JP7827825B2 - Warehouse organization method, device, and storage medium using a robot - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to the warehouse logistics field, and in particular to a method, device, and storage medium for warehouse organization using robots.

In warehouse management, after a certain period of time, goods stored in the warehouse will gradually become disorganized, which is not only detrimental to warehouse management but also affects subsequent goods stored and handed over. Therefore, organizing goods in the warehouse has become an essential part of warehouse logistics.

Warehouse organization is a method of organizing items, and involves storing items in containers and organizing the containers used to store the items. Warehouse organization makes the storage space for items and containers more rational, facilitating warehouse management and improving the efficiency of subsequent inventory and retrieval operations.

Manual warehouse organization is a common warehouse organization method. This involves manually organizing items and then adjusting inventory. This method is prone to errors, has high labor costs, and is inefficient.

Another method is a warehouse organization method that combines manual labor and robotics. For example, first, a worker selects items to be organized in the warehouse management system and generates an outbound task. Then, the worker controls the robot to transport the items to the workstation, and the worker binds the turntable to a distribution location and distributes the items to the corresponding turntable according to the information provided by the workstation client. Finally, the warehouse management system generates an inbound task and restocks the items in the turntable. This method still requires a worker to select and distribute the items to be organized, and does not achieve a high degree of automation in warehouse organization.

The present invention provides a method, device, and storage medium for warehouse organization using a robot to improve the degree of automation in warehouse organization.

A first aspect of the present invention provides a warehouse organization method using a robot, the method including, on a client side for warehouse business processing, a step of sorting and organizing items stored in a distributed manner in each first storage container in a warehouse, the warehouse organization by sorting including: acquiring the utilization rate of each first storage container; determining a storage container with a low utilization rate based on the acquired utilization rate; generating a sorting task based on the storage container with a low utilization rate for sorting and organizing the items stored in the storage container with a low utilization rate into a second storage container; and transmitting the sorting task to a robot control system, which then schedules a robot to execute the sorting task.

In some embodiments, obtaining the utilization rate of each of the first storage containers includes obtaining, for each of the first storage containers, the utilization rate of each category of items stored in the first storage container, depending on the category of items stored in the first storage container.

In some embodiments, determining underutilized storage containers based on the obtained utilization rates includes determining underutilized storage containers for each category of items based on the obtained utilization rates.

In some embodiments, generating a sorting task based on the underutilized storage containers to classify and organize items stored in the underutilized storage containers into second storage containers includes determining at least one type of target item to organize based on the category of items stored in the underutilized storage containers, assigning a second storage container to each type of target item to organize, and generating a warehouse organization task to organize the type of target item to organize into the second storage container.

In some embodiments, obtaining the utilization rate of each of the first storage containers includes, for each of the first storage containers, tallying the number of items stored in the first storage container to obtain the utilization rate of the first storage container.

In some embodiments, determining a storage container with an underutilized rate based on the obtained utilization rate includes determining a first storage container containing fewer items than a first threshold number as the storage container with an underutilized rate.

In some embodiments, generating a sorting task based on the underutilized storage container to sort and organize items stored in the underutilized storage container into a second storage container includes: designating the items stored in the underutilized storage container as target items to be organized; and generating a warehouse organization task to assign the second storage container to the target items to be organized and organize the target items into the second storage container, thereby emptying the items stored in the underutilized storage container.

In some embodiments, determining a first storage container in which the number of stored items is less than a first threshold number as a storage container with low utilization rates further includes, for a first storage container in which the number of stored items is equal to or greater than the first threshold number, determining whether the category of the items stored in the first storage container is a set category, and if so, determining the first storage container as a storage container with low utilization rates.

In some embodiments, allocating second storage containers to the target items to be organized includes prioritizing the less utilized storage containers according to the number of items stored therein, and sequentially allocating second storage containers to each less utilized storage container in descending order of priority, wherein the fewer the number of items stored therein, the higher the priority of the less utilized storage container.

In some embodiments, assigning second storage containers to the target items to be organized and generating warehouse organization tasks for organizing the target items to the second storage containers includes determining at least one type of target items to be organized according to a category of the target items to be organized, and assigning second storage containers to each type of target items to be organized and generating warehouse organization tasks for organizing the target items to be organized of that type in the second storage containers.

In some embodiments, determining at least one type of target item for organization includes: obtaining, for each storage container with low utilization rate, item information for each category of item stored in the storage container with low utilization rate, wherein the item information includes item popularity information indicating at least the frequency of items being stored in and out of the storage container; clustering the items stored in each storage container with low utilization rate based on the item popularity information to obtain at least one type of clustered item; and determining the at least one type of clustered item as at least one type of target item for organization.

In some embodiments, allocating a second storage container to each type of target item to be organized includes allocating the second storage container to each type of target item to be organized based on the storage capacity of the second storage container and an item mix-up policy.

In some embodiments, the item information further includes item packaging specification information, and after obtaining, for each underutilized storage container, item information for each category of item stored in the underutilized storage container, the method further includes obtaining information about the underutilized storage container, the information about the underutilized storage container including at least the number of items of each category stored therein and an item mixing policy.

In some embodiments, allocating the second storage container to each type of target organized item based on the storage capacity of the second storage container and an item mixing policy includes: dividing the at least one type of clustered item in accordance with the item mixing policy, dividing clustered items that are allowed to be mixed into the same group and dividing clustered items that are not allowed to be mixed into different groups, to obtain at least one group of first grouped items; subdividing each of the first grouped items based on packaging specification information of the items, the volume of the second storage container, and the storage rate of the second storage container, to obtain at least one group of second grouped items; and determining the number of second storage containers for storing each of the second grouped items based on the number of groups of the second grouped items.

In some embodiments, determining at least one type of target item for decluttering includes, for each category of item stored in an underutilized bin, tallying the number of underutilized bins for items of that category, and marking items of that category as target items for decluttering when the number of underutilized bins reaches a set number threshold or when the ratio of the number of underutilized bins to the total number of bins in which items of that category are located reaches a set ratio threshold.

In some embodiments, assigning second storage containers to each type of target items to be organized includes, for each type of target items to be organized, obtaining, for that type of target items to be organized, item information for that type of target items to be organized and information on storage containers with low utilization rates for that type of target items to be organized, where the item information includes packaging specification information for that type of target items to be organized and the information on storage containers with low utilization rates includes the number of target items of that type stored in the storage containers with low utilization rates; and determining the number of second storage containers for storing the target items of that type of target items to be organized based on the packaging specification information for that type of target items to be organized, the number of target items of that type stored in the storage containers with low utilization rates, the volume of the second storage containers, and the storage rate of the second storage containers, and the item information for the type of target items to be organized is added to the warehouse organization task.

