JP7543995B2 - Transportation and delivery system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a transportation and delivery system.

A conventional transportation and delivery system is described in Patent Document 1. This transportation and delivery system sorts items in an automated warehouse according to a predetermined plan, transports the sorted items to a loading area, loads them, and ships them out.

JP 2002-2928 A

The above-mentioned transportation and delivery system is installed at a huge logistics hub. The huge logistics hub automatically sorts and ships items by area using the transportation and delivery system so that the items are distributed and delivered to logistics hubs installed in each area. However, at logistics hubs downstream of the huge logistics hub, the items delivered by delivery vehicles from the logistics hub are unloaded, sorted again, and loaded onto the next delivery vehicle. This creates a problem of increased work time and costs for unloading and loading items at each logistics hub.

Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a transportation and delivery system that can reduce work time and costs at each logistics center.

A transportation and delivery system according to one aspect of the present invention is a transportation and delivery system for inter-site logistics between a first logistics base having an automated warehouse for storing and transporting goods, and another second logistics base, and includes a transportation and delivery management unit that manages the transportation and delivery of goods, and a shipping status optimization calculation unit that optimizes the shipping status of goods at the first logistics base, the transportation and delivery management unit generates shipping instruction information based on receipt information including at least information regarding the second logistics base that receives the goods and the final delivery destination, and delivery information including at least information regarding the delivery order of the goods, and the shipping status optimization calculation unit adjusts the order of release of goods from the automated warehouse to be shipped to the second logistics base based on the shipping instruction information.

The transportation and delivery management unit can generate shipping instruction information based on receipt information including information on at least the second logistics base that receives the items and the final delivery destination, and delivery information including information on at least the delivery order of the items. In this way, the transportation and delivery management unit can generate shipping instruction information taking into consideration the delivery order in which the items will be delivered to the second logistics base and the final delivery destination after being shipped from the first logistics base. Therefore, the shipping status optimization calculation unit can adjust the order in which items are shipped from the automated warehouse to the second logistics base based on the shipping instruction information so as to reduce the amount of work at the second logistics base. As a result, the work time and work costs at each logistics base can be reduced.

The shipping status optimization calculation unit may have a sorting control unit that controls the outgoing order by controlling the sorting work of items in the automated warehouse based on the shipping instruction information. In this case, the shipping status optimization calculation unit can optimize the sorting work of items in the automated warehouse so that the outgoing order is one that can reduce the amount of work at the second logistics base.

The first logistics base may be equipped with a stacking device that stacks items released from the automated warehouse onto a transport cart that is loaded onto a transport vehicle, and the shipping status optimization calculation unit may have a stacking control unit that controls the stacking device based on shipping instruction information to control the stacking order of the items onto the transport cart. In this case, the shipping status optimization calculation unit can optimize the stacking work of the items onto the transport cart in the stacking device so that the stacking order is such that the workload at the second logistics base can be reduced.

At the first logistics base, the items removed from the automated warehouse are loaded onto transport carts and then loaded onto the transport vehicle, and the multiple transport carts may have a unified configuration. In this case, the transport carts can be efficiently loaded onto and unloaded from the transport vehicle at each logistics base.

The multiple items shipped from the first logistics base are delivered to multiple second logistics bases by a transport vehicle and unloaded and loaded in sequence at each second logistics base, and the shipping status optimization calculation unit may adjust the order in which the items are shipped out so that the items are loaded onto the transport vehicle in an order that is reversed from the order in which they were unloaded and loaded at the multiple second logistics bases. In this case, in the automated warehouse, it is possible to load the items in an order that makes it easy to perform unloading work at the downstream second logistics base.

