound workstation; if the sorting execution information indicates that the sorting of the target goods required for the target order line has been completed and the target bin is not full, controlling the first robot to move the target bin from the sorting workstation to the second storage area corresponding to the sorting workstation, wherein the target order line is the order line in the target order that requires the target goods.

[0013] Optionally, controlling the first robot to move the target bin from the sorting workstation to the first storage area corresponding to the outbound workstation includes: determining whether a second associated bin exists in the first storage area, wherein the second associated bin is a bin for loading the goods required for the target order; if the second associated bin exists, controlling the first robot to move the target bin from the sorting workstation to the storage area where the second associated bin is located; if the second associated bin does not exist, allocating a storage area for the target order in the first storage area, and controlling the first robot to move the target bin from the sorting workstation to the allocated storage area.

[0014] Optionally, the method further includes: monitoring the number of robots currently queuing in the sorting workstation; if the number of robots is less than a preset number, identifying a third robot, wherein the third robot is carrying a bin for loading the target goods and is not queuing in the sorting workstation; and controlling the third robot to move to the sorting workstation so that the target goods are sorted into the bin carried by the third robot.

[0015] Optionally, determining the third robot includes: determining whether there is a schedulable robot among the robots queuing in other sorting workstations, wherein the schedulable robot is carrying a bin for loading the target goods, and the schedulable robot's queuing position is greater than a preset position; if the schedulable robot exists, determining the schedulable robot as the third robot; if the schedulable robot does not exist, selecting the third robot from idle robots and controlling the third robot to carry an empty bin, wherein the idle robot is a robot that is not currently performing a task and is not carrying a bin.

[0016] Optionally, after controlling the first robot to move the target bin away from the sorting workstation, the method further includes: determining whether the bin being moved by the fourth robot is a bin for loading the target goods, wherein the fourth robot is the robot currently queuing in the sorting workstation and is the first in line; if the determination result is yes, controlling the fourth robot to move to the sorting position so that the target goods are sorted into the bin being moved by the fourth robot; if the determination result is no, determining whether the target goods have been sorted; if the target goods have been sorted, controlling the fourth robot to move to the sorting position so that the goods to be loaded in the bin being moved by the fourth robot are sorted into the bin being moved by the fourth robot; if the target goods have not been sorted, controlling the fourth robot to wait until the target goods have been sorted.

[0017] Optionally, the target bin is a bin allocated to the first target order, which is the highest priority target order among the target orders that have not yet been sorted.

[0018] Optionally, the target goods are goods that need to be transported across warehouses.

[0019] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a bin handling device, the device comprising: a first control module, configured to control a first robot to transport a target bin to the sorting workstation in response to the start of sorting of target goods stored in the sorting workstation, so that the target goods are sorted into the target bin according to the order information of the target order, wherein the target order is an order that requires the target goods, and the target bin is a bin allocated for the target goods required by the target order; and a second control module, configured to control the first robot to move the target bin away from the sorting workstation after the target goods have been sorted into the target bin.

[0020] Optionally, the device further includes: a bin determination module, used to determine whether a first associated bin exists, wherein the first associated bin is: a bin that has been loaded with the goods required by the target order but is not full; if the first associated bin exists, the target bin corresponding to the target order is determined based on the remaining storage space in the first associated bin; if the first associated bin does not exist, the target bin corresponding to the target order is selected from empty bins.

[0021] Optionally, the bin determination module is specifically used for: when the first associated bin exists, determining whether the first associated bin can accommodate the target goods required by the target order based on the quantity of the target goods required by the target order, the unit volume of the target goods, and the remaining storage space in the first associated bin; if the determination result is negative, selecting at least one empty bin from the empty bins based on the quantity of goods, the unit volume, and the remaining storage space in the first associated bin, and determining the at least one empty bin and the first associated bin as the target bin corresponding to the target order; if the determination result is positive, selecting at least one first associated bin from the first associated bins based on the quantity of goods, the unit volume, and the remaining storage space in the first associated bin, and determining the at least one first associated bin as the target bin corresponding to the target order.

[0022] Optionally, the bin determination module is specifically used for: when the first associated bin exists, determining whether the first associated bin can accommodate the target goods required by the target order based on the quantity of the target goods required by the target order, the unit volume of the target goods, the unit volume of the target goods, the remaining storage space in the first associated bin, and the maximum capacity of the first associated bin; if the determination result is negative, selecting at least one empty bin from the empty bins based on the quantity of goods, the unit volume, the unit mass, the remaining storage space in the first associated bin, and the maximum capacity of the first associated bin, and determining the at least one empty bin and the first associated bin as the target bin corresponding to the target order; if the determination result is positive, selecting at least one first associated bin from the first associated bins based on the quantity of goods, the unit volume, the unit mass, the remaining storage space in the first associated bin, and the maximum capacity of the first associated bin, and determining the at least one first associated bin as the target bin corresponding to the target order.

[0023] Optionally, the device further includes: a third control module, configured to, when the target goods have been sorted into the target bin, and the target bin is full but the target goods required for the target order line have not been sorted, control a second robot to transport an empty bin to the sorting workstation, and control the second robot to move in front of the robot currently in the queue, so that the target goods required for the target order line but not yet sorted are sorted into the empty bin, wherein the target order line is the order line in the target order that requires the target goods.

[0024] Optionally, the second control module includes: an information acquisition unit, configured to acquire sorting execution information sent by the client in the sorting workstation after completing the sorting of the target goods into the target bin, wherein the sorting execution information includes: whether the sorting of the target goods required for the target order line has been completed and whether the target bin is full, wherein the target order line is the order line in the target order that requires the target goods; and a control unit, configured to control the first robot to move the target bin from the sorting workstation to the first storage area corresponding to the outbound workstation when the sorting execution information indicates that the target bin is full; and to control the first robot to move the target bin from the sorting workstation to the second storage area corresponding to the sorting workstation when the sorting execution information indicates that the sorting of the target goods required for the target order line has been completed and the target bin is not full.

[0025] Optionally, the control unit is specifically configured to: when the sorting execution information indicates that the target bin is full, determine whether there is a second associated bin in the first storage area, wherein the second associated bin is a bin for loading the goods required for the target order; if the second associated bin exists, control the first robot to move the target bin from the sorting workstation to the storage area where the second associated bin is located; if the second associated bin does not exist, allocate a storage area for the target order in the first storage area, and control the first robot to move the target bin from the sorting workstation to the allocated storage area.

[0026] Optionally, the device further includes: a robot quantity monitoring module for monitoring the number of robots currently queuing in the sorting workstation; a fourth control module for determining a third robot when the number of robots is less than a preset number, wherein the third robot is carrying a bin for loading the target goods and is not queuing in the sorting workstation; and controlling the third robot to move to the sorting workstation so that the target goods are sorted into the bin carried by the third robot.

[0027] Optionally, the fourth control module includes: a judgment unit, used to judge whether there is a schedulable robot among the robots queuing in other sorting workstations, wherein the schedulable robot is carrying a bin for loading the target goods, and the schedulable robot's queuing position is greater than a preset position; and a robot determination unit, used to determine the schedulable robot as a third robot if the judgment result of the judgment module is yes; and to select a third robot from idle robots and control the third robot to carry an empty bin if the judgment result of the judgment module is no, wherein the idle robot is a robot that is not currently performing a task and is not carrying a bin.

[0028] Optionally, the device further includes: a fifth control module, configured to, after controlling the first robot to move the target bin away from the sorting workstation, determine whether the bin being moved by the fourth robot is a bin for loading the target goods, wherein the fourth robot is the robot currently queuing in the sorting workstation and is the first in line; if the determination result is yes, control the fourth robot to move to the sorting position so that the target goods are sorted into the bin being moved by the fourth robot; if the determination result is no, determine whether the target goods have been sorted; if the target goods have been sorted, control the fourth robot to move to the sorting position so that the goods to be loaded in the bin being moved by the fourth robot are sorted into the bin being moved by the fourth robot; if the target goods have not been sorted, control the fourth robot to wait until the target goods have been sorted.

[0029] Optionally, the target bin is a bin allocated to the first target order, which is the highest priority target order among the target orders that have not yet been sorted.

