Abstract:
The invention relates to a commissioning area comprising a buffers for order containers in which items can be commissioned, the buffer comprising a plurality of adjacent buffer regions for receiving order containers. A beam field is provided above the buffer in order to monitor the commissioning of items.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11,371,236 filed on Mar. 9, 2006 now U.S. Pat. No. 8,195,326 which is a continuation application of co-pending international patent application PCT/EP2005/000204 (WO 2005/068327 A1) filed Jan. 12, 2005 which claims priority of the German application DE 10 2004 002 831.1 filed on Jan. 13, 2004, which is fully incorporated by reference herewith. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to an order-picking station having an order container buffer, wherein articles are pickable into the order containers, the buffer including one or more buffer spaces, particularly being arranged next to each other, for respectively receiving one order container. 
     The present invention further relates to a method for order-picking articles into order containers at a picking station, the order containers being storable within an order container buffer. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Such a method and system are generally known in the prior art. 
     For example, the document DE 101 36 354 A1 discloses a picking method and a picking system having a container storage and an associated storage and retrieval device for storing and retrieving storage containers. Goods to be picked are located within the storage containers. The goods to be picked can be of any type of articles storable in such a container storage. 
     The term “container” is not intended to be limited but rather is an example for a plurality of possible storage units such as trays, palettes and the like. The term “articles” is to be understood as items which can be stored in a container storage and storage containers, respectively. Articles, for example, can be medicaments, tool pieces or the like, which are ordered, e.g. by customers in arbitrary quantities and numbers. Then, the different ordered articles are concatenated as a so-called order, wherein the articles of the order, as a rule, are picked into one or, should the occasion arise, several order containers, the order containers subsequently delivered to the customer. 
     A picking station in a picking system is to be understood as a location, where a picking person takes out articles, which are stored within the storage containers, in order to deposit them subsequently into order containers, which are provided. 
     An “order container” is to be understood as a container into which goods and articles, respectively, are put, which are to be picked. An order container can receive a plurality of different articles until the order associated therewith is processed, i.e. until all articles which belong to that order are retrieved from the storage towards the picking station and have been deposited into the corresponding order container by the picking person. 
     Recently, it has gone over to design the picking process according to the “goods-to-man” principle. According to the “goods-to-man” principle a fixed working area is assigned to the picking person from which he/she moves away as less and seldom as possible. The articles to be picked are conveyed in storage containers to the picking person. This increases the efficiency of the entire system and fulfills the high ergonomic requirements which, nowadays, become more and more the focus of attention. 
     The storage containers are conveyed to the picking stations by means of a corresponding conveyor system. The order containers are “parked” at the picking station directly in front of the picking person. They are just parked in a so-called order container buffer which can receive a plurality of order containers. The order container buffer is also connected with one, and if necessary, with further conveyor systems which convey empty order containers to the picking station and completely picked order containers away from the picking station in reaction to a signal. That is why according to the prior art, for example, a push button is provided at the picking station by which the picking person can confirm a terminated picking process. Thus, the picking person, for example, takes out an article from a storage container and puts this article taken into a corresponding order container. After the deposition of the article into the order container, the picking person can actuate the button in order to confirm the picking process. A superordinated host system detects this signal and subsequently judges whether or not the order is completely processed. If the order container is completely picked, then the order container can be conveyed off. 
     This procedure involves several disadvantages. On the one hand, the order containers are conveyed out of the order container buffer which possibly are not to be transported off yet. This is particularly the case, when the picking person actuates the button inadvertently although he/she has not deposited the article to be picked into the corresponding order container. On the other hand, the button could be actuated although an insufficient number of articles has been put into the order container so that the order is signaled to the host system as being completely processed although this is not the case. 
