Patent Description:
The development of electronic commerce and mobile terminals has far-reaching influences on the development of the field of logistics. Conventional large-scale orders are gradually replaced with small-batch high-frequency orders developed based on electronic commerce, and the small-batch high-frequency orders also make new requirements on the timeliness of warehouse picking manners in the field of warehouse logistics.

Manual picking is mainly adopted in conventional warehouse picking manners. Manual picking is a labor-intensive link, mainly reflected by traveling by legs between storage racks and packaging positions to achieve a purpose of picking for delivery after goods are picked according to orders. Conventional manual picking manners include a conveyor-belt-based subarea picking manner, i.e., a picking manner of implementing picking based on areas respectively. In the conventional subarea picking manner, pickers are distributed at upstream and downstream of picking area and are responsible for respective fixed areas, and goods are conveyed from the upstreams of the picking areas to the downstream of the picking area by automatic transmission devices such as conveyor belts, thereby achieving a purpose of delivering the goods. In the conveyor-belt-based subarea picking manner, the areas are fixed, the pickers are fixed, and the conveyor belts are fixed, so that the conveyor-belt-based subarea picking manner is also called a static subarea picking manner.

The static subarea picking manner has the advantages that travel waste caused by traveling of the pickers between the picking area and packaging area can be avoided and low picking efficiency caused by unfamiliar operations is avoided because the pickers are only responsible for familiar area. However, the conveyor belts with large sizes cannot be moved after laid, which not only occupies a warehouse space but also severely limits the flexibility in planned use of the warehouse space. For example, manpower allocation and picking efficiency of the picking areas are fixed once lengths and arrangement positions of the conveyor belts are determined. In a high-intensity working environment, high-load work in a certain area is likely to cause congestion, and workers finishing work earlier have to wait for workers finishing work later. Consequently, the efficiency of the workers is reduced, and requirements of small-batch high-frequency orders on subarea picking efficiency and flexibility in an electronic commerce environment cannot be met.

In summary, the static subarea picking manner has the technical problem that the requirements of the small-batch high-frequency orders on subarea picking efficiency and flexibility in the electronic commerce environment cannot be met.

Patent <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT>, and <CIT> provide respective technical solutions; however, the above mentioned problem still remains unsolved.

The invention is intended to provide a robot-based subarea logistics picking method and apparatus, a terminal, a system and a storage medium, to solve the technical problem that a subarea picking method cannot be adapted to requirements of small-batch high-frequency orders on subarea picking efficiency and flexibility in an electronic commerce environment.

The above technical problem is solved according to the appended claims.

In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the invention clearer, the following further describes the invention in detail with reference to the drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that, in the descriptions of the invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, term "storage medium" can be various media capable of storing computer programs, such as a Read-Only Memory (ROM), a Random Access Memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk. Term "processor" can be a chip or circuit with a data processing function, such as a Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD), a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a Microcontroller Unit (MCU), a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), and a Central Processing Unit (CPU). Term "electronic device" can be any device with the data processing function and a storage function, and can usually include a fixed terminal and a mobile terminal. The fixed terminal is, for example, a desktop computer. The mobile terminal is, for example, a mobile phone, a PAD, and a mobile robot. In addition, the technical features involved in different implementation modes of the invention described later can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

In the following, the invention proposes some preferred embodiments with reference to a correlated conventional art to teach those skilled in the art to implement.

In the conventional art, a subarea picking manner is mainly a static subarea picking manner based on coordination of conveyor belts and subarea pickers. The static subarea picking manner has the advantages that travel waste caused by traveling of the pickers between picking areas and packaging areas can be avoided and low picking efficiency caused by unfamiliar operations is avoided because the pickers are only responsible for familiar areas. However, the conveyor belts with large sizes cannot be moved after laid, which not only occupies a warehouse space but also severely limits the flexibility in planned use of the warehouse space. For example, manpower allocation and picking efficiency of the picking areas are fixed once lengths and arrangement positions of the conveyor belts are determined, and requirements of small-batch high-frequency orders on subarea picking efficiency and flexibility in an electronic commerce environment cannot be met.

<FIG> is a flowchart of a robot-based subarea logistics picking method according to an embodiment, and shows a robot-based subarea logistics picking method. According to the picking method, an occupation rate of a warehouse space can be reduced, the flexibility in planned use of the warehouse space can be improved, and moreover, human-machine configuration can be implemented flexibly to meet requirements of small-batch high-frequency order on subarea picking efficiency and flexibility in an electronic commerce environment.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, a robot-based subarea logistics picking method includes the following steps.

In S10, order information of goods is acquired, the goods being arranged in a warehouse area and the order information including goods location information of the goods.

In S11, picking location information, mapped by the goods location information, of a robot is acquired.

