JP7696643B2 - Distributed Logistics System - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to the field of logistics warehousing technology, and in particular to distributed logistics systems.

With the dual drive of science and technology and economy, the logistics industry is rapidly changing from traditional logistics to modern logistics. In the process of moving goods from the place of origin to the place of consumption, the logistics chain is evolving in the direction of automation, informationization, intelligentization and unmanned for multiple links such as transportation, storage and distribution. In the logistics industry, a lot of funds are invested in research and development, which improves the efficiency of goods distribution and allows customers to have a better logistics experience. In the existing logistics system, goods entering the logistics system are sorted, classified and transferred at each level of warehouses, and the quantity of goods distributed to the warehouse is at least greater than or equal to the quantity of goods in the transfer vehicle.

Contents of the invention

The present invention was made in consideration of the technical problems existing in the prior art, and provides a distributed logistics system that improves logistics efficiency, increases the amount of cargo in transit, and improves logistics efficiency.

To solve the above technical problems, the present invention proposes a distributed logistics system including multiple cargo transport devices and one or more fixed warehouses. Multiple cargoes entering the logistics system are distributed to one or more of the multiple cargo transport devices and multiple fixed warehouses. In this regard, the ratio of the number of cargoes in the multiple cargo transport devices to the number of cargoes in the fixed warehouse is 50% or more, 80% or more, 90% or more, 95% or more, or 99% or more.

The logistics system provided by the present invention ensures that most of the cargo distributed to the cargo transport device is in a transport state most of the time after entering the logistics system, reducing the residence time at a fixed location and improving logistics efficiency.

The cargo transport device according to the present invention is a mobile warehouse including a multi-story warehouse, a storage device, a moving device, and a transport device, and the multi-story warehouse includes one or more warehouse cells. The storage device is configured to be stored in the storage space of the warehouse cell. The moving device moves within a space formed by the moving space of the multiple warehouse cells to transport the storage device between the warehouse cells. The transport device is used to transport the multi-story warehouse and provides a transport function. In one embodiment, the mobile warehouse further includes a sorting device configured to sort cargo in the storage device. In one embodiment, the sorting device is located outside the multi-story warehouse or within the multi-story warehouse. In one embodiment, the sorting device is configured to occupy multiple adjacent warehouse cells. In one embodiment, the sorting device in the mobile warehouse includes multiple sorting cells, the sorting cells are connected to warehouse cells for storing storage devices, and the moving device is configured to transport a storage device that stores cargo to be sorted from a warehouse cell of the multi-story warehouse to one sorting cell. In one embodiment, the sorting device includes a support unit connected to at least one sorting cell, the moving unit, and the sorting robot. The mobile unit is movably connected to the support unit and can move between a plurality of sorting cells along the support unit. The sorting robot is attached to the mobile unit and sorts cargo from the first storage device to the second storage device as the mobile unit moves. In one embodiment, the storage device includes a parent and child transport box. The child transport box contains cargo therein, and the parent transport box contains one or more child transport boxes therein, and the parent transport box is placed in a storage space within a warehouse cell. Here, the parent transport box binds with the ID of the child transport box therein. In one embodiment, the mobile warehouse further includes a docking device that directly or indirectly docks the multi-level warehouse with another multi-level warehouse. In one embodiment, the docking device is a lifting docking device and/or a horizontally moving docking device.

The present invention further includes a customer service system, a logistics system including the multi-stage mobile warehouse and a plurality of distributed logistics control modules. The customer service system is configured to interact with customers and receive logistics orders from the customers. The multi-stage mobile warehouses transport cargo within their respective transportation ranges and dock with different mobile warehouses in the same logistics direction to transfer the cargo. The multi-stage mobile warehouses sort the next transferred cargo during the transportation of the cargo. The plurality of distributed logistics control modules are configured to manage the logistics information of the cargo, the collection and delivery of the cargo, the transfer and sorting of the cargo. In one embodiment, the customer service system includes a customer service client side and a customer service side. The customer service client side provides a customer interface, provides related logistics information to customers, and receives logistics orders from customers. The customer service side receives the logistics order sent from the customer service client side, transmits the logistics information of the cargo extracted therefrom to the logistics control system, and obtains the distribution information of the cargo in the logistics chain. In one embodiment, the multi-stage mobile warehouse includes a collection and delivery device for transferring the cargo between the customer and the multi-stage mobile warehouse, and an inter-city cargo transportation device. In one embodiment, the logistics system further includes a delivery robot and/or a drone that delivers the cargo to and from the customer. In one embodiment, the intercity cargo transport device includes a marine transport device, an air transport device, and a land transport device having a multi-level warehouse. In one embodiment, the logistics control module includes one or more distributed geographic information modules and one or more distributed route planning modules, the one or more distributed geographic information modules being configured to acquire and maintain real-time location information of the mobile warehouse. The one or more distributed route planning modules are configured to determine a mobile warehouse to transfer the cargo, a docking point, and corresponding logistics information based on the real-time location information, transportation direction, geographic traffic information, and logistics information to transport the cargo of the mobile warehouse. In one embodiment, the logistics control module further includes one or more distributed cargo monitoring modules configured to acquire and maintain logistics information to transfer the cargo, the logistics information including logistics order information of the cargo, logistics level information, ID binding information of the cargo and the mobile warehouse, the warehouse cell, and the storage device, and cargo distribution information. In one embodiment, the logistics control module further comprises one or more distributed sorting control modules, and is configured to determine a list of sorted cargo for the mobile warehouse based on a mobile warehouse to be docked and a docking location to transfer cargo. The sorting task is assigned to a sorting device in a multi-level warehouse built into the mobile warehouse, and a transport task is assigned to the mobile device, and the two are coordinated to complete sorting of cargo before docking in cooperation with each other. In one embodiment, the customer service system further receives a customer order and distributes information of the customer order to the multiple logistics control modules. The customer order is processed in cooperation with one or more of the multiple logistics control modules. In one embodiment, the logistics system is further configured to continue processing the customer order by another distributed logistics control module or single module when one distributed logistics control module or single module fails. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a logistics method based on the mobile warehouse, which includes the following steps: accepting cargo into the logistics chain according to a customer's logistics order; the cargo is transferred step by step between different mobile warehouses in the same logistics direction; and the mobile warehouses transfer the cargo within their respective corresponding transportation ranges. The mobile warehouse sorts the cargo to be transferred to a mobile warehouse that is docked during cargo transportation. In one embodiment, the mobile warehouse has a movable parent-child transport box built in. The parent transport box has one or more child transport boxes built in, and the cargo is placed in the child transport box. When transferring the cargo, the parent transport box and/or the child transport box are transferred. The mobile warehouse sorts the child transport boxes when sorting the cargo. In one embodiment, the cargo sorting and docking process includes establishing or releasing an ID binding relationship between a warehouse cell of the mobile warehouse and a parent transport box therein, and establishing or releasing an ID binding relationship between the parent transport box and the child transport box. In one embodiment, the logistics method further includes preferentially determining a mobile warehouse category and a docked mobile warehouse in the logistics chain for cargo with a high logistics level according to a logistics level selected in the customer's logistics order. In one embodiment, the logistics method further includes determining a mobile warehouse and a docking location to transfer the cargo to based on the real-time location, transportation direction, geographic traffic information, and logistics direction of transporting the cargo in the logistics transfer of the cargo. In one embodiment, the logistics method further includes determining a travel route for the mobile warehouse to a docking point. In one embodiment, when the mobile warehouse docks and transfers cargo for the implementation of the logistics method, a mobile warehouse and a docking point for the next docking are calculated.

The present invention completes the storage, sorting and transfer of cargo during transport, improving transfer efficiency by reducing the overall cargo dwell time.

The present invention also relates to a delivery robot including a base including an electric control device, a housing, a traveling mechanism, and an interactive mechanism. The housing is located on the base and has an openable top cover and a front cover, and the housing is composed of a frame constituting a storage space and a moving space. The traveling mechanism is located at the bottom of the base for controlling traveling and turning. The interaction mechanism is located on the top of the housing, interacts with customers, monitors the entry and exit of cargo in the housing, and observes and monitors the surrounding environment and road conditions during traveling. In one embodiment, the frame built into the housing includes two vertically arranged side frames, and the support blocks are provided toward the inside of the support columns of each side frame, and the upper part of the support blocks constitutes a storage space, and the lower part of the support blocks and the upper surface of the base constitute a moving space. In one embodiment, a traveling guide device for the moving device is provided on the upper surface of the base constituting the moving space. In one embodiment, the guide device is a longitudinal guide groove. In one embodiment, a timing pulley is attached to the upper part of the side frame, and both sides of the top cover and the front cover are fixed to the timing pulley shaft, respectively, and a driving motor attached inside the base rotates the timing pulley by a transfer mechanism to open the top cover or open the front cover upward. In one embodiment, the traveling mechanism includes a plurality of wheel assemblies. In one embodiment, the wheel assembly corresponds to an independent driving mechanism and a steering mechanism. In one embodiment, the driving mechanism includes a driving motor and a power transmission mechanism . The driving motor is fixed to the base via a bracket and outputs a traveling driving force. The power transmission mechanism includes a driving wheel at the tip and a multi-stage driven wheel. The terminal timing pulley is a wheel driven wheel. The power output by the driving motor is transmitted to the terminal wheel driven wheel through the power transmission mechanism , and the wheel driven wheel rotates the wheel body fixed to the wheel axle. In one embodiment, the steering mechanism includes a first stage steering mechanism and a second stage steering mechanism. The first stage steering mechanism is connected between the output shaft end of the driving motor and the driving wheel. The second stage steering mechanism is connected between the end of the first stage timing pulley shaft, which is transferred in synchronization with the drive wheel, and the tip of the second stage timing pulley shaft. In one embodiment, the steering assembly includes a steering motor, a power transmission mechanism , and a steering frame. The steering motor outputs steering power. The power transmission mechanism includes a steering drive wheel at the tip and a steering driven wheel, and the steering frame is fixed to the first stage driven wheel shaft and the upper swing arm of the wheel assembly. Among them, the output shaft of the steering motor transmits power to the steering driven wheel through the steering drive wheel, and the steering driven wheel rotates the upper swing arm fixedly connected to the steering frame together to change the running direction of the wheel body. In one embodiment, the steering assembly further includes a steering mechanism connected between the output end of the steering motor and the steering drive wheel shaft, which changes the power transmission direction of the steering motor. In one embodiment, the interactive mechanism includes a camera, a display, a touch screen, and a voice device, and any of a plurality of laser navigation SLAM and visual navigation VSLAM systems. In one embodiment, the robot includes a control device. The control device includes a communication module, a task management module, a driving control module, and an interactive control module. The communication module communicates with a cloud management system. The task management module is configured to receive pick-up/delivery tasks and docking information through the communication module, and to send corresponding pick-up/delivery task information. The driving control module controls the driving mechanism according to the driving route, and controls driving and/or steering along a planned route. The interactive control module is configured to complete the pick-up or delivery based on the pick-up/delivery task and the interaction scenario. In one embodiment, the control device further includes a location information module configured to determine current location information, and uploads the real-time location information to the cloud management system through the communication module. In one embodiment, the driving control module receives the driving route from the cloud management system through the communication module, or the driving control module calculates the driving route based on the current location and the docking location. In one embodiment, the driving control module adjusts the output power and the driving mode according to the condition of the driving ground. In one embodiment, the control device includes one or both of a visual sensor, a distance sensor, and a sound sensor. In one embodiment, the interaction control module includes one or more of the following units: an operation unit for operating the opening and closing of the housing; an audio unit configured for audio interaction to guide the receiving/shipping customer through the receiving/shipping process; and a video unit configured to monitor the receiving/shipping process and play a video of information related to the receiving/shipping scene.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a collection operation method for a delivery robot, which includes the following steps: The delivery robot loads a parent and child transport box and arrives at a collection location corresponding to the collection task according to a planned route. The top cover of the housing is opened, and the sender follows the guidance to open the corresponding child transport box and put the cargo in, and then closes the top cover of the housing. Then, the delivery robot arrives at a docking location according to the planned route and transfers the cargo to a cargo transport device of the next logistics chain. In one embodiment, the operation method further includes a step of obtaining a child transport box that meets the specifications. In one embodiment, at the collection location, the front cover of the housing of the delivery robot is opened, and the moving device containing the parent transport box with the built-in child transport box that meets the specifications enters the moving space inside the housing of the delivery robot. The parent transport box is set in the storage space, and ID binding information between the parent transport box and the child transport box, and between the parent transport box and the delivery robot is established. In one embodiment, during the process of guiding the customer, the customer is guided to properly put the cargo in the child transport box through voice interaction, video playback, and video monitoring. In one embodiment, when guiding the sender to open the corresponding child transport box, an instruction to identify the corresponding child transport box is sent to the sender. In one embodiment, when the sender puts the cargo and the child transport box is closed, an unpacking password is generated and recorded in the ID information of the child transport box. In one embodiment, when transferring the cargo to the cargo transport device of the next logistics chain, the front cover of the housing of the delivery robot is opened. When the moving device of the cargo transport device enters the moving space of the housing, the parent transport box in the storage space is moved from the housing of the delivery robot.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a delivery operation method for a delivery robot, which includes the following steps: The delivery robot carries a parent box containing the delivery cargo, and arrives at a delivery location according to a planned route. After interacting with the consignee, the top cover of the housing is opened, and the consignor follows the instructions to open the corresponding child box, removes the cargo, and then closes the top cover of the housing. In one embodiment, the delivery operation method includes the delivery robot waiting for a preset time when the delivery location is reached but the consignee has not arrived. Also, when the preset time has elapsed, the delivery robot deposits the parent box containing the delivery cargo in a designated delivery locker or extends the wait time. And the delivery locker information is recorded in the logistics information of the cargo.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method for a home delivery robot, which includes the following steps: A travel route consisting of a plurality of task execution locations arranged in an order is planned according to the delivery task and the collection task of the home delivery robot . The home delivery robot carries a delivery parent transport box containing a child transport box containing a cargo and a collection parent transport box equipped with a collection child transport box, and performs a collection or delivery process corresponding to each execution location in order according to the planned travel route. Then, in response to the completion of the delivery task and/or the collection task, the home delivery robot heads to a docking point according to the planned travel route and exchanges the parent transport box with a cargo transport device of the next logistics chain. In one embodiment, the home delivery robot individually opens the top cover corresponding to the collection parent transport box during the collection process, and individually opens the top cover corresponding to the delivery parent transport box when performing the delivery process.

The home delivery robot provided by this invention can interact with customers independently, collect and ship cargo, and dock with other logistics equipment independently, and in these processes, it can achieve stable, safe, and flexible travel and high work efficiency without the need for staff assistance.

The present invention includes a first freight transport device and a second freight transport device. The first freight transport device is configured to travel from a first location to a second location. The second freight transport device is configured to operate from a third location to a fourth location. Here, at a first junction location, the first freight transport device and the second freight transport device dock to transfer one or more first freights. In one embodiment, the logistics system further includes a third freight transport device that docks with the first freight transport device and transfers one or more second freights, or docks with the first freight transport device and transfers one or more second freights after docking and freight transfer via the one or more freight transport devices, at one or more second junction locations. In one embodiment, the third freight transport device is configured to receive freight directly from a customer or a collection staff member in direct contact with the customer. In one embodiment, the logistics system further includes a fourth freight transport device that is docked with the second freight transport device at one or more third meeting points and transfers one or more third freights or is docked and freight transferred via one or more freight transport devices, and then docks with the second freight transport device and transfers one or more third freights in a delivery direction. In one embodiment, the fourth freight transport device is configured to deliver freight to a customer or a delivery staff that directly contacts the customer. In one embodiment, the first freight transport device and the second freight transport device are at the same or different levels in an urban freight transport device, an intercity freight transport device, and an international freight transport device. In one embodiment, the docking between the freight transport devices is performed by the freight transport devices themselves. In one embodiment, the docking between the freight transport devices includes a multi-storey warehouse on each freight transport device, which is directly docked to form an integrated multi-storey warehouse. In one embodiment, the docking between the freight transport devices includes a moving support structure of the multi-storey warehouse on each freight transport device that can transfer freight. In one embodiment, docking between the freight transport devices includes directly or indirectly docking a mobile guide device in a multi-level warehouse on each freight transport device to allow freight transfer. In one embodiment, freight transfer between the freight transport devices includes transferring freight using a mobile device in the multi-level warehouse on each freight transport device. In one embodiment, the mobile device in the multi-level warehouse of the freight transport devices is one or more AGVs. In one embodiment, the freight is always on a freight transport device between a third freight transport device that receives freight directly from a customer or from a collection staff that has direct contact with the customer, and a fourth freight transport device that delivers freight to a customer or a delivery staff that has direct contact with the customer. In one embodiment, during the transfer between the third freight transport device from the customer or collection staff in direct contact with the customer to the fourth freight transport device that delivers the freight to the customer or collection staff in direct contact with the customer, the ratio of the number of freight stored in the fixed warehouse to the number of freight stored in the freight transport device is less than 50%, less than 30%, less than 20%, or less than 10%, or less than 5%, or less than 1%. In one embodiment, the multi-storey on the freight transport device is docked with the multi-storey on the fixed warehouse. The freight transport device and the moving device of the fixed warehouse are used to realize the freight transfer between the freight transport device and the fixed warehouse. In one embodiment, the freight sorting system is included in each freight transport device. In one embodiment, the freight sorting system in the freight transport device is configured to aggregate the freight to be transferred. In one embodiment, the freight sorting system in the freight transport device is configured to change the position of the freight to be transferred to be closer to the area where the freight transport device is docked.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a logistics method for reducing cargo dwell time, comprising the steps of: using a first cargo transport device to travel from a first location to a second location; using a second cargo transport device to travel from a third location to a fourth location; or docking the first cargo transport device with the second cargo transport device at a first meeting location and transferring one or more first cargoes. In one embodiment, the logistics method further comprises docking the third cargo transport device with the first cargo transport device at one or more second meeting locations and transferring one or more second cargoes; or transferring the first cargo transport device with the one or more second cargoes via docking and cargo transfer of one or more cargo transport devices. The third cargo transport device is configured to receive cargo directly from a customer or from a collection staff member who has direct contact with the customer. In one embodiment, the logistics method further comprises docking the fourth cargo transport device with the second cargo transport device at one or more third meeting locations and transferring one or more third cargoes. Alternatively, the fourth cargo transport device and the second cargo transport device transfer one or more third cargoes through docking and cargo transfer of one or more cargo transport devices. The fourth cargo transport device is configured to deliver the cargo by a customer or a delivery staff member who has direct contact with the customer. In one embodiment, the logistics method further includes docking a multi-storey warehouse on the cargo transport device and a multi-storey warehouse of a fixed warehouse. The cargo transport device and a transfer device of the fixed warehouse realize the transfer of cargo between the cargo transport device and the fixed warehouse. In one embodiment, the logistics method further includes sorting the cargo on each cargo transport device. In one embodiment, the logistics method further includes changing the position of the cargo to be transferred by sorting on each cargo transport device to bring it closer to the area where the cargo transport device is docked.

The present invention provides a logistics system and method that allows cargo to be transferred step-by-step directly among different cargo transport devices without transferring the cargo to a sorting center during transfer. As a result, cargo retention time can be reduced and logistics efficiency can be improved.

The present invention also relates to a logistics system for reducing sorting time, the logistics system including a plurality of first cargo transport devices and a plurality of second cargo transport devices. The first cargo transport devices include a cargo sorting system configured to sort cargo in the first cargo transport devices during operation of the first cargo transport devices. In one embodiment, the logistics system further includes one or more fixed-location warehouses for docking with the first cargo transport devices and/or the second cargo transport devices to transfer cargo. In one embodiment, the cargo sorting system is configured to consolidate cargo to be delivered to the second cargo transport devices and/or the fixed warehouse. In one embodiment, the cargo sorting system is configured to reposition cargo to be transferred to the second cargo transport devices and/or the fixed warehouse to be an area closer to the second cargo transport devices and/or the fixed warehouse. In one embodiment, the first cargo transport devices do not include a separate cargo sorting area. In one embodiment, the first cargo transport devices include a multi-level warehouse comprised of a plurality of stacked warehouse cells, a portion of which is occupied by the cargo sorting system. In one embodiment, the cargo sorting system occupies at least two or four stacked warehouse cells. In one embodiment, a warehouse cell of the multi-storey warehouse is configured to accommodate a first transit box, and the first transit box is configured to change the warehouse cell it occupies by a moving device of the multi-storey warehouse. In one embodiment, the first transit box is configured to accommodate a plurality of second transit boxes, and the second transit boxes are configured to accommodate cargo. In one embodiment, the cargo sorting system is for allocating the second transit boxes to different first transit boxes. In one embodiment, the second cargo transport device and/or the fixed warehouse include a cargo sorting system. In one embodiment, the second cargo transport device and/or the fixed warehouse do not include a separate cargo sorting area. In one embodiment, the second cargo transport device and/or the fixed location warehouse includes a multi-storey warehouse composed of a plurality of stacked warehouse cells, and the cargo sorting system occupies a portion thereof. In one embodiment, the first cargo transport device and the second cargo transport device can dock with each other at a position outside the fixed warehouse to transfer cargo. In one embodiment, the docking of the cargo transport devices includes directly docking the multi-storey warehouse on the cargo transport device to form an integrated multi-storey warehouse. Docking between the cargo transport device and the fixed warehouse includes direct docking between the multi-level warehouse on the cargo transport device and the multi-level warehouse of the fixed warehouse. In one embodiment, docking between the cargo transport devices includes a mobile support structure of the multi-level warehouse on the cargo transport device docking directly or indirectly to transfer cargo. Docking between the cargo transport device and the fixed warehouse includes a mobile support structure of the multi-level warehouse on the cargo transport device docking directly or indirectly to transfer cargo. In one embodiment, docking between the cargo transport devices includes a mobile guide device of the multi-level warehouse on the cargo transport device docking directly or indirectly to transfer cargo. Docking between the cargo transport device and the fixed warehouse includes a mobile guide device of the multi-level warehouse on the cargo transport device docking directly or indirectly to transfer cargo. In one embodiment, at least some of the cargo transport devices and/or the fixed warehouse among the multiple cargo transport devices are configured to enable the transfer of cargo using all or a part of their respective mobile devices.

In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a logistics method for reducing sorting time, comprising the steps of: transferring cargo using a first cargo transport device; transferring cargo between the first cargo transport device and a second cargo transport device and/or a fixed warehouse; wherein the cargo of the first cargo transport device is sorted during transportation; in one embodiment, the logistics method further comprises collecting the cargo to be transferred to the second cargo transport device and/or the fixed warehouse; in one embodiment, the logistics method further comprises changing the position of the cargo to be transferred to the second cargo transport device and/or the fixed warehouse to be closer to the second cargo transport device and/or the fixed warehouse and the docking entrance; in one embodiment, the logistics method further comprises sorting the cargo of the second cargo transport device during transportation; in one embodiment, the multi-level warehouse in the first cargo transport device and the second cargo transport device includes a plurality of stacked warehouse cells; the warehouse cell accommodates a first transit box; the first transit box accommodates one or more cargoes or accommodates one or more second transit boxes; the second transit box accommodates cargo. The first cargo transport device and/or the second cargo transport device assign cargo or second containers to different first containers during sorting.

According to the logistics system and method provided by the present invention, after cargo enters the logistics system, the cargo transport device uses the transportation time to complete the sorting of the cargo, so that the sorting of the cargo does not occupy the logistics time. Compared to the sorting time consumed by multiple multi-stage fixed sorting centers in existing logistics systems, the present invention can effectively shorten the overall logistics time of the cargo and effectively improve logistics efficiency.

The present invention also relates to a logistics system. The system includes a plurality of mobile warehouses, an identification system, and a database. At least a portion of the plurality of mobile warehouses constitute a plurality of warehouse cells. The identification system is configured to identify cargo entering the mobile warehouse. The database records association information between the cargo stored in the mobile warehouse and the warehouse cell. Among these, the identification system further identifies a change in the warehouse cell that stores the cargo in the mobile warehouse. In one embodiment, the mobile warehouse includes a multi-level warehouse and the transportation equipment. The multi-level warehouse includes a plurality of warehouse cells. The transportation equipment is configured to transport the multi-level warehouse. In one embodiment, the logistics system further includes one or more fixed warehouses that constitute a plurality of warehouse cells, an identification system that identifies cargo entering the fixed warehouse and determines a change in the warehouse cell in which the cargo is stored in the fixed warehouse, and a database that records association information between the cargo stored in the fixed warehouse and the warehouse cell in which they are located. In one embodiment, the identification system is configured to identify changes in cargo between the mobile warehouses and/or between the mobile warehouse and the fixed warehouse. In one embodiment, the warehouse cell is configured to store a first transit box. The association of the warehouse cell and the cargo includes association of the cargo with a first transit box and association of the first transit box with the warehouse cell. In one embodiment, the first transit box is configured to hold a plurality of second transit boxes, and the second transit box is configured to hold the cargo. The association of the warehouse cell and the cargo includes association of the cargo with the second transit box, association of the second transit box with the first transit box, and association of the first transit box with the warehouse cell. In one embodiment, the identification system is configured to identify the cargo entering the mobile warehouse/fixed warehouse and the change of the warehouse cell in which the cargo is located by the association information of the cargo and the warehouse cell. In one embodiment, the logistics system further includes a cargo monitoring system configured to issue an alert when the location of the cargo is not in the designated warehouse cell. In one embodiment, the cargo monitoring system identifies the alerted mobile warehouse or fixed warehouse based on the latest association information of the warehouse cell and the cargo. In one embodiment, the logistics system further includes a location system configured to determine the location of the mobile warehouse and/or the fixed warehouse. In one embodiment, the logistics system further comprises a planning system that plans the cargo based at least on warehouse cells occupied by the cargo and vacant warehouse cells in the mobile warehouse and/or fixed warehouse. In one embodiment, the planning system is configured to plan the cargo based at least on a transportation direction of the mobile warehouse and a logistics direction of the cargo. In one embodiment, the planning system is configured to determine a docking location and a transfer cargo between the mobile warehouses based at least on the transportation direction of the mobile warehouse and the logistics direction of the cargo. In one embodiment, the transfer of the cargo between the mobile warehouses is completed via a unique device for docking and a transfer of the cargo. In one embodiment, the planning system is configured to determine a transfer cargo to be transferred between the mobile warehouse and the fixed warehouse based at least on the transportation direction of the mobile warehouse and the logistics direction of the cargo. In one embodiment, the planning system is configured to re-plan the cargo during the transportation in response to a change in the destination of the cargo or a change in the time and efficiency level.

In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a cargo management method for a logistics system, comprising the steps of: identifying cargo entering a mobile warehouse; recording association information between the cargo stored in the mobile warehouse and a warehouse cell; determining a change in a warehouse cell for storing the cargo in the mobile warehouse. In one embodiment, the cargo management method further comprises: identifying cargo entering a fixed warehouse; recording association information between the cargo stored in the fixed warehouse and a warehouse cell; determining a change in a warehouse cell for storing the cargo in the fixed warehouse. In one embodiment, the cargo management method further comprises identifying cargo changes between mobile warehouses and/or between a mobile warehouse and a fixed warehouse. In one embodiment, the cargo management method includes using a first transit box for storing one or more cargoes, storing the first transit box in a warehouse cell, and recording association information between the cargo and the first transit box and association information between the first transit box and the warehouse cell. In one embodiment, the cargo management method further includes using a second transit box to store the cargo, whether one or more second transit boxes are stored in the first transit box, and recording association information between the cargo and the second transit box, association information between the second transit box and the first transit box, and association information between the first transit box and a warehouse cell. In one embodiment, the cargo management method further includes determining cargo entering a mobile warehouse and/or a fixed warehouse and a change in a warehouse cell of the mobile warehouse and/or a fixed warehouse based on the association information between the cargo and the warehouse cell. In one embodiment, the cargo management method further includes issuing an alert when the location of the cargo is not in a designated warehouse cell. In one embodiment, the cargo management method further includes determining that the location of the cargo is not in a designated warehouse cell based on a stop of change in the association information between the cargo and the warehouse cell. In one embodiment, the cargo management method further includes identifying the alerted mobile warehouse or fixed warehouse based on the latest association information between the cargo and the warehouse cell. In one embodiment, the cargo management method further includes determining the location of the mobile warehouse and the fixed warehouse and adjusting the cargo. In one embodiment, the method of managing cargo further includes realigning cargo during transit in response to changes in cargo destination or changes in time and efficiency levels.

By managing and monitoring the entire logistics process of cargo entering a logistics system according to the present invention, the location of the cargo in the logistics system can be grasped in real time, loss of cargo can be detected quickly, and accidents can be resolved in a timely manner. Therefore, the safety of cargo transportation can be improved. The present invention can improve the efficiency of cargo logistics by accurately and timely providing rational and appropriate logistics equipment for cargo planning based on management and monitoring information of the entire logistics process of the cargo.

The present invention also relates to a logistics route planning method, comprising the steps of: determining a first freight transport device that receives the freight; determining a second freight transport device that is configured to receive the freight from the first freight transport device based on a delivery location and a destination of the freight; and determining a first meeting location between the first freight transport device and the second freight transport device, and transferring the freight from the first freight transport device to the second freight transport device at the first meeting location. In one embodiment, the first freight transport device is configured to receive the freight directly from a customer or a collection staff or a parcel locker that has direct contact with the customer. In one embodiment, the logistics route planning method further includes determining a third freight transport device that receives the freight from the second freight transport device or via one or more freight transport devices at one or more second meeting locations. In one embodiment, the logistics route planning method further includes determining one or more fixed warehouses that are configured to receive the freight or transfer it out. In one embodiment, the logistics route planning method further includes determining a third freight transport device that receives the freight transferred from the second freight transport device to the fixed warehouse via one or more freight transport devices. In one embodiment, the third freight transport device is configured to deliver the freight to a customer or a delivery staff or a parcel locker that has direct contact with the customer. In one embodiment, when the freight is transferred from the first freight transport device to the second freight transport device, the freight transport device completes docking and freight transfer by its own device. In one embodiment, the second freight transport device is determined based at least on the warehouse cells occupied by the freight in the first freight transport device and the vacant warehouse cells and the destination of the freight. In one embodiment, the logistics route planning method includes determining the second freight transport device based at least on a transport direction of the first freight transport device. In one embodiment, the logistics route planning method includes determining the second freight transport device based at least on a time and an efficiency level of the freight. In one embodiment, the logistics route planning method includes determining a first meeting point based at least on the transport directions of the first freight transport device and the second freight transport device. In one embodiment, the logistics route planning method further includes, in response to the freight transport device receiving an instruction to change the destination of the freight, determining at one or more third junction locations and/or one or more fixed warehouses to redirect the freight through the one or more freight transport devices and/or fixed warehouses. In one embodiment, the logistics route planning method further includes, in response to the freight transport device receiving an instruction to change the time and efficiency level of the freight at the freight transport device, determining at one or more fourth junction locations and/or one or more fixed warehouses to redirect the one or more freight based on the new time and efficiency level.

The present invention eliminates the need for cargo to be transferred from one cargo transport device to another at the junction of two cargo transport devices, sent from one cargo transport device to a sorting center, sorted, and then transferred to another cargo transport device during the cargo transport process. By determining a flexible, reasonable, and diverse junction point, the present invention can ensure that cargo can be transferred the maximum distance in the shortest time, and thus effectively improve logistics efficiency.