In some embodiments, after determining the number of second storage containers for storing the target items of that type, the method further includes consolidating the second storage containers of each type of target items in accordance with an item mix policy, and the warehouse organization task further includes item information for the target items that are allowed to be placed in the same second storage container.

In some embodiments, obtaining the utilization rate of each category of items stored in the first storage container includes calculating the utilization rate of items in the first storage container for each category of items stored in the first storage container based on the volume and number of items in the category, the utilization rate being the ratio of the product of the volume of one item in the category and the number of items in the category to the volume of the first storage container.

In some embodiments, determining a storage container with low utilization rates for each category of items based on the obtained utilization rates includes determining whether the utilization rate in any first storage container for each category of items is less than a set utilization rate threshold, and if the utilization rate is less than the set utilization rate threshold, marking the first storage container as a storage container with low utilization rates for items in that category.

In some embodiments, the robot control system scheduling the robot to perform the classification task comprises:
The robot control system includes, in response to each warehouse organization task, scheduling a robot to transport an underutilized storage container in which a target item to be organized is located to a first target position for sorting, distributing the target item to be organized in the underutilized storage container to a second storage container based on item information added to the warehouse organization task, and returning a warehouse organization task completion message to the client side after the warehouse organization task is completed.

In some embodiments, the method further includes the client side sending a task to the robot control system in response to the warehouse organization task completion message, for the robot control system to schedule a robot to transport the second storage container to a second target location for storing items.

In some embodiments, the method further includes performing warehouse reorganization for a storage container located in one of the storage spaces by reorganizing the storage space, so that the container popularity information for the storage container matches the storage space popularity information for the storage space in which the storage container is located. Here, the storage space popularity information represents the efficiency with which a robot can take in and out of storage containers located in the storage space, and the higher the efficiency, the higher the popularity of the storage space. The container popularity information represents the item popularity of an item stored in the storage container. The item popularity represents how frequently the item is taken in and out, and the higher the frequency, the higher the item popularity.

In some embodiments, warehouse reorganization through storage space reorganization includes, for a storage container that does not match the popularity of a storage space or a storage space that does not match the popularity of a container, obtaining storage container information for the storage container and storage space information for the storage space, where the storage container information includes container popularity information and the storage space information includes storage space popularity information; determining a candidate storage space for the storage container based on the container popularity information for the storage container, where the storage space popularity information for the candidate storage space matches the container popularity information for the storage container; calculating a first distance between the candidate storage space and the workstation, and setting a priority for the candidate storage space according to the proximity of the first distance. the closer the first distance between the candidate storage space and the workstation, the higher the priority of the candidate storage space; calculating a second distance between the storage container and the candidate storage space, adjusting the priority of the candidate storage space according to the proximity of the second distance, selecting the candidate storage space with the highest priority as the target storage space for the storage container, and generating a warehousing task for transporting the storage container from the source storage space to the target storage space, the closer the second distance between the storage container and the candidate storage space, the higher the priority of the candidate storage space; and transmitting the warehousing task to a robot control system, which then schedules a robot to perform the warehousing task.

In some embodiments, the warehouse organization through storage space organization further includes determining whether the link length of the warehouse organization task is greater than a set link length threshold, and if so, dividing the link of the warehouse organization task into multiple sub-links each having a link length equal to or less than the link length threshold to obtain grouped warehouse organization tasks, and executing each grouped warehouse organization task. Here, one sub-link corresponds to one grouped warehouse organization task.

In some embodiments, storage containers that do not match the popularity of the storage spaces, or storage spaces that do not match the popularity of the containers, are determined by obtaining container popularity information for the storage containers located in each storage space and storage space popularity information for the storage spaces in which each storage container is located, and selecting storage containers or storage spaces whose popularity information for the storage containers does not match the popularity information for the storage spaces.

A second aspect of the present invention provides a robotic warehouse organization device, the device including: a first sorting module for acquiring a utilization rate of each first storage container in a warehouse, and determining a storage container with a low utilization rate based on the acquired utilization rate;
and a classification task generation module that generates a classification task based on the storage container with a low utilization rate to classify and organize the items stored in the storage container with a low utilization rate into a second storage container, and transmits the classification task to a robot control system so that the robot control system schedules a robot to execute the classification task.

A third aspect of the present invention provides a robotic warehouse organization device, the device including a memory in which a computer program is stored and a processor, the processor configured to execute the computer program and perform the above-described robotic warehouse organization method.

A fourth aspect of the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, performs the warehouse organization method using a robot described above.

The robotic warehouse organization method of the present invention achieves inventory level item classification and organization through classification warehouse organization, classifying and storing items stored in different storage containers, reducing the use of storage containers, making warehouse space more rational, and reducing the granularity of item classification, facilitating warehouse management and improving the efficiency of inventory entry and retrieval operations. The present invention can automatically sort items that are stored relatively loosely and generate corresponding warehouse organization tasks without manual judgment, saving labor costs and reducing error rates. Furthermore, when performing warehouse organization tasks through item classification, the storage capacity of the storage container and the volume of the items can be matched to maximize the release of empty storage containers and maximize the use of full storage containers.

1 is a flowchart of a warehouse organization method using a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of the same items stored in different storage containers before and after rearrangement. 1 is a flowchart of a warehousing method by classification according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a flowchart of a stock level warehousing algorithm. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the classification performed in the inventory level warehousing algorithm. 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams illustrating a warehouse before and after reorganization by reorganizing storage space according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a flowchart of a warehouse organization method by organizing storage space according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a flowchart of a carrier-level warehousing algorithm according to one embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram showing the storage space and container distribution before warehouse reorganization. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the division of warehouse organization tasks by storage space organization. 1 is a schematic diagram of a warehouse organization device using a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is another schematic diagram of a robotic warehouse organization device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

To clarify the objectives, technical means, and advantages of the present invention, the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings.

The applicant discovered that during warehouse management operations, the basic attribute information and operating status of items in a warehouse are typically matched to pre-set warehouse storage conditions, the space information occupied by an item is determined based on the item's basic attribute information, and the amount of storage space for the item is determined based on the item's quantity information and space information. Based on the type of warehouse space for the item, warehouse spaces belonging to that type are determined as candidate warehouse spaces. Here, warehouse space types include best-selling warehouse space, unsold warehouse space, expired warehouse space, defective goods warehouse space, on-season warehouse space, off-season warehouse space, extra warehouse space, inventory aging warehouse space, and warehouse space with expiration dates approaching. A reorganization method for the items to be reorganized is determined based on the current storage information and the candidate warehouse spaces.