In S12, a planned path for guiding the robot is calculated according to the picking location information to guide the robot to go to a corresponding picking location to convey the goods picked by a picker to a packaging area.

In the embodiment, the order information of the goods is acquired, the goods being arranged in the warehouse area and the order information including the goods location information of the goods, then the picking location information, mapped by the goods location information, of the robot is acquired, and the planned path for guiding the robot is calculated according to the picking location information to guide the robot to go to the corresponding picking location to convey the goods picked by the picker to the packaging area, so that an occupation rate of a warehouse space is reduced, the flexibility in planned use of the warehouse space is improved, and moreover, human-machine configuration can be implemented flexibly to meet requirements of small-batch high-frequency orders on subarea picking efficiency and flexibility in an electronic commerce environment.

It is to be noted that, in S10, a robot management system acquires the order information of the goods. The order information, acquired by the robot management system, of the goods can be from a warehouse management system. An existing warehouse management system usually stores warehouse area information, goods location information, goods information corresponding to a goods location, picker information, etc., and the information can be called by a cloud system and the robot. Many goods can be arranged in each warehouse area, and pickers <NUM> and robots <NUM> can be allocated reasonably for goods picking. In the embodiment, the warehouse areas can include a first area <NUM> and a second area <NUM>.

It is also to be noted that, in S11, the robot can call the goods location information from the warehouse management system, so that the robot can calculate the picking location corresponding to the goods in an order task (for example, responsible for one or more picking locations in picking location <NUM>, picking location <NUM>, picking location <NUM>, picking location <NUM>, and other picking locations) according to the received goods location information and send the picking location information to the robot management system. In addition, the robot management system can call the goods location information from the warehouse management system, so that the goods location information of the robot can be found by mapping.

It is further to be noted that, in S12, the robot management system is logically bound with the robot, so that the robot management system can know a position of the robot at any time. The robot management system obtains the picking location information, so that the planned path for guiding the robot can be calculated according to the goods location information and the real-time position of the robot, and the robot is guided through the planned path to go to the corresponding picking location to convey the goods picked by the picker to the packaging area <NUM>.

<FIG> is a flowchart of an improved method of a robot-based subarea logistics picking method according to an embodiment, and shows an improved method of the robot-based subarea logistics picking method in <FIG>.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the robot-based subarea logistics picking method further includes the following steps.

In S20, current position information sent by a robot that has completed picking is acquired.

In S21, nearby goods location information of goods to be picked in an area closest to a current position is queried according to the current position information.

In S22, a display terminal of the robot that has completed picking is controlled to display an interaction interface including the nearby goods location information to prompt a picker who has completed picking to pick the goods.

In the embodiment, the current position information sent by the robot that has completed picking is acquired, then the nearby goods location information of the goods to be picked in the area closest to the current position is queried according to the current position information, and the display terminal of the robot that has completed picking is controlled to display the interaction interface including the nearby goods location information to prompt the picker completing picking to pick the goods, so that technical effects of avoiding idle manpower and improving the picking efficiency are achieved.

Referring to <FIG>, taking robot R1, robot R2, picker A and picker B as an example, it is assumed that picker A and picker B pick goods in the first area <NUM> and the second area <NUM> respectively, robot R1 is responsible for picking location <NUM>, picking location <NUM> and picking location <NUM> and robot R2 is responsible for picking location <NUM>, and it is also assumed that picking B and robot R2 complete a task of picking location <NUM> earlier. In such case, the robot management system receives current position information sent by robot R2, then queries nearby goods location information of goods to be picked in an area closest to a current position according to the current position information and controls a display terminal of the robot that has completed picking to display an interaction interface including the nearby goods location information to prompt picker B to go to a nearby goods location corresponding to the goods location information in the first area <NUM> to assist in picking goods. For example, A goods location information display bar <NUM> displays nearby goods location information B-<NUM>-<NUM>.

It is to be noted that, in S20 and S21, the robot management system acquires the current position information sent by the robot that has completed picking and knows that a picking task of the picker for a corresponding picking location has been completed, so that the nearby goods location information of the goods to be picked in the area closest to the current position can be queried according to the current position information to prompt the picker to go to a closest picking location to pick the goods, and the technical effects of avoiding idle manpower and improving the picking efficiency are achieved.

It is also to be noted that, in S22, besides the nearby goods location information, information on the interaction interface also includes information about the picker, information indicating that a picking task of the picker is completed in working time, goods information, goods barcode information, goods stock information, etc..

On one aspect, a picker can assist a picker in an adjacent area in picking goods through nearby goods location information, so that personnel circulation is promoted, and the picking efficiency is improved.

