Cargo sorting system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11194337-B2
Application number	US-201916755857-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2019
Priority date	May 18, 2018
Publication date	Dec 7, 2021
Grant date	Dec 7, 2021

Abstract

Disclosed are a goods sorting system and method. The system includes a control server, a delivery robot, and a first carrying robot. The control server is configured to determine a delivery port according to a road direction of goods to be delivered, allocate the delivery robot, plan a traveling route for the delivery robot, generate a delivery instruction and send the delivery instruction to the delivery robot. The delivery robot is configured to travel to the delivery port, deliver the goods to be delivered to the delivery port. The control server is further configured to: when the number of goods collected in a target goods collection container below the delivery port is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, allocated the first carrying robot, plan a traveling route for the first carrying robot, generate a carrying instruction and send the carrying instruction to the first carrying robot. The first carrying robot is configured to travel to the target goods collection container according to the traveling route, carry the target goods collection container to a goods collection station. Further disclosed is a server and a storage medium.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A goods sorting system, comprising: a control server, a plurality of delivery robots and a plurality of first carrying robots, wherein the control server is communicatively connected to the plurality of delivery robots and the plurality of first carrying robots, respectively; wherein the plurality of delivery robots and the plurality of first carrying robots all operate on a ground of a site;
wherein the control server is configured to determine a delivery port according to a route-and-direction of goods to be delivered, allocate one of the plurality of delivery robots to the goods to be delivered, plan a traveling route for the one of the plurality of delivery robots, generate a delivery instruction corresponding to the goods to be delivered, and send the delivery instruction to the one of the plurality of delivering robots, wherein the delivery instruction comprises the traveling route of the one of the plurality of delivery robots;
wherein the one of the plurality of delivery robots is configured to, in response to the delivery instruction, travel to the delivery port according to the traveling route of the one of the plurality of delivery robots, and deliver the goods to be delivered to the delivery port;
wherein the control server is further configured to, in a case where a number of goods collected in a target goods collection container below the delivery port is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, allocate one of the plurality of first carrying robots to the target goods collection container, plan a traveling route for the one of the plurality of first carrying robots, generate a carrying instruction corresponding to the target goods collection container, and send the carrying instruction to the one of the plurality of first carrying robots, wherein the carrying instruction comprises the traveling route of the one of the plurality of first carrying robots, the target goods collection container is provided on the ground of the site, one target goods collection container corresponds to at least one route-and-direction, and an opening of the target goods collection container is the delivery port; and
wherein the one of the plurality of first carrying robots is configured to, in response to the carrying instruction, travel to the target goods collection container according to the traveling route of the one of the plurality of first carrying robots, and carry the target goods collection container to a goods collection station.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising: a plurality of second carrying robots;
wherein the control server is further configured to allocate one of the plurality of second carrying robots to an empty goods collection container, plan a traveling route for the one of the plurality of second carrying robots, generate a carrying instruction corresponding to the empty goods collection container, and send the carrying instruction to the one of the plurality of second carrying robots, wherein the carrying instruction comprises the traveling route of the one of the plurality of second carrying robots; and
wherein the one of the plurality of second carrying robots is configured to respond, in response to the carrying instruction corresponding to the empty goods collection container, and carry the empty goods collection container to the target goods collection container according to the traveling route of the one of the plurality of second carrying robots;
wherein the plurality of second carrying robots all operate on the ground of the site.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein at least one target goods collection container forms a goods collection container group, a plurality of goods collection container groups are arranged in an array in the site, and transverse channels and longitudinal channels among different goods collection container groups in the array are moving channels for robots,
wherein the system further comprises: a goods supply platform, wherein the goods supply platform and the goods collection station are located at two sides of the array, respectively.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein a plurality of target goods collection containers are arranged in the site and distributed along a polygon outline, a region inside the polygon outline forms moving channels of the plurality of delivery robots, and a region outside the polygon outline forms moving channels of the plurality of first carrying robots and the plurality of second carrying robots,
wherein a part of the polygon outline has an opening shape,
wherein the system further comprises a goods supply platform, wherein the goods supply platform is located inside the polygon outline, and the goods collection station is located outside the polygon outline.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein every two of the plurality of goods collection container groups are a pair, and a width of a channel between any two pairs of goods collection container groups is greater than a width of a channel between the two goods collection container groups within any one pair of goods collection container group,
wherein the channel between the any two pairs of goods collection container groups is a traveling channel of the plurality of carrying robots, and the channel between the two goods collection container groups within the any pair of goods collection container groups is a moving channel of the plurality of delivery robots.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the delivery robot comprises a delivery robot body and a delivery device provided on the delivery robot body; and
wherein a height of the delivery device from the ground is greater than a height of the delivery port from the ground,
the delivery device is provided with a roller, a belt or a turnover plate, wherein the roller, the belt or the turnover plate is configured to deliver goods to be delivered on the roller, the belt or the turnover plate into the target goods collection container by wheeling,
wherein the one of the plurality of delivery robots is configured to, to response to the delivery instruction, travel to the target goods collection container according to a delivery route, and deliver the goods to be delivered to the target goods collection container through the delivery device.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein a delivery route planned by the control server for the one of the plurality of delivery robots is a ring-shaped route, and a turn of the ring-shaped route is arc-shaped.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein in a case where a total number of target goods collection containers is greater than a total number of route-and-directions, any one of the route-and-directions is bound to at least one of the target goods collection containers; and in a case where one of the route-and-directions is bound to at least two of the target goods collection containers, the at least two of the target goods collection containers belong to different goods collection container groups.

9. A goods sorting method, comprising:
a control server determining a delivery port according to a route-and-direction of goods to be delivered, allocating a delivery robot to the goods to be delivered, planning a traveling route for the delivery robot, generating a delivery instruction corresponding to the goods to be delivered, and sending the delivery instruction to the delivery robot, wherein the delivery instruction comprises the traveling route of the delivery robot;
in response to the delivery instruction, the delivery robot traveling to the delivery port according to the traveling route of the delivery robot, and delivering the goods to be delivered to the delivery port, wherein the delivery robot operates on a ground of a site;
in a case where a number of collected goods in a target goods col

Assignees

• Beijing Geekplus Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Liu Kai
• Yu Fandi

Classifications

• G06Q10/087

  Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders · CPC title

• G06Q10/047

  Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem · CPC title

• G06Q10/04

  Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" (market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202) · CPC title

• G06Q10/08

  Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management · CPC title

• B07C3/08

  using arrangements of conveyors {(transport of sheets B65H; transport in general B65G)} · CPC title