The above-mentioned warehouse organization method, which classifies warehouse spaces into different types and classifies and organizes items based on the matching relationship between the item attributes and number and the classified space type, has a large level of organization granularity, and the warehouse space type and item attributes have a one-to-many matching relationship, so items can be organized into the same space, but the items organized in that space are still messy. In particular, when a certain type of space corresponds to many items, it is not possible to effectively improve the efficiency of subsequent inventory and retrieval operations.

In light of this, an embodiment of the present invention provides a warehouse organization method using a robot to organize items stored in various storage containers by sorting them.

Figure 1 is a flowchart of a warehouse organization method using a robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the method includes, on the client side for warehouse business processing, a step of sorting and organizing items stored in each first storage container in the warehouse. The sorting and organizing step includes steps 101 to 103.

In step 101, the utilization rate of each first storage container is obtained.

In this step, if the same items or items of the same type are stored in different first storage containers, for each first storage container, the utilization rate of each category of items stored in that first storage container is obtained according to the category of items stored in that first storage container. The utilization rate is obtained by calculating the proportion of the space in that storage container that is occupied by items of that category based on the volume and number of items of that category stored in that storage container.

In actual applications, it is not possible to accurately represent utilization rates using item volume information. For example, since the utilization rates of storage containers differ between items with high density and items with low density, the utilization rate of a first storage container can be obtained by totaling the number of items stored in any one of the first storage containers. For example, if the number of items A stored in a first storage container is N1 and the number of items B stored therein is N2, the number of stored items is the sum of N1 and N2. In other words, the utilization rate of the first storage container is the total number of items stored therein.

Note that the same item typically refers to an item with the same specified information, such as an item with the same specifications, model number, identification information, brand, and name. The same type of item typically refers to an item with the same specified information, such as an item with the same name but with different specifications, model number, and brand. An item category is a classification of an item according to set information, which may be the same as or different from the specified information. In this way, items of the same category may belong to the same category or different categories, and items of the same type may belong to the same category or different categories. As another example, the utilization rate of an item stored in a specified first storage container in that first storage container may be obtained.

In step 102, storage containers with low utilization rates are determined based on the obtained utilization rates.

As an example, based on the obtained utilization rate, storage containers with low utilization rates for items in each category are determined.

As another example, a first storage container in which the number of stored items is less than a set first threshold value is determined to be a storage container with a low utilization rate. For a first storage container in which the number of stored items is equal to or greater than a set first threshold value, a determination is made as to whether the category of the items stored in that first storage container is a set category, and if it is, that first storage container is determined to be a storage container with a low utilization rate. For example, if the items stored in the first storage container are summer clothes, which occupy a smaller volume than winter clothes, then even though there are a large number of items, the utilization rate is not high. This first storage container can be determined to be a storage container with a low utilization rate, which is advantageous for reducing the amount of space occupied by the storage container.

In step 103, a sorting task is generated based on the underutilized storage container to sort and organize the items stored in the underutilized storage container into second storage containers, and the sorting task is sent to a robot control system, which then schedules the robot to execute the sorting task. The sorting task allows the items stored in the underutilized storage container to be sorted and organized into the same second storage container or into two or more second storage containers.

As an example, at least one type of target item to be organized is determined based on the category of items stored in storage containers with low utilization rates, a second storage container is assigned to each type of target item to be organized, and for each assigned second storage container, a warehouse organization task is generated to organize the target item of that type into that second storage container, thereby sorting each category of items stored in storage containers with low utilization rates into different storage containers.

As another example, items stored in a storage container with a low utilization rate are set as target items for organization, a second storage container is assigned to the target items for organization, and a warehouse organization task is generated for the assigned second storage container to organize the target items stored in the storage container with a low utilization rate into the second storage container, thereby emptying the items stored in the storage container with a low utilization rate. Note that in order to quickly empty a storage container with a low utilization rate and quickly reduce the occupancy of the storage container, all of the items stored in one storage container with a low utilization rate may be set as one type of target item for organization. Furthermore, in order to empty a storage container with a low utilization rate and classify the items, items stored in the storage container with a low utilization rate may be determined as multiple types of target items for organization depending on the category of the target item for organization.

For any type of target items for organization, items of each category stored in low-utilization containers may be sorted into different containers according to any of the above-described embodiments, and the priority of the low-utilization containers may be set according to the number of items stored therein. Items stored in each low-utilization container may be designated as target items for organization in descending order of priority. Alternatively, a second storage container may be sequentially assigned to each low-utilization container to expedite the processing of low-utilization containers and improve warehouse organization efficiency. Here, the fewer the number of items stored, the higher the priority of the low-utilization container.

An embodiment of the present invention utilizes information about the items stored in a storage container to obtain the storage container's utilization rate, thereby selecting storage containers with low utilization rates, and then executes the generated sorting task to realize warehouse organization through item classification. In this embodiment, by adopting a method of warehousing organization through classification, for each first storage container containing multiple or multiple types of items, the same items or items of the same type are classified and organized into one or more second storage containers. This corresponds to warehousing organization through container classification or warehousing organization through container classification, and can reduce the use of storage containers, facilitate inventory management, and improve the efficiency of subsequent warehousing and shipping operations.

To facilitate understanding of the present invention, the following description uses an example of a warehouse application scenario in which items dispersed across storage containers are classified and consolidated.

Below is an explanation of technical terms related to warehouse operations.

Intelligent Warehouse Management System (IWMS): An application program for controlling and tracking warehouse logistics processes online, belonging to a client for warehouse operations processing.

Robot Control System (RCS): Receives tasks sent from the intelligent warehouse management system and sends relevant instructions to the robots to complete the sent tasks.

Warehouse robot: An automated robot that performs loading and unloading, picking, and transporting operations within a warehouse. Common warehouse robots include submerged robots and loading and unloading robots. AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) are a type of submerged robot used to transport shelves. CTUs (Container Transfer Units) are a type of unloading robot that can directly load and unload storage containers (e.g., containers) in storage spaces and perform transport operations.

Distribution Station: A frame structure containing multiple cells. For example, the frame structure may be a wall structure, in which case it is called a Distribution Wall, and is used to temporarily store turnover bins during warehousing operations. Each cell is typically equipped with an electronic tag to guide the sorting of items. Distribution stations are typically used in combination with workstations.

Distribution Location: A cell located in a distribution station; one cell is one distribution location.

Storage container: A container for storing items in a warehouse, such as a container.

Turning bin: Essentially a storage container, for the sake of distinction, a container for storing items in a warehouse is called a storage bin and corresponds to the first storage bin, and a storage bin located in a distribution position and bound is called a turning bin and corresponds to the second storage bin. In an embodiment of the present invention, the turning bin is bound in a distribution position and is used to sort and store items organized from the storage bin. When the turning bin is full of items or when there are no more items to put in it, it is removed from the distribution position and re-entered into the warehouse, and the turning bin becomes a storage bin.