     Further, there is a significant risk of injury. For increasing the velocity of the picking process it is possible that the picking person puts the article to be picked into the order container with the one hand while he/she confirms the picking process with the other hand. This can result in that the picking person has one of his/her hands within the order container to be picked while simultaneously the conveyance of this order container is initiated by the host system. Then the order container could be moved from the order container buffer which possibly may result in an injury of the picking person since he/she still has one of his/her hands within that order container. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a picking station as well as a picking method meeting the increased safety requirements with respect to both the physical integrity and avoidance of picking errors. 
     This object is achieved by a picking station as mentioned at the outset wherein a beam field is provided above the buffer in order to monitor the picking of articles. 
     This object is further achieved by a picking method as mentioned at the outset, wherein a beam field is generated above the buffer, an interruption signal is detected which is generated through the interruption of beams of the beam field, and a first enabling system is output which allows the conveyance of an order container from the buffer. 
     By providing a beam field above, and particularly directly above, the order container buffer each picking process can be monitored in two ways. On the one hand, it can be monitored if the picking person still has one or, should the occasion arise, both of his/her hands within the order container while the conveyance of this order container has already begun. On the other hand, it can be monitored if a number of articles to be picked according to a picking order has been put into the corresponding order container. 
     In both instances the beam field is either interrupted by the articles and/or the hands. This interruption can be used for determining whether the picking person has taken out the hands from the order container. When the hands are taken out, the beam field is not interrupted any longer. Thus, the order container can be conveyed out of the order container buffer, if necessary. On the other hand, it can be checked based on the number of interruptions, which are caused by throwing in or putting in the articles, if the corresponding number of articles to be picked has been deposited in the corresponding order container. 
     The risk that the picking person gets injured is significantly reduced. The removal of the order containers is no longer possible while the picking person still has his/her hands within the order container. Also, a premature removal of the order containers, without the desired number of articles being put into the right order container according to the picking order, can be prevented since the number of the articles which are put into the order container can be determined through the number of interruptions of the beam field. 
     In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the beam field is arranged, particularly directly, above the openings of the order containers. 
     The closer the beam field is arranged above the openings of the order containers the easier the location can be reconstructed at which the beam field has been interrupted by a passage of a hand and/or an article, and with the knowledge of the locations of the beam field relative to the order containers, which are located within the buffer, an order container can be assigned. On the other hand, an improved temporal assignment is possible since the way, which an article being put through the beam field has to pass from the beam field to the bottom of the order container, is shorter. 
     It is particularly preferred if the beam field includes a plurality of pairs of transmitters and receivers for transmitting beams and receiving the transmitted beams. 
     The more beams are forming the beam field, the better the location of the interruption of beam can be localized and reconstructed, respectively. The number of transmitter and receiver pairs and its distance to each other is directly correlated with the spatial resolution. The spatial resolution can be used for assigning an article interrupting the beam field to an order container which is located within the order container buffer. 
     It is particularly preferred if the transmitter and receiver pairs are arranged within a strip. 
     A strip having pairs of transmitters and receivers can be installed above the order container buffer in an easy manner. An adjustment necessary during the installation of a beam field can be reduced to an adjustment of two units, namely the strips which contain the pairs of transmitters and receivers, instead that the transmitters and receivers, respectively, of each transmitter and receiver pair have to be adjusted separately with respect to each other. 
     Further, it is preferred if transmitters of the transmitter and receiver pairs and receivers of the transmitter and receiver pairs are arranged on a second strip such that a beam field of beams, being particularly parallel, can be generated between the first and second strip. 
     By this measure the adjustment of the beam field above the order container buffer is facilitated. 
     Additionally, it is an advantage, if transmitters and receivers of the transmitter and receiver pairs are arranged alternately on one and the same strip in order to generate with a further strip, which is equally formed, a crossed beam field. 
     A crossed beam field has the advantage, in comparison to a beam field being formed of parallel beams, that also the space between the otherwise parallel beams can be monitored. In dependence on the angle between the crossing beams the monitoring location, i.e. the location where the beams cross, can be varied. This is particularly the case if the beam field is formed by two oppositely arranged strips. 