The present invention provides a transportation and delivery system that can reduce work time and costs at each logistics base.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a transportation and delivery system according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is a schematic diagram showing in detail each component of a huge logistics center. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the flow of transportation and delivery from a huge logistics hub to delivery of goods to a customer. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a transportation cart. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an automated warehouse. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the receiving side and the discharging side of an automated warehouse. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a stowage device.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a transportation and delivery system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The transportation and delivery system 100 is a system that supports transportation and delivery in inter-site logistics between a huge logistics base 101 (first logistics base) and another logistics base 102 (second logistics base). The huge logistics base 101 is a base having an automated warehouse 1 that stores and transports goods, and a loading device 2 that loads goods onto a transport cart for shipping. In the management area managed by the transportation and delivery system 100, the huge logistics base 101 is a base having logistics bases 102A that exist in each area of the management area, and sales branches 102B that further subdivide each area, as logistics bases 102 in this embodiment. The sales branches 102B are bases that handle the so-called "last mile" of distributing goods to customers who are the final delivery destinations. The form of the logistics base 102 other than the gigantic logistics base 101 is not particularly limited, and the logistics base of the sales branch 102B may be omitted, and the logistics base 102A may be the base that handles the "last mile." Alternatively, there may be an intermediate logistics base between the logistics base 102A and the sales branch 102B.

The items sorted at the gigantic logistics base 101 are loaded onto transport vehicle 104A and delivered to each logistics base 102A. At logistics base 102A, the items are unloaded from transport vehicle 104A to transport vehicle 104B, and delivered to each sales branch 102B. At the sales branch, the items are unloaded from transport vehicle 104B to transport vehicle 104C, and delivered to each customer 103. Note that, although unloading of items 90 is performed from the rear of each transport vehicle 104, unloading of items 90 may also be performed from the side.

The huge logistics base 101 comprises a transportation and delivery management unit 110, a shipping status optimization calculation unit 120, an automated warehouse 1, and a stowage device 2. The transportation and delivery management unit 110 and the shipping status optimization calculation unit 120 are configured with a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc. The transportation and delivery management unit 110 and the shipping status optimization calculation unit 120 can be configured as one or more processors that operate according to a program, one or more dedicated hardware circuits such as ASICs, or a circuit including a combination of these. The processor has a CPU, and memories such as RAM and ROM. Various programs for processing information are stored in the memory, and the CPU reads out the various programs and performs calculations.

With reference to FIG. 2, each component of the huge logistics base 101 will be described in detail. The transportation and delivery management unit 110 is a unit that manages the transportation and delivery of goods. The transportation and delivery management unit 110 generates shipping instruction information based on the receipt information and delivery information. The receipt information is information that includes at least information about the logistics base 102 that receives the goods and the final delivery destination (customer 103). The receipt information also includes information related to the loading mode of the goods, such as the package size of the goods. The information about the logistics base 102 that receives the goods and the final delivery destination is destination information that indicates which logistics base 102A and sales branch 102B a certain item will be delivered to which customer 103. Here, the huge logistics base 101 is located, for example, in each region or prefecture, and transported goods received from other regions or prefectures and customers in the same prefecture are sent there and delivered to customers under the region or prefecture. Therefore, the transportation and delivery management unit 110 acquires receipt information, for example, from the huge logistics base 101 in another region or prefecture and the logistics base 102 in the same prefecture. The delivery information includes at least information regarding the delivery order of items. Information regarding the delivery order of items indicates the delivery order in which items are to be delivered when multiple items are delivered from one logistics base to another logistics base (or customer 103). The delivery information also includes a plan (truck plan) indicating which transport vehicle will be used to deliver each item and in what delivery order. The delivery information is information that is set based on the destination information described above. The transportation and delivery management unit 110 acquires delivery information from each logistics base 102, which is responsible for considering the delivery plan (route and order).

The transportation and delivery management unit 110 aggregates item information by customer based on the receipt information and delivery information. The transportation and delivery management unit 110 collects customer delivery plans for the destination of each item based on the receipt information and delivery information. The transportation and delivery management unit 110 calculates the loading order onto the transport vehicle based on the receipt information and delivery information. The transportation and delivery management unit 110 adds up the packaging size of each item in order, calculates the required truck size and number of trucks, and makes arrangements. The transportation and delivery management unit 110 generates the results of these processes as shipping instruction information. The transportation and delivery management unit 110 transmits the generated shipping instruction information to the optimization calculation unit 121 of the shipping status optimization calculation unit 120.

The shipping status optimization calculation unit 120 is a unit that optimizes the shipping status of goods at the huge logistics base 101. The shipping status is information that indicates the state (shipping order, loading status on the transport cart) of the goods when they are shipped from the huge logistics base 101. The shipping status optimization calculation unit 120 adjusts the order in which goods are removed from the automated warehouse based on the shipping instruction information, optimizing shipping to the logistics base 102A. The shipping status optimization calculation unit 120 has an optimization calculation unit 121, a sorting control unit 122, and a stowage control unit 123.

The optimization calculation unit 121 is a unit that performs calculations to optimize the shipping state based on the shipping instruction information. Based on the shipping instruction information, the optimization calculation unit 121 calculates shipping order instruction information that indicates the shipping order at the automated warehouse 1. Based on the shipping instruction information, the optimization calculation unit 121 also calculates stowage order instruction information that indicates the stowage order at the stowage device 2. The optimization calculation unit 121 outputs the shipping order instruction information to the sorting control unit 122, and outputs the stowage order instruction information to the stowage control unit 123.

The sorting control unit 122 controls the outgoing order by controlling the sorting work of the automated warehouse 1 based on the shipping instruction information. The sorting control unit 122 outputs a control signal to the automated warehouse 1 based on the outgoing order instruction information calculated from the shipping instruction information so that the automated warehouse 1 outgoes items in the order according to the outgoing order instruction. The stowage control unit 123 controls the stowage device 2 based on the shipping instruction information to control the stowage order of the items. The stowage control unit 123 outputs a control signal to the stowage device 2 based on the stowage order instruction information calculated from the shipping instruction information so that the stowage device 2 stows items onto the transport cart in the order according to the stowage order instruction.

Next, referring to FIG. 3, an example of the flow of transportation and delivery of goods 90 from the huge logistics base 101 to the customer 103 will be described. In FIG. 3, for the sake of explanation, logistics bases 102Aa and 102Ab are shown as the logistics base 102A, and sales branches 102Ba, 102Bb, and 102Bc are shown as the sales branch 102B. However, there may be many more logistics bases 102A and sales branches 102B. As shown in FIG. 3, in the huge logistics base 101, goods 90 sorted and taken out of the automated warehouse 1 are loaded onto a transport cart 91 by a loading device 2. The loaded goods 90 are loaded onto the transport vehicle 104A together with the transport cart 91. Here, goods 90 numbered "1 to 9" and goods 90 marked with the symbols "A, B, C, M, L, N, X, Y, Z" are loaded onto the transport vehicle 104A. Three items 90 are loaded onto one transport cart 91. Note that the manner in which the items 90 are loaded onto the transport cart 91 shown in FIG. 3 is schematic.

The transport vehicle 104A delivers the loaded items 90 together with the transport cart 91 in the order of "logistics base 102Aa, logistics base 102Ab". At the logistics base 102Aa, the items 90 "1 to 9" are unloaded from the transport vehicle 104A, and the items 90 "1 to 9" are unloaded onto the transport vehicle 104Ba. At the logistics base 102Ab, the items 90 "A, B, C, M, L, N, X, Y, Z" are unloaded from the transport vehicle 104A, and the items 90 "A, B, C, M, L, N, X, Y, Z" are unloaded onto the transport vehicle 104Bb.

The transport vehicle 104Bb delivers the loaded items 90 on the transport cart 91 to the sales branch office 102Ba, the sales branch office 102Bb, and the sales branch office 102Bc in that order. At the sales branch office 102Ba, the items 90 "M, L, N" are unloaded from the transport vehicle 104Bb, and the items 90 "M, L, N" are unloaded onto the transport vehicle 104Ca. At the sales branch office 102Bb, the items 90 "A, B, C" are unloaded from the transport vehicle 104Bb, and the items 90 "A, B, C" are unloaded onto the transport vehicle 104Cb. At the sales branch office 102Bc, the items 90 "X, Y, Z" are unloaded from the transport vehicle 104Bb, and the items 90 "X, Y, Z" are unloaded onto the transport vehicle 104Cc.

Transport vehicle 104Cb delivers items 90 labeled "A, B, C" to each customer 103 that is the recipient. Other transport vehicles 104Ca and 104Cc also deliver items 90 labeled "M, L, N" and "X, Y, Z" to each customer 103 that is the recipient. Transport vehicle 104Ba from logistics base 102Aa also delivers items 90 labeled "1 to 9" to another sales branch 102B.

As described above, the multiple items 90 shipped from the huge logistics base 101 are delivered to multiple logistics bases 102A by the transport vehicle 104A, and are unloaded and loaded in order at each logistics base 102A. The multiple items 90 shipped from each logistics base 102A are delivered to multiple sales branches 102B by the transport vehicle 104B, and are unloaded and loaded in order at each sales branch 102B. The multiple items 90 shipped from each sales branch 102B are then delivered to multiple customers 103 by the transport vehicle 104C in order. In response to this, the shipping status optimization calculation unit 120 adjusts the order of outgoing goods 90 so that the items 90 are loaded onto the transport vehicle 104A in the reverse order of the order of unloading at the multiple logistics bases 102A. In addition, the shipping status optimization calculation unit 120 adjusts the outgoing order of the items 90 so that the items 90 are loaded onto the transport vehicle 104B in the reverse order of the unloading order at the multiple sales branches 102B. The shipping status optimization calculation unit 120 adjusts the outgoing order of the items 90 so that the items 90 are loaded onto the transport vehicle 104C in the reverse order of the delivery order to the multiple customers 103.

Specifically, the transport vehicle 104Cb delivers the items 90 to each customer 103 in the order of "A, B, C". Therefore, if the items 90 are loaded in the transport vehicle 104Cb in the order of "A, B, C" from the top, the worker can easily take out the items 90 in the order of delivery from the top. Here, from the time the items 90 are shipped from the huge logistics base 101 until they are unloaded onto the transport vehicle 104Cb at the sales branch 102Bb, the items 90 of "A, B, C" are loaded onto the same transport cart 91 and handed over together with the transport cart 91. Therefore, the shipping status optimization calculation unit 120 controls the automated warehouse 1 to release the items 90 in the order of "C, B, A", which is the reverse of the delivery order to the customer 103. In addition, the shipping state optimization calculation unit 120 controls the stowage device 2 to stack the items 90 on the transport cart 91 in the order of "C, B, A," which is the reverse of the delivery order to the customer 103. Similarly, the items 90 for the other transport carts 91 are removed and stowed in the reverse of the delivery order to the customer 103.

The transport vehicle 104Bb delivers the items 90 to each sales branch 102B in the order of "M, L, N", "A, B, C", and "X, Y, Z". Therefore, if the items 90 are loaded in the transport vehicle 104Bb from the back of the loading platform in the order of "X, Y, Z", "A, B, C", and "M, L, N", a worker at each sales branch 102B can easily remove the transport cart 91 from the front of the loading platform in the order of delivery. Also, if the items 90 are loaded in the transport vehicle 104A from the back of the loading platform in the order of "M, L, N", "A, B, C", and "X, Y, Z", a worker at the logistics base 102Ab can easily remove the transport cart 91 from the front of the loading platform in the order of delivery. As described above, the shipping status optimization calculation unit 120 controls the order of items 90 being removed from the automated warehouse 1 so that the stowage device 2 can load the items 90 onto the transport cart 91 in the order of "M, L, N," "A, B, C," and "X, Y, Z," which is the reverse of the order of loading and unloading at the logistics base 102Ab. Similarly, items "1 to 9" are removed and loaded in the reverse of the order of loading and unloading at the logistics base 102Aa.

The transport vehicle 104A delivers the items 90 to each logistics base 102A in the order of "1-9" and then "A-Z". Therefore, if the items 90 are loaded in the transport vehicle 104A from the back of the loading platform in the order of "A-Z" and then "1-9", then at each logistics base 102A, the worker can easily remove the transport cart 91 from the front of the loading platform in the order of delivery. As described above, the shipping status optimization calculation unit 120 controls the order of delivery from the automated warehouse 1 so that the stowage device 2 can load the items 90 onto the transport cart 91 in the order of "A-Z" and then "1-9", which is the reverse of the order of delivery to the logistics base 102A.

Now, referring to FIG. 4, the transport cart 91 will be described in detail. The transport cart 91 has a frame structure 93 having an internal space SP in which a plurality of items 90 can be loaded, and wheels 94 that allow the frame structure 93 to run. Here, as described above, in each logistics base 102A and sales branch 102B, the items 90 removed from the automated warehouse 1 are loaded onto the transport vehicles 104B and 104C while still loaded onto the transport cart 91. Therefore, it is preferable that the plurality of transport carts 91 have a unified configuration. The transport carts 91 having a unified configuration are transport carts 91 standardized according to a unified standard. The standardized transport carts 91 have a unified loading capacity and can perform unloading and loading operations in a unified manner. Each standardized transport cart 91 has a frame structure 93 and wheels 94 of a similar configuration. In addition, in FIG. 4, a roll box is shown as an example of the transport cart 91, but if the customer 103 is a supermarket or the like, a six-wheel cart or the like may be used.