Item popularity information: Information indicating how frequently an item is stored and retrieved; the more frequently an item is stored and retrieved, the higher the item's popularity. As an example, items are classified into popularity levels based on the frequency of storage and retrieval, with items with high popularity levels being stored and retrieved frequently and items with low popularity levels being stored and retrieval infrequently. For example, item popularity is defined as item popularity A, item popularity B, and item popularity C, in descending order of popularity.

Container popularity information: This information indicates the popularity of items stored in a storage container. As an example, the popularity of the most popular item in the storage container may be used as the popularity of that storage container, or the popularity of that storage container may be obtained using a set calculation method, such as the average popularity or weighted popularity of multiple types of items.

Storage space popularity information: Information indicating the efficiency with which a robot can access and retrieve storage containers located in a storage space. For a storage robot, the efficiency with which it can access and retrieve storage containers differs for different storage spaces on a shelf. Storage spaces on a shelf are classified according to popularity level based on the robot's access and retrieval efficiency; storage spaces with high popularity have high efficiency with which a robot can access and retrieve storage containers, and storage spaces with low popularity have low efficiency with which a robot can access and retrieval storage containers. For example, storage space popularity is defined as storage space popularity A, storage space popularity B, and storage space popularity C, in descending order of popularity.

As shown in Figure 2, item A represents item A in category A or item A, item B represents item B in category B or item B, and item C represents item C in category C or item C. Before warehousing by classification, items A, B, and C were stored in different storage containers, and the distribution of items in each category was uneven, and the items stored in each storage container were also relatively disordered. By warehousing by classification, the distribution of items in the storage containers becomes more rational.

Figure 3 is a flowchart of a classification-based warehouse organization method according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 3, the method includes steps 301 to 307.

In step 301, for each storage container, the intelligent warehouse management system determines the utilization rate of each category of items stored in that storage container.

For example, the utilization rate of each type of item in a storage container can be calculated based on the volume and number of items of each category stored in the storage container, and expressed as the following formula:
This becomes:

Here, η _ij is the utilization rate of item j in storage container i, V _i is the volume of storage container i, R _ij is the volume of one item j in storage container i, and N _ij is the number of items j in storage container i.

This will give you the current storage bin utilization rate for each category of item.

For example, in Figure 2, the utilization rate η _1A of item A in storage container 1, the utilization rate η _1B of item B in storage container 1, the utilization rate η _2A of item A in storage container 2, the utilization rate η _2B of item B in storage container 2, the utilization rate η _2C of item C in storage container 2, the utilization rate η _3B of item B in storage container 3, the utilization rate η _3C of item C in storage container 3, and the utilization rate η _4C of item C in storage container 4 are obtained.

In step 302, the intelligent warehouse management system uses the calculated utilization rates to determine underutilized storage bins for each category of items.

As an example, based on each calculated utilization rate η _ij , it is determined whether the utilization rate is smaller than a set utilization rate threshold, and if the utilization rate is smaller than the set utilization rate threshold, it indicates that the storage container i corresponding to the utilization rate is a storage container with a low utilization rate for the item j corresponding to the utilization rate, and the storage container i is marked as a storage container with a low utilization rate for the item j. For example, this is represented as L _ij . This allows the storage containers to be organized to be selected.

In step 303, the intelligent warehouse management system tallies, for each category of items, the number of storage containers with low utilization rates for items in that category.

When the number of underutilized storage containers reaches a set threshold number, or when the ratio between the number of underutilized storage containers and the total number of storage containers containing items of that category reaches a set threshold ratio, this indicates that the distribution of items of that category in the warehouse is relatively dispersed, and items of that category are marked as target items for reorganization. This allows items to be selected for reorganization.

In step 304, based on the selected underutilized storage containers, a sorting task is generated to sort and organize each category of items stored in the underutilized storage containers into a rotating container, and the sorting task is sent to the robot control system, which schedules the robot and instructs the robot to transport the selected underutilized storage containers to a workstation.

As an example, an intelligent warehouse management system employs an inventory-level warehousing algorithm to organize items stored in underutilized storage bins into different turnover bins, calculates which items can be organized into the turnover bins based on the storage capacity of the turnover bins and the item mix policy, generates warehousing tasks according to the dimensions of the turnover bins, and all warehousing tasks constitute a sorting task.

To facilitate the management of incoming and outgoing items stored in the warehouse, an outgoing task can also be generated. In other words, the outgoing task is to organize items into rotating containers.

Figure 4 is a flowchart of the inventory level warehousing algorithm. As shown in Figure 4, the inventory level warehousing algorithm includes steps 4041 to 4044.

In step 4041, for the selected low-utilization containers, item information for each category of items stored in the low-utilization containers and low-utilization container information are obtained, and information on the rotating container is also obtained. Here, the item information includes item identification information such as item name, item packaging specification information, and item popularity information. The low-utilization container information includes item identification information such as item name of the items stored in the low-utilization container, the number of items stored, and an item mixing policy. For example, if mixing of items from some or all categories is permitted, items of the same category or type are preferentially organized in the same rotating container. At this time, if there is still space remaining in the rotating container, it is supported to continue organizing items that are permitted to be mixed in that rotating container. The rotating container information includes the volume of the rotating container and the storage rate of the rotating container.

In step 4042, based on the popularity information of the items, the items stored in all low-utilization storage containers are clustered to obtain at least one type of clustered item, and the at least one type of clustered item is set as at least one type of target item for sorting.

As an example, items with popularity information A are classified as one type of clustered item, items with popularity information B are classified as another type of clustered item, and items with popularity information C are classified as yet another type of clustered item.

In step 4043, by dividing each type of clustered item according to the item mixing policy, clustered items that are allowed to be mixed are divided into the same group, and clustered items that are not allowed to be mixed are divided into different groups, resulting in different first grouped items.

As an example, cluster items that are allowed to be mixed are divided into one group, and cluster items that are not allowed to be mixed are divided into a different group.

In step 4044, different first grouped items are divided into subgroups based on the item packaging specification information, the volume of the rotating container, and the storage rate of the rotating container, to obtain at least one group of second grouped items.

