Conveyance system, conveyance method, and recording medium recording conveyance program

{
  "publication_number": "US12330882B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Conveyance system, conveyance method, and recording medium recording conveyance program",
  "abstract": "A conveyance system according to the present disclosure includes a conveyance request receiver that receives the conveyance requests of the conveyance targets, a starting area selector that selects a starting area from among the partial areas, a partial area traveling order setter that sets the starting area to one of the partial areas to be traveled first and sets partial area traveling order for traveling of an automatic conveyance apparatus, and a storage position traveling order setter that sets storage position traveling order of the automatic conveyance apparatus inside each of the partial areas. The automatic conveyance apparatus travels the partial areas in accordance with the partial area traveling order and travels the storage positions in accordance with the storage position traveling order inside each of the partial areas so as to convey the conveyance targets corresponding to the received conveyance requests inside the entire area.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A conveyance system in which a plurality of partial areas is set inside an entire area in a warehouse, a plurality of storage positions storing conveyance targets is set inside each of the plurality of partial areas, and an automatic conveyance apparatus conveys the conveyance targets corresponding to received conveyance requests inside the entire area, the conveyance system comprising: a conveyance request receiver that receives the conveyance requests of the conveyance targets; a starting area selector that selects a starting area that is one of the plurality of partial areas that is traveled first; a partial area traveling order setter that sets the starting area selected by the starting area selector to one of the plurality of partial areas to be traveled first and sets a partial area traveling order that is an order of the plurality of partial areas traveled by the automatic conveyance apparatus; and a storage position traveling order setter that sets a storage position traveling order that is an order of the plurality of storage positions traveled by the automatic conveyance apparatus inside each of the plurality of partial areas, wherein the automatic conveyance apparatus travels the plurality of partial areas in accordance with the partial area traveling order and travels the plurality of storage positions in accordance with the storage position traveling order inside each of the plurality of partial areas such that to convey the conveyance targets corresponding to the received conveyance requests inside the entire area.",
    "2. The conveyance system according to claim 1, wherein a partial area traveling order rule prescribing an order of traveling on the plurality of partial areas is set, and the partial area traveling order setter sets the partial area traveling order, after setting the starting area, based on the partial area traveling order rule.",
    "3. The conveyance system according to claim 2, wherein the partial area traveling order rule is set by a traveling order of a circulation of the plurality of partial areas.",
    "4. The conveyance system according to claim 1, wherein a storage position traveling order rule prescribing an order of traveling on the plurality of storage positions in the plurality of partial areas is set, and the storage position traveling order setter sets the storage position traveling order based on the storage position traveling order rule.",
    "5. The conveyance system according to claim 4, wherein the storage position traveling order rule is set by ranks of the plurality of storage positions in the plurality of partial areas, and the storage position traveling order setter sets the storage position traveling order based on the ranks set to the plurality of storage positions in the plurality of partial areas.",
    "6. The conveyance system according to claim 1, wherein the starting area selector selects the starting area in accordance with an external request.",
    "7. The conveyance system according to claim 1, wherein the starting area selector automatically selects the starting area in accordance with a predetermined condition.",
    "8. The conveyance system according to claim 7, wherein the starting area selector measures a congestion level of the automatic conveyance apparatus in each of the plurality of partial areas and selects one of the plurality of partial areas with a lowest congestion level as the starting area.",
    "9. The conveyance system according to claim 1, wherein the starting area selector randomly and automatically selects the starting area.",
    "10. A conveyance method in which a plurality of partial areas is set inside an entire area in a warehouse, a plurality of storage positions storing conveyance targets is set inside each of the plurality of partial areas, and an automatic conveyance apparatus conveys the conveyance targets corresponding to received conveyance request inside the entire area, the conveyance method comprising: receiving the conveyance requests of the conveyance targets; selecting a starting area that is one of the plurality of partial areas that is traveled first; setting the starting area to one of the plurality of partial areas to be traveled first and setting a partial area traveling order that is an order of the plurality of partial areas traveled by the automatic conveyance apparatus; and setting a storage position traveling order that is an order of the plurality of storage positions traveled by the automatic conveyance apparatus inside each of the plurality of partial areas, wherein the automatic conveyance apparatus travels the plurality of partial areas in accordance with the partial area traveling order and travels the plurality of storage positions in accordance with the storage position traveling order inside each of the plurality of partial areas such that to convey the conveyance targets corresponding to the received conveyance requests inside the entire area.",
    "11. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium recording a conveyance program that sets a plurality of partial areas inside an entire area in a warehouse, that sets a plurality of storage positions storing conveyance targets inside each of the plurality of partial areas, and that causes an automatic conveyance apparatus to convey the conveyance targets corresponding to received conveyance request inside the entire area, the conveyance program causing one or more processors to: receive the conveyance requests of the conveyance targets; select a starting area that is one of the plurality of partial areas that is traveled first; set the starting area to one of the plurality of partial areas to be traveled first and setting a partial area traveling order that is an order of the plurality of partial areas traveled by the automatic conveyance apparatus; and set a storage position traveling order that is an order of the plurality of storage positions traveled by the automatic conveyance apparatus inside each of the plurality of partial areas, wherein the automatic conveyance apparatus travels the plurality of partial areas in accordance with the partial area traveling order and travels the plurality of storage positions in accordance with the storage position traveling order inside each of the plurality of partial areas such that to convey the conveyance targets corresponding to the received conveyance requests inside the entire area."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present disclosure relates to a conveyance system, a conveyance method, and a recording medium recording a conveyance program.\n\nIn general, a picking system has been proposed in which, upon receiving a picking order (conveyance request), the system travels storage positions of a plurality of items included in the picking order, picks the items in turn, and conveys the items to a dispatch area (shipment position).\n\nA system that classifies, when specified items are to be picked up by traveling a plurality of storage shelves in order, data of the items to be picked up according to item storage zones, rearrange the data of the items for each storage zone, and output instructions for picking up the items according to the rearranged order has been used, for example. Furthermore, a system that determines a picking sequence that attains the least number of times traveling is performed and the least number of picking times has been used.\n\nIn the general picking systems, one of a plurality of items to be picked first in picking order when storage positions of the plurality of items in the picking order are traveled to pick the items in turn is not sufficiently taken into consideration. Therefore, a picking start position is concentrated at a certain position, and accordingly, loss of a conveyance time may occur due to traffic congestion.\n\nFurthermore, when a picking start position is to be changed after the picking sequence is determined, the determination of the picking sequence is required to be performed again from the beginning, and therefore, the determination of a starting position of the picking may not be flexible.",
  "cpc": [
    "B65G 43/00",
    "G06Q 10/0875"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B65G 43/00",
    "G06Q 10/0875"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Sharp Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Thinh Nguyenquang",
    "Takashi Iwamoto",
    "Akihiro Yamakawa"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2022-04-08",
  "publication_date": "2025-06-17",
  "grant_date": "2025-06-17",
  "priority_date": "2021-04-13",
  "application_number": "US-202217716821-A",
  "family_id": "83510096",
  "cited_by_count": 0,
  "citations": [
    "JPH10120124A",
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    "JP2020106914A",
    "US10809727B1",
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  ]
}