     According to a further preferred embodiment, the beam field can be coupled to means for detecting and evaluating a signal which is generated if an article to be picked or a part of the picking person&#39;s body interrupts a beam of the beam field. 
     Such means for detecting and evaluating a signal can be a microcomputer which, for example, is coupled directly to the electronics of the beam field in order to directly evaluate the received signals. This measure relieves the computer, which is responsible for the monitoring of the entire system, by removing processing load therefrom. 
     Further it is preferred, if the means for detecting and evaluating can determine the location of the interruption in order to be able to assign the article, which generates the signal, to an order container. 
     In this manner, it can be directly determined whether the picking person has put the article, which is to be picked, into the right order container within the order container buffer. If necessary, the means for detecting and evaluating can be coupled directly to the computer monitoring the entire system in order to output a corresponding fault message. However, the means can also directly cause the output of a signal, which notifies to the picking person that the concurrent picking process is or was erroneous. The picking person can thus correct the error directly, i.e. at place. The otherwise erroneous picked order container thus does not need to be re-picked for repair of error, i.e. it does not need to be brought into the entire course of the system again, thereby increasing the entire efficiency of the picking system significantly. 
     It has proved advantageously if the transmitter and receiver pairs generate infrared beams or visible light. 
     Infrared light and visible light, respectively, is harmless to the eyes of the picking person and thus corresponds to the safety regulations of today. 
     It is particularly preferred if the beam field is formed by at least two orthogonal transmitter and receiver pairs. 
     Provision of transmitter and receiver pairs which are orthogonal with respect to each other increases the already above-mentioned spatial resolution to a specific degree since a second dimension can be introduced. Hence, not only an x-component, but also an y-component of a two-dimensional Cartesian beam field can be monitored. 
     According to a preferred embodiment of the method of the present invention a first enabling signal is output when the beams are no longer interrupted. 
     The interruption of the beams of the field of beams corresponds, under certain circumstances, to that state at which the picking person has one of his/her hands within the order container of the order container buffer. As long as the signal is interrupted, no enabling signal can and will be output which could release the retrieval of the order container. The danger of the picking person becoming injured, due to a retrieval of an order container within which the picking person has his/her hands, in practice is reduced to zero. 
     Further, it is preferred if the first enabling signal is output when the order container is completely picked. 
     According to another preferred embodiment, a second enabling signal is output when the order container is not completely picked such that further articles, which are to be picked, can be delivered to the picking station. 
     It goes without saying that the features mentioned above as well as those which are still to be explained in the following text can be used not only in the respectively stated combination but also in other combinations or on their own, without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
     Exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawing, and will be explained in more detail in the following description. In the drawings: 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic perspective view of a picking station according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows a two-dimensional field of beams of a picking station according to the present invention, the beam field being formed by two strips of transmitters and receivers; 
         FIG. 3  shows a further beam field of a picking station according to the present invention, the beam field being formed of two pairs of strips of transmitters and receivers; 
         FIG. 4  shows a crossed beam field of a picking station according to the present invention; and 
         FIG. 5  shows a flow diagram of the picking method according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     A picking station according to the invention is hereinafter generally designated by reference numeral  10 . 
     In  FIG. 1 , a schematic perspective view of a picking station  10  according to the present invention is shown. The picking station  10  includes a buffer  12  intended for order containers  14 . Above the buffer  12  intended for the order containers  14  a beam field  16  is arranged which includes a plurality of beams  18 . The beams  18  are transmitted by transmitters T and received by receivers R. 
     A transmitter T and receiver R form a so-called transmitter and receiver pair. Both, the transmitter T and the receiver R can be attached to or located within strips  20 . However, they can also be provided individually. 
     In the example shown in  FIG. 1 , the transmitters T and receivers R are alternately attached to the strips  20  having an equal distance with respect to each other such that the beam field  16  is formed by parallel beams  18 . The distance between the transmitters T and receivers R on a strip  20  can be chosen arbitrarily. 