Selected embodiments of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.
1 is a transportation image diagram of a multi-stage cargo transport device according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is an image diagram showing a transport distance of a multi-stage cargo transport device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a warehouse cell according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is an image showing a storage device according to one embodiment of the present invention arranged in a warehouse cell. FIG. 1 is an image of a storage device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is an image diagram of a storage device according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a bottom image of a storage device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of a storage tray according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of a storage tray according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an image diagram showing an AGV according to one embodiment of the present invention stopped in a warehouse cell. This is an image diagram showing a storage device installed in a storage cell in one embodiment of the present invention and an AGV stopped. FIG. 13 is an image diagram of a warehouse cell according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is an image diagram of a warehouse cell according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is an image diagram of a parent shipping box according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an image of warehouse cell connections according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an image of a warehouse cell connection according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a local connection structure of a warehouse cell according to another embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 14B is an image diagram of a local connection structure of a warehouse cell corresponding to the structure shown in FIG. 14A. FIG. 14C is an enlarged image of another warehouse cell connection structure based on the structure shown in FIG. 14B. FIG. 1 is an image diagram of a multi-story warehouse according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is an image diagram of a multi-story warehouse according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is an image diagram of cargo movement in a multi-story warehouse according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an image diagram of a multi-story warehouse having one horizontal floor in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 13 is an image diagram of a multi-story warehouse having two horizontal floors according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is an image diagram of a multi-story warehouse according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the structure of a sub-transport box according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is an overall image diagram of an AGV according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an overall image diagram of a drive assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is an image diagram of the state after the drive wheel holder is removed according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an image showing a schematic configuration of a part of a wheel assembly and a drive assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an image diagram showing a schematic configuration of a wheel assembly and a wheel fork according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an image diagram showing the overall configuration of a steering assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an image diagram showing a partial configuration of a steering assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a configuration of a steering mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an image diagram showing the overall configuration of a steering assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an image diagram showing the configuration of a lift assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an image of a portion of a lift assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a lift mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a second diagram illustrating the configuration of a lift mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a third diagram showing the configuration of a lift mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is an image diagram showing the configuration of one guide wheel assembly in a guide mechanism. FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an AGV stand-alone control device according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is an image diagram of a sorting device applied to a multi-story warehouse according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic image diagram of a balance arm of a sorting robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of a drive unit of a sorting robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an image diagram of a sorting robot grab module according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is an image diagram of a sorting robot grab module according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an image diagram of a sorting robot according to one embodiment of the present invention grabbing cargo. FIG. 2 is an image diagram showing the flow of grabbing and sorting cargo by a sorting robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is an image diagram of a sorting device applied to a multi-story warehouse in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a sorting device control system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an internal image diagram of a multi-story warehouse according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a delivery locker according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an image diagram showing one side of a delivery locker structure according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a mini truck according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a city circulation truck according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is an image of a multi-story warehouse inside a city circulation truck according to one embodiment of the present invention sliding out of the housing. FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a cargo transportation device control system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a docking control module according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a sorting control module according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a freight transportation device control system according to another embodiment of the present invention. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a first image of the inside of the base of a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a second image of the inside of the base of a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a third image of the inside of the base of a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an image diagram of a housing frame of a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an image diagram showing a housing structure of a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an image diagram showing the inside of the base of a drive assembly of a delivery robot in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an image diagram showing the connection between a wheel assembly and a drive assembly of a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. This is an enlarged view of the deflection mechanism with the mount removed at A in Figure 61. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a power transmission mechanism of a drive assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an overall image of a steering assembly positioned within a base in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an image of a wheel assembly connected to a steering assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an image diagram of a wheel assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention rotated by an angle under the control of a steering assembly. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a control device of a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of an interactive control module of a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a logistics control system according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a customer service system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an image diagram of a logistics control module according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a flowchart of an operation method for a delivery robot during collection in one embodiment of the present invention. 11 is a flowchart showing a shipping notification for a user when a parcel is collected by a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. 11 is a flowchart showing a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention removing an empty box from a delivery locker. 1 is an operational diagram of a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention removing an empty box from a delivery locker. 1 is a flowchart of a delivery operation of a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a flowchart showing a case where a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention executes multiple tasks. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a sender's self-delivery at a parcel locker in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a docking between a mini truck and a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a docking between a fixed warehouse and a mini truck according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of a docking between a mini truck and a city shuttle truck according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of two city circulator trucks docking in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is an image diagram of a small drone docking with a fixed warehouse in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of a docking between a fixed warehouse and a cargo transport device according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a cargo entry flowchart when a cargo transportation device is docked with a fixed warehouse in one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a flowchart when a transport AGV according to one embodiment of the present invention transports a warehousing parent transport box. 4 is a flowchart showing a process for unloading cargo according to one embodiment of the present invention. 13 is a flowchart showing a process for transporting one parent shipping box to a designated warehouse cell according to another embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a flowchart of cargo exchange between multi-storey warehouses according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a flow chart of a sorting method according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a flowchart of a logistics method according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an image diagram of a flow for generating a logistics order according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an image diagram of a collection flow according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an image diagram of a cargo transport flow according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an image diagram of a delivery flow according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a flowchart of a logistics method for reducing cargo residence time according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a flowchart of a logistics method for reducing a sorting time according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a flowchart of a logistics route planning method according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a logistics system according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a flow chart of a cargo control method according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a flowchart of a freight scheduling method according to one embodiment of the present invention.

In order to make the purpose, technical proposal and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical proposal in the embodiments of the present invention will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. The described embodiments are obviously only some of the embodiments of the present invention, but not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained based on the embodiments of the present invention on the premise that engineers in the field have not performed creative labor fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

In the following detailed description, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings, each of which is incorporated herein by reference, to illustrate embodiments of the present application. In the accompanying drawings, like reference numerals refer to generally similar components in different drawings.

Each embodiment of the present application is described below in sufficient detail to enable a person skilled in the art with knowledge and skill in the relevant technical field to implement the technical proposals of the present application. It should also be understood that structural, logical, or electrical changes may be made with other embodiments of the present application.

With existing technology, each part of the logistics chain shares some of the following characteristics:

First, the warehouse where the cargo is stored is an important part in the logistics chain. Whether it is a traditional warehouse or a modern smart warehouse, the cargo is basically placed on the shelves. Between the shelves, aisles remain for cargo movement operations such as storing and unloading the cargo. In some large warehouses, there are various cargo areas, such as storage and unloading areas and sorting areas. In traditional warehouses, the storing, unloading and movement of cargo is realized by manual or manual assisted conveying devices such as forklifts. Patent publication number CN107577215A, invention title "Shelf and Scheduling Method, and Operation Height Method, Center and System" discloses a movable shelf that can move between different areas in the warehouse and improve the distribution efficiency of cargo. Compared with the traditional warehouse, the aforementioned smart warehouse has greatly improved the automation and work efficiency of cargo movement, but whether it is a traditional warehouse or a modern smart warehouse, it is necessary to ensure sufficient space for smooth cargo movement in the warehouse. The warehouse space for storing cargo is less than half of the total warehouse space, and the space utilization rate of the warehouse is not high.

Secondly, the transportation of cargo in the logistics system includes the unloading of cargo, transportation between the loading dock and the warehouse and within the warehouse, which usually includes several methods of manual, semi-manual, and fully automated equipment. With the development of science and technology, currently most logistics systems are semi-automatic, that is, the equipment is used by workers to transport the cargo. The worker drives the forklift and works with the lift to load and unload the cargo. The smart warehouses that have emerged now mainly use AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) to transport the cargo. Depending on the size of the warehouse, the volume and size of the cargo, AGVs have many forms. For example, patent number CN203715182U, entitled "AGV Minicar", provides an AGV with a lifting shelf. Patent publication number CN104317289A, named as the invention "New type forklift type AGV", provides a forklift type AGV that can turn on the spot and reduce the turning radius when turning. There are also other types of AGVs such as backpack type AGVs and tow type AGVs.

The structure and working methods of the various AGVs mentioned above are adapted to the current logistics mode and are mainly used in various large warehouses to operate in the aisles between shelves or to transport cargo in different areas such as sorting areas and delivery areas.

Third, in the process of moving cargo from the place of origin to the place of consumption, the cargo endures various conveyances at every stage of distribution. In order to avoid damage to the cargo during transportation, different packaging means need to be used to package the cargo according to the nature of the cargo. For example, general small cargo uses packaging such as cardboard boxes, plastic bags, tape, hot melt glue, etc., and fillers are filled to prevent the cargo from shaking inside the cardboard box. For fragile cargo such as glass products and ceramic products, special packages such as custom-shaped foam cases also need to be added. Therefore, a large amount of packaging material is required to safely reach the destination of small cargo that is usually small. This overpackaging method not only occupies a large amount of storage and transportation space, but also wastes a lot of packaging materials, and most of the packaging materials such as plastic and foam are non-recyclable materials, which brings great burden and harm to the environment.

Fourth, sorting is another important part of the logistics chain. In order to improve the efficiency of transportation and distribution, logistics systems usually set up multi-level sorting centers. For example, cargo collected from customers is sorted and transported through a sorting center, then sorted and re-transported by the next sorting center. Until it arrives at the distribution station, it is delivered from the distribution station to its destination. The sorting center includes a warehouse where it is stored at least temporarily. The cargo in the warehouse is sorted into the corresponding levels by hand or by equipment, and then collected, transported to a designated area and stored. The transport vehicle arrives and unloads the cargo, and the cargo is transported from the sorting center to the next sorting center or distribution station.

With the development of technology, sorting technology has also gradually improved. It has evolved from primitive manual sorting to automatic sorting by various automation devices. For example, Patent No. CN102218404B, titled "Logistics sorting system and method based on radio frequency, video and infrared identification tracking", discloses a sorting device including a cargo input conveyor, a cargo conveying guide, multiple sorting conveyors, and a cargo identification device. The cargo input conveyor inputs cargo into the cargo conveying guide, which is identified by the cargo identification device and supplied to the corresponding sorting conveyor. Also, for example, Patent No. CN103949408B, titled "High-speed cargo sorting car and sorting system", installs a line-type sorting system in the warehouse of a sorting center, provides multiple sorting ports on the line-type conveying path, and uses a sorting car to load the cargo to be sorted. The sorting car identifies the cargo while it is moving on the conveying path, and pushes the identified cargo into the sorting port when it passes through the corresponding sorting port. There are also other types of sorting devices or sorting robots.

The various sorting technologies mentioned above require an area large enough to accommodate the sorting equipment, sorting robots, cargo to be sorted, and cargo that has already been sorted. After sorting, an area large enough for transport equipment such as forklifts to collect the sorted cargo must also be secured. The cargo is then transported through transport corridors to a cargo storage area, where it is stored and awaits removal from the warehouse. Therefore, the warehouse must have sufficient space for sorting and transportation. Furthermore, in the sorting center warehouse, cargo must stay at the sorting center for a certain period of time from when it enters the warehouse until when it is removed from the warehouse, depending on factors such as warehouse management technology, sorting technology, and frequency of transportation for removal from the warehouse.

Finally, collection and delivery at the end of the logistics chain still need to be done by human labor. For example, a delivery company needs to drive a vehicle to the customer's location to collect or deliver the goods. Some delivery robots have appeared, but these work in cooperation with workers at the delivery center, who take the robot's cargo in and out; the robot itself cannot take in or out cargo on its own.

The present invention (including multiple patent applications already related to this patent application) provides a groundbreaking new logistics system. It proposes multiple groundbreaking solutions for all parts of the logistics chain that are different from existing logistics systems, shortening cargo dwell time, improving cargo transportation efficiency, reducing the use of fixed-location warehouses, increasing warehouse space utilization, ensuring complete management and monitoring of cargo, and reducing the environmental burden caused by excessive packaging.

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the logistics system of the present invention includes a customer service system, a multi-stage intermediate transport logistics device, and a plurality of logistics control modules. Here, in order to facilitate the explanation of the entire system, the various logistics devices are named in the following description for easier understanding.

Figure 1 is a transportation image diagram of a multi-stage logistics facility according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the terminal logistics facility is equipped with a delivery robot 8, a fixed-position warehouse (e.g., a delivery locker 10), a drone M1 (including small and large drones. The small drone shown in the figure), and a mini truck 9a. The dashed and dotted line is the terminal logistics chain, where the customer interacts with the terminal logistics equipment, and the cargo enters the logistics system from the customer's place, or returns from the logistics system to the customer's place. The thin line is the secondary logistics chain, which occurs between the terminal logistics equipment and is carried out in a small area of cargo transportation. The thick solid line is the tertiary logistics chain, where the cargo is handed over between the terminal logistics equipment and the tertiary logistics equipment with a slightly long transportation distance, and the cargo collected in a small area is transported by the tertiary logistics equipment with a slightly long transportation distance. The thick dotted line is the quaternary logistics chain, where the cargo is handed over between the terminal logistics equipment and the intercity logistics equipment. At this level of the logistics chain, the cargo is passed by the tertiary logistics equipment to the intercity logistics equipment, which transports the cargo from one city or country to another city or country.

In some embodiments, the logistics equipment includes intercity cargo transport equipment such as mini trucks 9a and relatively large city circulation trucks 9b in the figure, and international intercity logistics equipment, and depending on the distance, can include cargo planes, intercity trains, long-distance and short-distance trucks, ocean freight ships, etc.

In some embodiments, a delivery robot is described as an example of a terminal logistics chain. Those skilled in the art should understand that the work of the delivery robot can also be replaced by a delivery person. This will not be described in the present text.

In some embodiments, the logistics equipment includes a fixed warehouse and a mobile cargo transport device. Each logistics equipment has a unique ID electronic tag, and the cargo transport device has a corresponding transport distance range. The entire cargo transport device is divided into multiple levels according to the size of the transport distance range, for example, into three levels overall: national, intercity, and intracity.

Among them, city-level cargo equipment can be divided into several different levels according to the size of the city and the transport distance of the cargo transport device. Figure 2 is an image diagram of the transport distance of a city-level multi-stage cargo transport device. In this embodiment, the transport distance S1 of the logistics terminal's home delivery robot 8 is the shortest and the number of them is the largest, so that the transport range of the home delivery robot 8 as a whole can cover all user areas in the city. The mini truck 9a is a secondary cargo transport device whose transport distance S2 is larger than the transport distance S1 of the home delivery robot 8. The city circulation truck is a tertiary cargo transport device, and its transport distance S3 is the largest in the city. The longer the transport distance, the smaller the quantity required. Of course, the quantity is also related to the amount of cargo. If the flow of cargo is large, there will be more cargo transport devices, and the more cargo transport devices there are, the faster the flow of cargo will be. The greater the flow of cargo, the more obvious the advantages of the logistics system of the present invention become, and the higher the efficiency becomes.

In some embodiments, the transportation area of each level of cargo transport device changes according to its movement, thus making scheduling more flexible. In cargo delivery, only the cargo transport direction, the distribution of cargo transport devices and the transportation direction are used to calculate and determine the docking point of the cargo transport device and the cargo transport device to be docked. Therefore, cargo delivery and docking become more flexible and faster, the cargo dwell time is shortened, and logistics efficiency is improved.

As will be understood by those skilled in the art, each level of cargo transport equipment includes transport equipment suitable for that level of transport. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a large truck, which is a cargo transport equipment normally used as a secondary logistics chain, can also collect cargo directly from a customer as equipment in a terminal logistics chain. Also, for example, a mini truck, which is a terminal logistics chain, can deliver cargo directly to an aircraft, which is normally used as a cargo transport equipment in a tertiary logistics chain, without the need to go through cargo transport equipment of another level.

In some embodiments, the logistics chain of the present invention may not include a fixed warehouse. The cargo may be handed over between the cargo transport devices at each level of the logistics chain, and after the cargo is handed over to the fixed warehouse (or sorting center), there is no need to retrieve the cargo from the fixed warehouse by another cargo transport device. This significantly reduces the cargo dwell time, improves logistics efficiency, and reduces logistics costs. In some embodiments, a fixed warehouse (including a parcel locker) may be added to the logistics chain of the present invention as an auxiliary facility. For example, in the collection and delivery part, if there is a time mismatch with the cargo transport device of the terminal logistics chain, customer satisfaction decreases . The introduction of a parcel locker can make up for the time difference and improve customer satisfaction. In some embodiments, a fixed warehouse (including a large warehouse in the suburbs) serves as an important part of the logistics chain and becomes an important part of the logistics chain. Such a fixed warehouse may serve as a buffer warehouse where a large amount of cargo enters and leaves the city to facilitate the scheduling of the cargo transport device. In some embodiments of the present invention, the ratio of the number of cargoes in the cargo transport device to the number of cargoes in the fixed location warehouse is 50% or more, 80% or more, 90% or more, 95% or more, or 99% or more.

In some embodiments, the cargo transport device includes a multi-level warehouse that can not only fulfill the role of cargo transport, but also achieve the purpose of cargo storage. In some embodiments, the cargo transport device includes a multi-level warehouse, a storage device, a moving device, a sorting device, and a transport device. The multi-level warehouse is loaded onto the transport device. Depending on the type and loading capacity of the transport device, the specifications of the multi-level warehouse vary. For example, if the transport device is a small vehicle, an aircraft, or a ship, it can carry a small multi-level warehouse, and the transport of a large truck, a train, a cargo plane, or an ocean freighter can carry a large multi-level warehouse. The cargo is stored in the storage device inside the multi-level warehouse. In some embodiments, the storage device includes a parent-child transport box. The cargo is stored in the child transport box, and the parent transport box stores multiple child transport boxes. The parent transport box is stored in a storage space in a warehouse cell of the multi-level warehouse. In some embodiments, the transport device is, for example, a small, ultra-thin AGV, which is located in the moving space of the warehouse cell and transports the parent transport box. In some embodiments, depending on the size of the multi-storey warehouse, multiple sorting devices are distributed throughout the multi-storey warehouse, connected to adjacent warehouse cells, or integrated into the warehouse cells.

In some embodiments, the cargo is placed in a child transport box, and the child transport box is placed in a parent transport box stored in a warehouse cell of a multi-storey warehouse. This prevents the cargo from being stacked and pushed against each other. The child transport box has various specifications and can accommodate cargo of various shapes and sizes. For some fragile cargo, the child transport box is designed with a structure such as a collision prevention structure that can protect the cargo in the child transport box from collisions and damage during transportation. In some embodiments, the transportation of the cargo is smooth by a moving device provided by the present invention, such as an AGV, when the multi-storey warehouse and the multi-storey warehouse are docked, and rough handling and rough sorting as in the existing logistics system are eliminated. Therefore, the cargo in the present invention does not require various packaging tapes, packaging boxes, foam boxes, fillers, etc. required in the conventional logistics system, and the problem of overpackaging in the existing logistics system can be avoided, which is more environmentally friendly.

In some embodiments, the interior of each cargo transport device is a multi-level warehouse consisting of warehouse cells with the same specifications, and the parent transport boxes that house the child transport boxes can be used in common by each cargo transport device. When transferring cargo, the AGV transports the parent transport boxes sorted directly from the current cargo transport device to another cargo transport device. This eliminates the need for unloading and loading in existing logistics systems, thereby saving time in loading and unloading cargo. Moreover, each docking section does not require human intervention, which is not only highly efficient but also avoids contact between cargo and people.

In some embodiments, cargo is handed over from one cargo transport device to another cargo transport device during transportation according to a logistics direction. The cargo transport devices at different levels form multiple logistics chain levels. From dispatch to arrival at the destination, the cargo may be handed over to multiple cargo transport devices with different transportation distances, passing or not passing through a fixed warehouse, and finally delivered to the receiving customer.

The present invention will be explained in detail below with specific examples.

In some embodiments, the multi-level warehouse has a high space utilization rate. Most of the space inside the warehouse is used as a storage space to accommodate the storage device. The storage device is, for example, a storage box or a storage tray. In one embodiment, the storage device includes a parent-child transport box. The child transport box that accommodates the cargo is a sealed device and is disposed inside the parent transport box. A transport space to accommodate the transport device is provided above or below the storage space. The transport device is, for example, an ultra-thin AGV. The transport device moves the storage device in the storage space to complete operations such as loading and unloading the cargo and transporting within the warehouse. According to the specific structural design of the storage space and the transport space, the volume ratio of the storage space to the transport space can be ≧4:1, or ≧5:1, or ≧6:1, or ≧7:1, or ≧8:1, or ≧9:1, or ≧10:1. Therefore, the space utilization rate of the multi-level warehouse provided by the present invention is much higher than that of traditional warehouses or modern smart warehouses.

Warehouse Cell Example 1
In one embodiment, the present invention provides a standardized, modular warehouse cell, where multiple warehouse cells can be stacked to form a multi-level warehouse with high space utilization.

Figure 3 is a three-dimensional diagram of a standardized, modularized warehouse cell according to one embodiment of the present invention. The warehouse cell 1 includes at least one cubic frame, with four columns 111, four frames 112 on the top, and a bottom plate 113. The four columns 111 of the cubic frame are connected to a stand mechanism that supports the storage device. In this embodiment, the stand mechanism is a support block, with two support blocks 12 facing inward connected to each column. In another embodiment, the stand mechanism may be a fan-shaped structure connected to the columns, and the radian angle of the fan-shaped structure is ≦90 degrees.

The bottom surface of the three-dimensional frame of the cell is a single bottom plate 113. In other embodiments, the bottom plate 113 can be configured as a lightweight cut plate or mesh as needed to save costs. Each warehouse cell is provided with an ID electronic tag 14 so that the distribution of cargo in the three-dimensional space can be identified. As shown in FIG. 3, the ID electronic tag 14 is attached to an appropriate position on the bottom plate 113, and ID information of the warehouse cell, such as the warehouse number, is recorded on the ID electronic tag 14.

The space inside the cubic frame of the warehouse cell 1 includes a storage space 101 that houses storage equipment from the support blocks 12 to the top of the cubic frame. For example, the storage equipment in this embodiment is a parent shipping box 2. Figure 4 is an image diagram showing the parent shipping box 2 placed inside the warehouse cell 1. The purpose of installing the parent shipping box 2 is to make the most of the storage space of the warehouse cell. Since there are various possibilities for the specifications, volume, and shape of the cargo stored, the parent shipping box 2 can be used to orderly collect cargo of different specifications and volumes. The four support blocks 12 of the cubic frame support the bottom of the parent shipping box 2, allowing it to be stored stably in the storage space 101.

In one embodiment, the cargo is placed in a child box (not shown). The child box is placed in a parent box 2. In some embodiments, the parent box 2 includes a first body 20 having dimensions that match the specifications of the storage space 101 of the warehouse cell 1 in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5A, the height of the first body 20 of the parent box 2 matches the storage space 101, and the top of the first body 20 is open to allow the child box to be inserted and removed. In some other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5B, the height of the first body 20 of the parent box 2 is lower than the height of the storage space 101. In some other embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 6A-6B, the first body 20 of the parent box 2 is shaped like a storage tray and includes a rim 22a. The first body 20 is provided with a plurality of positioning grooves 23a of different specifications for accommodating cargo of different specifications and volumes in an orderly manner.

In the three embodiments described above, the bottom of the first body 20 of the parent box 2 has a conveying structure. As shown in the figure, the conveying structure can be a positioning structure 21 that cooperates with a lift mechanism of the moving device, and can push the moving device up from the bottom of the first body 20 of the parent box 2 to the parent box 2. In some embodiments, each parent box 2 has an ID electronic tag 24 as shown in FIG. 5C. In one embodiment, the ID electronic tag is an electronic tag that records ID information of the parent box 2, for example, the number of the parent box 2.

In some embodiments, the area from the support block 12 to the bottom of the cubic frame is a moving space 102. It is a walking space as a moving device. In one embodiment, an AGV 3 is used as the moving device. The AGV 3 moves in the moving space 102. The bottom plate 113 of the warehouse cell 1 is the running surface of the AGV 3, and Figures 7A-7B are image diagrams of the AGV 3 stopped in the warehouse cell 1. In some embodiments, in combination with Figure 3, the bottom plate 113 is provided with guide grooves 1131 that are orthogonal to each other. Since the bottom plate 113 is rectangular, the guide grooves 1131 that are orthogonal to each other are parallel to the corresponding bottom sides so that the AGV 3 can move unhindered on the bottom plate 11a. In correspondence with the guide grooves 1131, two guide wheels 31 are arranged on the bottom of the AGV 3 as shown in Figure 7B, which prevent the AGV 3 from deviating from the running path during running. In this embodiment, the bottom plate 113 is provided with a pair of guide grooves 1131 that are orthogonal to each other. Two or three sets may be provided, and corresponding guide wheels 31 are also provided at corresponding positions on the bottom of the AGV 3.

Guide grooves and guide wheels are used to ensure that the AGV does not deviate from its route while traveling. According to a similar idea, a convex rib can be provided on the bottom surface 113 of the frame and a groove that fits the bottom surface of the AGV can be provided, which can also function as a guide. The mechanical method is low cost, highly stable and easy to control.

In addition to these two mechanical structures, the AGV3 guide can also adopt electromagnetic, laser, infrared, ultrasonic, UWB or optical structures. Those skilled in the art can choose any guide structure according to actual needs, but the description is omitted here.

In some embodiments, a lift mechanism 32 is provided on the top surface of the AGV 3 to move the parent shipping box 2. When no cargo is being moved, the lift mechanism 32 is stored in the upper part of the AGV 3. When cargo needs to be moved, the lift mechanism 32 protrudes from the top surface of the AGV 3 and engages with a positioning structure 21 at the bottom of the parent shipping box 2. As the lift mechanism 32 rises, it can be lifted from the support block.

In some embodiments, an electronic tag reader/writer (not shown) is provided on the outside of the underside of the base of the AGV 3 to read the ID electronic tag of the warehouse cell 1. An electronic tag reader/writer (not shown) is provided on the outside of the top surface of the base to read the ID electronic tag of the parent shipping box 2.

Figures 8A-8B show a state in which a parent box 2 is stored in one warehouse cell 1 and one AGV 3 is stopped. To move the parent box 2, the AGV 3 stops below the parent box 2. First, the lift mechanism 32 lifts the parent box 2, detaches the parent box 2 from the support block 12, and then the AGV 3 moves the parent box 2. A lift space 103 is left in the warehouse cell 1 to facilitate movement by the AGV 3 pushing the parent box 2 up from the support block 12 and detaching it from the support block 12. The height of the lift space 103 may be adjusted to the lifting distance of the lift mechanism of the AGV 3, so long as the parent box 2 can be moved without being hindered after the lift mechanism 32 of the AGV 3 lifts it. Therefore, the lift space 103 does not need to be too large, and for example, the height of the lift space 103 may be less than 5 cm, less than 3 cm, or less than 1 cm.

In this embodiment, the thickness of the AGV 3 for moving cargo determines the size of the moving space 102. Meanwhile, the thickness of the AGV 3 occupies only a small portion of the height of the warehouse cell 1. Therefore, most of the space in the warehouse cell 1 is storage space. Based on the size and load weight of the parent transport box 2 and the size and load weight of the internal parts of the AGV 3, it can be calculated that the ratio of the thickness of the AGV 3 to the height of the warehouse cell 1 is 1/8-1/4, that is, the space utilization rate of one warehouse cell 1 can reach 75%-90%. If the moving device adopts other methods such as magnetic levitation, the space utilization rate can reach 95%.

Warehouse Cell Example 2
9 is an image diagram of a warehouse cell according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the warehouse cell 1b includes at least one cubic frame , which includes four pillars 111b, a top plate 112b, and a bottom plate 113b. Among them, the top plate 112b is provided with a guide rail 1121b, and the moving device is an extendable robot grab 3b connected to the guide rail 1121b via a hanging mechanism 31b. The hanging mechanism 31b can be rotated 360 degrees in the direction of the robot grab 3b, and can be extended and retracted up and down to raise and lower the robot grab 3b.

For the warehouse cell 1b and the parent box 2b, unlike the above embodiment, the transport structure is a handle 21b provided on the four top edges of the first body, and an ID tag may be provided on any of the four top edges of the first body to facilitate reading of the upward movement device.

The parent box 2b is placed on the bottom plate 113b, and the hanging mechanism 31b moves the robot grab 3b above the parent box 2b along the guide rail 1121b, expands the robot grab 3b to correspond to the position of the handle 21b, grasps the handle 21b of the parent box 2b, separates the parent box 2b from the bottom plate 113b, and moves in the x- or y-direction via the guide rail, thereby realizing horizontal cross movement of the cargo. In this embodiment, the moving space 102b that houses the moving device is located above the storage space 101b. By providing a moving device configuration such as the robot grab 3b, the space it occupies can be reduced. Therefore, the ratio of the storage space 101b to the moving space 102b in this embodiment can be at least greater than 2/1.

Warehouse Cell Example 3
FIG. 10 is an image diagram of a warehouse cell according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the warehouse cell 1c includes at least one cubic frame, and the cubic frame includes four pillars 111c, a partition plate 112c, and a bottom plate 1113c. Among them, the partition plate 112c is connected to the upper half of the support 111c, and forms a moving space 102c with a plane on which the tip of the support is located. The partition plate 112c is provided with a guide rail or a guide groove for guiding the movement of the moving device 3c on the partition plate 112c. The parent box 2 is disposed on the bottom plate 113c. The parent box 2 and the moving device 3c have a connection structure that does not contact each other. The moving device 3c generates a suction force when it is necessary to move the parent box 2, for example, and the suction force may be a suction force generated when a vacuum is released, or an electromagnetic adsorption force. The corresponding first body of the parent shipping box 2 is provided with a suction device, which is a vacuum suction device or an electromagnetic suction device corresponding to the moving device 3c, and is sucked by the moving device 3c and separated from the bottom plate 113c, and the horizontal cross movement of the cargo is completed by following the movement of the moving device 3c. In this embodiment, a lift space 103c and a storage space 101c are formed between the partition plate 112c and the bottom plate 113c, and the partition plate 112c and above are the moving space 102c. The height of the lift space 103c is the height at which the parent shipping box 2 is separated from the bottom plate 113c when it is sucked, so the height of this space can be reduced to the centimeter or millimeter level. On the other hand, since the volume of the moving device 3c does not need to be large, the height of the moving space 102c is smaller than the storage space 101c, and most of the space in the warehouse cell 1c is the storage space 101c, and the storage space 101c can reach 75% or more of the entire space.

In addition, the parent shipping box may have the configuration shown in FIG. 11 in correspondence with the warehouse cell in the embodiment. An openable side door 201c may be provided on the side of the first main body 20c, and may be provided on two link bars. When opened, the door can be slid toward the top and bottom, respectively, to allow the child shipping box to be inserted and removed from the side. In this embodiment, the side door 201c is a roll curtain door, but it may also be a slidable door made of other flexible materials. In the storage state, the side door 201c is closed, and when the child shipping box is inserted or removed, the side door 201c opens. For example, the side door 201c is open during storage, delivery, and sorting. Among these, an adsorption device 21c that matches the adsorption structure of the moving device is also provided on the upper surface of the first main body 20c.

The warehouse cells provided by the present invention are modularized, standardized storage cells, and when multiple such units are stacked and connected, a three-dimensional warehouse system can be obtained. In some embodiments, adjacent warehouse cells can share columns. That is, columns in a multi-story warehouse can be shared by adjacent warehouse cells to the left and right or above and below. In the manufacture of a multi-story warehouse, multiple warehouse cells are formed simultaneously.

In some other embodiments, to increase the flexibility of the multi-storey warehouse, adjacent warehouse cells in all or part of the multi-storey warehouse may each have their own columns. To connect these cells, the multi-storey frame of the warehouse cells provided by the present invention each has a three-dimensional connecting structure for connecting different warehouse cells.

Warehouse cell connection structure Example 1
Fig. 12 is an image diagram of warehouse cell connection. In this embodiment, the three-dimensional frame of the warehouse cell is provided with connection holes 11a, and when two warehouse cells 1 are connected, the connection holes 11a communicate with each other, and at this time, the two warehouse cells 1 can be connected with bolts and nuts (not shown in Fig. 12).

Warehouse cell connection structure Example 2
Figure 13 is an image diagram of another type of warehouse cell connection. In this embodiment, one or more grooves are provided on one pillar or edge on the three-dimensional frame, and when two cells are lined up, two recesses correspond to each other, and the ring claw 11b engages in the recess, connecting the two cells. By providing multiple grooves on three sides (x, y, and z) of one warehouse cell, it is possible to connect other warehouse cells in three dimensions, and any number of warehouse cells can be connected as needed.

Warehouse cell connection structure Example 3
Figures 14A-14C are different types of warehouse cell connection image diagrams. As shown in Figure 14A, one or more grooves 11c are provided on each pillar or edge on the three-dimensional frame, and as shown in Figure 14B, a convex or protruding block 11d is provided on the other warehouse cell. When two warehouse cells of the same specifications are arranged in parallel, the convex or protruding block 11d of one warehouse cell is fitted into the groove 11c of the other warehouse cell. In addition, in order to make the connection between the two warehouse cells stronger after fitting, as shown in Figure 14(c), a hook 11e is provided at the end of the convex block 11d, a fitting groove (not shown) corresponding to the groove 11c is provided, and the convex block 11d is inserted into the recess 11c, so that the engaging hook 11e and the fitting groove engage with each other, resulting in a stronger connection.

In the above warehouse cell connection structure, the connecting structures are each arranged three-dimensionally, so any number of warehouse cells 1 can be connected in both horizontal X directions, both vertical Y directions, and both Z directions, resulting in multi-level warehouses with different numbers of warehouse cells and different volumes.

Multi-storey warehouse structure Example 1
Referring to FIG. 15, a schematic diagram of a multi-level warehouse according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, the multi-level warehouse includes a number of horizontally connected warehouse cells. Each warehouse cell can be connected back and forth in the x and y directions to form a multi-level warehouse with different specifications according to actual needs. When the warehouse cells are connected, their respective movement spaces communicate with each other to form a large integrated movement space. The protruding length of the stand mechanism supporting the storage device is small, so it does not hinder the movement of the AGV. This allows the AGV to freely cross-move in the x and y directions within the entire movement space. For example, the AGV lifts up a storage device in one warehouse cell and moves it to another warehouse cell. After positioning, the lift mechanism is retracted and the storage device is placed on the stand mechanism of the new warehouse cell to complete the movement of the storage device.

Multi-storey warehouse structure Example 2
Referring to FIG. 16A, a multi-level warehouse image diagram according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, a plurality of warehouse cells are stacked on top of each other to form a two-level warehouse. Of course, it may be three or more levels according to actual needs. A lifting system 4 is also included so that the moving device and the storage device can be moved between different levels. The lifting system 4 includes a support column 41 and a lifting platform 42. The lifting platform 42 engages with the support column 41 and rises or falls by driving the driving mechanism, so that it can dock with a warehouse cell of any height. Note that the table of the lifting platform 42 has the same configuration as the warehouse cell bottom plate 113, and when the lifting table 42 is docked with the warehouse cell 1 and positioned, the table surface of the lifting table 42 becomes part of the moving space.