[0030] Optionally, the target goods are goods that need to be transported across warehouses.

[0031] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a bin handling system, the system comprising: a management device, a robot, a sorting workstation, an outbound workstation, and a storage rack; the management device is used to control the robot to implement any of the methods described in the first aspect; the robot is used to handle bins between the sorting workstation, the outbound workstation, and the storage rack based on control commands sent by the management device.

[0032] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a management device, including: a memory for storing computer programs; and a processor for executing the program stored in the memory to implement any of the methods described in the first aspect above.

[0033] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements any of the methods described in the first aspect above.

[0034] Sixthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements any of the methods described in the first aspect above.

[0035] Beneficial effects of the embodiments in this application:

[0036] In the solution provided in this application embodiment, the management device can respond to the start of sorting of target goods stored in the sorting workstation, controlling the first robot to transport the target bins to the sorting workstation, so that the target goods are sorted into the target bins according to the order information of the target order. The target order is an order requiring the target goods, and the target bin is a bin allocated for the target goods required by the target order. After the target goods are sorted into the target bins, the first robot is controlled to move the target bins away from the sorting workstation. Since the sorting process directly controls the first robot to transport the bins to the sorting workstation, and the robot moves the bins away from the sorting workstation after the goods are sorted into the bins according to the order information, this sorting process does not rely on sorting slots for goods aggregation. Therefore, the sorting of goods is no longer limited by the number of sorting slots, and there will be no order delays or inventory backlogs due to insufficient sorting slots, making the outbound process smoother and more efficient, and greatly improving the overall operational efficiency of the warehousing and logistics center.

[0037] Of course, implementing any product or method of this application does not necessarily require achieving all of the advantages described above at the same time. Attached Figure Description

[0038] The accompanying drawings, which are provided to further illustrate this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments of this application and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application.

[0039] Figure 1 is a flowchart illustrating a bin handling method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a goods sorting method based on the embodiment shown in Figure 1;

[0041] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for determining a target bin based on the embodiment shown in Figure 1;

[0042] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating a robot control method based on the embodiment shown in Figure 1;

[0043] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a sorting execution information determination interface based on the embodiment shown in Figure 4;

[0044] Figure 6 is a specific flowchart of a robot control method based on the embodiment shown in Figure 4;

[0045] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating another robot control method based on the embodiment shown in Figure 1;

[0046] Figure 8 is a specific flowchart of a bin handling method based on the embodiment shown in Figure 1;

[0047] Figure 9 is a structural schematic diagram of a material box handling device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 10 is a structural schematic diagram of a bin handling system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the specific structure of the bin handling system based on the embodiment shown in Figure 10;

[0050] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a management device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0051] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments in this application are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0052] To improve the efficiency of goods outbound, this application provides a bin handling method, apparatus, system, management equipment, computer-readable storage medium, and computer program product. The bin handling method provided in this application is described below.

[0053] The bin handling method provided in this application embodiment can be applied to any management device that can control a robot to handle bins. For example, the management device can be a computer, server, etc., and is not specifically limited here. For clarity, it will be referred to as the management device below.

[0054] As shown in Figure 1, a method for handling a material bin includes:

[0055] S101, in response to the start of sorting of the target goods stored in the sorting workstation, control the first robot to transport the target bin to the sorting workstation so that the target goods are sorted into the target bin according to the order information of the target order.

[0056] Among them, the target order is the order that requires the target goods, and the target bin is the bin allocated for the target goods required by the target order.

[0057] S102, after sorting the target goods into the target bins, control the first robot to move the target bins away from the sorting workstation.

[0058] In the solution provided in this application embodiment, the management device can respond to the start of sorting of target goods stored in the sorting workstation, controlling the first robot to transport the target bins to the sorting workstation, so that the target goods are sorted into the target bins according to the order information of the target order. The target order is an order requiring the target goods, and the target bin is a bin allocated for the target goods required by the target order. After the target goods are sorted into the target bins, the first robot is controlled to move the target bins away from the sorting workstation. Since the sorting process directly controls the first robot to transport the bins to the sorting workstation, and the robot moves the bins away from the sorting workstation after the goods are sorted into the bins according to the order information, this sorting process does not rely on sorting slots for goods aggregation. Therefore, the sorting of goods is no longer limited by the number of sorting slots, and there will be no order delays or inventory backlogs due to insufficient sorting slots, making the outbound process smoother and more efficient, and greatly improving the overall operational efficiency of the warehousing and logistics center.

[0059] When goods need to be shipped out of the warehouse, they can be transported to the sorting workstation using manual or robotic methods. Then, when the management equipment detects that the target goods stored in the sorting workstation are ready for sorting, it can activate the corresponding control mechanism to control the first robot to perform the bin handling operation. Specifically:

[0060] 1. The target goods begin to be sorted.

[0061] In one implementation, when a worker or robot at the sorting workstation prepares to sort goods, a notification message can be sent to the management device via a client at the sorting workstation. This notification message informs the management device that the sorting operation is about to begin and specifies the specific goods to be sorted. Upon receiving the notification message, the management device can determine the goods to be sorted (i.e., the target goods) based on the notification message and begin sorting the target goods stored at the sorting workstation.

[0062] In another implementation, when the sorting station's workers or robots determine to begin sorting, they can send a start-sorting command to the management device via a client within the sorting station. Upon receiving the start-sorting command, the management device can determine the target goods based on either the order in which they were moved to the sorting station or the highest-priority goods stored in the sorting station, thus initiating the sorting of the target goods. Furthermore, the management device can also send a sorting execution notification for the target goods to the client within the sorting station, instructing the workers or robots in the sorting station to sort the target goods.

[0063] In manual sorting, the aforementioned client can be a mobile phone, computer, or other terminal device; in robot sorting, the aforementioned client can be the control module inside the robot.

[0064] 2. Identify target orders.

[0065] Because order information includes information such as the type of goods, quantity of goods, and delivery address, when the target goods begin to be sorted, the management equipment can determine the order that includes the target goods (i.e. the order that requires the target goods) based on the order information of each order, and use it as the target order.

[0066] 3. Allocate target material bins.

[0067] Once the target order is identified, the management equipment can allocate material bins to the target goods required for the target order, thereby determining the target material bins.

[0068] When allocating material bins for the target goods required for a target order, the management equipment can directly allocate all the required material bins, or it can allocate one material bin first and then schedule the other material bins in real time. Specifically:

[0069] In one implementation, the management device can first estimate the number of bins needed to accommodate the target goods required for the target order, and then allocate that number of bins to the target goods required for the target order at one time. The specific method for estimating the number of bins will be described in detail in the embodiment shown in Figure 3 later, and will not be repeated here.

[0070] In another implementation, the management device can first allocate a bin to the target order, and then when the bin cannot hold the target goods required by the target order, a new empty bin can be scheduled in real time to load the target goods required by the target order.

[0071] 4. Identify the first robot.

[0072] The management equipment can determine which robots are idle (i.e., robots that are not currently performing any tasks and are not moving any boxes) based on the status and task queue of each robot. For example, the management equipment can first determine which robots are not currently moving boxes based on their status information. Then, from among these robots that are not currently moving boxes, it can further determine which robots are not currently performing any tasks based on their task lists. This eliminates robots that are currently moving boxes and robots that are currently performing tasks, ultimately identifying the robots that are not currently performing any tasks and are not moving any boxes as idle robots.

[0073] Then, the management equipment can select the first robot from the idle robots based on a preset algorithm or rules, choosing one suitable for carrying out the target bin transport task. For example, the first robot can be selected from the idle robots based on factors such as the distance between each idle robot and the target bin, idle time, and remaining battery power.

[0074] 5. Control the first robot to transport the target material box.

[0075] After the target bin and the first robot are determined, the management equipment can control the first robot to transport the target bin to the sorting station, so that the workers or robots in the sorting station can sort the target goods into the target bin according to the order information of the target order.

[0076] For example, as shown in Figure 2, after the first robot transports the target bins on the first floor to the sorting workstation, the staff at the sorting workstation can sort the goods (target goods) into the bins transported by the first robot according to the order information of the target order displayed on the client set in front of them.