     The less the distance of the transmitters T and receivers R is, the more transmitters T and receivers R have to be provided per fixed length of the strip  20 , and, also, the higher the possible spatial resolution will become. 
     Alternatively, merely transmitters T can be provided on one of the strips  20 , wherein only receivers R will then be provided on the opposite strip  20 . The beam field  16  does not absolutely have to be formed by parallel beams  18 . It can also be formed by beams being arbitrarily orientated to each other, which are respectively assigned to a transmitter and receiver pair. 
     Further,  FIG. 1  shows a conveyor system  22  such as a roller track (not shown) or a conveyor belt by which empty order containers  14  can be conveyed to the buffer  12  and picked order containers  14  can be retrieved from the buffer  12 . 
     Even further, a further conveyor system  24  can be provided which conveys the storage container  26  from a container storage, which is not depicted in  FIG. 1 , to the picking station  10 . The storage containers  26  contain articles  28  which are to be picked. For this purpose, a picking person, being not illustrated, takes out the articles  28  from the storage container  26  and puts these into assigned order containers  14  provided. Such a picking process is schematically depicted by an arrow  29 . 
     In order to enable the putting of the article  28  from the storage container  26  into the order container  14 , the picking person must traverse the beam field  16  at least with the article  28  which is to be picked. If the articles are highly fragile the picking person, as a rule, will manually put the fragile article  28  into the order container  14 . At the same time, he/she grabs through the beam field  16  with his/her hand. 
     Thus, at least one of the beams  18  of the beam field  16 , as a general rule, is interrupted either by a thrown-in article  28 , or by a hand or an arm of the picking person. As long as the beam  18  is interrupted, it is obvious that either an article  28  is just given into an order container  14 , or an arm or a hand grabs through the beam field  16 . 
     As will be discussed with reference to  FIG. 2 , one or more strips  20  can be connected to means  30  for detecting and evaluating interruption signals. The strips  20  can have the means  30  integrated. By the means  30  the interruption of a beam  18  can be detected. Signals which will be discussed below can be output in dependence thereon. Also, the location of the interruption can be determined by the means  30 . 
       FIG. 2  shows an exemplary embodiment of the beam field  16 , wherein the left strip  20  exclusively comprises receivers and the right strips  20  exclusively comprises transmitters. The right strip  20  is coupled to the means  30  for detecting and evaluating of interruption signals. The means  30  are not depicted in more detail. An article  28  is guided through the beam field  16  of  FIG. 2  along an arrow  32 . 
     As will be recognized clearly, the beams  18  in the area of the beam field  16 , in which the article  28  is located, are interrupted. On the left strip  20  another receiver R can be recognized which does not receive any beam  18  due to the article  28  which is located within the beam path. The beam  18  of this transmitter and receiver pair is interrupted correspondingly. This interruption can be detected and evaluated by the means  30 . Hence, an information on the location of the interruption is obtained. By the knowledge of the attitude of the order containers  14 , which are not depicted here, relative to the beam field  16 , thus the location of the interruption can be at least assigned to one of the order containers  14 . 
     For enhancing the spatial assignment, another pair of strips  20  can, preferably, be orientated substantially orthogonal relative to the first pair of strips  20 . Such an arrangement is shown in  FIG. 3 . If information on the third dimension, i.e. the height, is also desired to be obtained, several beam fields  16  could be arranged, one on top of the other. Such an arrangement is not shown in the figures. 
     Also, the manner in which the beams  18  in the beam field  16  are orientated to each other can be chosen arbitrarily. 
     In  FIG. 4 , for example, a crossed beam field  16  is depicted. In this connection, one transmitter and receiver are arranged directly adjacent to each other on the same strip. 
     With reference to  FIG. 5 , the picking method according to the present invention will be described. 