As an example, for each item in each first group, the number of items that can be stored in each turntable and the number of required turntables are calculated based on the item's packaging specification information, the turntable's volume, and the turntable's storage rate. Here, one turntable corresponds to one second group, and the number of turntables corresponds to the number of second groups. A warehouse organization task is generated for all items permitted to be placed in the same turntable, and the task is accompanied by item information for the items permitted to be placed in the same turntable, i.e., the second-grouped items. It can be seen that the number of turntables determines the number of warehouse organization tasks, and these warehouse organization tasks constitute a sorting task. In this way, when generating tasks, the maximum number of items that can be stored in each turntable can be calculated based on the item's volume and the turntable's storage capacity, and an outbound task corresponding to each turntable can be generated according to this number. This allows each turntable to be filled as full as possible, reducing the use of storage containers and completing warehouse organization with as few turntables as possible.

The above inventory-level warehousing algorithm takes into account the storage capacity limitations of turntables. That is, when items from multiple storage bins are organized into one turntable, the total volume of the items organized into the turntable cannot exceed the storage capacity of the turntable. The above inventory-level warehousing algorithm also takes into account mixing limitations. If some or all categories of items are allowed to be mixed, items with the same attributes are preferentially organized into the same turntable. If there is still space remaining in the turntable, it supports continuing to organize items that are allowed to be mixed into the turntable. The above inventory-level warehousing algorithm achieves warehousing completion with as few turntables as possible.

By performing the sorting task, the same items or items of the same type stored in underutilized storage bins are sorted and organized into the same rotating bin or two or more rotating bins.

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the classification performed by the inventory level warehouse consolidation algorithm. As shown in Figure 5, clustering, division, and secondary division are performed on all items stored in storage containers with low utilization rates, and a second group of items is finally formed. It should be understood that the above steps 4042 and 4043 are optional steps that can be adjusted according to actual situations, and for example, the mix of items and the popularity of items may not be taken into account.

Another example of step 304 is generating, for each type of target item to be organized, a warehouse organization task to organize the target item of that type into a second storage container, and sending the task to a robot control system, which then schedules the robot and instructs the robot to transport each storage container in which the target item is located to a workstation.

As an example, an intelligent warehouse management system employs an inventory-level warehousing algorithm to organize target items into different turntables, and generates warehousing tasks according to the dimensions of the turntables, with all warehousing tasks constituting a sorting task.

To facilitate the management of incoming and outgoing items stored in the warehouse, an outgoing task can also be generated. In other words, the outgoing task is to organize items into rotating containers.

In this exemplary inventory level warehouse organization algorithm, for each type of target item to be organized, item information for that type of target item and information on low-utilization containers for that type of target item are obtained. Here, the item information includes item identification information and item packaging specification information. The low-utilization container information includes the number of target items of that type stored in the low-utilization container, and may further include item identification information for items of each category stored in the low-utilization container, and the number of items of each category stored therein. The number of turnover containers for storing the target items of that type is determined based on the obtained packaging specification information for the target items of that type, the number of target items of that type stored in the low-utilization container for that type of target item, the volume of the turnover container, and the storage rate of the turnover container. For each determined turnover container, a warehouse organization task for organizing the target items of that type into the turnover container is generated, and the item information for the target items of that type is added to the task. Thus, the number of turnover bins you have will determine the number of warehousing tasks you will have, and these warehousing tasks will make up the sorting task.

By performing the sorting task, the same target items or the same type of target items are sorted and organized into the same rotating bin or into two or more rotating bins.

To reduce the number of rotating containers, if there are multiple types of target items to be organized, the rotating containers may be consolidated according to the mixed item policy, and then a warehouse organization task may be generated for the consolidated rotating container. Item information for the target items that are allowed to be placed in the same rotating container is added to the task.

It should be understood that the two examples of step 304 are not mutually exclusive and may be performed alternatively or selectively.

In step 305, after each storage bin containing the target items to be sorted or each underutilized storage bin is transported to a first target location for sorting, such as a workstation, a rotating bin is bound to a distribution location, and based on the presentation of the workstation client interface, the target items to be sorted are removed from the storage bin and placed in the rotating bin at the corresponding distribution location, or items are removed from each underutilized storage bin and placed in the rotating bin at the corresponding distribution location.

As an example, the worker receives an outbound task from the workstation client, and based on the interface presentation of the workstation client, removes the target organized item from the storage bin and places it in the rotating bin at the corresponding distribution location, or removes items from each underutilized storage bin and places it in the rotating bin at the corresponding distribution location, and returns an outbound task completion message to the intelligent warehouse management system. In some embodiments, the worker may be a robot.

In step 306, after receiving the outbound task completion message, the intelligent warehouse management system generates a task, e.g., an inbound task, in which the robot control system schedules the robot to transport the second storage container, which is the rotating container, to a second target location, e.g., the warehouse, for storing the items, and sends the inbound task to the RCS, which then schedules the robot and instructs the robot to transport the rotating container to the second target location, e.g., the warehouse, for storing the items.

In step 307, the scheduled robot executes the command from the RCS and transports the rotating container into the warehouse.

The present invention automates sorting by automatically selecting target items or underutilized storage containers and automatically generating tasks, reducing misclassification caused by manual operation and improving work efficiency. An embodiment of the present invention takes into account the classification granularity and space utilization in warehouse sorting, as well as labor costs, to complete warehouse sorting with as much system automation as possible and as little manpower as possible. Warehouse sorting through container sorting is an automated warehouse sorting process in which the system automatically generates warehouse sorting tasks, robots transport storage containers that need sorting to workstations, workers distribute and sort items to the distribution wall as suggested by the system, and the robots transport the sorted turntables into the warehouse, which is advantageous in reducing manual errors.

Embodiments of the present invention further include warehousing containers located in any of the storage spaces through storage space reorganization. Warehousing through storage space reorganization is carrier-level warehousing and is used to organize containers into different storage spaces.

To maximize the retrieval efficiency of storage containers in a warehouse, popular storage containers are retrieved frequently and should be placed in storage spaces on popular shelves to make it easier for robots to access them. Furthermore, popular storage containers should be placed in storage spaces on shelves close to workstations to reduce the time it takes for the robot to transport the container from the storage space to the workstation during subsequent retrieval operations. Warehouse reorganization through storage space reorganization addresses the above issues by reorganizing storage containers in the storage space, allowing storage containers with different popularity levels to be organized into storage spaces with corresponding popularity levels, and placing popular containers as close to the workstation as possible, improving retrieval efficiency.

Figure 6 shows warehouse reorganization through storage space reorganization according to one embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, storage spaces A, B, and C indicate the popularity levels of the storage spaces, and the A, B, and C contained in each storage container indicate the popularity levels of the storage container, with popularity levels defined as A, B, and C in descending order. As shown in Figure 6, storage containers with different popularity levels before reorganization are distributed across different storage spaces, with some of the more popular storage containers being stored in less popular storage spaces farther from the workstation, such as storage container 2 and storage container 3, and some of the less popular storage containers being stored in more popular storage spaces closer to the workstation, such as storage container 4 and storage container 6. This method of storing storage containers results in very low efficiency in executing subsequent robot retrieval tasks. After warehouse reorganization through storage space reorganization, storage containers with different popularity levels are reorganized into storage spaces with the corresponding popularity levels.