When the AGV3 needs to change floors, the lift platform 42 moves to the corresponding floor, the AGV3 moves to the table surface of the lift platform 42, the lift platform 42 moves again to the target floor, and stops after determining the docking location with the warehouse cell of the target floor. The AGV3 moves from the table surface of the lift platform 42 to the target floor. When it is necessary to send one parent shipping box 2 on the lower level or one parent shipping box 2 received from the outside to one warehouse cell on the upper level, the AGV3 moves the storage device onto the lift platform 42 as shown in FIG. 16B. The lift platform 42 rises by the drive mechanism, and when it reaches the upper level, the lift platform 42 stops rising and the docking location with the warehouse cell on the upper level is determined. The AGV3 moves to the target warehouse cell with the parent shipping box 2 on board. When it reaches the target warehouse cell and stops, the lift mechanism retracts and the parent shipping box 2 is placed on the stand mechanism of the target warehouse cell.

Multi-storey warehouse structure Example 3
17A-17B, a multi-story warehouse according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, the multi-story warehouse includes a main frame in which a plurality of beams 111c and a plurality of columns 112c are crossed and connected to form a plurality of storage cells 1. The storage section 1 is formed by arranging cells in the horizontal and vertical directions. As shown in FIG. 17A, a horizontal one-story multi-story warehouse is formed, and as shown in FIG. 17B, a two-story multi-story warehouse is formed. The storage cell 1 stores a storage device (not shown), such as a storage device or a storage tray. A stand mechanism 12 is provided on each column 112c, and the storage device is placed on the stand mechanism 12. As shown by the dashed line in the figure, the space between the stand mechanism 12 and the top of the parent shipping box 2 constitutes the storage space 101, and the space between the stand mechanism 12 and the bottom plate 113c constitutes the transfer space 102. A certain height distance remains between the top of the storage device (not shown) and the beam 111c, or between the upper cargo of the storage device and the upper bottom plate 113c, and this space is a lift space (not shown). In order to move the storage device together in this movement space 102, the movement device moves under the storage device, and after lifting the storage device by the lift mechanism, moves it horizontally in the movement space 102 without any hindrance. Therefore, the height of the lift space 103 is determined based on whether the parent shipping box 2 can be moved by the lift mechanism without any hindrance. The height may be, for example, less than 5 cm, or less than 3 cm, or less than 1 cm.

A lifting system as shown in FIG. 16A may be included so that the moving device can move between vertical warehouse cells. For details, please refer to the explanation of FIGS. 16A-6B, so the explanation will be omitted here.

Multi-storey warehouse structure Example 4
Referring to FIG. 18, FIG. 18 is an image diagram of a multi-story warehouse according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the multi-story warehouse includes a plurality of storage levels and a plurality of movable levels (two storage levels and two movable levels are shown in this embodiment), and the structural relationship between the storage levels and the movable levels may be any one of the embodiments 1-3. Unlike the embodiments 1 to 3, the heights of the movable levels in this embodiment are not all the same, and here the height of the upper warehouse cell 1a1 is lower than the height of the lower warehouse cell 1a2, so that storage devices of different specifications can be used, and the specifications for storing cargo are increased. In this embodiment, the main frame adopted in the multi-story warehouse may be connected by a combination of a plurality of single warehouse cells.

Child transport box embodiment FIG. 19A-FIG. 19B are image diagrams showing the structure of a child transport box according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the child transport box 7 includes a second body 70, a ring claw 71 and an ID electronic tag 72. Here, the second body 70 includes a box cover 701, and in this embodiment, the ring claw 71 is disposed at the middle position of the box cover 701, and another protrusion 702 of the same height as the ring claw 71 is provided on the upper surface of the box cover 701 so as not to impair the stability after the child transport boxes are stacked, so that the stability of the upper surface of the child transport box can be maintained. The ring claw 71 is used to engage with the grab of the sorting robot during sorting. The ID electronic tag 72 is an RFID electronic tag or a two-dimensional code tag, which records at least the binding information with the ID of the parent transport box and the logistics information in the distribution process.

The second body 70 is used to carry cargo. To ensure the safety of the cargo, the box lid 701 is locked to the second body 70 by one or more locks. As shown in the figure, an electronic lock 703 is provided on each side of the box lid 701. Of course, the lock used in this embodiment may be any type of lock, for example, a mechanical lock, a password lock, a fingerprint lock, etc.

In this embodiment, the box lid 701 is movably connected to the second body 70 via a connecting member 704. A damper is provided on the connecting member to control the opening and closing speed and state of the box lid 701. The box lid 701 and the second body 70 may be provided separately, and the box lid and the second body are each provided with a fixing structure, for example, a ring claw structure, a fitting structure, or a suction structure, etc., so that the box lid and the second body are connected to each other when opening and closing. In another embodiment, a cushioning member of various structures may be provided inside the second body to fit the built-in cargo.

AGV Example FIGS. 20A-20D are overall image diagrams of an AGV according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the AGV is provided with a base 30. Inside the housing, a sequential drive assembly 33, a steering assembly 34, a lift assembly 35, an electrical component main box 36, and a battery case 37 are arranged. A guide mechanism is provided under the base 30, and in this embodiment, there are two sets of guide wheels 31, each set having two wheels, which guide the AGV in two directions perpendicular to each other. A lift mechanism including a lift rod 32 and other structures engages with the lift assembly 35 inside the base 30 and can protrude or retract from the upper surface of the base 30. A running mechanism is also provided under the base 30, and in this embodiment, four wheel assemblies 38 that cooperate with the drive assembly 33 and steering assembly 34 inside the base 30 are arranged at the four corners.

21A-21B are overall image diagrams of the drive assembly 33, and FIG. 21B is an image diagram with the base housing removed, and FIG. 20D is also referred to. The drive assembly 33 includes a drive motor 330 that outputs a driving force for traveling. A multi-stage power transmission mechanism is also included to transmit power to the four traveling mechanisms. In this embodiment, a timing belt power transmission mechanism is adopted, and the first stage power transmission mechanism includes a drive wheel 332 and four drive timing pulleys 334. The power of the drive motor 330 is transmitted to the drive timing pulley 334 via the timing belt 333. Here, the drive timing pulley 334 corresponds to the traveling mechanism. In this embodiment, the axis of the output shaft of the drive motor 330 is parallel to the bottom surface, and the power transmission direction is perpendicular to the bottom surface. The axes of the four drive timing pulleys 334 are perpendicular to the bottom surface, and the power transmission direction is parallel to the bottom surface. In this way, in order to change the direction of power transmission, the present invention further includes a turning mechanism between the end of the output shaft of the driving motor 330 and the axle of the driving wheel 332 for driving . As shown in FIG. 22, an image diagram after removing the driving wheel 332 and the ring bracket 331 is shown. In this embodiment, a bevel gear 3351 is connected to the end of the driving wheel axle 3321, and a bevel gear 3352 is connected to the end of the output shaft of the driving motor 330, and they engage with each other. The two bevel gears change the vertical power of the output shaft of the driving motor 330 into horizontal power. Among them, driven wheels are provided on both sides of the driving wheel 332 to ensure a sufficient contact area between the driving wheel 332 and the timing belt to transmit power.

As shown in Figures 23-24, the traveling mechanism in this embodiment includes a wheel assembly 38 including a wheel body 381, and the center of the wheel assembly is fixed by a wheel axle 382. By driving the wheel axle 382, the wheel body 381 can be rotated in the radial direction of the axis. Therefore, the power of the driving wheel axle 382 is vertical, and the power transmitted from the driving timing pulley 334 is horizontal, so a secondary turning mechanism is also included. In this embodiment, a bevel gear 3361 is connected to the end of the driving timing pulley 334, and another bevel gear 3362 engaged with the bevel gear 3361 can convert the horizontal power transmitted from the driving timing pulley 334 into vertical power. The wheel driven wheel 337 is connected coaxially to the bevel gear 3362 (this shaft is not shown), and the timing belt connecting the wheel driven wheel 337 and the wheel axle 382 rotates the wheel axle 382, causing the wheel body 381 to roll.

In this embodiment, four wheel assemblies and one drive motor are used, so a person skilled in the art can set an appropriate number of wheel assemblies and drive motors according to the size of the AGV base. If there are multiple drive motors, it is necessary to control the synchronous operation of the drive motors.

Figure 25 shows an image diagram of the overall configuration of a steering assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Figure 20D, in this embodiment, the steering assembly 34 includes a steering motor 340 and a steering mechanism. The steering mechanism is fixed together with the traveling mechanism and further includes the power transmission mechanism to transmit steering power to the steering mechanism. In this embodiment, the power transmission mechanism includes a steering drive wheel 342 and a steering driven wheel 344 arranged on the steering mechanism. In this embodiment, the steering drive wheel 342 rotates the steering driven wheel 344 using a timing belt 343. The direction of the output of the steering motor 340 is radial, i.e., perpendicular to the bottom surface. Since the steering mechanism requires horizontal power, a turning mechanism is required between the output shaft of the steering motor 340 and the steering drive wheel 342. As shown in FIG. 26, a bevel gear 3451 is connected to the tip of the axle of the steering drive wheel 342, and a bevel gear 3452 is connected to the tip of the output shaft of the steering motor 340, converting the axial power transmitted to the output shaft of the steering motor 340 into radial power, i.e., converting it from the vertical direction to the horizontal direction.

Figure 27 is an image diagram showing the configuration of a steering mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention. The steering driven wheel 344 is connected to a steering frame that mainly includes a steering frame 3461 and a wheel fork 3462. The fork of the wheel fork 3462 is fixed to the wheel axle 382, and the upper part of the wheel fork 3462 is a fixed surface, and a connecting hole such as a screw hole is provided in the upper part, and a convex base is provided around the periphery. The steering driven wheel 344 is fixed to the convex base of the fixed surface of the wheel fork 3462. The bottom of the steering frame 3461 fits into the upper part of the wheel fork 3462, and a connecting hole corresponding to the connecting hole of the fixed surface of the wheel fork 3462 is provided, and the steering frame 3461 and the wheel fork 3462 are fixed via this connecting member. The upper part of the steering frame 3461 is fixed to the axle of the driving driven wheel 334.

When the steering motor 340 rotates, its output shaft is configured to output power in the axial direction. The axial power is converted into radial power through a bevel gear, and the steering drive wheel axle coaxial with the bevel gear rotates the steering drive wheel 342, which in turn rotates the steering driven wheel 344 via a timing belt, which rotates the steering frame to which the steering driven wheel 344 is fixed, and the steering frame 346 rotates the wheel axle and the wheel synchronization mechanism connected thereto, the steering mechanism, and the drive driven wheel 334, changing the rotation direction of the wheel body 381, and by controlling the drive mechanism, it can rotate on the spot with a rotation radius of 0. As shown in Figure 28, it is an image diagram after turning 90 degrees from Figure 25.

In the present invention, the driving driven wheels of the driving mechanism and the steering driven wheels of the steering mechanism are fixed coaxially and integrated with the wheel assembly in the traveling mechanism via the steering frame, making it possible to make the AGV smaller and thinner and reducing the space it occupies during transportation.

Figure 29 is an image diagram showing the configuration of a lift assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. The lift assembly 35 includes a lift motor 350 that outputs lift power. It also includes a power transmission mechanism that transmits power to the lift mechanism. In this embodiment, a total of four lift rods 32 and their associated structures are evenly arranged at the four corners of the base 30 as a transport mechanism when the AGV transports cargo. In order to synchronously transfer the power of the lift motor 350 to the four lift rods 32 and their associated structures, the present invention includes a lift drive wheel 352 and four lift driven wheels 354 on the four lift mechanisms, and also provides guide wheels 321 on the four lift rods 32. The lift drive wheel 352 and the lift driven wheel 354 are each provided with a driven wheel on both sides to adjust the direction of the timing belt 353.

Figure 30 is a partial image diagram of a lift assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a turning mechanism such as a pair of interlocking umbrella wheels is provided at the end of the output shaft of the lift motor 350 and the end of the axle of the lift drive wheel 352 to change the direction of transmission of the lift power.

Figures 31 to 33 are conceptual diagrams showing the configuration of a lift mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the lift mechanism set including the lift rod 32 further includes a gear 321, a power transmission rack 322, a crossbar 323 on the side of the rack, and a solenoid valve lock 324. In addition, a turning mechanism is also provided to transmit the power transmitted from the lift drive wheel 352 to the gear 321. As shown in the figures, a pair of bevel gears 3541 and 3542 are provided. The gear 321 is coaxial with the bevel gear 3542 (the shaft is not shown).

When the lift motor 350 rotates, the turning mechanism changes direction, causing the lift motor 350 to rotate the lift drive wheel 352, which in turn rotates the lift driven wheel 354, which in turn rotates the gear 321 through the rolling mechanism, causing the power transmission rack 322 meshed with the gear 321 to rise or fall along the rotation direction of the gear 321. As shown in FIG. 31, the lift rod 32 is in a retracted state. When the power transmission rack 322 rises to a certain height, the crossbar 323 on the side of the rack hits the lower end of the lift rod 32, and as the power transmission rack 322 continues to rise, the crossbar 323 raises the lift rod 32, causing the lift rod 32 to protrude from the top surface of the base, and when the lift rod 32 rises to the preset height, the lift motor 350 stops rotating and the power transmission rack 322 stops rising. The solenoid valve lock 324 locks the lift rod 32 so that it does not descend, as shown in FIG. 33.

Although four lift mechanisms are provided in this embodiment, a person skilled in the art would understand that the number of lift mechanisms is not limited to four, but may be multiple, for example, eight. Alternatively, the number can be reduced to three, two, or one by making the lift rod thicker based on force calculations, improving the structure of the upper part of the lift rod to increase its area, or designing an appropriate locking mechanism.

The present invention also includes a positioning mechanism so that the AGV can stop accurately at a predetermined position even when the transport environment of the AGV is unstable. Referring to FIG. 33, in this embodiment, the positioning mechanism is the positioning bar 39, and the mechanism for raising and lowering it is composed of the lift rod 32, so that not only is it possible to control the rise and fall of the positioning bar 39, but also the occupancy rate of space is reduced. In this embodiment, the tip of the positioning bar 39 faces the crossbar 323, and when the crossbar 323 moves downward together with the power transmission rack 322, the positioning bar 39 is pushed out from the bottom surface of the base. In this embodiment, the positioning bar 39 and the crossbar 323 can be designed as one unit, that is, the positioning rod 39 moves together with the crossbar 323, and when the lift motor 350 controls the rise of the crossbar 323, the positioning bar 39 rises synchronously and retracts into the base. In another embodiment, the positioning bar 39 can be designed with a return structure such as a return spring. When the crossbar 323 pushes the positioning bar 39 down, the return spring is compressed at the same time. When the crossbar 323 rises, the return spring returns the positioning bar 39.

In this embodiment, the drive motor 330, steering motor 340, and lift motor 350 can all be stepping motors or servo motors, and the travel distance can be accurately controlled. Because the controlled lifting distance of the lift motor 350 is small, the moment is large, and a planetary reducer can be installed to achieve control precision.

In addition, depending on the mounting direction of the motor, it is possible to determine whether or not to use a turning mechanism. In this embodiment, the output shafts of the various motors are parallel to the bottom surface, so a turning mechanism is necessary. If the motor is turned 90 degrees so that the output shaft is perpendicular to the bottom surface, the turning mechanism is not necessary. In addition, in this embodiment, a bevel gear is used for turning, but a worm gear structure or other configuration can also be used depending on the internal space of the base, etc.

34A-34B are image diagrams showing the configuration of one wheel assembly in the guide mechanism. Referring to FIG. 20B and FIG. 21A, the bottom of the housing of the base 30 is provided with an inset guide groove 301 incorporating a guide wheel assembly . The wheel assembly includes a swing arm 310, a guide wheel 31, a control bar 312, and a position sensor (not shown). Here, one end of the swing arm 310 is fixed to one end of the guide groove 301 via a shaft 3100, the other end of the swing arm 310 holds the guide wheel 31 and is connected to the end of the control bar 312 via a shaft 3120 at the middle position, the tip of the control bar 312 is fixed in the guide groove 301, and the position sensor is disposed in the guide groove 301, and is adjusted so that the guide wheel 31 descends into the guide groove of the running surface and is triggered after the positioning signal is generated. In one embodiment, the control bar 312 is set to an electromagnetic lock according to the principle of electromagnetic locking as a guide wheel electromagnetic solenoid. The state shown in FIG. 34A is the state in which the control bar 312 is not energized, at which time the control bar 312 does not generate suction force and the guide wheel 31 is in a lowered state. In addition, a structure such as a spring may be provided inside the control bar 312 or on the carrier, which pushes the swing arm 310 and prevents the guide wheel 31 from jumping up. FIG. 34B shows the state in which the control bar 312 is energized, at which time the control bar 312 generates suction force, and the swing arm 310 is attracted to lift the guide wheel 31. Referring to FIG. 20B, in this embodiment, there are two sets of wheel assemblies, each set has two guide wheels, and the two sets are set vertically. When the AGV moves in one direction, the two guide wheels 31 in that direction will descend and engage with the guide groove, as shown in FIG. 34(a). At this time, the positioning sensor detects and issues a signal. As for the other two guide wheels, as shown in Figure 34B, the corresponding positioning sensor stops sending signals, and the guide wheels fit well into the guide groove, ensuring the normal running of the AGV. When the AGV needs to turn 90 degrees, it first lifts and stores the two guide wheels in the original direction, and determines that the current guide wheels are stored according to the positioning signal, and then turns 90 degrees. After steering, the other two guide wheels lower into the guide groove, and start driving after determining that the guide wheels fit into the guide groove according to the positioning sensor signal.

Figure 35 shows an AGV standalone control device according to one embodiment of the present invention, which is arranged inside the base 30 and includes a task management module 305, a movement control module 302, and a transport control module 303. Among these, the task management module 305 communicates with a host machine via a communication module 304, receives a transport task, and transmits information on the task completion process to the host machine. The transport task includes at least an ID electronic tag and a target location of the target cargo, and in this embodiment, the target location is an identified warehouse cell. In one embodiment, a planned travel route, i.e., a travel route from the current position to the transport target position and the destination target position, can also be received from the host machine. The task management module 305 transmits the target position or the planned travel route to the movement control module 302.

If only the target position is specified, the movement control module 302 calculates a travel route based on the current self-position and the positional relationship data stored inside, and when the travel route is received, the driving motor and steering motor are controlled according to the travel route, and travel and/or steering are performed according to the planned track. Among these, the travel route consists of a plurality of straight sections. When the AGV of the present invention is applied to a multi-story warehouse, two adjacent straight sections are 90 degrees apart, that is, the AGV travels in both vertical and horizontal directions. In the straight section, the movement control module 302 determines the total number of rotations that the driving motor 330 should rotate based on the travel distance of the wheel assembly 38 per rotation according to the distance of the straight section, and determines the required number of drive pulses based on the total number of rotations, thereby accurately controlling the travel distance of the AGV. When the straight section ends and a 90-degree turn is required, the movement control module determines the number of pulses required for a 90-degree turn based on the radius of the steering driven wheel 344, turns the steering motor 340 90 degrees, lowers the left and right guide wheels, and raises the front and rear guide wheels. When steering, the driving driven wheels 334 rotate synchronously, and the synchronous rotation of the driving driven wheels 334 runs the wheel assembly, so while transmitting pulses to the control steering motor 340, it also transmits a corresponding number of pulses to the driving motor 330, offsetting the positional deviation when the driven wheels 334 are turned 90 degrees. As a result, the AGV wheels in this embodiment can turn 90 degrees while remaining stationary, and even when turned, the guide wheels 31 at the bottom of the base 30 can engage with the guide grooves at the bottom.

When the AGV moves to a target position, e.g., a transport target position or a destination target position, the movement control module 302 sends a related notification to the transport control module 303.

When the transport control module 303 receives the ID information and target position of the destination cargo sent from the task management module 305 and receives a notification sent from the movement control module 302, it determines whether the current position is the transport target position or the destination target position based on the notification content. Then, it reads the ID tag of the current position via the electronic tag reader/writer 3052 on the outside of the lower surface of the base 30 and determines whether it matches the target position in the transport task. If it does not match, it sends related information to the task management module 305, and the task management module 305 communicates with the host machine to identify the problem. If it does match, the electronic tag of the cargo (e.g., the parent shipping box 2) is read by the electronic tag reader/writer 3051 provided on the outside of the upper surface of the base 30, and if it is determined to match the target cargo (e.g., the target parent shipping box) in the transport work, the lift motor 350 is operated and the lift rod 32 lifts the cargo. The lift rod 32 rises to a predetermined position and the cargo is lifted from its original loading position. When the AGV reaches the target position at the destination, after similar identification and confirmation, the lift motor is activated, the lift rod 32 is lowered, and the cargo is set at the target position.

In one embodiment, the AGV is further provided with a weight sensor (not shown) that can sense the weight of the cargo when the lift rod 32 lifts the cargo. The task management module 305 records the weight of the cargo and uploads it to a higher-level machine.

In one embodiment, the AGV standalone control device further includes a positioning module, which first controls the lift motor 350 to protrude the positioning bar 39 from the base 30, and after accurate positioning, controls the lift rod 32 to rise and transport the cargo, so that the AGV can be accurately positioned when stopping at the target position when the transport environment is unstable.

In one embodiment, the AGV also has various sensors positioned such as laser sensors, visual sensors, infrared sensors, etc., that sense distance and position.

In one embodiment, the AGV may also include a laser SLAM (Simultaneous localization and mapping) or visual VSLAM system to assist the AGV in tasks such as path planning, autonomous exploration, and navigation in transporting cargo.

In the operation of the AGV, first, a travel route is determined that includes one or more straight sections in which two adjacent straight sections are perpendicular to each other. Then, the AGV travels in the moving space of the warehouse cell according to the travel route, and when it reaches the transport target position, it pushes out the lift mechanism to lift the target cargo. Then, after it reaches the target position of the destination with the target cargo on its back according to the travel route, it pulls back the lift mechanism to unload the target cargo. The target cargo is placed in a parent transport box located in the storage space of the warehouse cell, and an ID electronic tag is provided on the bottom of the parent transport box. An ID electronic tag is also provided on the bottom plate of the warehouse cell moving space. After the AGV reaches the transport target position and the destination target position according to the travel route, it reads the ID electronic tag on the bottom plate of the warehouse cell moving space to identify whether the current position is the transport target position and the destination target position, and after identifying the transport target position, it reads the ID electronic tag on the bottom of the parent transport box to identify whether the cargo on the transport target position is the target cargo. If the transport environment is unstable, when the AGV reaches the target position, it is forcibly positioned using a positioning bar after accurate positioning.

The present invention provides an AGV with various compact structures, for example, integrating the steering assembly partial structure, the drive assembly partial structure and the guide wheels, sharing the lift structure of the lift rod and the positioning rod, greatly reducing the thickness of the AGV of the present invention and reducing the occupation rate of the three-dimensional space. The AGV is thin, uses little space, and has high-precision control, making it very suitable for new three-dimensional warehouses. It can operate normally even in a swaying truck, airplane, or ship, and can work together in various mobile warehouses and fixed warehouses with the same specifications.

Sorting Device Example Each parent transport box 2 stored in the multi-story warehouse of the present invention contains multiple child transport boxes 7, and the destinations of the cargo contained in these child transport boxes 7 may or may not be the same. In order to improve transportation efficiency, the present invention performs multiple cargo delivery processes in the logistics process and sends the cargo from the shipping point to the destination. Therefore, in the process of cargo distribution, it is necessary to sort the target cargo that needs to be delivered for each delivery. Therefore, the present invention provides a sorting robot and a sorting device that sorts the cargo in the multi-story warehouse, and the AGV sorting robot in the multi-story warehouse sorts the next outgoing cargo according to the flow of cargo at the time of the next outgoing.

Although a child shipping box is used as an example in this specification, those skilled in the art should understand that the child shipping box can be replaced with an existing parcel package. In other words, an existing parcel package can also be stored in the parent shipping box. Therefore, the sorting robot of the sorter can be replaced with a robot that sorts existing parcel packages.

Sorting device example 1
36A-36B are image diagrams of a sorting device applied to a multi-story warehouse according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the sorting device 6 includes a support unit 61, a moving unit 62, and a sorting robot 5.

Figures 36C-40C show a sorting robot provided by one embodiment of the present invention. The sorting robot 5 provided by the present invention comprises a balance arm 50, a grab module 51, and a drive unit 52. Among them, the balance arm 50 maintains balance during movement, and the grab module 51 for grabbing cargo is attached to the end of the balance arm 50. The drive unit 52 is connected to the balance arm 50 and moves the balance arm 50 in an extending and retracting manner.

Referring to FIG. 37A, the balance arm 50 has two or more arms 501 connected by a first joint 500. One of the arms 501 includes an upper arm 503 and a lower arm 504 connected by at least a second joint 502. For ease of explanation, one end of the upper arm 503 and the lower arm 504 connected via the second joint 502 is called the connected end, and the other end is called the free end. Each arm has two free ends, and the second free end of the first arm is connected to the first free end of the second arm via the first joint 500.

The upper arm 503 is configured, for example, by arranging four link bars 5031 in parallel with each other, two at a time, and providing a connecting block 5032 at the free end, and providing two shafts 5033 thereon, with one link bar 5031 connected to each end of each shaft. In order to reduce the distance between the two parallel link bars when contracted and to reduce the space occupied by the balance arm, one end of the two parallel link bars is designed in an arc shape, and the arc ends of the two link bars are located at the free end and the connecting end, respectively. Therefore, when the balance arm 50 is contracted, the two link bars 5031 can be arranged in parallel, and the upper arm 503 and the lower arm 504 can be fitted together when in a contracted state, thereby reducing the space occupied by the balance arm. As shown in FIG. 37B, the two arms 501 connected by the first joint 500 are adjacent to each other in parallel, and when in a contracted state, the upper arm 503 and the lower arm 504 movably connected by the second joint 502 are fitted together when in a contracted state.

As shown in FIG. 37C, the second joint 502 includes a set of two connecting plates 5021 and a tie rod 5022. The two link bars, of which the upper arm forms the upper plane, are connected via a connecting plate, and the connecting plate is provided with an axle seat 5023. Similarly, the lower arm also has the same axle seat. The connecting plate 5021 is provided with a slide rail 5024. One end of the tie rod 5022 cooperates with the slide rail 5024, and the opposite end is fixed to the axle seat 5023. When the lower arm 504 opens downward under the control of the movement control unit, the upper arm 503 and the lower arm 504 move the tie rod 5022 in the slide rail 5024, and the upper arm 503 and the lower arm 504 can be contracted or extended.

As shown in Figures 38A-38C, the drive unit 52 includes a drive parent box 520 and a drive motor and wire winding mechanism therein for controlling the arms. In this embodiment, since there are two sets of arms, the two sets of arms are controlled by two sets of motors and their wire winding mechanisms, i.e., wire ropes 521 and 522. Here, referring to Figures 38A and 38B, the wire ropes 521 and 522 pulled out from the drive parent box 520 are attached to the first free end connection block 5032a of the first arm via a guide wheel, and the end of the wire rope 521 is connected to the connection block 5032b of the second free end of the first arm. To guide the wire rope 522 to the second arm, the wire rope 522 pulled out from the drive parent box 520 is connected to a connecting block 5032d at the second free end of the second arm via a guide wheel fixed to a connecting block 5032b at the second free end of the first arm and a connecting block 5032c at the first free end of the second arm.

Referring to Figure 377 A-C , when the balance arm 50 is in a contracted state as shown in Figure 37 B , the internal motor of the driving parent box 520 controls the wire winding mechanism of the second arm to release the wire rope, and obtains the state shown in Figure 38 C. At this time, the release of the wire rope by the wire winding mechanism of the second arm is stopped, and the wire winding mechanism of the first arm releases the wire rope, and obtains the state shown in Figure 38 A. The balance arm 50 in this embodiment can control the operation of one pair of arms individually, so that the running during extension and contraction is smooth. The design of the single upper arm and lower arm allows the height and vertical stroke ratio of itself to be 1:7 or more.

Referring to Figures 39A-39C, an image diagram of a sorting robot grab module according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, the grab module 51 includes a grab body 510 and a grab and recognition unit 512. Among them, the grab body 510 is fixed to the balance arm lower arm free end connection block 5032. The grab body 510 is provided with a guide rail, and there are multiple grab claws 511. As shown in the figure, two grab claws 511 are provided, and the fixed ends of the grab claws 511 are provided on the rail via sliders. By adjusting the position of the slider in the rail, the opening and closing dimensions of the grab claws 511 can be adjusted. In addition, the sliding of each grab claw 511 can be individually controlled according to the shape, size or position of different cargo handles. Among them, the grab claws 511 can grab cargo using suction mode and/or mechanical mode. When grabbing cargo in mechanical mode, the end structure of the grab claws 511 fits the handle structure of the cargo. For example, in this embodiment, the end of the glove claw 511 is provided with an inwardly concave structure. The handle on the child box 7 protrudes outward and has a middle inwardly concave structure, here called the ring claw 71. When the glove enters the recess of the glove on the child box 7, the end of the glove claw 511 is aligned with the ring claw 71, and then the glove claw 511 moves inward on the guide rail to fit into the ring claw 71, and when the balance arm 50 contracts, it grabs the child box 7.

The glove claws can also adopt an adsorption mode, such as vacuum adsorption or electromagnetic adsorption. Those skilled in the art can obtain the specific structure of the adsorption type glove claws by referring to the relevant technical literature.

The identification unit 512 is provided in the grab body 510 for identification in sorting the cargo. The identification unit 512 can adopt technologies such as radio frequency identification, image recognition, and two-dimensional code recognition according to the identification principle and the ID electronic tag type of the child transport box 7. For example, in this embodiment, the identification unit 512 is an RFID reader/writer corresponding to the RFID ID electronic tag of the child transport box 7. If the ID electronic tag of the child transport box 7 is a two-dimensional code or barcode, the identification unit 512 corresponds to a two-dimensional code/barcode reader/writer. In addition, the identification unit 512 may be an image identification unit including a camera and an image identification subunit, in which the camera captures the cargo or cargo ID electronic tag image, and the image identification subunit identifies the cargo based on the captured image, or determines the distance of the current location from the cargo.

As shown in Figures 40A-40C, an image diagram of a sorting robot grab module according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, the grab module 51 further includes a damping plate 513 movably connected to the grab body 510 via an axis, which fits between the grab claws and the sorted cargo when the grab grab grabs the sorted cargo to prevent the cargo from rattling. In order to fit between the grab claws and the sorted cargo, this embodiment includes one or more damping plates, for example, one end of which is connected to the grab body 510 via an axis, and the rotatable damping plate 513 can be deployed or stored according to different specifications and sizes of the sub-transport boxes 7. As shown in Figure 40A, when the damping plate 513 is fully stored, it is completely stored under the grab body 510. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 40C, the damping plate 513 is deployed to accommodate the large area of the sub-transport box 7. To achieve sufficient rigidity and damping elasticity, the damping plate 513 is made up of two layers, the upper layer being a rigid plate and the lower layer being a damping elastic plate, which meets the requirements for rigidity and damping elastic shock absorption.

The sorting robot also includes a drive unit and a grab module that are connected by a signal, and the grab module and the drive unit complete the sorting of the target child shipping box according to the received sorting task. For example, the operation of the internal motor of the driving parent shipping box 520 is controlled, and the extension and retraction of the balance arm is controlled by controlling the wire rope. Also, for example, the extension and retraction of the motor and wire rope can be controlled by controlling the grab claw 511, and the opening and closing dimensions of the grab claw 511 can be changed by controlling the sliding of the grab claw 511 on the rail. There is also control of a damping plate, etc.

Also included are various sensors (not shown), such as one or more positioning sensors, collision avoidance sensors, a laser SLAM (Simultaneous localization and mapping) system, or a visual VSLAM system, to assist the sorting robot in tasks such as path planning, autonomous exploration, and navigation while sorting cargo.

Referring to Figures 36A-36B, the support unit 61 is connected to at least one sorting cell 60, and the sorting cell 60 corresponds to a warehouse cell equipped with a guide groove 631 along which a moving device such as an AGV moves, and the pillars are provided with support blocks 612 that support storage devices to be sorted, such as parent boxes 2.

The moving unit 62 includes a slide rail 621 and its drive motor 622, and a beam 623 and its drive motor 624. Of these, slide rails 621 are fixed to both the left and right ends of the tip of the support unit 61, and in this embodiment, the slide rail 621 is a multi-stage slide rail, and each stage slide rail is provided with a drive motor 622 that can extend the slide rail forward and drive it to expand the movement range of the sorting robot 5. Both ends of the beam 623 are fixed to the slide rail 621, and the beam 623 is provided with a slide rail and its drive motor 624. The sorting robot 5 is fixed to the slide rail, and the drive motor 624 drives the slide rail to move the sorting robot 5 in two directions in the x direction. The drive motor 622 moves the beam 623 in two directions in the y direction, and moves the sorting robot 5 in two directions in the y direction. As shown in Figures 36C-36D, a connecting rotation mechanism including a rotating shaft 632 and a drive motor 633 is provided on the top of the sorting robot 5. The rotating shaft 632 is connected to the beam 623 via a bracket, and the drive motor 633 is connected to the rotating shaft 632 via a timing belt, allowing the entire sorting robot 5 to rotate.