     In a first step S 1 , the storage containers  26  are conveyed, for example, via the conveyor system  24 , depicted in  FIG. 1 , to the picking station  10  according to the present invention. Empty order containers  14  are, for example, conveyed by the conveyor system  22 , depicted in  FIG. 1 , to the buffer  12  intended for the order containers  14 . A device for injection and blocking out, which is not depicted in  FIG. 1 , takes care that the order containers  14  are moved into and from the buffer  12 , respectively. 
     In step S 2 , the processing of a picking order is started. A picking order can consist of several articles  28  to be picked. The articles  28  can be of the same or different types. As a rule, however, the storage container  26  contain only articles  28  of the same type. If several different types of articles are to be picked for a picking order, it can be necessary that several storage containers  26  are conveyed to the picking station  10  by the conveyor system  24 . Subsequently, the picking person takes out from the storage containers  26  the number of articles  28  corresponding to the picking order. For this purpose, a display can be provided in the region of the picking station  10 , the display is not depicted in  FIG. 1  either and indicates to the picking person how many articles  28  are to be taken from the storage container  26 . 
     Further, the storage container  26  itself can be divided additionally such that several types of articles can be located in one and the same storage container  26 . For indicating to the picking person which of the different types of articles have to be picked, optionally, an optical pointing system, which is also not depicted in  FIG. 1 , can be provided at the picking station  10 . For this purpose, for example, a ray of light could point from above into the storage container  26  and onto a corresponding type of article. The indication of the destination, i.e. the order containers  14 , is similarly, if several order containers  14  are located within the buffer  12 . 
     In another step S 3 , the picking person takes the desired article  28  from the storage container  26  and puts it into the predetermined order container  14 . 
     The type of articles, which are to be picked, itself can be divided into two categories with respect to the manner in which they are to be picked. This is, on the one hand, the so-called “droppable” category, and, on the other hand, the “non-droppable” category. “Droppable” articles can be thrown into the order containers  16  through the beam field  16  depicted in  FIG. 1 . “Non-droppable” articles have to be put into or deposited in the order container  14  by the picking person by hand. 
     However, in both instances the beam field  18  is either traversed just by an article  28  or by an article  28  in combination with at least a hand or an arm of the picking person. 
     In another step S 4 , the means  30  for detecting and evaluating, for example, request in arbitrarily selectable periodical time periods whether an interruption of the beam field  16  is present. This request, however, can also be performed by the storage management system being superordinated to the picking system and implementable by a host computer or personal computer. 
     If at the same time it is determined that the beam field  16  has not been interrupted, the system knows that the article  28  to be picked is not located yet within the order container  14  assigned thereto. The step S 3  of taking the article  28  and putting it into the corresponding order container  14 , thus is not terminated yet. 
     However, if the request S 4  results in that the beam field  16  is interrupted, in another step S 5  another request follows by which the (temporal) end of the interruption is queried. 
     If the request S 5  results in that the beam field  16  is still interrupted, the system waits for the end of the interruption in another step S 6 . 
     If the request S 5  however results in that the interruption is terminated, in another request S 7  it is determined whether the picking order, which is to be carried out at the picking station  10 , is completely terminated. However, this does not mean that the picking order has to be completely terminated. For example, it is also possible that the order container  14  is only picked partially at a first picking station  10  in order to be subsequently passed to another picking station  10  where the picking order can finally be picked completely. 
     If it is determined during the request S 7  that the picking order has not been processed yet at the concrete picking station  10 , thus, the means  30  can, for example, output an enabling signal in step S 8 . 
     Due to the enabling signal output in the step S 8 , in another step S 9  a new storage container  26  is conveyed to the picking station  10 , the order container  26  containing further articles  28  which belong to the picking order. Then, the picking process can be continued at the step S 3 . 
     If the request S 7  however results in that the picking order (at this picking station  10 ) is completely processed, in another step S 10  another enabling signal is output. The other enabling signal allows the order container  14  which now is completely picked, to be retrieved from the buffer  12 . This is depicted by step S 11  in  FIG. 5 . Thus, the picking process is terminated. It is clear that this process can now start from the beginning.