Figure 7 is a flowchart of a method for warehouse organization through storage space organization according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 7, the method includes steps 701 to 705.

In step 701, the intelligent warehouse management system obtains container popularity information for each storage container and popularity information for the storage space in which each storage container is located.

Since the robot has different efficiency in taking in and out storage containers located in different storage spaces on a shelf, the storage spaces on the shelf are classified by popularity level according to the robot's efficiency in taking in and out storage containers. Storage spaces with high popularity have a high efficiency in taking in and out storage containers by the robot, while storage spaces with low popularity have a low efficiency in taking in and out storage containers by the robot. In this way, storage space popularity information represents the efficiency with which a robot takes in and out storage containers in a storage space. The storage space popularity information may be determined in advance and then stored in the intelligent warehouse management system. As an example, storage space popularity is defined as storage space popularity A, storage space popularity B, and storage space popularity C, in descending order of popularity.

Storage container popularity information defines the storage container popularity as the most popular of the items stored in that storage container. Here, item popularity is classified based on the frequency of items being stored and taken out, with highly popular items being stored and taken out frequently and less popular items being stored and taken out less frequently. As an example, item popularity is defined as item popularity A, item popularity B, and item popularity C, in descending order of popularity.

In step 702, the intelligent warehouse management system sorts out storage containers and/or storage spaces in the warehouse where the popularity of the storage containers and the popularity of the storage spaces do not match.

For example, storage space popularity information is divided into at least one level depending on the efficiency with which a robot takes in and takes out storage containers located in different storage spaces, with the higher the efficiency, the higher the level. Item popularity is divided into at least one level depending on the frequency with which items are taken in and out, with the higher the frequency, the higher the level. The container popularity level is the highest item popularity level of the item stored in the storage container. For a storage container located in each storage space, it is determined whether the level difference between the container popularity level of that storage container and the storage space popularity level of the storage space in which that storage container is located is smaller than a set level threshold. If the level difference is smaller than the set level threshold, it is determined that the storage container and the storage space in which that storage container are located are a match; if not, it is determined that the storage container and the storage space in which that storage container are located are not a match.

In step 703, a carrier-level warehouse reorganization algorithm is employed to match storage containers that do not match the popularity of the storage space with the target storage space, and a storage space reorganization task is generated and sent. The storage space reorganization task is a transport task for each storage container from the source storage space to the target storage space.

Figure 8 is a flowchart of a carrier-level warehousing algorithm according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 8, the carrier-level warehousing algorithm includes steps 8031 to 8036.

In step 8031, for each storage container that does not match the popularity of a storage space, or for each storage space that does not match the popularity of a container, storage container information for the storage container and storage space information for the storage space are obtained. Here, the storage container information includes storage container identification information such as a container number and container popularity information. The storage space information includes storage space identification information such as a storage space number, storage space popularity information, and storage space location information.

In step 8032, for each storage container that does not match the popularity of a storage space, a candidate storage space for that storage container is matched based on the container popularity information for that storage container.

As an example, among storage spaces other than the matched storage space, storage spaces whose popularity information is the same as the container popularity information of the storage container are designated as candidate storage spaces for that storage container.

In step 8033, the first distance between each candidate storage space and a set location such as a workstation is calculated, and the priority of the candidate storage space is set according to the proximity of the first distance. The closer the first distance between the candidate storage space and the workstation, the higher the priority of the candidate storage space, and there is a possibility that candidate storage spaces with the same priority exist.

In step 8034, a second distance between the storage container and the candidate storage space is calculated, the priority of the candidate storage space is adjusted according to the proximity of the second distance, a candidate storage space with a higher priority is preferentially selected as the target storage space for the storage container, and a warehouse organization task is generated to transport the storage container from the current source storage space to the target storage space. The closer the second distance between the storage container and the candidate storage space, the higher the priority of the candidate storage space. The warehouse organization task is supplemented with storage container information, source storage space information, and target storage space information.

As an example, for candidate storage spaces with the same priority determined based on the first distance, the closer the candidate storage space is to the storage container, the higher the priority of the candidate storage space, and the candidate storage space with the higher priority is preferentially selected as the target storage space for the storage container. If there are multiple target storage spaces, one of them is randomly selected as the target storage space.

In step 8035, return to step 8032 until a warehouse management task has been generated for each storage container that does not match the storage space popularity.

In this way, a warehouse organization task is generated for each storage container that does not match the popularity of the storage space, or for each storage space that does not match the popularity of the container, and these warehouse organization tasks form a storage space organization task.

During the process of organizing storage containers, suppose storage container A in storage space C needs to be organized back into storage space A. At this time, storage space A contains storage container B, which needs to be organized back into storage space B, and storage space B contains storage container C, which needs to be organized back into storage space C. This type of situation is called a chain task, and if the links in the chain task are long, warehouse organization becomes complicated and affects inventory entry and retrieval operations. In this embodiment, the link length of the chain task is limited, and when the link length reaches a set link length threshold, the chain task is divided into multiple sub-chain tasks and executed. For this reason, step 8036 is executed.

In step 8036, based on the information added to the warehouse organization tasks, warehouse organization tasks related to each warehouse organization task are constructed as chain tasks, and it is determined whether the link length of each chain task is greater than the set link length threshold. If the link length is greater than the set link length threshold, it indicates that the links of the chain task are long, and the links of the chain task are divided into multiple sub-links each equal to or less than the link length threshold to group the chain tasks, and a grouped warehouse organization task is obtained. If the link length is equal to or less than the set link length threshold, the chain task is output. Here, one sub-link corresponds to one grouped warehouse organization task.

Each grouped warehouse reorganization task and chain tasks with link length below the threshold are treated as storage space reorganization tasks.

For example, Figure 9 shows the distribution of storage space and containers before warehouse consolidation. According to the warehouse consolidation logic based on storage space consolidation, as shown in Figure 9, to complete the warehouse consolidation process without performing task grouping, six transport tasks must be executed, as shown in Figure 9. Long task links are disadvantageous for task management, especially when a task needs to be interrupted or terminated. By performing task grouping and breaking down one long task link into two groups of short task links (see Figure 10) according to a preset link length threshold (assumed to be 3), and executing them by group, the task execution granularity can be made smaller and easier to manage.