[0077] During the sorting process, if the task of sorting the target goods into the target bin is completed (i.e., all target goods required for the target order have been sorted, or, if all target goods required for the target order have not been sorted but the target bin is full), the client in the sorting workstation will send sorting execution information to the management device. After receiving the sorting execution information sent by the client, the management device can control the first robot to move the target bin out of the sorting workstation.

[0078] It should be noted that, in order to ensure that higher-priority orders are processed first, when there are multiple target orders, the management equipment can execute the above steps S101-S102 sequentially for each order according to its priority. That is, each time the management equipment executes the above steps S101-S102, the target bin refers to the bin allocated to the first target order (the highest priority target order among all target orders that have not yet been sorted).

[0079] For example, if the target orders are Order 1, Order 2, and Order 3, where Order 1 has a higher priority than Order 2, and Order 2 has a higher priority than Order 3, then the management equipment can first control the first robot to move the target box assigned to Order 1 to the sorting workstation, then control the first robot to move the target box assigned to Order 2 to the sorting workstation, and finally control the first robot to move the target box assigned to Order 3 to the sorting workstation.

[0080] In the solution provided in this application embodiment, during the sorting process, the first robot is directly controlled to transport the bins to the sorting workstation. After the goods are sorted into bins according to the order information, the robot then moves the bins away from the sorting workstation. This sorting process does not rely on sorting slots for goods aggregation. Therefore, the sorting of goods is no longer limited by the number of sorting slots, and there will be no order delays or inventory backlogs due to insufficient sorting slots. This makes the goods outbound process smoother and more efficient, greatly improving the overall operational efficiency of the warehousing and logistics center.

[0081] As one embodiment of this application, the management device can determine the target bin as shown in FIG3:

[0082] S301, determine if a first associated bin exists. If the result is yes, proceed to step S302; if the result is no, proceed to step S303.

[0083] In addition to the target goods, the goods required for the target order may also include other types of goods. A bin may have been allocated for loading the goods required for the target order during the sorting process that has already been performed, and the bin is not full.

[0084] Based on this, in order to improve the utilization efficiency of bin storage space and avoid resource waste caused by frequently activating new empty bins, when determining the target bin, the management equipment can first determine whether there is a bin that has been loaded with the goods required by the target order but is not full (the first associated bin) based on the recorded bin status information (the type and quantity of goods loaded in the bin, the order to which the goods loaded in the bin belong, the bin location, etc.). If it exists, the first associated bin can be selected as the target bin. If it does not exist, a new empty bin can be activated.

[0085] S302, determine the target bin corresponding to the target order based on the remaining storage space in the first associated bin.

[0086] In the presence of a first associated bin, the management device can further determine how many first associated bins to select and whether new empty bins need to be activated as a supplement.

[0087] In one implementation, the management device can determine how many first associated bins to select and whether new empty bins need to be used as a supplement, based on the quantity of the target goods, the unit volume of the target goods, and the remaining storage space in the first associated bins. Specifically:

[0088] The management equipment can first determine whether the first associated bin can accommodate the target goods required by the target order, based on the quantity of target goods needed for the target order, the unit volume of the target goods, and the remaining storage space in the first associated bin. The remaining storage space in the first associated bin can be calculated based on the types and quantities of goods already loaded into the first associated bin, the pre-recorded unit volume of that type of goods, and the pre-recorded total volume of the first associated bin.

[0089] If the first associated bin cannot accommodate the target goods required for the target order, the management device can calculate the remaining quantity of target goods after storing them in the first associated bin, based on the quantity of target goods, their unit volume, and the remaining storage space in the first associated bin. Then, the management device can determine the number of empty bins to be activated based on the remaining quantity, unit volume, and storage space in the empty bins, and select that number of empty bins from among the available bins. Finally, the management device can designate the selected empty bins and the first associated bin as the target bins corresponding to the target order.

[0090] If the first associated container can accommodate the target goods required by the target order, the management device can select at least one first associated container based on the quantity of the target goods, the unit volume of the target goods, and the remaining storage space in the first associated container. The sum of the remaining storage space in the at least one first associated container must be greater than or equal to the space occupied by the target goods required by the target order. Then, the management device can determine the selected at least one first associated container as the target container corresponding to the target order.

[0091] In another implementation, the management device can further consider the weight factor. Specifically, the management device can determine the number of first associated bins to select and whether new empty bins need to be used as a supplement based on the quantity of the target goods, the unit volume of the target goods, the unit mass of the target goods, the remaining storage space in the first associated bin, and the maximum capacity of the first associated bin.

[0092] On the one hand, the management equipment can determine whether the first associated bin can accommodate the target goods required by the target order in terms of volume, based on the quantity and unit volume of the target goods, and the remaining storage space in the first associated bin. On the other hand, the management equipment can calculate the total weight of the target goods required by the target order based on the quantity and unit mass of the target goods, and determine whether the first associated bin can accommodate the target goods required by the target order in terms of weight based on the mass of the goods already loaded in the first associated bin (calculated based on the pre-recorded unit mass of various goods, the type and quantity of goods already loaded in the first associated bin) and the maximum capacity of the first associated bin. If the first associated bin can accommodate the target goods required by the target order in both volume and weight, it is determined that the first associated bin can accommodate the target goods required by the target order; if the first associated bin cannot accommodate the target goods required by the target order in terms of volume and / or weight, it is determined that the first associated bin cannot accommodate the target goods required by the target order.

[0093] If the first associated bin cannot accommodate the target goods required for the target order, the management device can calculate the remaining quantity of target goods after storing them in the first associated bin, based on the quantity, unit volume, and unit mass of the target goods, the remaining storage space in the first associated bin, and the maximum capacity of the first associated bin. Then, the management device can determine the number of empty bins to be activated based on the remaining quantity, unit volume, and unit mass of the target goods, the storage space in the empty bins, and the maximum capacity of the empty bins, and select that number of empty bins from among the available empty bins. Finally, the management device can designate the selected empty bins and the first associated bin as the target bins corresponding to the target order.

[0094] If the first associated container can accommodate the target goods required by the target order, the management device can select at least one first associated container based on the quantity, unit volume, and unit mass of the target goods, the remaining storage space in the first associated container, and the maximum capacity of the first associated container. The sum of the remaining storage space in these at least one first associated container must be greater than or equal to the space occupied by the target goods required by the target order, and the sum of the mass of the goods already loaded in these at least one first associated container and the total weight of the target goods required by the target order must be less than or equal to the sum of the maximum capacity of these at least one first associated container. The management device can then designate the selected at least one first associated container as the target container corresponding to the target order.

[0095] S303: Select the target bin corresponding to the target order from the empty bins.

[0096] In the absence of a first associated bin, the management device can determine the number of new empty bins that need to be activated, specifically:

[0097] The management equipment can first determine the number of empty boxes to be used based on the quantity of target goods required by the target order, the unit volume of the target goods, the unit mass of the target goods, the storage space of the empty boxes, and the maximum capacity of the empty boxes, and then select that number of empty boxes as the target boxes corresponding to the target order.

[0098] In the solution provided in this application embodiment, by prioritizing the use of bins (first associated bins) that have been partially loaded with the goods required for the target order, the utilization rate of bin storage space is effectively improved, the need for frequently activating new empty bins is reduced, thereby saving resources, reducing costs, and improving the overall efficiency and sustainability of logistics management.

[0099] As one implementation of this application, after the target goods are sorted into the target bins, the management device can control the first robot to move the target bins to two different areas based on the two possible situations corresponding to "sorting the target goods into the target bins" (sorting of all target goods required for the target order has been completed, or sorting of all target goods required for the target order has not been completed, but the target bins are full). Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, when the management device performs the above step S102, it can be implemented through steps S401-S403:

[0100] S401: Obtain the sorting execution information sent by the client in the sorting workstation after completing the sorting of the target goods into the target bin. If the sorting execution information indicates that the target bin is full, proceed to step S402. If the sorting execution information indicates that the sorting of the target goods required to complete the target order line is completed, and the target bin is not full, proceed to step S403.