In this embodiment, the track surface of the slide rail 621 faces the side, and the track surfaces of the two slide rails 621 on the left and right are provided opposite each other. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the track surfaces of the two slide rails 621 may face upward at the same time. On the other hand, the rail surface of the beam 623 in this embodiment faces downward, and can of course also stand up toward the side.

In addition, the moving unit 62 in this embodiment is provided on top of the support unit 61 fixed to the top of the sorting cell 60 (corresponding to a warehouse cell). The total height of the support unit 61 plus the slide rail 621 of the moving unit 62 is equal to or less than one warehouse cell. The sorting robot 5 removes cargo such as a child transport box 7 from a parent transport box 2 in one sorting cell, and the slide rail 621 places the cargo in a parent transport box 2 of another sorting cell 60 as the moving unit 62 moves.

As shown in Figures 41A-41H, an image diagram of grabbing cargo by a sorting robot according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown. As shown in Figures 42A-42B, which shows the sorting operation flow of the sorting robot 5, the sorting robot 5 is positioned above the first sorting cell 60 in a standby state, where a parent box 2 is placed in the first sorting cell 60, and a child box 7 is placed in the parent box 2 (not shown in Figures 41A-41C, see Figure 41E). As shown in Figure 41A, the sorting robot 5 is in a contracted, standby state.

One cargo sorting process by sorting device 6 follows the steps below, as shown in Figures 42A-42B.

In step S6101, the balance arm is deployed, the grab module 51 is lowered, and the lowering height is monitored. The motor inside the drive unit 52 drives the wire winding mechanism, the wire rope of the second arm is released, and the lower arm of the second arm is extended downward. Figure 41B (not shown, see Figure 38C or Figure 36C) shows the state of the sorting robot 5. The motor inside the drive unit 52 drives the wire winding mechanism, the wire rope of the first arm is released, and the lower arm of the first arm is extended downward. The state of the sorting robot 5 is shown in Figure 41C (not shown, see Figure 38A). In addition, as shown in Figure 41D, in the process of deploying the balance arm, the sorting robot 5 can be rotated to adjust the positional correspondence with the child transport box 7. During the descent of the balance arm 50, the distance from the child transport box 7 is measured by an identification unit built into the sorting robot 5, such as a camera, a laser SLAM system, or a visual VSLAM system.

In step S6102, it is checked whether the grab module 51 has reached an appropriate height. If it has reached a distance of, for example, 20-50 mm from the top of the child box 7, step S6103 is executed; if not, the process returns to step S6101.

In step S6103, the RFID reader/writer built into the sorting robot 5 reads the RFID information of the target child box 7.

In step S6104, it is determined whether the target child shipping box 7 is a specified target, and if so, step S6105 is executed to upload the child shipping box's ID information to the logistics control module system, and the process proceeds to step S6107. If not, the process proceeds to step S6106.

In step S6106, the height and position of the sorting robot 5 is adjusted, and the process returns to step S6103 with the other child box as the target.

In step S6107, the damping plate 513 is opened to an appropriate angle depending on the size of the target child shipping box 7, and normally does not exceed the size of the child shipping box.

In step S6108, the balance arm continues to descend and fine-tunes the horizontal coordinate until the sensor detects that the grab claw 511 and the ring claw 71 of the target child box 7 are concentric and the gripping height is reached.

In step S6109, the grab claw 511 grabs the ring claw 71. When the grab claw 511 and the ring claw 71 of the target child box 7 are concentric and reach the grabbing height, the grab claw 511 contracts and tightly grips the ring claw 71. As shown in Figure 41E.

In step S6110, the RFID reader/writer built into the sorting robot 5 updates the RFID information of the parent box 2. In other words, it releases the ID binding between the target child box 7 and the parent box 2, and uploads it to the logistics control module of the cloud system.

In step S6111, the balance arm of the sorting robot 5 lifts the target child shipping box 7 to an appropriate height, 2-5 cm higher than the top of the parent shipping box 2. This is the state shown in Figure 41F.

In step S6112, the sorting robot 5 moves horizontally to the second sorting cell. Here, the second sorting cell is adjacent to the current first sorting cell in the y direction. The drive motor 622 extends the slide rails 621 on both sides of the support unit forward, and the sorting robot 5 extends forward using the beam 623 fixed to the slide rails. This is the state shown in Figure 41G. It moves horizontally to the second sorting cell. This is the state shown in Figure 41H.

In step S6113, the sorting robot 5 uses a sensor to confirm that its current position is above the second parent box.

In step S6114, the balance arm 51 of the sorting robot 5 descends to the second parent box and fine-tunes the horizontal coordinate while monitoring the current position of the target child box 7. In one embodiment, the sorting robot 5 sets a 3D coordinate system in its sorting area and monitors the 3D coordinates of the target child box 7 to determine whether the target child box 7 has reached the specified position where it should be placed.

In step S6115, it is determined whether the target child shipping box 7 has reached the designated position, and if it has reached the designated position, in step S6116, the grab claw 511 releases the ring claw, the target child shipping box 7 is placed at the designated position inside the second parent shipping box, and the ID information of the target child shipping box 7 and the second parent shipping box is bound and uploaded to the logistics control module. If the target child shipping box 7 has not reached the designated position, the process returns to step S6114.

In step S6117, the balance arm is retracted and returns to the standby state.

Sorting device example 2
In this embodiment, when the moving device such as an AGV is above the storage device, that is, the warehouse cell has a structure like that of the second or third embodiment, the support unit of the sorting device may be provided on the side of the sorting cell. The moving unit uses a sorting robot to grab a child pass box from the side of the sorting cell. As shown in FIG. 43, the bottom of the sorting cell 60a is a storage space, and storage devices such as parent pass boxes are arranged. The partition plate 63a is provided with a guide groove 631a along which the AGV can freely travel, as a running surface for the moving device in the moving space. The support unit 61a is connected to the storage space of the sorting cell 60a from the side, and two slide rails 621a are provided on the top and bottom of both sides, respectively, and the sorting robot (not shown) is connected to the rail 621a via the beam 623a. The sorting robot has a structure like that of the first embodiment of the sorting device. It has a balance arm that can be extended in the x direction, can be extended to the sorting cell 60a, and can slide in the y direction along the slide rail 621a, and can move to the side of the second sorting cell (not shown). The second sorting cell and sorting cell 60a are adjacent to each other in the y direction.

The parent box 2c in the sorting cell 60a and the second sorting cell may be open to the side. As shown in FIG. 11, the side of the parent box 2c is a door 201c that can slide in both the up and down directions, and the side may be a plate in its entirety or a lattice shape as shown in FIG. 5A. The parent box 2c in FIG. 11 is located in the sorting cell 60a in FIG. 43, and at the start of sorting, the door 201c opens in two directions, up and down, so that the balance arm of the sorting robot can enter the parent box 2c. The grab body 510 of the grab module 51 rotates until it is parallel to the top of the child box 7, and the grab claws are grasped so that the grab is parallel to the grab claws in the child box 7. The balance arm contracts, and the child box 7 is taken out of the parent box 2c. The slide rail 621a is extended in the y direction, and the sorting robot is moved to the second sorting cell. The sorting process is the same as in Example 1, and a description thereof is omitted here.

Figure 44 is a schematic block diagram of a sorting device control system according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the sorting device 6 may include a sorting system 66 that performs a sorting task. Among them, the sorting subsystem 66 includes a communication module 661, an identification module 662, an information correction module 663, and a movement control module 664. The communication module 661 receives a sorting task including at least a target child transport box list, and the target child transport box list includes at least target child transport box ID information, originally bound first target parent transport box ID information, and second target parent transport box ID information for arranging the target child transport box. The identification module 662 corresponds to the ID electronic tags of the parent transport box and the child transport box, and if the ID electronic tag is an RFID electronic tag, the identification module is an RFID reader/writer. It may be the same component as the identification unit of the sorting robot 5, and can identify whether the parent transport box in the sorting cell and the child transport box therein are the first target parent transport box and the target child transport box. The information correction module 663 releases the ID binding between the target child transport box and the first target parent transport box when the target child transport box is separated from the first target parent transport box. When the target child transport box is placed in the second target parent transport box, the IDs of the target child transport box and the second target parent transport box are bound. The operation control module 664 controls the operation flow required for the sorting robot 5 and the mobile unit 62 to complete one sorting task. Figures 41A-41H show one sorting flow. A description will be omitted here.

The present invention provides a sorting robot suitable for multi-level warehouses, which occupies a small amount of warehouse space and is not limited by the time and location of sorting cargo. The parallel arm structure of the sorting robot stabilizes the posture of the child transport box when grabbing and transporting, and can accommodate child transport boxes of various standard sizes. The provision of a deformable elastic damping plate can effectively suppress the rattling during transport of the child transport box. The grab module of the sorting robot can be designed by suction or mechanically combined with an intelligent identification unit such as a camera, RFID, two-dimensional code reader, and other sensors, so as to accurately identify and grab the child transport box. The drive unit of the sorting robot can quickly and smoothly control the extension and movement movements of the robot, and the timing belt adopted during control can realize low torque, miniaturization, and accurate positioning of the transmission device.

As shown in FIG. 45, a structural image diagram of a multi-story warehouse with built-in storage devices, moving devices and sorting devices is shown. The structure of the multi-story warehouse is not described here as it is shown in the embodiment of the multi-story warehouse structure described above. The cargo in the warehouse is stored in the child transport box 7, and the parent transport box 2 has multiple child transport boxes 7 stored in it. The parent transport box 2 is stored in the storage space in the warehouse cell of the multi-story warehouse. The warehouse cell has unique ID information, and for example, the ID information is a number, for example, the number C0F11001, which represents the first location in the first row, C0F11001 represents the first location in the second row of the second layer, C0F22001 represents the second location in the fourth row of the third layer, and so on, and the first three characters represent the identification of the logistics warehouse. In order to easily obtain the ID information of the warehouse cell, an electronic tag RFID or a two-dimensional code is used as the ID electronic tag of the warehouse cell to record the number information of each warehouse cell.

In the following explanation, RFID is taken as an example. Similarly, the parent transport box 2 and the child transport box 7 each have a unique ID tag, and are numbered, for example, with letters, numbers, etc. For example, the ID of the child transport box 7 is A300x180x180, and the ID of the parent transport box 2 is identified as M500B700C100. Therefore, by binding the ID information of the child transport box, the parent transport box, and one warehouse cell of the multi-story warehouse, it is possible to identify the location where the cargo has unique location information in the entire logistics system. And when any of the above changes, for example, when a parent transport box is changed, a warehouse cell is changed, or a multi-story warehouse is changed, the ID binding relationship can be changed in real time to ensure accurate real-time location information of the cargo. The small and ultra-thin AGV 3 in the multi-story warehouse is located in the moving space of the warehouse cell 1 and transports the parent transport box 2. Depending on the size of the multi-story warehouse, different numbers of sorting devices 6 are distributed in the multi-story warehouse, connected to adjacent warehouse cells, and merged into the warehouse cell. The sorting device 6 includes two sorting cells 60 connected to other warehouse cells 1 in the multi-story warehouse. An AGV 3 or the like passes through the warehouse. By controlling the moving device, the parent transport box 2 is transported and sorted in cooperation with the sorting device 6.

As will be understood by those skilled in the art, when a multi-level warehouse including sub-transport boxes, AGVs and sorting equipment is connected to other components and structures, it can form a parcel locker or other fixed warehouse used at the end of logistics.

FIG. 46A-46B is a schematic diagram of a delivery locker according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the delivery locker 10 is equipped with a housing body 110. The housing body 110 is provided with at least one housing door 111, a folding door in the figure, a door that opens with a support rod, or a shutter door. The inside of the housing 110 is a multi-story warehouse with multiple storage levels consisting of multiple warehouse cells, and the number of storage levels and the number of warehouse cells per level are determined according to specific needs. One or more AGVs 3 are arranged inside the multi-story warehouse according to the scale to transport parent shipping boxes. A lifting system transports cargo between different storage levels. In this embodiment, a lifting system is installed on the housing door 111. Among them, the lifting platform 42 can move up and down along the support pillar, and guides the AGVs 3 on it to different storage levels. A sorting device 6 is also installed inside.

To achieve docking with the outside, for example, docking with customers, delivery robots, various cargo transport devices, etc., the delivery locker further includes a liftable docking frame and a rail 120 attached to the housing door 111. The slide rail 121 works in conjunction with the docking plate 122. The docking plate 122 is the running surface of the AGV 3, and is equipped with a guide groove that engages with the guide wheel 31. As shown in the figure, both the left and right sides of the docking plate 122 are the running surfaces for the running wheels, and the center is a guide groove.

In this embodiment, the lifting docking frame faces the position of the lifting system 4 inside the multi-story warehouse, and the docking plate 122 can dock with the lifting platform 42. To enable accurate docking of the two and facilitate AGV travel, positioning sensors such as position switches and optical proximity sensors are provided at appropriate locations on the docking plate 122 or the lifting platform 42, and when the two are accurately docked, the positioning sensor emits a signal. Based on this signal, it can be determined that docking of the docking plate 122 and the lifting platform 42 has been completed.

In one embodiment, in addition to the side housing door 111, the other side of the parcel locker 10 includes a housing door 112 corresponding to the customer. As shown in Figures 47A-47B, the other side of the housing body 110, for example the side opposite the housing door 111, is provided with a housing door 112 corresponding to each warehouse cell, and the housing door 112 can be locked by an electronic lock and the opening and closing of the housing door 112 can be automatically controlled by a door control mechanism. Figure 47B shows an image of the housing door 112 when it is open. This corresponds to one warehouse cell, and contains a parent shipping box 2, which contains a child shipping box 7. The child shipping box 7 may be a child shipping box provided to the sender, or it may be a child shipping box containing cargo to be received by the recipient.

In some embodiments, the top of the parcel locker 10 also includes a drone connection port and cover plate 112. This receives the child delivery box sent from the drone and provides the child delivery box to the drone.

As will be understood by those skilled in the art, by combining a multi-story warehouse including a child transport box, an AGV, and a sorting device with transportation equipment, various cargo transport devices for the cargo transport of the present invention can be configured.

Cargo Transport Device No. 1: Mini Truck Figures 48A-48B are schematic diagrams of a mini truck according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the mini truck 9a further includes the multi-storehouse 91 in embodiment 2, a parent box 2 and a child box 7 as storage devices, an AGV 3 as a moving device, a sorting device 6, and a vehicle 90. The vehicle 90 is a small cargo transport device and forms a mini truck.

The vehicle 90 comprises a housing frame 93 and a housing cover 92, the housing cover 92 being connected to the housing cover 93 to form a housing main body having an internal space, and the multi-story warehouse 91 is provided in the internal space of the housing main body.

The housing cover 92 includes one or more housing doors 94, and the area of the housing door is an integer multiple of the warehouse cell in the multi-story warehouse. In this embodiment, the housing door 94 surrounds the entire rear of the parent container, and further includes a plurality of support rods 95 such as electrohydraulic actuators so that the housing door can be held open. Both ends of the support rods 95 are connected to the housing door 94 and the housing frame 93, respectively, and can support and fix the housing door 94 when the housing door 94 is open.

In this embodiment, the device further includes a lifting/lowering docking device that includes a lifting/lowering rail 961, a lifting/lowering stand 962, and a docking plate 963. The lifting/lowering rail 961 is fixed to the housing frame 93 inside the housing door 94. The lifting/lowering stand 962 is provided in cooperation with the lifting/lowering rail 961 and can rise or fall along the rail 961. One end of the docking plate 963 is movably connected to an end of the lifting/lowering stand 962, and the upper surface is a running surface of the moving device. The docking plate 963 can be opened to the outside of the housing space when the housing door 94 is opened as shown in FIG. 48A, and may be stored so that the housing door 94 is closed as shown in FIG. 48B.

In this embodiment, the length of the docking plate 963 matches the width of one warehouse cell, and of course can match the width of the housing door 94 to increase the amount of cargo exchanged during docking.

Referring to FIG. 48A, in this embodiment, an air suspension 97 is also provided between the housing frame 93 of the cargo transport device and the body of the vehicle 90 to reduce vibrations during travel and docking.

Cargo Transport Device No. 2: City Circulation Truck Figures 49A-49B are schematic diagrams of a city circulation truck according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the transport device 90 in the city circulation truck 9b is a medium-sized or large-sized cargo transport device. Among them, the housing cover of the entire rear part of the housing is a housing door 941, and as shown in Figure 49B, a part of the side and upper part of the housing cover may be opened upward as a wing 942. This embodiment includes an XY driving table 98, an X-direction rail 981, and a Y-direction rail 982 provided at the bottom of the housing cover 93. The XY driving table 98 is driven by a driving device and can slide in the X and Y directions.

The multi-story warehouse 91 is fixed to the X-Y drive table 98 and can move with the movement of the X-Y drive table 98. As shown in Figures 50A-50B, the multi-story warehouse 91 in the cargo transport device 9b is shown sliding together with the X-Y drive table 98.

The cargo transport device of the present invention further includes a control system and a connection structure in which the control system of the cargo transport device has different configurations depending on the docking and distribution with the cloud system.

Cargo transport equipment control system embodiment 1
51 shows a schematic block diagram of a cargo transport device control system according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the functional module for controlling the vehicles in the control system 99 is built into the cargo transport device and includes a communication module 990, a navigation module 991, and a docking control module 992. The management, sorting, transportation, and other control of cargo within the warehouse is performed by a multi-level warehouse management system composed of a local module or a cloud logistics control module.

The communication module 990 interacts with the cloud system and transfers data and information between the local system and the cloud. The navigation module 991 determines the vehicle's driving route based on the planned route. Among these, the driving route of the cargo transportation device is planned and calculated by the cloud system and transmitted to the cargo transportation device. It may also be calculated by the cargo transportation device 993 based on the docking point obtained from the cargo transportation device. The positioning device 993 obtains the real-time position of the cargo transportation device and transmits the real-time position information to the cloud.

The docking control module 992 determines a docking mode based on the other cargo transport device to be docked, and controls the operation of the components according to the determined docking mode. FIG. 52A shows a schematic block diagram of a docking control module according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the docking control module 992 includes a housing door control unit 9920 and a lifting docking device control unit 9921. In one embodiment, the housing door includes an electronic lock 950 and an actuator 951, such as a drive motor of an electric hydraulic actuator and its hydraulic system. The housing door control unit 9920 can control the housing door electronic lock 950 and the actuator 951 to control the opening and closing of the housing door. The lifting docking device control unit 9921 controls the lifting, lowering, opening and closing of the docking plate. In one embodiment, the lifting stand includes a motor 9620, such as a stepping motor or a servo motor, to control the lifting and lowering of the lifting stand on the lifting rail. The docking plate is provided with a corresponding motor 9630, and is controlled by the docking plate motor 9630 to couple to the end of the lift stand 962. For example, the motor controls the rotation of the connecting shaft at the coupling point, and the docking plate 963 can be stored in parallel with the lift stand 962, or the docking plate 963 can be lowered to be perpendicular to the lift stand 962.

In addition, this embodiment is equipped with various positioning sensors to ensure accurate docking of the cargo transport device with another cargo transport device. For example, a docking plate positioning sensor 9631 is provided on the docking plate, and when the docking plate 963 is used to dock with the warehouse cell of the docking cargo transport device, a signal is emitted from the docking plate positioning sensor 9631 after the two are accurately docked, and the completion of docking can be determined depending on whether or not the signal is received.

A lift positioning sensor 8000 is also provided at the preset position of the docking plate 963, and when the docked delivery robot 8 reaches the preset position at the bottom, the lift positioning sensor 8000 transmits a signal, and it can be determined that the docking of the delivery robot and the docking plate 963 is completed. At this time, the lift stand 962 is safely raised and lowered so that the running surface of the housing movement space of the delivery robot 8 is docked with the warehouse cell in the multi-story warehouse. At this time, in order to determine whether the two warehouse cells are docked accurately, which corresponds to the docking of the two warehouse cells, in one embodiment, a positioning sensor 1130 is provided in the docking warehouse cell of the cargo transport device 9, and after the warehouse cell of the other cargo transport device and the warehouse cell in the multi-story warehouse are docked accurately, the warehouse cell positioning sensor 1130 is triggered to transmit a signal. For example, when the delivery robot is lifted to a certain position and the running surface of the parent box movement space is docked with the warehouse cell of the cargo transport device 9, the warehouse cell positioning sensor 1130 can be triggered to emit a signal, and based on this signal, it can be known that the docking is accurate and the docking is completed.

When the cargo transport device is provided with an X-Y driving table, the docking control module 992 further includes an X-Y driving table control unit 9922, and the X-Y driving table is provided with an X-direction actuator 9810 and a Y-direction actuator 9820 such as a motor or a hydraulic actuator to enable the X-Y driving table to move along the X-direction rail 981 or the Y-direction rail 982 on the housing frame 93. Depending on the specific actuator type, the X-Y driving table control unit 9922 can output a drive signal to control the movement of the X-Y driving table along the X-Y driving table 981 or the Y-direction rail 982, thereby controlling the amount of movement.

The local module of the control system further includes an air suspension control module 994 that adjusts the air pressure of each air suspension when docking with another cargo transport device or cargo transport devices, and can adjust the horizontal level of the storage units so that the storage units of the two cargo transport devices can dock accurately.

In this embodiment, the management system of a multi-story warehouse comprises a movement control system 162, a cargo management system 161, and a sorting system 64, and mainly controls the travel of the AGVs and the sorting device 6, and performs the outgoing, incoming, and outgoing of cargo. In one embodiment, the movement control system 162 is located locally, and comprises a travel control module 1621 that controls the AGVs, and a lift control module 1622 that controls the lift system. Here, the travel control module 1621 is a higher-level control module for the AGV 3, and is mainly used for functional units such as task management, vehicle driving, route planning management, traffic management, and communication management for multiple AGVs in the warehouse.

The task management functional unit provides the execution environment for AGV standalone. It provides various operations for AGV standalone, such as starting, stopping, and canceling multiple AGVs based on the task priority and start time. The vehicle driving functional unit is responsible for obtaining the AGV status, issues a permission request for the driving segment to the traffic management functional unit, and sends the confirmed segment to the AGV. The route planning functional unit calculates the shortest driving route for the AGV according to the needs of the cargo transportation task and in accordance with the principle of the shortest driving time of the AGV, and controls the driving process of the AGV. The traffic management functional unit provides measures for AGV mutual automatic evacuation according to the AGV operating status and the AGV driving route situation inside the warehouse.

A wireless communication method is adopted between the driving control module 1621 and the AGV standalone system. The driving control module 1621 communicates with multiple AGV standalone systems using a polling method. The driving control module 1621 can communicate with other upper machines, such as a cloud-related logistics control module, using the TCP/IP method. The AGV is provided with a standalone control device, which, after receiving a transport task and its command from the upper system driving control module 1621, performs functions such as navigation, guidance, route selection, vehicle driving, steering, and loading/unloading operations of the AGV standalone to complete the transport task. This includes a task management module 305, a movement control module 302, and a transport control module 303. Please refer to the above-mentioned embodiment of the AGV specifically, and the description will be omitted here.

The lift control module 1622 controls the lift table drive mechanism 163 of the lift system. Among them, the lift platform drive mechanism 163 adopts a servo system, and the lift control module 1622 transmits drive information to the servo system according to the lift stroke, and the lift platform reaches a preset position. Among them, the servo system can stop the lift platform accurately at a predetermined position under normal conditions, but due to the unstable state of the multi-story warehouse during movement, the position where the lift platform reaches deviates from the original predetermined position. If the lift platform deviates from the original predetermined position, the docking state between the lift platform and the warehouse cell is poor, making it difficult for the AGV to travel and even being damaged. Therefore, in one embodiment, the lift platform can be stopped accurately at a predetermined position by providing multiple position sensors on the pillars at the warehouse cell docking location on each floor. In addition, the lift platform is equipped with a weight measurement analysis system, and the magnitude of the output voltage current required to execute the speed and acceleration set for each lift stroke is determined according to the weight of the cargo loaded on the lift platform.

The cargo management system 161 and the sorting system 64 can be located in the cloud, for example, the sorting system 64 is a cloud sorting control module, and the cargo management system 161 is a cargo monitoring module on the cloud. Here, the cargo management system 161 is used to maintain cargo information and equipment information in the multi-story warehouse 91, such as cargo order information in the current warehouse, logistics information, binding relationships between cargo and child transport boxes and parent transport boxes, and binding relationships between parent transport boxes and warehouse cells. It also includes the number and ID information of AGVs currently in the warehouse, ID information of sorting equipment, location distribution information, etc.

The sorting system 64 communicates with the sorting device 6 and AGVs 3 via the communication module 990, and assigns sorting tasks and transport work. The operation control module 1621 in the operation control system 162 is a higher-level control module for the multiple AGVs 3 in the warehouse, and performs task management, vehicle driving, route planning management, traffic management, communication management, etc. for the multiple AGVs 3 in accordance with the AGV transport tasks transmitted from the sorting system 64, and allows each AGV 3 to complete the corresponding transport task. The sorting device 6 receives the sorting task to complete the sorting of the specified target child return box.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 52B, the sorting module 64 includes a cargo statistics module 642 and a task planning module 643, and the cargo statistics module 642 analyzes the address information of each parent shipping box and its internal child shipping box in each cargo transport device based on the sorting address, and determines the target parent shipping box and the target child shipping box. The task planning module 643 determines tasks corresponding to each sorting device and each moving device based at least on the target storage device distribution information, sorting device distribution information, and the number and position information of moving devices in the warehouse. In one embodiment, the task planning module 643 includes a sorting task unit 6431 and a transport task unit 6432.

The sorting task unit 6431 obtains specification information of the target child transport box based on the cargo information for the target child transport box determined by the cargo statistics module 642, determines the target parent transport box to contain the sorted target child transport box, and obtains a list of target child transport boxes. The target child transport box list includes at least the target child transport box ID information, the original bound target parent transport box ID information, the target parent transport box ID information to contain the target child transport box after sorting, and the corresponding warehouse cell ID information. As shown in the following table.

For ease of explanation, the target parent shipping box in which the target child shipping box is located is referred to as the first target parent shipping box, and the target parent shipping box that contains the target child shipping box sorted according to the specifications of the target child shipping box is referred to as the second target parent shipping box.

The sorting work unit 6431 assigns an equal number of sorting tasks to each sorting device, with priority given to nearby locations, depending on the distribution of the first target parent shipping box, the second target parent shipping box, and the sorting devices within the multi-story warehouse. Alternatively, sorting tasks are determined based on the principle of the minimum time required for processing. In this case, sorting one target child shipping box is called a sorting task.

The transport task unit 6432 is for allocating transport tasks to each moving device in real time according to the distribution of moving devices, sorting devices, and target parent transport boxes. The transport task is to transport one target parent transport box to a sorting cell of a sorting device, or to transport a first target parent transport box sorted in a sorting cell to its warehouse cell, or to transport a second target parent transport box that has already been sorted to an empty warehouse cell in the delivery area. Therefore, the transport task sent to the moving device includes parent transport box ID information, warehouse cell ID information where the parent transport box is located, and warehouse cell ID information that contains the parent transport box. Among these, the warehouse cell that contains the parent transport box may be a sorting cell or a normal warehouse cell, or it may be a warehouse cell in the delivery area.

The first and second target parent boxes required for sorting can be transported by one moving device or two different moving devices. After the moving device has completed its transportation, it can stop until sorting is complete and then transport again, or perform other transportation tasks after transportation.

The cargo management system 161 maintains the bindings between child and parent transport boxes in the warehouse, and the bindings between parent transport boxes and warehouse cells. For example, when a first target parent transport box is removed from a first warehouse cell, the binding between the first target parent transport box and the first warehouse cell is released. When the first target parent transport box is placed in a sorting cell, the binding between the first target parent transport box and the sorting cell is established. When the first target parent transport box is sorted and moved from the sorting cell, the binding between the first target parent transport box and the sorting cell is released. Similarly, the same ID binding is set for the second target parent transport box and then released.

Cargo transport equipment control system embodiment 2
In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 53, the cargo transport device control system includes a vehicle control module and a multi-level warehouse management system, and the vehicle control module includes the navigation module 991, docking control module 992, positioning device 993, and air suspension control module 994 of the above embodiment. The multi-level warehouse management system communicates with the cloud control module and receives an exchange task, and the exchange task includes, for example, a docking point, cargo to be exchanged during docking, etc. The vehicle control module is connected to the multi-level warehouse management system, and moves to the docking point according to a planned route according to the docking point in the exchange task, and controls the housing door, lifting frame, docking plate, XY drive table, or air suspension in the vehicle at the docking point to dock with other cargo transport devices. The multi-level warehouse management system in this embodiment is built into the cargo transport device and mainly controls the transportation of the AGV3 during cargo sorting, entry and exit. It is combined with the lifting system 4 of the multi-level warehouse so that each AGV3 runs along an optimal route. The sorting system 64 in the multi-level warehouse management system, as a host machine of the sorting system of the sorting device, determines the sorting task and the transportation work of the AGV during sorting. The sorting device 6 completes sorting of the exchange cargo before docking.

Delivery Robot at the Logistics End FIG. 54 is an overall configuration diagram of a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. The delivery robot 8 of this embodiment includes a base 80, a housing 81, a running mechanism, and an interactive mechanism 83. Referring to FIG. 55 and FIG. 56, the base 80 incorporates a base case 800, various parts, and devices. For example, a drive assembly 84 and a steering assembly 85 corresponding to the running mechanism, a motor 86 that controls the opening and closing of a top cover 811 and a front cover 812 (see FIG. 59A-59D) of the housing 81, and an electric box 87 that integrates electric parts, a power supply, and the like, and these parts and devices are inside the cover 801. A timing belt 861 connected to the output shaft of the motor 86 is attached to both sides.

Referring to Figures 57 and 58, the base case 800 is fitted with a housing bottom plate 810, which is provided with a vertical guide groove 8100 for guiding the travel of a moving device such as an AGV entering the housing 81. The housing bottom plate 810 is provided with two vertical side frames 811, and each side frame column is provided with a support block 8110 facing inward. By supporting the parent shipping box with the support blocks 8110 on the four columns, the upper part of the support blocks 8110 forms a storage level, and the lower part of the support blocks 8110 and the bottom plate 810 form a moving level, providing space for the travel of the AGV. Two bearings 8111 for mounting a timing pulley and its shaft are provided on both ends of the side frame 811. A column 812 is provided on the rear side of the housing bottom plate 810 for connecting various communication cables at the bottom to the interactive mechanism 83 at the top.

59A-59D are conceptual diagrams showing the configuration of a housing cover according to one embodiment of the present invention. The housing in this embodiment includes a top cover 813 and a front cover 814 that can be opened and closed, and a rear cover 815 is fixed. A timing pulley 816 and two bearings 8111 to which the shaft is fixed are provided on both ends of the side frame 811. The timing pulley 816 is connected to a motor in the base via a timing belt . Each of the timing pulleys 816 on both sides corresponds to one motor, and controls the opening and closing of the top cover 813 and the front cover 814, respectively .

In this embodiment, the running mechanism is wheel assemblies 82 provided at the four corners of the base 80, and each wheel assembly 82 has an independent drive assembly and steering assembly, so that the running and steering of each wheel assembly 82 can be controlled individually. This allows the delivery robot to achieve all-wheel drive (AWD) and has multiple different running modes, allowing it to adapt to running surfaces in various environments.

Figure 60 is an image diagram of the drive assembly in the base. Figure 61 is an image diagram of the connection between the wheel assembly and the drive assembly. In this embodiment, the drive assembly 84 includes a drive motor 840 and a multi-stage power transmission mechanism. Among them, the first stage power transmission mechanism in the multi-stage transmission mechanism includes a drive wheel 842 and a first stage driven wheel 844, and power is transmitted between them via a timing belt. As shown in Figure 62, it is a one-stage turning mechanism connected between the drive motor 840 and the drive wheel 842. Figure 62 is an enlarged view of the turning mechanism with the bracket of part A in Figure 61 removed. A bevel gear 8401 is connected to the end of the output shaft of the drive motor 840, and a bevel gear 8402 is connected to the end of the axle 8421 of the drive wheel 842. The two bevel gears engage with each other to change the radial power output by the drive motor 840 into axial power, that is, horizontal power. Of these, the drive motor 840 and drive wheel 842 are fixed inside the base 800 via the first stage turning mechanism bracket 841.

Figures 63-64 are conceptual diagrams of the power transmission mechanism with the brackets and the like removed from the drive assembly . As shown in Figure 63, the first-stage driven wheel 844 in the first-stage power transmission mechanism is connected to the second-stage turning mechanism 845 as shown by the circle in the figure, and has the same configuration as Figure 62, and uses a pair of mutually engaging bevel gears to change the axial power to the radial direction, i.e., the power transferred horizontally to the vertical direction. The second-stage turning mechanism 845 is connected to power transmission mechanisms 846, 847, and 848 in sequence.