As an example, a chain task is constructed as follows:

For each warehouse organization task, if the target storage space information attached to that warehouse organization task is the source storage space information attached to another warehouse organization task, this indicates that there is a storage container in that source storage space that requires storage space organization, and that other warehouse organization task is set as the successor task adjacent to that warehouse organization task, and a task sequence including that warehouse organization task and that other warehouse organization task is obtained. In this way, several task sequences are obtained, task sequences that have common parts are integrated, and the integrated task sequence is obtained as a chain task.

For example, for the situation in Figure 9, warehouse organization tasks 1 to 6 are generated. Here, warehouse organization tasks 1 and 2 become task sequence 12, warehouse organization tasks 2 and 3 become task sequence 23, warehouse organization tasks 3 and 4 become task sequence 34, warehouse organization tasks 4 and 5 become task sequence 45, and warehouse organization tasks 5 and 6 become task sequence 56. Task sequence 12 and task sequence 23 have a common part 2, and after integration, task sequence 123 is obtained; task sequence 23 and task sequence 34 have a common part 3, and after integration, task sequence 234 is obtained; task sequence 34 and task sequence 45 have a common part 4, and after integration, task sequence 345 is obtained; task sequence 45 and task sequence 56 have a common part 5, and after integration, task sequence 456 is obtained; task sequence 123 and task sequence 345 have a common part 3, and after integration, task sequence 12345 is obtained; task sequence 12345 and task sequence 456 have a common part 45, and after integration, task sequence 123456 is obtained. This task sequence is a chain task.

In step 704, the RCS receives the storage space organization task sent from the intelligent warehouse management system, schedules the robot, and instructs the robot to transport the storage container from the source storage space to the target storage space.

In step 705, the robot transports the storage container from the source storage space to the target storage space based on the storage container information, source storage space information, and target storage space information attached to the storage space organization task, and performs the storage space organization operation for the storage container.

The warehouse organization method based on storage space organization in this embodiment uses a carrier-level warehouse organization algorithm to organize storage containers with different popularity into storage spaces that match them, improving the efficiency of robots taking in and out. It also places the most popular storage containers as close to the workstation as possible, improving the efficiency of subsequent retrieval work. The warehouse organization method based on storage space organization provided in this embodiment can automatically select storage containers and automatically generate warehouse organization tasks to complete warehouse organization, saving labor costs and reducing error rates.

Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of a robotic warehouse organization device according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 11, the device includes a warehouse organization unit based on classification and a warehouse organization unit based on storage space organization.

The classification-based warehouse organization unit performs classification-based warehouse organization on items stored in various first storage containers, and is used to classify and organize the same items or items of the same type into one or more second storage containers.

The warehouse reorganization unit for storage space reorganization performs warehouse reorganization for storage containers located in a storage space, and is used to match the container popularity information for that storage container with the storage space popularity information for the storage space in which that storage container is located.

The classification-based warehouse organization unit includes a first sorting module and a classification task generation module.

The first sorting module is used to obtain the utilization rate of each first storage container in the warehouse and, based on the obtained utilization rate, determine storage containers with low utilization rates.

The sorting task generation module generates a sorting task based on the underutilized storage container to sort and organize the items stored in the underutilized storage container into a second storage container, and sends the sorting task to a robot control system, which then schedules the robot to execute the sorting task and sorts and organizes the items stored in the underutilized storage container into the same second storage container or into two or more second storage containers.

The warehouse organization unit for storage space organization includes a second sorting module and a storage space organization task generation module.

The second sorting module is used to obtain storage container information for a storage container that does not match the popularity of the storage space, or a storage space that does not match the popularity of the container, and storage space information for the storage space.

The storage space organization task generation module is used to select, for a storage container that does not match the popularity of a storage space, a target storage space from storage spaces other than the matching storage space, where the storage space popularity information matches the container popularity information of the storage container, generate a storage space organization task to transport the storage container from the source storage space to the target storage space, and send the storage space organization task to the robot control system, which then schedules the robot to execute the storage space organization task, organizes the warehouse by organizing the storage space for a storage container located in one of the storage spaces, and matches the container popularity information of the storage container with the storage space popularity information of the storage space in which the storage container is located.

Figure 12 is another schematic diagram of a robotic warehouse organization device according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 12, the device includes a memory and a processor, the memory storing a computer program, and the processor is configured to execute the computer program to perform the robotic warehouse organization method described in the embodiment of the present invention.

The memory may include random access memory (RAM) and may include at least one non-volatile memory (NVM), such as a magnetic disk memory. Optionally, the memory may be at least one storage device located remotely from the processor.

The processor may be a general-purpose processor, including a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or Network Processor (NP), or may be a Digital Signal Processing (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, or a discrete hardware component.

An embodiment of the present invention further provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, performs the warehouse organization method using a robot described in the embodiment of the present invention.

The device/network-side equipment/storage medium embodiments are basically similar to the method embodiments, so the explanation is simple and you can refer to the explanation of the method embodiments for relevant sections.

As used herein, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used solely to distinguish one entity or operation from another and do not necessarily require or imply the existence of any actual relationship or order between those entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprise," "in addition to," or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or device that includes a set of elements not only includes those elements, but also other elements not expressly listed or that are inherent in such process, method, article, or device. Absent more limitations, elements qualified by the phrase "comprise..." do not exclude the presence of other identical elements in a process, method, article, or device that includes said elements.

The above are merely some embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention shall be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims (15)