[0101] During the sorting process, if the task of sorting the target goods into the target bin is completed, the human or robot in the sorting workstation can send sorting execution information to the management equipment through the client in the sorting workstation. The sorting execution information may include: whether the sorting of the target goods required for the target order line has been completed and whether the target bin is full. The target order line is the order line in the target order that requires the target goods.

[0102] For example, in the case of manual sorting, the client in the sorting workstation can display the interface shown in Figure 5. This interface can display two prompts: "Have you completed the sorting of the target goods required for the target order line?" and "Is the target bin full?", as well as the corresponding options for these two prompts.

[0103] After completing the task of sorting the target goods into the target bin, the staff can select the reason for the completion of the task on this interface. They can choose "Because the target goods required for the target order line have been sorted, it is not necessary to sort the target goods into the bin, so the task of sorting the target goods into the target bin has been completed", or "Because the target bin is full, it is impossible to sort the target goods into the bin, so the task of sorting the target goods into the target bin has been completed".

[0104] Assuming that "since the sorting of the target goods required for the target order line has been completed, there is no need to sort the target goods into the bins anymore, and the work of sorting the target goods into the target bins has been completed," and the target bins are not full, then the staff can choose "yes" for the option "whether the sorting of the target goods required for the target order line has been completed" and "no" for the option "whether the target bins are full." Then, the client can generate sorting execution information including "the sorting of the target goods required for the target order line has been completed" and "the target bins are not full" and send it to the management equipment based on the staff's selection.

[0105] S402, control the first robot to move the target bin from the sorting workstation to the first storage area corresponding to the outbound workstation.

[0106] If the target bin is full, it cannot be loaded with more goods, and since the target bin is already full of the goods required for the target order, subsequent outbound operations can be performed. Therefore, when the sorting execution information indicates that the target bin is full, regardless of whether the sorting of the target goods required for the target order line has been completed, the management equipment can control the first robot to move the target bin from the sorting workstation to the first storage area corresponding to the outbound workstation, so that the target bin can be outbound subsequently.

[0107] The specific type and location of the first storage area can be set according to the specific usage scenario and requirements, as long as it facilitates subsequent outbound operations. This application does not impose specific limitations on it. For example, the first storage area corresponding to the outbound workstation can be an area on the storage shelf near the outbound workstation, a storage area set up inside or around the outbound workstation, or the connection area of ​​the conveyor line in the outbound workstation, etc.

[0108] S403, control the first robot to move the target bin from the sorting workstation to the corresponding second storage area of ​​the sorting workstation.

[0109] If the target bin is not full, it can continue to be loaded with goods. In this case, the target bin does not need to enter the outbound process temporarily, but can be placed in a location near the sorting station so that it can be returned to the sorting station later to load other goods of the same target order. See the embodiment shown in Figure 2 for the method of prioritizing the use of the first associated bin for loading goods.

[0110] Therefore, when the sorting execution information indicates that the target goods required to complete the target order line are sorted, and the target bin is not full, the management equipment can control the first robot to move the target bin from the sorting workstation to the second storage area corresponding to the sorting workstation, so that the target bin can be moved back to the sorting workstation to load goods in the future.

[0111] The specific type and location of the second storage area can be set according to the specific usage scenario and requirements, as long as it facilitates the relocation of the bins in the second storage area to the sorting workstation. This application does not impose specific limitations on it. For example, the second storage area corresponding to the sorting workstation can be an area on the storage shelf near the sorting workstation, or a storage area set up around the sorting workstation, etc.

[0112] In one implementation, before executing step S403, the management device may also perform a judgment operation on the target order, and then select whether to execute step S403 based on the judgment result. Specifically:

[0113] When the sorting execution information indicates that the target goods required for the target order line have been sorted and the target bin is not full, the management equipment can first determine whether each order line of the target order has been sorted, that is, whether the goods required for each order line of the target order have been sorted into the bin.

[0114] If the judgment result is yes, then since the goods required for each order line of the target order have been sorted into the bins, the target bins do not need to return to the sorting workstation to load the goods required for the target order. Therefore, in this case, the management equipment can control the first robot to move the target bins from the sorting workstation to the first storage area corresponding to the outbound workstation.

[0115] If the judgment result is negative, then since other goods required for the target order still need to be sorted at the sorting workstation, the management equipment can execute step S403 at this time to control the first robot to move the target box from the sorting workstation to the second storage area corresponding to the sorting workstation, so that the target box can continue to return to the sorting workstation to load other goods required for the target order.

[0116] In one implementation, for each order, the management device can monitor in real time whether each order line of the order has been sorted, that is, whether the goods required for each order line of the order have been sorted into the bins. If each order line of the order has been sorted, the management device can control the robot to transport each bin corresponding to the order to the outbound workstation for outbound processing.

[0117] It should be noted that, in addition to the two situations corresponding to steps S402 and S403, the sorting execution information may also indicate "the sorting of the target goods required for the target order line has not been completed and the target bin is not full". In this case, the management equipment can determine that the target goods in the sorting workstation are out of stock, and can then dispatch robots to move the target goods from other areas (other sorting workstations or robot handover areas in the warehousing area, etc.) to the sorting workstation, or output prompt information to remind staff to replenish the target goods in the sorting workstation.

[0118] In the solution provided in this application embodiment, when the target bin is full, the management device can control the first robot to transport it to the first storage area of ​​the outbound workstation for subsequent outbound operations, thereby improving logistics efficiency. When the target bin is not full, the management device can control the first robot to transport it to the second storage area of ​​the sorting workstation, so that the target bin can be reused to load other goods of the same target order. This not only reduces the frequent handling of bins but also optimizes the use of storage space and reduces operating costs.

[0119] As one embodiment of this application, before the target bin is moved to the first storage area, the management device can allocate a storage area for the target bin in the first storage area. Specifically, as shown in FIG6, when the management device performs the above step S402, it can be implemented through steps S601-S603:

[0120] S601, determine whether a second associated bin exists in the first storage area. If the determination result is yes, proceed to step S602; if the determination result is no, proceed to step S603.

[0121] To facilitate the centralized outbound operation of bins for the same order, the management equipment can determine whether there is a second associated bin in the first storage area before controlling the first robot to move the target bin to the first storage area. That is, it can determine whether the bins for loading the goods required for the target order are already stored in the first storage area.

[0122] S602, control the first robot to move the target bin from the sorting workstation to the storage area where the second associated bin is located.

[0123] If a second associated bin exists in the first storage area, the management device can control the first robot to move the target bin from the sorting workstation to the storage area where the second associated bin is located, so as to centrally store bins from the same order.

[0124] S603, in the first storage area, allocates a storage area for the target order and controls the first robot to move the target bin from the sorting workstation to the allocated storage area.

[0125] If there is no second associated bin in the first storage area, meaning the target bin is the first bin stored in the first storage area containing the goods required for the target order, then the management equipment can allocate a storage area for the target order in the first storage area and then control the first robot to move the target bin from the sorting workstation to the allocated storage area. Subsequently, for other bins in the target order, the target bin becomes the second associated bin, and therefore these bins can continue to be moved to the same storage area, thus achieving centralized storage of bins from the same order.

[0126] It should be noted that when the management device allocates a storage area for a target order in the first storage area, it can either select a storage area without a material box from multiple pre-divided storage areas and allocate it to the target order, or it can plan a storage area for the material box of the target order in real time in the first storage area without pre-dividing storage areas.

[0127] In the solution provided in this application embodiment, before the management device controls the first robot to transport the target box to the first storage area corresponding to the outbound workstation, it can determine whether there is a box associated with the target order, thereby flexibly selecting the destination of the target box and ensuring that the boxes of the same order can be stored in an orderly manner. This will reduce the time for searching and sorting boxes in the outbound process and improve outbound efficiency.

[0128] As one implementation of this application, when the sorting execution information indicates that the target bin is full and the sorting of the target goods required for the target order line has not been completed, the management device can also perform the following:

[0129] Control the second robot to transport empty bins to the sorting workstation, and control the second robot to move in front of the robot currently in the queue, so that the target goods that have not been sorted as required by the target order line can be sorted into empty bins.

[0130] If the target bin is full, but the sorting of the target goods required for the target order line has not been completed, it indicates that a new bin needs to be allocated to continue sorting the target goods required for the target order line. Therefore, when the sorting execution information indicates that the target bin is full and the sorting of the target goods required for the target order line has not been completed, the management equipment can allocate a new empty bin for the target order and control the second robot to transport the new empty bin to the sorting workstation to continue loading the target goods.

[0131] Furthermore, in order to ensure the continuity of sorting of target orders, the management equipment can control the second robot to "cut in line," that is, after arriving at the sorting workstation, the second robot moves in front of the robot that is currently in the queue, so that the target goods required by the target order line that have not been sorted can be sorted into empty bins.

[0132] In the solution provided in this application embodiment, when the target bin is full but the sorting of goods required for the target order line is not completed, the management device can control the robot to move a new empty bin and allow the robot to cut in line, thereby ensuring the continuity of sorting of goods required for the target order line, improving sorting efficiency, and avoiding interruption of the sorting process due to the bin being full.

[0133] As one embodiment of this application, the management device can also balance the number of robots in each sorting operation in real time. Specifically, as shown in FIG7, the management device can also execute steps S701-S703:

[0134] S701 monitors the number of robots currently queuing in the sorting workstation.

[0135] If the number of robots queuing in the sorting workstation is too small, the sorting operation may be stalled due to untimely supply of material boxes. Therefore, in order to ensure the continuity of sorting work and improve sorting efficiency, the management equipment can monitor the number of robots currently queuing in the sorting workstation in real time so as to take corresponding optimization measures in a timely manner.

[0136] S702, if the number of robots detected is less than the preset number, determine the third robot.

[0137] If the management equipment detects that the number of robots currently queuing in the sorting workstation is less than the preset number, it can activate the mechanism to find a third robot to replenish the material bins in advance, ensuring that the sorting work can be carried out without interruption.

[0138] In one implementation, the management device can directly select a third robot from idle robots that are not currently performing tasks and are not moving boxes, and assign a new empty box to the target order, thereby controlling the third robot to move the new empty box.

[0139] For example, workstation 1 sorts goods 1, workstation 2 sorts goods 3, and order A needs both goods 1 and goods 3. The bins allocated to order A are currently being handled by robot a. Robot a is queuing up for sorting at workstation 2, with a preset quantity of 4 bins.

[0140] When there are 3 robots currently queuing in workstation 1, the management device can select one robot from the idle robots as the third robot, and allocate a new empty material box for order A. Then the management device can control the third robot to move the new empty material box.

[0141] In another implementation, the management device can first determine whether there is a schedulable robot among the robots queuing in other sorting workstations (the schedulable robot carries a bin for loading the target goods, and its queue position is higher than a preset position). If a schedulable robot exists, since the bin it carries needs to load the target goods, and its current queue position is relatively high, the management device can designate the schedulable robot as the third robot, and control it to load the target goods at the sorting workstation where they are stored. If no schedulable robot exists, the management device can select a third robot from idle robots that are not currently performing tasks and are not carrying bins, allocate a new empty bin for the target order, and then control the third robot to carry the new empty bin.

[0142] For example, workstation 1 sorts goods 1, workstation 2 sorts goods 3, and order A needs both goods 1 and goods 3. The bins allocated to order A are currently being handled by robot a. Robot a is queuing for sorting at workstation 2, with a preset quantity of 4 and a preset position of 6.

[0143] When there are 3 robots currently queuing in workstation 1, assuming robot a is 10th in the queue, the management device can use robot a as the third robot. If robot a is 5th in the queue, the management device can select one robot from the available robots as the third robot, allocate a new empty material box for order A, and then control the third robot to move the new empty material box.

[0144] S703 controls the third robot to move to the sorting workstation so that the target goods are sorted into the bins carried by the third robot.

[0145] Once the management equipment identifies the third robot, it can control the third robot to move to the sorting workstation so that the target goods can be sorted into the bins carried by the third robot, thereby ensuring the continuity of sorting work in the sorting workstation.

[0146] In the solution provided in this application embodiment, when the management device detects that the number of robots currently queuing in the sorting workstation is less than a preset number, it can initiate a mechanism to find a third robot to replenish the material bins in advance, ensuring that the sorting work in the sorting workstation can proceed uninterrupted. Furthermore, when searching for a third robot, robots carrying material bins for loading target goods but currently positioned later in the queue can be prioritized as the third robot. By pre-scheduling this type of robot across workstations to perform sorting tasks for other goods, both robot waiting time and the overall flexibility and efficiency of the sorting process are reduced.

[0147] As one embodiment of this application, as shown in FIG8, after the management device performs the above step S102, it can also perform steps S103-S107:

[0148] S103, determine whether the bin being transported by the fourth robot is a bin for loading the target goods. If the determination result is yes, proceed to step S104; if the determination result is no, proceed to step S105.

[0149] In some scenarios, to ensure the continuity of goods sorting, the management equipment can identify other goods stored in the sorting station as target goods when the sorting progress of the currently being sorted target goods reaches a preset progress. This allows for the pre-allocation and scheduling of bins for these other goods into the sorting station. In this case, bins intended for other goods may arrive at the sorting station before bins containing the current target goods.

[0150] For example, if the target product being sorted at the first sorting station is product A, and product B is also stored at the same station, and assuming that product A's sorting progress has reached a preset 90%, the management equipment can identify product B as the target product and begin controlling the robot to move the tote box to the sorting station in advance to start sorting product B. In this case, it's possible that the tote box intended for product A might arrive at the first sorting station later than the tote box intended for product B because it first went to another sorting station to load other goods required for the order.

[0151] In order to ensure that the same goods can be sorted continuously in the above scenario, after the management equipment controls the first robot to move the target box away from the sorting workstation, it can determine whether the box carried by the fourth robot (the robot with the first position in the queue of the robots currently queuing in the sorting workstation) is a box used to load the target goods, thereby determining whether continuous sorting of the same goods can be achieved.

[0152] In one implementation, to reduce the number of judgment steps and save computational resources, if the sorting progress of the target goods has not reached the preset progress, the management device may skip steps S103-S107 after completing step S102. If the sorting progress of the target goods has reached the preset progress, steps S103-S107 will be executed after completing step S102.

[0153] S104, control the fourth robot to move to the sorting position so that the target goods are sorted into the bins carried by the fourth robot.

[0154] If the bin carried by the fourth robot is a bin for loading target goods, it means that continuous sorting of the same goods can be achieved. Therefore, the management equipment can control the fourth robot to move to the sorting position so that the human or robot at the sorting workstation can sort the target goods into the bin carried by the fourth robot.

[0155] S105, determine whether the target goods have been sorted. If the result is yes, proceed to step S106; if the result is no, proceed to step S107.

[0156] If the bin carried by the fourth robot is not the bin used to load the target goods, it means that continuous sorting of the same goods cannot be achieved. This may be because the target goods have been sorted and the next step is to sort other goods, or it may be because the target goods have not been sorted yet, but the bin used to load other goods arrives at the sorting station before the bin used to load the target goods.

[0157] The processing methods used for the two situations mentioned above are different. Therefore, if the bin being handled by the fourth robot is not the bin used to load the target goods, the management equipment can further determine whether the target goods have been sorted.

[0158] S106, control the fourth robot to move to the sorting position so that the goods to be loaded in the bin carried by the fourth robot are sorted into the bin carried by the fourth robot.

[0159] If the target goods have been sorted, then the next step is to sort other goods. Therefore, the management equipment can control the fourth robot to move to the sorting position so that the human or robot at the sorting station can sort the goods (i.e. other goods) to be loaded into the bins carried by the fourth robot.

[0160] S107, control the fourth robot to wait until the target goods are sorted.

[0161] If the target goods have not been sorted, it means that the next step is still to sort the target goods. However, the bins carried by the fourth robot are not for loading the target goods. Therefore, the management equipment can control the fourth robot to wait, while controlling the robot carrying the bins for loading the target goods to move to the sorting position first to sort the target goods until the target goods are sorted.

[0162] In the solution provided in this application embodiment, after the management device controls the first robot to move the target bin away from the sorting workstation, it can further determine whether the bin carried by the next robot is for loading the target goods. If so, it can control the next robot to move to the sorting position to achieve continuous sorting of the target goods. If not, it can control the next robot to wait and control the robot carrying the bin for loading the target goods to move to the sorting position first to sort the target goods. This effectively avoids frequent changes of goods during the sorting process and ensures the continuity of sorting the same goods and the efficiency of the operation.

[0163] As one embodiment of this application, the bin handling method provided in this application can be applied to cross-warehouse scenarios, that is, the target goods mentioned above are goods that need to be transported across warehouses.

[0164] In cross-docking scenarios, after the goods are received and inspected by the staff, they can be placed in the robot handover area. The information of the goods (goods type, goods number, and goods quantity, etc.) is then associated with the information of the pallet used to hold the goods (pallet number, etc.) and entered into the management device.

[0165] Then, if the sorting workstation can accommodate new pallets, the management equipment controls the robot to transport the pallets stored in the robot handover area to the sorting workstation, that is, to transport the goods to the sorting workstation. After the goods are stored in the sorting workstation, the management equipment can respond to the target goods stored in the sorting workstation and start sorting, executing the above-described bin handling method.

[0166] The solution provided in this application embodiment achieves efficient operation of goods from receiving and quality inspection to sorting in cross-warehouse scenarios, reduces manual operation, and improves sorting efficiency and accuracy, thereby ensuring that cross-warehouse goods can be quickly sorted and dispatched after arriving at the warehousing and logistics center, and improving the warehousing and logistics center's processing efficiency for cross-warehouse goods.

[0167] Corresponding to the above-described bin handling method, this application also provides a bin handling device. The bin handling device provided in this application is described below.

[0168] As shown in Figure 9, a material bin handling device includes:

[0169] The first control module 901 is used to respond to the start of sorting of target goods stored in the sorting workstation, and control the first robot to transport the target bin to the sorting workstation so that the target goods are sorted into the target bin according to the order information of the target order, wherein the target order is the order that requires the target goods, and the target bin is the bin allocated for the target goods required by the target order; the second control module 902 is used to control the first robot to move the target bin away from the sorting workstation after the target goods are sorted into the target bin.

[0170] In the solution provided in this application embodiment, the management device can respond to the start of sorting of target goods stored in the sorting workstation, controlling the first robot to transport the target bins to the sorting workstation, so that the target goods are sorted into the target bins according to the order information of the target order. The target order is an order requiring the target goods, and the target bin is a bin allocated for the target goods required by the target order. After the target goods are sorted into the target bins, the first robot is controlled to move the target bins away from the sorting workstation. Since the sorting process directly controls the first robot to transport the bins to the sorting workstation, and the robot moves the bins away from the sorting workstation after the goods are sorted into the bins according to the order information, this sorting process does not rely on sorting slots for goods aggregation. Therefore, the sorting of goods is no longer limited by the number of sorting slots, and there will be no order delays or inventory backlogs due to insufficient sorting slots, making the outbound process smoother and more efficient, and greatly improving the overall operational efficiency of the warehousing and logistics center.

[0171] As one embodiment of this application, the above-mentioned device may further include: a bin determination module, used to determine whether there is a first associated bin, wherein the first associated bin is: a bin that has been loaded with the goods required by the target order and is not full; if there is a first associated bin, the target bin corresponding to the target order is determined according to the remaining storage space in the first associated bin; if there is no first associated bin, the target bin corresponding to the target order is selected from the empty bins.

[0172] As one embodiment of this application, the aforementioned bin determination module can be specifically used to determine whether the first associated bin can accommodate the target goods required by the target order, based on the quantity of the target goods required by the target order, the unit volume of the target goods, and the remaining storage space in the first associated bin, when a first associated bin exists; if the determination result is negative, at least one empty bin is selected from the empty bins based on the quantity of goods, the unit volume, and the remaining storage space in the first associated bin, and at least one empty bin and the first associated bin are determined as the target bin corresponding to the target order; if the determination result is positive, at least one first associated bin is selected from the first associated bins based on the quantity of goods, the unit volume, and the remaining storage space in the first associated bin, and at least one first associated bin is determined as the target bin corresponding to the target order.

[0173] As one embodiment of this application, the above-described bin determination module can be specifically used to: when the first associated bin exists, determine whether the first associated bin can accommodate the target goods required by the target order based on the quantity of the target goods required by the target order, the unit volume of the target goods, the unit volume of the target goods, the remaining storage space in the first associated bin, and the maximum capacity of the first associated bin; if the determination result is negative, select at least one empty bin from the empty bins based on the quantity of goods, the unit volume, the unit mass, the remaining storage space in the first associated bin, and the maximum capacity of the first associated bin, and determine the at least one empty bin and the first associated bin as the target bin corresponding to the target order; if the determination result is positive, select at least one first associated bin from the first associated bins based on the quantity of goods, the unit volume, the unit mass, the remaining storage space in the first associated bin, and the maximum capacity of the first associated bin, and determine the at least one first associated bin as the target bin corresponding to the target order.

[0174] As one embodiment of this application, the above-mentioned device may further include: a third control module, configured to, when the target goods are sorted into the target bin, and the target bin is full but the target goods required for the target order line are not sorted, control the second robot to transport the empty bin to the sorting workstation, and control the second robot to move in front of the robot currently in the queue, so that the target goods required for the target order line and not sorted are sorted into the empty bin, wherein the target order line is the order line in the target order that requires the target goods.

[0175] As one embodiment of this application, the second control module 902 may include: an information acquisition unit, used to acquire sorting execution information sent by the client in the sorting workstation after completing the sorting of the target goods into the target bin, wherein the sorting execution information includes: whether the sorting of the target goods required for the target order line has been completed and whether the target bin is full; and a control unit, used to control the first robot to move the target bin from the sorting workstation to the first storage area corresponding to the outbound workstation when the sorting execution information indicates that the target bin is full; and to control the first robot to move the target bin from the sorting workstation to the second storage area corresponding to the sorting workstation when the sorting execution information indicates that the sorting of the target goods required for the target order line has been completed and the target bin is not full, wherein the target order line is the order line in the target order that requires the target goods.

[0176] As one embodiment of this application, the control unit described above can be specifically used to determine whether there is a second associated box in the first storage area when the sorting execution information indicates that the target box is full, wherein the second associated box is a box for loading the goods required for the target order; if there is a second associated box, control the first robot to move the target box from the sorting workstation to the storage area where the second associated box is located; if there is no second associated box, allocate a storage area for the target order in the first storage area, and control the first robot to move the target box from the sorting workstation to the allocated storage area.

[0177] As one embodiment of this application, the above-mentioned device may further include: a robot quantity monitoring module for monitoring the number of robots currently queuing in the sorting workstation; a fourth control module for determining a third robot when the number of robots is less than a preset number, wherein the third robot is carrying a bin for loading target goods and the third robot is not queuing in the sorting workstation; and controlling the third robot to move to the sorting workstation so that the target goods are sorted into the bin carried by the third robot.

[0178] As one embodiment of this application, the fourth control module described above may include: a judgment unit, used to judge whether there is a schedulable robot among the robots queuing in other sorting workstations, wherein the schedulable robot carries a material box for loading target goods, and the schedulable robot's queuing position is greater than a preset position; a robot determination unit, used to determine the schedulable robot as the third robot if the judgment result of the judgment module is yes; and to select the third robot from the idle robots and control the third robot to carry an empty material box if the judgment result of the judgment module is no, wherein the idle robot is a robot that is not currently performing a task and is not carrying a material box.

[0179] As one embodiment of this application, the above-mentioned device may further include: a fifth control module, configured to, after controlling the first robot to move the target bin away from the sorting workstation, determine whether the bin carried by the fourth robot is a bin for loading target goods, wherein the fourth robot is the robot currently queuing in the sorting workstation with the first robot in the queue; if the determination result is yes, control the fourth robot to move to the sorting position so that the target goods are sorted into the bin carried by the fourth robot; if the determination result is no, determine whether the target goods have been sorted; if the target goods have been sorted, control the fourth robot to move to the sorting position so that the goods to be loaded in the bin carried by the fourth robot are sorted into the bin carried by the fourth robot; if the target goods have not been sorted, control the fourth robot to wait until the target goods have been sorted.

[0180] As one embodiment of this application, the target bin is a bin allocated for the first target order, which is the highest priority target order among the target orders that have not yet been sorted.

[0181] As one embodiment of this application, the target goods mentioned above are goods that need to be transported across warehouses.

[0182] Corresponding to the above-described bin handling method, this application also provides a bin handling system. The bin handling system provided in this application is described below.

[0183] As shown in Figure 10, a bin handling system includes a management device 1001, a robot 1002, a sorting workstation 1003, an outbound workstation 1004, and a storage rack 1005.

[0184] Management device 1001 is used to control robot 1002 to implement the bin handling method described in any of the above embodiments;

[0185] Robot 1002 is used to move material boxes between sorting workstation 1003, outbound workstation 1004 and storage rack 1005 based on control commands sent by management device 1001.

[0186] In the solution provided in this application embodiment, the management device can respond to the start of sorting of target goods stored in the sorting workstation, controlling the first robot to transport the target bins to the sorting workstation, so that the target goods are sorted into the target bins according to the order information of the target order. The target order is an order requiring the target goods, and the target bin is a bin allocated for the target goods required by the target order. After the target goods are sorted into the target bins, the first robot is controlled to move the target bins away from the sorting workstation. Since the sorting process directly controls the first robot to transport the bins to the sorting workstation, and the robot moves the bins away from the sorting workstation after the goods are sorted into the bins according to the order information, this sorting process does not rely on sorting slots for goods aggregation. Therefore, the sorting of goods is no longer limited by the number of sorting slots, and there will be no order delays or inventory backlogs due to insufficient sorting slots, making the outbound process smoother and more efficient, and greatly improving the overall operational efficiency of the warehousing and logistics center.

[0187] As one embodiment of this application, as shown in FIG11, the management device may include an equipment management platform, an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) scheduling platform, and a smart warehouse management platform, and the platforms can communicate with each other.

[0188] The equipment management platform communicates with the peripheral device. The infrared sensor in the peripheral device can be installed at the inbound workstation to detect whether there is an empty bin at the inbound location. When the infrared sensor detects an empty bin at the inbound location, the controller in the peripheral device can send the detection result to the equipment management platform. The equipment management platform can then send the detection result to the AMR scheduling platform. At this time, the AMR scheduling platform can control the mobile robot in the equipment to move the bin in the inbound workstation to the storage location on the storage rack or the sorting workstation.

[0189] The AMR scheduling platform communicates with the equipment to control the mobile robots in the equipment to move material boxes between the inbound workstation, sorting workstation, outbound workstation and storage rack.

[0190] The intelligent warehouse management platform communicates with client devices, such as PCs, which can send the aforementioned sorting execution information to the platform. Furthermore, the platform can manage storage locations, including the number of bins and materials in each location.

[0191] This application embodiment also provides a management device, as shown in FIG12, including:

[0192] Memory 1201 is used to store computer programs;

[0193] The processor 1202 is used to execute the program stored in the memory 1201 to implement the bin handling method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0194] Furthermore, the aforementioned management device may also include a communication bus and / or a communication interface. The processor 1202, the communication interface, and the memory 1201 communicate with each other via the communication bus. The communication bus mentioned in the aforementioned management device may be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. This communication bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, only one thick line is used to represent it in the figure, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus. The communication interface is used for communication between the aforementioned management device and other devices. The memory may include Random Access Memory (RAM), or Non-Volatile Memory (NVM), such as at least one disk storage device. Optionally, the memory may also be at least one storage device located remotely from the aforementioned processor. The processors mentioned above can be general-purpose processors, including central processing units (CPUs), network processors (NPs), etc.; they can also be digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components.

[0195] In another embodiment provided in this application, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, which stores a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the bin handling method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0196] In another embodiment provided in this application, a computer program product containing instructions is also provided, which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the bin handling method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0197] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a solid-state drive (SSD), etc.

[0198] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0199] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a related manner. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to mutually. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments. In particular, the embodiments of apparatus, systems, management devices, computer-readable storage media, and computer program products are basically similar to the method embodiments, and therefore the descriptions are relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions of the method embodiments.

[0200] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A method for handling a material bin, characterized in that, The method includes: In response to the start of sorting of target goods stored in the sorting workstation, the first robot is controlled to transport the target bin to the sorting workstation so that the target goods are sorted into the target bin according to the order information of the target order, wherein the target order is an order that requires the target goods, and the target bin is a bin allocated for the target goods required by the target order; After the target goods are sorted into the target bins, the first robot is controlled to move the target bins away from the sorting workstation.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The target bin is determined in the following manner: Determine whether a first associated container exists, wherein the first associated container is a container that has been loaded with the goods required by the target order but is not full; If the first associated bin exists, determine the target bin corresponding to the target order based on the remaining storage space in the first associated bin; If the first associated bin does not exist, select the target bin corresponding to the target order from the empty bins.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The step of determining the target bin corresponding to the target order based on the remaining storage space in the first associated bin includes: Based on the quantity of target goods required by the target order, the unit volume of the target goods, and the remaining storage space in the first associated material box, determine whether the first associated material box can accommodate the target goods required by the target order; If the determination result is negative, based on the quantity of goods, the unit volume, and the remaining storage space in the first associated bin, at least one empty bin is selected from the empty bins, and the at least one empty bin and the first associated bin are determined as the target bins corresponding to the target order. If the determination result is yes, based on the quantity of goods, the unit volume, and the remaining storage space in the first associated bin, at least one first associated bin is selected from the first associated bins, and the at least one first associated bin is determined as the target bin corresponding to the target order.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The step of determining the target bin corresponding to the target order based on the remaining storage space in the first associated bin includes: Based on the quantity of target goods required by the target order, the unit volume of the target goods, the remaining storage space in the first associated bin, and the maximum capacity of the first associated bin, determine whether the first associated bin can accommodate the target goods required by the target order. If the judgment result is negative, based on the quantity of goods, the unit volume, the unit mass, the remaining storage space in the first associated bin, and the maximum capacity of the first associated bin, at least one empty bin is selected from the empty bins, and the at least one empty bin and the first associated bin are determined as the target bins corresponding to the target order. If the determination result is yes, based on the quantity of goods, the unit volume, the unit mass, the remaining storage space in the first associated bin, and the maximum capacity of the first associated bin, at least one first associated bin is selected from the first associated bins, and the at least one first associated bin is determined as the target bin corresponding to the target order.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the case where the target goods have been sorted into the target bin, the target bin is full and the target goods required for the target order line have not been sorted, the target order line is the order line in the target order that requires the target goods; The method further includes: Control the second robot to transport the empty bin to the sorting workstation, and control the second robot to move in front of the robot currently in the queue, so that the target goods required by the target order line that have not been sorted can be sorted into the empty bin.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, After the target goods are sorted into the target bins, the first robot is controlled to move the target bins away from the sorting workstation, including: The sorting execution information sent by the client in the sorting workstation after completing the sorting of the target goods into the target bin is obtained. The sorting execution information includes: whether the sorting of the target goods required for the target order line has been completed and whether the target bin is full. When the sorting execution information indicates that the target bin is full, the first robot is controlled to move the target bin from the sorting workstation to the first storage area corresponding to the outbound workstation. When the sorting execution information indicates that the sorting of the target goods required to complete the target order line is complete, and the target bin is not full, the first robot is controlled to move the target bin from the sorting workstation to the second storage area corresponding to the sorting workstation, wherein the target order line is the order line in the target order that requires the target goods.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The step of controlling the first robot to move the target bin from the sorting workstation to the first storage area corresponding to the outbound workstation includes: Determine whether a second associated bin exists in the first storage area, wherein the second associated bin is a bin for loading the goods required for the target order; If the second associated bin exists, control the first robot to move the target bin from the sorting workstation to the storage area where the second associated bin is located; If the second associated bin does not exist, a storage area is allocated for the target order in the first storage area, and the first robot is controlled to move the target bin from the sorting workstation to the allocated storage area.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The method further includes: Monitor the number of robots currently queuing in the sorting workstation; If the number of robots detected is less than a preset number, a third robot is identified, wherein the third robot is carrying a bin for loading the target goods and is not queuing in the sorting station; The third robot is controlled to move to the sorting workstation so that the target goods are sorted into the bins carried by the third robot.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The determination of the third robot includes: Determine whether there is a schedulable robot among the robots queuing in other sorting workstations, wherein the schedulable robot carries a bin for loading the target goods, and the schedulable robot's queuing position is greater than a preset position. If the schedulable robot exists, the schedulable robot is identified as the third robot; If no schedulable robot is available, a third robot is selected from the idle robots, and the third robot is controlled to move an empty bin. The idle robot is a robot that is not currently performing a task and is not moving a bin.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, After controlling the first robot to move the target bin away from the sorting workstation, the method further includes: Determine whether the bin being carried by the fourth robot is a bin for loading the target goods, wherein the fourth robot is the robot currently queuing in the sorting workstation and is the first in line. If the judgment result is yes, control the fourth robot to move to the sorting position so that the target goods are sorted into the bin carried by the fourth robot; If the result is negative, determine whether the target goods have been sorted. If the target goods are sorted, control the fourth robot to move to the sorting position so that the goods to be loaded in the bin carried by the fourth robot are sorted into the bin carried by the fourth robot; If the target goods have not been sorted, the fourth robot is controlled to wait until the target goods are sorted.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The target bin is the bin allocated to the first target order, which is the highest priority target order among the target orders that have not yet been sorted.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The target goods are those that need to be transported across warehouses.