The wheel assembly 82 is formed by coaxially connecting two wheel bodies 821, connecting a wheel driven wheel 8211 to a wheel axle 8210, and attaching the wheel driven wheel 8211 to the end of the power transmission mechanism 848.

The drive motor 840 outputs. After passing through the first stage turning mechanism, the power drives the driving wheel 842, and the driving wheel 842 drives the first stage driven wheel 844 via the timing belt 843. Furthermore, the power transmitted from the second stage turning mechanism to the first stage timing belt 844 is turned, the horizontal power transmitted from the first stage power transmission mechanism is converted to vertical power, and the power is transmitted sequentially to the wheel driven wheel 8211 by the power transmission mechanisms 846, 847, and 848, and the wheel driven wheel 8211 rotates the coaxial wheel main body 821, realizing the function of running on the wheel main body 821.

Referring to Figures 64-66, the second stage steering mechanism 845 and the power transmission mechanism 846 are built into the bracket 845. The power transmission mechanisms 846, 847, 848 and the wheel driven wheel 8211 are built into the upper swing arm 822. The tip of the upper swing arm 822 is fixed to the end of the bracket 845, and the end of the upper swing arm 822 is fixed to the wheel axle 8210 via a bearing. The wheel main body 821 is disposed on both ends of the wheel axle 8210.

FIG. 67 is an overall image diagram of a steering assembly located in a base according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 68 is an image diagram of a wheel assembly connecting the steering assembly 85. Referring to FIG. 63-FIG. 66, the steering assembly 85 includes a steering motor 850 and a steering mechanism. Among them, the steering mechanism is fixed together with the traveling mechanism, and further includes a power transmission mechanism for transmitting the steering power of the steering motor 850 to the steering mechanism. In this embodiment, the power transmission mechanism includes a steering driven wheel 852 and a steering driving wheel 851 located in the steering mechanism. In this embodiment, the steering driving wheel 851 drives the steering driven wheel 852 using a timing belt 853. Since the output direction of the steering motor 850 is radial, i.e., perpendicular to the bottom surface, and the steering mechanism requires horizontal power, a turning mechanism is also provided between the output shaft of the steering motor 850 and the steering drive wheel 851, as shown in Figure 62, which uses a pair of bevel gears to convert the axial power transmitted to the output shaft of the steering motor 850 from vertical to horizontal.

A steering frame mainly including a steering frame 8531 and a steering ring 8532 is connected to the steering driven wheel 852, referring to FIG. 65. The steering ring 8532 is fixed in cooperation with a wheel post 8451 outside the second stage rolling mechanism of the drive assembly . Alternatively, the steering ring 8532 and a bracket 8451 are used as components. The upper part of the steering ring 8532 is a fixed surface, and a connecting hole such as a screw hole is provided in the upper part, and a boss is provided around the periphery, and the steering driven wheel 852 is fixed to a convex base of the fixed surface of the steering ring 8532. Refer to FIG. 64. The bottom of the steering frame 8531 cooperates with the upper part of the steering ring 8532 and corresponds to the connecting hole of the fixed surface of the steering ring 8532. A connecting hole is provided, and the steering frame 8531 and the steering ring 8532 are fixed through this connecting member. The upper portion of the steering frame 8531 is fixed to the axle of the first stage driven wheel 844 of the drive assembly .

When the steering motor 850 rotates, its output shaft outputs axial power. The axial power passing through the bevel gear is converted into radial power, and the steering drive axle, which is coaxial with the bevel gear, drives the steering drive wheel 851. The drive wheel 851 rotates the steering driven wheel 852 via a timing belt, which drives the steering driven wheel 852 to which it is fixed, which drives the steering frame 8531, which drives the steering ring 8532, which drives the bracket 8451, which drives the upper swing arm 822 of the wheel, which in turn rotates the wheel body 821. This changes the direction of rotation of the wheel body 381. Figure 69 shows an image at a different angle from Figure 68.

Each wheel assembly is combined with a set of drive and steering assemblies, so that various driving modes can be realized by independent control and combination of each wheel assembly. For example, when the wheel bodies of the four wheel assemblies rotate forward or backward at the same time, the delivery robot moves forward or backward in the driving direction. By controlling the different rotation directions of the wheel assemblies, the wheel body under the base can rotate on the spot while the delivery robot continues to move in the original driving direction. By controlling and rotating the wheel assemblies by 45 degrees, the body of the delivery robot can move forward in the original driving direction, and the direction of the wheel assemblies moves diagonally in a direction at a certain angle (for example, 45 degrees) from the original driving direction. In addition, by simultaneously rotating the wheel assemblies by, for example, 90 degrees, the body of the delivery robot can be made to move in the original driving direction as it is, and the direction of the wheel assemblies forms an angle of 90 degrees with the original driving direction, that is, the delivery robot moves sideways.

The different driving modes mentioned above are used to adapt to various conditions on the driving path. For example, if there is an obstacle in the original driving direction, the delivery robot can move laterally from the forward direction to the left or right, and return to the original route while bypassing the obstacle. Since there is no need to rotate the body during the above-mentioned driving, shaking caused by the rotation of the body is reduced, and the stability of the delivery robot during driving can be ensured.

The interaction mechanism 83 is located above the housing 81, and its signal lines, power lines, etc. are connected to the electric main box of the base via a passage in a support 812 provided on the rear side of the housing bottom plate 810. The interaction mechanism 83 is equipped with a camera 831, a display 832, and audio devices built into the display 832 such as a speaker and a microphone (not shown). The interaction mechanism 83 makes it possible to interact with the customer, and to monitor the loading and unloading status of cargo within the housing through customer interaction processing.

In this embodiment, one parent mail box 2 may be placed on a side frame inside the housing of the home delivery robot, or of course the housing 81 may be enlarged and two parent mail boxes 2 may be placed in two locations inside, allowing collection and delivery of cargo volumes, and collection and delivery to be performed simultaneously. For example, a top cover that is individually controlled for one parent mail box inside the housing is provided, and each corresponds to a collection parent mail box and a delivery parent mail box. Only the top cover corresponding to the collection parent mail box is opened during collection, and only the top cover corresponding to the delivery parent mail box is opened during delivery, ensuring the safety of the cargo.

Figure 70 is a schematic block diagram of a control device of a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. The control device 88 includes a communication module 880, a task management module 881, a driving control module 882, and an interaction control module 883. Among these, the communication module 880 is configured to communicate with a cloud management system and transfer information, data, etc. to each other. The task management module 881 is configured to receive collection/delivery tasks and docking information via the communication module 880, and transmits collection/delivery task information to the cloud management system. The cloud management system maintains logistics information of cargo, and the logistics information includes child transport box ID information of cargo loaded during logistics, parent transport box ID information loading the child transport box and the time of change, ID information of the delivery robot or cargo transport device transferring the cargo, and the time of change.

The collection task received by the task management module 881 includes part of the order information, such as sender information, name, telephone number, delivery address, etc. It also includes cargo information such as cargo name, size, and child box. When sending the collection task, the cloud management system determines whether there is a child box with suitable specifications for the current delivery robot. If not, the positions of child boxes in surrounding stations, multi-level warehouses in delivery lockers, nearby passing cargo transport devices, etc. are also obtained and sent to the delivery robot along with the collection task. The task management module 881 also collects information during the collection process and sends it to the cloud management system. For example, information such as the relationship between cargo and child box, child box and parent box, and ID binding and release between parent box and delivery robot. The task management module 881 receives a delivery task and includes recipient information such as the destination and order information for the cargo such as recipient ID information.

The driving control module 882 is configured to control the drive motor and steering motor according to the driving route, so as to drive and/or steer according to the planned route. The driving route can be received from a cloud management system, or can be automatically calculated based on the target position and road condition information monitored by a laser navigation SLAM or visual navigation VSLAM system. Thus, in one embodiment, the control system further includes a position information module 884, which obtains geographic information between the current position and the target position, and provides geographic information for calculating the driving route. At the same time, the real-time geographic information and road condition information are transmitted to the cloud management system via the communication module 880.

The driving route includes urban roads, bridges, and sidewalks where pedestrians can pass. In order to detect surrounding objects while driving, various response processing units such as pedestrians, vehicles, traffic lights at intersections, various visual sensors, audio sensors, distance sensors, etc. are also provided. The driving control module 882 has built-in driving rules and response control modes, and determines the response control mode based on the information collected by the sensors while driving. For example, stopping, decelerating, avoiding, accelerating, powering up, changing the route, etc. Among these, the camera and its image processing unit in the interaction mechanism can also be used as a separate visual sensor consisting of a camera sensor, a graphic sensor, a floodlight, etc. The visual sensor can obtain overall image information of the front and surroundings of the vehicle, and after processing the image information, can determine whether there is an obstacle ahead, whether there is a traffic light, etc. The sound sensor can distinguish abnormal sounds and can determine abnormalities by combining it with the visual sensor. The distance sensor can be, for example, a laser distance sensor, a photoelectric sensor, an infrared sensor, etc., and can measure the distance from a target or obstacle. For example, while driving, the visual sensor can determine that the road ahead is uphill, and in that case, each wheel assembly needs to be adjusted so that the delivery robot can safely traverse the slope. If the visual sensor determines that there is an obstacle ahead, it can determine the size of the obstacle and determine a way to avoid it. For example, if the only obstacle is a pedestrian, the robot will give way in advance to allow the pedestrian a distance to pass, and then return to the original route after the pedestrian has passed. If the obstacle ahead takes up the entire road, the route will be changed to one block back.

Sound sensors capture ambient sounds and determine whether a response is required. For example, if a sharp ground scraping sound is picked up, the pitch, volume, distance and direction of the sound can be used to determine the possibility of a traffic accident, and by arranging images captured by visual sensors, it is possible to identify currently occurring accidents. Distance sensors such as laser range finders can also identify the location and distance of an accident and determine whether avoidance is required. Distance sensors such as laser distance measuring sensors and photoelectric distance measuring sensors can detect objects far away or close ahead.

The driving control module 882 controls the output power of the drive motor or steering motor to accommodate different road surface friction resistances according to different road surface conditions. For example, when walking on unremoved snow, the motor output is increased when traveling on uneven surfaces with high friction resistance such as stone roads, and the motor output is reduced when traveling on smooth surfaces such as tiles or ice, reducing the possibility of skidding and losing the center of gravity depending on the direction of the wheels.

The interaction control module 883 is connected to the driving control module 882, the task management module 881 and the communication module 880, and obtains the collection/delivery task information and the docking cargo task information from the task management module 881, and responds to the cargo task according to the collection/delivery task. Completes the collection or delivery and docking of the cargo according to the interaction scenario.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 71, a schematic block diagram of an interaction control module according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown. The interaction control module 883 includes an operation unit 8831 for opening the housing in response to an instruction, and for example, in a collection/delivery scene, opens the top cover 813 at the start, closes the top cover 813 at the end, and locks the top cover 813 to ensure the safety of the cargo. In a cargo docking scene, the front cover 814 opens at the start, and finally closes the front cover 814 to ensure the safety of the cargo. In addition, the operation includes operating a laser indicator according to a customer's instruction to indicate a target child transport box in a parent transport box, or activating an indicator of the child transport box to emit light or sound to prompt the customer that it is the target child transport box.

The interaction control module 883 further includes an audio unit 8832 including an audio module, a speaker and a microphone, and is used to converse with the sender or the receiver, guide the sender through the shipping process and guide the receiver through the receiving process. For example, the interaction control module 883 performs the following functions: confirming the sender's or the receiver's ID, verifying the cargo, prompting the sender or the receiver by showing a demo video, providing guidance if the sender or the receiver makes a mistake in their operation, etc.

The interaction control module 883 further includes a video unit 8833 including an image collecting device such as a camera 831 and a video output device such as a display 832. The camera 831 collects video images during shipping and warehousing, and transmits them to the cloud management system via the energy module 880. The camera 831 can also collect the situation inside the parent shipping box to monitor the operation of the sender or receiver. The video output device interacts with the sender or receiver. For example, it plays related videos such as a greeting video, an operation demonstration video, and a demonstration video of the logistics process. By interacting with the customer via voice or video, it is possible to visually output necessary information to the customer and answer the customer's questions.

Example of a logistics control system The logistics control system in the present invention includes a customer service system and a logistics control module. Figure 72 is a schematic block diagram of a logistics control system. The logistics control system in this embodiment includes one or more customer service systems, a logistics control module including a plurality of identical functions or a plurality of identical functions.

As shown in FIG. 73, the customer service system includes a customer service side and a customer service client side. The client side provides a customer connection port through which the customer can input information about the cargo to be sent through the client side, such as text, image, voice, or video. For example, the recipient and its address, the sender, the address, the type of cargo, the name, and special matters such as fragile, urgent, general, and express can be input in text, and cargo photos and videos can be uploaded to easily identify the size, weight, etc., and the shipping method such as door-to-door collection, customer self-shipment, etc. can also be indicated. After the customer completes the input of information, he or she confirms the sending. The client side generates a customer logistics order and sends it to the service side. The service side analyzes the information required for the logistics control system (e.g., the destination address, the fragile characteristics of the cargo, and the logistics level), and sends the above order information to the logistics control module. The logistics management module performs corresponding collection, transportation, shipping, and other control operations according to the order. The service side also receives cargo distribution information from the relevant logistics control module, such as the cargo transport device corresponding to a given transportation route and each logistics chain, the current logistics chain and the corresponding cargo transport device and region, the weight sensor records of each level of cargo transport device along the way, whether there is a collision, etc., so as to enable the customer to understand the progress of the distribution of the cargo. The client side can also provide related logistics information such as fee inquiry, logistics order, and cargo status real-time inquiry.

The service side transmits the customer's logistics order information to multiple logistics control modules, and one of the logistics control modules processes the order, such as receiving shipments, transportation, and docking. When the customer chooses to pick up the parcel using a delivery robot or drone and self-ship, it can recommend available delivery lockers to the customer and sort the multiple delivery lockers recommended by the customer according to distance from the customer, travel time, etc.

The logistics control module in this embodiment also includes modules with different functions, as shown in FIG. 74. In one embodiment, it includes a geographic information module and a route planning module.

The geographic information module is used to obtain and maintain the real-time location of the cargo transport equipment. The geographic information module includes a geographic information system, or is connected to a dedicated connection port of an existing geographic information system to obtain geographic information. In contrast, the various cargo transport equipment in the present invention has a positioning system such as GPS, and determines actual location information and transmits real-time location information to the geographic information module, thereby making it possible to obtain real-time location information of each cargo transport equipment.

The route planning module transfers the cargo based on the real-time location information and driving capacity of the cargo transport device, the geographic traffic information, and the logistics information for transferring the cargo. It determines the cargo transport device, the delivery location, and the corresponding logistics information. In one embodiment, after the above information is determined, the driving route to the delivery point of the cargo transport device as the delivery target is also calculated. Or in another embodiment, the positioning device in the cargo transport device refers to the real-time traffic information and self-calculates the driving route from the current position to the delivery point. Also, in another embodiment, when determining the docking point and the docking cargo transport device, it refers to the logistics level of the cargo and prioritizes the logistics information of the cargo with a high logistics level to determine the docking point and the cargo transport device. If the amount of cargo at the time of docking exceeds the capacity of the cargo transport device to be docked, it prioritizes the exchange of the cargo with a high logistics level, so that the cargo with a high logistics level can be transported quickly and in a timely manner.

The logistics management module also includes a cargo monitoring module for obtaining and maintaining the logistics information of the cargo forwarding from the passenger service system. The logistics information includes cargo order information such as the consignee and address, the consignor and address, contact information, and the logistics level such as express or ordinary. The logistics information also includes ID binding information and change information between the cargo and the cargo transport device, the warehouse cell, the parent box, and the child box. These binding information can determine the current loading capacity of the cargo transport device, such as the number of warehouse cells in each cargo transport device and their distribution in the multi-level warehouse. The cargo transport device forwarding the cargo and its location in the multi-level warehouse can be identified by the ID binding information of the parent box and the child box and the ID binding information of the parent box and the warehouse cell. This information changes with the cargo transport process, and these change information is recorded in detail in the logistics information of each child box, so that the entire logistics process of one cargo can be tracked, and an alert can be issued when the cargo leaves the logistics system during transportation, and the logistics device when the cargo leaves can be identified based on the association relationship between the cargo and the warehouse cell.

The logistics control module in the present invention also includes a sorting control module. A sorted cargo list is determined based on the cargo transport device, the parcel locker, and other possible fixed warehouses and delivery locations for delivering the cargo. Sorting tasks are assigned to the sorting device in the multi-level warehouse built into the cargo transport device, and transport tasks are assigned to the mobile device, and the two are combined to complete the cargo sorting before docking. The above sorting control module can be placed in logistics equipment equipped with a multi-level warehouse such as the cargo transport device, or on the cloud.

In some embodiments, the present invention employs a decentralized control mode. When cargo enters the logistics chain, cargo information is sent to individual modules. One or more modules control cargo transport devices in an area to complete operations such as receiving, transporting, docking, sorting, and delivering cargo. If one of the functional modules fails, control can continue by other identical modules in place of the failed functional module. When a cargo transport device fails, the control module will rationally plan and calculate to replace the failed cargo transport device with another cargo transport device.

In some embodiments, the present invention provides a method for mid-way logistics, which mainly includes sending and receiving cargo, transporting cargo, and handing over and sorting cargo during the cargo transport.

In some embodiments, transportable parent and child transport boxes are set up in a logistics system. When cargo is collected, it is placed in a child transport box. When cargo enters the logistics system, the child transport box is stored in a parent transport box, and one parent transport box incorporates one or more child transport boxes. The cargo transport device is a mobile warehouse, incorporating a multi-story warehouse and including one or more warehouse cells. During cargo transportation, the parent transport box is stored in the warehouse cell. Each cargo transport device, the warehouse cell within each cargo transport device, the child transport box, and the parent transport box have a unique ID tag, and in the logistics process, the binding relationship between them can be bound or released according to sorting, exchange, etc. during transportation, and accurate cargo distribution information can be obtained.

In some embodiments, multiple cargo transport devices in the process of transporting cargo transfer the cargo within their respective corresponding transport distances, handing the cargo from one cargo transport device to another depending on the distribution location and logistics direction of the cargo transport devices, and repeating this movement process until the logistics destination is reached. Because the cargo needs to be transferred between different cargo transport devices, it is necessary to sort the cargo from the original cargo transport device before transferring it. The sorting of the present invention is performed on the cargo transport device during the cargo transport.

Depending on the flow direction of the cargo, the cargo is sent from the sender to the logistics system, received by the end logistics equipment, transferred to different cargo transport equipment along the way, delivered to the end logistics equipment, and received by the consignee, completing the flow.

The physical distribution method of the physical distribution system of the present invention will be described below from the end.
At the end of the logistics chain, there are various shipping and delivery methods, such as delivery robots interacting with senders door-to-door to complete shipping and delivery; delivery lockers and drones self-help to complete shipping and delivery; delivery staff driving mini trucks to interact with senders to complete shipping and delivery. Next, we will explain the various scenarios.

Scenario 1: The delivery robot collects the package at the sender's location. Figure 75 is a flowchart of a delivery robot's collection operation method according to one embodiment of the present invention. The delivery robot's collection operation method provided by the present invention includes the following steps:

In step S81a, a parent transport box with a specified child transport box built in is installed in the storage layer in the housing. When the delivery robot receives a collection task, the specification information of the child transport box required for the collected cargo is also included. Of these, the cloud determines whether the delivery robot currently has a child transport box with the required specifications, and if not, transmits an address where a child transport box can be obtained from a nearby fixed warehouse, delivery locker, or other cargo transport device passing through the area. If the delivery robot currently has a child transport box with the required specifications, proceed to step S82a. If there is no child transport box with compatible specifications in the housing of the delivery robot, it is necessary to obtain a child transport box at the specified address. When obtaining a child transport box, the delivery robot exchanges the parent transport box in the housing with the child transport box inside it, and the parent transport box at the exchange location with a child transport box with compatible specifications. Furthermore, the delivery robot can take out multiple cargoes at multiple collection points at once. Therefore, at the time of departure, the target child transport boxes are placed in the housing for multiple cargoes.

In step S82a, the delivery robot reaches the collection location according to the planned route. From the departure point to the collection point, it travels along the planned route and can adjust its driving pattern according to the road conditions. During the travel, it monitors the surroundings to prevent collisions and avoids obstacles in a timely manner. In one embodiment, to increase efficiency, the delivery robot notifies the sender by phone/SMS 10 minutes before and after its arrival.

Step S83a guides the shipper to complete the shipping process. Interaction with the shipper includes the following processes, as shown in FIG. 76:

In step S831a, the delivery robot matches the customer's identity with the cargo. Based on the collection task information, it checks whether the sender and the cargo match the information in the collection task. For example, sender name, phone number, cargo name, characteristics, etc.

In step S832a, after confirming the information, the delivery robot opens the top cover of the housing and prompts the customer to find and open the child transport box. At the same time, a demo video of the operation of putting cargo into the child transport box is played on the display. When the parent transport box has multiple child transport boxes, the delivery robot guides the sender to open the target child transport box in various ways. For example, the child transport box is provided with a light-emitting indicator, and the delivery robot activates the light-emitting indicator of the target child transport box to blink, or notifies the recipient of the number on the surface of the child transport box by voice. Or, it emits a spotlight on the target child transport box via a cursor indicator.

In step S833a, after the customer correctly places the cargo in the sub-transport box, closes it, weighs it, receives the fee, and confirms the shipment, the delivery robot locks the sub-transport box, establishes an ID binding between the cargo and the sub-transport box, and writes the binding relationship and the sub-transport box password to the ID electronic tag of the sub-transport box. The sub-transport box ID electronic tag information and confirmed shipping information are uploaded to the cloud. The cargo monitoring module in the cloud records the information in the cargo logistics information.

In step S84a, the delivery robot reaches the docking point according to the planned route and hands over the cargo to the next level of the logistics chain. After the delivery robot uploads the information that the customer has confirmed the shipment, it obtains the delivery information, such as the docking point, the ID information of the docked cargo transport device, and the planned route, calculated from the cloud, and sends the delivery information to the delivery robot. The delivery robot arrives at the docking point according to the planned route. When the cargo transport device arrives, the delivery robot opens the housing front cover, and the AGV of the cargo transport device enters the housing of the delivery robot, lifts up the parent shipping box, and returns to the cargo transport device. After that, the delivery robot releases the ID binding with the parent shipping box, uploads it to the cloud, and completes the collection task. The cloud records the change information of the ID binding information in the logistics information of the cargo.

After receiving the parent box, the cargo transport device establishes an ID binding between the cargo transport device and the parent box.

Scenario 2: A delivery robot delivers a cargo to a recipient. Figure 79 is a flowchart of a delivery operation of a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. The process of the delivery operation includes the following steps.

In step S80c, the delivery robot receives the cargo scheduled for delivery. After receiving the delivery task, when docking, the delivery robot passes the parent shipping box to the docking cargo transport device, and then receives the cargo in the child shipping box that is being transported to the delivery robot's casing by the AGV in the cargo transport device.

In step S81c, the delivery robot heads to the delivery location according to the cloud-planned or self-calculated driving route. In one embodiment, to increase efficiency, the delivery robot notifies the recipient by phone/SMS 10 minutes before and after arrival.

In step S82c, after arriving at the delivery location, the delivery robot interacts with the consignee to complete the delivery task. Among them, there is a time difference between the interaction between the delivery robot and the consignee. When the delivery robot arrives and the consignee does not arrive, the delivery robot waits for a preset time. If the consignee arrives within this waiting time, the cargo delivery process is completed. If the consignee has not yet arrived, it sends information to the cloud customer service system and waits for a while according to the instructions of the cloud customer service system or puts the cargo in a nearby delivery locker. That is, the docking scenario 1 is applied. In the process of handing the cargo to the consignee, the delivery robot guides the consignee to find and open the sub-transport box and take out the cargo. After the consignee confirms that he has received the cargo, he covers the sub-transport box and clicks the confirmation key on the display, and the delivery is completed. During the interaction with the consignee, the delivery robot records and collects the interaction video, and provides timely guidance to the consignee to operate correctly. Finally, the recorded video is uploaded to the cloud management system.

Scenario 3: Delivery robot collects and delivers simultaneously . The delivery robot can also deliver while collecting. In a better embodiment, the housing of the delivery robot can have two parent boxes, one delivery parent box and one collection parent box, and each parent box can contain multiple child boxes. Each child box corresponds to one task. When the delivery robot performs multiple tasks, its driving route is designed according to the destination address of the task, the docking address at the time of delivery, and the current address of the delivery robot. This driving route can be planned by a cloud management system, or it can be planned by the delivery robot itself.

Figure 80 is a flowchart showing a process in which a delivery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention executes multiple tasks. The execution procedure includes the following steps:

Step S80d involves moving to the first execution location according to the planned route. The execution location is a collection location or a delivery location.

Step S81d determines whether to collect or deliver at the current execution location, and if collection is to be performed at the current execution location, interaction with the sender is performed from step S831a in FIG. 76. Collection processing is performed, and the collection task is completed. In the collection process, the top cover corresponding to the collection parent shipping box in the housing opens, and a child shipping box corresponding to the collected cargo specifications is placed inside. In the case of delivery at the current execution location, step S82c in FIG. 79 is executed, and the delivery task is completed. In the delivery process, the top cover corresponding to the delivery parent shipping box in the housing opens, and a child shipping box containing the cargo is placed inside.

After the collection and delivery processes are completed, step S82d is executed to determine whether there are any unexecuted locations. If there are, they are moved to a new execution location in step S83d, and then step S81d is executed. If there are no unexecuted locations, that is, if all collection and delivery tasks are completed, in step S84d, the delivery robot moves to a docking point according to the planned route. In step S85d, the delivery robot docks with the cargo transport device of the next logistics chain, and then passes the collection parent box and delivery parent box (with the child boxes inside empty at this point) to the cargo transport device. The cargo transport device consolidates the cargo child boxes to be delivered into one parent box, consolidates the child boxes required for collection by the delivery robot into another parent box, and passes them all together to the delivery robot. At this point, the delivery robot completes the previous multitasking and starts the next collection and delivery tasks.

In this embodiment, the delivery robot can collect or deliver packages during one run, ensuring collection efficiency while reducing the unnecessary work of the delivery robot moving empty boxes, improving the work efficiency of the delivery robot.

Example of sending and receiving using a parcel locker

Scenario 4: Customers self-ship using the parcel locker When the shipper chooses to ship from the parcel locker, the shipper can place the shipment in the parcel locker to complete the self-service shipping. The process includes the following steps as shown in Figure 81:

In step S1000, the sender generates a logistics order using a customer service client side such as an APP supported by a mobile phone. The order includes information such as the recipient's name, address, and contact information, the sender's name, address, and contact information, logistics level (air express), dimensions, insurance, and the selected parcel locker.

In step S1001, after the cloud system receives the customer's order, it sends the shipping information to the corresponding parcel locker, including the order details and the necessary sub-box ID information.

In step S1002, the parcel locker 10, if necessary, sorts the target child boxes into one parent box based on the ID information of the child boxes, and sends the parent box to the warehouse cell that interacts with the customer by the AGV 3, which corresponds to the housing door 112. See FIG. 47B.

In step S1003, after the sender arrives at the delivery locker, the sender can interact with the delivery locker via the mobile phone client and confirm the ID information of both parties.

In step S1004, after verifying that the ID information is correct, the delivery locker 10 opens the customer interaction housing door 112. The sender opens the child shipping box at the client's prompt, places the cargo in the child shipping box, and returns it to the delivery locker. Once the shipment is confirmed as complete, the delivery locker 10 closes the housing door 112.

In step S1005, the AGV inside the parcel locker 10 reads the electronic ID tag of the child box 7, determines the ID binding between the child box 7 and the cargo, and the ID binding between the child box 7 and the current parent box, uploads them to the cloud, and waits for collection.

In a better embodiment, the height of the parent box for receiving the sender's cargo (hereinafter referred to as the locker parent box) is low, making it easy for the customer to remove the child box as shown in FIG. 47B. If the height is different from that of the parent box used for other transports (hereinafter referred to as the transport parent box), the parent box with the smaller height can be left in the parcel locker 10 and used exclusively for interactions with the customer. Therefore, after the sender's shipment is completed, the child box containing the cargo needs to be transferred to the transport parent box. Specifically, the locker parent box can be transported by an AGV to the sorting cell of the sorting device, and then transferred to the transport parent box by the sorting device.

Scenario 5: Customers can self-receive using the parcel locker When the cargo delivered to the recipient is held in the parcel locker 10 for various reasons, the recipient can self-receive at the parcel locker 10. The recipient can interact with the parcel locker 10 through the client side, and after mutual identification, the sorting device in the parcel locker 10 sorts the child transport box 7 containing the customer's cargo into the parent transport box 2 for the locker, and transports it to the warehouse cell 1 that interacts with the customer by the AGV 3, and opens the housing door 112. Based on the information received by the mobile phone client side, the customer can know the password to open the child transport box 7, and opens the child transport box 7 and takes out the cargo at the prompt of the mobile phone client side, such as a demo video guide. When the customer returns the child transport box to the parent transport box for the locker and the receipt is completed, the housing door 112 is closed.

When receiving or shipping the parcel by the customer's self-service described above, the parcel locker opens the dedicated housing door 112, and of course, it is also possible to use the housing door 111 when docking with the parcel robot 8 or other cargo transport equipment. The parent shipping box 2 is sent out of the housing using the lifting docking plate 122, and when the customer receives the parcel, the child shipping box 7 loaded with the target cargo is carried out, and when the customer ships the parcel, the appropriate child shipping box 7 is sent out.

Scenario 6: Customers interact with drones for collection and delivery. When placing an order, customers can choose to have the order picked up or received by drone. When picking up, the drone will bring a child box of the corresponding specifications to the customer, and the customer will place the cargo in the child box according to the guidance of the drone's audio device, customer service client side demo video, text interpretation, etc. A weight sensor is installed on the drone, and after the customer is converted into a parent box, a weighing fee is charged. After the customer pays, the collection process is completed and the cargo enters the logistics system. When the drone delivers, it is similar to the interaction process with the customer, but it is not repeated here.

Scenario 7: Customer interaction with mini truck In this embodiment, customers can also interact with the mini truck, which is driven by a delivery staff or is unmanned, to ship or receive goods. If the mini truck is unmanned, it is equipped with an information and communication device, and can refer in particular to the information and communication device of the delivery robot, whose process is similar to the information and communication process of the delivery robot and will not be repeated here.

When cargo enters the logistics system through end logistics equipment such as delivery robots, drones, delivery lockers, and mini trucks, the cargo is transferred between different cargo transport devices. Depending on the type of the two cargo transport devices at the time of transfer, the following docking scenarios are included:

Docking scene 1: Delivery robot and delivery locker dockingThe purpose of docking the delivery robot with the delivery locker is to obtain an empty parent box, or to temporarily store the cargo that could not be delivered to the recipient in the delivery locker, or to take out the cargo to be delivered from the delivery locker.The following takes an empty parent box as an example to explain the docking process between the delivery robot and the delivery locker as follows:

If the delivery robot 8 does not currently have a suitable child box, it can obtain one at a nearby delivery locker. Specifically, this includes the following steps shown in Figure 77.

In step S80b, the cloud system searches for delivery lockers and moving cargo transport devices within the travel range of the delivery robot 8, and determines the position where the delivery robot 8 can obtain the target child box according to the principle of the shortest acquisition time. In this embodiment, for example, the location is the delivery locker 10.

In step S81b, the cloud system transmits information to the delivery robot 8 and the confirmed delivery locker 10 to acquire a child delivery box and a parent delivery box, and the information received by the delivery robot 8 includes the position of the delivery locker 10 and the planned travel route. The information received by the delivery locker 10 includes the ID information of the child delivery box and the delivery robot. Here, depending on the need for collection, there may be one or more target child delivery boxes.

In step S82b, the delivery robot 8 moves to the location of the delivery locker 10 according to the planned route, and at the same time, the internal sorting device of the delivery locker 10 sorts the target child shipping boxes into one parent shipping box in accordance with the received information with the cooperation of the AGV 3, and establishes an ID binding between the child shipping box and the parent shipping box.

In step S83b, after the delivery robot 8 reaches the location of the delivery locker 10, the robot 8 and the delivery locker 10 mutually verify their identities. As shown in Figure 78A.

In step S84b, after both parties have identified themselves, the delivery locker 10 opens the housing door, lowers the docking plate 122, and holds the docking plate 122 to lower the slide rail 121. At the same time, the delivery robot 8 opens the front cover of the housing, preparing for the two parties to dock together. As shown in Figure 78B.

In step S85b, the delivery robot 8 moves forward so that the docking plate 122 goes under its base, and when the delivery robot 8 docks accurately with the docking plate 122, the lift sensor is triggered. The slide rail 121 is driven and rises together with the delivery robot 8 until a signal is received from the positioning sensor, and the running surface of the movement space inside the housing of the delivery robot 8 and the running surface on the lifting platform 42 are docked accurately. As shown in FIG. 78C. Of these, the lift sensor may be provided at an appropriate position under the base of the delivery robot 8, or may be placed at an appropriate position on the docking plate 122. The positioning sensor may be placed at an appropriate position on the docking plate 122 or the lifting platform 42.

In step S86b, the AGV 3 inside the delivery locker 10 transports the parent box that already contains the child box to the housing of the delivery robot 8, and then returns to the delivery locker 10. If there is a parent box inside the delivery robot 8, the AGV 3 inside the delivery locker 10 first transports the parent box inside the delivery robot 8 into the delivery locker 10, and then transports the child box required for the delivery robot 8 together with one parent box to the housing of the delivery robot 8.

In step S87b, the delivery locker 10 drives the slide rail 121 and descends together with the delivery robot 8.

In step S88b, the delivery locker 10 is separated from the delivery robot 8. After landing, the delivery robot 8 retreats backwards, moves away from the docking plate 122, and closes the front cover. At the same time, the delivery locker 10 stores the docking plate 122, rises to a certain height, and closes the housing door 111.

At this time, the delivery robot 8 can smoothly obtain the necessary child delivery box from the delivery locker 10.

If the delivery robot is unable to deliver the cargo to the recipient, it will deposit it in a delivery locker. When the delivery robot deposits both the cargo to be delivered and the parent box in the delivery locker, it will send the ID binding change information of the parent box to the cloud management system, and the delivery task will be completed. The cloud management system will notify the recipient to collect the cargo by phone, SMS, email, etc. The process is similar to the process of picking up an empty parent box, but will not be described here. Similarly, the delivery robot can receive the cargo to be delivered at the delivery locker according to instructions from the cloud, specifically similar to the process of picking up an empty parent box, but will not be described here.

Docking scene 2: Docking between delivery robot and mini truck The delivery robot can hand over the cargo received from the customer to the mini truck and receive the cargo scheduled for delivery from the mini truck.

Figures 82A-82C show docking images of the mini truck and the delivery robot of this embodiment. When the mini truck 9a docks with the delivery robot 8, the housing door 94 opens, the lifting stand 962 of the lifting docking device descends to a preset position along the lifting rail 961, and the docking plate 963 opens. As shown in Figure 82A. The delivery robot 8 moves forward so that the docking plate 963 goes under the bottom of the housing base of the delivery robot 8, and when the housing base position is determined, the lifting stand 962 is controlled to rise to a preset position along the lifting rail 961, and when the docking plate 963 of the housing of the delivery robot 8 docks with the running surface of the moving space and the running surface of the bottom of the warehouse cell in the multi-story warehouse, the lifting stops. At this time, the AGV 3 inside the mini truck 9a enters the housing of the delivery robot 8 and transports the parent shipping box inside it to the mini truck 9a. Or, if necessary, the AGV 3 transports the corresponding parent shipping box in the mini truck 9a to the housing of the delivery robot 8.

Docking scene 3: Docking of the delivery robot and the city circulation truck. In addition, as long as conditions such as suitable location and time allow, the delivery robot can transfer the cargo received from the customer to the city circulation truck and receive the cargo scheduled for delivery from the city circulation truck. This process is similar to the docking of the mini truck, and the description will not be repeated here.

Similarly, delivery robots can also dock with intercity freight transport vehicles such as long- or short-haul trucks, trains, and ocean freighters at rest stops along the way, when appropriate locations, times, and other conditions permit.

As end-use logistics equipment, drones are divided into large and small drones, with small drones transporting one child box, i.e., one cargo, at a time. Meanwhile, large drones have multiple warehouse cells inside and can store multiple child boxes.

Docking scene 4: A small drone docks with a delivery locker . The drone can store the cargo received from the customer in the delivery locker and retrieve the cargo scheduled for delivery from the delivery locker.

After receiving the cargo from the customer, the drone can transfer the cargo to other logistics equipment such as a parcel locker, a mini truck, or a city circulation truck based on cloud calculation. In this embodiment, the drone puts the cargo to be sent into the parcel locker 10, or takes out the cargo to be taken out from the parcel locker. When the drone reaches the sky above the parcel locker 10, it communicates with the parcel locker 10, and after they confirm their identities, the parcel locker 10 opens the cover plate 113 of the upper drone connection port. When the customer deposits the cargo, the lifting platform of the lifting system in the housing lifts the parent box 2 and reaches the drone connection port. The drone puts the child box 7 loaded with the cargo into the parent box 2. When the drone collects the cargo, the lifting platform lifts the parent box 2 with the child box 7 built in, and reaches the drone connection port. The drone grabs the child box 7 from the parent box 2. When docking with the drone is completed, the cover plate 113 is closed, and the lifting platform descends together with the parent box 2. Alternatively, it is calculated on the cloud that a drone can deliver the cargo in the delivery locker to the recipient, and the docking of the drone with the delivery locker is similar to the procedure described above, so the explanation will not be repeated here.

Docking scene 5: Docking of a fixed warehouse and a small drone Figure 86 is an image diagram of docking between a small drone and a fixed warehouse according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the fixed warehouse (or called the first multi-level warehouse) 100 has a drone connection port 106 at its top in addition to the warehouse door 105, corresponding to one or more warehouse cells. When the small drone puts the child transport box 7 into the first multi-level warehouse 100, the first multi-level warehouse 100 opens the cover of the connection port to expose the corresponding warehouse cell below. The small drone can hover above the connection port or be supported by a stand attached to the positioning groove 107 around the connection port and stop above the connection port. After completing positioning, the small drone puts the child transport box into the warehouse cell of the connection port using a robot grab or the like, and releases the ID bind between the child transport box and the drone. When cargo in the first multi-story warehouse 100 is transferred to a small drone, the small drone places the child transport box to be transported in the warehouse cell at the connection port, the small drone recognizes the child transport box using an RFID reader/writer or the like, grabs it using a robot grab or the like and takes it away, and also releases the ID binding between the child transport box and the warehouse cell and establishes an ID binding with the drone.

Docking scene 6: Docking of large drones with fixed warehouses Large drones have a storage space similar to a multi-storey warehouse, including a lift. There are two ways to dock with the ground or with other multi-storey warehouses.

First, docking is performed using the drone connection port 106 in Figure 86. For example, a large drone can hover above the connection port, or be supported by a stand attached to the positioning groove 107 around the connection port and stop above the connection port. Once the large drone has completed positioning, it lowers the lift and docks with the connection port, completing the loading, unloading, and exchange of cargo.

Second, the large drone hovers or lands on the ground on the side of the warehouse, and uses a docking plate or docking pipe to dock with the warehouse to complete the loading, unloading and exchange of cargo.

Docking scene 7: Interaction between drones and cargo transport devices Drones can also interact with cargo transport devices such as mini trucks and city circulation trucks to store or retrieve cargo. Mini trucks and city circulation trucks can set up drone connection ports such as parcel lockers and fixed warehouses. Unlike information communication with parcel lockers and fixed warehouses, drones do not need to stop the mobile cargo transport device when interacting with mini trucks, city circulation trucks, and other mobile logistics equipment. While both parties maintain the same speed, the child box carried by the drone can be transferred from the drone connection port of the cargo transport device to the cargo transport device, or cargo can be received from the cargo transport device.

Docking scene 8: Docking of a mini truck and a fixed warehouse FIG. 83 is an image diagram of docking of a mini truck and a fixed warehouse according to one embodiment of the present invention. When the mini truck 9a is docked to a fixed warehouse such as a parcel locker (for example, a parcel locker), the mini truck 9a moves to an appropriate position so that the doors of both face each other, and the housing door 94 and the housing door 111 are opened. At the fixed position where the warehouse door 105 is opened, the lifting stand 962 of the lifting and docking device of the mini truck 9a rises to a pre-installed position along the lifting rail 961, carrying the docking plate 963, and the docking plate 963 is opened. The mini truck 9a adjusts its position using air suspension or the like, and the docking plate 963 accurately docks with the lifting platform 42 of the fixed warehouse or a warehouse cell. At this time, the AGV 3 inside the mini truck 9a enters the fixed warehouse and carries the parent transport box containing the child transport box containing the cargo inside to the mini truck 9a. Alternatively, as necessary, the mini truck 9a transports the child and parent boxes that the customer plans to pick up in person to a fixed warehouse.

Docking scene 9: docking of mini truck and city circulation truck Figure 84 is a docking image diagram of a mini truck and a city circulation truck according to one embodiment of the present invention. The mini truck 9a is a small cargo transport device, and its height is smaller than that of the city circulation truck 9b, so the multi-level warehouse inside it cannot dock directly with the multi-level warehouse of the city circulation truck 9b. When the housing doors of both are opened, the lifting stand in the docking device in the mini truck 9a rises, and the docking plate completely docks with the running surface of the bottom of the warehouse cell inside the city circulation truck 9b.

Docking scene 10: Docking between mini trucks Since the transport distance of mini trucks is short, if cargo cannot be transferred in time to the city loop truck, it can be transferred to another mini truck.

Docking scene 11: Docking of city circulation trucks Figure 85 is an image diagram showing the docking of two city circulation trucks 9b. In this embodiment, the two city circulation trucks 9b stop, and after completing the vehicle posture and position adjustment, the opposing wings 942 are opened one after another and then adjusted to be horizontal and height level. In this embodiment, air suspension is provided between the vehicle frame and the vehicle body of the city circulation truck 9b, and the level can be easily and quickly adjusted by adjusting the air pressure of each air suspension. Then, the XY drive table is started, the entire multi-story warehouse 91 slides to the side, the two multi-story warehouses are docked, and the slide stops after positioning, forming an integrated multi-story warehouse.

Docking scene 12: Docking of fixed warehouse and city circulation truck. As the mini truck is docked to the fixed warehouse, the explanation will not be repeated here.

Docking scene 13: Docking of city circulation trucks with other cargo transport devices Other cargo transport devices such as cargo trains, cargo planes, and marine cargo ships are equipped with multi-level warehouses, and the city circulation trucks can adopt the docking method of the two city circulation trucks in scene 11 according to the situation on site. The city circulation truck drives its XY drive table and slides the multi-level warehouse to dock directly with the multi-level warehouse of the other cargo transport device. Alternatively, these cargo transport devices open their docking plates 300 and use the lifting mechanism to rise or fall to the appropriate position for accurate docking with the city circulation truck. In this embodiment, two multi-level warehouses are docked. Of course, the bottom surface can be used as a duct for the docking plate, which can prevent the cargo from being affected by weather and climate when entering and leaving the warehouse.

Positioning sensors are installed in the various logistics warehouses or docking plates mentioned above, and accurate docking is determined based on the positioning sensors.

When two logistics equipment are docked, it includes cargo outgoing, incoming, outgoing, and exchange. We will explain the cargo outgoing, incoming, and exchange processes using the warehouse structure shown in Figure 87 as an example.

Cargo storage flow Example 1
FIG. 87 is an image diagram of docking between a multi-story warehouse and a cargo transport device according to one embodiment of the present invention. The flow of cargo storage will be described using FIG. 87 as an example. In FIG. 87, the first multi-story warehouse 100 is a fixed warehouse, and the second multi-story warehouse 200 is a multi-story warehouse in the cargo transport device. Vehicles are not shown in FIG. 87. As shown in FIG. 88, the cargo storage process includes the following steps.

In step S9101, the cargo transport device travels to the side of the first multi-story warehouse 100, and both open the warehouse doors. The first multi-story warehouse 100 may be a fixed logistics warehouse.

In step S9102, the cargo transport device is docked with the first multi-story warehouse 100. As shown in FIG. 87, the warehouse cell 20 inside the small second multi-story warehouse 200 in the cargo transport device has the same specifications as the warehouse cell in the first multi-story warehouse 100. When the warehouse doors 105, 205 of both are opened, the second multi-story warehouse 200 in the cargo transport device can be directly docked door-to-door with the fixed first multi-story warehouse 100 as long as conditions permit. For example, the height and level of the second multi-story warehouse 200 in the cargo transport device is adjusted by adjusting the angle of the cargo transport device so that it is adjacent to the fixed first multi-story warehouse 100 in parallel. In one embodiment, the level can be easily and quickly adjusted by adjusting the air pressure of each air suspension of the vehicle, and the warehouse door 205 of the second multi-story warehouse 200 is completely docked with the warehouse door 105 in the fixed first multi-story warehouse 100. In addition, if the warehouse door 105 fixed to the first warehouse 100 is large, the warehouse door 205 of the second warehouse 200 is small, and the warehouse door 105 of the first warehouse 100 is large, so that multiple rows and multiple layers of warehouse cells can be exposed when opened. The cargo transport device can dock with the small second warehouse 200 at any row or any layer.

When the docking of the two multi-storey warehouses is completed, the positioning sensor is triggered, and when the local module in the multi-storey warehouse receives the positioning sensor signal, the docking is completed, and the multi-storey warehouse docking completion information is sent to the cloud logistics control module via the communication module. The cloud logistics control module sends a command to the AGV to carry the cargo. The number of AGVs for transportation is determined based on the number of incoming storage devices of the second multi-storey warehouse 200 in the cargo transport device, the number of warehouse cells on the docking surface, and the number of AGVs currently available. In this embodiment, it is assumed that only one AGV is required because the cargo transport device has only one parent shipping box to be handed over to the first multi-storey warehouse 100. When determining the AGV, first select an empty AGV, and if there is no empty AGV, interrupt the task of the AGV in operation and have it carry into the incoming storage device.

In step S9103, it is determined whether there are any available AGVs in the two warehouses. If there are, for example, AGV 230 is available in the second multi-story warehouse 200, or AGV 130 is available in the first multi-story warehouse 100, then in step S9104, the cloud logistics control module sends a transport instruction to the available AGV 23 or AGV 130. Then, the process proceeds to step S9108.

If there are no available AGVs in either warehouse, in step S9105, it is determined whether there is a spare AGV, such as a spare AGV inside the first multi-story warehouse 100 or installed on the cargo transport device.

If there is a spare AGV, a transport instruction is sent to the spare AGV in step S9106, and then the process proceeds to step S9018. If there is no spare AGV, the task of one AGV in the first multi-story warehouse 100 is interrupted in step S9107, and a transport instruction is sent.

In step S9108, the transport AGV enters the warehouse cell 20 of the parent box 220 to be transported. If the transport AGV is AGV 130 in the first multi-story warehouse 100, after the doors of the two warehouses are docked to each other, the bottom panels of the warehouse cells of both warehouses are docked and connected to each other, so the AGV 130 can travel to the warehouse cell 20 in the second multi-story warehouse 200.

In step S9109, the transport AGV lifts and transports the parent box 220, reads the RFID information of the parent box 220, changes the bound warehouse number therein to a transport status, and transmits the RFID information of the parent box 220 to the cloud logistics control module.

In step S9110, the transport AGV loads the parent box 220 and enters one of the warehouse cells of the first multi-story warehouse 100. Since only one parent box is being stored this time, it can be transported into any vacant warehouse cell in the first multi-story warehouse 100. If multiple parent boxes are being stored, the location and order of the parent boxes must be determined according to the number of parent boxes. For example, the parent box that needs to be transported first must be placed in a warehouse cell far from the warehouse door 105, and the warehouse cell closest to the warehouse door 105 must be left for the parent box of the subsequent storage. If there are multiple transport AGVs and multiple storing parent boxes, the cloud side calculates the travel route for the AGVs during transport in a mutually cooperative manner, obtains a transport plan with the shortest transport time, and instructs multiple AGVs according to the plan to complete the storage task of multiple parent boxes.

In step S9111, the transport AGV reads the RFID information of the warehouse cell and obtains the number.

In step S9112, when the transport AGV sets the parent box 220 in the warehouse cell, it writes the warehouse cell number into the RFID information of the parent box 220, completes the binding between the parent box 220 and the warehouse cell, and transmits the rewritten RFID information of the parent box 220 to the cloud logistics control module.

In step S9113, it is determined whether the transport AGV is an AGV inside the first multi-story warehouse 100, and if so, it waits to receive a new task in step S9114. If not, it is determined in step S9115 whether the transport AGV is a spare AGV, and if so, it returns to its original position in step S9116. If not, the transport AGV is an AGV inside the cargo transport device, so it returns to the cargo transport device in step S9117.

In step S9118, the warehouse doors on both sides are closed and the cargo is put into storage. If a docking plate is present, it is pulled back, and then the warehouse doors are closed.

From the above flow, the transport AGV for warehousing can be flexibly selected depending on the current situation, and the ultimate goal is to complete the warehousing of the cargo as quickly as possible, and when achieving this, it is important not to disrupt the progress of other current tasks.

Cargo storage flow Example 2
When multiple parent shipping boxes need to be stored, a step of determining the number of transport AGVs that can be used is also included. That is, the cloud logistics control module determines the number of transport AGVs that can be used based on the current task amount of the two multi-story warehouses. Among them, the AGV in the multi-story warehouse has the task of sorting the cargo in the warehouse to an appropriate level in cooperation with the sorting device 6 when there is no cargo to be stored or removed. Specifically, the cloud logistics control module controls the AGV in the multi-story warehouse and the sorting machine device 6 to sort the next cargo to be removed according to the delivery destination of the cargo at the next time of removal from the warehouse. The AGV carries the target parent shipping box to the sorting robot, and the sorting robot sorts it. After the sorting is completed, the AGV moves the next parent shipping box to be removed to the vicinity of the warehouse door or a designated area. In the case of the cargo transport device, after the cargo transport device docks with the first multi-story warehouse 100 and delivers the cargo, it needs to move to the next location to transfer the cargo, and the AGV and sorting robot inside it need to sort the next cargo to be transferred.

The cloud logistics control module determines the AGV data that the first multi-story warehouse 100 can use for this transportation based on the next cargo transfer time (e.g., departure time) and the sorting time required to leave the warehouse for that cargo. Similarly, the cloud logistics control module determines the number of AGVs that can be used for this grabbing based on the time when the cargo transport device will transfer the cargo to the next docking point and the sorting time for the cargo to be transferred.

In addition, fixed warehouses usually have spare AGVs on hand in case the workload at each warehouse is too high to transfer cargo quickly. Therefore, when counting available AGVs, spare AGVs can also be included to get the total number of available AGVs.

After determining the number of available AGVs, the cloud logistics control module determines the maximum transport volume per trip based on the current incoming volume, the number of warehouse cells corresponding to the docking surface after the warehouse door is opened, and the number of available mobile AGVs, so that the cargo transfer can be completed with maximum efficiency. As shown in FIG. 87, when the first multi-storey warehouse 100 and the second multi-storey warehouse 200 adopt door-to-door docking, the docking surface has two layers of warehouse cells, one above the other and two rows of warehouse cells, and four incoming parent shipping boxes can be transported at one time depending on the number of warehouse cells on the docking surface. If the total incoming volume and the number of available AGVs are combined, for example, the current total incoming volume is 10, the first multi-storey warehouse 100 has four AGVs, and the second multi-storey warehouse 200 with a cargo transport device has two AGVs, so that a total of six available AGVs exist, and the maximum transport volume per trip is four incoming parent shipping boxes.

Before the start of transportation, the cloud logistics control module sends a list of incoming parent transport boxes from the second multi-story warehouse 200 that are scheduled to be transported to the first multi-story warehouse 100 to each available AGV. The incoming parent transport box list records the ID information and status information of each incoming parent transport box. This is shown in Table 2 below.

Each transport AGV stores an incoming parent box list internally. When an AGV enters the storage space, it identifies the incoming parent box to be transported based on the incoming parent box list. After the AGV has transported one incoming parent box, it sends the information to the cloud logistics control module, which then updates the incoming parent box list of each available AGV.

Figure 89 shows a flow chart of a transport AGV according to one embodiment of the present invention transporting an incoming parent shipping box.

In step S9210, the cloud logistics control module sends the parent shipping box list to the transport AGV.

In step S9200, the transport AGV receives the incoming parent box list and stores it locally, and updates and maintains the incoming parent box list according to the update information sent from the cloud logistics control module.

In step S9201, the transport AGV enters the multi-story warehouse. The transport AGV may be AGV 130 in the first multi-story warehouse 100, AGV 230 in the second multi-story warehouse 200, or a spare AGV.

In step S9202, the transport AGV reads the electronic ID tag of one of the parent boxes 220 it encounters and obtains the ID information of the parent box 220 from there.

In step S9203, it is determined whether the parent mail box 220 is included in the incoming parent mail box list and whether its status is not yet transported. If it is included and has not yet been transported, step S9204 is executed. If not, the process returns to step S9202 and the electronic ID tag of another parent mail box is read.

In step S9204, the parent shipping box 220 is lifted, and the warehouse cell information in the electronic tag information of the parent shipping box 220 is rewritten to a moving state. In other words, the binding between the parent shipping box 220 and the current second warehouse cell is released.

In step S9205, the transport AGV sends the corrected electronic ID tag information of the parent shipping box 220 to the cloud logistics control module. In other words, it sends an unbind to the cloud logistics control module.

In step S9211, the cloud logistics control module records the current status of this incoming parent box and updates the incoming parent box list.

In step S9212, the cloud logistics control module sends the updated inbound parent box list to all available AGVs.

In step S9206, the transport AGV returns to the first multi-story warehouse 100 carrying the parent box 220 and places it in the first warehouse cell.

In step S9207, the transport AGV writes the ID information of the first warehouse cell into the ID information of the parent box 220, and binds the ID information of the parent box 220 and the first warehouse cell.

In step S9208, the transport AGV transmits the ID information of the bound parent box 220 to the cloud logistics control module.

In step S9213, the cloud logistics control module records the new binding relationship of the parent shipping box 220 and updates the incoming parent shipping box list.

In step S9214, the cloud logistics control module sends the updated inbound parent shipping box list to all available AGVs.

As can be seen from the above process, all transport AGVs constantly maintain a continuously changing and recorded incoming parent bin list to ensure that each transport AGV can find the correct incoming parent bin.

Regarding the position of the second warehouse cell in which the incoming parent box is stored in the first multi-story warehouse 100, the cloud logistics control module usually controls the area near the warehouse door of the first multi-story warehouse 100 to receive cargo, leaving it empty so that the incoming parent box can be received quickly. In one embodiment, the transport AGV randomly places the incoming parent box at the innermost end of the empty area, leaving the outer area empty for the later incoming parent box. For example, when the transport AGV enters the first multi-story warehouse 100, it checks whether there is an empty warehouse cell around its current position, and if the warehouse cell in front already has a parent box, it moves left or right to place the incoming parent box to the end of the current direction. It then returns to the second multi-story warehouse 200 of the cargo transport device and carries the next incoming parent box. Each transport AGV can place the incoming parent box according to the same placement principle.

In another embodiment, the cloud logistics control module can divide the receiving area for this warehousing operation according to the number of receiving parent boxes and the position and number of vacant warehouse cells in the first multi-level warehouse 100. The transport AGV receiving parent boxes can be sequentially placed in the warehouse cells of the receiving area.

Cargo Outflow Example The present invention also provides a flow chart for when cargo is outflowed, as shown in Figure 90.

In step S9300, when the cargo transport device arrives, it drives next to the first multi-story warehouse 100 and both open their warehouse doors.

In step S9301, the cargo transport device is docked to the first multi-story warehouse 100. As with docking when entering the warehouse, door-to-door docking, or one or more docking plates or docking pipe docking can be used.

Step S9302 determines which AGVs are available.

In step S9303, the transport AGV transports the outgoing parent box 120 and releases the binding between the outgoing parent box and the current first warehouse cell 10. The binding release information is sent to the cloud logistics control module.

In step S9304, the transport AGV transports the outgoing parent box to one of the second warehouse cells 20 in the second multi-story warehouse 200 in the cargo transport device.

In step S9305, a binding is established between the outgoing parent shipping box and the second warehouse cell 20, and is sent to the logistics control module on the cloud.

The outbound process and related details are similar to the inbound process and will not be repeated here.

When cargo needs to be exchanged between two warehouses, for example, when some of the cargo in the first warehouse is transported to the second warehouse, some of the cargo in the second warehouse needs to be transported to the first warehouse at the same time, and the aforementioned receiving and shipping processes must be included, and the receiving and shipping processes must be performed simultaneously. In this embodiment, the cloud logistics control module maintains two lists, a receiving list and a shipping list. Once the available AGVs are determined by calculation, the two lists are sent to the available AGVs. The available AGVs in the two warehouses are driven to transport the shipping parent boxes of the warehouses to each other, and are brought back from the other warehouse to the receiving parent box, and the two lists are maintained in real time by the cloud logistics control module during the transport.

To improve cargo exchange efficiency, cargo storage locations and AGV transport routes during exchange can be planned.

Cargo transportation flow between multi-storey warehouses Example 1
FIG. 91 is a flow chart of transporting one parent transport box to a designated warehouse cell according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the cloud logistics control module determines the parent transport box to be transported to each available AGV and the warehouse cell to be placed in real time based on the current positions of the first and second parent transport boxes and the first and second warehouse cells. Therefore, in this embodiment, the cloud logistics control module maintains the parent transport box list and the outgoing and incoming lists of the first and second warehouses in real time. According to the current outgoing and incoming status of the two warehouses, first, the transport parent transport box ID information is sent to each AGV, and when the AGV transports the parent transport box from the first multi-story warehouse and arrives at the second multi-story warehouse, the cloud logistics control module determines the warehouse cell to be placed based on the current warehouse cell and transport status of the first multi-story warehouse. Then, the cloud logistics control module sends this warehouse cell ID information to the AGV, and the AGV puts the parent transport box into the designated warehouse cell according to the designated warehouse cell ID information. In order to avoid excessive duplication, the following description omits the ID binding relationship between the parent shipping box and the warehouse cell and the list update procedure. In this embodiment, the process of transporting one parent shipping box to a specified warehouse cell is composed of the following steps:

In step 9401, the cloud logistics control module transmits the ID information of the first parent shipping box to be transported to one of the first AGVs in the first multi-level warehouse. Among these, the first parent shipping box must be the parent shipping box closest to the first AGV.

In step 9402, the first AGV transports the first parent box to the second multi-story warehouse based on the received information.

In step 9403, the cloud logistics control module determines a second warehouse cell that can be placed based on the current state of the second warehouse cell and the transportation status, and transmits this second warehouse cell information to the first AGV.

In step 9404, the first parent shipping box is placed in the specified second warehouse cell according to the received second warehouse cell information.

Repeat the above steps until all parent boxes have been transported.

Cargo transportation flow between multi-storey warehouses Example 2
92 is a cargo exchange flowchart between multi-storey warehouses according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the two multi-storey warehouses are divided into an outgoing area and an incoming area near their respective warehouse doors, and the cloud logistics control module stores and maintains the corresponding outgoing warehouse cell list and incoming warehouse cell list. In this embodiment, the AGV transport process in the first multi-storey warehouse 100 and the second multi-storey warehouse is the same, and here, a first AGV in a certain first multi-storey warehouse 100 is taken as an example for explanation. Here, the outgoing parent transport box in the first multi-storey warehouse 100 is called the first parent transport box, and the outgoing box in the second multi-storey warehouse 200 is called the second parent transport box.

In step S9500, the cloud logistics control module sends the parent box list, outgoing warehouse cell list, and incoming warehouse cell list for the first and second warehouses to all available AGVs.

In step S9501, each available AGV stores and maintains the above multiple lists.

In step S9502, the first AGV transports one of the first parent shipping boxes in the first multi-story warehouse 100 to the second multi-story warehouse. It also releases the binding relationship between the first parent shipping box and the original first warehouse cell and sends it to the cloud logistics control module. The cloud logistics control module changes the state of the first parent shipping box list to a moving state. This update information is used to update the first parent shipping box lists of all AGVs.

In step S9503, the first AGV identifies the second receiving area of the second multi-story warehouse, for example, by reading an empty warehouse ID electronic tag in the warehouse and comparing it with a locally stored warehouse cell list for the second receiving area of the second multi-story warehouse to find the second receiving area.

In step S9504, the first parent box is placed in one of the second warehouse cells in the second receiving area, and at the same time, the IDs of the first parent box and the second warehouse cell are bound and sent to the cloud logistics control module. The cloud logistics control module updates the first parent box list and the second receiving warehouse cell list based on this information, and updates the local lists of all AGVs with the updated information.

In step S9505, the first AGV determines whether there is still a second parent box that has not been transported, and if there is, executes step S9507, and if the second parent box has been transported, returns to the first multi-story warehouse in step S9506.

Step S9507 identifies the second delivery area.

In step S9508, the first AGV transports the second parent box from the second outgoing area to the first receiving area of the first multi-story warehouse. When the second parent box is removed from the second warehouse cell, the binding between the second parent box and the second warehouse cell is released, and when the second parent box is placed in the first warehouse cell in the first receiving area, the ID of the second parent box and the first warehouse cell are bound. The cloud logistics control module updates this changed binding information and updates multiple lists of all AGVs.

In step S9509, the first AGV determines whether the first parent box has been transported, and if so, returns to step S9502, and if the first parent box has been transported, ends the cargo exchange flow.

In this embodiment, by dividing the loading/unloading area from the unloading area, the AGV can clearly define its target when transporting and placing the parent box.

In each of the above embodiments, a cloud logistics control module is used, but a person skilled in the art could also arrange it in a local management system, i.e., each multi-story warehouse can exchange data, information, etc. with each other via a communication module, and similarly, the flow in each of the above embodiments can be completed.

Sorting during cargo transportation The logistics system provided by the present invention does not require a fixed sorting center, and does not require unloading and sorting at a sorting center during transportation, but installs a sorting device in the cargo transportation device's multi-story warehouse and sorts the cargo during transportation. Here, the cargo sorting method in one embodiment is configured as shown in Figures 93A-93D.

In step S620, the current sorting destination information is determined based on the logistics transport information. For example, the cargo to be transferred is sorted based on the current position of the multi-story warehouse and the logistics direction of the cargo transport device docked at the multi-story warehouse, and the next docking logistics location is determined. The logistics location may be location information or an administrative district determined based on the location information.

In step S621, based on the sorting address information, the address information of each child transport box in the multi-level warehouse and the parent transport box in which it is located are analyzed to determine the target parent transport box and the target child transport box. In this step, the address information of the child transport box is analyzed and compared with the above-mentioned sorting address to identify the target child transport box that needs to be sorted, and based on the binding between the child transport box and the parent transport box, the target parent transport box (hereinafter referred to as the first target parent transport box) and the first warehouse cell in which the target child transport box is located are determined, and the distribution situation of the first target parent transport box in the warehouse can be determined. Based on the specification information of the child transport box, the second target parent transport box for storing the target child transport box after sorting is determined by inquiring about the built-in situation of the child transport box. In one embodiment, the warehouse can also arrange some empty parent transport boxes that can be used as the second target parent transport box during sorting, which can improve sorting efficiency. Due to the binding between the parent transport box and the warehouse cell, the position of the second warehouse cell is known after the second target parent transport box is determined, and the distribution situation of the second target parent transport box in the warehouse is determined. To monitor and manage the sorting process, a target return box is created to record the information shown in Table 1.

In step S622, based on the target parent transit box distribution information in the warehouse, the sorting device distribution information, and the number and position information of the moving devices, a corresponding sorting task is determined for each sorting device, and a corresponding transport task is determined for each moving device. In order to improve sorting efficiency, a proximity principle is generally used in which a target parent transit box in the vicinity of the sorting device is assigned to the sorting device. Alternatively, considering that two target parent transit boxes are scheduled to be transported in response to the sorting of one target child transit box, the time required to transport the two target parent transit boxes to each sorting device is calculated based on the positions of the two target parent transit boxes and the position of the sorting device, and the task of sorting the target child transit box is assigned to the sorting device with the shortest required time. According to the above method, a corresponding sorting task is assigned to each sorting device. In one embodiment, each sorting device generates a sorting list including the target child transit box, the corresponding first target parent transit box, and the second target parent transit box.

Once the first target parent box, the second target parent box, and the corresponding sorting device are determined, the corresponding transport task is assigned to the moving device according to the distribution of the moving devices. If the number of moving devices is small, the first and second target parent boxes can be transported in two trips by one moving device. If the number of moving devices is large, the first and second target parent boxes can also be transported separately by two moving devices. After transporting the first and second target parent boxes to the sorting cell of the sorting device, the AGV waits until sorting is completed and then transports the first and second target parent boxes from the sorting cell. Alternatively, it can transport them to the sorting cell of the sorting device and accept a new transport task. When transporting the first and second target parent boxes, the moving device also establishes and releases the ID binding between the parent boxes and the warehouse cell.

In step S623, the AGV transports the first and second target parent boxes to the first and second sorting cells of the sorting device.

In step S624, the sorting device sorts the target child shipping box from the first target parent shipping box to the second target parent shipping box.

After one sorting is completed, the corresponding process is carried out according to the status of the first target parent shipping box and the second target parent shipping box. For example, if the first target parent shipping box has a target child shipping box remaining and also has a position corresponding to the second target parent shipping box, sorting continues. This is specifically shown in Figure 93B.

In step S625, it is determined whether there is a new target child box that has not been sorted in the first target parent box, and if there is, step S6251 is executed, and if not, step S626 is executed in FIG. 93C.

In step S6251, it is determined whether or not there is a position in the second target parent shipping box that corresponds to the new target parent shipping box, and if there is, the process returns to step S624 and sorting continues with the original two original first and second target parent shipping boxes. If not, the process proceeds to step S6252.

In step S6252, it is determined whether all of the original second target parent shipping boxes are target child shipping boxes, and if so, in step S6253, the original second target parent shipping box is transported to the shipping area, and the process proceeds to step S6254. If all of the original second target parent shipping boxes are not target child shipping boxes, that is, if there are other non-target child shipping boxes, the second target parent shipping box is updated in step S6254, that is, the original second target parent shipping box is moved, and a new parent shipping box with the position of the new target child shipping box is transported as the second target parent shipping box, and then step S624 is executed. Sorting is performed between the original first target parent shipping box and the new second target parent shipping box.

If the first target parent shipping box does not have a new target child shipping box that has not been sorted, i.e., if the first target parent shipping box has been sorted, the flow shown in Figure 93C is also included to reduce the number of conveyances and improve sorting efficiency.

Step S626 determines whether the new target child shipping box is located within the original first target parent shipping box, and if not, executes step S627 in FIG. 93D, and if so, executes step S6261.

Step S6261 determines whether there is a new target child shipping box that corresponds to the original second target parent shipping box, and if there is, executes step S6265, and if there is not, executes step S6262.

Step S6262 determines whether all of the original second target parent shipping boxes are target child shipping boxes, and if so, in step S6263, the original second target parent shipping box is transported to the shipping area and step S6264 is executed, and if the original second target parent shipping box still has non-target child shipping boxes, step S6264 is executed.

Step S6264 updates the second target parent shipping box, i.e., removes the original second target parent shipping box and transports the parent shipping box containing the new target child shipping box, and proceeds to step S6265.

Step S6265 swaps the roles of the current first target parent mail box and the new second target parent mail box, i.e., converts the original outward sorted first target parent mail box into a second target parent mail box that receives the target child mail box, and replaces the parent mail box with the current target child mail box as the first target parent mail box of the outward sorting target child mail box, and then executes step S624 to perform sorting.

In Figure 93D, the original first target parent shipping box at this time has no target child shipping box and there is no position to place the target child shipping box, so in step S627 it is determined whether there are any more target child shipping boxes to be sorted, and if there are not, sorting is completed this time and the sorting flow ends. If there are, step S628 is executed. It is necessary to check the current status of the second target parent shipping box.

Step S628 determines whether there is a position in the original second target parent shipping box where a new target child shipping box can be placed, and if there is, in step S6281, the first target parent shipping box is updated, i.e., the original sorted first target parent shipping box is removed and a parent shipping box that matches the position of the new target child shipping box in the current second target parent shipping box is transported, and then the process proceeds to step S624 and sorting is performed. If there is no position for a new target child shipping box in the original second target parent shipping box, step S629 is executed.

In step S629, it is determined whether or not there is a new target child shipping box in the original second target parent shipping box. If there is not, in step S6291, the two current first and second target parent shipping boxes are updated, and then the process proceeds to step S624 to perform sorting. If there is a new target child shipping box in the original second target parent shipping box, the process proceeds to step S630.

In step S630, the ID of the original second target parent box is exchanged with the ID of the first target parent box.

In step S631, the original first target parent box is transported, a new parent box is transported as the second target parent box, and the process proceeds to step S624 for sorting.

While sorting, the sorting device recognizes whether the parent shipping box in the current first sorting cell is the first target parent shipping box for sorting, and when placing a target child shipping box in the current parent shipping box in the second sorting cell, it identifies whether it is the specified second target parent shipping box, preventing sorting errors.

The sorting device also changes the ID binding between the child and parent boxes during sorting. For example, when a target child box is removed from a first target parent box, the ID binding between the target child box and the first target parent box is released, and when the target child box is placed into a second target parent box, the ID binding between the target child box and the second target parent box is established.

Before transporting the second target parent transport box filled with the target child transport box to the outgoing area, a storage warehouse cell list for storing the sorted second target parent transport box is determined based on the distribution of vacant warehouse cells in the warehouse. Empty warehouse cells in the outgoing area are preferentially determined as storage warehouse cells for storing the sorted second target parent transport box. When the AGV executes the transport task for the second target parent transport box filled with the target child transport box, it transports the second target parent transport box to the specified storage warehouse cell. By preferentially placing it in the outgoing area, cargo outgoing can be completed quickly when docking with other multi-level warehouses or cargo transport devices.

The mid-way transfer logistics method of the present invention will be explained in detail below with specific examples.

Scene: A woman in Beijing chose air express logistics to deliver a box of porcelain to a man in Shenzhen.
Referring to FIG. 94, the logistics flow includes the following steps:

In step S1, a logistics instruction is generated. This includes the steps shown in Figure 95.

In step S11, Woman A generates a logistics order through the customer service client side, such as an APP supported by her mobile phone. According to information such as the recipient's name, address, contact information, sender's name, address, contact information, logistics level (air express), dimensions, guaranteed price, reserved delivery method and time, the customer service client side generates a two-dimensional code from this information and sends it to the service side. The process takes about 2 minutes.

In step S12, after receiving the two-dimensional code, the service side analyzes the two-dimensional code to obtain the order information, stores the order information in a database, and notifies each logistics control module on the cloud.

In step S13, the relevant logistics control module is determined based on the collection point.

In step S14, the logistics control module determines one collection delivery robot, such as number R005569, based on the collection location, reserved collection time, current traffic conditions, and the distribution and workload of delivery robots in the area, and determines a child shipping box based on the cargo information in the order, i.e., determines the ID information of the child shipping box, such as A300x180x180, and generates a collection task that assigns the collection location, time, sender information, cargo information, etc. to the determined delivery robot R005569.

Step S2, collection. Includes the steps shown in Figure 96.

In step S21, the delivery robot R005569 carries the specified child box according to the information in the received collection task, and arrives at the collection point L1 along the specified route or along a route calculated by its own geographic information system. Among these, the delivery robot R005569 notifies the woman A by phone/SMS 10 minutes before and after the arrival.

In step S22, the sender's identity is confirmed and the item is loaded. After confirming Woman A's mobile phone and identity, the top cover of the housing is opened and instructions are given via audio or video. Woman A opens the designated child shipping box A300x180x180, puts in the simply wrapped ceramics, caps it, and sets a password.

Step S23, weighing and fee receipt. The delivery robot R005569 calculates the fee based on the weighing information and notifies it by voice and display. After woman A agrees, she clicks the voice confirmation or display confirmation key to complete the collection. The delivery robot R005569 uploads the complete video of the interactive collection process with woman A to the cloud and stores it in the database for access in case of any problems. The delivery robot R005569 takes about 3 minutes to interact with the customer. After the collection is completed, the cargo enters the logistics system and the cargo transportation starts at 10:00 a.m.

At this time, the child box carrying woman A's cargo is located in parent box M500B700C100 inside the housing of delivery robot R005569, and delivery robot R005569 binds the woman's cargo to the ID of child box A300x180x180, binds child box A300x180x180 to the ID of parent box M500B700C100, and at the same time associates the ID information of delivery robot R005569.

During the following cargo exchange process, when child box A300x180x180 is separated from parent box M500B700C100, the ID binding between the two is released, and child box A300x180x180 is bound to the ID of the new pass parent box. When the cargo transport device is changed, the ID relationship between the parent box and the cargo transport device must also be re-bound, and all of this change information is recorded in the child box's ID electronic tag and uploaded to the cloud cargo monitoring module. For simplicity's sake, the changes to this information are not described in the following procedure.

Step S3, cargo transportation. Specifically, this includes the steps shown in Figures 97A-97B.

In step S31, after the cargo collection is completed, the cloud logistics control module determines the first cargo docking point L2 and cargo transport device based on the current position L1 of the delivery robot R005569 (the position at the time of sending the cargo, i.e., the collection point with woman A), the logistics direction of the cargo, the distribution situation of other cargo transport devices in the area, and the transport direction. For example, it is determined that the mini truck A0101 docks with the delivery robot R005569. Since the customer selects air express, the logistics control module queries the latest cargo flight to the destination at the airport and determines the reasonable time for the cargo to board at the airport. The determination of the cargo transport device from now on is determined according to the airport direction and boarding time.

In step S32, the delivery robot R005569 follows the specified route or a self-calculated route to arrive at the specified location L2 and meet up with the mini truck A0101. For example, the distance is 0.5 km and takes 10 minutes.

In step S33, a moving device in the multi-story warehouse in the mini truck A0101, such as an AGV, transports the parent shipping box in the housing of the delivery robot R005569 to the mini truck A0101 multi-story warehouse. If the mini truck A0101 has cargo to be delivered, the parent shipping box that needs to be delivered is transported to the housing of the delivery robot R005569. This process takes about 5 minutes. At this point, the collection task of the delivery robot R005569 is completed, and a new shipping task begins. At this time, depending on the logistics direction, the delivery robot R005569 is a higher-level logistics chain and the mini truck A0101 is a lower-level logistics chain.

In step S34, the cloud logistics control module determines the cargo transport device of the lower logistics chain (e.g., city loop truck B011) to dock with mini truck A0101 and the docking point L3 (and driving route) based on the current position L2 of mini truck A0101, the logistics direction of the cargo airport, the boarding time, and the distribution and current transport direction of other cargo transport devices in the area, such as other mini trucks and city loop trucks. This information is sent to mini truck A0101 and city loop truck B011.

In step S35, the sorting control module on the cloud side determines the sorting cargo lists for the two vehicles based on the cargo information and sorting addresses of the internal multi-level warehouses of mini truck A0101 and city loop truck B011, and transmits them to the multi-level warehouse in mini truck A0101 and the multi-level warehouse in city loop truck B011, respectively.

In step S36, the mini truck A0101 and the city circulation truck B011 travel toward the docking point L3 according to the designated or self-calculated travel route. While traveling, the sorting devices built into the multi-storehouses of the mini truck A0101 and the city circulation truck B011 sort the child boxes according to the received sorting cargo list in order to sort and prepare the cargo to be exchanged before merging. The cargo has just been received from woman A, and this time is the first sorting. Since the mini truck A0101 also has other cargo on board, depending on the logistics direction, it may be transferred to the city circulation truck B011 at the docking point L3, but for these cargoes, it may be the first time (for example, cargo transferred from another delivery robot), or it may be the second or third sorting, such as cargo transported from other mini trucks or urban circulation trucks. In the case of the mini truck A0101, it moves to the merging point according to the cloud planned route. The distance is 2 km and the travel time is about 10 minutes.

In step S37, mini truck A0101 docks with city loop truck B011 at docking point L3, and the two exchange cargo. The journey takes about 5 minutes.

In step S38, the cloud logistics control module determines the driving route of the city circulation truck B011 and the cargo that needs to be loaded at the airport based on the current position L3 of the city circulation truck B011 and the airport position. Among these, it can refer to the cargo loading time to determine whether the cargo can be exchanged with another cargo transport device at the intermediate distance from position L3 to the airport.

In step S39, the city circulation truck B011 drives towards the airport according to the planned route and sorts the child boxes that need to be boarded while driving, which can be called district sorting. If there is time, it can also receive cargo on the road from other cargo transport devices such as cargo to be transported to the airport in a mini truck or a delivery robot. The distance from location L3 and the airport is 40 km, and the travel time is about 60 minutes.

In step S310, after the city circulation truck B011 docks with the cargo plane, the parent shipping box is transported to the cargo plane's multi-story warehouse by a moving device in the warehouse, such as an AGV, and used for approximately 30 minutes.

In step S311, the cargo plane takes off from Beijing, and during the flight, the sorting robot sorts the sub-cargo boxes at the city level, that is, sorts the cargo for different cities, which is called city sorting.

In step S312, the cloud logistics control module determines multiple city loop trucks that need to dock based on the aircraft landing time and the aircraft's next destination, including city loop truck B708 in the destination city of the cargo sent by woman A, and plans routes for multiple city loop trucks and sends them to the corresponding city loop trucks.

In step S313, the cargo plane lands at Shenzhen Airport in about 220 minutes (takeoff at 12:00 - landing at 15:40), docks with multiple city circulation trucks, including city circulation truck B708, and exchanges parent containers. The journey takes about 30 minutes.

In step S314, the cloud customer service system notifies Shenzhen Man A of the approximate delivery time by phone or text information, and at the same time, the cloud route planning module plans the delivery route. For example, based on the cargo destination and the current distribution of cargo transport devices in the city and the cargo flow, the cargo transport devices and location L4 to dock with the city circulation truck B708, such as mini truck A5603, are determined.

In step S315, the city circulation truck B708 sorts the child boxes into regions while moving. At the same time, the mini truck A5603 sorts the child boxes into regions while moving. If the distance between point L4 and the airport is 40 km, it takes the city circulation truck B708 60 minutes to reach the docking point L4.

In step S316, city loop truck B708 docks with mini truck A5603 and exchanges cargo. This takes about 5 minutes.

In step S317, the cloud line planning module determines the delivery robot R110020 to dock with the mini truck A5603 and the docking point L5 based on the cargo destination and the distribution and operation status of delivery robots in the area.

In step S318, mini truck A5603 moves toward docking point L5, and performs final sorting while moving, i.e., sorting the cargo sent by woman A. Mini truck A5603 travels 2 km and takes 10 minutes to arrive at docking point L5.

In step S319, mini truck A5603 meets up with delivery robot R110020 and hands over the parent box containing woman A's cargo to delivery robot R110020. This takes about 5 minutes. If there is cargo to be transferred to mini truck A5603, delivery robot R110020 will first transport the cargo of delivery robot R110020 to mini truck A5603, and then hand over the parent box containing woman A's cargo to the delivery robot.

Step S4, delivery. The cloud customer service system determines the cargo delivery location based on communication with Man A. The cloud customer service system determines the delivery location L6 based on the order registration address or delivery locker information in that address area. In this embodiment, the location specified by Man A is used as an example. Specifically, the steps shown in FIG. 98 are included.

In step S41, the delivery robot R110020 moves to the delivery location L6 according to a cloud-planned or self-calculated route. For example, the distance is 1 km and the travel time is 30 minutes.

In step S42, the delivery robot R110020 notifies Man A by phone/SMS 10 minutes before and after arrival. After arriving at arrival point L6, it waits for a preset time, and if the preset time is exceeded, it contacts the cloud customer service system and extends the waiting time or places the parcel in a nearby delivery locker (a small multi-story warehouse with the same specifications), and uploads the change information to the customer service system. Man A is notified by the customer service system to collect the parcel by phone, text, or mail.

In step S43, Man A arrives within the maximum waiting time, and the delivery robot R110020 automatically opens the housing cover after verifying Man A's mobile phone and identity.

In step S44, with the voice guidance of the delivery robot R110020, Man A opens the sub-box, takes out the ceramics, and after checking that there is no damage, covers the sub-box, clicks the display confirmation key, and completes the delivery. The delivery robot R110020 uploads the complete video of the interactive delivery process with Man A to the cloud, which takes about 3 minutes to complete.

As measured by the method used in this example, this logistics transport spans more than half of China, covering over 2,000 km, and can be completed in just 480 minutes (8 hours, no delivery waiting time). If it is shipped at 10:00 a.m., it will be delivered by 6:00 p.m. The efficiency of the transport has increased several times compared to the existing logistics system.

In this embodiment, the target cargo needs to be moved between two cities. Although a cargo plane is selected in this embodiment, rail transport or long-distance truck transport can also be selected. Since different cargo transport devices have different travel times and costs, the system determines different logistics levels that customers can choose according to the cargo transport device, travel time, and cost. For example, a cargo plane has the shortest travel time but is the most expensive, and can satisfy customers who are time-sensitive and have budgetary leeway, but most customers do not care about the travel time of the cargo, so they can choose the normal level. The cargo transport device used in the corresponding logistics system can be rail transport or long-distance truck transport. Therefore, the present invention can meet the needs of various customers.

In addition, in the above embodiment, during the transportation in step S3, the cargo transport devices and docking points at each logistics chain level are calculated at the start of transportation, and then corrected in real time during transportation to accommodate fluctuations due to unforeseen circumstances. For example, when a delivery robot collects cargo, the cloud route planning module calculates various cargo transport devices and their transport direction and current traffic conditions from the delivery robot's location L1 to the airport based on the docking point-airport where the target cargo is currently determined and the determined time, and determines multiple docking points and docking cargo transport devices required from the delivery robot's location L1 to the airport. When docking is realized at the docking point, multiple docking points and docking cargo transport devices from the current location to the airport are calculated again, and if the two do not match, the initial route information is corrected based on the latest calculation result.

The outline of the logistics chain in this embodiment is as follows:

Customer → Delivery robot → Mini truck → City circulation truck → Cargo plane → City circulation truck → Mini truck → Delivery robot → Customer.

In the above logistics chain, the docking situation of the multi-stage cargo transport device in the city is that the delivery robot, which is the first cargo transport device, docks with the mini truck, which is the second cargo transport device, and the mini truck, which is the second cargo transport device, docks with the tertiary city circulation truck. However, this process is just one example, and in the docking process, the delivery robot, which is the first cargo transport device, may dock with the tertiary city circulation truck, and if trains, trucks, etc. that need to stop the intercity cargo transport device are adopted, various cargo transport devices in the city can also dock directly with the intercity cargo transport device if the logistics direction, time, and location of the two are consistent. Therefore, the logistics system of the present invention is more flexible and efficient in cargo transportation.

Distributed Logistics System As described in the above embodiments, the present invention proposes a distributed logistics system including a plurality of cargo transport devices and one or more fixed warehouses. Among them, a plurality of cargoes entering the logistics system are distributed to one or the other of the plurality of cargo transport devices and the plurality of fixed warehouses. Among them, the ratio of the number of cargoes on the plurality of cargo transport devices to the number of cargoes in the fixed warehouse is 50% or more, 80% or more, 90% or more, 95% or more, or 99% or more. In this embodiment, the cargo transport device has both the function of cargo transport as a transport device and the function of cargo storage device, and in the logistics system, the number of cargoes stored in the cargo transport device is greater than the number of cargoes stored in the fixed warehouse. That is, most of the cargoes in the logistics system are in a transport state, and thus the logistics efficiency is high and the cargo dwell time is shortened.

Among them, at least some of the cargo transport devices in the system are arranged to dock with a fixed warehouse to transfer cargo, and the cargo in the fixed warehouse also enters a transportation state, or the cargo in the fixed warehouse is temporarily deposited in the fixed warehouse as necessary. This is the docking process between the cargo transport device and the fixed warehouse shown in FIG. 87 in the above embodiment, or the docking of the mini truck and the delivery locker shown in FIG. 83. If the cargo cannot be delivered directly to the consignee, the cargo transport device can deposit the cargo in the fixed warehouse, so that the transportation efficiency of the cargo transport device is not affected and the flexibility of cargo processing can be improved. Alternatively, a self-shipping service can be provided to customers through a fixed warehouse (for example, a terminal delivery locker), thereby improving the shipping method and flexibility. Alternatively, a fixed warehouse can be set up in a special area to provide a cargo storage location in case of an accident occurring during transportation by the cargo transport device.

At least some of the cargo transport devices can dock and transport cargo between each other at a location outside the fixed warehouse. For example, the various docking scenes in the above embodiment allow different types of cargo transport devices to dock at any suitable location and transfer cargo. In docking and cargo transfer between the cargo transport devices, docking is completed with a unique device structure without providing equipment from the docking location. As in the above example, there is docking between a mini truck and a city circulation truck, docking between a delivery robot and a mini truck, etc.

When docking cargo transport devices together, the multi-story warehouses on the cargo transport devices can be directly docked to form an integrated multi-story warehouse. As shown in Figure 85, when two city loop trucks are docking, the multi-story warehouses can be slid out of their housings using their respective X-Y drive tables and docked to form an integrated multi-story warehouse.

In another embodiment, when individual cargo transport devices are docked, the mobile stand mechanism of the multi-level warehouse in each cargo transport device can be docked directly or indirectly to transfer cargo. As described above, the AGV running surface in the housing of the delivery robot 8 is precisely docked with the AGV running surface of the lift platform of the mini truck 9a. At this time, the AGV can directly enter the housing of the delivery robot 8 from the lift platform of the mini truck 9a. For example, when the mini truck 9a docks with the city circulation truck 9b, the connecting plate of the mini truck 9a must be connected between the AGV running surface of the warehouse cell of the mini truck 9a and the AGV running surface of the warehouse cell of the city circulation truck 9b, thereby connecting the warehouse cell of the mini truck 9a and the warehouse cell of the city circulation truck 9b, so that the AGV can move between the mini truck 9a and the city circulation truck 9b.

In some embodiments, when the cargo transport device is docked, the mobile guidance devices of the moving spaces of the two multi-storey warehouses are directly docked to guide the moving devices to run on the correct path. For example, when a mechanical structure such as the guide groove 1131 in FIG. 1 or the guide rail 1121b in FIG. 9 is adopted. In the case of the mobile guidance device, when docking, the positioning sensor of the equipment at the appropriate position can also dock the mobile guidance device provided in the moving space when the warehouse cells of the two multi-storey warehouses are directly docked, for example, the guide groove 1131 of the directly docked warehouse cells in the two multi-storey warehouses is accurately docked. Similarly, when the mobile guidance device is an electromagnetic, laser, infrared, ultrasonic, UWB or optical structure, the mobile guidance devices of the warehouse cells where the two multi-storey warehouses are directly docked also need to communicate with each other to expand the navigation range or complete the docking. This allows the corresponding mobile device to run on the correct path when moving on the mobile stand mechanism, and accidents such as derailment and collision can be avoided. Similarly, when docking two multi-storey warehouses, such as the docking plate of the mini-truck 9a, the same mobile guidance device can be provided on the docking plate, so that when two cargo transport devices dock via the docking plate, the mobile device can correctly transfer cargo between the two multi-storey warehouses and prevent derailment or collision.

From the above embodiment, cargo transfer between cargo transport devices is performed using some or all of the moving devices of the multi-story warehouse in the cargo transport device, for example one or more AGVs, and there is no need to provide moving devices from the docking location. Therefore, the cargo transport device provided by the present invention does not require equipment at the meeting point, and the cloud only considers whether the location conditions are appropriate when determining the docking point. For example, when a delivery robot docks with a mini truck 9a, only a small site is required, while two city circulation trucks 9b require a larger site when docking, and a public parking lot or the like can usually be used as the docking point.

A sorting system is installed in the multi-story warehouse to meet the needs of cargo transfer between cargo transport devices and between cargo transport devices and fixed warehouses when docking. The cargo to be transferred when docking is sorted and classified by the sorting system. In one embodiment, when sorting the cargo, the sorting system changes the position of the cargo to be transferred according to instructions from the cloud and transports it to a position close to the docking cargo transport device. For example, a shipping area and a shipping area are set to make it easier for the mobile device when docking to find the cargo to be transferred and the planned placement position. This further improves the efficiency of cargo transportation when docking.

Furthermore, conventional sorting centers or warehouses have separate cargo sorting areas, where cargo is transported to the sorting areas and then transported to different areas for storage after being sorted. The present invention provides a sorting system in a multi-level warehouse in a fixed warehouse to meet sorting needs, but the fixed warehouse in the present invention does not include a sorting area as in the conventional technology.

The cargo transport device and the multi-level warehouse of the fixed warehouse in the present invention are the multi-level warehouses of the above-mentioned embodiments, and include a plurality of stacked warehouse cells, as shown in FIG. 16A. The sorting system occupies only two or four warehouse cells, as shown in FIG. 41A-41D. As shown in FIG. 45, there is a multi-level warehouse equipped with a sorting device. The sorting system allows sorting of cargo to be transferred before docking. When transferring cargo according to the need for cargo departure, arrival, or mutual exchange, the flow shown in the above-mentioned embodiment can be adopted, and the description will be omitted here.

The cargo in the logistics system of the present invention is mainly distributed to cargo transport devices in a transport state, and the fixed warehouse in the present invention functions only to replenish the logistics facilities. For example, the delivery locker at the logistics terminal can be used temporarily to deposit cargo when the cargo transport device cannot deliver it to the recipient. Alternatively, delivery lockers installed in remote mountainous areas are used to solve the problem of not being able to dock with the cargo transport device in a timely manner due to the small amount of cargo flow and the small number of cargo transport devices. Since the majority of the cargo in the present invention is in a transport state most of the time in the logistics system, the logistics system provided by the present invention has a shorter cargo dwell time and is more efficient than existing logistics systems.

As described in the above embodiments, the present invention provides a logistics system for shortening cargo residence time , comprising a first cargo transport device and a second cargo transport device, the first cargo transport device and the second cargo transport device including, for example, the intercity cargo transport device of FIG. 1, or the city circulation truck 9b, the mini truck 9a, the delivery robot 8 and the drone M1, or the intercity cargo transport device/international cargo transport device, for example, a cargo plane, an ocean ship or various long-distance and short-distance trucks.

According to the command from the cloud side, the first cargo transport device moves from the first point to the second point, and the second cargo transport device moves from the third point to the fourth point. Any two of the first point, second point, third point, and fourth point may be the same or different. The first cargo transport device and the second cargo transport device dock at the first junction and transfer one or more cargoes (i.e., one or more first cargoes). For example, in the cargo distribution process, the mini truck 9a may transfer cargo sent to another city or other area to the city circulation truck 9b, and also receive cargo sent to the area from the city or other area from the city circulation truck 9b. Or, the city circulation truck 9b may transfer cargo to a cargo plane to another city, and receive cargo from the other city from the cargo plane. The number of the first cargo transport device and the second cargo transport device can be set as needed.

In some embodiments, the logistics system also includes a third cargo transport device that can receive cargo directly from the customer or from a consignee or delivery locker that has direct contact with the customer. Examples include the drone M1, the delivery robot 8, or the mini truck 9a in the above embodiments. The third cargo transport device docks with the first cargo transport device at the second meeting point and transports one or more cargoes (i.e., one or more second cargoes). The cargo transferred between the third cargo transport device and the first cargo transport device and the cargo transferred between the first cargo transport device and the second cargo transport device may not be the same. Alternatively, the third cargo transport device does not dock directly with the first cargo transport device, but passes through multiple points (i.e., multiple second meeting points), docks with other cargo transport devices to transfer cargo, i.e., passes through multiple parts of the logistics chain, and then transfers one or more second cargoes between the third cargo transport device and the first cargo transport device.

For example, if the third cargo transport device is a drone M1, it docks with the first cargo transport device at the second meeting point. If the third cargo transport device is a delivery robot 8 or a mini truck 9a, when collecting cargo from a customer, it can collect multiple cargoes on one collection route and transfer different cargoes, including the first cargo transport device, to different cargo transport devices at the second meeting point. In addition, between the third cargo transport device and the first cargo transport device, it can also dock with one or more other cargo transport devices to transfer cargo. For example, when transferring the collected cargo to the city circulation truck 9b, which is the first cargo transport device, the delivery robot 8 can dock with one or more mini trucks 9a or other city circulation trucks 9b along the way to transfer the cargo.

In some embodiments, the logistics system also includes a fourth cargo transport device capable of delivering cargo to a customer or a delivery person or parcel locker in direct contact with the customer. Like the third cargo transport device, it may be a terminal logistics device in the above embodiments, such as a drone M1, a parcel robot 8, or a mini truck 9a. The fourth cargo transport device docks with the second cargo transport device at a third meeting point and transfers one or more cargoes (i.e., one or more third cargoes).

For example, the mini truck 9a, which is the fourth freight transport device, can place multiple freights and therefore can dock with different second freight transport devices at multiple different third junctions to receive freight to be sent to different destinations. In some embodiments, the mini truck 9a as the fourth freight transport device can receive freight from the second freight transport device at different or the same third junctions during delivery, or collect freight from a customer as the third freight transport device. Of course, freight transfer processes of multiple freight transport devices can also take place between the fourth freight transport device and the second freight transport device. For example, if the fourth freight transport device is a mini truck 9a and the second freight transport device is a city circulation truck 9b, freight that needs to be transferred to the mini truck 9a is transferred to the mini truck 9a as the fourth freight transport device after passing through another city circulation truck 9b and another mini truck 9a.

In one embodiment, when docking at a junction, each of the cargo transport devices can complete the docking by itself, i.e., there is no need to provide support equipment for docking and cargo transfer at the junction, but instead can complete the docking and cargo transfer with its own equipment and structure. In this way, there is great flexibility in planning the junction, and logistics efficiency is greatly improved. For example, each cargo transport device can complete the docking and cargo transfer as long as there is a parking lot with enough space.

In one embodiment, when each freight transport device is docked, the multi-storey warehouses of each freight transport device can be directly docked to form one integrated multi-storey warehouse. For example, the docking of the two city circulation trucks 9b mentioned above. Since the two multi-storey warehouses are integrated, the transfer of cargo is approximately the same as the movement of cargo position in one multi-storey warehouse.

In another embodiment, when individual cargo transport devices are docked, the mobile stand mechanism of the multi-level warehouse in each cargo transport device can be docked directly or indirectly to transfer cargo. As described above, the AGV running surface in the housing of the delivery robot 8 is precisely docked with the AGV running surface of the lift platform of the mini truck 9a. At this time, the AGV can directly enter the housing of the delivery robot 8 from the lift platform of the mini truck 9a. For example, when the mini truck 9a docks with the city circulation truck 9b, the connecting plate of the mini truck 9a needs to be connected between the AGV running surface of the warehouse cell of the mini truck 9a and the AGV running surface of the warehouse cell of the city circulation truck 9b, and the warehouse cell of the mini truck 9a and the warehouse cell of the city circulation truck 9b are connected, so that the AGV can move between the mini truck 9a and the city circulation truck 9b.

In some embodiments, when the cargo transport device is docked, the mobile guidance devices of the moving spaces of the two multi-storey warehouses are directly docked to guide the moving devices to run on the correct path. For example, in the case of a mobile guidance device adopting a mechanical structure such as the guide groove 1131 in FIG. 1 or the guide rail 1121b in FIG. 9. During docking, the mobile guidance devices provided in the moving spaces can also be docked when the warehouse cells of the two multi-storey warehouses are directly docked by the positioning sensor of the equipment at the appropriate position. For example, the guide groove 1131 of the warehouse cell where the two multi-storey warehouses are directly docked is accurately docked. Similarly, when the mobile guidance devices are electromagnetic, laser, infrared, ultrasonic, UWB, or optical structures, the mobile guidance devices of the warehouse cells where the two multi-storey warehouses are directly docked also need to communicate with each other to expand the navigation range or complete the docking. In this way, the corresponding mobile devices can run on the correct path when moving on the mobile stand mechanism, and accidents such as derailment and collision can be avoided. Similarly, when two multi-storey warehouses are docked together, for example, when using the docking plate of a mini-truck 9a, the same mobile guidance device is provided on the docking plate, so that when two cargo transport devices dock via the docking plate, the mobile device correctly transfers cargo between the two multi-storey warehouses and prevents derailment or collision.

From the above embodiment, cargo transfer between cargo transport devices is performed using a mobile device in a multi-level warehouse in the cargo transport device. For example, one or more AGVs. Since there is no need to provide a mobile device from the meeting point, the logistics system provided by the present invention does not require equipment at the meeting point, and the cloud only considers whether the location is appropriate when determining the meeting point. For example, when a delivery robot docks with a mini truck 9a, only a small area is required, while two city circulation trucks 9b require a larger area when docking. Usually, a common parking lot or the like can be used as a meeting point.

In some embodiments, during the logistics process from the third cargo transport device that directly or indirectly receives the cargo from the consignor during cargo transportation to the fourth cargo transport device that directly or indirectly transfers the cargo to the consignee, the cargo is always in the cargo transport device. As in the embodiment of Figures 94-98 described above, after entering the logistics system via the home delivery robot 8, the cargo that is transferred by different cargo transport devices is always in the multi-level warehouse of the different cargo transport device, which greatly improves logistics efficiency.

In some embodiments, during the transportation of cargo from the third cargo transport device to the fourth cargo transport device, the cargo can be deposited in the delivery locker 10 if the delivery robot or delivery staff cannot reach the recipient. Alternatively, some fixed warehouses can be installed as buffer warehouses for other purposes, such as when the number of cargo transport devices is insufficient. In some embodiments, the ratio of the number of cargo stored in the fixed warehouses at fixed locations to the number of cargo in the cargo transport device is less than 50%, less than 30%, less than 20%, or less than 10%, or less than 5%, or less than 1%.

Different cargo transport devices can dock with fixed warehouses to transfer cargo, such as the docking of the delivery robot and the delivery locker in the above-mentioned embodiments, the docking of a drone and a delivery locker, the docking of a mini truck and a delivery locker or another fixed warehouse. Since the three-dimensional warehouse structure in the fixed warehouse is the same as the three-dimensional warehouse structure in the cargo transport device, the two can dock directly or indirectly through a structure such as a docking plate, and cargo transfer can be realized by the two moving devices as needed.

To meet the needs of cargo transfer between cargo transport devices or between cargo transport devices and fixed warehouses during docking, a sorting system is installed in the multi-story warehouse. The cargo to be transferred during docking is sorted and classified by the sorting system. In one embodiment, when sorting the cargo, the sorting system changes the location to which the cargo is transferred according to instructions from the cloud and transports the cargo to an area close to the cargo transport device. For example, an outgoing area and an incoming area are set. This makes it easier for the mobile device during docking to find the cargo to be transferred and the location where it is placed, thereby further improving the efficiency of cargo transportation during docking.