On another aspect, a picker in an area can pick goods in another area according to an interaction interface, and is not required to be trained specially for picking goods in adjacent areas, so that picking training time and cost are reduced.

On another aspect, the interaction interface automatically displays the information indicating that the picking task of the picker is completed in the working time, so that administrative cost in job rating can be reduced, and meanwhile, the enthusiasm of pickers is improved by encouraging more pay for more work to improve the picking efficiency. For example, a task statistical display bar <NUM> displays the number of picked goods <NUM>, and a personal information display bar displays the name Wang Yuan and number <NUM> of the picker presently executing a task.

In S30, the number of robots in a queue in the packaging area and average time that the robots wait for being operated are monitored.

In S31, when the number of the robots in the queue is different from a preset human-machine efficiency balance value, a human-machine number configuration is prompted to be regulated to balance human-machine efficiency.

In the embodiment, the number of the robots in the queue in the packaging area <NUM> is monitored, and when the number of the robots in the queue is different from the preset human-machine efficiency balance value, the human-machine number configuration is prompted to be regulated to balance the human-machine efficiency, so that technical effects of improving the picking efficiency and flexibly coping with logistics volume changes are achieved, and a purpose of avoiding resource waste is achieved.

It is to be noted that, in S30 and S31, the balance value, a value capable of achieving a relatively high human-machine coordination degree and configured to measuring the human-machine efficiency, can be set for the warehouse areas and a human-machine configuration according to a normal logistics volume, the number of the robots in the queue in the packaging area <NUM> being consistent with or proportional to the human-machine efficiency balance value when the human-machine efficiency is balanced, so that when the number of the robots in the queue in the packaging area <NUM> is different from the preset human-machine efficiency balance value, it indicates that the logistics volume may be in a peak period or a trough period, and prompting the human-machine number configuration to be regulated to balance the human-machine efficiency, for example, reducing pickers and adding robots, can achieve the technical effects of improving the picking efficiency and flexibly coping with the logistics volume changes and achieving the purpose of avoiding resource waste.

<FIG> is a schematic structural diagram of a robot-based subarea logistics picking apparatus according to an embodiment, and shows a robot-based subarea logistics picking apparatus. According to the picking apparatus, an occupation rate of a warehouse space can be reduced, the flexibility in planned use of the warehouse space can be improved, and moreover, human-machine configuration can be implemented flexibly to meet requirements of small-batch high-frequency order on subarea picking efficiency and flexibility in an electronic commerce environment.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, a robot-based subarea logistics picking apparatus includes:.

In the embodiment, the order information of the goods is acquired, the goods being arranged in the warehouse area and the order information including the goods location information of the goods, then the picking location information, mapped by the goods location information, of the robot is acquired, and the planned path for guiding the robot is calculated according to the picking location information to guide the robot to go to the corresponding picking location to convey the goods picked by the picker to the packaging area <NUM>, so that an occupation rate of a warehouse space is reduced, the flexibility in planned use of the warehouse space is improved, and moreover, human-machine configuration can be implemented flexibly to meet requirements of small-batch high-frequency orders on subarea picking efficiency and flexibility in an electronic commerce environment.

It is to be noted that the order acquisition module <NUM> acquires the order information of the goods. The order information, acquired by a robot management system, of the goods can be from a warehouse management system. The warehouse management system stores warehouse area information, goods location information, goods information, robot information, picker information, etc., and the information can be called by the robot management system and the robot. Many goods can be arranged in each warehouse area, and pickers <NUM> and robots <NUM> can be allocated reasonably for goods picking. In the embodiment, the warehouse areas can include a first area <NUM> and a second area <NUM>.

It is also to be noted that the robot can call the goods location information from the warehouse management system, so that the robot can calculate a picking location that the robot is responsible for in an order task (for example, responsible for one or more picking locations in picking location <NUM>, picking location <NUM>, picking location <NUM>, picking location <NUM>, and other picking locations) according to the received goods location information and send the picking location information to the location mapping module <NUM>. In addition, the order acquisition module <NUM> can call the goods location information from the warehouse management system, so that the location mapping module <NUM> can find the goods location information of the robot by mapping.

It is further to be noted that the robot management system is logically bound with the robot, so that the robot management system can know a position of the robot at any time. The location mapping module <NUM> obtains the picking location information, so that the path generation module <NUM> can calculate the planned path for guiding the robot according to the goods location information and the real-time position of the robot, and the robot is guided through the planned path to go to the corresponding picking location to convey the goods picked by the picker to the packaging area <NUM>.

<FIG> is a schematic structural diagram of an improved apparatus of a robot-based subarea logistics picking apparatus according to an embodiment, and shows an improved apparatus of the robot-based subarea logistics picking apparatus in <FIG>.

Referring to <FIG>, <FIG>, the robot-based subarea logistics picking apparatus further includes:.