A warehouse organization method using a robot, comprising:
a step of sorting and arranging the items stored in the first storage containers in the warehouse at a client side for warehouse business processing;
Warehouse organization according to the above classification is
obtaining a utilization rate of each of the first storage containers;
determining a storage container with a low utilization rate based on the obtained utilization rate;
generating a sorting task based on the storage container with the low utilization rate to sort and organize the items stored in the storage container with the low utilization rate into a second storage container, and transmitting the sorting task to a robot control system, so that the robot control system schedules a robot to execute the sorting task.
A warehouse organization method using a robot. Obtaining the utilization rate of each of the first storage containers includes:
and acquiring, for each of the first storage containers, a utilization rate of each category of items stored in the first storage container in accordance with the category of items stored in the first storage container;
Determining a storage container with a low utilization rate based on the obtained utilization rate includes:
determining a storage container with a low utilization rate for each category of items based on the obtained utilization rate;
generating a sorting task for sorting and arranging items stored in the storage container with a low utilization rate into a second storage container based on the storage container with a low utilization rate,
determining at least one type of target item to organize based on a category of items stored in the underutilized storage container;
assigning a second storage container to each type of target item to be organized, and generating a warehouse organization task for organizing the target items of that type into the second storage container;
The warehouse organization method according to claim 1 . Obtaining the utilization rate of each of the first storage containers includes:
for each of the first storage containers, counting the number of items stored in the first storage container to obtain a utilization rate of the first storage container;
Determining a storage container with a low utilization rate based on the obtained utilization rate includes:
determining a first storage container having a number of stored items less than a first number threshold as a storage container with a low utilization rate;
generating a sorting task for sorting and arranging items stored in the storage container with a low utilization rate into a second storage container based on the storage container with a low utilization rate,
The items stored in the storage container with a low utilization rate are set as target items for organization;
and allocating a second storage container to the target items to be organized, and generating a warehouse organization task for organizing the target items to be organized in the second storage container, thereby emptying the items stored in the underutilized storage container.
The warehouse organization method according to claim 1 . The method of determining the first storage container having the number of stored items smaller than the first number threshold as a storage container with a low utilization rate further includes:
For a first storage container in which the number of stored items is equal to or greater than the first number threshold, determining whether the category of the items stored in the first storage container is a set category, and if the category is a set category, determining the first storage container as a storage container with a low utilization rate,
Allocating a second bin to the target organized item comprises:
setting a priority for the storage container with a low utilization rate according to the number of items stored therein;
and allocating second storage containers to the least utilized storage containers in order of decreasing priority of the least utilized storage containers;
Here, the fewer the number of stored items, the higher the priority of the storage container with the lower utilization rate.
4. The warehouse organization method according to claim 3. generating a warehouse organization task for allocating a second storage container to the target organized item and organizing the target organized item into the second storage container;
determining at least one type of target item to be organized according to a category of the target item to be organized;
assigning a second storage container to each type of target item to be organized, and generating a warehouse organization task for organizing the target items of that type into the second storage container;
5. The warehouse organization method according to claim 4. Determining at least one target item to organize includes:
For each storage container with a low utilization rate, obtain product information for each category of product stored in the storage container with a low utilization rate, the product information including at least product popularity information indicating the frequency of the product being stored and taken out;
clustering the items stored in each storage container with low utilization rate based on the item popularity information to obtain at least one type of clustered item, and setting the at least one type of clustered item as the at least one type of target item to be organized;
Allocating the second storage container to each type of target item to be organized includes:
and allocating the second storage container to each type of target organized item based on the storage capacity of the second storage container and an item mix policy.
6. A warehouse organization method according to claim 2 or claim 5. The product information further includes product packaging specification information;
After obtaining product information for each category of products stored in each storage container with a low utilization rate, the method further comprises:
obtaining information about the underutilized storage containers;
The information about the storage container with low utilization rate includes at least the number of items of each category stored therein and an item mixing policy;
Allocating the second storage container to each type of target item to be organized based on the storage capacity of the second storage container and the item mixing policy includes:
Divide the at least one type of clustered items according to the item mixing policy, divide the clustered items that are allowed to be mixed into the same group, and divide the clustered items that are not allowed to be mixed into different groups, to obtain at least one group of first grouped items;
Subdividing each of the first grouped articles into second groups based on packaging specification information of the articles, the volume of the second storage container, and the storage rate of the second storage container, to obtain at least one group of second grouped articles;
and determining the number of the second storage containers for storing each of the second grouped items based on the number of groups of the second grouped items.
7. A warehouse organization method according to claim 6. Determining at least one target item to organize includes:
For each category of items stored in a storage container with a low utilization rate, counting the number of storage containers with a low utilization rate for items of that category;
marking items of the category as targeted for organization when the number of underutilized bins reaches a set number threshold, or when the ratio of the number of underutilized bins to the total number of bins in which items of the category are located reaches a set ratio threshold.
6. A warehouse organization method according to claim 2 or claim 5. Allocating the second storage container to each type of target item to be organized includes:
For each type of target item to be organized, obtain product information for the type of target item to be organized and information on storage containers with low utilization rates for the type of target item to be organized, where the product information includes packaging specification information for the type of target item to be organized, and the information on storage containers with low utilization rates includes the number of the type of target item to be organized that is stored in the storage containers with low utilization rates;
determining the number of second storage containers for storing the target items to be organized of the type based on packaging specification information for the target items to be organized of the type, the number of target items to be organized of the type stored in the storage container with low utilization rate, the volume of the second storage container, and the storage rate of the second storage container;
The warehouse organization task is added with item information of the target organization item of the type;
6. A warehouse organization method according to claim 2 or claim 5. After determining the number of second bins for storing the type of target organized items, the method further comprises:
and consolidating second storage containers for each type of target organized item according to the item mix policy;
The warehouse organization task further includes information about a target organization item that is permitted to be placed in the same second storage container.
10. The warehouse organization method according to claim 9. Obtaining a utilization rate of each category of items stored in the first storage container in the first storage container includes:
calculating a utilization rate of items of each category in the first storage container based on the volume and number of items of that category stored in the first storage container;
the utilization rate is a ratio of the product of the volume of one item of the category and the number of items of the category to the volume of the first storage container;
determining a storage container with a low utilization rate for each category of items based on the obtained utilization rate,
determining whether a utilization rate of any of the items in each category in the first storage container is less than a preset utilization rate threshold, and if the utilization rate is less than the preset utilization rate threshold, marking the first storage container as a storage container with a low utilization rate for that type of item;
3. The warehouse organization method according to claim 2. The robot control system scheduling the robot to perform the classification task comprises:
the robot control system, in response to each warehouse organization task, schedules a robot to transport an underutilized storage container in which a target item to be organized is located to a first target position for sorting, distributes the target item to be organized in the underutilized storage container to a second storage container based on item information added to the warehouse organization task, and returns a warehouse organization task completion message to the client side after the warehouse organization task is completed;
The method further comprises:
the client side responding to the warehouse organization task completion message by sending to the robot control system a task for the robot control system to schedule a robot to transport the second storage container to a second target location for storing the items;
4. A warehouse organization method according to claim 2 or 3. a first sorting module for acquiring a utilization rate of each first storage container in the warehouse and determining a storage container with a low utilization rate based on the acquired utilization rate;
a sorting task generation module that generates a sorting task based on the storage container with a low utilization rate to sort and organize the items stored in the storage container with a low utilization rate into a second storage container, and transmits the sorting task to a robot control system so that the robot control system can schedule a robot to execute the sorting task.
A warehouse organization device using a robot. 1. A robotic warehouse management device including a memory and a processor,
The memory stores a computer program;
The processor is configured to execute the computer program to perform the robotic warehousing method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and 11.
A warehouse organization device using a robot. A computer-readable storage medium on which a computer program is stored,
When the computer program is executed by a processor, the warehouse management method using a robot according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and 11 is performed.
A computer-readable storage medium comprising: