Dynamic Stacker Role Assignment for Overflow Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional delivery processing apparatuses face inefficiencies in sorting and stacking due to overflow conditions in stackers, leading to wasteful control and incomplete sorting processes when backup stackers are utilized.
Innovation Solution
A delivery processing apparatus with a dynamic allocation system, where the transport control unit temporarily assigns backup stackers as substitute sort destinations when regular stackers reach overflow states, and adjusts roles based on operational ratios to optimize the use of backup stackers, thereby preventing frequent changes in transport destinations and ensuring efficient sorting and stacking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If backup stackers are assigned as substitute sort destinations when regular stackers overflow, then the sort destination can be maintained, but frequent changes in transport destinations occur reducing sorting efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic role assignment where stackers can switch between regular and backup roles based on their operational status. When a regular stacker overflows, it dynamically becomes a backup stacker, and when emptied, it dynamically returns to regular stacker status. This dynamic adaptation prevents frequent transport destination changes while maintaining sort destination availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the fill status of stackers and uses this feedback to make real-time decisions about role assignment and transport destination selection. The control unit receives status information from sensors and adjusts the sorting configuration accordingly, ensuring optimal efficiency while maintaining reliability.
2Reliability
If conventional backup stacker assignment is used, then overflow issues are addressed, but wasteful control operations occur reducing overall processing efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary assignment of backup stackers before overflow occurs. When a regular stacker is identified as potentially overflowing, a backup stacker is pre-assigned and ready to receive items, preventing the need for urgent reconfiguration and wasteful control operations during actual overflow events.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables stackers to self-manage their role assignments based on their own status. Stackers automatically transition between regular and backup roles based on their fill status, reducing the need for complex centralized control operations and improving overall control efficiency.
Data Source
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AI summary
According to one embodiment, a delivery processing apparatus (1) includes a plurality of stackers (30) configured to stack delivery objects (S); a conveyer (40) configured to transport the delivery objects (S) to a designated stacker (30) out of the plurality of stackers (30); a first detector (35) configured to detect that a monitored regular stacker (30) out of the plurality of stackers (30) is in an overflow state in which more than a predetermined amount of delivery objects (S) have accumulated; a second detector (37) configured to detect that a monitored stacker (30) out of the plurality of stackers (30) is in an empty state in which all delivery objects (S) have been retrieved from the stacker (30); and a main controller (50) configured to specify a regular stacker that is a stacker out of the plurality of stackers and serving as a sort destination of the delivery object, based on address information that is obtained from the delivery object and, control the conveyer such that the delivery object is transported to the regular stacker serving as the sort destination, out of the plurality of regular stackers, that is specified, wherein, if the stacker (30) serving as the sort destination specified is in the overflow state, then the main controller (50) stops the transport of delivery objects (S) to the regular stacker (30) serving as the sort destination that has gone into the overflow state and assigns a backup stacker (30) that is a stacker (30) out of the plurality of stackers (30) not correlated with any address information, as a sort destination substituting for the sort destination that has gone into the overflow state, and after assigning the substitute sort destination, when a regular stacker (30) that had gone into the overflow state goes into the empty state, the main controller (50) stops transport of delivery objects (S) to the backup stacker (30) that has been assigned as the substitute sort destination, and resumes the transport of delivery objects (S) to the regular stacker (30) that has gone into the empty state.