It is to be noted that the position acquisition module <NUM> acquires the current position information sent by the robot that has completed picking and knows that a picking task of the picker for a corresponding picking location has been completed, so that the query module <NUM> can query the nearby goods location information of the goods to be picked in the area closest to the current position according to the current position information to prompt the picker to go to a closest picking location to pick the goods, and the technical effects of avoiding idle manpower and improving the picking efficiency are achieved.

It is also to be noted that, besides the nearby goods location information, information on the interaction interface controlled to be generated by the display control module <NUM> also includes information about the picker, information indicating that a picking task of the picker is completed in working time, goods information, goods barcode information, goods stock information, etc..

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the robot-based subarea logistics picking apparatus further includes:.

It is to be noted that the balance value, a value capable of achieving a relatively high human-machine coordination degree and configured to measuring the human-machine efficiency, can be set for the warehouse areas and a human-machine configuration according to a normal logistics volume, the number of the robots in the queue in the packaging area being consistent with or proportional to the human-machine efficiency balance value when the human-machine efficiency is balanced, so that when the number of the robots in the queue in the packaging area is different from the preset human-machine efficiency balance value, it indicates that the logistics volume may be in a peak period or a trough period, and prompting the human-machine number configuration to be regulated to balance the human-machine efficiency, for example, reducing pickers and adding robots, can achieve the technical effects of improving the picking efficiency and flexibly coping with the logistics volume changes and achieving the purpose of avoiding resource waste.

<FIG> is a structural diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment, and shows an electronic device.

Referring to <FIG>, an electronic device a includes a memory <NUM> and a processor <NUM>, wherein the memory <NUM> stores a computer program, and the computer program is executed in the processor <NUM> to implement any method in <FIG>.

In an embodiment, there is also provided a storage medium, which stores a computer program, wherein the computer program is executed in a processor to implement any method in <FIG>.

<FIG> is a schematic structural diagram of a robot-based subarea logistics picking system according to an embodiment, and shows a robot-based subarea logistics picking system. According to the picking system, an occupation rate of a warehouse space can be reduced, the flexibility in planned use of the warehouse space can be improved, and moreover, human-machine configuration can be flexibly implemented to meet requirements of small-batch high-frequency order on subarea picking efficiency and flexibility in an electronic commerce environment.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, a robot-based subarea logistics picking system includes:.

It is to be noted that the robot management system <NUM> acquires the order information of the goods. The order information, acquired by the robot management system <NUM>, of the goods can be from a warehouse management system <NUM>. The warehouse management system <NUM> stores warehouse area information, goods location information, goods information, robot information, picker information, etc., and the information can be called by a cloud system and the robot. Many goods can be arranged in each warehouse area, and pickers <NUM> and robots <NUM> can be allocated reasonably for goods picking. In the embodiment, the warehouse areas can include a first area <NUM> and a second area <NUM>.

It is also to be noted that the robot <NUM> can call the goods location information from the warehouse management system <NUM>, so that the robot <NUM> can calculate the picking location that the robot is responsible for according to the received goods location information and send the picking location information to the robot management system <NUM>. In addition, the robot management system <NUM> can call the goods location information from the warehouse management system <NUM>, so that the goods location information of the robot <NUM> can be obtained by mapping.

It is further to be noted that the robot management system <NUM> is logically bound with the robot, so that the robot management system <NUM> can know a position of the robot at any time. The robot management system <NUM> obtains the picking location information, so that the planned path for guiding the robot <NUM> can be calculated according to the goods location information and the real-time position of the robot, and the robot <NUM> is guided through the planned path to go to the corresponding picking location to convey the goods picked by the picker to the packaging area.

Claim 1:
A robot-based subarea logistics picking method, comprising:
acquiring (S10) order information of goods, the goods being arranged in a warehouse area and the order information comprise goods location information of the goods;
acquiring (S11) picking location information, mapped by the goods location information, of a robot; and
calculating (S12) a planned path according to the picking location information to guide the robot to go to a corresponding picking location to convey the goods picked by a picker to a packaging area;
wherein the method further comprising:
acquiring (S20) current position information of a robot that has completed picking;
querying (S21) location information of goods to be picked in an area closest to a current position according to the current position information; and
controlling (S22) a display terminal of the robot that has completed picking to display an interaction interface comprising the location information to prompt a picker who has completed picking to pick the goods;
wherein the method further comprising:
monitoring (S30) the number of robots in a queue in the packaging area;
monitoring average time that the robots wait for being operated; and
when the number of the robots in the queue is different from a preset human-machine efficiency balance value, prompting (S31) a human-machine number configuration to be regulated,
wherein the human-machine number configuration is a configuration of quantities of the robots and the pickers.