Sensor-Guided Warehousing Line for Automated Storage Allocation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current warehousing management relies heavily on manual registration, leading to inefficiencies, errors, and management chaos, especially in industrial production settings where products need to be moved between production lines and warehouses, resulting in low storage space utilization and potential product damage.

Innovation Solution

A warehousing line system equipped with location sensors, conveyor devices, stacking devices, and automatic guided vehicles, integrated with a warehousing management system for real-time information collection and automated item movement, allocation, and labeling, enabling fully automated and efficient warehousing and out-of-warehouse processes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If manual registration is used for warehousing management, then operational simplicity is maintained, but efficiency is low and errors occur frequently

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewarehousing management efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service automation where the warehousing management system automatically receives information from sensors and collection elements, allocates storage locations, and controls stacking devices without human intervention. The location sensors and information collection elements continuously monitor and report storage status, allowing the system to autonomously manage warehousing operations, thereby improving efficiency while the automation handles the complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual mechanical registration operations with an automated information-based system. Location sensors detect storage status automatically, information collection elements gather item data, and the management system processes this information electronically to control stacking devices, substituting manual mechanical processes with automated sensing and control systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Productivity

If automated stacking and conveying devices are introduced, then warehousing efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewarehousing operation speedVSAvoidsystem structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The stacking device is designed with multi-functionality, capable of both stacking items into storage locations and conveying items from storage locations. The conveying device similarly performs both conveying items to the stacking device and transporting items from storage locations. This universal design allows a single device to perform multiple operations, improving productivity while reducing the number of separate devices needed, thereby managing system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges the stacking function and conveying function into integrated devices. The stacking device combines stacking capability with conveying capability, and the conveying device combines conveying with transportation functions. This merging of functions into unified devices streamlines the system structure, improving operational efficiency while avoiding the complexity of multiple separate devices working in coordination.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If real-time information collection and automated allocation are implemented, then management quality is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanagement accuracyVSAvoidsystem integration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements continuous feedback through location sensors that detect whether storage locations are occupied and information collection elements that gather item data. This real-time information is fed back to the warehousing management system, which uses this feedback to automatically allocate storage locations and control stacking operations, ensuring high management accuracy while the automated feedback loop handles the complexity of real-time monitoring and decision-making.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3945043A1Warehousing line, warehousing management method and device
Publication Date: 2022.02.02 BEIJING XIAOMI MOBILE SOFTWARE CO LTD
  • EP3945043A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3945043A1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3945043A1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A warehousing line, a warehousing management method and device may include: a storage device (104), provided with a plurality of storage locations, wherein each storage location is provided with a location sensor configured to determine storage information of the storage location; a first conveyor device (105), configured to convey items to or from the storage device, wherein the first conveyor device is provided with a first information collection element configured to collect information of each item on the first conveyor device; a first stacking device (106), configured to move the item from the first conveyor device to a corresponding storage location of the plurality of storage locations, or to move the item in one of the plurality of storage locations to the first conveyor device; and a warehousing management system in communication connection with the location sensors, the first information collection element and the first stacking device respectively.