Next, an example of the configuration of the automated warehouse 1 will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 is a schematic side view showing the automated warehouse 1. As shown in Figure 5, the automated warehouse 1 is a system that can receive and store multiple items 90 and can retrieve items to be retrieved from among the stored items 90. The automated warehouse 1 includes an automated warehouse 10, an entry elevator 14, an exit elevator 15, an entry lane 21, and an exit lane 22. The automated warehouse 1 is a warehouse that stores items 90. The automated warehouse 1 includes a warehouse main body 11, an entry transfer passage 12, and an exit transfer passage 13. The warehouse main body 11 has multiple shelves 16. The shelves 16 extend from one end of the warehouse main body 11 to the other end. In the shelves 16, a transfer device 17 transfers items from the entry path to the exit path. The incoming transfer passage 12 is provided at one end of the warehouse main body 11 and is a mechanism for inputting items 90 to each tier of shelves 16. The outgoing transfer passage 13 is provided at the other end of the warehouse main body 11 and is a mechanism for outputting items 90 from each tier of shelves 16. The incoming elevator 14 raises and lowers the items 90 input from the incoming lane 21, and supplies the items 90 to the incoming transfer passage 12 at the tier corresponding to the desired shelf 16. The outgoing elevator 15 receives the items 90 to be output from the shelves 16 and the outgoing transfer passage 13, and raises and lowers them to an output port (not shown). The items 90 output from the outgoing elevator 15 are transported to the outgoing lane 22.

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the specific configuration of the receiving side and the outgoing side of the automated warehouse 1. Here, the receiving lane 21, the receiving transfer passage 12, the outgoing lane, and the outgoing transfer passage 13 each have a conveyor.

The storage elevator 14 and the outgoing elevator 15 are equipped with a horizontal movement means (e.g., a conveyor) and a vertical movement means, and have a device for moving the items 90 vertically and horizontally. This allows the storage elevator 14 to receive each item 90 from the storage lane 21 and deliver it to the storage transfer passage 12 on the desired floor. The outgoing elevator 15 can also receive each item 90 from the outgoing transfer passage 13 on each floor and deliver it to the outgoing lane 22 in the desired order.

The storage elevator 14 and the outgoing elevator 15 are alternating lifting devices, and have transport shelves 14A and 15A on the lane 21 and 22 sides, and transport shelves 14B and 15B on the connecting passage 12 and 13 sides. The transport shelves 14A, 14B, 15A and 15B each have a storage area CE with a number of tiers equal to "the number of floors of the automated warehouse plus one floor". They also have consecutive transport boxes 14a and 15a with a number of tiers equal to "the number of floors of the automated warehouse" (five tiers in this case). The consecutive transport boxes 14a and 15a move up and down at the same time. When the consecutive transport boxes 14a and 15a move downward, each transport box 14a and 15a is placed in the storage area CE from the first tier to the fifth tier from the bottom. When the successive transport boxes 14a, 15a move upward, each transport box 14a, 15a is placed in the second to sixth storage areas CE from the bottom. The transport boxes 14a, 15a on the transport shelves 14A, 15A and the transport boxes 14a, 15a on the transport shelves 14B, 15B move up and down alternately. That is, when the transport boxes 14a, 15a on the transport shelves 14A, 15A move upward, the transport boxes 14a, 15a on the transport shelves 14B, 15B move downward, and when the transport boxes 14a, 15a on the transport shelves 14A, 15A move downward, the transport boxes 14a, 15a on the transport shelves 14B, 15B move upward. In addition, for the same number of tiers, items 90 can be moved horizontally between the transport boxes 14a, 15a on the transport shelves 14A, 15B and the transport boxes 14a, 15a on the transport shelves 14B, 15B, allowing the items 90 to be handed over and received between them.

The shipping state optimization calculation unit 120 (see FIG. 2) controls the automated warehouse 1 so that the items 90 transported from the storage lane 21 are stored and stored in the automated warehouse 1 in the desired storage order. The shipping state optimization calculation unit 120 also controls the automated warehouse 1 so that the items are shipped from the automated warehouse 1 to the shipping lane 22 in the desired shipping order. This allows the automated warehouse 1 to ship items 90 of the same type in an aligned state in a case where multiple types of items 90 are randomly transported from the storage lane 21. The automated warehouse 1 can also ship items 90 in an order that facilitates unloading and delivery at each logistics base, as shown in FIG. 3. When sorting items 90 in the automated warehouse 1, the shipping state optimization calculation unit 120 searches for a route so that the items 90 move along the optimal route in the storage elevator 14 and the shipping elevator 15. For example, the shipping status optimization calculation unit 120 searches for a route for each item 90 using a shortest route search method (e.g., the A-Star algorithm) with each part of the receiving elevator 14 and the outgoing elevator 15 as a search node.

Next, referring to FIG. 7, an example of a specific configuration of the stowage device 2 will be described. In the example shown in FIG. 7(a), the stowage device 2 has a vehicle-type stowage robot 50. The stowage robot 50 includes a vehicle body 51 and a transport unit 52. The transport unit 52 is provided on the upper part of the vehicle body 51 so as to extend in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. The transport unit 52 includes a receiving unit 53 that receives the goods 90 that have been removed from the warehouse at the rear end side, and a loading unit 54 that loads the goods 90 onto the transport cart 91 at the front end side. The shipping state optimization calculation unit 120 (see FIG. 2) controls the stowage device 2 to load the goods 90 onto the transport cart 91 so as to achieve a loading state that is easy to unload at the logistics base 102 and to deliver to the customer 103. At this time, the shipping state optimization calculation unit 120 calculates the storage rate, center of gravity position, etc. within the transport cart 91 to perform calculations to optimize the loading state.

In the example shown in FIG. 7(b), the stowage device 2 has a robot hand-type stowage robot 60. The stowage robot 60 has a main body 61 placed on the ground, multiple articulated arms 63, and a stowage unit 62 that grasps and stows items 90. The stowage robot 60 grasps items 90 delivered by a conveyor 64, and rotates the stowage unit to stow the items on a transport cart 91.

In the example shown in FIG. 7(c), the stowage device 2 has a vertically mobile stowage robot 60. The stowage robot 60 has a stowage unit 71 that moves up and down while holding an item 71, and a lifting unit 72 that lifts and lowers the stowage unit 71. A conveyor 73 that transports the removed items 90 is provided on one side of the stowage unit 71 (here, the front side of the paper in FIG. 7(c)), and a transport cart 91 is disposed on the other side of the stowage unit 71 (here, the back side of the paper in FIG. 7(c)). The stowage unit 71 receives the items 73 transported by the conveyor 73, rises to the desired stacking height, and stacks the items 73 on the transport cart 91.

Next, we will explain the operation and effects of the transportation and delivery system 100 according to this embodiment.

The transportation and delivery management unit 110 can generate shipping instruction information based on the receipt information including at least information on the logistics base 102 and the customer 103 (final delivery destination) that will receive the item 90, and the delivery information including at least information on the delivery order of the item 90. In this way, the transportation and delivery management unit 110 can generate shipping instruction information taking into consideration the delivery order in which the item 90 will be delivered to the logistics base 102 and the customer 103 after being shipped from the huge logistics base 101. Therefore, the shipping status optimization calculation unit 120 can adjust the order of delivery of the item 90 from the automated warehouse 1 based on the shipping instruction information so as to reduce the amount of work at the logistics base 102, and optimize the shipping to the logistics base 102. As a result, the work time and work costs at each logistics base 102 can be reduced.

The shipping status optimization calculation unit 120 may have a sorting control unit 122 that controls the outgoing order by controlling the sorting work of the items 90 in the automated warehouse 1 based on the shipping instruction information. In this case, the shipping status optimization calculation unit 120 can optimize the sorting work of the items in the automated warehouse 1 so that the outgoing order is one that can reduce the amount of work at the logistics base 102.

The huge logistics base 101 includes a stowage device 2 that stows the items 90 removed from the automated warehouse 1 onto a transport cart 91 that is loaded onto a transport vehicle 104, and the shipping state optimization calculation unit 120 may have a stowage control unit 123 that controls the stowage device 2 based on shipping instruction information to control the stowage order of the items 90 onto the transport cart 91. In this case, the shipping state optimization calculation unit 120 can optimize the stowage work of the items 90 onto the transport cart 91 in the stowage device 2 so that the stowage order is such that the workload at the logistics base 102 can be reduced.

At the logistics base 102, the items 90 removed from the automated warehouse 1 are loaded onto the transport carts 91 and then loaded onto the transport vehicle 104, and the multiple transport carts 91 may have a unified configuration. In this case, the transport carts 91 can be loaded and unloaded efficiently onto and from the transport vehicle 104 at each logistics base 102.

The multiple items 90 shipped from the gigantic logistics base 101 are delivered to multiple logistics bases 102 by the transport vehicle 104, and are unloaded and loaded in sequence at each logistics base 102. The shipping status optimization calculation unit 120 may adjust the order in which the items 90 are shipped out so that the items 90 are loaded onto the transport vehicle 104 in the reverse order of the order in which they were unloaded and loaded at the multiple logistics bases 102. In this case, in the automated warehouse 1, it is possible to load the items 90 in the order that makes it easier to unload the items at the downstream logistics base 102.

As a comparative example, a conventional transportation and delivery system will be described. In the conventional transportation and delivery system, the control unit of the huge logistics base 101 receives "destination of which logistics base to go to" and "packing size" as receiving information, but does not cooperate with the sender of the delivery information, and generates a shipping plan without acquiring the delivery information. Therefore, at the huge logistics base 101, shipment is performed by simply loading the goods onto the transport vehicle 104A in no particular order for each destination logistics base 102. Therefore, at each logistics base 102, all the goods 90 loaded on the transport cart 91 are unloaded and reloaded onto another transport cart 91 for the next delivery destination. This results in an increase in work time and the number of workers required at each logistics base 102.

In contrast, in the transportation and delivery system 100 according to this embodiment, it is possible to comprehensively improve the problems of the conventional transportation and delivery system as described above from the huge logistics base 101 to the customer 103, who is the final delivery destination, with a wide perspective. In the transportation and delivery system 100 according to this embodiment, the items 90 are loaded onto the transport cart 91 at the huge logistics base 101 after incorporating control of the order of the items 90, including the customer 103, who is the final delivery destination. Therefore, at the logistics base 102 after the huge logistics base 101, it is only necessary to switch the transport carts 91 between the transport vehicles 104 according to the order of the transport carts 91 loaded on the transport vehicles 104. In addition, at the final delivery destination, it is possible to take out the items 90 loaded on the transport carts 91 in order while transporting them in the order of the delivery route, and hand them over to the customer 103.

In the transportation and delivery system 100 according to this embodiment, the shipping status optimization calculation unit 120 has an algorithm that calculates a precise order configuration in two configurations: the order of the group of items 90 from each sales branch 102B and the order of taking them out of the transport cart 91 in the order of the route according to the delivery plan from the huge logistics base 101 to the final delivery destination. In addition, in the transportation and delivery system 100, in order to pass the exchange between the transport vehicles 104 (unloading and loading of the transport cart 91) at each logistics base 102, the order of loading the transport vehicles 104 is taken into consideration, and the shipping order from the huge logistics base 101 is changed to the normal order or the reverse order depending on the number of connections of each logistics base 102. The transportation and delivery system 100 according to this embodiment can improve the optimization accuracy of the calculation algorithm by adding the "receiving information" and "delivery information" formulated at each logistics base 102 in real time to the shipping plan usually formulated at the huge logistics base 101.

Normally, when automatically retrieving items from the automated warehouse 1 in the desired order in the shortest possible time, the optimal solution is found by calculating and comparing all patterns of an infinite number of combinations. However, performing such optimization processing requires an enormous amount of time (e.g., several days) even with a high-performance computer. In such cases, a method is often used to cover the problem by combining specific rules, but this can lead to problems such as a lack of required performance or variations in performance of the automated warehouse 1 that retrieves items 90. In the transportation and delivery system 100 according to this embodiment, in order to solve such problems, the shipping status optimization calculation unit 120 searches for a route for each item 90 using a shortest route search method, with each part of the receiving elevator 14 and the retrieving elevator 15 as a search node.