13. A bin handling device, characterized in that, The device includes: The first control module is used to control the first robot to transport the target bin to the sorting workstation in response to the start of sorting of the target goods stored in the sorting workstation, so that the target goods are sorted into the target bin according to the order information of the target order, wherein the target order is an order that requires the target goods, and the target bin is a bin allocated for the target goods required by the target order; The second control module is used to control the first robot to move the target material box away from the sorting workstation after the target goods are sorted into the target material box.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that, The device further includes: The bin determination module is used to determine whether a first associated bin exists, wherein the first associated bin is a bin that has been loaded with the goods required by the target order but is not full; if the first associated bin exists, the target bin corresponding to the target order is determined based on the remaining storage space in the first associated bin; if the first associated bin does not exist, the target bin corresponding to the target order is selected from the empty bins.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that, The bin determination module is specifically used for: In the presence of the first associated container, based on the quantity of the target goods required by the target order, the unit volume of the target goods, and the remaining storage space in the first associated container, it is determined whether the first associated container can accommodate the target goods required by the target order. If the determination result is negative, based on the quantity of goods, the unit volume, and the remaining storage space in the first associated bin, at least one empty bin is selected from the empty bins, and the at least one empty bin and the first associated bin are determined as the target bins corresponding to the target order. If the determination result is yes, based on the quantity of goods, the unit volume, and the remaining storage space in the first associated bin, at least one first associated bin is selected from the first associated bins, and the at least one first associated bin is determined as the target bin corresponding to the target order.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that, The bin determination module is specifically used for: In the presence of the first associated container, based on the quantity of the target goods required by the target order, the unit volume of the target goods, the remaining storage space in the first associated container, and the maximum capacity of the first associated container, it is determined whether the first associated container can accommodate the target goods required by the target order. If the judgment result is negative, based on the quantity of goods, the unit volume, the unit mass, the remaining storage space in the first associated bin, and the maximum capacity of the first associated bin, at least one empty bin is selected from the empty bins, and the at least one empty bin and the first associated bin are determined as the target bins corresponding to the target order. If the determination result is yes, based on the quantity of goods, the unit volume, the unit mass, the remaining storage space in the first associated bin, and the maximum capacity of the first associated bin, at least one first associated bin is selected from the first associated bins, and the at least one first associated bin is determined as the target bin corresponding to the target order.

17. The apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that, The device further includes: The third control module is used to, when the target goods have been sorted into the target bin, and the target bin is full but the target goods required for the target order line have not been sorted, control the second robot to transport the empty bin to the sorting workstation, and control the second robot to move in front of the robot currently in the queue, so that the target goods required for the target order line that have not been sorted are sorted into the empty bin, wherein the target order line is the order line in the target order that requires the target goods.

18. The apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that, The second control module includes: The information acquisition unit is used to acquire sorting execution information sent by the client in the sorting workstation after the target goods are sorted into the target bin. The sorting execution information includes whether the sorting of the target goods required for the target order line has been completed and whether the target bin is full. The control unit is configured to, when the sorting execution information indicates that the target bin is full, control the first robot to move the target bin from the sorting workstation to the first storage area corresponding to the outbound workstation; and when the sorting execution information indicates that the sorting of the target goods required to complete the target order line is completed and the target bin is not full, control the first robot to move the target bin from the sorting workstation to the second storage area corresponding to the sorting workstation, wherein the target order line is the order line in the target order that requires the target goods.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, characterized in that, The control unit is specifically used for: If the sorting execution information indicates that the target bin is full, determine whether there is a second associated bin in the first storage area, wherein the second associated bin is a bin for loading the goods required for the target order; if the second associated bin exists, control the first robot to move the target bin from the sorting workstation to the storage area where the second associated bin is located; if the second associated bin does not exist, allocate a storage area for the target order in the first storage area, and control the first robot to move the target bin from the sorting workstation to the allocated storage area.

20. The apparatus according to any one of claims 13-19, characterized in that, The device further includes: The robot quantity monitoring module is used to monitor the number of robots currently queuing in the sorting workstation; The fourth control module is used to determine a third robot when the number of robots is less than a preset number, wherein the third robot carries a bin for loading the target goods and the third robot is not queuing in the sorting station; and controls the third robot to move to the sorting station so that the target goods are sorted into the bin carried by the third robot.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, characterized in that, The fourth control module includes: The judgment unit is used to determine whether there is a schedulable robot among the robots queuing in other sorting workstations, wherein the schedulable robot carries a material box for loading the target goods, and the schedulable robot's queuing position is greater than a preset position. The robot determination unit is used to determine the schedulable robot as the third robot when the judgment result of the judgment module is yes; and to select the third robot from the idle robots when the judgment result of the judgment module is no, and to control the third robot to transport empty material boxes, wherein the idle robot is a robot that is not currently performing a task and is not transporting material boxes.

22. The apparatus according to any one of claims 13-19, characterized in that, The device further includes: The fifth control module is used to determine, after controlling the first robot to move the target bin away from the sorting workstation, whether the bin being moved by the fourth robot is the bin for loading the target goods, wherein the fourth robot is the robot currently queuing in the sorting workstation and is the first in line; if the determination result is yes, control the fourth robot to move to the sorting position so that the target goods are sorted into the bin being moved by the fourth robot; if the determination result is no, determine whether the target goods have been sorted; if the target goods have been sorted, control the fourth robot to move to the sorting position so that the goods to be loaded in the bin being moved by the fourth robot are sorted into the bin being moved by the fourth robot; if the target goods have not been sorted, control the fourth robot to wait until the target goods have been sorted.

23. The apparatus according to any one of claims 13-19, characterized in that, The target bin is the bin allocated to the first target order, which is the highest priority target order among the target orders that have not yet been sorted.

24. The apparatus according to any one of claims 13-19, characterized in that, The target goods are those that need to be transported across warehouses.

25. A bin handling system, characterized in that, The system includes: management equipment, robots, sorting workstations, outbound workstations, and storage racks; The management device is used to control the robot to implement the method described in any one of claims 1-12; The robot is used to move material boxes between the sorting workstation, the outbound workstation, and the storage rack based on control commands sent by the management device.

26. A management device, characterized in that, include: Memory, used to store computer programs; A processor, when executing a program stored in memory, implements the method described in any one of claims 1-12.

27. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the method described in any one of claims 1-12.

28. A computer program product, characterized in that, Includes a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the method of any one of claims 1-12.

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