The present invention also provides a logistics method based on the above-mentioned embodiment, which shortens the cargo retention time, as shown in Figure 99.

In step S1a, the third cargo transport device 900 receives cargo directly or indirectly from the customer. For example, the third cargo transport device 900 may be a drone. The drone may directly interact with the customer to receive the cargo, or may receive the cargo from a mini truck. Also, for example, the third cargo transport device 900 may be a delivery robot, which may directly interact with the customer to receive the cargo, or may receive the cargo from a mini truck driven by a delivery staff member.

In step S2a, the third cargo transport device 900 moves toward the second junction and sorts the cargo to be transported while sorting during the movement, and in a more preferred embodiment, the sorted cargo to be transported is placed in an area close to docking with the cargo transport device during sorting, for example, an unloading area is set.

In step S3a, the third cargo transport device 900 docks with the first cargo transport device 901 at a second meeting point and transfers one or more of the second cargoes. The second cargoes are cargoes received from customers. If the third cargo transport device 900 has multiple second cargoes with different logistics directions, the multiple second meeting points dock with multiple different first cargo transport devices to transfer the second cargoes.

In step S4a, the first cargo transport device 901, in the course of traveling from the first point to the second point, comprises a second cargo transport device 902 traveling from a third point to a fourth point, and one or more first cargoes to be transferred at the first junction. Similarly, before the first junction is docked, the first cargo transport device 901 sorts the cargoes to be transferred during transportation.

In step S5a, operation continues even after docking of the second cargo transport device 902 and the first cargo transport device 901 is completed.

In step S6a, the second cargo transport device 902 and the fourth cargo transport device 903 are docked at the third meeting location and transfer one or more of the third cargo items, which are cargo items to be delivered by the fourth cargo transport device 903. Similarly, the second cargo transport device is sorted before reaching the third meeting location and the fourth cargo transport device 903 sorts the cargo items to be delivered.

In step S7a, the fourth cargo transport device 903 continues operation after receiving the cargo.

In step S8a, the fourth cargo transport device 903 interacts with the customer to complete delivery of the cargo.

The third and fourth cargo transport devices described above are terminal logistics devices that can directly interact with customers, and allow delivery staff to interact with customers and complete cargo collection and delivery. In addition, cargo may be directly docked and transferred between the first cargo transport device and the second cargo transport device, between the third cargo transport device and the first cargo transport device, and between the second cargo transport device and the fourth cargo transport device, or may be docked and transferred to other cargo transport devices multiple times.

In the present invention, cargo in transit is delivered to the customer through multiple transfers via a cargo transport device, eliminating the need to send it to a different sorting center, eliminating the dwell time caused by sorting work at the sorting center, shortening the dwell time of cargo in transit, and improving logistics efficiency.

Logistics system and method for reducing sorting time As described in the above embodiments, the present invention provides a logistics system for reducing sorting time. The system includes a plurality of first cargo transport devices and a plurality of second cargo transport devices. Of course, one or more fixed warehouses may be included or not included. The first cargo transport device is configured to transfer cargo to and from the second cargo transport device and/or the fixed warehouse. The first cargo transport device includes a cargo sorting system for sorting cargo in the first cargo transport device during transportation by the first cargo transport device. With reference to the above embodiments, the first cargo transport device may include various cargo transport devices in the above embodiments. For example, a mini truck, a city circulation truck, etc. The multi-level warehouse has a cargo sorting system, so that the cargo to be transferred can be sorted before docking with the second cargo transport device or the fixed warehouse. The cargo of the present invention is sorted during transportation, and there is no need to complete sorting in a fixed warehouse or a fixed area of a sorting center before entering a transportation state as in the prior art, so that the residence time of the cargo at the sorting center in the existing logistics system can be omitted. In addition, the present invention sorts only cargo to be transferred when docking, so there is no need to perform large-scale sorting as in the past, and the time required for sorting is short and targeted.

The cargo sorting system of the present invention is configured to collect cargo to be transferred to the second cargo transport device and/or the fixed warehouse. In other words, the position of the cargo to be transferred is changed to an area closer to the second cargo transport device and/or the fixed warehouse when docking. For example, by providing an outgoing area and an incoming area near the warehouse door and setting movement route control for the mobile device, the efficiency of cargo transfer when docking can be improved.

In a conventional sorting center or warehouse, an independent cargo sorting area is set up, and cargo is transported to the sorting area and then stored in a different area. However, the first cargo transport device of the present invention does not require such a sorting area. As shown in FIG. 45, the first cargo transport device includes a multi-level warehouse including a plurality of stacked warehouse cells, and the cargo sorting system occupies a part of the warehouse cells. For example, it occupies two or four stacked warehouse cells. The warehouse cell of the multi-level warehouse can accommodate a first transport box such as the parent transport box 2 in the above embodiment, and the warehouse cell occupied by the first transport box can be changed by the moving device of the multi-level warehouse. The first transport box is configured to accommodate a plurality of second transport boxes such as the child transport box 7 in the above embodiment, and the second transport box is configured to accommodate cargo and can also directly accommodate the cargo, and the cargo is packaged by setting an ID tag on the package as in a conventional package. The cargo sorting system in the present invention distributes the second transport box or cargo to different first transport boxes.

In one embodiment, the second cargo transport device in the system may be, for example, a mini truck or a city circulation truck, and the aforementioned fixed warehouse may be a parcel locker 10 as shown in Figures 46A-46B, or a fixed logistics warehouse as shown in Figures 83 and 86, and also includes a cargo sorting system. Similar to the first cargo transport device, the second cargo transport device and the fixed warehouse do not include a separate cargo sorting area. The second cargo transport device and the fixed warehouse include a multi-level warehouse including a plurality of stacked warehouse cells, and the cargo sorting system occupies a portion of the warehouse cells.

Depending on the configuration, the first and second cargo transport devices in transport can dock between each other or between a fixed warehouse and transfer cargo. As shown in FIG. 83, cargo is transferred when the cargo transport device and the fixed warehouse are docked. As shown in FIG. 84, cargo is transferred when two different types of cargo transport devices are docked. As shown in FIG. 85, cargo is transferred when two cargo transport devices of the same type are docked. Among these, when docking between cargo transport devices or between a cargo transport device and a fixed warehouse, in the docking method, each multi-story warehouse is directly docked to form an integrated multi-story warehouse. When docking two city circulation trucks 9b as shown in FIG. 85, each X−Y drive table can slide each multi-story warehouse out of the housing to form an integrated multi-story warehouse. In addition, two multi-story warehouses can be connected by their respective docking plates. For example, in the case shown in FIG. 84.

In another embodiment, when cargo transport devices dock with each other or when a cargo transport device docks with a fixed warehouse, the mobile stand mechanisms of the two multi-storey warehouses can dock directly or indirectly to transfer cargo. As in the previous embodiment, when two city circulation trucks 9b dock, when the two warehouses dock directly, the mobile stand mechanisms of the multi-storey warehouses, such as the AGV running surface, are directly docked. For example, when a mini truck 9a docks with a city circulation truck 9b, the connecting plate of the mini truck 9a must be connected between the AGV running surface of the warehouse cell of the mini truck 9a and the AGV running surface of the warehouse cell of the city circulation truck 9b, and the warehouse cell of the mini truck 9a and the warehouse cell of the city circulation truck 9b must be connected so that the AGV can move between the mini truck 9a and the city circulation truck 9b.

In order to make the moving device run on the correct path when docking, the moving guidance device of the moving space of the two multi-storey warehouses is directly docked when docking. For example, the guide groove 1131 in FIG. 1 and the guide rail 1121b in FIG. 9 in the above embodiment. When docking, the positioning sensor of the equipment at the appropriate position can also dock the moving guidance device installed in the moving space when the warehouse cells of the two multi-storey warehouses are directly docked, for example, the guide groove 1131 of the warehouse cell where the two multi-storey warehouses are directly docked is accurately docked. Similarly, if the moving guidance device is an electromagnetic, laser, infrared, ultrasonic, UWB, or optical structure, the moving guidance device of the warehouse cell where the two multi-storey warehouses are directly docked must also be accurately docked, so that when the moving device moves on the moving mechanism, it can run on the correct path and avoid derailment, collision, and other accidents. Similarly, when two multi-storey warehouses, such as the docking plate of the mini truck 9a, are docked, the same mobile guidance device is provided on the docking plate, so that when two cargo transport devices dock via the docking plate, the mobile device correctly transfers the cargo between the two multi-storey warehouses and prevents derailment or collision.

When cargo transfer is performed after docking, cargo transfer is realized using all or part of the moving devices of the two warehouses according to the actual conditions in the warehouses, and transfer methods such as various flows during cargo entry, exit and exchange during docking in the above-mentioned embodiments are realized. As is clear from the above docking embodiments and explanations, docking between cargo transport devices or between cargo transport devices and fixed warehouses is performed by itself, and there is no need to provide devices from the meeting point to assist docking and cargo transfer.

The present invention also provides a logistics method for shortening sorting time. As shown in FIG. 100, a logistics method for shortening sorting time according to one embodiment of the present invention is carried out by the following steps.

In step S1b, the first cargo transport device transports the cargo according to the plan. In the above embodiment, the mini truck 9a and the city loop truck 9b transport the cargo according to the cloud's planned route within their respective transport distances.

In step S2b, it is determined whether or not docking is required to transfer cargo. For example, the cloud logistics control module determines which cargo transport device will dock with which fixed warehouse and the docking point based on the cargo logistics direction, the distribution of the cargo transport devices, and the current transport direction. The first cargo transport device determines whether docking is required based on the information sent from the cloud. If docking is required, execute step S3b, and if docking is not required, proceed to step S1b.

In step S3b, the first cargo transport device identifies cargo that needs to be sorted according to the docking information in the cloud, and sorts the cargo to be transferred when docking while traveling. For example, these cargoes are initially identified and transported to an area close to the docking logistics device when docking. In one embodiment, the cargo transport device includes a multi-level warehouse consisting of multiple stacked warehouse cells, the cargo is located in a second (child) transit box, the second transit box is located in a first (parent) transit box, and the second transit box in one first transit box is sorted into another first transit box as necessary during sorting, and is transported to an outgoing area near the warehouse door by a moving device such as an AGV. In another embodiment, the cargo packaging is a conventional packaging, the first transit box contains multiple cargoes, and during sorting, the cargoes are sorted into different first transit boxes.

In step S4b, the first cargo transport device is docked at a docking point with the second cargo transport device or a fixed warehouse. Depending on the structure of both, the two multi-storey buildings are directly docked to an integrated multi-storey building, or are indirectly docked by connecting the two multi-storey buildings with a device such as a docking plate. For details, please refer to the various docking examples described above.

In step S5b, the cargo to be transferred in the first cargo transport device is transported to the docked second cargo transport device or a fixed warehouse, and the cargo in the second cargo transport device may be transported to the first cargo transport device as necessary. For details, please refer to the description of the flow of the warehousing and storage methods described above.

In step S6b, it is determined whether the transportation of all cargo to be transferred has been completed. If the transportation has been completed, in step S7b, the first cargo transport device continues the transportation, and in step S2b, it is determined whether the next docking will be performed. If the transportation has not been completed, the process returns to step S5b.

During the cargo transportation process, the cargo transport device always docks with the second cargo transport device or the fixed warehouse and transfers the cargo according to the control and planning of the cloud. When docking, it can transfer the cargo therein and also receive the cargo from the second cargo transport device or the fixed warehouse. Therefore, after the cargo enters the logistics system, unless there is a special reason, the cargo is always transferred between each cargo transport device. Since the cargo transport device uses the transportation time to complete the sorting, the logistics system and method of the present invention do not occupy the logistics time during sorting and omit the sorting time in the existing logistics mode of multiple levels of fixed sorting centers, and therefore the logistics system provided by the present invention can effectively improve logistics efficiency.

As described above, the present invention provides a logistics route planning method. Figure 101 is a flowchart of a logistics route planning method according to one embodiment of the present invention, which includes the following steps:

In step S1c, a first cargo transport device configured to receive the cargo is determined. The first cargo transport device is determined from cargo transport devices in the area where the address is located, based on the destination of the cargo. Among these, the destination of the cargo may be the user, the delivery staff who receives the cargo, or a delivery locker used by the user when self-delivering. The first cargo transport device may be a mobile logistics device in each embodiment of the present invention, such as a delivery robot 8, a drone M1, or a mini truck 9a.

In step S2c, the first cargo transport device receives the cargo. For example, a delivery robot or drone serving as the first cargo transport device receives the cargo directly from a customer. Alternatively, a mini truck functioning as the first cargo transport device receives the cargo from a delivery staff member. Alternatively, a mini truck or a delivery robot or drone serving as the first cargo transport device receives the cargo at a delivery locker (for example, delivery locker 10 in the above embodiment).

In step S3c, the logistics equipment and cargo receiving point for transferring the cargo are determined based on the delivery destination and destination of the cargo. In this step, the logistics equipment and location for receiving the cargo can be determined based on various factors. For example, the current position and transport direction of the first cargo transport device, the warehouse cell and vacant warehouse cell occupied by the cargo in the first cargo transport device, the destination of the cargo, the positions and transport directions of other cargo transport devices, the positions of other fixed warehouses, etc. Here, when the first cargo transport device is in transport, for example, when receiving a cargo in the process from point A to point B and transferring the cargo, the logistics equipment for receiving the cargo is first determined. First, considering the cargo transport device, a possible second cargo transport device is determined according to the transport direction of the first cargo transport device and the position distribution of the cargo transport device. That is, the second cargo transport device is determined during the transport from point A to point B. In addition, the transport time and efficiency of the cargo must also be considered. The time and efficiency grade correspond to the logistics grade in the above embodiment, for example, super express, first express, second express, normal, etc., and the cargo transport device is selected according to the time and efficiency grade. In addition, when determining the first junction point, the transport direction of the first cargo transport device and the second cargo transport device must be considered at the same time, for example, the point where both of them run according to their transport directions is determined as the first junction point. This allows docking and cargo transfer without interfering with each other's operation. When determining the logistics device and the cargo receiving location, the principle of the minimum required time is followed. For example, a plurality of suitable cargo transport devices and a plurality of possible fixed warehouses can be determined by calculation, and at this time, the required time from the first cargo transport device to the completion of cargo transport is calculated as the cargo receiving logistics device for each determined logistics device, and the logistics device with the least usage time is used as the logistics device receiving the cargo. If the determined logistics device is a cargo transport device, the cargo transport device is the second cargo transport device. The cargo receiving point is the first meeting point for docking of the first cargo transport device and the second cargo transport device. At this time, step S4c is executed. If the determined logistics facility is a fixed warehouse, step S31c is executed.

In step S4c, the first cargo transport device travels to the first junction and transfers the cargo from the first cargo transport device to the second cargo transport device, and then step S5c is executed.

In step S31c, the first cargo transport device is driven to a fixed warehouse and the cargo is temporarily deposited at the fixed warehouse.

In step S32c, a fourth cargo transport device is determined for the fixed warehouse that will receive the cargo. Of these, cargo other than the first, second, and third cargo transport devices is transferred. The other cargo transport devices are referred to as fourth cargo transport devices. Multiple fourth cargo transport devices may be required during the transportation of cargo.

In step S33c, the fourth cargo transport device transports the cargo in the fixed warehouse to an internal multi-story warehouse, and then transports cargo with another fourth cargo transport device along the planned route to step S6c, and the cargo transport device docked with it is determined to be the third cargo transport device.

In step S5c, the second cargo transport device transports the cargo.

In step S6c, a third cargo transport device and a second meeting place are determined, and the cargo is received from the second cargo transport device or from one or more fourth cargo transport devices. Among these, the third cargo transport device is configured to deliver the cargo to a delivery staff member or a parcel locker who has direct contact with the customer or user. That is, the third cargo transport device is a terminal mobile logistics device in the above-mentioned embodiment, such as a drone, a parcel robot, or a mini truck 9a. The cargo is delivered to the consignee through these terminal mobile logistics devices. Here, the method of determining the third cargo transport device and the second meeting place is similar to the method of determining the second cargo transport device and the first meeting place, for example, the third transport device and the second meeting place are determined based on the logistics direction, time, efficiency grade, etc. of the second and third cargo transport devices based on the destination of the cargo.

In step S7c, the second cargo transport device or the fourth cargo transport device transfers the cargo to the third cargo transport device at the second junction location.

In step S8c, the third cargo transport device delivers the cargo to the consignee according to the cargo's destination.

When the first, second and third cargo transport devices receive an instruction to change the destination of the cargo en route to the corresponding meeting point, they re-determine a new cargo transport device and its meeting point based on the new destination, or determine one or more fixed warehouses.

For example, when the first cargo transport device receives an instruction to change the destination of the cargo while the cargo is being transported to the first meeting point, a new second cargo transport device and its meeting point (herein referred to as the third meeting point) are re-determined based on the new destination. The new second cargo transport device is docked at the third meeting point, and the cargo is transferred to the new second cargo transport device. Alternatively, a new fixed warehouse is determined based on the new destination, and the cargo is temporarily stored in the fixed warehouse.

If the second cargo transport device receives an instruction to change the destination of the cargo while in transit to the second meeting location, the new third cargo transport device and its meeting location are re-determined based on the new destination, the cargo is docked to the new third cargo transport device at the new meeting location, and the cargo is transported to the new third cargo transport device; or, a fixed warehouse is determined based on the new destination, and the cargo is temporarily stored in the fixed warehouse.

If the third cargo transport device receives an instruction to change the destination of the cargo while the cargo is being transported to its destination, the cargo is sent to the new destination or a fixed warehouse is determined and the cargo is sent to said fixed warehouse.

The aforementioned first, second, and third cargo transport devices may receive changing instructions while driving to the corresponding meeting points, resulting in changes in cargo transport time and efficiency. For example, when re-establishing a new cargo transport device and its meeting point based on the new transport time or redefining one or more fixed warehouses, the change from the original normal to urgent is a similar process as when receiving a destination change instruction, and the description will not be repeated here.

In the present invention, when the cargo transport device transfers cargo, whether between two cargo transport devices or between a cargo transport device and a fixed warehouse, there is no need to provide a meeting point to complete the cargo transfer, and cargo transfer and docking are completed only by the structure of the cargo transport device itself. Docking of various cargo transport devices in each of the above-mentioned embodiments, or direct docking of the multi-level warehouse inside the two cargo transport devices, or docking is completed by the built-in docking plate, lift docking device, and a mobile stand mechanism is provided for the mobile device in the warehouse to carry the cargo.

The present invention provides a logistics system that does not require a sorting center in a fixed location, and in route planning during cargo transportation, only determines the cargo transportation device that needs to receive the cargo and its meeting point, or the fixed warehouse that receives the cargo, and determines locations that are flexible, reasonable, and diverse, ensuring that the cargo can be transported the maximum distance in the shortest time, effectively improving logistics efficiency.

Logistics system and cargo control method As described above, the present invention provides a logistics system. As shown in FIG. 102, as a schematic block diagram of the system, the system includes a plurality of logistics equipment (for example, a plurality of mobile warehouses Q1 and a plurality of fixed warehouses Q4), an identification system Q2, and a database Q3. Among them, at least a part of the logistics equipment includes a plurality of warehouse cells, and the warehouse cells are associated with the logistics equipment. As in the warehouse cell number C0F11001 of the multi-storey warehouse in the above embodiment, the first three characters represent the ID information of the multi-storey warehouse. In this embodiment, it may be a mobile warehouse or a fixed warehouse, and the last five digits of the number represent the position number of the warehouse cell in the multi-storey warehouse, and by setting the number of the warehouse cell, the warehouse cell can be associated with the logistics equipment, so that the logistics equipment can be located by the warehouse cell number.

Here, the mobile warehouse Q1 includes a multi-story warehouse and transportation equipment. In one embodiment, the mobile warehouse Q1 in each of the above-mentioned embodiments includes a cargo transportation device having a multi-story warehouse, such as a mini truck 9a, a city circulation truck 9b, a cargo plane having a multi-story warehouse, an ocean ship, a cargo train, and long-distance and short-distance trucks. The fixed warehouse Q4 is a supplementary logistics equipment, such as the delivery locker 10 of the above-mentioned logistics terminal, and the multi-story warehouse inside it also includes a plurality of warehouse cells, and each warehouse cell has a unique number, representing both the warehouse cell itself and the delivery locker.

It is configured as follows: a warehouse cell that stores a first transport box (for example, parent transport box 2 in the above embodiment), a first transport box that stores multiple second transport boxes (child transport box 7 above), and a second transport box that stores cargo. For specific configurations, refer to the above embodiment, and the description will not be repeated here. The first transport box and the second transport box have corresponding ID tags. When cargo enters the logistics system, it is in the second transport box, and an association between the second transport box and the cargo is established; when the second transport box is placed in the first transport box, an association between the second transport box and the first transport box is established; and in the mobile warehouse or fixed warehouse, the first transport box is stored in the warehouse cell. Thus, an association with the first transport box is established, and an association between the cargo and the warehouse is obtained.

However, the above-mentioned idea of using a second transportable box is merely one embodiment. Instead of using a second transportable box, a cargo ID tag can be attached to the surface of the packaging, as with existing packaging. Thus, simply by establishing an association between the cargo and the first transportable box, and an association between the first transportable box and its warehouse cell, an association between the cargo and the warehouse cell can be similarly obtained.

When the cargo in the present invention moves within one piece of logistics equipment or is transferred between different pieces of logistics equipment, the aforementioned association is changed accordingly. In one embodiment, the association is modified by a guidance device that changes the position of the cargo, and is sent to and stored in database Q3. For example, in the above embodiment, an AGV in a multi-level warehouse changes the ID of a parent transport box and a warehouse cell when transporting a parent transport box. A sorting device changes the ID binding of a child transport box and a parent transport box when sorting a child transport box, and the AGV modifies the association in real time every time it transports cargo and every time the sorting device sorts cargo, and sends the change information to and stores it in database Q3. Thus, the association between the cargo and the warehouse cell recorded in database Q3 is continuously changed throughout the entire logistics process until the cargo is delivered to the consignee and ends the logistics process.

By associating cargo with warehouse cells, the identification system Q2 can recognize cargo entering the mobile warehouse Q1 or the fixed warehouse Q4 and cargo movements, or cargo movements between different mobile warehouses Q1 or between the mobile warehouse Q1 and the fixed warehouse Q4.

In another embodiment, the logistics system further includes a cargo monitoring system Q5 configured according to the cargo location, which issues an alarm when the cargo is not in the designated warehouse cell. The cargo monitoring system Q5 monitors changes in the cargo-warehouse cell association for each cargo in the system, and if the cargo-warehouse cell association for one cargo stops changing within a predetermined time, it can determine that the cargo is no longer in the designated warehouse cell, i.e., the cargo has left the logistics system due to cargo loss, tampering, accident, etc., and issues an alarm. In one embodiment, while issuing an alarm, the system identifies the logistics equipment that has left the logistics system, such as a mobile warehouse or a fixed warehouse, based on the latest cargo-warehouse cell association, enabling timely and accurate processing.

In another embodiment, the logistics system further includes a location system Q6 configured to determine the location of the logistics equipment, for example, a geographic information location system can determine the location of each mobile warehouse and each fixed warehouse in the logistics system in real time. Based on this, the logistics system further includes a scheduling system Q7 for scheduling the transportation of cargo between different logistics equipment. Compared to the logistics equipment, cargo scheduling includes receiving the cargo and transferring it to the outside. In one embodiment, the scheduling system Q7 determines whether the cargo needs to be scheduled based on the warehouse cells occupied by the cargo and the vacant warehouse cells in the logistics equipment. For example, if most of the warehouse cells in the mobile warehouse or the fixed warehouse are occupied by the cargo, it may affect normal cargo reception if it is not transferred to the outside. Therefore, it is determined whether the cargo needs to be transferred to the outside based on the number of occupied warehouse cells and vacant warehouse cells.

When scheduling cargo between different logistics equipment, the scheduling system Q7 can schedule cargo based on the transport direction of the mobile warehouse and the logistics direction of the cargo. For example, when scheduling cargo for one mobile warehouse, the scheduling system Q7 determines the docking location to which the mobile warehouse transfers the cargo and the cargo to be transferred based on the transport direction of the mobile warehouse and the logistics direction of the cargo. When the mobile warehouse transfers the cargo at the docking location, it does not need to provide equipment from the docking location, and only needs the mobile warehouse to complete the docking according to its own structure, for example, the docking of the aforementioned mini truck and the city circulation truck, or the docking of two city circulation trucks. Since docking does not need to rely on external help, the docking location can be flexibly selected.

When scheduling cargo for one mobile warehouse, the scheduling system Q7 determines the cargo to be transferred between the mobile warehouse and the fixed warehouse based on the travel direction of the mobile warehouse, the logistics direction of the cargo, and the location of the fixed warehouse. As in the previous example, the cargo may be transferred between a delivery locker and a mini truck, or between a delivery robot/drone and a delivery locker. If the destination of the cargo is changed during the cargo transportation, or the time and efficiency level are changed, the scheduling system Q7 needs to reschedule the cargo, such as re-determining the docked logistics equipment and the docking location.

In this embodiment, the coordination system Q7, location system Q6, cargo monitoring system Q5 and database Q3 may be any one of the logistics control modules of FIG. 72, or any one of multiple modules.

The present invention also provides a cargo management monitoring method for a logistics system, which is a flowchart of a cargo management method according to one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 103.

In step S1d, the cargo entering the logistics equipment is identified. For example, the cargo entering one piece of logistics equipment can be determined based on the association between the cargo and the warehouse cell. When transporting cargo, the AGV modifies the RFID information of the parent transport box and modifies the bound warehouse cell number therein to a transportation status, and can identify the cargo currently being stored from the ID binding information of the parent transport box and child transport box bound to that warehouse cell and the binding information of the child transport box and the cargo. For specific details, please refer to the flow of the cargo storage method described above.

In step S2d, the association between the cargo in the logistics facility and the warehouse cell it occupies is recorded. When the cargo enters the logistics facility, the transport AGV sets the parent box in the warehouse cell, and the warehouse cell number is written into the RFID information of the parent box, completing the binding of the parent box to the warehouse cell. Therefore, the association between the cargo and the warehouse cell is determined, and specifically, the aforementioned receiving flow and exchange flow can be referenced.

In step S3d, a change in the warehouse cell in which the cargo is located in the logistics equipment is determined. The logistics equipment needs to sort the cargo during transportation, or needs to dock with other logistics equipment to receive or transfer the cargo externally. Therefore, the position of the cargo in the logistics equipment needs to be changed frequently. The change in position includes a change in the warehouse cell occupied by the parent shipping box containing the cargo, a change in the parent shipping box in which the child shipping box containing the cargo is located, and the like. Every time the position of the cargo changes, the device that changes the position, for example, the AGV or the sorting device, changes the associated binding information and records the association of the change in the database, so that the change in the position of the cargo can be determined by the change in the association between the cargo, the parent shipping box, the warehouse cell, and the like.

In step S4d, the association between the cargo and the warehouse cell is used to identify the mobile warehouses for the cargo and any changes therebetween and/or between the mobile warehouses and the fixed warehouses.

When the number of the warehouse cell related to the cargo is changed, it can be determined whether the current change occurred between different logistics equipment and to which logistics equipment the cargo was handed over from the logistics equipment. For example, the warehouse cell related to the cargo changes from C0F11001 to M3H34002, and the code numbers of the first three representative logistics equipment have changed, so the cargo is transferred from the logistics equipment with the code name C0F to the logistics equipment with the code name M3H and stored in the second warehouse cell of the third layer, fourth column of the logistics equipment M3H. By inquiring about the correspondence between the logistics equipment and the code name, the specific logistics equipment can be identified. For example, the logistics equipment with the code name C0F is a mini truck operating in xx, province xx, and the logistics equipment with the code name M3H is a city circulation truck in xx, province xx.

In step S5d, it is monitored whether the association between the cargo and the warehouse cell changes within a specified time. For example, based on the scheduling information of the cargo scheduling system, the maximum period of time for the current logistics equipment to transfer the cargo to the next logistics equipment can be known, and the time period can be set as a specified period. If the association between the cargo and the warehouse cell does not change for a specified time, an alarm is issued in step S6d. Then, based on the latest association, the logistics equipment of the warehouse cell is identified. The alarm information can include the cargo information, logistics information, and the last existing logistics equipment.

The above control method makes it possible to promptly detect when cargo has left the logistics system due to loss, tampering, accidents, etc., immediately identify the logistics equipment where the phenomenon occurred, and provide a timely solution.

Figure 104 is a flowchart of a freight scheduling method according to one embodiment of the present invention.

In step S1e, the vacant warehouse cell rate of the target logistics facility is obtained.

In step S2e, it is determined whether the vacant warehouse cell rate of the target logistics facility is less than a predetermined value. If it is less than the predetermined value, in step S3e, the cargo received by the target logistics facility is reduced. If the vacant warehouse cell rate is greater than the predetermined value, in step S4e, the cargo received by the target logistics facility is increased. Among these, when the target logistics facility receives cargo and when the target logistics facility transfers cargo to the outside, it is necessary to identify the logistics facility to be docked thereto. In one embodiment, the docking logistics facility during cargo transportation is determined by the transportation direction of the mobile warehouse and the logistics direction of the cargo, or by the cargo transferred between the mobile warehouse and the fixed warehouse. For example, taking the above-mentioned target logistics facility as an example, when the target logistics facility is a mobile warehouse, a mobile warehouse with the same logistics direction as the cargo is determined as a docking mobile warehouse based on the travel direction of the target mobile warehouse and other mobile warehouses and the logistics direction of the cargo, and the docking location of the two is determined based on the travel routes of the two. If there is no suitable mobile warehouse for docking with the target mobile warehouse, or if the required time is too long, calculations can determine that a fixed warehouse can be docked with the target mobile warehouse, the target mobile warehouse can transfer cargo to the fixed warehouse, and then the cargo can be handed over from the fixed warehouse to another mobile warehouse.

In another embodiment, cargo is also scheduled according to time and efficiency level, which are logistics levels such as express, regular, etc. In cargo scheduling, cargo with higher logistics levels is given priority for transportation, allowing cargo with higher logistics levels to be transported quickly and in a timely manner.

When the time and efficiency level of cargo transportation, destination, etc. change, the cargo is rescheduled and the logistics equipment to transfer the cargo and the docking of the logistics equipment are re-determined.

By managing and monitoring the entire process of cargo in a logistics system according to the present invention, the location of cargo in the logistics system can be grasped in real time, cargo leaving the system can be quickly detected, and accidents can be resolved in a timely manner. Based on the information on the management and monitoring of the entire process of cargo, the present invention can accurately and timely provide rational and appropriate logistics equipment for cargo scheduling, thereby improving the efficiency of cargo logistics.

The above examples are for illustrating the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. A person skilled in the art can make various modifications without departing from the scope of the present invention, and therefore, all equivalent technical proposals should also belong to the category disclosed by the present invention.

Claims (8)

A distributed logistics system comprising a plurality of cargo transport devices and one or more fixed warehouses,
A plurality of cargoes entering the distributed logistics system are distributed to one or more of a plurality of cargo transport devices and a plurality of fixed warehouses;
A decentralized logistics system in which at least some of the multiple cargo transport devices are directly docked with each other by connecting the warehouse cells of the multi-story warehouse on each cargo transport device to form an integrated multi-story warehouse , and cargo can be transferred by AGVs running between the connected warehouse cells . A distributed logistics system comprising a plurality of cargo transport devices and one or more fixed warehouses,
A plurality of cargoes entering the distributed logistics system are distributed to one or more of a plurality of cargo transport devices and a plurality of fixed warehouses;
A decentralized logistics system in which at least some of the multiple cargo transport devices and the one or more fixed warehouses are directly docked to form an integrated multi-story warehouse by connecting warehouse cells of a multi-story warehouse on the cargo transport device to warehouse cells of a multi-story warehouse in the fixed warehouse, and cargo can be transferred by an AGV running between the connected warehouse cells . In the distributed logistics system described in claim 1 or 2 , at least some of the cargo transport devices and/or fixed warehouses among the plurality of cargo transport devices are characterized in that they enable cargo transfer using all or part of their respective mobile devices. 3. The distributed logistics system according to claim 1 , wherein a part of the plurality of cargo transport devices includes a cargo sorting system. In the distributed logistics system according to claim 4 , the cargo sorting system consolidates one or more cargoes to be transferred by sorting. In the distributed logistics system described in claim 4 , the cargo sorting system is characterized in that it sorts and changes the position of one or more cargo items to be transferred so as to approach a docking entrance/exit with a cargo transport device or a fixed warehouse. 3. The distributed logistics system according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more fixed warehouses include a sorting system located within a multi-story warehouse. In the distributed logistics system described in claim 7 , the one or more fixed warehouse multi-level warehouses include a plurality of loaded warehouse cells, and the sorting system occupies at least one of the loaded warehouse cells.

Images