The transportation and delivery system 100 according to this embodiment employs stowage robots 50, 60, and 70 as shown in FIG. 7 as the stowage device 2, and can continuously and smoothly stow items removed from the automated warehouse 1 onto the transport cart 91. The transportation and delivery system 100 according to this embodiment delivers items 90 in a continuous state (with close spacing between items 90 being transported) even with complete sequence control for each item 90. In addition, the transportation and delivery system 100 according to this embodiment can realize automatic stowage by using the stowage device 2 to load items 90 onto the transport cart 91 at high speed in a narrow space. The transportation and delivery system 100 according to this embodiment employs a compact direct axis transfer and has technology that realizes stowage position control without using image processing.

The transportation and delivery system 100 according to this embodiment solves the above-mentioned problems over a large range from the huge logistics base 101 to the final delivery destination, making it possible to shorten delivery lead times and reduce workforce costs (mostly labor costs). In addition, the algorithm in the transportation and delivery system 100 according to this embodiment does not require a huge computing system (such as a quantum computer) to speed up optimization searches, which can contribute to significant reductions in capital investment, etc.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

In the above embodiment, the target is from the gigantic logistics base 101 to the final delivery destination, but there are logistics bases on the way to transport the goods 90 from the sender to the gigantic logistics base 101. In particular, the gigantic logistics base 101 is an "arrival distribution base" from the "giant logistics base" in each area, and conversely, the scope of use of the transportation and delivery system according to the present invention can be expanded to distribution transportation from the "consolidated dispatch base" in each area to the "arrival distribution base" in each area. In this way, the transportation and delivery system according to the modified example can achieve the same effect as the above embodiment in the pre-processing close to the sender. In addition, the present invention has the effect of "reducing lead time by high-speed sequential transportation", but by linking with a platform that can accurately prepare and arrange information on the recipient's receipt time, it is also possible to build a "transportation and delivery system that delivers to the final delivery destination in a timely manner". According to the transportation and delivery system according to the modified example, by linking with other systems (information sources), it is possible to ship from a gigantic logistics base with consideration for transportation and delivery with even less waste.

1...automated warehouse, 2...stowage device, 100...transportation and delivery system, 101...huge logistics base (first logistics base), 102...logistics base (second logistics base), 110...transportation and delivery management unit, 120...shipping status optimization calculation unit, 122...sorting control unit, 123...stowage control unit.

Claims (4)

A transportation and delivery system for inter-site logistics between a first logistics base having an automated warehouse for storing and transporting goods and another second logistics base,
A transportation and delivery management unit that manages the transportation and delivery of the goods;
A shipping status optimization calculation unit that optimizes the shipping status of the item at the first logistics base,
The transportation and delivery management unit generates shipping instruction information based on receipt information including at least information regarding the second logistics base where the item is received and a final delivery destination, and delivery information including at least information regarding a delivery order of the item,
The shipping status optimization calculation unit adjusts a warehousing order of the items to be shipped from the automated warehouse to the second logistics base based on the shipping instruction information,
The plurality of items shipped from the first logistics base are delivered to the plurality of second logistics bases by a transport vehicle, and are unloaded and loaded in sequence at each of the second logistics bases;
The shipping status optimization calculation unit adjusts the order of delivery of the items so that the items are loaded onto the transport vehicle in an order that is reversed to the order of unloading and loading at the multiple second logistics bases . The transportation and delivery system according to claim 1, wherein the shipping status optimization calculation unit has a sorting control unit that controls the order of items being shipped by controlling the sorting work of the items in the automated warehouse based on the shipping instruction information. The first logistics base includes a loading device that loads the items removed from the automated warehouse onto a transport cart that is mounted on a transport vehicle,
3. The transportation and delivery system according to claim 1, wherein the shipping status optimization calculation unit has a stowage control unit that controls the stowage device based on the shipping instruction information to control the stowage order of the items onto the transport cart. At the first logistics base, the article taken out from the automated warehouse is loaded onto a transport vehicle in a state where the article is loaded onto a transport cart,
The transportation and delivery system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the plurality of transport vehicles have a unified configuration.

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